San Francisco 49ers Acquire Colt McCoy from Cleveland Browns

In a surprising trade, the San Francisco 49ers have lightened their draft pick load by dealing a mid-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for backup quarterback Colt McCoy. According to CBS NFL insider Jason La Canfora, the Niners and Browns agreed on the swap on Monday, and the pick that will be heading to Cleveland will be of the mid-round variety.

The move comes as a bit of surprise given the fact that the 49ers have Colin Kaepernick under center and didn’t have to trade for a backup to play behind him. But Jim Harbaugh wasn’t sold on the depressed quarterback market, and the Niners have the luxury of being able to part with a mid-round pick and still hold a plethora of picks in their hand.

McCoy was hoping to fight for the starting job in Cleveland this season, but became the odd man out when Jason Campbell was signed and Brandon Weeden was anointed the unofficial starter of the team. McCoy had a solid run with the University of Texas, breaking throwing records for the Longhorns before being drafted by the Browns.

But while he move is head scratching at first, it makes sense as McCoy hasn’t really done too much to prove he’s not a good quarterback in the NFL. Playing behind Kaepernick in Jim Harbaugh’s offense may be exactly what he needs to develop into a starter one day and redeem himself from his lowly days with the Browns.

It’s a move that may leave some people wondering what the Niners were thinking, but let the trade sink in and you’ll realize the Niners have made yet another brilliant move that makes the team even better than they were before.