On paper, a San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins trade centered around Kirk Cousins makes perfect sense. But according to a report, one man who doesn’t want it to happen is Washington owner Dan Snyder.
One obstacle in the Kirk Cousins trade: Dan Snyder. I'm told bad blood remains between he & Kyle. Dan doesn't want a Shanahan landing Kirk
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) March 8, 2017
If true, that’s the sign of bad ownership. Unfortunately for Redskins fans, it would not be the first time that particular charge has been leveled on Snyder.
As Washington’s owner, Snyder’s interest should be on how to make Redskins as good as they can possibly be. If that means trading with an old adversary (or perceived adversary) in Kyle Shanahan, so be it. With a high draft pick, the 49ers have a strong asset that can help Washington become a better team. With an abundance of cap space and, with all due respect to the newly signed Brian Hoyer, a need at quarterback, the 49ers would be a likely team to offer up that compensation.
Snyder’s reluctance would make more sense if he didn’t want to strengthen a rival. But that’s not the case. Washington and San Francisco don’t play in the same division and really, even with Cousins, the 49ers are still a long way from playoff contention.
Snyder being unwilling to deal with Shanahan is just petty behavior. That kind of behavior is more destructive to his own team than any feud with the Shanahans.