"The 49ers may have gotten out of the free-agency gates like a tortoise last week, but they've been in rabbit mode over the past two days.

Thursday saw two more high-profile signings: safety Donte Whitner and receiver Braylon Edwards, a player the 49ers considered when they had the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. Both figure to step immediately into starting roles.

In fact, the team has signed four players since Wednesday - cornerback Carlos Rogers and center Jonathan Goodwin are the others - who could start when the season begins.

Edwards' signing became necessary when the 49ers learned that last year's top wideout, Michael Crabtree, would miss several weeks with an injury to his left foot. Crabtree was placed on the physically unable to perform list last week.

Last season, Edwards had 53 catches for 904 yards and seven touchdowns for the Jets. His most impressive season came in 2007 when, as a Cleveland Brown, he caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. The 49ers haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Terrell Owens had 1,102 yards in 2003.

Edwards, who was wearing Owens' old No. 81 during his first practice, noted that at age 28 he was the elder statesmen among his new team's wideouts and that he was happy to help them develop. But after signing a one-year deal, he made it clear that teaching wasn't his primary mission.

"Make no bones about it, I'm here to be the guy," he said. "I'm here to make plays. I'm here to complement whoever's on the other side. I didn't come to accept a quiet role. I'm here to make some noise.""