Chargers Roundtable: Colin Kaepernick or Robert Griffin III?

I tossed out the question to the guys on the staff as to who they would rather have as a backup quarterback, Collin Kaepernick or Robert Griffin III, after it was reported Griffin had a workout with the Chargers. Kellen Clemens saving grace would be that he has a dirt cheap contract. All the so called camaraderie Clemens has with Philip Rivers goes out the door when El captain leads the league in interceptions.

Daniel Stebbins: Kap by a pretty decent margin. Neither have been very good in a few years but Kap's lows can't even compare to RGIII, not to mention the injury issues. I very much believe Kap has some good football left in him and would likely have more success with the Chargers should he have to play, his surrounding cast in SF was pretty abysmal. That being said, either is a major upgrade over Clemens who offers nothing but sadness.

Matthew Stanley: Thats a tough one. I think Kaep has a bit of a higher ceiling, he's obviously had more success in the league. He's also got a better injury history than RGIII. I also think he's pretty marketable, for as many people as there are that don’t like him there are just as many that do. RGIII on the other hand could probably be signed for less and would still be an upgrade over any QB not named Rivers that is currently on the roster. I think if this question was next offseason I'd be pounding the table for Kap because I'd want the best QB available if the rookie QB of the future isn't ready to start either next year or the year after. However, as the team currently stands, I'm fine spending less money for a less talented QB who’ll still be an upgrade over what the team currently has. Plus, Rivers needs a new best friend now that Danny Woodhead is gone.

British Jamie: Kap any day of the week. He was passable when playing with a horrendous supporting cast at the 49ers, and it wasn't that long ago that he was leading the 49ers to the Superbowl. The 'off the field' concerns are overblown and downright stupid. He'd be a great backup for the right price.

Derrick Browne: Kaep easily. He's the best option out there and has been for a while. He'd have a solid team around him here and a system that better fits his skill set. Plus, he's an instant upgrade over Clemens. Easy choice here.

James Michaels: RGIII for me. I saw many of his games during his rookie season, and he was truly running at a high level. He's got heart, he's got gumption, and he's been stewing, waiting for a real non-Browns renaissance. The best part is that he's already the butt of the joke, so there won't be "Bring Back Kaep!" chants every time Rivers gets an interception. No one should ever want the backup to see the field, and politicizing the team (unfairly, but it's guaranteed) would be a huge distraction.

Mike Peterson: I would feel more confident in Kap over RG3 due to his cleaner health bill. If Coach Lynn wants a backup with mobility to use as another wrinkle in the offense, Kap can still move and fans won't hold their breath every time he tucks it.

Jamie Hoyle: does it really matter? The backup in 2017 isn't being brought in to replace 17 long term, he isn't going to replace 17 after a bad performance, and the truth is, he will probably never see the field outside of the preseason unless they design a couple specialty packages for him. That said, I'd probably go with RG3 if I had to choose because I think he has more realistic expectations for himself as a back up after the last few years than Kap, who probably still thinks he should be starting somewhere. If we understand the back up is coming in to hold a clip board this year, the answer is RG3. If we're looking for him to be the bridge between 17 and the future in a year or two, then it's probably Kap - we just aren't there yet.

Ryan Doyle: It doesn't matter to me. I would rather have RGIII. Kap is probably the better option, but if Philip Rivers goes down, the season is over. I could go without the Kaepernick distraction and whether or not the Bolts will have a package of plays for him. I'm one of the few who didn't mind Clemens as the backup.

Ruben Gonzalez: I'm will firmly say that RG3 is the choice for me. He's got some zip and is less of a one trick pony. I've got a lot of 49ers fans as friends and they stopped believing he (Kaep) was the answer the day the 49ers defense retired and the team had to rely on his playmaking to win. Sure, you could say he didn't have any weapons, but from what I have gathered, he wasn't someone the whole team wanted to go to battle with. And I guess I'll be the first to address the elephant in the room, I'm still not sure how I feel about the whole kneel down issue. I'm not looking forward to any distractions that will hinder Coach Lynn's mentality re-molding. And one last thing, RG3 has awesome initials.

Richard Wade: Neither player is good. As a fan of the Chargers, I would want them to bring in the backup player who won't generate headlines and won't be a distraction. As someone who has to produce content about the team on a daily basis, give me Kaepernick.

KP: Kapernick is the better player. He doesn't see ghosts in the pocket. Money is an issue here, however. He'll likely cost a lot more than Griffin, who could be brought in for what Clemens is making. I just want the preseason to be interesting so I'll take Kapernick.

Garrett Sisti: I don't think you can objectively look at how both RG3 and Kaep played last year and say they deserve to be starting over Philip Rivers, even at Rivers worst last year. So I don't think the quarterback controversy carries much weight. Every team is always looking to upgrade their roster at every level and so the fundamental question being: “who is the better quarterback," because we know both players are upgrades over Kellen Clemens, the answer is Colin Kaepernick and I don't think there is much of an argument.