None of the quarterbacks from the 2016 season were retained heading into the offseason. At the start of free agency, the 49ers signed former Chicago Bears quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley. The team also selected C.J. Beathard out of Iowa in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and signed undrafted free agent Nick Mullens out of Southern Mississippi. While Beathard could have future potential, the others are simply viewed by fans and the media as placeholders until the 49ers can target their quarterback of the future.
Lynch is hopeful that someone on the roster will surprise the coaching staff and emerge as a legitimate contender at quarterback, but didn't deny that the 49ers appeared to be stocking up on draft picks for next year when the quarterback class is considered to be much better.
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"I think that we've been very upfront that we understand that you have to have a big-time franchise quarterback to have the success on a year in, year out basis," Lynch said. "That we want to. So, we're aware of that. We're hopeful that it's one of the guys that we already have, whether that be Brian Hoyer really seizing this opportunity or Beathard, who we drafted, really taking his opportunity and running with it.
"But we're going to look at that position each and every year and you're absolutely right that I've looked at it some and then just in studying the players from this year's draft, there's a quality quarterback class coming. We just felt like the opportunity to get a lot of players this year that we valued but then also the opportunity to stockpile for next year as we're trying to rebuild this thing. We want to rebuild it with a nucleus of players that really fit our mold."
Hoyer is expected to be the 49ers' starting quarterback when the team kicks off the regular season on September 10th at home against the Carolina Panthers. The media is also keeping an eye on the situation between Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins. If a long-term contract between the two is not agreed upon by July 17th, Cousins will likely become a free agent in 2018. Should that occur, expect to hear Cousins linked to Shanahan and the 49ers for much of the season. Shanahan was Washington's offensive coordinator for two seasons following Cousin's selection in the 2012 NFL Draft.
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR.
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