The San Francisco 49ers are close to locking up one of their unrestricted free agents. ESPN's Adam Caplan is reporting the team is closing in on a long-term deal with tight end Garrett Celek. The 49ers signed him to a one-year deal last as a restricted free agent.
Celek played 11 games in 2015, missing the final five games due to a high ankle sprain. He played three games in 2014 due to a pair of ailments. He opened the year on the PUP list with a disc issue in his back. He was eventually activated in late November, but finished was subsequently placed on injured reserve in mid-December due to an ankle injury.
Once the deal is finalized, we'll find out what kind of dollar figures are involved. I don't expect huge numbers given Celek's injury history. He seemed to take a step forward this past season before his injury. People talk about his connection with Blaine Gabbert, but the first five weeks with Colin Kaepernick, Celek had 14 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Those were not huge numbers, but it was more than his previous three seasons combined, so that is certainly something.