Vernon Davis: Colin Kaepernick looks like ‘a different guy’
Finally some positive news for the San Francisco 49ers, who need their quarterback to show substantial improvement in 2015.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is among the most polarizing players in the NFL. Kaepernick’s up-and-down play has led to much debate within the team’s fanbase and front office, leaving his future status with the team up in the air.
At least Kaepernick can count tight end Vernon Davis among his supporters. Davis spoke highly of his quarterback in front of reporters on Friday, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com.
"“You guys are in for a treat.He looks like a totally different guy.”"
No quarterback is going to benefit from losing Jim Harbaugh as a mentor, making many wonder how high Kapernick’s ceiling can go under an unproven coaching staff. Still, it’s a positive sign that Kaepernick has been working closely with former MVP Kurt Warner all offseason.
The 49ers have already proven they can be very successful with Kaepernick under center. Kaepernick has already proven himself as an above average to good quarterback under contract this season for a reasonable base salary of $10.4 million. However, the amount of guaranteed money tied to Kaepernick starts to go down significantly after this season, meaning the new regime could begin to look for an long-term option who is better than that.
Kaepernick has a once-in-a-lifetime set of physical skills, both in the passing game and on the ground. It’s his reads and decision making that San Francisco will want to see some improvement.
In his third year as a starter, Kaepernick posted career high in passing and rushing yards. The problem was that Kaepernick’s interception rate ballooned to 2.1 percent and his yards per pass attempt fell to 7.0, both career worsts.
It should be noted that Kaepernick wasn’t exactly surrounded by top-level receiving talent. He was also sacked 52 times, a noteworthy increase over his first two years as a starter.
So, while Kaepernick needs to improve in some areas (areas that Warner can help in) to cement his status as a long-term franchise quarterback, it’s far from the time where the 49ers should be giving up on him. No rookie or free agent is going to come in and be an improvement over Kaepernick over the next couple of years anyway, so Kaepernick has earned at least that time as a starter.
The 49ers have been hurt by unexpected retirements, roster defections and coaching changes to the point where they look well behind the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West, even if Kaepernick shows substantial improvement. This season will be much more important for the future than the present, and the new coaching staff could start thinking about moving in a different direction if Kaepernick regresses further.
Speaking of players who look totally different, Davis had a miserable 2014 due to injuries and mental errors after putting up a Hall of Fame-worthy career in San Francisco prior to that. San Francisco can’t afford to have a checked-out Davis if it wants to have a successful offense next season.
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