The Denver Broncos quarterback position has become wide open in the past week, as future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning announced his retirement, and former Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler agreed to a four-year contract with the Houston Texans.
With the Broncos now in the market, the race for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick seems to be heating up. Kaepernick has reportedly made it known that he wants out of San Francisco this offseason, and three NFL franchises are vying for the 2011 second round draft pick.
While the Broncos are reportedly in front trying to land Kaepernick through a trade, the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are in the mix as well. The Jets are reportedly far apart on contract talks with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the Browns are said to be more serious about making a move for the 49ers quarterback.
Kaepernick struggled last season, being benched after starting with a 2-6 record, and completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,615 yards with six touchdowns to five interceptions. The 49ers quarterback is still young, at 28 years old, and could prove to find his earlier form when he helped lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl, although the 49ers defense deserves much of the credit during that season.
While there is no guarantee in what teams will get from Kaepernick, that hasn't stopped him from generating plenty of interest. The 49ers reportedly want a second round draft pick for Kaepernick, and the draft picks in play for Kaepernick are expected to be the Broncos' second and two third round picks, and the Browns' and Jets' second and third round picks. The Browns can offer the highest pick with the 32nd pick, and many would consider it a steal to get Kaepernick out of San Francisco for such a high draft pick.
It will be interesting to watch how this unfolds, as all three teams are clearly in need of a quarterback, but Cleveland at least will have the ability to land arguably the best quarterback prospect in the draft with the second overall pick. Kaepernick's $11.9 million base salary becomes guaranteed April 1 and also has $2 million per-game bonuses. The 49ers reportedly would have to absorb $7.4 million in dead money should they choose to trade Kaepernick, but that would likely be manageable as the team looks to move away from the media circus that has centered around him the past year whether for his poor play on the field or his wanting out of San Francisco off the field.
