Unsigned Kap is not mystery

PHOENIX — The Colin Kaepernick unemployment mystery is really no mystery at all despite all the conspiracy theories. Part I: He is 3-16 as a starter over the last two seasons and his explosive skills that helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl just five years ago, have not only diminished, they’ve fallen off the charts. His unique playing style — he’s more effective on the run than from the pocket and most effective when he just runs himself — makes him a bad system fit for 90% of the teams. Coaches don’t want to install a separate system for their backup quarterback and not one team is interested in Kaepernick as a starter.

Part II: He took a very unpopular social activist position last season when he refused to stand for the national anthem before games. It didn’t help when he wore socks in training camp depicting police officers as pigs. Now that’s he looking for a job, he let the word get out that he will stand for the anthem in 2017. The way things are going, he will be doing that as a fan. Kaepernick is finding out when you mix politics and football there can be unspoken repercussions.

When you put the two parts together you come to his conclusion. Kaepernicks’s quick and steep decline on the field combined with the unavoidable distraction he will cause in his next city have teams running away from him, although it’s hard to find anybody who wants to admit his politics are a factor.

If Kaepernick was the same nearly unstoppable force from 2012, then teams would live with his controversial stand last year. In fact, the 49ers would have renegotiated his contract so he could not have opted out. Instead, his career is in jeopardy.

Does this mean he is being blackballed? The league did not send out a directive prohibiting or discouraging any team from signing him. Even so, every team has come to the same conclusion: Either he stinks as a player and is a bad fit for their offense or they want no part of his politics.

I spoke to several team sources at this week’s NFL meetings and asked whether they believe Kaepernick’s political views have prevented him from being signed.

“He’s a great guy and I think in the right system there is a place for him. Just not in our system,” one coach said.

Blackballed? That’s a dirty word that can lead to all kinds of legal problems.

“Most guys who are starters at one time find a job, so maybe there is something to it,” the coach said.

One team president told me Kaepernick is not being blackballed. “His skills have diminished quite a bit,” he said.

One GM said, “He will get a shot. The money won’t be what he wants.”

Seattle would seem like a potential landing spot. Kaepernick’s style is not that much different than Russell Wilson, although Wilson is a much better pocket passer. Even though it looks like a good match, especially with Seattle in need of a quality backup, when I spoke to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Tuesday he didn’t seem interested.

“He is up against it like all those other quarterbacks,” he said. “What is the right opportunity? He’s played great football and been to a Super Bowl and been a championship player. He’s got his style that best suits him.”

He talked about knowing how to play against Kaepernick from the 49ers-Seahawks game and not at all about how he would use him. Carroll wasn’t buying the blackball angle. “I don’t think you can say that right now,” he said. “I think that would be too drastic a place to go right now.”

When Roger Goodell was asked the blackball question in his news conference Tuesday, he reacted as if he had to spend $5 million on another Ted Wells investigation. He was indignant.

“I haven’t heard that from our clubs in any way that that’s an issue,” he said. “In my experience in 35 years, our clubs make independent evaluations of players. They work hard to improve their teams. They think that a player can help them improve their team, they’re going to do that.”

Kaepernick reportedly wants $8 million-$9 million per year and he wants to start. Good luck with that. The most logical spot is Cleveland. The Browns always need a quarterback. But they are much more likely to take one with their second first-round pick, 12th overall, than sign Kaepernick.

In fact, Browns coach Hue Jackson said he has not studied Kaepernick since he was in the 2011 draft and didn’t sound inclined to start watching tape. Depending on what happens in the draft, that could change.

“I think we will consider it if that was somebody we wanted to target,” Jackson said. “We’re just not in that mode right now.”

Carroll thinks the “dominoes will start to fall,” after Tony Romo gets his new address. But that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be anytime soon. Plenty of seats have been taken at the quarterback table in the last few weeks. Josh McCown, Mike Glennon (Bears), Geno Smith (Giants), Mark Sanchez (Bears), Brian Hoyer (49ers), E.J. Manuel (Raiders), Nick Foles (Eagles), Matt Barkley (49ers), have already signed. McCown, Glennon and Hoyer are expected to start. Romo, Kaepernick and Jay Cutler are the best of what is left. avens coach John Harbaugh believes Kaepernick will sign and be a winning quarterback again. His brother Jim coached him with the 49ers. Even though John said a lot of nice things about Kaepernick and said a player speaking his mind is welcomed in Baltimore, he offered no hint that Kap is going to sign with the Ravens.

“When you’re the quarterback and you don’t win, you’re going to have to answer for that. But he’ll get a chance again,” Harbaugh said. “Somebody is going to sign him, and he’ll play in this league, probably for a long time.”

Then all eyes will be on him again as he stands for the national anthem.

R