49ers’ Beadles turned out to be solid free-agent signing

SANTA CLARA -- Back in the spring, Zane Beadles was a bit of a punch line. The joke: the 49ers have more than $40 million in salary cap space and the only free agent they've signed is guard Zane Beadles!

The 49ers' frugality in free agency -- especially given their 1-12 records -- remains worthy of mocking, but their signing of Beadles has turned out to be money well spent. After inking him to a three-year, $11.75 million deal in May, Beadles has started all 13 games, including the most recent one at left tackle.

"He did a really good job especially never having played the position before," said incumbent left tackle Joe Staley, who missed the Jets game with a hamstring strain and who is…