It sounds like impending free agent Kirk Cousins and Washington are far apart when it comes to a long-term extension, making the quarterback likely to get the franchise tag ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to designate players.

A report Monday from ESPN’s John Keim in Washington:

This really isn’t a case of both sides wanting to break away from each other. According to multiple people, Cousins likes playing in Washington. According to multiple people in the organization, the team truly likes Cousins. But the leverage Cousins enjoys isn’t about to change, and the Redskins clearly aren’t prepared to pay him what he thinks he can get. That’s why with all the options as to what can happen if he’s tagged by Wednesday’s deadline, one has a higher percentage of happening: a trade.

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If Cousins is given the non-exclusive franchise tag – which is likely – he could sign an offer sheet elsewhere, with a new team sending a pair of first-round draft picks to Washington, if Washington decides not to match.

However, given that exorbitant price, it’s unlikely a new team would go that route. Instead, a team could work out a trade with Washington without giving Cousins an offer sheet.

Which leads to the important point from Keim:

(Washington’s) problem is that there’s only one team Cousins will sign with right now, according to one source: San Francisco.

So if the 49ers want Cousins, which seems natural considering Kyle Shanahan’s affinity for the Michigan State alum, San Francisco could work out a trade, contingent on a long-term contract, that satisfies all three parties.

How Washington benefits: The team wouldn’t have to watch Cousins leave in free agency in 2018 and get nothing better than a compensatory third-round pick in the 2019 draft.

How Cousins benefits: He gets a long-term deal with a coach he’s comfortable with. Shanahan was reportedly instrumental in Washington drafting Cousins in the fourth round in 2012 – even after trading up to take Robert Griffin III second overall.

How 49ers benefit: They get their franchise quarterback they know can function in Shanahan’s system. The rebuilding project gets drastically expedited with a capable veteran quarterback in his prime. They don’t have to worry about finding one early in this year’s draft, which is considered weak at the top. They can take a developmental prospect late and/or go the safe route with a veteran backup like Brian Hoyer or Matt Schaub.

So what would the trade look like?

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Likely a package including a first-round pick, either in the form of a pick swap this season, or a future first-rounder.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah last week offered up a theoretical trade that sent Cousins and pick No. 17 in the first round to San Francisco. The 49ers would send back the second-overall selection and a conditional late-round pick that would improve based on Cousins’ performance.

That may be the right price for San Francisco. The 49ers would get a quarterback – solving their biggest issue – and still have a first-round pick in this draft to address another position.

Perhaps they could find a receiver Cousins could throw to.