49ers GM John Lynch won’t rule out approaching another team about a quarterback trade.
“We’re not closing the door on any options,” Lynch admitted (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Facebook). “We have the number 2 pick and that’s a valuable asset. Fortunately for Kyle (Shanahan) and I, we weren’t part of that 2-14 season. And so now we get to walk in and the good side of that is we have the number 2 pick, and I think that opens a lot of doors for people to try to talk to us about that pick, as well. Or we can sit back and get a really talented player right there, so we’re excited about that.”
Of course, the 49ers have been heavily connected to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, they’d have to give up a ton to pry him away in addition to giving him a lucrative new extension. The latest word is that the Niners are unwilling to go that far to get a QB.
Here’s more from the NFC as news continues to pour in from the combine:
- 49ers GM John Lynch says that he would have released Colin Kaepernick had he not opted out (Twitter link via SiriusXM).
- Rams GM Les Snead says extension talks for defensive tackle Aaron Donald are “definitely coming (Twitter link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Donald, the former No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is under contract through 2017 at a $3.225MM cap figure. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 interior defender with a stellar 95.6 grade. A new deal for Donald will likely reset the market for defensive tackles.
- Rams GM Les Snead isn’t ruling out the possibility of working out a long-term deal with Trumaine Johnson before the July 15 deadline, but they’ll revisit those discussions after OTAs, Gonzalez tweets. That’s because the Rams want to wait until they have a better feel for whether Johnson is a good fit under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
- The Falcons are moving on from defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux but it is believed the 35-year-old will continue playing elsewhere, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. Babineaux, he notes, has connections to coaches around he league. It sounds like the veteran doesn’t plan on retirement, but in a league that is getting progressively younger, it’s not a given that he’ll find work.
- Discussions about a potential extension for Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro aren’t expected until later this summer, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.