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I read a column by an unnamed columnist who said this and it just made me wonder, this is his third year of starting really, he sat a year his rookie year behind Alex Smith to learn the game, does this mean he is who he is and not much is going to change? And if not, why should we expect further growth?

Well considering he has progressed from last season to this season as far as going through his reads, I would say he's still growing.


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He's definitely still growing. It's a process. He has been markedly better this year in terms of going through progressions and trying to stay in the pocket and make plays. That's not to say he's elite, or even all that good in those areas. Those were major areas of weakness for him going into the season, and he's still well behind the best guys in the league in those areas. But he's shown development. He has to continue to do so, and I think he will. It's a question of how quickly.

The thing that kills me about Kap is repeating the same mistakes. It's the sitting, and sitting, and sitting in the pocket or while escaping in the backfield, only to take a sack (and all too often fumble) five seconds after the snap instead of just throwing it away. It's the forcing the ball to the wrong read (see: the INT followed by the near-INT in last year's NFC championship game on identical routes, just a shorter safety in coverage). It's taking a sack late in the second quarter to push us out of FG range in a close game. That stuff kills me, and he's definitely not elite in terms of learning from his mistakes.

He's noticeably better at the QB position than he was last season and continued development is what you look for in a player. He goes through reads when the protection affords it and instead of tucking and running it he keeps his eyes downfield looking to pass when he moves around the pocket.

Like CC said the sacks are an issue and I don't think it's poor pocket presence per se but just him holding on trying to allow someone to get open to make a play. He just needs to learn when the play is dead and throw the ball away or when to just tuck it run to try to get something positive from it.

And that's really the thing about Kap is he doesn't do the little nuance things that make elite QBs elite and it's something that he'll hopefully continue to pick up with experience.

People tend to forget that it took Steve Young a while to really hit his stride and it really wasn't until 93 when he became the HOF guy we all know and love which was several years after he was in the league.

I'm listening to Greg Cosell on a podcast discussing this question. He said that it's an open question on Kaepernick (after the rams game) because he's not a process qb yet, and it's an open question whether he will ever not just rely on his athletic ability and instead study the craft. He has weapons, why is it a week to week question on whether the offense will be good?

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I think he is defiantly still growing as a QB and he will only get better and better. He will have bad games every once and awhile and some bad throws but it is part of the process. I know some want to give up on him but he has a lot of promise.

I also think Roman needs to make it easier sometimes on him.. It seems like defenses are blitzing him a lot but there seems to not be many short quick routes Kap can go to when when the blitz is in his face

Nope. I don't even know why this is a question. He's gotten better since he's gotten here, just not on all the same things or necessarily what one wants him to improve on immediately. Those other things I expect him to work on.

It sounds like he's going to try to prove this isn't as "good as it gets" by working on his mechanics. Not saying anything about his work ethic before, but this one might seem a little bit more "in earnest." At least publicly speaking (I wonder if before he was coached to not reveal any issues he thinks he might have.) What I am referencing is the second part of this article:

http://m.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Michi ... 976565.php

Mechanics aren't Kaepernick's problem; his brain is. He can't see & process information fast enough to even be an average NFL quarterback.

What Sick said.

Jeff Garcia went off on Twitter saying the same thing. He needs to work on the mental part of the game.

NinerSickness wrote:Mechanics aren't Kaepernick's problem; his brain is. He can't see & process information fast enough to even be an average NFL quarterback.

Mechanics are definitely part of Kap's problem. They just aren't his biggest problem. If he can improve his accuracy and consistency, though, it's a step in the right direction. Not to mention that improving his footwork may actually allow him to get through his reads more quickly and in a rhythm. I'm not sure what a guy can do in the offseason to really work on identifying what the defense is doing, but obviously I'd like to see him work on that, too. I was pretty critical of him going to an athlete's camp last year. Hopefully he puts more of a focus on being a QB than just an athlete this offseason....

CrimsonCrew wrote:Mechanics are definitely part of Kap's problem. They just aren't his biggest problem. If he can improve his accuracy and consistency, though, it's a step in the right direction.

Do you have the least bit of hope that he'll do that though? I don't. I saw enough on the delay-of-game penalty on 3rd & 1 in the NFCCG. I have zero faith that he's ever going to be a good QB. They need to move on.

My post was just trying to use the title of this thread and relay his plans. But I do think that one can improve without getting good enough.

NinerSickness wrote:

CrimsonCrew wrote:Mechanics are definitely part of Kap's problem. They just aren't his biggest problem. If he can improve his accuracy and consistency, though, it's a step in the right direction.

Do you have the least bit of hope that he'll do that though? I don't. I saw enough on the delay-of-game penalty on 3rd & 1 in the NFCCG. I have zero faith that he's ever going to be a good QB. They need to move on.

Ridiculous. That's a team thing. They have been doing it for years, even before Harbaugh and with Alex. They run the slowest offense in the league it seems, never any hurry-up. That is coaching and play setup. Last game I watched Kap was going to the list of plays stuck to his arm, suggesting to me a too complicated game plan. I have also heard that Roman picks two plays, sends those to Harbs who then picks one and sends it to Kap. That must add 5 seconds or more and is really dumb.

zman1 wrote:Ridiculous. That's a team thing.

What's ridiculous is that you're still defending Kaepernick after he continually proved everything I said about him in the offseason. The dude is full on football ret*rded.

A team thing? He had 3 time outs! It's the QB's job to call a time out if he's not going to get the play off in time.

A steady diet of film, film, and more film is the only thing the only thing that has a chance of improving the mental aspect of Kaepernick's game.

The biggest question is if he just doesn't put enough quality time in the film room or if it's as Sick says and he just doesn't have the talent to process and react quickly to situations.

Some people are smart but aren't capable of being smart in a split second manner.

The next season will be telling because it's going to be an all new offense and we'll see how much of it was a problem with Kap and how much of it was a problem with the system and coaching.

Jikkle wrote:A steady diet of film, film, and more film is the only thing the only thing that has a chance of improving the mental aspect of Kaepernick's game.

The biggest question is if he just doesn't put enough quality time in the film room or if it's as Sick says and he just doesn't have the talent to process and react quickly to situations.

Some people are smart but aren't capable of being smart in a split second manner.

The next season will be telling because it's going to be an all new offense and we'll see how much of it was a problem with Kap and how much of it was a problem with the system and coaching.

If Baalke is the least bit intelligent, we won't find that out because Kaepernick will be gone.

And it may just be that Kaepernick's peripherals aren't very good. I'm the same way; I would make an atrocious QB. I can't see stuff around me all that well (I see fine straight ahead but not side to side). That's not fixable. It's not even a visual issue; it's an issue of how quickly someone can see something to the side and react to it. That's something that can't be taught.

NinerSickness wrote:

Jikkle wrote:A steady diet of film, film, and more film is the only thing the only thing that has a chance of improving the mental aspect of Kaepernick's game.

The biggest question is if he just doesn't put enough quality time in the film room or if it's as Sick says and he just doesn't have the talent to process and react quickly to situations.

Some people are smart but aren't capable of being smart in a split second manner.

The next season will be telling because it's going to be an all new offense and we'll see how much of it was a problem with Kap and how much of it was a problem with the system and coaching.

If Baalke is the least bit intelligent, we won't find that out because Kaepernick will be gone.

And it may just be that Kaepernick's peripherals aren't very good. I'm the same way; I would make an atrocious QB. I can't see stuff around me all that well (I see fine straight ahead but not side to side). That's not fixable. It's not even a visual issue; it's an issue of how quickly someone can see something to the side and react to it. That's something that can't be taught.

No, it can't, but it CAN be masked with a decisive QB that goes through his progressions efficiently and quickly. Not saying Kaepernick is capable of becoming that, but it's not THE deciding factor.

CrimsonCrew wrote:

NinerSickness wrote:Mechanics aren't Kaepernick's problem; his brain is. He can't see & process information fast enough to even be an average NFL quarterback.

Mechanics are definitely part of Kap's problem. They just aren't his biggest problem. If he can improve his accuracy and consistency, though, it's a step in the right direction. Not to mention that improving his footwork may actually allow him to get through his reads more quickly and in a rhythm. I'm not sure what a guy can do in the offseason to really work on identifying what the defense is doing, but obviously I'd like to see him work on that, too. I was pretty critical of him going to an athlete's camp last year. Hopefully he puts more of a focus on being a QB than just an athlete this offseason....

Kaepernick considers working with throwing coach

http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/kaepern ... ocid=yahoo

ChrisPozz wrote:

CrimsonCrew wrote:

NinerSickness wrote:Mechanics aren't Kaepernick's problem; his brain is. He can't see & process information fast enough to even be an average NFL quarterback.

Mechanics are definitely part of Kap's problem. They just aren't his biggest problem. If he can improve his accuracy and consistency, though, it's a step in the right direction. Not to mention that improving his footwork may actually allow him to get through his reads more quickly and in a rhythm. I'm not sure what a guy can do in the offseason to really work on identifying what the defense is doing, but obviously I'd like to see him work on that, too. I was pretty critical of him going to an athlete's camp last year. Hopefully he puts more of a focus on being a QB than just an athlete this offseason....

Kaepernick considers working with throwing coach

http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/kaepern ... ocid=yahoo

Does a throwing coach also mean footwork/pocket/progressions coach?