The San Francisco 49ers have spent the offseason being ground in the rumor mill, with Colin Kaepernick trade buzz this offseason's topic de jour.
Earlier this week, after Colin Kaepernick reported to Niners offseason workouts, NFL Media analysts LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Robinson postulated that the quarterback being in the locker room after requesting a trade would eventually cause problems.
So far Kaepernick's teammates haven't seen it that way. So far.
"When the season rolls around, I think it will be a distraction," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said Wednesday, via ESPN.com. "But right now, guys are just focused on what we have to do.
"I'm sure upstairs (the 49ers' front office) and Colin are trying to get everything right."
As we noted earlier this week, Kap's teammates -- and the quarterback himself, if he ever speaks publicly -- are all likely to say the right things early in the offseason. There is no point in trashing a teammate currently in your own locker room.
Bowman, one of the leaders in that Niners' locker room, sounds as though he'd like a quick resolution.
"But guys are out there on the field putting their work in," Bowman said. "That's the guys that we're going to continue to work with and try to get better."
Unfortunately, the situation doesn't appear close to over, with the draft upcoming and Kaepernick's injury situation still evolving. The Broncos are willing to play hardball to get Kap to take a pay cut. The quarterback -- justifiably -- doesn't want to give money back. Yet, the trade request remains.
Running back Carlos Hyde said right now teammates don't treat the quarterback any different.
"We treat Kap the same way," Hyde said. "He's part of the team right now. He's in there every day. He's in the big room with us. We treat him like he's our teammate, which he is, so we don't treat him any differently."
The key to both Bowman's and Hyde's comments is the "right now" modifier. In Phase 1 of offseason workouts, players can ignore the rumors and innuendo. As we press on through the summer, they will want to be certain a teammate -- especially a quarterback -- is all in, ready to battle with and for them, not with an eye on another destination.
