Walt Harris Tears ACL, Out For Season; UPDATE 49ers sign Dre Bly

"I'm hungry right now." -- Dre Bly, Cornerback

Fuck...

Before the draft, I mentioned that CB was becoming a need that the team should address sooner than later. The logic of that argument was that Walt Harris was noticeably on the decline, and behind him, there are many young, unproven players who would serve better as reserve players rather than starters. Currently, the next in line to replace Harris looks to be 3rd year vet Tarell Brown, the trouble CB out of Texas. I don't know what it is about Brown that just rubs me the wrong way. He's a talented guy that loves to compete and has shown a knack for getting his hands on the ball. However, I feel he's better suited for the slot, being relegated to nickel back duty. If placed on an island against a top WR (such as Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald), he'd be at a disadvantage and a wide open target for other teams. Meanwhile, it looks like Reggie Smith will be settling in at strong safety, removing himself from the CB competition, especially with the Jimmy Williams project turning out to be a failure. He should serve as the primary back up to Michael Lewis, and possibly the future starter.

One day later...

The day after Walt Harris was ruled out for the 2009 season, the Niners went out and signed his apparent replacement, Dre Bly, for one year at the veteran minimum. While he's one of the more high-profile cornerbacks of the league, even moreso than Walt Harris, his level of play has noticeably diminished the past couple of seasons, resulting in his inability to get signed until now. Right now, it's a question of which Dre Bly we will get: the Dre Bly of last year who was consistently burned or the Dre Bly of before who was a top-5 cornerback and teamed up with Champ Bailey to anchor the best pass defense in the league (with a very weak pass rush). At this point, I can't expect him to be an upgrade over Walt Harris yet. However, if he can find his groove, and get some aide from an improved pass rush and Dashon Goldson, there's a good chance that he could return to form. Either way, it's a very good move by the 49ers and provides a safe, proven player that will create some excellent competition at the very least.