vying to become the 30th player all-time to reach 3,000 hits.Its been fun,

Colin Kaepernick ended the 2015 season injured and backing up a Jacksonville Jaguars draft bust, but the 49ers quarterback now looks set for a fresh start in San Francisco. Rewind a couple of months, and a Kaepernick return in 2016 wouldve seemed incredibly unlikely. The 28-year old was recovering from shoulder surgery, his back-up Blaine Gabbert seemed more suited to now-former offensive coordinator Geep Chrysts offence, and when Kaepernick actually played, he was poor.Speculation that he would leave San Francisco intensified, with some sources claiming that the quarterback himself was keen to move on. All of this for a player who had led his team to the Super Bowl just two years previously, then viewed by many as a franchise quarterback. Add in the fact that keeping Kaepernick would result in a $16.8m salary cap hit for San Francisco, and all signs pointed to the exit door. Kaepernicks recent form has been a far cry from his performances when leading the 49ers to Super Bowl 47 Return to February 2016, and things are looking up for Kaepernick. Stop-gap coach Jim Tomsula has been replaced by former Philadelphia Eagles head coach and offensive guru Chip Kelly. Immediately after the announcement of Kellys appointment, many analysts began to speculate that maybe it wasnt all over between Kaepernick and the Niners.Indeed, it now looks almost certain their relationship will continue, with 49ers general manager Trent Baalke addressing the media on Wednesday. (Kaepernick) won some big games for the San Francisco 49ers and (we) expect him to come back Trent Baalke, San Francisco 49ers general manager Colins done some awful good things through his career, won some big games for the San Francisco 49ers and [we] expect him to come back, said Baalke.So, there it is - apparent confirmation that Kaepernick will return to San Francisco after all. What does this mean for the team going forward?The cap hitFirst things first, re-signing Kaepernick is going to cost a lot of money. As mentioned, the franchise will take a $16.8m salary cap hit if they do indeed bring him back. Even if you dont follow the NFL, you know that this is a considerable sum, especially considering his below-par performances last season. It also means theres less money to go elsewhere.This means that Kaepernick will be guaranteed his salary of $11.9m, although San Francisco will retain the right to release him before April 1 in 2017 and 2018. Blaine Gabbert replaced Kaepernick as San Franciscos starting quarterback mid-way through last season Its an interesting decision from the 49ers, given that Kaepernick - injury aside - had the worst season of his career in 2015. Blaine Gabbert, one of the biggest draft busts in recent years, finished the season with a better completion percentage than Kaepernick, passed for more yards than Kaepernick and suffered fewer sacks. Astonishingly, Gabbert also managed a higher rushing average, given Kaepernicks strengths on the ground. Gabbert also put together a 3-5 record, with Kaepernick going 2-6 as the they split starts across the season. Despite all of this, the 49ers clearly believe that he can rediscover his best form of 2012 and 2013.Kaepernick may still want outKaepernick has already said himself that he may still want to leave, even if the 49ers want to keep him. Reports late on Thursday night appeared to suggest that his representatives have asked the franchise to put Kaepernick on the trade block. Thats despite general manager Baalke saying he absolutely wanted to keep him on board.However, new head coach Chip Kelly appears keen to retain Kaepernick. With a decision not having to be made until April 1, this one could rumble on for some time yet.The Chip Kelly effect Chip Kelly will be tasked with re-invigorating Colin Kaepernicks career While the large cap hit would have certainly crossed the minds of those in the 49ers front office, the arrival of Chip Kelly was probably what swung the pendulum in the favour of Kaepernicks retention.Kelly was a wonderful college football coach, to put it simply. He excelled at Oregon, leading the team to the national championship game in his final year in charge with one of the most explosive offences seen in recent years. Much of that was due to his use of a dual-threat quarterback. At Oregon, Kelly had a gifted passer who could rush like a legitimate running back - a certain young first-year player in Marcus Mariota, now impressing in the NFL with Tennessee. Chip Kelly arrives in San Francisco after three years in Philadelphia Now in San Francisco, Kelly is presented with Kaepernick - a quarterback who epitomises the term dual-threat. On his day, you could argue there isnt anyone better in the entire NFL. This presents a tantalising prospect, as in three years at Philadelphia, Kelly never had the chance to work with a true dual-threat quarterback, other than a brief flirtation with veteran passer Michael Vick at the very beginning. In much of his tenure in Philly, Kelly still managed to make the offence tick with the likes of Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez under center.Whether its boom or bust for the Kelly and Kaepernick tandem, it certainly isnt going to be short of intrigue. In the first half of Super Bowl 50, several players and coaches were wired for sound. Hear their reactions to the on-field events Draft optionsEven with Kaepernick staying, the 49ers could decide to bring in a project for the future in the draft. With the franchise picking seventh, they will have at least one or two of this years top quarterback prospects to consider. Could former Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch be a target for the 49ers? Its likely that at least one of the consensus top three prospects - Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch - will have gone by the time Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly make their selection, especially with quarterback-desperate Cleveland picking second.Memphis alumnus Lynch could present an interesting option for San Francisco in the long run. Many scouts have compared his build and athleticism to the leagues top dual-threat passers, such as Cam Newton, Mariota and Kaepernick himself. Kaepernicks return could mean the 49ers select a defensive player, such as Notre Dames Jaylon Smith (right), with their first round draft pick However, if Kaepernick can return to form, quarterback wont be as much of a need as it may currently seem, if at all. Granted, that will come down to if the 49ers are confident they can get the best out of him once again. If so, Baalke may look to strengthen their defensive pass rush, or indeed, their offensive line.Its a team that showed last year they have a number of needs, so giving Kaepernick one last try perhaps makes sense to allow them to address these this year.Free agency Could Robert Griffin III be another option for the 49ers? We looked yesterday at what could be next for outgoing Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. The 49ers could be yet another option, especially considering he is another player with the dual-threat abilities that Kelly could bring to the fore. What next for RG3? Where does the Redskins quarterback go next? However, with his knee taking a shattering in recent years and his performance levels a concern, its unclear as to what Griffin will be like when he returns to the field. If Kaepernick is deemed a risk, then Griffin would seem an even bigger one for the 49ers to take. Also See: NFL Ins & Outs Redskins to move on from Griffin III What next for RG3? Pundits Nike Air Max 97 Canada .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Canada Nike Air Max Tailwind . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/ .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. Air Max 95 Sale Canada . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Air Max 200 Canada . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. PHILADELPHIA -- Tom Koehler has watched his teammates play good baseball for the last month, and he was happy to finally help out.Koehler pitched eight strong innings, Ichiro Suzuki moved within four hits of reaching 3,000 for his career and the Miami Marlins pounded out 16 hits in a 9-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.Koehler (7-8) rebounded from a month-long slump with arguably his best outing of the season. He gave up two hits and only one of his three runs allowed was earned while striking out five and walking one while tying his career-high for innings. The right-hander had been 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in his last five outings and hadnt gone more than five innings in any of his previous four starts.Step in the right direction, Koehler said. Were playing great baseball and Im happy Im able to contribute. I was trying to get back to what makes me who I am. I needed to pitch better than I have been and I did that tonight.Christian Yelich homered for the Marlins, who won three of four over the Phillies to cap a seven-game road trip 5-2. Miami moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the idle Mets for the second wild-card spot in the National League. The Marlins return home for an important 10-game series that begins on Friday night against the Mets.Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis homered for Philadelphia, which has dropped four of five.The Marlins gave Koehler a big lead in the fourth.Miami battered Jerad Eickhoff (6-11) for four runs on four hits -- all extra-base -- to take a 4-0 lead.Yelich led off with an opposite-field shot, tying his career-high with his ninth homer of the season. RBI doubles by Chris Johnson and Adeiny Hechavarria and Jeff Mathis groundout also plated runs in the frame.Just put good swings on good pitches to hit and good things happen, Yelich said.The Phillies got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the frame on Howards two-out homer that broke up Koehlers no-hit bid. The opposite-field shot gave Howard 14 for the season and 371 for his career, moving him out of a tie with Gil Hodges for 77th all-time.The Marlins got those runs back in the top of the fifth. Singles by Martin Prado and Yelich to start the frame put runners on first and third. Prado scored on Eickhoffs wild pitch and Yelich reached when shortstop Freddy Galvis threw the ball away trying to get Yelich out at third on Derek Dietrichs infield single.ddddddddddddEickhoff had one of his worst outings of the season, matching season-worsts for innings pitch and hits allowed. He gave up six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits in five innings with six strikeouts and no walks.The funny thing is I thought I executed a lot of good pitches, Eickhoff said. Theres a couple times I got behind and had to make a pitch over the plate a little more and that kind of hurt me. They did some good damage to those pitches.Miami added three runs on five hits in the eighth off Daniel Stumpf. Marcell Ozuna had a two-run single and Koehler recorded his second RBI of the season with a single. Koehler is batting .097 with three hits in 31 at-bats.SUZUKI CLOSE TO 3KSuzuki hit an infield single in the third and a solid single to right-center in the eighth to bring his major-league total to 2,996. He is vying to become the 30th player all-time to reach 3,000 hits.Its been fun, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. Hes a great guy to watch.The 42-year-old Suzuki joked that he had plenty of time to reach the milestone.Donny (Mattingly) said I was going to play for seven more years, Suzuki said through an interpreter. I should be able to get four more (hits) in seven years.STARTERS STREAK SNAPPEDEickhoffs outing halted Philadelphias starting pitchers streak of seven straight games with at least six innings. The last time Phillies starters had a streak as long was May 2014.YELICH LIKES PHILYYelich is batting .366 (34-for-93) in 22 career games at Philadelphias Citizens Bank Park.TRAINERS ROOMPhillies: OF Aaron Altherr had his rehab assignment moved to Double-A Reading on Thursday. Altherr has been out all year after injuring his wrist in spring training.UP NEXTMarlins: Marlins LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 3.61) faces Mets RHP Logan Verrett (3-6, 4.21) to start a three-game series on Friday night in Miami.Phillies: RHP Zack Eflin (2-3, 4.14) takes the hill for Philadelphia to open a 10-game road trip against Pittsburghs Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.11) on Friday night. ' ' '