New 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to eye the best talent he coached in Washington.
As NFL Network's Michael Silver noted Tuesday, Kirk Cousins is the crown jewel of that pipeline, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning that another Redskins standout, Pierre Garcon, could also be on his way to San Francisco.
Rapoport added on Good Morning Football on Wednesday that the 30-year-old should earn upwards of $10 million per season, and while the deal is not done yet (and cannot be until March 9), the outlook is good for the former sixth-round pick. Garcon caught 79 balls for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns a season ago in Washington. It was his second 1,000-yard season since 2013, when Garcon had a career-best 113 catches for 1,346 yards.
While San Francisco might not be the most appetizing destination at the moment, neither will Washington in a few weeks. Aside from the growing uncertainty within their organization, the Redskins are primed to lose some of their most important role players from 2016, including DeSean Jackson, Garcon and, potentially, Cousins. It would be enough of a struggle for the team with Cousins rebuilding the offense alongside Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson and Jordan Reed, nevermind an offense without Cousins as well.
Washington is doing what it can at the moment. Signing Jay Gruden to a two-year extension at the scouting combine was an effort to calm the waters, but as of right now, it looks like the start of the free agent period will bring more hard times for Washington.
This is a tremendous leap of faith for Garcon given that the 49ers do not currently have a quarterback. New general manager John Lynch called the situation "somewhat liberating" during an interview at the scouting combine, but he should be thankful that Shanahan's system is such a draw.
