Colin Kaepernick

Latest On Browns’ QB Possibilities

March 1st, 2017 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colin Kaepernick has informed all 32 NFL teams he’s going to opt out of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent. When that happens, one team that definitely won’t pursue Kaepernick is the quarterback-needy Browns, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson has demonstrated an affinity for Kaepernick in the past, so it’s conceivable the 29-year-old could have been on their radar. Jackson had interest last offseason in Kaepernick, who was then coming off an injury-plagued, statistically subpar campaign. But Kaepernick bounced back to a degree in 2016, as he tossed 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry) as part of a two-win team.

The only signal-caller who outrushed Kaepernick last year, the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor, will be on the Browns’ list if Buffalo releases him, reiterates Cabot. So could Buccaneers backup and soon-to-be free agent Mike Glennon, and the Browns also aren’t going to give up on acquiring either Patriots No. 2 Jimmy Garoppolo or Bengals reserve A.J. McCarron via trade, according to Cabot. The Patriots are reportedly unlikely to deal Garoppolo, though, while the Bengals will place a high price tag on McCarron – a former Jackson pupil – if anyone inquires about his availability.

Should the Browns fail to reel in a palatable long-term option via trades or free agency, the draft – in which they’re set to pick first and 12th overall – could be the avenue they take. Cabot notes they’ll “strongly consider” selecting a potential franchise passer then.

For now, their most established option under center is Robert Griffin III, who’s due a $750K roster bonus March 11. It’s possible Griffin will stay on the roster beyond that date, though, head of football operations Sashi Brown said Wednesday (via Cabot).

“That’s not going to be a major decision for us one way or the other in terms of a lever for making that decision,” he revealed. “We’re going to evaluate Robert, not his contract. And we’ve had some discussions there.”

NFC Notes: Bucs, Saints, Lions, 49ers

February 23rd, 2017 at 7:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston lobbed on Wednesday for the club to sign Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson in free agency, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve met him before, and we want DeSean. You better believe we want DeSean here,” Winston said. “I think he would be a great asset to our team. Me growing up an Eagles fan, seeing what he did for the Eagles and back in his Cal days and even with the Redskins, I would love to have DeSean.” The 30-year-old Jackson is coming off his fifth 1,000-yard season and might command upward of $10MM annually on the open market. Tampa Bay is among the NFL’s leaders in cap space, though, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson noted Monday that the speedy Jackson could be a fit for its receiver-needy offense.

Colin Kaepernick Meets With 49ers Brass

February 22nd, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick reached out to new general manager John Lynch soon after the latter was hired, and today Kaepernick ventured to Niners headquarters to meet with Lynch and new head coach Kyle Shanahan face-to-face, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Lynch later called the talk a “really positive discussion,” per Maiocco, but wouldn’t divulge any further information about the content of the summit.

Kaepernick, who is currently without an agent, holds an opt-out provision that would allow him to hit the free agent market this spring. While reports have varied, Kaepernick may still be deciding whether to exercise that clause in his contract. Whether or not he does could end up being moot, as the 49ers may simply release Kaepernick if he doesn’t opt out, especially given that the club has already been linked to a number of other quarterbacks.

If he does reach free agency, the 29-year-old Kaepernick would hit the market along with other signal-callers such as Mike Glennon, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Hoyer, while passers like Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and Tyrod Taylor may also soon become available. Among that group, Kaepernick is among those with the most recent success, as he tossed 16 touchdowns against only four picks in 2016.

Colin Kaepernick Switching Agents

February 13th, 2017 at 6:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has parted ways with XAM Sports, the agency that had represented him since he entered the NFL in 2011, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. It’s currently unknown which agency Kaepernick will tab to replace XAM, but it’s clear someone else will negotiate his next contract if he opts out of his current deal in the coming weeks.

As a client of XAM, Kaepernick inked a six-year, $114MM extension with the 49ers in 2014, when he and the franchise were among the NFL’s upper echelon. Kaepernick’s on-field output has gone downhill in the three seasons since, and the 49ers have cratered over the past two years in the wake of former head coach Jim Harbaugh‘s exit.

The Niners won just two games last season and will try to turn around their fortunes with a rookie general manager, John Lynch, and a first-time head coach, Kyle Shanahan. Those two will have a decision to make at quarterback, where they could target an upgrade over Kaepernick, who is facing a March 2 deadline to opt out of his contract. Lynch spoke glowingly last week of Kaepernick, who reached out to the ex-FOX analyst shortly after San Francisco hired him.

“Colin and I, when I did some 49ers games, I’d say we hit it off,” Lynch said. “I’d say there was a trust there. I think that trust extends, and I was thrilled when he reached out. I’m looking forward to talking with him.

Kaepernick has earned more than $40MM since signing his extension, notes Barrows, who adds that the 29-year-old enlisted the help of Jeff Nalley of Select Sports Group – not XAM – to renegotiate the accord last year. The six-year veteran is now undecided on whether he’ll opt out of the amended contract. The Lynch-led 49ers could essentially make the call for Kaepernick and cut him, which would save the already cap space-rich team $16.9MM in spending room for 2017. However, there’s also the possibility they’ll bring him back on a less expensive pact.

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NFC Notes: 49ers, Glennon, Bears

February 12th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Longtime running backs coach Tom Rathman won’t return to the 49ers‘ staff despite Kyle Shanahan‘s interest in retaining him. Shanahan recently gave Rathman’s job to veteran running backs instructor Bobby Turner after promising he would upon landing a head coaching position. Rathman will pursue options elsewhere as a result.

“I’m not going to be back,” Rathman said, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I feel like it’s the best for everybody if I just parted and let those guys do their thing and take me out of the equation so that nobody’s uncomfortable. I’m looking to coach running backs and that’s what I want to do. I’m just going to wait for the next opportunity and go for it when it happens.”

Shanahan and new GM John Lynch met with Rathman on Thursday in an attempt to find another position for him, but the 54-year-old coach didn’t think such a role existed that made sense. Rathman coached the 49ers’ backs since 2009 and previously served on Steve Mariucci’s staff from 1997-2002, doing so after a playing career highlighted by starting roles on two 49ers Super Bowl champions. Rathman told Maiocco he would take a year off if necessary but wants to stay in the NFL coaching ranks.

Here’s more out of San Francisco and other NFC cities.

Should Colin Kaepernick not opt out of his 49ers deal, Maiocco expects the team to release him to avoid being on the hook for a $14.9MM salary in 2017. The sides could then discuss another contract, with Kaepernick potentially opening a door to a return by contacting Lynch recently. Lynch and Kaepernick are expected to meet in the near future. Kaepernick has vacillated on the opt-out decision. He would generate interest on the market and add another big name to the list of potentially available quarterbacks, joining Jay Cutler, Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers have been linked to both Cutler and Garoppolo, along with Kirk Cousins, who could be Shanahan’s first choice.
Speaking of Cutler, the Bears extending the polarizing talent in 2014 came against the preference of members of the then-Marc Trestman-led coaching staff, but then-GM Phil Emery made the move anyway, John Mullen of CSNChicago.com writes. The Bears are now likely to move on from Cutler after eight seasons since the aforementioned seven-year, $126MM contract leaves them a 2017 escape hatch.
Mullen adds the conventional sense is Brian Hoyer will return to the Bears as a stopgap solution. Hoyer threw for 300 yards in four of five starts before going down with a broken arm, completing 67 percent of his passes and not throwing an interception. The UFA passer could have options as a backup plan for other teams, however, forcing the Bears to up the ante if they want to keep the 31-year-old passer. Bringing Hoyer back as a mentor-type player for a to-be-determined draft pick — and short-term starter — strikes Mullen as a reasonable idea due to the team’s positive view of him as a veteran leader.
Mike Glennon serves as another UFA option, but has an interesting profile. At least six teams inquired about Glennon’s availability during the 2014 draft to Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, per FanRag Sports’ Roy Cummings, but that interest diminished as years passed. Glennon drew “a couple” of trade inquiries in the 2015 draft, and the soon-to-be backup quarterback did not draw any offers during the ’16 draft or before last season’s trade deadline, Cummings notes. However, his sample size — 18 starts, with 30 TD passes and 15 INTs mixed in — makes him a less volatile commodity than Brock Osweiler in Cummings’ mind. Glennon is expected to draw interest as a free agent, with the bidding potentially going as high as $15MM per year. The Jets are reportedly intrigued by Jameis Winston‘s former backup.

49ers Rumors: Kap, Shanahan, Staff, Reid

February 9th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick appears to be warming to the idea of staying in San Francisco. While it’s uncertain if that’s in John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan‘s plans at this juncture, the 29-year-old quarterback reached out to Lynch. Kaepernick and the new 49ers GM plan to meet soon, Lynch said Thursday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).

“It will be a football decision,” Lynch said regarding Kaepernick’s status, “but I think part of that, there are different layers to that. I think everything will be included in the decision. I’m not talking specifically about his stance, though. When you have a quarterback, the great ones are leaders of men. All those things will be taken into account. Colin and I, when I did some 49ers games, I’d say we hit it off. I’d say there was a trust there. I think that trust extends, and I was thrilled when he reached out. I’m looking forward to talking with him.”

Shanahan said he will evaluate Kaepernick on film in the coming weeks. Many other signal-callers, like Kirk Cousins or Jimmy Garoppolo, have been linked to the 49ers in recent weeks, and the team can save $16.9MM by cutting Kaepernick. Previously believed to be opting out, Kaepernick is now in wait-and-see mode, joining the new-look 49ers in that regard. He’s the only quarterback under contract with the 49ers for 2017, even if that contract is not exactly binding.

Here’s more coming out of San Francisco.

The official delegation of autonomy came down, and Shanahan will indeed be one of the handful of coaches with 53-man roster control. Lynch will oversee the 90-man roster, free agency and the draft, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Shanahan elaborated on his decision not to ask more from the 49ers in terms of control after being in a position of leverage due to the team’s eventful head coaching search. “I didn’t want to demand all of it,” Shanahan said. “What’s important to you? I’ve always thought none of it matters if you’re working with the right guy. So it’s what do you want to put down on paper? And I don’t need all that down on paper. It was important to me to have the 53 on paper because I think it’s important that the players know that.”
Shanahan made a commitment to former Falcons running backs coach Bobby Turner to follow him to his first HC job “a long time ago,” but he wants previous RBs coach Tom Rathman to stay with the team in a different capacity, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes. The former fullback has spent the past eight seasons on the 49ers’ staff, dating back to the Mike Singletary regime. “I love Tom Rathman. He’s a hero of mine, and I know what kind of coach he is. I’m trying hard to get him to be here in whatever other role he wants,” Shanahan said. “But I know Tom. Tom is a running backs coach. I’m going to try my hardest to keep him here. It’s definitely going to be up to him.”
One of the many players placed on IR during the 49ers’ 2-14 season, Eric Reid looks to be on track to return by OTAs, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. Reid tore a biceps tendon in late November but told Wagoner a doctor informed him if there was a game this week he would be able to practice. Entering his fifth season, the safety will make $5.676MM as part of the fifth-year option the team exercised.
Lynch does not have a known preference on what kind of defensive scheme he wants the team to utilize. He said (via Nick Wagoner, on Twitter) he’s talked with DC options with backgrounds in multiple fronts. Former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh, current Patriots ‘backers boss Brian Flores and Falcons passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson are known options thus far. The 49ers have long used a 3-4 alignment, but most of the players from their early-2010s defensively geared run are no longer on the team. That said, 5-technique ends Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner arrived as first-round investments the past two years.

Colin Kaepernick Undecided On Opt-Out

February 8th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contrary to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter last week, the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick is not a lock to opt out of his contract by the March 2 deadline, a source close to the quarterback told Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kaepernick is currently undecided on which path he’ll take and wants to talk to the franchise’s new brass – general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan – before determining his future. As of now, Kaepernick “feels his relationship with the team has never been better and doesn’t want the team to think he wants to leave,” writes Lynch.

Even if Kaepernick wants to stay in San Francisco, that doesn’t mean the club will have interest in retaining him, of course. Cutting Kaepernick would save the 49ers $16.9MM in cap space next season and give them nearly $100MM in breathing room. Plus, Shanahan is reportedly likely to want someone else under center, and veterans Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Jimmy Garoppolo (Patriots), Matt Schaub (Falcons) and Jay Cutler (Bears) have come up in recent weeks as candidates to become the 49ers’ next starting signal-caller. San Francisco is also in possession of the second pick in this year’s draft, so it could conceivably reel in its starting passer for 2017 via that route.

Kaepernick, meanwhile, drew more attention for his political activism than his play last season, though the 29-year-old did post respectable numbers as part of a two-win team. After a truncated, injury-laden 2015 in which he threw six touchdowns against five interceptions and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt, Kaepernick bounced back with 16 scores, four picks and a 7.2 YPA in 2016. His completion rate was again below average (59.2 percent – right in line with a career 59.8), but he did reestablish himself as a major threat on the ground with a robust 6.8 yards per carry and two more TDs on 69 rushes. Only the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor had more rushing yards among QBs than Kaepernick’s 468. It’s now possible each of those two will end up available in the coming weeks, as the Bills could cut Taylor.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colin Kaepernick To Opt Out Of Contract

February 3rd, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but Colin Kaepernick will opt out of his contract this offseason, a league source tells ESPN.com Adam Schefter. Kaepernick cannot formally opt out until March 2nd, but the decision has already been made.

The writing has been on the wall for Kaepernick ever since Kyle Shanahan was hired as the team’s next head coach. The Falcons offensive coordinator will look to install his own brand of offense in SF and the one-time face of the team is not a fit for that system. Instead of getting squeezed out by the team, Kaepernick will break free from his deal in time for the legal tampering period.

Kaepernick obviously has not set the world on fire in recent years with his play, but he could be a low-cost option for teams that are desperate under center. At the same time, there’s no question that his polarizing activism will ward off some clubs. In a league consumed by the fear of media distractions, Kaepernick stands as the biggest lightning rod out there. Even putting his politics aside, many will be skeptical of his ability to regain his 2012-2014 form.

Perhaps the best thing going for Kaepernick is a lack of attractive QB options in this year’s draft. Mitch Trubisky of UNC seems to be rated as the top QB in this class, but it seems like he would not be in the mix for a top pick if this were a stronger QB crop. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson are also thought to be in the top three, in some order. All three come with plenty of uncertainty.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Redskins, Hawks, Vikings

January 18th, 2017 at 9:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If, as expected, Kyle Shanahan does indeed become the next head coach of the 49ers, quarterback Colin Kaepernick will almost assuredly not remain with the club in 2017, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Kaepernick already appeared doubtful to stay with San Francisco next season, as a recent contract restructure gives him the right to opt-out of his contract at season’s end — an option he is fully expected to exercise. A Shanahan hire would prove even more foreboding for Kaepernick’s future with the 49ers, according to Cole, as the seven-year pro isn’t a fit for the current Falcons OC’s scheme.

Here’s more from the NFC:

The Redskins expressed interest in meeting with Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel about their DC position, but Washington’s request was denied, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Crennel has since been promoted to assistant head coach, as linebackers coach Mike Vrabel will take over Houston’s coordinator role. Crennel’s contract was set to expire later this month, but the 69-year-old wouldn’t have had any interest in jobs with other clubs.
The Vikings have hired former Denver offensive line coach Clancy Barone as their tight ends coach, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link). Barone, an NFL coach since 2004, wasn’t retained after the Broncos hired new head coach Vance Joseph. Minnesota finished the season without a formal tight ends coach, as Pat Shurmur, who began the year in that role, was promoted to interim offensive coordinator.
Pending Panthers free agent Ted Ginn Jr. has changed his representation, hiring Rosenhaus Sports to replace NC Sports, according to Liz Mullen of of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Ginn, 31, is coming off a two-year contract with Carolina that paid him $2.1MM annually. In 2016, Ginn managed 54 receptions for 752 yards and four touchdowns.
Although the Seahawks are unlikely to be active in free agency this offseason, the club has been willing to reward its own players with long-term deals, leading Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times to examine the case to extend safety Kam Chancellor. The 28-year-old Chancellor is only signed through the 2017 campaign, during which he’s schedule to earn a base salary of $6.8MM.

49ers: Kaepernick To Remain Starting QB

December 6th, 2016 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins says Colin Kaepernick will remain the starting quarterback this week against the Jets (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). Kaepernick was benched this past weekend against the Bears, but the Niners still want to continue with him as their primary signal caller.

In a snowy game against Chicago, the 49ers’ offense was unable to get anything going. After going 1-for-5 for four yards and taking five sacks, coach Chip Kelly benched No. 7 in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert did better, but not by much. He completed four of his ten passing attempts for 35 yards and was also brought down in the end zone for a safety.

This is, of course, a lost season for San Francisco. However, they are still trying to figure out how to proceed at quarterback in 2017 and beyond. This year, as Kaepernick started the year on the bench and made headlines for his polarizing political stances, it seemed quite unlikely that he would be the QB solution after this season. However, after a string of quality games last month, some observers called for the Niners to consider Kaepernick for next season. This final month of action should give us an indication of whether have any interest in retaining Kaepernick. If they don’t, then Kaepernick could be in position to land a decent contract on the open market.

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