As always with this time of year in the National Football League, speculation runs rampant like a runaway locomotive fueled by high octane rumors. Fans seem to see top players who become free agents as a portent to their team turning around their fortunes in a single offseason. 
 
While that might be a possibility for teams who on paper are a player or two away from turning the corner. For others with more pressing needs, one or two new pieces can make them more competitive but most often will fall short of being significant difference makers. 
 
This year one of the most sought-after players, on the offensive side of the ball at least is Jaguars wide receiver, Allen Robinson. While some have cited “insider information”, to tout the fact that the San Francisco 49ers plan to be in the hunt for the wideout’s services in 2018 and beyond, the team’s interest was seen by most as a foregone conclusion.
 
That being said, the 49ers announced today that they have signed current receiver, Marquis Goodwin to a three-year contract extension.
 

The #49ers and WR Marquise Goodwin agreed on 3-year extension worth $20.3M with $10M in guaranteed, sources say.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2018

 
Goodwin, like most of the 49ers offense, was mostly anemic until QB Jimmy Garoppolo came on the scene and began piling up passing yards like there was no tomorrow. Of Goodwins 962-yards through the air, 384 of them came after Garoppolo took over the starting quarterback duties.
 
It goes without saying that GM John Lynch is happy to have gotten this deal done.
 
From the minute Marquise joined our team, he has shown us everything we want to see in a 49er,” Lynch said in a statement. “He leads by example with a tremendous work ethic, a trait that helped him expand his repertoire as a football player and post his most successful season as a pro last year. Marquise earned this extension by coming in every day focused on doing his job and, as a result, he made himself and his teammates better.”
 
There have been rumblings this afternoon since the extension was announced that this deal would effectively take the 49ers out of the Allen Robinson sweepstakes. It would appear that nothing could be further from the truth.
 

49ers signing Goodwin will have no bearing on Allen Robinson. Extension will take hold once the team has an out on Garcon's deal. Robinson would be brought on to replace Garcon as "No. 1 WR" following the 2018 season with all three working together this year. https://t.co/tAP7HTO4k2

— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) March 8, 2018

 
Even if San Francisco doesn’t land Robinson, by extending Goodwin they ensure that their newly anointed franchise quarterback
will have one of his favorite targets on board for the foreseeable future.