Seahawks bring Colin Kaepernick, Austin Davis for visits Wednesday
SEATTLE – In their escalating search for a veteran backup quarterback, the Seahawks on Wednesday brought in Colin Kaepernick and Austin Davis for visits, the Seattle Times confirmed.
The visits, though, don’t mean a signing is necessarily immediately in the offing. Indications instead are that the Seahawks will use the visits to gather information – including possibly what each player may want contractually – and then take a little time to make a decision. Nothing may decided until at least after Memorial Day weekend.
Still, the news of the visits indicates some progress being made in Seattle’s quest to secure another QB to compete with Trevone Boykin as the backup behind Russell Wilson.
The Seahawks are not on the field this week, having been docked a week of OTAs (Organized Team Activities) as punishment for violating rules on offseason practice a year ago. The Seahawks might like to have a new backup at some point during OTAs, but it’s not thought the team regards that as a priority.
That the Seahawks are bringing in multiple QBs, though, also goes along with what coach Pete Carroll had said, that the team would be “looking at everybody” as it attempts to upgrade the competition for the backup spot behind Russell Wilson, even if most of the focus on Seattle’s efforts in that regard has centered on Kaepnerick.
The 27-year-old Davis has 10 starts in a career dating to 2012, eight coming with the Rams in 2014. One of his starts in 2014 included a 28-26 win over the Seahawks in St. Louis. He has a 3-7 record in his 10 starts and was with Denver last season but did not see action before being released in December.
Seattle has been looking at veterans the last few weeks to bolster the backup QB competition, particularly after being unable to find a rookie – either via the draft or free agency – that the team felt could legitimately give Boykin a challenge.
Boykin still has unresolved legal issues dating to a March arrest for public intoxication and marijuana possession. And while the team is confident those charges won’t impact his availability to play, the matter may be unsettled into the summer, and the team wants to have someone to battle with Boykin regardless. The only other QB on the roster is Jake Heaps.
Seattle cut former West Virginia QB Skyler Howard following rookie mini-camp and did not sign Daniel Birdsong as a tryout player, which increased the team’s urgency to look for a veteran backup.
Kaepernick was the primary starting QB for the 49ers from 2012-16 but opted out of his contract to become a free agent in March (he would have been released had he not).
That the 29-year-old has remained unsigned has generated no lack of debate, with many wondering how much of an impact has been his decision last year to initially sit and then kneel during the national anthem on the interest of teams in signing (it has been reported that he has told teams he will stand during the anthem this season).
Kaepernick’s visit came at roughly the same time as New York-based organization – 100 Suits for 100 Men – staged a show of support of Kaepernick in front of NFL headquarters in New York. The organization is a nonprofit to which Kaepernick recently donated 50 suits in order to help recent parolees in job interviews.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seemed to imply Tuesday he didn’t think teams were blackballing Kaepernick but instead each making their own individual decision about their QB spot.
It looks like we’re at least getting a little bit closer to decision time for the Seahawks.