That’s the most direct quote we have from an owner disagreeing with Kaepernick’s protest.īisciotti and team president Dick Cass said at that same event that they were talking to fans - namely the ones who buy premium seats and season tickets - and sponsors about the possibility of signing Kaepernick. The owner gets involvedĪt a fan forum on Sunday, Bisciotti said he didn’t like Kaepernick’s protest and wasn’t sure he could help the team win games. It’s an unusual statement to have to make but an inevitable one after Bisciotti publicly inserted himself into the decision-making process over the weekend. The Ravens statement is more specific, saying that the owner has not “blocked” them from signing Kaepernick. She said “meeting resistance” from the owner. That doesn’t contradict Russini’s report. Statement on today’s report regarding Colin Kaepernick: /ubfpwVA35O- Baltimore Ravens August 2, 2017 According to the latest report, Harbaugh and Newsome “support” adding Kaepernick to the roster. It looks like that’s exactly what happened too. It’s not a decision they can make without the owner.įloating his name like this in the locker room and in the public can serve as a trial balloon - a way to gauge the reaction and/or put some pressure on owner Steve Biscotti. But Kaepernick isn’t a player the GM and head coach can just sign because he’s got the talent and addresses a need the team has. Newsome and Harbaugh may see a quarterback who’s a big upgrade at backup and one who will keep the team competitive if Flacco’s back injury creates more problems during the season. These are guys who fill a specific need for the team, usually as kind of a one- or two-year stopgap, who aren’t the most expensive players on the market for one reason or another. They’re players like Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, Owen Daniels, Chris Canty, and Will Hill. Kaepernick fits a pattern for the kind of veteran free agents Ozzie Newsome has signed over the years. This could also be a case of Harbaugh publicly lobbying the team’s owner to let them sign Kaepernick. Harbaugh may have put Kaepernick’s name out there last week because he knew he’d get asked about him. It’s harder to defend that notion given the reports out of Baltimore this week. He also said at the time that he didn’t believe Kaepernick was being blackballed. In March, he echoed his brother Jim’s (Kaepernick’s former coach with the 49ers) assessment that Kaepernick “ can win games for people.” Harbaugh’s expressed his support for Kaepernick in the past. Coaches and general managers are conditioned to be notoriously tight-lipped about player acquisitions. Usually someone reports a team is interested in a player, information they most likely got via a team source or an agent, and maybe someone with the team will confirm in a follow-up with reporters. It’s unusual in the first place for a coaches to talk openly about players they’re considering to add to the roster. This the strangest part about the story, so far. He's a really good football player and like I said, I do believe he'll be playing in the National Football League this year." The Ravens mentioned Kaepernick before the media. "He's a guy right now that's being talked about,” Harbaugh said Thursday, less than a day after Flacco’s injury. Last Thursday, head coach John Harbaugh took the unusual step of mentioning Kaepernick as a roster possibility to the press. The team’s self-aggrandizing hand-wringing over the question of signing Kaepernick has exposed a rift within the organization and reminded everyone of the hypocrisy of those deciding on Kaepernick's playing future. 2 QB spot and give them a reliable starter should Flacco miss more time during the season. In the days since then, the Ravens have been talking publicly about their private deliberations over signing Colin Kaepernick to upgrade the No. The Ravens backup quarterback, Ryan Mallett, has been struggling on the practice field. Joe Flacco has been on the shelf with a bad back since last Wednesday.
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