The circus atmosphere that surrounds the Eagles took another twist. Tonight they suddenly announced that Michael Vick was their new starting quarterback even though Kevin Kolb has been cleared to play after the concussion he suffered in the first half of the opening game. This, despite Andy Reid repeating over the last week, after Vick replaced Kolb in Week 1 and gave the offense a lift and after an even stronger performance this past Sunday in beating the Detroit Lions, that nothing had changed and Kolb was still the starter.
The Eagles traded their 2007 first-round draft pick to Dallas for some lower picks. With their first pick in the 2nd round they unexpectedly drafted Kolb, essentially anointing him Donovan McNabb's successor. They ended up spending three seasons grooming Kolb for the job. Although some fools said that McNabb's benching in a 2008 game marked the end of McNabb's Eagles career, it actually didn't occur until the 2009 season ended in infamy at Dallas (and Kolb, substituting for an injured McNabb, became the first QB to throw for 300-plus yards in his first two career starts). The Eagles finally sent McNabb to Washington in April, then signed Kolb to an extension through 2011.
As for Vick, despite the uproar over his signing a two-year deal last year, and his lackluster performance in limited use in less-than-sensible game situations, the Eagles brought him back for a second season instead of trading or releasing him so he could be a starter elsewhere. He clearly wanted to leave and get a chance to start, but he's said all the right things in public.
The Eagles, whether they like to admit it or not, are rebuilding. They're a younger, more inexperienced team than in recent years. Not many people thought of them as a serious playoff contender. They have issues on special teams. They have serious problems on the offensive line and lost another important blocker, fullback Leonard Weaver, for the season with an injury. They have potential for an improved defense, although without Stewart Bradley (also concussed in the first half of the Green Bay game) they've been mostly shredded, allowing the most points of any NFL team.
Now, suddenly, they've decided that they need to start Vick in order to win now. Maybe the results of the first two weeks (Dallas and Minnesota both 0-2) have them convinced a playoff spot is up for grabs. But what about the future? Kolb got a half-game, in which he played poorly before being removed, as the anointed successor. After all the time and money they spent preparing Kolb, now he's not ready? If not now, when? They have to find out whether or not Kolb can do the job. Vick is a free agent after this season. The better he does, the more he'll get in his next contract. The Eagles have Kolb signed through 2011, with a nice raise befitting his being named the starter. Will the salary cap prevent them from signing Vick if his strong performance continues? (That's assuming there is a cap, once the players' union and owners agree to a new labor deal -- and who knows how long that will take? Imagine no NFL next fall...it could happen...) And if it does, can they afford to go into 2011 with a still-inexperienced Kolb as the starter? Are they going to draft another QB? And how many years will it take to get him ready?
It's hard to figure out Andy Reid's thinking here. It almost seems like he gave into pressure from the media and fans clamoring for Vick. There's already some media speculation that this wasn't his idea, that it was a move dictated by the front office. This has never been the Reid way. I tend to think this might work for a few weeks, or maybe the entire regular season, but it won't end well and will cause a lot of complications for the future.
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