2011 NFL Draft: 49ers Quiet at Franchise Tag Deadline; How Is Draft Affected?

Today is the last day any NFL team can place a franchise tag on a player. Franchise tags may not survive the labor talks, but a dozen teams have already placed a tag on one of their players heading into the 2011 season.

Meanwhile, all has remained quiet in San Francisco. Last season, Aubrayo Franklin received the designation as the 49ers' franchise player. He has not signed an extension, and unless the 49ers decide to place a franchise tag on him today, it appears his future with the team is in serious jeopardy.

Franklin has shown serious regression from 2009, where he was a fringe Pro Bowl player, to 2010, where he it became debatable whether or not he was the best defensive tackle on the roster.

If the 49ers are to lose Franklin in the offseason, it leaves a gaping hole at defensive tackle. Cornerback, quarterback and pass rusher seem to be the most glaring team needs at this point, but if Franklin vacates the roster, DT will move to the forefront of needs.

The strength of their 49ers has been their ability to stop the run. In a 3-4, a good DT opens up the middle linebackers to roam free. The absence of a dominating force to anchor the line is going to set the defense back.

The 49ers' draft plans may be significantly altered if they can't work out a deal with Franklin beforehand. Guys like Illinois' Corey Liuget are very appealing. The 49ers could be coaxed into trading down rather than splurging on a talent at the top of the draft.

If the 49ers don't see their franchise QB on the board and don't see a shutdown corner or double-digit sack pass rusher at No. 7, they may want to drop down five or 10 slots.

If the 49ers choose to ignore the DT need in the first round, they are almost obligated to address the need in the second round. In my seven-round mock draft I had the 49ers taking Sione Fua in the fourth round. If the 49ers head into the draft needing to obtain a starting defensive tackle, they aren't going to be able to wait until Fua becomes available to address the issue.

This becomes extremely problematic if the 49ers choose to part ways with Nate Clements as well. Both defensive tackle and cornerback become glaring needs, which may put them in a situation where they are obligated to take both in early rounds, potentially passing on greater talent to fill a greater need.

The 49ers cannot afford to keep Clements under the terms of his current contract. They will need to renegotiate, and it is doubtful Clements is going to like the offer they put on the table. Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara are both available. Both have cover corner skills that could trump Clements' already.

Franklin and Clements' future on the 49ers is unclear, and their contract situations make the upcoming months very interesting.