49ers reward Goodwin for his play, courage

The San Francisco 49ers rewarded wide receiver Marquise Goodwin for his career-best season by giving him a three-year contract extension worth $20.3 million.

Goodwin was one of San Francisco’s best free-agent acquisitions last season when he signed a two-year deal, giving the team a needed deep threat. His play led the 49ers to lock him up through the 2021 season with the new deal that will guarantee him $10 million.

After putting up little production in his first four seasons in Buffalo, Goodwin is excited for the chance to remain in coach Kyle Shanahan’s system with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback.

“I definitely feel like this offense is good for me in a sense that it allows me to be a football player,” he said. “It gives me the opportunity to be out there and make plays and that’s what you want in a scheme and a system.

“It’s just not me. Everybody gets to shine. That’s what’s good about this offense. It’s not a one-man wrecking crew. It’s not one guy making it happen. It’s a lot of guys making opportunities to make plays.”

Goodwin, 27, set career highs last season with 56 catches for 962 yards and scored two touchdowns. The former Olympic long jumper had caught just 49 passes for 780 yards in four seasons with Buffalo.

He also won the team’s Len Eshmont Award for inspirational and courageous play and also the team’s Ed Block Courage Award.

It was a trying season off the field for Goodwin, whose premature son died hours before he caught an 83-yard touchdown pass against the New York Giants on Nov. 12, and whose biological father died days before he had 10 catches for 114 yards against Tennessee on Dec. 17.

Rams

According to a report, Denver has agreed to trade cornerback Aqib Talib to Los Angeles. The Rams will send Denver a mid-round pick, believed to be a fifthrounder, in next month’s draft for the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback. Talib signed a six-year, $57 million deal in Denver in 2014, part of a defensive makeover that carried the team to the Super Bowl title.

Dolphins

Jarvis Landry is now under contract with Miami, easing the path to a potential trade. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver signed his $16 million, one-year franchise tag. The Dolphins have been shopping Landry, and the procedural move allows them to trade him as early as next Wednesday, when the NFL’s new year begins.

Bengals

Defensive tackle Chris Baker signed a one-year deal, Cincinnati’s first free agent acquisition on defense under new coordinator Teryl Austin. Baker played with Tampa Bay last season after spending six seasons with Washington and one each with Miami and Denver. The ninth-year veteran has started 53 games in the past four seasons. He has 12 career sacks.

Titans

Tennessee plans to release running back DeMarco Murray. The Titans announced the move when general manager Jon Robinson said in a statement that Murray “was a pro in every facet and we wish him and his family the best moving forward.” Murray ran for an AFC-leading 1,287 yards and nine touchdowns to make the Pro Bowl in 2016, his first year with the Titans. He ran for 659 yards and six touchdowns last season.