The Facts: Kaepernick is likely to become a free agent next month, but new 49ers GM John Lynch said Thursday that he and HC Kyle Shanahan will meet with Kaepernick later this month. Lynch, who's been on the job for a few weeks, said Kaepernick "reached out" and that the 49ers will meet with him once they get a better feel for their personnel plans. "The first order of business is Kyle and I both really attacking [the roster] and seeing what we have here and we'll do that with his situation," Lynch said. "We'll sit down with him and if we see fit that he's a part of it, we'll commit to that. If not, we'll figure things out."

Diehards Line:Kaepernick and the 49ers restructured his contract last October, giving Kaepernick an opt-out clause and the chance to become a free agent before the new league year begins in March. Kaepernick reportedly plans to opt out. The 49ers are expected to pursue a quarterback in this year’s draft, maybe as early as with the No. 2 pick. A Kaepernick return likely wouldn’t change that; neither would Shanahan bringing in veteran backup Matt Schaub, a potential move to which he’s already been linked. Shanahan said he needs to study film of Kaepernick and of all of the 49ers’ offensive players, and that’s atop his to-do list. ... It's something we'll all be watching closely in coming weeks.