One day after the Baltimore Ravens floated the possibility of signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick to a deal, they signed David Olson, a relatively unknown signal-caller who last played for the Kansas City Phantoms of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league. On their Twitter account, the Ravens confirmed the signing of Olson, who played college football as backup quarterback at Stanford before transferring to Clemson. During his college stint, he threw just three passes with Clemson and did not throw a pass with Stanford. The 25-year-old Olson also saw action for the Wichita Force and the Indoor Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers.
Earlier, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed interest in signing Kaepernick after it was revealed that starting quarterback Joe Flacco has a back issue that could sideline him from three to six weeks. However, the Ravens opted to sign Olson instead of Kaepernick. Olson's signing may signal that Flacco's injury may not be serious as first anticipated. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said Kaepernick may still be signed by the Ravens if it will be discovered hat Flacco's back injury is serious. Flacco is known for his durability as he never missed a Week 1 start since he became the Ravens starter in 2008.
Flacco said Kaepernick a perfect fit for Ravens
Flacco said he wants Kaepernick to get another chance in the NFL and the Ravens could be a good spot for him.
“He can come here and have some fun. I think it would be a good spot for him,” said Flacco. The 29-year-old Kaepernick had a decent performance last season for the San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions in 11 starts. He also added 468 yards and two rushing touchdowns for the 49ers.
However, he failed to receive any interest after he opted out of his contract with the 49ers, probably due to his decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem as part of his protest against social injustice. Aside from giving the Ravens a solid backup, he can step up as starter if needed.
Mallett miserable during training camp
According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, Mallett had a miserable performance against the Ravens defensive during training camp. Hensley said Mallett “looked awful filling in for Flacco with the first team” as he was intercepted five times and almost picked off twice. Mallett even threw his white towel in frustration after he was intercepted for the fifth time.
