That is what baffles me. Kaepernick scored a 38 on the Wonderlic (Brady scored a 33), so it's not a matter of IQ.
Could it be that he's just not putting in the extra work? Not putting in any homework?
I have a hard time accepting that his failure to read what the defense shows is the result of some sort of intellectual deficiency on his part.
Does one fail at an action if one never actually goes through the process of attempting the action? I suspect Kap never has done much third and fourth reads - possibly not a lot of second. And his score on a test or his throwing passes in practice isn't necessarily going to change that. Kap is what he is and, imho, that was an extremely athletic QB who fed his passing with the production from running (and vice versa). Look at his successful season and a half, gouging running and hitting a lot of passes -- but those passes were to a whole lot of very open targets. Defenses were stumped, I believe, with the threat of being gouged so badly by the QB running laser fast through the defense. And that opened up a lot for the pass game.
Kap was successful for a season and a half when he was piling up production using his legs. Now look at his troubled past season and a half - his 'legs' production is precipitously down. Shockingly, not, when he loses that production his overall production went down.
So then why doesn't he simply run more ....as many stated last year? Why are the coaches stifling him? why is the OC not calling more plays that offer him the ability to run? IMHO NFL defenses adjusted to the Kap type QB. Kap may be able to still make some runs but the days of gouging defenses was significantly over. Now he was going to have to win by sitting in the pocket much more often, make many more multiple reads, make many more good passes. And based on the new need for Kap as a QB, why would anyone believe Kap
should be successful when much much less running + much more pocket passing is something he never really showed he was capable of?
When a rookie comes into the NFL typically he is either progressing season after season or he is dying. Whatever he is doing well this year has to be better next year and/or a different capability is now better. Teams are too good at scouting and preparing on how to stop you. That means stagnant abilities to produce are probably going to suffer. IMHO what Kap was two years ago is what Kap is today. Teams did their homework on him and Kap cannot overcome it. He is either incapable of that needed growth, not getting the right coaching to absorb it, or he didn't put the time in to get it. IMHO Kap is all but done in the NFL as a QB and may be close to done altogether. Chances he is going to get the reps to develop the ability to be a pocket passer most of the time is unlikely.
No animosity to him - generally I hope he works it out. Maybe with less fanfare and commercial business ops, it will aid him developing what he must develop..
