As soon as Brock Osweiler signed a mega deal with the Texans (an overpay in my opinion), the attention immediately turned towards Colin Kaepernick in Denver. It was already reported as a possibility even before Osweiler left, so him leaving just stirred the pot more. Recent reports suggest that Kaepernick has become the Broncos top target to be their new QB. We already know that Kaepernick has requested a trade out of San Francisco, so it's easy to see why the Broncos are in hot pursuit.
Of course, the 49ers have some options. Colin Kaepernick's 2016 salary isn't guaranteed until April 1. Many are thinking the 49ers would benefit most from trading him prior to that deadline, shaving his money off the books. Though, the 49ers could trade him after that, but it gets more complicated at that point as salary becomes a bigger issue and teams like to know whether they need to draft a QB or not by then. 49ers have the most leverage, still not much, at this point than after that deadline.
I am almost certain that Kaepernick won't be a 49er in 2016, let alone by the end of the month or even the week possibly. But, where will he end up? My bets all hedge on Denver. The stars all align the right way for the deal to work. Kap wants out of SF, Denver needs a QB, and Elway and Baalke have a great relationship with one another which helps deals get done (see: Vernon Davis trade). All these factors could help a deal develop quickly as well.
Broncos are also a good fit for Kaepernick. The Broncos didn't win the Super Bowl last year because of their QB. They won it because of their defense. Though they lost some players on the defensive side, Wade Phillips has a way with defenses. There's no doubt that he will have the Broncos defense great once again. This means that the QB has less pressure applied to him. You can look into Kaepernick's best years and see the 49ers defense was towards the top of the league in those years. Same thing could happen to him playing with the Broncos defense. Another thing to consider is that Gary Kubiak does great work with QBs. He could possibly work his magic with Kaepernick like he has done before with QBs such as Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco, and Brock Osweiler. While those names don't stand out, they definitely improved immensely under the watchful eye of Kubiak.
Denver is almost too obvious of a destination for Kaepernick. In any case, I don't see a situation where Kap isn't dealt. As much as the 49ers want to hang on to him, I don't think they can keep him. It just doesn't make sense for the organization or Kaepernick at this point. I like Kap and think he's good. It's a shame it has to be this way.
