NFL Notes: Colin Kaepernick, Patriots, Titans

Colin Kaepernick

• Last year, some reports said that NFL teams weren’t signing free agent QB Colin Kaepernick in part because he was no longer viewed as a starting-caliber quarterback.
• Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, reports that internal franchise documents generated as part of the free-agency evaluation process and testimony from witnesses harvested via depositions in Kaepernick’s collusion case show that teams actually viewed him as being a starting quarterback.
• It remains to be seen whether Kaepernick and his lawyers will be able to prove that the NFL colluded to not sign him to a contract after kneeling for the national anthem.

Patriots

• On Monday, reports surfaced that QB Tom Brady will be in attendance for the start of voluntary OTAs. (NFLTR)
• Ian Rapoport reports that it remains to be seen whether Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski will show for OTAs, as his contract is still an issue.
• A source tells Rapoport that the expectation is that Brady and Gronkowski will be there for minicamp in June when it’s mandatory.
• The Patriots announced Monday that they’ve hired Cameron Achord as their assistant special teams coach and Atif Austin as a coaching assistant.

Titans

• Mike Garafolo of NFL Media confirms reports that Nashville is the leading contender to host the 2019 NFL Draft.
• Garafolo explains that the Titans’ uniform unveiling last month where fans flooded the streets helped to solidify the city’s status as the leading contender to host the event.
• Nashville was already a strong contender for the event, but the NFL took notice of how successful the uniform reveal went.