Tag: Colin Kaepernick

Report: Chances Bengals sign Colin Kaepernick ‘slim to none’

It sounds like the Bengals are just doing due diligence on Colin Kaepernick.

Wednesday, word broke the Cincinnati Bengals will evaluate the upcoming workout for Colin Kaepernick.

But barring something unexpected, it sounded like the Bengals were doing typical due diligence.

According to Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the odds the Bengals actually sign Kaepernick are “slim to none” largely because of the team’s long-term plan at the position:

Bengals representatives have told The Enquirer that the team is building for the future and wants to evaluate rookie quarterback Ryan Finley for the remainder of the season. If the team is unsatisfied with Finley, the Bengals plan to draft a quarterback early in the 2020 NFL Draft. Sources abreast of the situation say adding a veteran quarterback at this particular time runs contrary to their vision of the future.

Granted, this is the NFL and things can change in a matter of moments. But with Kaepernick already 32 years old and his lengthy absence from the game, it makes sense the Bengals are taking a look but aren’t expected to make a move.

Sheerly from a football perspective, the Bengals don’t have a reason to add a fourth quarterback this season. Andy Dalton is presumably gone via trade or otherwise this offseason, but he’s more than a viable fallback plan were something to happen with rookie Ryan Finley over the remainder of the season.

This new Bengals coaching staff traded up to get Finley in the mid rounds this year and he was one of two quarterbacks to take official visits to Paul Brown Stadium before the draft. The other, Jake Dolegala, is also on the roster.

Pair those two with what should be a top-five quarterback prospect and there isn’t much room unless Kaepernick stuns the NFL on Saturday.

Regardless, it’s still interesting to hear the name even come up and the staff has otherwise ducked questions about it:

Kaepernick’s workout is Saturday.

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Steelers among favorites to sign Colin Kaepernick

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the teams that might consider Colin Kaepernick.

On Saturday, the NFL is hosting quarterback Colin Kaepernick in Atlanta for an open workout and interview opportunity for any teams in the league that might be interested. Earlier we asked you if you thought the Steelers would be there, and with 4.353 votes in, fans overwhelmingly feel like the answer is no (66.21 percent of the votes).

But according to oddsmakers, the Steelers are among the favorites to sign Kaepernick after the workout. Here are how the odds break down, according to SportsBetting.ag:

Bengals +350

Steelers +400

Ravens +600

Bills +700

Raiders +700

Panthers +800

Texans +1000

Bears +1200

Bucs +1200

Cardinals +1500

49ers +1600

There was no line for Kaepernick to remain unsigned, but I have to assume that would be the runaway favorite. Kaepernick is 32 years old and hasn’t played football since 2016. As far as the Steelers go, there’s no doubt their quarterback situation is tenuous. But even after injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph, the Steelers haven’t reached out to Kaepernick. I’m not sure why this would change now.

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Dan Quinn says Falcons will be present at Colin Kaepernick’s workout

The Falcons aren’t in the market for a quarterback, but they will apparently have some team representatives in attendance for free agent Colin Kaepernick’s private workout, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Falcons aren’t in the market for a quarterback, but they will apparently have some team representatives in attendance for free agent Colin Kaepernick’s private workout, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Atlanta.

Head coach Dan Quinn was asked about Kaeprnick’s workout, and although he didn’t make it sound as if Atlanta was interested, he did say the team would have someone there.

Watch Quinn’s response, as tweeted out by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure below:

The Falcons were one of the few teams to publicly support their players’ right to peacefully protest during the controversial national anthem issue a few years ago.

So while Atlanta more than likely has zero interest in signing Kaepernick, they haven’t publicly condemned the former 49ers QB the way many other NFL franchises have.

Whether or not this played a role in the decision to hold the workout in Atlanta remains to be seen. It wasn’t even clear initially if the NFL or Kaepernick himself had organized the workout.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Matt Schaub is firmly entrenched as Matt Ryan’s backup — especially after his 460-yard performance against the Seahawks in Week 8.

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NFL will not release names of execs at Kaepernick’s closed workout, but here are teams that will be

The NFL initially announced that it would release a list of the team executives and personnel who attend Colin Kaepernick’s closed workout and interview Saturday in Atlanta, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the league has changed its course and will not release the names.

The NFL initially announced that it would release a list of the team executives and personnel who attend Colin Kaepernick’s closed workout and interview Saturday in Atlanta, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the league has changed its course and will not release the names.

Rams won’t say whether they will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout

The Rams declined to comment when asked if they will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout on Saturday.

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The NFL invited all 32 NFL teams to attend a workout session for Colin Kaepernick this upcoming Saturday in Georgia as the former 49ers quarterback tries to make his way back into the league. Several teams have already confirmed that they will be in attendance, but the Rams declined to disclose their plans.

During Sean McVay’s press conference on Wednesday, the coach said the Rams “feel good” about their quarterback situation at the moment and that he hasn’t “had a chance to really go into a deep dialogue” with general manager Les Snead. He wouldn’t say whether or not the team will attend the workout, deferring to Snead on the subject.

After McVay’s presser, a team spokesperson declined to comment when asked whether the Rams will be in Georgia for the workout.

Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, which is when he began protesting social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem before games. In his last season with the 49ers, he threw 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 12 games.

The Rams have Jared Goff as their starter and Blake Bortles backing him up, so quarterback isn’t a pressing need for them right now. They signed Goff to a four-year, $134 million extension this offseason.

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Should the Eagles attend Colin Kaepernick’s private workout?

The Eagles should not attend Colin Kaepernick’s private workout

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In the famous term made popular by Ricky Watters, “For who? “For what”?

That could definitely be the motto when discussing whether the Eagles should attend Colin Kaepernick’s personal workout on Saturday. The Eagles are known for doing their due diligence whenever a talented player becomes available and with the news that all 32 NFL teams have been invited to Atlanta to watch the former 49ers star perform, the question has to be asked, will the Eagles send front office personnel and scouts?

Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2012, hasn’t played a game since becoming a free agent in the offseason of 2017.

If you’re interested in theatrics and good drama, then attending the workout would make sense, even with the Eagles preparing to face the defending Super Bowl champions just hours later in a huge home game.

Adding to the theatrics, Kaepernick is also the same guy that called Malcolm Jenkins a “sellout” and a “neo-colonialist.” Jenkins is an Eagles captain and carries a ton of weight in the locker room.

If you thought Carson Wentz had eyes behind his head and developed acne on his face from dealing with Nick Foles as his backup for those two seasons, just imagine the stress Wentz will deal with when he’s asked about Kaepernick?

Or how will he deal with questions about gadget plays involving the athletic Kaepernick, or critics and pundits calling for his job the first time he struggles. Both quarterbacks have flourished in the RPO focused offensive system, and Kaepernick’s athleticism could make for interesting conversation in regards to how he’d look commanding the Eagles offense.

The Eagles have had previous opportunities to sign Kaepernick and are unlikely to sign him this go around either. Also pertinent to the matter, the quarterback position isn’t currently a need and there’s no guarantee that Kaepernick would be an upgrade over Josh McCown as the backup.

Due diligence on free agents players is always a must, but in this case, the Philadelphia Eagles may choose to pass.

Watch: Eric Reid on Colin Kaepernick’s workout: ‘It feels like a PR stunt’

Reid says this feels like a PR stunt rather than a legitimate opportunity.

Panthers safety Eric Reid is skeptical about the private workout that the NFL has invited all 32 teams to on Saturday for free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Reid says this feels like a PR stunt rather than a legitimate opportunity. Watch.

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Report: Patriots will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout

The Patriots will give Kaepernick a look.

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The New England Patriots will send a representative to free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s workout this Saturday, according to a report from the Boston Globe.

Coach Bill Belichick told reporters earlier on Wednesday he did not know if the Patriots would be attending Kaepernick’s workout, which was organized by the NFL.

“It’s something we can check with Nick (Caserio) on,” Belichick said, referencing the franchise’s director of player personnel. “I’m not sure.”

Kaepernick has been out of the league since 2016 when he began protesting police brutality and racial issues by kneeling during the national anthem.

The Patriots declined to comment in regards to being in attendance.

The NFL put together a workout for Kaepernick and informed him of the potential meeting with teams on Tuesday. It’s unclear how many franchises will attend the workout, but current Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores confirmed his team will be present.

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Cowboys to attend NFL-orchestrated workout for Colin Kaepernick

The Dallas Cowboys will send a representative to Saturday’s league-organized workout for QB Colin Kaepernick, a team insider says.

It’s been over 1,000 days since Colin Kaepernick last saw action during an NFL game. In five meaningful seasons as a San Francisco 49er, he amassed over 12,000 passing yards, 2,300 rushing yards, and was responsible for 85 touchdowns. At just 32 years old, he holds the league record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game, 181. He also holds the record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single postseason, 264. He led his team to six playoff games and an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.

All those digits aside, though, it’s never really been about numbers with Kaepernick. His political activism made him radioactive in the eyes of the league’s owners once he opted out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017 prior to a team-conveyed imminent release. Now, three years later, when Kaepernick conducts a private workout – organized by the league without his input – for teams who are interested in auditioning the six-year veteran, the story will, in large part, be about numbers. Namely, how many teams send a representative to the cattle-call session?

The Dallas Cowboys will be among that number.

The workout is set to take place in Atlanta this Saturday and is open to all 32 teams in the league. Given the weekend timing and the travel schedules of teams playing road contests, it is thought that few (if any) head coaches or general managers will be present. Instead, most teams will likely be represented in person by lower assistants or scouts.

Coach Jason Garrett would not confirm the Cowboys’ attendance when asked for comment during his Wednesday press conference.

“I’m not really in-tuned to that situation very much,” Garrett said, per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk. “We have personnel people who evaluate all guys who have an opportunity to hopefully help our team.”

Starting quarterback Dak Prescott is having a transcendent season for Dallas. But behind him, the club has Cooper Rush backing him up. Rush, an undrafted third-year player out of Central Michigan, has completed one pass for two yards on three attempts in his career. Many teams have managed to keep rolling despite losing their starting passer this season- Indianapolis, Carolina, New Orleans, and Kansas City, to name a few. The Cowboys’ season, though, would almost assuredly collapse immediately were Prescott to go down with an injury.

With his grievance against the NFL (accusing the league’s owners of colluding to prevent his employment on a roster) settled back in February, it has been widely thought that Kaepernick would eventually get another chance to latch on with a team. Kaepernick, for his part, has stayed ready during his entire time away.

There’s a lot to unpack about the way the one-man combine has come about. It’s a league-arranged affair. It came with terribly short notice, for teams as well as for Kaepernick. And while a list of the teams in attendance is not expected to be made public, it’s a virtual guarantee that note will be taken (by somebody, somewhere) of which teams do not send a representative, even if they weren’t seriously in the market for a quarterback anyway. And beyond all of that, there’s the simple fact that any team who wanted to kick the tires on Kaepernick could have done so at any moment of their choosing, at their own facility, without 31 other teams also participating.

It reeks of a dog-and-pony show. But with the Cowboys’ backup situation far more tenuous than most teams’, the organization appears ready to play along.

Half of the teams in the league have had to give meaningful snaps this season to a quarterback who was not their preseason Plan A. With that rate of attrition, it was literally just a matter of time before someone called the Nevada alum for a tryout. And even though they haven’t been what’s defined Kaepernick’s career, numbers may just be the thing that resurrects his NFL dream.

Because it only takes one team to give him a second chance.

Report: Giants will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout on Saturday

The New York Giants will attend the Pro Day-style workout of QB Colin Kaepernick on Saturday in Atlanta.

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The New York Giants will be one of the teams in attendance to witness free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s pro day-style workout in Atlanta this coming Saturday, according to NJ Advance Media.

Kaepernick is seeking a comeback and he is using this forum for all 32 NFL teams to scout him all at once.

Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the end of the 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers, the team that drafted him in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Nevada.

The extent of the Giants’ interest in Kaepernick is unclear, but it appears they are simply doing their due diligence here. With Daniel Jones the future at quarterback for the near — and possibly long-term — future of the team, the Giants are seeking a veteran backup as Eli Manning’s contract ends at the end of the season.

Are the Giants’ genuinely interested in singing Kaepernick? Probably not, unless he’s willing to be a backup.

“I think he still has some good football left in him,” Giants CEO John Mara said earlier this year. “I agree with that. But obviously there are other issues that go along with him. Is he willing to sit as a backup behind a starter? What’s that going to do with your locker room, with your quarterback room, your offensive room? I believe he’ll be back in the league at some point this year with a team.”

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