Colin Kaepernick is still a member of the 49ers, and Chip Kelly says he'd love to have him. The team maintains it's willing to keep the quarterback on its roster past April 1st, at which point his $11.9 million salary becomes guaranteed. Don't believe it.
If Kelly really wanted Kaepernick to be his quarterback in 2016, he'd be his quarterback, and Kelly wouldn't be saying things like "If he’s here on [April 4th, the start of the team's offseason program], we’re ready to go.”
Kaepernick himself has said he wants to be traded, while the 49ers have been shopping him. The fact that a deal hasn't happened suggests teams aren't buying San Francisco's position that its willing to keep him on the roster past April 1st. Nor should they. Guaranteeing $11.9 million to a quarterback who flopped and was benched for Blaine Gabbert in 2015 is illogical. It's not going to happen.
The Broncos apparently want Kaepernick. The Browns might too. Maybe even the Jets do; there has to be some explanation for their hard-line position with Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose future seems tied to what happens with Kaepernick between now and April 1st.
San Francisco either believes in Gabbert, has its eyes on one of the draft's top quarterbacks, or really likes Kaepernick, despite what the trade rumors and Kelly's "if he's here" talk suggests. But a willingness to guarantee Kaepernick the kind of money is contract calls for? Very unlikely.
Look for Kaepernick to be traded or released -- the latter of which might be most likely -- in the next 10 days.
--Andy Richardson
