NY Jets: Bring in Colin Kaepernick

The NY Jets have no guarantee that Ryan Fitzpatrick will return in 2016. But if they have an opportunity to do so, they should bring Colin Kapernick into the mix.

When I say the Jets should not be focusing on the quarterback position, I mean it with respect to draft strategy. If the right guy falls into your slot and aligns with the draft position, by all means, take him. Just don’t pull a 2011 Vikings and take Christian Ponder, who was taken one pick after J.J. Watt, and two picks before the Rams’ Robert Quinn. Guys like Ponder are what scare me about drafting a quarterback.

When the Jets drafted Darrelle Revis in 2007 with the 14th pick, Brady Quinn was still on the board. Imagine if the Jets reached and took Quinn and passed up on Revis? Meanwhile, after the Browns took Quinn at 22, the next three picks were Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Meriweather and Jon Beason – all who have turned into quality NFL players.

So when a guy like Colin Kaepernick reportedly shows interest in the Jets, it is worth looking at because he is a known entity – no matter how you perceive his value. How a quarterback matches up to his head coach is incredibly important, and the marriage of Kaepernick and ex-coach Jim Tomsula was doomed from the start. The 49ers essentially wiped the slate clean, as coaches moved on, players were shipped away and some all-time 49er greats retired sooner than expected.

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In the 2015 season, the Jets took a flyer on a guy with a much poorer track record than Kaepernick and benefited from the results.

Bringing in Kaepernick, who is still only 28, would give the Jets several options at quarterback. Maybe even draft someone at the right spot (I personally don’t suggest it given that the Jets only have six picks) as you have Bryce Petty, cut Geno, and have four guys in camp. We know the ceiling for Kaepernick as he has led his team to a Super Bowl before.

Obviously we saw the bottom last season, and if the Jets can retain Fitzpatrick then they have another known entity who has familiarity with the offense. The situation would be similar to what it was supposed to be going into this season, except I don’t think too many people would argue that having Kaepernick instead of Geno is not an upgrade.

Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) breaks a tackle against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Levi

Would Fitzpatrick be getting the short end of the stick after being paraded all over town (see Jimmy Fallon, Rachael Ray)? Sure, but that’s what you get unfortunately when you don’t make it to the NFL Playoffs. You lose the benefit of the doubt. We saw 49ers’ head coach Chip Kelly ship away quality players from the Eagles, and Kaepernick may not even be considered a quality player by his team anymore. He could be cut to make way for Kelly’s new system.

Fitzpatrick was surprisingly effective running the ball in Chan Gailey’s offense, amassing 270 yards on 60 carries – good for 4.5 yards per carry. Kaepernick’s 4.53 40-yard speed compared to Fitzpatrick’s 4.86 speed may be a game changer on the Jets’ offense. With quality receivers at his disposal, Kaepernick could have the potential to be the dual-threat he once was under Jim Harbaugh. As the consummate professional, Fitzpatrick could be brought back in a relief/mentor role, and be ready to throw dimes against the New England Patriots if need be.

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At the right price, this move has the potential to be successful. Personally, I would rather have Kaepernick in camp than a Carson Wentz or a Paxton Lynch. If the Jets want to build momentum on last season, they need to be a win-now team. Kaepernick has it in him to win now. Wentz may have the potential in five years. The question is, are the Jets willing to wait? If I’m in charge, I say no.

Every draft has quarterbacks. It’s not every day you can get access to a quarterback who has been to a Super Bowl for a discounted price, and the Jets need to take advantage of the opportunity if it ever presented itself.

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