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Nick Bosa

NFC Notes: Bosa, 49ers, Cowboys, Vikings

August 7th, 2019 at 10:06pm CST by Ben Levine

49ers fans will have to wait a bit until they see Nick Bosa in game action. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the rookie defensive end was diagnosed with an ankle sprain. The second-overall pick had an MRI after leaving practice earlier today.

Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the injury will linger into the regular season. Rapoport notes that Bosa might sit out the preseason as the team proceeds cautiously, but it doesn’t sound like his status for Week 1 is in doubt. The 49ers will be counting on the Ohio State product to be an every-down player from the get-go.

Meanwhile, Rapoport also reports (via Twitter) that 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett was diagnosed with a minor ankle sprain following a MRI. The veteran is likely day-to-day.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

  • The Cowboys are eyeing some tight end depth. ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets that the organization auditioned Marcus Lucas today. The 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Missouri in 2014. Dallas cut Rico Gathers last week, but the team could be looking for a fresh body in an attempt to give Jason Witten days off.
  • Cornerback Bene Benwikere‘s one-year, $1MM contract with the Vikings has an $805K base salary, tweets the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The deal also includes a $90K roster bonus and up to $105K in per-game bonuses, although none of the contract is guaranteed.
  • Running back Corey Grant‘s one-year deal with the Packers is worth $895K, tweets ESPN’s Rob Demovsky and Jim Owczarski of the Journal Sentinel. The only guaranteed money comes via a $60K signing bonus, while Grant will have to earn an $805K base salary and ~$30K per-game roster bonuses. His cap charge is around $714K.

49ers Sign Nick Bosa

July 25th, 2019 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Done deal. On Thursday, the 49ers reached agreement with No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The club also inked second-round pick Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver out of South Carolina.

With that, the 49ers have avoided unnecessary drama and another Bosa holdout in the NFL. Per the terms of his slot, the Ohio State defensive end will earn $33.55MM over the course of his four-year deal. After that, the Niners will hold a fifth-year option on his deal, since Bosa is a first-round pick.

Bosa might have been one of the safest best bets in this draft. The 49ers have not had an edge rusher record a seven sacks in a season since Aldon Smith in 2013, but they now have a strong pass rush featuring Bosa, Dee Ford and three first-round interior rushers in Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas.

Here’s the full rundown of the Niners’ draft, via PFR’s tracker:

West Notes: 49ers, N. Bosa, Wagner, Benson

July 21st, 2019 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers have not had a high draft pick hold out of training camp since the new CBA and its rookie wage scale were instituted in 2011. However, the club’s top two 2019 draft choices, No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa and No. 36 overall pick Deebo Samuel, have yet to sign their rookie deals. Cam Inman of the Mercury News believes that both players will be under contract by the time camp opens on Friday, but it seems that the club’s history, rather than any specific information on Bosa or Samuel, is the primary reason for that belief.

Now for more from the league’s west divisions:

  • In the same piece linked above, Inman says that new 49ers acquisitions Kwon Alexander and Jason Verrett — along with every other member of the roster — should be cleared for action when camp opens, though San Francisco may ease them back into action. Inman also suggests that the backup QB competition between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard will be a close one.
  • This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given earlier reports that new Seahawks defensive end Ezekiel Ansah could miss at least the first month of the regular season, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that Ansah is expected to open training camp on the PUP list. It remains to be seen if Ansah will, in fact, miss any regular season action, though Condotta says there should be more clarity on that front this week.
  • Condotta also believes that Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner will get an extension before the season begins, and it could happen as soon as this week.
  • We have taken several looks at the Broncos‘ WR corps over the past week or so, and UDFA Trinity Benson‘s name keeps cropping up. As Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, Benson took reps with the first-team offense Saturday and caught several passes from Joe Flacco. New head coach Vic Fangio said he will continue to put his unproven players on the field with the presumptive starters, and it seems that Benson has acquitted himself nicely thus far. The fact that he served as a kickoff and punt returner in college will only help his cause.

49ers Decided On Nick Bosa At Combine?

June 22nd, 2019 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Bosa has yet to sign his rookie contract and has run into more injury trouble, a grade 1 hamstring strain sidelining him for part of OTAs and the 49ers’ minicamp. The 49ers have run into a spate of injuries this year, with several carrying over from 2018. The team is not concerned about Bosa’s contract situation dragging into training camp like his older brother’s did three years ago and doesn’t appear fazed by the younger Bosa’s history (he missed most of his junior year due to a core muscle malady).

The team has been committed to the standout defensive end prospect since the Combine, with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reporting 49ers executive VP of football operations Paraag Maranthe telling Bosa’s agent in Indianapolis he would be the 49ers’ pick at No. 2 — provided the Cardinals did not take him first overall.

Like Joey Bosa‘s situation in 2016, offset language serves as one of this deal’s holdups, Maiocco adds. The other snag is how the money will be paid out. Nick Bosa’s slot price comes in at $33.55MM, and it will be fully guaranteed.

Nick Bosa-to-San Francisco seemed like one of the best bets in this draft. Had the 49ers not taken Bosa, it was reported the Jets would have selected him at No. 3. The 49ers have not featured an edge rusher record a seven sacks in a season since Aldon Smith in 2013. They now have Bosa and Dee Ford in a pass rush mix that still includes the three interior rusher types chosen in the first round from 2015-17 — Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas.

Poll: Which Top 10 Pick Has The Highest Bust Potential?

June 12th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL Draft is just barely in the rear view mirror, which means that teams are full of hope for their young rookies. But, of course, the NFL Draft is largely a crapshoot, and not every player will realize their full potential. 

This year’s draft had talent, but lacked a true consensus on the top player. Many evaluators pegged defensive end Nick Bosa as the player with the highest ceiling in the 2019 class, but other saw Alabama’s Quinnen Williams as the “safest bet.” The 49ers pounced on Bosa with the No. 2 pick while the Jets (and former GM Mike Maccagnan) were delighted to land Williams at No. 3 overall.

Leading up to the draft, much of the attention was on Oklahoma quarterback (and one-time MLB hopeful) Kyler Murray. When Murray announced that he would ditch the Oakland A’s, his stock exploded – Murray was considered a borderline first-round prospect in the winter, but wound up as the Cardinals’ choice at No. 1 overall. Murray has the speed that teams crave at the QB position, but questions persist about his size and overall lack of experience as a full-time starter.

The Cardinals’ long flirtation with Murray brought us the expected result, but the Raiders gave us the real first shock of the draft when they tapped Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall. Not to be outdone, the Giants snagged Duke’s Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. Heading into the draft, neither player was thought to be anywhere near Top 10 consideration, but Mike Mayock and Dave Gettleman were unwilling to trade down and risk losing out on their guys.

The domino effect created by those picks allowed the Bucs to grab inside linebacker Devin White (No. 5 overall), the Jaguars to land outside linebacker Josh Allen (No. 6), the Lions to snag top tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Bills to draft defensive tackle Ed Oliver (No. 9 overall), and the Steelers to finish out the Top 10 with linebacker Devin Bush. Most of those picks were warmly received, but nothing is certain in the draft.

Which Top 10 pick do you think has the highest bust potential? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

NFC Notes: Cardinals, Bosa, Giants

May 25th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

While D.J. Humphries‘ recovery from a knee injury could linger into the preseason, the rest of the Cardinals offensive line is looking healthy this spring. As Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic writes, many of the team’s projected starters are feeling good, including Justin Pugh (hand/knee), A.Q. Shipley (knee), and Marcus Gilbert (quad).

“I feel great, I’m 100 percent,” Pugh said. “Going into last year I was coming off an injury and last I broke the hand and had an MCL issue that sidelined me, but everything is 100 percent and I feel great. [Strength and conditioning coach] Buddy Morris did an unbelievable job with me this offseason, so a huge shout out to Buddy and our training staff.”

Six Cardinals linemen finished last season on the injured reserve, so the team is looking forward to meshing prior to the regular season.

“It’s amazing when you play this game and you see how guys battle back from stuff, see how everybody handles stuff and how everybody collectively comes together,” said Humphries. “We’re here to get better and that’s the fun part about it. We all went through something last season, but we’re going to figure this out, we’re going to roll with it and we’re going to be better than we were last season.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

  • 49ers rookie defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will miss the next few weeks of practice, according to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area. The second-overall pick suffered the injury during Tuesday’s OTAs, and he had just returned to the field after recovering from a bilateral core muscle injury (and the subsequent surgery).
  • Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is always looking for ways to improve his defensive line, but Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com doesn’t envision the team pursuing Gerald McCoy. Dunleavy suggests former Chargers tackle Corey Liuget or former Chiefs defensive end Allen Bailey could be more realistic options.
  • Dunleavy doesn’t believe the Giants will be able to hang on to all of their young cornerbacks. The grouping, which includes Sam Beal, Grant Haley, DeAndre Baker, Corey Ballentine and Julian Love, will have a tougher time making the roster if the Giants end up holding on to one of their end-of-roster veterans. Specifically, Dunleavy notes that Tony Lippett or special teams ace Antonio Hamilton could pair up with starter Janoris Jenkins.

West Notes: Raiders, 49ers, Seahawks

May 5th, 2019 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

After signing several lower-key free agents last year, the Raiders operated aggressively in March. After adding Antonio Brown, the team signed Trent Brown, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrell Williams, Brandon Marshall and Vontaze Burfict. All are in line to start. But the Raiders’ most deficient area was not fully addressed until the draft. Mike Mayock did not view this year’s class of edge rushers as good fits for the Raiders, who then took three defensive ends in the draft. This perhaps affected the Raiders’ ability to sign UDFA defensive ends.

“We didn’t think that free agency was going to be the answer for that,” Mayock said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair) of addressing the team’s need for edge help. “I thought we did a really nice job here over the weekend to the extent that we couldn’t even sign any (undrafted) free agent defensive ends because they saw we drafted three. They’re all staying away from us.”

Most thought the Raiders reached at No. 4 to draft Clelin Ferrell, whom one league executive said (via Mike Sando of ESPN.com, ESPN+ link) was slower than an NFL quarterback of average speed. The Raiders also drafted Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby in the fourth round and Prairie View A&M’s Quinton Bell in the seventh. While the Raiders did sign Benson Mayowa in free agency, they may still need assistance at this position after their 2018 pass rush recorded the fewest sacks (13) of any NFL team in 10 seasons.

Here is the latest from the West divisions, continuing with a possible Raiders need area:

  • Jon Gruden said Kolton Miller will stay at left tackle, with Trent Brown lining up on the right side and Brandon Parker now a swing player. Gabe Jackson will remain at right guard, but after the Raiders traded All-Pro Kelechi Osemele for a Day 3 pick, the team has a hole at left guard. Gruden said (via Bair) the team will still monitor outside help at that spot. As of now, 2018 waiver claim Denzelle Good is stationed with the first unit there. While Good made 20 starts with the Colts from 2015-17, the free agent market — which includes Andy Levitre, Stefen Wisniewski, Chance Warmack and Shawn Lauvao, among others — may be able to produce a better starter.
  • The 49ers will proceed cautiously with Nick Bosa. Despite the No. 2 overall pick participating fully at the Combine, the 49ers held him out of team drills at rookie minicamp this week. After Bosa missed most of his junior season at Ohio State due to a core muscle injury, the 49ers plan work him in slowly, a team official told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
  • The first punter went off the board in the fourth round this year, with the 49ers making Mitch Wishnowsky being the highest-drafted punter since the Jaguars took Bryan Anger in the 2012 third round. However, the 49ers did not expect to need a punter, per Maiocco, who notes they viewed 2015 fifth-round pick Bradley Pinion as a player likely to be re-signed. Instead, the Buccaneers swooped in and landed the free agent specialist on a four-year, $11MM deal.
  • It looks like the Seahawks‘ search for backup-quarterback candidates may continue. Paxton Lynch resides on Seattle’s roster, but considering his career thus far, it’s no lock the former first-rounder will be Russell Wilson‘s primary backup. The three players who took part in the Seahawks’ rookie camp this weekend — UDFA Taryn Christion (South Dakota State) and tryout arms Troy Williams (Utah) and Michael O’Connor (University of British Columbia) — did not fare well. “I thought the quarterbacks had a hard time,” Pete Carroll said (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, on Twitter). “I thought they struggled with the system and play-calling.”

Draft Rumors: Jets, Bills, Bosa, Bush, Eagles

April 25th, 2019 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Are the Jets and Bills preparing to work together tonight? For weeks, reports have steadily emerged indicating the Jets would not be averse to trading down from No. 3 overall. That prospect has gained steam Thursday, with GMs expecting Gang Green to have buyers for their pick. The Bills might be one of them. The Jets are a decent bet to trade down tonight, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, adding one team is under the impression New York already has a deal in place. Teams don’t make a habit of intra-division first-round trade agreements, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes (on Twitter) the Bills may be considering moving up to acquire Quinnen Williams. Cimini mentions Williams as a key part in the Jets’ potential trade-down scenario, so if the Cardinals and 49ers choose Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa — as they are expected to — we could have a trade shortly after.

Here is the latest calm-before-the-storm draft buzz:

  • Linked to just about every other key player atop this draft, the Raiders are now connected to Bosa. They may be interested in moving up to select the Ohio State-honed pass rusher, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes (via Rotoworld’s Evan Silva, on Twitter). With the 49ers expected to take Bosa at No. 2 overall, the Raiders would seemingly have to trade into the Cards’ No. 1 spot to pull this off.
  • Vic Fangio‘s previous team used the No. 8 overall pick to nab Roquan Smith. He may have a similar wish this year. The Broncos‘ first-year coach “very badly” wants Devin Bush to spearhead his new linebacking corps, La Canfora notes. Denver cut its top coverage linebacker, Brandon Marshall, earlier this year and has a need for a three-down inside ‘backer.
  • The Steelers made calls about possibly trading up for a defender, but they may be resigned to the fact they will not be able to add one of their targets. They do not view Bush as an attainable player, per JLC (on Twitter). With the Broncos linked to Bush at 10, the Steelers would have to likely jump at least 11 draft slots to be in strong position to land the Michigan linebacker prospect.
  • Vanderbilt-produced cornerback Joejuan Williams has risen into first-round consideration, and the Chargers are intrigued, per La Canfora. The Bolts do not boast a plethora of dire needs, putting them in position for a best-player-available pick at No. 28.
  • Although the Eagles brought back Timmy Jernigan, they are still going to be in the market for a possible first-round defensive tackle, Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets. The Eagles are fairly stacked on their defensive front, especially having added Malik Jackson this offseason, but they have been mentioned as a candidate to add another lineman in Round 1.
  • If the Giants address their pass rusher and quarterback needs tonight, they may be hoping to help their secondary on Friday. They should be expected to consider a safety either in Round 2 or Round 3, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). Big Blue acquired Jabrill Peppers this offseason but has needs everywhere else in its secondary.

Draft Notes: Steelers, Jets, Giants, Dolphins

April 25th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the more traditional NFL franchises, in terms of offseason aggression, the Steelers appear to recognize the urgency their recent defensive struggles have created. They are making calls about a possible trade-up from their No. 20 spot, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Steelers boast big needs at cornerback and linebacker. It is believed the Steelers will be able to land a corner, perhaps the first corner to go in this draft, at 20. But if Pittsburgh wants to make a big move for a linebacker, it will likely need to acquire a top-10 pick. Devin White is viewed at this point as a top-10 lock, and the Broncos have been the team most connected to Devin Bush at No. 10.

Here is the latest from the draft world, hours away from the 2019 event:

  • The Jets have been a highly motivated seller at No. 3, and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes (on Twitter) the team almost certainly will have a market to move back. Three GMs informed Mehta the Jets will be able to trade back, if they so choose, despite a sense existing as recently as Wednesday Gang Green would not be successful in moving its pick. This is, however, contingent on Nick Bosa being gone at No. 2, with Mehta adding the Jets would likely select the Ohio State-developed edge rusher if he were available.
  • There may be another seller in the AFC East. Earlier on Thursday, the Dolphins were viewed as a trade-down candidate. Teams are now hearing, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (video link), Miami is quite motivated to move back from No. 13. The Dolphins are receiving calls about their pick, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This would make sense, given where the Dolphins are in their rebuilding process. However, they have done extensive work on both Dwayne Haskins and Daniel Jones, per Pelissero. But with Miami being mentioned as a candidate to wait until the higher-profile 2020 quarterback class to land its passer, Pelissero adds the Dolphins could pass on both Haskins and Jones even if they were available at 13.
  • John Elway also mentioned the probable 2020 QB class this offseason, and it appears likely his team will not select a signal-caller at No. 10. The Broncos have been connected to quarterback at 10, but it doesn’t seem like that will be the move, James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, it seems more likely that the Broncos will target inside linebacker, defensive line, and tight end help in the draft.
  • More consistently linked to QBs than either the Dolphins or Broncos, the Giants have a major decision between their top short- or long-term need at No. 6. Viewed as possibly having executed a Haskins smokescreen operation, the Giants may prefer Jones or Drew Lock over him. While Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes they “love” both Jones and Lock, neither may be in play at No. 6. Instead, Big Blue may be gambling it can land one of them at No. 17. This would point to the Giants selecting a pass rusher with their initial first-round pick tonight.

King’s Latest: Giants, Bosa, Steelers, Sweat

April 22nd, 2019 at 8:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to two positions primarily throughout the pre-draft process, the Giants appear certain to fill one of those early. Dave Gettleman wants a pass rusher “in the worst way,” a veteran NFL exec told NBC Sports’ Peter King, before adding the team will draft an edge player with one of its first three picks. New York holds picks 6, 17 and 37 but also has been understandably linked to quarterbacks after passing on them early in last year’s draft. The Giants have met with just about every top- and second-tier pass-rushing, hosting Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Ed Oliver, Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, Brian Burns, Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, Jaylon Ferguson on visits. After trading away Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon in consecutive offseasons, the Giants boast one of the most edge defender-needy depth charts in the game. Their Vernon-powered pass-rushing group last year registered just 30 sacks.

While the Giants may be zeroing in on Dwayne Haskins, they have also done work on possible second-round quarterbacks Will Grier and Jarrett Stidham — in the event Gettleman would dare push his post-Eli Manning QB need to 2020 and prioritize pass rushers early. He has said he would not view a non-first-round pick as a legitimate long-term quarterback solution.

Here is the latest from the draft world, courtesy of the veteran reporter:

  • Adding some intrigue to the Cardinals‘ situation: they believe Bosa is a generational prospect. While King still has them selecting Kyler Murray at No. 1, the report they are not totally committed to this yet — despite just about everything we’ve heard in recent weeks — is a bit more interesting. Bosa visited the Cardinals earlier this month and would obviously fill the team’s need opposite Chandler Jones.
  • While defensive line and linebacker prospects figure to populate the ESPN ticker early in Thursday night’s draft, secondary pieces may not come off the board until the second part of the opening round. One of the teams in need of cornerback help may have a preference. Mike Tomlin “loves” Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin, King writes. The Steelers have a linebacker need too but did sign Mark Barron to pair with Vince Williams. Their 2016 first-round investment of Artie Burns has not paid off, so Pittsburgh’s No. 20 spot may well be a cornerback destination. Ya-Sin, who played at Presbyterian (S.C.) prior to playing one season at Temple, visited the Steelers this month.
  • Brian Burns‘ stock has risen recently, and King mocks the Florida State product to the Bengals at No. 11. Burns ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the Combine and is one of many high-caliber front-seven players available.
  • Another member of that group’s fortune has not been as kind. Montez Sweat will not attend the draft. Some teams have taken the Mississippi State product off their draft boards, and it is now possible he falls out of the first round. Reportedly diagnosed with an enlarged heart, Sweat may have some teams willing to take a chance on him early. One GM told King that Sweat will have an issue with his heart going forward, but if it’s closely monitored, the talented defender can have a career. That would be a boon for someone’s defense, with Sweat blazing to a 4.41-second 40 at the Combine and combining for 23 sacks between the 2017-18 seasons. Another GM informed King he believes Sweat’s upside is higher than Bosa’s, adding further intrigue to this situation.
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