Report: Colin Kaepernick Requests Trade from 49ers; Should Browns Consider Trading for Him?

Rand Getlin of NFL.com reported on Thursday night that 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is seeking a trade from San Francisco.

Source: Kaepernick's agents have requested permission from the team to seek a trade.

— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) February 25, 2016

The Browns are in the midst of evaluating incoming quarterbacks at the NFL Combine, but throughout this off-season there has not been one main guy who is the clear-cut favorite to be taken at number two overall.

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz have received the most praise of late, but perhaps the new coaching staff and front office are not confident enough in either quarterback to use the number two overall pick to draft them.

There are several quarterbacks with potential that are projected to fall to middle rounds of the draft and maybe the Browns would opt to wait until the second or third round to take a QB, trade for a more experienced quarterback (like Kaepernick,) and use their first-round pick to address one of the other glaring weaknesses on the roster.

Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson indicated at the NFL Combine on Wednesday that the Browns will take a quarterback in the draft, but not necessarily with the number two overall pick.

“We will come out of this draft with a quarterback, I guarantee you that,” Jackson said at the scouting combine. “Now where it’s going to be, everybody wants me to say it’s the second pick. Well, it could be, it could not be.

“I know everybody thinks that’s where we’re heading at No. 2. I think we’re going to draft whoever we think is the best player at No. 2 for us.”

Kaepernick was benched for Blaine Gabbert in 2015, so it’s not like he is a sure-fire answer to become the face of the franchise, but he did take his team to the Super Bowl and three straight NFC Championship games.

San Francisco was full of stories of ineptitude and dysfunction the past two seasons, (sound familiar?) but Cleveland is now moving in a new direction. Hopefully that direction includes a coaching staff and front office who are all on the same page.

Kaepernick is at least an option to consider among several quarterbacks whose futures are uncertain heading into the 2016 season.

A 28-year-old with a Super Bowl appearance, three NFC Championship appearances, and two seasons of at least 3,000 passing yards is a much more impressive resume than most Browns quarterbacks have had in recent years. The question then becomes “Is Kaepernick ‘The Answer’?”

Probably not. He went 3-6 in nine starts in 2015. But maybe he could fill a void for a prospect to develop. Like Josh McCown was supposed to do for Johnny Manziel last season.

We’ll keep you updated on the Browns’ quarterback search and if Kaepernick’s name is linked to Berea in the coming weeks.