Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick To Report To Niners

April 4th, 2016 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

With the 49ers’ offseason workouts set to get underway today, Colin Kaepernick – the subject of several trade rumors within the last few weeks – is expected to be in attendance. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News first tweeted on Sunday night that the quarterback would likely report, and as David Fucillo of Niners Nation details, Kaepernick was spotted on a flight from Denver to the Bay Area. He had been rehabbing in Colorado.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has also reported that Kaepernick will report to the Niners’ facility on Monday, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting that the signal-caller is set to attend a team meeting at 8:30 pacific time this morning, along with the rest of his teammates.

Of course, as Barrows has detailed and as Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets, reporting to San Francisco is something of a tactical move for Kaepernick, who is still recovering from multiple injuries and may not be able to participate much in workouts. The Niners QB is owed a $400K workout bonus on his current deal, which he may have forfeited by not showing up this week.

Trade speculation involving Kaepernick swirled all weekend, with conflicting reports on whether or not the Broncos and 49ers were close to reaching a trade agreement. Although there was some disagreement on how close the two sides were on agreeing to trade compensation, virtually every report suggested that Denver would want Kaepernick at a reduced salary, and it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to take a pay cut from his current $11.9MM figure, which is fully guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

QB Rumors: Kaepernick, Vick, Lions, Falcons

April 3rd, 2016 at 6:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As those who have closely followed the Colin Kaepernick saga know, the 28-year-old will collect a $400K bonus if he partakes in 90 percent of the 49ers’ offseason workouts. Those workouts begin Monday, and much has been made about whether Kaepernick will appear or stay away and continue to hold out hope for a trade. The Broncos – who are pursuing a deal for Kaepernick – begin their offseason workouts April 18, so Kaepernick could theoretically skip the 49ers’ program and recoup the $400K with Denver if it acquires him by then, as Mike Klis of 9News notes (on Twitter).

Here’s more on Kaepernick and two other QBs:

Whether Kaepernick attends the start of 49ers workouts Monday could be crucial to both teams’ leverage, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. If he’s a no-show, it will further demonstrate that his relationship with the 49ers is irreparable and potentially force them to settle for an underwhelming offer from the Broncos. On the other hand, should Kaepernick report, there’s a chance he and new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly will develop a rapport and ultimately lead No. 7 to continue his five-year career in San Francisco.
Free agent Michael Vick thinks he’s capable of playing next season, but he seems content to retire if nobody pursues him. “I’m 35, about to turn 36,” Vick told David Teel of the Daily Press. “I’ve got one more dedicated season in my blood, if somebody needs me to come in. But I’m kind of happy where I am right now.” Vick spent last season in Pittsburgh, where he played in five games (three starts), completed 60.6 percent of passes, and tossed two touchdowns and an interception. He also flashed some of his signature mobility, rushing for 99 yards on 20 attempts, but the Steelers have a better, younger backup option to Ben Roethlisberger in Landry Jones. Thus, if Vick does return next season, he’s all but guaranteed to be in another uniform.
Liberty’s Josh Woodrum worked out for the Lions last week and will do the same for the Falcons on April 11, Gil Brandt of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Despite having played at an FCS school, Woodrum had an eye-opening showing at his pro day, leading to interest from Detroit and Atlanta, per Brandt.

Colin Kaepernick Notes: Sunday

April 3rd, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

There are significant differences of opinion as to how close the 49ers and the Broncos are to completing a Colin Kaepernick trade, but there is already a considerable amount of potential fallout to consider if the deal is ultimately consummated. Let’s have a look:

Denver reportedly wants to pay Kaepernick $7MM of the $11.9MM he is guaranteed for 2016, with the 49ers kicking in the $4.9MM balance. As Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com reminds us, NFL teams cannot trade cash as a MLB or NBA team can. Instead, the Niners could turn part of Kaepernick’s salary into a signing bonus, pay it, and then trade him (Twitter link). If the 49ers were to go that route, the team would eat $12.29MM in dead cap room in 2016, per Spotrac (via Twitter). Although that is hardly an ideal scenario, it’s not as though the 49ers couldn’t afford it. According to Spotrac, the club has just shy of $57MM of cap space.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk proposes a creative solution to the reported holdup in contract talks between the Broncos and Kaepernick. Florio suggests that Kaepernick should forfeit the $4.9MM difference between what he is owed and what Denver is willing to pay, and in exchange, Denver should wipe out the remaining four years of his “notoriously team-friendly contract.” Of course, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, while that solution has its merits, it would put the 2017 Broncos in the same position they are in right now. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that Kaepernick would certainly be justified in taking a paycut if the Broncos were willing to tear up the remainder of his contract.
Of course, if Kaepernick ends up with the Broncos, Denver will need to make some tweaks to its current roster regardless of how much it ends up paying Kaepernick (after all, the club only has $1.62MM of salary cap room at present). As Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com writes, the team has to do something with Ryan Clady, and although the Broncos have been trying to trade Clady, interested clubs are not inclined to pull the trigger on a trade because they are fully aware of Denver’s tight financial situation. Instead, the Broncos may have to release their long-time left tackle in order to create $8.9MM of space. The Broncos could also release punter Britton Colquitt, thereby clearing over $3MM off the books, or they could convert the base salaries of some of the larger contracts on the team–like those for Demaryius Thomas, Aqib Talib, and Chris Harris–into signing bonuses, which would afford the team some 2016 cap relief.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says a Kaepernick trade would be highly beneficial for the Jets, because if the trade happens, Ryan Fitzpatrick will lose his last potential suitor (Denver) outside of the Jets. As such, Fitzpatrick would either have to accept New York’s “low-ball offer” of $7MM per year, or not play at all. Theoretically, San Francisco could be in the market for Fitzpatrick’s services if it deals Kaepernick, but there have been no substantive rumors regarding that possibility.

Colin Kaepernick Trade Not Close?

April 3rd, 2016 at 8:49am CST by Rory Parks

A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter yesterday indicated that the 49ers and Broncos had agreed to the parameters of a trade that would send Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos in exchange for a mid-round draft pick or two, with the only holdup being an agreement between Kaepernick and Denver on a reduced contract. However, subsequent reports from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee indicated that the two teams do not, in fact, have the parameters of a deal in place, and that while a trade could certainly happen, there are still a number of hurdles to clear.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk concurs with Rapoport and Barrows, writing that, “the notion that the only thing keeping a deal from happening is a deal between the Broncos and Kaepernick on a reduced contract is…a ‘real stretch.'” Florio’s source says “someone” planted the news that trade talks are much further along than they actually are because that “someone” wants a deal to get done and believes that reports indicating a deal is close will provide the push necessary to make it happen.

But Schefter continues to stand by his original report that the trade compensation is a “non-issue” and that the only obstacle is Kaepernick’s contract. And, according to Schefter’s latest story, Kaepernick and the Broncos have made progress on most of the signal-caller’s contract, which runs through 2020, with the upcoming 2016 season being the only sticking point. Schefter writes that the Broncos are willing to pay $7MM of Kaepernick’s $11.9MM 2016 salary, which became fully guaranteed on Friday, but they would like San Francisco to pay the remaining $4.9MM, something the Niners are reportedly unwilling to do. Kaepernick, understandably, has no desire to simply forfeit that $4.9MM to make a deal work.

Clearly, there is some disagreement among some of the NFL’s most prominent writers as to the imminence of a Kaepernick trade. There are some scribes, like John McMullen of Today’sPigskin.com, who believe that Kaepernick should forfeit the $4.9MM in order to facilitate a deal and land on a contending club, which could increase his salary in the long run. As McMullen writes, “a give back by Kaepernick in the short-term could be taking the proverbial one step back to eventually take two forward because a rejuvenated career means more money on the back-end.” But if Schefter’s report that Kaepernick and Denver have more or less ironed out the final four years of the quarterback’s deal, then the premises of McMullen’s theory don’t necessarily hold up, and although Kaepernick clearly wants to get out of San Francisco, spending at least one season in Chip Kelly‘s offense would hardly be the worst thing for him from a football standpoint.

Like the rest of the football world, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Colin Kaepernick Rumors: Saturday

April 2nd, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Trade rumors have swirled around 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for months, but it looks like a resolution might be close, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today that San Francisco is close to working out a trade that would send Kaepernick to the Broncos. The only issue reportedly obstructing a deal is Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary, which became fully guaranteed yesterday. Let’s dive into the latest on the trade talks…

Though Schefter indicated that the 49ers and Broncos had agreed upon the parameters of a trade — with San Francisco sending a mid-round pick to Denver — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) reports that no such agreement is in place. The deal can still happen, says Rapoport, but there many obstacles and Kaepernick’s visit with Broncos general manager John Elway didn’t change things.
Schefter, meanwhile, doubled down on his initial report, adding (via Twitter) that the two clubs agreeing on draft pick compensation was the “easy part” of the talks. But a finalized trade is still not close because the Broncos need to convince Kaepernick to take less money, per the ESPN scribe.
Mike Klis of 9News chimes in (Twitter link), noting that the term “mid-round pick” could conceivably identify any slot in rounds three through five. However, Denver doesn’t have a pick in the fourth round, having lost their selection as a part of a trade with the Ravens to acquire Gino Gradkowski. The Broncos do own pick No. 94 in the third round and No. 144 in the fifth round, and additionally, it’s possible that a trade might include future draft pick compensation.
The Broncos have long been the most likely landing spot for Kaepernick, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, but “a lot” of progression is still needed before any trade becomes finalized.
Nothing is imminent in terms of a trade, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), who also hears the draft pick compensation has not yet been agreed to.

Broncos, 49ers Closing In On Colin Kaepernick Trade Agreement?

April 2nd, 2016 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:43pm: The 49ers and Broncos have the parameters of a trade for Kaepernick in place, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Potentially the only thing standing in the way is the Broncos and Kaepernick agreeing on a restructured contract.

The teams are continuing dialogue regarding this trade, which will likely involve a Day 2 or Day 3 draft pick or a combination of the two, trying to bridge the financial divide, Schefter reports. However, what level of draft pick(s) the Broncos surrender in this prospective deal won’t be a stumbling block in completing the trade, according to Schefter.

1:40pm: The Broncos appear to still be interested in adding Colin Kaepernick to their undermanned stable of quarterbacks despite the 49ers locking in his $11.9MM salary for this season. John Elway and the sixth-year passer have met multiple times, including a summit on Thursday at the sixth-year GM’s Denver-area house, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kaepernick and Elway have met at least twice since March 15, Branch reports, with the quarterback spending extensive time in Colorado rehabbing from three surgeries.

The 49ers have granted Kaepernick’s agents Jason Bernstein and Scott Smith permission to seek a trade, according to Branch, which clears the Broncos of tampering charges.

Elway and Kaepernick’s meetings have helped the parties become acquainted, and Kaepernick’s contract has come up during the meetings, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Elway’s Thursday visit with the 28-year-old quarterback came as Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary became guaranteed. The Broncos currently possess less than $2MM in cap space, and any deal for Kaepernick depends on the signal-caller agreeing to reduce his contract, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets.

We heard Thursday that the Broncos want Kaepernick at approximately $7MM this season. Branch reports that Denver’s brass has been at work trying to restructure Kaepernick’s contract, which calls for him to carry a $14.9MM cap number this season. Only Demaryius Thomas ($15.2MM) carries a higher figure going into the 2016 season on the Broncos’ roster.

If Kaepernick doesn’t agree to restructure, the 49ers would have to pick up part of his contract to facilitate a trade, Mike Klis of 9News reports. San Francisco’s quiet free agency has the team sitting at $53.8MM in cap room — the most in the league. Klis also writes that the 49ers’ sudden accelerated interest in allowing Kaepernick to seek a path out of the Bay Area stems from the team beginning its offseason program Monday; the Broncos don’t begin theirs until April 18.

Denver has a quick way to clear $8.9MM from its books by trading or releasing Ryan Clady. The sides have met multiple times since the Combine, Renck reports, with the longtime left tackle remaining on the Broncos’ cap sheet for $10.1MM.

Clady previously agreed to discuss a restructure, but nothing’s materialized. In the meantime, the Broncos added Donald Stephenson and Russell Okung, leaving Clady without a logical place on the team.

The Broncos have just Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian under contract at present, with the 49ers employing Blaine Gabbert at a much cheaper rate. Although money isn’t an issue for the 49ers right now, there appears to be a significant divide between the team and Kaepernick despite Chip Kelly‘s public overtures toward keeping him.

Despite quarterbacking the team to back-to-back playoff NFC championship games, Kaepernick was benched last season and hasn’t been able to consistently replicate the play that helped the 49ers reach those destinations over the past two seasons.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

West Notes: Kaepernick, Chargers, Raiders

April 2nd, 2016 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Broncos still assessing Colin Kaepernick‘s trade value despite the 49ers quarterback’s $11.9MM base salary becoming guaranteed, the Western divisions have led the way in headline-generating today. Here’s some more from the Kaepernick situation as well as news from other franchises in those divisions.

In examining the Broncos‘ options regarding Kaepernick, 9News’ Mike Klis mentions a sign-and-trade scenario that may help bridge the gap between the two teams. The longtime Broncos beat reporter mentions converting part of Kaepernick’s salary into a signing bonus, one the 49ers would pay in this instance while Denver would be on the hook for the base pay, could help bring the sides closer together in terms of financial and draft pick compensation. The 49ers possess a league-most $53.8MM in cap space, while the Broncos are carrying the game’s fewest at present at $1.6MM.
John Elway‘s meeting with Kaepernick could also have been regarding the 28-year-old passer’s progress from the three surgeries he’s undergone in recent months, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Barrows also notes (on Twitter) the Broncos and the Steadman Clinic — where Kap’s undergone those procedures on his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb — have a good relationship. So, the Super Bowl champions would have a good idea of the signal-caller’s health prior to potentially pulling the trigger on a trade, Barrows notes.
The 49ers‘ offseason program begins Monday, and Kaepernick would earn $4MM by attending 90% of the team’s offseason workouts, Barrows reports.
A significant disagreement on where the Chargers should play long-term in San Diego has emerged between the team and the city after the team’s proposal for a 4% hotel tax hike surfaced earlier this week. City politicians and hotel owners are vehemently against the tax that would help the city contribute the $350MM in public money necessary toward constructing a long-term Chargers stadium, and as a byproduct are against the notion of a downtown Chargers site, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). This contingent still contends the Chargers should play in Mission Valley, where Qualcomm Stadium is located. The Chargers are against this from a revenue standpoint, because in their view a downtown stadium will increase the franchise’s value.
The Raiders‘ flirtation with Las Vegas continued Friday. Mark Davis made another trip to the city and posed for a photo with key UNLV personnel, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. Per Bair, the Raiders owner has now made several trips to Las Vegas to discuss a potential future for his franchise there. This visit put Davis directly in touch with UNLV brass after he previously met with local politicians and Las Vegas Sands hotel higher-ups.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

March 31st, 2016 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for Thursday NFL roster moves has come and gone with no news on Colin Kaepernick, which means he’ll remain on the team’s roster for April 1, fully guaranteeing his $11.9MM base salary for 2016. A source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the NFLPA believes Kaepernick’s salary will become officially guaranteed at midnight, but it seems that point will be moot, since the team doesn’t plan to cut the quarterback.

The fact that Kaepernick’s 2016 salary is now fully guaranteed doesn’t significantly affect the likelihood of a possible trade — the Niners could still move him, and he could still agree to work his deal in the event of a trade. But now that he has a fully guaranteed salary for this year, Kaepernick regains a little leverage.

Of course, we did hear earlier this week that the possibility of Kaepernick being dealt to the Broncos seemed to be losing some momentum, and Mike Klis of 9NEWS and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link and video link) provide some reasons why.

Klis reports that the Broncos would want Kaepernick to accept a pay cut to accommodate a trade to Denver, while Cole hears that the Broncos want to reduce his pay to approximately $7MM for the 2016 season. Cole adds that Kaepernick isn’t all that interested in taking a significant pay cut, which isn’t particularly surprising. He’s set to make more than $14MM this year if he gets his $400K workout bonus and stays healthy enough to earn up to $2MM in per-game roster bonuses.

Kaepernick may be the most invested party in keeping his salary where it is, but his agents – Scott Smith and Jason Bernstein – also aren’t inclined to rework his contract, sources tell Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. And while it’s possible that a team besides Denver may have interest in Kaepernick at his current salary, the list of potential suitors is dwindling. The Browns recently signed Robert Griffin III, and the Jets remain focused on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick.

At this point, it seems the most viable outcome for all parties might involve the Niners keeping Kaepernick and having him compete for the starting job. GM Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly have both expressed a desire to go that route. Even though Kaepernick might prefer a trade, it’s not clear if he’d be willing to drastically rework his contract to make that happen — the 49ers would also have to find a compensation package they like.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that he senses things have “thawed a little bet” between the 49ers and Kaepernick, but cautions that there’s still a ways to go. If Kaepernick remains a Niner through this year’s draft, the odds of him leaving San Francisco this year would decline greatly, so we should have a clearer picture of the situation within a few weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kaepernick To Broncos Losing Momentum?

March 28th, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Zachary Links

6:17pm: The 49ers are planning to keep Kaepernick and they would fully guarantee his salary today if he was ready to commit to being San Francisco’s quarterback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport’s tone seems to indicate that No. 7 still has hard feelings for Niners brass. In any event, the 49ers do not seem poised to trade him between now and Friday.

5:08pm: The possibility of a trade sending Colin Kaepernick to the Broncos is losing momentum, league sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (video link). One source tells Fowler that while the deal isn’t totally dead, Kaepernick “clearly isn’t [Denver’s] priority right now.”

Time may be ticking for the 49ers if they hope to trade Kaepernick to the Broncos – or any other team – as the quarterback’s $11.9MM 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on Friday (April 1st). It’s conceivable that a team could deal for Kaepernick after that deadline, but in the case of the Broncos, it might be a tough squeeze for them as they have limited cap space and other expenses on the horizon, including a new deal for Von Miller.

Earlier this month, word was that the Broncos told the 49ers they believe that Kaepernick is worth a fourth-round pick. However, Denver did not offer a specific fourth-rounder. Denver’s fourth-rounder for 2016 currently belongs to the Ravens due to a previous trade, but the Broncos do hold the final non-compensatory pick of the third round. Ostensibly, the 49ers are looking for more than that if they are going to deal the one-time face of their franchise.

The Browns and Jets have also been connected to Kaepernick. However, the Jets’ top priority appears to be getting a new deal done with Ryan Fitzpatrick. And, just one week ago, Browns exec Sashi Brown told media members that rumors of his organization’s interest in Kaepernick have been “way over-reported.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Kaep, Sowell, D. Young, Packers

March 27th, 2016 at 8:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league as Easter Sunday comes to a close…

Colin Kaepernick‘s $11.9MM 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, but a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the 49ers might still be on the hook for that total even if they cut Kaepernick before April begins. Kaepernick’s base salary is currently guaranteed for injury only, and because he’s undergone three offseason surgeries, the NFLPA would argue that the San Francisco signal-caller is entitled to his pay even if he’s released. Of course, the 49ers have said they’ll keep Kaepernick on the roster if he’s not dealt, and a source tells Florio that that sentiment is not a facade.
Because Russell Okung looked destined to leave Seattle, the Seahawks appealed to free agent tackle Bradley Sowell because they offered the possibility of playing on the blind side, as Sowell explained to 710 ESPN. “They showed a lot of interest. They called me right away,” Sowell said. “For a guy who hasn’t started a ton over the last couple of years, that’s a little bit rare to get that kind of interest quick. Usually a guy like me would have to wait a little longer, but they were really quick, so obviously they had done film study on me and stuff. They were really quick and called me, and when I got here, they basically kept making me an offer.”
Washington‘s offense will be phasing out fullbacks in favor of tight ends, said former Washington fullback Darrel Young, which is the key reason that he didn’t re-sign with the club, he told Alex Marvez on SiriusXM Radio (Twitter link).
The Packers and general manager Ted Thompson refuse to negotiate against themselves and are content with slow-playing free agency, a strategy that has worked well for them in the past, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com.

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