At what moment did Marquise Goodwin know that San Francisco would be a long-term destination for him? It happened to be the moment he stepped foot onto the SAP Performance Facility last March. From the front office and coaching staff, to the six other free agents who joined him in the first wave of signings, he immediately felt at home.
The former Buffalo Bills receiver signed with the 49ers at the start of free agency in 2017. Goodwin wanted the opportunity to become a consistent contributor in the passing game and Kyle Shanahan's success with the receiver position made San Francisco the ideal landing spot.
"I was granted a better positon and a better opportunity when I came to the 49ers," Goodwin said in a conference call with local beat reporters on Thursday. "I knew Kyle would put me in a position to be successful. He and John (Lynch) have done an outstanding job of allowing guys to flourish, and I've seen what Kyle has done with many other receivers in his system with different teams. I knew that coming here would be my best fit and obviously it's proven well."
Goodwin's first four seasons with the Bills could be summed up by flashes of big plays overshadowed by nagging injuries and a lack of consistent opportunity. Shanahan offered the wideout the opportunity to thrive in his offense with the hopes that Goodwin could evolve into an all-around receiver. Goodwin proved that Shanahan's faith in him was well placed.
Goodwin started all 16 games and set career highs in receptions (56) and receiving yards (962). Just 38 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season, Goodwin became the only 49ers player to get remotely close to that benchmark since Anquan Boldin's 1,062 yards in 2014. His 17.2 yards per catch ranked third in the NFL.
"I definitely feel like this offense is good for me in a sense that it allows me to be a football player," Goodwin added. "It gives me an opportunity to be out there and to make plays and that's what you would want in a scheme and in a system."
The 49ers saw enough from Goodwin to sign the speedster to a contract extension through the 2021 season.
Goodwin adds to a list of extensions this offseason, joining the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and Daniel Kilgore as players who will remain in San Francisco. Lynch is making good on his promise of keeping talent that was already on the roster. With free agency just around the corner, new faces are bound to join them in the Bay Area.
"For me to have the opportunity to go into next year and the next three years to continue the things we started is a blessing," Goodwin said. "We were in good shape before, but I think we're in great shape now."
