Peter King gives Colin Kaepernick bad advice

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Sports Illustrated’s Peter King interviewed Colin Kaepernick’s trainer, Richard Hidalgo, last week, and asked the trainer if Kaepernick still wants to play football.

“Colin has been there since January, training with me five days a week,” Hidalgo said. “We have been getting ready for football as if he was a starting quarterback for an NFL team. When I read that people don’t know if Colin wants to play football … this guy’s been doing it five hours a day, five days a week, like he has a starting NFL job. And we don’t take days off.”

Hidalgo went on to say that Kaepernick “is in phenomenal condition. If gets invited, he will not only show up and try his hardest, he will push to be a starter. He’s got that much talent.”

Hidalgo confirms the point I made last week that Kaepernick is unemployed because he’s holding out for a starting job. I don’t think Kaepernick wants to settle for a backup job like Ryan Fitzpatrick did a few days ago.

At the end of the Sports Illustrated article, King says “Kaepernick needs to be heard from,” and needs to publicly answer the following questions: “Do you still want to play? Will you be overly focused on off-field stuff during the season? In short: Will you be a distraction?”

Kaepernick should not follow King’s advice. It’s terrible. NFL teams already feel that Kaepernick draws too much attention to himself. Holding a press conference to say he won’t be a distraction just would seem like another distraction and cry for attention. Kaepernick needs to be quiet and stay in shape.

This article has 249 Comments

  1. No one cares, because he’s no longer on the team. Time to move on, Grant.

    1. In no time we’ll have dozens and dozens of posts here, eventually transitioning to mix of attacks, denials, links to other non-Kaep material, etc.
      .
      Gotta love late spring. Hey, OTAs coming up?

      1. Aren’t they already going on. Don’t we have a reporter for the team somewhere? If only we could get some real good insider information about what’s going on with the team instead of confirming what we sort of already knew, that a former player wants the top job and could be a distraction for the next team. Real kettle boiler stuff! Did this guy go to a super bowl too? Did he do it after starting only ten games? Can he run upteend miles from the half yard marker and make jaw dropping throws? Bad O line, back stabbing GM, bad coaching, betrayed yadda yadda blackballed. Have we covered it. Good. Let’s rest easy and move on with our collective lives.

        1. I can’t believe the Niners are even questioning thinking about cutting Homeland I mean guy is a legend. Still 9lwying at high level and could Reubens foster learn nothing various of guess

    2. Peter King should not act ‘the agent’ or he comes off like Seb– and look where that’s gotten Kaep.

      Time for Seb to man up, like Kaep, by wearing pig socks and a # 7 Kaep jersey around Sebastopol and Santa Rosa’s police Dept. in protest

      Until he protests in this way, all Seb is this sites frivolous, frolicking fool on the Hill and this songs main character.

      Fool on the Hill, by the Beatles, performed by the Sergio Mendes Band.

    3. Razor, I do care, because I want the Niners to win, and in my humble opinion, even with his faults, he gives the Niners their best chance to win, especially considering the present QBs. Listened to the KS interview, and it seemed like he talked an octave higher and his voice broke while discussing Hoyer. Sure would like to play poker with KS, he would not be able to bluff too well.
      .
      BTW, how was the concert? I googled Yngwie Malsteen – Far beyond the Sun, and I am surprised his guitar does not burst into flames.

      1. BTW, how was the concert? I googled Yngwie Malsteen – Far beyond the Sun, and I am surprised his guitar does not burst into flames.

        It was outstanding, thanks for asking! He was as good as I’ve ever seen him, and he threw me a pick personally for the way I rocked!

        As for Kaepernick, it really is time to let him go and embrace Hoyer as our leader. He can win too until we get Beathard ready to do it….

        1. I will respectfully refrain from heartily endorsing him, just wish him well.
          .
          I will just surmise that Barkley will win the starting job because of his accuracy, and still root for the Niners to win, no matter who the QB is. CJB will not be the future franchise QB. I think Cousins or a 2018 QB will be. That is, if you know who does not return.

          1. And there you have it. Seb has already come to judgement on our new rookie QB, and we all know Seb’s expertise when it comes to QB’s far exceeds Kyle Shanahan’s.

            Seb’s got solid ground to stand on. Sebnynah has a strong track record working with and developing QB’s. Why the 49ers are wasting their time with Kyle when they could simply hire Sebnynah instead, is anyone’s guess.

            1. Come on Seb, enough already with the talk of a Kaepernick return. A snowball has a better chance of surviving hell, than Kaep has returning to the 49ers. That shipped has not only already sailed, it’s well over the horizon and long out of sight by now.

              Move the F on already dude!

              1. I don’t think winning this season or next is a major concern for this coaching staff. I would agree that Kaep would give them the best chance to win games this season, but that’s not the priority. Shanny has already stated that Kaep is not suited for his system and establishing that system is a top priority. So putting those two aspects together it is obvious that Kaep does not advance this teams priorities so it is not in this teams best interests to waste both their and Kaeps time by having him on this team.

                I also agree with Grants take on the advice given Kaep. He really try to maintain as low a profile as possible this season. Even if it means riding the bench. Give it one more year and the most of the negative feelings by the fans will have subsided a bit and more teams would be apt to take a shot at him.

        2. Wowzer! Good times.
          .
          I know a friend who framed a Guitar pick from Jerry Garcia.

            1. Cassie, I was referring to Razor getting a guitar pick from Yngwie Malsteen.
              .
              I bet Razor is ecstatic, and really high.

              1. Yea, I’m pretty proud of this particular Yngwie Malmsteen pick. To have the maestro acknowledge my rocking prowess by throwing it to me directly was very gratifying indeed….

              2. Oh I got that. I was referring to your Jerry Garcia name dropping and the ‘six degrees’ factor. I’m confident Razor is pleased.

                Bacon is dessert.

          1. Seb-skov………

            Kap-is-gone. Move on—like you’ve falsely said many times. Other than a few of your typical insults (of which I get a huge kick out of), what do you know that Shanahan does NOT know-specifically, please………

        3. I’m actually jealous you saw Yngwie. Next time he makes it to Australia I have to go see him

      2. Watch Kaepernick game tape from 2016 … I don’t care what his touchdowns to interception ratio was he left way to much on the field running while receivers were wide open at the goal line or down the field… Can you say, “PANIC”!!!

        1. Sorry, but I blame the coaches more since they would not let him throw a pass in the first half.
          Then they put in Gabbert who promptly got sacked for a safety.
          .
          Fangio schooled Chip.

      3. The guy DOES NOT give them the best chance to win otherwise he would not have a WORSE W/L record as Blaine Gabbert had over the past 2 years! Both played on the SAME team, with the SAME players, yet Gabbert had a better w/l and win % than CK.

        If he was such a great QB, this team would have been better in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

        Your love affair needs to stop.

        1. eMjayActually teams vary through out the season. Some get healthy and better as the season progresses. Then again some get weaker due to injuries. They also play different teams who also have gone through changes like I mentioned previously. There are many variable factors that decide the effectiveness of a team in respect to won loss, but people who want to use stats to promote their own agenda’s will see what they want to see. eMJay- Your perspective is rather simplistic. Also if Sebs love affair should stop then so should yours and others hate affair.

          1. We are keeping it real, not living behind rose colored glasses that also act as beer goggles. CK is gone and will never be back.

            And of course teams fluctuate…but there is no reason anyone can say that CK gives the 49ers the best chance to win when you look at the teams record with him as the qb over the past 3 seasons, specifically the past 2 when he was replaced by and then replace BG. The team won more games, thats a fact, with BG in at QB so to say CK gives them a better chance to win is straight up wrong, otherwise they WOULD have won more games.

      4. Oh please, Seb! Have you not watched Kaep over the years? There are certain fundamentals Kaepernick cannot learn, period. Meanwhile, all the things he did well he has regressed in, partly due to the teams having figured him out. Chiefly, while all QBs make their career statistics in the 4th quarter (this is because by then defenses are extremely tired and a bit slower and weaker than they were in the first half of the game), the 4th quarter is where Kaepernick breaks our hearts. Remember the late0game TOs vs the Ravens in the Super Bowl, ending with a weak overthrown pass, when Delany Walker was wide open in the middle? Remember the next year in the NFC championship game vs the Seahawks? After Navarro tore up his knee while hanging onto the ball, almost the entire team rallied behind Bowman’s courage for a fierce comeback. Everyone except our QB, who accounted for 4 turnovers in the final 10 minutes of the game, including the intercepted final pass of the game. Most 49ers fans remember the those heartbreak games all too well.

    4. Why has Kaepernick still getting so much attention? Isn’t it obvious NO ONE WANTS HIM!! Who cares what shape he is in, what he is ready for. No one wants him, accept that! Thank you very much

    5. I for one think it’s a timely, important and informative article. Grant, thank you. You point out the ugly ironies and karma in how Kaepernick’s past has caught up with him in painful life lessons. Dig, he never cared about anything much more than he did his abs. Then, possibly due to his latest girlfriend, he got all caught up with the deceptively flawed messages from Black Lives Matter and decided his opinions on police brutality would get more air-time if he disrespected the flag. BOOM! He becomes more famous than when Michelle Obama kissed her own biceps. Next, given the huge size of his ego, he restructured his contract then opted out, so sure that other teams and fan-bases would break down his door to sign him. Now that it looks like no one will call, he gets himself back in front of cameras, bragging about his volunteering to help hand out suits to felons, charters a plane to distribute food to hungry Somalians (a country that happens to be on the terrorist list due to their earlier involvement with Alkeida, current involvement with ISIS, and violent asylum refugees running amok in Minnesota, and of course their support of piracy. Even GMs who hero-worship Kaepernick’s physical talents will have a problem with Kaepernick’s choices for his charities. How can one not think he is anti-American given his preoccupation disrespecting the flag, the government, the country, and the veterans. As Grant’s article reveals, Kaepernick is in a conundrum of wanting the league to know and trust that he is all about football now, no more on politics, civil rights, police brutality, and anything else that would be seen as anti-USA while also trying to demonstrate that he doesn’t need to drum up attention for himself. Oh, if he knew where he would be today, would he have gone through with his look-at-me protest? I don’t think he would have. By now, he surely knows that he didn’t understand nearly as much as he thought he did of “what’s really going on out there.”

      1. There is so much wrong with your simplistic, long-winded critique of a human being who has accomplished much in his life. He helped charter a plane to Somalia to feed starving people. He tweeted about helping raise enough money in the hope that others would get involved. After that, he did a couple of updates to let everyone know how things were going. Once enough money was raised for the food, a Turkish airline donated a plane. What have YOU ever done for anyone? Despite all of the negative things going on in Somalia, including a civil war, there are still starving people, including a lot of children.

        You also have very little knowledge of the reasons why he restructured his contract and opted out. In fact, after reading your diatribe again, it’s obvious that you have very little knowledge about anything. Just a bunch of opinions and mostly inaccurate or exaggerated claims and assumptions.

        Helping people and giving to the community will probably turn out to be much more significant in Colin’s life than anything he has done or will do on the football field.

  2. Or, Kaep could get some time on the Jimmy Fallon show–jam with The Roots and play a beer-inspired drinking game.

  3. Despite how he phrased it I’m not certain that King meant that CK needs to hold a press conference for the sake of saying he’s not going to be a distraction. Sounded more like he was simply implying that that information needed to be known publicly. Would be easy to mention it the next time a reporter stops and asks him questions.

    1. The only time Kaepernick should talk to reporters is to refute their reports about how much money he wants.

          1. Grant did you not see the Shannon Sharp piece where HE ACTUALLY spoke to Kaepernick?

      1. Grant you are completely right. I think you missed your true calling in somebody’s PR department. Of course then we wouldn’t be able to read your scintillating articles with all your expertise in the ways of the NFL specifically the 49ers. For a long time now I have said if the 49ers want a return to the glory days they need to hire Grant Cohn. Your articles on the draft and your rookie write ups on recent draft picks as well as your knowledge of the team’s needs is unparalleled. I mean what is wrong with Jed? To have a resource like you in his back yard and not take advantage of it is absolutely ludicrous imo. Thank God for Grant Cohn.

        1. I’m not agreeing that Jed should hire Grant, but to consider how badly the team has been run the last few years…. He probably could not have done any worse than the GM and coaches that they had. My buddy and I are die-hard 49ers fans and we questioned what Nolan and Singletary were doing strategically. We didn’t think that the players were being used correctly to emphasize their strengths. We didn’t think that the talent was as bad as everyone said they were. Harbaugh was hired, he brought a great coaching staff and the 49ers wound up in the NFC Championship game in Harbaugh’s first year. They did a lot of the things that my buddy and I had wanted them to do. Of course, we had no idea that the coaching would make THAT much difference. It just goes to show you what good coaching can do. Sometimes the solutions are obvious.

          1. Teams are the composite of their individual parts and that would include the coaching staff. Sometimes all a team needs is one or two complimentary pieces. Some pieces have a greater impact than others and that would definitely include the coaching staff. I think the 2014 season shows how quickly a team can go south when you remove a few pieces. Even though the coaching staff was still here they were effectively removed by the front offices undercutting and back stabbing tactics.

            Another example of how just one player can effect his position group is what happened to the team when they lost their K/P returner for the game against the Giants in 2011. Take away those two fumbles and the team ends up in the Superbowl. In just one game the team had been altered via circumstance enough to cost them a win. Why because special teams and field position was a major part in their winning that season.

            1. You are absolutely right. They led the NFL in takeaways and starting field position in 2011. Even with all of those takeaways, they needed their FG kicker, David Akers, to break the NFL record of most FGs with 44.

              The 49ers knew that wasn’t sustainable and tried to inject some offense into the team in the 2012 NFL draft. Baalke whiffed on AJ Jenkins and LaMichael James. Baalke actually wasted that whole draft. That was probably the beginning of their downfall, which proves your point about the composite of the individual parts.

      2. Doesn’t change my point that I don’t think King meant that he thought Colin should call a press conference for the sake of announcing he’s not a distraction.

  4. This is no longer a viable subject except to those with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. CK is of no further interest, because he has no future with this team — zero future. Surely one can conjure up another topic of interest to talk about? The sound of a dead horse being thwacked over and over is a dull and dreary sound, even the horse flies have stopped buzzing.

    1. Maybe King can do a piece on RGIII giving him career advice? Would that be more relevant? The thing is we seem to miss that there are other QBs with same skill sets just as unemployed.

      That is why for many of us this is a dead horse that keeps getting beaten over and over – Kap’s name getting brought up as if he is a public martyr. He became a celebrity at a time when he was merely a second string QB with a declining skill set.

  5. Wonder if King was eavesdropping on Paraag talking with potential trade partners during the draft, and that is where the- ‘Dont know if he wants to even play again’ smear started. I am sure every team wanted to know, since he is better than many QBs who have been signed, but still remains unsigned.

      1. Because they would be wondering why the Niners have not signed him. Since he has been the starting QB of the San Francisco 49ers for the past 5 years, and since they know he had conversations with Lynch and KS before free agency, it is natural to assume the Niners would know something.

      2. Potential trade partners during the draft, of trading draft picks. Kaep was probably a peripheral topic.

    1. I think King doesn’t like Grant, so he reported on Kaep…knowing that Grant would blog it, and thereby ignite a Seb firestorm–once again creating turmoil and rage on Grant’s site. What do you think Seb?

    2. lol. He was a junk offense product, just like RGIII, and, just like RGIII, his time is past.

      1. The main difference between Kaep and RG3 is that RG3’s injuries have taken his mobility and speed which was what he relied on his rookie season. Not all of Kaeps detractors had the same reasons. Some hated him because he replaced Alex. Some hated him because of his style of clothes and the image that he represented to them. Still others because he represented a mobile running QB and that went against their traditional image of what a QB should be. You appear to fit into that group. Now people can have differing opinions in respect to what sort of offense is better. The problem arises when it becomes personal and they become emotionally invested in a specific style. They identify their opinions with themselves and then any thing that does not support that opinion becomes a personal threat to their identity. The discussions then lose objectivity and become ego battles. So your statement of ” He was a junk offense product, just like RC3, his time is past. “. pretty much defines your real agenda. It was never about Kaep but your perspective on what sort of offense should be run in the Pro’s.

        You can ask yourself why it would bother you if some teams ran that “junk” offense. Why is it important for some people to have reality totally mirror their personal perspectives. I think we recently had a GM who had that sort of emotional need. Why are people threatened by things outside their comfort zones? Why do people even need comfort zones? It seems that football has been a sport that has been particularly resistant to innovation. I mean how long did it take for someone to implement something like the junk west coast offense? I think reasonable people can accept differences without lighting torches and going on witch hunts.

        1. Isn’t that precisely what you are doing though? You seem to be defefending a particular aspect of the QB and not realizing his limitations. He has shown that under Harbaugh, Tomsula and Kelly. Kyle Shanahan did not want him in his offense and somehow this speaks of other people’s preordained ideas rather than innovative wrinkles. Isn’t Shanahan the innovator? What am I missing? Everyone who defends Kap talks about innovation but are stuck on a system that has been figured out by defenses and has not changed. Nor wants to adapt to the realities of football as it is actually played but as they wish it to be played.

        2. Sure, KS said that ideally, the QB should stay in the pocket and deliver the ball accurately. Too bad he also said that those pure pocket passing throwers are very rare.
          .
          This is a new league, with all the changes to the passing game. Teams need to evolve, and immobile
          pure drop back passers will be eventually phased out because someday, most QBs will be mobile, like Cam, Wilson, Winston, Mariota and Rodgers. Immobile QBs like Palmer, Dalton, Rivers, Tannehill, Cutler and Osweiler have shown their limitations, and QBs like Breeze, Manning, Ben R and Brady will only shine if the rest of the team is elite. With immobile QBs, the pass rushers will be able to tee off and rush to a spot, and they are getting so big and fast, they will bludgeon the QB.
          .
          Who to believe? Well, Bill Walsh was a visionary, and he chose Steve Young, a mobile QB to replace Joe, and that set off a controversy that made the Alex/Kaep controversy pale in comparison. Bill Walsh was aghast at how initially bad SY was, so he tore him down, and then rebuilt him into an elite player, and the end result was a dual threat QB who struck fear in the defenses. It sure helped that SY had years to sit behind the master to watch and learn.

          Sure am glad that KS will go back to the WCO. However, many have said that teams have figured that out so it is dead. Maybe the pure WCO is dead, but all of the concepts are alive and well, and every team uses some evolved form of it.

          Some say the Read Option is dead, but that play, when run properly, really can stress the defense. Sure, it should not be solely used, but at times, if used correctly, it can be very effective.
          .
          Eventually the league will have mobile QBs, who can also deliver the ball accurately. QBs like Brady will keep getting concussions, even while being wily enough to throw the ball quicker, so they will get rid of the ball so the pass rusher cannot get to him.

          Kaep presents a dual threat, and kept many drives alive by running for first downs. No, he is not a one read QB with happy feet. Now that he is healthy, he has regained his accuracy, and he would have done better with decent receivers. It was nice to see him have more than a nanosecond before he was pressured, and if the coaches can utilize him properly by accentuating his strengths, he will do just fine, no matter where he lands.

          1. Seb………..

            Your always wrong about Kap-always…and here is why.

            You conveniently won’t talk about his difficulty in reading defenses…….his hardship at going to anything beyond his first read………his likelihood of holding onto the ball too long……..his relatively long and deliberate wind-up….his great reluctance to NOT look off the receiver………………his over-all poor accuracy…………….his insistence on not working on his mechanics…………….etc., etc., etc……………………
            You keep going on , on and on about his speed. Russell Wilson has speed, BUT HE THROWS A BEAUTIFUL BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STEVE YOUNG HAD SPEED, BUT HE WORKED HARD ON HIS SHORTCOMINGS!!!!!!!!!!!! AND HE THREW A BEAUTIFUL BALL!!!!!!!!! You never have, or will, talk about the responsibilities of a starting NFL QB. Its always…ALWAYS…the O-lines fault, or the receivers fault, or the coaches fault…or some hatemonger’s fault.
            Thats why your always wrong about Kap.

            And I don’t hate you or Kap. Just don’t want him for my QB.

        3. I believe the point most are missing regarding Kaepernick, which in turn may be turning off other clubs, is the statement where Kaepernick said he just needs to go out and play and not be worried about his fundamentals, mechanics and technique. That speaks loudly and clearly of an “uncoachable” player, and what coach in his right mind wants to tread into that quagmire? With that attitude, no question Kaepernick has brought upon himself the mantle of “coach killer.” Even the best of the best need to be coached because as good as the Brady’s and the Manning’s are, nobody is perfect. God loves you just the way you are, but He would love you more if you were just a little better!!!!!

    3. Who says he’s better? better than Gabbert? By a nose….and even that could be debated.

      1. Gabbert actually lead the 49ers to more PPG in his two-years of splitting duties with Kaepernick.

        Gabbert
        2016 — 22.2PPG
        2015 — 14.0PPG

        Kaepernick
        2016 — 17.2PPG
        2015 — 13.6PPG

        Gabbert’s problem was that he was turn-over machine.

        1. MosesZD- Your use of stats to promote your agenda is simplistic. In my previous posts I relayed how teams change through out the season. The teams they play are also different and many of them also are not the same at the beginning of the season than at the end. This same scenario was often presented by those that stated that Alex got the team to the NFCC game with the same team. It was not the same team for multiple reasons. Heck the team they had in the 2011 NFCC game was not even the same team they had the game before, because they lost their K/P returner and that cost them the game. The teams that start the season are often not the same that finish. This was true in 2012 as well. It most certainly was true in both 2015 and 2016.

          You can try to use stats to prove you point but thats really lazy. Of course using stats without putting those stats into context can be useful to promote someones agenda. The only true test is visual. Does the player make full use of the opportunities that he is presented. Those things can vary drastically game to game.

          1. But Will that is often what is used to say that Kap is a bette QB than those who are signed. Stats. That does not tell the whole story now does it?

  6. Seb.

    You are in no position to offer Kaep advice after spending the whole winter studying volumes of draft guides, only to fail on your 50 mock draft posts in predicting the 49ers # 1 pick.

    However, Tom D correctly mocked the 49ers 1st pick in S. Thomas on his one and only mock attempt.

    I also correctly posted the 49ers would trade down, and that their first 3 picks would be on the defensive side.

    Maybe you should spend more time studying TomD’s methods, and less time blustering about how Kaep should follow your bad advice.

  7. TomD will offer one more correct preseason prediction.

    UFA, Matt Breida will make the 49ers roster and play a large role in this season’s running game, if uninjured.

        1. Who do you think makes the team for the running back corps? If Breida makes it does Hightower get hurt? Does Hyde get traded? Seems a little crowded to me and for my money I still like Hyde.

          1. EastCoast9er,

            True,

            Talent is talent. Breida can take it to the house on a 70 yd run, when Shanahan aligns Trips right. The others can’t.

            1. Still he is undersized and a utility back and hasn’t put on pads. I still don’t know who you would cut! I can’t see Hyde losing a position nor Hightower nor do I see Williams losing a position. Short of someone losing a position to injury I foresee Breida as practice squad material. Now this could change once pass go on and he suddenly becomes Tony Dorset, but I’m not holding my breath.

              1. We’re talking speed here, aren’t we? Breida’s 40 time at his pro day was 4.39, and Williams NFL combine time was 4.41. Last I checked Breida did everything in college also. It remains to be seen if they can do it at the next level. Williams went up against PAC-12 defenses while Breida played at a lower level at Georgia Southern. I think that they’ll both be HR hitters and will be the 49ers backs of the future. If Hyde gets a lot of snaps this year, and the 49ers have confidence in the young guys, the 49ers can let him walk and maybe get a compensatory pick in the future.

  8. Gonna be a great day today! Think Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘At The Zoo’…(On Grant’s Blog).
    Change out some of the lyrics for your favorite poster.
    .
    Something tells me it’s all happening at the zoo.
    I do believe it, I do believe it’s true.
    The monkeys stand for honesty.
    Giraffes are insincere.
    And the elephants are kindly but they’re dumb.
    Orangutans are skeptical of changes in their cages
    And the zoo keeper is very fond of rum.
    Zebras are reactionaries,
    Antelopes are missionaries.
    Pigeons plot in secrecy
    And hamsters turn on frequently.
    What a gas you got to come and see
    At the zoo.

  9. Grant:
    The 9ers list their OTA off season dates: May 22, 23, 25, 30 ,31. June 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9th! Which dates will be open to the press and the dates you will cover? Thank you for your 9er info.

      1. Yep, I am so daunting to you that you try to diss me by writing songs about me. Too bad it backfires because your vain obsession just shows how much I dominate your psyche.

        You try hard, but fail miserably.
        .
        It would behoove you to try talking about football, but that is a non starter because you have very little knowledge, while I wrote the blueprint for their draft strategy.

        1. Yeah, you wrote the blueprint. Here’s a virtual pat on the head for the good little boy… Two Twinkies for you!

        2. I think about you all the time, Seb. I know you live in ‘pol, are in Real Estate and I’m going to find you!!………….and pay you some of the money I owe you. Its in the hundreds now.

      1. It is. Everyone on this blog should view it. Seb will need a case of Kleenex.

  10. Grant,
    I believe you broke the stick that you’ve been beating the dead horse with!
    CK is no longer relevant in 49er Country. He will be (was) merely a shooting star in 49er folklore.
    There are only things that I wish for Kaepernick.
    1. I wish him well on his future endeavors.
    2. If he signs with the seahags, I hope he doesn’t kick our backside if he has to sub for Wilson.
    Other than that – meh

    1. It’s a burnt cookie, but that’s okay–Grant knows how you enjoy your Kaeprchip cookies

      1. It’s definitely a Kaeper-chip cookie.

        Chipster was the last coach who started Kaep, so it aligns with Seb’s ‘cosmic balance’–all’s right in the milkyway and Chip + Tomsual= genius coaches outlook.

  11. Rebuilding, not reloading: 49ers have already upgraded every offensive position group since firing Baalke

    It’s as if a TV show you hated, but couldn’t bring yourself to quit watching, began its latest season by systematically removing and repairing everything that drove you crazy about the show in the first place.

    The annoying teenager (Kaep) character who did nothing but sulk and turn unnecessary storylines into wasted hours for you, the viewer? Gone.

    removing the team’s most unlikeable protagonist in Trent Baalke, because the most frustrating thing about this team was the clear disconnect between reality and the former GM’s delusional fantasies about his personnel.
    https://www.bayareasportsguy.com/rebuilding-not-reloading-49ers-have-upgraded-every-offensive-position-group-since-firing-baalke/

  12. BASG:

    Quarterback:

    Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley will never be top flight starters, and we have no idea what to expect from C.J. Beathard, but look who they’re replacing. Colin Kaepernick, , but anyone who claims Kaepernick is still an above average NFL quarterback, who’s being held back due to his political actions/stances alone, didn’t watch this team over the last two seasons.

    But it was clear to anyone who watched closely that Kaepernick learned a lesson of sorts in Week 3 of the 2015 season, when he threw four interceptions against the Cardinals including two pick-sixes. From then on he made sure to avoid making throws that could possibly result in the other team catching the ball. Only five picks over his next 16 starts was quite good … in a vacuum (or a football league where teams can get away with passing for just 20 touchdowns in an entire season). In reality, Kaepernick wasn’t even playing not to lose — he was playing to pull himself above the fray and avoid embarrassment.

    1. The reason for two of those picks were that he was attempting to throw touch passes where lasers were required. My self and another poster were concerned that he would attempt to implement the passes he had been working on over the summer before when those passes were preferable to the lasers he usually threw. That has to become second nature in games and that takes time an repetition. He was mentally conditioned to throwing into smaller window because of the speed of his passes. The windows were there but the air under the passes allowed the defenders the time to close them. I am surprised that no one cautioned him about that. But then again I shouldn’t have been. We had a special teams coach who attempted to turn Williams into a Punt returner when it was obvious that he could not multitask. He could either track and catch the ball or focus on where the closing defenders were. But he couldn’t do both.

      That multi interception game pretty much ended Kaeps season. It got into his head and he never would have recovered from that even if he wasn’t benched. His confidence was shot. A player like him feeds and is fueled by confidence. The reason his pick total went down was because he decided he was not going to go back to throwing hard. When he throws hard he has always had a low interception rate. He could still integrate touch passes but he needs to do it slowly until it becomes second nature to when to throw them or his lasers.

      1. Will, that Cardinal game was the worst game in his career, but there were extenuating circumstances.
        If you replay the game, Devey lets his pass rusher run by him like he was a turnstile so Kaep could not even get his feet set. Then there was the DJ who told him to throw at 15% less speed, while pontificating that the square out pass should be an automatic completion.
        .
        Unfortunately, the Card DBs said that they knew where the ball would be thrown before the snap of the ball, so they could jump the routes.

        1. Still………………refuse to tell us what a Pro NFL QB is responsible for, eh, Sebs???

          Of course you don’t. Because if you did, it would make Kap look very bad.

          His game has not changed since College…not measurably.

  13. ** BASG on Kaep’s storm a fading:

    In terms of depth, the 49ers’ current crop of quarterbacks is superior. Depending on what Beathard can do, this trio may even have more upside than last year’s group. That is, unless you’re one of the few still holding out hope that 29-year-old Kaepernick still has some tricks up his sleeve (if he ever gets another chance to play).

    https://www.bayareasportsguy.com/rebuilding-not-reloading-49ers-have-upgraded-every-offensive-position-group-since-firing-baalke/

    1. Seb,

      According to BASG and others, you don’t build a team with 30 year olds.

      They are just their to mentor and as stop gaps….

      But Seb is so smart, he wants to build his team with Kaep and other geriatrics.

      1. TrollD, this is why I think you do not have an iota of football sense.
        .
        Kaep is 29, in the prime of his life. Niners, if they want to win this year, should not grab QBs like Romo who are in their late thirties. They certainly should not advocate acquiring minor league baseball players who hit fans down low. Kaep is superior in talent than the present Niner QBs, and he presents a dual threat that Mr 5.03 does not possess. With an upgrade in the WRs, and a sure handed Kittle who I think dropped only one pass his College career, any Niner QB will do better than last year, Kaep included.
        .
        I am hoping than Ran Carthon will take a look at the FA availability and choose wisely. He should listen to Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett, and hear how they evaluate Kaep, because they really respect his talents, having played against him many times. Ariens said he feared Kaep.
        .
        The good news is the fact that Lynch is not Baalke, and can be persuaded to change his mind. He also swore that he would make changes, especially if they improve the team.
        .
        The best news is that Lynch has not closed the door. They will do more evaluations during the OTAs, and may come to the conclusion that a QB who stormed into the SB after 10 games, stormed back to within 5 yards to almost win a SB, and came within one pass of returning, might be a superior QB who in his only playoff game, threw the ball like the DBs were the intended receivers, and committed 5 turnovers.
        .
        I know you are sick of me mentioning these facts, so I will make sure you know that I would not have brought them up, except to bedevil you. Kaep had a 16-4 TD/INT ratio , for a 90.7 QBR. He had 400 yard games and 300 yard passing with 100 yard rushing games. He matched Joe Montana by passing for 300 yards while also rushing for over 50 yards in a Super bowl. His 181 yards rushing against the Packers was a playoff record. Kaep can use his speed and agility to elude the pass rush, and has made jaw dropping throws that other QBs could only dream of attempting. Kaep also has a 4-2 road playoff record. He also was sacked 80 times in a season and a half, with putrid O line play. Too bad Baalke went back on his word and let veteran leadership leave while he dismantled the team, then sat on his hands and did not even try to win. Thankfully, the stench of Baalke is dissipating.
        .
        I am also a realist, and Kaep chose to opt out. I wished him well and surmised he could have gone to teams like the Texans, Broncos, Cards, Jets and even the Rams. It is interesting to see how interested Seattle is in signing Kaep, but I always knew that Pete Carrol is extremely smart, and a formidable opponent.
        .
        However, now that the draft is over and teams have acquired new QBs, I think that Kaep is far superior to any green rookie, especially considering he is totally healthy and finally at his ideal playing weight. Also, this QB class was considered weak, so many 5 year starters would have an advantage over some one who has never thrown a pass in the league..

        I expected Kaep to move on, but lo and behold, he is being blackballed by a select group of teams, so Kaep may be forced to return. I know he left because he was sick of getting stabbed in the back, but he returned last season, so his capacity to forgive is admirable.

        The Seattle situation may force Lynch’s hand, because he is smart enough to want Kaep playing for him, instead of against him. Seattle may have locked up the division before late Nov., so Kaep could start. I even surmise that PC would get Kaep on the field in their first meeting.
        .
        So now, I have changed my mind, and have decided that Jed should do everything in his power to make amends. He should turn around and let Kaep give him a swift reprimand, to atone for Baalke, and as a promise to change and start acting with class.
        .
        They should resign Kaep at the same pay scale as Hoyer, and only promise a chance to fairly compete. That low trick Baalke did to shut Kaep down over a little soreness, so Gabbert would win, must not be repeated.
        .
        I just would rather Kaep play for us, than against us, because I think he does have skills, and with a better supporting cast, he will do better.
        .
        To all you detractors who think I am crazy to advocate for the former starting QB of the San Francisco 49ers, imagine what I think of you and your championing of the present Niner QBs.

        1. Seb. Please explain how Kaep would be forced to return. Who exerts the force? A legal matter? Kaep sues for reinstatement? You file lawsuit? How will he be forced? You’ve eluded to ‘being forced’ many times. How does that happen?

        2. And Seb, to have 9er leadership act in a classy way, you’ve gone on record that Jed should/must bring back Tomsula and Chip. You still demanding that? Still one of your conditions?

        3. Following your thinking, Lynch should kick Shanahan to the curb–override Shanahan’s design for the offense. True?

        4. Holy Cow, what a sermon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          Yet, you still refuse to spell out what you know about the QB position that Mr. Kyle does not. make a few insults, get that out of your system—then proceed with the explanation, please.

              1. Cassie, I actually have stated many times that KS is a good enough coach to take any QB, and make him better. Lynch will have to decide whether he wants Kaep to play for him, or against him.
                .
                Certainly, Kaep made his wishes well known by opting out, but if he is being blackballed by the rest of the league so much so that they are signing inferior QBs, Kaep may be forced to return. Of course, he will not force himself upon KS if he does not want him, but the Niners all have said that they want to win, and I merely think they will not succumb to emotions like Baalke did, and prudently ascertain that Kaep will give them the best chance to succeed.

            1. Cassie, try improving your reading comprehension.
              .
              I will spell it out again. Lynch is very smart, and since it is his decision on the 90, he may decide that Kaep will give the team the best chance to succeed, and he emphatically stated that he will try everything in his power to improve the team. Even Prime admits the present Niner QBs are not elite.

              The KS explanation that he does not want to coach QBs who have dissimilar skillsets is specious, because maybe the best thing is to have variation to see what works best. If they are all pigeonholed into one type, but that type does not work out, he is screwed.

              Kaep is being forced to return because other teams have chosen different options. Cards chose Gabbert, and I expect their fans to question the team when Palmer shows his age, and Gabbert plays like Gabbert can. Texans have drafted Watson, but he may turn out to be another Tebow. Won national championships, but that was because he was surrounded by elite college players. Watson may float some passes, expecting his WRs to snatch the ball out of the air, but the Pro DBs have quick recovery speed and Watson will remind the fans more of Hoyer with all the picks.

              With the lack of options, Kaep will be forced to return, even though he initially opted out. Sure am glad Lynch left the door open for his return, and KS will change his mind once he sees Kaep on the field, especially if he truly wants to win.

              1. Some cogent thought no doubt, but ‘force’? Since we’re dealing with people, the term ‘force’ implies imposing something on someone against their will. Just focus on ‘change in thought/direction’, not force.

                PS… While what you propose could happen–not physically impossible–it won’t because KS and Lynch have a plan which doesn’t include compromising Shanahan’s vision…no matter how much you loath it.

        5. Players in their prime don’t go 3-16 over their last 19 games, unless their prime was never really a prime,.

          1. Bling, you obviously have watched different games than I have. Baalke dismantled that SB team, then sat on his hands and did nothing to try and improve it. In fact, the biggest proof he acted against the Niners’ best interests was when he resigned DEVEY.
            .
            The coaching did not help, either. Hiring failed Browns DCs and DJs was not only incompetence, it was pathetic.

        6. You’re right Sebnnoying. He is far superior that any rookie or vet.
          If the system is one read then run, he’s the guy! No one does that better than old wind up!

          1. You guys are being very biased always repeating the one read and run. That is an exaggeration and you know it.

            I would agree with Seb in that Kaep would get you more wins than any rookie or any player the Niners currently have on the roster. But this next season is not about winning more games, rather it to establish the offense the coach wants to run with this team . In that respect Kaep would be a detriment. Seb is still in defend Kaep against haters mode and that has made him loose perspective about the best interests of this team. I also will defend Kaep against hate and bias but he is not in the best interests of this team even as a back up.

            I have been on this site and others for long enough to realize that that most of the Kaep criticism is fueled by a variety of emotionally based irrational reasons. You can not counter that with reason. Rather you expose the irrational source.

            1. Watch the games – a QB who throws late, has happy feet, is inaccurate, cannot read defenses isn’t effective. This isn’t new.

            2. Will, reading your posts are similar to seeing a condemned inmate being lead down death row. There is a moment and twinge of guilt and then you realize there just isn’t any merit to those feelings.
              You are the show piece of the minority movement that looks for any perceived injustice and then beats the masses with constant dribble that has no reasonable argument.
              Kaepernick is not playing because of a serious of unfortunate events. He became a distraction. He did not progress in systems and that may not be his fault entirely. He had several OC’s. But so have many other QBs in this league.
              Kaepernick cannot make some NFL throws that are necessary. Grant pointed out the outside the number throws. He has no touch and he struggles reading defenses. OC’s have dumbed down their offenses and again that could not be Kaepernick’s fault, but a team fault as the protection and talent didn’t allow for more complex strategy. That would all be speculation giving Kaepernick zero fault which is simply not realistic. The truth is somewhere in the middle and quite frankly, as we’ve seen, NFL teams are not willing to implement a new system for an aging qb who has yet to show he can adapt.
              Kaepernick would not have more wins than any QB in the league in 2017 because no system in the league currently caters to Kaepernick’s strengths. Any team that is starting a rookie QB has more issues than just needing a capable QB and wins are not going to come at the hand of the QB alone.

              1. Great point Matt. I’m not saying Kaepernick was the reason for Jim Harbaugh getting fired, but he certainly didn’t help.

                In 2014, after the 49ers ran a season and a half of the pistol offense, Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman decided that they were going to sneak upon the league and fool teams by making Kaepernick a passer. They played a more spread offense, sometimes 4 and 5 WR sets and ran the ball a lot less. No more pistol offense.

                That is when it became apparent that Kaepernick was not a pure passer and a “system guy.” He relied in a great o-line, HOF running back and a two TE’s with no hands but blazing speed. Not to mention the best defense in the league that allowed only one rushing TD the year (or two years) before, and only in the last game of the year.

                Going 8-8, missing the playoffs and showing the world that you can lead from the pocket with your arm certainly figured into Harbaugh being let go.

                Kaep’s a bum and while he is spreading his word on injustice, he is also spreading hatred and mistrust of law enforcement

            3. Willtalk…………..

              As you re-define that word, I openly admit to “hating” quite a few former 9er QB’s…………Steve Spurrier, Scott Bull, almost all of the 9er QB’s of the 70’s………the knuckle-ball that Jeff Garcia would sometime throw——Drunkinmiller……..several others I cant even remember. As a fan, I “hated” each and every one of them.

              Why do people “hate Kap??? BECAUSE HE’S INNEFECTIVE, HE NEVER GREW AS A QB, AND THE NFL FIGURED HIM OUT!!!

              Get over it-Kaps gone.

  14. Barkley balled against Kaepernick and Barkley had the misfortune of starting his NFL career under Chip “Wrecked” Kelly… I like the fact that he’s been true to his commitment to the political issues but he needs to be committed to his quarterback issues.

  15. Q: What’s the difference between Colin Kaepernick cheerleaders and The Titanic?
    A: Only 1,000 went down on The Titanic.

    Q: What is the difference between a litter of puppies and Colin Kaepernick fans?
    A: Eventually puppies grow up and stop whining.

    Q: What do Colin Kaepernick cheerleaders and Colin Kaepernick quarterbacks have in common?
    A: They’re always on their backs.

  16. Grant should write an in depth piece on sports blogs, using this particular blog as foundational material. Grant could collaborate with a couple insightful Psychologists and publish his work next spring. Could be a good read, and Grant might make the late night talk show circuit.

  17. Nice click bait Grant, in the long dull period between the draft and the start of training camp.

    As to the “topic”; who shouldn’t call a press conference? Oh the potential Seahawk backup QB. Are we still talking about him?

  18. http://www.ninersnation.com/2017/5/22/15675046/kyle-shanahan-on-rookie-wr-john-ross-49ers-marquise-goodwin

    “He had a comment from Kyle Shanahan about Ross.”

    “A true separator,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “A difference-maker.”

    Yup, while everyone else and every show was debating Williams or Davis, I said Ross was the best in the class. Shanny was interested in Ross, not the other two guys.

    Shanny and I saw the speed, but we saw much more than that. We saw the seperation. I’m assume Shanny took note of his hands, underrated route running, tracking, and explosiveness.

    I’m honored to have the same view as Shanny does about Ross. I’m in good company.

        1. I’ll pat you on the back #80. People on this site are vary sparse with pats on the back.

    1. On Rotoworld;

      “The San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes “it wouldn’t be a surprise” if 49ers TE Vance McDonald does not make the final roster.

      The 49ers openly attempted to trade McDonald during the draft, but cutting him for nothing is another story, one which would cost the 49ers cap space this year or leave dead money in 2018 depending on how the move is designated. It is still unclear why outgoing-GM Trent Baalke was allowed to give McDonald a five-year, $35-million extension last December, and it looks like the 49ers will have to eat some money to reverse that poor decision.”

    2. You’d think they would have addressed the position a little sooner then the 5th round in this past draft.

      1. They were never going to address all the problems of this team in one draft. They had to chose which players would give them the greatest return this draft. There is always next year and the one after that. This TE corp was so bad that they would be able to improve it without using up high picks. A good GM thinks long term and has patience. That is what Shanny and Lynch have stated- they will be patient. They are thinking two three drafts ahead. Fans tend not to think ahead.

      2. I’d think that you being a fan of a team that has far more compelling/necessary-to-fill holes in:

        Edge/DE (two players)
        Linebacker (two players)
        Corner
        Quarterback
        Wide Receiver
        Back-up Runningback (unless you’re Grant which would be plain running back)

        And was going through a major personnel/philosophy/scheme change on both sides of the ball that you might clue-in that they’re going to have to prioritize and couldn’t possibly fill all the team needs in one draft. Probably in two drafts, not that this particular reality will stop you from whinging next year I’m sure…

        Further, if you’d actually look at the prospect you’d notice two things:

        1. He is, literally, the most physically gifted TE in the draft (SPARQ) and will be (once again, literally) one of the most physically gifted TEs in the NFL (97.2 percentile).
        2. His production was one of the reasons he dropped and that was because they rarely involved him, but when they did, he was fairly good. So there is some reasonable hope that he’ll be able to produce in the NFL.

        In the end, Kiffle may actually be one of those Day 3 players where everyone just ‘got it wrong.’ It doesn’t happen very often (unlike the expectations of the draftniks and GM-complainers). But it can happen. And if it doesn’t, well TE is not even one of the Top-5 pressing needs on this team. Even after the draft we may still need an EDGE and an OLB unless one of the non-performers from prior years steps up.

        But, instead, you need to whine. Even though no matter what they did, there were going to positions that couldn’t be addressed in the First 3 rounds of the draft.

        1. Teams felt so strongly about him that they took 7 other tight ends first. Not what you’d call a hot prospect. Glad you like him. Point is, if the piece is right and they are overhauling the position you’d think they would have put a little more into it so far then what they have. This past draft was a great opportunity to put a special player at the position instead they didn’t take advantage of the talent available and went with a TE they can get any year.

          1. Depends on what the HC/OC wants to do at the position. If he wants an elite receiving TE then sure, would need to invest a high pick. If he wants a guy that can be a great blocker and provide a decent pass catching option then don’t need to invest so heavily.

            1. Not to mention the depth of the position in the draft, thereby affecting their strategy as well, Scooter_McG.

    3. In terms of the drop rate, nice to know we lead in some categories (kidding). Wonder if that starts up front though? I think this is why Shanahan emphasizes an accurate QB.

    4. Tyler Eifert has a back issue, so the Bengals may be looking for for another TE. Lynch may look to swap players so both teams can improve.

    1. Colin Kaepernick, the last QB to lead the Niners to the Super Bowl, and came within 5 yards of winning it.

      1. Colin Kaepernick, the last (1st and only?) 49ers QB to have a .09 winning percentage in his final year with the team.

  19. There not going to cut Mcdonald,maybe if they actually tried to throw him the ball early in his career he wouldn’t be struggling with drops.the kid has less that 100 targets in his career most of which were in last 2 years.I know everyone is high on Kittle but the TE position is one of the hardest transitions from college to pros with the blocking schemes.I say roll with McDonald,Kittle,paulsen,with juszczyk,hikutini at fb.I personally think McDonald would be great in this scheme used properly if not cut him at end of year.

    1. Vance had bad hands in college. He was a bad pick period. Why would you pick a transitional player in the second round. One with bad hands at that. He showed nothing in his rookie season by dropping most of the passes thrown his way. He also had no perception of where his defenders were on the field. He never used his body to shield the ball from the defender, in fact he often turned his body to give the defender a better shot at stripping the ball. He dropped passes in college and in his rookie season. So you blame the drops on lack of opportunities. You can improve by practice but someone with bad hands will not improve enough to make them good receivers. What is important in a TE is reliablity. Vance is one of last of Trents mistakes left. If he did’t have that guarantee he would be gone already.

      1. Yup, Vance had the ball hit hit him in the worse place possible….. In both his hands.
        .
        I totally agree. Baalke left a parting shot while being a dead man walking. He signed Vance to that extension, so it made trading him away almost impossible.

  20. Enough of CK…let’s turn our attention to Robbie Gould, our placekicker. Career stats:

    Field goals: 286
    Field goal attempts: 333
    Field goal %: 85.9
    Long field goal: 58
    Extra point att/made/pct: 406 399 98.3
    KO Touchbacks: 246

    Will he perform well for the 9ers? Rose, the other kicker, has no regular season game experience (brief stint with Falcons last summer).

    1. I’ll take the bait. Robbie goes to the Pro Bowl this season…one of three 9ers to do so.

      1. Of course! If he had the ST blocking he needed Gould would have taken us to the Super Bowl! ;)

      1. We still are having a great time. Went to a Nam friends house and he decided to join me through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. So that is real cool.

        1. Undercenter, that sounds like a recipe for some fun! If you get the chance while in New Hampshire, you should camp at Lake Winnipesaukee. Largest lake in the state at 21 miles. Try and stay out of trouble, you two!;>)

          1. Laconia is good too. I liked Southwest Harbor and Kineo and Portland in Maine. Glouscter in Mass.

  21. Eric Reid may or may not still have some use to this team but at least we didn’t take Matt Elam in 2013.

    1. A dream backfield for Seb in a Seahawk scenario…RGIII, Kaep, and Wilson. Ball snapped to any of the three.

      1. Cassie,
        The 49ers used that offense in the early 60’s they called it the shotgun offense. Red Hickey was the innovator. It worked well for about 3 weeks. They had Brodie, Kilmer and Mira in the same backfield.

      2. Yup, if Pete Carroll manages to obtain Kaep, I fully expect him to insert Kaep into their offense against the Niners, just to show the Niners how to utilize him properly.

    2. After Shanahan’s daddy damn near ruined RGIII’s career and played him with a partially torn ligament in his knee that eventually got worse and ended his season… Yeah I think it would be pretty hard to get a job after being drug through the mud like that. Let’s hope Shanahan doesn’t use is players the same way as his father.

  22. Why do we care what Kaep does? He did his best for the 49ers now he’s moved on we should as well the future is bright. Good luck to Kaep he seems to be in a better place.

    1. Will be a mix of remarkably good insight, tunnel vision, and out-of-left-field hyperbole.

      1. So we can expect a Grant Cohn column. If only he could eliminate the last two he would really be an out of the world journalist! But sometimes he just can’t help himself!

        Is it editing, imprudence (which I admit we all lack), over active imagination, lack of sleep, medication (no implication by the way, just spaghetti on the wall)???

      2. Grant is a very shrewd young man. He will use his editorial powers (like a alchemist) to spice up a story to elicit as many hits as possible.
        It’s up to his readers to cut through the fluff.

        1. Alchemist? More like a guy tossing a chunk of red meat over a junk yard fence so the dogs can fight over it.

          1. Nah, the meat isn’t that good. It’s meatloaf most of the time with the occasional slice of prime rib.
            But he is consistent and always on the job.
            Great work ethic imo.

  23. King didn’t say anything about Kaepernick holding out for a starting job! He actually said the opposite. The fact is that not one team has contacted him about a starting or backup role. He never said anything about only accepting a starting role. If he says that he can be a starter and you say that is demanding a starting job, then your perception and comprehension is very flawed. By now Seattle may have talked to his agent or maybe even Kaep himself about a backup role but I think it’s people like you that make it harder for him to get any attention because you keep throwing shade and painting him as a distraction. Kaep doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t party, he’s a philanthropist, works hard. He’s normally the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. Any team that signs Kaepernick will be lucky whether he is a backup or a starter. He’s better than at least 60% of the starters in the league. In my opinion I think it would have been smarter to keep him with San Francisco in a Kyle Shanahan offense. Kyle will move the pocket just as the Seahawks do to keep Russell Wilson clean. Most of that is successful only because just like Kaepernick, Russell is able to use his legs and escape pressure. Insert Brian Hoyer and Seahawks line not only becomes worst offensive line last year but probably worst in NFL history. Brian Hoyer is not terrible, I actually think he is better than Colt McCoy or most of the QB’s of similar size. But Kaepernick’s stats are better than Hoyer from top to bottom, including completion percentage. His ability is just greater bottom line. His ceiling is higher and his floor is not as low. The truth is that Kaepernick did what many other black men did before him and now he’s paying the price. Look what Muhammad Ali went through. You can’t deny his talent or work ethic so I guess you have to make up stories. Grant Cohn the fiction author.

    1. I didn’t say Kaepernick is demanding a starting job. I said he’s probably holding out for one. It’s the smart move.

    2. Good post, except the last part. Grant is just giving us his perspective, not advancing his agenda.

    3. hey Jay….
      With all due respect, you don’t know what your talking about.
      Wilson throws a beautiful ball-Kap does not. End of story.

    4. Jay—-
      If you really knew history, you would not compare Kap to Ali. Ali grew up in the deep South, more than half a century ago, and addressed problems in this country that, in fact, were being addressed by huge portions of the population-including both President Kennedy and his Attorney General. Later on, it was LBJ. He had the fame and notoriety to have people listen to him. whats more, he was right. If your on J. Edgar Hoover’s sh_t list, your doing something right!
      Kap made blanket statements about all cops. In that regard, he was wrong.

      Ali and Kap the same? No one’s buying it…………

  24. Glad the OTAs are here, and expect some nuggets of insights from Grant.
    .
    He was the one who mentioned Aaron Lynch and his weight issues. Hopefully, Lynch will not be able to slide, and will have to work out extremely hard to get back in shape in order to prove Grant wrong. To all the posters who pointed out that Lynch beat out Buckner in an agility drill, I certainly hope a LB can beat out a defensive tackle. Maybe he should have gone against Eli Harold, for a better comparison.
    .
    Hmm, that reminds me of another person who would expose a deficiency, and dared to make the Niners to prove him wrong. ;p

    1. Always preening.

      Yes, OTAs will be fun. Looking forward to reports from all media types.

      1. Yes, I expect many others to write a lot, and say nothing.
        .
        They will rosily scenario us with platitudes and generalizations, while Grant will distill the entire practice down to one sentence.

        1. To each his own. I prefer diversity when it comes to input/information/thought. Tends to keep perspectives more balanced and inclusive. Some prefer tunnel vision, others not.

          1. I try to read them, but just get bored. When was the last time MM, MB or KL had given us a juicy morsel of information? They tend to be rote, and state the obvious.

        2. They’ll say nothing you want to hear, thats for certain.

          The truth is painful.

  25. The NFL logic meter isn’t registering for me. They change overtime from Sudden Death to a NCAA Division version, and now they just shortened that by 5 minutes to 10 minutes. Citing injury concerns and risks that extra 5 minutes represents. If that’s the case, why not just go back to Sudden Death? I hate the NFL for getting rid of Sudden Death….

      1. The No Fun League should stop trying to regulate things like the pump limit standard for those suggestive dances, and just go ahead and allow most if not all celebrations. That alone would get them more viewers….

  26. The NFL has eliminated the first cut down period. Now teams will be forced to cut 37 players.

    Hopefully, the Niners should look at this new rule change to poach players from playoff teams.

    1. Not when you consider the circumstances, and the dysfunction encompassing them.

      1. Skins management hates the Shanahan’s so much, I can see them spending huge bucks to deny the 49ers a quarterback.

        The Skins lose. The 49ers lose. Cousins wins. $78.4 million fully guaranteed for three years. Then a new 2019contract with even more guaranteed cash.

    2. Three franchise years in a row is $78.4 million fully guaranteed. Follow that with a new contract of a team of his choosing packed with more guaranteed cash.

      Cousins dream scenario. $20m+$24m+$34.4m+($20m to $60m) from new 2019 contract makes Cousins one of the highest paid quarterbacks in guaranteed money.

      Most agents would resist “folding in” guaranteed money from a franchise tag into a new contract. I don’t see Cousins signing an extension with any team before 2018 free agency.

    3. It’s pretty much all Allen can say at this point because Cousins won’t sign a long term deal with them. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they tag him a 3rd time, but it would be a very stupid thing to do considering the amount of cap room it would take and the players they would have to dump to accommodate it.

  27. It’s a very simple equation concerning Kaepernik.

    Mediocre quarterback with a 3-16 record in his last 19 starts + previous divisive sideline activism+ unreasonable contract demands = unemployed quarterback

    It’s simple math. Enough already!

    1. Well well… Shanahan giving some attention to the defense. Aaron Lynch not so bloated and lethargic. Hmmm. A little different than what was worrysome several days ago?

  28. https://twitter.com/NinersNation/lists/niners-media

    ” Joshua Garnett lined up at LG with the 2s today. He played LG at Stanford.”

    “Kyle Shanahan said OLB Aaron Lynch was “challenged” in offseason … “There’s no doubt he’s going in the right direction for us.”

    “Ahmad Brooks was a standout on D today. He was locked in as the starter at SAM. Shanahan: “He’s getting the reps because he’s earned them.”

    1. Maybe Grant can interview Colin, along with Seb.

      Grant could let Seb ask Colin a few questions.

      1. Seb–“Colin, What’s your favorite offense to run?”
      Colin–“A power based offense with only one read.”

      2. Seb–“Colin, Why do they say you can’t function in a traditional WCO?”
      Colin–“Because there’s too many reads. Shanahan needs to change his offense.”

      Seb: Thx, Colin. Sorry Grant couldn’t ask any questions and I usurped his time…..I
      Win

      1. That’s cool and everything, but I was hoping they’d give him Young’s number.

  29. Afterwards, Seb treats Grant to dinner .

    Seb: “Waiter, I’ll have the Lobster Thermidor; a bottle of Perrier with a lemon
    twist and a Cabranet Sauvignon…My friend will order next.

    Grant: “I’ll have the same, thank you.”

    1/2 hour later dinner arrives but is sent hurriedly back where it came from, as an irate, Seb, claims the waiter maliciously put a lime twist (not lemon) in his Perrier.

    Waiter: “Sir, I don’t understand why the whole meal must be recooked because it was a lemon instead of a lime??

    Seb: That ignorance just defines you. I brought my thermostat with me and took the temperature of the lobster. With this particular brand of wine it should be at 75 deg. F when served. My friends was at 74.5 !! ….And how dare you insult me with the lemon…I threw it in your waiters face !

    4 Hours later Grant has had enough and asks Seb to pay for the meal.

    Seb excuses himself for a restroom break, and climbs out the window, muttering to himself….I WIN AGAIN !

  30. http://www.49ers.com/news/ninerfeed/article-2/11-Observations-from-49ers-OTAs-May-23/65838d2d-ecf1-410e-a488-ffe90039d119

    ” Kapri Bibbs and Tim Hightower both got loose for big runs during the session. Contact is minimal during OTAs but running backs will often get stuck in a crowd of defenders trying to knock the ball loose. Bibbs and Hightower were able to escape untouched into the secondary.”

    Nothing about Williams. Is he all hype?

    “In the first round of 7-on-7, Brian Hoyer completed all of his passes.”

    Nice.

    “Trent Taylor continues to show his skill set as a slot receiver. He had three receptions during a 7-on-7 period, each time showing his ability to create separation at the line of scrimmage.”

    Nice.

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