Project 2010: Re-signing Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis
by David Fucillo on Feb 23, 2010 7:00 AM PST
in San Francisco 49ers News
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PrintWhile the 49ers find themselves at a cross-roads of sorts when it comes to the 2010 draft, free agency will likely be a bit less involved. The team has some free agents they want to retain, but I would be shocked if they made a particularly big splash on the open market. Sure there's potentially going to be some impressive talent out there. Last season the team made a run at Kurt Warner that netted zilch, and they did add guys like Moran Norris and Brandon Jones. But let's be honest, after back-to-back offseasons that netted Nate Clements and Justin Smith, things quieted down considerably, and will probably continue so this time around.
Which brings me to the point of this post. It's important for the 49ers to add depth across the roster, but one or two signings I would love to see happen would be that the 49ers ink Vernon Davis and/or Patrick Willis to long term contract extensions. These are two of the 49ers biggest playmakers on each side of the ball (earth-shattering comment I realize). Davis is going to be a free agent after 2010 and Willis will be a free agent after 2011.
However, as much as I would like to see these two extended, the uncertain labor atmosphere has me a bit concerned about what the 49ers will do in the short-term. In a world that includes an uncapped 2010, and then a guaranteed return to a cap in 2011, the 49ers could conceivably front load contracts for both guys and take the biggest portion of a cap hit in 2010. I'm not saying Willis and/or Davis would agree to such a deal, but it certainly provides an interesting opportunity.
Sometime yesterday though, I was reading an interesting article that addressed the front-loading of big extension in 2010. I wish I could find the article, but I can't remember where I read it. The general gist of it was as follows: If a team has a young player coming up on free agency in a year or two, and with the threat of a 2011 lockout, why would said team give out big money to the player?
I'm still not sure I totally get the argument being made. I suppose maybe if a team really thinks 2011 won't happen they don't want to be on the hook for the big contract when the player will potentially be sitting out a full season?
At this point, what do folks think will happen with Davis and Willis this offseason. The 49ers have done a fairly good job extending their young players including Frank Gore, Joe Staley and Parys Haralson among others. The 49ers also have Manny Lawson coming up for free agency in 2011. Lawson would seem to be the cheapest to extend, so maybe that happens first? There really hasn't been much talk about extending any of these guys, which would seem to indicate if any talks have happened, they've been kept fairly quiet. How will things go down, or will we see players departing left and right?
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they have to. these are our number 1 weapons on both sides of the ball.
"There is no pressure. Pressure only exists when you're not prepared."
-The Samurai
Alex Smith is garbage...
Frank Gore disagrees with half of your statement.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Feb 23, 2010 4:01 PM PST up reply actions
The 49ers ownership can posture all it wants about being willing to spend money in order to win, but they haven’t put their money where there mouths are since Eddie D left. Front loading VD, Willis and Lawson in an uncapped year would make good football sense but at the end of the day 49er ownership cares more about their bottom line. That they franchised Franklin instead of signing him long term with a front-loaded contract should tell you something. The only reason they spent big money in free agency to land Clements and Smith is because they were under the minimum salary cap and had to spend the money somewhere. They’re not going to voluntarily spend big money in an uncapped year. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the 49ers make moves this off-season that will lower their payroll.
I’d love to be wrong and see Jed take the team in a new direction, but I still think John is pulling the strings as far as approving any big spending.
I know what I'm talking about, I started at right guard for the 1992 College Park Falcons.
hm
if what you say here were to happen i think a really crazy 9er fan would try to assassinate one of those yorks. the yorks are worthless but they’re not dumb enough to allow the possibility of losing vd or wills.
"There is no pressure. Pressure only exists when you're not prepared."
-The Samurai
Alex Smith is garbage...
Franchising Franklin
make sense because he’s only been productive for 1 1/2 years. Franchising doesn’t preclude getting a long term deal done—just gives the team more time.
They signed Nate Clements to a huge deal. They signed Justin Smith to a huge deal. Joe Staley got a pretty hefty extension last year. I don’t know why you think the Yorks aren’t willing to spend money
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.
Ridiculous.
If you want to see a cheap franchise go look at Ralph Wilson’s Bills or Bill Bidwill’s Cardinals.
If you want to insult the Yorks, insult them because they haven’t struck a deal for a new stadium or because they didn’t handle the 49ers correctly for the first 7 years of the decade.
But you can’t say that they don’t spend money.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Feb 23, 2010 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
what up nation
i see threw the votes the majority of us me included voted that they will extend both willis and davis ,but on that manny lawson you said he might be the easyiest yea thats true because depending on this year they may let him test the waters or just let him go all together.I know people may not agree with that but 4 the most of his career with the niners has been a disappointment to me all potential.As 4 willis and davis they are the bed rocks of the niner franchise and willis is you’re ray lewis of you’re defense and i feel is full potential hasn’t been tapped and that’s scary .As 4 vernon i he is just touching his potential 2 (damm that’s really scary 2) that’s 2 players that nolan and gm got right and singletery working with willis in senior game also helped 2 ,if we can get alex 2 touch the rest of his potential DAMM that’s playoffs maybe a superbowl apperance 2 and they’re all young that’s the best part,2 now if manny lawso n has another year like last season that will give the niners a headache because it will be some number crunching so all we can do is hope all of them keeps producing like they have been we will be the best in the west.
speaking on clements
he should be playing 4 his contract this year honestly we still have’nt seen that buffalo clements yetand as far as spending any money since eddie .b they haven’t really did anything major since those days other than T.O and bryant young they have’nt had anybody worth locking up, You did’nt want 2 put it in T.O because he was’nt happy about being here so who do put money into.We always draft good with bill walsh and got good free agents and trade good we have been really good picking up talent and lucky but since 2000 who have we had 2 spend money on we have’nt won anything since 1994 and don’t tell me about playoff games were measured by superbowls if anything we under achieve .
Frontload
They should be front loading contracts right now for these two. Let’s not forget that we have TWO first rounders we’ll be signing this year that will command a decent amount of money. Willis and Davis are high priority and should be done right now, but I’d also suggest re-signing Lawson.
Lawson is a pretty good all around player and he’s still young. Don’t forget he missed a full year and then saw decreased playing time upon returning. He’ll still come around and increase his pass rushing.
A bigger concern though is re-signing Goldson now. I like his upside even if he stays at FS, but I’d like to get a true ballhawk and move him to SS.
All of these players should be signed now and frontloaded because there’s no way the league will allow a lockout to happen. It would lose them too much money so there’ll be a new CBA next year.
Get Lawson now
He’s not reached his full potential, but he’s improved dramatically. That injury really set him back missing a year and it generally takes a 2nd to really be back fully from that kind of injury.
Sign him now while it’s cheaper.
Before we ask the niners to spend a boat load of money...
…what is the new bargaining agreement going to look like? As much as I want to retain both of these guys, it might be prudent to know what the new financial universe is going to look like.
Please tell me we have moved past the dark ages of post hoc ergo propter hoc.
If I were a betting man
I’d bet on VD getting an extension this year but not Willis. It doesn’t make sense for Willis to sign a long-term deal now, when in 2 more years he’ll have been a five-time Pro-Bowler and he can make a huge killing in FA
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.
I don't know about that.
Willis and his agent have to consider the possibility of an injury.
If you can strike a long-term deal now and secure your future, why wait for a few extra million?
You have to draw the line between being smart and being greedy.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Feb 23, 2010 4:07 PM PST up reply actions
I think in Willis' case it's more than a few million extra
I think he could get 10-20 mlllion more in guaranteed money if he waited. Dansby is reportedly looking for $30 million guaranteed (and will probably come close to that) and he’s no where near the LB Willis is.
If we extend Willis now he’ll get maybe $20-25 million guaranteed. If he waits until he’s a 5 time Pro-Bowler he could be looking at $30-35.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.
I disagree
If Willis signs an extension now, he’s likely to become the highest paid ILB in the NFL (and by a lot).
He’s already proved that he’s better than Dansby and he could get $30 Million guaranteed right now.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
by SportsChicken on Feb 24, 2010 2:28 PM PST up reply actions
You really think so?
Have the Niners ever paid anyone that much guaranteed? Alex Smith didn’t even get that much guaranteed and he was #1 pick.
Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.
Pretty they are going to be niners for a while the Jed is going to shell out money for are two franchise players.
49ers Al Grito De Guerra!!! hahaha
by 49erSalvatrucha on Feb 23, 2010 8:58 PM PST reply actions
all i won't 2 know
who voted neither?naw but they better sign both if there smart that’s vern and pat isn’t that tight we got 2 corberstone players on offense and defense gotta give nolan and singltery 4 those picks but thats the easy part its who we put AROUND them is what will be a little hard
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