Safety Donte Whitner today said that fellow safety Dashon Goldson, who has not taken part in any offseason workouts in Santa Clara, will be in town next week. Whitner said he didn't know if that means Goldson will sign the one-year franchise tag tender that was offered to him in February.
Goldson has been working out in his native Los Angeles, as was the case last year when he was seeking a long-term deal as a free agent. He never got the desired offer and signed a one-year deal with the 49ers instead. He tied for the team lead in interceptions in 2011 and made his first pro bowl. After the season, he parted ways with agent Drew Rosenhaus and signed Ben Dogra in the hopes of completing a long-term contract.
Whitner, meanwhile, often was charged with keeping an eye on Randy Moss when Moss was with the Patriots and Whitner was with the Bills. The difference between then and now when it comes to Moss? Zero, Whitner said.
"He still looks the same. He's always looked - since he's been playing football - like he's been running fast. He's a long-strider, and when you run beside him, he's actually running really fast. So he's running the same as he's always run. His body looks like a younger Randy Moss."
Whitner said Moss' mere presence will open up a 49ers offense - especially a running game -- that was often bottled up by defenses last year. "It's very deceptive for a safety when you have a guy that's a long strider," Whitner said. "... So you know there will be a lot of safeties that are playing 20 and 25 yards from the line of scrimmage, which should open up the running game even more than it was last year. So you know he's not going to only help us catching the football and taking the top off the defense, he's going to help us by taking the extra guy out of the box and allowing Frank and a lot of the running backs we have back there a little more space to pound it on the ground."
Whitner said Moss was part of the morning workout group that includes Gore and Michael Crabtree. He said sometimes the group runs with chains on their backs. At other times, it's 60-yard sprints. "A lot of times he's leading in the sprints," Whitner said. "So if I have to say anything, I don't think he's lost a step at all."
-- Matt Barrows
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