49ers sign TE McDonald to lucrative extension

Tight end Vance McDonald has largely been a disappointment during his four-year career, but the 49ers clearly believe he'll live up to his second-round status. If there was any doubt about their faith in the No. 55 overall pick in 2013, it was erased when they signed him to a five-year contract extension Friday. Baalke has never been overly active in free agency, often citing inflated price tags, and has preferred to invest in extensions in homegrown players. The 49ers, however, haven't had many recent draft picks worthy of lucrative extensions, which explains why they have second-most salary cap space ($42.8 million) in the NFL. Defensive tackle Quinton Dial and outside linebacker Tank Carradine signed modest deals.