May 27th 2008 2:41PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: 49ers, Chargers, NFL Free Agency, San Diego, San FranciscoThere was a time when Shane Olivea looked like one of the most talented young offensive linemen in the NFL. That time has passed.

After the Chargers took him in the seventh round of the draft, Olivea started all 16 games on one of the best lines in the league as a rookie in 2004, and he was still a solid starter in 2005 and 2006. But last year he struggled and got benched, and this year he was sent packing.

He’s now an unrestricted free agent, except that he has apparently already agreed to terms with some NFL team. The Press Democrat reports:
The 49ers have inquired about some possible veteran free-agent pickups. They asked about Shane Olivea recently, but were told that Olivea has already agreed to terms with another club. Olivea, who lost his starting job and fell out of favor with the Chargers, is expected to sign with that team in June.It’s unusual for a player to agree to terms with a team but not sign with that team, but Olivea has apparently decided his best fit is on a team that needs to clear some salary cap space. Which team could that be? Josh Alper speculates at PFT that it could be Baltimore, Carolina, Denver, Detroit or Oakland. Right now it’s anyone’s guess.