Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick Could Change Teams’ Quarterback Philosophies

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have been two of the NFL’s model franchises in recent years. It’s no surprise that success coincides with consistent quarterback play.

Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick have been two of the better quarterbacks in the league since they were drafted for their respective teams. That’s because both players have undeniable talent, a testament to the scouting done by both teams.

Another reason they’ve been so important to their teams’ success is rooted in the salary cap. Neither player was a high draft pick, so neither commanded high salaries out of college. That allowed those teams to build around those players. When the quarterbacks blossomed, they did so around deep, well-balanced teams.

Will that type of success start to change the way the quarterback position is viewed? Former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels touched on that subject in his latest post for the website Football By Football. Rosenfels pointed out that those relatively minuscule quarterback salaries allowed the teams to spend like crazy in free agency. Now, with Kaepernick having a richer contract and Wilson in line for one of his own, the Niners and ‘Hawks will start to feel the cap crunch other teams with high-paid quarterbacks experience.

What if, Rosenfels wondered, more teams tried to find those cheaper options in the draft and utilize that game plan?

“They’d probably be stacked at a lot of positions as the extra cash would allow them to sign more expensive free agents and resign their current players,” he wrote. “The extra depth would allow them to overwhelm teams as well as replace injured players with solid veterans instead of undrafted rookies — a nice advantage that few teams have had the last few years.”

However, it might be a little too radical for teams to try — for now.

“Will Seattle pay Russell Wilson those huge dollars?  I have zero doubt,” Rosenfels wrote. “Is it a good idea to do that?  Probably.

“But if teams are constantly looking for an edge and researching the best ways to win a championship, they wouldn’t be thorough if they didn’t discuss the “non-franchise” quarterback model.  I’m fairly sure nobody would give it a try because failure would be career suicide. ”

Click here to read Rosenfels’ story at Football By Football >>

Photo via Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports Images