49ers reportedly see Blaine Gabbert as a better fit than Colin Kaepernick
It's been three-and-a-half years since helped
Taylor Rogers Jersey the to the Super Bowl. From the outside looking in, it feels more like decades, and probably longer for Kaepernick, who was benched last season for . But the hope was that Kap, who ended the 2015 season in injured reserve, would flourish under new coach Chip Kelly. And while there's plenty of time for that to happen, many in the organization in Kelly's offense, writes ESPN.com's Michael Wagaman.The 49ers start training camp on July 30, and whatever happens over the next few weeks, there has to be resolution at the quarterback position if the team hopes to rebound from last season's disappointing 5-11 record.Back in March, . "(I'm) impre sed with Blaine. You watch him the last couple of games he started. He's another guy, you look at his skill set. He took off against the and went (44) yards for a touchdown," Kelly said. "He ran 4.61
Miguel Sano Jersey in the combine when he was coming out. "He's big. I'd never really dealt with Blaine because he came into the league before I came into the league, but just how big and physical and impre sive he is. He's a 6-4, 245-pound guy that can really run. I thought the last part of the season he played really well. It'll be intriguing to work with him, too."Kelly also defended Kaepernick, who had a forgettable 2015."I think the biggest misconception that people don't realize with Kap is just injuries," the 49ers coach explained at the time. "It's not like his skill set diminished. He went on injured reserve last year, so he was only available
Jason Castro Jersey for eight games. He was legitimately injured."As a college coach
Blake Parker Jersey , Kelly was known for crafting offenses around athletic quarterbacks. We saw le s of that with the , though he did lead Philly to back-to-back 10-6 records before things fell apart last season after Kelly was given control of player personnel decisions. Asked last month about the traits he looks for in quarterbacks, Kelly made an interesting comparison. "But, you know, obviously when you're looking at both those guys, I think they're similar. They have a similar skill set," . "They're both 6-4-plus. They both can really run, which will help keep plays alive. Obviously we're not a quarterback-run offense, but if the quarterback can run, you can use a little of that to your advantage. And they both have extremely strong arms. So, from a skill set standpoint, the two of them are kind of cut out of the same mold."The good news: Kelly has choices. The bad news: Kaepernick hasn't played well since the 2013 season, and Gabbert washed out of Jacksonville before he finally started to put things together last fall.Shorter version: Consistency at the position is Kelly's biggest concern, and from
Jake Odorizzi Jersey the perspective of mid-July, Gabbert appears to have edge.