According to sources, the team and agent Kirk Wood were close to reaching agreement on a multi-year contract for Dansby. But Dansby fired Wood the day after Wood return home to Alabama from a negotiating session in Arizona.

Dansby, however, denied that a deal was imminent.

"Not close, not even close," Dansby said. "That's why I felt there was a need for a change in order to get me a solid deal done that I'm comfortable with, that my family is comfortable with."

Dansby is interviewing replacements, and the process is sure to impact the team's plans. General manager Rod Graves had hoped to have a new deal with Dansby completed before the end of April, so he could turn his attention to other matters, such as the draft possible contract extensions for strong safety Adrian Wilson and Anquan Boldin.

Dansby is the highest priority of the three because he's playing under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year, guaranteeing him $9.7 million for this season. The club is believed to be about $1.5 million under the salary cap, and a new deal for Dansby's likely would have significantly lowered his cap figure.

Dansby is talking like he might prefer to play this season under the one-year contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2010, which is due to be an uncapped year.

"It's an uncapped year next year and I'm mentioned among the better linebackers in the league as far as the guys who are going to be up next year also," Dansby said. "So why not show what I've got? I'm up for the challenge. Make a splash, man."