The 49ers just announced on Twitter that they have signed linebacker Eric Bakhtiari to a two-year contract. The move comes as OLB Clark Haggans starts a three-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Haggans was active for the 49ers first two games, but he did not join the defense in either game.
Bakhtiari spent the preseason with the 49ers, making it to final cuts before just missing out. He had what appeared to be a solid preseason, but the team decided to go in another direction. Early in the preseason he seemed to be gaining the upper-hand for a roster spot. However, the team started substituting him out on pass rush downs, giving Demarcus Dobbs more opportunities. He suffered an apparent injury in the Broncos game and after that the writing seemed to be on the wall.
I find myself wondering if Bakhtiari will end up being a permanent replacement for Clark Haggans. Price is not really an issue, but there could be more upside in trying to further develop Bakhtiari. Of course, Bakhtiari has bounced around the league quite a bit, so his upside may not be as high as we might otherwise like. He would be spending most of his time on the sideline anyway, so this is not exactly a huge issue.