The San Francisco 49ers signed first-round draft pick Eric Reid on Friday. Reid took to Twitter to announce his signing and posted a picture of him putting pen to paper, accompanied with the text "Beyond blessed! Officially a 49ER!"
Reid, a safety, was the No. 18 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft. The 49ers traded up with the Dallas Cowboys to make the selection, and he projects as a starter from Week 1. Reid will play the free safety position opposite Donte Whitner, and has some big shoes to fill.
Those big shoes belonged to Dashon Goldson, who made a pair of Pro Bowls with the 49ers before departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. Reid is just one part of what was a very strong safety class as a whole this year, and the 49ers wanted to make sure they got their guy before another team took him.
During minicamp and OTAs, Reid saw time with the starting defense, but was rotating with free agent addition Craig Dahl and last year's backup, C.J. Spillman. Reid has impressed thus far, and when training camp rolls around in late July, smart money is on him getting more and more time with the starting defense.
Reid's contract is for $8.398 million, which includes a $4.547 million signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. This is standard for the spot he was drafted, thanks to the rookie wage scale built into the current collective bargaining agreement. Reid is the last of San Francisco's 11 draft picks to sign, and the 10th first-rounder to sign across the league.
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