Colin Kaepernick: Top 5 fits in NFL free agency

Now that Colin Kaepernick is available, here are the five best fits for him in NFL free agency.

Colin Kaepernick got attention for everything except on-field performance in 2016, from the San Francisco 49ers being stuck with him due to offseason surgeries to his decision to kneel for the national anthem as a call for social justice.

Kaepernick eventually took over for Blaine Gabbert under center for the 49ers last season, making 11 starts and putting up over 2,700 total yards. It was a foregone conclusion he would opt-out of his contract before free agency starts this month, and an earlier report to that end became official Friday morning.

Kaepernick, with new agents representing him and surely in preparation for being a free agent, announced he will stand for the national anthem next season.

Kaepernick is an interesting case, among another fairly thin class of free agent quarterbacks. Here are five teams that look like a good fit for him.

5. Cleveland Browns

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer earlier this week, the Browns won’t be pursuing Kaepernick. But I’m not quite buying it, due to head coach Hue Jackson’s past affinity for Kaepernick (as recently as last offseason) and Cleveland needing some sort of reinforcements under center.

Kaepernick is probably nothing more than a proverbial “bridge” quarterback for most teams, including the Browns. If an attempt to trade for Jimmy Garoppolo falls short, Kaepernick should quickly surface as a fallback option.