San Francisco 49ers: Top 4 players who need to go in 2019

49ers Cap Casualty No. 2: T Garry Gilliam

Our next cap casualty hasn’t been a disaster during his tenure with the team, and his overconfidence has given the 49ers an opportunity to part ways before he becomes one.

After signing as an undrafted free agent in 2014, reserve tackle Garry Gilliam spent three uninspiring years on the Seattle Seahawks’ roster, while amassing 30 starts due to injuries to his fellow offensive linemen. Seattle’s coaching staff wasn’t enamored with the tackle, but offered him a low-level tender worthy of a backup offensive lineman at the end of his rookie deal.

Shanahan and Lynch apparently saw something in Gilliam, and reportedly offered him a multi-year contract, which Gilliam initially rejected before signing a one-year “prove-it” offer with the team. Although they had five days to match the deal, the Seahawks declined to match it the following day:

Although Gilliam didn’t “prove it” during his one start in 2017, the 49ers’ front office offered him a two-year contract extension, at least partially due to the team’s lack of experienced players at the position. Gilliam signed the nearly $8 million deal, but when the details of the contract were revealed, we learned that the tackle essentially signed another one year “prove it” deal, with a $5 million team option in 2019.

Once again, Gilliam didn’t “prove it” in 2018, and as a replacement-level player at best, the veteran lineman isn’t worth his $5 million price tag for the upcoming season. Luckily for the San Francisco 49ers, Gilliam can be released by the team with no cap impact since his contract did not include a signing bonus.