John Skelton AKA Comeback Kid
By Gayle Saunders
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I’m not saying any names, but sometimes in the NFL certain quarterbacks receive all the press, while others who deserve credit, don’t get the spotlight they deserve. While were on that subject, I present quarterback John Skelton, a 5th round selection out of the 2010 draft from Fordham University.
In the beginning of the season, you would have expected us to be talking about Kevin Kolb leading the Cardinals to victories, however its John Skelton who has led Arizona to some of their biggest wins in 2011. While Kevin Kolb is the “franchise guy”, it’s the gutsy John Skelton who is outplaying him with his 4th quarter heroics. John Skelton on the season is 4-1 as a starter, but technically he’s won 5 of 7 games while under center this year. Which means Kolb has only won two games total this year.
He’s proven to his teammates time and time again that other QB’s not name Tim Tebow (Ok I said it) can make 4th quarter comebacks. Larry Fitzgerald compared Skelton’s play to Tebows heroic comebacks.
“He makes throws, he scrambles, and he does whatever is necessary to get the victory,” We know there is something special about the guy. He makes plays down the stretch.
“Everyone talks about Tim Tebow and his record as a starter, but you look at John’s record and it’s pretty good, too.”
Coach Whisenhunt hasn’t made it clear as to which quarterback he’ll start on Saturday versus the Cincinnati Bengals, perhaps the decision will be made by Wednesday.
There’s a good chance that Whisenhunt won’t have to make the tough decision if Kolb can t go due to issues from the concussion he sustained against the 49ers game. Even though Kolb was cleared to practice against the Browns Kolbs didn’t get to play in the game. Time will only tell folks.
Larry Fitzgerald’s sick catch!
DRC Jersey Available on Eagles’ Website
By Gayle Saunders
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Im not sure what this exactly means, but by the looks of it you see what I see. Thats right DRC jerseys are being sold on the Philadelphia Eagles website. So with that being said, It looks like the writing is on the wall that the deal is almost done and they are working out the kinks to finalize Kolb/DRC deal.
A Need for a Need: Kevin Kolb for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
By Gayle Saunders
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Arizona Cardinal and Eagle fans have something in common, both their teams have big holes at one key position and they need them filled ASAP. There are many reasons why a Kolb for DRC deal makes sense for both teams, lets take a look at some of the reasons.
Going into last season the Cardinals lost their trusty gunslinger in Kurt Warner, leaving them with guys like Derek Andersen, John Skelton and Max Hall at QB. Lets just say Whisenhunt wasn’t too pleased with their overall performances as a whole.
One thing no one speaks about is the The elephant in the room, that being Larry Fitzgerald future. Whisenhunt knows how important Fitzgerald is to the franchise and with Larry in his contract year, its imperative they give him a reason to sign and stay long term. There are guys like Kyle Orton and Marc Bulger that are out there to be had, however Kevin Kolb gives them some upside, youth and a guy with a itch to finally get a chance. Kolb resembles the idea of a franchise QB, at least in the cards eyes. Enter Kevin Kolb.
The Cardinals front office must have watched the Kevin Kolb video vs the San Francisco 49ers and their mouths started watering. With the nature of the NFC West these days, winning the West with Kolb looks quite possible.
Eagles fans who relived the second part of last season now know the names of their back up corners quite well. Guys like Dimitri Patterson, Trevard Lindley got taken advantage of early and often. The glaring hole in the eagles defense was clearly at cornerback. Enter DRC.
As an Eagle fan DRC reminds me of a way more talented Lito Sheppard with better cover skills. Rodgers-Cromartie
is a proven young Pro Bowl-caliber talent…the downside is he’s coming off injury, but says he’s back to being 100%. Honestly, the Madden franchise GM in me would love a guy like Nnamdi Asomugha, but signing DRC gives you more options and flexibility to sign a playmaking Defensive End in free agency for the same money. With two corners in Asante Samuels and DRC they both could blanket the NFC East.
Ken Whisenhunt has brought in a new defensive coordinator by the name of Ray Horton who used to coach in Pittsburgh, look for Ike Taylor to be a possible repacement if this deal goes down, since Taylor is quite familiar with what Horton wants to do out in Arizona.
In the end Andy Reid knows Kolb upside in Philly has hit a plateau with the emergence of Mike Vick. If Andy Reid thought Kolb was going to be great he would hang onto him and that still is a possibility with the price tag of $1.392 million they would have to pay him to back up Vick next season. Its also a great case for Arizona to trade for him with only $1.392 million price tag for him to play QB this year. With DRC signed for two more years around a million a year they dont have to pay a signing bonues either. However Kolb, will probably look to push for a new deal wherever he goes.
Either way you look at this deal, both teams would fill a position that instantly makes each team better.
A source reports Eagles have received at least one offer for Kolb
By Gayle Saunders
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A source has reported that the Eagles have received at least one offer for Kevin Kolb. The offer in place is a first-round draft pick in exchange for the quarterbacks’ services.
At the moment, Joe Banner has not confirmed the story, although he has stated that market for Kevin Kolb has been more aggressive than last year when Donovan was up for grabs. The Eagles only pulled in a early second-round pick and a 2011 fourth-round selection from the Washington Redskins.
Right now the trade offers are heating up regardless of a lockout and Banner believes the offers could be greater.
“You can figure if there’s a quarterback that a number of teams are interested in, you’re going to end up with some meaningful compensation,” Banner said Monday during a break in the NFL owners’ meetings at a New Orleans hotel. “You can kind of figure out what that means and speculate from there. That’s the situation we’re in.”
Currently all the trade talk of Kevin Kolb are Grade “A” rumors. However anyone who follows the Eagles closely knows that keeping a bitter Kevin Kolb around for one more year on the bench does nothing to make the Eagles better. The most interesting point though is that Kolb is only due 1.3 million next year. He got paid like a starter this year, but next season Kolb could be had for backup QB money. By the beginning of the “could-be-season” their could be many teams asking for Kolb’s help.
Teams like the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Vikings or Titans could be in the mix. The Browns made a push for Kolb last season , but with McCoy impressing the city of Cleveland look for the browns to stay put with McCoy.
Last season many of the above teams went into the season with question marks at quarterback and it didn’t work out to well for those teams. With the draft class this year a tad questionable the Eagles could have their phone ringing off the hook.
The Eagles will have to receive a nice offer to let Kolb walk, cause if Kolb goes that leaves young Mike Kafka as your back up behind Mike Vick. The Eagles could always call a journey man like Jeff Garcia and use the picks to select quality lineman in the first two rounds.
Look for the Eagles to field the calls and look for the best offer in the meantime until the lockout is truly over.
The Michael Vick Project: 3 questions going into Detroit
By Gayle Saunders
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The Michael Vick project could possibly turn into a whole other experiment after this Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. There was a time when Vick was just happy to be back in the NFL. There was a time when he was happy to be lined up at receiver or even just running the wildcat offense, but times have changed in the city of brotherly love and the Michael Vick project is ready to take off.
After last week, the sports world got a good look at Michael Vick. Not only did he perform well he did it on the fly completing 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, and finished with a QB rating of 101.9. He also rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries.
The city was ready or either forced to embrace their new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb last week, but after a lackluster performance and one huge concussion it didn’t take long before Philly fans had something to talk about.
As much as some fans don’t want to buy into the Kevin Kolb Project at this given moment, Andy Reid has already invested 3 years into Kolb. Reid has not only traded away Donovan McNabb in the off season, but they also awarded Kolb with an extension. To make a long story short…Reid has made it known that Kolb is the future regardless of Vick’s performance against Detroit.
Three important questions going into the Detroit Lions game:
1) When Kolb returns how many games will it take for the Kevin Kolb project to be ready for the NFL?
2) How patient will the Eagles locker room as well as Eagles Nation be if Kolb tanks in another game?
3) If Michael Vick has an all world performance this week how does Andy Reid sit down Vick, for a young gun still trying to earn his stripes.
When Michael Vick was brought to Philly they brought him in to add a new dimension to their offense, the Eagles gave Vick a one-year deal for $1.6 million with an option for a second year which they paid in the sum of $5.2 million with an additional $3 million in incentives. The other reason Vick was brought in to Philly was to compete at qb, and that is exactly what he is doing.
At one time Michael Vick, was the number 1 draft pick in 2001 and was once the highest-paid player in football. At one time Vick was a three-time Pro Bowler, who rushed for 1,039 yards in 2006, the most by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history. However in 2007, there was a moment that Vick was the most hated person in football amongst some circles for his dog fighting scandal.
Fast forward to the present, The Michael Vick Project is not just a reality show, but a man who is living proof of what people can do when given a second chance. Love or hate him, the stage has been set for Vick, who steps in as a starting QB for the first time since 2006.
Andy Reid said this about Michael Vick when they signed him.
“I’m a believer that as long as people go through the right process, they deserve a second chance,”
The Vick that we see today has become a student of the game, who still has flashes of athleticism. The Vick we saw last week was accurate on the move and ran the offense effectively. The Vick we saw last week looked like a a person going through the right process.
“(Vick) he changed (the game) a whole lot,” Packers Cullen Jenkins said. “You were almost wishing they put the other quarterback back in. Chasing him around is not fun at all.”
It almost makes you wonder if there is a different side of Vick as a QB. In Atlanta he didn’t take film study and game preparation very seriously, I don’t believe the new Vick would stand for such a thing. He has been awarded a second chance to prove something to the NFL but most importantly to himself…that he belongs here.
Fantasy Football – Week 2 Pickups
By Gayle Saunders
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QB’s
Week 2 Pickups
If your fantasy quarterbacks happens to be Kevin Kolb (concussion) or Matthew Stafford (shoulder), Look no further than Michael Vick , Matt Hasselbeck or David Garrard they could all serve as a replacements this week.
Eagles – Michael Vick showcased some speed and arm strength in Week 1, Vick created a QB controversy with his stellar play against a tough Green Bay defense he threw some darts which were on target and made many plays with his legs. Vick completed 16 of 24 pass attempts for 175 yards and a touchdown and chipped in an additional 103 rushing yards on 11 carries. With Kolb still suffering a concussion look for Vick to regain form against the Lions.
Seahawks – Matt Hasselbeck played decent in Week 1, he completed 18 of 23 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He scored a TD on a short run. Hasselbeck has new a wideout in Mike Williams and reliable tight end John Carlson. Next up for Hasselbeck: the Denver Broncos, who gave up 170 yards and 3 touchdowns to David Garrard (and a whopping 76% completion percentage). Hasselbeck looks like a solid start for week 2. Read more
Eagles Stewart Bradley & Kevin Kolb’s Concussions
By Gayle Saunders
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With Michael Vick receiving most of the Eagles news on Monday there is one issue that I would like to bring to light.
In the second quarter of the packers game, trainer Rick Burkholder put two players who were at serious risk of life-threatening brain injuries back into the game. Both Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley suffered concussions on the field and both players were strangely put back in the game. This act was completely irresponsible on the part of the Eagles trainer. Read more
Kevin Kolb gets 1 yr extension with the Eagles
By Gayle Saunders
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The Philadelphia Eagles have rewarded their new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb and have agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2011 season. The deal is worth $12.5 million, Mostly all of it is in the form of a guaranteed signing bonus as per the 30 percent rule, Kolb is set to make $550,000 in base salary in 2010 and he cannot make more than $715,000 in base salary in 2011. Read more
Who will be the QB of the future in Cleveland
By Gayle Saunders
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Who will be the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns next season? That is the question that Browns’ President Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert must decide. According to ESPN’s Sal Palantonio its been reported that the Philadelphia Eagles’ asking price for young QB Kevin Kolb as well as Donovan McNabb will be nothing short of a first round pick.
At the moment The Cleveland Browns and several other teams, most notably Seattle, have been calling about the availability of Philadelphia’s quarterbacks. Tom Heckert, who spent the last nine years in Philadelphia, had a hand in drafting Kevin Kolb. He has been the vocal cheerleader for Kolb. He’s basically been selling the potential star to the Browns organization as the future for the Browns. But the real question is…Are they willing to give up a first round pick for an unproven player like Kolb?
In 12 career appearances Kolb has a 60.8 Comp PCT, 6.8 Yard AVG, 4 TD, 7 INT, and a 68.9 RAT.
Here is where it gets interesting, Kolb is the only QB in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in his first two NFL starts, both of which came this past season. He was 1-1 in those starts with a loss to Super bowl champs New Orleans and a win against Kansas City. There can be arguments that the Eagles pass a lot hence those big 300 yard games. No matter what, the talk of the town has been Kevin Kolb potential to be great.
Andy Reid drafted Kolb with the 36th pick overall in the second round in 2007. Even though McNabb is still in the nest, The Eagles are looking for Kolb to be their future QB after McNabb leaves. If they weren’t so high on Kolb they would not be asking for such a high price. Heckert in his years with Philly has seen a lot of Kolb and what his abilities are.
At the moment The Browns quarterback situation is upside down. They traded with Seattle for Seneca Wallace on Monday. On Tuesday they released Derek Anderson. On Wednesday it was made known they are shopping Brady Quinn, and today Thursday, they are bringing in former Carolina Panther Jake Delhomme.
Right now its up in the air what exactly the Browns front office may do. Holmgren and Heckert have their hands full as they look to move forward in the future. Is Kevin Kolb the future, does Brady Quinn somehow get a second shot, Does Seneca Wallace tak over or is Jake Delhomme the band aid for next season
