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Eric Mangini believes Colin Kaepernick would be a good fit for the Browns

By Thomas Moore

Dec 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) calls a play during the third quarter of the 49ers 22-21 win over the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) calls a play during the third quarter of the 49ers 22-21 win over the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns may be prepared to go into the season with the quarterbacks they have, but that doesn’t stop the speculation about what they should do.

When it comes to the Cleveland Browns and their ongoing quarterback situation, everyone is an expert on how to fix the problem.

The latest to weigh in is Eric Mangini, who coached the Browns to a stellar 10-22 record during his two-year run as head coach. After being out of the league for three years, Mangini spent three years in San Francisco holding various assistant coaching duties.

It was during those years – 2013 to 2015 – that Mangini saw Colin Kaepernick up close and now believes that the free agent quarterback would be a good fit in Cleveland, according to Pro Football Talk:

"“I think as the market settles and people start looking at these young quarterbacks they brought in and start evaluating the quarterback situation, they might realize it may not look as good as they hoped it would be. I always thought he would be a good fit for the Browns. Hue [Jackson’s] system is multiple shifts and motions, and that’s what he did in San Francisco. Hue has an element of quarterback-driven runs, I think Colin is excellent as that. As a candidate, him vs. RGIII a year ago, I’d take Colin 10 times out of 10.”"

Kaepernick has been linked to the Browns on and off ever since Jackson was named the team’s head coach a little more than a year ago. The link has always been a tenuous one at best, born out of Jackson reportedly being interested in drafting Kaepernick in 2011 when Jackson was head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Presumably since 2011 Jackson has seen what the rest of the NFL has seen – a quarterback that, while not necessarily bad, is also one whose game has been in a slow decline.

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Mangini’s comments are a bit different, however, as he highlights a few areas of Kaepernick’s game that mesh with what Jackson wants from his quarterbacks. However, using Robert Griffin III – who was the worst quarterback in the NFL last season – as a benchmark for acquiring a player is not a very valid argument.

If the Browns were truly interested in Kaepernick, they have had ample opportunity to bring him in for a workout or sign him since he parted ways with the 49ers. Instead, Cleveland swung a deal with the Houston Texans that included quarterback Brock Osweiler and selected quarterback DeShone Kizer in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

They join Cody Kessler (and Kevin Hogan – everyone always forgets about poor Kevin Hogan) in a quarterback room that already seems pretty full. There are only so many reps to go around during training camp, so adding Kaepernick to the mix would seem to be counter-productive.

It may all be a moot point, as Kaepernick visited with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this week to talk about their backup quarterback position.

Next: Colin Kaepernick not the answer for the Browns

For better or worse, it seems like the Browns are prepared to roll into the upcoming season with the current quarterbacks on the roster.

It might time for everyone to start accepting that reality.

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