It’s pretty obvious that the Ravens want to sign Colin Kaepernick. Why else would John Harbaugh sing the former 49er’s praises with little prompting? Why else would Steve Bisciotti consult with Ray Lewis – the quintessential Raven, to presumably gain his support and then indirectly, the support of HIS fans, should the team ink the NFL’s premier lightning rod?
Why else would Bisciotti quip, “Pray for us” at the conclusion of a response to a question about signing Kaepernick? It’s as if the Ravens have decided, that from a football perspective, they want to make the move and they may need some divine intervention if they actually make it.
But why now?
Is the Ravens medical staff short on Pepto Bismol and the coaches can no longer stomach the inadequacies of Ryan Mallett during practice? Or is the Joe Flacco back injury more serious than the Ravens have led us to believe?
Either scenario is possible. Perhaps it’s both.
It’s easy to connect the dots between Kaepernick and the Ravens. There are the Harbaugh brothers for one, and then of course the connectivity between former 49ers Offensive Coordinator and now Ravens Senior Offensive Assistant, Greg Roman and Kaepernick. The fit might be there – on the football field.
But off the football field, major distractions loom and the Ravens have to be pondering the question, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” In other words, “Is Kaepernick worth the potential fallout with fans?”
“Pray for us” sounds like the Ravens are leaning towards the signing, assuming they can find the Kap-space – pun intended. And regardless of what many fans say right now about boycotting the Ravens, if Kaepernick comes on board, they’ll change their minds if it helps the Ravens win. If they don’t win, the losses will be severe.
The Ravens will lose fans.
They will lose stadium customers and concession sales could tank. Crowds will fall well below capacity. Some may even take to calling the Ravens home “MT Bank Stadium”.
And they will lose a head coach.
Signing Kaepernick is like playing with fire. Burns are likely.
Say your prayers.
