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49ers sign Bruce Miller to 3-year contract extension

The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly signed fullback Bruce Miller to a 3-year contract extension. We break down what it could mean.

The San Francisco 49ers have locked up a second member of the 2011 draft class to a contract extension. ESPN's Bill Williamson is reporting the team has agreed to a 3-year contract extension with fullback Bruce Miller. Williamson is reporting the deal will make him "among highest paid FBs in the league." Fooch's Update: The 49ers made the deal official on Twitter.

The 2011 draft netted quite a bit of talent, and Miller is high on that list. While the fullback position is slipping out of the NFL, Miller has evolved beyond just a basic fullback. In reality, he was the guy who replaced tight end Delanie Walker this past season. There was talk of Vance McDonald being drafted to replace Walker, but Miller was the one who played more of a joker role. Early in the season, he also developed into one of Colin Kaepernick's favorite targets on underneath work. Considering he came out of college as a defensive lineman, I'd say that's not too shabby.

The top fullbacks in the league are making solid money, but it's not insane money. Miller was scheduled to make $1,4310,000 this season due to the Proven Performance Escalator. Marcel Reece is currently the highest paid fullback in the NFL. Prior to last season, Reece signed a 4-year contract worth $14.423 million. He had a cap hit of just under $2 million in 2013, and is followed by $3.98 million in 2014, $3.48 million in 2015 and $3.53 million in 2016. He got $7.2 million in guaranteed money.

The next contract behind Reece is Mike Tolbert's own 4-year deal, signed in 2012. His deal was worth $8.4 million, with $2.7 million in guaranteed money. He had a cap hit of $1.225 million in 2012 and $2.025 million in 2013, and is followed by $3.35 million in 2014, and $3.425 million in 2015

We don't have figures yet on Miller's deal, but among the top, would seemingly put him somewhere behind Reece. We'll see what information comes out in today and tomorrow.