The 49ers have three restricted free agents this year — wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, running back Matt Breida and linebacker Elijah Lee. And the 49ers have until 1 p.m. Wednesday to decide which ones to give one-year qualifying offers, or “tenders,” and which ones to bid farewell.
A tender gives the 49ers the right to match any contract a restricted free agent signs with another team. But if the 49ers tender a restricted free agent and he signs elsewhere and the 49ers decide not to match that contract, they can receive a draft pick from that team.
There are different types of tenders: A first-round tender, a second-round tender and a right-of-first-refusal tender.