Posted by Andy Benoit

Colin Kaepernick is a 49er, which means Alex Smith is one no longer, right? Wrong.

"The plan for Alex is unchanged," 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said Friday, according to CSN Bay Area. "Everything we said from the very beginning: We want to get the best players on our roster that we possibly can and throw out the balls and let them compete.

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"Alex has the ability and the license to be the starting quarterback -- same thing I said about (outside linebacker) Aldon (Smith) yesterday. Same goes for Colin. Guys will run on their own gas. We believe in competition and earning your positions around here.
"With Alex, we are rowing and we're not going to miss a beat. Nothing has changed."

For months, many have speculated that Harbaugh is genuinely fond of the former No. 1 overall drafted quarterback. But that’s mere speculation, as Harbaugh and Smith have had minimal interaction due to the lockout.

Smith, at this point, is an unrestricted free agent, which makes it all the more curious that the Niners would insist he’s their guy. Most teams only discuss players under contract.

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Posted by Will Brinson

NEW YORK -- A pile of teams spent the first half of the NFL Draft's first round reaching for quarterbacks; the second day started much the same way with Andy Dalton going to Cincinnati and the San Francisco 49ers making a big-time move up the draft board to nab Nevada Colin Kaepernick.

As soon as the details of the Niners trade was announced (San Fran gave up their second-round pick, their fourth-round pick and their fifth-round pick for Denver's second-rounder), it was obvious that San Francisco had a pretty clear-cut guy they were targeting; otherwise they wouldn't give up such a bounty just to jump up nine spots in the second round.

It also gives off the notion that San Fran would've been content with both Dalton and Kaepernick, but when Cincy pulled trigger, Jim Harbaugh looked at the Titans and Redskins sitting above him, and knew he needed to make a move.

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So he did.

Kaepernick was our Chad Reuter's top-ranked quarterback on the board heading into the second round, and he makes sense as a guy that Harbugh can bring in to replace Alex Smith should the de facto starter a) return and b) only last a year in his new coach's system.

The only thing that's shocking about the move, however, is that it debunks any potential rumors that the 49ers might be interested in holding off and doing their best to nab Andrew Luck in next year's draft.

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Posted by Andy Benoit


Cowboys first-round pick Tyron Smith believes he has the potential to be a Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer. (He might be right about the Hall of Fame potential. But Pro Bowl potential? Who does he think he is?)


Did you happen to catch Nick Saban’s reaction to the announcement of Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter being drafted in the first round by Seattle? It was one of disbelief, if not controlled shock.


The Falcons are set to report to work on Monday.

The 2015 Super Bowl will be held in either Glendale, AZ or Tampa, FL.


The Panthers drafted Cam Newton first overall. Wait….did you already know that? Be honest.


Gabe Carimi got a text from Jay Cutler last night. (Trying to think of a quick bridge to a Brett Favre joke…..thinking….thinking…….thinking………darn it. Anyone have anything?)


The Browns’ first-round selection wasn’t the only public reading Peyton Hillis did Thursday. The Madden cover boy also took care of the Top 10 List on Letterman. (Topic was top10 perks to being on the cover of Madden ’12. Number eight:, Hillis said, “It gets my name out there. Even I have never heard of me.”)


Could the Dolphins be looking at Colin Kaepernick in Round 2? (If so, would their tendency of picking quarterbacks in the second round be considered an addiction?)


Brandon Marshall is visiting the Dolphins facility, which is good news considering where he was a week ago.


A pitch for an entire San Diego sports complex could be part of the Chargers’ efforts to get a new stadium.


Just because the Raiders had no picks Thursday doesn’t mean their war room wasn’t busy.


Roger Goodell doesn’t blame the fans for booing him.

Justin Tuck on Rex Ryan: “The last time I checked, I have a Super Bowl ring and he doesn't, so if he's proud of coming up short, I guess he should be proud of that." (Ryan actually earned a ring as the D-line coach for the 2000 Ravens.)

 
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Posted by Andy Benoit

Colin Kaepernick’s draft stock is rising. Some are even suggesting the Nevada quarterback could be tabbed in the first round. (NFL Draft Scout has Kaepernick rated as the No. 6 quarterback.)

Kaepernick’s versatility, leadership and production in college have drawn praise, and unlike most of the top quarterback prospects this year, he has not been dogged by stigmas about character, intelligence or pro readiness (though it’s still hard to see how his experience in the Wolfpack’s pistol offense will help him at the next level).

The NFL is taking notice of Kaepernick’s rising stock. According to Pro Football Talk, he is now the 24th player to receive an invite to Radio City Music Hall. The league would not extend that invitation if

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they thought Kaepernick might drop below the second round. In fact, it’s possible the league believes he’ll even sneak into the first round.

There is no word yet on whether Kaepernick will accept the invitation.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

• The Vikings stadium bill was posted in the Senate on Friday. The Senate was not in session, so the bill cannot be officially introduced until Monday.
  
  
• Many believe that Marion Barber, due $4.25 million in 2011, will not be in a Cowboys uniform at the beginning of the season.
  
  
• For the draft, Colts president Bill Polian will assume that his team's free agents are gone. (This sounds like lockout news, but chances are, Polian always takes this stance when drafting.)
  
  
• With the Orioles off to a hot start and the Ravens not doing anything whatsoever at the moment, now seems to be a fair time to ask if the city of Baltimore is a baseball town or a football town.
  
  
• Chris Dielman is testifying in defense of his buddy Brian Giles, who is the defendant in a domestic violence case.
  
  
• Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is visiting with the Raiders.
  
  
• The Patriots could be looking at Illinois running back Mike Leshoure.
  
  
• Brett Favre is hosting a one-day seven on-on-seven high school football camp in Mississippi to raise money for charity.
  
  
• Drew Rosenhaus doesn’t think the Dolphins can win a playoff game with Chad Henne. (It’s rare to hear the super-agent say something that burns any chance of him snagging another client.)
  
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Posted by Will Brinson

This may not come as a surprise because of the Carson Palmer situation in Cincinnati, but the Bengals need some help at the quarterback position.

And according to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer -- who also notes that Ryan Mallett will be Cincy on Thursday and Friday -- they're almost definitely going to use a pick on a QB in either the first or second rounds.

Which means that more so than in most years past, the No. 1 overall spot is a first domino that could go in a number of directions. See, Cincinnati would likely take, or consider taking -- according to Reedy -- Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the fourth-overall pick.

But if they're both gone (which is a decent possibility), then the Bengals will turn their attention to the second round, where they'll consider quarterbacks like Mallett, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Jake Locker and Colin Kaepernick.

Which, honestly, isn't that horrible of a spot to be in -- Ponder and Dalton are considered as "pro-ready" as anyone in the draft, and would likely fit well with what Jay Gruden wants to run, offensively, in Cincy.

Getting someone who could step in right away would also go a much longer way to leveraging Palmer from jumping into retirement than would the Bengals rolling into the season with only he and his brother Jordan Palmer as roster options for signal-calling purposes.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

• The Panthers will be on hand for Georgia wideout A.J. Green’s pro day. Probably wise not to read too much into that. Green is impressive, but being drafted first overall?
  
  
• Surly Chargers GM A.J. Smith wanted to be part of the labor negotiations, but his request was quickly denied by the NFL.
  
  
• Jeff Blumb has resigned from his position of PR Director of the Packers. This comes just days after fellow Super Bowl XLV PR Director Dave Lockett of the Steelers resigned.
  
  
• Tiki Barber is coming back to the NFL because he (ahem) loves the game. Many have speculated that the soon-to-be 36-year-old running back could join his twin brother Ronde in Tampa Bay.TBO.com says forget it.
  
  
• Bears president Ted Phillips is very honest about the team’s sloppy grass field. He says, “frankly, it’s been part of our home-field advantage.”
  
  
• Pat Yasinkas of ESPN wanted to clear things up and make it known that the Buccaneers, not taxpayers, paid for their own practice facility.
  
• Everybody seems to be getting on Red Ryan for comparing himself to Babe Ruth. Physique-wise, he’s not far off.
  
  
• The lockout could cost Robert Mathis $160,000 in workout bonuses. We’re guessing he won’t be the only one impacted in this way.
  
  
• The Madden ’12 cover is being determined by a fan vote. (Bears fans are voting for Aaron Rodgers, Steelers fans are voting for Ray Rice….you get the idea.)
  
  
• The Titans are working out Colin Kaepernick, who is Vince Young minus the drama.
  
  
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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

• Patriots OT Matt Light is upset that his owner, Bob Kraft, wasn’t present at the labor negotiations in Washington. Instead Kraft was on a trade mission to Israel and the United Kingdom.

• The NY Times explains why Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco probably isn’t very good at soccer.

• Former Browns CB Frank Minnifield gives us a history lesson about the 1987 players strike, the last time the NFL went through a work stoppage.

• Before he was against the 18-game schedule, Bears LB Lance Briggs actually seemed like he was in favor of it. Or, at least, he didn’t mind it.

• The NFL owners meetings are this week in New Orleans. Saints owner Tom Benson just wants to be a gracious host.

• Here’s an update on former Patriots DE Jarvis Green and whether he’s going to continue playing football. Right now, he says he’s “in between.”

• Should Broncos QB Tim Tebow (or Kyle Orton, for that matter) be worried that Denver’s front office – which holds the No. 2 pick in next month’s NFL draft – is checking out Jake Locker, Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Mallett? Maybe, but probably not.

• Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick is drawing interest from plenty of teams. And a bit of trivia on him: did you know he could throw a baseball 94 mph?

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