49ers GM Trent Baalke confirmed today that the team wants to extend the contracts of wide receiver Michael Crabtree and guard Mike Iupati, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Baalke added that he hasn’t decided when the time will be to stop negotiations if no deal has been reached, which suggests that discussions are ongoing. We’ve examined both Crabtree and Iupati as part of our Extension Candidate series.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….
- The last year of Kendall Hunter‘s contract with the 49ers will be a lost one, as an ACL injury has him ticketed for injured reserve, but Baalke would like to re-sign the running back next year if possible, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- With running backs Jonathan Stewart and Tyler Gaffney sidelined, the Panthers intend to sign another player to join the backfield, according to head coach Ron Rivera (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). Per ESPN.com’s David Newton (Twitter links), Gaffney suffered a torn lateral meniscus tear in his knee and will miss the season.
- It’s a contract year for Mark Ingram and it might as well be for Pierre Thomas as well, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who says it will be a pivotal season for the two Saints running backs.
- New Redskins coach Jay Gruden didn’t make much use of his fullbacks during his last three seasons in Cincinnati. However, he intends to work Darrel Young into the mix in Washington this year, explaining simply, “I didn’t have Darrel Young in Cincinnati. If I had him, I would have used him” (link via Joseph White of The Associated Press).
- Frank Gore is pulling for fellow NFC West running back Marshawn Lynch to get a new deal from the Seahawks as a result of his holdout, as he tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today.