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Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis Drawing Trade Interest

October 22nd, 2015 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

As Vernon Davis racks up catches and yards in a losing effort for the 49ers, one can’t help but wonder if he’ll soon be doing the same in a different uniform. As it turns out, numerous teams have called to explore the availability of the 49ers tight end, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The feeling, he adds, is that Davis is available.

Davis is in the final year of his contract and there is little chance that he will return to San Francisco next season, given that his production has dropped off since his Pro Bowl performance in 2013. The 49ers are in clear rebuilding mode, and it would make sense for them to at least recoup some value for Davis while they have the chance.

Of course, they will also need to weigh whether any potential compensation they receive from trading Davis would be more valuable than the compensatory pick they would receive when he signs with a different club. At the same time, by trading Davis mid-season, SF can net a pick for the 2016 draft rather than a compensatory pick in 2017 should he leave as a free agent. Likewise, any team that trades for Davis would be in line for a compensatory pick should he sign elsewhere, thereby helping to offset the cost of trading for him right now.

Davis has been battling injury this season but he looks healthy right now and he would welcome a change of scenery. Any team dealing for him would be on the hook for roughly half of his $4.7MM salary, including weekly roster bonuses.

It’s not clear which teams have called on Davis, but the Broncos would be one logical suitor given their lack of production at the tight end position.

 

AFC Notes: Broncos, Mariota, Yanda

October 20th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you were too busy watching playoff baseball, here are a few AFC stories you might have missed this Tuesday:

  • The Broncos are being held back by more than quarterback Peyton Manning, and people around the league tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that they believe Denver should trade for a tight end. Cole has heard the name of Rams tight end Jared Cook mentioned as someone who would be a good fit, but it’s unknown whether St. Louis would entertain trade offers. 49ers tight end Vernon Davis could be another player that would make sense for Denver.
  • The Titans are willing to give quarterback Marcus Mariota extra time to heal up, since they feel comfortable with using Zach Mettenberger as a fill-in, according to Cole (video link). Not only do the Titans feel that Mettenberger can be a capable quarterback in the short-term, but they are also eager to get him out there so that he can show his stuff to other teams in need of a quarterback. If Mettenberger looks good under center, he’ll increase his trade value and Tennessee could get something of worth in return for him.
  • Marshal Yanda‘s contract extension is a win-win for the Ravens and the Pro Bowl guard, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Yanda inked a four-year, $37.4MM extension late last week, giving him $17.8MM in guaranteed cash. The deal doesn’t make him the highest-paid guard in the league, but it did give him additional financial security. As for the Ravens, they were able to lock up a four-time Pro Bowl selection and prevent him from hitting the open market. Yanda was due to become a free agent following the season.

Vernon Davis, Jared Cook Generating Trade Interest

October 18th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Rory Parks

Although it will likely never compare to Major League Baseball’s action-packed trade deadline, the NFL’s trade deadline has the potential to generate more activity in 2015 and moving forward given that it has been pushed back to a later date. With the new deadline coming in the first week of November, teams have a better idea of where they stand and whether they have a legitimate chance at the postseason, which could prompt non-contenders to make more deals than in recent memory.

Tight end has the potential to be an especially fertile trading ground, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who names Vernon Davis and Jared Cook as two players who could be on the move. Davis is perhaps the more likely candidate, for a number of reasons. He is in the final year of his contract, and there is little chance that he will return to San Francisco next season, given that his production has fallen off a cliff since his Pro Bowl performance in 2013. Additionally, the 49ers are in clear rebuilding mode, and it would make sense for them to at least recoup some value for Davis while they have the chance.

Of course, they will also need to weigh whether any potential compensation they receive from trading Davis would be more valuable than the compensatory pick they would receive when he signs with a different club. But as La Canfora writes, “landing a draft pick for Davis now–rather than waiting for a compensatory pick in 2017 should he leave as a free agent–would appeal to the 49ers.” Likewise, any team that trades for Davis would be in line for a compensatory pick should he sign elsewhere, thereby helping to offset the cost of trading for him right now. Davis has been battling injury, but he is nearing a return and would welcome a change of scenery. Any team dealing for him would be on the hook for roughly half of his $4.7MM salary, including weekly roster bonuses.

Cook, meanwhile, has two years and $14MM left on his contract beyond 2015, but all of his guaranteed money has been paid, so he could be released without any negative salary cap ramifications. Although his performance has been inconsistent, he does bring big-play potential to the tight end position, and given that the Rams have Lance Kendricks signed through 2018, other clubs will continue to call about Cook. The 2-3 Rams, though, are not exactly in rebuilding mode, which could make a trade for Cook less likely than a deal for Davis. But teams have expressed significant interest in both, and they could be headliners of the new trade deadline.

 

 

 

NFC West Notes: Coleman, Davis, Rams

October 16th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman was arrested this week for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident, and has been suspended by Seattle as the investigation plays out. According to Coleman’s attorney, Stephen Hayne, he’s looking into whether a concussion may have played a role in why Coleman left the scene, adding that the fact that the fullback is legally deaf may have caused police to believe he was inebriated (link via Travis Pittman of KING 5 News).

“He was clearly not in his right mind after the accident, and that would probably be due to a concussion, but that’s speculation as well. We don’t know,” Hayne said. “But his walking away from the accident is absolutely out of character for who he is and how he would normally respond to a situation like that.”

As we wait to see how the investigation into the incident plays out, let’s round up a few more notes from out of the NFC West….

  • A trade involving 49ers tight end Vernon Davis isn’t currently viewed as likely, but it’s possible that will change if a contending team loses a tight end due to an injury within the next couple weeks, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If San Francisco decides to explore a potential Davis trade, the team would have until November 3 to get something done.
  • St. Louis city comptroller Darlene Green said this week that she has concerns about the city’s new Rams stadium proposal, which could create a roadblock for the plan, according to a CBS St. Louis report. “They need my approval,” Green said. “They need my approval and my signature to move forward, and if there’s parameters that have been disregarded – like if there’s any tax increase – I can’t abide by that. That would jeopardize the city’s credit and I would have to say no.”
  • The Cardinals‘ newest pass rusher, Dwight Freeney, admits to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that playing football “becomes really addictive,” and he decided to sign continue his career with Arizona because he couldn’t “turn off” his desire to keep playing. The former Colt and Charger added that he believes he’s in “great shape” and still has plenty left in the tank.

NFC Notes: Davis, Ertz, Giants, Cowboys

August 15th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is some of the latest news emerging from NFC franchises.

  • Anthony Davis is already teasing a comeback, per his Twitter account. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Davis plans to return to the NFL for the 2016 campaign. The 49ers hold his rights for the next five seasons due to the contract extension the 25-year-old right tackle signed in 2013.
  • Last night, we heard Zach Ertz will miss the preseason after undergoing surgery, but Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders if Chip Kelly expecting him back for Week 1 is realistic. Bowen, who notes the injury is believed to be a partial groin tear, remains skeptical Ertz will be up to speed by the time the Eagles debut Sept. 14. Ertz told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer (Twitter link) his groin bothered him for a while and he reinjured it Wednesday.
  • Byron Maxwell will shadow No. 1 receivers this season with the Eagles, and it’s a chance to give the team an elite cornerback for the first time in years, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I was on the right in Seattle, but it’s an opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it; I really am,” Maxwell told Frank. “Once you start following guys, your name is up there, so that’s how I’m looking at it.“
  • In light of the Giants‘ accelerating injury rate in the secondary, they will likely explore adding cornerbacks to patch the corps together, Jordan Raanan writes (on Twitter). In addition to the four players lost to injuries Friday night, Prince Amukamara remains sidelined for the coming weeks with a groin malady.
  • Washington trading for Vernon Davis is not an option in an effort to repair their ransacked tight end contingent, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim. The ESPN Washington-based reporter also points out he’s been told Zach Miller will not be in the team’s plans for this fix. PFR’s Luke Adams profiled Washington’s quandary at tight end, which stems from Niles Paul being lost for the season, recently.
  • The Cowboys are working out three running backs — Michael Hill, Ben Malena and Zach Bauman — with top ball-carriers Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar limited with injuries, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Of this trio, only Hill, a journeyman who was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy (Division II’s Heisman equivalent) in 2012, has seen regular-season game action. Washington waived him last month.

49ers Aim To Keep Aldon Smith, Vernon Davis

August 5th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers had something of an exodus of long-tenured players this offseason, with stalwarts like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Anthony Davis announcing their retirements, while other veterans like Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati found new homes in free agency. However, there are still several longtime Niners who don’t appear to going anywhere anytime soon.

As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, GM Trent Baalke wants to keep a couple of those veteran 49ers beyond 2015, telling reporters that he hopes to lock up outside linebacker Aldon Smith and tight end Vernon Davis. Both players are entering contract years and will be eligible for free agency in 2016 if they don’t sign extensions.

“He’s poised to have a very good year,” Baalke said of Smith, who reworked his contract with the team earlier in the offeason. “We expect him to have a very good year. I think he expects himself to have a very good year. We’re going to work hard to make sure that he remains here.”

As for Davis, the tight end who has been in San Francisco since 2006 is coming off perhaps his worst season with the team, setting or matching career-worst marks by totaling just 245 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Still, Davis is just two years removed from a Pro Bowl season, and Baalke sounds confident that the 31-year-old still has multiple good years left in him. The GM also suggested that the team will explore extending Davis’ contract.

“We’re always going to try to keep our own,” Baalke said. “Sometimes it works. As you’ve seen, sometimes it doesn’t. But Vernon and I have had conversations and we’ll leave it at that. He understands where we are and we certainly understand where he is.”

In 2015, Smith will earn a base salary of just $1MM, but can make up to $9.754MM through bonuses and incentives, and figures to see a nice payday if he has a strong season. Davis, meanwhile, will earn a $4.35MM base salary this year, and won’t match that salary again if he doesn’t bounce back from his poor 2014 showing.

NFC Links: Eagles, Mincey, Claiborne, 49ers

August 1st, 2015 at 12:38pm CST by Ben Levine

There have been a number of instances where Eagles coach Chip Kelly and agent Drew Rosenhaus haven’t necessarily seen eye to eye. It started when the organization shipped out Rosenhaus-client LeSean McCoy, and the Eagles followed that by releasing Evan Mathis. Later, Frank Gore, another of Rosenhaus’ players, spurned Philly to sign with the Colts.

Still, the agent told Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com that he’s not at odds with Kelly or the Eagles organization.

“I get along fine with Chip,” Rosenhaus said. “We’ve had a real good line of communication. LeSean, I had nothing to do with their decision to trade him. That was their call. That was contract-related. The notion that he traded LeSean because of me is, that’s just ridiculous. There was no friction. LeSean was a football decision that he explained fairly well.”

Kelly echoed that sentiment.

“I don’t really deal with agents. We have a real good relationship with Drew, I can tell you that,” Kelly said. “I think Drew has been very professional, very detailed. I think he gets a bad rap to be honest with you in my dealings with him.

“I think he’s been above board, straight ahead, detail-oriented, very organized and you know exactly where you stand. I think anybody will tell you that when you deal with Drew you know exactly where you stand. Wish more people acted like that to be honest with you.”

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

  • As defensive end Jeremy Mincey holds out for a new contract, the Cowboys have continued to fine him, writes David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. “There have been some discussions back and forth,” said coach Jason Garrett. “I don’t want to share much about them…We’re focused on the players that we have here in camp and trying to build our football team.”
  • Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News believes that Morris Claiborne will make the Cowboys roster, but 2015 will likely be the cornerback’s final season with the organization. George adds that the 25-year-old will have to produce if he has any hope of staying in Dallas.
  • Vernon Davis told Janie McCauley of the Associated Press that he fired an advisor who urged the tight end to get pushy with the 49ers regarding a new contract.“Last year I had a lot of people in my ear, particularly an adviser who kept telling me, ‘Hey, you should try to get another contract,'” Davis said. “As my fiduciary, he was right about a lot of things, so I listened to him, I took his advice. But during the course of that season, I had a chance to really think about it, like: ‘What am I doing? I don’t play this game for money. That’s not why I play.’ It’s good, it’s good to have that, to get rewarded and things, but what am I doing?”

49ers Notes: Smith, Bowman, Davis, Draft

April 10th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers’ defense has already lost a pair of standouts, linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, to retirement this offseason. Defensive linemen Justin Smith is mulling his own future and could end up taking the same path as his two ex-teammates. Head coach Jim Tomsula hasn’t gotten word on Smith’s plans for 2015 and isn’t pressing the 14-year veteran for an answer, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

“We all want Justin Smith to come back and play football. You know? But he’s earned the right to make that decision and take the time that he needs,” Tomsula said Friday, per Maiocco.

If Smith does retire, Tomsula says the 49ers have in-house replacements lined up. “For four years –- you see the D-linemen we’ve brought in –- we’ve been making preparations.”

Nevertheless, losing Smith would seem to be another notable blow to San Francisco’s defense. In 2014, his age-35 season, Smith totaled five sacks (giving him 87 for his career) and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the NFL’s 11th-best 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualifiers.

Here’s more on the 49ers:

  • Star linebacker NaVorro Bowman missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the 2013 NFC championship game, but he’s nearing a comeback. Tomsula said the three-time First-Team All-Pro should be ready to go for the team’s upcoming on-field activities, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. “When we can get on the field, Bow is going out on the field,” said Tomsula. “I haven’t gotten into the specifics on how much. Obviously we’re not going to throw somebody out there and go 100 reps. My understanding is, yes, he’s moving great.”
  • Tight end Vernon Davis skipped 49ers offseason activities last year because of unhappiness with his contract and subsequently produced one of the worst seasons of his nine-year career. Now, with one year left on his deal, Davis is in attendance at the team’s voluntary workout program, according to Maiocco. “I’m here this year because I want to get better,” said Davis, who stated that Willis’ retirement “put everything in perspective for a lot of guys around here.”
  • The 49ers are one of eight teams that Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is scheduled to visit with prior to the upcoming draft, tweets Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko. In a mock draft posted earlier today, our own Rob DiRe has Parker going 11th overall to Minnesota. The 49ers have the 15th pick.

West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, V. Davis

February 26th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

As the West Coast wakes up on this Thursday morning, let’s take a look at a few items out of the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Free agent running back Reggie Bush likely doesn’t make sense for the Chargers, according to Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego. At running back the Chargers already employ a pass-catching specialist in Danny Woodhead, who caught 76 passes from Philip Rivers in 2013. San Diego’s focus instead will probably be on finding a back with power, rather than one that has a similar skill set to Woodhead.
  • Don’t tell that to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who feels that Bush could reinvent himself with the Chargers. Williams doesn’t see Bush as an every-down back at this point in his career, but he could see him thriving in a role where he gets 10 touches a game on jet sweeps, reverses, bubble screens, and slants from the slot.
  • The Chargers‘ signing of King Dunlap to a four-year contract last week wasn’t without significant risk, but it would have been a greater risk for both sides if they parted ways, Krasovic writes for the Union-Tribune. The Bolts had no other left tackle that they could have trusted to protect Rivers and losing Dunlap would have meant duking it out on a seller’s free-agent market.
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wonders if LeSean McCoy and a package of picks would be worth the Raiders‘ No. 4 pick. At 26 years old, McCoy is still effective and had a combined 2,926 rushing yards over the past two years. On top of that, new Oakland offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia last season and he wants to run a fast-paced, no-huddle offense as a base.
  • After both Bush and A.J. Hawk were cut yesterday, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is one of just two top-10 picks from the 2006 draft class to remain on his original team, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is entering the final year of a contract that is scheduled to pay him $4.95MM — that would normally make him a prime extension candidate, but Davis is also coming off the worst season of his NFL career, so his contract situation will be interesting to monitor.

West Notes: Davis, 49ers, Knighton, Chargers

February 19th, 2015 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

Vernon Davis is coming off his worst season as a pro, and will count for nearly $7MM against the cap in 2015, but he’ll “absolutely” be returning to the 49ers, general manager Trent Baalke said on Wednesday at the combine, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Referring to Davis’ contract and cap hit, Baalke suggested that the numbers are “not as daunting as you may think.”

Let’s round up a few more notes on the Niners and a handful of other West clubs….

  • The 49ers‘ wide receiver coaches are among the few San Francisco assistants in Indianapolis, which presumably indicates where the team’s offseason priority lies, tweets Barrows.
  • Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton has “made it very clear” to team management that he wants to return to Denver and would be willing to take something of a hometown discount to make it happen. However, as he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN, Knighton doesn’t feel as if that interest is totally mutual. “To be quite honest with you, it’s frustrating and it’s somewhat disrespectful just knowing how important I was to the team and what the defense could’ve been without somebody like me,” Knighton said. “It’s almost like, the longer they wait, the worse it is going to be.”
  • Broncos GM John Elway hasn’t heard back from Peyton Manning on his decision for 2015 but he “had a good talk” with the quarterback and said that he’s feeling better, says Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
  • The Chargers intend to have extension discussions with quarterback Philip Rivers and safety Eric Weddle at the “appropriate time,” according to GM Tom Telesco, but those negotiations aren’t on the team’s agenda for this week, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • With a new contract from the Cardinals in hand, Larry Fitzgerald will almost assuredly start and end his career in the same place, a rarity for NFL legends, as Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic writes. The new deal is quite fair to Fitzgerald, Bickley opines, as the $22MM guaranteed for the next two seasons was arguably $6MM more than he would have found on the open market.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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