The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ...The 49ers, who have a contract offer on the table for Smith, are reticent to offer him a long-term deal with $20 million-plus in guaranteed money because they want to keep the door open for Colin Kaepernick to eventually take over as the starter, according to the sources.

Diehards Line:So wrote CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco, who suggested Mark Sanchez's new extension with the Jets could become a sticking point in negotiations between Smith and the Niners. ... Smith arrived with the 49ers in 2005 as the No. 1 overall pick. He signed a six-year, $49.5 million contract. But Smith agreed to a sizable pay cut after his fourth season. He ended up collecting approximately $32 million in his first six seasons before signing a one-year, $4 million contract last year. He collected another $2.5 million in incentives due to the team's success. With free agency set to begin on Tuesday, Maiocco believes all indications are that Smith's agent, Tom Condon, will be able to shop his client's services throughout the league to determine, exactly, his true market value.