The Kaepernick chronicles

Will 49ers’ Chip Kelly, Colin Kaepernick ever work together?

http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Will-49ers-Chip-Kelly-Colin-Kaepernick-ever-7044875.php

Chip Kelly has a reasonable explanation for Colin Kaepernick’s 2015 nosedive, but it just happens to be inaccurate.
In Kelly’s telling, the 49ers’ quarterback struggled because of injuries to his left shoulder, right thumb and left knee, all of which have required surgery since late November.
“I think people forget about that,” Kelly said last month at the combine. “… There was something wrong with him.”
On Wednesday, at the NFL owners’ meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., Kelly delivered the same message to reporters: “It’s not like his skill set diminished,” Kelly said. “… He didn’t fall off. He got hurt.”
The problem with Kelly’s argument: Kaepernick was statistically better last year after his first significant injury.
To review: Kaepernick was healthy for the season’s first three games before suffering a shoulder injury that was later revealed to be a torn labrum in Week 4. He tore a thumb ligament in Week 7 and hurt his knee in Week 8, which was his last start before he was benched.
In his first three starts, when he was healthy, Kaepernick three two touchdown passes and four interceptions and had a 71.1 passer rating. In his final five starts, he threw four touchdown passes and one interception and had an 83.4 rating.
This isn’t news to Kelly, an offensive mind attuned to quarterbacks who realizes Kaepernick’s issues extend beyond physical ailments. So why is Kelly ignoring the truth to woo an unhappy player whose passer rating has declined in each season since his dazzling 2012 debut?
Well, Kelly’s situation is similar to what Jim Harbaugh faced when he was hired by the 49ers in 2011: Harbaugh saw potential in Alex Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall pick, but he also couldn’t be too picky. His other on-the-roster options included David Carr and Troy Smith. Five years later, Kelly’s only other quarterback with starting potential on the current roster is Blaine Gabbert.
Harbaugh, of course, persuaded Smith, then a free agent, to re-sign with the 49ers and helped jump-start his languishing career. It’s possible a similar scenario could unfold with Kelly and Kaepernick, who has requested a trade but remains with the 49ers despite spending more than two weeks on the open market.
On Thursday, the chances of Kaepernick staying with 49ers might have increased when a potential trade partner — the Browns — signed former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III.
With the Browns no longer a trade option, the Broncos are the only other team that has negotiated with the 49ers. However, talks with the Broncos have stalled because they reportedly have placed a fourth-round value on Kaepernick.
The 49ers have maintained they are prepared to keep Kaepernick and pay him his $11.9 million base salary, which becomes guaranteed next Friday.
Still, it’s premature to say Kelly will get his chance to resurrect Kaepernick’s career.
It’s telling that Kelly’s private conversations with Kaepernick — combined with Kelly’s public praising — haven’t persuaded the quarterback to rescind his trade request.
It highlights the fact that Kelly faces a more difficult challenge than Harbaugh inherited. In 2011, Smith was disenchanted with the 49ers largely because he thought he’d been undermined and mismanaged by defensive-minded head coaches Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary. Given that, Smith was swayed by the chance to finally play for a head coach with offensive chops.
Unlike Smith, Kaepernick’s issues are largely with the 49ers’ still-intact front office, which he believes has undermined him.
As a result, Denver general manager John Elway might be waiting on the 49ers to see how they answer this question: Are they really willing to give their biggest salary to the player who might have the biggest problems with the organization?
Kelly has said he’s excited to work with Kaepernick, once his body has fully healed.
The problem for Kelly: Kaepernick’s bruised feelings could linger

Broncos reportedly still want Kaepernick

Mike Florio

Broncos reportedly still want Kaepernick

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s $11.9 million base salary for 2016 officially is guaranteed. Unofficially, the Broncos remain interested in trading for him.

Mike Klis of 9News.com reports that the defending Super Bowl champions have an ongoing interest in Kaepernick. Per Klis, G.M. John Elway knew that the 49ers wouldn’t be cutting Kaepernick before the salary guaranteed vested as of 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. (Elway also possibly realized that Kaepernick couldn’t be cut before the April 1 trigger because he apparently isn’t healthy.)

The Broncos would want Kaepernick to reduce his compensation package to facilitate a trade. Failing that, Denver would look for the 49ers to pay some of the salary.

Much of the final outcome depends on whether Kaepernick changes his mind about playing in San Francisco, and whether the 49ers truly want him around. Unless both sides embrace the possibility of making the most out of Kaepernick’s talents with coach Chip Kelly running the team, a divorce seems inevitable; the only questions are when it would happen, how much another team would give up to get him, and how Kaepernick’s contract would be adjusted.

from off the net

==

Rams Junkie

The Kap situation has ramifications for the quarterback availability in the draft.

On Path to the Draft Jeremiah said it looks like it will come down to the draft. He referred to it as musical chairs and said we will have to have some of the players seated before we see what happens with Kap. He mentioned Harvard. He also said a team that did not get the QB they wanted in the draft will make a trade for Kap.

I would expect either Denver or the 49ers are going to take one of the top QBs off the board and it will be the team who does not have Kap.

If you are pulling for the Rams to trade up for Goff maybe you hope that Kap stays a 49er so they give Kelly and Kap a year to work together and not turn Kap into Tre.

If you are pulling for the Rams to draft Lynch (and not having Elway trying to trade up to 14) then you are hoping for Kap to Denver.

If you are hoping for a WR at 15 and Cook with a 2nd round pick you are probably hoping for Kap to Denver .

In any event it will be interesting.

Chip Kelly quells Kaepernick controversy, keeps QB job TBD

http://www.theredzone.org/BlogDescription/tabid/61/EntryId/56494/Chip-Kelly-quells-Kaepernick-controversy–keeps-QB-job-TBD/Default.aspx

Midway through the offseason program and four months shy of the season opener, 49ers coach Chip Kelly isn’t near ready to reveal who’ll be his starting quarterback between Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, Cam Inman of Bayareanewsgroup reports.

“I have no idea,” Kelly told KNBR 680-AM, sounding half-joking and half-coy. “We’re not playing a game until September. At this point in time, it’s early, and one of the players, Colin, is injured right now, so he’s not been a full participant in everything.”

Kelly doesn’t anticipate the quarterback duel to truly unfold until training camp starts in late July, when Kaepernick should be closer to full health following rehabilitation on his surgically repaired right thumb, left shoulder and left knee.

“Kap’s at every meeting. Kap’s at rehab. Kap’s at every practice, doing what he can,” Kelly added. “We don’t know exactly what we have until we get those guys up and running. That won’t be determined until preseason camp.”

“He’s still working extremely hard in the rehab part,” Kelly continued. “I think people forget he had a thumb injury, a shoulder injury and a knee injury that he’s coming off of. So right now, Blaine is out there, Thad Lewis is with us, and Jeff Driskel are the ones taking the snaps in the offseason program.”