The San Francisco 49ers may not make any deals on Friday, but the rumors are flying in with free agency underway. If you are among those wanting the 49ers to be active in the wide receiver market come free agency, you’re in luck:
The 49ers’ interest in Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs would put their wide receiver room back at a playoff-caliber level.
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But the 49ers won’t be the only ones in on a 25-year-old, 6’3” wide receiver who happens to be one of the fastest players at a premium position. In fact, the likelihood that Pierce gets more than any market projections is high, which might put the Niners out of his price range.
The barking dog is back, and he says Pierce is headed to the Patriots:
Ricky Scoops also has wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson reuniting with Brian Daboll in Tennessee. To me, the 49ers should steer clear of the undersized wideouts moving forward. So I wouldn’t consider Robinson a loss. Missing out on both Pierce and Doubs would feel like one, though.
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Maxx Crosby might be headed to the East Coast. If he isn’t, the Philadelphia Eagles are doing everything in their power to get him, according to Mr. Ricky Scoops:
That would shake things up in the NFL world.
Staying with the Eagles, The Athletic’s Dianni Russini reports that teams involved in trade discussions with Philly will want to get a resolution over the next couple of days so they can focus on the rest of the players on the open market.
The Raiders released quarterback Geno Smith. If Mac Jones is on the move, Geno does not seem like a Kyle Shanahan-type quarterback.
The Bills released veteran cornerback Taron Johnson after eight seasons. Johnson has been productive in previous seasons, but this past season, his play fell off. Johnson turns 30 in July. Still, a veteran defensive back is somebody the Niners need with all of the young faces in the secondary.
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Johnson spent the majority of his time in the slot last season with Buffalo. As we know, that’s where Upton Stout lives.
The Lions released left tackle Taylor Decker. He’ll turn 33 in August. The former first-rounder started 14 games for Detroit this past season. Decker requested his release. He only allowed four sacks this past season.
Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary announced that he is leaving Green Bay:
Gary never lived up to the 12th overall pick of the draft, but he had 9, 7.5, and 7.5 sacks in each of the previous three seasons. He’s also had at least 45 pressures in each of the previous three seasons. At 6’5″, 277 pounds, he might be an intriguing option for the Niners. But he’ll be on the open market, and there will be zero bargains.
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Packers fans will tell you Gary was once the best pass rusher in the NFL. That ability to rush the passer is gone. Gary tore his ACL in 2022. He peaked that year with a quick pressure percentage of just about 10 percent. In the three years since, Gary has failed to top five percent. This past season, he was below 2.5 percent.
Those are the numbers that tell the true story. Sometimes, numbers can be deceiving. Gary racked up pressure numbers and sacks early in the season, playing next to Micah Parsons, because quarterbacks were running away from the player Green Bay traded two first-round picks for.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Gary has not officially been released yet. It would make sense to see the Packers hold onto Gary a lot like they did with Jaire Alexander to see if they get any trade offers.
Kyle’s update, 3:15 p.m. PT: Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, and the Bears just got a center after Drew Dalman retired. Chicago traded for Garrett Bradbury, who signed a two-year deal with the Patriots last offseason. New England received a fifth-round pick in the deal.
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According to Dianna Russini, “If there’s one player market expected to be robust once the legal tampering window opens Monday, it’s for Alec Pierce. Teams around the league in need of a receiver are already bracing for a significant price tag.
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