The San Francisco 49ers lost the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens, but the team out west is arguable better now than the team they lost to in New Orleans, as they have added Anquan Boldin for just a sixth round pick and after losing Dashon Goldson, they could be ready for more.
According to ESPN.com, Adam Schefter reported that Goldson signed a five-year, $41.25 million contract and will now headline the defensive backfield for the Buccaneers. Goldson played last season as a franchise player while making $6.2 million, but he did not want the tag again and wanted a long-term deal.
The Buccaneers had the cap space to spare and gave the 28-year-old $22 million in guaranteed money. Along with Mark Barron he will make one of the best safety tandems in the league and brings 346 tackles, 14 interceptions and five forced fumbles in 81 career games.
The 49ers were not happy to see Goldson go, but they may be able to fill his hole anyway, as they are looking at former Green Bay Packers safety Charles Woodson and could also be interested in Ravens safety Ed Reed. According to ESPN.com, Woodson was visiting with the team on Wednesday and if he came back, he would return to the area where he started his career.
Woodson played the first eight seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders, where he established himself as one of the top defensive backs in the league. Oakland selected him with the number four overall pick after winning the Heisman at Michigan and the 49ers would be a good fit for him, as he wants to play for a contender after being with the Packers for a number of years.
Last season Woodson was sidelined with injuries and played in only seven games, but if he is healthy he could provide the 49ers with depth and veteran leadership. He had just one pick in 2012, but the previous season he had seven interceptions and he has made at least one pick in every season he has played since 1998.
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Woodson has been durable for the majority of his career apart from last season and missed only three games during the previous six years with the Packers, winning one Defensive Player of the Year award in the process.
The 49ers were ranked fourth in the league in both passing and rushing yards per game and even after losing Goldson, the team will be in good position to make it to the playoffs again. Woodson would be a huge addition to the roster, as would Reed, who despite losing to the 49ers, could be happy to team up again with Boldin.
San Francisco has lost two key players in Goldson and Delanie Walker, but after adding Boldin and possibly Woodson, the team would be stacked for another Super Bowl run. The Seahawks have proven to be a fierce division rival and now that they have traded for Percy Harvin, the NFC West is up for grabs.
The 49ers countered the Harvin move with Boldin, but if Harvin plays up to his potential along with Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Sidney Rice, the Seahawks could be a Super Bowl favorite and a division favorite for that matter. Both teams have young quarterbacks in Wilson and Colin Kaepernick and now after the trades they have excellent wideouts to throw to as well.
