The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Ed Werder of ESPN reports that an announcement of a new contract for Boldin is expected within the next 24 hours.

Diehards Line:The two sides have been talking for a couple of weeks and there’s always been optimism that a deal would get done before the start of free agency next week. As PFT's Josh Alper notes, getting the deal done would enable the 49ers to bring back their leading receiver from the 2013 season and team him with Michael Crabtree for an entire season rather than the abbreviated run they had together when Crabtree returned from his Achilles injury last year. They’ll still need to look for more depth at receiver, but eliminating the need for an immediate starter before free agency starts would allow the 49ers to concentrate on other areas -- including a new deal for Colin Kaepernick.