This is the first installment of a new series which will look at a different position each week as we lead up to the 2015 NFL draft. We will analyse the performance of each player and look ahead to the new season with an eye on who will still be on the roster and where any gaps are that will need to be filled.
This week the spotlight falls upon the quarterback position.
Quarterbacks
2014 depth chart: C. Kaepernick, B. Gabbert, J. Johnson, M. Bethel-Thompson/K.Faulkner
Signed through 2015: Colin Kaepernick
2014 Starter: Colin Kaepernick
60.5% passing completion (289/478), 3369 yards, 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 51 sacks, NFL rating: 86.4
(Ninerfans.com)
The 2014 NFL season was the second full season as a starting quarterback for Colin Kaepernick.
After initially shocking the NFL with raw speed and athleticism in his first seasons with the 49ers, defenses around the league gradually began catching up with the unique talents of Colin during 2012 and particulalry in 2013. The 2014 season was going to be an important one to gauge the development of Kaepernick as a bona fide, NFL-equipped starting quarterback.
Working within an offense that prioritised a smash-mouth style running game, the quarterback position was called upon less to carry the team, which suited Kaepernick as he took time to adjust to the pros. Coming out of college he drew criticism from the media about his lack of ‘classic’ quarterback ability: reading defenses, scanning the field, dropping back and passing in the pocket. After a full 2013 season under center, 2014 was expected to be the year where we saw Kaepernick mature into the all-round quarterback that the front office had envisioned when they traded up in the second round of the 2011 draft to capture him.
Whilst several areas of his game statistically improved, such as throwing for more yardage and having a better completion percentage, it was abundantly clear throughout 2014 that #7 was not ready to be labelled a complete quarterback just yet. Kapernick threw less touchdowns, had more interceptions and succumbed to a career-high 51 sacks during the season.
His ability to make the necessary progressions through receivers was improved over 2013 but far from perfect. He would often become fixed upon one receiver and completely miss a wide open colleague.
There was a conscious decision, whether from the head coach, offensive coordinator or Colin himself, to rely less upon Kaepernicks improvised runs during 2014 and even the planned quarterback runs were used less. This, matched with his struggles to find open receivers and a chronic injury problem throughout the entire offensive line, lead to the alarmingly high number of sacks that Kaepernick endured. The offensive line issues were also partly to blame for his passing issues, as Kaepernick often had less that two seconds to scan the field and make a decision, before he was confronted by defensive players.
Oddly, the team decided to somewhat move away from its natural offensive prowess that was, and still is, its running game. This meant more opportunities for Colin to throw passes, but perhaps it was not the best situation for a quarterback who is at his best when the opposition are unbalanced and generally expecting the run. With many games seeing a marked reduction in the number and effectiveness of carries, Colin was under more pressure to produce than he had ever been.
Put simply: I believe he was asked to ‘run before he could walk’. Although he had made improvements coming into 2014, he was not at a point where he could take over being the main focus of the offense, and I believe the coaching staff made a huge error continuing to stick with the belief that he was ready for the full responsibility.
The good news is however, that he still has all of the talents that lead to him being highly coveted coming into the league, he is still young (27 years old) and the issues he is having can be coached and improved upon.
It will be very interesting to see how Kaepernick progresses during this offseason, as he comes under the tutelage of Kurt Warner. There is also speculation that his 11-week training program with Warner, which started this weekend (9th January), also includes stints with Steve Young. The famous 49er southpaw may well be the best suited NFL legend to lend his experience to Kaepernick, as both have similar traits and have had to deal with similar issues during their early professional careers.
2014 2nd-string Quarterback: Blaine Gabbert
42.9% passing completion (3/7), 38 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks, NFL rating: 100.0
(Jacksonville.com)
Traded in March 2014 to San Francisco for a 6th round pick, Gabbert served as backup to Colin Kaepernick for the entire season. The ex-Jaguar came into the game against Denver during week 7, completing three passes which included one for a touchdown. His brief cameo in that game was his only experience during the regular season. Before that, Gabbert had posted underwhelming statistics whilst appearing in all four preseason games: 46.8% passing completion, 186 yards (4 yards per completion), 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and a 54.0 NFL rating.
Whilst his acquisition was met with some resistance by the fanbase, probably because of Gabberts lack of success at Jacksonville, it was perhaps a little harsh on a player who is still trying to find his way in the league. For such a low draft pick that San Francisco gave his former team, it was always worth taking a risk with Gabbert who entered the league as a top 10 pick in the same 2011 draft as Colin Kaepernick.
Gabbert is now an unrestricted free agent and is likely to test the waters to see if anyone in the league is keen on having him as a starting quarterback. Chances are though, that he will remain a backup until he has proven himself on the field. So, with a year of experience within the 49ers organisation, it would not surprise me if the team made a move to re-sign him as a backup, albeit at a much more reduced salary in alignment with what other backups in the league command.
2014 3rd-string and beyond:
Josh Johnson:
(SFgate.com)
The 6-foot-3 native Californian once again spent time on the 49ers roster during 2014. After beginning his pro career with Tampa Bay, Johnsons first stint with San Francisco came in 2012 as he hooked up with his former college head coach, Jim Harbaugh. After spending the entire offseason with the team, Josh was a victim during the final roster cuts of August 2012. After spending time with the Browns and Bengals, he was signed once again by the 49ers in May 2014. During the regular season Johnson was one of several players who were continually cut and resigned as the front office juggled the 53-man roster to meet the teams needs.
Obviously with such a long association with Jim Harbaugh, who has since departed the team, there probably is little chance of Johnson being brought back in by the 49ers for the 2015 season. However, with a similar build and skill-set to Colin Kaepernick, Johnson always seemed to be a good fit for the team, so he may just squeeze onto the roster for training camp and preseason, in an attempt to make the team as the primary backup quarterback. Again though, with very little footage of him in the red and gold, its virtually impossible to pass any kind of judgement on his play or ability.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson:
Another bay area native, McLeod Bethel-Thompson spent another period of time with the 49ers during 2014. Originally joining the side in 2011 where he was expected to land the third-string QB role, Thompson was cut and then spent time with several other clubs.
During the 2013 season Bethel-Thompson was assigned onto the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings. On October the 9th, San Francisco claimed him off of waivers and signed him onto the 53 man squad, where he spent several weeks. Then, in late November the player was cut and signed onto the 49ers practice squad, where he remained for the rest of the season. After signing a reserves/future contract, McLeod was back on the training ground throughout the offseason, until succumbing to the roster cuts towards the start of the 2014 season. Only ever seen as a ‘camp arm’, it is doubtful that Bethel-Thompson will be back again this year, unless its in a similar, minor role.
Kory Faulkner:
The former Southern Illinois Saluki was signed as an undrafted free agent after the completion of the 2014 draft. At 6’ 4” and 227lb, Faulkner was another ‘Kaepernick-esque’ athlete that the team hoped to mold into a useful player, probably via the practice squad. After receiving some praise from Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh during training camp, Faulkner was cut on July 29th 2014.
Looking ahead
So, the 49ers only currently have Colin Kaepernick under contract for this year. What are their options now?
Aside from the obvious need of at least two more passers for the depth chart, momentum is gaining throughout media and fan circiles that the team should sign a backup quarterback that can at least put some pressure on Kaepernick to perform at a higher level. Although he has shown a great level of commitment to his offseason training programs, it is fairly likely that Colin has suffered in his professional development by being assigned as a starter so early in his career and with nobody to challenge him. Put more succinctly: Has he rested on his laurels?
The season-long Blaine Gabbert gamble has yet to be seen to have been a failure or a hit, but does the front office believe that Blaine can be the man to solidify the backup position and to provide healthy competition for Colin? If not, Gabbert won’t be back.
Nothing suggests either, that Josh Johnson is the man to grab the #2 spot and push Kaepernick, especially with the departure of his biggest fan: Jim Harbaugh.
So this leaves two options: Acquiring a suitable veteran backup quarterback in free agency/via a trade, or picking one up in the draft.
If the 49ers go down the draft route, I would imagine that they would have to pick a quarterback in the upper half of the rounds if he is to be talented enough to fulfill the teams needs. What may be more likely however, is that the team will go down the route of having a veteran fill in as the backup and then to draft a guy in the lower rounds who can sit as #3QB, perhaps even on the practice squad, with the intent of training him up to be the long-term solution.
I can’t foresee the team picking up a veteran who has a legitimate shot at starting, when they have invested so much time and money in Kaepernick, even if doing so may actually propel Colin into the upper echelons where many believe he belongs.
The quarterback position is definitely one of the most intriguing sections of the roster this year. It will be interesting to see what the front office and the new head coach Jim Tomsula will do over the coming months.
Photograph references
Colin Kaepernick vs Dallas, Ninerfans.com, viewed 15 January 2015 <http://ninerfans.com/video-49ers-jim-harbaugh-compares-colin-kaepernick-to-superman/ >
Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville.com, viewed 15 January 2015, <http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2014-08-08/story/former-jaguars-quarterback-blaine-gabbert-has-rough-start >
Josh Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, viewed 15 January 2015, <http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/slideshow/49ers-rout-Texans-40-13-92540.php >
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