Renardo Green

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, 49ers, Higbee

November 20th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Signed to similar contracts during the summer of 2022, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf have each become two of the NFL’s better wide receivers — each being chosen in the 2019 second round. The Seahawks nabbed Metcalf at No. 64 via trade-up, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the team had aimed to first draft Samuel at No. 35. GM John Schneider had worked out a trade-up from No. 37 to No. 35, via the Raiders, but Schefter adds the Silver and Black backed out of the deal. The Raiders instead dealt with the Jaguars, who drafted Jawaan Taylor at 35. The 49ers chose Samuel at 36.

The Seahawks still do not know why the Raiders reneged on the trade, Schefter adds. The Seahawks initially held a higher second-round choice than the Jags, who picked at 38. After Samuel went off the board, Seattle dealt 37 to Carolina (Greg Little) and drafted safety Marquise Blair at No. 47. The Seahawks had planned to pair Samuel and Metcalf, rather than the Ole Miss product — who famously fell to No. 64 after having teams divided during the pre-draft process — being a Samuel fallback option. Though, Metcalf as a WR contingency plan — with Doug Baldwin retirement rumors circulating during the draft — rather than pairing him with Samuel makes a bit more sense due to Tyler Lockett being just 27 at the time. Samuel and Metcalf are going into the final year of their contracts; each team rebuffed trade offers this year.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

Samuel’s San Francisco status may have changed once Brandon Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear. The older 49ers WR had been a rumored 2025 trade chip, as the team prepares for a Brock Purdy payday. Although some around the league have wondered if the 49ers will pay Purdy the going rate (mentioning a Kirk Cousins trade as a backup plan), The Athletic’s Matt Barrows expects Purdy to indeed receive a top-market deal from San Francisco. Purdy going from Mr. Irrelevant to a deal in the $55-$60MM-per-year range would represent one of the most dramatic rises in NFL history; the 2025 offseason is the window for that to happen.
Staying on the 49ers-in-2025 theme, the team has seen promising early returns from second-round rookie Renardo Green. The 49ers have viewed Green as a player who can work inside and on the perimeter; that matches Deommodore Lenoir‘s profile. Lenoir is now signed long term, but All-Pro Charvarius Ward is in a contract year. With Lenoir locked in, Ward appears headed back to free agency. As such, Barrows adds Green should be considered the favorite to start opposite Lenoir on the boundary in 2025. Pro Football Focus rates Green as the sixth-best CB regular this season, albeit on only 298 snaps.
While Sean McVay said right tackle Rob Havenstein could be back this week, the eighth-year Rams HC indicated (via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop) Tyler Higbee remains weeks away from returning. Higbee is still rehabbing the ACL and MCL tears sustained during the Rams’ wild-card loss to the Lions. The ninth-year tight end remains on Los Angeles’ reserve/PUP list. Havenstein has missed the Rams’ past two games with an ankle issue.
Jake Moody missed time due to injury this season, being one of three 49ers kickers to go down, and did not impress upon return. Moody missed three field goals against the Buccaneers, prompting a heated Samuel to take issue with the recovered kicker (and long snapper Taybor Pepper). John Lynch said later the 49ers have not considered replacing Moody. “We didn’t blink,” Lynch told KNBR (h/t The Athletic’s David Lombardi). “We have a lot of faith in this kid. We all have rough days. There’s a lot of context to put in these things and Jake has earned a lot of respect from this organization.” Moody’s third-round contract runs through 2026.

49ers Sign Round 2 CB Renardo Green, Two Other Draftees

May 9th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dozens of undoubtedly high-end pens are being put to paper around NFL facilities today, and the 49ers are in on the rookie signing action. San Francisco inked three members of its rookie class Thursday night.

Second-round cornerback Renardo Green and fourth-round picks Isaac Guerendo, a running back, and Jacob Cowing (a wide receiver) are now signed to their four-year rookie deals. With Green being selected at No. 64, his contract will not be fully guaranteed. Last year’s second-round closer — Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims, who arrived at No. 63 — received two fully guaranteed years and no guarantees into Year 3.

Although this 49ers draft is best known for being the first since 2021 to feature a first-rounder, Green is the team’s first second-round selection since 2022. The Florida State alum operated as a starter for two seasons, earning second-team All-ACC acclaim last year. The 49ers appear set to attempt to plug in the 6-foot corner into the slot role.

Since letting K’Waun Williams walk in 2022, the 49ers have been unable to find a steady slot presence. Logan Ryan ended up in the role to close last season; the veteran DB has since retired. The 49ers had hoped 2023 free agent signing Isaiah Oliver would fill the void alongside perimeter starters Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, but he did not end up doing so and has since been released. Oliver caught on with the Jets.

While the 49ers have a host of young corners and veteran Isaac Yiadom on their roster and carry the option of moving Lenoir inside on passing downs, the team may still want a full-time slot cog. Though, 49ers GM John Lynch said the team views Green as a player capable of helping the cause inside or outside. With Lenoir and Ward in contract years, the team may need to turn to this year’s No. 64 overall pick as a regular by 2025 at the latest.

49ers Notes: Cousins, Deebo, Gipson, Green

May 8th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

No matter how successful the 49ers become, we cannot seem to move past “what if?” scenarios involving bigger-name QBs. Although Tom Brady is retired (for the time being, at least), Kirk Cousins made a second free agency defection. The former Kyle Shanahan Washington pupil received a $100MM practical guarantee from the Falcons, tying him to the team for at least two seasons. Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. pick raised the most eyebrows of any in the draft (and stunned Cousins), and one GM said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the Falcons do not choose Penix at No. 8 if they do not believe a Cousins trade destination will emerge. Another GM viewed the Penix pick as a path for Cousins to, at long last, reunite with Shanahan in San Francisco.

It would cost the Falcons $37.5MM in dead money to trade Cousins before June 1 next year, and while one of the GMs who spoke to La Canfora the NFC South team would likely be willing to eat dead money to move the high-priced starter (presuming Penix is ready), the 49ers passing on a Brock Purdy extension to bring in a QB ahead of his age-37 season would be quite the development. Jed York has spoken of a Purdy extension, though La Canfora posits the former Mr. Irrelevant’s asking price could point Shanahan back to Cousins.

The 49ers made early preparations to sign Cousins in 2018, before their Jimmy Garoppolo extension, but Shanahan has long been a fan — to the point the 49ers were willing to offer No. 2 overall for the then-Washington QB in 2017. While dot connecting makes sense after the surprising Penix pick, several hurdles appear in the path to Cousins joining the 49ers this late in the game. Here is the latest out of San Francisco:

The 49ers have All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga on the way back from ACL surgery, and they turned to 2023 third-rounder Ji’Ayir Brown as a starter late last season. Hufanga’s uncertainty about being ready for Week 1 may lead the 49ers to another veteran safety. This has been on the radar for a bit. The team is likely to give two-year starter Tashaun Gipson more time to determine if he wants to play an age-34 season, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. If not, the 49ers will likely want to add more safety help as Hufanga insurance. This job description may not be ideal for some of the safeties still available, but the market remains flush with veteran options after a salary crunch. Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Eddie Jackson and Marcus Maye remain unsigned.
With Logan Ryan retired and Isaiah Oliver cut, the 49ers are preparing to see if second-round pick Renardo Green can hold his own in the slot. The 49ers will begin Green there, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News notes. While a widespread competition may still take place for the role alongside starters Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir, Shanahan said Green has the makings of a slot defender. Giving Lenoir a chance to push for a boundary-CB payday in a contract year would be interesting, and the 49ers have been unable to turn to a slot cog on a full-time basis since K’Waun Williams‘ 2022 exit.
The team going with Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 and then drafting Jacob Cowing on Day 3 will put more pressure on Danny Gray, and Barrows adds the former third-rounder’s roster spot is in jeopardy. Drafted as a speed option out of SMU, Gray spent last season on IR and has one career reception.
Pearsall’s addition would seem to double as preparation for the point the team breaks up the Deebo Samuel–Brandon Aiyuk pairing. The 49ers appear prepared to push this situation to 2025, with John Lynch saying the team is done talking trades involving one of its high-end WRs. With Samuel being discussed on Day 2, a future in which the 49ers pay Aiyuk and trade their multipurpose threat is in play. On this road, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch does predict 2024 will be Samuel’s final 49ers season. Due to void years, it would cost the 49ers $15.1MM in dead money to trade Samuel before June 1 of 2025.