Darin Gantt, of the Rock Hill Herald, reports the San Francisco 49ers are one of the teams said to be in the running for Carolina Panthers LB Will Witherspoon. He will become an unrestricted free agent March 6.
The Panthers have offered Witherspoon a contract, but he said while on the "Bill Rosinski Show" that he still planned to go into the open market. He indicated he’d bring back any offers, but chances are, he’ll realize a bigger payday elsewhere. The other teams that are mentioned in the Witherspoon sweepstakes are the Vikings, Saints, & Jaguars.
Last season Witherspoon’s salary was around $1.43 million. So the assumption is that that number will likely increase significantly, as he is one of the better linebackers in the free agent market.
Niners have officially tendered four of their free agents. The San Francisco 49ers have tendered contract offers to restricted free agents QB Ken Dorsey and WR Brandon Lloyd. The 49ers also made exclusive rights tenders to S Mike Adams and RB Maurice Hicks.
Restricted free agents are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and will be free to negotiate with any club until April 21, at which time their rights will revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, that club may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.
Exclusive rights free agents are players with two or fewer years of experience who have no outside negotiating power. His rights belong to his 2005 club, provided that club makes him a minimum qualifying offer.
Something to note if their is no CBA, restricted free agents take on a whole new meaning. Take this for example: Only players with six or more accrued seasons will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. Players with three, four, or five accrued seasons will be restricted free agents. In other words, Brandon Lloyd (who was offered a one-year restricted free agent tender), will be a restricted free agent again in 2007. Under normal circumstances, he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2007.
Sources: [KFFL, Pro Football Talk]
Montana hits Taylor on a 3 yd curl pattern then gets blasted by Reggie and Wes Hopkins (I think?). John Taylor jukes Jenkins to the ground then takes off 70 yrds for a TD. “A perfect call against a perfect defense, No matter what you do you can’t stop it.” Terry Bradshaw.
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The Niners are just one of a handful of teams who are in good shape this offseason, capwise. Mike Nolan says they are ready for free agency.
Nolan said the 49ers plan to be active, but realistic, participants. He noted, for example, that receiver and defensive back were two of the team’s biggest needs but said the 49ers would go with a best-player-available approach on the open market.
"We’re looking for players that are our kind of guys," he said.
As the 49ers did last year with left tackle Jonas Jennings, Nolan said he was prepared to strike quickly on the free-agent market. The problem, he said, was predicting which players will be available.
The Niners have announced two more candidates as possibilities for front office help.
Russ Ball and Lal Heneghan, both experienced NFL personnel executives, are the latest candidates in the 49ers’ search for front-office help.
The two will be brought in for formal interviews with owner John York and Coach Mike Nolan.
Ball has spent 17 years in the NFL, breaking in as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with Kansas City before moving to a front-office position with the Chiefs in 1997. He has been with the New Orleans Saints for the past four years, dealing primarily with cap issues.
Heneghan, an attorney, spent seven years with the NFL Management Council and worked on cap issues and the collective bargaining agreement. As the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations and general counsel in 2003-04, Heneghan helped develop budgets, advised on legal matters and dealt with the salary cap and player contracts.
