I'm a little late in getting to this report from yesterday (thanks RBoogy29 for the FanShot), but a source has told CSN Bay Area that the San Francisco 49ers and Dashon Goldson would seem to be approximately $1 million per year apart on a potential contract extension. According to the source, Goldson is seeking $8 million a year while the 49ers are offering $7 million a year.
One issue that was not addressed by the source is the length of any such contract. Given Goldson's youth I don't imagine length is a significant issue, but it is still something to note. Conceivably the team might go up with a shorter contract. Or maybe a healthier first year of the deal and then have the deal descend from there, sort of like Patrick Willis' recently renegotiated contract extension.
As the 49ers do consider a Goldson extension, they have plenty of other business that will need to be addressed. NaVorro Bowman will be coming due for a contract extension as his contract expires after the 2013 season. Aldon Smith will eventually need a contract extension, although the team can't extend him quite yet given the limitations of the new CBA. Tarell Brown is a free agent the same time as Bowman. Brown emerged in the starting lineup this past season and had a strong close to the season. Chris Culliver is hopefully a long-term answer as well at cornerback, but I could see the 49ers trying to eventually transition to a Brown/Culliver 1-2 punch as Carlos Rogers reaches the end of his deal.
For now, it's simply a matter of how much the 49ers like Goldson for the long term. If they commit to Goldson, it conceivably means they will be unable to commit to other players. The 49ers do an excellent job with the salary cap, but there is only so much money to go around. The team looks to build through the draft because they know they can't keep every single player they might want to keep. They've done well with it so far, but it is not an indefinite process.
The 49ers have until July 16 to reach a deal with Goldson, otherwise he can only sign the tender and wait until the end of the season to work out a new deal.