San Francisco 49ers

5 teams that should trade for Colin Kaepernick

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) lies on the turf after a tackle against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Colin Kaepernick’s recent political stance has increased speculation about his future with the San Francisco 49ers. Five NFL teams could be potential trade partners for the dual-threat quarterback.

Kaepernick found himself embroiled in controversy after recently opting to stay seated during the U.S. national anthem, an act of protest over the treatment of minorities.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, via Pro Football Talk‘s Michael David Smith, has since stated Kaepernick could be released by the San Francisco 49ers, although this would be a decision based purely on football reasons.

But there are those around the NFL who might might consider a trade, including an AFC East club featuring Kaepernick’s former offensive coordinator.

5. Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo’s back injury has thrown the Dallas Cowboys’ preparation for the new season into chaos. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys have already been linked with a possible move for Kaepernick.

In fact, David Go of SportRageous believes Dallas should consider swapping veteran Romo for Kaepernick. While a swap seems unlikely, there’s still plenty to recommend Kap as a solid short-term option for the Cowboys.

For one thing, this is a run-based offense that takes the pressure off quarterbacks. The Cowboys boast arguably the best run-blocking O-line in football. Their formidable five trench warriors are already preparing to knock open holes for Alfred Morris and rookie Ezekiel Elliott.

It’s an ominous one-two punch in the backfield. That combo would be more dangerous still with Kaepernick’s rushing threat under center. It’s hardly a challenge to imagine how effective read-option principles would be with Kaepernick faking handoffs to either Morris or Elliott.

Partner either with nifty Lance Dunbar or slot receiver Cole Beasley, and the Cowboys would cause havoc with triple-option schemes.

Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) takes the first snap of the game during the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

4. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns already have a dual-threat quarterback in Washington Redskins castoff Robert Griffin III. But the Browns shouldn’t pin too many hopes for a long overdue era of success with RG3.

He can’t stay healthy, and has perhaps more work than Kaepernick to prove he can make reads and be accurate at the NFL level. So it would make sense to have competition the Browns could count on.

Josh McCown and Cody Kessler are the current backups. Neither could run the moving pocket offense head coach Hue Jackson will likely rely on with Griffin. But Kaepernick could.

Jackson has established a reputation as a particularly innovative play-caller. He’s not shy about manipulating pre-snap alignments and using his players in increasingly creative ways. Remember all those O-linemen lining up in the slot for Jackson’s Cincinnati Bengals offense last season?

Jackson would surely have a particularly varied box of tricks in store if he had to use Kaepernick. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jackson deploy Kaepernick in a slash-style role similar to the one Kordell Stewart made famous with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the late nineties.

Kaepernick has the athleticism and versatility to fit Jackson’s elaborate playbook, along with his fondness for gadget plays.

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JANUARY 03: Ryan Tannehill

3. Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill seems a whisker short of exhausting the patience of the Miami Dolphins. The AFC East club has hired coordinators and head coaches, signed free agents and used draft picks to help Tannehill make the grade.

Yet, for all their efforts, the Dolphins still can’t completely trust 2012’s eighth overall pick as their starting quarterback. If Tannehill can’t cut it under new head coach Adam Gase, he likely never will.

Gase is a quarterback whisperer who has helped Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler reach their best levels. But it’s one of Gase’s first projects that makes Miami an intriguing trade partner for Kaepernick.

He tutored Tim Tebow in 2011, helping him guide the Denver Broncos to an improbable AFC West title and a playoff win. Tebow’s NFL career nosedived not long after, but Gase still found a way to succeed with a QB who was a talented runner but couldn’t dissect coverage.

That could be Kaepernick’s career tagline.

Gase has built his reputation on crafting offensive schemes around the specific talents of particular quarterbacks. It’s something Kaepernick needs but hasn’t had in recent seasons with the 49ers.

The Dolphins have the talent along the offensive line to help Kap flourish again. They also boast a quarterback-friendly wide receiver in Jarvis Landry. Perhaps more intriguing is how Kaepernick would work with tight ends Jordan Cameron and the underrated Dion Sims.

The quarterback struck up a prolific big play connection with Vernon Davis during his time in San Francisco. He would surely do the same if he was targeting Cameron and Sims.

Football: NFC Playoffs: Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan (2) kneeling on field before game vs San Francisco 49ers at Georgia Dome.
Atlanta, GA 1/20/2013
CREDIT: David Bergman (Photo by David Bergman /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
(Set Number: X156072 TK1 R1 F425 )

2. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan isn’t what he used to be. The starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons has regressed after seeing key weapons leave or retire.

If that regression continues, the Falcons may find Kaepernick a tempting option. The presence of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan would make this a suitable match.

It was Shanahan the younger who crafted the rollout-passing, option-led scheme that took RG3 and Washington to the playoffs in 2012. The Redskins relied on a system completely tailored to the skills of a mobile quarterback.

It was a run-first formula designed to create successful play action opportunities. Big plays were common through the air thanks to passing concepts drawn up to stretch coverage deep.

Those schematic wrinkles would make the most of Kaepernick’s skill set. For all the criticism of his on-field performances, Kap’s arm strength and talent as a runner are beyond dispute.

He’d be an excellent fit for the Shanahan offense. Its zone-based blocking and shifting pockets would get Kaepernick back to the big play machine he was once he usurped Alex Smith as starter and took the 49ers to a Super Bowl.

The Falcons aren’t likely to have forgotten what he can do. It was Kap who led San Francisco past Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game following the 2012 season.

December 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi

1. Buffalo Bills

Kaepernick’s initial success in the Bay Area owed a lot to the schemes of then-San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman. He’s now calling the plays for the Buffalo Bills and doing similarly admirable work with the raw but athletically gifted Tyrod Taylor.

Roman’s Buffalo offense has a lot in common to the attack Kaepernick directed for the 49ers. It’s about keeping things on the ground and moving the pocket to set up the deep ball off play action.

Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods are an ideal tandem of receivers for any quarterback. Not only do they boast the vertical speed to maximize Kaepernick’s arm strength, they are also adept at turning short passes into big gains.

A playbook that emphasizes quick screens to the flats would help hide Kaepernick’s issues with accuracy and touch when he’s throwing passes into the intermediate zones.

The Bills appear happy with Taylor, but he’s had injury issues. Depth also has to be a concern, with only EJ Manuel and Cardale Jones available.

Kaepernick maybe wouldn’t start in Buffalo, but he’d have a better chance of at least fighting for the job than he would on most NFL rosters.