NFL Network analyst Steve Wyche spent time in Santa Clara for the San Francisco 49ers' three day minicamp, which concluded on Thursday. What did he feel was the biggest takeaway from this week? As has been the focus by the majority of the media, it was QB Colin Kaepernick.
Wyche pointed out that he covered Kaepernick back when he took part in the Senior Bowl. He felt that Kaepernick was a little more engaging back then and then as his career progressed in the NFL, that changed. Wyche felt that the engaging Kaepernick was back during his 18-minute interview with the media following Thursday's practice.
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"He's had a whole year or so to see Blaine Gabbert, who is a very engaging guy, really kind of showcase himself to the media, to his teammates. So I think he was taking some notes right there too because this is a last stand for Colin Kaepernick with the organization and I think that he wanted to come out and try his best to clear the air without putting his foot into something that can make things a little bit more scary," said Wyche.
When asked about Kaepernick's relationship with the franchise, Wyche pointed out that while the quarterback has likely put a band-aid on the relationship between himself, his teammates and the coaching staff, he doesn't believe that the relationship between Kaepernick and the franchise is good. On Thursday, Kaepernick said that he has not yet had any discussions with general manager Trent Baalke following everything that occurred this offseason.
Wyche believes that there is breakdown in trust between Kaepernick and the organization. After all, not too long ago, he signed what was considered a team-friendly deal so that the team could continue to maintain and even strengthen their roster. That did not happen. The issues with his injuries and how the team handled them may have also played a part in the breakdown.
"I think Kaepernick fully understands this has got to be the training camp of his life. He has not had much offseason of work. He's been recovering from those surgeries. He has got to come out and compete on a team that we have no idea what the 49ers are going be," said Wyche while calling the team a "startup."
You can watch the entire segment below.
Steve Wyche: Colin Kaepernick has become more engaging with his teammates
