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Defensive back Marcus Hudson played the last four seasons with the 49ers. (PHOTO: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS)

Hudson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound product of North Carolina State, joins the Panthers after playing four seasons for the San Francisco 49ers.  He comes off a season in which he posted a career-high 24 special-teams tackles, bringing his career total over the last four years to 57.

The 27-year-old native of Miami, Fla. saw action in 48 games with San Francisco the last four seasons, playing primarily on special teams while also seeing action in the team's nickel and dime packages.

Hudson joins wide receiver Wallace Wright as recent signees with extensive experience on kickoff and punt coverage units. Wright, who was signed on March 8, amassed 70 special-teams tackles the last four seasons with the New York Jets before joining Carolina.

Petitti, like Hudson, was a restricted free agent who was not given a qualifying offer earlier this month, thus permitting him to sign with any team. He first joined the Panthers last Dec. 15 after Jeff Otah was placed on injured reserve, but was inactive for the next three weeks.

The 6-foot-6, 327-pounder broke into the NFL as a sixth-round selection of the Dallas Cowboys in 2005. He started 16 games in his rookie season but was released at the end of the following preseason.

Petitti had stints with the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints, then spent the early part of the 2009 season with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League before joining the Panthers.