Idle Colin Kaepernick taking smart approach to offseason

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Colin Kaepernick is unemployed because he’s channeling Donald Trump.

The NFL isn’t blackballing him. Don’t even go there.

Before I get to what I mean about Kaepernick and Trump, let me address this supposed black ball. Some members of the media would have you believe all 32 NFL franchises are whispering to each other not to sign Kaepernick because he didn’t stand for the National Anthem.

Seems highly unlikely.

Click here to read the rest of my Friday column.

This article has 179 Comments

  1. I don’t believe in this collusion to “blackball” Kaepernick. Every one reads this way too deep. He looks like an ass for kneeling for the NATIONAL ANTHEM. It’s a consensus that’s an idiotic thing to do. Doesn’t require a conspiracy

    1. Oh and the fact that he’s a lousy sandlot quarterback, who can’t play big boy pro quarterback…. why is this guy still news

      1. You aren’t serious right ??? If so you know ZERO about football. Does he struggle reading Defenses, yes. But sandlot QB ? That was just ignorant. He actually had better stat’s than over half the Leagues QB’s with a pretty depleted offense. Hate him is fine, but don’t sound like an idiot while doing it.

        1. lol. Don’t talk. Really. You and your 1960s stats prove nothing. When you start breaking down those stats you realize just clumsy and inept he really was.

        2. Yes locking onto one read then ditching to scramble every play is the very essence of sandlot football. Maybe defenses should have counted Mississippis for him to ensure he had plenty of time to hit that one read. And 32 NFL GMs apparently know nothing about football either….

        3. Simple phrase that’s been around the NFL for years….
          STATS ARE FOR LOSERS

        4. I agree. Forcing him to be only a pocket passer was like putting an Abrams tank in a pit. Rolling him out with mobile pockets would be accentuating his strengths. He can throw on the run, and the threat to run would have helped him buy time so his receivers could get open.
          .
          With a better supporting cast, he will do just fine, and with better coaching, he will become a true dual threat that will stress the defense. Sandlot football? No, clever and innovative football is what is needed.
          .
          With attrition, he will get his chance to play despite the hate, and prove his detractors wrong.

          1. seb,

            He can’t consistently make plays from the pocket. Rolling him out or running a read option/zone read every play can’t be used as a base offense.

            You might have short term success (1 full season if your lucky). But the league will adjust like they did to the Wildcat.

            Another problem with that kind of offense is injuries. Kap and RGIII have had multple surgeries.

            Bottom line is that read option/zone read/roll out offense isn’t a viable long term solution and therefore neither is Kap and RGIII.

            1. One thing I forgot to mention. Barring HGH use, his speed and explosiveness will continue to decline.

  2. Great article Grant. Not because Kaepernick is a one hit wonder and he’s a lousy QB, but because it speaks the truth that no wants to admit!
    Good job!

    1. ” Not because Kaepernick is a one hit wonder and he’s a lousy QB, but because it speaks the truth that no wants to admit!”

      Which is that he’s a one hit wonder and a lousy QB.

      1. Four years ago I commented that Kaepernick is best suited to play in the CFL…That was NOT a slam to him…it was common sense then just as it is today. He has wonderful athletic skills that translate to the Canadian game moreso than the NFL…he can run like a deer and can throw passes with great velocity…not accurately, which does not translate to the NFL. Yes, I believe that he will perhaps return to the playing field…but not as a starter unless a REAL starter is incapacitated….If starting is really what he is striving for…head north and do not kneel at the sound of “Oh Canada”…He could regain some egocentric bluster and pride in successful display…just not in a forty niner uniform….

  3. Seems plausible, but plausible doesn’t sell clicks. We live in a media age where emotional heart strings are plucked and everyone is looking for injustice. Injustice sells advertising.

  4. So you’re saying that a team who’s starter goes down during the season will give Kaepernick the type of money that he wants without a training camp or OTA’s and expect him to be ready to slide right in and play at a high level?

    Teams are not going to pay a guy who doesn’t know the system and isn’t even that good, a large sum of money because he kept his mouth shut during the off season.

    I mean Grant, you act like you’re an NFL scout and talent evaluator all the time and you are convinced this guy is good enough to still play football at a high level?

    I don’t get this article at all.

    1. Bottom line is Kaepernick hit his ceiling on an excellent 49ers team and now he is relegated to being a distracting stopgap QB at best.

    2. This is a great point.

      Kaep isn’t signed because (a) he isn’t good enough to be a starting QB in this league (b) he can be a backup, but teams prefer the backup QB to blend into the background and not cause distraction – i mean you don’t want put the head coach and starting QB in a position where they to talk about the actions of a backup every week. They just want to focus on the game and opponent.

      This is a typical presumptuous Grant article. I mean, a QB like Kaep can’t just come into a team and figure out the system. Harbaugh masked his deficiencies well. Grant also likes to think he is this great talent evaluator but we know it is not true.

    3. That is not what he was saying. He was stating the bigger issue to Kaep is the opportunity to start and so his best option is to sit quiet and wait for an injury.
      He actually is an ideal replacement to bring in should a starter go down as he is more of sandlot player who doesn’t need a system to produce.

      1. Doesn’t need a system to produce?

        This isn’t backyard flag football Shoup. This is the best of the best and we all know what systems do for your team and your QB…ala Mike Singletary turning it over to Harbaugh.

        Kaepernick needs a system but more over, he needs talent to mask his overbearing deficiencies.

        1. I don’t think you got my point he is a slightly below average qb. He has never been a system qb and because he has always gotten by on athletic ability, he is the type of qb a coach who lost a starter could quickly develop a small package of plays for… and his athletic ability could win a game or two for a talented team while they await the return of the starter.
          And he is better than most teams backups.

  5. Good theory… Grant .. seems like you put
    a good deal of thought into it … but .. I’m
    wondering .. if this quote … is directed to
    any of the posters… here .. ? … =>

    “…The NFL isn’t blackballing him. Don’t even go there…”

  6. This is blog / article or jounalism is nothing more than unproductive and instead geared toward instaging the same old story. Don’t fall into this trap.

    Doc

  7. Waiting to be wanted (be needed…) is a good position to be in, given everything else.
    .
    Just cannot wait until Seb weighs in. Oh boy…

    1. Seb has had great emotional self discipline, of late……..its just a matter of time before “Krakatoa, East of Java” blows up……………

      1. As Kurt Russell (playing Wyatt Earp) said in Tombstone…”You tell ’em I’m coming… and *ell’s coming with me, you hear!?”
        .
        Seb’s coming, and *ell’s coming with him!!

  8. There’s talk around the league that CK is seen as a specific system fit guy. If that is the case then it’s a smaller field of teams to wait on for an injury-caused opportunity. Longer odds.
    Would not-so-good-fit teams be willing to pull that trigger? Even longer odds.
    I’d rather he wasn’t in NFC West, but FlyingFishburg looks to me like his best option, but not as a starter.

  9. I realize were drifting in the foot ball doldrums, but this subject is not even newsworthy. It’s worn-out history. Maybe he’ll get lucky and get signed on as a SeaSquawk backup but somehow I doubt it. If he plays anywhere at all, most likely it’ll be the CFL. Kaepernick has marooned himself in no-man’s land due mainly to a glaring lack of competency in must-perform, on-field situations. Nada mas.

  10. What a horrible article grant. So many in the media are trying to pretend he isn’t getting black balled. The guy a better td/int ratio than Brees, and had ‘s better completion %than Cam. Gabbert out of all QBs get’s a job before him……. right. Kept telling yourself that. :)

    1. Gabbert is a third-string QB making $900,000. Do you think that’s what Kaepernick wants?

      1. As usual, I think you’ve made some fine point in your article Grant, and at least one or two that don’t hold up to scrutiny.

        I don’t think Colin’s controversial decision to kneel in protest is the sole reason he hasn’t yet been signed, but I do believe it’s a factor. And concluding that it’s not a factor simply because other players who joined Colin’s protest still have jobs is a silly conclusion that holds no water. By the way, there were others around the league who also joined the protest by taking a knee, and have not been “blackballed”. But to pretend there isn’t a difference between being the face of the protest, and the player who is considered to be the “ringleader”, which is who Colin has become, and being seen as a player who simply followed Colin’s lead, seems to be a lazy, and oversimplified conclusion at best Grant. Think of it this way. When the Feds go after organized crime, they often chose to ignore the lower level “small fish” in order to avoid tipping off the “big fish”, or simply offer immunity to the small players in order to more effectively take out the ringleader, kingpin, or bos,. You don’t get hung up on the small players, when the most effective in eliminating the entire group is by going after after the top players and cutting off the head of the snake.

        That said, there are certainly other factors involved as well. But the bottom line is really quite simple at this point. It comes down to RISK vs REWARD.

        Colin is the face of last season’s poorly thought out player protest, because Colin played the leading role while others simply followed his lead. And, while Colin got the nation’s attention, his message was muddled and controversial, and a strong argument can be made that it was inappropriate given that the NFL is a team sport, yet Colin took an individual approach to the protest, and sent a lot of confusing, contradictory messages and made some poorly thought out statements along with it. But if Colin was considered a quality NFL starter around the league, who can come in and make other players around him better, the reward in signing him would outweigh the risk involved in signing such a controversial player who is widely viewed as the face of a protest that has, in a lot of ways, fallen right in line with our partisan, politically divided country. I would argue that, while I agree with the basic idea of his protest (racial inequality and police brutality to be specific), I dissagree with the way he went about it, and he’s become a very polarizing person because of it, regardless of whether his intentions were pure, or not. And he’s simply not a good enough football player to carry that kind of baggage.

        And that’s where I agree with the rest of your article. Colin’s no longer considered a NFL starting QB, and yet he apparently has an inflated sense of his ability and talent at this point, and he believes he’s better than he is. The league has long since caught up to his style as a duel threat, ‘Pistol” read-option QB, and he’s failed miserably at developing the part of his game that would make him an effective from the pocket. SO the league has simply passed him by, and when you take this part of the equation into account along with the other part of the equation, which is his controversial social activision, you have a guy who NFL GM’s don’t think is a good fit for their team’s. And when you don’t fit in any GM’s plan, you find yourself in the position Colin has found himself in. And that’s the bottom line.

        If I were Colin, I’d officially retire from the NFL and go all in as a social activist. But in the meantime I’d pick up some history books, and figure out exactly what social issues I’d like to focus on, and educate myself in order to more effectively get my message across! Because there are real serious social issues that need a voice, and no matter where you stand on the issues, most people now recognize Colin’s face and know who he is, and that’s half of the battle. And I’d start by taking back the notion that there’s no reason to vote, because that’s the kind of contradictory statement (among others) that throws a wrench on his entire message.

    2. The strength of his stats is the low INT ratio, but that’s because it isn’t easy for the D to pick off a pass only 4 yards beyond the LOS. Everybody keeps referring to the stats without looking at all the stats. Third down efficiency worth noting.

      1. You’r eright. He had a better TD/INT rate because he took no chances. His average depth of completion last year was 43rd in the NFL. His TDs were, mostly, a product of ‘big play’ YAC receptions while he rarely threw a ball where one of his routinely inaccurate passes faced coverage-risk.

        A QB who threw as consistently short as Kaepernick did last year should have had a completion percentage around 67%. Like Alex Smith who was also chronically short in his passing last year. Or Drew Brees who completed 70% of his passes. Yet it was 59.2%.

    3. You are ignoring ALL the other factors at play. First and foremost, as Grant points out, BG was signed to a league minimum 900k, CK is not going to do that, otherwise he’d have gone to Denver last year.

      Second, BG is a better fit for Az’s system and he knows he’s going to be the #2 guy until CP gets hurt (which will happen).

      Third, CK has a lot of limitations that, as a qb, are too much to pay the guy what he wants, and its obvious he doesn’t want 900k.

      CK turns 30 this year, BG turns 28. Age may not be a factor, but I’d take the guy who is 2 years younger, if BG becomes productive that gives you a longer time with him. CK is closing in on 30 and hasn’t progressed since he was a 2nd year guy. 2012 was 5 years ago, there was a time a QB would go from drafted to out of the league in 5 years time…look at JaMarcus, Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Quincy Carter, Cade McNown, and many others. CK has to accept that if he wants to stay in the NFL, he has to have a backups mentality. Its why a guy like Gabbert was picked up, because he is willing to be there just in case.

      And why is it no one is talking about RG3 out of a job, he was a much better QB than Colin was when they were both in their prime. Is he being blackballed?

      Next year, if guys like Tannehill, Goff, Bortles, Bradford and maybe even Taylor don’t have good years, those teams will be looking to draft or sign a new guy. Will people be asking if Blake Bortles is being black balled if he isn’t signed at this point next year?

  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZBpNklSlSQ

    The time has come to say goodbye
    But you know I ain’t the only one
    All the heroes, fools and saints
    They’re gonna die no matter who they are
    Up above, Is there a heaven?
    (I don’t give a chit! No one will ever know)
    Down below, Is there a hell?
    (I don’t give a chit! No one will ever know)
    Annihilation of mankind?
    I know there’s only one thing for sure
    Doomsday clock ticking
    I can only say that nothing lasts forever
    Who the hell cares? What’s really hip
    (Who the hell! Who the hell cares!)
    Who the hell cares? Big money talks
    (Who the hell! Who the hell cares!)
    Who the hell cares? Who’s the next liar?
    (Who the hell! Who the hell cares!)
    Who the hell cares? Rock is dead
    (Who the hell! Who the hell cares!)
    We are born to live and die
    To the heaven we will fly
    There’s no need for fear or fright
    So long
    Shout! Shout! Shout now!
    When you feel down, darkness comes
    You’ll never know tomorrow, God never answers
    My tongue is dry gimme some more JACK
    Just let it go, let it flow
    Carry out a coup d’etat
    I know there’s only one thing for sure
    Doomsday clock ticking
    I can only say that nothing lasts forever
    Shout! Shout! Shout now!

  12. If he was worthy of being a starter someone would sign him. That’s the way it works in this league. If you can play at a high level, the league will overlook the indiscretions or in this case bad publicity and sign you anyway. Kap’s problem is that he’s shown he can’t play consistently from the pocket which eliminates most of his options and limits him to teams that use designated QB runs and moving pockets frequently. There may be a shred of truth to the black balling angle, but only in regards to teams not wanting a backup to draw the kind of attention he almost certainly would. The obvious landing spots for him would be as a backup in Carolina or Seattle. Carolina is pretty conservative so that may be a non starter. That leaves Seattle where he would be in an offense that suits his abilities, and playing with a group of players that like him and would welcome him with open arms. It seems like it’s Seattle or bust to me.

      1. …our home and native land.
        True patriot love in all thy sons command.
        With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free!
        From far and wide
        O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
        God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
        O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

  13. This is one of those topics in which there is a greater potential that we will learn more about the commentors than the subject of the topic.

  14. Grant ,really, pushing for clicks with a Trump mention? You are talented enough, you’re better than thus IMHO.

    The Kaep story is the tedium. When his talent ,salary and forecasted contribution outweigh the off-field contribution, he will be signed . In a hearbeat. It’s like a house in a bad neighborhood. It absolutely will sell, in a heartbeat, when FMV intersects with demand. I wouldn’t buy a house in a rotten neighborhood, I have a house in a nice neighborhood. But for me there is an FMV as maybe a rental. What Kaep needs is a team that really wants him, and values him accordingly. Not with the slumlord eye, but the appreciator of talent eye.

    Is that team out there?

  15. Actually, I liked the article, but the topic is now tiresome. Looking forward to some OTA reports. Next week, isn’t it?

    1. Yeah, Kaepernick is very old news. I wonder how much longer some here are going to bring him up.

          1. George,
            Seb would actually be fine at this point, Prime is the one that kills me with his obsession of Seb. When Prime speaks football he is quite ok. However with his need to constantly poke and prod, I’m not sure if he is just young and need to mature or if he is obsessed and has pictures of Seb’s avatar plastered all over his room.

  16. From the NN article today about Breida:

    “The Niners . . . had a strong pitch about why Breida was a good fit in San Francisco. They told Breida about the two-back system the coaching staff previously used in Atlanta with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Even though they drafted Utah’s Joe Williams in the fourth round, he’s a bigger back. They needed a speedy one. They needed Breida.”

    So that may be their long-term plan.

    1. Which would lend more credence to the idea that Hyde isn’t currently in a strong position in terms of having a future at the 49ers beyond this season. Williams will be competing with Hyde for the #1 RB duties. And we all know how Shanahan feels about Williams, it has been well documented how much he wanted him.

  17. ‘Blackballed’?

    Is that what a very public entertainment company is called when they decide not to hire a publicity nightmare who can alienate over half their customers and corporate sponsors? Kap would have to be Tom Brady to have teams ignore his decision to become a social activist on company time. And he ain’t no Brady…

  18. Grant, nice article. We will just have to agree to disagree.
    .
    I will agree that he is playing it smart. He should not go begging, it will lower his value. Some team in the NFL will desperately need a QB due to attrition, and Kaep will probably sign a -Prove it contract. He should just be patient. I am wondering if the Texans will be the first team to pivot when Watson starts throwing up lollipops that get picked off. I also foresee McCown and Glennon struggling. Palmer may show his age and if Gabbert gets to play, I bet Ariens has a short leash. Bortles may struggle, and Siemian may still have a bum shoulder. Kizer will play like a rookie, and both Goff and Wentz are not guaranteed success. Alex and Dalton are on thin ice, while Ben, Drew, Eli and Phillip may show their limitations. That is half the league with QB questions.
    .
    Any team that starts 1-4 may be in the hunt for a better QB.

    Heck, after Giselle spilled the beans about Brady having concussions, and seeing how the league covered that up with the Pats, maybe they will need a QB if Brady retires.

    Seahawks sound like they will welcome Kaep with open arms, but have salary cap restraints.

    All of his detractors do not want to give him a chance, because they are terrified that he may take the league by storm, and make all their screeds look clueless.

    I, too, will be patient, and just move on. Sounds like Jed burned his bridges, so Kaep really does not want to be stabbed in the back any more. The myth about him only wanting to concentrate on social justice is just another vicious smear.
    .
    To deny that blackballing never occurs is specious. They blackball players all the time. Look at Aldon. Look at Manziel. Look at Ray Rice. Kaep is definitely being blackballed because anonymous GMs admit it.

    1. Seb, I think he’s being blackballed by some franchises, but there are some who just don’t think he’s starting QB material. I can’t break it down for you, I just figure his kneeling made him persona non grata in several communities. I’m writing this just to support your claim, and because I have no doubt racial prejudice exists. It exists everywhere.

      1. Sorry George but that sounds like a lame excuse.
        The NFL is all about winning and if a team thought Kaepernick could help them win, they’d sign him.

        Grant made a good point. What about all those other players that knelt down during the anthem. How come they’re still employed?

        1. That’s pretty simple prime, none of the other players are QB’s or the face of their franchise or the first player to start the trend. They’re follower nobodies. None of those guys opted out of their contracts either.

          I think 70% CK’s play and poor fit for offensive systems and 30% is this other stuff. It’s silly to say it doesn’t have some impact because people clearly hate him for it. And you’re wrong about one point, the NFL is about money plain and simple, more than winning. Bringing in a hated QB is an owners nightmare for revenue and a sketchy QB at best. He is better than some starting QB’s but he’s not worth the risk. If it’s not an issue why did three teams call his social justice mentor? If his play was great he’d have a job, because his play isn’t great this protest makes him completely undesirable.

        2. Prime, those other guys are small potatoes, and do not make it on the cover of Time magazine.
          .
          Kaep was the leader, so he was an easy target.

      2. George, it sure does not help when the President of the United States threatens to send mean tweets. Interesting, tho, he has stopped the 3AM tweets for some reason…..
        .
        I know, I know, keep politics out of it. ;p

    2. We’ve been terrified for a long time Seb… and waiting for that terrible storm to materialize… sadly, like all your prognostications and half baked theories they are aether.

      1. Yup, like me advocating that the Niners using a later draft pick to trade up and get the player they covet.
        .
        IICRC, you were one of those who scoffed at the very idea of the Niners being able to trade back, or thought it was delusional thinking to trade up.

        1. Seb,

          I advocated that very scenario the first mock. Not a huge gimme by the way or a wondrous magical moment of prescience.

          EastCoast9er says:
          March 14, 2017 at 9:08 am
          I know it’s highly improbable, but here goes..the Browns want the hometown boy so bad that they trade their #2&3 this year and 3 next year to move up to 2 and switch with the 49ers first round spot.
          They would pick and move back into the first using the newly acquired second. And do the following:
          1-12-Mike Williams- WR – Clemson
          1-27-Patrick Mahones-QB- Texas Tech – from KC for the Browns #2 pick
          2-34-Jarrad Davis – LB – Florida
          3- 65-Kevin King – CB – Washington
          3- 66 – Carl Lawson DE – Auburn or Joe Mathis – Washington
          4-109- Ethen Pocic C – LSU
          4 – 143 – Jaleem Reeves-Maybin – LB – Tennessee

          1. Even with your moving up, you whiffed on the entire draft.
            .
            Speaking of mocks, I had one with the Niners trading back with the Saints, garnering additional draft picks and still getting King Solomon.
            .
            Maybe if you had proposed that one closer to the draft, I would give it more credence. I referred to my last mock as the one to consider. In it, I was the lone poster on Grant’s last mock blog post that had the Niners trading back.

            1. You miss my point, which was on my first mock I nailed that the Niners would move down and garner a 2nd, 3rd and get a 3rd for next year. Additionally, I said they would trade back into the first and get a second first round player. This the team all did.
              You have been touting that you were the only one to come up with this strategy and everyone denigrated you for this. My point is anyone could see this if they wanted to and had a chart. It wasn’t that particularly difficult.

              This was my first mock Seb and it was March 14. You can say whatever you want but it was accurate on the trades. Your last mock (v2023) was actually two. You are funny because you claim something that didn’t occur. But whatever, keep fantasizing and with your silly fetishes of being some super GM.

              1. East, I had mocked a trade with Cleveland about 10 times because they had a boatload of picks, and many times speculated the Niners would trade back and get 2018 second and third round picks.
                .
                I had 2 last mocks because I used 2 different ranking boards. I determined that the latter one would be my final, and got one correct pick.

                Super GM? Isn’t that what you were doing by presenting a mock? Pot meet kettle.

              2. Please… you’ve been crying for weeks now about how you got it right and no one paid attention to you and how you were the only one to propose trade backs and trade forwards. Fact is you were wrong on both counts Baalke Jr.

    3. I’d figured that Seb would agree with the positive aspects of the article and disagree with the negative.

      New boss same as the old.

  19. He’s played it stupid his whole career. Just because he’s some kind of role model to some of you it doesn’t forgive the fact that he has done a terrable job with his career when it comes to money. First he signed a crappy contract that the team could get out of every year. Then he restructured to a crappier deal. Now he opted out rather than taking the $14 mil he could have made this year. Last he put himself on the market st the worst possible time. Playing it smart Grant -I think not.

    1. No. The Niners may have wanted him, but surely, he would have had to accept playing for less. Sure sounds like Kaep wanted to move on, especially from a 2-14 team. He certainly could have done better going to the Texans, with their strong offensive weapons and number one defense.

    2. The niners would have cut him, no way he would have had made $14million. Even if he had offered to pay them to play, they’d have said bye-bye.

  20. A good article overall Grant, but it seems like a filler more than anything.

    1. Nope, Grant threw me a cookie. ;p
      .
      However, it is relevant because the Seahawks, a division opponent, has expressed interest. If no one else extends an offer, Kaep may be forced to accept a backup job at a small salary.

      1. When you aren’t that good with baggage you don’t get signed. Make all the excuses in the world if you want. If he’s got off field stuff but is Lebron James or Jerry rice you get signed. When your a backup and a distraction you don’t get signed. If you say he’s not a distraction-just look at the attention he’s getting not getting signed. You better be Arron Rogers not Tavares Jackson with that kind of pub. Unless your a team that sucks like Cleveland and just wants the PR.

        1. Yup, Mixon can knock out a woman and break her jaw, but since he is talented, they do not care.
          .
          Then you have some one protesting police brutality, but if he is controversial, that is baggage, even though he does have enough talent to have a 4-2 playoff record.
          .
          BTW, the Niners are a 2-14 team. That kinda sucks.

          1. THOSE Niners had enough talent to have a 4-2 po record. Storm never materialized becuase does not exist: just a quick shower, with many teams unprepared having no umbrella. Then what happened? Theywent hime, made thei homework and magically the shower fade away. Stop exposing yourself, you’re just pathetic

            1. If he really believed in what he was kneeling for, why he jsut stopped? Is brutality over?
              And btw, I assume Grant writes arricles not only because of you. Man, grow up. World doens’t spin around you.

              1. Fan… He didn’t just stop. He stopped kneeling because there are no more games to play. But he’s active in his community, writing checks for charities, doing food drives, etc.. So “he didn’t just stop”. Another uninformed commenter.

          2. I think you explained why one has a job and why one doesn’t. If one is such a great leader, why was the team 2-14? He had 1 win? The same as his predecessor? His 3rd conversion not good.
            His playoff record — history. NFL is what have you done for me lately league. He also got in the cover of time after being counseled to kneel by Eric Reid who turned a petulant act of defiance into a political movement. Let’s not forget the timeline either.

            1. But his 1 win was against the Rams. Showing he’s in prime form. He played hard all game. He showed everyone he can play in 2nd half. The Rams prove he is SB level! I can’t believe Pats didn’t cut Brady to sign Colin. I mean, he beat the Rams!

            2. East, Baalke dismantled that SB team, then sat on his hands and did nothing to try and improve it.
              .
              Now that Lynch has signed 20 FAs, and hit a grand slam in the draft, Kaep would have a decent supporting cast.
              .
              That third down conversion rate could have been better, but many times, when his receivers were blanketed, he used his legs to make a first down.
              .
              I will put it succinctly. Even Joe Montana could not have won with the Niner defense, which gave up a historic amount of yards on the ground. That is a fact that some how, you conveniently forget.

              1. Conjecture. Defense gave up lots of yards so perhaps Gabby might have done better behind a decent line too is your argument?

              2. No, Gabbert was on a 4 game losing streak when benched, so he did not shine, either.

          3. Police brutality is a blanket slogan that targets the negative of the police to advance an incorrect & flawed agenda. As you might agree with this stance -I do not. As for 2-14 -if your boy was so great he would be able to carry the team to a better record on his own. If not the team at least get an offense higher ranked than 31. Either way -you’ll keep propping your action figure him up and ignore the reality of his immature self righteousness.

            1. Immature self righteousness? No. More like a courageous act of selflessness, despite all the death threats. Then he put his mouth where his money was and gave a million bucks to help the less fortunate.

              1. Courageous act stealing from a twitter race bater to get your info. Wearing pig socks and not following up on stories when the cops are proven innocent. Not looking into the characters and backgrounds of “always innocent” victims. Allowing only for a one sided narrative supposing all cops are bad. All the other goodwill stuff he is doing is just a publicity stunt. No need to waste time arguing with you the only time will show the reality. You continue to be to be I guess what you call a lover & I’ll be what you call a hater.

              2. Glad you defined yourself. Lately, it looks like another cop got off by claiming she smelled PCP. While never having used that drug, I have been around people who have, and I never have smelled that drug, even while standing right next to them. She claims to have smelled it 10 yards away. If she had feared for her life, she should have stayed in her car and called for backup. Instead, because he did not obey her commands, she became judge, jury and executioner, with no repercussions.

  21. I wonder if police will wear Colin socks to games. May be a market there.

    1. I’ve been listening to this. It goes over a lot stuff discussed here recently. A lot of food for thought.

  22. The dominant Society isn’t meant to see reality for what it is, you all will wait till it’s too late to realize what’s really going on. We will always stand up with Kaepernick because he used his platform to help others. Anytime black people preach Community Amerikka, looks to destroy them. Grant Cohen write an opinion piece, and claims that as fact. Sports journalism is a joke.

    1. you are so right. A lot of the hate thrown at Kap is just pure simple racism. Kap has made mistakes and is not a great QB yet. But he has potential. I have nothing but respect for what he is doing for the people of this country and the hungry and starving of Africa. He is a better human being than most of the “patriots”.
      America today considers a liar, racist, dictator wannabe a hero, and a philanthropist, compassionate, superb athlete a villain. How far we have fallen!!!! Its sad!!!!

      1. Are you referring to our 44th president? They say his favorite cocktail is a negroni.

  23. http://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2017/05/18/whats-fair-to-expect-from-49ers-qb-brian-hoyer/

    “Hoyer in six games for the lowly Bears completed 67 percent of his throws, averaged 240 yards per game and had six touchdown passes to no interceptions. He logged 300-yard games in his first four starts.”

    “His 98.0 passer rating was a career high and would have ranked seventh among NFL starters for the entire season, just ahead of Kirk Cousins (97.2).”

    “The veteran last season was sacked a career-low 2 percent of his attempts, in stark contrast to 49ers signal callers that were dropped on 8.7 percent of theirs.”

    1. Is CK a poor QB? Yes. Does he deserve to be a starter in the NFL? No. Is he a victim of racism? Yes.

      1. Old Coach, I beg to differ. Kaep is not a poor QB. There are a lot of extenuating circumstances. In 2015, his O line were turnstiles, and he became so injured, he required 3 surgeries. In 2016, the run defense could not fight its way out of a paper bag.
        .
        Considering the limited QBs that have been signed, Hoyer and Barkley included, Kaep has accomplished more and has way more talent than they do.

        1. You confuse athleticism with talent. Kaepernick has more athleticism. He doesn’t have more talent. He was only able to succeed until the NFL figured out the junk offense that carried him.

          1. Junk offense? Yes, the one where Baalke used cut couch potatoes as RBs and 4th string practice squad WRs, and horrific players like DEVEY. The limited coaches did not help.

            Kaep has enough talent to make jaw dropping throws and set playoff rushing records. That same athleticism allowed him to put his foot on the half yard line, then sprint upfield untouched, out racing the DBs for a TD.

            1. You are forgetting the stacked team they had in 2013: Frank Gore, Bruce Miller, Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis, Staley, Iupati, Goodwin, Boone, A. Davis. Lets not forget they also had Crabtree, Manningham, Hunter, & Dixon. It had 4 pro-bowlers on offense.

              And lets not forget that defense which had 6 pro-bowlers.

              2013 was the start of the decline, or do I need to remind you of the the games vs Seattle, Indi, Houston, NO, and especially vs Carolina where he was 11 for 22, for 91 yards and an int.

              The league had figured him out. He passed for more than 200 yards just 5 times out of 16 games. Not 300 yards, 200. 4 times he didn’t even break 150 yards. And his playoff run got progressively worse as the competition got better: 227 yards, 196 yards, 153 yards. 7.57 ypc, 7.0 ypc, 6.38 ypc. In the biggest game he had a 58% completion and 56 QBR.

              This was the team coming off the SB loss. This team was stacked and he came up short.

              He’s not that good. Get over it. He will never regain his 2012 form, which even then wasn’t that great outside of 2 games (MNF vs Chi/Divisional Round vs GB).

        2. A poor QB would not storm into the SB after only 10 games and set playoff records.

          The present Niner starter threw the ball like the DBs were the intended receivers in his lone playoff game and committed 5 turnovers. At least Kaep got to within 5 yards of winning it all, and one pass from returning.
          .
          I fully admit he regressed, but with a better supporting cast, he will do better.

      2. And your explanation for RGIII? Right… You don’t have one that doesn’t apply to Kaepernick as well because they’re two-peas in an ‘Incompetent QB Pod.’ And yet, through pure magic, only one is ‘blackballed’ because of ‘racism.’

      3. OldCoach. I’m loath to jump into the political but I do want to clarify. Is CK a poor QB? Yes and no. He is not a consistent QB and that is part of his problem. Does that make him a poor QB. In my book yes, but he isn’t terrible. He has trouble reading defenses and being accurate. That much is true. I think that does not make him a starter. The last question is tricky and sticky because it is mired in political language. Racism implies policies. I think he may be a victim of bigotry and prejudice but not racism.

      4. Colin is not the victim of racism. Lets just drop that narrative here and now. The NFL doesn’t see color when it comes to its players, other than green. Its all about winning and making as much money for the team. CK doesn’t bring either. Mike Vick went to jail and had a career after, why, because he was good enough for teams to give him a shot….even those Jets. Ray Lewis was an accomplice to murder (even though he got off with just obstruction) and now he’s headed to the HOF.

        So no, no racism.

        Next!

  24. How bored can Grant be to bring up CK?
    And what about the really burning question?
    >>Should Harbaugh have benched Alex in place of CK?<<
    (Have at it folks; I'm going to wash my car.)

    1. Has Alex done anything since that benching to suggest he would have been the better choice?

      1. Yes, he’s gotten some 1st downs as a routine way of doing his business.
        Besides, did you spike your coffee today? In what world can you not see that my comment was snickering at that foolishness of anyone here worrying about CK?

        1. I spike my coffee every morning and it was an innocuous reply. Maybe a switch to de-caf is in your future.

          (had to edit because I originally put de-calf! lol)

      2. Alex was the QB that Harbs needed, not wanted.

        The Chiefs with Alex Smith as their QB have gone from playoff drought to playoff consistency. They have, under him and Reid, a 41-20 playoff record with 3 playoff appearances, playing in what has become the best division in the NFL. Since 2011 he is the 3rd winningest qb behind only Rodgers and Brady. Bad qbs do not have that level of success, no matter how good the team they are on is.

  25. Good for Kaep maybe he can use his valuable off season spare time correcting his footwork, reading defenses and accuracy.

  26. Kaep is playing it smart. He is working out hard, studying a lot, and has now returned to his ideal playing weight.
    .
    I predict he will be patient, wait until a team desperately needs a QB, and play again,
    .
    Then I surmise that he will play so well, the Niners will look foolish for trying to lowball him, while their QBs struggle. With a strong supporting cast, Kaep will take the league by storm, again.
    However, the most important thing is that he will finally have competent coaching that does not force him to be only a pocket passer. They will properly utilize his talents, accentuate his strengths and disguise his weaknesses.

    Then I speculate the haters will spew imbecilic reasoning, and write long moronic screeds while I get the last laugh.

  27. Not a relevant story. Kaepernick is no longer a 49er and our problem. Must be a slow day at the Press when CK7 is invoked (especially on a topic covered not long ago).

    1. Brotha,
      Sorry, I just now caught your entry. BTW, you said it much better than me (lol).

  28. 4-16 w/l record over previous 20 starts
    59% completion
    1 TD for every 27 attempts
    7.0 y/a
    86.8 rating

    Over the same amount of games

    Jay Cutler

    7-13 over previous 20 starts
    63% completion
    1 TD for every 21.6 attempts
    7.3 y/a
    85.9 rating

    If you’re flabbergasted that CK is still unemployed but understand why Cutler is now retired you’re a hypocrite.

    1. Thank you!!! They are very comparable! I was going to put some of their stats side by side but you, sir did a much better job than I could have!!

  29. There really isn’t much to talk about when this topic pops up again. I can’t wait for mini camps.

      1. Even better when dead horses come complete with stats which get quoted over and over…

  30. Kap for Tim Tebow + draftpicks, anyone ? Seb ?

    I suggested this trade by the Niners when Kaep was a hot commodity. Those picks sure would have helped in the rebuild.
    Looking at Kaep’s career completion % vs. Tebow’s, 59.8 vs. 47.9 fans can see why a pro active Baalke should have accepted Denver’s proposal to pay 1/2 of Kaep’s salary. But, alas, 49er fans know the hard reality of Baake’s Free Agent aggressiveness or in season trades–(which is how Bill Walsh acquired Steve Young).
    TomD correctly analyzed Kaep’s ceiling had been met, and the wild throws–esp. in that Seattle playoff game in Seattle, behind an All Pro line, where Richard Sherman was Kaep’s favorite receiver, defined Kaep
    C. Kaepernick Career Stats:

    Year Age Tm Pos No. G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate QBR Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD AV
    58 28-30-0 1011 1692 59.8 12271 72 4.3 30 1.8 80 7.3 7.3 12.1 177.8 88.9 171 1060 6.02 6.07 9.2 9 9 49

    Tim Tebow Career Stats:

    SUMMARY
    Career
    G
    35
    AV
    12
    QBrec
    8-6-0
    Cmp%
    47.9
    Yds
    2422
    Y/A
    6.7
    TD
    17
    Int
    9
    FantPt
    306.9

  31. * The Ram’s disrespect of Kaep was palpable.

    I think that play was where it started to go down hill for Kaep.

    However, when one door closes, another opens, which is the beauty of the WCO. At least 3 times per season 49er fans can count on an uncovered receiver simply based on alignment alone. Montana and Young never missed when a confused 2ndary left one uncovered on alignment assignments which resulted in long gainers.

    I can’t wait for summer camp. Go Niners !

  32. Well you figured out a way to put Donald Trump and Colin Kaepernick into the same headline. Nice clickbait.

  33. Seb,

    If you were really a standup Kaep fan you would grown a spine by now and worn a pair of pig socks around Sebastopol, wearing the # 7. You don’t have half the backbone of your hero you spineless whimp.

    TomD, on the other hand, used to protest in the streets of San Francisco to help stop England from bullying the Falklands; marche for Caesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta; US out of Central America, etc, etc.

    Bandit says:
    May 19, 2017 at 9:02 am
    Courageous act stealing from a twitter race bater to get your info. Wearing pig socks and not following up on stories when the cops are proven innocent. Not looking into the characters and backgrounds of “always innocent” victims.

    EastCoast9er says:
    May 18, 2017 at 8:42 pm
    I wonder if police will wear Colin socks to games. May be a market there.

    1. *And Seb,

      When and if you respond, the subject is acts of peaceful protesting.
      So don’t try to cleverly bait (Sorry Cassie) and switch by guiding this site through a new subject– your violent past as an arms dealer.

      1. TrollD, you were the one who wrote about breaking into gun safes and creating nightmares. You even went on one of your gun nut rants after Orlando. Recently, you speculated about using Aldon’s assault rifle collection for nefarious means. You truly are sick and demented.
        .
        TrollD, only a spineless wimp would cast blatantly false aspersions behind the anonymity of the internet.

  34. In other news, the Niners worked out Kedric Golston and have hired Ran Carthon as Director of Pro Personnel.

    Not as provocative as Kap doing and saying nothing, but what the hell. It’s news.

    1. What do you know about Golston? Clearly they see pressure on the QB as an area of need.

      The Carthon move any feedback? Did they hire him instead of Kap – just kidding ;)

      1. Not a lot. He’s been in the league a long time and is a big guy so I’m guessing they are looking at him as another 1T option. They haven’t signed him yet so it may just be a case of checking around for options in the event of an injury.

        1. I read they were looking at DE options so go figure. Of course I didn’t look at his measurements and that might have clued me in. My guess is he would be back up then. But don’t they have enough back ups in that department? Curious…

  35. Kyle Shanahan explains why he likes Brian Hoyer Better than Kaepernick as the 49ers’ starting QB
    May 19, 2017 at 11:36 AM • 3 comments

    In case you missed it, Kyle Shanahan was on the Rich Eisen show and talked about Brian Hoyer’s excellence at executing the WCO:

    “Right now, Brian Hoyer is going to be at the controls,” Shanahan told Eisen. “I’m really excited about Brian. Brian looked really good here in phase one and phase two of the offseason. He’s putting in a lot of work.

    Rich Eisen Show:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ5nGRqAkLU

  36. Any one who say CK7 is better than Brees, Cam, Russel or even Gabbert is just smoking the medicanal marijuana. Ck won the same amount of games as Gabbert. CK can not hit a wide open receiver. His stats are garbage time when the defense is just letting him take twice as much time as an average qb needs to complete a two minute drill. I am sorry I was on his bandwagon but he fell apart and could not win a game against a city collage team.

    1. Larry,

      Kaep would put up 400 yards running vs. a city college team, but become flustered when diagnosing their coverages, resulting in sacks and interceptions.

  37. Kedric Golston
    #64 DE
    Washington Redskins | Official Team Site
    Height: 6-4 Weight: 330 Age: 33

    The 49ers have a deep, but largely undistinguished, defensive line.
    Via Matt Maiocco: Golston (6 foot 4, 330 pounds) has been known as a leader in the locker room throughout his career.
    SCOUTING REPORT
    Assets: His speed, size and power all scream potential. Can fool opponents as well with shifty moves. Is a solid tackler who wraps and bring opponents down.
    http://www.sportsforecaster.com/nfl/player/8660

  38. Yeah, no ****!

    Journalists’ brains show a lower-than-average level of executive functioning, according to a new study, which means they have a below-average ability to regulate their emotions, suppress biases, solve complex problems, switch between tasks, and show creative and flexible thinking.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/journalists-brains-function-at-a-lower-level-than-average-2017-5

    We see it every day. The irony is that Grant’s actually one of the smarter ones when he keeps his **** in his pants and sticks to the facts instead of writing bad Sports Fan Fiction or trying to act like an Internet ****lord… So I actually still have hope for him even if I do criticize him when he goes off the rails.

    1. Wonder what the findings would be for air traffic controllers, or prison wardens, or bank branch managers, or execs at Business Insider . Do journalists hover at the lower/lowest end of the exec functioning end bell curve? What collection of people are at the high end?

  39. As long as this horse gets kicked on every national sports television show, it will get kicked in every local media sports news outlet as well.

    Every time a QB not named Kaepernick gets signed to a football team, this will be brought up. There is far more to this than any of us (excluding that coward Tim Kawakami) knows.

    Este caballo está muerta en la calle y huele mal.

    1. KS is far from blameless, but the Falcon’s collapse is not only his fault. Ryan contributed with some huge mistakes that no veteran should make. Also, Quinn was the HC in the SB, if he didn’t like the play calling, he should’ve talked to KS and asked h to run some clock. Since he didn’t do so, that was at least tacit approval of KS’s play calling.

      It is good that KS had a chance to learn from his part in the Falcon’s collapse, and not while the HC of the 49ers.

  40. Kap will probably sign with Seattle. With Seattle’s poor o-line, he could start for them and play a lot better than some people expect.

  41. Kaep’s reality:

    -Never actually progressed as a QB in the NFL.
    -Signed terrible contract early, which turned out to be his smartest decision.
    -After being demoted, he delayed surgery and purposely sabatoged his chance to start.
    -Wore socks depicting police as pigs.*

    *I had a conversation with my neighbor the other day about Kaepernick. He is black and brought up the National Anthem, but realizes that Kaepernick isn’t a good QB. My response to him was basically: Kaep called all police pigs (the most disrespectful name for police) by wearing those socks, right? He agreed. I said that the overwhelming majority of police are good people and that the few bad apples should face justice for their crimes. He agreed. I asked him, what derogatory term towards a black person would be the equivalent to calling police pigs? He sheepishly said the “N” word. So, in addition to being a bad QB, he is calling police the equivalent of the”N” word and he’s the victim? He said that I made a great point and that he honestly hadn’t thought about it in that manner. Teams do. I’ve never seen a player mishandle an opportunity to make a difference so badly. He crossed the line and is paying the price. Nessa is seven years older than him and it’s obvious that she has had a negative impact on his career. It’s unfortunate because he seems like a good person that could have made a much more significant impact had he handled this stage of his career in a more positive manner.

    Kaepernick may have the love of the race baiting liberal media, but his wounds are self inflicted.

    1. Big P,
      I agree in part with your take, but do find (although I respect) your friends statement about the word “pigs” being placed on an equal level as the “N” word.
      I was raised in a prominently Afro-American neighborhood and could tell you that many of my Afro-American neighbors would agree with the “pig” description hurled at the police. But I believe that the term “pigs” may have come from mostly White college students back in the turbulent riots on college campuses back in the 60’s.
      So at best, the term “pigs” being on the same level as the “N” word is subjective.

      Back to Kaepernick. I supported his right to protest the national anthem because the third verse of the song has a slave overtone, but I did not support his wearing socks that depicted pigs as police officers. Wearing those socks (imo) sullied his national anthem protest because it showed his personal hate towards the police. Those were two distinct protest. The first one bringing attention to a serious national problem was courageous. The second (wearing the “pig socks”) was immature a selfish.
      Just like his play on the field, CK’s protest was vastly inconsistent.

  42. It’s the Russians. Plain and simple. Apparently they have a hand in everything American.

  43. Kaep’s ongoing unemployment is as American as apple pie- Kaep’s football aptitude is too risky for an achievable ROI this has little to do with pig socks or knelling. When the supply of viable NFL QB drops there will be a theoretical demand for Kaep’s services. Keep in mind there is a history of despicable people who have played in the NFL simply because they could compete. Kaep, in all honesty, is not a criminal element, but he has displayed character flaws. Kaep needs to prove himself as a player to make the NFL cut.

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