Who will stay, and who will go?
The 49ers have three restricted free agents this year — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, running back Matt Breida and linebacker Elijah Lee. And the 49ers have until 1 p.m. Wednesday to decide which ones to give one-year qualifying offers, or “tenders,” and which ones to bid farewell.
A tender gives the 49ers the right to match any contract a restricted free agent signs with another team. But if the 49ers tender a restricted free agent and he signs elsewhere and the 49ers decide not to match that contract, they can receive a draft pick from that team.
There are different types of tenders: A first-round tender, a second-round tender and a right-of-first-refusal tender.
A first-round tender is a one-year, $4.6 million contract. If the 49ers give this to a restricted free agent and he signs with another team and the 49ers don’t match that contract, the 49ers receive a first-round pick.
A second-round tender would cost the 49ers $3.3 million. If the 49ers give this to a restricted free agent and he signs with another team and the 49ers don’t match that contract, the 49ers receive a second-round pick.
A right-of-first refusal tender would cost the 49ers $2.1 million. If the 49ers give this to a restricted free agent and he signs with another team, the 49ers can match the contract. But if they don’t match it, they receive nothing.
So who will stay and who will go?
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