Goldson's absence opens door for Plans B and C

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SANTA CLARA -- Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson, the 49ers' franchise player, remains unsigned as he seeks a multi-year contract extension. He has given no indication whether he plans to report at the beginning of training camp in late-July.
And veteran Donte Whitner, the 49ers' other starting safety, has missed a day here and there during the team's offseason program.The advantage at this time of year is that the depth at safety, considered a 49ers pre-draft weakness, has gotten a lot action during the team's offseason program.C.J. Spillman, who saw just 16 snaps on defense last season, has been running with the first team. And Trenton Robinson, a sixth-round draft pick from Michigan State, has seen more action with the starting unit than any other 49ers rookie this offseason."It's been great for me," Robinson said. "It boosts my confidence. I know what I'm doing when I get out there with the vets. They all talk, saying, 'Keep going, keep working.' And it's a confidence-builder. I think it's great that coach gives me an opportunity to run with those guys."Goldson and first-round draft pick A.J. Jenkins remain the 49ers' only unsigned players. Jenkins signed a waiver to allow him to participate in the team's entire offseason program. He is expected to be signed for the opening of training camp.
Goldson is seeking a contract with an annual average of 8 million, a source told CSNBayArea.com. He is scheduled to earn 6.212 on a one-year franchise tender. The 49ers probably are not be willing to go more than 7 million per year, the source said.The 49ers have until July 16 to sign Goldson to a long-term extension. After that date, teams can sign their franchise players only to one-year deals. They are prohibited from reaching a multi-year extension until after the final regular-season game.Secondary coach Ed Donatell, who has worked 21 seasons in the NFL, knows not to be overly concerned with Goldson's status.
"This happens all over football," Donatell said. "Nobody has a complete group. We have as complete as anybody. Anytime a guy can't play, we look for the advantage to train another guy to give you a Plan B and C and so forth. But his (Goldson's) history is, when he's ready to go, he's ready to go and he plays well."Plans B and C appear to be Spillman and Robinson. When the two players have been paired together, Spillman (6-foot, 199 pounds) plays strong safety and Robinson (5-9, 193) is free safety."It's a great feeling to get out there with guys I looked up to even before I got an opportunity to play in the NFL," Robinson said. "To get that opportunity to get out there and show what I can do, it's great. Even when I'm not running with the vets, I get a lot of reps with the rookies. It's a great opportunity."It's also a great opportunity for Spillman, a three-year veteran known for his outstanding play on special teams. Spillman was the 49ers' fifth safety last season behind Goldson, Whitner, Reggie Smith and Madieu Williams. The 49ers chose not to make an attempt to re-sign Smith or Williams, who ended up with Carolina and Washington, respectively. Most of Spillman's playing time on defense last season came in goal-line situations. "The coaches saw the potential I have with what little I played," Spillman said. "For them to sit there and put a lot of confidence in me, that showed me when it's time to go, I got to make sure I'm ready to go."The 49ers' defensive backfield, as a whole, better be ready to go with a regular-season schedule that includes such potent passers as Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, New York's Eli Manning, New Orleans' Drew Brees, New England's Tom Brady and Detroit's Matthew Stafford.The 49ers will need major contributions from their third safety, if forced into a starting role, or when the team goes with six defensive backs."I'm very confident, seeing last year I got a lot of reps at corner in practice," Spillman said. "And a few times in the games, I was comfortable playing man to man. If they line me up against anybody, I can cover anybody."Robinson entered Michigan State as a cornerback and secured eight interceptions in two seasons as a starting safety. The 49ers selected him with the No. 180 overall pick because of his cover skills, and he has worked himself into position to compete for playing time in training camp."He's grown a ton in just a couple of weeks," Donatell said of Robinson. "He's on the proper path. They're all swimming. . . What we want to do is get him ready for when the pads come on because no decisions are made out here until our equipment comes on and we play. We want them ready for those preseason games."Undrafted rookie Michael Thomas (5-11, 182) of Stanford also fits the mold of a safety with cover skills -- a valuable asset against offenses that can put four wide receivers on the field.
"With so many sub sets with three and four receivers in the game, one of your safeties has to be a major cover guy," Donatell said. "And those guys are out of that profile."

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