Kaepernick’s coach choice couldn’t be more wrong for job

This is my Thursday column.

Is Colin Kaepernick serious about his craft?

He says he wants to become a better quarterback. He says he wants to train with a guru. He says the right things.

Jeff Garcia took him at his word. About a week ago, Garcia publicly volunteered to mentor Kaepernick. Garcia makes a living coaching quarterbacks. He has his own regimen and routine and everything, even has his own facility in San Diego where he coaches high school quarterbacks, college quarterbacks and professional quarterbacks. He coached Mark Sanchez in 2013, helped turn his career around. This past August, the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League hired Garcia to be their quarterbacks coach.

Garcia is serious.

On Tuesday, Kaepernick rejected Garcia’s offer and decided to train with Kurt Warner instead. Warner is not a coach. Warner is a broadcaster and a former quarterback who has tutored no one.

I imagine Colin Kaepernick sitting at a desk, holding a pencil and making a list of positive qualities for Garcia and Warner.

Under Garcia, Kaepernick writes:

1. A coach.

2. A former 49er.

3. A West-Coast-Offense guy.

4. A mobile quarterback

Under Warner, Garcia writes:

1. Not a coach.

2. Not a former 49er.

3. Not a West-Coast-Offense guy.

4. Not a mobile quarterback.

Kaepernick agonizes over the list for hours. “What a tough choice,” he gasps.

Even if Warner had coaching experience, which he doesn’t, his football knowledge wouldn’t have value for Kaepernick. Warner was a drop-back passer, not a bootleg, sprint-out, running quarterback like Kaepernick. Warner couldn’t move. How can Warner take Kaepernick’s athletic assets and integrate them into Kaepernick’s quarterback development? Warner has no background in that.

Garcia lived it. He could move. He understands Kaepernick’s impulse to ditch the pocket and run around – Garcia had that urge, too. Garcia overcame that and turned himself into a proficient passer inside the pocket and outside the pocket. Warner can’t relate to that experience.

It’s possible I’m focusing too much on Warner. Warner won’t work with Kaepernick more than a few days a week, according to the Sacramento Bee. Warner will be a guest lecturer, not a full-time teacher.

Someone named Dennis Gile will be the full-time teacher. Gile is 33 years old. His accomplishments include playing quarterback at Central Missouri State and tutoring Tim Tebow in 2013.

“Dennis unlocked (Tebow’s) upper body,” Trent Dilfer gushed to the Los Angeles Times in 2013. “Tim had been so locked up. When your upper body is locked up, you cannot be fluid. So, you’re going to naturally be choppy. He was choppy with his legs and choppy with his stroke. This guy [Gile] is good with biomechanics, and he unlocked him – or at least he taught Tim how to unlock himself.”

Thank goodness for Gile, the key master. Without him, Tebow’s career might have ended.

Now Gile is talking about unlocking Kaepernick’s upper body. “If I could get him to be a little more relaxed at times, I think that would help him,” he told the Sacramento Bee. It’s like Gile knows one thing which he applies to every quarterback he coaches, the unlock-the-upper-body maneuver.

Even if Gile knows two things, even if he and Warner are serious quarterback teachers, the whole offseason training project would be fruitless.

What’s the good of one or two guys coaching Kaepernick for 11 weeks, and then someone else – the Niners’ new quarterback coach – coaching him for the next eight months? That’s like studying Spanish for a year abroad in France.

Warner and Gile do not speak the same football language the 49ers speak. Before training camp starts, Kaepernick would have to unlearn everything they taught him – mechanics, concepts, terms, all of it. The 49ers have their own terminology. They coach quarterback mechanics their own way. They have a tradition which Warner and Gile have no knowledge of or connection to.

For the training to carry over into the season, the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach would have to join Kaepernick in Phoenix and study everything Warner and Gile teach him. Not likely to happen.

Here’s a better idea: Tell Warner and Gile to get lost. Hire Garcia to be the 49ers’ full-time quarterbacks coach. Make sure Garcia and Kaepernick spend every single day together, starting now.

Get serious.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for The Press Democrat’s website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.

This article has 369 Comments

    1. Grant,
      You have blasted colin for not being good in pocket and not very accurate. Kurt warner was hall of famer at both of those. Kaep is working on his weaknesses. He is a better runner than garcia. He doesnt need someone to tell him when to run. He needs pocket presence and film/coverage help. You always criticized him for those things and now he is working on them, he got the best coach possible. Garcia has helped who troy smith mark sanchez. .. hmm no thanks. Good for kaep

      1. Totally agree! When you have issues with something best bet is to talk to someone that is really good at it.

    2. Kurt Warner will not be taking charge of Colin’s entire training program. He will lend advice, go over the X’s and O’s regarding pocket passing. Steve Young and Trent Difler will also be stopping by help tutor at the clinic.

      Warner experience as a former SB MVP and “rag’s to riches” type quarterback, should go along in helping Kaepernick.

      Follow Jim on twitter @9erJim or HoundSports.com

    3. Leave Kap alone!! Kurt Warner has a Super Bowl win …..enough said…..media just has nothing better to do, I was actually happy he didn’t pick Garcia. Wasn’t a better quarterback then Warner…..bigger fish to fry then this

    4. Typical grant trash! i couldnt even read more than the first paragraph!
      As you describe the 2 QB’s, it quickly hits me ….THAT YOU COULDNT BE MORE WRONG! KAP NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO STAY IN THE POCKET AND READ DEFENSES!! Your point is so moronic! its typical grant cohn.

      Kurt Warner hes a SB ring. he was a big armed QB who had to study defenses and move around IN THE POCKET, cause he didnt have the agility to leave the pocket.
      !

      the only thing Kap could learn from Jeff Gazrcia, his how to throw dump offs to rb’s!
      In fact, i pray kap is the anti Garcia. all garcia did around here is delay the rebuilding process. he had us as a 5th or 6th seed and early play-off elimination over and over again. Kap would rin right through Garcia! there nothing to be learned from Jeff about scrambling!

      if your point was that jeff is a better teacher of reading defenses….id be with ya.

  1. This isn’t kowtowing but when I read of Warner’s involvement I deleted a post in which I said; Kaepernick was better off taking Garcia’s offer. Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to work with someone who was a mobile QB? At least then they would have some level to relate to each other with.

    However, it’s also been pointed out that Warner will be focusing on Kaepernick’s film study. At least that is what’s been written. Do you have to be a mobile QB to teach one about how to watch film?

    1. Kap doesn’t need tips on mobility. He needs a lot of work learning defensive looks and pocket presence. Kap is probably the most athletic QB in the league, all he needs now is the mechanics and better understanding of the whole scheme of playing QB in the NFL. Something Warner and his associates can provide him. Plus he will two Niner receiver and Miller in camp as well. Warner was a very smart QB and is a HOF finalist in this years class. So. Yes I believe Kap made the right choice.

  2. Kaepernick’s biggest issues are working from within the pocket and mechanics. So he’s best off working with people that will help with that. Is Garcia truly the best person for that job?

    Both Gile and Mike Giovando, who also works at the Quarterback Academy, are QB coaches and have more experience than Garcia coaching QBs.

    1. If you’re overcoming a problem do you want to work with someone who successfully overcame the same issue or someone who never had to deal with it?

      1. When you say “overcoming a problem” do you mean having terrible footwork and being described as “skittish” before throwing a jump pass while fading that skips in at the shins of JJ Stokes? Because If you are I say no thank you. I appreciate Jeff garcia and what he did for the post Young 9ers but in order for him to “get it” he had to go to canada and play for 6 years. If thats what he proposes to CK then again, no thank you.
        While he can relate to CK’s athleticism he is light years behind warner when it comes to film study and propper throwing mechanics

        1. I thought I was the only one scratching my head about Coach Garcia. I remember him just as you described….

        2. Don’t knock Canada! Remember, Warren Moon had to spend a lifetime up there, too, and still was quite successful when he came south to the NFL. Doug Flutie also spent time in Canada.

    2. Someone who speaks with Wisdom,s unlike Grant”Hater”Cohn. Nothing the Niners do satisfy the Cohns…Keap is right by working with Warner, Keap knows the areas He needs Help with and it is Film Study, Reading Defenses,Pocket Awareness, Grant you need to Find another profession, you are horrible.

        1. Grant, losers like you and your dad have nothing to add but hate and vitriol. Whatever sells papers. Right?

      1. Thank you James,
        I came late to the party, but you saved me a long rant as well. It looks like the one trick pony – aka Grant – is at it again.

      2. Basically, you’re saying what most of us believe, and that is that Kaepernick need help with the entire pro game….there, I said it in fewer words

  3. Hire bayarea he loves to coach young men and then attend MBLA. I think he has coached his team to back to back tweaking championships but he will need his right hand assistant welcher Jordo

        1. I’m outraged that he’s not working with the Master of Twerk Fu, Miley Cyrus. Or Mistress, I guess. Why not write about that, Grant? Or are you afraid?

  4. Also, why am I not surprised that you found a way to disparage something a 49er is doing that is actually a positive?

  5. if the Niners hire Garcia as a qb coach his time with Colin would be limited, you dope. Why don’t you learn the rules?

    1. Because that would require putting forth an effort and working on your craft (kind of like CK is trying to do)
      Maybe Grant can get a “writing coach”. Now if he takes his own advice he would pick one with a similar skill set of taking assinine/contrarian points and misrepresenting facts to fit his agenda all while promoting himself someone like a Screamin A Smith or a Skip Baseless. However those guys didn’t get their jobs through nepotism so he might have to keep looking

  6. Grant, this is a dumb article and you don’t know what you are talking about. Warner will help Kap in many many ways. Focus, defensive schemes, mechanics, film study, experience, mindset, adjustments. Garcia could help Kap too but as you kentioned, they both have simular skills, Kap would be learning nothing new in that respect. Good choice Kap! You made the right decision to learn a thing or two from a successful nfl hall of fame quarterback

    1. On top of a better skillset to learn/improve from in Warner,

      Warner= 1 ring
      Garcia= 0 rings

  7. Colin should definitely have checked in with Grant for approval of his off season plan.
    1/ Grant knows so much.
    2/ Grant is so often right.
    3/ Grant has Colin’s back.

  8. Grant,

    I get where you’re coming from, but for all the reasons that you suggested Kaep NOT work with Kurt Warner is all of the reasons that Kaep SHOULD work with Kurt Warner (with the exception of “Not a coach”). Kaep knows very little about being a pocket passer, and he’s shown he is, at times, remedial when it comes to reading defenses (pre- & post-snap). This is where Warner excelled in his career. It doesn’t matter if he’s a former 49er or not, Warner has something to offer and CK should take it. The fact that Kurt Warner doesn’t have significant coaching experience doesn’t mean that he’s not a good coach, he may be a great coach, we don’t know. The counter could be said about Jeff Garcia…he IS a “coach” yet no one in the NFL is blowing up his phone for a QB’s Coach position.

    Kaepernick is already a prolific runner, he doesn’t need someone to help him learn “when to run and when not too”, he needs someone to teach him how to do everything else (i.e. mechanics for various passes, reading the defense pre-snap, reading the defense post-snap, quick decisions, etc.). With that knowledge he’ll be focused on reading the defense and going progressions, NOT getting happy feet. With that knowledge the “running-too-soon” solves itself mostly.

    Also, running a WCO or not is a lot about terminology but there are only so many routes you can run as a WR and only so many holes you can run through as a RB. If CK can’t make a language translation, then he shouldn’t be playing QB in the NFL. We also don’t know who’s coming on as OC, they may have their own varied terminology in the offense, so the that is an irrelevant point.

    Also, Steve Young and Trent Dilfer are likely to spend a little time there too…I don’t care so much about Dilfer, but who better to get pointers from than Steve Young, the GREATEST dual threat QB of all-time.

    I’m sure that there’s some things that Garcia can teach Kaep, but I don’t see this as a “bad choice.” We’ll have to wait until after the 2015 season to determine that.

  9. Turned Sanchez’s career around? Did I miss something? Turned it from someone who lost a starting job, with60-ish% accuracy and a 1:1TD:TO ratio into what, a QB who will probably hand the job back after completing somewhere around 60-ish% of his passes and went 15:14 TD:TO ratio? Fantastic point Grant.

  10. Garcia’s offered QB lessons (on the air) to so many struggling pros, I almost expect my phone to ring with Garcia asking I want QB lessons. The man loves a microphone.

    I can’t criticize choosing Warner without knowing what Colin wants to work on.

    This is Colin’s fourth QB “guru” following Geep Chryst (seen Keller Chryst’s high school footage?), Jim Harbaugh and George Whitfield the butterfly net. 27 years old, 45 starts, 4 seasons, 3 QB gurus should = the ability to see coverages by now. Its going to be tough going.

    1. I almost expect my phone to ring with Garcia asking I want QB lessons.
      ——————
      That’s pretty funny.

      1. Hello. This is Jeff Garcia. Please don’t hang up.

        If you would like to work on the Jump Pass, press 1, followed be the pound sign.

        Our friendly customer service representatives will be with you shortly. Please have your credit card number handy.

        Your transaction will be complete after we finish these last few survey questions.
        – If you heard about the Jeff Garcia Coaching Retreat on 95.7 FM press 1.
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    2. Grant

      I’m only about 1/3 of the way through the blog, and MAN…! Are you ever catching it !!
      “Speaking for the extreme minority”, I happen to agree with you. It’s not that I dis Curt Warner, or revere Jeff Garcia (except for his niner time), it’s just that I’m sick and tired of the “Revelation-a-day” let’s make Kaepernick a REAL QB. The ‘posse’ is forming, and it seems like CK is the annointed one. Has anyone thought to ask Bobby Douglas…John Hadl…? Do you think that maybe reinstituting the single-wing will get him over some chuckholes? Where’s RC Owens when we need him…HE can catch those so-called ‘overthrows’… Keep your head down Grant….

  11. I wonder how many players would be for allowing off season film study and coaching at team facilities? I think the current CBA forbids it… hence the popularity of freelance training gurus, Florida workout facilities and entertaining police reports.

  12. Warner had one of the fastest releases and won a SB ring, and has been to another. What’s more relevant is why Kaep chose Warner over Garcia.

  13. You literally just come up with things to complain about. He is clearly taking this time to perfect his film study, mechanics and pocket awareness from a HOF’er in Kurt Warner in the classroom and Gile on the field. He needs the skills Warner had more so than the skills Garcia possessed. He needs a new paradigm of quarterbacking to get to that elite level, not just getting better at what he is already good at, which is what Garcia would be doing. We also don’t know if Garcia and Kaep have spoken and work together in the future.

  14. Seriously? You think never won anything Garcia has more to offer than a guy who took 2 really bad teams to 3 Super Bowls? How many MVP seasons did Garcia have again? Thank god you’re not inside the organization. This is the worst article you’ve ever penned.

    1. Not one to defend the Rams, but that was a very good team that won the SB. Not so much for the Az team he took. What Kurt Warner brings to the table is smart QB play, quick reads, and great mechanics. Warner had great pocket poise and his mechanics were superb. I really like Jeff Garcia and I am sure he thinks he could be of help, but (not to beat a dead horse) really does Kap need more coaching on his running skills? Mechanics, mechanics, mechanics and reads both defense and his own receivers.

  15. Lol…. Grant thinks the 49ers still run the west coast offense. Ask your dad kiddo, they don’t.

  16. Garcia spent all off-season last year working with Bo Levi Mitchell who went on to win the Grey Cup and game MVP in his first full season as a starter.

        1. Rome on lamb hammer. Trolling and trash talk doesn’t work for you.
          Stick to stats and getting screwed over by refs at your pee wee football games.
          Tin foil hat… Lol how much more brainwashed can you be

            1. Got some crumbs in my pocket. It’s all in good fun. Take it easy. A little trash talk never hurt anybody. You’re an alright guy.

        2. Jack: While 99.99% of the responses to Grant is, that
          he’s filled his pants (AGAIN), we are overlooking an
          important point! Unless Grant is paying for Warner
          to work with CK, it’s really NONE of his business who
          CK hires, is it?

          1. Taking that approach, I guess it’s really NONE of anyone’s business who Jed York hires or fires either.

  17. You do realize the 49ers haven’t used the West Coast offense since Mooch was here, no?

  18. Hmmm let’s see. Do I want a guy who had some good “runs” and won a couple playoff games to teach me the position or someone who made it to multiple Super Bowls and won MVP and A Super Bowl in the same year? I think I’ll take the guy known as one of the most accurate throwers ever. My other choice would be Steve Young who was both accurate and had running ability. It’s the off season, give the guy a break at least he’s giving us something to talk about until we finally pick a coach! I’m hoping team Shanahan or Kubiak. Not sure why we’re interviewing so many Defensive coaches when the O is what needs major help.

  19. Barrow’s article on the subject:
    http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article5589639.html

    Kaep already knows how to scramble. Training with Warner makes a lot of sense to me, and because the two have something in common — both being Christian underdogs — it’s possible Warner will become Kaep’s mentor. And maybe this will draw Warner closer to the Niners for a future role, such as QB coach or, eventually, OC. If I were in a fox hole, I’d want Warner there with me.

    1. G’morning George-
      Pretty much agree with your comment until the last sentence. I’d want a foxhole mate more like Cowboy or Staley or Miller!

        1. I think we’re on the same page; you want someone with no quit in them; counter-punchers.
          Oh, and like Joe said: “I’d rather be Lucky than Good.” Applies to foxhole land especially!

  20. Kaepernick will be throwing lasers to Odell Beckham, and learning from a poised pocket passer. His biggest weakness ishis pocket presence. Who better to learn from? We aren’t worried about his agility and mobility. Dude is a freak of an athlete. But he needs to learn how to take a little speed off of his fastball and get some damn touch on those passes! Film study and going through his reads will come with maturity. I really don’t get why you have such a problem with this. I think it’s a brilliant move on his behalf, and he needs a string of brilliant moves to help get his footing in this league.

    1. Is Kaepernick getting traded to the Giants? If not there is zero benefit for him to spend the offseason “throwing lasers to Beckham”.

      1. Still trolling. Bored without stats. Ha ha haaa.
        If most on here wasn’t lazy and actually researched stats on their own. You would be irrelevant Jack. Just another overwhelmed pee wee coach living in the past.
        Al bundy would approve that message.

      2. Ok I’l bite.
        The possible bennefit: if they develop a rapport then maybe in 3 years when OBJ is a free agent considering his next move he might opt to go to a team with a QB who he is comfortable/friendly with.
        Of course it would be contingent on CK improving and still being here in 3 years but it seems like CK is doing everything in his power to make sure that happens.

        I’l tell you one thing for sure. Whatever he will be doing in AZ will be 1000X more beneficial than training with track athletes in ATL

        1. Okay I’ll bite back —
          Do you know why the Niners didn’t go after an WR in last year’s draft? Because they already knew CK was inaccurate and his bigger issue if going through progressions and reading defenses. So they got experienced WR who can help him see coverages. It wasn’t until they were out of the playoffs did we see him pass to Patton and others.

          1. And that relates to what I said How???

            They did go after a WR in last years draft his name is Bruce Ellington he plays for your supposed favorite team and wears #10 check him out sometime.
            Thay drafted Ward because they needed help in the secondary because their 2 top CB left in FA. They did however already have 4 WR on the roster so using a first rd pick on a WR wasn’t high on their wish list.
            But did you know that the drought in NorCal last year was caused by Kaepernicks inability to read the defense and throw accurately? Oh yeah its a well known fact. His passes were soooooo off target that they started the ebola outbreak in west africa

  21. Grant,
    You played a total of zero games at quarterback in your non football career. This article is garbage just like most of your idiotic articles. You never played the game and you don’t understand it. Maybe you should start fresh by reporting on Rancho Cotate High instead of the big boys. Take some time to learn about football. Your opinion pieces are terrible and most of the time are off base. You don’t deserve to cover pro sports because you have no clue about what it is you talk about. You must have missed the journalism portion of your journalism classes at UCLA, which by the way is no Cal Poly.

    1. My nephew played DT for The Ranch. Won the NCS back in the day. Try to catch a game now and then. Gotta like the Veer.

    2. Fan777- Have you ever thought about becoming a pr man for some sleazy politician. You could put a positive spin on their record to help them get elected. All you have to do is turn the emphasis around from negative to positive. The opposite of what you have been doing on this site. In politics you don’t really have to be very good because the general population isn’t that bright stupid so your stupid rationals would fit right in. The seeds you plant would thus grow into a weed garden and not one would notice until after the election was well past.

      1. Fan777- the second to last sentence should read ” the general population isn’t that bright so your stupid rationals would fit right in” not ” the general population isn’t that bright “stupid”. I may call individuals statements stupid, but calling a specific person stupid is out of line for me. I restructured the sentence and forgot to delete the second stupid.

    3. Hahahahaha!

      Great post Omar!

      Grant, this “column” is one of your worst. You’re going to give yourself an ulcer and/or
      succumb to a hart attack at an early age if you don’t seek help about your unhealthy and negative obsession with writing negative hit pieces about the 49ers and their players. You should find something else to do. It’s clear your readers despise you. Is that what makes you tick?

  22. Hahahaha hahahahaha …..Grant, you bored or something? Wtf man? This article makes you look kinda clueless…oh wait that’s right, EVERY article you wrote makes you look clueless….please throw you keyboard out the damn window and get a real job…

  23. I could go on and on about how idiotic this article is and what Warner will be able to do for Kaep, but instead I’ll copy one part of your article and give my rebuttal there.

    It’s possible I’m focusing too much on Warner.

    YA THINK?!

        1. And this pro-Garcia stance has nothing to do with the fact that you once claimed to have regular conversations with him? Or was that just a little fib to make fans think you had an inside track to a former NFL player? Fess up, Jack!

          1. Of course it does. I know what Garcia is capable of doing as a coach and think going elsewhere is foolish.

              1. And who has Garcia worked with that has taken the league by storm? JaMarcus Russell? Some guy in the CFL?

                I’m really not trying to knock Garcia, I just find it ridiculous that Grant and yourself can somehow believe you know he would be a better tutor for Kap. None of us knows what the best course for Kap is except Kap and to write an article like Grant did here is the height of ignorance.

              2. That guy in Canada has already accomplished more at the professional level than both Tebow and Ponder combined.

              3. In Canada being the operative part of the sentence. What happened to JaMarcus? He should be ripping things up after the great Coaching he got from Garcia.

              4. “Not really.”

                So you’re saying that working with Colin Kaepernick is the same as working with Jamarcus Russell who had been out of the league for 3 years?

                Makes sense.

              5. No, what I’m saying is that if Garcia was this great teacher you make him out to be, Russell would be on a roster somewhere.

              6. “No, what I’m saying is that if Garcia was this great teacher you make him out to be, Russell would be on a roster somewhere.”

                You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken $h!t.

              7. You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken $h!t.

                Right, so trying to use Tebow against this facility doesn’t work either.

  24. Lol I’m laughing at the fact you called happy feet a proficient pocket passer.
    What exactly did Garcia do with Rice and Owens? Squat! Grant are you old enough to remember Garcia playing?
    Dude beat scrub teams and struggled with vs top teams. His balls were wobbling air biscuits.
    Sanchez turned his career around? Lmao what his first two games with a loaded offense? He couldn’t get them in the playoffs. Saaawing and a miss on this article.

    1. Rice was on the downslide and Owens was Owns. Garcia also was also running for his life most of the time. That said I don’t think he would have anything to teach Kaep. Warner is the best choice for him. You work on your weaknesses not your strengths. He can still enhance his strengths but he should prioritize his QB foundatiosn first.

  25. Nobody takes this senile fool seriously. I wish 49erwebzone would quit reposting his articles. Grant has no clue what he is talking about.

    1. Sad thing is maiocco and Branch had bright futures. So they moved on to bigger and better. I don’t see that with Grant. So buckle up for the long haul.

  26. Thanks for the write up Grant! My question is why isn’t everyone teaching our coaching CK to work with the wideouts and doing more plays together in practice with going over in game plays, using practice to get wr’s open and using that into the game.

    This is why I think the 49ers should get Adam Gase because his offense is non stop. They move the ball every drive and that to all started with the QB and wr’s going over good reads in practice.

  27. It seems to me that if Kao had chosen Garcia this article would read something like this:” How on earth do you chose Garcia over an MVP an Superbowl winning QB like Warner?”

  28. Grant managed one or two insightful pieces before returning to no-no-no. Content doesn’t matter as long as it is stupid enough to elicit a clock and reaction.

    Sadly, neither 49erswebzone nor ninersnation has clear warnings like this: “This link will connect to GRANT COHN … The article is a complete waste of time. You have been warned.”

  29. Grant again proves he is more of a clown than his father. Kap knows how to be a mobile QB. Working with Warner will focus on the technical aspects of the position, from film study to proper footwork. Go write about knitting Grant. You may be more credible.

  30. Seriously Grant?

    You couldn’t be more DEAD WRONG here. I usually enjoy your articles but this one I lost interest in very quickly. Why? Because Kurt Warner possessed all the tools that Kaepernick is trying to improve in. Pocket presence, pocket awareness, decision making. Warner excelled at that… a Super Bowl title to vouch for it. What did Garcia end up with? Notta. In fact, he is a very similar QB to Kaep and didn’t make the necessary adjustments to stay in this league.

    FACT>

  31. I get so upset every time I ACCIDENTALLY open your stories. You write like such a child. I feel like I’m reading a middle school students essay. Don’t ever stop thanking your dad for your last name!

  32. There’s more than one way to play Qb…Kurt Warner’s insight and knowledge of the game is valuable….so is Garcia..so is Dilfer..so is Young..Elway..Montana…Esiason..Marino.Peyton..Favre..lol..There’s no right or wrong answer for seeking qb knowledge and wisdom..All those qb’s has seen many different facets of the game

  33. Grant,
    You could make a living off writing about CK on your blog site. Actually you should thank Kap for making so many mistakes in his career because it has made you relevant (I guess).

    Kaepernick now decides to help his craft by working with Warner for 11 weeks (among other people, yet to be named) and now you bash him for that to.
    Gee, did CK steal your lunch money?

  34. I think an interesting storyline this off-season is going to be Grant himself. Without a team in the playoffs to condemn he seems to have already ran out of material. Just how good of a journalist can he be? January draft talk and yet another Kaepernick bash article? Guess he’s waiting for the 49ers to not choose Del Rio as HC for some new material. Of course even if they do, he’ll flip-flop just as he will on any draft crush choice they do or don’t make of his. That’s what happens when you have limited yourself as a writer. Just keep taking the easy road lined with low-hanging fruit, Grant. And heck, now you have Jack back to support you, so how can you possibly go wrong.

    1. A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse of course. That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister jEd….

  35. GC – Every year I hear about QB’s who study with x,y, and z and yet, the same QB’s that were great, remain great, the same QB’s that were mediocre, remain mediocre and the same ones that sucked, suck. Why? My guess, is that the two things you cannot teach to be a highly-effective NFL QB are accuracy and awareness. They are inherent traits, not easily teachable.

    Colin will always struggle in these areas, so expecting him to reach franchise-level accuracy and awareness is unrealistic. The one area he can improve is the mental side. To better manage games and make fewer mistakes (ala Alex Smith). He has (at least visibly) shown little interest in that part of the game. I do think Kurt Warner can help him more than Garcia here. I think Garcia struggled at times with his decision-making. Kurt Warner was mentally complete and his game reflected it. .

  36. Grant, I agree completely. This is all about PR for both of those guys. Kaep has had access to a great number of expert QB coaches throughout his career. Garcia might have actually taught him how to step up in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield! What a novel concept.

  37. And for a change of pace, a little football news – from Alex Marvez:

    “Source tells @NFLonFOX that @Browns are parting ways with OC Kyle Shanahan after 1 season. Announcement is imminent”

  38. I think the Cohn’s and Mr. Kawakani need to print each of their articles over the past 4 years. On one side put the positive articles, on the other side put the negative articles. The negative side would have at least 80% of the printed pages.

    This enlightenment should show them that perhaps they need a new career choice if they cannot find positives from NFC Championships and a trip to the super bowl.

  39. Grant,

    It seems that you love to pick apart every little thing that ANYONE in the 49ers organization does. Did Garcia like to run? Yes. Was he the same player? Not even close.

    We are talking about a guy who hit dump off passes to RBs, and expected Terrell Owens to take a slant 50+ yards to the endzone. Kaepernick’s arm strength is where Warner can really help. Warner had one of the best deep throws in the game. He also lead two different teams to the Super Bowl on three occassions. Garcia never got close.

    You don’t think that holds any merit?

  40. I’d like to formally apologize to you grant, after your last kaep “article” i told you to wipe the blood off the axe once you removed it from his back, I didn’t realize that you hadnt finished trying to hack him to pieces. So sorry about that.

    Kaep tries to get better. How is this bad ?

    P.S i stopped reading the “article” after your beauty about Sanchez and his resurrected career, the tears of laughter meant I couldnt read the words. And the realisation that you cannot take yourself seriously made any further reading pointless.

    Cheers.

  41. There has to be a way to express an opinion in a published article without pretending to be the ultimate authority in one’s subject. We’re all fans and wouldn’t be reading this piece and commenting if we weren’t serious fans who follow the team closely. Which means we all know about the same amount as the writer of this article, unless some commenters here have actually played or coached in the NFL, or at least engaged in interactive film study with pro coaches or players. Opinion is great, it’s what we all feed off. We’re fans, we love to bat ideas back and forth, sometimes less than politely. But for Grant to pretend that Kaep is absolutely wrong for working with a sure-HOF QB and his coaching partner — well, it’s either a naked plea for clicks (for which we all have fallen, obviously) or ignorance. If Grant were as right in his opinions as he claims to be in every article, he should be sitting on a pile of Super Bowl rings.

    (sobbing) Can’t we all just get along?

    1. Grant is a steward, nothing more. We don’t need his stale approach for increasing commentary. About 3 weeks ago Grant was nowhere to be found, perhaps working on another opus. With in house football coaches like Hammer and OldCoach, evaluators such as Scooter and Rocket, the hits just kept coming. This is a 49er clubhouse where we can all agree on one primary goal, get that sixth Lombardi Trophy!

      1. In house football coaches, evaluators? Hahahah!!!!!
        Too much California dreaming Razor. Time to find a job pal.

    2. That’s the part I don’t get, and why a lot of people assume Grant is just after internet clicks. There is no need to be so self aggrandising in these articles, nor so condescending of the individuals involved. But no, Grant goes with the “I know better than everybody” approach to writing.

  42. As I first read of Colin’s plans it occurred to me that he might be tapping too many sources, as in ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth.’ I’ve changed my mind on reflection. As I’ve worked with people and trained people I’ve found it helpful to try to find a variety of phrasing to remphasize important points. Use different wording to say the same thing.
    Once in a while a concept will really click for someone when phrased in a certain way. How many times as a kid was I told ‘Keep your eye on the ball’? But a LL coach once said ‘You should see the ball come off your bat.’ That made a big difference for me.
    Working with Warner and these other guys just lets CK continue his post graduate studies. He’ll emerse himself and get all these inputs.
    It’s not about molding in Warner’s image, Colin will never be that guy. I’m not even sure that Warner is the one to help his touch and accuracy. If Warner can help CK stay calm and think fast, it’s a big plus. Read, recognize, release.
    Now Garcia understands the game so I don’t want to seem dismissive of him, but having watched him play it seems like asking him to be a QB tutor is like asking Hunter Thompson to be your writing coach.

  43. I don’t always read grants articles but when I do, its straight to the comments so I can laugh. Hey grant, you normally defend yourself but I guess this article was indefensible. Must be getting ready for his cowboy’s to play.

  44. You guys crack me up. All you do is come in here and bash Grant and yet, based on the amount of comments, he gets a lot of traffic and you’re a big part of it. Why doesn’t one or two of you go out and start your own blog and let’s see how it goes and how successful you are.

    I bet Grant just laughs at your comments as long as you keep showing up, he’s relevant to the Press Democrat in spite of the naked nepotism that is on full display.

  45. http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2015/01/07/mark-davis-interviewing-mike-shanahan-something-learned-dad-talk-everybody-can-learn-everybody/

    I know there aren’t any Raiders fans here, but this is something that Grant wrote about a while back that he got widely ripped for suggesting.

    “Listen, this is something I learned from my dad–you talk to everybody because you can learn from everybody.

    Even if you’re not going to hire somebody, if it turns out that way, you can learn from that person, if he’s somebody who has things you can learn from.

    I’ve got a quarterback here–if I didn’t go listen to a guy that’s got one of the best offensive minds in football and who has looked at all 16 of our games and can critique our quarterback for us… why wouldn’t I? Of course I’m going to do that.”

    1. Come on Jack. You didn’t know that about Al. Actually he was always looking for something for nothing when he interviewed candidates he had no intention of hiring.

  46. Would Garcia be a better choice than Warner? Would Warner be a better choice than Garcia? I have no idea. I’ve never observed their work and unless you have observed their teaching techniques you can’t have an educated opinion. Grant it would be like someone critiquing your writing with out ever having read anything you have written. imho

      1. Do you know for sure that Warner has no body of work as a teacher? Do you know how long he’s been affiliated with this organization?

        I’m sure Garcia is good, but to suggest Warner isn’t is just another example of opinions borne out of ignorance Grant. Garcia was a pro Coach for the first time this past season and it was in the CFL. Not exactly a top level resume.

        There’s also the fact that what Kap needs help with is exactly what Warner was excellent at. Garcia was not a traditional drop back QB, his footwork was a mess as a player, he made plays like Russell Wilson moreso than Tom Brady. Kap knows how to make plays outside the pocket. What he needs is somebody to teach him the nuances of sliding within the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield. The other two guys you disparaged you also know nothing about and quite often the best teachers are the guys who weren’t great players but are able to see the way to help others. Maybe Garcia could teach him this, but my guess is Warner can teach him better. There’s also the fact Garcia has been practically begging Kap to work with him. That probably got a little old in a hurry.

        This will likely be yet another blog entry that we look back on in a few months and add to the pile of Grant’s misguided opinions.

              1. You mad bro?

                I asked a question I don’t know the answer too Prime. How can that be wrong? I don’t think Grant knows the answer either which was the point of the question.

              2. True but it’s more than “zip”. Its actually documented evidence of Warner imparting nuggets of QB knowledge to young QBs.

              3. Does it really matter anyway? Warner played the game and is going to impart his experience on Kap in a one on one situation. They are going to watch film and chart plays. I don’t think you need years of Coaching experience to help a player out by giving him tips on what you saw and did as a player.

                Dennis Gile (that’s for you Jack) will be helping him with his mechanics, and both Warner and Gile will be on the field as he implements what he learns into 7 on 7 drills.

                I’m still trying to wrap my head around how this can be portrayed in a negative way. Makes no sense.

              4. Hey, at least you got his name right this time. That’s progress.

                Maybe I have a future as a commenter tutor!

              5. “What? He tutored David Fales? Grant has to love this move now.”

                Warner clearly Faled.

      2. So he might be terrible or he might be phenominal. We will find out next season. Another senario is Warner is a great teacher but CK still fails because he is a terrible student.

      3. “It used to be that an NFL offseason began with an eight-week “quarterback school.” The new collective bargaining agreement, however, condensed that time frame, which has sent NFL quarterbacks looking for people to help them to tweak, sharpen and troubleshoot their skills.”

        As others have pointed out, your suggestion to hire Garcia as a QB coach and have him work with Colin year around is against NFL work rules.

        “Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Joe Flacco, for example, head to Southern California to work with Tom House, a former relief pitcher for the Atlanta Braves who has found a cottage industry analyzing some of the best passers in football.”

        What do these morons think they are doing working with a baseball pitcher in the off season?

        Thanks to Matt Barrows for his reporting on Colin’s off season work.

    1. I would have trouble keeping focus on whatever Garcia had to say if he brought his wife alone.

  47. There are 3 ways Colin could have approached this offseason.

    1) Do nothing, or do his crossfit/Insanity/P90X junk he does every offseason, which are completely unrelated to his position.

    2) Train with a guy, like Garcia, who had a similar skill set and problems, but overcame them.

    3) Train with a guy, like Warner, who is the polar opposite of Colin, however, every strength in his game is a weakness is Colin’s. Warner knows how to move around in the pocket, has a lighting fast release, and has an MVP caliber ability to read defenses. The is everything Kaepernick needs to be.

    The only wrong route Colin could have taken was #1, do more crossfit. Just because he chose other than what you believe he should have chose, does not mean his is not “serious about his craft”.

    And this whole argument that he is going to have to unlearn what he has learned and all this Spanish in France junk, is an irrelevant argument. How often do NFL QB’s seek extra-curricular help in the offseason… are the coaches and mentors they work with hired as their QB coach for their respected teams??? And since when is it Colin’s task to find and hire a QB coach for the 49ers??? That argument is completely irrelevant.

    However, once again, since its not you’re way, it’s the wrong way.

    1. Good post Leo. I don’t see Tom House employed as a teams QB Coach yet many NFL QB’s go and work with him in the offseason. Grant just has to criticize; he can’t help himself. He’s focused on being his Daddy.

  48. Perfect example of how the media turns a team upside down with foolish press. I wish there was a way to ban Sport’s media when they are always just writing negative crap. Grant just curious what gives you so much insight on Professional Football training that allows you feel you can make this statement ? Is it the fact you spent your whole life reading Pop’s regular trashing of the Bay Area sports teams ? Apple didn’t fall far from the tree did it ?

  49. From CSN Bay area: Trent Dilfer and Steve Young are also likely to stop by the workout facility during the course of Kaepernick’s work in Phoenix, Gile said. Dilfer and Young have been influences on Gile and Giovando. Gile works with Dilfer at his Elite 11 camp.

    Grant, you are such a negative nancy, it kills me. I took a year off reading you’re stuff because it’s so biased and it appears you haven’t evolved much. Not only is he working with Warner, he’ll also be working with Steve Young which would negate 3/4 of the things on your petty list.

    2. A former 49er.

    3. A West-Coast-Offense guy.

    4. A mobile quarterback

    http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/kaepernick-spend-11-weeks-working-warner-others

  50. > I took a year off reading you’re stuff because it’s so biased and it appears you haven’t evolved much.

    And your new year’s resolution was to come back for more flagellation from Grant?!

    Just have to deal with Grant’s schtick. He has figured that he has carved out a TMZ-like niche.

    1. I was hoping he had distanced himself from being like his father and maybe had grown into his own man. I used to enjoy some of the stuff he wrote before he became a chip of the old block. Wishful thinking on my part. While I do enjoy conversing with fellow niner fans, Grant just writes condescending articles to get page hits and comments. Trust me, I will no longer be contributing to his nonsense, the boycott is now reinstated haha

      1. Paul

        Don’t boycott! There are some folks who comment here with good football knowledge. I’ve been coming here since the days of Maiocco. SRPD provides a nice clean site, easy to read.

  51. Grant,

    I have read only things that you have written about the 49ers. You seem negative about most things. I don’t feel like doing the research on your accolades, accompishments, and overall qualifications to write about sports and in general football. In the articles i have read i only agree with maybe 5% of what you write. Of that 5% I think most of the time it is an accident that have written it or you have taken something someone else has written and put it into your own words. That being said…..

    Kaepernick is good to very good outside of the pocket most of the time lasering passes to players that have found open passing lanes. He is also proficient to good at finding his first and second options after the snap. The problem now is defenses have taken away the first and second options and when he scrambles out the defenses have started taking away the passing lanes down field. They aren’t covering men anymore against him. they are covering lanes because Kaepernick is a gunslinger type quarterback. He has little touch.

    Garcia was not a touch passer. During his days as a quarterback there was alot of chaos in the pocket post snap. Defenses scrambled to get a hold of him. And because he wasn’t a touch passer and more of the gunslinger(without the powerful arm) his passes were more flat and along with his height he had alot of passes get batted at the line of scrimmage. This is alot like Kaepernick. Yes, Garcia was a better quarterback than Kaepernick so far. I don’t know what Garcia would tell or show Kaepernick if they worked together, but neither do you.

    Warner on the other hand was a touch passer all the way with decent arm strength to drive the ball on mid range passes. Warner was also good at checkdowns and going through his progressions.

    If I am Kaerpernick I already know what my weaknesses are without the media and public telling me what they are. He is a running/scrambling quarterback with a rocket arm that could quite possibly reach from goal line to goal ine. His main problem is touch. Touch is the only thing holding him back from being the top quarterback in the league. I know that most people would think this is a stretch. But, going through progressions is harder than learning touch because you have to calculate what the defense is doing as well. If he learns more touch then when he scrambles and is looking for an open or semi open reciever then he doesn’t have to laser the ball threw the passing lanes. He can just throw over the passing lanes. If he does this it absolutely makes him an elite passer. Kaepernick doesn’t even have to be great at it either. He just has to get proficient at it.

    Again touch was not Garcia forte, it was Warners. I would much rather pick Warner’s brain on the touch pass than Garcia’s.

    If Kaepernick learns to be just proficient (not great or even good) at the touch pass i envision him being very Brett Favre-esque. But, with legs. That would be nearly unstoppable. Great defenses can NOT cover every eligible receiver for more than 4 seconds on aqny given play. It just doesn’t happen. That type of offensive threat would be poison to any defense.

    All Kaepernick has to do is be proficient at the touch pass. Super Bowls and a hall of fame career could be his.

  52. I believe Garcia also help get Jamarcus Russell’s career back on track with his brilliant coaching….. wait

    lol Grant your such a clown it’s laughable.

  53. “Warner won’t work with Kaepernick more than a few days a week, according to the Sacramento Bee. Warner will be a guest lecturer, not a full-time teacher.”

    The Warner, Young, and Dilfer names create great PR.

    1. A few days a week of watching film, charting plays, and then taking what he learned in the classroom onto the field. Doesn’t matter how you want to phrase it, Warner is going to play a big role in Kap’s offseason and we shall see how it manifests itself on the field.

      1. Warner, Young and Dilfer working with Kaepernick is great for his PR. With one move he has silenced three of his “haters”.

        1. That’s not why he’s doing it, and if you believe otherwise then you really don’t know the guy at all.

              1. You can say whatever you want, but you have exactly 0 knowledge more than me or anyone else on why he chose this place to work out.

              2. Well considering he’s worked his ass off every other offseason and reached out to a guy he believed could help him, I’d say it’s a lot more likely he’s sincere about not trying to improve himself more than shutting up critics.

                I’m also not the one pretending I know who is a better mentor/Tutor for an NFL QB. That would be you and Grant.

              3. It’s my belief that Garcia is a better tutor for Kaepernick than Gile. If you don’t like it, oh well.

                I also think that Gile has done a great job of building his “brand” by partnering himself with successful former QB’s who are TV analysts to improve his credibility.

              4. You have gone beyond just stating a belief. You agreed with Grant’s views in this entry. You also said it was foolish for Kap to go anywhere else. You believe you know better than the people involved which is a high level of ignorance and arrogance. Neither one of you is qualified to question how good a tutor Kurt Warner will be or suggest that somebody else is a better option.

                Disagreeing is one thing. Writing an article like this and the next one that disparaged a kids guide to football is another. You both need to get a grip on how much you really know.

              5. I merely posted Warner’s entire body of work as a football teacher. It’s relevant now that Kaepernick picked him.

              6. I merely posted Warner’s entire body of work as a football teacher. It’s relevant now that Kaepernick picked him.

                No you wrote an attack piece that disparaged Kurt Warner and Dennis Guile, along with Kaepernick for choosing them. Jack took it a step further by suggesting the decision was made to shut up critics. It’s an unbelievably arrogant piece of nonsense based on nothing but a flawed belief that you somehow know more than the parties involved. I didn’t even read it all. I’m sure there are some other pearls of wisdom I’m not even mentioning.

              7. Colin has about a hundred million more reasons to want to improve other than “silencing his critics”.

            1. “I know Kaepernick about as well as you do.”

              Yeah, me too, and he told me both youse guys are cheapskates and he’s always having to cover you for the tip at the Pub.

    2. Define few.

      Why are you combining Grant’s comment that “Warner will be a guest lecturer, not a full time teacher” in quotes along with information from the Sacramento Bee? It makes it sound like Grant’s comments are coming from the Bee and Matt Barrows.

      Characterizing Warner as a “guest lecturer” is a simple pejorative to minimize his contribution. Are you and Grant working on a new joint venture?

      1. In every piece that has been written, Gile is the primary coach, and the one who made contact with Warner.

      2. I think Jack is practicing dirty journalism with controversial topics. To get more hits on the webzone. Trash and bad news sell. He’s learning from one of the best. Grants school of bad journalism for hits???? Hmmm. Start charging Grant. Make some ends out of this. Lol

        1. Nope. I said who I felt Kaepernick should work with from the moment he stated he was going to seek someone out, and just happen to agree with Grant on this one.

          1. Gotta go with Jack on this one he has been a huge fan of Garcia since he came to the blog. I don’t think there is any arguement against Garcia but I also dont think there are any legitimite arguements against Warner.

              1. Agreed, and that’s precisely the problem I have with Grant’s article. Grant needs to learn that everything isn’t a zero sum game.

      3. http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article5589639.html

        “Warner won’t be on hand every day. But he’ll meet with Kaepernick a few times a week, starting next week, to meticulously go over film, chart plays on a white board and discuss the mental aspects of the game. The next day, Kaepernick will head out to the practice field to apply what he’s learned.”

        Seems plenty involvement to me — not the PR move of which Jack has accused Kap.

        1. The PR side should be simple to understand. Warner won’t be able to go on TV next season and say anything bad about Kaepernick as he has in the past without making himself look bad in the process. Same goes for Young and Dilfer.

          I also don’t see the relevance the presence of Odell Beckham plays into Kaepernick’s development. Who cares? They don’t play on the same team, so working together throwing routes is a waste of time.

          The bigger positive there would be the presence of Patton, Ellington and Miller. But then again, didn’t Patton work out with him last offseason in Florida?

          1. Agree with your comments on the receivers. In fact, I’m a little worried that throwing to OBJ might mask the inaccuracy of the throw because of OBJ’s elite athleticism and catching radius.

            Also there will be two highly rated draft picks there and Kaep might be able to provide the FO with some insight.

              1. Jack,

                I know, I was just being a wise ass. What I meant was, we don’t really know how much good CK and Patton training together was or wasn’t, since Patton didn’t get a lot of chances last year.

  54. Here’s a couple for you:

    Super Bowl Wins: Warner 1 (3 apps), Garcia 0
    Hall of Fame: Warner will be, Garcia won’t.

    Great logic.

  55. What a small-minded article.

    Warner and Giles won’t speak the same language, know the same concepts and mechanics of the next head coach, but Jeff Garcia will? Who has Garcia trained exactly?

    Warner and Giles aren’t there to teach Kap terminology or anything relating to a NFL offensive system; they are trying to train on how to dissect a defense, when a defense is giving you a certain look.. where to go with the ball, how to look at and break down things in film study, how to move buy in time in the pocket, how what you do with your feet relates to how well and accurately you throw the ball.

    Even if this is completely different than how the next head coach/offensive coordinator do things, it doesn’t hurt to know how to do things well two different ways. I guess if Warner actually helps Kap, then Grant won’t have anything to really blast Kap on.. when Grant heard that Kap was going to get work on his QB’ing skills, he probably dropped his PB&J and juice box in disbelief.. and pondered what he would have to rag about in 2015 if Kap becomes an elite QB from the extra QB studies!?!?!?

    Oh the horror!

  56. Obviously, Colin needs to learn how to watch film. Warner should help him do that. Then it’s up to Colin to spend as much time as humanly possible watching game film.

    That includes during the game. Not knowing what coverage the other team was in on a play after the game is inexcusable for a QB. No more watching the 49ers defense.

    He needs to identify the defense more accurately & find his keys faster at the line of scrimmage. No one is perfect. Even Peyton gets fooled. But at least be at a respectable level.

    Even if he learns how to read the keys to understand what the defense is giving him, he still has to somehow improve the processing speed while in the pocket & be willing to make the simple play.

    Colin needs to improve his mechanics (primarily his footwork)… Will Gile do that??? Gile supposedly helped Tebow’s mechanics improve, but the results in 3 preseason games, were 11 of 30 with 2 TD’s & 2 INT’s.

    He needs to train to keep his eyes up & work on his game management during his practice reps. Build a foundation & don’t waste time on things that have historically shown themselves as difficult to improve.

    In the preseason, I’d like to see him try to stand in the pocket until the last minute knowing he’s going to take a hit to make the throw.

    By the way, the wonderlic score is 100% bogus. No QB with an ounce of intelligence would think this was a good idea: “After his first stint as the 49ers’ starter, he worked out with training with track athletes in Atlanta. Last year, he trained at Bommarito Performance Systems – running back Frank Gore’s offseason stomping ground – in Miami.”

  57. I think I understand how this works. If Kap chose Garcia, the article would have gone something like this: “Kaepernick chose a guy who is too similar to himself; he doesn’t really want to work on his areas of weakness, he’s just going to stay in his comfort zone and continue to struggle.”

    Grant Cohn: not just riding daddy’s coattails, but following directly in his footsteps.

    Oh, and the close of the article about the “49ers football language” is just plain dumb. How is Garcia any better in that regard? Because he played for the 49ers twelve years ago? You do realize coaches use their own terminology, right? It’s not like teams keep their terminology and the new coaches have to learn it. Kap will have to learn new terminology whoever he works with this offseason. Though it’s not like terminology matters anyway when your primary areas of focus are mechanics and ability to read a defense.

    The same goes for Garcia running the WCO. Unless you have inside info on Shanahan getting the HC job, I don’t see how familiarity with the WCO will be any more helpful to Kap than any other offense before they’ve even named a HC and OC.

    1. ^^^Everything I wanted to say but was too lazy to type shown above. ^^^
      .
      Thank you Crimsoncrew!
      .
      .
      .
      ~ALOHA~

  58. Two words always come to mind when I hear the Jeff Garcia.
    .
    Happy and feet.
    .
    .
    .
    ~ALOHA~

  59. Miss type meant hating, stop hating on Kap. Go back to the 60’s and lets start speading around peace and love!!! 9er Nation even though I dislike York.

    1. I’ve heard Garcia interviewed several times on KNBR. Each and every time I came away impressed with how strongly and constantly he promoted Jeff Garcia. I loved watching him play because every play had the potential for a surprise ending.

      1. Honestly, Garcia, Warner, does it really matter at this point. Clearly no one knows which is the better coach yet.

        Faaaaaaaar more important is recognition of the fact that Kaep is doing what it takes to get better. Ding, What’s the best thing for a young(ish) QB to do after a disappointing season! Answer erm, yeah you get it.

        Warner went from shelf stacker to SB MVP in how long? As learning curves go, I struggle to think of another player who went so far so quickly. Brady maybe, so i think the guy is capable.

        Just lets give Kaep some kudos for making the effort huh? The results will make up part of what looks to be a deliciously interesting offseason.

  60. Parker is moving up my board after watching tape of him, Strong, White, and DGB.

    Though DGB has great size/speed, his effort on the field is really poor. When the ball goes to someone else he won’t block or finish his route. And he lets smaller defenders into his frame to knock the ball away. Add to that his extensive off-the-field issues and I say pass.

    Strong is exactly that. Big. Great hands. Highest effort guy of the four. But he’s almost always covered. Every play he makes seems to be the result of out jumping or out hustling the defender. Kind of like M. Colston.

    White has great size and a decent skill set. Explosive athlete. Doesn’t always look natural catching the ball. Gets tripped up a lot. Somewhat stiff. Has speed, but not at the Julio Jones level. For me, exempting Amari Cooper from this list, White’s probably the next best WR to this guy…

    Parker isn’t as tough as Strong going for the ball. He shows good-not-great effort when the ball is going to someone else. But, boy, the rest looks good. Parker’s a big guy with the movement of a small guy. Above-average speed that’s enhanced by him getting up to speed quickly. Extremely fluid. Good open field moves. Equally effective over the middle, down the field, and in the red zone. His past injury looks like a non-issue. Should be our primary target at #15, but may go before that pick.

    1. “Was told that SF brass was impressed w/ the Rex interview & the owner likes him, might just be a fit.”

      Not surprised in the slightest.

  61. One thing that throws a potenial monkey wrench into the whole film study thing is that the 49ers don’t have a coaching staff. There is only so much to be gained by watching stuff that you may or may not be doing moving forward.

    When Garcia started working with Sanchez one of the first things he did was speak with Marty Morninwheg first. This allowed him to know exactly what Morninwheg expected, and his past experience playing for him helped as well.

    1. You don’t believe the front office is behind this decision with an offensive philosophy moving forward?

      1. Have they announced who the coach and offensive coordinator will be? Maybe I missed it.

        1. Six days, give or take one, away. My questions is what moron would want Rex Ryan to be the face of anything?

        2. Maybe they have their coach already and are waiting for the Rooney interview or playoff losses.
          I’m betting they already know.

            1. It’s an NFL no-no to step on the press coverage for a playoff weekend. If the 49ers have made their choice it will probably be announced Tuesday or Wednesday.

    2. Kaps issues have nothing specific to a specific coach or an offensive system. It has to do more with pre-snap read, QB movement within pocket, decision-making sequence, etc. — all basic NFL pocket QB skills. These were Warner’s strengths and neither Jeff, Jerry or any other Garcia will be an improvement over Warner.

      1. Exactly. It doesn’t matter what system he winds up playing in. This is about working on reading what he sees, adjusting how he reacts to certain formations and movements, moving in the pocket. All things Warner was very good at.

      2. It would be more beneficial to be looking at film of the offensive system that you will be playing in, than a generic system. Pre-snap reads and progressions vary based on the system.

        If they are able to work on reviewing film from the system that will be implemented it would be better.

        The purpose of the comment wasn’t to say who was better to work with him, whether it was Jeff, Jerry, another Garcia or Kurt, Time or any of the other Warner Brothers.

        1. He’s going to be there for 11 weeks. Seeing as though the new HC will likely be in place by some point next week I don’t think it will be an issue.

            1. Jack, you are undoubtedly one of the more knowledgable chaps around here, I just think you are massively overcomplicating this, all year we have been saying kaep lacks Fundamental aspects of the game, read the word again bud, to me schemes are beyond fundamentals. Not necessary for this exercise to be of benefit.

              Cheers.

    3. Jack:

      I assume they will be looking at the 2014 film. As you say, we don’t know who the coaching staff will be, so there won’t be any existing film of CK running plays that the new coaching staff will want to run. Isn’t a major part of film study reviewing the mistakes that the QB made – the other options that were available on that play, how the QB misread the defense, etc. Obviously that can’t be done if the QB never ran the play (i.e new plays to be implemented by the new CS).

      1. Cubus,

        Yes, that would be a good starting point. Being able to follow that up with review of the new system would be the next step in the process.

        1. Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe if he progresses enough they can review some film of the new system the last couple of weeks.

          1. I wouldn’t want to spend too much time on the old stuff. Go through it to get a baseline, and then spend the majority of time building on the new.

        2. Won’t that be what will be done in this years mini camps? Where else could it be done? One things for sure, it’s going to be different that the system Colin has been in the past three years.

      2. Cubus

        I understand that the CBA does not allow QB-coach contact until middle of March. If that is correct, this entire point of coaching to the new playbook is moot.

        1. The QB cannot interact with the coach, but there is nothing that says the coach can’t talk with an outside trainer who than relays that information to said player.

          Garcia did it with Mornhinweg and Sanchez prior to the 2013 season.

          1. New Coach to Jeff Garcia: “Hey Jeff, here’s my playbook — get Kap working on it for the next 10 weeks. While he is at it, tell him to fix those brain cramps and his lousy movement within pocket”.

            While I do not know the details of Sanchez, Garcia and Morninweg, I do not this approach as a very constructive one for a new coach and his QB.

              1. This is a special case, since Garcia knows Morningwheg very well from the Niners days. Additionally not only did the HC not change, the HC happened to be the unconventional Rex Ryan. I don’t this happening during a HC change, especially, if the HC is from offensive side.

  62. Once again, Grant, you’re sticking your foot in your mouth. The Niner FO wants Kap to improve his efficiency at QB. You don’t do that by running when things begin to break down…there are times when it’s a good option, but Warner wants to teach Kap how to hang in the pocket, pick out his best receiving option and let it fly. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Warner knows what he’s talking about…and if he doesn’t wear the label of “coach”, so what. Joe Montana doesn’t wear that label…neither does Steve Young. Again, so what. Both guys are full of knowledge and could help young QB’s if they chose to do so. You need to get over yourself, you really do, Grant.

  63. Actually, it just occurred to me that Grant’s career mirrors the way he believes CK’s career is moving. Inaccuracy, the ability to occasionally make the great play (write a good article) and above all inconsistency in execution. I’ve never taken a psychology class, but is this type of behaviour Freudian or Jungian or perhaps Cohnian?

    1. Well, I have (too many) and Freud and Jung have nothing to do with Grant’s style or choice of subject matter. What he believes is that to get name recognition it’s more effective to antagonize than to analyze.

    2. I think you may be on to something here. That explains all the negativity and sheer disgust. It must stem from some deeply rooted self-hatred.

      1. Exactly Leo, that’s what I was driving at. He’s “projecting” the self-hatred on to Kaep, who in his mind shares similar traits or lack thereof.

  64. Kap doesn’t have the mental tools to be an NFL QB.

    He cannot correct his poor play clock management. This has plagued him since his first start.
    The play clock is the first thing a QB looks at when he breaks the huddle.

    He is an inaccurate QB so inaccurate that simple short passes fall to the ground, cause the receiver to be an acrobat (no RAC), or go to defenders (Sherman).

    He locks onto receivers allowing defenders to knockdown or intercept passes 10 last year.

    He cannot read defenses he constantly is trying to run to the defenses strong side.

    He lacks footwork consistently throwing off balance.

    He cannot put scoring drives together.
    8 to 20 play drives tire the oppositions defense and keeps their offense off the field.
    With Kap at QB our defense averages 40 minutes a game.

    He is a physical specimen maybe the best the NFL has seen.
    He looks spectacular running 90 yards or throwing a 100 mph fastball but that doesn’t win games.

    Brady, Rogers, Luck are highly ranked and are all moving on to the next round of the playoff none of which match Kaps phisical talent.

    RG3, Kap, Vick, Manzel will be watching the playoffs because they are undisiplined QB’s.

    2015 looks pretty frightening with the Rams, Cardinals, and Seattle being stronger or stronger and Kap leading the 20th ranked offense.

    1. Kaep’s skil set really isn’t that unique. For every strength, there’s a glaring weakness that goes with it.
      He has a strong arm because he has a baseball windup. He can only throw a rocket, because he doesn’t know how to anticipate throws.
      He’s very fast but not quick. He has long legs so he’s not elusive.
      And he’s a horrible game manager. Those are a lot of strikes.
      He’s on a good team with a strong defense and running game. Now the RB took a step back, and he didn’t step up. He’s paid a lot of money that he really should be so remedial in so many vital things.

      2015 is a new year, we’ll see if he take a major step forward with a brand new coaching staff.

  65. Grant,
    You are getting to predictable. We pretty much all know that you wrote this column for the sole purpose of getting a rise from the masses.
    Well, at least when it comes to Kaeperbashing you can count on Fan, OREGON, and a few others to have your back (lol).

  66. Eric Branch @Eric_Branch
    Follow
    If he’s named #49ers head coach, Vic Fangio’s first choice to be OC would likely be Kyle Shanahan, per source.

    1. Indirect roots through the guy (his dad) that not only understood Walsh’s offense but improved it. Just what Jed said he wanted along with keeping the defense continuity going. Only now we hear that Jed has a crush on big bad Rex.

  67. Frankly I’m glad Kaepernick chose someone other than Garcia – as a player, Garcia was frenetic, exhibiting the same tendency to give up prematurely on the pocket and run frantically to the sidelines as Kaepernick does at his worst. Garcia was not exceptional or even notable from an accuracy standpoint, and I don’t ever recall being impressed with Garcia’s ability to scan the field and find open receivers. In other words, Garcia was Kaepernick_2014, so having Garcia do the coaching is exactly the worst thing I could imagine (ok, to be fair, having Bobby Douglas or Scott Bull be the coach would be worse). The ideal coach would be the fellow who made the very transition we want Kaep to make – Steve Young. What would be interesting would be for a journalist to find out whether or not a Steve Young-Kaepernick relationship was considered by the Kaepernick/Niner came, and if not why not, and if so, why it wasnt consummated.

  68. As I’ve said before, Kap is not as good a QB or as football savvy as much of the media, fan group, and others believed him to be. Yet, former 49er QBs from Montana to Young and even Dilfer have all pointed out his flaws and issues when playing QB. Maybe now the deaf ears will start to listen and we’ll all start to see some real improvements in Kap’s game.

    1. For what it’s worth, you’ve got my stamp of approval. Seems like the best case scenario given the untenable situation they put themselves in….

      1. Sounds fine to me.
        I think it would be interesting, however, if they hired somebody like Austin and they switched to a 4-3 defense. They could be a badass 4-3.

        1. Oh I’d love to see them run Stinky Pete’s defense here in San Francisco. That’s what I found so intriguing about Quinn….

          1. They don’t have the safeties for it. Or more accurately, they don’t have Earl Thomas. Sherman gets the headlines, but Thomas is the key to that defense.

            1. No argument there. They’ve got better linebackers instead, but I don’t believe you can count on either Reid or Bethea(he’s getting up there) playing all 16 next year….

    2. Kyle Shanahan has a strong grounding in the same type of offense that his dad and Gary Kubiak run. I think it could be a good fit for the 49ers.

      1. I can’t remember where now, but I read this morning that Quinn is the favorite for the Jets job and Kyle is his OC of choice. This tweet I believe was a corollary to Kyle leaving the Browns.

        1. Kyle will be in demand, and will have no problem getting himself a job as an OC somewhere. I think he would be a good fit for the 49ers though.

    3. I like it also. The only thing I would be concerned with is if he really does make big improvements on the offense, he could be on his way to a HC position elsewhere and we’d be back to square one.

  69. Per Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman):

    “In his first eight games, Perrish Cox allowed a 42.27 passer rating in coverage with 4 INTs and 6 PBUs. Last 8: 109.59 rating, 1 INT, 2 PBUs.”

    “Chris Culliver finished sixth among all CBs with a 66.5 rating when targeted, per @PFF.”

    Do people still want the 49ers to re-sign Cox over Culliver?

    1. Well, Cox is more versatile as he can play inside, outside and special teams in a pinch. Culliver might not meet the new standard of “winning with class”. But as I write this I’m just remembering that Cox had his problems to.

      1. Yeah, Cox hardly has a squeaky clean image. Accused (and acquitted, admittedly) of sexual assault.

        Cox may have the versatility, but the 49ers need starting outside CBs. Culliver was by far the more consistent of the two, and was one of the best in the NFL this year.

          1. I see Ward as an eventual safety and Reaser could be the slot. Johnson I see outside, perhaps if Brock does not recover from the turf toe or if Culliver or Cox break the bank….

            1. I thought slot CB was one of the hardest positions to play. Jimmie did a good job for a rookie (was hung out to dry a few times by Reid), but I would rather have someone with more experience than Johnson or Reaser at that position. A few years down the line sure.

              Why can’t we keep both Cox and Culliver? Have you heard any numbers on how much they want? I guess I heard the FO made them both an offer during the season which both rejected.

              1. Johnson has plenty of experience playing the slot. Would have to see how Reaser goes.

                If the 49ers can only sign one of them (and I don’t know if they can sign one, both or none), and knowing you already have a starter in the slot but need starting outside CBs, would you go for the one that ranked 6th in the NFL this year or the one that got picked on during the second half of this past season but has the versatility to play slot CB in case the starting slot CB gets hurt?

              2. I wonder if the 49ers might consider pairing Reaser with Ward as your eventual safeties, with Johnson in the slot and Culliver and Brock outside. I know Reaser was the cousin of Sean Taylor and his hero….

              3. Interesting idea.

                I don’t know where Reaser will end up fitting, but I sure am looking forward to seeing what he’s got.

              4. I like Reid but the concussions are a concern. How many more before it’s his last? Dunno the answer to that one….

              5. I hear what you’re saying but if Reid has to retire, the 2013 draft is starting to approach the 2012 draft and that’s the last thing we need.

  70. If Kaep had chosen Garcia … Grant would rip him for not choosing a pocket-passer like Warner. I will say, the traveling to France to learn Spanish was good.

  71. So much for Dirk saving the 49ers offense. The Buccaneers have hired Koetter as their offensive coordinator.

    1. Personally I’m not too upset about that. Koetter employs a pass heavy offense, which I just don’t see fitting the 49ers personnel.

      1. Koetter had a run-heavy offense in Jacksonville. He plays to the strengths of his personnel.

      1. Did I miss a comment where you stepped out and said who you think the 49ers should hire?

          1. That question wasn’t directed at you Razor.

            I still am high on Shaw. In fact I like a few of the guys they have brought in.

            I also didn’t say anything negative to Grant about the Del Rio/Koetter thing because I could see why he would like them, and unless I am going to put something out there I’m not much for trying to get a laugh at his expense.

            1. I know, just a little jab to ribs in good fun Hammer! Who are the new personnel Shaw has recruited?

              1. It’s going to be interesting to see how they replenish a defense that loses 8 starters.

                They should be good on offense, with most of that side staying. Look for Barry Sanders Jr to get more looks, and I’m really interested in seeing Keller Chryst play QB.

              2. Sounds like a shift in power to the offensive side. Looking forward to 2015 Cardinal football….

  72. Anybody else wondering what’s up with the lack of news regarding Tomusula as a HC candidate? Okoye signed and it was rumored that he would only sign if Tomsula remains a 49er coach.

    1. What makes you think that Okoye’s view of who should be the 49er head coach is relevant? Do you think Baalke told Okoye who the next head coach will be and that’s why he signed?

      1. If you reread you’ll notice that I said remains as a coach not necessarily HC. What I’m implying is that Tomsula may stick around even if he doesn’t get the HC job.

          1. It’s probably a bonding issue. Tomsula gave Okoye his shot at the NFL and maybe Okoye feels he owes him something. Also, maybe Okoye knows he has less of a shot to make the team if Tomsula is not a coach with the team. Ergo, he waits to see what Tomsula is going to do. If Tomsula goes somewhere else Okoye follows him there.

            It’s not a farfetched idea and I’m hardly the first to mention it.

  73. Florida says “Welcome Back Koetter.”

    Former Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter accepted the offensive coordinator position with Tampa Bay.

    1. Yea, I think it’s a safe bet he won’t be back. I think Corey Robinson would be an excellent specimen to fill that role….

        1. Dunno, but he excels in putting people on their back, so I’m assuming he’s capable….

  74. Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney on CBS Sports Radio
    So, what will Warner do to fix the San Francisco quarterback?

    “Well, first of all, I don’t like the word ‘fix,’” Warner said on Tiki and Tierney. “We’re just going to try to grow him as a quarterback. He’s an extremely talented young kid, a kid that I think was thrown in – as a lot of young quarterbacks are – before he really understood how to play the entirety of the quarterback position. He’s gotten by on athleticism, and he’s had some great moments and had some great games. But I think the goal in the time that I have with him is just to see where he’s at, what he knows about the position and then how far we can push the envelope as far as helping him develop as a pocket passer.

    “I’m just a firm believer that regardless of how talented you are physically, you have to be able to make the easy plays at the quarterback position to be successful,” Warner continued. “When a defense gives you an easy read, you have to be able to make that read and make that throw 90 percent of the time because you don’t get that all the time. It’s hard enough to play the position. So it’s really going to be about seeing where he’s at as a quarterback and seeing how far we can push it to teach him how you play the game with your mind as opposed to your arm and your legs.”
    ~ Kurt Warner

    I would have liked Jeff Garcia (and made that proposition early in the season) to help Kap, but the more I hear Warner, the more I like the fact that he will not sugarcoat his approach in working with CK. Warner is well aware of Kap’ strengths, but also isn’t shy in covering the areas in CK’ game that are in need of help.

    1. I think the respect is there for Warner, and that’s just something you need to have in a teacher. Someone who commands your respect and you’re willing to take their instruction to heart….

    1. Jeff gets overlooked for the job and says he thinks Kaep made a mistake in his choice? Unheard of.

        1. Garcia is a self promoter. Not a bad thing for someone that is trying to drum up interest for their business.

          1. Don’t mind the self promotion. As a former boss once told me, like it or not, you’re in sales too.

            But we would never put in writing or say to the press that we thought a potential client made the wrong decision in selecting a competitor.

    2. Would mean a whole lot more if it wasn’t coming from the man who lost business.
      Sorry. Ck doesn’t need to learn happy feet dancing. And inaccurate wobble balls.
      He needs to learn what Warner was about. If anyone rememebers Garcia had the hands of Owens and rice. Saved his but with those horrible throws. The guy wet the bed in big games and situations.
      No thanks!!!!

    3. Like a few here, Garcia is only making an opinion. Garcia seems to agree with Grant’ opinion that he made the wrong choice in going with Warner.

      But that opinion is based more on Warner’ zero resume in working with QB’ rather than Warner leaning on his experience and knowledge of the QB position.
      What we do know is that Warner was a pro bowl “pocket QB” and as every knows, that is the area of Kap’ game that is lacking.

      We’ll all know by mid-season of 2015 just how much CK was able to glean from Warner.
      TBD

    4. Garcia would disagree with the choice of anyone not named Garcia. He’s a self promotion machine.

  75. Grant will continue to have a job as long as you all read (or skim) and comment on his articles.

    You think his advertisers care about content? No, just clicks.

    If you want better info, go to Cam Inman, Maiocco, Matt Barrows, or even Eric Branch. Or start a blog. I’m sure the analysis provided in these comments is a lot deeper and sound than anything Grant will ever come up with. I wish my dad was in sports media so I could be a beat writer too.

  76. This article is presumptuous to say the least. Kurt Warner is smart enough, to know to coach Kaep within his game. Warner will merely teach Kaep how to read the field from the pocket and how to go through his progressions ” like a boss.” AKA how to be a NFL QB. If I want to learn how to do that. You pick to learn from Jeff Garcia or kurt Warner? I’ll go with Kaeps choice. LMAO Grant you just made Kaep look smart! Nice

  77. Forgot 2 more on the lists:

    Warner: 2 Super Bowls with 2 different teams. Won one.

    Garcia: nada

  78. Geez Colin can’t win with writers like Grant. Had he picked Jeff and Kurt wanted to work with him he would have said he should have picked Kurt. The whole point is to get the perspective of the pocket how to move in it and film study. Kurt was one of the best I think it’s an excellent idea as do the 49ers or I’m sure he wouldn’t do it. Alas Grant knows everything just like he kept saying we will be held back because of our secondary. The last two years that’s all we heard……slot corner. We were held back by a lot of things the secondary wasn’t one of them. Just one example of Grant being wrong but not copping to it. Why don’t you go work with Garcia Grant and let us know how it went. I hadn’t read one of your articlesin about a year and now I rremember why. You write like you know something but as usual you know nothing. I wish there was someway we could hold writers accountable for their stupid opinions.

  79. Just a few weeks ago (when my daughter text me about the loss to the Raiders) I told her that Kap is either NOT being coached to NFL quarterback standards OR he is UN-coachable. He clearly has raw talent but the problem has been coaching. I am just glad that something is being done about this. Even the most casual of football fans can see he doesn’t play up to the level of other playoff-team quarterbacks. 300 yard games? Forget-about-it! He looks like a college kid playing among men. At least he is taking steps to improve his game. Time will tell. Hope it works!

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