Report: SF 49ers to Pursue Kirk Cousins

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with former Redskins OC Kyle Shanahan set to become the new HC in SF, the 49ers are likely to vigorously pursue Kirk Cousins this off-season:

Former Washington offensive coordinator and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is set to become the San Francisco 49ers' head coach after Atlanta's season ends. San Francisco needs a quarterback as much as any other team in the league. If Cousins is available, the 49ers would pursue him as hard as they've pursued Shanahan.

Even if Washington tags Cousins, San Francisco could attempt to pry him loose in a trade with a package that could include this year's No. 2 overall draft pick. And if Washington doesn't want to deal now, it could have issues later.

Tagging Cousins again in 2018 would cost Washington $34.48 million, an unpalatable number for any team. And even if the Redskins did commit to that, Cousins could walk away from Washington after the 2018 season and sign where he wants, and Washington could do nothing to prevent it.

This leaves Washington overly vulnerable and Cousins particularly powerful. He gets to dictate where he will play, and the lure of Shanahan in San Francisco will be strong.

So, what do we think of this? How likely do we think it is that Shanny and SF will really make a run at Kirk? Could this lead to a “tag-and-trade” scenario? How enticed are you by the thought of the #2 overall pick? What more would you need to part ways with Cousins? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.