49ers mailbag: Why no contract yet for George Kittle? Are they set on the O-line?
The draft and schedule madness is over, which means we’re really in the slow period of the NFL offseason.
Teams are continuing their virtual offseason programs, which means Zoom meetings and video conferences. But no on-field work will be done until facilities begin opening up.
But we don’t need to watch spring practices to answer your mailbag questions so let’s get to them.
Jennifer asks: Why haven’t we done George Kittle’s extension?
The feeling I get in asking around is both sides are confident a deal will eventually get done. The holdup has to more to do with outside factors than a disagreement between the two sides about money.
As ESPN reported this week, the league recently agreed to raise the debt ceiling for each team in preparation for a massive revenue shortfall due to the coronavirus crisis. That’s important because revenue is directly tied to the following season’s salary cap.
Put more simply, if the league has to cancel games and/or play in empty stadiums, the 2021 salary cap could take an unprecedented cut. Tentative projections, before the coronavirus, had the cap next year at $215 million per team, but that could shrink by $30 to $40 million, based on conservative projections, which would make it nearly impossible for any team to give out big new contracts that start with the 2021 season.
That’s why the league is considering raising the debt ceiling. It would allow teams to make up the difference in revenue without running into the salary cap. And until that situation is figured out, I wouldn’t expect any teams to ink any long-term deals, especially ones with star players at the top of their respective markets.
Fortunately for the 49ers, they Kittle won’t hit the market until spring 2021 and the team could always use the franchise tag to keep him around while the financial picture becomes more clear.
Mikey asks: Are the Niners interested in signing guard Larry Warford?
I haven’t heard they are and it would be surprising given John Lynch’s recent comments indicating the 49ers are done making big moves. Plus the team is saving cap room to roll over into next offseason for new contracts for Kittle and Trent Williams.
Warford might also not be a great fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Keep in mind, Shanahan often prefers guards that have tackle-like athleticism to fit their outside zone blocking scheme, which requires blockers to get out in space. Warford, who is a good player, is one of the least athletic guards in the entire NFL.
He ran a 5.58 in the 40-yard dash coming out of Kentucky in 2013, ranking in the sixth percentile of offensive lineman. His 10-yard split (1.92 seconds) ranked in the eighth percentile.
The 49ers already feel good about the depth of their offensive line. Daniel Brunskill and Colton McKivitz, who have backgrounds at tackle, are two favorites to start at right guard. Tom Compton, Ben Garland and Justin Skule could also get into the mix.
49ers mode asks: The 49ers added Charlie Woerner in the draft and undrafted free agent Chase Harrell to compete with Ross Dwelley and Daniel Helm in the tight end room. Which of the four steps up and wins the coveted status of No. 2 tight end heading into the 2020 season?
I’d say Dwelley is the clear favorite to be the secondary tight end with Woerner the likely No. 3 as a primary blocker. Daniel Helm is a versatile, athletic pass catcher who spent last year on the practice squad. I’d guess he’s an injury away from cracking the top three.
Harrell appears to be a developmental candidate who would benefit from spending the season on the practice squad, as Helm did before eventually getting promoted to the active roster late in the season.
Jake asks: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Bourne are likely 100% to make the roster. Can you put percentage chances on Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd, Richie James Jr., Dante Pettis, Travis Benjamin and Jauan Jennings?
I can’t because there are so many variables to consider.
First, health. We have no idea what Hurd will be able to bring to the team coming off a stress fracture in his lower back. That’s a rough injury that can be problematic for a long time. He might be fine one day and not be able to get out of bed the next. If healthy, Hurd would figure to be a prominent weapon on offense. But his health is a big if.
The same could be said for Taylor, who required five surgeries on his broken foot because it became infected. Taylor (5-8, 180) is tough as nails, but his size and lengthy injury history over his first three seasons make it hard to project his role. But like Hurd, Taylor would be a clear favorite for a roster spot if 100 percent healthy.
James is steady and has already proven his value as a return man (zero lost fumbles in 2019). He played in every game last season.
The question surrounding Pettis: Did he improve his strength this offseason to the point where he’ll be more fearless when it comes contact at the catch point? Pettis would have been a player to watch closely had there been an offseason conditioning program.
To me, Benjamin and Jennings are wild cards. Their roster chances will be determined by how they perform in training camp (whenever that happens) and if there are injuries or cuts above them on the depth chart.
Not Zandor asks: What will be Jalen Hurd’s role in the offense?
He’ll be used all over the place if training camp last summer was any indication. He lined up as a running back where he could be used in short yardage. He was also in the slot and out wide.
The 49ers have said they’re open to using him as a tight end if he adds more weight, so he could run some of the same routes as Kittle, though he’d have a lot to learn as an in-line blocker.
As was mentioned in the previous question, health is the biggest key.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 4:00 AM.