49ers Sign Keaton Kristick, LeGarrett Blount After The Draft

In a year where nearly as many Pac-10 players were signed without being drafted (24) as were taken in the draft, either a lot of teams were cautious about the players the conference produced, or else they felt they could get good value without expending draft picks, the important thing is to get a chance to go to camp and make good.

San Francisco didn't draft any linebackers, but did acquire Ted Ginn Jr. from Miami in a draft weekend deal, so there isn't an overflowing number of linebackers Kristick will have to compete with, which might bode well.

San Francisco coach Mike Singletary said "Speed, quickness, power and a dash of attitude," was what he was looking for in the draft, which included DB Taylor Mays from USC.

In Kristick and Blount, the 49ers got those same qualities in their post-draft signees as well.

Blount, however, subsequently opted for an offer from the Tennessee Titans instead.

San Francisco is not one of the NFL's premier franchises any more, but they aren't in disarray either. So Kristick signing as a free agent with a team that is potentially competitive, but isn't so loaded as to be nearly impossible to make the roster, could even be better than being a late round draft choice in some places. In either case, the opportunity has presented itself; now it's a matter of making good on that opportunity.