Colin Kaepernick - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Niners, Kaepernick, Saints

October 30th, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Luke Adams

When asked about a report that he got into an altercation with left tackle Joe Staley, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis offered up a denial, as Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle writes.

“I don’t recall that,” Davis said “I don’t know where that’s coming from. It’s funny to me. He’s been like a brother to me… We’ve had arguments in the past. My first year, I remember, I came here and we got into it. We got into right then and seconds later we were hanging out, laughing and drinking sodas together.”

While Davis claims the incident didn’t happen, several reporters have suggested that a skirmish between Staley and Davis arose after the tight end called out quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a players-only meeting. Here’s more on the Niners, along with a few other NFC teams:

49ers CEO Jed York and GM Trent Baalke should step up right now and squash the rumblings about Kaepernick’s future with the organization, Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News writes. Kawakami feels that the front office can put the QB’s mind at ease by saying that the Niners still plan on building around him, but the team yet to do so. The franchise also allowed speculation to run rampant over ex-coach Jim Harbaugh, whom some might say was San Francisco’s best coach in decades.
In his latest piece for TheMMQB.com, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt examines a pair of NFC East defensive ends, writing that the Cowboys will be negotiating against themselves if they try to extend Greg Hardy, and suggesting that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s fireworks accident will likely end up costing him about $7-10MM in salary this season.
When the Saints traded defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to New England for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui earlier this season, many pundits didn’t like the deal for New Orleans. However, as Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes, Hoomanawanui has seen more playing time than Hicks on his new team, and has allowed the Saints to bring a new wrinkle to their offense, with multiple three-tight-end sets.
The Saints tried out defensive back Brandon Dixon on Thursday, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Notes: Jenkins, 49ers, Chargers

October 29th, 2015 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After suggesting earlier in the season that he’d likely play out the final year of his rookie contract without a new extension in place, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins confirmed as much this week, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. As Jenkins explains, once the team’s bye week passed without an agreement, he made the decision to shelve contract discussions.

“They knew what was going on,” Jenkins said. “I told them anything after the bye week, I ain’t listening, I don’t want to hear it. I want to focus on football. The bye week is gone, so I just want to play football.”

As Jenkins continues to improve his free agent stock with an impressive season, let’s check out a few more notes from around the NFL’s West divisions….

Following up on an earlier report about a heated players-only meeting, Kyle McLorg of BayAreaSportsGuy.com identified 49ers tight end Vernon Davis as the player who called out quarterback Colin Kaepernick during that meeting, while offensive tackle Joe Staley stepped up to defend the QB.
The 49ers have failed Kaepernick more than he has failed the team, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who points out that other teams have performed well despite getting subpar quarterback play. Barrows also notes that the Niners haven’t made good on the promise they made to Kaepernick when he signed his deal, about using their cap flexibility to lock up key players to extensions.
The Chargers took a look at a pair of free agent safeties this week, working out former Giants safety Stevie Brown, along with Brandian Ross, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
Speaking to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, NFL executive Eric Grubman confirmed that the league feels the city of San Diego has made some progress on a stadium proposal. Whether or not that progress is enough to save the Chargers remains to be seen — as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets, the league’s Los Angeles committee will meet on November 11-12 in New York to discuss relocation, and we’re moving closer and closer to possible resolution.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

October 28th, 2015 at 8:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest on the 49ers and their starting QB..

With reports of discord in the 49ers’ locker room regarding Colin Kaepernick, wide receiver Torrey Smith went public over the weekend with his support of the quarterback, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “We’re still together,” 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith said. “It’s tough. It’s frustrating, but it’s not dividing the team at all. It’s not separating Kap. Kap isn’t on a damn island. We’re here together. We’re trying to win together.”
49ers head coach Jim Tomsula doesn’t believe that the anti-Kaepernick leaks came from the locker room or the front office, but he did call them “an absolute concern,” as Cam Inman of the Mercury News tweets.
Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News (Twitter links) thinks it’s “beyond obvious” that the recent Kaepernick stories are coming from 49ers management, though Tomsula can’t come out and say that. Kawakami’s reasoning? The stories are developing with the same pattern as last season with ex-coach Jim Harbaugh and they’re primarily coming from the same two national reporters.

West Notes: Kaepernick, Raiders, LA

October 26th, 2015 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

About four weeks ago, there was a heated exchange between 49ers players regarding Colin Kaepernick in a players-only meeting, sources tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. One teammate called out the QB and another stepped up in a show of support. That exchange became heated, but the two players ultimately hashed things out. While there is a level of divide in the locker room, Kaepernick has received clear support from some of the team’s most-respected players, Maiocco writes.

Here’s more from the West divisions:

Raiders owner Mark Davis told Vincent Bonsignore of the L.A. Daily News that there haven’t been any official talks with Oakland leaders in more than two months. “We’ve gotten to the point now, unless you have something to offer, something different, there is no reason to talk,” Davis said. Davis expressed confidence that he’ll get his team to Los Angeles and he also confirmed that he’s talking to a potential investor about coming aboard.
Chargers guard Orlando Franklin has only a slight MCL sprain and is day-to-day, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It was previously believed that Franklin might have suffered a more serious injury.
Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson, who has spent the year on the PUP list so far, officially returned to practice today, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. However, Richardson is still on the PUP list as of this writing — the club will have three weeks to move him to its 53-man roster.

NFC West Notes: Kaepernick, Hyde, Cardinals

October 24th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A quick look around the NFC West:

Colin Kaepernick isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback for the 49ers, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link), and Miller believes his replacement could come by way of a top five pick in the 2016 draft. Miller lists California’s Jared Goff, Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch as prospects who could be San Francisco’s first-round pick and next starting signal caller.
49ers running back Carlos Hyde has been playing with a foot injury – “something like” a stress fracture, he says – and has averaged just 3.0 yards per carry over the last two games. Given that the 49ers are 2-5, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if it’s in their best interest to rest Hyde until he’s fully healthy. Dr. Ken Jung – a Los Angeles-based ankle and foot surgeon – told Branch that Hyde’s injury will likely bother him for the rest of the season. “By taking a week or two off — or even just resting during the week — it allows the bone to heal itself or catch up. But once the stress or the activity level goes beyond what the bone can tolerate it tends to stay in a vicious cycle,” Jung said.
Seattle got back into the win column with its 20-3 victory over the 49ers on Thursday and improved to 3-4, drawing closer to the NFC West-leading Cardinals (4-2). Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic contends that the Cardinals need to find their identity – which they lost in last week’s 25-13 defeat in Pittsburgh, the writer thinks – and respond to the Seahawks with a statement win over the Ravens on Monday.

NFC Links: Kaepernick, Cardinals, JPP

October 24th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman could envision the Eagles trading for embattled quarterback Colin Kaepernick following the season (via Twitter). The 49ers signal-caller has previously shown the skills that Chip Kelly covets, and Freeman believes (via Twitter) the coach is convinced that he can fix any quarterback.
Furthermore, Freeman tweets that scouts are attributing the 49ers offensive issues on the offensive line and coaching staff, not the quarterback.
It could be in the 49ers best interest in bench Kaepernick, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The quarterback’s contract calls for more than $31MM in guaranteed money for injury, meaning the organization would be in quite the financial hole if Kaepernick were to go down.
Over the past few years, the Cardinals have added some big names during the first weeks of free agency. However, Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says the team should be commended for the under-the-radar moves that have often come later in the summer. Jermaine Gresham and Chris Johnson were among the Cardinals’ later additions this past summer, with Karlos Dansby, John Abraham and Tommy Kelly being previous examples.
Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter) has serious doubts as to whether Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will return this season.

49ers Notes: Tomsula, Kaepernick, Bethea

October 23rd, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers became a big talking point for media outlets today after an embarrassing 20-3 loss on Thursday Night Football. Here are some notes about the team:

The loss to the Seahawks last night put a spotlight on the problems the 49ers have, and head coach Jim Tomsula was put on the defensive. He said despite evaluating everything in the organization, he would not consider a change to the offensive coaching staff in season, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was particularly bad on Thursday night, but coach Tomsula insists there will be no change under center in San Francisco, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). “Colin’s our quarterback,” said Tomsula. “No controversy.”
Antoine Bethea was placed on injured reserve today, with what was originally reported as a shoulder injury. Barrows reports that it is actually a torn pectoral muscle that will force him to miss the rest of the season (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, Saints, Eagles

October 11th, 2015 at 6:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colin Kaepernick‘s days in a 49ers uniform could soon be coming to an end. The struggling quarterback’s contract gives the 49ers a chance to jettison him by April 1 before his salaries from 2016-18 become guaranteed, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Kaepernick is scheduled to make $11.9MM next year, $14.5MM in 2017 and $4.5MM in 2018. The only way that money would be guaranteed to Kaepernick before April 1 is if he suffers a career-ending injury this season. Given that, Florio believes the 49ers could bench the 27-year-old to preserve his health and prevent themselves from owing him big money going forward.

With the way his contract is structured, if the 49ers ride out this year with Kaepernick and his horrific play continues (6.27 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, five interceptions, 67.7 passer rating), the chances they’ll move on from him during the offseason appear good.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Despite the Saints’ ugly showing in a 39-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday, quarterback Drew Brees is optimistic the team will get on the right track. “We feel like we have the right pieces in place,” Brees said, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. “It hasn’t come together yet, but it will.” Time is running out for things to “come together” for the Saints, whose latest defeat dropped them to 1-4. Their next opponent is the NFC South rival Falcons, who are 5-0 and have left the Saints in the dust as far as the division race is concerned.
Speaking of the Saints, their days of having a high-flying offensive attack are over, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Holder believes that the Saints lack weapons both through the air on the ground.
By knocking off New Orleans on Sunday, the Eagles at least temporarily saved their season, opines Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Philly moved to 2-3 and next faces the Giants, who currently sit atop the eminently winnable NFC East at 2-2. Everyone else in the division is 2-3.

Extra Points: 49ers, Chargers, Washington

October 10th, 2015 at 8:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With a busy slate of Sunday games around the corner, let’s round up a few Saturday evening odds and ends from around the NFL….

The 49ers‘ decision to cut Shareece Wright today is bad news for San Diego, according to Nick Korte of Over the Cap. Korte tweets that, based on his compensatory pick formula, the move should result in an extra 2016 sixth-round pick for the 49ers, and a lost compensatory pick for the Chargers.
Two new offensive coordinators – Adam Gase of the Bears and Geep Chryst of the 49ers – are struggling to turn around their respective units early this season. Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune examines how Gase is dealing with the Bears’ injury woes, while Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at the adjustments Chryst is making to try to help Colin Kaepernick get going.
With Jim Harbaugh no longer in the picture in San Francisco, Kaepernick is being set up as the fall guy for the 49ers, opines Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Washington will be bringing in former Titans defensive back Ri’Shard Anderson on Monday, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Based on Tessler’s tweet, it’s not clear if Jay Gruden and company will be signing Anderson, or simply working him out — I’d assume the latter, since the team’s roster needs could change depending on how tomorrow’s game goes.
This weekend’s game could be a turning point for Mike Pettine‘s career in Cleveland, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. After tomorrow’s contest against the Ravens, the Browns don’t face a team with a losing record until Week 12 (Baltimore again), so they’d face a significant uphill battle to salvage their season if they fall to 1-4.

49ers To Be “Very Patient” With Kaepernick

October 8th, 2015 at 6:07pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has struggled mightily in 2015 and some have speculated that the club could turn to backup Blaine Gabbert if things don’t improve quickly. However, CEO Jed York tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that the team plans on being “very patient” with Kaepernick. The team, York says, wants to see if the QB can handle going through a bad slump and if he can rebound, that will be a promising sign for them with regards to his overall future.

In the past two weeks, the 27-year-old (28 in November) has completing just 22-of-44 passes while throwing five interceptions and no touchdowns. Weeks ago, head coach Jim Tomsula said that the club would not consider going from Kaepernick to Gabbert, but that seems like it could be a definite possibility if things do not turn around. The 49ers are 1-3 heading into a Sunday night matchup with the 2-2 Giants on the road.

The seven-year, $126MM extension Kaepernick signed last summer was, for all practical purposes, a $13MM signing bonus accompanied by seven one-year contracts. That means San Francisco could cut ties with the QB in the offseason without any real financial penalty. Kaepernick is set to carry a cap number of ~$16.8MM in 2016 and that number balloons to $19MM+ in 2017.