by Brandyn Campbell

 

For the entire 2012 season, we’ve thought that February 6, 2013 — three days after the Super Bowl — was the do-or-die deadline for the Philadelphia Eagles to make a decision on whether Mike Vick would stay or go.  It now appears as if that is not the case.  The team has a bit more wiggle room.

It was previously thought that if Vick remained on the roster on February 6 the Birds were on the hook for paying the quarterback $3 million.  However, according to Tim McManus of Birds 24/7,

“There is a provision in the contract that puts the Eagles on the hook for the $3 million only if he does not make that amount next season with another team.  Vick will almost certainly find work next season and for at least $3 million, making the ‘deadline’ pretty irrelevant.”

This means that the Eagles and head coach Chip Kelly are in no rush to make a decision on Vick.  Which means that there is even more time to wonder just what Kelly seeks in his starting quarterback for the 2013 season.

After meeting with Kelly, Vick is high on the opportunity to work with Philadelphia’s new coach and remain in Philadelphia.  But does Kelly feel the same way about Vick?  That remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, as previously speculated, now that the Baltimore Ravens are Super Bowl champs, the Eagles are in hot pursuit of the team’s practice squad quarterback, Dennis Dixon according to CSNPhilly’s Geoff Mosher.  The strong appeal of Dixon for the Eagles organization is that he is the only NFL quarterback who has experience running Kelly’s option offense during his college days at Oregon.  Will it be the ultimate answer that the team is seeking?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But it will likely provide some insight into what Kelly needs to change when adapting to the ranks of professional football.

For now, the quarterback situation is like virtually everything else about what the Chip Kelly era in Philadelphia Eagles football — a mystery.  Will training camp feature Vick, Dixon and Nick Foles competing for the team’s starting QB position, or will another variable enter the equation by that point?  I’m going with Option “B”.  With a whole lotta months between now and then, it’s probably best to sit back and expect the unexpected.

It will be a long offseason but if it’s any consolation for Eagles fans, it should be a fascinating and eventful one.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

by Brandyn Campbell

Dennis Dixon

In the unending speculation about who will be under center for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 season, several names have been tossed around.  Is Mike Vick more likely to stay with the team in Chip Kelly’s spread offense?  Will Coach Kelly like what he sees in Nick Foles’ progress?

Who knows, but it sounds like one thing Kelly will want to do is reunite with a familiar QB  from Oregon in Philadelphia.  CSNPhilly’s Geoff Mosher reports there are “strong indications” that Kelly will sign current Baltimore Ravens practice squad quarterback Dennis Dixon to the Eagles after Sunday’s Super Bowl.  Says Mosher,

“If Kelly plans to build an offense that not only fits his vision but also can compete from the get-go, he needs a quarterback that understands his scheme and has the skill set to flourish in it.

Nobody on the current roster fits that description, but all signs point to Kelly having his man by next week.  There are strong indications that Kelly won’t waste too much time after the Super Bowl before reaching out to Ravens practice squad quarterback Dennis Dixon and bringing him to Philadelphia.

Dixon, who engineered Kelly’s offense to near perfection at Oregon and had his Heisman candidacy in 2007 derailed by a knee injury, is the only NFL quarterback that knows the coach’s system inside-out and wouldn’t be starting from Square 1.”

NFL rules prevent Kelly and the Eagles from reaching out to Dixon until after the Ravens’ playoff run is completed.

Dixon was drafted in 2007 by the Pittsburgh Steelers and made just four starts with the team over as many seasons standing in for Ben Roethlisberger.  So, even with his familiarity with Kelly’s offense, why does the team seem so convinced that the 6’3, 209 lb, 28-year-old quarterback is a good fit with his lack of playing time in the NFL?  Per Mosher, an AFC scout, “believes Dixon has tremendous NFL potential that can be maximized in Kelly’s offense.”  Prior to experiencing a knee injury his senior year, Dixon led the Ducks to an 8-1 record and a number 2 spot in the BCS rankings, so clearly Kelly has seen just what the quarterback is capable of doing (Dixon also completed almost 68 percent of his passes, rushed for 583 yards and totaled 2,719 yards in 10 games).

One thing is clear: the Eagles have to do something about their quarterback situation following the Super Bowl.  The team has a 72-hour window in which they must decide if they will release Vick at no cost to them, though they will take a $4.2 million cap hit.  If a decision isn’t made during that time, then Vick will be owed $3 million (though the exact amount depends on if he signs with another team).

So who will the Eagles’ quarterback in 2013?  It will be a while until we know for sure.  But every move and comment made by Kelly will be examined closely as a decoder into his intentions regarding Vick, Foles and very possibly Dixon.  Or whatever additional names come into the mix between now and then.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports