It seems that many sportswriters and analysts are saying that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is worth every penny of his 6-year, $110+ million deal ($61 million guaranteed). While I'm not going to adamantly declare they're wrong, I'm also not going to boast such confidence that they're right either.
Colin Kaepernick is a young, athletic quarterback, with a great deal of potential, and who has accomplished quite a bit for being just 26-years-old. He's 21-8 as a starter and 4-2 in the playoffs. So, what's the problem? Sign him to the big deal, right?
While his great record can't be refuted and the quarterback is typically the face and name of the franchise, like Russell Wilson of Seattle, Colin Kaepernick has been very blessed with the team that surrounds him. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has now taken the team to three straight NFC title games, including one Super Bowl. The 49ers defense has been one of the best in the league since Harbaugh came on the scene. The club has also been blessed with bruising tailback Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis, and receivers Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, just to name a few. In other words, Colin Kaepernick is not the lone reason - not even the main reason for the 49ers' recent success. The team has been led by their defense and running game.
Last year, the 49ers finished third from the bottom in all the NFL in passing offense, with only the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers finishing below them. They finished 24th in the league in total offense (out of 32 teams). In defense, however, they finished 5th in total yards allowed, 7th in passing yards allowed, 4th in rushing yards allowed, and 3rd in points allowed. Like I said, this team has been fueled by their defense, not their offense.
As for Kaepernick himself, his completion percentage dropped 4% from 2012 to 2013 (from 62.4 to 58.4), and his quarterback rating dropped close to 7 points (from 98.3 to 91.6). He also gained about one-yard less per carry on the ground (from 6.6 to 5.7).
Colin Kaepernick may go on to become worth every penny of his new contract, but he hasn't proven this to me yet, and another thing has to be thought about before making such a declaration. Remember after the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl and playoff hero Joe Flacco was rewarded with that huge contract? Directly after that announcement was made, and talk was already swirling about all of the great players that were going to have to be let go as a result, I said I thought it was going to bite the Ravens in the backside and that they likely wouldn't make the playoffs. That's exactly what happened. Kaepernick may be flashy, exciting, with huge upside, but if his big deal results in the 49ers having to release key players - especially on the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers could suffer a similar fate as the Ravens in 2-3 years.
http://espn.go.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/7489/colin-kaepernick-worth-every-penny
http://www.nfl.com/player/colinkaepernick/2495186/careerstats
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/passing
Colin Kaepernick is a young, athletic quarterback, with a great deal of potential, and who has accomplished quite a bit for being just 26-years-old. He's 21-8 as a starter and 4-2 in the playoffs. So, what's the problem? Sign him to the big deal, right?
While his great record can't be refuted and the quarterback is typically the face and name of the franchise, like Russell Wilson of Seattle, Colin Kaepernick has been very blessed with the team that surrounds him. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has now taken the team to three straight NFC title games, including one Super Bowl. The 49ers defense has been one of the best in the league since Harbaugh came on the scene. The club has also been blessed with bruising tailback Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis, and receivers Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, just to name a few. In other words, Colin Kaepernick is not the lone reason - not even the main reason for the 49ers' recent success. The team has been led by their defense and running game.
Last year, the 49ers finished third from the bottom in all the NFL in passing offense, with only the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers finishing below them. They finished 24th in the league in total offense (out of 32 teams). In defense, however, they finished 5th in total yards allowed, 7th in passing yards allowed, 4th in rushing yards allowed, and 3rd in points allowed. Like I said, this team has been fueled by their defense, not their offense.
As for Kaepernick himself, his completion percentage dropped 4% from 2012 to 2013 (from 62.4 to 58.4), and his quarterback rating dropped close to 7 points (from 98.3 to 91.6). He also gained about one-yard less per carry on the ground (from 6.6 to 5.7).
Colin Kaepernick may go on to become worth every penny of his new contract, but he hasn't proven this to me yet, and another thing has to be thought about before making such a declaration. Remember after the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl and playoff hero Joe Flacco was rewarded with that huge contract? Directly after that announcement was made, and talk was already swirling about all of the great players that were going to have to be let go as a result, I said I thought it was going to bite the Ravens in the backside and that they likely wouldn't make the playoffs. That's exactly what happened. Kaepernick may be flashy, exciting, with huge upside, but if his big deal results in the 49ers having to release key players - especially on the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers could suffer a similar fate as the Ravens in 2-3 years.
http://espn.go.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/7489/colin-kaepernick-worth-every-penny
http://www.nfl.com/player/colinkaepernick/2495186/careerstats
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/passing
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