49ers sign Craig Dahl

Posted by Mike Florio on March 16, 2013, 4:56 PM EDT

The 49ers have signed a defensive back.  But not either of the two Niners fans are hoping for.

The Niners have inked former Rams safety Craig Dahl.

“We are pleased to announce the signing of Craig,” 49ers G.M. Trent Baalke said. “He is an experienced veteran with excellent intangibles, who has working knowledge of the NFC West.”

Dahl was a 16-game starter for the Rams in 2012.  Two of those games came against the 49ers, so they know him pretty well.

They’ll know him even better in the future.

And in the immediate future, Niners fans will hope that either Nnamdi Asomugha or Charles Woodson will be agreeing to terms.

[Photo credit:  49ers Twitter page.]

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53 responses to “49ers sign Craig Dahl”

  1. This has to be for depth; he’s not a starter. He got constantly burned in St. Louis. He must be there to work with a rookie or backup an aging veteran or both.

  2. Gross. I hope this is with the intention of him being a core special teams player and experienced backup safety. With 14 picks in the draft it’s hard to understand this signing. At least it’s probably a low money deal.

  9. Bless his whiny lil heart. Crybaby Harbaugh is trying desperately to keep pace with the Seahawks.
    Seattle is the most dominant team in the NFC now that Mr. Russel Wilson has experience and fully grasps the offense.
    Seattle has the best defense and the front office is outsmarting and outmaneuvering the whole league.
    Pete Carroll is a true genius and is clearly a superior coach to Harbaugh.
    Try all you want Niners, but the road to the New Jersey Super Bowl rolls thru Seattle.

  10. This is a special teams move I think. He made some plays against us last year. Also a reaction to Miller getting cavity searched by two Ravens on Jones sb kick return.

    I think despite his age adding Woodson would be a good addition. Some experience needed on the back end I think. He can still play safety. Nnamdi I’m more unsure of. Guess it depends if these last two years were just a wrong fit as opposed to decline in skills.

  13. The only reason Dahl was signed, is because of his working knowledge of the Rams’ defense. Which created so much havoc against the Niners last year. Love that Fisher out coached Harbaugh in both games! GO RAMS!

  15. Dont understand some of my fellow niner fans. They have 14 picks in the draft and too much talent for them all to make the roster. Why sign a big name on the wrong side if 30 when you could package these picks to move up in the draft and get a higher caliber player at 21, 22 years old?

    Never heard of this guy, but if he played for the Rams you gotta think hes at least solid; St Louis had one of the best defenses in the league. At worst, he is a good backup/ST player.

  16. Player- coach who is signed to become coach- coach and is cut immediately as soon as free agent season is over ? Please be the case ? Explanation needed…?

  18. Iknoweverything says:Mar 16, 2013 5:13 PM

    Bless his whiny lil heart. Crybaby Harbaugh is trying desperately to keep pace with the Seahawks.
    Seattle is the most dominant team in the NFC now that Mr. Russel Wilson has experience and fully grasps the offense.
    Seattle has the best defense and the front office is outsmarting and outmaneuvering the whole league.
    Pete Carroll is a true genius and is clearly a superior coach to Harbaugh.
    Try all you want Niners, but the road to the New Jersey Super Bowl rolls thru Seattle.
    —————————

    Most dominant team in the NFC? REALY?!?! You DO know that it’s the offseason and Sea was no better than 3rd in the NFC when last any team set foot on the field. Why haven’t the squaks been in the NFCC or SB in the last 2 years if they’re the most dominant team, fool? 1-3 against SF in the last 4 tries hardly makes Sea better. Can’t even win the division, much less anything else. HEY! Keep it down in the backseat before I have to pull over!

  19. So the 49ers are too cheap AND only a few million away from the cap. That makes sense.

  21. I’ve seen enough of the current 49ers front office to believe they always have a plan. The fact they passed on the well known “big name” free agent safeties probably means there is someone in the draft they think they can get who will be starting caliber as a rookie. Either that or Dahl is actually better than he’s generally credited with being. Surround anyone with the talent the 49ers D has and they are bound to look better. Case in point, Dashon Goldson, he’s got a big rep and he is good at run support plus can make some picks but also blows a lot of assignments in coverage. He’ll probably be exposed in Tampa and cut after a year or two.

  22. mjkelly77 says:
    Mar 16, 2013 5:07 PM
    Niners are just too cheap. hairbough’s head is going to explode

    hey mjkelly, its time for some new material. Posting “hairbough” (whatever that is supposed to even mean) on every single report about the 9ers is getting old.

    Also, lets not forget all you 9er bashers were the ones saying before last year that this team would “fall back to earth”, “8 and 8 at best”, and that the team was a fluke and wouldn’t make the playoffs…Guess that’s why you actually play the game

  23. I just dont see how this stops Chip Kellys 11 headed offensive monster show. It shocking to know whats coming and not be prepared. And theres simply nothing anyone can do about it.

  24. Oh the obligatory Seahawjs post…lame, talk when you actually make a Super Bowl and not lose.

  25. Iknownothing says: Mar 16, 2013 5:13 PM

    Bless his whiny lil heart. Crybaby Harbaugh is trying desperately to keep pace with the Seahawks.
    Seattle is the most dominant team in the NFC now that Mr. Russel Wilson has experience and fully grasps the offense.
    Seattle has the best defense and the front office is outsmarting and outmaneuvering the whole league.
    Pete Carroll is a true genius and is clearly a superior coach to Harbaugh.
    Try all you want Niners, but the road to the New Jersey Super Bowl rolls thru Seattle.
    ——————————————–

    If you consider losing to the opposing coach more times than he has won genius, then yes your coach is a genius.

  26. Really this is Goldson’s replacement. Ram fans know what you picked up and are laughing. Good times for skill players when those look and see him and Whitner as the two starting safeties.

  28. Last time I checked hardballs changed the fate of a mediocre QB named Alex Smith, which means they must know what they are doing.

  29. Not sure this is anything but for special team/depth. Don’t get excited SF or SEA…….This isn’t intended to be a splash or make significant difference in any arms race. Standing by………..

  30. Have the people who want Nnamdi to sign watched him at all in ’11 or ’12? This guy is horrible!!! Don’t believe the ” he wasn’t used properly in Philly nonsense”. He is a dog, a quitter, and can’t cover a chair!!

  31. Like all of us armchair GMs need to inform Balke he may not be a probowl safety! I am sure there is a plan. Balke doesn’t like to spend a lot on free agents. Signing Boldin was about as far as he will go, and that was a pretty favorable deal to the 49ers. More than likely he didn’t feel that spending the money for Woodson or Reed was going to be worth it. Try to get better through the draft, package some picks to move up some spots. They have really too many draft picks. They wouldn’t be able to keep all those rookies. If yet another roster spot was taken by a veteran that demanded guaranteed money, you would have even less space. Dahl probably signed a deal for little if any guaranteed $. He comes in and competes for a roster spot as a backup safety and special teamer. It’s no sure thing he even makes the team.

  32. Iknoweverything says:
    Mar 16, 2013 5:13 PM
    Bless his whiny lil heart. Crybaby Harbaugh is trying desperately to keep pace with the Seahawks.
    Seattle is the most dominant team in the NFC now that Mr. Russel Wilson has experience and fully grasps the offense.
    Seattle has the best defense and the front office is outsmarting and outmaneuvering the whole league.
    Pete Carroll is a true genius and is clearly a superior coach to Harbaugh.
    Try all you want Niners, but the road to the New Jersey Super Bowl rolls thru Seattle.
    21 150
    this guy is funny, trying to keep pace with the seahawks last time i checked we won the division and the conference, you guys won a game against a one legged qb. seattle is the most dominant team in the nfc? lmao, u guys have zero rings, first playoff apperance since alexander, yeah again we won the nfc! russell wilson getting expericence, ck played 10 games and went to the superbowl, oh my god u got percy whens the last time he played a whole year, trace it back to uf cant find it, and how long has carrol been coach and what does he have to show for it, yeah we made it to the nfc ship both years harbaugh was coach! least but not least congrats on knowing nothing, and being the only guy up here to get his comment reposted mulitiple times , hows the 20 – 150 thumbs up and down looking

  35. Why are SeaChicken fans in here anyways, we’ll see what your team is made of this year playing a big boy schedule with some tough road games, no more home cooking against the big boys

  36. Working knowledge of the NFC West???? Hey guys, This is how to get burned in coverage and miss tackles, as well as, dropping int’s. … He couldn’t grasp how to play the game, so yeah, knowledge. The niners secondary just became below avg. GO RAMS

  37. The Niners fans on here are a joke. When Goldson made the All-Pro team, none of their fans were on here saying boo about his “poor coverage.” But when he signed with TB, dozens wrote about his supposed shortcomings.

    Now they sign a journeyman safety and Niner fans start talking him up. Face it, as it stands now, you have atrocious safeties and it’s a major weakness for a team that started falling apart on pass defense toward the end of the season.

    Maybe Baalke has his eye on the next Taylor Mays. LOL.

  38. Love how people are judging the biscuits when they’re not even out of the oven yet. Try wait.

  39. goldson was a great player against the run, and decent against the pass…he was exposed down the stretch a bit when justin smith went out, aldon smith played with a torn labrum, and the pass rush disappeared…qbs had too much time to throw downfield…bottom line is with pass rush any safety looks better without they look worse

  40. With 14 picks coming up, you don’t need to sign vetern special teams/depth players. This is for real – this is who they have in for a starer next year, you better get used to it.

  41. steviemo says: Mar 16, 2013 7:39 PM

    The Niners fans on here are a joke. When Goldson made the All-Pro team, none of their fans were on here saying boo about his “poor coverage.” But when he signed with TB, dozens wrote about his supposed shortcomings.

    Now they sign a journeyman safety and Niner fans start talking him up. Face it, as it stands now, you have atrocious safeties and it’s a major weakness for a team that started falling apart on pass defense toward the end of the season.

    Maybe Baalke has his eye on the next Taylor Mays. LO
    —————————————-

    To think this is the Niners final roster is uh premature. Something I am sure you have intimate knowledge of.

  42. I hate to agree with the “haters” but their getting an absolute stiff in the secondary but a great guy in the community and based on press from the STL media, a SOLID teammate in the locker room. This must be “recon” signing for intel on the Rams defense.

  44. I love these bottom dweller NFC west fans talking. 3 years 1.5 mill for a safety that started in saint Louis and its stupid? He will be 2nd or 3rd string at best and has played in the division. God look at numbers, this isn’t overpaying a headache aka harvin, this signing is for nothing. Keep sitting below us guys c’mon, baalke is the man.

  45. steviemo says:
    Mar 16, 2013 7:39 PM
    The Niners fans on here are a joke. When Goldson made the All-Pro team, none of their fans were on here saying boo about his “poor coverage.” But when he signed with TB, dozens wrote about his supposed shortcomings.

    Hey buddy, read posts about ANY player leaving ANY team. Sure, there are those fans that wish them well and hope they have continued success, but there are equal amounts of people who talk about their shortcomings. I remember in 2011 when the 9ers signed Carlos Rodgers and everybody was saying he “had hands of stone” and “couldn’t catch a cold”…well, he ended up having 6 INT’s that year, one shy of the league lead. Sometimes players fit well/perform better under certain coaches and systems…

  46. Maybe Spillman is taking Goldson’s spot and this signing is to replace his old role. Like the Ray McDonald deal. If not they are truly saying anyone can do it after not even giving Goldson an offer

  47. If this is really D. goldson’s replacement SF might as well just play with 10 guys. Unbelievable.

  50. By all accounts the upcoming draft is very deep in corners , safeties, as well as D line. The 49ers have 3 picks in the first two rounds. I believe the 49ers were looking for bargains for safety and cb and if they couldn’t sign them they will wait for the draft. The signing of Dahl probably is an indication the price was just too high for a name brand player. The front office must draft better in 2013 than 2012 or we are in trouble. It is always hit or miss in the draft and with the amount of picks the 49ers have the chances of getting some solid hits is greatly increased.

  51. We need a ball hawk we got Whitner the Hitner already laying fools out like that turd Piere Thomas! Time to draft a ball hawk!

  53. For those that say that the Niners are cheap, ask Willis and Bowman if they agree. The Niners don’t spend big in FA but they do to keep the players they value most. Goldson’s departure should tell you all you need to know about how they felt about him and what he was worth.

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