Who are the highest-paid Longhorns in the NFL?

A list of the ten highest-paid former Longhorns in terms of guaranteed money.

There’s dozens of former Texas players currently active in the NFL, but it’s been a quiet offseason other than Colt McCoy, Adrian Phillips, and Hassan Ridegway agreeing to new deals. Continue reading “Who are the highest-paid Longhorns in the NFL?”

What might 49ers get in trade for Marquise Goodwin?

The 49ers can’t just give Marquise Goodwin away on the trade market.

The 49ers face a few difficult questions on their roster heading into the offseason. One of them is how they’ll handle wide receiver Marquise Goodwin’s future. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the team is exploring trade options for the receiver, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the combine the team was open to trading him.

What might the team get for Goodwin though? And would it even be worth dealing him?

The return on the 2017 version of Goodwin, his first year in San Francisco, would’ve been decent. He had 56 catches for 962 yards and two touchdowns that season. It’s the only time in his career he’s played 16 games.

His two seasons after that weren’t as productive as he dealt with various injuries that kept him from ever getting rolling the way he did in his first season with the club. Across 20 games, he had 35 receptions for 581 yards and five touchdowns.

Therein lies the conundrum with Goodwin. He’s extremely productive when he is on the field. His blazing speed makes him dangerous running vertically and in offenses like Kyle Shanahan’s that generate a ton of open space for receivers to run. However, his ability to stay on the field has been inconsistent throughout his career.

In seven seasons, Goodwin has played in 75 games. 31 of those games came in 2016 and 2017, which means he’s averaged just over eight games a year his other five seasons.

With salary cap hits of $4.9 million and $7.6 million over the next two seasons, it might be tough to trade a player that hasn’t been able to play full 16-game schedules the last two years. And if the 49ers do find a suitor, they’re likely looking at a return of a conditional late-round pick in next year’s draft.

Goodwin is too productive to give away for that, especially since Shanahan at the combine said Goodwin was too valuable to release outright.

What we should see the 49ers do instead is give Goodwin a chance to compete for a roster spot in camp in a receiving corps starving for playmakers. It looks like it’ll be difficult to bring unrestricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders back, and restricted free agent Kendrick Bourne’s return isn’t a slam dunk.

San Francisco could’ve used Goodwin’s speed down the stretch, but  knee and foot injuries put him on season-ending Injured Reserve in December last season. It stands to reason that they’ll want another look at him to see if he can stay healthy through camp and win a job.

If he does, they retain a dynamic, field-stretching receiver who has a role in the receiving corps. If he doesn’t, they can explore a trade or outright release him for a $3.6 million salary cap savings in 2020.

Ultimately, the 49ers don’t have enough sure things at receiver to just give Goodwin away for next to nothing on the trade market. He holds enough value that trying to get him back onto the roster makes sense.

Titans should explore trade with 49ers for Marquise Goodwin

The Titans should at least explore a trade for Marquise Goodwin.

While adding a wide receiver certainly isn’t at the top of the Tennessee Titans’ list of priorities this offseason, it wouldn’t hurt for general manager Jon Robinson to bring in a burner to stretch the field.

A potential option could be San Francisco 49ers wideout, Marquise Goodwin, who might be available to trade for this offseason, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Goodwin is the definition of a burner at the wide receiver position. The former track and field star and Olympian is one of the fastest players in the NFL — and has a 4.27 40-yard dash time to prove it.

The only problem for Goodwin the past two seasons has been staying healthy, as he’s missed a total of 12 games in that span. But when he is healthy, Goodwin is as good a deep threat specialist as there is.

He posted 17.2 yards per reception in both 2017 and 2018, with his best season coming in the latter campaign when he totaled a career-high 962 yards.

Goodwin is set to make $4.9 million in 2020 and $6.4 million in 2021. Both figures are reasonable, but there also isn’t any long-term risk, with Goodwin’s contract carrying a dead cap hit of $625,000 in its last year.

It’s going to take a draft pick to land Goodwin in a deal, but the Titans can’t exactly afford to trade any 2020 picks away with so many free agents.

Best-case scenario would be to acquire Goodwin with a mid- to late-round 2021 pick instead.

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What are 49ers options with WR Marquise Goodwin?

The 49ers have a multitude of options when it comes to WR Marquise Goodwin.

What do the 49ers do with Marquise Goodwin? It looked like adding the wide receiver to the list of salary cap casualties while San Francisco looked to create more room to sign and re-sign players was an easy move. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s comments Tuesday to reporters at the NFL combine paints a different picture about where the 49ers are leaning regarding the receiver’s future with the team.

There are a couple options with Goodwin. The first is to release him and save $3.6 million against the salary cap in 2020. It appeared things were trending this way after Goodwin played only 40 snaps across his final four games before going on Injured Reserve in the middle of December with knee and foot issues.

2019 was the second year in a row that Goodwin dealt with injuries, and he played only 20 games between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

It looked like, given the 49ers’ salary cap situation, that letting Goodwin go was going to be a relatively easy decision from a business standpoint.

Shanahan shook that notion Tuesday when he said Goodwin is too valuable to simply let go.

“We don’t want to release Marquise,” Shanahan said via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Arrea. “He’s too valuable. I know he fell out of the rotation last year, then he had an injury that he wanted to go on IR so he could go get it cleaned up, and I think it is right now.

“But Quise is a guy who can play in this league and if he’s on our team, he is going to be competing with that group. And if not, I feel pretty confident that another team would want him.”

Shanahan presents the second option for the 49ers – keep Goodwin on the roster.

There’s a role for the speedy receiver in Shanahan’s offense. We saw how effective he can be during his career-year in 2017. He posted 56 catches for 962 yards and two touchdowns. Most of that production came with either Brian Hoyer or CJ Beathard at quarterback. Injuries slowed him down in 2018, but he still 23 balls for 395 yards and four touchdowns.

His game-changing speed is the kind of thing opposing teams can’t always match, and his ability to stretch the field vertically was an element the 49ers’ receiving corps missed last year. With a relatively wide open depth chart at receiver, it wouldn’t be crazy to see Goodwin bounce back healthy in 2020 to carve out a productive role in the offense.

That wide open receiver group presents a third option that Shanahan on Tuesday didn’t shy away from. The 49ers could also trade Goodwin.

“You also don’t get rid of valuable people just for nothing,” Shanahan said according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic. “So we’ll have him come back and compete and if that doesn’t work out we could always possibly trade him. There are lots of things that are open. But I don’t know that exact answer yet.”

Acquiring draft picks through any means is a good idea for the 49ers, a team in need of cheap talent while some of their established veterans get big-time raises.

That pick likely wouldn’t come in this year’s draft though since all signs point to the 49ers at least giving Goodwin an opportunity to compete for a job in the offseason. How he performs will inform San Francisco’s decisions beyond that. If he looks ready to contribute, he’ll stay on his $4.9 million price tag. If he does okay, but not well enough to earn a job, the door for a trade will be kicked open.

All options appear to be on the table, except for the one that seemed most obvious at the end of last season.

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9 potential cuts around the NFL the Ravens could be interested in

The Baltimore Ravens love a bargain in free agency and could look to other teams’ salary cap casualties this offseason to fill needs cheaply

NFL free agency comes in a few waves every year. Though all the attention is focused on the big-name players who have expiring contracts, the salary-cap casualties are often the free agents the Baltimore Ravens are most interested in. Around the NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal looked at a bunch of players who could get cut this offseason.

Though they have more salary-cap space expected than in previous years, I’d suspect that will once again be their strategy this offseason as they look to fill their needs with value additions.

In addition to typically being cheaper options, cut players don’t count against the compensatory pick formula. The Ravens love to play against that formula to get something in return for departing players they couldn’t afford. With outside linebacker Matthew Judon among the 21 pending free agents potentially on the way out, being savvy with who they sign would be wise for Baltimore to once again game that system this year.

Here are the 9 potential cuts that would be intriguing for the Ravens this offseason.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

EDGE Trent Murphy, Buffalo Bills

Though Murphy never quite lived up to his second-round status for the Washington Redskins, he’s still been a productive member of the Bills since being drafted. Over the last three years, Murphy has 18 sacks and started 26 of the 45 games he’s been active for.

He’s not the star player many fans would want but he’s an impact contributor who could likely be signed for a steal when compared to the top pass rushers that will hit free agency. If the Ravens are trying to completely restock their outside linebacker depth chart this offseason, Murphy would likely find a good role given Baltimore only had one player (Matthew Judon) with more sacks in 2019.

Former Bills players on 49ers, Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV

Former Buffalo Bills players on the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will faceoff in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Both sides have their various connections to the Bills.

Here’s that full rundown here:

 49ers

WR Jordan Matthews

Jordan Matthews #87 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Jordan Matthews was acquired by the Bills via a trade with the Eagles in 2017, playing one season in Buffalo. Matthews signed with the 49ers in March 2019, was a final cut in training camp, he then re-signed by the Eagles in November, cut a few weeks later, then re-signed with the 49ers in December. He’s been inactive.

2019 stats: 3 games played, four catches, 33 yards.

WR Marquise Goodwin

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills’ third-round pick in 2013 signed with the 49ers in 2017 after his rookie contract in Buffalo expired. Goodwin won’t be playing in the Super Bowl, though. Goodwin is the the 49ers’ injured reserve list due to knee and foot injuries.

2019 stats: 9 games played, 12 catches, 186 yards, 1 TD.

Four Former Longhorns to Participate in the Super Bowl

With the Super Bowl on Sunday, there are a few former Longhorns participating. One for the KC Chiefs and three for the San Fransico 49ers.

With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, there are a few former Longhorns that will be participating in the biggest football game in the world. All but Alex Okafor on the side of the San Fransico, the 49ers will have two coaches and a player who all played on the 40 acres.

Kyle Shanahan is the head coach of San Fransico, while Richard Hightower is a special teams coordinator. Okafor and Marquise Goodwin are players for the Chiefs and 49ers respectively, but will both be injured for Sunday’s game.

Both Shannan and Hightower were receivers for Texas, both playing during the 2001 season. Shannan also played in 2002 and recorded 14 receptions and 127 yards throughout the two seasons.

Goodwin was a more prominent player on the team, playing 2009-2012. Having 120 catches in those four years, he had 1,324 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He was also an effective rusher, averaging 8.8 yards per carry and getting into the end zone three times.

Okafor is the only defensive player, playing on the defensive line. Like Goodwin, he also played for four years, beginning in 2009. He recorded 23 career sacks, with his best season coming his senior year where he recorded 12.5 sacks.

No matter the result of the game, a former Longhorn will be a Super Bowl champion. With the two coaches on the San Fransico side and a player on each team, both the 49ers and Chiefs will have roots from Austin.

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Two Former Longhorns Have A Shot At Super Bowl Ring

The Super Bowl will take place in two weeks and two former Longhorns won’t play but could find themselves getting a championship ring.

After a full season grind started with training camp in July will come to an end on February 2, 2020. The Super Bowl in Miami will feature a couple teams with a Longhorn on their team, the unfortunate part of all of this is that both players seasons were ended due to injury. Despite that, whoever wins the game will give one of them a ring.

When the playoffs started there were more than a handful of former Longhorns that were vying to win a Super Bowl Championship in 2020. The Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks employed the most players who spent their college days on The Forty Acres. However, neither team even made it to the conference championship round.

Alex Okafor of the Kansas City Chiefs had his season ended on December 15th against the Denver Broncos when he tore his pectoral muscle. Marquise Goodwin of the San Francisco 49ers had his season ended just a few days prior when he was placed on the injured reserve list with a knee injury.

Regardless of which teams wins the Lombardi Trophy, a former Texas Longhorn will get their opportunity to finally get an opportunity to be a champion at the highest level of football.

Three former Longhorns still in quest for Lombardi Trophy

After the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, only three Longhorns remain in the quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

As the NFL playoffs have progressed, we’ve been keeping a close eye on former Texas players in their quest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens currently employ the highest number of former Longhorns, but both teams unfortunately lost in the divisional round of playoffs.

There are now only three former Longhorns, each of which were drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, that remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy. Two of these players have been placed on injured reserve throughout the 2019 season, but the impact they’ve made to their respective programs shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Kenny Vaccaro, S, Tennessee Titans

Vaccaro has played in every game of the 2019 regular season, finishing with 84 combined tackles and one interception. The safety for the Titans has also excelled in the playoffs thus far, including an exciting interception in the divisional round to help clinch the upset over the No. 1 seed Ravens.

Although the former first-round pick has qualified for the postseason twice in 2013 and 2017 with the New Orleans Saints, Vaccaro landed on injured reserve late in the regular season both times. Vaccaro was selected No. 15 overall by the Saints in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Alex Okafor, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs

Okafor played in ten games throughout the 2019 season before a torn pectoral muscle landed him on injured reserve in Week 15. The former Longhorn spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints before signing with the Chiefs in March. Okafor looked impressive in the minimal games played, finishing with 22 combined tackles and five sacks.

The former Longhorns most impressive appearance with Kansas City came in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, where he sacked Joe Flacco twice in the 30-6 win. Okafor was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49’ers

Goodwin appeared in nine games with the 49’ers this season. The speedy receiver finished his seventh season in the league with 12 receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown before being placed on injured reserve in December for chronic knee and foot injuries.

Although this will likely be Goodwin’s last season with San Francisco, he still showed positive flashes for the franchise in previous seasons. Goodwin played in all 16 contests in 2017, catching 56 passes for 962 yards. The Buffalo Bills selected Goodwin in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Vaccaro will be the only former Texas player competing on the field next weekend with the AFC Championship on the line. Which of these three teams have the best shot of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy?

49ers place WR Marquise Goodwin on IR, shuffle practice squad

The 49ers injuries continue piling up entering the final three games of the regular season.

The 49ers on Tuesday placed wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on Injured Reserve with knee and foot injuries. They also made a trio of practice squad moves.

Injuries help explain the dramatic drop in playing time for Goodwin over the last few weeks. He played just 10 snaps in Week 10 against Seattle, and 23 in Week 11 vs. Arizona before an inactive designation against the Packers in Week 12, and one special teams snap against the Ravens the following week. Goodwin showed up on the injury report for Week 14 with knee and foot ailments, and wound up inactive.

Goodwin looked like a budding star in 2017 when he posted 56 catches for 962 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. Injuries limited his 2018 campaign to 11 contests, and his 2019 season was cut short after he played in nine games.

San Francisco’s receiving corps is now even thinner than it was. Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne have emerged as the three primary options, while Richie James has carved out a role as the team’s primary kick and punt returner. Dante Pettis rounds out the group of five pass catchers.

While each of them has a role, it stands to reason the 49ers may add a player at that position. Former 49ers receiver Jordan Matthews is a free agent. Chris Thompson is the only receiver on the practice squad.

For now, Goodwin’s roster spot remains unfilled. The 49ers may be saving it for defensive lineman Kentavius Street, who is working his way back off IR. His practice window was opened prior to the Saints game.

San Francisco didn’t add a receiver to the practice squad among their three moves there. They did release one, Deontay Burnett, who signed with the team in mid-October. The 49ers also released linebacker Christian Sam.

They filled one of the two vacancies with linebacker Joey Alfieri. Alfieri was an undrafted free agent signee by the Eagles after the 2019 draft. He was cut during camp by Philadelphia before making his way to the New York Giants where he was released during final roster cuts.

Alfieri played for four years at Stanford. He racked up 156 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two interceptions, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

San Francisco has an open spot on their 10-man practice squad, which could be an indication more moves are coming.