Despite interest from several teams closer to contending, an ESPN source claims Colin Kaepernick would prefer to play for the Cleveland Browns.
Whither Colin Kaepernick? That’s been one of the bigger questions as the quarterback carousel continues to spin during the first few days of NFL free agency. While not a free agent himself, Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers appear headed for a break-up, with reports that multiple teams are interested in dealing for him.
Those teams include the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, but Kaepernick would apparently prefer to head to the most hapless of his suitors, the Cleveland Browns. ESPN’s Adam Schefter cites multiple sources telling him that Kaepernick wants to go to Cleveland, mostly because he’d like to play for new Browns coach Hue Jackson.
The Browns could use a starting caliber quarterback after ending the Johnny Manziel experiment earlier today. The problem is that even if the team worked out a deal for Kaepernick, the remainder of the team appears to be in shambles. Cleveland has already seen safety Tashaun Gipson, center Alex Mack, tackle Mitchell Schwartz and wide receiver Travis Benjamin leave in free agency, which is roughly the equivalent of kicking someone while they’re already down for a team that was just 3-13 last season.
Stabilizing the QB position may not be the worst idea in the world for a team with a long climb ahead of it, and at just 28, Kaepernick is young enough that he could be around for the long term. On the other hand, he didn’t exactly light it up in 2015, losing his confidence and his starting job, begging the question of whether the Browns would be better off just letting a rookie take his lumps with what’s almost certainly going to be another non-playoff team.
Then there’s this: Players who actually want to be in Cleveland appear to be in short supply. If Kaepernick really wants to be there, maybe the Browns should welcome him with open arms for that reason alone.