After years of quietly hoping Colin Kaepernick would take his football and go home, the NFL has finally opened its doors to the polarizing quarterback in a meaningful way over the past month. Commissioner Roger Goodell has made his strongest statements ever about a team signing Kaepernick, saying he supports and encourages interest in the veteran. Meanwhile, NFL head coaches like the Los Angeles Chargers’ Anthony Lynn stated that clubs “would be crazy” not to consider working out Kaepernick.
At this time, no one has a strong inclination as to where Kaepernick will ultimately land. Oddsmakers see a field of candidates that includes nearly a third of the entire league:
Odds for Colin Kaepernick’s next team have been released by @betonline_ag:
Ravens – 9/4
Seahawks – 11/4
Texans – 4/1
Chargers – 9/2
Chiefs – 6/1
Jaguars – 15/2
Vikings – 8/1
Titans – 10/1
Eagles – 12/1— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) June 19, 2020
But while numerous clubs could reasonably make a run at Kaepernick, the Baltimore Ravens arguably make the most sense.
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Familiarity with Greg Roman and his offensive system
Kaepernick’s extended hiatus from the football field has grown into one of the talking points used against him. While quarterbacks have missed full seasons and returned to perform at a high level — most recently Andrew Luck after sitting out the 2017 season with a shoulder injury — few players at any position miss three seasons and make a comeback.
Still, other factors come into play as it pertains to Kaepernick and the Ravens. While he hasn’t taken part in any organized football activities in some time, it also matters that he spent the majority of his NFL career working in an offense run by Greg Roman. Roman served as the offensive coordinator for the 49ers from 2011 through 2014 and now serves in the same role with the Ravens.
While Roman has catered his offense to the skill set of Baltimore’s personnel — most notably Jackson — the language and concepts remain largely similar. The pistol looks, heavy use of play-action, zone reads, and gap-scheme runs that Roman leaned on heavily in 2019 saw plenty of use during his time in San Francisco. Kaepernick has already demonstrated the ability to work in that offense and wouldn’t need to learn an entirely new scheme in order to function as the Ravens’ quarterback.
The value of depth in the era of COVID-19
While teams always strive for quality depth behind center, having more than one capable signal-caller has more value at a time when the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has touched every part of public life. Coaches have already openly discussed the possibility of quarantining third-string quarterbacks from the rest of the team for “break in case of emergency” situations.
Kaepernick, even if diminished from when he last appeared in an NFL game, has the skill set and experience to operate effectively in the Ravens offense on short notice. Jackson is a unicorn, and the Ravens would have to adapt significantly to any quarterback coming in to replace him. Still, the adjustment to Kaepernick would not require as many tweaks as with the team’s present alternatives.
Trick plays
Late last season, the Ravens broke out the “Heisman package,” a personnel group that included Jackson, backup quarterback Robert Griffin III, and lead tailback Mark Ingram Jr. in the same backfield. The play resulted in a first down and significant discussion as to how creative the Ravens could get with their dynamic offensive talents.
While the Ravens don’t need Kaepernick to continue tinkering with trick plays and unscouted looks, the quarterback’s size, speed, and versatility make him an enticing weapon for such situations. Roman has demonstrated his ability and willingness to “get weird” with personnel, and doing so with Jackson and Kaepernick at the same time would make life considerably more difficult for opposing defensive coordinators.
Cost
In most instances, quarterbacks with Kaepernick’s starting experience and success wouldn’t settle for a backup deal in their early 30s. However, due to Kaepernick’s extended absence from the league and the current point in the NFL calendar, he does not possess the same leverage in a contract negotiation that he otherwise might. That would result in a team-friendly deal if the Ravens choose to pursue one.
At the moment, Baltimore has just over $9 million in available cap space. While not much space compared to the rest of the league — only eight teams have less at this stage of the offseason — it would take little effort to fit a contract for Kaepernick onto the books.
— Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. Follow him on Twitter: @by_JBH
Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.