Ed Szczepanski, USA Today Sports
Who would have known back in September that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would be ousted from his starting job and eventually wind up on the team’s IR two-thirds of the way into the season?
And to add insult to injury after being replaced by Blaine Gabbert, the 49ers have the poor quarterback’s No. 7 jersey on sale at a discounted price.
With the writing painfully obvious on the wall, it is highly likely after the end of the season Kaepernick will be traded or released in order to free up the large cap of salary space he occupies.
Therefore, the mobile quarterback who perhaps just needs a fresh start is clearly worth evaluating for another team in need of an upgrade next season.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys clearly need a backup plan when it comes to the longevity of starter Tony Romo.
Romo will be 36 when the 2016 season begins and will be returning from breaking his collarbone twice, having started in just four games this season. And at this time, the team has no solid plan for a long-term predecessor to Romo. With Matt Cassel not exactly knocking people’s socks off as a fill-in, Kaepernick could step in, sit back and learn and develop while playing backup to Romo.
The team hopes that Romo can play another four-to-five years according to owner Jerry Jones. Though, realistically due to the natural aging process and wear and tear on Romo’s body, Jones’ estimate should be slashed in half.
It’s hard to believe after a successful 2014 campaign, which saw Romo lead the team through a marvelous December and into the playoffs, that the Cowboys own one of the worst records (3-6) in the league this year.
Kaepernick just turned 28 and has plenty of talent to succeed, as proved by a successful Super Bowl run in his 2013 season. Considering Romo’s fragile health, the Cowboys must start making some bold decisions when it comes to their future and ought to take Kap into consideration.
Cleveland Browns
So far after nearly two seasons, the Browns are not committed or confident enough to hand over the keys to 2014 first-round pick, Johnny Manziel.
This is largely in part due to the fact they drafted a young frat boy who has not yet given up his partying lifestyle. Sure, the talent is there and if the Browns allowed Manziel to start on a consistent basis the young quarterback would probably be impressive if given the chance.
Instead, the Browns continue to get fed up with Manziel’s off-field antics and have opted for an aging and oft-injured Josh McCown (now on IR) and an inexperienced Austin Davis to lead the team. As a result, the Browns sit at 2-9 with one of the wins coming when Manziel started in Week 2.
After what looks to be another failing season, the Browns could benefit by adding Kaepernick to the team and trading Manziel in the offseason. Kaepernick, with his mobility — a trait the Browns liked when they drafted Manziel — would arrive baggage-free and with a far superior work ethic. For these reasons alone, the Cleveland brass would be less stressed-out rather than always worrying about what stunt Manziel is going to pull next to embarrass the organization.
Therefore, it’s time to cut the cord and give some thought towards Kaepernick, who could surely provide a boost to a team that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2002.
St. Louis Rams
We’re still wondering how the Rams (4-7) benefited in acquiring Nick Foles this past offseason. While we ponder that head-scratching decision we can envision what Kaepernick could contribute to Jeff Fisher’s disconnected team in 2016, if Fisher is still around of course.
The Rams are quickly becoming one of the league’s hottest messes after losing their last three games in a row. Foles has performed disastrously this year, and over his past four games he has scored only one touchdown compared to four interceptions. If the remainder of the season goes as poorly as it has already with Foles under center, then the team must consider exploring other options for 2016.
Kaepernick would thrive in the Rams run-oriented offense that would have him taking less risks in passing but allow him to utilize his athleticism to run around and make plays. Right now it’s blatantly obvious Foles isn’t cutting it. Therefore the team should give Kaepernick some strong consideration during the offseason.
Philadelphia Eagles
So far, Chip Kelly’s offseason trade experiment to acquire Sam Bradford in exchange for Nick Foles appears to be quite a dismal failure. If Bradford were as healthy as he was when he entered the league, things might be different, but he just looks done.
Kelly’s offense would benefit immensely from a mobile quarterback such as Kap versus Bradford and his frightening attempts at scrambling. We all cringe whenever he’s taken down, wondering when one of his knees is going to blow out again.
Kaepernick is certainly more durable as proven by his ability to play through five games with a should injury when he passed for 1,615 yards this year. And there’s no doubt he is an excellent runner when it comes to escaping pressure in the pocket, which is something Bradford physically cannot do.
If Kelly sticks with the Eagles in 2016, which he has claimed he is committed to doing, then he should start scheming now on a clever trade that would land Kap in Philly next year.