NFL Team Report – Philadelphia Eagles – INSIDE SLANT
The oldest player on the Eagles’ roster is in a fight for his job as starting quarterback.
Michael Vick, the team’s most grizzled veteran at 32, and second-year pocket passer Nick Foles, split first-team snaps with the offense in drills and simulated scrimmage situations Monday in the team’s first OTA session.
“I compete with myself more than (I compete) with anyone else,” Vick said.
The tempo of the workout was rapid and ripe with bass, with Kelly blaring 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Queen and other hand-selected numbers. The totals more important to Eagles’ fans are those produced in what Kelly labeled on draft day as a “wide-open” competition.
Vick said the quarterbacks are not worried about who the No. 1 quarterback is in May. He plans to stress consistency and making the right decisions while grasping Kelly’s vast scheme.
Foles was only “sprinkled in” with the starting offense last week, according to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Maclin said Friday that Vick was ahead of Foles based on the way Kelly had divvied up practice snaps.
“Count them up. Someone charted them, I would imagine,” Kelly said Monday. “He and Nick switched to different groups, so that’s what we did.”
Within his OTA schedule, Kelly said the split was planned to be 50-50, but said Foles might’ve received slightly less work in the first OTA of a planned three-week schedule.
At one point in Monday’s session, Kelly had all five quarterbacks on the 90-man roster — including fourth-round pick Matt Barkley and Kelly’s former Oregon pupil Dennis Dixon — throwing simultaneously. Their footwork and accuracy was critiqued on the fly and the pace of the practice must’ve felt like fast-forward compared to roster holdovers from the Andy Reid regime and Barkley, who is straight from the college scene.
“Matt has been really good. We’ve had him for three days,” said Kelly, including a weekend rookie minicamp. “Really thought he picked things up quickly. He’s an extremely hard worker. He’s here every morning at 6 a.m. working at whatever it is to work on. I mean, I think he’s got a great football background first and foremost. He started four years in high school and four years in college and that’s kind of rare, so he’s been through a lot. It showed up when he got here. He’s got a lot of experience even though he’s a rookie. I’ve been real impressed with Matt in the three days now going into the fourth day that we’ve had him.”
Vick turns 33 on June 26 and after renegotiating his contract is driven to prove he’s the ideal option for Kelly’s four-plays-a-minute offense. Injuries are the biggest bugaboo for Vick, who was sacked 85 times in the past 35 games and has played every game just once in his career (2006).
“In my mind, in my heart,” said Vick, “I feel like I’m the starter.”
Foles dwarfs Vick (6-0, 215) in the huddle. While the 6-6, 243-pound pocket passer isn’t exactly statuesque in the pocket, he’s not a threat to gouge a defense with his running ability. In six starts and seven appearances as a rookie, Foles completed 60.8 percent of his passes, but he also took a lot of hits (20 sacks in 265 attempts).
Almost as important as figuring out who starts behind center is who Kelly can align alongside Jason Kelce. Fourth overall pick Lane Johnson began workouts at right tackle opposite Jason Peters on the left side, and Kelly said that plan is expected to remain.
With Johnson at right tackle eventually — he isn’t running with the first team in OTAs — Todd Herremans moved back inside to right guard and Evan Mathis will be the left guard. The return of Peters from a one-year absence because of Achilles injury is a boon. But with only one other change in personnel, Kelly has seemingly corrected myriad issues.
How he’ll settle on the right man to take snaps behind the group is expected to be a mystery well into August.
“With Chip … anything’s possible,” Foles said. “You know that.”
–Matt Barkley may not have been selected until the fourth round of the draft last month, but the quarterback from USC arrived at the Eagles’ rookie camp this past weekend with the confidence and swagger of a first-rounder.
Despite the presence of not one, but two quarterbacks with NFL starting experience – Michael Vick and Nick Foles – Barkley sees no reason why he can’t be the team’s season-opening starter in September.
Barkley called Vick and Foles “outstanding men” who “have both done great things,” but added, “you come in knowing that you have a job (to win). They’re trying to take that job as well. It’s competition. That’s what competing is all about.”
Barkley will get an opportunity to win the starting job. The Eagles’ new head coach, Chip Kelly, has made it clear that the competition between Vick, Foles and Barkley will be a may-the-best-man-win battle. None of them will have an edge heading into this week’s first round of OTAs.
Kelly had mobile quarterbacks at Oregon that could run the read-option, or at least present the threat of running it. Barkley is basically a pocket passer. So is Foles. Vick is the only one of the three who can run. But Kelly has said he’ll fit his offense around his best quarterback.
“You come in as a teammate to them, not as a fan,” said Barkley, who faced Kelly’s Ducks four times in college, losing three of those games, but throwing 12 touchdown passes.
“You come in as someone who is ready to compete against them. At the same time, it’s going to be good competition for all of us, competing against each other, just making each other better.”
Some of Barkley’s new teammates expect to Vick to eventually win the starting job. But that’s not a given. While his speed may appeal to Kelly, his penchant for turning the ball over, his trouble getting the ball out quickly and his past struggles running an up-tempo offense don’t.
“Barkley and his college achievements are off the wall,” wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. “He obviously has good guys to learn from. I’m pretty sure he’s going to have to embrace that and go through some ups and downs, being a rookie quarterback.
“As far as competition, if there is a competition or there isn’t, I’m not going to get caught up in that. I’m going to do my job.”
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NFL Team Report – Philadelphia Eagles – NOTES, QUOTES
–Veteran linebacker Chris Gocong, who spent four seasons with the Eagles before being traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2009, participated in the team’s rookie camp over the weekend. He’s a free agent. Gocong missed the entire 2012 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He played strong-side linebacker in a 4-3 scheme with the Eagles and was an inside linebacker in the Browns’ 3-4. The Eagles don’t have a lot of inside linebackers on their roster. The team’s new defensive coordinator, Bill Davis, was the Browns’ linebackers coach when Gocong was there. “I’m lucky to get a chance to come here and play with (Davis) as a coordinator,” Gocong said. “We’ll see how it works out.”
–The Eagles selected offensive tackle Lane Johnson with the fourth overall pick in last month’s draft. The tentative plan is for him to be the team’s season-opening right tackle. But he’s got to prove he can handle the job. If he doesn’t, the Eagles can always leave Todd Herremans at right tackle rather than move him back inside to guard. “I’m just feel I have to kind of work every day and do my best, and I think if I do that, good things will happen,” Johnson said.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was kind of hard. I’d let people down in the past. There’s nothing I can do about that now. I can only try and move forward. I know that going into relationships now, they won’t trust me. I’ll have to build trust. I know that and I’m willing to do whatever it takes, because this is where I want to be for the next 25 years. I’m willing to jump through any hoops that they want.” – Eagles undrafted free agent punter Brad Wing, who failed several drug tests during his college career at LSU.
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NFL Team Report – Philadelphia Eagles – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
A closer look at the Eagles’ picks:
1/4 – Lane Johnson, T, 6-6, 303, Oklahoma
Former quarterback, defensive end and tight end who’s only been an offensive lineman for three years. Eagles love his athleticism. He’s an excellent fit for Chip Kelly’s offense. Can play both sides. Probably will be the team’s season-opening starting right tackle.
2/35 – Zach Ertz, TE, 6-5, 249, Stanford
Tight end wasn’t a need at 35, but Ertz was the top available guy on the Eagles’ board. Kelly is going to use a lot of two- and even three-tight end sets, and he loves the matchup problems Ertz causes for defenses with his size and speed.
3/67 – Bennie Logan, DT, 6-2, 309, LSU
The Eagles will be playing a 3-4, and Logan has the versatility to play both inside and outside in their base and sub-packages. Figures to be a rotational player as a rookie.
4/98 – Matt Barkley, QB, 6-3, 227, USC
The Eagles feel they got a top-50 talent with the 98th pick. Barkley’s selection proves mobility isn’t a required skill in Kelly’s offense. He ran a 4.9 in pre-draft workouts, but threw 12 touchdown passes in four games against Kelly’s Oregon Ducks.
5/136 – Earl Wolff, S, 5-11, 209, North Carolina State
Wolf is a physical player with 4.4 speed who can play centerfield or down in the box. His ticket to a roster spot will be on special teams.
7/212 – Joe Kruger, DE/OLB, 6-6, 269, Utah
Kruger played on the same defensive line at Utah with first-round pick Star Lotulelei. With the Eagles switching to a 3-4, they could use Kruger as both a five-technique end and a stand-up edge rusher.
7/218 – Jordan Poyer, CB, 6-0, 191, Oregon State
Another great value pick for the Eagles. Poyer was projected by many as a third- or fourth-round pick. Doesn’t have great clock speed for a corner. Will be a special team contributor. Could eventually wind up at safety.
7/239 – David King, DE, 6-4, 275, Oklahoma
King was an All-Big 12 second-team selection. Started 13 games last season for the Sooners and will compete for a roster job as an end in their 3-4 scheme.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (1)
–G Jake Scott signed with the Eagles in the second half of the season and played well as their starting right guard. But the Eagles likely will go younger.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED
–TE Zach Ertz (2/35): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–S Earl Wolff (5/136): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–OLB Joe Kruger (7/212): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–CB Jordan Poyer (7/218): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
–DE David King (7/239): 4 yrs, terms unknown.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
–S Colt Anderson: Potential RFA; $1M/1 yr, $300,000 guaranteed.
–LS Jon Dorenbos: Potential UFA; 4 yrs.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
–LB Emmanuel Acho (trade Browns).
–T Allen Barbre: FA; yerms unknown.
–LB Connor Barwin: UFA Texans; $36M/6 yrs, $8M guaranteed.
–WR Arrelious Benn (trade).
–DE Everette Brown: FA; terms unknown.
–TE James Casey: UFA Texans; $12M/3 yrs, $6M guaranteed.
–S Patrick Chung: UFA Patriots; $10M/3 yrs, $2.285M SB/$4M guaranteed.
–QB Dennis Dixon: FA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
–CB Bradley Fletcher: UFA Rams; $5.25M/2 yrs, $1.6M SB/$2.35M guaranteed.
–DE Clifton Geathers (trade Colts).
–P Donnie Jones: UFA Texans; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–S Kenny Phillips: UFA Giants; $2M/1 yr, $1M RB.
–LB Jason Phillips: UFA Panthers; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
–NT Isaac Sopoaga: UFA 49ers; $11M/3 yrs.
–CB Cary Williams: UFA Ravens; $17M/3 yrs, $10.5M guaranteed.
PLAYER LOST
–CB Nnamdi Asomugah (released).
–T King Dunlap: UFA Chargers; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
–QB Trent Edwards (released).
–FB Stanley Havili (traded Colts).
–DT Cullen Jenkins (released).
–LB Akeem Jordan: UFA Chiefs; 1 yr, terms unknown.
–DT Derek Landri: UFA Buccaneers; $2.75M/2 yrs, $1.25M guaranteed.
–RB Dion Lewis (traded Browns).
–P Mat McBriar (released).
–TE Evan Moore (released).
–DT Mike Patterson (released).
–CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: UFA Broncos; $5M/1 yr, $5M guaranteed.
–DE Darryl Tapp: UFA Redskins; 1 yr, terms unknown.
