The idea is simple, but finding a solid backup QB in July isn't. Matt Bowen
The varying reports on the future of Michael Vick in Philly this week are interesting, because the act of cutting a player in this league is very easy to do. The coach calls him into the office, throws out some carbon copy speech that is used across the league and he moves on. Simple, and it takes about five minutes.
But, the hard part about cutting Vick in July — weeks before camp opens — is finding a replacement. We don’t often see NFL teams letting their No. 2 QB walk this late in the offseason. Does that mean it can’t go down? No, but we have to look what type of impact it would have on the Eagles.
ICONThe Eagles' Michael Vick.
I will be the first to admit that I question Vick’s ability to ever regain a starting role in the NFL for a productive offense, but that doesn’t discount his ability to sit behind Kevin Kolb. When he did see the field in ’09, he was used as a gadget guy of sorts in the wildcat and other creative schemes by head coach Andy Reid.
But that is just window dressing.
His real value to the Eagles is the stability he can provide to this club if Kolb were to go down. Finish out a game. Step in for a week. Handle the west coast offense and run the game plan. Every team needs that, and we saw a perfect example of this when the Ravens paid a good price to bring in former Rams starter Marc Bulger to sit behind Joe Flacco.
What do you have behind Kolb if Vick were to be let go? Mike Kafka from Northwestern. A player who may develop into a pro QB with time, but you can’t go into a game with a fourth-round rookie one play away from taking over an offense in the NFL. That’s not going to fly. Plus, the rest of the team needs to know that they have a player behind the No. 1 guy that can win games for them.
I’ve heard the Jeff Garcia talk, and I do like what he can bring to any football team, but not Philly. This is Kolb’s team, and bringing in a player such as Garcia — who wants to compete — just creates unwanted controversy.
Instead, you have to talk about players like Todd Collins, Mark Brunell, etc. Veteran QBs without a job. Not sexy names by any stretch, and therein lies the rub. You’re handing a guy the playbook on the first day of camp and hoping that he is the answer if your No. 1 goes down for a period of time.
Is Philly prepared to do that by releasing Vick?
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JM-
Because that is all we have in Philly. Don't like Vick, and never will, but he knows the offense and can play if he has to. That's all that matters.
The NFL should just suspend Vick for 4 games. He's violated his probation. He's associated with people he was specifically told not to by the league. And he has bent the truth is his account of the events.
Nothing has changed with this guy.
When he's suspended by the league, the Eagles will have to do something for a backup quarterback regardless then and the decision to release Vick becomes much more realistic.
Get this thug, violent criminal out of the game once and for all.
JM has it right. Reid's good buddies with Childress and could call him and offer a fifth rounder and pick up Rosenfels who has spent a year in this system already. Childress seems to prefer Tarvaris Jackson over Rosenfels for some yet to be understood reason. If the Vikings develope Webb as a QB, Rosenfels may be on the way out. It would be a good move for the Eagles
I disagree that bringing in Garcia would cause controversy. At his age and in his situation he's a backup. He came in for a few weeks last year. I'm actually listening to Matt on the radio now.
I disagree that bringing in Garcia would cause controversy. At his age and in his situation he's a backup. He came in for a few weeks last year. I'm actually listening to Matt on the radio now.
So, just because YOU say Kafka can't be ready to come in at the drop of a hat doesn't mean he won't be better than many think. The league is rife with low-pick quarterbacks who have done a good job. Don't be so presumptuous with that assessment. Training camp hasn't even started yet.
Vick does have one strike against him and paid his time for his crime. I think I have read that the guy who was shot, his codefendent, was kicked out of the party earlier. Did he break his probation because the guy showed up uninvited? Like every single player knows in the NFL knows, its a business. If the Eagles keep him on their roster, as no doubt they will, it will be a business decision. The Eagles are in a rebuilding phase, but that does not mean some rookie gets tossed to the wolves if Kolb goes down in week 1.
Who cares if the fans do not like him, they did not like Donovan for 11 years either. I look forward to watching Donovan make the Philly fans pay twice a year for not liking him. Fickle fans simply annoy me Remember there is a huge difference between football fans and football fans who know the game.
Gansta and always will be - Philly needs to dump him ASAP - they will likely be able to find him a place in the CFL
Trouble doesn't always leave you. Cuts bleed, and everything comes with a price tag attached.
Lurie is who must be asked. This is his decision. Goodell will weigh in due relevance, he has no choice, but can allow traditional channels to remain intact. No need to give the man special treatment or single him out. That's why you have structure by the league and abiding organizations like the NFLPA,etc.
As a Giant fan I hope they keep, but they are nuts if they do. He is a cancer and will only mess up the organization again. He hasn't changed.
There is a real question of whether PA probation will allow him to travel to road games. They shouldn't.
To answer Flip's question, the probation violation wasn't his buddy showing up uninvited, it was traveling out of state with permission from his PO (out of state travel for him has now been suspended) and there were other thugs invited to the party who violate the terms of his release by consorting with.
He ain't gonna change.
Why does it seem that some people feel free to use the word "thug" when discussing African-American players who have had a run-in with the law? That receiver (Matt Something) who has the cocaine issue, I've never heard anyone calling him a thug. Nor the baseball play from Texas who won the homerun derby a few years ago. I'm the last person to play the race card, but it just seems racist to use that word when referring to someone of one race, but not another.
I think a guy in his 20's messing around with coke vs a guy who was convicted of beating, drowning, and electrocuting dogs should be fairly easy to distinguish as to which one is a "thug". Personally, I don't know either one and don't care to. Play the race card all you want, but I feel the same about Big Ben. I don't care what color he is, I'd dump him as soon as I could if he was on my team.
I can't imagine that Andy Reid and the Eagle's staff don't have a backup plan in place in case they need to cut Thugnificent. Unless they all bought into his PR agent's hype hook line & sinker, then they had to anticipate the possibility that bad press was just lurking around the corner. I would imagine they have placed calls to check on the likes of Collins and Brunell. Reid is too good a coach to not have planned ahead.
Trouble doesn't always leave you. Cuts bleed, and everything comes with a price tag attached.
Lurie is who must be asked. This is his decision. Goodell will weigh in due relevance, he has no choice, but can allow traditional channels to remain intact. No need to give the man special treatment or single him out. That's why you have structure by the league and abiding organizations like the NFLPA,etc.
Apologies on the double post, I hit refresh. On appearances he did mess up, but there is a reason the system has steps to go by. Due process must be given its due.
@jmscooby
I'm not trying to create something that doesn't exist, it was simply an observation on some earlier comments. And I feel better if Big Ben is included in the conversation. I don't know about you, but I prefer a quaterback who electrocutes dogs to a quarterback who rapes women, I have a mother, a sister and a daughter :-) But I'm a bit of a hypocrite, because I would have a hard time dumping Big Ben, simply because he's so good.
Hey, I'd be happy to be the #2 guy in Philly...
I'm with you MM. I hope the Eagles spend as much resources as possible on Vick.
Rare,
The difference is Vick was convicted while Big Ben wasn't charged. Do I think he raped the girl? Not at all. If she is wearing a nametag that says DTF and sees the guy at 3 different bars and can't even describe the sexual position she was in, I have a hard time seeing him as guilty. Do I think he is an idiot? Absolutely. Again, I have not met him, nor do I ever want to. From what I have read, he sounds like an entitled prick. Still in BMOC mode. For a storied franchise like Pittsburgh, I wouldn't care how good he was, I'd unload him and go 0-16 before I ever let him wear the uniform again. It's not the race at all, it's the image for the team, and especially at the QB position.
Rare,
The difference is Vick was convicted while Big Ben wasn't charged. Do I think he raped the girl? Not at all. If she is wearing a nametag that says DTF and sees the guy at 3 different bars and can't even describe the sexual position she was in, I have a hard time seeing him as guilty. Do I think he is an idiot? Absolutely. Again, I have not met him, nor do I ever want to. From what I have read, he sounds like an entitled prick. Still in BMOC mode. For a storied franchise like Pittsburgh, I wouldn't care how good he was, I'd unload him and go 0-16 before I ever let him wear the uniform again. It's not the race at all, it's the image for the team, and especially at the QB position.
good post!!Thanks for your suggestion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rare,
The racial issue is totally out of line here. Vick was a thug when he was still at VTech. As for abusing women, remember the Ron Mexico incidents?
I agree with Scooby, if you want examples of white thugs Ben would be at the top of the list. As a Giant fan I didn't want Kerry Collins when we got him because at that point his career had been filled with thugish incidents. Happily in his case he cleaned up his act.
And I think you are dismissing the brutal killing and maiming of dogs. That kind of behavior with animals is often the profile of a psycho.
And as Scooby said, in this case you have a convicted felon, who violated his parole by traveling across state lines without permission.
RAREAIR quit asking stupid questions!!!!!!! if your gonna compare something make sure it doesnt sound stupid jack azz
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Jul 13, 2010
06:59 AM
If the Vikings are going to develop Webb, I would assume they will let go of Rosencopter. He would be a good fit in Philly, IMO. How can a player on his last strike be relied on to be one of your team's top 2 QBs?