How the 49ers are affected by the 2018 quarterback landscape post free agency
By Peter Panacy
49ers Benefit from Kirk Cousins Joining the Vikings
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Kirk Cousins was poised to sign a three-year deal with Minnesota, bumping off quarterback Case Keenum to free agency.
San Francisco 49ers
Cousins was, with little doubt, the biggest quarterbacking name on the free-agent market — not counting Drew Brees, of course, who’ll re-sign with the New Orleans Saints, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. No surprise there.
The Vikings own pick No. 30 in the 2018 NFL Draft. This selection has almost zero bearing on the 49ers’ draft plans, but it does take an experienced and Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback off the market.
The New York Jets were also in on the Cousins sweepstakes. Armed with the sixth-overall pick in the draft, landing Cousins would have all but assured the Jets taking a non-quarterback player with their first selection.
New York’s fallback option was to re-sign Josh McCown — a move first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. McCown will be 39 years old when the season starts, though, so it’s not a long-term solution. To potentially answer that, the Jets are also targeting former Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater, per Rapoport.
Bridgewater, the former first-round draftee who missed all of 2016 with an injury, saw just two pass attempts last year. Perhaps he can be the long-term answer under center. But it doesn’t rule out a top quarterback selection at all.
And that serves to benefit San Francisco by pushing even more collegiate talent down the draft board.