San Francisco 49ers re-sign OL Daniel Kilgore

Dec 29, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers guard Daniel Kilgore against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers have signed offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore to a three-year extension. Kilgore is the team’s backup center and has also played guard in his three years with the Niners, per 49ers,com. 

Kilgore was drafted in Round 5 of the 2011 Draft out of Appalachian State. In his three seasons, he has appeared in 33 regular season games, including every game from the 2013 season. Kilgore also played in all three of San Francisco’s postseason games.

In the Harbaugh era, the 49ers offensive line as been as good as any in the NFL, and the health of their Pro Bowlers has been a big part of that. Standouts such as Joe Staley, Mike Iupati and Jonathan Goodwin were healthy for the majority of the past three seasons, but as we saw with Iupati’s injury in the NFC Championship, good health in the NFL can change in a second.

Locking up Kilgore provides continued depth on the O-line, as after Adam Snyder, he is the main fill-in for that unit. Also, Goodwin at center is 35 and guard Iupati is a free agent to be. By keeping the versatile Kilgore under contract through 2017, they have a sure replacement should one or both of those guys leave town.

San Francisco’s offense may have the most complex blocking scheme in the league, and retaining Kilgore, who the organization likes, is the right step in maintaining the core that has contended for a Super Bowl the last few years.