49ers sign G Adam Snyder to 2-year contract

Well, this certainly came out of nowhere! The San Francisco 49ers just announced that they have signed guard Adam Snyder to a two-year contract. The 49ers originally drafted Snyder in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Over the course of seven seasons with the 49ers, Snyder played in 107 games with 69 starts. He departed as a free agent after the 2011 season, signing a five-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He was released late last month.

Snyder moved around with the 49ers, before settling in at right guard in his final season. The 49ers let him walk after the 2011 season because they were ready to move on with Alex Boone. Getting Boone into the starting lineup helped settle down the right side of the line, and I would argue this was one of the many reasons Anthony Davis took a sizable step forward in 2012.

The 49ers have loaded up on interior linemen, which opens the door for some interesting competition in camp. The 49ers went into last season with Leonard Davis, Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney as their interior reserves. With Davis gone and Snyder in, it creates some great competition for Kilgore and Looney. I think Kilgore and Looney are the favorites to secure roster spots, but if the team decides to keep another lineman, Snyder is versatile enough to play all five line positions. Kilgore likely remains the favorite to be the primary backup interior lineman, but Snyder could push him in camp.