San Francisco 49ers rumors suddenly link Chip Kelly to Vernon Adams Jr. and the 2016 NFL Draft. Many 49ers rumors about Kelly and who the future quarterback for the franchise will be have surfaced since he was hired. In a report from NFL.com , immediately following a Monday, January 18, practice for the East-West Shrine Game, the 49ers met with Adams. This has already sparked a lot of interest from fans who know that the quarterback situation with San Francisco continues to be in flux.
After spending four years with Eastern Washington University, Vernon Adams Jr. transferred to play for the Oregon Ducks in 2015. He won the starting quarterback job and helped lead the team all the way to the Alamo Bowl. In 10 games with Oregon , Adams completed 168-of-259 passes (64.9 percent) for 2,643 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He finished with a 179.1 quarterback rating with Oregon. Adams also had 83 rushes for 147 total yards, which included two rushing touchdowns.
When it comes to the top quarterback prospects for the 2016 NFL Draft, a report from NFL.com doesn’t list Vernon Adams as one of the top five. The site currently has Jared Goff from California, Carson Wentz from North Dakota State, Connor Cook from Michigan State, Paxton Lynch from Memphis, and Christian Hackenberg from Penn State as those top five quarterbacks. He also might not be in the top 15 quarterbacks coming out of college football, possibly leading to Adams being a late-round pick of a free agent.
Despite a lot of San Francisco 49ers rumors about the front office and the hiring of Chip Kelly, no reports have been released stating he will have control over players or personnel. He isn’t the general manager of the 49ers, meaning he likely won’t get the final say in free agent signings or draft selection. This doesn’t mean he won’t have input, and social media is sure buzzing about the former Oregon coach getting linked to an Oregon quarterback. Kelly never coached Adams, though, so there isn’t a direct relationship between the coach and the NFL hopeful.
The 2016 NFL Draft order has been updated , with the San Francisco 49ers controlling the No. 5 overall selection. Several players have been linked to the 49ers through NFL mock drafts, including Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, and Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. It is a mock draft from CBS Sports that links the team to Lynch, who is seen as a possible (immediate) replacement for Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. The report even alludes to the team parting ways with Kaepernick before the NFL Draft takes place.
Other San Francisco 49ers rumors have the team targeting Texas A&M offensive lineman Germain Ifedi in the second round. The team has a big hole on its offensive line after Anthony Davis retired and addressing the line will certainly help the next quarterback for the 49ers. Later round picks that the 49ers have also been linked to include Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich and LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith. Both defensive players would help the 49ers add depth next to NaVorro Bowman.
So, will Chip Kelly push for the 49ers to select a mobile quarterback like Vernon Adams in the 2016 NFL Draft? There is still a lot of time until the draft takes place in the spring, and before then, the NFL Combine will be a good place for the 49ers to see other quarterbacks coming out of college. In addition to the rumors of draft picks, the team has also been linked to Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel in case the former top prospects get released. As the team tries to move in a new direction under Kelly, there are going to a lot of additional San Francisco 49ers rumors during the NFL offseason.
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