The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly the favorites to acquire free agent Robert Griffin III, especially if new coach Chip Kelly finds a way to dispatch quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
NFL analyst Ed Werder of ESPN, via Evan Silva's twitter account, revealed that the 49ers are in good spot in the race to acquire RG3, who was recently released by the Washington Redskins.
Ed Werder suggested #49ers might be RG3's best bet as a landing spot. Expects Chip Kelly to have interest depending on what happens w/ Kap.
"” Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 8, 2016
The 49ers have insisted that they want to keep Kaepernick in San Francisco, but the quarterback reportedly wants to move to another team. ESPN reported that Kaepernick's representatives have already asked the 49ers permission to seek a trade this offseason.
According to YardBarker, trading Kaepernick and acquiring RG3 will be win-win for all parties involved. Kaepernick will be happy with a new team, the 49ers will get a fresh start under Kelly, while RG3 will get a chance to prove his doubters wrong in an offense where he can excel in.
"He needs to be in an offense where his threat to run is always on the table, and he needs an offense in which he isn't asked to make too many difficult decisions," YardBarker noted, referring to RG3. "This fits perfectly with what Kelly provides his quarterbacks, and to be honest RG3 likely fits this offense better than Kaepernick does."
Griffin, who was the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, had a rocky four-year stint in Washington. He was named 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and made an impact during his first two seasons with the Redskins before injuries derailed his blossoming NFL career.
The former Baylor standout did not play a single game for the Redskins last season, but Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report recently revealed that RG3 will still be one of the most coveted free agents this offseason. Freeman, citing front-office sources, said that at least 10 teams will take a strong look at Griffin this summer.
Aside from the 49ers, Sports World News reported that the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns could also make a strong push to acquire RG3. The Cowboys are looking for an eventual successor to start quarterback Tony Romo and are reportedly eyeing Griffin and Browns QB Johnny Manziel. The Browns are also expected to look for a new face of their franchise after the "Manziel experiment" in Cleveland did not succeed.
