Top 5 San Francisco 49ers Entering Crucial Contract Seasons in 2015

One player on the San Francisco 49ers entering a crucial contract season is 40-year old kicker Phil Dawson.

Dawson is one of the most accurate field-goal kickers ever. His 84.186 percent career average of field goals made ranks 14th all time, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

But he’s older and starting to lose power. He struggles to reach the end zone on kickoffs, so he won’t handle those next season. Rookie punter Bradley Pinion will.

Dawson also struggles kicking field goals of 45 yards or longer. But he still is nearly automatic inside of 45 yards. Can he maintain that accuracy and play into his early 40s like Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, or will the 2015 season be Dawson’s last? We’ll find out soon enough.

Here are the top five 49ers entering contract seasons in 2015.

5. Ian Williams, Nose Tackle, Fifth Season

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Ian Williams, the 25-year-old nose tackle, has started just 10 games during his four-season career. He started the first nine games of 2014 before breaking his leg and spending the rest of the season on the injured reserve (IR) list.

Through those nine games, Williams played just 219 snaps, according Pro Football Focus. But he earned a plus-12.4 grade from PFF. That means, when healthy, Williams is one of the best nose tackles in the NFL.

And he isn’t just a run-stuffer. Pro Football Focus gave him a plus-4.0 pass-rush grade last season. He recorded one sack and seven quarterback hurries.

Don't be surprised if the 49ers try to extend Williams' contract during the season. If he decides to test the free-agent market, the Niners can replace him with Quinton Dial, the third-year defensive lineman who most likely will start at defensive end in 2015.

4. Alex Boone, Guard, Sixth Season

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Veteran guard Alex Boone wants a contract extension and “is open to being traded and signing a long-term contract with another team,” writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Boone is a solid starting guard. He's not a Pro Bowler, but he is a quality member of an offensive line—he also can play tackle in a pinch. He can make a nice chunk of change on the free-agent market. He’s a proven commodity.

But he’s a guard, and the Niners almost never sign or re-sign free-agent guards. The Niners prefer to replace them with draft picks on cheap, rookie contracts.

In 2014, the Niners spent two third-round draft picks on guards—Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas. One of those two players probably will replace Boone in 2016.

3. Vernon Davis, Tight End, 10th Season

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Vernon Davis seems on the verge of a big season.

During OTAs and minicamp, he was by far the 49ers’ most explosive offensive player, scoring a touchdown almost every other time he touched the ball. He seems to have regained the speed he didn’t have in 2014.

Opposing defenses shouldn’t be able to double-cover Davis like they did in past years, because they have to worry about Anquan Boldin and now Torrey Smith at wide receiver. Davis should receive more one-on-one matchups next season than he ever has.

If Davis plays well and the 49ers want to bring him back—he’s only 31—they can give him the franchise tag. No need to give him a long-term deal.

But if Davis doesn’t play well, the Niners can let him walk because they already have his replacements—2013 second-round pick Vance McDonald and 2015 fourth-round pick Blake Bell.

2. Anquan Boldin, Wide Receiver, 13th Season

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Anquan Boldin, the 49ers' 34-year-old wide receiver, signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the 49ers before the 2014 season. He was supposed to help the Niners make one final Super Bowl push.

But the Niners didn’t even make the playoffs last season—they finished with a record of 8-8. If they miss the playoffs again next season, would Boldin want to re-sign with the Niners?

Boldin will be 35 next offseason. If he signs another contract, it probably will be the last one he signs. So it's understandable if he wants to sign with a team that has a legitimate chance at winning the Super Bowl.

Will the 49ers be contenders in 2016? Maybe, maybe not. If not and Boldin decides to leave, Torrey Smith would take his place as the Niners’ No. 1 receiver, and DeAndre Smelter, Jerome Simpson, Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington would compete to be the Niners' No. 2 receiver.

1. Aldon Smith, Outside Linebacker, Fifth Season

George Nikitin/Associated Press

Aldon Smith racked up 36 sacks the first 35 regular-season games of his career. But he took a six-week “leave of absence” after driving his truck into a tree while drunk in 2013. Since returning from that absence, Smith has just six sacks in 15 regular-season games.

He seems like a totally different player now. He disappears for long stretches of games even when he’s on the field, and he seems much less aggressive than he was in 2011 and 2012.

If Smith continues to decline, the 49ers can let him go. They already have two replacements for him—2014 fifth-round pick Aaron Lynch and 2015 third-round pick Eli Harold.

But if Smith bounces back and plays like he did the first two seasons of his career, the 49ers would be nuts to let him leave.

All practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow @grantcohn.