Kaepernick to remain in SF, compete for starting nod

[Marvin49]

Kaep will take a Kraep....

Wow. Aren't you clever.

 

[kearly]

Hard to trade Kaep if you hint at the possibility that he'll be cut a few weeks after FA opens. To me this statement is akin to Seattle insisting that they were comfortable with paying Matt Flynn to be a backup during the 2012-2013 offseason.

I'd be very surprised if a team traded for Kaep without redoing his contract to at least remove the injury clause and even then I doubt any teams believes he is worth that 12 mill but if they could somehow have the 12 mill and a pick as the only cost, I could see a team giving a late pick to take a flyer on him.

Kaep's contract is actually very team friendly, and the $13.425m ($11.9m base + bonuses) pricetag isn't going to scare a lot of teams. Look at the money Sam Bradford was earning, and there was a frenzy for his services last year.

And if Kaep's value was so low that he could not be traded at that cost, then why would Baalke agree to pay $11.9 million base salary? It wouldn't really make much sense for Baalke to agree to that commitment if he knew he could decline the option and still compete for Kaep's services at a lower price. Beyond that, it's just common sense that a QB with Kaepernick's resume and experience is easily worth that type of number (if he's starting).

That said, Kaepernick won't be making all that money on SF's bench this year. Either he starts, or he's traded. No way they pay $13.425 million for a backup QB. Baalke may have his shortcomings, but he's among the savvier GMs in terms of utilizing contracts and making trades, so I don't think he would agree to take on this commitment if he didn't think he could wiggle out of it later.

Of course, if Baalke was 'forced' to eat the option as Marvin suggests, then so be it. But I'm semi-skeptical of that.

 

[RichNhansom]

Let me channel my inner Marvin...

Kap will be comeback player of the year, MVP, and super bowl champ next year.

:sarcasm_off:

Yeah...because that sounds exactly like me. :roll:

Anyway...

Honestly, it's really not news. Baalke is stating the obvious. He won't be able to pass a physical before April 1st so they CAN'T release him prior to that date without paying his guarantee for the year.

I never thought they would outright release him for that very reason.

So...OF COURSE he says that he'll be on the roster April 1st and of course they will sell that he'll start/have a chance to start. Either it's legit and Kelly likes him or it's not and they want to drum up trade interest. A trade is the only way he leaves SF. They won't pay him 11 mil to walk away. If they trade him, the team that aquires him is on the hook for the 11 mil (tho I'd guess a renegotiation would be a part of the deal).

Either way, nothing happened one way or the other today to give a clue as to what the future holds for Kap in SF.

There is one other very possible scenario and that is the FO is trying to entice Kaep into thinking he has a legitimate shot at being the starter and getting him to pass the physical. It won't happen before April 1st so they are already on the hook for this year but they have the cap room right now to cut bait even after paying his year.

I wouldn't be the least surprised if he passed his physical only to be cut the same day before ever stepping onto a practice field. It would be the only way the 9ers are guaranteed to not be stuck for more of his contract because if Kaep wants to he can play the injury card all the way through his contract and collect every penny of his base guarantee which would likely be way more than he will ever get actually trying to be on the playing field.

There would be much damage if they cut him though because it would be a very slimy move that would be extremely transparent and would send a message to every player on the roster as well as FA about how trust worthy or not, that FO is. Especially when you tack on taking 2 million from Brown for missing voluntary OTA's a couple years prior.

This contract that Ballke was praised for by 9er fans is starting to look like it could be a colossal screw up. Kaep now has the 9er organization bent over a barrel. Even if they give him a legitimate shot, if he fails he can again claim injury and get paid for the next year at a minimum as well as milk out the entire contract. No team will trade for that player on that contract and that contract is likely the best money Kaep will ever make and he can do it without destroying his body.

I am very curious to see how this plays out because I believe it won;t be pretty for the 9er organization.

The Kaep hate just keeps on paying. So much fun.

 

[kearly]

Hard to trade Kaep if you hint at the possibility that he'll be cut a few weeks after FA opens. To me this statement is akin to Seattle insisting that they were comfortable with paying Matt Flynn to be a backup during the 2012-2013 offseason.

Again...he won't be cut. They are essentially on the hook for the salary no matter what since he most likely won't pass the physical before April 1st.

As I've said many, many times...I don't think he'll be elsewhere unless he's traded and I'd suspect if that happens there would be a deal in place already for a renegotiation of the contract.

If the Niners are already on the hook for the mopney, there is really no reason to cut him.

His labrum surgery was in late November, and supposedly his recovery is going well (8-12 week recovery in a best case scenario.). I wouldn't rule out the chance that he could pass a physical five weeks from now (about 18 weeks out from surgery).

Now, if SF had their doctors look at Kaep's shoulder this week at the combine and they told Baalke it wasn't looking good, then sure, I could buy the 'won't pass the physical' argument. "If" that happened, then fair enough. But that isn't how Baalke or NFL reporters are framing this story.

As for RG3, long term I trust Kaep to stay healthier than RG3. And as soon as RG3 has a good season, he'll get a contract that will scare me a lot more than Kaep's current deal does. And for as much as we slam Kaep around here, he's not a locker room cancer who struggles with accountability like RG3.

Lastly, even though Kaep is limited in the pocket, he has shown some success as a pocket QB when the reads are set up for him. Kaep can be salvaged with the right OC.

I think RG3 is a lot harder to salvage than Kaep is. Not only does RG3 have to adjust his personality and accountability, but he'd have to learn how to play the QB position in a totally new way. Gruden is a fairly accomplished QB guru, and he gave up on RG3 very quickly as a pocket passer, which IMO speaks volumes.

 

[SeAhAwKeR4life]

Kaep will take a Kraep....

Wow. Aren't you clever.

I thought so. You will too when he goes pooh, all over your season and playoff hopes.... :roll:

 

[UK_Seahawk]

Do you know what, I actually think Kap is going to do well this year. I think someone will take a punt on him and stop trying to make him into Peyton Manning. If he's just let loose I think he could be dangerous, he doesnt really have a lot to lose and everything to gain by showing what he can do. All that's needed is a scheme that just lets Kap be Kap.

I'm probably in a minority of one here.

 

[Uncle Si]

Do you know what, I actually think Kap is going to do well this year. I think someone will take a punt on him and stop trying to make him into Peyton Manning. If he's just let loose I think he could be dangerous, he doesnt really have a lot to lose and everything to gain by showing what he can do. All that's needed is a scheme that just lets Kap be Kap.

I'm probably in a minority of one here.

I think his ceiling was the player he was during their Super Bowl run. Sadly for them the team itself is a far shout from that group and has little talent to help put Kap in better positions to be successful.

I think he will end up another Michael Vick...

But I agree, getting a move out of SF and maybe taking up with a new team (Philly or Washington, maybe a San Diego or even Denver if the teams cant work out long term deals with the QBs) might set him back on the trajectory he was on in 2013

 

[Marvin49]

Hard to trade Kaep if you hint at the possibility that he'll be cut a few weeks after FA opens. To me this statement is akin to Seattle insisting that they were comfortable with paying Matt Flynn to be a backup during the 2012-2013 offseason.

Again...he won't be cut. They are essentially on the hook for the salary no matter what since he most likely won't pass the physical before April 1st.

As I've said many, many times...I don't think he'll be elsewhere unless he's traded and I'd suspect if that happens there would be a deal in place already for a renegotiation of the contract.

If the Niners are already on the hook for the mopney, there is really no reason to cut him.

His labrum surgery was in late November, and supposedly his recovery is going well (8-12 week recovery in a best case scenario.). I wouldn't rule out the chance that he could pass a physical five weeks from now (about 18 weeks out from surgery).

Now, if SF had their doctors look at Kaep's shoulder this week at the combine and they told Baalke it wasn't looking good, then sure, I could buy the 'won't pass the physical' argument. "If" that happened, then fair enough. But that isn't how Baalke or NFL reporters are framing this story.

As for RG3, long term I trust Kaep to stay healthier than RG3. And as soon as RG3 has a good season, he'll get a contract that will scare me a lot more than Kaep's current deal does. And for as much as we slam Kaep around here, he's not a locker room cancer who struggles with accountability like RG3.

Lastly, even though Kaep is limited in the pocket, he has shown some success as a pocket QB when the reads are set up for him. Kaep can be salvaged with the right OC.

I think RG3 is a lot harder to salvage than Kaep is. Not only does RG3 have to adjust his personality and accountability, but he'd have to learn how to play the QB position in a totally new way. Gruden is a fairly accomplished QB guru, and he gave up on RG3 very quickly as a pocket passer, which IMO speaks volumes.

Right...but he's had two more surgeries since then (thumb on throwing hand and knee).

To be clear, I have no idea if the 49ers want him or not. I'm just saying what Baalke said yesterday was really stating the obvious.

However, Kelly today was MUCH more optimistic in terms of Kaep being on the roster this year. No idea if that's real or not, but what Kelly said was far more interesting than what Baalke said.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2016 ... 3447265625

“I don’t know what the narrative is, that ‘Is he on the team? Is he not on the team?’ That’s never been a question,” Kelly said. “I’m excited about working with Colin.

“I’ve never thought, ‘I’m going to go to San Francisco and he’s not going to be there.’ I don’t know why everyone else looks at it that way, either.”

 

[chris98251]

I see this whole thing as the 49ers making way to much noise about him being on the team, therefore he won't be.

This is a lot like how Harbaugh and Baalke have a great relationship and expect to have great results working together during the season and then BOOM. Most of us seen it and called it, just the information coming out of the 49ers spin factory was always Happy Happy Joy Joy. Timmy K had it nailed the whole time.

 

[Marvin49]

I see this whole thing as the 49ers making way to much noise about him being on the team, therefore he won't be.

This is a lot like how Harbaugh and Baalke have a great relationship and expect to have great results working together during the season and then BOOM. Most of us seen it and called it, just the information coming out of the 49ers spin factory was always Happy Happy Joy Joy. Timmy K had it nailed the whole time.

Point Taken...

...but to be fair, they aren't offering those views unsolicited. They are answering questions.

Up until the last few days they said very, very little on the topic and its now only becoming news because they are at the combine and are getting asked the question.

 

[Marvin49]

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49e ... b7ea2f3823

"He wants to be here," said Kelly, who met face-to-face with Kaepernick last month and has spoken over the phone with the passer to receive health updates. "He's never expressed to me that he doesn't want to be here. He expressed to me that he was excited about getting healthy and getting going, and we're excited about him getting healthy and getting going."

Kelly said he's long admired the 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback who led the franchise to its sixth NFC Championship victory in 2012.

"Kap's really good," the coach said. "He had the ball on the 5-yard line taking the team in to win the Super Bowl. You can just look at the tape and know how talented he is. Our job is acquiring talent, not getting rid of talent."

When asked why Kaepernick's numbers regressed over the past two seasons, Kelly pointed to injuries and a coaching change as the main factors.

"I know he's injured," Kelly said. "I've gotten that question a lot about Kap, and I think people forget that. He had a shoulder, a thumb and a knee that were legitimate. ... I think getting a healthy Kap is an important thing. I've talked to him a couple times just getting updates about him rehabbing, and I think he seems excited about were he's headed and how that's coming."

So while several media reports have surfaced this offseason about a potential parting of ways between Kaepernick and team, Kelly's words on the subject seemed to suggest the contrary.

"I've also learned not to believe everything I read on the internet," Kelly said.

 

[chris98251]

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49ers-Coach-Chip-Kelly-Sees-Blank-Slate-with-Colin-Kaepernick/72228a3a-7a5e-4da7-859d-7fb7ea2f3823

"He wants to be here," said Kelly, who met face-to-face with Kaepernick last month and has spoken over the phone with the passer to receive health updates. "He's never expressed to me that he doesn't want to be here. He expressed to me that he was excited about getting healthy and getting going, and we're excited about him getting healthy and getting going."

Kelly said he's long admired the 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback who led the franchise to its sixth NFC Championship victory in 2012.

"Kap's really good," the coach said. "He had the ball on the 5-yard line taking the team in to win the Super Bowl. You can just look at the tape and know how talented he is. Our job is acquiring talent, not getting rid of talent."

When asked why Kaepernick's numbers regressed over the past two seasons, Kelly pointed to injuries and a coaching change as the main factors.

"I know he's injured," Kelly said. "I've gotten that question a lot about Kap, and I think people forget that. He had a shoulder, a thumb and a knee that were legitimate. ... I think getting a healthy Kap is an important thing. I've talked to him a couple times just getting updates about him rehabbing, and I think he seems excited about were he's headed and how that's coming."

So while several media reports have surfaced this offseason about a potential parting of ways between Kaepernick and team, Kelly's words on the subject seemed to suggest the contrary.

"I've also learned not to believe everything I read on the internet," Kelly said.

Yeah Jackson, McCoy, Foles, I'm sure heard that same line as well as Murray once he got there in Philly also, seen how that worked out for all them.

 

[Marvin49]

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49ers-Coach-Chip-Kelly-Sees-Blank-Slate-with-Colin-Kaepernick/72228a3a-7a5e-4da7-859d-7fb7ea2f3823

"He wants to be here," said Kelly, who met face-to-face with Kaepernick last month and has spoken over the phone with the passer to receive health updates. "He's never expressed to me that he doesn't want to be here. He expressed to me that he was excited about getting healthy and getting going, and we're excited about him getting healthy and getting going."

Kelly said he's long admired the 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback who led the franchise to its sixth NFC Championship victory in 2012.

"Kap's really good," the coach said. "He had the ball on the 5-yard line taking the team in to win the Super Bowl. You can just look at the tape and know how talented he is. Our job is acquiring talent, not getting rid of talent."

When asked why Kaepernick's numbers regressed over the past two seasons, Kelly pointed to injuries and a coaching change as the main factors.

"I know he's injured," Kelly said. "I've gotten that question a lot about Kap, and I think people forget that. He had a shoulder, a thumb and a knee that were legitimate. ... I think getting a healthy Kap is an important thing. I've talked to him a couple times just getting updates about him rehabbing, and I think he seems excited about were he's headed and how that's coming."

So while several media reports have surfaced this offseason about a potential parting of ways between Kaepernick and team, Kelly's words on the subject seemed to suggest the contrary.

"I've also learned not to believe everything I read on the internet," Kelly said.

Yeah Jackson, McCoy, Foles, I'm sure heard that same line as well as Murray once he got there in Philly also, seen how that worked out for all them.

Wasn't saying a baught it. Just reporting what he said.

Honestly, I don't think we have any idea what they really think. Could be on the level. Could be fishing for a trade. No idea.

I kinda want Kap to stay just to see what Kelly can do with him. No guarantee he'll be good in that system, but I'd prefer to see someone other than Geep Chryst be the guy to give him his last shot in SF.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I see this whole thing as the 49ers making way to much noise about him being on the team, therefore he won't be.

This is a lot like how Harbaugh and Baalke have a great relationship and expect to have great results working together during the season and then BOOM. Most of us seen it and called it, just the information coming out of the 49ers spin factory was always Happy Happy Joy Joy. Timmy K had it nailed the whole time.

Timmy K is the man, in fact in he ran for president I'd probably vote for him! :th2thumbs:

 

[Marvin49]

Meanwhile...

Rand Getlin ‏@Rand_Getlin · 2m2 minutes ago

Source: Kaepernick's agents have requested permission from the team to seek a trade.



At this point, I got no clue who to believe. Nothing would surprise me.

 

[rideaducati]

Kaepernick won't pass a physical before April 1st. Because he won't pass his physical prior to April 1st, his contract for next season will be fully guaranteed unless he passes a physical and can play this season. Since he won't be ready by April 1st, they would either trade him or keep him until June 1st before cutting him because there would be too much dead money to cut him before then. Cutting Kaepernick after June 1st would save them over $13 million in cap space and they would have a dead money hit of about $2.5 million.

It's not that they are keeping Kaepernick around to battle for the starting job, it's that they HAVE TO keep him until he can pass a physical. Once he passes his physical, they have to keep him until June 1st anyway...so, in the meantime, they'll see how he does. They don't have too many options right now, so they're putting a spin on it that would make Marvin proud.

If it is truly a fair competition for the starting job in Santa Clara, Kaepernick won't be starting. Gabbert is a better QB. I don't see how they could keep Kaepernick and pay him over $10 million more than their starter.

 

[NINEster]

If it is truly a fair competition for the starting job in Santa Clara, Kaepernick won't be starting. Gabbert is a better QB. I don't see how they could keep Kaepernick and pay him over $10 million more than their starter.

Not sure if Gabbert is better than Kaepernick. I think Gabbert has a lot of the tools to be a very good NFL QB, just like Kap has had the tools as well. Has Wilson had a TD run as long as Gabbert? I don't believe so.

Gabbert played better than Kap in some games last year, but at the same time he also benefited from the "do no wrong" backup QB swag. Kap once had that backup QB swag and had unreal confidence. Then you become the entrenched starter and things naturally get harder.

Additionally the 49ers had a terrible team last year.....no OL, a confused defense, no Carlos Hyde for a bunch of games.

I like to say that a QB is usually under/over rated compared to the typical media/fan narrative. So for example I feel that Kap was overrated in 2012 and underrated in 2013 and 2014. Cam Newton overrated this season.

Gabbert never had a fair shake in his career, until this season.

Those were some terrible Jaguar teams. No young QB would have done well there. Russell Wilson would already have been out of the league if he was a starter there in 2012 because he would have sucked too and his lack of height would have been the fall for it easily.

When I look back and see early Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, and look at them now.......I know hands down that organizational stability and coaching is what will factor in most for QB success.

 

[soohawk]

ninester, sorry but the narrative that he hasn't had a fair shake is not accurate. the situation in jacksonville might not have been perfect but he had all the reps in the world and was terrible. he wasn't able to handle criticism at all and was nicknamed "blame" gabbert by the front office, coaches and teammates because he lacked accountability. talk him up all you want but he has had the same knocks on him since he left Missouri. He's not the qb of your future so its not worth getting protective of him. guy is not an nfl qb, plain and simple.

 

[rideaducati]

If it is truly a fair competition for the starting job in Santa Clara, Kaepernick won't be starting. Gabbert is a better QB. I don't see how they could keep Kaepernick and pay him over $10 million more than their starter.

Not sure if Gabbert is better than Kaepernick. I think Gabbert has a lot of the tools to be a very good NFL QB, just like Kap has had the tools as well. Has Wilson had a TD run as long as Gabbert? I don't believe so.

Gabbert played better than Kap in some games last year, but at the same time he also benefited from the "do no wrong" backup QB swag. Kap once had that backup QB swag and had unreal confidence. Then you become the entrenched starter and things naturally get harder.

Additionally the 49ers had a terrible team last year.....no OL, a confused defense, no Carlos Hyde for a bunch of games.

I like to say that a QB is usually under/over rated compared to the typical media/fan narrative. So for example I feel that Kap was overrated in 2012 and underrated in 2013 and 2014. Cam Newton overrated this season.

Gabbert never had a fair shake in his career, until this season.

Those were some terrible Jaguar teams. No young QB would have done well there. Russell Wilson would already have been out of the league if he was a starter there in 2012 because he would have sucked too and his lack of height would have been the fall for it easily.

When I look back and see early Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, and look at them now.......I know hands down that organizational stability and coaching is what will factor in most for QB success.

Gabbert is better than Kaepernick, but that in no way means that Gabbert is good...it means that Kaepernick is REALLY bad.

 

[kearly]

I see this whole thing as the 49ers making way to much noise about him being on the team, therefore he won't be.

Pretty much.