Mike Brown wanted to draft Kaepernick over Dalton

[ThomasTomasz]

Colin Kaepernick will be the 49ers starting quarterback in Green Bay on Sunday, but he wouldn't be if Bengals owner Mike Brown would have had his way during the 2011 NFL Draft.

Brown, who also serves as the team's general manager, admitted during an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer this week that he wanted to draft Kaepernick with the 35th overall pick and not Andy Dalton. "I like [Kaepernick]. He has unusual mobility," Brown said of his thoughts at the time.

However, the Bengals didn't take Kaepernick though because offensive coordinator Jay Gruden was able to talk Brown out of it. Gruden felt that Dalton fit his offense better than Kaepernick did.

The Bengals ended up selecting Dalton at no. 35 and Kaepernick didn't last much longer. The 49ers selected the former Nevada quarterback with the very next pick. Neither team can really complain with the results so far. Dalton has taken the Bengals to the postseason three straight times. Before Dalton's arrival, the Bengals had never made the postseason three straight times at any point in franchise history.

As for Kaepernick, he took over as the 49ers starter after Alex Smith went down in 2012 and ended up leading San Francisco to the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old led the 49ers to a 12-4 record and a wild-card berth this season.

Kaepernick and Dalton aren't just linked through the draft, they're also linked in age. The two quarterbacks were born five days apart in 1987 with Dalton born on Oct. 29 and Kaepernick born on Nov. 3

Stories like this pop up all the time -- where a general manager says he was going to draft a certain player -- so it's hard to separate fact from fiction. For instance, it was reported in September that the Eagles were going to trade the 49ers for Kaepernick, but they didn't because they wanted to focus on drafting Russell Wilson.

Brown's story seems to make sense though, the Bengals took A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick and the team didn't try to hide their intentions of taking a quarterback at No. 35. That quarterback just ended up being Andy Dalton instead of Colin Kaepernick.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...mike-brown-i-wanted-to-draft-colin-kaepernick

 

[Tailback U]

Interesting, but I don't get why Brown would say this right before a big playoff game.

Stupid on his part.

 

[calgaryballer]

I also don't trust the Bengals to get the same thing out of him that SF has.

 

[wr50l]

To be honest, if the Packers don't drop 2 additional easy interceptions Kaepernick has 3 picks, that DB walks into the endzone at the end, Green Bay rolls to victory and Kaepernick is getting ridiculed. On that same theme, Bernard drops the ball on the way to the endzone, Dalton has an all time fluke of a fumble, and now it's Dalton getting ridiculed.

Basically what I'm saying is they both have a lot to prove before I start labelling them as great draft picks.

 

[Tailback U]

What? So far, they have both been great draft picks.

2nd round QB's that come in right away and get your team to the playoffs multiple times and even a Super Bowl are great draft picks.

They've both helped their teams greatly in a very short amount of time. What else do you want from a 2nd round draft pick?

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

What? So far, they have both been great draft picks.

2nd round QB's that come in right away and get your team to the playoffs multiple times and even a Super Bowl are great draft picks.

They've both helped their teams greatly in a very short amount of time. What else do you want from a 2nd round draft pick?

5 superbowls or bust.

P.S unless your coordinator is going to the Hall of Fame you never Draft a 1st or 2nd player specifically for his system especially a QB.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Dalton and Kaepernick are both in the same tier of QB...not sure why Brown would even mention anything...it isn't like Kaepernick is much better then Dalton, not is Dalton a bum.

Dalton has taken his team to three straight playoff appearances...this is the damn Bengals we talkin about. He isn't a tier one QB or anything, but a fine QB who keeps on improving. Maxed out possible as a low 60% QB, lowering INT%, rising TD%...he is good and getting better. He'll top off soon and he has some limitations, but he is a fine starting NFL QB.

 

[NAHSTE]

Shite game yesterday aside, Dalton is generally pretty limited. He's been serviceable but he's pretty much a JAG. The Bengals should probably upgrade soon if possible.

That said, Kaep is pretty overrated and would agree he's not THAT much better than :redrocket: so probably best to leave this unsaid.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Shite game yesterday aside, Dalton is generally pretty limited. He's been serviceable but he's pretty much a JAG. The Bengals should probably upgrade soon if possible.

That said, Kaep is pretty overrated and would agree he's not THAT much better than :redrocket: so probably best to leave this unsaid.

Dalton is a Top 15 NFL QB. Not really a JAG.

 

[NAHSTE]

Dalton is a Top 15 NFL QB. Not really a JAG.

Nah he's trash, b

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Nah he's trash, b

He is right on the Alex Smith mid-tier line.

Not Jaggy, bruh.

 

[NAHSTE]

He is right on the Alex Smith mid-tier line.

Not Jaggy, bruh.

His performance yesterday was sub-Smithian. Fucking terrible, no way around it. I know that's just one game doh.