Larry Brown Sports

With Chip Kelly having agreed to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday, one of the questions on everyone’s mind is what his hiring will mean for the future of Michael Vick. Before Kelly’s arrival, it was widely assumed that Vick had played his last game in Philadelphia. The Eagles can release Vick prior to Feb. 6 without having to pay him any money, but has he become a valuable piece of Kelly’s future plan?

According to Eagles center Jason Kelce, most people on the team thought Vick would be gone before Kelly was hired. Now, they aren’t so sure.

“That is the first thing that popped into my mind because I think, obviously, the outlook after the season was everybody thought Mike would kind of be out of here,” Kelce told Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo on ESPN Radio. “But yeah, you look at Oregon’s offense and obviously Mike kind of fits that mold a little bit. Now, whether we run the exact same offense that they run at Oregon, that’s still up for debate. I mean, he said already, I guess, that the offense that he runs will be dictated based upon the personnel that he has. So I guess we’ll find that out in a few more months.”

Kelly’s offense at Oregon was fast. Say what you will about Vick and his inability to stay healthy or throw the ball with accuracy on a consistent basis, but he certainly has the gift of speed. If Kelly can somehow incorporate Vick into his spread offense without making him susceptible to the types of hits that shortened his season last year, he could make Philly’s offense a dangerous new weapon. As we know, all of that will be much easier said than done.

Thanks to Sports Radio Interviews for transcribing the interview
Photo credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Michael Vick is disappointed that the Philadelphia Eagles’ poor 4-12 season cost head coach Andy Reid his job, and he’s particularly upset with numerous teammates who he felt did not give a strong enough effort this season.

Though Vick did not call out specific individuals, he indicated there was an attitude problem throughout the team’s locker room.

“It’s all about focus, dedication and commitment,” Vick said Monday, per CSN Philly. “Until you get guys who are willing to better themselves week in and week out and want to win, you’re not going to win. And I haven’t played with guys like that. It’s unfortunate for coach thing turned out the way they are. It could have been a lot better. This locker room could have dictated that.”

Vick agreed with a reporter who asked if the lack of effort from his teammates “pisses him off.” Vick also agreed with LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, who both said they felt like some of the new faces failed to “buy in” to the team.

“Guys have to start to understand: You can’t do it your way,” Vick continued. “You have to follow the leader. If you don’t then we end up in the situation we are in now, losing the head coach, a man that we love and have a great deal of respect for. A man that I played hard for. I gave him 100 percent. At least I can feel good about that. And there are guys in here that gave it their all. But you need consistent effort from every guy in this locker room.”

Vick said he tried to lead by example, but he admits he probably should have tried to be more vocal about the issue.

The Eagles disappointed for the second season in a row. If many players weren’t buying in to the system, then it probably was time to fire Andy Reid. Vick certainly didn’t help out his coach’s plight with his below-average performance throughout the season.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Cam Newton has been compared to Michael Vick ever since he burst onto the scene at Auburn and led the Tigers to a national championship. While many will argue that their comparisons are race related, Newton understands that the comparison stems mostly from the fact that both quarterbacks can make plays with their arm and their legs.

Newton says that dual-threat ability has its benefits and its downfalls.

“The skill set that I have and the skill set that he has is kind of rare, especially in this league, but it’s your gift and your curse,” Newton told the Charlotte Observer. “Sometimes it can get you out of a lot of trouble. Sometimes it can put you in trouble if you lean on it too much.”

Newton grew up idolizing Vick, and the two instantly hit it off when they met in 2010. They have had multiple conversations since meeting, and Newton says Vick has advised him to “play your game and let the game come to you.”

In a sense, Newton is right. Quarterbacks who can run tend to try to get out of trouble too often instead of throwing the ball away. Poor offensive line play is part of the reason Vick has taken such a beating throughout his career, but his refusal to throw the ball away or give up on a play has contributed to it as well.

But Newton’s real “curse” this season has seemingly been between his ears. Questioning your coaches while wearing this ridiculous sweater after a loss or holding up a team bus while you sulk has nothing to do with athletic ability.

Helmet smack to Around the League
Photo: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Marcus Vick went off on the Philadelphia Eagles over Twitter while watching “Monday Night Football,” demanding that the team trade his brother, Michael.

“Please trade my brother. We requesting out of Philly!!!! Please please please……” he wrote on Twitter during Monday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Eagles before deleting the tweet.

Marcus later explained why he tweeted that he wants the Eagles to trade his brother.

Only reason I said trade was bc I hear all that Nick Foles talk. Honestly who is he? What was his college record at Arizona? #letmeknow

— Marcus Vick (@MVFive) November 6, 2012

That trade demand tweet was the first in a series of comments from Marcus criticizing the Eagles. He was particular critical of the team’s offensive line for its inability to protect his brother:

Read The Rest of the Story…

If there is anyone who can relate to the struggles Michael Vick is going through and the pressure he is under while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s Donovan McNabb. The Philadelphia media had its way with McNabb for years and there were times when the fans were worse. During an appearance on “NFL AM”  Tuesday morning, McNabb defended Vick in the wake of reports that he could be benched this weekend.

“I think you get in a situation where once you start hearing the boos and hearing the radio stations talk, and people on the outside begin to bring your name up of being benched, then you begin to lose focus, and now your play begins to fall and you begin to focus on other things,” McNabb said according to Pro Football Talk. “I think for Michael Vick, I think it’€™s important for him to feed off of what he did last week: not turning the ball over, protect the football, give his guys an opportunity to make plays for him and good things can happen.”

Vick has done a horrible job of protecting the ball this season, but handing the reins to rookie Nick Foles is not necessarily the answer. Philadelphia’s defense has also been a major issue — as evidenced by their decision to fire former defensive coordinator Juan Castillo — and their offensive line has done very little to protect Vick.

“Start mentioning some of the defensive players that need to be benched,” McNabb continued. “Maybe the offensive line needs to be benched. There’s other people that need to be in this situation besides Michael Vick.”

Eagles coach Andy Reid is facing a serious dilemma. If his team misses the playoffs, Reid will likely be out of a job. Vick probably gives Philly the best shot at making the postseason due to his raw talent and experience, but the Eagles have an out in his contract and could part ways with him after the season. If Foles is the quarterback of next season and beyond, it would make sense to hand him the offense now. However, that could cause the Eagles to take a step back in the short term and prove costly for Reid.

Michael Vick said after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Atlanta Falcons 30-17 on Sunday that the team is considering a change at quarterback.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid hardly gave Vick a vote of confidence leading up to the team’s Week 8 game against the unbeaten Falcons, saying the former MVP contender was the team’s quarterback “as of today.” Looks like that status is even more uncertain.

“Obviously he’s thinking about making a change at the quarterback position,” Vick said after the game, per Tim McManus at PhillyMag.com. “The thing I do know when I go watch the film and evaluate myself is that I’m giving us every opportunity to win. I’m trying my hardest. Some things don’t go right when I want them to; some things do. If that’s the decision the coach wants to make, then I’ll support it.”

If the Eagles make a change, they would likely turn things over to rookie Nick Foles. Foles was a third-round pick from Arizona, and he went 40/63 for 553 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions during the preseason.

“I’ll go back and look at everything,” said Reid. “I’m not going to sit here and make decisions. I’m going to go back, look at it and analyze it.”

Vick was 21/35 for 191 yards and a touchdown pass in the loss. He rushed seven times for 42 yards, but the team trailed the entire game and never made it close against Atlanta.

Vick’s turnovers were a huge issue the first month of the season. Though he’s curbed those problems, the team has lost three games in a row. If things continue to go poorly for Philly, the bad season may lead to Vick’s eventual release.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Michael Vick was an MVP candidate in 2010, but that doesn’t mean he has proved himself as the franchise quarterback for the Eagles. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the Eagles are expected to release the quarterback if he doesn’t lead the team to the playoffs this season.

Schefter explains that the Eagles can release Vick prior to Feb. 6 2013 and not be obligated to pay him any money, nor be faced with a salary cap hit. If he is on the roster past that date, the team reportedly would owe him $3 million of his $16 million salary.

This may come as a surprise in light of the $100-million contract Vick signed last year, but remember that NFL contracts are not guaranteed, and they are often highly complex with teams afforded different options to back out after each season.

Vick has been a turnover machine to start the season. He threw six interceptions and fumbled eight times, losing five of them through the team’s first five games. But the Eagles went 3-2, and I can easily see them reaching the postseason.

Based on how well the team felt rookie Nick Foles looked in the preseason, they probably consider the Arizona product an intriguing option.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE