The 49ers have added to their special-teams coverage units and linebacker depth, signing Bengals free agent Dan Skuta to a two-year contract. The club announced the move early Friday morning.
Skuta, who turns 27 in April, recorded 26 tackles (15 solo) on defense for Cincinnati in 2012. He would figure to project as a reserve inside linebacker in the 49ers’ 3-4 front. In 2011, Skuta started three games at middle linebacker for Cincinnati.
Skuta was a key member of the Bengals’ special teams, notching a team-best 17 stops a season ago. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he were a core member of San Francisco’s coverage teams. The 49ers, while strong covering punts in 2012, were the NFL’s second-worst team from an opponent kickoff-return average standpoint -- and that doesn’t include postseason games. The Niners, of course, surrendered a kickoff-return score to Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones in Super Bowl XLVII.