49ers Blog and Q&A

Bee sport staff

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree has suffered a torn Achilles' tendon while participating in organized team activities Tuesday and will likely be lost for the upcoming season, the USA Today is reporting from the team's headquarters in Santa Clara.

A person speaking on the condition of anonymity told the paper Crabtree will undergo surgery and begin the season on the physically unable to perform list.

In his fourth season in 2012, Crabtree was the most consistent receiver for the 49ers. He caught a career high 85 passes for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns.

The 49ers have not commented on this report.

Return more for this story and read Thursday's Sports section for further coverage

Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin, a player the 49ers had their eye on in the 2012 draft, has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL's rules on performance enhancing substances. He's not getting support from 49ers fans or from one 49er.

"I have no sympathy for violators of NFL drug test," safety Craig Dahl tweeted after news broke of Irvin's suspension. "It's easy to know what goes in your body. If this was another sport what would happen?"

The 49ers and Seahawks, of course, have developed one of the best - if the not the best - rivalries in the NFL, and they will meet in Seattle in Week 2. Irvin, the Seahawks' first-round pick last year, stands to miss that Sunday night game. Dahl is in his first year with the 49ers but played on another NFC West squad, the Rams, for the last four seasons.

The Tacoma News-Tribune notes that Irvin is the sixth Seahawk to be busted for performance-enhancing substances since 2011. Cornerback Richard Sherman had a high-profile case last season that ultimately was reversed by the league. Of course, the 49ers aren't exactly angels on the topic. Linebacker Larry Grant, who spent the last two seasons in San Francisco and who is now a free agent, also has been suspended four games for a PED violation.

Irvin apologized and announced he would not appeal the punishment. 

"I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Seahawks fans for making a mistake when I took a substance that is prohibited in the NFL without a medical exemption," he said in a statement released by the team. "I am extremely disappointed in the poor judgment I showed and take full responsibility for my actions. I will not appeal the discipline and instead will focus my energy on preparing for the season so I can begin earning your trust and respect again. I look forward to contributing to the team the moment I return."

Irvin was a situational pass rusher last season and finished with eight sacks. He was one of several Seahawks in line to fill in for last year's starter, Chris Clemons, who suffered an ACL tear in the playoffs. Other candidates are free-agent pickups Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett.

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Another statement: Matt Barrows is going on week-long vacation/workation beginning Saturday. The 49ers will hold an OTA session next week (and the week after that and the week after that), and of course, the league will award Super Bowls L and LI on Tuesday. The Bay Area is the frontrunner for Super Bowl L.

Keep an eye out for a story of receiver Ricardo Lockette, who promises to be one of the more intriguing story lines this offseason. It is scheduled to run Sunday in The Bee.

-- Matt Barrows

The skinny on A.J. Jenkins: The former first-round wide receiver isn't as skinny anymore.

That, of course, was the one concern general manager Trent Baalke raised on draft day last year. Circumstances -- injuries and otherwise -- prevented Jenkins from a full offseason in the weight room while at Illinois, and as a result his strength and power weren't ideal last year. Indeed the slender receiver, who is listed at 192 pounds, seemed to spend a lot of time on the ground during practices last year.

"If there's an area where A.J.'s got to get better in, it's called the weight room, and he will," Baalke said. "He's had some unfortunate situations that haven't allowed him to fully attack the weight room in the offseason. Once he gets in there and figures out how to be a pro receiver - which we're very confident we can help him along in that area - we feel we've got a very good player. A very good fit for this system."

Nothing inhibited Jenkins this offseason. He spent six weeks with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and fellow wideout Ricardo Lockette in Atlanta where they concentrated on strength and speed training. It remains to be seen whether that work will translate to the field, but recent photos of Jenkins show a more bulked-up receiver, and the reports from Atlanta were positive as well.

Said Lockette: "I think A.J. will definitely surprise a lot of people this year. Last year, he took it as a building year. This year from what I've seen so far, it's night and day. I expect big things out of him. He expects big things out of himself, and Kap expects big things out of him. I think Niner nation and the Niner empire will be proud of what A.J. Jenkins brings to the field this year."

The 49ers on Tuesday signed undrafted fullback Jason Schepler (6-2 and 274 pounds) to a three-year contract, bringing their roster to the 90-man offseason limit. The bottom of the roster is likely to fluctuate throughout the rest of the spring and summer, but here's how it stands now.

The second number listed below is the number of players the 49ers had at a position when the 2012 season ended. Rookies are in italics.

Quarterbacks: 4/3
Colin Kaepernick
Colt McCoy
Scott Tolzien
B.J. Daniels

Running backs: 7/4
Frank Gore
Kendall Hunter
LaMichael James
Anthony Dixon
Jewel Hampton
Marcus Lattimore
D.J. Harper

Fullbacks: 3/1
Bruce Miller
Alex Debniak
Jason Schepler

Wide receivers: 11/5
Michael Crabtree
Anquan Boldin
Kyle Williams
Mario Manningham
A.J. Jenkins
Quinton Patton
Ricardo Lockette
Marlon Moore
Chad Hall
Joe Hastings
Chuck Jacobs

Congratulations to Mark Uyeyama and the rest of the 49ers strength and conditioning staff. For the second time in three years, a 49er will be featured in the 'body issue' of ESPN the magazine. The latest bare-chested 49er in the issue will be Colin Kaepernick, whose body - and what's written on it - was scrutinized, celebrated and decried (by this guy) last season. Patrick Willis was featured in 2010. (Jim Harbaugh is lobbying for Lawrence "Adonis" Okoye in 2014).

The players participating in the 49ers' rookie minicamp this weekend aren't all rookies. The group falls into three categories: draft picks and undrafted free agents; tryout players; and players who were on the roster last year that did not accrue any pension credit.

By my calculation, there are six players in that last category:

OL Al Netter
OL Wayne Tribue
OL Kenny Wiggins
S Michael Thomas
LB Nate Stupar
P Anthony Santella

Here are the incoming rookies:

Drafted:
S Eric Reid (1st)
DL *Cornelius "Tank" Carradine (2nd)
TE Vance McDonald (2nd)
OLB Corey Lemonier (3rd)
WR Quinton Patton (4th)
RB *Marcus Lattimore (4th)
DL Quinton Dial (5th)
LB Nick Moody (6th)
QB/PR B.J. Daniels (7th)
OT Carter Bykowski (7th)
CB Marcus Cooper (7th)

The 49ers sprung ahead for Dashon Goldson's replacement today, moving up 13 spots for LSU safety Eric Reid. Like Goldson, who departed via free agency, Reid stands out for his size, 6-2, 210, and his reputation as a big hitter. Free-agent pickup Craig Dahl may start the season opposite Donte Whitner but Reid, 21, will be expected to take over at some point, especially since the 49ers gave up extra picks to get him.

San Francisco traded its 31st overall pick and its first of two third-round picks, No. 74 overall, to Dallas at pick No. 18 to get Reid, who left school after his junior season. A two-year starter who called the defensive plays for the Tigers, Reid finished the 2012 season with 91 tackles, seven pass break ups and two interceptions.

"It really stands out," coach Jim Harbaugh told the team's web site. "He believes that he's a winner all the way and champion kind of guy and football player. I can't wait to have him here in our home in Santa Clara. I'm sure he's excited to have the process start and know the team that wanted him the most."

General manager Trent Baalke prefers players from big schools, and Reid fits that criterion. The 49ers reportedly spent a lot of time scouting Reid this season and one of their top scouts, Justin Chabot, attended Reid's pro day. In selecting Reid, the 49ers passed over Florida defensive lineman Sharrif Floyd, who is falling farther than prognosticators predicted.

The 49ers have an abundance of safeties on the roster, though only Whitner and Dahl have any real experience. In addition, they have C.J. Spillman, Darcel McBath, Trenton Robinson and Michael Thomas.

Reid is attending the draft in New York and is scheduled to speak with Bay Area reporters around 7:45 p.m.

-- Matt Barrows

Larry Grant, who showed he was a starting-caliber linebacker when he filled in well for injured Patrick Willis in 2011, has only received tepid interest as a free agent. On Friday, the league revealed why.

Grant has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances. Grant (Foothill High) has made free-agent visits to the Chiefs and Patriots but has not signed with any teams. Despite the suspension, Grant is able to take part in offseason practices and preseason games once he signs with a team.

Grant started three games at the end of 2011 and finished with 39 tackles and a forced fumble that preserved a win in Seattle. He mostly played special teams for the 49ers in 2012, recording a blocked punt in a blowout win over the Jets.

Grant's agent declined comment.

-- Matt Barrows

For the second time in two and a half months, the 49ers have issued a statement about cornerback Chris Culliver and insensitive remarks.

This time Culliver is in the spotlight for posting an Instagram conversation in which women are referred to as "bitch" and "hoes." The San Francisco Chronicle has a screen grab of the conversation here. The 49ers issued a statement from general manager Trent Baalke saying, "We are aware of the matter, and it is being handled internally."

Culliver made national headlines before the Super Bowl when, during Media Day, he told a Los Angeles-based shock jock that gays would not be welcomed in the 49ers locker room. Culliver quickly apologized, has taken sensitivity training and recently became involved with the Trevor Project, a group that provides crisis and suicide intervention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Culliver played well at cornerback during the 2012 regular season. But his comments about gays in the locker room were followed by the worst game of his professional career in the Super Bowl, one that included a blown coverage and a mistackle on a 56-yard touchdown catch by Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones.

The 49ers have a more crowded secondary than they did a year ago. All five cornerbacks from 2012 are back, and the team also signed free agent Nnamdi Asomugha earlier this month. The 49ers also could use one of their 13 draft picks on a cornerback. They have hosted at least two this month - Houston's D.J. Hayden and LSU's Tyrann Matthieu.

- Matt Barrows

General manager Trent Baalke today said that defensive lineman Justin Smith has "no restrictions, no limitations" following February surgery to repair his triceps tendon and that both Smith and Aldon Smith will "be fine" for the upcoming season.

Aldon Smith had surgery to repair a labrum tear in late February.

"They might be a little conservative with it at this stage, which you'd expect them to be," Baalke said of Justin Smith. "Aldon's coming along as well. He's probably not as far along (as Justin Smith), but he's certainly getting back."

Asked if Justin Smith has returned to the weight room, a smile came across Baalke's face. "Oh yeah," he said. "Oh yeah."

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Baalke said that he and Nnamdi Asomugha had three meetings, including an Easter lunch, before the 49ers signed the veteran cornerback to a one-year deal. The purpose, Baalke said, was transparency.

*****UPDATED***** The 49ers announced that Brock did in fact sign his one-year tender.

Restricted free agent Tramaine Brock will sign his $1.323 million tender today, setting up one of the 49ers' better offseason battles. With the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency, the 49ers now have six cornerbacks with NFL game experience - Asomugha, Brock, Tarell Brown, Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver and Carlos Rogers.

At first blush, Brock would seem to be the odd man out. After all, he was the team's no. 5 cornerback last season and rarely - 21 snaps - stepped onto the field to play defense. However, he was active for all 19 games and was a regular on special teams (63 percent of the snaps), which is a very nice ability to have when a team must reduce its roster in late August.

You could argue that another returning player, Michael Thomas, also is part of this mix. Thomas is listed as a safety, but he also can play the nickel cornerback position that Rogers and Cox play, and he also would be a factor on special teams.

In addition, the 49ers could use one or more of their 13 picks on a cornerback. Along with the Patriots, they have shown the most interest in troubled LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who visited the team this month. Also, Adam Caplan of XM radio reported today that Houston cornerback D.J Hayden is visiting the 49ers. Hayden is one of the top prospects at the position. However, he nearly died after suffering a torn blood vessel in November, and teams must evaluate him medically before they can consider drafting him.

By signing his tender, Brock will become an unrestricted free agent next season.

Brock is one of many 49ers who will be on hand for the start of the team's offseason workout program today. Per the collective bargaining agreement, the first part of the program is limited to strength, conditioning and injury rehabilitation. Strength and conditioning coaches are allowed on the field, but position coaches, coordinators, Jim Harbaugh, etc. are not.

Perhaps the closest 'sure-thing' when it comes to the 49ers' upcoming draft: At some point, they will take a safety. After all, the team lost one of its starters at the position, Dashon Goldson, to free agency while the other, Donte Whitner, is scheduled to be a free agent next year.

Meanwhile, this year's draft is considered very solid solid from top to bottom, and the 49ers have taken close looks at prospects who likely will be taken both early and late in the draft. One of the safeties who has gotten a lot of attention from San Francisco: Josh Evans, who played opposite the more heralded Matt Elam for the Gators. Here's the list:

* John Boyett, Oregon. The 49ers sent a scout and an assistant coach to Boyett's workout at Napa High on Wednesday. Boyett still is a month away from full recovery from patella surgeries in September and October but still ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.5- and 4.6-second range, which bodes well for his recovery. How the 49ers and other teams view Boyett, who had an impressive 276 tackles and nine interceptions in three seasons in Eugene, will boil down to their medical evaluation of his knees.

* Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International. He is a distinct possibility to the 49ers at either pick No. 31 or pick No. 34. Cyprien played at a small school and has been climbing draft boards since an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl. The 49ers probably did not have as extensive a scouting report on Cyprien as they did, say, Elam, which would explain his visit.

A 6-6, 304-pound mountain of muscle who ran his 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds and who can broad-jump nearly 10 ½ feet? Yes, it's safe to say the 49ers are intrigued by Lawrence Okoye, who visited Santa Clara Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Okoye's rather prominent blemish - he's never played American football before. Instead he is a British Olympic discus thrower who has a rugby background and who says he's a long-time NFL fan. Okoye's combination of size and speed caught the NFL's attention at the super regional Combine in Dallas this week, and teams - presumably including the 49ers - are looking at him as a defensive end.

"I came over to the States for warm-weather training for my discus," Okoye told the London Daily Mail last month. "But when I saw that there was an American football regional combine taking place in Atlanta, I applied online. And when I passed, I went along.

"At the combine, I really stood out because of my size, strength and speed. I don't want to sound arrogant, but I was good on the day -- to the point that a lot of NFL clubs began talking to me immediately on the back of it. They all see me as a defensive end, which suits me just fine."

The 49ers have selected two offensive linemen in each of the last three drafts, and they are eying big-bodied blockers again this year. The interior of the offensive line seems to be set with Joe Looney and Daniel Kilgore both able to play guard and center.

It's offensive tackle where the 49ers are a bit light. Veteran Leonard Davis, who could have played tackle in a pinch last year, has not been pursued in free agency. The team's only backup is Kenny Wiggins (Elk Grove High) who spent last season on injured reserve. Of course, guard Alex Boone could play either of the tackle spots in case of injury to a starter, but doing so would cause disruptions to two positions -- tackle and Boone's original spot, right guard.

The 49ers have been looking at tackles in the upcoming draft, albeit ones who will be available after round 1.

* David Quessenberry. The 6-5, 294 San Jose State offensive linemen is being looked at as someone who can play all five spots on the offensive line. He met with Jim Harbaugh when the 49ers coach visited San Jose State last month, and is invited to visit Santa Clara, presumably for the 49ers' local pro day on Wednesday. Like 49ers left tackle Joe Staley, Quessenberry began his college career as a tight end. He never missed a game at San Jose State.

Don't worry, Jim Harbaugh. Colin Kaepernick hasn't spent the entire offseason bulking up and becoming muscle-bound in the weight room.

He's been working on his speed, too.

The 49ers quarterback spent the last two weeks training with track athletes in Atlanta, including former all-American Monica Hargrove, a specialist in the 200 and 400 meters. Kaepernick, of course, ran for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons at Nevada and he rushed for 679 yards in just 10 starts last year for the 49ers, scoring eight touchdowns on the ground and averaging a gaudy 7.7 yards a carry.

Kaepernick's most prominent victim this past season, the Packers, turned to the college ranks this offseason for a tutorial on how to stop the read-option offense. Kaepernick ran for 181 yards - an NFL record for a quarterback - and two touchdowns in a 45-31 divisional playoff win over the Packers. The Falcons, who are scheduled to face Kaepernick and the 49ers this year, also went back to college to better learn the read-option.

But Kaepernick is trying to stay one step ahead. He believes he can get faster and more efficient with his stride, and he spent his time on the track doing just that. Stamina apparently isn't an issue for Kaepernick. At one point, he ran nine consecutive 150-meter sprints in 18 seconds or less, impressing Hargrove and the other track athletes in the process.

When he played at Napa High School, Oregon safety John Boyett never took a snap off.

He was the quarterback and starting safety. He was the holder on field goals and extra points, and he also served as the team's punter. When Napa High won the 2007 Sac-Joaquin Division I sectional championship, Boyett led the way, and he was named The Bee's player of the year for that reason.

Which helps explain why 2012 was so grueling for Boyett. The guy who never went to the sideline in high school missed virtually his entire senior season at Oregon with injuries to both knees. Boyett also had to sit back and watch while the rest of this year's safety class showed off their skills at the scouting combine in February.

On Wednesday he finally gets his day in the sun.

He'll work out at noon at Napa High School in front of a dozen or so teams, including the 49ers and Raiders. Boyett said he's not quite 100 percent but that he's pain-free for first time since before the 2011 season and is eager to prove his mettle to future employers.

"Whatever team drafts me, I can't wait to get out there and compete for a job," he said by phone Tuesday. "I love football. I'm ready to go."

Two questions: Is Keenan Allen falling in the draft, and are the 49ers the team that would catch him if he were?

The Cal wideout finally ran for scouts today following his late October posterior cruciate ligament injury, and the results weren't great. According to NFL Network's Mike Mayock, Allen ran in the 4.7-second range, which would be ok for a tight end but slow to very slow for a wideout, especially one that's expected to be taken in the first round.

The time was not a surprise to Allen, who told me last week that he was 85 percent recovered from his pesky PCL injury. Allen said he is continuing to regain strength and that he would be 100 percent in "a couple of weeks." Of course, the draft will be held in a couple of weeks, and the question now is whether teams picking in the first half of the first round would gamble on someone who hasn't been healthy for five and a half months. Mayock estimated that Allen could go anywhere from pick 25 to 45 in the draft. The 49ers have picks No. 31 and No. 34.

Signed through 2013
CB Nnamdi Asomugha
WR Anquan Boldin
CB Tramaine Brock (should he sign his RFA tender)
CB Tarell Brown
CB Perrish Cox (RFA)
K Phil Dawson
RB Anthony Dixon
DL Demarcus Dobbs (RFA)
C Jonathan Goodwin
WR Chad Hall
OLB Parys Haralson
WR Joe Hastings
WR Mario Manningham
S Darcel McBath
QB Colt McCoy
WR Marlon Moore
DL Justin Smith
QB Scott Tolzien (RFA)
DL Will Tukuafu
S Donte Whitner
LB Michael Wilhoite
WR Kyle Williams

At the scouting combine in February, general manager Trent Baalke hinted that the 49ers were exploring contract extensions with some of their young players. It turns out that one of them was right tackle Anthony Davis, who agreed to a five-year deal that keeps him under contract in San Francisco though 2019.

The contract, first reported by Pro Football Talk, is worth $37.295 million with $17 million guaranteed. Davis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, helped broker a long-term deal with another young 49ers star, linebacker NaVorro Bowman, last season.

Davis, 23, was one of two 49ers' first-round picks in 2010 (The 49ers traded up to take him No. 11 overall), and he has made big strides at right tackle since his rookie campaign. Davis is one of two offensive lineman -- Alex Boone is the other -- who played every snap in 2012. Davis is scheduled to earn $1.3 million in base salary for the upcoming season.

He also is one of several young players whose initial contract was set to end after the 2014 season. That group includes fellow 2010 first-round pick Mike Iupati as well as receiver Michael Crabtree and 2011 draft stars Colin Kaepernick, and Aldon Smith. The 49ers can't begin working on new deals for Kaepernick and Smith until after the upcoming season.

Still, those deals are looming, especially Kaepernick's, and they are why the 49ers have not signed any big, long-term deals for free agents this year. Most have been modest one- or two-year contracts.

The 49ers are believed to have just under $4 million in salary-cap space; enough for signing their draft class.

-- Matt Barrows

No, the situation isn't exactly the same and the personalties involved are entirely different. But the 49ers acquisition of Nnamdi Asomugha this weeks feels a lot like their signing of Randy Moss a year ago.

Both players are former stars in their 30s who had all sorts of questions swirling about them and who felt like they had something to prove. "I've had a chip on my shoulder every year that I've played," Asomugha said Wednesday. "It's obviously bigger this year because of the adversity I went through in Philadelphia, but it's always been a part of my game."

More to the point, the 49ers have become the team players like Moss and Asomugha want to join, and that gives the 49ers leverage. Moss last year signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Asomugha's is even more low risk. He'll make $1.35 million in base salary if he makes the team. If he doesn't, the 49ers won't owe him anything.

We can argue about Moss' impact last season. He caught 28 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns. What's beyond debate is that the 49ers ended up needing him. Injuries to Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams, as well as A.J. Jenkins' slow development, thrust Moss into the starting lineup late in the season and throughout the playoffs.

Colt McCoy says he has experience running the read option out of the shotgun, and he has the numbers to back him up. In four years at the University of Texas, McCoy rushed for 1,589 yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns, and he finished second to Sam Bradford in Heisman Trophy voting in 2008.

Still, it's hard to imagine that McCoy (6-1, 220) would get the same play calls as Colin Kaepernick if he ever entered a game in Kaepernick's place. McCoy, who ran a very respectable 4.73-second 40-yard dash at the combine in 2010, hasn't had nearly the same success rushing in the NFL, albeit in offenses that didn't emphasize a rushing quarterback. He's run 93 times, averaging 3.9 yards and scoring one rushing touchdown. He's also fumbled 12 times, losing two of them.

Instead, the play calls likely would be similar to what Alex Smith received over the last two seasons. Smith also was a very good rusher in college - 1,072 yards, 15 rushing touchdowns in just two seasons - who wasn't nearly as prolific in the NFL. He has 761 rushing yards, four touchdowns and a 3.6-yard average over his career.

Said McCoy when asked about running with the 49ers: "The read option and the pistol - they've obviously done a great job with that with Colin (Kaepernick) and his skills, being able to run and pass, a dual threat. We did a lot of that when I was in in college. I feel capable of doing that. But, again, I need to spend some time in the playbook and get familiar with it first of all before we ever get out on the field."

- Matt Barrows

Appearing on NFL Total Access today, 49ers safety Donte Whitner estimated that the 49ers used man-to-man coverage 70 percent of the time last season. That's what makes Nnamdi Asomugha a "pretty good pickup" for San Francisco, Whitner said.

"In Philly, they played a lot of zone coverage," Whitner said. "When Nnamdi was in Oakland, they played a lot of press, man-to-man; let him get up there, use his long body, length and size to cover those wide receivers. If you look at our scheme, that's what we do. We play a lot of man - probably 70 percent man. He'll get up in a lot of wide receivers' faces and have an opportunity to use our pass rush, and let those guys work for him. I believe he'll come out and have a great year with us."

The question now is how Asomugha will be worked into the 49ers defense, which struggled during the playoffs but was one of the league's best in the regular season. The secondary finished tied for third in passing yards allowed per game and mostly snuffed out long pass plays by opponents. The 49ers gave up 19 passing touchdowns during the regular season. Only six teams allowed fewer.

"We have a young corner in Chris Culliver, veteran guys in Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers, and a great defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio," Whitner said. " If (Asomugha) comes in and really learns our defense, Vic will do everything that is possible to put all of those guys on the field to make plays at the same time."

The 49ers have struck a deal with veteran cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, a league source confirmed this afternoon. Asomugha, who played at Cal, who had his best NFL seasons while with the Raiders and who makes his offseason home in the Bay Area, will sign a no-risk, one-year deal with the 49ers.

He will have the most recognizable name of any of the 49ers' cornerbacks in 2013. However, his spot on the roster, and certainly the starting lineup, is not guaranteed. The contract is worth $1.35 million in base salary with no guaranteed money, meaning the 49ers could cut him with no future entanglements if they so desired. The deal is worth as much as $3 million if Asomugha meets specific incentives. The 49ers had a little more than $3 million in salary-cap space before Asomugha's signing. The team still has enough space to sign its draft class.

That modest salary is fine with Asomugha, who struck a five-year, $60 million deal with the Eagles two years ago and still is owed $4 million by Philadelphia this year. Money is not an issue for him.

Instead, Asomugha, 31, is eager to prove that he is not washed up and that his two painful seasons in Philadelphia were an aberration. According to those who know him, he wanted to join the 49ers to return to the Bay Area and because he felt the 49ers had an excellent shot at returning to the Super Bowl.

If Nnamdi Asomugha joined the 49ers, the cornerback is confident Jim Harbaugh and his staff would utilize his strengths and put him in a position to succeed.

This, according to Asomugha's good friend, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, who was on the same Raiders team as Asomugha and then assistant coach Harbaugh a decade ago. Even though Harbaugh coached offense at the time, Gbaja-Biamila said he was accessible to all players and that he struck up a good relationship with him and Asomugha.

"I know one thing is true - he can connect to players," said Gbaja-Biamila, who now works for the NFL Network. "Not every player may like his style, but I think you respect the fact that he's a former player and he gets it. He's not one of those guys who will have one of those coaching egos, saying, 'This is my way.' Players fit like puzzles, and I think he would know how to use Nnamdi like a puzzle piece, just to be the perfect fit. ... I think Nnamdi was just out of place in Philly."

Now a free agent, Asomugha currently has two offers - from San Francisco and New Orleans. He has been mulling them for more than two weeks. His decision appears to be this: Return to the Bay Area on a 49ers team that has an excellent shot at a Super Bowl but that doesn't have an opening already carved out for him, Or) Play for ex-Raiders coach Rob Ryan in New Orleans.

Kudos to Mike Sando - he works for some outfit called ESPN - for pointing out today something that's been in front of our noses all along but hasn't been fully articulated until now. The 49ers' 14 draft picks this year are valuable not just for filling current holes on the roster but for plugging future ones as well.

Sando notes that several big-name starters - such as Justin Smith and Donte Whitner - are under contract for just one more season. As Dashon Goldson's situation this month illustrates, the 49ers won't be able to hold onto everyone in coming years, especially with a potential mega deal for Colin Kaepernick on the horizon. That's why having 14 draft picks is such a boon to the 49ers right now and so crucial to sustaining success. It gives them the ability to plan for the future with relatively cheap labor.

Here are players scheduled to become free agents in 2014 along with some potential replacements in the draft. The 49ers also are likely to parlay some of the picks this year into even higher picks next year.

* WR Anquan Boldin. He said he'd be interested in extending his contract. If the 49ers are looking for another physical, big-bodied wide receiver in the draft, the best one is located up the road in Berkeley: Keenan Allen.

* CBs Tarell Brown and Tramaine Brock. In my view, Brown, 28, has been the most consistently good cornerback on the team over the last two seasons. Brock, who currently is a restricted free agent, always has been a favorite of GM Trent Baalke. The team has been looking at cornerbacks both in free agency, Nnamdi Asomugha, and the draft, David Amerson, Tyrann Mathieu, B.W. Webb among others. That is, it's a safe bet the 49ers will add at least one more cornerback to the mix by April 27.

Former 49ers offensive tackle Kwame Harris said he wished he had had the strength to be the first gay player to come out during his playing career, but at the time he didn't see being gay and playing in the NFL as "compatible."

"Now when I look back in hindsight, if I could have done it differently I'd like to think that I would find the strength or find the fortitude or the grace to kind of make the hard decisions," Harris told CNN Friday morning.

Harris, 31, was the 49ers' first-round draft pick in 2003, and he played for the team through 2007. The Raiders signed him in 2008 and he has been out of football since. His sexual orientation was revealed last month when he was charged with assaulting an ex boyfriend.

The Honey Badger will visit Santa Clara.

According to a league source, former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, a staple of national headlines for the last two years, will visit the 49ers on April 9. Mathieu had a memorable 2011 season at LSU but was kicked off the team for rules violations and did not play in 2012.

The 49ers have been looking at cornerbacks throughout free agency. However, they mostly have been big-bodied players capable of playing press coverage. At 5-9, 186 pounds, Mathieu is considered a nickel cornerback, someone with the quickness to cover the opponent's slot receiver. That's been a two-year problem for the 49ers (See: Cruz, Victor) and one that could get worse now that Percy Harvin is in the division.

Which safety could the 49ers tap next month as the heir to Dashon Goldson? Take your pick. It's a good to very good year for big-bodied, hard-hitting safeties, which likely is why the 49ers felt they didn't need to get into a bidding war over Goldson, who signed a huge deal with Tampa Bay.

The 49ers' plan at the position seems to be one in which Donte Whitner and newly signed Craig Dahl - two of the smartest players on the team - mentor a young player until he is ready to step in. The 49ers also promise to have plenty of competition at the position with C.J. Spillman, Darcel McBath, Trenton Robinson and Michael Thomas thrown into the mix.

Here are the top players at the position. All are expected to be taken in the first or second rounds of the draft.

1. Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International, 6-1, 209.
Pro Football Talk reported Wednesday that the 49ers are on a long list of teams Cyprien will visit over the next few weeks. That's typical for a smaller-school player. Scouts will have made far fewer stops at Florida International than they did, say, Florida State, and the file on Cyprien is likely much thinner. Cyprien is well-built and aggressive like Goldson, and he can cover a lot of ground in pass coverage. He also looked good when matched against some of the best receivers and tight ends in the nation at the Senior Bowl.

Perhaps the most electric and exciting prospect in this year's draft will visit the 49ers.

West Virginia wideout Tavon Austin, who scored 12 receiving touchdowns last year and ran his 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, is scheduled to meet with the 49ers next month, according to a league source. Austin also has visits lined up with the Patriots, Bengals and Dolphins among others.

At 174 pounds, Austin is one of the smallest players in the draft, and any team that takes him must decide whether he can be an every-down type of player. The ultra-confident Austin, however, noted at last month's scouting combine that he never missed any games with the Mountaineers and that he played running back extensively as well. He ran the ball 72 times for 643 yards last year in West Virginia's wide-open offense, and he scored three touchdowns on the ground. In that way, he'd be yet another formidable weapon for Colin Kaepernick in the 49ers' variable offensive system.

If you're wondering which positions the 49ers will target with their arsenal of draft picks, a good guide is the positions they've pursued in free agency. San Francisco has shown interest in at least two cornerbacks, Sean Smith and Nnamdi Asomugha, known for their big bodies and ability to play press coverage. Smith signed with the Chiefs while Asomugha remains unsigned and still could end up with the 49ers.

If he doesn't, the 49ers may find a similar type of player in the draft. Last week, the team met with North Carolina State's 6-3 David Amerson prior to the Wolfpack's pro day. Amerson had an astounding 13 interceptions in 2011. To put that in perspective, only two other cornerbacks sure to be taken in the draft - Mississippi State's Johnthan Banks (16) and Oregon State's Jordan Poyer (13) - had 13 interceptions over their college careers.

Amerson, however, lapsed in 2012, and the question teams must answer is which season was the aberration.

The 49ers also were on hand at the pro days for Florida State's Xavier Rhodes, who at 6-1, 217 pounds is another big, physical press cornerback. They also had representatives to watch Banks, William and Mary's B.W. Webb and Houston's D.J. Hayden, all of whom are expected to be taken early in the draft.

The 49ers also have shown an interest in defensive linemen - especially 3-4 defensive ends - in free agency as well as safeties. Look for those positions to be targeted in the draft as well.

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers are not finished shopping for a defensive lineman.

A league source confirmed the team is battling the Chicago Bears for free agent defensive lineman Israel Idonije. The 32-year-old lineman started 11 games last season as a defensive end in Chicago's 4-3 defense, finishing with 48 tackles and a solid 7 ½ sacks. NFL.com was first to report the 49ers' interest. Idonije had a half sack in a 32-7 loss to San Francisco this past season.

San Francisco presumably is looking at the 6-6, 275-pounder to play defensive end in its 3-4 scheme. It's a position the 49ers have been examining during the offseason having already looked at Cullen Jenkins and Desmond Bryant, who ended up signing with the Giants and Browns respectively.

The team's interest in linemen could signal more platooning along the defensive front than occurred in 2011 and 2012 when the starters - when healthy - played virtually every snap. The 49ers' pass rush waned late in the season and into the playoffs.

Through Week 14, the 49ers had 35 sacks, an average of 2.5 per game. After that, they averaged 1.4 sacks per game. Week 14, of course, is when defensive end Justin Smith tore his triceps tendon. He didn't have any sacks in the playoffs and neither did linemate Aldon Smith, who apparently was dealing with a labrum injury at the time.

-- Matt Barrows

For the second time in his career, Charles Woodson isn't feeling the free-agency love. In fact, the Packers free-agent safety today said he felt "shunned."

"I thought there would be a little more interest," Woodson, 36, said on the NFL Network. "I think that, looking back, this is my second time in free agency and I've kind a been shunned both times. I guess this time around I'm a little more patient with it, and just waiting around to see what happens."

Woodson's only reported free-agent visit took place on Thursday with the 49ers. The visitation circuit in general has been quiet in recent days since nearly every head coach and general manager has been in Phoenix for the annual owners meeting. That meeting ended today.

The 49ers are still keeping their options open as far as Woodson, but he is not a pressing need for them after the team signed safety Craig Dahl to a three-year deal. Dahl said he expected to compete for Dashon Goldson's former spot at free safety. Woodson has said he wants to play for a playoff contender.

There's one thing, however, that has Woodson elated. The infamous 'Tuck Rule' was eliminated today. "Hallelujah," he said.

***UPDATE*** Another veteran safety, Ed Reed, has agreed to a deal with the Texans, CBS Sports was the first to report.

-- Matt Barrows

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night ...

General manager Trent Baalke today cited Phil Dawson's bad-weather prowess as one of the reasons why the 49ers thought so highly of the 14-year kicker and why the team signed him to a one-year deal. Indeed, Dawson spent his career kicking on the shores of Lake Erie and in other nearby cities - Pittsburgh, for instance - where the weather turns nasty starting in the late fall.

He hasn't, however, had a lot of practice inside Candlestick Park. Dawson, in fact, is 1-2 in two appearances in San Francisco in 2011 and 2003. One of the questions he asked team officials during his recent visit was weather the stadium was accessible in the offseason. The answer is yes, and Dawson said he'd monitor the weather reports as soon as he brings his family to the Bay Area.

"And when it's supposed to be bad days, you can find me in there," he said. "Because I want to get in there and I want to start hitting balls and I want to see what's going on and get a game plan. That's part of my job. I don't necessarily have an opponent across the line of scrimmage I have to study and be prepared for but I do need to know the conditions I'm going to face."

The 49ers today signed Sacramento native Marlon Moore as they continue to rebuild a special teams that lapsed last season. Moore, who was a Dolphins free agent, signed a one-year deal.

The speedy Moore, 25, plays wide receiver, but he said he expected his initial impact would come on San Francisco's coverage units. He mostly served as a gunner on special teams in Miami, and he could pair with standout C.J. Spillman in that role.

Moore also started two games at receiver last season for the Dolphins, finishing the year with six catches - he averaged an impressive 19.3 yards a reception - and a touchdown. He also ran back two kickoffs for 51 yards.

The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout went from Natomas High to Fresno State where he handled 19 punts. He returned one of them 63 yards for a touchdown in 2008. He finished his career as a Bulldog with 90 catches for 1,374 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The 49ers are not expected to retain return man Ted Ginn, who has made free-agent visits to Cincinnati and Carolina. Moore said he's mostly been used on coverage units with the Dolphins but that he has experience as a returner and would jump at the possibility to do that with the 49ers.

"I'm coming in here with an open mind, and I'm ready to work for whatever need they want me to fill," he said on a conference call.

The 49ers today agreed to a deal with veteran kicker Phil Dawson, who tied for second in field-goal accuracy this past season and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Dawson, 38, broke the news himself on his Twitter account: "I am humbled & thrilled to have the opportunity to continue my career with my new team, the SF 49ers!" He had spent his first 14 seasons with the Browns.

Earlier this month, the 49ers parted ways with David Akers, 38, after Akers went through the roughest season of his career. He made only 69 percent of his field goals and blew potential game winners in two overtime games against the Rams. Akers, who struggled with a sports hernia during the second half of the season, was particularly bad from beyond 40 yards, hitting only 9-19 from that distance.

Dawson, meanwhile, was 13-13 from 40 yards and beyond (including 7-7 beyond 50 yards). Overall, he was good on 93.5 percent of his attempts for the Browns, which tied for second place among full-time NFL kickers. Dawson missed just two field goals last year -- a 28-yard attempt against the Raiders that was blocked and a 39-yard try that went wide right in Week 17 in Pittsburgh where it was 18 degrees wind chill with 12 mph winds.

Dawson is familiar to special teams coach Brad Seely, who coached him for two seasons (2009-10) in Cleveland. Dawson is right footed while Akers is a lefty. That will require holder Andy Lee to switch sides, something the athletic Lee has not had a problem doing over his career.

The length of the Dawson's deal is not yet known.

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers carved out more salary-cap space today when they restructured the final year of Parys Haralson's contract, a league source said. The outside linebacker was due to count $2.87 million against the cap - too much for a non-starter. The new deal gives Haralson a $1.3 million salary with a chance to earn $1.7 million. News of the restructuring first was reported by NFL.com. The 49ers are believed to be a little more than $6 million under the salary cap.

Haralson was a starter from 2007-2011, but he was set to take on a backup role behind up-and-coming Aldon Smith before the 2012 season. It never got that far. Haralson suffered a torn triceps in the third preseason game and was lost for the season. However, he rehabilitated every day at the 49ers facility, went on road trips and remained a part of the 49ers' locker room, which is partly why the team wanted him back this year.

The team's OLB starters are Smith and Ahmad Brooks. Haralson and a pair of 2012 draft picks, Darius Fleming and Cam Johnson, will compete for backup roles with any other pass rushers the 49ers acquire in the offseason.

Newly acquired receiver Anquan Boldin is expected to make his first appearance in the Bay Area Wednesday when he takes his physical. There's a possibility that Boldin, who is due to make $6 million in 2013, will extend his contract, which also could create more salary-cap space for San Francisco.

-- Matt Barrows

****UPDATE**** The Titans today announced the release of veteran Matt Hasselbeck. The 49ers tried to sign the 14-year veteran in 2011. ESPN reported that the 49ers are one of several teams that have shown initial interest in Hasselbeck, 37. The others are: Arizona, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, the Giants and Tampa.

****UPDATE II***** Hasselbeck is reportedly close to a deal with the Colts.

Who will join Colin Kaepernick and Scott Tolzien on the 49ers' quarterback depth chart in 2013? So far, the answer is unknown. The quarterback market has been mostly quiet during free agency, and it's likely to remain so early in the week while owners, coaches and general managers are at the annual league meeting in Phoenix. (One free-agent QBs, Ryan Fitzpatrick, also is in Phoenix; he's reportedly met with the Titans and Bengals).

A year ago, the 49ers signed former Jim Harbaugh protege Josh Johnson, and he spent the offseason in Santa Clara. I spoke to Johnson today, who said he hadn't personally heard from the 49ers. He's visited the Bengals and said "a couple more teams" had expressed interest though he had no visits scheduled as of now. Last year he visited the 49ers and the Redskins. He was picked up by the Browns in late December.

Johnson, who also played for the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions last year, said he wouldn't rule out the 49ers despite the fact they chose Tolzien over him at the end of the exhibition season. "It just depends on the situation," he said. "I'm just trying to find the best fit."

Another name that has been linked to the 49ers is Tyler Thigpen. The Coastal Carolina quarterback has been working out alongside Kaepernick and a few other 49ers - including wideout A.J. Jenkins - at CES Performance in Atlanta since mid February. Thigpen has two criteria that Harbaugh holds most dear in a quarterback - he's ultra competitive and he has good athleticism.

-- Bye Nnamdi! Sorry you couldn't play for food stamps! Our origination is so cheap it's unbelievable!!

-- He's not signing here,49ers too cheap..Craig Dahl terrible sign if a starter, white guys don't do well as DB's this isn't 1950

-- I am assuming both Baalke & Pope Harbaugh are aware that free agency period started already! Craig Dahl???

Jeeze-Louise, Trent Baalke sure has been taking it on the chin the last few days, as the preceding comments -- just a smattering from that destroyer of the English language, Twitter -- indicate. In fact, the last time this many 49ers fans thought their general manager was an idiot was 2011. You remember, right?

It was quite similar to the current free-agency period. A few days in, the 49ers had lost several of their own players, including center David Baas. While other teams were reeling in prized free agents left and right, showing them off at press conferences and getting all sorts of kudos on ESPN, the 49ers' only signing was a kicker, David Akers.

Most infuriating to fans, the 49ers had shown some interest in the biggest, most seductive catch of all, can't-miss cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, but backed off the hunt. The Eagles ended up signing him to a massive, five-year deal.

"What are the 49ers doing?!" the fans railed while pulling out their hair, shaking their fists at the heavens, threatening to jump from bridges. "Every other team is getting better! Our team is getting worse!" (Except it was punctuated poorly and every other word was misspelled).

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, whose first free-agent visit was with the 49ers, also will drop by the New Orleans Saints. Asomugha is on his way to New Orleans tonight and will meet with team officials Sunday, according to a league source. Asomugha was at his best when he was with the Raiders under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Ryan is now the defensive coordinator for the Saints.

Asomugha, 31, met with the 49ers Thursday and had a physical that night. The next day, one of his former teammates with the Raiders (and one of his best friends), Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, tweeted that the cornerback and the team were in "serious discussions." Gbaja-Biamila, who now works for the NFL Network, hinted at a Bay Area reunion for both Asomugha and former Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson, whom the 49ers have been considering to play safety.

On Sunday, Gbaja-Biamila tweeted that the 49ers' negoations with Woodson and Asomugha were in a "holding pattern." "Despite the crazy week," he wrotes, "not EVERY deal is done in 1 day."

The 49ers Saturday signed another safety, Craig Dahl. His three-year, $5 million deal (with an $800,000 signing bonus) does not preclude the 49ers from signing Woodson, but it also means the 49ers are not desperate to add him.

Asomugha, meanwhile, has other suitors. The Cardinals, Texans and Broncos also have shown interest. Asomugha's New Orleans visit first was reported by CSN Bay Area.

-- Matt Barrows

One day after his visit to Santa Clara, Rams free-agent safety Craig Dahl inked a three-year, $5 million deal with the 49ers.

"It's not the enemy anymore," said Dahl, whose familiarity with the division was attractive to the 49ers. "... I was privileged to play in the NFC West, and I'm really familiar with what's going on here in San Francisco, and the direction they're heading. I couldn't be happier with the opportunity I've been given."

Dahl said he hoped to "mesh well in the secondary and fill the void" created when Dashon Goldson signed a five-year deal with the Buccaneers earlier this week. Dahl also plays the same punt-coverage position that Goldson handled for the 49ers the last two seasons.

After meeting with Charles Woodson and flirting with Ed Reed -- both of them likely hall of famers -- the team went with a far more anonymous safety. Dahl, 27, started all 16 games last season in St. Louis, finishing with 78 tackles, two pass break ups and an interception. He's started 40 games in the last four years in St. Louis.

One safety exits, another enters.

The 49ers will host Rams free-agent safety Craig Dahl, according to Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange. Dahl, 27, started all 16 games last season in St. Louis, finishing with 78 tackles, two pass break ups and an interception. The 6-1, 212 pounder played at North Dakota State, which is where 49ers general manager Trent Baalke used to be an assistant coach. Dahl was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Giants ain 2007.

That news comes on the heels of Louis Delmas signing a two-year deal to return to the Lions. Delmas visited the Rams and the 49ers before returning to Detroit. The 49ers still are considering veteran safety Charles Woodson, who visited the team facility on Wednesday. They also are still in play for Ravens free-agent safety Ed Reed, who ended his visit with the Texans Friday without a deal.

As has been the case in recent years, the 49ers do not make free-agent decisions quickly and they usually let the market soften before signing a player. There are still many safeties available, and the 49ers will use that to their advantage.

-- Matt Barrows

A former Raiders teammate of Nnamdi Asomugha and Charles Woodson is hinting strongly of a Bay Area reunion.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, who played alongside Asomugha and Woodson in Oakland from 2003-04 and who now works for the NFL Network, tweeted early Friday that the 49ers are in "serious discussion" with both players. Woodson met with Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers on Wednesday; Asomugha arrived Thursday afternoon.

Update: The @49ers are n serious discussion w/Asomugha and Charles Woodson. Reuniting these 2 in the 2ndary is a major upgrade. #FreeAgency

— Akbar Gbajabiamila (@Akbar_Gbaja) March 15, 2013

San Francisco is looking at Woodson, 36, as a 2013 replacement for free safety Dashon Goldson, who signed a five-year deal with Tampa Bay earlier this week. Harbaugh on Thursday said the two sides had a good meeting - Harbaugh and Woodson, both University of Michigan products, have hosted a charity golf outing together - and that the team was "still evaluating" the veteran defensive back.

A 49ers team that finished second to last in the NFL in kickoff coverage last season signed a new, would-be special teams ace, Dan Skuta, today to a two-year deal. Skuta, a 250-pound inside linebacker, led the Bengals in special teams tackles in two of the last three seasons.

The 49ers had one of the best coverage units in the league in 2011, one that was led by energetic and charismatic Blake Costanzo. The 49ers, however, allowed Costanzo to sign with the Bears in free agency a year ago, and their 2012 special teams units weren't the same.

They surrendered an average of 26.9 yards per kickoff - only the Raiders were worse - in the regular season. That number doesn't include the postseason, which was marked by a Super Bowl record 108-yard touchdown return by Ravens returner Jacoby Jones to open the second half.

Some of the team's struggles can be attributed to kicker David Akers' relative flat kickoffs, which gave returners extra time to build up speed. Akers dealt with a sports hernia during the second half of the season and had a procedure last month. Two special teams players, inside linebackers Larry Grant and Tavares Gooden, also are free agents.

Skuta was one of three free agents the 49ers hosted Thursday. The group included ex Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who left the team facility without a deal but who could sign one Friday. The former Cal star hit the open market this week after being cut by the Eagles. Asomugha was the biggest catch in the 2011 free-agent period, and Philadelphia landed him that year with a five-year, $60 million deal. That contract, however, became far too unwieldy, especially after Asomugha, 31, failed to play to expectations.

Looking for a tall cornerback to help with the big-bodied receivers who gave them fits in the playoffs, the 49ers will host ex-Raider and Eagle Nnamdi Asomugha today, a league source said. The long-limbed, 6-2 Asomugha was perhaps the league's best cornerback when he played press coverage for the Raiders, but he struggled in the Eagles' more diverse scheme and was released earlier this week.

The 49ers showed interest in Asomugha, 31, when he was a free agent two years ago. However, he never visited 49ers headquarters like he will do today. This is believed to be his first visit, which always is an indication of strong mutual interest between team and free agent.

San Francisco also promises to be a better fit for Asomugha. The 49ers play sides when it comes to their cornerbacks -- one either plays on the left or right side and doesn't switch during the game. They also like to play press coverage, although there is plenty of the zone schemes that seemed to vex Asomugha in Philadelphia as well.

The Saints, Texans, Broncos and Cardinals also are eyeing Asomugha, who played at Cal, CBS Sports reported Wednesday.

The 49ers also had shown interest in 6-3 Miami free-agent cornerback Sean Smith, but that has cooled since the start of free agency on Tuesday.

The 49ers are looking at another former Raider, safety Charles Woodson. He visited the team facility Wednesday, but no deal has been struck. Another safety, Louis Delmas, is due to visit the team facility today, ESPN Adam Schefter first reported Wednesday.

-- Matt Barrows

After the 2012 season ended, the 49ers made it clear to Alex Smith that they were not going to release him. Smith, in turn, made it clear to the team that he didn't want to be a backup quarterback. The only option left was a trade, and Smith today said he had no doubt where he wanted to go.

"It wasn't close," Smith said at his introductory press conference in Kansas City. "Everything pointed here for me, and I was excited about that, and I'm so thankful it worked out, thankful it got done."

New Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he followed Smith since the quarterback was at Utah under Reid's good friend Kyle Whittingham, who was then the team's defensive coordinator.

"When I was at Philadelphia, for whatever reason we seemed to play (the 49ers) every year, and I got to see him first hand," Reid said. "He was somebody if I had the chance, I would want on my team. So I did inquire about him periodically with the 49ers."

Smith will wear No. 11 for the Chiefs, and he'll run a West Coast offense like he did the last two years in San Francisco. Smith said he only arrived last night and has not had time to look at the playbook or to talk to new teammates, such as receiver Dwayne Bowe. He acknowledged that it was awkward to have known about the deal for two weeks and not been able to communicate with his new team. But he said quarterback buddies around the league all assured him he would love working with Reid.

"From all the quarterbacks I've ever known and have gotten to play for him, they only had good things to say," Smith said. "His pedigree, I think, speaks for itself."

Reid, meanwhile, made clear that Smith's intangibles were just as important as his on-field ability when it came to making the decision to trade with the 49ers.

"You'll find out in time what you've got here," Reid said. "From a coaching standpoint, what a tremendous addition to a locker room. He's a fine football player, but even a better person. That's welcome here - his leadership."

Reid even took it a step further.

While acknowledging former Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson at the press conference, he said he wanted to give the Chiefs another hall-of-fame passer. "We're going to work on getting Alex into the Hall of Fame," Reid said. "I'm privileged to be in a room with two great ones."

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers appear to be playing another round of Last Cornerback Standing.

Two years ago, you might recall, was a big period for free-agent cornerbacks, and the 49ers were mentioned in conjunction with the top names - Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Joseph and Antonio Cromartie. But they didn't make a move on any of them, waiting instead for the market to cool off and signing the best remaining cornerback, Carlos Rogers, to a modest, one-year deal.

They seem to be taking a similar approach this year. They were one of the top teams eyeing 6-3 Miami cornerback Sean Smith in the run-up to free agency but have backed off for now. They also are one of the teams showing interest in 6-2 Asomugha, a league source said this afternoon. Pro Football Talk reported that the Texans, Broncos, Saints and Cardinals also are interested in the former Cal star.

Asomugha, of course, signed a big, five-year, $60 million deal with Philadelphia in 2011. The Eagles released him this week. Obviously, Asomugha, 32, will be a lot cheaper this time around. How much cheaper? The answer to that will determine whether he ends up with the 49ers.

- Matt Barrows

After watching several of their free-agents sign big-money deals elsewhere, the 49ers on Wednesday reeled in one themselves - former Chiefs defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey, 27, is expected to mostly play nose tackle for the 49ers after the team lost last year's starter, Isaac Sopoaga, to the Eagles in free agency. Another 49ers lineman, Ricky Jean Francois, also has drawn interest from the Eagles and will visit the Colts on Thursday.

Dorsey has played defensive end in the Chiefs' 3-4 scheme but he said he'd have no problem moving to nose tackle with the 49ers. "I'm ok with everything," he said in a conference call. "Whatever coaches want me to do, honestly. I knew coming here that I can play anywhere. Wherever they see fit. I'll try my best at that position."

Dorsey signed a two-year deal with the 49ers. "We are very pleased to add Glenn to our team," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "Glenn brings great versatility to our defensive front, and we look forward to his contributions on the field and in the community."

Dorsey flew into the Bay Area last night and met with defensive line coach Jim Tomsula and others today. Like both Jean Francois and Sopoaga, Dorsey can play multiple position in a 3-4 front. He was a defensive end last season for the Chiefs before a calf injury knocked him out for the season.

Meanwhile, the 49ers lost free-agent safety Dashon Goldson to the Buccaneers. Goldson long had been seeking a deal similar to the $8 million-a-year contract the Chargers gave Eric Weddle two years ago. He surpassed that mark with Tampa Bay, getting a five-year deal worth as much as $41.25 million (avg. of $8.25 million), including $22 million guaranteed. The 49ers will play the Buccaneers in the upcoming season.

A possible replacement for Goldson is ex-Raider and ex-Packer Charles Woodson, who is currently visiting the team. Another free-agent safety, LaRon Landry, will visit on Thursday if he can't reach a deal with the team he is currently visiting, Indianapolis. Landry has other suitors while Woodson is looking at five other teams, all of them would-be playoff contenders, his agent said Tuesday.

-- Matt Barrows

Safety LaRon Landry will visit the 49ers on Thursday if the team he's visiting today, the Colts, doesn't sign him to a deal, a league source said. Landry, 28, is a younger alternative than the safety with whom the 49ers are meeting today, Charles Woodson, 36, but he'd likely be more expensive, too.

Landry also has other suitors, which are believed to be the Cardinals and the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay's first choice at safety is 49ers' free agent Dashon Goldson, and the two sides reportedly are negotiating a deal. ****UPDATE**** The Buccaneers and Goldson have agreed to terms on a five-year deal.

Meanwhile, Chiefs free-agent defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey is currently meeting with 49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula and others in Santa Clara. The 49ers lost starting nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga to the Eagles and are in danger of seeing another nose tackle, Ricky Jean Francois, go as well. Dorsey was miscast as a defensive end in a 3-4 system with the Chiefs. It's unknown how he feels about playing nose tackle in the 49ers' defense.

And as far as Miami free-agent cornerback Sean Smith ... The 49ers showed interest in the big (6-3, 218-pound) cornerback in the run-up to free agency, but they are not believed to be one of the teams hotly pursuing Smith now. Astute 49ers followers might recall that this is how the team approached the cornerback market in 2011: They expressed interest in several top names, waited until the market had cooled and then snagged Carlos Rogers.

-- Matt Barrows

The NFL's performance-based pay program is meant to be a bit of a counter-balance for those players who were late-round picks - or who weren't drafted at all - but who end up playing a lot of snaps for their team. Which is why someone like fullback Bruce Miller, who also features heavily on special teams, will get the biggest performance-based paycheck of any 49er this week, $273,400.

Miller was a seventh-round pick in 2011 who played 700 snaps last season for the 49ers. Conversely, first-round pick A.J. Jenkins, who played 35 snaps, had one of the lowest figures, $5,300. Running back Brandon Jacobs, who was hurt - and then suspended and then released - was at the bottom at $1,500. Some other figures at random:

FB Bruce Miller: $273,400
CB Chris Culliver: $229,200
G Alex Boone: $223,100
DE Demarcus Dobbs: $126,700
QB Colin Kaepernick: $85,500
TE Delanie Walker: $69,800
QB Alex Smith: $11,500

Here's the official explanation for how performance-based pay is calculated: Performance-based pay is computed by using a "player index." To produce the index, a player's regular-season playing time (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular-season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives). Each player's index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his pay.

-- Matt Barrows

Likely to lose starting safety Dashon Goldson, the 49ers are bringing in possible replacements, including longtime Raiders and Packers defensive back Charles Woodson, who will visit Wednesday, his agent said. The 15-year veteran will turn 37 in October, and he missed half the 2012 season with a broken collarbone.

However, he played well in the games in which he appeared. He had five tackles, 1 ½ sacks and a forced fumble in a Week 1 loss to the 49ers. Overall in his career -- he mostly played cornerback -- Woodson has 55 interceptions, 11 of which he returned for touchdowns. He was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.

The 49ers also have shown interest in Jets free agent LaRon Landry, who is similar in size and aggressiveness to Goldson. The Buccaneers reportedly sent a private plane to California to pick up Goldson. It would be a surprise at this point if he returns to the 49ers, who have been reluctant to give him a long-term deal for the past three offseasons.

Woodson has a couple of significant connections on the 49ers. A University of Michigan product, he's hosted an annual golf tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. with Jim Harbaugh. he's also close to 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers. A source close to Woodson on Tuesday said the defensive back is eyeing several would-be playoff teams and hopes the 49ers "step up" as far as a contract offer. He said Woodson wants to play with a contender in 2013.

Woodson played the first eight years of his career with the Raiders, who hold their training camp in Napa. He has a winery, 24 Wines, that's 2 1/2 miles south of Calistoga.

-- Matt Barrows

It's official ... sort of. The 49ers today announced two trades. One occurred yesterday when the team agreed to send the second of its two sixth-round picks to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for receiver Anquan Boldin.

The second occurred last month, and it ends a roller coaster, eight-year run in San Francisco for Alex Smith, the player the 49ers chose No. 1 overall in 2005. The 49ers announced they received from Kansas City an "undisclosed" draft pick (it's the Chiefs' second-round selection, No. 34 overall) as well as a conditional pick in next year's draft. The trade won't be executed until Smith passes a physical.

"We would like to thank Alex for his contributions to the 49ers organization over the past eight years," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "He is a true professional who represented the 49ers with class on and off the field."

Also: Smith shows that nice guys don't always finish last.

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers, who are at risk of losing free-agent safety Dashon Goldson this week, are one of four teams looking at Jets free agent safety LaRon Landry, a league source confirmed today. The team's interest in Landry, 28, was first reported by NFL.com's Ian Rappaport, who wrote that the Cardinals and Buccaneers also are in the mix for Landry. Tampa Bay also is interested in Goldson.

Landry (6-0, 220) is similar to Goldson in that he is aggressive and has a reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league. The former first-round pick finished the 2012 season with 100 tackles and forced four fumbles. He had two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Landry was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past season.

The 49ers also have been linked to Baltimore's Ed Reed, who is 34 and nearing the end of his career. There has been no interest to this point in former Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson, who was released last week.

-- Matt Barrows

****Update**** In addition to Bryant, the 49ers also have shown interest in another FA defender, Washington LB Lorenzo Alexander.

The 49ers are one of the teams interested in Raiders defensive lineman Desmond Bryant, his agent confirmed today. Bryant (6-6, 311 pounds) played defensive tackle for the Raiders, but a better position for him may be defensive end in a 3-4 scheme like the 49ers run. The 49ers are one of 10 teams to have inquired about the 27-year-old lineman. (SF's advantage: He wouldn't have to move).

San Francisco obviously is interested in adding to its defensive front. The 49ers met with free agent Cullen Jenkins last week - he has since signed with the Giants - and also are one of several teams eying ex-Falcon John Abraham. The 49ers did not do much rotating among their front four defenders in 2011 and 2012, something that seemed to work against them late in the most recent season.

In addition, top backup Ricky Jean Francois appears to be on his way out. He has drawn interest from the Eagles, Colts, Titans and Saints among others and will make visits this week. Another lineman, Isaac Sopoaga, is a free agent as well and also could find a new home on a squad that uses a nose tackle more than the 49ers.

Bryant, meanwhile, started eight games for the Raiders last year and finished with four sacks, 26 tackles and a forced fumble. The Harvard product got into trouble last month in South Florida where he was arrested on charges of criminal mischief. Bryant allegedly was inebriated and went into a neighbor's house.

Teams can begin scheduling visits with free agents like Bryant when the league year begins at 1 p.m.

- Matt Barrows

This wasn't the first time the 49ers tried to trade for Anquan Boldin.

Back in 2009, they dialed the Cardinals, who had the expensive problem of having both Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald on the roster, to see what Arizona was seeking for Boldin. The Cardinals, however, weren't willing to trade the big, bruising wideout in the division.

Soon after, the 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree, whom then-general manager Scot McCloughan said was the "closest thing I've seen to Anquan Boldin in college."

Said McCloughan on draft day of Crabtree: "He's got excellent hands, and he's got the physical attributes to play on the NFL level and to make plays. He's a highly competitive guy who's not afraid, whatsoever. There are faster guys in the draft, no doubt about it. There will be faster guys in the NFL. But he brings a unique quality to play physical and make plays on the NFL level."

Which raises a question: Can the 49ers prosper with two, similar starting wideouts, neither of whom is known for stretching defensive secondaries? Last year, Crabtree had a career-best season with fleet-footed Randy Moss - at the end of the season, anyway - opposite him. In Baltimore, Boldin was complemented by burners Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones.

The situation certainly is not unprecedented. Fitzgerald isn't a track star, either, and he and Boldin were the NFL's top receiving tandem when they were in Arizona. The 49ers also have one of the fastest tight ends in the league, Vernon Davis, and surely will work in a third receiver - whether it's A.J. Jenkins or Kyle Williams or, eventually, Mario Manningham - who does have speed.

Boldin's role also is interesting to consider. Unlike Moss, he's an excellent blocker and has been one of the most physical wideouts in the NFL for the last decade. He's also made a career out of catching passes over and across the middle of the defense. (See: 2012 playoffs; opening-drive score in Super Bowl).

In that way, he acts a lot like a tight end. No, he's not as good a blocker as the 49ers' Delanie Walker, who is poised to test free agency. And Walker does not have Boldin's pass-catching prowess, as his multiple drops in 2012 illustrated. But you have to wonder whether Boldin could take over some of Walker's roles in the 49ers' offense should Walker land elsewhere.

-- Matt Barrows

If you can't beat him, trade for him.

That's what the 49ers did today with receiver Anquan Boldin, agreeing to send a sixth-round pick to Baltimore for the veteran wideout, who gave the 49ers fits in the Super Bowl. The Ravens were pressed against the salary cap and would have had trouble accounting for Boldin's $6 million salary.

The trade is pending a physical, which won't be completed until Boldin, 32, returns from a trip to Africa. By then, the 49ers ostensibly will have completed a deal to send Alex Smith to the Chiefs, giving them plenty of salary-cap space to accommodate the trade and Boldin's $6 million cap figure.

News of the deal was first reported by The Baltimore Sun. The 49ers do not comment on transactions until they are complete. However, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, appearing on NFL Live, said he welcomed another weapon to the offense. "We'll be happy to take him," Kaepernick said of Boldin.

Their division rival Seahawks are poised to make a big move on offense by trading for wideout Percy Harvin. How will the 49ers react?

According to a league source, they are among the teams showing the most interest in Dolphins pending free agent cornerback Sean Smith, 25, who promises to be one of the most sought-after cornerbacks on the market. Smith, who is from Pasadena, was a second-round draft pick out of Utah in 2009.

At 6-3, 218 pounds, Smith won't be charged with covering the speedy Harvin. But he'd be a good matchup against Seattle's Sydney Rice, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and the big-bodied receivers the 49ers had trouble covering in the playoffs and Super Bowl. Smith also has fared well against tight ends, such as New Orleans' Jimmy Graham.

The 49ers are expected to have a good salary-cap cushion heading into free agency. It's not known how they would accommodate Smith in a secondary that already has Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver. The Eagles, Buccaneers, Chiefs and Raiders also are expected to make a push for Smith, but the 49ers are considered one of the favorites - if not the favorite - to land him. The free-agency period begins Tuesday at 1 p.m.

-- Matt Barrows

Perhaps girding themselves for the loss of Isaac Sopoaga or Ricky Jean Francois or both, the 49ers today signed backup nose tackle Ian Williams to a two-year extension worth $3.5 million, according to Williams' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The deal locks in Williams through the 2015 season.

"We are very pleased to extend the contract of a young, talented player like Ian," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "He will have the opportunity to continue to grow in our defense, and we look forward to his future development. Paraag (Marathe) and Drew deserve credit for working hard to put this deal together."

Williams (6-1, 305 lbs.) went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2011, and he admitted that snub has fueled him the past two seasons. "I came in with a suitcase and some dreams," he said in a conference call today.

Williams played scant minutes (32 snaps) this season. But he played well in the preseason and in his brief appearances during the regular season. The 49ers had two players ahead of him, Sopoaga and Jean Francois, on their depth chart. Both, however, are pending free agents who could be in another city by the end of this week.

Jean Francois has received interest from five teams, including the Eagles, Titans and Browns. He's being eyed as both a defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme and as a defensive end and/or nose tackle in a 3-4 alignment. Sopoaga's value, meanwhile, is as a nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme.

The 49ers don't value their nose tackle as much as other teams. The position leaves the field in passing situations, in which the 49ers found themselves quite often in 2012. Sopoaga, for instance, played only 31 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

The other nose tackle options currently signed for the future include 2012 practice squadder Lamar Divens and Tony Jerod-Eddie, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M last season. Williams has been among the 49ers who have continued to work out in Santa Clara since the season ended.

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers, who need a punt returner and a wide receiver, are interested in a player who can do both, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports.

A league source told the paper that the 49ers are one of five teams that have inquired about Browns returner Josh Cribbs, who was second in the league with 457 yards on punt returns in 2012. One of the 49ers' punt returners from last season, Ted Ginn, is a free agent who is not expected back, while the other, Kyle Williams, is returning from an ACL tear.

Cribbs, 29, has good size at 6-1, 215 pounds and has proven durable over his career. He had a career-high 41 receptions in 2011 but had only seven for 63 yards last season as the Browns worked young wideouts into their offense. Presumably, he would welcome a bigger role on offense with the 49ers, who like multi-faceted players and who currently have question marks at the wide receiver spot opposite Michael Crabtree.

Cribbs also is familiar to 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely, who coached Cribbs for two seasons in Cleveland. (Seely might be a connection to another Browns free agent, kicker Phil Dawson).

Randy Moss, who finished the 2012 as the team's No. 2 wideout, Tweeted his farewell to the team last month. Another candidate, Mario Manningham, is coming off a late-season ACL tear. Last year's first-round pick, A.J. Jenkins, gained little experience as a rookie but is doing his part to establish a connection with quarterback Colin Kaepernick this offseason.

-- Matt Barrows

Five teams have called to ask about Ricky Jean Francois, the 49ers' defensive lineman who is scheduled to become a free agent on Tuesday. Jean Francois' agent, Thomas Kleine, declined to say which teams have inquired, but he said they represent teams that run both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses.

He said the 49ers still are interested in re-signing the 26-year-old lineman and that they called at 1:30 a.m. (EDT) to gauge the competition for Jean Francois. The NFL this year is a allowing a 72-hour window in which teams can contact the agents of pending unrestricted free agents like Jean Francois. That window opened at midnight eastern today.

Jean Francois (6-3, 295) can begin visiting teams on Tuesday. He mostly played nose tackle at the beginning of the 2012 season but started two games at right defensive end in San Francisco's 3-4 scheme after Justin Smith suffered a torn triceps Dec. 16. He can play any defensive line position in a 3-4 scheme and presumably is being eyed as a defensive tackle by some 4-3 teams.

Former Falcons defensive end John Abraham is scheduled to visit the 49ers after a meeting with the Seahawks today, writes Mike Garafolo of USA Today. Abraham (6-4, 263) has been a 4-3 defensive end throughout his career but projects to outside linebacker - who moves to defensive end in passing situations - in the 49ers' 3-4 scheme.

The Falcons released Abraham, 34, last week in a cost-cutting move after a season in which he started 15 games and finished with 10 sacks. Abraham hasn't had any fewer than 9 ½ sacks in his last three seasons with Atlanta. Meanwhile, the 49ers are happy with their two starters at outside linebacker - Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks - but there is a sense that Smith, at least, wore down at the end of the season when he was dealing with a shoulder injury.

Smith finished with 19 ½ sacks and was named the team's MVP. Brooks finished with 6 ½ sacks and played well in the NFC Championship game - against Atlanta - and in the Super Bowl. He also intercepted a pass for a touchdown Nov. 25 against New Orleans.

The 49ers also have Parys Haralson, who is returning from a triceps tear, on the roster at outside linebacker, as well as 2012 rookies Darius Fleming and Cam Johnson. Veteran Clark Haggans is a pending free agent. He had surgery to repair a partially torn labrum after the season.

It's not known whether the Seahawks will push to sign Abraham before he leaves today. A four-time Pro Bowler, Abraham needs 6½ more sacks to become one of the NFL's Top 10 all-time sack leaders.

-- Matt Barrows

The 49ers today tendered a one-year contract to restricted free agent Tramaine Brock. The 49ers offered Brock, a cornerback, the lowest tender level, the so-called "original-level" tender worth $1.323 million. Because Brock went undrafted in 2010, the 49ers would not be compensated with a draft pick if another team signed him but they would get the opportunity to match any offers he receives.

Brock, 24, is the rare restricted free agent who could see some action on the market. He plays a coveted position and got some experience in 2011 - he had interceptions in each of the 49ers' first two games - before suffering a hand injury. He was the team's No. 5 cornerback this year behind Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox and played special teams. If he signed his tender, Brock would become an unrestricted free agent next year.

Interestingly, the team has not yet tendered their other restricted free agent, safety Darcel McBath. They have until March 12 to do that. The team is expected to allow last year's starter at free safety, Dashon Goldson, to reach free agency, and McBath was seen as one of the players who could compete at the spot if Goldson went elsewhere.

The 49ers also formally announced the signing of wide receiver Joe Hastings, who eventually made the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent out of Washburn in 2011. Hastings suffered a leg injury in the 2012 training camp and was released before the season.

-- Matt Barrows

David Akers, whose 2012 season began with a record-tying 63-yard field goal but ended in the worst slump of his career, was released today by the 49ers. That move, plus the pending trade of quarterback Alex Smith, will give the 49ers more than $12 million in salary-cap relief. Akers was due to earn a base salary of $3 million in the upcoming season.

A year after he set NFL records in field goals made (44) and attempted (52), Akers missed more attempts -- 13 -- than any other kicker in the league in 2012, including two potential game-winning kicks in separate overtime games against the Rams. He was particularly bad from 40 yards and beyond, making only nine of 19 long-range attempts.

His agent, Jerrold Colton, said Wednesday that Akers had a minor procedure last week after struggling with a sports hernia for the second half of the season. Akers had another procedure a year ago to address the sports hernia. He said he aggravated the injury during the season and flew to Philadelphia after the 49ers' Nov. 25 win in New Orleans to receive treatment.

Colton said Akers, 38, had no plans to retire. "He's very confident right now that he'll be as good as ever," Colton said.

Akers' slide grew so troubling that the 49ers took the unprecedented step of bringing in another veteran kicker, Billy Cundiff, for a competition just before the playoffs. Akers won that competition, but he still was shaky in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. He hit the left upright on his only attempt in the NFC Championship and would have missed a 39-yard try in the Super Bowl if the Ravens hadn't been flagged for running into the kicker.