Kirk Cousins, NFL free agency and the 49ers’ dream scenario
By Peter Panacy
Quarterback Kirk Cousins won’t be joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help out his former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, when NFL free agency begins.
The days are long gone when San Francisco 49ers fans and pundits envisioned a scenario where soon-to-be former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins had a reunion with his former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan.
That would have been the talk of the offseason had the Niners not acquired and re-signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. But they did, Washington traded for Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cousins is destined for an open free-agent market starting on Mar. 14.
Still, Cousins can help San Francisco out quite a bit this offseason.
San Francisco 49ers
All of it depends on where Cousins winds up. Arguably the highest-profile name on the free-agent market, Cousins is commanding attention from a number of QB-hungry teams. The Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings are all possible destinations, according to NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling.
But, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller (h/t B/R’s Timothy Rapp), Cousins has narrowed his preferred destination down to the Jets and Vikings.
Both the Cardinals and Browns are entering the preliminary stages of a long-term rebuild. So if winning is atop Cousins’ priorities, it’s easy to see those teams crossed off. The Broncos are a few years removed from a Super Bowl crown. But their cap space ($23.8 million) mandates some serious alterations to make room for the quarterback.
So, New York or Minnesota?
The Ideal Situation for the 49ers
The 49ers hold the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. And there’s no shortage of teams in the market for a quarterback and also picking ahead of San Francisco.
Cleveland (Nos. 1 and 4), the New York Giants (No. 2), Denver (No. 5) and the Jets (No. 6) all have quarterbacking needs and will draft ahead of the Niners. Any one of those teams signing Cousins, particularly the Jets, would likely mean the draft board would be altered enough to remove a top-tier non-quarterback prospect from the 49ers’ radar.
The Vikings, meanwhile, own the 30th overall pick in the draft. That selection has almost zero implications on the Niners’ draft actions this April. The only impact would be at least two members of their 2017 quarterback trio — Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford — would hit the open market.
And all three come with their own question marks, pointing to the likelihood none would be considered long-term fixtures elsewhere.
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Another team in play here, the Cardinals, have no quarterbacks on their roster heading into the league’s new year. They could get desperate, perhaps trading into the top 10 if they’re unable to land Cousins. That would also greatly benefit the Niners, who would see yet another non-QB prospect drop down the list.
Simply put, Cousins to the Vikings would be the most ideal situation for the 49ers this offseason. All those quarterback-hungry teams drafting ahead of San Francisco would surely have to use the draft as a means to address the position.
Meanwhile, more talent is pushed down the board on day one of the NFL Draft.
Next: 2018 NFL Draft mock for Round 1, scouting combine edition
So, keep your fingers crossed, Niners fans, Cousins winds up heading to the NFC North this offseason.