WEDNESDAY, 6:57am: Smith officially signed his new contract with the 49ers last night, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 3:46pm: Smith has reached agreement on a five-year deal with the 49ers, according to Adam Caplan and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal will pay Smith $40MM over five years with $22MM guaranteed, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.
9:42am: Niners wideout Anquan Boldin tells Jamey Eisenberg of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that Smith to San Francisco is a “done deal” and that he helped the team with recruiting. Boldin probably hasn’t been kept apprised on all the talks conducted by the front office, so this doesn’t necessarily seal the deal on Smith signing with the 49ers, but it certainly appears to be headed in that direction.
SUNDAY, 1:39pm: With Randall Cobb off the board, competition for the top remaining free agent wideouts is heating up, and according to multiple reports, the 49ers look to be in the lead for Torrey Smith. Sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that there’s “strong mutual interest” between Smith and the Niners, while Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are expected to get something done unless the wideout’s asking price is too rich for San Francisco.
The Niners are in the market for receiving help with Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd expected to leave the team in free agency. Stevie Johnson is also viewed as a likely cap casualty, meaning the team needs to find a wideout to pair with Anquan Boldin. A player who can stretch the field makes sense, and Smith certainly fits that bill, having excelled at making big plays – and drawing big pass interference penalties – for the Ravens in recent years.
While the 49ers look like the frontrunners for Smith, no agreement is in place yet, and other suitors remain in play. According to Caplan (via Twitter), the Colts and Texans are among the other teams with interest in the 26-year-old, though both clubs are evaluating other options as well. The Raiders and Chargers are also believed to be considering Smith.