The 49ers do not have much time to wallow in their sorrows after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game. After hoping to earn their second-straight trip to the Super Bowl, San Francisco begins their offseason in disappointing fashion. However, they cannot think about it too much as the front office is preparing to open their wallets for a few players.
One of the biggest reasons the 49ers were in their third-straight NFC title game was because of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The second-year starter once again fooled defenses all season long and now would like to be compensated for his efforts. The quarterback has one year remaining on his rookie contract after being a second-round draft pick for the team. Normally this is extension time for quarterbacks, but San Francisco must determine his worth.
Failing to deliver in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks will likely cost Kaepernick some money. He could have landed something in the $18 million per season range, but now the team must be smart in handling this in regards to their salary cap.CBSSports.com was reporting that Kaepernick could have earned a top-five contract with a win, but now he might not get anything this offseason.
However, the 49ers have a lot of players set to hit free agency over the next two years. The team would like to avoid the same mistakes as the Baltimore Ravens who failed to get Joe Flacco a contract in time and ended up costing themselves a lot more money than originally intended.
Anquan Boldin is once again set to hit the free agent market. His contract is officially expired after coming to San Francisco via a trade from the Ravens. The 49ers had plenty of inconsistencies with their wide receivers corps this season and will need to re-sign Boldin right away. At 33, Boldin will not earn a top-dollar deal, but he clearly became on of Kaepernick's favorite targets in 2013 and the 49ers need him back.
Despite being called a terrible wide receiver by cornerback Richard Sherman, Michael Crabtree will be looking for a new deal. The wide receiver is set to hit free agency in 2015. He has played five years of his six-year deal after getting drafted in the first round back in 2009. He is set to earn just $3.5 million next year making him very underpaid. However, an Achilles injury that kept him out of most of the regular season could drastically change negotiations.
There is also the contract of head coach Jim Harbaugh that must be looked at. His contract is up in 2015 and many speculate how much he could earn. CBSSports.com reports that Harbaugh could break into eight-figure annual pay. His brother is making $7 million in Baltimore. If Harbaugh wants more, the 49ers might let him walk in a year.
It is going to be an expensive offseason for the 49ers. Plenty of teams watched the mistakes of the Baltimore Ravens last year. Do not expect San Francisco to follow.
