The Philadelphia Eagles finally got their guy when they officially announced the hiring of Chip Kelly as the team’s new head coach. After initially stating that he would remain at the University of Oregon, Kelly decided the time – and money – was right to leave the Ducks and take over the Eagles. While we all knew for quite some time that Philadelphia would ax Andy Reid and go after an offensive guru such as Kelly, it may also clear up the future of quarterback Michael Vick.
I will be the first to tell you that since even before the 2012 NFL season began, I figured it would be the final season for Vick in Philadelphia. His contract was too massive, while his production and injury proneness made him expendable. Simply put, Vick was no longer the right man for the job.
That may have all changed with the hiring of Kelly.
Kelly ran more offensive plays than almost any team in America while at Oregon. He ran an up tempo offense that featured speed all across the football field. To run this offense and to have it be successful, Kelly needed a speedy quarterback, elusive running back and quick wide outs. While Le’Sean McCoy, De’Sean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin all fit the bill, Nick Foles is not exactly the prototypical signal caller in a Chip Kelly offense.
Vick is another story.
It will cost the Eagles a lot of money to see if Vick is the right guy for Kelly’s newly implemented offense with the Eagles. But as expensive as a gamble as it may be for Philadelphia, it may be their best option going forward into the 2013 season. The free agent lost is not all that appealing, and it is unlikely that the Eagles would look to trade up in the 2013 NFL Draft and select a college quarterback such as Geno Smith from the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Either way, what was once nearly a foregone conclusion that the Eagles would cut Vick before the draft, the hiring of Kelly could completely alter those plans.
