Would Colin Kaepernick Make Sense in Nashville?
By Kyle Zwiazek
If there was anything important to take out of the first preseason game against the New York Jets, it is that any quarterback not named Marcus Mariota on the Titans roster is tough to watch.
The Tennessee Titans do not have many needs on their roster. If you look at the roster as a whole, they have players to fill every position available. The problem is some of the names do not inspire much confidence from the fans. Lately, the biggest holes have been at cornerback on defense and backup quarterback on offense. Titan Sized’s Will Lomas talked about the need to upgrade at the backup quarterback position recently. He mentions potential options that may be available via cuts. There is an option out there that teams seem to be afraid to touch that would fit perfectly in the Titans’ system. His name has been in the news a lot lately and that is Colin Kaepernick. Before everyone closes the article in disgust, there are actually a few very solid reasons as to why Kaepernick is the right guy for the job.
Starting Quarterback
More from Titans Free Agency
- ESPN suggests a Tennessee Titans reunion in free agency
- It is time for the Tennessee Titans to re-sign these three free agents
- Every Tennessee Titans free agent signing has this in common
- Will this be the next free agent signing for the Tennessee Titans?
- 3 free agents the Tennessee Titans should still target
At this point in his career, people can say this is an arguable statement. A lot are saying that Kaepernick is a starting quarterback in this league. Others say he is not getting his job because of protests. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll believes Kaepernick is “a starter in this league” according to Tim Balk of Sports Illustrated. Why have a backup quarterback when you can have a starter occupy that position. If all of this is true and the former 49ers starter still has the talent to be a starter in this league, the Titans should jump at the opportunity. After starting 11 games in 2016, Kaepernick’s numbers were on par with the rest of his career. According to Pro Football Reference, Kaepernick had a 59.2% completion percentage with 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Those are starting quarterback numbers.
System
One of the most important aspects of a backup quarterback is their fit in the team’s system. As we all know, Marcus Mariota is a running quarterback with a big arm. If an injury does occur (please football gods do not let that happen), the backup should be able to jump right into the system with no hiccups. Rarely is that actually the case when it comes to running quarterbacks, but Jon Robinson and the Titans have a chance to make that so. Kaepernick was one of the few quarterbacks to have a lot of success with the read option. It even brought him to the Super Bowl in 2012. To be honest, the reason the Titans took a chance on Mariota could have been because of the success they saw with Kaepernick running a similar style offense.
Current Crop
More from Titans Free Agency
- ESPN suggests a Tennessee Titans reunion in free agency
- It is time for the Tennessee Titans to re-sign these three free agents
- Every Tennessee Titans free agent signing has this in common
- Will this be the next free agent signing for the Tennessee Titans?
- 3 free agents the Tennessee Titans should still target
The current crop of quarterbacks on the roster not named Marcus Mariota are uninspiring. Matt Cassel is the definition of a one hit wonder that keeps getting a job because of his one good season. He is a true veteran presence in the locker room. Watching more than just preseason of Cassel is brutal. Alex Tanney is a nice story out of a small school that got famous for a YouTube video. After watching his performance against the Jets, Tanney might want to stick to YouTube videos. Tyler Ferguson is still an unknown commodity that went undrafted out of Western Kentucky. The jury is still out on him, but it is very possible this is the last time you hear the name Tyler Ferguson. The point is, there is a hole on the roster behind Mariota and a guy is available that can fill it.
The Price
The price goes one of two ways. He will be cheap because he is having trouble getting a job, but some fans may not like the “baggage” that he brings with him. Jon Robinson has to weigh the pros and cons of this idea. The pros really do outweigh the slight backlash they might receive. There are plenty of people that want to see Kaepernick get a job. He even has movie director Spike Lee holding a rally to help him get a job in the NFL again. For the right price, it makes sense to bring him in. Hopefully, Kaepernick does not see any regular season action. Mariota has a bit of an injury history, though, and Titans’ fans do not want to deal with a losing season. Kaepernick makes sense and will be hungry to prove his naysayers wrong.