The first major event of the NFL offseason calendar gets going this week in Indianapolis with the scouting combine.
The draft is still more than nine weeks away. But free agency begins in two weeks. With every team executive and agent gathered in Indianapolis, this event is as much about upcoming free agency than the draft-eligible prospects.
Q: Any chance Boone, Williams or Boldin are re-signed? (Chris Standart)
A: It’s a longshot that each of those three players is back with the 49ers next season.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE The best bet is that the 49ers re-sign Ian Williams. He made it through a complete season healthy, and the 49ers certainly need to hold onto their depth on the defensive line.
The 49ers like doing business with agent Drew Rosenhaus because of his willingness to get deals done. The 49ers always meet at the NFL scouting combine with the agents of their free agents and any other of their players whose situations are unresolved.
[MAIOCCO: 49ers ponder whether to proceed with Boldin]
Anquan Boldin is the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, but there are questions whether the 49ers still envision him as the main man of their receiving corps. At 35, Boldin is slowing down. The 49ers must decide whether to keep him around or try to get younger and faster.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
It seems highly unlikely Alex Boone will be back after he held out through training camp in 2014 and skipped the offseason conditioning program in 2015. The sides made no progress toward an extension the past two years.
Q: Who's likely to be re-signed/released? (Matt Jenson)
A: In addition to the players mentioned above, tight end Garrett Celek and kicker Phil Dawson seem to be good bets to return. Dawson no longer handles kickoffs, and his accuracy on those new 33-yard extra points is something that can’t be underestimated.
With the exception of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, there are no huge salary implications on the 49ers’ roster. Chip Kelly must decide what to do with Kaepernick. Of course, the 49ers are expected to meet with Kaepernick's representatives in Indy. It’s possible the 49ers could part ways with him before the team is allowed to gather on April 4 for the start of the offseason program.
[RELATED: 49ers' No. 1 priority: Figure out Kaepernick conundrum]
Veterans Ahmad Brooks and Antoine Bethea have sizable contracts, but the 49ers are not in a squeeze on the salary cap. My thought is that it might be wise to hold onto those players through the offseason program and training camp before making a decision one way or the other.
Q: Are we going after a big name free agent? (Erick Angel)
A: If you’re a fan of the 49ers, you probably hope not. “Big names” might be fun to talk about, but they rarely work out in free agency. Moreover, those inevitable misses in free agency have more of a negative impact than a draft miss because of the larger dollar amounts involved.
The proven method to build a team is to draft and develop the nucleus, sign those players to extensions at reasonable costs at least a year before their contracts expire, and supplement the roster through free agency.
Q: I know the 49ers have 12 picks this year. How many picks do they have in each of the 7 rounds? And how many are a result of last year’s free agents? (Jingles Toña)
A: Here are the 49ers’ projected draft selections for this year:
1. First round: Own pick, No. 7 overall
2. Second round: Own pick, No. 36 overall
3. Third round: Own pick, No. 69 overall
4. Fourth round: Own pick, No. 7 pick in round
5. Fourth round: Projected compensatory selection*
6. Fifth round: Own pick, No. 5 pick in round
7. Fifth round: San Diego pick acquired from 2015 draft trade-back, No. 3 pick in round
8. Fifth round: Projected compensatory selection*
9. Sixth round: Dallas pick acquired from 2015 draft trade-back, No. 3 pick in round
10. Sixth round: Denver pick acquired in trade for TE Vernon Davis, No. 32 pick in round
11. Sixth round: Projected compensatory* selection*
12. Sixth round: Projected compensatory selection*
*The 49ers are currently projected to have four compensatory picks based on net losses of free agents this offseason. Overthecap.com projects the 49ers to pick up their additional picks for the 2015 free-agent losses of Chris Culliver (fourth round), Perrish Cox (fifth round), Dan Skuta (sixth round) and Frank Gore (sixth round). The losses of Mike Iupati and Michael Crabtree are canceled out by the gains of Torrey Smith and Erik Pears.