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Kirk Cousins appealed personally to owner Dan Snyder for a trade but was basically told not to get his hopes up, per sources.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) March 9, 2017
Last week, Washington placed the exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, which means that any negotiations for the quarterback must go through them. It was the second-straight year that the franchise tag was used on Cousins. Last year, Washington used the non-exclusive franchise tag. The use of the exclusive franchise tag this year means the 49ers are not allowed to open discussions with Cousins himself.
The issue with such a designation is that the 49ers cannot discuss a long-term contract with the quarterback, something that they would want to accomplish following a trade. However, ESPN has reported that Cousins would be open to signing a long-term deal with San Francisco.
"I believe that Kirk Cousins wants no part of Washington right now and would like to be in San Francisco," reported Mike Silver of NFL Media this week. "And Washington is a dysfunctional dumpster fire with Scot McCloughan not even in the office now."
Shanahan is a fan of Cousins and the 49ers would like to have him but they are unwilling to overpay for the quarterback as far as draft compensation goes. Washington, who likely wants too much for Cousins, may be forced to lower its asking price because it stands to receive only a 2019 third-round draft pick if the quarterback leaves via free agency next year.
The 49ers are set to sign Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer to a two-year deal following the official start of free agency at 1 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Once signed, Hoyer will be the only quarterback on the 49ers roster so the team has at least two more spots to fill – more likely three more spots heading into training camp.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington when Cousins was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and the quarterback reportedly loved playing for Shanahan.
Cousins had the best season of his career in 2016, completing 67-percent of his passes for 4,917 yards and throwing 25 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions – yet, Washington refuses to fully commit to the quarterback by offering him a long-term deal that matches his own perceived value.
