The 49ers released volatile receiver Antonio Bryant on Thursday, less than a week after coach Mike Nolan met with him face-to-face in Indianapolis to discuss his situation.
"After an evaluation period we determined that Antonio was not the best fit for the 49ers," Nolan said in a statement. "I appreciated his work ethic this past year and wish him the best on his next endeavor."
Bryant was the 49ers' leader with 733 receiving yards in his only season with the 49ers. He caught 40 passes for an average of 18.3 yards a reception. (That average ranked second in the league among players with as many receptions.) However, 10 of Alex Smith's 16 interceptions came on passes in which he was the intended target.
He started 13 games. He did not start once because Nolan punished him for being late to a meeting. He was suspended for the final two games of the season after violating the league's substance abuse. When and if Bryant resumes his career, he will still have to serve the final two games of his suspension.
A source familiar with Bryant's contract said the 49ers will save about $1.5 million in cap room with the decision to part ways with Bryant. As a way to protect themselves financially with a player who was considered a risk, the 49ers tied the payment of Bryant's signing bonus to the number of games in which he was active. His signing bonus was reported in league documents as $4 million, but he will count only $800,000 against this year's cap in dead money.
He got off to a great start with the 49ers, both on the field and off. He had 245 yards receiving after two games, including a 72-yard TD grab in a victory over the Rams. But then his production slipped. He had more than 55 yards receiving just twice the remainder of the season, with 78 yards receiving against the Chargers and 79 against the Saints.
Bryant faces charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest from a November run-in with San Mateo police. He has a trial date set for May 14. A pretrial date was set for April 18. If Bryant is found guilty, the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest carry a possible sentence of up to a year in jail, the San Mateo County district attorney's office said.
After Bryant's league-imposed suspension, Nolan said Bryant was on a "short leash," but that he expected him to still be a contributor to the team upon his return.
"We're not done with A.B.," Nolan said on Dec. 22, the day the league announced the suspension. "He's still a part of this football team, and hopefully he gets things in order and we rebound, because A.B. has a lot to offer us."
Nolan's decision to release Bryant was not based on any new incident in the offseason, a team spokesman said. Bryant was reinstated from the reserve/suspended list by the commissioner on Feb. 5 to give him the opportunity to partipate in the 49ers' offseason program. It also enabled the 49ers to release him. Bryant will go back on the reserve/suspended list for two regular-season games when he's on an NFL roster.
"After an evaluation period we determined that Antonio was not the best fit for the 49ers," Nolan said in a statement. "I appreciated his work ethic this past year and wish him the best on his next endeavor."
Bryant was the 49ers' leader with 733 receiving yards in his only season with the 49ers. He caught 40 passes for an average of 18.3 yards a reception. (That average ranked second in the league among players with as many receptions.) However, 10 of Alex Smith's 16 interceptions came on passes in which he was the intended target.
He started 13 games. He did not start once because Nolan punished him for being late to a meeting. He was suspended for the final two games of the season after violating the league's substance abuse. When and if Bryant resumes his career, he will still have to serve the final two games of his suspension.
A source familiar with Bryant's contract said the 49ers will save about $1.5 million in cap room with the decision to part ways with Bryant. As a way to protect themselves financially with a player who was considered a risk, the 49ers tied the payment of Bryant's signing bonus to the number of games in which he was active. His signing bonus was reported in league documents as $4 million, but he will count only $800,000 against this year's cap in dead money.
He got off to a great start with the 49ers, both on the field and off. He had 245 yards receiving after two games, including a 72-yard TD grab in a victory over the Rams. But then his production slipped. He had more than 55 yards receiving just twice the remainder of the season, with 78 yards receiving against the Chargers and 79 against the Saints.
Bryant faces charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest from a November run-in with San Mateo police. He has a trial date set for May 14. A pretrial date was set for April 18. If Bryant is found guilty, the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest carry a possible sentence of up to a year in jail, the San Mateo County district attorney's office said.
After Bryant's league-imposed suspension, Nolan said Bryant was on a "short leash," but that he expected him to still be a contributor to the team upon his return.
"We're not done with A.B.," Nolan said on Dec. 22, the day the league announced the suspension. "He's still a part of this football team, and hopefully he gets things in order and we rebound, because A.B. has a lot to offer us."
Nolan's decision to release Bryant was not based on any new incident in the offseason, a team spokesman said. Bryant was reinstated from the reserve/suspended list by the commissioner on Feb. 5 to give him the opportunity to partipate in the 49ers' offseason program. It also enabled the 49ers to release him. Bryant will go back on the reserve/suspended list for two regular-season games when he's on an NFL roster.
LAME.
They better scoop Benett or Stallworth..
