Eagles Add Trent Edwards

Posted: February 23rd, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 55 Comments »

Howie Roseman said the Eagles were close to a deal this afternoon and he proved to be right.  The Eagles signed Trent Edwards to a 1-year deal.  Per the team, Edwards will compete with Mike Kafka for the backup QB spot.

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What does this mean for the Eagles?  It is a good move because it gives them a bit of a safety net, but still allows them the freedom to do what they want.  Edwards has been a solid starter in the past.  He suffered a big hit back in 2009 and has been wildly inconsistent since then.  He was cut by the Raiders last summer and no one signed him the rest of the year.

The Eagles goal is for Mike Kafka to be the backup this year, but he has to earn that job.  Edwards is here to be competition.  The Eagles apparently have liked him since he came out (same draft as Kevin Kolb).  Edwards is a veteran player who should pick up the playbook quickly.  The Eagles run a WCO based system, but it is very different in practical application than the WCO’s that Edwards has been in.  He’ll have to adjust to things.  The good news is that he’s a passing QB with an extensive background in the WCO style of offense.  A lot of this was new to Vince Young last year, both playbook and the amount of passing.  That showed and he never looked like the QB we hoped to see.

I mentioned the phrase “safety net” earlier and what I mean by that is that Edwards is a guy that should be able to come in and be a functional QB.  He has the experience.  He has the size and physical tools.  He has shown some ability in the past.  Edwards isn’t a project who is making the transition from college to the NFL or a guy with no playing experience. Clearly with Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid running the show the goal is to have much more than a functional QB.  They want someone that can be a good passer.  It remains to be seen if Edwards can do that again.

I do think it is possible that both Kafka and Edwards make the final roster.  Ideally you’d prefer to have one of them and a young guy, but I’m not sure that is a likely outcome this year. With Mike Vick as the starter you have to prepare as if the backup is going to start a couple of games.  That means the #3 QB can’t be looked at strictly as a developmental player.  The #3 guy needs to be a functional player.

There are two factors at play here.  First, I hate the QB class.  The popular topic now is having the Eagles take QB Ryan Tannehill with pick 15.  There is an argument to be made, but the problem is that he could very well be selected in the Top10.  I do not think he is worth trading up for.  I’m not sure he’s worth pick 15 to a team that has a QB in place.  After Luck, RG3, and Tannehill…I don’t trust any QB prospect. You’ll hear people talk about the positive aspects of these guys:

Brock Osweiler
Kirk Cousins
Nick Foles
Russell Wilson

Those guys will be of interest to some teams, but I don’t see them as being better than Kafka.  I know, Mike is a question mark now and has two years under his belt.  That isn’t a good sign.  The guy didn’t get any passing camps or mini-camps last spring and that is a major factor.  Matt Hasselbeck used time like that to develop when he was a backup in GB.  You just aren’t going to develop that much during the season.  QBs need reps and coaching.  That happens in the spring.

There are some late round QBs of interest, but these aren’t guys you would project onto the roster.  They would need to earn a spot.  You need 2 other QBs in place that have a legit shot to make the team.  That would be Kafka and Edwards.

The X-factor here is that the Eagles could love some QB in the draft that I don’t and take that player.  Reid normally falls in love with a QB every year.  Not many actually get picked.  I don’t know who the lucky guy will be this year (beyond RG3).  If that player is available, Reid could pull the trigger.  Big Red and I don’t always agree on QBs.

My personal favorite scenario is Hasselbeck getting cut by the Titans and coming here, pushing Kafka to the #3 spot for one final year.  I would love to add a developmental QB to the situation, but there just aren’t guys I like.  I’d rather give Kafka a full offseason to learn and then show what he can do (or not do) this summer.  At that point we’ll know whether he has a future or needs to call TO about joining forces in the IFL.

Edwards is here for now.  Could be #2, #3, or a disposable commodity that never even takes a snap for us.

  • Anonymous

    Someone made a great comment on Twitter: I hope when Edwards talks to the media he says that he really didn’t want to come to the Eagles and that he’s not happy to be here.

    2012 Eagles…the anti-Dream Team

    • http://twitter.com/theguyotc the guy

      Ahem.
      https://twitter.com/#!/theguyotc/status/172884262922629120

      Anyway.

      My question about Tannehill was based on the idea I somehow got that he’d be a 2nd round guy. I’m not enthusiastic about him (at all really) as the 1st rd pick unless they love him. My question was entirely about the concept of getting a QB on the cheap in the draft, in terms of possible future potential.

      Vick is a total mystery to me right now, as well as being over 30 and injury-prone, and I don’t see anyone projecting Kafka as his successor with any confidence. If he’s not the guy, or can’t be relied on to stay healthy, what’s the plan?

      • Anonymous

        If Miami misses on Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn, they could take Tannehill with their 1st round pick. Mike Sherman now works for them and was Ryan’s coach at Texas A&M.

        • Kevin_aka_RC

          You don’t believe in Matt Moore? For shame.

      • Anonymous

        And well done with the Twitter comments. Should have known it was you. Kudos, my friend.

  • http://twitter.com/makarov__ Jim Reynolds

    I can’t stop drooling over the news that the Steelers intend to let Mike Wallace hit the free agent market. He’s fast and can go vertical, but durable enough to go across the middle. Like Hakeem Nicks, he also plays bigger than he is (about 6′). Translation: good leaping ability to go up and get the ball.

    No other WR in free agency this season excites me as much as MFW, or as we refer to him in IRC – “Mike Fucking Wallace!!!”.

    • Anonymous

      wow i thought hakeem nicks was like 6’4…

      • http://twitter.com/makarov__ Jim Reynolds

        Nicks is only 6’1″ – not that you’d know it.

    • http://twitter.com/makarov__ Jim Reynolds

      Ignore my post since I forgot Wallace is restricted, heh.

      • Anonymous

        Restricted, but the Steelers can’t afford to sign him.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1514128048 Kristopher Cebula

          we’d still have to give up a pick

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3ZVECAFYMOHSQU4BFRQLUZW3EY Ty

            I’d give up a 2nd in a heartbeat. A 1st is too steep for a team that has many holes. I’d give up a bottom first round draft pick for Wallace (25-32)

            Maybe we can trade a 2nd, 3rd and a 5th for a 1st and then trade that pick for Mike Wallace? :)

          • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

            If they put the restricted tag on him then you have to give up a first round pick.

          • http://www.facebook.com/jakwaggoner Jack Waggoner

            well, actually, they could make a deal with Pittsburgh directly, if Pittsburgh was willing to do it, and trade for the contract.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Coe/749860957 James Coe

            But does it have to be /your/ first round pick? I think Ty’s idea was a (tongue in cheek) suggestion that we could trade up to pick 31 or 32 before signing Wallace and then use that to trade for him rather than pick 15.

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Coe/749860957 James Coe

            But does it have to be /your/ first round pick? I think Ty’s idea was a (tongue in cheek) suggestion that we could trade up to pick 31 or 32 before signing Wallace and then use that to trade for him rather than pick 15.

  • Yuri

    Google search for “Hey There Trent Edwards” yields interesting results

    • Anonymous

      Weird.

      • Anonymous

        a better kelly holcomb! hmm that team had some pretty good wide receivers..

  • Anonymous

    good post. i like the term ‘functional’. i dont know, i think they might try to add another qb at some point. i doubt theyre done there..

    • Anonymous

      If this move is to upgrade the number 3 spot, then I have no problem with it. Tommy is absolutely right; the 3rd QB should be functional considering that Vick is our starter. The problem is, until Kafka actually earns the number 2 spot, this move is about the number 2 spot, and the #2 QB needs to ready to step in at any moment. More likely than not, our backup QB is going to start at least a couple of games. Personally, I don’t trust Kafka based on what I have seen so far. If he has a solid summer and PS, I’d be ok with him earning the spot, but he needs to face legitimate competition in case he doesn’t earn it. I just don’t know that I believe a guy that has been benched three times in the last 3 years and couldn’t get signed by any team in the NFL all of last season is really going to provide that competition.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=565087931 Jeppe Elmelund van Ee

    Tommy,

    Which player would you trade up to acquire? Let’s say Claiborne or Blackmon fell to 10th – would you trade up for them?

    Which players would be immediate difference-makers for our team?

    • Anonymous

      Can’t answer that til we see FA. WR is possible, although if we keep DeSean or add a big name starter, I can’t imagine us then adding a top draft pick there.

  • Anonymous

    What would everyone’s reaction be like if the Eagles bring back Vince Young.. :-)

    • Anonymous

      It’s a dream scenario…

    • Anonymous

      As QB or MLB?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3ZVECAFYMOHSQU4BFRQLUZW3EY Ty

        As the team’s spokesman

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

        I heard that he did eat dinner with Casey Matthews a few times…

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Coe/749860957 James Coe

          So we’ll be bringing him in as DC, then?

          • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

            That’s what i heard…

  • Anonymous

    Would the eagles have any interest in Brady Quinn, a guy who used to be able to throw but currently sucks?

    • TommyLawlor

      Doubtful. He’s struggled in the NFL in a big way. 12 starts. 52.1% Comp. And he’s a guy that feeds RBs and TEs a lot. That’s not good.

      Edwards has 33 starts. Was okay in 2008 and then started 2009 well before the big concussion vs ARZ. Completes 60.5% of his passes. Has thrown for 6019 career yards.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_33FTQ3QUA6JVWLP7RC6WSPQTSY Furt

      Hope not, dude wants to pose for body building zines, has his shoulders so jacked up he can’t throw let alone wipe his own butt. But it gets him cover shots on “Mens Health” or Fitness or whatever. Ugh,I’m sure he can wipe himself, just trying to make a point.

  • TommyLawlor

    Congratulation to Jimmy Bama on the birth of his daughter.

    Check out this story. Funny stuff.

    http://bloggingthebeast.com/2012/02/24/my-newborn-baby-is-tainted/

  • http://twitter.com/n3th3rman Christopher Miller

    Just curious why you are down on Cousins?

    • TommyLawlor

      Great kid. Good college player. Just doesn’t stand out to me as a likely NFL starter. Nothing special about him. Great intangibles, but that’s not always enough to make it in the NFL.

      • GermanEagle

        Can you spell M-A-M-U-L-A?!

      • http://twitter.com/makarov__ Jim Reynolds

        I think Cousins is going to be a perennial journeyman backup in the NFL. He won’t seriously challenge anyone remotely decent for a starting role, but he’ll be a solid backup guy.

  • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

    Tommy,

    Based on his play on the field, but also the fact we now know Coby Fleener has 10 inch hands and almost 34 inch arms, I think he needs to be a primary second round prospect. While we are attracted by big WRs, this guy can block in the interior and would be a major target anywhere on the field.

    If this guy jumps out of the gym with his vertical, I think he should be a priority target.

  • http://twitter.com/aceandson Ace

    Would Kafka have been running the scout team in practice against the defense last season? Sure, it’s the other team’s playbook but they’re practice reps nonetheless. I would think that alone would more than make up for the shortened training period last year.

    • TommyLawlor

      Running the other team’s playbook with PS WRs and little hands-on coaching is hardly the same thing as the spring camps. Not even close.

  • austinfan

    Edwards was a solid QB behind a shaky OL in 2008, what stands out is he completed almost 60% of his 11-20 yard throws (the Eli line is 55%), though he checked down too often. Peters was their only decent OL and was coming off a holdout and was out of shape.

    The next year Peters leaves, Butler moves out to RT and gets hurt after two games, they have Levitre starting at LG as a rookie, two RGs get injured before they move another rookie (Wood) in, and both OTs (Jake Scott, then Demetrius Bell at LT, and eventually Kirk Chambers at RT) are complete disasters. Despite that, Edwards played as well or better than Fitzpatrick.

    We’re not talking a great QB here, we’re certainly not talking a guy you’d want to depend on for more than 3-4 games before he’d get injured again, but we are talking about a legitimate NFL QB if he’s healthy who should thrive with a much better OL than he’s ever seen in the NFL and first rate QB coaching. He’s probably as good, with more upside than Fitzpatrick, and I don’t think anyone would complain if we had brought Fitzpatrick in as our #2.

    • Matthew Butch

      That’s exactly what we need. Someone who is decent enough not to lose games, and maybe just good enough to win them.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GWMNZ32U6YPGGA7N4JNWH4OSJE Mac

    So long VY

    Thx for beating the stinkin Gints

    Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

    • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

      Probably gave them motivation to go out and run the table. If VY had lost, they maybe go in as at least favorites for a round or two and you don’t have this hot streak nonsense.

  • mhrinda

    I hope the Eagles are bringing in this QB to compete with Kafka for the #3 QB position.
    With the very strong possibility that Vick will get hurt again, I would like a better #2 QB than Edwards or Kafka. It kind of scares me a bit to think if Vick goes out for the season or a long part of the season or even for the playoffs that Edwards would be leading this team.

    McNabb will be a nice choice to man the #2 position. If Vick got hurt, McNabb could handle the offense.

  • metaReign

    Seems to me that Trent is able to hold his own with the compliments of the O-Line. The only question is how much he’s lost since the concussion? And whether or not he has gain some of his vital attributes calculating in putting the ball in the pocket, soon as the window opens. Prior to his concussion, he puts the ball where his receivers don’t get into hits causing accidents, which is important. He’ll need receivers doing the routes to know when that window opens and puts it to the target. I wouldn’t be surprise if he’s lost more than eye-hand coordination, to making accurate passes. Concussions can be a short or long term injuries, which cuts mental stability to some vital attributes. He’s a pocket passer, which our O-Line can protect him. Training camp and PS, is one thing, an actual game may and may not help, at the very least.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bassman51891 Ben Aven

    Tommy, I’d like to get your insight on something that has been brought up a few times about this offseason. With the new CBA having a stricter limit on the amount of time coaches can spend with their players and allowing less hitting in practices, will we see rookies coming in from now on struggle more early on than in past years (not counting last year’s class)? Do you see the new rules affecting the league-wide play much at all?

    • TommyLawlor

      The new rules certainly don’t help rookies, but there will be enough time for coaches to still get done what they need to with key players. The Danny Watkins type players will get time and attention. Late rounders are on their own. That’s fine for some guys (Brian Rolle), but others who needs hands on coaching will be affected. Coaches have to focus on key rookies.

  • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

    I think I recall Bill Walsh saying months before he died that Edwards would probably be the best QB out of his draft. Sadly, that may be true.

  • IowaEagle

    Would anyone really be surprised if we traded up for RG3? Even though we’re in win now mode, I honestly wouldn’t be. Personally I look at the draft and feel there’s maybe a only a dozen guys that deserve to be first round picks, other than that… this is another draft where value will be found in mid to late rounds. It may not make sense from a win now stand point, but taking into consideration that Vick may have 2-3 more good years left while RG3 would learn… I just have that feeling that this year’s first round pick will be a huge surprise.. or we will just trade out of first all together. Just a feeling.

    • ACViking

      Besides MLB, how many positions do the Eagles really need to address?

      I think OL is the only one. And with Mudd, the type of OL-men the Eagles can add are the kind available late in the draft or in post-draft FA.

      So — following up on IowaEagles — why don’t the Eagles sign Curtis Lofton and then package all their picks to the Rams for RGIII. And throw in a pick or two from next year. And why not whatever draft pick the Birds get for Asante.

      It’s not like this sort of thing hasn’t been done before.

      The Saints, under Ditka, traded nearly all their picks in 1999 for Ricky Williams.

      But RGIII is no Ricky Williams.

      And in 1987, Buddy Ryan traded every pick from Rd 3 on down (except for a 6th-rd pick used for RB Heath Sherman) to get a MLB named Britt Hager.

      I love the idea of getting RGIII — at pretty much any price. The Eagles will be set at QB for the next 12 years with a potential superstar.

      It’ll never happen. But it’s fun to think about.

    • http://twitter.com/alex_karklins Alex Karklins

      I would be beside myself with joy if this happened, but the price could really be too steep, considering one of the goals in the draft is building depth on the roster. I’d hate for the Eagles to be thin in an area that could have been addressed through the draft whenever the injury bug strikes.

      Still, I think RGIII is perfect for this team, and I hope that his speaking to the Eagles is more than just a smokescreen or a tactic to drive up the price of a trade for the Redskins.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=47904149 Liam Garrett
  • http://twitter.com/EWeaver34 Eric Weaver

    Tommy,

    I know you have little interest in Jeffrey, but he measured well at the Combine. Is his tape just that poor that even if he runs 4.5 or under, you’d be disinterested?