Ravens signing of QB David Olson is not ‘dodging’ Colin Kaepernick

The current situation of the Baltimore Ravens has become lost due to the surrounding circumstances.

QB Joe Flacco is out of training camp for seven days to nurse a back injury due to weightlifting/soreness. It’s not a bad injury. No use of the word strain, no stress. There may be a larger timetable, but we’re a month away from the regular season.

Due to the fact of missing your starting QB in camp, everybody jumps aboard the ‘sign a Free Agent Quarterback!’ train.

It’s a single week, just seven days of rest.

The Ravens currently have Ryan Mallett as a backup quarterback. He’s played well, and even beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on less than a one-week notice. He’s not flashy, or big-named, but he’s a good back-up quarterback that can win games.

But there are currently multiple big name free agent quarterbacks, and none bigger than Colin Kaepernick. Even saying his name feels like it riles up emotions. Suddenly football becomes political to everyone. But the Ravens aren’t dodging him due to his name, or what he stands for.

They’re not signing him because they have their back-up quarterback situation figured out, and there franchise quarterback is only out for seven days of training camp. Not a week of the regular season. Not a game. Practice.

I presume Kaep is wanting to play in this league. He wants to start, win games, and return to the Super Bowl. He doesn’t want to battle for the back-up role. I also don’t know this for a fact, but this is speculation.

Now, back to what the title means. See how easy it is to get caught up?

Yesterday, ESPN’s Ravens team reporter Jamison Hensley asked head coach John Harbaugh, “So you would not rule out the possibility of adding QB Colin Kaepernick at some point?”

During Harbaugh’s response, he helps give the explanation of everything.

“We are definitely going to get another arm in here, but [Kaepernick] is not an ‘arm,’ obviously. He is an accomplished football player, and we always like having good football players around.”

Baltimore isn’t looking for another starter. They’re literally giving their quarterback a week of rest, while they pick up some quarterback to throw passes while they bide their time. Colin isn’t just a camp arm to sling passes with the second/third/fourth string units. He’s going to battle for the back-up and starting roles, which Baltimore doesn’t need. They have two solid players in both.

If Kaepernick and his connotations weren’t around, this signing of some arena league team means nothing.

Now, if Flacco’s injury worsens, or the quarterback’s injury was worse and covered up, it’s a different story. But lower the pitchforks and the angry comments. A team has their QB missing for the first week of training camp, not the regular season.