More on the QB Situation
Posted: February 9th, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 67 Comments »Nick Foles should be the starting QB for the foreseeable future, but the backup situation is a bit of a mystery. The Eagles have Matt Barkley and GJ Kinne on the roster right now. Barkley wants to be the backup (or more). Kinne would love to make the roster as the No. 3 QB. Even that might be a longshot for him.
I wrote about Barkley and the backup QB spot for BGN.
I lean toward him being the backup in 2014.
Michael Vick is the top FA QB on the market and is shopping himself to the teams that need a starter. While he is the top guy, he’s not a prize free agent. Age and durability questions will affect his situation in a major way. Lots of teams will be curious about him, but I don’t expect there to be many suitors.
Judy Battista wrote a very good piece on him for NFL.com. The on-field experiment didn’t pan out as hoped, but there is no question that the off-field experiment was a major success. Vick is a changed man. Character will actually be one of Vick’s selling points this time around. How crazy is that notion?
I do expect Vick to land a job where he’ll be the front-runner for the starting spot. I don’t think he’ll return to the Eagles, where he would clearly be behind Foles. Vick wants to play and I don’t blame him one bit. Go somewhere with an opening at QB.
If things don’t pan out elsewhere, I’m sure the Eagles would be willing to talk to him about a 1-year deal. They will want Barkley on the field sooner rather than later. I just think Vick would be very hesitant to return. He was a backup for part of 2012 and most of 2013. Vick desperately wants to get back on the field. He knows the clock is ticking and his career is winding down.
The most recent rumor had the Bucs and Jets interested in Vick. Both teams have defensive-minded head coaches. Those guys tend to be more comfortable with mobile QBs. I still love the thought of him going to the Raiders. That’s my preference.
As far as Kinne…we’ll see what he does this spring. It would be cool for him to win a job, but I have my doubts. (forgive me Brandon Lee Gowton)
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this offseason is both exciting and terrifying ’cause we really don’t know what the eagles are going to do.splurge on free agents or go bargain hunting.
Also the draft will be unpredictable as well .unlike most years there is no consensus on who the pick should be. i really hope we don’t splurge in FA and build through the draft .
At 22 hope we get Pryor or shazier.. any defensive playmaker will do or KVN if those two are gone. i know he’s a second round guy but i don’t think he’ll last ’till our 2nd RD pick.
i love trent and Meco but those guys are not worth their salaries.would hope we could get something for them in a trade especially with a 4-3 team.
BG should also be traded if possible..he’s out of place in the 3-4.
Can’t wait to see who will be tommy’s mancrush in this years draft..( ala LukeSkywalker) I have a feeling it will be an offensive player this year.
if we could get a first or early second for Djax… i say trade him too.he is not a a number one receiver even though he gets paid like one. i’m tired of all his disgruntled contract distraction drama.
@tommylawlor: What do you think about the eagles drafting Brett smith or zach mettenberger in the third or fourth round. They seems like a QBs that chip would be interested in.
IF Mettenberger’s health tests out poorly going into the draft, I’d see him as an interesting investment in the 5th or 7th round. I don’t think we can goof around with a QB in the 3rd or 4th.
Mettenberger is likely to go in the 2nd or higher.
I like Smith, but not until 6th or 7th rounds.
Tommy’s true feelings on Vick finally revealed. He obviously hates him if he wants him to go to oakland!
Ha! I just think it would be cool to see Vick in that black jersey running around and making wild plays.
Rich Gannon 2.0?
Here I thought Tommy just wanted Vick out of the NFC! He still has the arm to be dangerous, so who wants him anywhere near our team?
I sometimes get the feeling I’m the only one who hasn’t given up on Barkley. He was forced into playing time without hardly any reps. I think he will be just fine as a backup. His arm was noticeably stronger in season than in preseason. He just seemed to have game jitters on the field. I think he is a chip guy, as in someone who can be accurate and put the ball where it needs to be
When you have credentials and stats like he does before reaching the pros and basically the only knock against you all along was your arm strength, backup is a pretty safe floor. The big question is if he’s progressed enough to function as such this year.
i think he could be a quality back up, trade bait in a couple year or so
I like him as a prospect as well. He can continue to gain arm strength and passing knowledge as a backup.
I liked Barkley in the draft, just didn’t see him as a chip qb originally. I liked him better even after his senior year than any qb last year and better than gabbert and ponder in 11
And according to a solid resource on the matter (Barkley himself), Barkley would have been the 2nd overall pick in 2012 right after Luck and ahead of RGKnee (RG3&out, RG3-10)
He would not have been a head of rg3. Not sure about a head of r Tannehill, but 100% before Weeden
I concur. I am still excited to see what Barkley can do with a little experience.
bet they draft logan thomas mid rounds…
No thanks.
To convert to tight end?
project 3rd QB
G.J. Kinne finds your lack of faith disturbing Tommy.
Did Brandon pay you to say that?
No, but that gives me an idea…
You’ll never be able to prove it!
Why do you want Vick to go to Oakland so badly? I don’t really care where he ends up honestly, but if you’re on the boat of wanting to be able to root for him at his next stop, Oakland just seems like an odd place. I just don’t see him doing well there.
Vick will definitely play if he goes to Oakland, so there’s that.
Oakland is a boring team right now. The thought of Vick running around in that black jersey and making wild plays would make them entertaining. Plus, he just seems like a Raider.
It’s never boring with McMoxie behind center! 🙂
Unlike last year, I wouldn’t mind seeing Vick back on a 1-year deal but it really depends on the $$$. He would be the clear backup and acknowledge that going into the season.
Eagles have a real lack of depth at several positions and would be better pressed deploying their FA spending elsewhere. Vick would also be better off in a situation like NYJ or elsewhere where he can make a legit outside push to win a starting job in camp. Stunned at this point if Vick is back either way.
If Vick isn’t back, Roseman looks for the classic veteran QB who has had a little seasoning to push Barkley in camp. As for Barkley, it is ridiculous to make conclusions on him one way or another at this point based on 2 games & very limited preseason action. He shouldn’t be given the the backup QB spot and I would even say that he has to earn a roster spot next year if the Eagles use a mid-pound pick on a QB they really like that fails a bit.
A lot of really falls on Barkley and the unknown category. Went from a situation even at USC where he was clearly a superior athletic player to the competition he faced to one where he is average/slightly below average right now in most areas from a raw talent perspective. He is going to have to work incredibly hard to even become somebody like a Bulger who he reminds me of in size & delivery.
Barkley looked completely overwhelmed by the speed and pace of the game in the limited time he played this year. He wasn’t exactly impressive either in preseason against the 2nd/3rd string guys either. Felt that he generally said the right things but was a bit whiny about not getting enough snaps with the 1st team after the Giants’ game.
Probably one of the most interesting guys to track in the offseason OTAs including what the coaches say and what they are seeing from him along with any quotes from Barkley himself.
Bringing in a veteran has most of its value in putting Barkley into a competitive state of mind. Possible they bring in a guy who would be the favorite I suppose, but I don’t see it as likely. It’s more likely we get a Trent Edwards and then possibly draft someone.
One thing I don’t get either is all of the focus/attention either on the backup QB in the NFL and the “if starter QB ‘insert name’ goes down for a prolonged stretch’ this team is in real trouble.”
This is the current depth chart in the NFC right now at QB (FA status withstandng):
Giants: Painter/Nassib
Cowboys: Orton/Kitna
Redskins: Cousins/Grossman
Lions: S. Hill/K. Moore
Bears: McCown/J. Palmer
Packers: Flynn/Tolzien
Vikings: Cassel/Freeman
Falcons: D. Davis
Panthers: D. Anderson
Saints: L. McCown, Griffin
Bucs: Orlovsky
49ers: McCoy
Cardinals: Stanton, Lindley
Rams: A. Davis
Seahawks: T. Jackson, BJ Daniels
Now this is going to change a lot but what team in the NFC has a quality backup right now?
Maybe 5 teams have a QB and even that might be a bit of a stretch. I would say Barkley would probably somewhere in the middle of the pack of that list and more likely bottom 1/3 but he has room to grow & improve given it was his rookie year.
See a team lose their starting qb like the Colts in 2011, why the backup and supporting cast matters
F the Colts, how about the Eagles in 2002 and 2006?
I don’t know, Feeley was fun to watch and Garcia was competent. Two qualities not always found in backups.
You mean two teams with good supporting cast and good backup?
But look at teams that lose their starting QB and how they generally fall off into a ditch. You always have teams that are outliers.
I would like to run the numbers though on teams that lost their starting QB in Wk 1/projected starter for at least 6 games or more and what their records were the past 10 years.
See the Packers this season!
Via Twitter:
Matthew Barkley
@MattBarkley Feb 7
My motto right now, courtesy of @CalvinHarris: Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat! #eatsleeptrainrepeat
He really shouldn’t eat right before bed time. I think Sleep, Eat, Train, Repeat would be better. It rhymes better too.
But if he eats before he trains he’s gonna throw up
Sleep, Eat, wait a reasonable amount of time, train, repeat.
True competitors don’t need sleep!
Chip and his sleep monitors disagree.
I have no problem with Barkley as the ultimate backup as long as he beats out a veteran pocket passer in camp / pre-season for the job. I’d also be ok with drafting a developmental pocket QB in the 7th round or via the undrafted FA method if an interesting prospect falls that far. In either case we need to stock the team with Foles-style guys as we continue to develop our team around Foles.
Tommy… when will you learn? Obviously, Chip will want a QB who is an elite runner.
Classic!
His offense demands a running QB.
Wow, look at this garbage list of free agents. Matt Barkley is feeling strong right now. And Jeremy Maclin @ #2 on the WR list is not going to get him here on a cheap deal either.
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/45947/309/2014-nfl-free-agents
To whomever is power-trolling all of my comments to down-vote them; make yourself known with some commentary please. Coward.
Dude, there are things called haters, and what they do is hate.
Show yourself Coward! haha
downvoted for paranoia
I should down vote you just for whining about being down voted, but I won’t since you’re such a good GM…maybe better than Banner at drafting players.
O.o
Sorry to change the subject to Maclin but… Why does common logic dictate the Eagles offering him a 1 year deal? If the Eagles are happy with his health, why not sign him for four years now when his value might be a little lower and the Eagles could end up getting a great deal? They could put as much as possible up front in a roster bonus now that they have the space under the cap. Roster bonuses don’t get prorated so if he injures his knee again he wouldn’t be a long term liability against the cap if they decide to cut him.
It just seems to me that if you let a healthy Maclin play in this offense on a 1-year deal, there’s no way we are going to be able to afford him next year.
Good point man! I do think Maclin if healthy is gonna be explosive in this O. Safeties will have to decide if they gonna put a S in the box to stop the run n the other S shading DJax.
If he does do well this year im not sure that Eagles wont be able to resign him as big contracts like Meco, Peters etc could be redone n free up alot of cash
Its more that Maclin will probably want a one or two year deal to prove his worth if the money on a longer one isn’t right. That way he can get the longer more lucrative contract following this one.
Based on his comments, it sound like he prefers the long term deal, but is okay with a prove-me deal if needed.
I have been advocating this for a long time.
Michael Sam! Lets draft him if he falls to the 4th. This is awesome.
If? When.
Sadly Sam is not a fit in a 3-4. He is the typical high motor undersized DE for the old Eagles team
Vick to the jets to be reunited with Marty? They’ve already shown interest in Maclin. Rex loves to make headlines more than winning, so I think this may be the most likely scenario.
QB is always interesting. I guess watching Andy Reid operate, Ive come to expect the Eagles to draft a young QB in every draft (or/and add one via rookie free agents). I don’t think that will change. I think the Eagles will draft one in later rounds/or sign a young FA.
The Vet angle is interesting. While I think it makes some sense, I’m not going to be disappointed if the Eagles decide not to. Chip’s offense is very unique not only the plays but the way plays are called, the practices, smoothies, everything. Bringing in vets in general will require them buying into the system. I guess what I’m trying to say is I prefer Barkley (who has knowledge of the system, Chip believes in him) over a vet FA learning a whole new way of life in the NFL. I say bring in competition either draft/rookie FA but ultimately Barkley should be the #2.
Don’t think Vick should be passing 40 times a game. Also, a vet would have to sign here, he’d know what he’s getting himself into. MB has to get way better.
Just you wait, Lawlor. After future Super Bowl MVP G.J. Kinne throws a laser to Derek Carrier for the game winning TD, we’ll have a good laugh at all the doubters.
I look forward to that day.
@ TL. i think the best QB project prospect is Mettenberger. Kid has a rifle, and prior to the ACL, he had the makings of a top 10 player. he would supplant Bridgewater and Manziel if he were healthy. i think Barkley is a legit #2 but i think Mettenberger could be that Matt Cassel or Flynn or Schaub. he could be that QB 1.5 who is as capable to light it up as the starter is. I think the running QB thing needs to be put to bed. does chippah love a change of pace or athlete? damn straight. but he values intangibles higher. accuracy, vision, leadership, character. Mettenberger has those in spades and on the real you will never see a players mettle more than when he is rehabbing from an injury. at best we have a spot starter and trade bait, at worst we have a low risk high reward mid round player. this is the kind of guy who will make Foles grind harder. not Vick or a veteran.