CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco takes a look at the 49ers soon-to-be free agents and offers his take on who will be returning next season. Here’s a look at some of the most notable players.
Alex Smith
Maiocco mentions that the 49ers intend to re-sign him and a league source has thrown out a two or three-year deal, possibly worth $8 to $11 million as a ball park estimate for what Smith could be looking at.
Maiocco wrote earlier in the day that backup QB Colin Kaepernick will be given a “shot” to compete for the starting job next season. Maiocco adds that he isn’t suggesting that the 49ers will hold a quarterback competition but thinks that Jim Harbaugh will not hesitate to play Kaepernick if he outplays Smith.
Interestingly enough, Maiocco suggests that FS Dashon Goldson could be a candidate for the team’s franchise tag.
Goldson was re-signed last year to a one-year deal worth $2 million after drawing little interest on the open market. San Francisco could use their franchise tag on him which would cost them $6.2 million for next season.
Carlos Rogers
Yesterday we posted that Rogers would like to remain with the team but San Francisco is looking for a reasonable contract and seems reluctant to pay fair-market value for him. If they’re unable to reach a deal before the start of free agency, Rogers could be in line for a decent contract.
It’s somewhat amazing that Ginn proved to be such a valuable asset for the team this season. His special teams play really came up big this year and the mistakes from WR Kyle Williams only help to emphasize his value. Maiocco mentions that the 49ers would be interested at the right price but points out that Ginn’s receiving numbers were less than desirable this season.
Rookie OLB Aldon Smith stole the show this season but Brooks put together a respectable year of his own. Pro Football Focus actually rated the 28-year-old as #18 best 3-4 outside linebacker. He finished the season with 7 sacks and should draw interest from some of the team’s running a 3-4 defense but it seems as though San Francisco may be willing to let him go.
Morgan unfortunately was lost for the season after suffering fractured ankle during garbage time of a game earlier in the season. Maiocco writes that he has a decent chance of returning if he’s willing to take a relatively cheap one-year deal. Morgan played well enough to justify returning for another season as long as he’s willing to sign a reasonable contract.
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