Evaluating the Denver Broncos as a fit for Colin Kaepernick
The NFL is organizing a workout for free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been out of the league since 2017. Are the Denver Broncos a fit?
If the Denver Broncos were to entertain the idea of signing Colin Kaepernick, it wouldn’t be the first time.
After the team hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, 2016, Kaepernick was the team’s no. 2 target at the quarterback position after trying (and luckily) failing to sign Brock Osweiler to a multi-year contract to keep the former second-round pick in-house.
Osweiler spurned the Broncos, and John Elway set his sights on Kaepernick, who had played just nine games in the previous season with the 49ers and was apparently amicable to a trade after leading the team to an NFC title in 2012.
The Broncos and 49ers had the parameters of a trade in place with the 49ers in the Spring of 2016 to bring Kaepernick to Denver, but couldn’t close the gap on a re-worked contract for the cap-strapped Broncos.
Kaepernick played out the final year of his deal with the 49ers, San Francisco went 1-10 in his starts, and he hasn’t played in the NFL again since then, for reasons that have been debated for the past three years now.
The Broncos went 9-7 that year with Trevor Siemian as their starting quarterback, but have been in QB purgatory as well after drafting Paxton Lynch, signing Case Keenum, and trading for Joe Flacco.
It’s safe to say the best option for both the Broncos and Kaepernick would have been to figure things out back in 2016, but hindsight is always 20-20.
Even though we totally saw this coming back in 2016.
Now, heading into week 11 of the 2019 NFL season, it appears the NFL is ready to let Kaepernick back in.
Several clubs inquired as to Kaepernick’s football readiness and both him and his reps have frequently expressed his desire for him to return to the league. The NFL has arranged this opportunity for him to work out, and for all clubs to have the opportunity to evaluate him https://t.co/iihhbbxIAO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 12, 2019
So, the question now is whether or not the Broncos should entertain the idea of bringing in Kaepernick again.
I’m sure the answer is ‘no’ but let’s look at this rationally and objectively and actually think about reasons why it would or wouldn’t be a good idea.