49ers sign OT Gilliam away from Seahawks

SANTA CLARA (AP) – Offensive lineman Garry Gilliam is joining the San Francisco 49ers after Seattle declined to match his restricted free agent tender.

The Seahawks had the right to match Gilliam’s $2.2 million contract for 2017, but instead allowed him to join an NFC West rival on Tuesday. The Seahawks will not receive any compensation because they tendered Gilliam at the lowest level.

Gilliam has experience playing both tackle positions and will likely compete with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle spot this season in San Francisco.

Gilliam entered the league in 2014 as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State. He started 29 games the past two seasons with Seattle.

TAX INCREASE NETS $4.6M

FOR VEGAS STADIUM LAS VEGAS – Taxpayers contributed more than $4.6 million for an NFL stadium in Las Vegas in the first month that a new increase on area hotel taxes went into effect– ahead of projections for the state’s share of the project.

The preliminary tax collection figures from March for the stadium that the Oakland Raiders want to call home were released Tuesday. The bulk of the money came from resorts and other lodging facilities in and around the Las Vegas Strip, where tourists are paying about $1.50 more per night on their hotel bill for an averagepriced room.

“I think it validates the model in terms of what’s necessary to service the debt for the stadium,” said Steve Sisolak, commission chairman in Clark County, where the stadium is to be located.