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Colin Kaepernick to the Jets? (Nhat V. Meyer | Bay Area News Group | TNS)
The Jets have a new offensive coordinator, Saints wide receivers coach John Morton. But they're still looking for answers at quarterback.
Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith surely are goners in free agency. Christian Hackenberg is back for Year 2 in 2017, while Bryce Petty returns for Year 3.
There's a good chance the Jets will fill out their quarterback room by adding a veteran quarterback -- somebody like Brian Hoyer, Mike Glennon, or Tyrod Taylor, just to name three possibilities.
But what about the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick?
Before we get into the details about his situation, know that Morton has a previous relationship with Kaepernick. Morton was the 49ers' receivers coach from 2011-14.
Kaepernick was a rarely used rookie in 2011. Then he was productive from 2012-14 -- 39 starts (25-14 record), 50 touchdown passes, 21 interceptions, and a 90.7 quarterback rating. Kaepernick helped the 49ers make the Super Bowl in 2012.
Then his production dropped off from 2015-16 -- 19 starts (3-16 record), 22 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 85.5 rating.
Still, Kaepernick's stats weren't terrible in 2016 -- 16 touchdowns, four picks, and a 90.7 rating. Plus, he's fairly young. He turns 30 in November.
Should the Jets go after him this offseason? Morton certainly can provide the organization with information on what Kaepernick did well from 2012-14.
From a salary cap standpoint, the 49ers moving on from Kaepernick this offseason makes sense. He is entering the final year of his contract and is due to have a $19.3 million cap figure ($14.5 million of which is his non-guaranteed base salary). If the 49ers cut or trade Kaepernick, they'd save $16.9 million in cap space.
With the 49ers drafting second this year, there's a good chance they'll take a quarterback, like Mitch Trubisky or Deshaun Watson, because it sure looks like they're done with Kaepernick. Could he get a fresh start with the Jets and Morton?
Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.