Kirk Cousins is a polarizing signal caller, particularly when lumping him with the NFL’s best at the position.

That’s because Cousins will be paid like an elite quarterback in 2017, either on the $24-million franchise tag or a new multi-year deal. And there’s a chance that deal comes from the 49ers.

Washington gave Cousins the franchise tag last week, but might be inclined to trade the quarterback this offseason if an agreement on a long-term contract can’t be made before the deadline July 15. Otherwise, Washington would risk losing Cousins in free agency in 2018 for nothing more than a third-round compensatory draft pick.

It sounds like a scenario that would benefit the 49ers. They have 10 draft picks this spring, next year’s picks and upwards of $100 million in cap space after purging veterans Torrey Smith and Antoine Bethea from the roster this week. They have no quarterbacks. Adding Cousins wouldn’t be difficult.

Or, the 49ers can wait. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch each received six-year deals, giving them more job security than just about anyone in the NFL at the moment. This isn’t a win-now scenario, particularly at the expense of the future.

They could wait until next season, or later, before making a sizable investment in a franchise quarterback. The pertinent example: they could sign Cousins when he hits free agency 12 months from now, giving San Francisco leverage in trade talks. In the meantime, the 49ers could upgrade the rest of the roster.

But there’s more. It’s been widely circulated that Cousins would only sign a long-term deal with the 49ers, making Washington’s handcuffs a little tighter. Any other team looking to trade for Cousins would only do so if he agreed to a multi-year contract. That makes San Francisco the only bidder.

So why should the 49ers give up their second-overall pick for Cousins if they’re the only team Washington can trade with? They shouldn’t.

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They shouldn’t discuss their second-round pick, 34th overall, or even bother mentioning a first-round pick swap. The 49ers should only pay their price for Cousins because they have the chance to sign him next year without giving up any picks.

So what would the right trade package look like? Logically, only something better than the third-round compensatory selection Washington would get if Cousins bounced in free agency next year.

The 49ers could center a package around a third-round pick, this year or next, and negotiate from there. Maybe Arik Armstead, who fits better in Washington’s 3-4 than San Francisco’s new 4-3, could be the sweetener. Otherwise, an additional pick or two should suffice.

Lynch and Shanahan shouldn’t overpay for anything. After all, they’re trading for the right to make Cousins one of the highest paid players in the NFL.

Doing that, on top of giving anything close to a first- or second-round pick, is an awful lot for a quarterback without a playoff track record. They don’t need Cousins that badly, particularly given Shanahan’s strong history identifying and developing quarterbacks.

Washington should want to make the deal while they can get anything of value in return. Moving Cousins also removes the cloud that would cover the organization all season knowing he was going to bolt – or the friction it might create while he determines his best path.

If Washington asks for more, the 49ers’ alternative could be signing free agent Brian Hoyer, for example. It might not be the sexiest move. But it wouldn’t hamper San Francisco financially or contractually in the long run, and he has experience in Shanahan’s offense. Hoyer, 31, went 7-6 with Shanahan as his coordinator in Cleveland in 2014. He had a winning record with the Browns.

And he wasn’t awful in two seasons since. Hoyer completed 63 percent of his throws while averaging 238 yards per game with 25 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He has a a 93.7 rating in his last 17 games for Houston and Chicago. Colin Kaepernick over the same span: 85.5.

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Hoyer could be the place holder while San Francisco drafts a developmental prospect. Maybe they strike gold with Patrick Mahomes at pick 34 and he turns into Derek Carr, who was taken 36th by Oakland in 2014. That turned out well for the Raiders.

Or San Francisco could use a third- or fourth-round pick on Davis Webb, Nathan Peterman or Brad Kaaya and try their luck with Cousins or Jimmy Garoppolo next year in free agency. Or, they could dip in the 2018 draft class, which is expected to be betting than the current batch. Shanahan and Lynch, almost literally, have all the time in the world to get this right.

If Washington laughs at the 49ers’ offer starting with a third-round pick, San Francisco loses no skin in the game. Washington needs to deal Cousins more than Shanahan and Lynch need to acquire him in year one of their tenures. Particularly on a contract paying him like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees.

If a deal does’t happen, Lynch and Shanahan would still have all the resources available to wait for the right time to land the right quarterback.