Quotable: 49ers’ GM Trent Baalke supports Aldon Smith
The San Francisco 49ers likely haven’t made a decision on outside linebacker Aldon Smith and his fifth-year option, but for now, general manager Trent Baalke is voicing his support for Smith.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
-Trent Baalke, 49ers GM
San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke has finally made a statement regarding outside linebacker Aldon Smith and his current situation. Baalke, when asked whether or not Smith could be released due to the issues, said, "We're a family. You don't just open a door and toss people out of it," according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
The organization’s relative silence following Smith’s latest brush with the law -- an incident at LAX in which alcohol was reportedly involved, which is a big deal given his stint in rehab last year -- is a stark contract to his DUI last year, when there was an outpouring of support. That has led many to question whether or not the team could part ways with the prolific pass rusher.
Baalke’s statement means that Smith will likely remain with the team through the 2014 season, though the question of whether or not they will pick up his fifth-year option still lingers, and still hinges on an April 29 court date.
“We’re nowhere near the point where a trade for Suh is likely.”
-Sean Yuille, Pride of Detroit
There's been talk of the Detroit Lions potentially attempting to trade defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Notably, one report came out on Friday that seemed to imply the Lions were actively shopping Suh, but if you read between the lines, as Sean Yullie of Pride of Detroit did, it sounds like the Lions are simply doing their due diligence.
Suh is on an expiring contract, the Lions don’t have a boatload of money to hand him right this minute, and it would be foolish for them to ignore the possibility that they won’t be able to get something done. In that scenario, the best solution for the Lions is to flip him to another team -- hopefully one not within the NFC North -- to try and get some value out of him before he leaves town. But there’s a long, long way to go before that particular scenario is actually a reality.
“I don’t think [Eli Manning] all of a sudden forgot how to play quarterback.”
-John Mara, New York Giants Co-Owner
Quarterback Eli Manning had a rough 2013 campaign, putting up 27 interceptions and the worst season of his career by far. The Giants were a mess, and Manning was at the center of it all, leading many to question whether or not he's begun his period of decline. But he has the full support of team co-owner John Mara, who said on Friday that Manning didn't "forget how to play quarterback," according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Mara said the Giants “expect to see the championship-level Eli play for us this year.” He also said that he hopes Manning will have more support this year, making it clear that he doesn’t blame all of last year’s disaster on the veteran quarterback. Mara said the team still believes Manning has “a lot of years left in him.”
“I still think [LaMichael James] is on the trading block, and the 49ers are looking for someone to take him off their hands.”
-David Fucillo, Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers may not be actively trying to trade running back LaMichael James, but it seems likely that he’s still on the trading block. On Friday, Trent Baalke spoke about a number of topics (like the aforementioned Smith situation), but he also said that the team has no intention of trading the young running back, that James is working out in Texas due to the recent birth of his child, and that James has not asked for a trade.
But really, what would he have to gain by admitting that the team was trying to trade him? James has little value on the field for the 49ers, but he has the skillset to be a playmaker in the NFL. San Francisco simply doesn’t have much room for him, and why give away any leverage you might have by proclaiming to the league that you desperately want this player gone? James likely won’t change hands for multiple draft picks, at least of the early variety, but a trade before or even on draft day involving him would not be surprising at all.
“We are always looking for ways to take our training program to the next level.”
-Thomas Dimitroff, Atlanta Falcons GM
The Atlanta Falcons will pick at No. 6 in the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft, well out of the range of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, widely considered to be the best player coming out this year. That's not stopping the Falcons from doing their due diligence and putting Clowney through whatever workouts he'll agree to. On Friday, that included using a force plate, which is used to measure balance, force applied when running and jumping, and things of that nature.
It's an interesting tool, and apparently one that the Falcons are going to use more going forward, judging by Thomas Dimitroff's comments to Pro Football Talk. Whatever the case, it does sound like the Falcons could be trying to trade up to draft Clowney. Clowney could be their primary focus, and the team is willing to move up if the right player is there, according to CBS Sports. It should be an interesting draft for the Falcons regardless. They gave up five picks, including two first-rounders, to the Cleveland Browns to move up and draft Julio Jones in 2011.
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