Why I Don't Favor 'Exfolesiating' the Eagles
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Why I Don't Favor 'Exfolesiating' the Eagles
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
I've gotten a few emails protesting that the furor over the Eagles bringing back Michael Vick for a year is overblown, that behind a horrible offensive line in 2012, Vick really wasn't all that terrible.
True, sure, as far as it goes. There are two reasons for the widespread dismay: Vick's concussion-marred, turnover-plagued 2012 followed a very similar 2011, behind a much better offensive line (the excuse then was the lockout), so most of us figured we had seen pretty much all we needed to see of the soon-to-be-33-year-old QB, and, maybe more significant, bringing back Vick means Chip Kelly can't be all that enthused about giving Nick Foles a year to see what he can do.
It's easy to say, "well, Foles doesn't move well, so he can't run Kelly's offense," and consign Foles to the dustbin. It sure looks like that is what is happening, although offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur talked Monday about an approach flexible enough to encompass the talents of both Vick and Foles.
A few weeks ago, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com crunched some numbers on Foles' rookie season. Roob found that Foles' 60.8 percent completion percentage is fifth in NFL history among rookie QBs, behind some pretty notable figures -- Ben Roethlisberger, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan. Foles' average of 243 yards passing a game ranks third all-time, behind Andrew Luck and Cam Newton, neither of whom completed 60 percent of their passes as a rookie. Thus, Foles is the only NFL rookie, ever, to average more than 240 yards while completing at least 60 percent of his passes. (You could argue that Marc Bulger did this with the Rams in 2002, but he was not technically a rookie, having been on the roster behind Kurt Warner for two years, not playing.)
Foles threw an interception once every 53 attempts. In NFL history, only one rookie QB has had a better ratio, RGIII last season, one every 78.6 atempts.
So, since last time I looked, no quarterback ever won the Super Bowl with his feet, I was kinda looking forward to seeing what Foles could do this season. Am I certain he is a franchise QB? No. That's where the "this season" part comes in. I don't think the Eagles are winning the Super Bowl this year, whether Foles, Vick, Norm Van Brocklin or Peyton Manning is the QB. If Vick somehow manages to play, say, 14 games (you know he isn't playing 16), maybe they can go 8-8, if lots of other stuff falls into place.
Big whoop. Say you go 8-8, then what? Are you positioned to draft a franchise QB in 2014? Almost certainly not. Have you built anything for the future with Vick at the helm? Absolutely not.
I don't know Kelly well, obviously, but many of the "competitions" for a starting positiion I've seen that involved a guy making at least $7.5 million a year and a guy making $500,000 have been suspiciously weighted in one direction. The Eagles aren't paying Vick a $3.5 million signing bonus this April to trade him, or even to have him watch Foles from the sideline.
But if the Eagles don't trade Foles, and don't draft a franchise QB, maybe all Foles has to do is wait for Vick to eventually get hurt to get the chance Foles should be getting, right from the get-go, to show he is the guy.
Trading Foles at this point could be a huge mistake, unless you were getting back, say, a high second-round pick. I would guess there will be teams asking; plenty of people in the NFL understand that Super Bowls tend to be won with a quarterback's arm and head, not with his feet.
Michel Vick has won more than 9 games exactly ONCE. EVER. He has played 16 games ONCE. EVER. He is 2-4 in the playoffs, last winning a game in 2004. He is a career 80.4 QB rating guy. He has only EVER been ADEQUATE at the QB position. All the hype and BS and fun of his running aside, he is barely average at the helm. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how otherwise competent football men keep not seeing this.— GNIKGNARLY- Who said anything about him being traded? Is this news or a manufactured story?
— JayOfDaJungle - I hate that Vick is still on this team. Period. Chip Kelly will lose a lot of credibility if Vick and his turnovers result in a low draft pick. It really bothers me and makes me dislike Kelly already.— sore richard
- Take a breath. Kelly loves Foles. And you are trying to trade him. Typical Philly BS.— golferhhi
- People, please !! Vick is a Never Was and Foles is a Never Will Be. If you desperate Iggles fans think otherwise, you are dopes, but that's no surprise. Anyone still rooting for this pathetic franchise, 53 years without a title, and led by Ms. Lurie and her pal, Mr. Big Tough Football Man Howie deserves to be mocked. What a bunch of desperate and pathetic fools.— baabyrrej
- Foles got those numbers, but why he couldn't win more games?? Vick moves is good for the Eagles.— fairfan63
- hey klansmen and bigots foles will compete with vick for the starters job if foles is as good as many of you morons here claim(he is slow, just an average arm)he should win the job...as for black qb's who can run not having SB victory's is easy it is called white racism existing on these lands for over 5 centuries, white privelege YOUR way of life/death, brady, manning, brees wish they did have the talent like cunningham, vick, griffin, kaepernick, mcnabb, wilson players who can make things happen when protection breaks down unlike many of the SB winners who will immediately assume the fetal position and hide if they don't have everything working in their offenses..— only 9
- Yea, it's white racism that keeps black QB's from winning the SB. Interesting and intelligent point of view. When things don't go well for blacks, are they EVER responsible? And 5 centuries? — jrzdvl
- If Foles is better then he will win the job,, NO ?? It seems that after watching the films that Chipper came to the same conclusion that EVERYONE ELSE IN AMERICA came to. Nick Foles SUCKS. I keep hearing about rookie records,,HE WON 1 GAME and that was luck. He has NO arm strength, No accuracy,, and no poise. The obvious conclusion to be drawn from recent events is that Chip Kelly saw this and did what was BEST FOR THIS FOOTBALL TEAM. Live with it Philly !!!— phillyroni
- phillyroni, what are you talking about? You certainly seem to have the knack for making things up and exaggeration. Everyone elsein America thinks that Foles sucks? No accuracy? Gee from the letters, the Foles supporters must be from a foreign country and I guess that the second highest completion percentage as a rookie and behind a horrible offensi ve line means that Foles has no accuracy. What in the world are you smoking?— Drumgoole
- Les, this is one of the better articles that you have written. Vick is not the future. He had concussions the last 2 years, and will get hurt running this offense because defenses will be coming right at him as he holds the ball too long. Vick's numbers as an Eagle, 35 games-33 fumbles- 35 interceptions. Being 33 yrs old when the season starts,not someone I want to build my team around.— watsonmr
- I count at least twenty comments on this board that are obsessively focused on Vick's lack of "intelligence." So when Foles got pummeled standing behind that weak line or threw an awful interception, etc, etc, it wasn't because he "wasn't intelligent enough" right? Some of you people will just never manage to get out of your holes, will you?— auntesther
- So are you saying that they are equally stupid? Will you manage to get out of your own hole?
- Hard to believe that the Eagles are going to rest their Super Bowl hopes with Vick. But its ohvious that they feel that Foles isn't the guy (not yet anyway) and the prospects of getting anyone better than Vick by the start of the season aren't very good. As for Trent Edwards, its not "if" he'll be gone before the season starts, its only "when".— SteveS11
- Arrrgh!!! I can't stand that we've turned into the GDMF'in Redskins!! There is absolutely no scenario where keeping Vick another year works out well for us. I hate to admit it, but at this point I'm fully of the opinion that the Chipper is next in line of the Spurrier,Saban line of NCAA coaches who should stay there— rdglbav
