Linebacker NaVorro Bowman is a free agent after being released by the 49ers on Friday, but there was reportedly a trade on the table before the team decided to release him.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the 49ers had agreed to trade Bowman to the Saints for a seventh-round pick. Before the trade was completed, however, Schefter reports that the Saints learned Bowman’s preference was to become a free agent and the deal did not move forward.
It’s not clear if that’s because Bowman said he wouldn’t report to New Orleans, but it was apparently enough for the 49ers to shift gears and cut Bowman loose.
Now that he’s free, Bowman can take a short trip to meet with one suitor. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Bowman is expected to visit the Raiders as he looks for a team for the rest of the 2017 season.