Who is the Hardest 2015 Free Agent to Re-Sign

Hunter because he will want to move on to move up higher on the depth chart.

Crabs, just based off his previous contract talks and how he played hardball.

Would like to retain Hunter and Skuta. Good role players to have on the team, especially Skuta.

Not that it matters but crabs ,hands down. Hence, Ellington in draft, and late at that.

His video, FYI is posted on his thread. And he looks TGTBT (too good to be true.)

Originally posted by Chief:
Kaep will ink some new paper soon.

Iupati will be franchised and given a new contact at a later date.

Gore will sign for vet minimum, people don't pay RB's anymore.

Sadly, I think we will lose Crabtree to some s**tty team that will overpay him and he will end up regretting leaving us.

We're not saving any money by franchising him. So why do it?
If he wants more than the franchise tag, then we're not signing him at any date.

Totally forgot about Dorsey. Will be important to retain him if Williams doesn't prove himself this year as a legit run stuffer. Dorsey might be in line for a significant raise if he keeps up his level of play from last year.

Iupati. They aren't willing to pay big money to a OG (see Brandon Thomas)

Wasn't Crabtree consider a bust until Kap and him really connected?

RB Kendall Hunter - Gone
WR Kassim Osgood - Gone
RG Adam Snyder - Gone
OLB Dan Skuta - Gone
CB Eric Wright - Maybe keep
CB Chris Cook - Maybe
CB Perrish Cox - Maybe
SS C.J. Spillman - Probably gone
SS Raymond Ventrone - Probably gone



We have a bunch of late round rookies for cheap, we need to keep those guys over vets who are far more expensive. That's just the way it is. The salary cap has killed off the "solid vet" from the game.

I don't see Crabs resigning ESPECIALLY if he has a good season. If he stays healthy and puts up some respectable numbers - he's in the wind.

I really like these guys

RB Kendall Hunter - Trade LMJ for whatever we can get
WR Kassim Osgood - I hope he can teach his ST tricks to the new guys
OLB Dan Skuta - He and Wilhoite have really been a major plus. I'd like to see them for one more year.
CB Chris Cook - Hopefully we develop a super tough Press Coverage
SS Raymond Ventrone - Special teams difference maker

Originally posted by OldJoe:
Wasn't Crabtree consider a bust until Kap and him really connected?

Not a bust but he performed the way you would expect a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Not to mention the guy's foot has never really recovered from being broken and I don't know if he's played a single season completely healthy. I don't thing he's entered a season "EVER" healthy.

Originally posted by OldJoe:
Wasn't Crabtree consider a bust until Kap and him really connected?

depends what you consider a bust. the only really bad yr he had was 2010 when he only caught 55 balls for 740 yards and we played at least 3 qbs that year. his rookie year was 600+ yards with 6 games missed. 2011 he had 72 catches for 874. i know as a top 10 pick we want 1000 yards and 10 tds and what not but just like kaep force feeds crab, alex did the same with vernon.

Boobie Dixon

Originally posted by NCommand:
Bargaining power leans towrads who has the upper hand. B/c we have viable and proven replacements for both Crabtree and Iupati, we hold the bargaining power. If we did NOT have Stevie Johnson or a replacement for Iupati, then their agent can rape us knowing we are completely dependent upon us signing them. The "market" will set the price, I agree...but WE set our own as well. You'll get a very fair contract here and be taken care of...and you'll get to play for a perennial Superbowl-caliber team but if you want more, you can go to the Raider, Browns, Bills, Bucs, etc...and we'll be just fine.

I guess I just don't consider that bargaining power per se.

The key for me is that the 49ers were never going to match Iupati/Crabtree's market value. They're almost never going to pay full value on a long-term contract (an exception would be someone like Kap). They're either going to extend early at a discount, or let the player walk.

We know the 49ers have had preliminary discussions with Crabtree and his agent about a new deal. Suppose the 49ers came in with a 5-year, $45M offer; the agent countered with, say, 5-year, $50M. Hypothetically, let's say the agent knows for a fact that Crabtree can get 5/$50M on the open market. Well, just because the 49ers brought in Johnson and Ellington doesn't mean that Crabtree is worth less to the league all of a sudden. The 49ers were never going to overpay for him out of desperation to begin with, and us bringing in these two receivers doesn't affect his market value either. His value is the same before and after the trade. To me it has nothing to do with bargaining power (although the acquisitions most-definitely serve as insurance fallback plans, no doubt about that).

On the flip side, let's look at someone like Aldon Smith. Aldon Smith is someone the 49ers (in my view) hold bargaining power over. Smith is a guy who's value has undoubtedly been damaged by his off-the-field history. Now the 49ers can say, "look, we know you want $14M a year, but the fact is, your market value is diminished because of your history and the risk that goes with it -- we can only give you $12M per."

Crabtree/Iupati
Before draft: vital to the 49ers / still would get more on the open market
After draft: not as important to the 49ers / still would get more on the open market

Smith:
With hypothetical perfect track record: worth a lot to the 49ers / worth a lot to the open market
With countless off-the-field issues: worth a lot (but slightly damaged value) to the 49ers / worth a lot (but slightly damaged value) to the open market

But hey, we may completely agree, and ultimately this all may come down to a matter of semantics. To me bargaining power requires a compelling reason why the player is not as valuable to the league, not why the player is not as valuable to the team; otherwise, there's no leverage. Sure, Baalke can say, "look, now that we got Stevie we can't justify giving Crab big money too -- he's not as big of a need anymore." The agent will just laugh that off and say, "okay, we'll go to free agency and get our full value then -- see ya!" Is it a security blanket? Sure. An insurance policy? Yep. Leverage and bargaining power? I just don't see it.

Originally posted by theduke85:

Smith:
With hypothetical perfect track record: worth a lot to the 49ers / worth a lot to the open market
With countless off-the-field issues: worth a lot (but slightly damaged value) to the 49ers / worth a lot (but slightly damaged value) to the open market

Allen has been arrested/charged for DUI a total of three times. The first was in Pocatello, Idaho, on May 11, 2002. He was then arrested twice within five months in Leawood, Kansas, on May 11, 2006, and on September 26, 2006. He was sentenced to 48 hours in jail as a result of the latter arrest.[19]
In March 2007, Allen voiced his displeasure with the Chiefs' refusal to give him a long-term contract extension. No offers were made for Allen throughout free-agency due to the Chiefs' high tender for his trade (two first-round draft picks). On April 27, 2007, Allen was suspended for the first four games of the 2007 Chiefs' season, and he returned to the Chiefs saying he "will do everything [he] can to help bring a championship back to the great fans of KC."[20] On May 22, Allen signed a one-year contract worth $2.35 million, but was liable to forfeit $552,941 of his contract because of a four-game suspension for driving under the influence.[21] On July 16, Allen's suspension was reduced to two games following an appeal, and thus he forfeited $287,500 of his 2007 salary.[22]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Allen#Legal_issues


Allen is another country bumpkin like Aldon who doesn't come from a place where drinking and driving is seen as the scourge of God.
People just play off the fact that Allen has had THREE DUI's because, well "look at him", he is just a country bumpkin. Aldon Smith is just as "country" as Jared Allen, but people don't recognize that.

Allen signed the richest deal for a defensive player in NFL history a year later.

No. Aldon and his agent are not going to fall for the, "The market doesn't want you as much because you have some DUI's" gag.

Originally posted by BrianGO:
No. Aldon and his agent are not going to fall for the, "The market doesn't want you as much because you have some DUI's" gag.

Ellington/Johnson don't hurt Crabtree's market value (they only hurt his value to the 49ers).
Aldon's history -- if it has an effect (I guess it's debatable) -- affects both his value to the 49ers and his market value.

If you want to argue that his off-the-field stuff doesn't mean anything, that's fine. But that's not the point I was trying to make. I sure as hell was not trying to say the 49ers are trying to pull a ruse on Smith and his agent.