The San Francisco 49ers have signed veteran offensive lineman Mike Person, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team later announced that he signed a one-year deal.
Offensive tackle Mike Person, an 8-year veteran most recently with the #Colts, signed with the #49ers today, source said. Depth following the trade of Trent Brown.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 9, 2018
Person (6-4, 299), who has experience at center, guard, and tackle, started his NFL career with the 49ers. The team made him a seventh-round draft pick out of Montana State in 2011. Person was inactive for all 16 regular-season games and both postseason matchups during his rookie season. After being released in August of 2012, he played for the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and had two stints with the Indianapolis Colts.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is familiar with Person. The two were with the Falcons when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator there in 2015 and 2016. The offensive lineman started a career-high 14 games with Atlanta in 2015.
Person appeared in 12 games for the Colts last season, his second stint with the team, with four starts at center following an injury to Ryan Kelly. He allowed just three quarterback hurries and no hits or sacks during 317 snaps in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. Over his seven-year career (entering his eighth), Person has appeared in 43 games with 18 starts.
The 49ers' offensive line has undergone a massive overhaul this offseason. The team has veteran Joe Staley starting at left tackle and drafted Mike McGlinchey with the ninth-overall pick in last month's draft. San Francisco traded veteran starting right tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots on April 27 -- the day after McGlinchey was drafted.
The 49ers opened their offseason program with Laken Tomlinson and Jonathan Cooper as the starting guards. The team also has guards Erik Magnuson and Joshua Garnett competing for jobs. San Francisco released Zane Beadles on Monday.
Center Weston Richburg signed a five-year deal with the 49ers at the start of free agency. Last year's starter, Daniel Kilgore, was traded to the Miami Dolphins.