It's fair to say that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did not bounce back from a poor 2014 season the way general manager Trent Baalke had hoped. Kaep went just 3-6 as the starter this year before being replaced in the starting lineup by Blaine Gabbert and then put on season ending IR. For the second season in a row he seemed to regress as his pocket awareness, timing and accuracy all suffered this year. Barring a miracle, the 49ers will part ways with the 28-year-old quarterback this offseason.
But who will replace him?
WalterFootball.com projects the Niners to land the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Although it's a little early to be projecting draft picks, they have San Fran selected California quarterback Jared Goff which does make a lot of sense.
"It appears as though Colin Kaepernick's time in San Francisco is done. San Francisco will almost certainly release Kaepernick this offseason - unless they're forced to keep him because of the injury - so unless Gabbert has an amazing finish - not crazy to say, as he has shown improvement - they'll target one of the top-10 quarterbacks available in this class. Jared Goff can be the leader of a team that, according to Trent Dilfer, has a roster to die for.
"Some teams have concerns about the offense in which Goff plays in, but his pocket awareness and movement, as well as his intelligence have stood out. Things could change - and knowing how fluid the draft process is, they probably will - but Goff appears to be the No. 2 quarterback prospect right now."
Thanks to his breakout season, Memphis QB Paxton Lynch appears to be the No. 1 quarterback prospect at the moment. But Goff is hardly a consolation prize.
The junior QB has thrown for at least 3,500 yards and completed at least 60 percent of his passes in all three years as a starter. This season, Goff has a completion percentage of 64.2 and has thrown for 4,252 yards with 37 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. While Goff will have to adjust to a more pro-style offense, he has the physical tools to make the transition. Whether or not that will take place in San Francisco remains to be seen.
