Andy to Suitors: Kolb Can Win Championships
Andy Reid sat with reporters at the coaches' breakfast today during the NFL meetings in New Orleans. He talked, among other things, about Kevin Kolb, Marty Mornhinweg, the offensive line, and his own future.
Andy to Suitors: Kolb Can Win Championships
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS -- When then-Seattle coach Mike Holmgren was thinking of acquiring quarterback Matt Hasselbeck from Green Bay in 2001, he asked an old friend, Eagles coach Andy Reid, for advice. Reid had spent a year with Hasselbeck, as the Packers' quarterbacks coach, when Holmgren was the Green Bay head coasch.
"I said, 'Matt Hasselbeck will come in and help you win a championship,' " Reid recalled today at the coaches' breakfast at the NFL meetings. "That's how I feel about Kevin Kolb."
Reid said he told Holmgren: "Whatever you have to pay for him, pay for him, go get him, and he'll help you win a championship." Reid added: "That's how I feel about this guy. That's why I've got him. I didn't bring him in to be a backup, I brought him in to be a starter, and crazy things happened, with this Michael Vick thing, that nobody thought would happen ... That kid is a championship-caliber quarterback."
Of course, the Seahawks didn't win a championship under Holmgren, but Hasselbeck did lead them to the Super Bowl and a close loss to the Steelers. He also has been to three Pro Bowls.
Kolb was the main topic of conversation during Reid's hourlong session with reporters. He reiterated that there is a lot of interest from other teams, though Reid wouldn't discuss specifics. Reid said he would "keep my ears open" if the NFL lockout lingers through the draft and the Eagles are unable to trade Kolb then, and said he wouldn't rule out trading for 2012 draft considerations, though he said "something else" would have to be involved, presumably something that would help the team in 2011.
"We've had a number of people be very aggressive" in Kolb talks, Reid said.
Other topics adressed included the following:
*Reid was asked again about team president Joe Banner's words last month, in which Banner indicated Reid needs to win a Super Bowl to get another contract after the one that expires following the 2013 season. Reid told the Daily News last month that he trusts Banner, and doesn't see the ultimatum as an issue. Today, he said: "I understand how the game works ... I trust Joe. People have always tried to work that angle there, and there's nobody in that building that talks more than Joe and I. There's nobody that has a better relationship than Joe and I. We've heard every story, had people plot me against him and him against me, that's not the way it is ... I feel every year that (winning the Super Bowl) is what I'm shooting for ... I don't have to worry about all that other stuff (speculation), I worry about getting that part done."
*Reid said he was surprised offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg didn't get any head coaching interest this offseasson. He said quarterbacks coach James Urban, who ultimately went to Cincinnati to coach receivers, would have either succeeded Mornhinweg with the Eagles or become Mornhinweg's OC wherever Mornhinweg went.
*Reid indicated he does not expect 2010 first-round defensive end Brandon Graham to be ready to play after ACL surgery by the start of the 2011 season. He said second-round safety Nate Allen and veteran center Jamaal Jackson should be fine.
*Reid said right tackle Winston Justice did a good job playing injured last season (Justice recently underwent a knee cleanout), but Reid said he was pleasantly surprised by sub King Dunlap, and indicated Dunlap will compete for Justice's spot and possibly the right guard spot as well. Reid also mentioned Mike McGlynn as right guard, assuming Jackson stays healthy at center.
*Reid wouldn't speculate on whether wideout DeSean Jackson would get a new contract, if teams were allowed to do contracts now.
*Reid said that while he listens to all offers, trading Michael Vick and keeping Kolb "is not where I'm at right now."
Irony does not even do the words justice..........— Earl J- With all that's going on with Japan, Libya, gas prices, etc., I really needed a good laugh. Thank you, Andy!
- whats he gonna say dude? Kolb sucks and cant win but trade your #1 pick to us? Thank you for providing me the laugh
The picture is typical of how Andy looks whenever Les asks a questions.........— Earl J- Ha! That's a good one...For some strange reason the AR/Les Bowen press conference Q&A's randomly crossed my mind the other day??
- I hope Andy is going to bring in some competition for the RG and RT spot. Justice may be servicable when healthy but the Eagles need a good right tackle being Vick's Blindside. Also, looks like D-end could be the pick in first round again. Not too much faith they can get the pick right with their track record with D-ends....— quentin1978
- Huh.....if he can win superbowls, then why trade him!!!!!— STEPHEN1988
- Yea dude Reid is such a good coach that he can time to that we get "just good" but not great. Oh wait you think he is an idiot. but if hes an idiot how can he be good enough to make us "good"?
Andy Reid is an idiot who is well known to say one thing and then the complete opposite happens - Look at him stating that Kevin Kolb is his starting QB, McNabb is his starting QB, Sean McDermott is his Defensive Coordinator.
Reid needs to go, he has outstayed his welcome.- Reid hasn't had enough of insulting Philly fans' intelligence, he needs to insult the entire nation.
- Kolb can certainly win championships.......on Madden NFL!!!— MrBigDizzle
- You people cant be this dense? He is obviously promoting Kolbs stock to get a better trade offer. Hell, he even said McNabb was still primed when he knew McMope was spent. Name the last trade we didnt get the better end of? Of for that matter the last released palyer that went on to be good. Maybe 1 or 2 in the last 10 yrs.
- And what have these trades gotten us? Same place we've been. What is hhe going to trade for? Another CB? Offensive Lineman? Another position we are 4 deep at?
- Clemons, Babin, and Witherspoon rocked for someone else last year. Dawkins got the Denver D solid very quickly. There are four we didn't get the better of our trade counterpart. We cut the best WR on STL from our squad. Our trade up for Graham kind of sucked for us so far. Our trade to give DAL their OLB for Bradley was not in our favor. What did we give NE for our sub-par corner who may be forced to retire?
- Clemons and witherspoon? Seriously? Babin played well but I dont see him as more than a 1 yr wonder. We didnt cut Brandon Gibson we traded him for Witherspoon. And Hobbs was picked up for a 5th rder
- If anyone thinks this team will win a Super Bowl they are out of there mind especially with number 7 behind center. Vick's a great athlete but just an ok QB. He can't make the 10-15 yard pass. His season this year will be like the last 5 games of last season. Teams caught up to him yet again.....— tags23
- Where's Wolf? That KK is the best darned franchise QB I have ever seen in my life. HOFer waiting to happen for some lucky team. Listen to CSpangler, that is the real deal here.— PhillySubsMac
- Will The Inquirer please make Ashley Fox a throw-in as part of any Kolb trade? Then, wherever he's traded, she could write another slobbering 5-part series on the heir apparent from Texas.— Kagigstead
- We need to get monster defenisve players. Our Offense is very good, we can score at will but O-line is prioirity 2 because we need a shutdown defense ala 2000 Ravens or 1990s Eagles. We are a couple stud linebackers and another shutdown corner away— DonovanMcNabb
- As I have said before, if Fat Andy's lips are moving, he is definitely lying. No SB here as long as Fat Andy remains. I am distressed (again)!!!— oneway
- I'm still not sure why Urban went to Cincy. It was at best a lateral move, if not a demotion. Something doesn't smell right. Les, be sure and leave your nose open for any more details.— ej610
- Kolb will Win a Super Bowl before you losers with DOG KILLER! Hope u enjoy him with his big contact! That loser who should be Jail. Should have kept Kolb as You QB, you would have better success. Enjoy with Loser!— MRD
Kolb can win championships huh...... Can Reid?- Andy Reid has completely out-coached the other NFC East teams. Congrats to Coughlin on his SB win, but he's still not nearly the coach that Andy Reid is.— p-diddy
- Two NFC East coaches have won a SB. One other NFC East coach is new. Reid has neither won, nor is he new. He's completely out-coached himself. And very soon, he'll coach himself "out" of Philly.
- Andy is a loser— shawnmac
- There it is, the smartest football coach on earth jumping out of the airplane with what he thinks is the MV parachute. It will be one big thump when he hits the ground.— Kioto
Comment removed.- Andy is moving his lips, so that's how we know he's lying.— everydayguy
- Play Kolb and cut Vick.
Vick has never won and last year proved that Defenses have already caught up with him. Vick only beat 1 playoff team last year - the Colts - and it was their worst season in years.— JB215 - I thought this column was about trading Kolb..... Oh, well. It's all a moot point anyway as the bull-headed owners and the bull-headed players won't come to an agreement in time to make any trades anyway. And to all you Andy bashers, you must be too young to remember the good old days with Ray Rhodes, Marion Campbell, etc. He may not have won the big one yet, but he's taken us closer than anyone since Vermeil. Cowher didn't win until after his 12th season as head coach. Be careful what you wish for.— dlscholt
- notice 2 posters who normally comment the same way on kk are missing? why? because they are same person..wolf (the sane one)— wolf 4
- He is so dam good, that I am willing to trade him...Right Andy...We have heard you for 12 years and you have never spoken the truth to the media or the fans......but that is good salesmenship to boost his value and get rid of him.....hopefully for a stud 0-lineman or a stud linebacker— nuggett
- LMAO— RoastedBird
- Kioto...pleeease...we don't need a tsunami here!— VermontPhilsFan
- I agree with Andy. With the right roster (and Mike Vick will not win a Super Bowl this year with this roster), and Kolb at QB, the Eagles can win the Super Bowl. Which is why you trade Vick and keep the younger guy with fewer miles on his tires. And Vick will bring twice the trade value.
If the Eagles fail to take this advice, Vick will likely be on IR in December, and will have little trade value next spring. They are not committed to a style of play that will keep him healthy. Mike Vick gave us an exciting year, and now he can bring two first rounders that will help build a championship team.
As far as the offensive line goes, if King Dunlap starts at guard, this will not be a championship team. He has improved so that he is one of the least capable backups in the league, which is better than I could say last September, but they have to aim a touch higher. McGlynn could be a starting guard, and for that matter might compete for right tackle as well. But on a Super Bowl line, McGlynn is one of your tough, versatile backups, behind the likes of Gabe Carimi, Danny Watkins, Jackson, Herremans and Peters.— armchairGM - And for Christmas I hope all you Andy Reid haters get a new coach... and suffer for the next 12 years with losers. He's the best coach the birds have ever had. I am convinced that:
1. The people who slam Kolb are from out of town and don't want the eagles to get a good pick or two for him.
2. The people who slam Reid aren't old enough to remember the lean years...and there were quite a few of them. Ask your dad who Rich Kotite was. Or for that matter, Ed Khayat, Marion Campbell, Hugh Devore, Nick Skorich, Joe Kuharich, Jerry Williams, Mike McCormack or Ray Rhodes. Please stop writing your BS!!!
3. The people who slam Lurie and Banner don't remember Old Norman and dead Leonard..Bramen still had the first dollar he ever made and Tose would have his...if he didn't give it to Atlantic City.
4. The people who slam our trading ability and signing philosophy still want Dawkins starting at cornerback for us.
5. The people who slam the DN and Inq writes never took a writing class in their lives...if the have a life.
Go Birds!!!— ceocreates - No, I want Dawk on the sideline coaching this pathetic, no heart Defense. Banner trying to jerk him of* like a Free Agent rookie in a bad poker game sealed our fate. No JJ and No Dawk means no D or leadership in the zone. — Earl J
- I'm really very tired of all the negative talk about our Iggles head coach. What the HELL is so wrong about being good? I've been following our team since I got back from Vietnam in 1967. Except for the (very few) golden years under Vermeil, this is the best (WINNINGEST) coach in my tenure as a fan,44 seasons worth. I will grant you the difference in age perspective. If you have only been a fan for the last, say, 12 years, you know only the frustration of not winning a Supe. You know NOTHING of what it is like to endure HORRIBLE seasons of 2-12, 1-13 etc. Watching some of those teams was like trying to eat glass....a useless exercise that only produced pain. Nothing I can say will influence how you feel....but please try to be reasonable in your expectations....then reality won't hurt so much. And reality IS: This man Andy Reid gives every bit of himself to this organization. He makes judgements that are sometimes wrong...don't you? NOBODY is right ALL of the time. How about extending to him the same human consideration you would expect from HIM towards YOU. Awww geeze, now I've gone and rambled on like a guy with a boatload of experience and a big mouth. Bottom line is this: We are two seasons away from being in the Supe. We need the O-Line to be as good as it was in the Jon Runyon years. We need three more studs on "D". We will get it done.— TBear
- Huh, if he feels that highly about Kolb, goes to show what he thinks about Vick...should be an interesting few weeks w/ this thing.
- double K can, cheeseburger/BOZO couldn't, CAKE/FACE & cheeseburger WON'T !!!!!!— jwatson
- Reid needs to make Kolb look good, or the Eagles won't get anything for him. Plain and simple.— MidStaterUXB
- Why to these sites try and act like this is going to be business as usual. Kolb cant go anywhere unless a CBA is reached and that isnt happening. Even if a judge rules in the players favor on the 6th the owners are going to appeal and keep the doors closed. This will be a throw away season if there is one for all teams really, It sucks for the Eagles who need time to make moves that they just wont be able to make. I think even having a draft is a joke if you cant trade players.— Dparente
- ceocreates & TBear - Thanks for saving me the effort I am in complete agreement with your comments— Twocents
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Kolb winning championship = my chances of winning the lottery...it could happen, but don't bet the house on it!- Sign AR to a new 10 year contract!!! All you morons saying he should go are just that....morons!— cous76
- looking at that picture of Andy and reading his comments, I think he got into his sons stash.— watsonmr
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- Championships???
How is Kolb ever going to win anything
if Andy never gives him a chance to get off the bench???— phillydude - not in this town— Joe at the shore
I ran that wolf character off the Philly.com website. He couldn't take all the facts & logic. Either that or his mom told him to get out of the basement & get a job, lol— Mabus- Pull the trigger! Kolb will win championships- maybe even next year depending on where he goes. Meanwhile by 2014 the Eagles will be starting from scratch with Lurie looking for another unproven coach willing to work for cheap and the Eagles are riding the QB carousel.— jtj06
- All y'all Reid haters the best Eagle coach ever and one of the top five in the league. Fire Andy and replace him with whom. I heard the Banner press conferences I don't recall hearing Joe give a three year ultimatum to win the Super bowl OR ELSE? I kept hearing some dumba*&^% in the Philly press trying to manipulate Joe to imply that. More hype to get the haters riled up. All y'all that want Reid fired tell us who is a better choice. I guess the only time suggestions will come is after they hire a replacement then all y'all will say it shoulda coulda be whoever. Be careful what u ask for... remember Richie Kotite hahahah.— trinieagle
- LMAO at this picture... Why you got him lookin all crazy? haha— danlands
