Dashon Goldson expected to leave 49ers, says Adam Schefter

Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

The San Francisco 49ers may not be able to come to terms on a contract with safety Dashon Goldson and he may be departing via free agency this offseason.

Dashon Goldson and the San Francisco 49ers may not come together on a new contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Replying to a reader on Twitter, Schefter said that he doesn't expect Goldson back in San Francisco, and that "Goldson's going to be gone."

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The 49ers elected not to use the franchise tag on Goldson this year, after the Pro Bowl safety played under the tag in 2011. Goldson has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons, but has been seeking "top safety" money for longer than that.

Since his rookie contract, Goldson has not really received a multi-year deal. In 2011, he tested the open market after declining a contract in the realm of five years, $5 million. After finding out that the market wasn't there for him, he decided that he'd take a one-year deal for "around $3 million," but ended up coming back to the 49ers on a one-year, $2 million deal.

But he made the best of it and went to the Pro Bowl that year. That earned him the franchise tag last season though, and many felt the 49ers might use the tag on him this year. After all, fellow safety Donte Whitner didn't totally perform up to expectations in 2012 and was a liability in coverage, so the 49ers need a safety.

It's not that the 49ers don't want to pay Goldson, it's that he's always wanted too much money. Perhaps they're hoping that he will once again find a market that isn't to his liking and they'll be able to re-sign him again at a reduced price. That said, it seems like there's much more hype around him this time, so he might just get the top safety money that he's after.

For the 49ers, they might be looking to the 2013 NFL Draft for a new safety. This draft class is abnormal in that there are great safeties top to bottom, which hasn't been the case for some time. Again, they could still get a deal done for Goldson, and by all indications they'd really like to get something done, as noted by Niners Nation, but smart money is on him being out of their range right now, especially if they're eyeing a top cornerback in free agency or trade.