Report: Mason given second-round contract tender by 49ers

The 49ers did not keep up with the spending at Monday's start of the NFL's free-agent negotiating period.However, the team reportedly decided to retain restricted free agent Jordan Mason on a one-year contract that would make him one of the NFL's highest-paid backup running backs.The 49ers opted to retain Mason on a one-year deal for the second-round tender of $5.346 million, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Monday night, citing a source.The one-year deal places Mason and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren, who also received a second-round tender, as tied for No. 18 on the league's list of highest-paid running backs, according to OverTheCap.com.Mason can still negotiate with any other team. But if another team signs him to an offer sheet and the 49ers decline to match, San Francisco would receive a second-round pick as compensation.The second-round tender, in effect, discourages any other team from pursuing Mason as a free agent.The 49ers took a similar approach last year with wide receiver Jauan Jennings. San Francisco tendered Jennings at a second-round level but eventually replaced that tender with a new two-year, $15.4 million contract.The first day of the...