49ers Sign OLB Ahmad Brooks to Six Year Contract

The 49ers recently announced they have signed outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks to a six-year contract worth a reported $44.5 million. Before you freak out over that total, the guaranteed money is said to be $17.5M, which is a VERY modest number.

Typically it's said to look at the first three years of the contract in terms of signing bonus and guaranteed salary. While we don't have the breakdown just yet (as of typing this), I would assume Brooks got somewhere between $5M and $10M for signing bonus and that his guaranteed salaries are relatively low. His cap number would look to be pretty low with that guaranteed money total, too.

This may spell the end for Parys Haralson, at least as a starter with Trent Baalke essentially naming Aldon Smith the starter on the right side and Brooks inking a multi-year deal. Something tells me Haralson won't want to be a back-up and the 49ers might not want to pay him millions to do so.

Many hope that the team will now turn it's focus to CB Carlos Rogers, another key contributor on one of the league's best defenses. It has been said however that the defensive front seven largely contributed to the secondary's success in 2011, something th coaches are said to believe as well.

The 49ers have been rumored to be ready to franchise free safety Dashon Goldson, who has been said to be seeking a large multi-year contract after having his best season yet as a 49er.

Alex Smith is all but certain to re-sign as Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke have both said how comfortable they are with the fact that Smith will be the QB in 2012.

After the jump, the press release

The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed LB Ahmad Brooks to a six-year contract extension through the 2017 season.

Brooks (6-3, 259) originally joined the 49ers when he was claimed off waivers from Cincinnati on 8/31/08. Despite not seeing the field in 2008, Brooks went on to play in 45 games (17 starts) over the next three seasons, and recorded 115 tackles, 18.0 sacks, six forced fumbles and one interception. His 18.0 sacks rank second on the team over that span (DT Justin Smith – 22.0 sacks). Brooks started all 16 games and both postseason contests last season, setting career-highs in both tackles (59) and sacks (7.0). In 2009, he set the franchise record for most forced fumbles by a linebacker in a single-season with five.

Brooks originally entered the league as a third round selection in the 2006 supplemental draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was later waived by Cincinnati on 8/30/08 and claimed off waivers by San Francisco on 8/31/08. Brooks, a six-year veteran, has played in 58 games (24 starts) and has registered 169 tackles, 20.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles and one interception.

A 27-year old native of Fairfax, VA, Brooks starred collegiately at Virginia, where he earned All-America honors as a sophomore and was a finalist for the Butkus Award.