The 49ers brought in their second former Seahawks linebacker this week, three-year veteran Brock Coyle.
The team also formally signed Matt Barkley, who served as a Bears backup last season, and announced it had agreed to terms with wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, who has played under Kyle Shanahan in Washington and Atlanta.
Coyle, 26, mostly has been limited to special teams since joining the Seahawks as an undrafted rookie out of Montana in 2014. But he started three games at linebacker in 2016 and finished with 16 tackles and a sack. He was a restricted free agent heading into Thursday. The Seahawks, however, did not tender him, and he became unrestricted instead. The 49ers will sign him to a one-year deal.
His addition gives the 49ers two linebackers who are familiar with the defense that coordinator Robert Saleh will run this season. On Friday the 49ers signed linebacker Malcolm Smith to a five-year deal. Smith played his first four seasons with the Seahawks — where Saleh was an assistant at the time — before joining the Raiders in 2015 and 2016.
“My familiarity with coach Saleh played a big factor in that as well,” Smith said Friday of joining the 49ers “So it’s one of those things where I’m kind of trusting that the right people are in place, and from what I’ve seen, I think that’s the case.”
Barkley announced on Twitter that he had signed his two-year contract.
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