Parys Haralson, Joe Nedney Re-Sign With San Francisco

Parys Haralson may not be a household name across the NFL, but that doesn't mean he can't become one. After a strong season as a part-time player in 2008 with the 49ers, the 25-year-old linebacker signed a four-year contract extension Thursday, originally reported by Aaron Wilson at Pro Football Talk.

Per Wilson, the deal is worth $15 million total, while $6.5 million is guaranteed.

Haralson, a former fifth-round pick in 2006 out of the University of Tennessee, led the 49ers (and the entire NFC West) with eight sacks a season ago, while also recording three tackles for loss and two pass defenses. As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee points out, Haralson was willing to test the free-agent market following this season, and probably could have commanded quite a bit more cash if he continued on his current development path. So, why did he decide to re-sign with the 49ers now?

From Barrows:

On a conference call, Haralson said he was prepared to hit the market if need be. However, he said his agent called him yesterday and said the 49ers were close to a figure he liked. When the agent called at the end of the day, the deal was done. The bottom line, Haralson said, was that he was happy with the direction the 49ers are going. "We have the potential to be the best (defense) in the league," he said. "It's going to be another year of us running the 3-4 defense we're comfortable with."

The 49ers had the 13th-best defense in the NFL in '08 in terms of yards allowed, while giving up nearly 24 points per game, a number that was 23rd in the NFL, yet tops in the division. If they want to improve in any of those areas, a breakout season from Haralson is a must. The 49ers already have one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Patrick Willis, and a disruptive force coming off the edge would certainly help the cause.

Also on Thursday, the 49ers agreed on a two-year contract extension with kicker Joe Nedney. Nedney has been a member of the 49ers for the past four seasons, connecting on 88 percent of his field goal attempts, including 29-of-33 in '08.