49ers' Shanahan avoiding 'short-term fix' at QB
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is tasked with fixing the trajectory of the franchise and he's not going about his mandate hastily.
The 49ers hold the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft after stumbling to a 2-14 record in 2016, and many analysts have speculated that the team will use their selection on a quarterback.
Sporting a pressing need for a franchise-caliber quarterback, Shanahan said he's not looking for a quick solution at the team's most important position.
"It's too important of a position to make an impulsive move,” Shanahan said via Kevin Jones of KNBR. “When you make a decision on a quarterback, you don’t want that to be just a short-term fix. You want to make a commitment to somebody. And in order to do that, you better make sure you’re on the same page with everyone else, you’ve put the time in, you’ve talked to people who have been with these guys. There’s a lot that goes into it.
"It's not just busy work you can knock out. You've really got to be in the right frame of mind, you’ve got to watch it closely, you’ve got to have discussions. And then on top of it, we’re also trying to put together a scheme and teach some of these new coaches some things that we're doing. All this stuff adds up."
The 49ers have been linked to Kirk Cousins, along with top draft prospects Mitch Trubisky and Deshaun Watson for the upcoming season. Although the 49ers have a pressing need at quarterback, Shanahan said the team will pursue the best player available.
"The most important thing is to get a good player who is going to play for you for a long time. And that’s as simple as it gets," Shanahan said. "Everybody wishes and hopes you can take that quarterback who is going to be there and be that franchise guy for the next 15 years. But that's just what you hope for. You don't draft people based off of what you hope. You've got to draft people based on what you truly believe is the right answer. Knowing no one has all the right answers. There's nothing that’s going to guarantee you're going to be right.
"But to me, you've got to think very clearly. What I mean by that is you can’t just hope for stuff and wish things to happen. You've got to look at each situation differently. You've got to see what’s available. If there is a quarterback there that we believe can match that criteria and we believe he can be a franchise quarterback for us, then of course, you don’t hesitate on that. But if you don't see that, and there’s other good players, if there’s a pass rusher, if there’s a linebacker, if there's an O-lineman - whatever it is. You need to get the best player possible who you think will help your team the next 10 years."