You Don't Just Patch & Fill at QB
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You Don't Just Patch & Fill at QB
Les Bowen
Tonight's game is huge for Nick Foles, and by extension, for Eagles fans.
Whether Foles is a potential franchise quarterback or just a guy is the key question that will determine how far away from contending the Eagles are, under whatever coach Jeff Lurie hires in January or February. (Please, God, let it be January. Early January would be best.)
This is pretty obvious stuff, but I feel the need to restate it after listening to a lot of people hypothesize over the past week or so about picking up some fill-in quarterback from somewhere for 2013. (Matt Flynn, etc.) I don't see the point.
So, you might get to 9-7, or something, with a guy like that. Is 9-7 the goal now? I thought it was to win the Super Bowl. You win the Super Bowl with a franchise quarterback. Period. Not so much with a defense that reminds fans of the Buddy Ryan days, or a great running back, or any of that stuff. FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK. Peyton Manning. Eli Manning. Drew Brees. Aaron Rodgers. Ben Roethlisberger. Tom Brady. These are the QBs who have won Super Bowls in the last nine years.
So, either Foles has that potential, or the Eagles need to draft one. If there's not such a talent available in this year's draft, then they are really in trouble. But bringing in some guy who's sort of OK is no solution. All that might do is get you farther away from a draft position where you might be able to find your key ingredient in 2014.
You know, before I'd expend precious resources on some stopgap QB, to very little purpose, I'd consider keeping Michael Vick another year, if he'd do a little contract adjusting. Behind a better offensive line, which you have to project,. becaause next year's offensive line can't very well be worse, I think Vick is at least as good as Matt Flynn.
But if I were an Eagles fan, I'd be pulling really, really, really hard for Foles tonight. If he's legit, all things are possible for the new coach.
Les wants Vick back for another year, the end is certainly near— Onlineps2beast- With Howie Baby having draft input, we are doomed to pick another first-round QB stiff: a guy that Roseman "really likes" but other teams rate as a third-round potential backup. With this clown at the helm, why do we even need a new coach? I have no faith in the owner - he's just another Hollywood money-grubber who promises but never delivers. But look on the bright side .......— NM Eagle fan
- Not a big Reid fan - but lets be honest - if any of those other QB's lost 4/5ths of their offensive line they would not be very effective either. Case in point Aaron Rodgers last night. Of course their coaches would probably run the ball more in that case but I digress. NFL football is all about the line play. Mark Rypian won a SuperBowl behind the HOgs for goodness sake. MARK RYPIAN???? Build the line this year, give Foles and or Vick another year and then if its bad then draft a franchise QB - cause Matt Barkley is just a more expensive version of Foles. Maybe not even.— gb2007
- DUMB ARTICLE....Vick Sucks...Vick is an awful 11-17 the past three years and Vick has LOST FIVE GAMES IN A ROW...and Vick will be an old washed-up 33 year old who is always injured EVERY YEAR....Vick has already shown he is a $100 million bust, so YOU DON'T CONTINUE WITH A PROVEN LOSER...DUMP VICK...— jim35
- Eagles are not going to the Super Bowl with this awful defense and awful offensive line for many years...so let the 22 year old Foles continue to develope for at least one full year including valuable training camp...Ron Jaworski said Foles will be a top NFL QB, I beleive Jaws who looks at all details on film and is QB guru.— jim35
- Vick would have to do a LOT of contract adjusting to remain an Eagle, but he may be willing since I don't see much of a market for him. He'd have to be willing to accept a possible backup role though. I'd still look around - maybe for a Matt Moore or Flynn if they come at a reasonable price.— fammarlin
- Let's face it, I have no problem with firing Andy , but as long as Lurie and Roseman run the franchise we have no shot at attracting a decent coach or getting decent players. This is going to be a bad team for a long time.— drbob1
- Why couldn't these same sequence of events happened last year? There are no surefire QB prospects in the draft this year. Maybe we can pick up a middle-tier guy next year to fill the hole until we can actually get a solid QB prospect. I got John Kitna on the line here!— DelcoSchmelco
- Vick is a much better quarterback than Foles at this point in Foles career. If you think Vick had a hard time with Philly's makeshift offensive line, just watch Foles. He had 3 turnovers, with one called back, versus Dallas. Was uninspiring versus the 'Skins.
The only saving grace is that Carolina's defense is really bad. But because people hate that Vick isn't the same without his starting center and starting tackle, people and the media are killing him.
Also, it didn't escape us that the author chose to stop at 9 years. Is it because Brad Johnson (Tampa) and Trent Dilfer (Ravens) aren't franchise QBs. Not every team needs a 'franchise QB'. Playoffs are about limiting your mistakes while forcing mistakes in your opponent.
You need solid QB play and a mistake correcting defense.— ThePhillyDave - Vick is a turnover machine. Foles has an excuse, a rookie with no experience. In 10 years if Foles is still turning the ball over, like Vick does, I doubt he would be in the league although somehow Vick is. The two quarterbacks you mention did one thing well, not hurt the team. Vick has, does and always will turn the ball over. And Vick is not very fast anymore, or elusive. People are catching him from behind all the time. Foles is 10 years younger and as big or bigger then the ones trying to take him down. Foles also is attempting to read the defense and audible according to the blitz, Vick never bothered. — Sidewinder7
- Vick sucks....Vick is an awfl 11-17 the past THREE YEARS...Vick is WASHED-UP and has PROVEN he can't win here...DUMP VICK.— jim35
- You gotta give Foles a year or two to pick up the game. If you already wrote him off, I'd say you are part of the problem.— Apollo Creed
- Alas, a waste of column space ...
"Straw man" argument re. bringing in a "stop-gap" QB. Not going to happen.
C'mon Les, you can do better than this.— FishFryFrank - Dr. Bob says it, what decent coach is going to want an unproven QB who was drafted by his predecessor, while answering to a "GM" who is already a laughing stock in the locker room (you can bet Asante wasn't the only one who thought so) and has stocked the team with worthless draft picks and free agents. You'd be lucky to get a Steve Spagnuolo caliber guy.— eaglescali
- Give Foles a full year incuding valuable training camp....Jaws says Foles will be a top NFL QB...Jaws is QB expert, so I would listen to him.— jim35
