Cleveland Browns: Eric Mangini believes Colin Kaepernick would be a fit with the team

Is free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick really a fit with the Cleveland Browns? One of his former coaches believes so.

The Cleveland Browns have taken routes to fixing their quarterback situation that others would not have done. Many wanted them to draft a quarterback in the first round or trade multiple picks for a veteran such as Washington Redskins signal-caller Kirk Cousins.

Instead, Cleveland is looking at 2017 with second year quarterback Cody Kessler leading the team. In addition, offseason acquisitions Brock Osweiler (via trade) and DeShone Kizer (via the draft) both could in the mix to some extent.

The answer at quarterback is not going to be immediately known. Rather, the Browns are building around the position to help put their guy in the best situation possible long-term.

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Cleveland’s plan at quarterback involves those three players, but what if they were to add Colin Kaepernick? He is not the quarterback that led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl earlier this decade. Kaepernick’s play has diminished, but that has not stopped former 49ers assistant coach and Browns head coach Eric Mangini from believing that he would be a fit in Cleveland.

While appearing on Pro Football Talk Live, Mangini stated why Kaepernick would fit the Browns’ offense.

"I always thought he would be a good fit for the Browns. Hue [Jackson’s] system is multiple shifts and motions, and that’s what he did in San Francisco. Hue has an element of quarterback-driven runs, I think Colin is excellent as that. As a candidate, him vs. RGIII a year ago, I’d take Colin 10 times out of 10."

Now if we were talking about the same Kaepernick who had success under former head coach Jim Harabaugh, then the possibility would be interesting. That is not the case and this should not even be under discussion, which it is not. If it were, we would have heard the rumors Cleveland is working out and/or visiting with Kaepernick by now.

Of course the Browns’ quarterback position is not ideal at the moment. On the other hand, there is potential there with Kessler and Kizer down the road. The position is not going to be a finished product any time soon. If Kaepernick were to have joined Cleveland, their quarterback position would have taken a step backwards.

From Mangini’s standpoint, I suppose one could get where he is coming from. Yet, comparing Kaepernick to former Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III made his point less impactful given Griffin’s failure in NE Ohio.

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Cleveland is a work in progress but there is a lot to like with what could be at quarterback. Everyone just needs to be patient because some degree of stability could be coming sooner than we realize.

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