Editor's note: Over the next two weeks, we will examine the 49ers’ top 10 scheduled free agents. For each player, we will provide reasons why the 49ers should bring him back and reasons why they should not, followed by a final determination.

Kendrick Bourne, WR

Kendrick Bourne has gotten better and better and better during his three seasons with the 49ers. And, now, he is scheduled for restricted free agency.

“At some mid-point during the season, Kendrick Bourne took a huge step forward and so we went with three guys and we didn’t want to rotate as much,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Bourne established himself, along with Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel, as a reliable top-three wideout for the 49ers. He caught 30 passes during the regular season – 23 of which went for first downs with five touchdowns. In the Super Bowl, Bourne caught two passes for 42 yards.

Reasons to bring him back

Bourne is all about positive energy. His enthusiasm is contagious. But that is not all he brings to the team. The 49ers could do a lot worse than opening the season with Bourne as a starter alongside Samuel.

The 49ers have three seasons invested in Bourne, and they have gotten good production from the undrafted player from Eastern Washington. His youth, potential and cost make him a priority to bring back.

The 49ers are at a stage where they have some salary-cap concerns with big-money deals looming for DeForest Buckner, George Kittle and, possibly, Arik Armstead.

Sanders is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers might not be able to afford Sanders, but Bourne fits nicely into the team's budget. The 49ers have too many other unknowns with Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor and Jalen Hurd. Bourne is reliable.

The 49ers could extend the low tender of $2.144 million. But if another team signs Bourne to an offer sheet and the 49ers decline to match, the 49ers would receive no compensation. With a tender of $3.278 million, the 49ers would protect themselves with second-round compensation.

Reasons he does not return

There is no legitimate reason to let him get away. The only scenario would be if the 49ers take the gamble of giving him the low tender and another team swoops in to offer him a multi-year contract the 49ers are not willing to match.

[RELATED: Re-signing Sanders means one fewer unknown]

Final verdict

The 49ers will certainly tender Bourne once there is more clarity on the league’s collective bargaining agreement. But at what level?

With the second-round tender of $3.278 million, the 49ers do not run the risk of losing Bourne and receiving nothing in return. They cannot take that chance.

At the same time, the 49ers should look to sign Bourne to a multi-year contract this offseason that puts some sizable guaranteed money in his pocket now while being a reasonable deal for the team over the long term.