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Stevie Johnson

Stevie Johnson Visited Chargers

March 13th, 2015 at 10:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It was reported Friday that the Patriots were “targeting” free agent wide receiver Stevie Johnson. If true, it appears they’ll have serious competition for the seven-year veteran’s services. Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Johnson visited the Chargers on Friday. According to Gehlken, Johnson left San Diego unsigned, but the visit was a “positive” one and he’s likely to make a decision on his future “no later than Monday.”

The 49ers released Johnson earlier this week after a disappointing season that saw the 28-year-old total a mere 35 catches in 13 games. He does have a successful track record, though, having amassed 336 catches and 31 touchdowns during his career – mostly in Buffalo – and would lend help to a receiver-needy Chargers team.

San Diego has pursued big-time targets this offseason to improve its receiving corps, only to come up empty on the likes of Andre Johnson and Eddie Royal – both of whom signed with other clubs. Royal, who was a member of the Chargers the past three seasons, finished second among Bolts wideouts in receptions (62) and yards (778) in 2014. His seven touchdowns led all San Diego receivers. In the wake of his departure, the only starting-caliber receivers left on the Chargers’ roster are Malcom Floyd and Keenan Allen. Although effective, the two have combined for just a single 1,000-yard season (Allen in 2013), while Johnson has three to his name.

Johnson’s impressive career production has come despite never having played with an elite-level quarterback, which the Chargers have in Philip Rivers. During his six years with the Bills, Johnson was mostly on the receiving end of passes from journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, while his QB in San Francisco was Colin Kaepernick – who underwhelmed last season.

Patriots Eyeing Stevie Johnson

March 13th, 2015 at 5:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Patriots have addressed their receiving corps in multiple ways this week, first signing free agent Brandon Gibson and then restructuring the contract of Danny Amendola. Now they might do something more significant at the position. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 tweets that the Pats are “targeting” free agent Stevie Johnson, whom the 49ers released Wednesday.

New England is familiar with Johnson, who spent the first six years of his career with AFC East rival Buffalo. The 28-year-old impressed as a member of the Bills from 2008-13, racking up three different seasons of 70-plus catches and over 1,000 yards. The Bills traded him to San Francisco last offseason and he wasn’t nearly as successful as a 49er, for whom he totaled just 35 catches in 13 games.

If Johnson lands with the Patriots, he’ll join a receiving corps that already includes Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Amendola and Gibson. Edelman and LaFell had far more productive 2014 campaigns than Johnson, whose numbers were more in line with the unspectacular ones amassed by Amendola and Gibson. Nevertheless, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Johnson a terrific 22nd out of 110 qualifying wideouts last season.

Extra Points: Mariota, Richardson, Culliver

March 12th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets have scheduled a pre-draft visit with Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Mariota says he’ll be meeting with the Bucs, Eagles and Titans at his pro day, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) adds. Mariota’s pro day performance was underwhelming, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tweets, though as we saw last year with Teddy Bridgewater, we shouldn’t necessarily put a ton of stock into that. More from around the NFL..

  • After being officially waived by the Colts earlier, Trent Richardson gave an explanation for why it didn’t work out in Indianapolis, according to Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter). “Me and the GM didn’t see eye to eye,” said Richardson. “My next step, I’ll be the starter. Indy didn’t fit me.” The embattled halfback also confirmed that he was continually fined by the organization for being overweight (via Twitter). Richardson had told head coach Chuck Pagano he would have flown himself to New England for the AFC Championship game, but was told he would inactive regardless (via Twitter).
  • Long snapper James Winchester joined the Chiefs despite three other teams competing to sign him, writes Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The Chiefs now have three long snappers on the roster.
  • Washington is bringing in cornerback Chris Culliver for a visit, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). However, La Canfora warns that a return to the 49ers for Culliver should not be ruled out, and that his value is rising with fewer top cornerbacks left on the market (via Twitter).
  • While both Shelley Smith and Stefen Wisniewski visited with the Seahawks, neither offensive lineman is expected to sign today, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • The 49ers have not closed the door on bringing Stevie Johnson back, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). San Francisco released Johnson earlier this week after signing Torrey Smith, but it sounds like they might consider bringing him back at a cheaper rate.

Browns Interested In Dwayne Bowe, Stevie Johnson

March 12th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Browns have expressed interest in adding another receiver into the depth chart, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Two names La Canfora gives as possible targets are Stevie Johnson and Dwayne Bowe.

Johnson was recently released from the 49ers after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a pay cut. Johnson was productive at times in limited snaps, but was anonymous for large stretches of times last season. He still managed to haul in 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns. The 28-year old pass catcher had his best stretch from 2010-2012, when he caught 237 passes for more than 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns over a three-year stretch.

Bowe, who has ties to Browns general manager Ray Farmer from Farmer’s time with the Chiefs, is also definitely viewed as a potential commodity by the Browns, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Bowe was released by the Chiefs to make room for the signing of Jeremy Maclin. A former first-round pick out of LSU, Bowe also experienced his best three-year stretch between 2010 and 2012, but since his breakout 15 touchdown 2010 campaign, he has only caught 13 touchdowns in the last four seasons despite remaining relatively healthy throughout. He also headlined a group of receivers that failed to catch a single touchdown in 2014, which does not help his value.

49ers Release Stevie Johnson

March 11th, 2015 at 6:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 6:13pm: Johnson has officially been released by the 49ers, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

7:13am: With Smith’s deal set to become official on Wednesday, the 49ers will release Johnson today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who says the two sides weren’t able to work out an agreement on a pay cut (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 7:21pm: Johnson remains on the 49ers’ roster, but there are ongoing discussions about reducing or restructuring the backup wideout’s deal, the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows reports on Twitter.

MONDAY, 5:11pm: With a deal between the 49ers and Torrey Smith reportedly in the works, San Francisco will release fellow wide receiver Stevie Johnson, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (Twitter link). The release of Johnson will leave no dead money on San Francisco’s cap and will save the club more than $6MM.

The 49ers acquired the 28-year-old Johnson from the Bills in exchange for a conditional draft pick prior to last season. He wasn’t a focal point of the club’s offense, but he did catch 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. San Francisco is expected to overhaul its receiving corps this offseason, and with Smith rumored to be added soon, Michael Crabtree will probably join Johnson in vacating the Bay Area.

Johnson, meanwhile, will join a rapidly thinning free agent receiver market. With the two top options — Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant — seeing the franchise tag, and the next best pass-catchers — Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin — already finding new deals, Johnson will be among a list of still unsigned WRs that includes Andre Johnson, Cecil Shorts, and the aforementioned Crabtree. Per Russini, Johnson is expected to land with another team “quickly.”

West Rumors: Cole, S. Johnson, Myers, Dockett

March 5th, 2015 at 8:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Since being released by the Eagles yesterday, Trent Cole has garnered a decent amount of free agent interest, as he was scheduled to meet with the Buccaneers today. Two more NFC teams could be interested in signing the 32-year-old edge rusher, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports that both the 49ers and the Seahawks have inquired about Cole. As PFR’s Luke Adams notes in the link above, Cole is viewed as a better fit for a 4-3 defense (which both Tampa Bay and Seattle utilize). San Francisco, though, fields a 3-4 look, so it presumably believes Cole is still an option at outside linebacker.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from San Francisco and the rest of the West divisions…

  • With Jerome Simpson now in the fold, the 49ers might not have a role for fellow receiver Stevie Johnson. Indeed, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 tweets that the 28-year-old Johnson is expected to be released in the coming days. With no remaining guarantees on the books, Johnson would leave no dead money on San Francisco’s cap, and his release would save the club more than $6MM.
  • Whereas Johnson hasn’t yet been released, former Texans center Chris Myers has already been handed his walking papers, officially being cut by Houston yesterday. But Myers could stay in the AFC, where the Raiders are set to lose free agent Stefen Wisniewski, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports (Twitter link) that Oakland does have interest in bringing in the 33-year-old Myers. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that he senses the Raiders will target Chiefs center Rodney Hudson, with Myers serving as backup option.
  • After being released by Arizona, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett signed with the 49ers earlier today, but he insists that staying with the Cardinals was initially possible. “I was willing to restructure my contract,” Dockett said on FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). “I was willing to take less money than what SF was offering.” Dockett ultimately inked a two-year, $7.5MM deal with San Francisco.

WR Rumors: Marshall, V-Jax, Wallace, Harvin

February 27th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With Reggie Wayne‘s NFL future still up in the air, the Colts have explored the possibility of bringing in a veteran wide receiver to start opposite T.Y. Hilton, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, the team has internally discussed players like Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Vincent Jackson as potential targets. Not all of those players will become available in the next few weeks, but one or more could be traded or released, and if the Colts had their pick, Marshall may be their top choice, per Cole.

While we wait to see if any opportunities open up for the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has a few more tidbits for us on the wide receiver market. Let’s dive in….

  • Cole noted in the above video that Jackson likely isn’t going anywhere, and La Canfora agrees that it looks like he’ll be back with the Buccaneers. However, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be willing to take a pay cut, sources tell La Canfora.
  • La Canfora also touches on the Marshall situation, noting that if a team were to call asking about a possible trade, “it’s not like [the Bears] wouldn’t pick up the phone.”
  • According to multiple general managers, Wallace is the only wideout being “actively shopped” at the moment. The Dolphins continue to explore a deal, and La Canfora suggests Wallace himself would be interested in returning to the Steelers, though it’s not clear if that interest is mutual. $3MM of Wallace’s base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 13, so that may act as a deadline of sorts for Miami.
  • Percy Harvin won’t accept a pay cut to stick with the Jets, and trading him would likely be impossible, so he looks like a good bet to be cut. If that happens, many teams would want to pick him up on a short-term deal, says La Canfora.
  • We can expect the Dwayne Bowe situation to come to a head soon — paying him $11MM with a $14MM cap hit is a luxury the Chiefs can’t afford, so Bowe may be willing to accept a pay cut, knowing he won’t make close to that amount on the open market.
  • With cap numbers for Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson on the rise, and Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd eligible for free agency, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if only one of those four players returns to the 49ers for next season — if that.
  • Johnson and the Texans had a bit of a stand-off a year ago, and with the veteran wideout carrying a $16MM into the 2015 season, the two sides may be headed for another interesting summer. La Canfora isn’t convinced Johnson will remain in Houston long-term, but says “time will tell.”
  • Two Dolphins wideouts have already been released today, and according to Armando Salguero the Miami Herald (Twitter links), Rishard Matthews asked the team to be cut or traded as well. However, Miami has denied that request for now, says Salguero.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

NFC Notes: Hester, Felton, Bailey, Cards

August 11th, 2014 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Bear Devin Hester would have liked to continue – and eventually end – his career in Chicago, but when he became a free agent earlier this year, the team didn’t have much interest in re-signing him, as he tells Patrick Finley of the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s not like I had a choice to sign with them again,” Hester said. “They didn’t even call me to let me know they were willing to bring me back. I didn’t hear from them at all. It made it a lot easier for me to say, ‘OK,’ and then go look for another team.”

When he hit the open market, Hester considered the Cardinals and Lovie Smith’s Buccaneers, but ultimately landed with the Falcons. Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Like Hester, wide receiver Stevie Johnson expected to eventually finish his career with the team he started with, but the Bills opted to trade him to the 49ers in May. Johnson spoke to Don Banks of SI.com about his offseason and about playing for the team he grew up rooting for in San Francisco.
  • With new offensive coordinator Norv Turner now leading the offense in Minnesota, the Vikings aren’t expected to utilize a fullback as often, meaning Jerome Felton‘s roster spot could be in jeopardy just two years after he made the Pro Bowl. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has the details, including quotes from the veteran fullback, who expressed confidence in his place on the team’s 53-man roster.
  • Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey appears to have suffered some sort of injury in training camp, but the Saints haven’t indicated whether or not it’s serious, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, who wonders if the team will strongly consider cutting ties with Bailey.
  • Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com rounds up a few notable comments from Cardinals GM Steve Keim‘s latest appearance on 98.7 FM in Arizona.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Finley, Rams

June 1st, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers have had some wildly successful draft classes in recent years, and Sports On Earth’s Dan Pompei has a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the team’s 2014 draft. The author explains the strategy and thinking that went into each selection.

The team’s first-round pick, safety Jimmie Ward, wasn’t necessarily expected to be an early pick. While some teams focused on his injury and size, the 49ers focused on a strategy used by former Jets’ duo Bill Parcels and Dick Haley. General manager Trent Baalke said he learned that there are “few players who can perform at a high level regardless of system.” As a result, a coach should draft a player who fits nicely into their scheme.

“I learned that a long time ago,” said Baalke. “Coach Parcells was the guy I looked at and learned the most from, he and Dick Haley. That was always the question with them, how do they fit what we are going to ask him to do? For us, it’s critical.”

The author has other interesting insight, including the team’s selection of basketball player Bruce Ellington and trade for Steve Johnson.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC West…

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