The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft after a disappointing 2016 campaign, and this team is looking to add several impact players they can build around going into the 2017 season. However, one of the biggest needs they will definitely look to address is at the quarterback position. With one month until the start of the draft, here are all the latest 49ers draft news and rumors you need to know:
Trading for Kirk Cousins not an option for 49ers
San Francisco has been very interested in making a trade for Kirk Cousins and have had talks with the Washington Redskins about a possible deal, but president Bruce Allen told CSN Mid-Atlantic that Washington has no plans to trade Cousins.
“That’s why we franchised him,” Allen said of Cousins.
Asked about numerous trade rumors and reports on (Washington’s) single-season passing record holder, Allen dismissed them all.
“I can’t keep up with the rumors,” Allen said. “Kirk and I have talked almost a dozen times this offseason, and we get to laugh when we hear these different rumors. We haven’t talked to anyone.”
Cousins reportedly asked Washington for a trade because of his unhappiness with the front office, particularly with Allen, but owner Dan Snyder told Cousins not to expect to be traded.
Cousins has spent the last two season as Washington's starting quarterback, and set new franchise records for passing yards each year. In 2016, Cousins passed for 4,917 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
San Francisco working out Deshaun Watson
The 49ers are still entertaining the possibility of drafting a quarterback with that No. 2 pick, and worked out Clemson's Deshaun Watson last week, according to NFL.com's Dan Parr.
The 49ers' tour of draft prospects last week included a meeting with Deshaun Watson.
San Francisco GM John Lynch told Up to the Minute Live on Monday that San Francisco worked out the Clemson quarterback last week. Lynch also attended North Carolina and Notre Dame pro days last week, where he had a chance to get another look at QBs Mitchell Trubisky and DeShone Kizer.
The news of the Watson workout might be the latest signal that Lynch is serious enough in his interest in the QBs that he's still evaluating whether any of them are worthy of the 49ers' selection at No. 2 overall. The position remains one of the club's biggest needs.
With Myles Garrett the clear favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Browns, the 49ers are likely to have their pick of QBs at No. 2, if that's the direction they elect to go in.
Watson passed for 4,593 yards with 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while rushing for 629 yards and nine touchdowns this past season while leading Clemson to the national championship.
49ers interested in Davis Webb?
If San Francisco decides to pass on Watson - or anyone else - with the No. 2 pick, the team may could consider taking Cal's Davis Webb on the second day of the draft, writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback and coach, believes Shanahan could work wonders with Webb. Full disclosure: Zorn has worked privately the past two months with Webb in Southern California to prepare him for the draft.
“He would fit in very well,” Zorn said of Webb and the 49ers. “What’s great about Kyle is he adapted. The core of his offense is a West Coast system. What I’ve seen Kyle do and he’s done well is adapt to the skill level of his players.”
Webb does not come from a West Coast system but rather the pass-oriented, “Air Raid” world, having transferred to Cal last year from Texas Tech.
“The media kind of blows the Air Raid thing out of proportion,” Webb said. “I have a lot of goals set out in front of me for the next couple years and I plan on reaching those, so it will be a lot of fun.”
Webb said that "multiple teams" have told him that he should be a first round pick. In his lone season at Cal, Webb passed for 4,295 yards with 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
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