San Francisco 49ers To Sign Another Veteran QB To Back Up Colin Kaepernick

It's been reported by PFT's Mike Florio that the San Francisco 49ers will sign another veteran quarterback to back up Colin Kaepernick. Dante Culpepper is apparently headed to Santa Clara for a workout with Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers. If the 49ers sign him, he will probably be the third-stringer, but may try and compete with Alex Smith for the second spot. 

I am sure that struck a chord or two. Yes, I said another veteran backup, meaning Alex Smith will be a backup quarterback by Week 8—if not much, much sooner.

I recently wrote an article asking for patience and time in regards to the quarterback situation—an article which some of my regular readers referred to as level-headed and the voice of reason. I am taking it all back. Sorry guys.

Today, I watched every snap Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick took. I watched them several times. My entire opinion has changed.

Alex Smith

After throwing the ball to his receiver's feet on his first attempt, Alex then took a vicious hit that was clearly a missed assignment and unavoidable for any quarterback. That is where the excuses stop.

From that point forward it was nothing but misreads, inaccurate passes and the absence of the necessary audibles that a capable quarterback would have used to protect himself and take advantage of the defense.. 

Alex Smith is clearly the same guy he has been for the last six years. The bottom line for Smith is that he doesn't make the throws, the reads or the audibles, and he doesn't have the gumption to be a consistent winner.

Six years and one preseason game tell me that Alex Smith is not a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Colin Kaepernick

Watching Colin Kaepernick in his debut was the most exciting thing I have been able to do as a 49er fan since Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens left.

The first difference you see in Kaepernick, is his ability to make plays on his feet. He was able to pick up several first downs after avoiding the pressure—a skill the 49ers haven't had since Steve Young retired. 

Secondly, Alex Smith's arm is just incomparable to Kaepernick's. There is not a throw he can't make.

Kaepernick clearly has the burning desire to win, and the athletic ability to take him there; he just needs experience—something he won't get on the sidelines.

Yes, he threw a couple bad picks; no doubting that. He also had two fumbles—one was Colin not protecting the ball on a sack, but the other was a bad snap at his ankles. 

We should also consider the receivers as well. It's not like he had Vernon Davis or Braylon Edwards to throw to. Rookie Ronald Johnson seemed to be Kaepernick's main target, and Johnson, unfortunately, didn't make any plays on the ball. An experienced receiver would have snatched at least one or two more of those throws.

Conclusion

Colin Kaepernick needs more experience to become the quarterback we need him to be, but there is only one way to get experience.

Despite only being in the NFL for two weeks, Kaepernick has managed to play at a superior level to Alex Smith. He was in command of the team, and for once, I felt like we had a chance to win.

The facts are, Alex Smith is not a good quarterback. Colin Kaepernick can become a great one with experience and under the watch of Jim Harbaugh. 

I had a chance to ask Kaepernick a few questions in June and he told me he believes he will be a great quarterback for the 49ers. After finally seeing him in action, I believe him.

My vote - let the rookie get started. 

Thank you for reading. Please join me on Twitter    @ryanthebroker

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