Friday marked the start of the 49ers’ financial manoeuvres, which came just hours after the NFL declared a greater than $30 million salary cap raise for the 2024 campaign.
San Francisco immediately saves $2.4 million in cap space with the release of veteran cornerback Isaiah Oliver.
Oliver, San Francisco’s top nickel back since Jimmie Ward’s departure, inked a two-year, $6.75 million contract with the 49ers as an unrestricted free agent last offseason.
Oliver, though, found it difficult to fill that position and was eventually limited to special teams usage.
In the middle of the season, Oliver was replaced at nickel back by starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, with Ambry Thomas substituting for Lenoir outside of games.
The 49ers chose veteran Logan Ryan, a midseason acquisition, to play nickel back in the team’s Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after Thomas struggled terribly in the latter part of the season.
The 49ers’ biggest offseason goal seems to be adding a guy to improve the team’s coverage of the opposing slot receiver.
