Well, this is a rough break.
Former 49ers second string quarterback Colin Kaepernick still hasn’t received any offers from any NFL teams after his ill-fated public “workout” two weeks ago, but one of the wide receivers who was brought in to catch for Kaepernick during the event has been asked to try out for the Cleveland Browns.
Jordan Veasy, who appeared on the field with Kaepernick for the workout Kaepernick’s team hosted after dropping out of the official NFL-organized team event, was among several players working out with the Browns on Monday, and word has it, the Browns may have seen how good he was when they showed up to assess Kaepernick, according to Heavy.com.
NFL tryout/visit report from Monday. Browns: CB Dee Delaney; DEs Terence Fede, Noah Spencer; DTs Walter Palmore, Caraun Reid; WR Jordan Veasy. So, one of Colin Kaepernick's receivers from his recent workout (Veasy) gets a tryout.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) November 26, 2019
“Veasy played his college football at California, racking up 63 catches for 797 yards and nine touchdowns with the Golden Bears,” Total Pro Sports added. “However, he has yet to find a long-term home in the NFL, having been on practice squads of the Titans, Jaguars, Colts and most recently the Bills. He was released in October from Buffalo.”
The tryout is a longshot for Veasy, particularly since the Browns just picked up J’Mon Moore, but it is a bit sadly ironic for Kaepernick, regardless, now that no offer has come through from any NFL team that showed up to take in his recent demonstration of skill.
CBS Sports reported Wednesday that Kaepernick “hasn’t received a single phone call from any of the 32 teams,” even for a private visit or a second workout. The seven teams that attended Kaepernick’s event didn’t bite — and neither did any of the 25 teams that turned down the invitation.
Kaepernick’s agent told reporters Tuesday that the outcome isn’t surprising, though he blamed the NFL, not the individual teams.
“I’ll be honest, I’m a little bit pessimistic because I’ve talked to all 32 teams,” he said. “I’ve reached out to them recently, and none of them have had any interest. I’ll tell you this: No team asked for this workout. The league office asked for this workout.”
Ahead of the workout, it seemed clear that Kaepernick was being given a unexpected second chance by the league after settling a conspiracy lawsuit with the NFL, in which Kaepernick alleged that the 32 NFL owners — and, possibly President Donald Trump — colluded to lock him out of play because he engaged in anti-racism protests during pre-game patriotic festivities. It also seemed clear that Kaepernick was being given the message that if he played by the rules and went along with the NFL’s plan, he’d get at least a few offers.
That didn’t happen, of course. Shortly before the workout was set to begin, Kaepernick pulled out, citing a “waiver” he’d been forced to sign and whether media would be allowed to attend the event. His team eventually reorganized the workout, but at a nearby high school football field. Most teams that sent a representative for the event declined to follow Kaepernick to the second location. The NFL now says the workout was “needlessly derailed” by Kaepernick’s team, who poisoned the well.
CBS Sports reports that Kaepernick is exploring the possibility of holding a second workout, this time at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting. But perhaps Jordan Veasy should be the star of that show, instead.