The San Francisco 49ers will have numerous decisions to make at the quarterback position, and presumptive head coach Kyle Shanahan will likely have the final say in that regard. John Lynch has final say on free agency and the draft, but I think we can safely assume he will follow whatever Shanahan has to say about the quarterback position.
During Super Bowl media availability, Shanahan has gotten a variety of questions about quarterbacks. He talked on Thursday about his interest in Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr over Johnny Manziel while with Cleveland. There were numerous reasons he left Cleveland, but it is likely the decision to ignore his reports contributed in a big way.
He also had a chance to provide a couple scouting reports to the media. Matt Maiocco transcribed some of his thoughts on Garoppolo, and also potential free agent QB Kirk Cousins.
Jimmy Garoppolo
“He was a very good thrower,” Shanahan said. “Tough guy, kept his eyes down the field, could get rid of the ball fast. Really liked the person. Had a chance to go out to dinner with him and stuff. He played at Eastern Illinois, and it was a different type of offense where you can’t always evaluate with how quick they get rid of the ball. But I really thought he was a very intelligent, tough player with a good throwing motion.”
The 49ers would need to trade to get Garoppolo, who is not a free agent until 2018, but is viewed by most as likely to be traded this offseason. The 49ers, Browns, and Bears are all teams that could look to add Garoppolo, and the bidding could get intense.
Kirk Cousins
“Kirk’s a natural thrower who’s fearless,” Shanahan said. “He lets it rip. Guys who are processing can go fast in the pocket and Kirk’s as good as anybody at that.”
Cousins played the 2016 season on the franchise tag, and Washington is likely to use the tag again this year. His most likely departure is after the 2017 season, but a trade could be worked out in the meantime. If he has the non-exclusive tag, the 49ers would need to send a pair of first round picks. If the 49ers were legitimately interested in Cousins, I would think the team would try to work out a deal that does not involve a pair of firsts.