NFL Rumors: Colin Kaepernick, Draft, Bears, Buccaneers, Dolphins, & Rams

Colin Kaepernick

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Colin Kaepernick should call the 49ers’ bluff by dropping his trade demands and tell them that he wants to be back in San Francisco next year.

Reports have said that the Browns would want him to agree to reduce his salary in order to complete a trade. However, Florio mentions that there’s no downside for Kaepernick calling the 49ers’ bluff seeing as they would either keep him at his current price or release him and all him sign on with a team of his choosing while negotiating a contract of his own.

Florio believes it’s clear that the 49ers actually want to trade Kaepernick, even though they’ve said publicly that they would prefer to have him back. In fact, Florio implies that they could actually be the ones leaking info about interested teams to try to create a market for him.

• Tim Kawakami is getting the sense that trade talks involving 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick are headed towards a conclusion by next week.

Draft

An NFL scout told Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network that he would swap his team’s defense for the for the Buckeyes’ 2015 defense right now.

“I was on the phone with (a scout) just the other day … he said, ‘I would trade our NFL defense right now for the Ohio State defense in a heartbeat. I’d do it right now,'” Jeremiah said, via NFL.com. “When you hear that you (think), ‘C’mon,’ but you start going through the three levels of the defense, and even some younger guys that aren’t eligible in this draft class. Oh my gosh, this is a loaded football team.”

Bears

• Dan Wiederer mentions that the biggest development from the Bears signing LB Jerrell Freeman to a three-year deal is that this will signal the end of Shea McClellin‘s time in Chicago.
• There was some talk that the Bears could retain McClellin, but you can probably rule this out not that they’ve added Freeman and Danny Trevathan.
• McClellin is reportedly visiting with the Jets at some point.

Buccaneers

• Greg Auman reports that the Buccaneers are not in the mix for free agent S Eric Weddle.
• Auman adds that Tampa Bay could still address the safety position in free agency, but they won’t be signing Weddle.

Dolphins

• According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, a deal between the Dolphins and veteran QB Brandon Weeden is not considered imminent at this point in time.
• Weeden visited with the Dolphins, but wound up leaving without an agreement.

Rams

• Nick Wagoner of ESPN writes that the Rams pretty much need to add depth at every position on their defense and find a starting free safety
• Beyond that, Los Angeles could still use a quarterback to go along with receiver and tight end help.
• According to Wagoner, the Rams could still re-sign K Greg Zuerlein in the coming weeks, but they would still like to add some competition at the position.
• Wagoner mentions DT Michael Brockers and LB Alec Ogletree as potential extension candidates for the Rams to consider this offseason.