49ers sign TE Garrett Celek to 4-year extension

The San Francisco 49ers just announced they have signed tight end Garrett Celek to a four-year contract extension.

Here’s a statement from Niners general manager Trent Baalke: “Since Garrett entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012, he has displayed the skill, work ethic and desire to compete at a high level in the National Football League. His commitment and determination to succeed are reflected in the way he conducts himself as a professional on and off the field. As an organization, we would like to congratulate Garrett and look forward to his continued development as a member of this organization.”

Do you think this move indicates Celek will be the starting tight end next season? He caught 19 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns last season.

This article has 105 Comments

  1. Celek brings a complete package — blocking, route running, and pass catching. You have to hand it to him; he earned his extension. I would rank him our best TE right now. If nothing changes, he should start.

  2. I think it’s realistic to anticipate his numbers will go up substantially in Kelly’s offense. The other part of his value is his experience…to help bring along the younger TE’s on the roster. This is a good start to what will hopefully be a number of re-signings. Baalke knows he needs to keep as many good players as possible.

  3. Meh. Its a good signing in that it takes a position off the “needs” list, for a fairly minimal outlay. But he’s best being the 2nd or even 3rd TE. The 49ers will be hoping one of Bell, McDonald and Anderson take the starting role.

  4. Good signing of a guy who has gone from being a limited undrafted free agent to now being the 2nd best TE on the roster. His arrow has constantly been pointing up, so it wouldn’t shock me if we’re talking about what a bargain he is in 2-3 years.

  5. PFT stating that 49ers want to cut Kap’s $11.9 million base salary. However, I was unable to find the LaCanfora tweet that they reference.

    “NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports Colin Kaepernick is “more than open” to returning to the 49ers.

    That contradicts reports from CBS and the New York Daily News. Rapsheet also reports new coach Chip Kelly was interested in Kap while with the Eagles. Rapsheet confirms the sides are “set to get together and figure out if they can move forward.” It appears that will happen at the Combine. CBS’ Jason La Canfora has reported the 49ers want to cut Kap’s $11.9 million base salary. We’ll see how “open” he is to returning if that’s the case. “

    1. As I said, we’ll be getting some clarity at the combine to the questions inquiring fans want to know….

    2. Man are you serious? If Kaep would rather restructure his previous contract and take a pay cut just to stay here in San Francisco. Dude, man up and stand like a man and tell Baalke and Jed to F*uck themselves. Have some dignity Kaep, moving on is not the end of the world going somewhere else.

    3. Think a salary cut might be a prelude to a trade? The 49ers could give him a lump of cash up from to smooth hurt feelings, reduce his annual contract amount and shop him all over the place.

      Basically, covert 2016 cap capitol into draft capital.

    4. If they ask him to cut his salary, what will happen if he refuses?
      Most probably, they will cut him, and get nothing for him.
      Jed is brain dead.

      1. Somehow the term “pea” brain doesn’t come to mind when describing a 37 Wonderlic or a 4.0 GPA….

        1. Really Razor, wonderlic? Does wonderlic quiz you to run out of bounds when the other team has no timeouts?

          1. Oh, I knew that would get your Canadian knickers in a bunch. Have a snickers, you get so bitchy when you’re hungry….

      1. Nobody produces lowlights, I guess. It’s irrelevant, though, because if you watch this 5:24 clip, you see an exceptional QB destroying playoff opponents because he had a solid OL and the gumption and freedom to play outside the pocket in the way that best suits him. That’s what Chip Kelly will be seeing, and will wonder whether he can assimilate that improvisational excellence into the offense he wants to run.

        “He’s a good football player. He’s got the tape out there,” Baalke said. “Everyone knows what he did in 2012 when he went to the Super Bowl. This offseason with him be him being healthy, being able to go through the offseason, I’m really excited and really looking forward to seeing all the quarterbacks and just watching him move around and make plays.”

        In other news, RGIII has a $16M cap number this season and will demand draft picks in any trade

  6. Eric Goodman ‎‎@EricGoodman

    NFL Source close to #Broncos Malik negotiations:

    Broncos have come up from 3 years, $24M to 5 years, $50Mish

    Jackson wants 5 years, $75M

    11:39 AM – 23 Feb 2016

      1. I’m pretty sure Hyde won’t be complaining about the amount of money per catch for Celek; he’ll just be happy to have a capable blocking TE opening some holes for him to plow through.

        1. Actually, I thought Celek was the best pass catching tight end they had prior to the start of 2015….

          1. Same here, but I’m saying that ability to be a good run blocker is probably also part of the reason the 49ers resigned Celek.

              1. I hadn’t since I thought he might be able to take McDonald’s spot.

      1. Niners need to keep team unity and leadership. Boone is versatile and has played in all those playoff games.
        PAY DA MAN.

        1. Leaders don’t hold out like he did, but I also don’t see why he never got paid already, even if he wants OT money. Maybe they offered and he turned it down. When he came back a few years ago they altered his contract to give him UFA status this offseason.

          1. I do not fault him for wanting to be paid commensurate to his talents. The holdout was his choice. It was the only means for him to get paid more. It is just part of the game.
            The Niners responded by getting emotional and vengeful, and look how the O line performed. Last year, the incompetent way the coaches utilized Boone was only second to the brain dead utilization of Hayne.

      2. Doubt it SC. The Seahawks don’t seem to put that much consideration into their OL.

        1. Correct, but they might be losing Okung, their OL is getting better, and Boone would be a nice replacement, at arguably less money.

          1. All true, but they seem to prefer to tackle OL needs during the draft, so I’d be surprised if that changed.

  7. Smart, young, talented up and coming TE. I have no problem with this extension and trust him more than Vance.

  8. Well, at least Baalke is keeping his promise to Kaep and is re-signing veteran talent. Hope he can re-sign Boldin, Williams, TJE and Boone, too.
    Maybe this signing is a prelude to a trade with Vance. I wonder if Chip is looking at VM’s drop rate and thinking he is expendable. I expect Chip will be satisfied with Celek, Bell, Anderson and a draftee as a solid TE squad.

    1. VMac’s a free agent after 2016. How high a draft pick would team would give up for a one-year-rental with Roberto Duran hands?

      Anyone have a notion about years remaining on a contract relative to typical trade value?

      I think how a players contract is structured (front loaded, back loaded, guaranteed money pro-rated or not) makes a big difference in trade value… along with years remaining on the contract.

      That’s why Anthony Davis would have good value in a (conditional) trade.

      If CK’s yearly contract amount is re-done, but the rest of his contract is the same (injury guarantee only) that would make him more attractive in a trade too.

      1. Brodie, final year rookie contracts are pretty good picks if the team receiving the player believes him to be better than he showed; they can offer an extension at a good price.

    2. McDonald actually looked pretty good when he was catching Gabbert’s soft balls.

      I’ll never forget that drop against the Saints that cost them home field throughout the playoffs in 2013, though. Kaep dropped that one in the bread basket with touch.

      1. I’m rooting for VMac. I really like him. He may never develop into a good pas catcher, but I love his athleticism and crunching blocks. I can see why he was drafted so high.

        If VMac develops C+ hands he will have big value.

        1. I really like his blocking, but his pass catching is a liability. Maybe Vance needs a change of scenery.

      2. Um, I saw a game where the ball clanked off Vance’s hands for 2 picks, and that was when Gabbert was throwing him the ball.

    3. Trade dialogue has a circular life of its own.

      Idea – We should trade so-and-so because he’s been stinking out the joint.
      Problem – He won’t fetch much because he stinks.

      Idea – We should trade so-and-so because he’d be really valuable for another team. He would fetch us a great draft pick.
      Problem – He’s too valuable to trade away.

      So when does it make sense to trade away a player? When he has more value to the other team than your own. Examples…
      – Scheme change
      – Extremely redundant depth at the same position. Players are no use if they are riding the pine, no matter how good they are.
      – Disgruntlement. He’s not a happy 49er. A possible hold out risk. Would be more productive (valuable) in a new setting.
      – Good will gesture to the player. Not common but it happens. A good backup is depressed because he’s not getting snaps. Once in a while a team will trade him to a team that will play him more. Usually for a very late pick.

      1. Right, but there is a third “Idea” that is a mixture of the two you mentioned, where there is decent value (3rd or 4th Rd pick) when the current team (49ers) knows there is some value, but doesn’t want to stick with the player because while he isn’t stinking it up, he’s also not what they thought he was (high 2nd), and they want to cut losses while there’s still some value. McD has some good tape, and great measurables, so while they won’t recoup his draft value, they probably won’t let him go for peanuts either.

  9. I wish to propose a trade. This is just idle speculation during the offseason, so it is not a mandate. It is also not a trade with the Raiders, so I want this trade to be fair to both sides.
    I wish to propose a 3 player deal with the Chargers. They really need bodies and are in a tough division. This trade will help them a lot, while the Niners will get a good draft pick in return. It is a Win-Win situation.
    The Niners should trade Bruce Miller, Erik Pears and Quinton Patton to the Chargers for their second round pick. Bruce is a great blocker, and could really help Melvin Gordon in the running game. Rivers needs a better O line, and Pears started all last season. With Floyd retiring, they need another WR.
    With Chip Kelly’s system, all 3 are expendable, so the Niners will get value instead of possibly waiving them and getting nothing. With that second round pick, the Niners will have 3 picks in the first 2 rounds.

    1. Seb, you’ve got to trade quality for quality when it comes these types of deals, or at least trade for equal value. The Chargers are already good at the WR position, and neither Miller or Pears will get them to even consider a trade.

      1. Malcom Floyd is retiring. They need a WR. Patton is a battle hardened veteran, not some weak rookie. Melvin Gordon needs help. Bruce Miller is one of the better FBs in the league. I threw in Pears because I want to get rid of him, even though he seemed to do better once Devey was benched. There were some games where he graded out OK.

        1. They have Allen and Johnson at WR though, and Patton hasn’t done anything to prove that’s he’s more than a #3 WR let alone a battle hardened veteran.
          Miller is one of the better FBs in the league, but the FB position is also being phased out in favor of the HB/TE hybrid or a RB committee in most of the NFL, so you’ve got to take that into consideration as well. Also, no FB will fetch anything higher than a 6th or 7th round pick.
          Finally, don’t throw in players you don’t like or want on your team. If you don’t like or want them, then what makes you think another would?

          1. Their WRs were injured last year. Rivers had no one to throw to.
            Miller will not fit into Chip’s scheme, but the Chargers have Melvin Gordon, who needs a blocker to make him more effective.
            Compared to a weak rookie, Patton is tougher. He also had 30 catches for 394 yards and a TD, with 13 yards per catch, so he does have value. However, with the emergence of Smelter, and the addition of Rogers, Patton my be the odd man out.
            Following B2W’s post, they may flourish in another setting
            The 3 for 1 deal makes the trade favorable to the Chargers because they would use one draft pick to acquire 3 players.
            Maybe make it a third round pick since it is only 3 spots from being a second round pick.

            1. If the 49ers were in the same situation as the Chargers, would you want the 49ers to spend a 2nd or 3rd round pick for those players?

              1. Considering the Niners lost 12 starters, maybe that deal looks favorable to them since they needed bodies.

              2. And that’s why Devey was the starting RG during the first half of the 2015 season Seb. Again, do you really want that?

              3. Of course not. Devey sucked. Devey made the whole right side a disaster. However, Pears played better with Tiller and he did have some decent games when moved to guard.

              4. That still doesn’t justify trying to trade him, and it also doesn’t answer the question posed by Scooter or me.

              5. Well, to answer your question, if I had to make that trade to stop Devey from ever stepping on the field, I would do it in a heartbeat.

          2. Injuries happen all the time Seb, and it’s not like Patton has been injury free either.
            Of course Miller probably won’t fit in Kelly’s system, but that doesn’t mean he’ll fit with the Chargers. You could make an argument that he might fit with the Packers system, but it’d be just a guess at this point.
            How do you know that a rookie will be weaker than Patton? There’s absolutely no way to know that. And besides, TE is more likely a higher priority for them this off-season, and we don’t have any attractive pieces from that position to dangle towards any one.
            Like Scooter said, would you want the 49ers to take those guys in exchange for a second round pick if they were in the same position as the Chargers?

            1. MW, it is a proven fact that the pro game is a lot tougher than the college game. Many football experts think that WRs need at least one season to get stronger so they can take those brutal hits. That is why so many rookie WRs get injured, and some advocate getting FA WRs because they have survived and are battle hardened. I do not have the exact figures, but the 2014 WR class had players dropping like flies. I think only 3 out of the first 12 WRs who played a lot stayed uninjured all year.
              I will say it again. Melvin Gordon was a first round pick, but he needed better blocking in front of him. Bruce Miller would be ideal to help him

            2. Well, I looked up the SD needs, and they list O line, D line, WR and safety as their biggest needs.
              Antonio Gates still wants to play for 1 more year.

              1. Well, I looked up the SD needs, and they list O line, D line, WR and safety as their biggest needs.
                Antonio Gates still wants to play for 1 more year.

                Those are needs according to what “experts” see them needing; that doesn’t mean that the team sees it it that way. And they still need help at TE even if Gates plays one more season because he’s not going to play forever.

                You’re giving good excuses to get your trade to seem more realistic, but the truth of the matter is that no team is going to want a veteran WR who has yet to prove himself on the field.
                Yes, Miller would help Gordon out, but the Chargers OL and Gordon himself were the main reasons for his poor rookie performance. Just adding Miller wouldn’t fix those problems.

              2. Seb,
                McDonald, Pears and Patton for a 2nd or 3rd? First you would have to find a team who needs a stone hands TE, terrible guard and totally unproven 3rd yr WR.

    2. Seb

      You’d have to give a guy like Torrey Smith to get a 2nd or a guy like Eric Reid. Bruce is good, but FB is not a prized position, QP has shown nothing promising, and Pears was horrible. The 3-for-1 trades you propose never get done. Make it Eric Reid, Bruce Miller, and Torrey Smith, and you might get a 2nd.

      1. San Diego was 3-13. They need to upgrade multiple positions.They have to play Denver and KC 4 times. Those 3 players are not PS chumps, they have value.
        Those are 3 veterans who will be a lot more able to contribute than some rookie. I bet Rivers would like the deal.

      2. Sil I’m not sure what value Miller has except to a team that runs a fullback heavy system [are there any of those teams left] but Reid and Smith better get you more than one 2nd rd pick. Maybe a 2nd a 4th and a 5th spread out over 2 drafts.

  10. http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/2/24/11105238/colin-kaepernick-will-be-on-roster-april-1-according-to-trent-baalke

    “This counts as a little bit of a development, but not exactly a shocking revelation. San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke told Bay Area media that he expects Colin Kaepernick to be on the roster April 1 when his 2016 base salary comes due. He said the expectation is Kap and Blaine Gabbert will compete for the starting quarterback job. Baalke is meeting with the national media at 7:45 a.m. PT, but in the meantime, he is doing a scrum with Bay Area folks.”

    1. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Baalke needs to re-sign veteran talent and leadership first. Celek was a good first step.
      Chip praised Foles and Fisher praised Bradford, then both were traded.

      1. Seb, honestly do you trust Baalke? He’s keeping CK on roster April 1 and should compete with Gabbert for the starting Job. Maybe CK is a good trade comes draft day. If either Carson Wentz and Jared Goff is available and fall in to the 49ers lap when they pick #7 in the 1st round. I don’t think Kelly and the 49ers would think twice passing up on that opportunity to get either one those talented Qb. So, what that means CK is expandable via trade.:)

        1. Sorry, I do not think either Goff or Wentz is the second of Joe Montana, and if the Niners do not improve their O line, they would be more like Drunkenmiller.

          1. Sorry Seb, you just don’t see real talents and I’ll bet you this two Carson Wentz and Jared Goff will be way better than your hero Kaep.:)

            Don’t compare Drunkenmiller to Carson Wentz or Jared Goff these has a lot of upside. Make some research before comparing them to Drunkenmiller.

            1. Seb, Read this :

              Carson Wentz Qb. 6’5 North Dakota.

              Ideal frame and build for a quarterback
              Good stature in pocket, will stand tall and take a hit to make a throw
              Calm and composed, trusts his protection and rarely leaves clean pocket
              Puts great velocity and spin on the ball, can drive the ball to target
              Arm strength to make throws to the opposite hash consistently
              Very accurate between the hashes, can thread needles
              Flashes a lightning quick release at times
              Can wing it deep, arm strength won’t be a question
              Shows very good touch to drop passes into the bucket
              Climbs in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield, good feel for edge pressure
              Not afraid to take shots down the field, uses his physical gifts well
              Improving in his ability to read defenses
              Throws accurately on the run
              Adept at running the zone read
              Very good athlete, tough competitor, ideal mental makeup
              Smart, hard-working prospect with ideal leadership skills.

              1. Yep. Everyone was anointing Goff as the second coming, and then he goes and throws 5 picks in a loss.
                Wentz led a second rate team. He shined against starters who probably could not be water boys for a team like Alabama. There has rarely been a lower division QB who has done well in the NFL
                Obviously, you read the strengths, but ignoring the weaknesses makes your assessment suspect and incomplete.

  11. Branch – Baalke on Colin Kaepernick: “The last time we talked to Colin, Colin was excited.”

    Barrows – Baalke in Indy says he expects Kaepernick to be on roster on April 1, says expectation is that Kap, Gabbert compete for starting job.

    Maiocco – Baalke said he’s had contact w/ Anthony Davis, but no idea where things stand. Nothing to talk about until reinstatement.

    1. And in related news….due to repeated injury the Levi’s Stadium grass is pondering retirement.

      1. Jack,
        Under the heading of it could be worse.
        #1 Candlestick astro turf
        #2 Kezar Turf [especially after the first rain]

        1. OC,

          The injuries forcing retirement were caused by repeated blows from Kaepernick.

          He killed more gophers last year than Carl Spackler ever did.

    2. Baalke and Jed dork are business man, these two guys won’t just let CK walk away without getting anything. There are some NFL teams that desperately in need of a veteran Qb. I’d say the 49ers will get something in return for CK trade.

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