The Baltimore Ravens are considering the possibility of signing Colin Kaepernick with Joe Flacco injured and here are five reasons that’s a wise move.
As we get closer to August, Colin Kaepernick has had a tough time finding a home this offseason, but he may have one suitor, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have had direct conversations with Kaepernick and he could finally find a home to play in 2017. We all know why Kaepernick is a free agent and it’s not his talent. Baltimore actually makes a ton of sense as the organization has a great track record.
The Ravens have won two Super Bowls during their 21-year history. General manager Ozzie Newsome always puts together a great roster but now he has difficult decision to make. In my opinion, there’s no decision to be made, this is a Super Bowl caliber roster and would be a foolhardy mistake to not sign Kaepernick.
Here are five reasons why the Ravens signing Kaepernick is a no-brainer.
5. Ravens would send a message to the NFL that Kaepernick can still play
Say what you want about Kaepernick, but this would give the Ravens a ton of positive publicity. Obviously, his stance on police brutality is a serious issue, it’s just that he may not have gone about it the right way. The Ravens, more importantly, have spoken to Kaepernick and he has been transparent about his desire to play.
Kaepernick has also gained quite the following in recent months. There would be an instant rush of fans that would start following the team. Even if it’s for a few preseason games, the buzz around Baltimore would go through the roof. The Ravens would certainly sell more tickets and a few jerseys along the way.
More importantly, It would signal to the rest of the league that they weren’t going to be the team that blackballed Kaepernick. He is clearly more talented than the Arena League quarterback they recently signed. Kaepernick has also come out and said that he would ‘love’ to play for the Ravens. Kaepernick would likely be a model citizen and help out in the community as he often does. He has done a ton of charity work in the past and is someone any organization should want in that aspect.
4. Joe Flacco has a back injury
When you type in the word Flacco, your iPhone automatically corrects it to Flaccid. That’s why it’s a smart phone because your iPhone knows exactly what is doing. Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, Joe Flacco has been nothing more than mediocre. A number of factors go into that, of course, as constant turnover at the offensive coordinator spot in a problem. Losing a great play-caller like Gary Kubiak or Jim Caldwell obviously, doesn’t help.
This time Flacco is actually dealing with back trouble. Flacco actually injured his back by going too hard in a weight lifting session. There have been varying reports about how serious the injury is but it looks like he will miss a few weeks. If the Ravens starting quarterback misses any time in the regular season, the Kaepernick signing is a no brainer.
If Flacco is healthy, Kaepernick is obviously a great insurance policy. Adding Kaepernick wouldn’t add any quarterback controversy for one big reason, the money. The Ravens obviously can’t bench a fifth highest paid quarterback in the league to start the season. Flacco will earn more than $20 million this season. Even if Flacco struggles, it’s unlikely the locker room starts clamoring for a benching of Flacco. He did beat Kaepernick in the 2012 Super Bowl for those who remember.
Having a solid backup quarterback is never a bad thing. Just ask New England how valuable Jimmy Garopolo is. If Flacco’s back injury does take a turn for the worse, Baltimore will have a capable replacement in house.
3. The Ravens need a replacement for Ryan Mallet
Ryan Mallet is not an acceptable backup quarterback option. Well, not for a team vying for a Super Bowl anyway. Mallet, 29, has a career touchdown to interception ratio of 7-10. The former third round pick in 2011 from Arkansas just hasn’t panned out the way some people thought.
One of those people was Bill Belichick who drafted him. Mallet’s pure talent may not be the reason why he didn’t make it. Mallet has been released by the Patriots and Texans for simply being a knucklehead. Mallet recently had a melt down at practice which makes the Kaepernick signing a more likely scenario.
The following from Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley of ESPN:
“[Mallett] looked awful [filling] in for Joe Flacco (back) with the first team on Friday. He was intercepted at least five times and was nearly picked off two more times. On his last interception, Mallett threw his white towel in the air. His struggles were noticed by linebacker Terrell Suggs. “Hey Marty [Mornhinweg, offensive coordinator], tell Mallett to throw to the guys wearing the purple jerseys [the offense],” Suggs said.
When a vocal leader like Terrell Suggs doesn’t believe in the quarterback, there’s a problem. The only other quarterbacks on the roster are Dustin Vaughn from West Texas A&M and former Arena League quarterback David Olson. Kaepernick represents a clear upgrade over this unit.
2. The Harbaugh Connection
Kaepernick experienced his best days in the NFL under Jim Harbaugh. The former 49ers head coach is currently building a powerhouse at Michigan but Kaepernick clearly misses his former head coach. Guess which team Jim’s brother coaches for? The Baltimore Ravens.
John Harbaugh has clearly seen what Kaepernick is capable of after defeating the 49ers in a down to the wire finish in 2012. John can clearly get all the information he needs about Kaepernick from his brother. Not just that, Jim being the quarterback wizard that he is may be able to offer up some advice on how to use him. Jim has spent time on the Ravens side lines in the past during Michigan bye weeks. Take a listen to John speak about Kaepernick and the possibility of him joining the team.
Coach Harbaugh discusses possibility of signing Colin Kaepernick. pic.twitter.com/vlBD2g0HNg
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 27, 2017
Harbaugh goes on to mention that he’s known Kaepernick for years as he’s gotten to see him first hand in scrimmages when his brother came to town. He also adds that he has spoken to Kaepernick on the phone and thinks he is ‘a great guy’. If Kaepernick’s character checked the box with the Ravens head coach, what is the team waiting for?
1. Greg Roman is on the coaching staff
Many people don’t know who Greg Roman is, but maybe you should. Roman was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers when Jim Harbaugh ran the show. Say what you want about Jim Harbaugh but there might not be any coach better at building a staff. Greg Roman zone-read offense is a lot of fun to watch. Now he currently serves as the Ravens Tight Ends coach and Senior offensive assistant.
In 2015-2016, Roman aided the development of Tyrod Taylor who has since become a productive starter. Roman has simply had a bigger impact on quarterbacks than most people realize. There may not be a coach in the NFL that knows how to use Kaepernick better than he does. Handing him Colin Kaepernick could add some intrigue in the Baltimore offense. In terms of building a ground game, Roman is one of the best.
Obviously, pure speed is not one of the positive traits for Flacco. Kaepernick’s ability to run would certainly give the Ravens a different element in their offense. Remember in San Francisco, Roman ran a ton of college style zone-read plays that helped Kaepernick become a productive quarterback. Is it possible that he could add five-eight plays a game in the playbook for Kaepernick to help keep the defense honest? Giving defenses another thing to gameplan for would absolutely work in the Ravens favor even if they decide not to deploy him for that particular game.
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The Ravens ranked 28 in rushing yards per game (91.4) which will probably improve with Roman on the staff. Roman is one of the more creative coaches in the league as he loves to have his guards pull in the zone running style. Schematically, Kaepernick is a perfect fit for this offense.