SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Yes, Anquan Boldin can be seen as a hothead with the occasional headbutt to an opponent in the heat of the moment, but he is also the reigning Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year thanks to his charitable works.

As such, Boldin has been a steadying influence for the San Francisco 49ers since coming over from the Baltimore Ravens in a 2013 trade, both on the field and in the locker room.

Consider: he has led the Niners in catches in all three of his years with them (85 catches for 1,179 yards and seven TDs in 2013, 83-1,062-5 in 2014, 65-789-4 in 2015) and while his production has gone down, he has been a solid addition.

Reason to re-sign: With the 49ers about to undergo a massive personality switch under new coach Chip Kelly, the team needs as many familiar faces as possible to weather the coming offensive storm. Boldin represents just that as a respected veteran with relatively sure hands and Kelly's offense needs a dependable possession receiver.

Reason to let walk: Boldin turns 36 in October and as noted above, his production dropped precipitously last season as a nagging hamstring injury slowed one of the already-more deliberate pass-catchers in the game. He is not getting any younger.

The verdict?: The Niners should let Boldin walk.