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Antoine Bethea, San Francisco 49ers reach contract

Published: Mar 11, 2014 at 09:30 AM

Chris Wesseling

Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host

The San Francisco 49ers have their replacement for safety Donte Whitner, who is going home to Cleveland.

The 49ers have reached an agreement on a four-year contract with former Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. The deal will pay Bethea close to $6 million per year, per Rapoport. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee first reported the news, and Bethea confirmed the move via Twitter.

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A hard hitter who is better against the run than hanging with running backs and tight ends in coverage, Bethea is similar in age and skill set to Whitner. He's been rewarded with two Pro Bowl selections in eight seasons with the Colts.

It makes sense that Bethea comes at a lesser salary than the reported four-year contract averaging $7 million per season the Browns gave to Whitner.

With Bethea and second-year star Eric Reid stabilizing the back end of the secondary, general manager Trent Baalke will have to turn his attention to replacing Carlos Rogers at cornerback.

In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys study the free agency picture with the help of NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.

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