Multiple reports suggest the 49ers could be on the verge of acquiring their next quarterback. Depending on which report you believe, San Francisco will either be trading for Washington's Kirk Cousins or Chicago's Jay Cutler.
NFL Network analyst Dan Jeremiah suggested the 49ers could pull off a trade for Cousins as early as next week at the NFL combine.
"I would not be shocked at all if we saw a Kirk Cousins to San Francisco trade go down at that point in time," Jeremiah said on The Mighty 1090 in San Diego. "I don't think (the Redskins) are going to be able to get a long-term deal done. I would say greater than 50 percent chance he's not with the Redskins next year."
The 49ers new tandem of general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan hinted they'd like to secure a long-term solution at quarterback. Cousins would be perhaps the most attractive target since he's 28, had a huge 2016 season (4,917 yards passing, 25 touchdown passes) and has history with Shanahan, who was his offensive coordinator in Washington.
Cousins, though, is looking for a long-term solution to his bank account. But, as recent history has shown us, when you're named Cousins and you want a whopper of a deal from the home team, you'd better keep your bags packed.
Trade or no trade, the quarterback Cousins is expected to receive a franchise tag again from the Redskins.
A trade, though, would assure him of a new contract. The question is whether the 49ers would be willing to give up their No. 2 overall pick as part of a trade?
San Francisco would have to surrender much less _ or nothing at all _ to get an even more accomplished quarterback if it were to go after the Bears' Cutler. The 33-year-old played just five games this past season because of thumb and shoulder injuries.
Cutler would also be appealing to both Lynch and Shanahan, considering he was teammates in Denver with Lynch, and Mike Shanahan helped turn him into a Pro Bowler with the Broncos.
The 49ers, of course, have other options at quarterback that include retaining Colin Kaepernick or drafting a rookie quarterback and supplementing the position with a stop-gap veteran such as Matt Schaub.
