Los Angeles Rams should consider signing Colin Kaepernick
The Los Angeles Rams should at least make contact and study whether a Colin Kaepernick signing is feasible.
If a national anthem protest is the only thing that stands in the way of a Colin Kaepernick signing, the Los Angeles Rams should at least reach out. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback recently visited the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Pete Carroll called Kaepernick “a starter in this league,” per Albert Breer of The MMQB.
The Seahawks then went and signed former Rams quarterback Austin Davis to back up Russell Wilson, according to ESPN.com.
The Rams currently have three inexperienced quarterbacks on the roster. Second-year player Jared Goff, third-year player Sean Mannion and second-year player Dylan Thompson combined lack the experience Kaepernick has.
Meanwhile, a veteran quarterback with Super Bowl experience as recent as four years ago remains unsigned. How have the Rams not already called Kaepernick? A Kaepernick signing would give Los Angeles a veteran presence who could help groom Goff.
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And L.A. still is predominantly democratic, according to Public Party Institute of California. Those who revile Kaepernick for kneeling in protest during the national anthem of a preseason game last season could be in the minority. Kaepernick might hear a few boos, but likely not as many as he would in more conservative NFL hometowns.
The Rams, however, have less than $2 million in available cap space, according to Sportrac. Kaepernick made $14.3 million in 2016. His one-time salary could be the reason he hasn’t signed with any organization during the offseason.
Kaepernick could be looking for a team that recognizes his worth exceeds that of a backup quarterback’s salary. That could explain the Seahawks making Davis their insurance policy, rather than Kaepernick.
He could be asking for too much money from any interested parties that view him strictly as a backup. The Rams would do that, too, making him a potential mentor for Goff.
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But imagine how much a top-form Kaepernick could push Goff to be his best. And if something should happen to Goff, does Kaepernick or Mannion instill more confidence to keep the offense moving? It’s worth the time of a phone call to determine whether a Kaepernick signing would be worth the trouble.