Having not yet participated in the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, 49ers guard Alex Boone also wasn’t in attendance at today’s OTAs and is seeking a new contract, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Boone’s current deal runs through the 2015 season, but will only pay him about $3.7MM over the next two seasons.
Considering the sort of contracts guards of his caliber signed for in free agency a couple months ago, Boone represents one of the league’s better bargains, at a base salary of $2MM in 2014 and just $1.2MM in 2015. While Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) graded the 27-year-old as a middle-of-the-pack starting guard in 2013, Boone ranked third overall in 2012, and has posted excellent run-blocking marks in both of his seasons as a Niners starter.
Boone has workout bonuses worth $50K this season, so he’d be sacrificing some pay if he continues to sit out of San Francisco’s offseason workouts. Considering how much depth the Niners have at the interior line positions, the team may not feel a ton of pressure to make a big offer to its starting right guard, but I wouldn’t be surprised the two sides to negotiate a modest raise for Boone at some point before training camp.
Still, players like Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati are viewed as higher priority extension candidates, and it remains to be seen how much long-term cap flexibility the Niners will have if they hammer out new deals with all those players. As Williamson notes, Boone’s agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, have had multiple clients hold out in the past, so this will be an interesting situation to watch over the next few weeks.