The San Francisco 49ers have been forced to go on the defense regarding Colin Kaepernick and recent trade rumors surrounding the quarterback. Kaepernick was off in 2014 as the 49ers simply looked out of sync all season, but that has not diminished the franchise's confident in their quarterback who just signed a contract extension last season. However, behind Kaepernick is not much which could force the 49ers to draft a quarterback in a later round of the NFL Draft this April.
New 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula has full confidence in Kaepernick and his potential to bring San Francisco out of their 8-8 rut last season. Tomsula stressed the quarterback was currently working out in Arizona to improve and he believed things can only get better for both Kaepernick and the 49ers in 2015.
"When we go back to the criticisms on Colin -- look we were 8-8 last year. Everyone takes a big bite out of that sandwich," Tomsula said, via NFL Total Access. "Colin touches the ball every play. He's the guy when we win, he gets a little bit more than he probably should, and when we don't win, he gets more than he should. Statistically and all that kind of stuff, people throw those out there -- Colin had his best year, OK. Colin is working down in Arizona. He's a great dude. He's a real good dude. He's a good teammate. He's a neat cat. Colin's going to do real well. Colin's a great football player and even better person. We're really excited about Colin."
In 2014, Kaepernick threw fewer touchdowns and more interceptions than his first season as a full-time starter. He also put up lows in yards per attempt despite having a career-high in passing yards. By all indications, the quarterback did not progress much this past season which likely held San Francisco back. However, the team has no other options outside of Kaepernick unless they plan on starting Blaine Gabbert should the quarterback struggle again. Does that mean the 49ers will draft a quarterback in April?
The 49ers could easily grab a late-round option to develop behind Kaepernick as insurance. There is no denying the trade rumors that surrounded the quarterback no matter how many times someone in the front office denied them. It is not hard to believe there might be a shred of doubt regarding Kaepernick's potential. Rookies like Brett Hundley, Bryce Petty and Garrett Grayson would be quality draft picks that would pair nicely behind Kaepernick.
The 49ers are counting on the growth of Kaepernick. The team invested in a long-term deal for Torrey Smith while signing Reggie Bush to place beside Carlos Hyde in the run game. With one more receiver likely on the way, Kaepernick must show improvement in 2015.