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49ers sign kicker Phil Dawson

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kicker Phil Dawson announced on Twitter he is joining the 49ers. We take a look at the implications.

And just like that, we have our potential answer to the 49ers kicker question mark. Former Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson sent out a tweet this afternoon, indicating he is joining the 49ers. We do not have contract details yet. Last year he earned $3.81 million, which was due to him playing the season under the franchise tag.

Dawson spent his entire career prior to this with the Cleveland Browns, joining them in 1999 at the age of 24. He is a career 84.0% field goal kicker, and connected on 93.5% of kicks in 2012. He was second in the league in overall percentage last year, and also was 7-of-7 on kicks of 50+. He earned a spot on two All-Pro teams, as well as a nod in the Pro Bowl.

We have had plenty of discussion about the kicker position and whether the 49ers would consider drafting a replacement for David Akers. That would appear to not be the case as Dawson is a guy they can hopefully slot into the position for at least a couple years.

While it would be nice to groom a kicker for the long-term, the 49ers are close enough to the mountain top that it makes sense to find a solid veteran option, rather than hope a rookie works out. Dawson struggled a bit in 2010 and 2011, but bounced back strong last year.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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