One of the more surprising performances this season has come from San Francisco DT Aubrayo Franklin, who has posted 56 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss heading into yesterday’s game against the Packers, which ranks third on a solid 49ers defense.

With that in mind, it stands to reason that San Fran will go a long way towards locking Franklin up with an extension soon, but if that fails, they may even be willing to use their franchise tag to keep him in the fold, in spite of the hefty price point that would bring.

It remains to be seen just how much that designation would cost the 49ers, but given Franklin’s importance in the defense, it may be worth absorbing, unless the front office feels that they’ll be able to replace his production at a lesser cost with a free agent or draft choice next spring. Patriots DT Vince Wilfork is definitely a name to keep an eye on in that regard, as is Alabama DT Terrance Cody, who could very well be available when the 49ers select in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.