Why Vick probably doesn't fit Kelly's vision
The problem with the Eagles keeping Michael Vick for 2013
Why Vick probably doesn't fit Kelly's vision
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
We still are in the guessing stage, about pretty much everything when it comes to the Eagles and new coach Chip Kelly. Tops on the list of questions might be the quarterback. We all know that Michael Vick and Nick Foles are under contract, but that Vick can be released without any financial obligations to the Eagles if it is done in the first three days after the Super Bowl.
Who will it be?
Maybe Foles.
But probably not Vick.
This is just a surmise, of course, but it comes from Kelly’s own words. Someone attended a coaching clinic where Kelly was a featured speaker, and published his presentation. Here are three statements, lifted from that presentation. The subject was quarterbacks.
One:
“In a quarterback, I look for a quarterback who can run and not a running back who can throw. I want the quarterback who can beat you with his arm. If the defense forces him to run, he can do it effectively. We are not a Tim Tebow type of quarterback team. I am not going to run the quarterback 20 times on power runs. If I had a Tim Tebow, I might change my mind. You do not find the 6-4, 240-pound, 4.6 quarterbacks too many times.”
Two:
“In our attitude, every sack is the quarterback’s fault. It is not a sack if the quarterback throws the ball away. Nobody ever lost a game on an incomplete pass. Throw the ball away, and give us another opportunity to make a first down.”
Three:
“The job of a quarterback is simple. He has to ‘let it happen, and not make it happen.’ We want to move forward. That is a concept you have to make your team understand. The cardinal sin at our place is the quarterback sack. We want the ball out of the quarterback’s hands in 1.5 seconds. That does not mean holding the ball until 2.5, waiting for someone to get open.”
One, two, three. Does anybody see how that possibly adds up to Michael Vick quarterbacking the Eagles in 2013? He is the antithesis of most of these Kelly statements. He holds the ball forever, waiting for someone to get open, always looking for the big play, always reluctant to settle. As a result, he gets sacked a lot and hit more than almost any quarterback playing the game.
If not Vick, then Foles? One sentence, quoted above, sticks out as his problem: “If the defense forces him to run, he can do it effectively.”
The realities of the situation might force Kelly to compromise his vision in the first season -- we will all see about that, and soon enough. But it is hard to imagine the fundamental compromise that would be required if Vick were to be Kelly’s quarterback. I mean, when was the last time you saw Vick play and thought he was just letting it happen and not trying to make it happen? Ever?
Again, it is fundamental -- and we all have seen that Vick is too old to change. Given that, it seems obvious that the only question is whether the Eagles retain his rights after the Super Bowl in order to trade him.
If Kelly is as smart as they say, he will recognize a coach killer when he sees one. Reid never saw it, he somehow thought that Vick could make the high lite reel plays several times per quarter. Vick is quick feet slow brain. Foles is quick brain slow feet.— Lets Eat- If Kelly is as smart as they say, he won't blow a high draft pick on a QB for a team that needs eight new starters on defense. I'd rather see another year of Vick than a wasted pick on a QB. If it works out badly at least we'll have another year of high picks and a coach who has had a year to get his head around the NFL game.
- Maybe he wants to sign Tebow?— barneygoogle
- TIM TEBOW is NOT a quarterback. The MOST OVERRATED backup in NFL history. JOHN ELWAY knows quarterbacks and knew what he was doing when he got rid of him.— phillygtown
- Tim Tebow won a home playoff game for Elway, which is a bit more than Peyton Manning can say. — ekw555
- Peyton Manning earned a bye week which is a lot more than Tim Tebow can say. Manning didn't have to play a mediocre team in the wild card round.
Manning also has a Super Bowl ring. Let's be realistic about what Tebow is and not even try to spin it like he did more for the Broncos than Peyton.— jimbo jones - They got to the same round in the playoffs. The only reason Payton doesn't have the win is because he actually got a bye in the first round. That is more than Tebow will ever achieve. Besides, Tebow beat a Pittsburgh team that was completely beat up and had no business being in the playoffs in their current state. Tebow has no business being a quarterback. I wouldn't mind him as a tight end, but he needs to get over himself first before that can happen. — Diddly
- Let's hope this doesn't turn in to one of those incredibly obvious decisions that the Eagles outsmart themselves on.— atb124
- Quarterback that can throw all the passes is not Foles. Kelly wants a QB that will give up on every play? I wish Kelly well with that. With the sorry O-line that clueless sports writers love to have I'm sure any QB other than Vick will do. RELEASE VICK NOW and win a SB with Nick Montana, sorry, I mean tricky Nicky Foles. I can't believe the hate for a QB that has played in multiple pro bowls, something that Kelly knows nothing about! Only haters can go to sleep and dream Foles is a better QB than Mike Vick. If you want to point to hits and interceptions, ask Brady, Manning, Ryan and Rodgers about interceptions in the playoffs. Even a child knows that any and every QB has thrown interceptions including Slick Nick. Philly will never support a non-white QB if he wins a SB or not!— lbg
- Your an idiot wearing rose colored Vick glasses. Ok lets first all Philly has had several black Qb's all were supported until they showed they just could not get it done, also we learned in the R Cunningham days you will never ever win a SB with a broken play offense which brings me to Vick he had his best chance to win the SB in '04' when he lost the NFC championship to the Eagles. Why did he lose well, they made him try and win it with his arm, and that my idiot friend he could never do in a million years fact is he is not smart enough or tall enough to read a defense. Vick is old slow and most likely played his last NFL game get used to it. — eagle fan for life
- Where to start with your stupidity? Kelly does not want the QB to give up on every play - he wants the QB to avoid 10 - 15 yard sacks by throwing the ball away! your love of Vick has you blinded. Just compare the stats between the two of them this year - behind the same line. They were both pretty close statistically! When were those Pro bowls anyway? 8 years ago? As Brady, Manning, Ryan and Rodgers about winning in the post-season, because Vick won't be to you much about it! Philly supported Cunningham for his tenure here. They supported McNabb for a couple years too long. And many of the blind fools supported Vick (and still do). your pseudo racist rant make ZERO sense! — gdibig
- Good. Move on.
— ACBaughman - Good. Move on without Vick. Never liked him at QB since his VT days. I can see Tebow as a fullback. Love him or hate him, the guy can put the ball into the end zone from the 10.— ACBaughman
- Rich, I wish you and the other guys would stop scapegoating Vick, so much. While I appreciate that he has his shortcomings,but he is still one of best quarterbacks in the league.. Its hard for me to imagine why he shoulders so much blame for last years debacle of a season and why you or anyone would let him go for a song... It hard for me to imagine any of the great quarterbacks, you all love to highlight from John Elway to Tom Brady would have had much success in that offense last year. How about we put Vick behind the line from two years ago; pair him up with a decent defense(jim johnsons)that can stop anyone; a field that starts at the 30 and not the 20 or below; and, find bigger recievers that can get off the line of scrimage and perhaps he could throw in under 1.5 seconds... If we let Vick walk the eagles will suck for at least 4 years, the time it will take for us to go through at least two three quarterbacks..save this post and mark my words!— ehill40
- And if we keep Vick, the Eagles will suck for as long as he's here! He had five or six good games in 2010 - and finished the season with the Dallas fiascoes! Since then he's been terrible! Explain his play in 2011 if you would - you know, when the line was healthy and the starters play almost the entire season! While you're wishing for things (the O-line, the D, the receivers, etc.) why not just ask the tooth fairy to bring you Tom Brady? He had all of that (except a good D) in 2011 and SUCKED! — gdibig
