Good news 49ers fans. Kentwan Balmer has come to terms with the team on a five year contract worth $8 million. The deal could reach as high as $11 million if he reaches incentives including winning Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl appearances and playing time incentives.
"I'm glad it's over and I can just get to work playing football," said Balmer, just minutes after signing. "It was definitely important for me to be here day one, and that was something my agent and myself both stressed. I'm sure the team was eager to hear that as well, and we got it done as expected."
With that signing, the 49ers have their entire draft class into camp on time, ahead of tomorrow's first practice.
So the question for the team and Balmer is what can we expect from the young man? On the depth chart, he's listed behind Aubrayo Franklin at nose tackle. During the post-draft minicamp there was talk of him getting some time at defensive end. Where does he end up and what kind of contribution will we see both immediately and into the future. Is he the nose tackle of the future or will he end up as a defensive end? If he doesn't bulk up, he seems just a little undersized (295 lbs) for a nose tackle in the 3-4. Thoughts?