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Did Colin Kaepernick change the Cleveland Browns’ mind?

By Elliot Kennel

RIVERDALE, GA - NOVEMBER 16: Colin Kaepernick looks to make a pass during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew high school on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. Due to disagreements between Kaepernick and the NFL the location of the workout was abruptly changed. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
RIVERDALE, GA - NOVEMBER 16: Colin Kaepernick looks to make a pass during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew high school on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. Due to disagreements between Kaepernick and the NFL the location of the workout was abruptly changed. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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After working out and presumably showing the football world that he can still play, did Colin Kaepernick change anyone’s mind, including the Cleveland Browns?

Colin Kaepernick’s workout on Saturday did not go down as expected, and several teams did not attend the workout, including the Cleveland Browns. But his workout was streamed and will be sent to teams so they could potentially have their mind’s changed about Kaepernick.

Kaepernick did change my mind, but perhaps not in the way he had hoped. As one who spent 10 years in the United States Air Force on active duty and in the reserves, there is a lot on which that he and I do not see eye-to-eye. Nevertheless, in the military you learn to trust your life to people from different walks of life, different races, religions and political opinion. It should not be that difficult to play a kids’ game with people you do not agree with or even like.

So though Kaepernick is never going to want to sit down and have a beer with me, I have consistently advocated that he should be given some sort of offer. Until now.

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First, on this team, he wouldn’t be better than Baker Mayfield, and maybe not even Garrett Gilbert, but the Browns do not have a third-string quarterback right now with Drew Stanton on injured reserve.

So if Kaepernick wants to strap it up again, okay, make him an offer to be the third string quarterback. Not first-string, not second-string, and if Drew Stanton is healthy, he might be the better quarterback for the Browns on the basis of his two years of experience. But is it worth it to have a former Super Bowl quarterback as a third-string quarterback?

NFL players should be able to play with people who are far left, far right or in the center.  They should be able to play with people with whom they strongly disagree.

The main questions to answer are whether he would alienate teammates to the point that they would not want to play with him. Would free agents shun Cleveland on his account? Would it alienate the fan base or advertisers? What is the full impact of signing this player?

Most importantly, what happens if he sues the NFL?

The distressing thing about Kaepernick’s workout session is that the NFL, Kaepernick, and his agent could not agree on how to hold the workout. Apparently the sticking point was that Kaepernick had to agree to language which would require him to not sue the NFL, and also Kaepernick and his agent wanted the press to attend. Afterwards, via the press he told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to “stop running from the truth.” That sounds like a warning. We might get the idea that he does in fact intend to sue the league.

Blasting the league to the press is pretty much okay (Been there! Done that!), but if there is a lawsuit forthcoming, how exactly is someone going to sign him to be the backup quarterback for an NFL team? Is that not a conflict of interest? Would the other team be allowed to tackle him while the lawsuit is active?

In the past, scuttlebutt has been that his asking price was way, way too high. Cindy Boren of the Washington Post reported that Kaepernick was asking for $20 million dollars a year to return to the NFL. If that is remotely close to the truth, it is nuts, especially after being out  of the league for so long. No, he has things to prove on the football field before he can become a star again.

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There is some risk whether he could stay on the roster without creating an untenable situation for the team. Though certainly he is still good enough to play in the NFL, no one has any idea whether he is still first-string caliber. He needs to go back to the end of the line and reestablish himself.

Perhaps the Browns are much better off with Garrett Gilbert and Drew Stanton.

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