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Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis Discusses Holdout, Contract

June 16th, 2014 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

9:10am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com clarifies (via Twitter) that Davis won’t be in attendance at the Niners’ minicamp this week. The tight end will forfeit nearly $70K by failing to attend.

8:52am: With Peter King on vacation, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis stepped in to pen this week’s edition of Monday Morning Quarterback at TheMMQB.com. Having decided not to attend San Francisco’s voluntary OTAs as he seeks a new contract, Davis presumably had plenty of time to write the column, which begins with an explanation from the tight end on why he’s holding out.

“In 2010 I signed a five-year, $37MM contract extension with $23MM guaranteed. It was the biggest contract for a tight end in league history. Four years later, and I’m playing at a higher level than I was then, which brings me to why I’m holding out,” Davis writes. “It’s all about getting paid what you deserve. It’s not that complicated. I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, and I want to be on the field this summer working towards that goal, but I have to worry about my future first. Most of my teammates and many players in the NFL understand that. A few don’t. Behind closed doors, they’ll say they’re all about the team and would run through a brick wall for the organization. But when you look closer, they’re doing things to contradict themselves. I can’t listen to anyone but my family and my advisors, because those are the people who are going to be there when football inevitably dumps me.”

The fact that the item is presented as an explanation for why he’s holding out is interesting, since Davis indicated a few days ago that he plans on attending the Niners’ mandatory minicamp this week. Unless that stance has changed, it’s hard to consider this a full-blown holdout for Davis, so we’ll have to wait and see whether or not he’s actually in attendance in Santa Clara. For what it’s worth, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that he doesn’t expect Davis to be present when the club’s minicamp gets underway tomorrow.

While Davis may feel as if he’s not being paid what he deserves, he’s still among the league’s highest-paid tight ends by annual average value and has two years remaining on his current deal, so his leverage in contract talks will be limited. I’d expect the 30-year-old to relent before the Niners do, particularly since the team also has to address a potential new contract for Alex Boone and extensions for Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, all of which are arguably more pressing than a new deal for Davis.

Extra Points: Thomas, Jaguars, Sanders

June 15th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Cornerback Terrell Thomas played 16 games for the Giants in 2013, proving that his torn ACL was long behind him. However, the 29-year-old has yet to find a team for next season and he’s blaming it in on his past injury.

Thomas took to SiriusXM NFL Radio and told hosts Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi his thoughts on front offices’ hesitation to sign him (hat tip to ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio):

“I understand that,” Thomas said, “but I played in 18 games last year, and I’ve still got tread left on these tires.

“This NFL game is not loyal. It’s a part of business. I understand it and I respect it. As a veteran, I’m a plug-in starter. I don’t need to go through OTAs, through minicamps to get reps… I can go in and play right now. So I’ll be ready whenever my number’s called, whenever the right team picks me. All I need is one team to love me. All I need is one team to give me an opportunity. My play speaks for itself.”

Following the Lions release of Chris Houston on Friday, Florio guesses that Thomas’ next destination will be Detroit.

Let’s see what else is going on around the NFL…

  • The Jaguars do have some aging veterans on the roster, but ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco doesn’t envision any of them being on the roster bubble. Nonetheless, he mentions that defensive ends Jason Babin and Tyson Alualu and defensive backs Mike Harris and Chris Prosinski will be pushed by young players.
  • DiRocco would also be “very surprised” if wide receiver Ace Sanders didn’t make the Jaguars roster. Coming off a 50-catch season, Sanders would only stand to lose his roster spot if he continues to be “average” as a punt returner.
  • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe takes a quick look at some holdout candidates, mentioning Texans wideout Andre Johnson, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, and 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and guard Alex Boone.

Vernon Davis Will Attend 49ers Minicamp

June 12th, 2014 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Marshawn Lynch plans on sitting out of next week’s minicamp but another NFC West notable will report. Vernon Davis told Henry Wofford on 95.7 The Game that he intends to take part in the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp next week in Santa Clara.

“You know what? I plan on being there,” Davis said, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I plan on being there.”

The star tight end is looking for a new contract and he stayed home during OTAs to show the 49ers that he means business. However, when the mandatory minicamp gets underway next week in Santa Clara, California, the tight end will be in attendance. Davis lost out on $200K by skipping SF’s voluntary workouts but he won’t cough up $70K by missing the minicamp.

Davis has two years left in a five-year extension he signed back in 2010, which had a total value of $36.75MM. The $7.35MM per-year figure on that deal continues to make the 30-year-old one of the highest-paid players at his position. Only Rob Gronkowski ($9MM) and Jason Witten ($7.4MM) have higher annual values on their contracts, though Jimmy Graham figures to join that group if he and the Saints reach a long-term agreement.

Still, Davis’ current contract was structured so that it included a significant chunk of money in the form of a signing bonus as well as roster bonuses and workout bonuses. His actual base salaries for 2014 and 2015, which are non-guaranteed, are only $4.7MM and $4.35MM respectively. The standout tight end may be worthy of a little raise, or at least a new deal that includes more upfront guarantees, but he’s not significantly underpaid, and the Niners may have more pressing contract concerns, including a new deal for Alex Boone and extensions for Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati. San Francisco took care of one of its major needs recently when the team hammered out an extension with quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Links: Simpson, Lynch, Giants, Davis

June 12th, 2014 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran wide receiver Jerome Simpson was surprised that he had to take a pay cut from the Vikings, write Chris Tomasson and Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press. Simpson set a career high last season for receiving yards and was two catches shy of his best season ever in that category, but a DUI hurt his leverage. Ultimately, he saw his salary chopped from $2.1MM in 2013 to $1MM in 2014.

“I can’t lie. I was definitely surprised that I get paid less than what I got last year,” Simpson said. “I had my best numbers. But I guess when you got that negative thing on you, they kind of got you behind the eight-ball.“

Here are several more Thursday links from around the NFC:

  • No one knows for sure yet if Marshawn Lynch will or won’t be in attendance when the Seahawks‘ mandatory minicamp gets underway, but if the running back holds out for a new contract, it won’t be a surprise, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Meanwhile, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap explains why Lynch has to do this now if he wants to strengthen his job security going forward. We heard last night that the Seahawks aren’t expecting Lynch to show up for the start of the camp.
  • Although they haven’t signed any new players yet, the Giants are believed to have hosted about 10 non-roster players for auditions yesterday, according to Jordan Raanan and Conor Orr of NJ.com.
  • Tight end Vernon Davis is seeking a new contract and didn’t show up for the 49ers‘ voluntary workouts, but he recognizes the mandatory nature of the team’s upcoming minicamp, as Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News writes. “It’s mandatory, so I should be there, for sure,” Davis said during an appearance on KNBR 680-AM in San Francisco.
  • While the Packers‘ decision to sign troubled tight end Colt Lyerla last month raised some eyebrows, Green Bay takes pride in developing all kinds of young players, according to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report, who wonders if Lyerla could fill a void at the position for a club that no longer has Jermichael Finley on its roster.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Links: Titans, Ravens, Texans, Browns

June 10th, 2014 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

A former first-round pick, longtime defensive end Derrick Morgan will be shifting to outside linebacker in the Titans‘ new defensive system this year. As he tells Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, Morgan is hoping to make a smooth transition and have a productive season in what will be the final year of his rookie contract.

“I definitely think about it,” Morgan said of his expiring contract. “But at the same time, you can’t put too much energy into something like that. It is football and I am going to approach things the same way as I always have. I am going to play hard, and at the end of the year I hope everything works out the way it is supposed to.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • As the 49ers’ tight ends coach, Eric Mangini will be working closely this season with Vernon Davis, a player that drew his interest during the 2006 draft. “When I was with the Jets I really loved Vernon in the draft,” Mangini said, per Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant. “We were pretty close to drafting him in New York.”
  • Longtime NFL receiver Donte Stallworth, who last played for the Patriots in 2012, has joined the Ravens‘ coaching staff as a summer intern, the club announced today in a press release.
  • The Texans will be looking to find a fullback during training camp, with rookie Jay Prosch among those competing for the job, head coach Bill O’Brien said yesterday (link via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com poses 25 questions for the Browns to consider as the team prepares to begin its mandatory minicamp.
  • After an uninspiring rookie campaign, 2013 third-round pick Dallas Thomas will have a second chance to earn playing time on the Dolphins‘ offensive line this season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  • While Kyle Auffray’s primary position is tight end, the newly-signed Patriot also has experience at quarterback and punter, notes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Auffray is still a long shot to make New England’s regular season roster, but that versatility could be a plus.

West Notes: 49ers, Davis, Bradford

June 5th, 2014 at 7:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Everyone seems to be weighing in on Colin Kaepernick‘s deal, except for Andrew Luck. “I think it’s odd to comment on anybody’s contract in any industry,” the Colts QB said, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. When it comes time for Luck’s new deal, you can expect him to earn even more than the possible $21MM per season that Kaepernick will earn under his new deal.

  • Vernon Davis told ESPN’s NFL Live earlier today that he approached the 49ers last season about restructuring his deal, long before the current OTAs that he’s skipping, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. While the tight end, under contract through 2015, has taken some criticism for staying home, he doesn’t seem to stressed about it. “It’s not mandatory and that’s what I have to keep reminding people,” Davis said.
  • Through all the rumors and speculation, Rams QB Sam Bradford never doubted his place with the team, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “I didn’t [worry about my job security]” Bradford said. “Throughout the end of last year I was in communication with [general manager] Les [Snead] and (coach) Jeff [Fisher], and they made it very clear what their plan was. Throughout the offseason they continued to make that clear. I knew what my position on this team was.”
  • Broncos prized free agent addition Emmanuel Sanders believes that he DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward are bringing a new energy to Denver’s locker room, writes Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. “We are guys that are bringing a different hunger. More hunger to this team,” Sanders. “I feel like that’s what it needs, because these guys have been playing football since February, the offseason was so short, and you’ve got us coming in here being like, ‘Let’s go.’ It’s time to get back there and win it all this time.“

NFC Notes: Orakpo, Hosley, Packers, Ponder

June 4th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he refuses to hold out, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo still hopes to get a multiyear contract worked out with the team this summer, as Jason Reid of the Washington Post writes. The two sides have discussed the parameters of a deal, but Orakpo deferred to GM Bruce Allen when asked if there had been progress toward an agreement.

“You’ve got to ask Bruce about that,” Orakpo said. “You’ve got to ask them boys (senior Redskins management) about that. Money talks.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The suspensions just keep on coming for the Giants, who announced today that cornerback Jayron Hosley will miss the first four games of the season due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. News of Hosley’s suspension comes on the heels of a six-game ban for safety Will Hill, who was subsequently waived by the club. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets, assuming he doesn’t meet the same fate as Hill and find himself looking for a new team, Hosley’s four-game suspension will cost him about $134K of his $570K salary.
  • Lori Nickel and Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explore whether Packers receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are both in line for new contract extensions.
  • Addressing for the first time the Vikings‘ decision not to exercise his fifth-year option, Christian Ponder said he wasn’t surprised at all by the decision, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details. “It gives me an opportunity,” Ponder said of not having a contract beyond 2014. “It has my options open after the season whether I have leverage to stay here or go somewhere else, whether there’s a better place for me to play.”
  • Vernon Davis, who is reportedly seeking a new contract, tells Maggie Gray on SI Now that he’s keeping a close eye on Jimmy Graham‘s positional grievance, even though Davis considers himself a tight end and not a receiver. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the quotes from the 49ers tight end.
  • New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford isn’t saying much about what his plan will be for this upcoming season, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. One thing Tedford did tip, however, is that he’s a fan of a running back by committee approach.
  • Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post passes along Reed Doughty‘s Instagram farewell message to the Redskins and their fans, suggesting the unrestricted free agent won’t be re-signing with the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Links: Davis, Bryant, Graham

May 31st, 2014 at 4:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers have a lot of players looking for new contracts in the coming years, including Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Colin Kaepernick, Mike Iupati, and Alex Boone. The team has been preparing for life without some of those players, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

  • When it comes to Davis, Maiocco believes the 49ers will not budge on his contract. He is the third-highest paid player in the league at his position, and is on the wrong side of 30 years old. With extensions for other players coming, Davis may have to play his current contract out.
  • Cowboys‘ Vice President Stephen Jones said an extension for star wide receiver Dez Bryant could come before the season starts, writes Lorenzo Reyes of USAToday.com. “As far as from the receiver standpoint, of course I feel like I’m one of the better receivers in this league,” said Bryant. “But like I said, when it comes to that contract, I’m going to sit back and I’m going to wait and see what happens.”
  • Jimmy Graham has yet to sign a long-term deal, but Mike Triplett of ESPN.com does not expect this to drag on through training camp. July 15 is the last day to negotiate a deal for franchised players, and Triplett expects Graham to sign a deal that pays him between $10.5MM and $11MM per year.
  • Robert Meachem returned to the Saints, and maybe more importantly, his old quarterback Drew Brees, writes Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. Meachem has a one-year deal, but says the offseason has kept him focused and more comfortable, being back in New Orleans.
  • Tanard Jackson has gotten another chance in the NFL with the Redskins, but he might not stick on the roster, writes J.P. Finlay of CSNWashington.com. The team might not have a spot for him at safety, and his minimum salary deal could be easy to release.

NFC Notes: Cousins, Robinson, Davis, Brown, Dotson, Maxwell, Washington

May 30th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was regarded as a prospect with starter-caliber potential coming out of Michigan State in 2012, and despite posting lackluster numbers in eight career games (four starts), his name surfaced in trade rumors earlier in the offseason. In an article by Mark Maske in the Washington Post, Cousins acknowledges he was aware of the speculation, but “never really got a whole lot of information.” Said Cousins: “I didn’t know what was truth and what was rumors, what was speculation. So it was hard for me to really read into anything because you didn’t know how true it was. So I think for the most part it was smart for me just to stay out of it.”

In other NFC notes. . .

  • ESPN’s Redskins reporter John Keim did an interview on 890 AM in which he said receiver Leonard Hankerson, who is recovering from a torn ACL/LCL injury, is questionable for the start of training camp. After witnessing Hankerson barely going half-speed in minicamp, Keim said he wouldn’t be surprised if Hankerson begins the season on the PUP list.
  • Keim also singled out third-year linebacker Keenan Robinson, whose speed and range were on display during minicamp. According to Keim, the team has been high on Robinson for two years, envisioning him as London Fletcher‘s replacement at middle linebacker. However, torn pectoral muscles landed Robinson on IR 11 games into his 2012 rookie season and sidelined him for all of 2013. Robinson’s time might be now, adds the Washington Post’s Mike Jones, who says Robinson “has done well in classroom sessions and on-field workouts this offseason” and “appeared at ease on Thursday as he made the defensive calls, and matched the tempo of the returning starters…”
  • Vernon Davis, who is seeking a new contract, was coy when asked if he’ll be at the 49ers’ involuntary minicamp, according to Eric Branch at sfgate.com: “I might be there,” [Davis] said, smiling. “I might not. It’s mandatory. I probably should be there. We’ll see.”
  • Through a series of unforeseen events, Stevie Brown is once again working as one of the Giants’ first-team safeties alongside Antrel Rolle, writes ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Brown, who missed last season because of a torn ACL, is on a one-year, $2.75MM deal.
  • The Buccaneers’ offensive line struggled last season, but college basketball player-turned-defensive lineman-turned-practice squad flier-turned-offensive tackle starter Demar Dotson could be developing into a star, according to Michael Renner at Pro Football Focus. Dotson, playing on a three-year, $4.5MM deal that runs out after 2016, “is far and away one of the best values at his position,” believes Renner.
  • Despite losing Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond in free agency, the Seahawks vaunted secondary “shouldn’t skip a beat” in the estimation of Pro Football Focus’ Pete Damilatis, who believes third-year cornerback Byron Maxwell is the team’s “Secret Superstar.”
  • In the wake of Cardinals star linebacker Daryl Washington‘s one-year suspension, Darren Urban of azcardinals.com explains why it doesn’t make sense to cut Washington.

Vernon Davis Looking For New Contract

May 29th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Boone isn’t the only player absent from the 49ers’ offseason workouts as he seeks a new contract. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, tight end Vernon Davis is also hoping for a new deal, and isn’t in attendance at the Niners’ workout program due to dissatisfaction with his current contract.

Davis has two years left in a five-year extension he signed back in 2010, which had a total value of $36.75MM. The $7.35MM per-year figure on that deal continues to make the 30-year-old one of the highest-paid players at his position. Only Rob Gronkowski ($9MM) and Jason Witten ($7.4MM) have higher annual values on their contracts, though Jimmy Graham figures to join that group if he and the Saints reach a long-term agreement.

Still, Davis’ current contract was structured so that it included a significant chunk of money in the form of a signing bonus as well as roster bonuses and workout bonuses. His actual base salaries for 2014 and 2015, which are non-guaranteed, are only $4.7MM and $4.35MM respectively. The standout tight end may be worthy of a little raise, or at least a new deal that includes more upfront guarantees, but he’s not significantly underpaid, and the Niners may have more pressing contract concerns, including a new deal for Boone and extensions for Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati.

While the current workout program is voluntary and there are no mandatory workouts on the Niners’ schedule until late June, Davis will lose his $200K workout bonus for 2014 by not attending the program, so the situation is worth monitoring over the next few weeks.