Needing a Corner, Niners Call Dre' Bly

San Francisco's secondary took a huge hit on Tuesday with word that veteran cornerback Walt Harris would likely miss the season with a torn ACL. The Niners wasted little time trying to restore some defensive depth, signing veteran Dre' Bly to a one-year deal on Thursday.

Bly will likely compete with third-year man Tarell Brown for the starting cornerback spot opposite Nate Clements.

"We lost a Pro Bowl-caliber player in Walt Harris this week, and we were able to fill that void with another Pro Bowler in Dre' Bly," 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan told the Associated Press. "It was important to get Dre' in here quickly so that he can get acquainted with our system, our coaches and his new teammates."

While it's true that Bly has a pair of Pro Bowl appearances in his past, he's no longer near that caliber of player anymore -- San Francisco was able to snatch him up at a moment's notice because he barely received a sniff on the free-agent market after being cut by Denver earlier this offseason.

Bly is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He matched a career-low with just two interceptions in 2008, though he did set a career-high with 62 tackles (allowing more passes to be caught in front of him could be an explanation for the second statistic ... well, and the first too, I suppose). Still, his 10 seasons of NFL service at least provide a safety net for San Francisco. Brown, Bly's main competition for playing time, has all of one professional start.

"At this point in my career, when I've been successful like I've been, it's not about money," Bly said. "It's about opportunity. I wanted to wait for the right opportunity for me to have a chance to compete."