From playing in and nearly being victorious in Super Bowl XLVII, Colin Kaepernick has had a very odd and difficult last three years in the NFL. Last season he was benched late in the year in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Here was the news that he was looking for a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.
Clearly the news is spreading fast, and here is a look at the teams that should be willing to try and trade for Kaepernick.
Cleveland Browns
While it seems highly likely that the Browns will draft Carson Wentz at number two overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, they still should consider trading for Kaepernick. While that may sound crazy to some, the Browns have consistently failed at finding quarterbacks, and if they trade and have Kaepernick start for a year or two before they need to hand over the reigns to the young Wentz, then that is still a solid plan. One thing for sure is that the Browns should continue to invest in the quarterback position until they find someone that they trust and that can have success.
Buffalo Bills
Yes, the Bills had success behind a running quarterback in Tyrod Taylor this past season, but when he was hurt, they really didn't have anyone they could trust in the organization with EJ Manuel being the primary backup. Would they need to find a way to restructure the contract? Of course! But at least Kaepernick would be getting some fresh air as he would no longer be in the same organization that he has been in his entire career. The same organization that had run his former Head Coach out of town in Jim Harbaugh. Going to a team with Rex Ryan that features strong defense, deep threats at receiver, and the threat of a running quarterback, is exactly the type of system that Colin Kaepernick should be in. They just would need to give the man a chance.
Houston Texans
Maybe it should come as no surprise to list the team that had the a ton of injuries at quarterback and then left Brian Hoyer in a playoff game despite six turnovers that they could use a new quarterback. Bill O'Brien is a known quarterback guru, and he could help Kaepernick rise to the next level in terms of his completions and avoiding turnovers. The Texans again have a strong defense, and they should be able to win with Kaepernick not needing to be a star, just being highly efficient.
If forced to choose which of these locations would be the best fit between the quarterback and the team, the Texans would definitely be the best option in this writer's opinion. He would be better for them in 2016 than Hoyer, Brandon Weeden, T.J. Yates, or Tom Savage.