Kilgore set to take center stage after contract extension?

The 49ers put pen to paper on a contract extension with one of their players on Thursday, but it wasn't who you might think.

It wasn't Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Colin Kaepernick or any of San Francisco's marquee players, instead it was an offensive lineman who now appears set to become a hugely important component of the team in 2014.

Guard/Center Daniel Kilgore has signed a three-year extension that will keep him with San Francisco until 2018.

"We are pleased to extend the contract of a talented, young player like Dan," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement.

"This move is another example of our philosophy to extend the contracts of our own young players."

Kilgore's extension suggests a bigger role for the 2011 fifth-round draft pick, who has operated as a backup in his three seasons with the 49ers.

Indeed, with free agent veteran Jonathan Goodwin looking increasingly unlikely to return, Kilgore could well head into the next campaign as the starting center.

The move reflects a long-standing 49ers philosophy of promoting from within, and they will hope that the ex-Appalachian State man can repay their faith and slot seamlessly into the offensive line should he be asked to occupy the center spot.

Niner News: Harbaugh saga rumbles on, Boldin & Whitner extensions close?

The focus in the NFL over the past few days has been predominantly on the combine and the performances of the top draft prospects.

However, in terms of the San Francisco 49ers, much of the attention has been focused on whether they will be able keep their key pieces with the organisation.

It is the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh that has attracted the most media speculation following the bizarre reports that the Cleveland Browns had discussed a trade with San Francisco for Harbaugh's services.

Those reports have since been verified by both the Browns and the 49ers, whose owner Jed York insisted that talks did not progress very far.

Yet the rumours concerning Harbaugh's future are refusing to go away, with CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reporting that the former Stanford coach is barely speaking with general manager Trent Baalke.

Harbaugh believes he has outperformed his current contract, of which he still has two years left and is, - after three straight NFC Championship game appearances and one Super Bowl bow - reportedly keen to become one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL.

However, if La Canfora's report is to be believed, then the 49ers may have to choose between Harbaugh and Baalke.

It is a worrying situation for 49ers fans, who have seen their team transformed under Harbaugh in the last three seasons, and ahead of a crucial off-season, let's hope that their issues can be resolved in the near future.

There is some promising news for 49ers fans to enjoy, however, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that the Niners and wide receiver Anquan Boldin are "closing in" on a new deal.

Schefter's report ties in with the the positive comments made by both Harbaugh and Baalke surrounding Boldin's prospective extension.

Locking Boldin down to a new contract would be an extremely positive step for San Francisco. Boldin was exceptional in filling the void left by the injured Michael Crabtree and, while he no longer possesses all the tools of a complete wide receiver, his physicality should continue to be a huge asset to the 49ers.

Among the other 49ers set to become free agents on March 11 is strong safety Donte Whitner.

San Francisco had feared that they would be unable to keep Whitner due to salary cap concerns but, according to the Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows, there is now an increased confidence that Whitner will stay in the bay following the move to reduce backup Craig Dahl's base salary from $1.35 million to $825,000.

Meanwhile, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reports that talks over a prospective extension for Colin Kapernick have got off to a positive start.

Kaepernick has his detractors, but there can be no doubt that these early signs of progress are good news for a 49ers organisation eager to maintain the core of a championship calibre team.

Niner Nuggets: Combine Press Conferences

So the combine is underway and both head coach Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke have held press conferences in the past two days.

Here I go through some highlights of what Harbaugh and Baalke had to say.

San Francisco fans will undoubtedly be desperate for the team to re-sign prospective free-agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

And Harbaugh offered supporters hope on that front, indicating that negotiations are progressing in a "positive direction"after describing the issue of keeping Boldin as his "top priority."

However, there was less positive news on the situation of linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who tore his ACL in the NFC Championship game loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Accoring to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Harbaugh believes that "halfway through the season" is a realistic projection for Bowman's return.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh revealed that defensive end Tank Carradine, the second round draft pick in 2013 who missed all of this past season with a torn ACL, had surgery to clean out the mass on his knee and is expecting the former Florida State Seminole to make great strides ahead of the 2014 campaign.

"He wasn't able to straighten out his leg before that, and then they took that [mass] out and his leg went straight," Harbaugh said in quotes reported by ESPN. 

"He looks like a different guy now since that procedure. I think he's going to have a great offseason and look forward to his progress very, very much."

Among the non-49ers issues discussed, Harbaugh reportedly re-iterated his view that offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, whose career has been disrupted by the well-documented Miami Dolphins bullying scandal, can have a successful NFL career. Martin played for Harbaugh at Stanford.

Harbaugh also said that he respected the honesty of draft prospect Michael Sam, who will become the NFL's first openly-gay player if he is selected in May's draft, and backed Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel to have a successful career.

GM Baalke re-iterated Harbaugh's "top priority" stance on Boldin.

"We're just getting into that."

"We've always maintained that our No. 1 objective in the offseason is to take care of our own guys – to identify the guys we feel we need on our football team moving forward and then find a way to make it work and make it fit from a financial standpoint. It's no different this season."

Baalke also suggested that the 49ers could move forward with the salaries of running-backs Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James as they are.

"We're in good shape from the cap's standpoint, so the decision on that (is) there's really no decision to be made. We can move forward exactly as is, if that’s what we choose to do."

On the matter of Bowman, Baalke suggested that Nick Moody and Michael Wilhoite could split time in his stead.

"Michael Wilhoite and Nick Moody are both on the football team and both have done a nice job. Nick, obviously, is a young guy, still developing at the linebacker position. And Michael Wilhoite is a guy who has stepped in and played well when called upon.

"We're going to address that. We're going to take a hard look to see if we need to infuse a little more competition into that position and the No. 1 thing regarding NaVorro is making sure he’s 100 percent before we bring him back. He's not an individual – nor is any individual on our football team – that we want to rush back into action.

"When he's ready to go, he’s ready to go. And if that's mid-season or middle-to-late part of the season, whenever that is, that’s when we're bringing him back to the field."

Baalke addressed a number of other issues, such as the roles of receiver Quinton Patton and tight end Vance McDonald; LaMichael James' lack of playing time; the future of back-up QB Colt McCoy and the expectations surrounding Carradine

On Patton: "I think you saw toward the end of the year he already started to make a leap. And we've always maintained the most growth that takes places is between the year 1 and the year 2. And we'll expect that to happen in Quinton's case."

On Carradine: "Tank's in a good place. He really is. He's worked awfully hard. Tank is pushing 290 pounds right now. He's had a great offseason that really started at the beginning of this year. He got on the active for a little while then was put back down. He's done an outstanding job. We expect big things from Tank."

On LaMichael James' lack of playing time: "All I can say is it's a crowded backfield. And with Frank having an awfully good football season. I think coach (Harbaugh) mentioned yesterday, A-plus-plus. Frank (Gore) had that kind of year. And it's tough. There are certain game plans where LaMichael was meant to play a little bit bigger role than he ended up playing, but that's the game. Every game you go in with a plan and sometimes that plan changes based on what you're seeing and what the other team is doing. So you got to be flexible. It's up to LaMichael and it's up to every play. We tell every one of our players this: 'It's up to you to earn time on the field.' So it's not as much about what he hasn't been doing, it's as much about what Frank has been doing."

On TE Vance McDonald: "If you watched us play, you understand how complicated that position is, and how many different hats Vance had to wear this year as a rookie. It's a very difficult thing. When you have as much volume as we have and he's put in as many positions that he’s put in, it’s such a learning curve. It takes away from your physicality, your physical traits because you're thinking your way through the game. So I think there's going to be a big jump with Vance next year and what he’s able to bring to this football team. The game is going to slow down for him. We felt very good about how he played this year and performed, especially when you consider all of things we we're asking him to do."

The transcript from Baalke's presser can found be on the 49ers' official website.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Special Teams

We round off my break down of the San Francisco 49ers roster with a look at the special teams.

Put simply the 49ers need to make only one change in the special teams, and that is to find a kick returner capable of providing an actual scoring threat. 

The departure of Ted Ginn left San Francisco without a specialist return man prior to this past season and, while LaMichael James performed to a solid standard following the release of wide receiver Kyle Williams, the running-back rarely threatened to score from either a kick or punt return.

Finding a decent return man in the off-season should be a priority for the 49ers, who will undoubtedly look to re-sign kicker Phil Dawson after a near-perfect season.

Dawson made 32 of his 36 field goals in the regular season and kicked the game-winners against the Seattle Seahawks in week 14 and the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round.

Meanwhile, Andy Lee remains a Pro Bowl calibre punter and Kevin McDermott has not made any mistakes at long-snapper.

Look for the 49ers to make every effort to re-sign Dawson, while Kassim Osgood, arguably the special teams player of year behind the kicker, has surely done enough to earn a new deal.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: The Secondary

With the combine taking place this weekend, it is time to wrap up my break down of the San Francisco 49ers roster.

The penultimate part of this examination comes with a look at San Francisco's secondary, which could be much changed by the time the team starts training camp.

An underrated unit, the 49ers' secondary is considered to be the weak link of an outstanding defense, but was not without its outstanding performers in 2013.

Rookie Eric Reid was undoubtedly the star of the secondary, with the rookie free safety playing in every game and totalling 77 tackles and four interceptions, despite suffering two concussions in his debut season.

Cornerback Tramaine Brock also enjoyed a strong campaign, snaring five interceptions and earning a new contract that will keep him with the team until 2018.

Holes in the 49ers' secondary were evident in 2013, though, cornerback Carlos Rogers experienced a slump in performances and Donte Whitner - the excellent, hard-hitting strong safety - continues to be somewhat of a liability in pass coverage.

The futures of Rogers and Whitner are very much up in the air heading into the off-season.

Rogers is not scheduled to hit free agency until 2016, but was asked to take a pay cut prior to this past season or risk being released.

An injury to Chris Culliver all but ensured Rogers' place on the team, however, the 49ers, who could save $5million by releasing Rogers from his contract, are likely to ask the former Washington Redskins cornerback to consider restructuring his deal for a second time.

Whitner, meanwhile, is poised to hit the open market and will undoubtedly be one of the most coveted free agent safeties in the league.

The 49ers have limited cap room available and also have the potential extensions to the contracts of Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree and Aldon Smith to consider.

Those factors may see Whitner's three-year association with the 49ers come to an end, leaving San Francisco in need of a new partner for the highly impressive Reid.

Tarrell Brown is another 49ers free agent and could also be set to move to pastures new, especially given the likely return of the highly rated Culliver.

Seven-year cornerback Eric Wright is not expected to return but, although the 2014 draft is deep at the cornerback position, it is difficult to envisage San Francisco allowing all three of Rogers, Whitner and Brown to head through the exit door.

San Francisco should address the secondary in the draft regardless of which current players leave the team, and the 49ers have plenty of options to consider if they wish to improve an already excellent defence.

Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert is arguably the top prospect at cornerback, with Ohio State's Bradley Roby and Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard also expected to go in the first round.

TCU corner Jason Verrett is another who could be off the board early, while Florida's Marcus Roberson and Utah's Keith McGill have been tipped as potential 49ers draftees.

The draft class at safety, by stark contrast, is nowhere near as deep. Alabama's Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix is considered by most to be the top safety in the draft, however, a more realistic option for the 49ers - should Whitner leave the team - may be to take Washington State's Deone Bucannon, who could still be available in the second round.

Away from the draft, the Miami Dolphins' Brent Grimes and Vontae Davis of the Indianapolis Colts could be viable free-agent options at cornerback, but the 49ers will be hard-pressed to find a significant upgrade on Whitner via the same avenue.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Linebackers

My complete break down of the San Francisco 49ers roster is almost complete, here it continues with a look at a linebacker crew that is undoubtedly one of the best in the NFL.

The linebackers proved yet again to be the heart and soul of the 49ers' defence, with NaVorro Bowman in particular enjoying a magnificent season.

Bowman's campaign ended, undeservedly, in a horrendous knee ligament injury sustained in the NFC Championship game loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and negating the impact of his potential absence could be a significant problem for the 49ers.

That devastating blow came at the end of a year that had seen Bowman record 145 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles and score the final touchdown at Candlestick Park.

It remains to be seen whether Bowman will be healthy for the start of the 2014 campaign, and San Francisco will need a contingency plan should he be unable to play by the time the season opener comes around.

Nick Moody and Michael Wilhoite will likely feature in that contingency plan. Wilhoite is an exclusive rights free agent in the off-season but should be retained following a pair of strong performances in his two starts in 2013.

Meanwhile, Moody - a former safety converted to linebacker - played predominantly on special teams in his rookie season with the 49ers.

Moody and Wilhoite's experience is limited, however, San Francisco are unlikely to take a linebacker in the early rounds of the draft, meaning that the duo could well get the chance to split time and attempt to fill the void left by Bowman.

The issue of how to replace Bowman is the only real concern plaguing the 49ers' superb linebacking corps heading into the off-season.

Patrick Willis enjoyed another strong year in 2013, a season in which Ahmad Brooks arguably established himself as one of the top outside linebackers in the NFL.

Aldon Smith overcame his well-documented off-the-field problems to make an impact in the latter stages of the campaign and appears set to receive a contract extension in the near future.

Dan Skuta and Corey Lemonier also made positive contributions in rotation and, with all of the Niners' linebackers poised to stay with the team in 2014, this is a group that should be among the best in the league again next season.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Defensive Line

After examining the potential changes to the San Francisco 49ers' offense, it is now time to break down the situation on the defence heading into the off-season.

We start up front with the big guys on the defensive line.

San Francisco's defensive line performed admirably in 2013 despite suffering a major blow in week two of the regular season, when starting nose tackle Ian Williams was lost for the year with a broken ankle.

Williams was expected to be a key player for the 49ers this past season, but the defence adapted magnificently in his absence, with the performance of Glenn Dorsey proving key.

Dorsey, acquired on a two-year-deal following five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, performed beyond expectations, ending the regular season with 41 tackles and two sacks and negating the impact of Williams' injury.

Defensive ends Ray McDonald and Justin Smith both enjoyed strong campaigns, with veteran Smith once again proving adept at both generating a pass rush and creating holes for others to get to the quarterback.

Tony Jerod-Eddie and Demarcus Dobbs were used in rotation, the former proving to be somewhat of a revelation with his largely excellent performances.

All of the players mentioned are contracted for the 2014 season, although Dobbs can be signed as a restricted free agent for a tender of $495,000.

The form of the likes of Dorsey and Jerod-Eddie gives the 49ers depth on the defensive line, which is set to be boosted further by 2013 draft picks Cornellius (Tank) Carradine and Quinton Dial.

Injury disrupted the pair's respective rookie years, Dial playing in just three games, while Carradine missed the entire season as a result of the torn knee ligament he suffered in his final year at Florida State.

Both players are expected to return in 2014, however, of the two defensive ends it is Carradine who is tipped to add another dimension to the 49ers' defense.

Carradine was extremely impressive in his two years with the Gators, totalling 71 tackles and 16.5 sacks.

The 49ers hope that second-round pick Carradine's potential can be realised in the pro game but, although San Francisco have a wide number of options on the defensive line, the age of the group could soon be an issue.

It is unlikely that San Francisco chooses to select a defensive lineman early in the draft, yet with Smith now 34 and Ray McDonald approaching his thirties, it is a possibility that cannot be ruled out.

Notre Dame's Louis Nix III, Minnesota's Ra'Shede Hagemen and Florida State's Timmy Jernigan are all projected to go in the first round and have all been tipped as potential 49ers selections with a view to taking a starting role when the likes of Smith and McDonald move on.

Still, the 49ers are in the business of winning now and, with other issues to solve in the draft, I believe that San Francisco will put their faith in a supremely talented group of linemen.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Offensive Line

After breaking down the potential changes at every offensive skill position for the San Francisco 49ers, it is now time to examine the situation on the offensive line as the off-season rapidly approaches.

The 49ers' offensive line features several first-round draft picks and is undoubtedly one of the better units in the NFL.

Changes to the offensive line are likely to be few and far between, however, there are a few prospective issues that San Francisco's front-office will need to address ahead of the 2014 campaign.

The primary concern surrounds the center position and the future of Jonathan Goodwin.

Goodwin, who joined the Niners in 2011 after leaving the New Orleans Saints, is set to become an unrestricted free agent and has mooted the possibility of retirement.

Even if Goodwin decides to prolong his career, it is questionable whether San Francisco will opt to re-sign the veteran given the lack of cap room available to the franchise.

Guard Daniel Kilgore could move to center if Goodwin does not return, but the 49ers do have options at the position in the draft.

Arkansas center Travis Swanson is projected to go first at his position and could well be available outside of the first round.

Colorado State's Weston Richburg and Florida State's Bryan Stork have also been tipped as potential selections and should still be on the board in the second round, although the 49ers do have somewhat more pressing needs at wide receiver and in the secondary.

Alex Boone and Mike Iupati should once again line-up as the two starting guards in 2014, however there are doubts over the latter's status with San Francisco past next season.

Iupati is entering the final year of his contract, and - as the San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch suggested - it may be difficult for the 49ers to extend his deal, especially with the likes of Colin Kapernick, Michael Crabtree and Aldon Smith all approaching their contract years.

Things are more secure on the outside, however, with tackles Anthony Davis and Joe Staley both contracted to long-term deals.

The 49ers have a reliable and versatile backup in the form of Adam Snyder and said to think highly of guard Joe Looney. Still, do not be surprised if San Francisco chooses to add some extra depth to the line in the later rounds of the draft.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Wide Receiver/Tight End

After taking a look at the situation at both quarterback and running back for the San Francisco 49ers, it's now time to examine the team's status at wide receiver and tight end as we approach the off-season.

Receiver is a genuine area of need for San Francisco heading into free-agency and the 2014 draft.

Indeed, the 49ers struggled at the position in the 2013 campaign, with only Anquan Boldin impressing in the absence of Michael Crabtree, who returned late in the season to play a key role in San Francisco's run to the NFC Championship game.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick leaned heavily on Boldin and tight end Vernon Davis - who caught 13 touchdowns in the regular season and two in the playoffs - as Crabtree recovered from an Achilles injury suffered in organised team activities last May.

Kaepernick did not appear to trust any receiver outside of that trio, although rookie Quinton Patton demonstrated flashes of promise towards the end of an injury-disrupted season for the 2013 fourth-round pick.

Meanwhile, Mario Manningham ended the season on injured reserve and Jon Baldwin, acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, failed to impress.

Manningham is a free agent and will likely not be back but, while depth at receiver is much needed, the 49ers first priority must be to re-sign Boldin before he is allowed to hit the open market.

Put simply, the 49ers would not have made the playoffs without Boldin's 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns.

San Francisco do have salary cap concerns and the prospective contract extensions of 2015 free agents Kaepernick, Crabtree, Aldon Smith and Mike Iupati to consider. Still, they simply cannot afford to let a receiver of Boldin's calibre move to a rival.

Boldin has already hinted that he would like to return in 2014, but even if the 11-year veteran does re-sign with San Francisco, the 49ers still need to add another receiver to bolster a passing attack that ranked 30th in passing in the NFL in 2013.

Options in free agency aside from the Denver Broncos' Eric Decker appear slim, however, there is a substantial receiving class in the draft that the 49ers should look to exploit.

The lack of a deep receiving threat with the ability to stretch the field is an issue that the 49ers have struggled with for years, while their red-zone offence could be hugely improved by the presence of a big-bodied pass catcher.

San Francisco can easily address either of those needs in the draft, but with potential holes in the secondary to fill, it is difficult to envisage two early-round receivers heading to the 49ers.

Clemson's Sammy Watkins is predicted to be the top receiver in the draft and should be off the board way before the 49ers 30th overall pick.

But with 11 picks in the draft, the 49ers could execute a trade to move up and select a receiver.

Texas A&M's Mike Evans - a physical player with distinct similarities to Boldin - is considered a potential candidate, while Florida State's Kelvin Benjamin may well fall to number 30 and provide San Francisco with that red-zone target after winning the National Championship with the Seminoles.

The likes of Penn State's Allen Robinson, Oregon State's Brandin Cooks and LSU's Jarvis Landry have also tipped as possible selections.

And, with a deep receiver class and a high number of picks, the 49ers have the ammunition to significantly improve their offence in 2014.

Tight end, by stark contrast, does not figure to be a concern for San Francisco following another strong season from Davis, signed until 2016.

Derek Carrier, Garrett Celek and Vance McDonald are the other tight ends on the roster, and the 49ers will hope that the latter can begin to justify a second-round selection after a disappointing rookie year.

Breaking Down The 49ers roster: Running Back

After taking a detailed look at the quarterback position earlier this week, it's time to examine the situation at running back for the San Francisco 49ers.

Frank Gore has been the guy at running back for San Francisco since his emergence in 2005, but now things are become a little more muddied as Gore approaches the final year of his contract with plenty of talented backs behind him on the depth chart.

Gore enjoyed another stellar year for the 49ers - rushing for over 1,000 yards for the third straight campaign - and will definitely be back in 2014, although the Niners may look to reduce the $6.45million salary he is set to earn next season.

The 49ers all-time leading rusher scored nine touchdowns in regular season and found the endzone once in the playoffs. However, a few teams, predominantly the Seattle Seahawks, were able to slow the 30-year-old down and minimalise his impact.

Yet Gore remains one of the better backs in the NFL; he is adept at running in-between the tackles; regularly demonstrates superb patience and is known for making a considerable impact late in games.

That final quality was evidenced in both the week 14 win over Seattle and in the Divisonal Playoff triumph against the Carolina Panthers, which both saw Gore break huge late runs to ice the game.

However, it is becoming more and more apparent that Gore needs one of the plethora of other San Francisco backs to share the load on a more regular basis.

Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James and Anthony Dixon have all filled in for Gore in relief over the past two seasons, but the latter duo, whose playing time has come mainly through special teams, have become increasingly vocal about their lack of opportunities on offense.

Add in the return to fitness of Marcus Lattimore - drafted in the fourth round by the 49ers in 2013 but kept off the active roster due to a knee ligament injury - and the 49ers backfield is starting to look a little crowded.

The South Carolina product is expected to be healthy for the 2014 season and is seen by many as the eventual replacement for Gore, who also suffered a serious knee injury during his college career.

Lattimore was excellent in his career with the Gamecocks, rushing for over 2500 yards through three seasons and totalling 41 total touchdowns.

His comeback would leave five backs competing for playing time should all return, but it appears unlikely that Dixon, scheduled to be a free agent, will be coming back.

Dixon has been a valuable special teams contributor and also filled in at fullback in the absence of the injured Bruce Miller in the playoffs.

Still, with the versatile Miller signed through 2015, throwing money at Dixon should not be a priority for the 49ers in the off-season.

Meanwhile, Hunter and James are contracted until 2015 and 2016 respectively, and both undoubtedly have the talent to make an impact in the NFL.

James solidified the Niners kick-return game in the second half of the 2013 season and, although he has barely featured on offense, the 2012 second round pick's speed is an obvious asset to the 49ers.

Hunter, by contrast, has served as a dependable backup, rushing for over 1200 yards in reserve in his three seasons with the team.

Much will depend on whether Lattimore impresses in the lead up to the 2014 campaign but, with Gore's 49ers career potentially coming to an end after the 2014 season, it is time for one of the reserve backs to stake a claim to inherit his position in the near future.

Breaking Down the 49ers roster – Quarterback

With the off-season now underway following the Seattle Seahawks 43-8 rout of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, there is no better time to break down the 49ers roster and the potential changes that could be made by San Francisco’s front office.

We start with the all-important quarterback position.

San Francisco’s starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick unsurprisingly spent all of this past season in the spotlight, with questions raised about his abilities and his development as a passer in the NFL.

For the most part Kaepernick answered those questions, leading the Niners back to the NFC Championship game and displaying his best form in the play-offs, particularly in the 23-20 Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers.

Yet there can be no doubt that Kaepernick still has improvements to make in both his decision making and his mechanics.

However, Kaepernick, with his unbelievable physical tools and love of the big stage, has won many games for San Francisco and gives the 49ers the best chance to be successful in 2014.

Kaepernick is scheduled to become a free agent in 2015, a situation the 49ers organisation will likely look to remedy by locking him down to a multi-year extension.

Only injury will prevent from Kaepernick from lining up as the starting QB for San Francisco in 2014, and that is a scenario that should scare 49ers fans given the lack of a viable backup.

Colt McCoy, who spent 2013 as Kaepernick’s deputy, is a free agent in 2014 and unlikely to return.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson, signed to a future/reserve contract last month, is the only other QB on the roster.

So how will the 49ers shore up the quarterback spot with a reputable backup? The answer may well come via the draft.

A mobile QB that can fit into the offensive system the 49ers have built for Kaepernick should be the requirement for San Francisco, but there are few free-agent quarterbacks available that fit that mould.

Philadelphia Eagles outcast Michael Vick is an obvious fit, however, it is difficult to see San Francisco bringing in an aging, expensive and potentially disruptive veteran whose best days appear to be behind him.

Instead look for the 49ers to draft and develop a QB behind Kaepernick.

If the Niners are indeed looking for another dual-threat quarterback then Clemson’s Tajh Boyd could be the pick.

Boyd, similar to Kaepernick and Seahawks signal caller Russell Wilson, possesses a strong arm, great mobility and is adept at making plays on the run.

In his time at Clemson Boyd threw for 11,904 yards and 107 touchdowns and was viewed as one of the top prospects heading into the 2013 season.

However, a disappointing showing at the Senior Bowl - where he completed just seven of 16 passes for 31 yards with no touchdowns and one interception - will not have helped Boyd’s draft stock, and he could be available in the mid-rounds.

Other options away from Boyd include Georgia’s Aaron Murray and LSU’s Zach Mettenberger.

Murray and Mettenberger prefer to operate within the pocket, but both have the ability extend plays and will more than likely be available in the mid-rounds after each suffering knee ligament injuries in 2013.

Quarterback will hardly be the priority for the 49ers in the off-season. Still, if they can tie down Kaepernick to an extension and recruit a talented backup, then the QB spot could be secured for years to come in San Francisco.