The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a one-year contract with defensive end Kerry Hyder.
A person familiar with the deal says the sides came to the agreement on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the signing hasn’t been announced.
NFL Network first reported the deal and also reported that San Francisco reached a one-year deal linebacker Joe Walker.
Hyder entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in 2014. He was with Detroit from 2015-18, where he spent three seasons under Niners defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
Hyder’s most productive season came in 2016 when he had eight sacks for the Lions. He had one sack in 16 games for Dallas last season.
Walker had 65 tackles in 16 games for Arizona last season. He is a key contributor on special teams and will fill the void created when San Francisco didn’t tender reserve linebacker Elijah Lee a contract last week.
The 49ers also announced a one-year deal with defensive end Ronald Blair that had been initially agreed to last week.
Blair was a fifth-round pick by San Francisco in 2016. He has 13 1/2 sacks in 46 games as a key reserve on the defensive line.
Blair had three sacks in nine games last season before being sidelined by a season-ending knee injury. The Niners hope Blair will be ready for the start of training camp.
"We are thrilled to have agreed with Ronnie Blair to continue with the Niner family," general manager John Lynch said. "Ronnie is a great teammate, who has developed into a key contributor to our defence. His versatility and playmaking ability along with his strength of character off the field make him special. Ronnie’s work ethic makes us confident he will return to form this season."
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