We knew that Colt McCoy did not have a future with the Cleveland Browns. We just didn't know if the Browns could find a team willing to give up something for him.
The San Francisco 49ers have given us an answer.
The Browns traded McCoy and their sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft to the 49ers on Monday in exchange for the Niners' fifth- and seventh-round selections, a source told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. The 49ers had a lot of extra draft picks this year, so it isn't surprising that they gave up late-round selections for McCoy.
CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora first reported the trade. The Browns later confirmed that McCoy had been traded.
McCoy immediately steps in as the favorite to backup Colin Kaepernick in 2013, although he'll have to compete with incumbent Scott Tolzien. The news comes on the same day that the Seattle Seahawksdealt quarterback Matt Flynn to the Oakland Raiders, with Carson Palmer expected to be shipped off to the Arizona Cardinals soon.
In McCoy, the 49ers get a young backup quarterback with 21 games of starting experience. The Texas product looked promising as a rookie, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. In theory, he has the mobility to run whatever coach Jim Harbaugh wants in case of emergency.
McCoy certainly landed in the right spot to rehabilitate his career. Former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith would agree.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
