Kaepernick Impressive After Two Weeks of Camp

After two weeks of the 2013 training camp, Colin Kaepernick has so far lived up to the hype. He has demonstrated that he is far more than just a speedy set of legs and a powerful throwing arm. Undoubtedly he is having the most impressive training camp of any 49er this season. If this trend continues, the sky may truly be the limit for the 3rd year quaterback.

Like many, I was blown away by the raw talent of Kaepernick during the second half of the 2012 season. His incredible running ability and rifle of a throwing arm represented his potential upside as a future elite quaterback. However, I immediately had my concerns. The risk of the read option style of offense is injury to the quaterback. I knew that having Kaepernick run all around the field would inevitably lead to injuries if he was not diligent about sliding or running out of bounds to avoid hits. However, at the time, running was his greatest weapon as the finer details of his passing still needed some work.

Fast forward to the 2013 training camp and we see the beginnings of a prolific pocket passer. Kaepernick is showing that he can throw the ball effectively down the field as well as thread the needle with shorter throws. He can put more finess on the ball and float it when necessary, showing a touch that he lacked last season. In fact, I believe that had this Kaepernick been playing in the Superbowl, the ill fated fourth down fade route to Michael Crabtree would have ended in a touchdown. If he can continue to improve, I see a player more dangerous than we ever imagined. Picture a quaterback like Drew Brees, capable of winning a game solely with his throwing ability. Now imagine if this quaterback could also break 50 yard touchdown runs, like  Michael Vick in his prime. That is exactly what Colin Kaepernick could become, a skilled pocket passer who also has world class speed and stunning running ability.

Kaepernick and Vernon Davis are in the process of building a strong relationship. Anquan Boldin also has praised the skills of the young quaterback. If Kaepernick can fire on all cylinders, there isn't much out of the realm of possibility for the niners offense.  As the 2013 season progesses, I believe Greg Roman will move away from the read option style of offense. Colin Kaepernick will become exactly the quarterback I just described, a traditional pocket passer capable of running the ball. His legs will keep plays alive, or end them, with touchdowns.