http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...eleased-colin-kaepernick-opt-out?sf59905764=1
If Colin Kaepernick didn't opt out, 49ers would have released QB
Nick Wagoner/ESPN Staff Writer
One way or another,
San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Colin Kaepernick was going to become a free agent this offseason.
Kaepernick's representatives informed teams earlier this week that he would be opting out of the final year of his contract with the 49ers. The first day he was eligible to do so was Thursday, and Kaepernick will officially opt out of his contract on Friday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
But even if Kaepernick hadn't exercised that option, he wouldn't have been back with the 49ers under the terms of his current contract. Niners general manager John Lynch told SiriusXM radio on Thursday afternoon that the team would have released Kaepernick had he not elected to opt out.
"Kaep is going to opt out," Lynch said. "We had a great conversation with him. We had a great meeting, and I think we had a very frank and honest discussion, and what we both agreed was that under the current construct of the situation, everything, the contract, it wasn't going to work."
The Niners aren't ruling out a reunion with Kaepernick -- "We left that door open in a very real and positive way," Lynch said Thursday at the NFL combine -- because San Francisco will have no quarterbacks under contract for 2017 when the new league year begins March 9.
Upon opting out, Kaepernick will join
Blaine Gabbert,
Christian Ponder and
Thad Lewis as 49ers quarterbacks set to explore the free-agent market. Because of that, Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledge that finding help for the game's most important position is the top priority.
"We are looking at every option," Lynch told Sirius. "We need to. Free agency, there's some viable options there. I'm excited about this draft class. I think a lot of people have criticized these guys. As I watch them, I get excited. I think with the No. 2 pick in the draft, that's a valuable asset, and it gives us a lot of options at our disposal. One thing Kyle and I have talked about: When you have no quarterbacks, it's not an ideal situation, but what it does, it allows us to go get people.
"Obviously there's constraints, but it allows us to form it in the way we want. We aren't taking other people's stuff that maybe we aren't thrilled about. We can go say, 'Hey, these are the guys we want to play with.'"
One option is pursuing
Washington Redskins quarterback
Kirk Cousins. Washington placed the exclusive franchise tag on Cousins this week, effectively denying him the opportunity to even negotiate with other teams. That means that if the Redskins decide to part with Cousins, it will come via trade -- and with a presumably hefty price.
Lynch said Thursday he has not had any discussions with the Redskins about Cousins, but he did say he has great respect for the veteran and reiterated, "All options are available to us."
