Colin Kaepernick Rumors: Saturday
Trade rumors have swirled around 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for months, but it looks like a resolution might be close, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today that San Francisco is close to working out a trade that would send Kaepernick to the Broncos. The only issue reportedly obstructing a deal is Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary, which became fully guaranteed yesterday. Let’s dive into the latest on the trade talks…
- Though Schefter indicated that the 49ers and Broncos had agreed upon the parameters of a trade — with San Francisco sending a mid-round pick to Denver — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) reports that no such agreement is in place. The deal can still happen, says Rapoport, but there many obstacles and Kaepernick’s visit with Broncos general manager John Elway didn’t change things.
- Schefter, meanwhile, doubled down on his initial report, adding (via Twitter) that the two clubs agreeing on draft pick compensation was the “easy part” of the talks. But a finalized trade is still not close because the Broncos need to convince Kaepernick to take less money, per the ESPN scribe.
- Mike Klis of 9News chimes in (Twitter link), noting that the term “mid-round pick” could conceivably identify any slot in rounds three through five. However, Denver doesn’t have a pick in the fourth round, having lost their selection as a part of a trade with the Ravens to acquire Gino Gradkowski. The Broncos do own pick No. 94 in the third round and No. 144 in the fifth round, and additionally, it’s possible that a trade might include future draft pick compensation.
- The Broncos have long been the most likely landing spot for Kaepernick, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, but “a lot” of progression is still needed before any trade becomes finalized.
- Nothing is imminent in terms of a trade, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), who also hears the draft pick compensation has not yet been agreed to.
Broncos, 49ers Closing In On Colin Kaepernick Trade Agreement?
4:43pm: The 49ers and Broncos have the parameters of a trade for Kaepernick in place, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Potentially the only thing standing in the way is the Broncos and Kaepernick agreeing on a restructured contract.
The teams are continuing dialogue regarding this trade, which will likely involve a Day 2 or Day 3 draft pick or a combination of the two, trying to bridge the financial divide, Schefter reports. However, what level of draft pick(s) the Broncos surrender in this prospective deal won’t be a stumbling block in completing the trade, according to Schefter.
1:40pm: The Broncos appear to still be interested in adding Colin Kaepernick to their undermanned stable of quarterbacks despite the 49ers locking in his $11.9MM salary for this season. John Elway and the sixth-year passer have met multiple times, including a summit on Thursday at the sixth-year GM’s Denver-area house, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Kaepernick and Elway have met at least twice since March 15, Branch reports, with the quarterback spending extensive time in Colorado rehabbing from three surgeries.
The 49ers have granted Kaepernick’s agents Jason Bernstein and Scott Smith permission to seek a trade, according to Branch, which clears the Broncos of tampering charges.
Elway and Kaepernick’s meetings have helped the parties become acquainted, and Kaepernick’s contract has come up during the meetings, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Elway’s Thursday visit with the 28-year-old quarterback came as Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary became guaranteed. The Broncos currently possess less than $2MM in cap space, and any deal for Kaepernick depends on the signal-caller agreeing to reduce his contract, Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets.
We heard Thursday that the Broncos want Kaepernick at approximately $7MM this season. Branch reports that Denver’s brass has been at work trying to restructure Kaepernick’s contract, which calls for him to carry a $14.9MM cap number this season. Only Demaryius Thomas ($15.2MM) carries a higher figure going into the 2016 season on the Broncos’ roster.
If Kaepernick doesn’t agree to restructure, the 49ers would have to pick up part of his contract to facilitate a trade, Mike Klis of 9News reports. San Francisco’s quiet free agency has the team sitting at $53.8MM in cap room — the most in the league. Klis also writes that the 49ers’ sudden accelerated interest in allowing Kaepernick to seek a path out of the Bay Area stems from the team beginning its offseason program Monday; the Broncos don’t begin theirs until April 18.
Denver has a quick way to clear $8.9MM from its books by trading or releasing Ryan Clady. The sides have met multiple times since the Combine, Renck reports, with the longtime left tackle remaining on the Broncos’ cap sheet for $10.1MM.
Clady previously agreed to discuss a restructure, but nothing’s materialized. In the meantime, the Broncos added Donald Stephenson and Russell Okung, leaving Clady without a logical place on the team.
The Broncos have just Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian under contract at present, with the 49ers employing Blaine Gabbert at a much cheaper rate. Although money isn’t an issue for the 49ers right now, there appears to be a significant divide between the team and Kaepernick despite Chip Kelly‘s public overtures toward keeping him.
Despite quarterbacking the team to back-to-back playoff NFC championship games, Kaepernick was benched last season and hasn’t been able to consistently replicate the play that helped the 49ers reach those destinations over the past two seasons.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Could Sign-And-Trade Help 49ers Deal Kaepernick?; 49ers QB's Workout Bonus Issue Looms
With the Broncos still assessing Colin Kaepernick‘s trade value despite the 49ers quarterback’s $11.9MM base salary becoming guaranteed, the Western divisions have led the way in headline-generating today. Here’s some more from the Kaepernick situation as well as news from other franchises in those divisions.
- In examining the Broncos‘ options regarding Kaepernick, 9News’ Mike Klis mentions a sign-and-trade scenario that may help bridge the gap between the two teams. The longtime Broncos beat reporter mentions converting part of Kaepernick’s salary into a signing bonus, one the 49ers would pay in this instance while Denver would be on the hook for the base pay, could help bring the sides closer together in terms of financial and draft pick compensation. The 49ers possess a league-most $53.8MM in cap space, while the Broncos are carrying the game’s fewest at present at $1.6MM.
- John Elway‘s meeting with Kaepernick could also have been regarding the 28-year-old passer’s progress from the three surgeries he’s undergone in recent months, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. Barrows also notes (on Twitter) the Broncos and the Steadman Clinic — where Kap’s undergone those procedures on his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb — have a good relationship. So, the Super Bowl champions would have a good idea of the signal-caller’s health prior to potentially pulling the trigger on a trade, Barrows notes.
- The 49ers‘ offseason program begins Monday, and Kaepernick would earn $4MM by attending 90% of the team’s offseason workouts, Barrows reports.
Latest On Anthony Davis' Future
We learned in late February that 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis was set to apply for reinstatement after taking a hiatus from football last season. That still hasn’t happened yet, but Davis tweeted Friday that he’ll file for reinstatement “later this year.” Interestingly, Davis added that “[d]ealing with Trent is giving me a headache.” That’s likely a reference to 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Davis is trying to goad the Baalke-led Niners into releasing him. The 26-year-old is under 49ers control through 2019.
Jaylon Smith To Visit 49ers
- Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith has a private visit planned with the 49ers in Santa Clara soon, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets.
49ers Extend Invite To Daniel Lasco
- Cal running back Daniel Lasco has received invites from the Texans, Raiders, and 49ers, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Lasco has also had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles and he’ll take part in the Texans’ local pro day since he’s from Houston (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee on Twitter). Lasco turned heads with his performance in 2014 but he was held back by a hip injury in 2015.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
The deadline for Thursday NFL roster moves has come and gone with no news on Colin Kaepernick, which means he’ll remain on the team’s roster for April 1, fully guaranteeing his $11.9MM base salary for 2016. A source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the NFLPA believes Kaepernick’s salary will become officially guaranteed at midnight, but it seems that point will be moot, since the team doesn’t plan to cut the quarterback.
The fact that Kaepernick’s 2016 salary is now fully guaranteed doesn’t significantly affect the likelihood of a possible trade — the Niners could still move him, and he could still agree to work his deal in the event of a trade. But now that he has a fully guaranteed salary for this year, Kaepernick regains a little leverage.
Of course, we did hear earlier this week that the possibility of Kaepernick being dealt to the Broncos seemed to be losing some momentum, and Mike Klis of 9NEWS and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link and video link) provide some reasons why.
Klis reports that the Broncos would want Kaepernick to accept a pay cut to accommodate a trade to Denver, while Cole hears that the Broncos want to reduce his pay to approximately $7MM for the 2016 season. Cole adds that Kaepernick isn’t all that interested in taking a significant pay cut, which isn’t particularly surprising. He’s set to make more than $14MM this year if he gets his $400K workout bonus and stays healthy enough to earn up to $2MM in per-game roster bonuses.
Kaepernick may be the most invested party in keeping his salary where it is, but his agents – Scott Smith and Jason Bernstein – also aren’t inclined to rework his contract, sources tell Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. And while it’s possible that a team besides Denver may have interest in Kaepernick at his current salary, the list of potential suitors is dwindling. The Browns recently signed Robert Griffin III, and the Jets remain focused on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick.
At this point, it seems the most viable outcome for all parties might involve the Niners keeping Kaepernick and having him compete for the starting job. GM Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly have both expressed a desire to go that route. Even though Kaepernick might prefer a trade, it’s not clear if he’d be willing to drastically rework his contract to make that happen — the 49ers would also have to find a compensation package they like.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that he senses things have “thawed a little bet” between the 49ers and Kaepernick, but cautions that there’s still a ways to go. If Kaepernick remains a Niner through this year’s draft, the odds of him leaving San Francisco this year would decline greatly, so we should have a clearer picture of the situation within a few weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers To Meet With Odhiambo, Shell
- Boise State lineman Rees Odhiambo will meet with the 49ers, Saints, and Buccaneers in the next couple of weeks, agent Ron Slavin tells Jay Tust of KTVB (on Twitter).
- South Carolina offensive lineman Brandon Shell says he has individual workouts coming up with the Panthers, Ravens, and 49ers, David Caraviello of the Post And Courier tweets.
49ers To Work Out Jared Goff, Expected To Visit With Carson Wentz
- The 49ers and Browns are slated to work out Jared Goff, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter). Both Hue Jackson and Chip Kelly were in attendance at the Cal quarterback’s pro day March 18.
- San Francisco also has a workout scheduled with Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. The 49ers are expected to meet with Carson Wentz as well soon, as are the Browns, per Barrows. Cook is rated by most as the No. 4 quarterback on the board and could fall to the second round, while Wentz is expected to be chosen in the top 10. Colin Kaepernick‘s $11.9MM salary in 2016 becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the 49ers’ roster by 3 p.m., Thursday.
Chiefs GM Denies Discussing De'Anthony Thomas With 49ers
- A report earlier in March suggested that the Chiefs and 49ers had discussed a possible trade that would send De’Anthony Thomas to San Francisco. However, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), Kansas City GM John Dorsey said today that Thomas isn’t going anywhere, denying that he had spoken to the Niners about a deal. Even if the two sides did have a conversation about Thomas, it’s unlikely that Dorsey would confirm it now that the 23-year-old appears likely to stay put.