Ideally, Colin Kaepernick never plays a down in place of Tom Brady in 2019. However, the New England Patriots should still sign the former San Francisco 49ers QB. It could pay dividends late in the season.
By general consensus, the Patriots seemed well-positioned to make another Super Bowl run. Their chief contenders? The Baltimore Ravens. The 8-1 Patriots’ only loss came at the hands of Baltimore on a Sunday night two weeks ago. Lamar Jackson and co. ran down the teeth of the Patriots defense, winning 37-20.
The Ravens’ ground-and-pound style matches up well with the Patriots defense. New England’s run defense is the weakness in the unit, and it got exposed against Baltimore. Baltimore’s offensive coordinator Greg Roman was able to keep Bill Belichick’s unit off-balance all night long, and Lamar Jackson’s speed was something the Patriots defense couldn’t really practice for.
Enter Colin Kaepernick. As WEEI radio host Rich Keefe outlined on ‘Dale and Keefe,’ Cody Kessler is the Patriots’ third-string QB. He is only there to run the practice-squad offense, and he can’t emulate Jackson’s running style.
But Kaepernick can. Not only was Greg Roman his coordinator when the 49ers went into New England and beat the Patriots, but Kaepernick is the closest thing to Michael Vick when it comes to mimicking Jackson’s explosiveness. He can be signed just to run the practice squad offense and can help the Patriots prepare for the rival Ravens.
This marriage would be mutually beneficial for both parties. The Patriots would get valuable prep and if any team is built to withstand the PR Kaepernick would bring, it would be New England. If Belichick likes Kaepernick over Stidham, he can even become the backup behind Brady. Kaepernick would be able to show that he could fit into a team and handle a role, and could learn under the tutelage of the greatest of all time.
Signing Kaepernick gives the Patriots the best chance to beat the Ravens and return to their fourth-straight Super Bowl.
