Five NFL Teams That Should Trade for Philip Rivers
By Daniel Tran
San Francisco 49ers
After three straight trips to the NFC Championship, with a Super Bowl Appearance sandwiched in the middle, you would think that the San Francisco 49ers organization would give their players and coaches a little leeway after an 8-8 season. Apparently that was too much to ask of a management team who could not deal with a coach that some players have called “clinically insane.”
After tensions boiled over between the front office and head coach John Harbaugh, the 49ers decided that the team would move forward without Harbaugh at the helm, “mutually agreeing” to part ways (aka fired, probably). If that was not enough to cause instability, San Francisco reportedly placed starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick on the trading block. The 49ers have stated that the report has no merit, but the news certainly is telling about doubts that some in the organization have regarding Kaepernick.
Though Colin Kaepernick may be one of the most electrifying players in the NFL with his incredible speed and a cannon he calls a right arm, he has not really progressed to being a versatile passer from the pocket. At times, Kaepernick relies too much on his own feet to gain yards instead of scanning the field and throwing an accurate pass. So why not trade for a slow-footed, defense dissector who lives in the pocket?
Seems like the two teams could really help one another out. The tools are already in place for Philip Rivers to be successful in San Francisco (Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin, and potential Antonio Gates 2.0 candidate Vernon Davis), and Kaepernick gets a fresh start in sunny San Diego with a sure-handed Antonio Gates to help him out, and Mike McCoy putting his quarterback whisperer spells on him.
San Diego can then be free to draft a running back at the No. 17 pick to replace the loss of Ryan Mathews to complete the overhaul of the backfield, giving the Chargers a new and exciting future.
Next: Washington Redskins