Vernon Davis Contract: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation Surrounding 49ers TE

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is heading into the final year of his current contract. General manager Trent Baalke confirmed Tuesday that the sides have talked, but he didn't provide many details about the state of negotiations with training camp underway.

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Davis, Baalke Discuss Future After TE's Down Year

Wednesday, Aug. 5

Paul Gutierrez of ESPN reports Baalke discussed several topics following 49ers practice Tuesday night. While he talked about Davis' contract situation, his comments didn't make it sound like a new deal was imminent.

"He wants to be here long-term," Baalke said. "We're always going to try to keep our own. Sometimes it works. As you've seen, sometimes it doesn't. But Vernon and I have had conversations, and we'll leave it at that. He understands where we are, and we certainly understand where he is."

The current roadblock is likely the difference between Davis' talent and his 2014 production.

He caught just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last season. He basically became a forgotten piece of the offense. He finished fifth on the team in receiving yards and never had more than four catches in any game.

That said, his career numbers paint a different picture. He's tallied 55 touchdowns in 133 career games, twice reaching double-digit TDs in a season. As recently as 2013, he racked up 52 catches for 820 yards and 13 touchdowns.

So it's a difficult negotiating position for both sides. It may force Davis, who Spotrac notes will count nearly $7 million against the salary cap in 2015, to play out his contract and see what happens after the year. The silver lining is that he's feeling refreshed coming into the year, per Gutierrez.

"Right now, I feel like a rookie...feel faster, more explosive…been taking care of myself," Davis said.

The 49ers could certainly use a bounce-back campaign from the 31-year-old tight end, especially in terms of a red-zone impact. A return to form would give the team three reliable targets, along with Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, to help Colin Kaepernick.

Ultimately, his fate with San Francisco probably rests on whether he can fulfill one of those key roles in the offensive game plan again. If he struggles, the team could decide to move forward in search of a younger, cheaper option.