SANTA CLARA – The enemy is now a teammate.
Free-agent wide receiver Mario Manningham, who caught a key touchdown pass for the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, agreed Saturday to a two-year contract with San Francisco, according to Manningham's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Manningham, 25, visited the 49ers on Thursday and was in St. Louis on Saturday. The Giants also were interested in bringing him back.
When he signs his contract, the former Michigan standout will join Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams and Joe Hastings as wide receivers signed for the 2012 season. How the top three – Moss, Crabtree and Manningham – will rotate is unknown, but the 49ers have been interested in seeing how Crabtree, their top wide receiver in 2011, would work as a slot receiver. The team also is likely to select a wide receiver – perhaps one with punt-return skills – in next month's draft.
Manningham's best season came in 2010, when he started eight games, caught 60 passes for 944 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He took a step back with the emergence of Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz last season, catching 39 passes for 523 yards and four touchdowns.
But he came up with critical catches in the playoffs against the 49ers – a 17-yard go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter – and in the Super Bowl against New England.
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