The 49ers have released offensive lineman Garry Gilliam, according to a team announcement. The move will save the club $5MM in cap space. 
“We would like to thank Garry for his contributions to the team the last two seasons,” 49ers GM John Lynch said in a statement. “He filled in admirably when called upon and was a consummate teammate. We wish him and his family all the best.”
Gilliam came to the Niners in April of 2017 and went on to appear in 24 games over the past two seasons. He started in only one of those contests, so a $5MM salary for 2019 was pretty much untenable for SF brass. He’ll now hit free agency once again, but he’s unlikely to match his would-be 2019 paycheck.
On the plus side, Gilliam now gets an early jump at free agency, rather than waiting until March.
Philly should sign him as a back up for when injury stories next season
It’ll be interesting to see how the 49ers decide to add to their talent base this off-season. Obviously, the draft will play a significant role, but they could also drastically improve their playoff chances by adding a few key pieces to their secondary, WR group, and to their pass rushing group..
If they can get him in the $2 mil. range, he could be a possible swing OT alternative for the Vikings to offering a RFA tender to Rashod Hill.