49ers QB Colin Kaepernick signed a six-year contract extension and has continued to be a vocal leader throughout the offseason. That's even on a Super Bowl-contending club. In showing his moxie, Kaepernick has proved to his coaches that he can handle more on his plate. The fourth-year quarterback is "seeing things" differently, according to offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who has used the offseason practices to emphasize red zone plays.
Kaepernick has a bevy of wide receivers to utilize in minicamp, a group headlined by Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin and boosted with the additions of Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd. The 49ers have sprinkled in receivers, experienced and inexperienced, throughout the offseason. The camp session figures to be one last period for Kaepernick to mesh with his deep group of targets before training camp rolls around.
In his last 18 games with Michael Crabtree in the lineup, Kaepernick has averaged 20.9 FP, which equate to #3 QB numbers. In 11 games without Crabtree, he averaged 16.1 FP. He averages 2.5 more pass attempts (i.e. the 49ers throw the ball more) and his YPA jumps from 7.4 to 8.4 with his top receiver in the lineup. He's a solid QB1 with upside.
49ers news
