The 49ers tried to re-sign Eric Reid before signing with the Panthers

The San Francisco 49ers have confirmed they tried to sign veteran Eric Reid again before signing a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.

In a bid to reinforce what turned into a defeated secondary, the San Francisco 49ers attempted to bring one of their former players, Eric Reid, back on track. The sport Matt Barrows (h / t 49ers Webzone) has confirmed that it 's been a one – year contract.

Reid, however, chose to sign a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers on Friday instead.

That's why San Francisco's former NFL draft pick in 2013 was signed by Carolina with the Niners. He guaranteed a job in Carolina. That would not have been the case with the 49ers.

San Francisco is behind two of his original sureties, Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt, who appear to be short-term injuries. Colbert is struggling with a knee problem, while Tartt's shoulder shock kept him out of the 38-27 loss of the week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

There is not much depth behind these two.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh confirmed that the Niners were indeed trying to bring Reid back on a one-year contract:

Whenever you have the opportunity to add a good football player, when the opportunity arises, of course, E. Reid knows our system and he knows we know him, we are comfortable with him. Obviously, it did not work, but whenever you have the opportunity, you explore it.

The 49ers left the door open for Reid after his 2017 contract year. But Tartt's maturity and the emergence of Colbert, then a rookie, significantly reduced Reid's chances of leaving with San Francisco in 2018, a job he lost the previous season and could only return after Tartt's forearm injury.

Reid, of course, remained unsigned until this week despite some interests reported by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tennessee Titans earlier this season. The involvement of security in the protest on former 49ers Colin Kaepernick's anthem, and the ensuing collusion grievances, paralleled those of Reid's persistent free agency.

That has changed now, at least for Reid, who joins a Panthers side club that lost defensive back Da'Norris Searcy at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, the Niners hope their own defensive backfield will be healthy in time for what sounds like a tough challenge for the fourth week on the road against quarterback Philip Rivers and a powerful attack during the passing of Los Angeles Chargers.