Today is the supposed day that Brian Westbrook will announcing what team he will be joining, minus the one-hour special. Chris Russell from ESPN 980 tweets that he “Just talked to Byron Westbrook, says brother has some new possible opportunity’s in SF and Buff as well as STL.”
The 49ers and Bills are new options for him but they aren’t that surprising given that Glen Coffee retired and Bills have been hit with the injury bug in the backfield. The 49ers makes the most sense for Westbrook since he has made it clear that he would like to play for a contending team that doesn’t play on turf. He could also get as much playing time their than would anywhere else. We’ll keep updating the situation throughout the day so stay tuned.
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It appears that Brian Westbrook hasn’t decided on playing for the Rams this season. NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports: “Brian Westbrook hasn’t made any decision yet and hasn’t told any teams he has made up his mind according to several sources.”
Another team that may be interested in signing Westbrook is the Minnesota Vikings. They are in obvious need of filling the hole that was left by Chester Taylor’s departure and Westbrook would be a definite upgrade as a third-down back over Toby Gerhart. Minnesota does play on turf which is one of the things that Westbrook said that he would like to avoid but the opportunity may outweigh the downside in this scenario.
Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports that the deal with the 49ers is for a total of $1.25 million over 1 year but does include player incentives. La Canfora also adds that the Rams offered more money but Westbrook decided to go with the team that had the best chance of winning. The deal is guaranteed which means that as long has he doesn’t end up on the IR, Westbrook will be with the team to start the season.
Brian Westbrook could be a huge addition for the 49ers who are looking to take over the division this year. The money recovered from Glen Coffee’s bonus should pay a large portion of Westbrook’s salary which makes the loss not as bad as originally thought.
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ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that he expects Brian Westbrook to sign on with a team by this coming Monday. He throws out the same suggestions that we have been mentioning for a few weeks now: The Denver Broncos, St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins have all expressed interest in Westbrook at different times throughout the offseason. He does leave room for unmentioned team to set in and sign the running back but doesn’t seem as likely.
The Redskins have a number of backs already competing for spots with the team and St. Louis would give the most playing time but the worst chance of winning. Yesterday his name was mentioned as a possibility for the Saints but given that the team is looking for a short-yardage back, he doesn’t seem like a fit. Depending on how bad the injury to Correll Buckhalteris, the Broncos may be the best fit.
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