Michael Vick: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Would Be Smart To Keep Kevin Kolb

Michael Vick will likely be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles next season, as he recently stated that they give him his best shot at winning a Super Bowl.

And whether he gets slapped with the franchise tag or gets a lucrative multi-year contract, the odds are that he'll be back in Philadelphia.

But if Vick's in, Kevin Kolb wants out.

Kolb has expressed his desire to be a starting quarterback somewhere, even if that means he has to leave a city that he loves.

Here's the catch, though: The Eagles can have their cake and eat it, too.

So there's a very real chance that Kolb is back in Philly—a definite chance if a new CBA isn't reached before the 2011 draft—alongside Vick for the 2011 season .

And here are 10 reasons why that would be a smart move.

10. A Long-Term Contract For Vick Would Be a Risk

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts against the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/G

By all accounts, Michael Vick has been a great teammate on the football field and a model citizen off of it since being released from prison.

But the Eagles are still taking a chance if they give Vick a massive, lengthy contract.

Here's what former NFL coach and current NFL Network analyst told the Philadelphia Daily News about Vick's contract situation and how Vick's strict off-the-field requirements (to avoid being banished from the NFL) should be taken into consideration:

"Let's face it, there is risk involved with Michael, signing a big, long-term contract," Mariucci said yesterday. "Hopefully that [banishment] never will come up, and I don't think it will, but I know in signing a $100 million contract, that's different...That's why I think the franchise tag makes a lot of sense. You're paying very handsomely for one year, making sure that everything is going to your liking, and you can decide about long term gradually."

This is something that the Eagles will have to take into account.

Dishing out a contract comparable to some of the league's other elite quarterbacks could wind up being disastrous. 

9. Most Of Kolb's Contract Has Already Been Paid

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 02: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys on January 2, 2011 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

When the Eagles structured Kevin Kolb's current contract, they did it so that it would be front-loaded.

Likely knowing they could be on the hook for two huge quarterback contracts during the 2011 season, the Eagles have already paid Kolb most of the money he's owed on his contract.

Finding Kolb's exact 2011 salary is like trying to find Reggie Wayne in the Colts-Jets game for some reason, but from what I've gathered, Kolb is scheduled to make between $1-2 million during the upcoming season.

Why trade him now?

That is ridiculously cheap for Kolb, and his measly salary is hardly even noticeable.

There's essentially no risk involved with keeping a young, cheap backup quarterback on your roster.

8. Kolb Knows Philadelphia's System

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PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 26: Marty Mornhinweg offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles talks with Kevin Kolb #4 during a preseason game at Heinz Field August 26, 2007 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has held that position since 2006.

Kevin Kolb has been with Philadelphia since being drafted by the team in 2007.

They go together like lamb and tuna fish, or perhaps spaghetti and meatballs.

Kolb has spent his entire four-year career working in Mornhinweg's offensive system, so Kolb should know his way around that offense like Andy Reid knows his way around a buffet line.

No other quarterback on the roster—not even Michael Vick—has as much experience working in that offense, which would make it a huge risk to bring in another backup from a different offensive system.

7. Vick's End-of-the-Season Struggles

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Julius Peppers #90 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 31-26. (Photo by Jonath

In his first nine games of the 2010 season, Michael Vick looked like a high schooler playing against a group of third-graders from the chess club.

He had a 105.7 quarterback rating, threw 15 touchdown passes, ran for five more and threw just two interceptions.

But in his last four games, Vick looked like the guy who was 6-feet in seventh grade, but never grew once he got to high school.

Vick's passer rating dropped to 84.4, he threw five interceptions, had two lost fumbles and was sacked 14 times.

It just seemed as if teams began to figure him out at the end of the season.

Was that just a minor blip or a trend that will continue in 2011?

6. Solid Backup Quarterbacks Are Hard To Come By

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CINCINNATI - AUGUST 20: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass during the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on August 20, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

In the NFL, having a good quarterback is a luxury rather than the norm.

Look at how many teams would just absolutely fall apart if their quarterbacks went down with an injury:

Colts: Curtis Painter for Peyton Manning? Ha.

Bears: Caleb Hanie for Todd Collins for Jay Cutler? No thanks.

Falcons: Chris Redman for Matt Ryan? Give me a break.

Chargers: Billy Volek for Philip Rivers? Come on.

I could keep going, but I'm tired of typing.

The point is that Kevin Kolb is one of the few—maybe like three or four—backups who are starting caliber.

5. Michael Vick's Age

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a touchdown in the thrid quarter against the Green Bay Packers during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia

By the time next season rolls around, Michael Vick will be 31 years old.

I mean, he's not Betty White old, but he's not "I just ordered my first cocktail" young either.

His years away from football probably added some time to his NFL lifespan, but you have to wonder just how much time Vick has left performing at an elite level.

Do we really expect to see a 34 or 35-year-old Vick easily eluding 25-year-old linemen and linebackers?

Can we expect to see him transition into a pure packet passer toward the end of his career if his legs just aren't there anymore?

I'm not sure we can't. But I'm not sure we can either.

4. Is Vick a One-Hit Wonder?

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles walks on the field before playing against the Green Bay Packers in the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Let's take a look at some of Michael Vick's career-highs before the 2010-11 season with the Eagles (excluding the 2009-10 season when he only threw 13 passes).

Touchdown passes: 20 (2006-07)

Rushing touchdowns: 8 (2002-03)

Quarterback rating: 81.6

Passing yards: 2,936

Completion percentage: 56.4

I mean, he has almost as many career turnovers (88) as touchdown passes (93).

But his 2010-11 season? Career-highs in passing yards, touchdown passes, rushing touchdowns and completion percentage.

Like Vanilla Ice, Vick could—let me stress that could part—wind up being nothing more than a one-hit wonder.

3. Kolb's Age

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CINCINNATI - AUGUST 20: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball during the NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on August 20, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Kevin Kolb is one of the league's brighter young quarterbacks.

And he's just 26 years old.

Kolb will turn 27 prior to next season, which is right around the time that NFL quarterbacks enter the prime of their careers.

See: Aaron Rodgers (turned 27 this season), Matt Ryan (turns 26 in May) and Philip Rivers (34 touchdowns at age 26, 28 TDs at age 27 and 30 TDs at age 28).

Obviously, Kolb's future success isn't a given.

But two of those guys (Rivers and Rodgers) sat and waited for multiple years and are now two of the league's elite quarterbacks. 

Could Kolb be next?

2. Kolb Won't Return Equal Trade Value

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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles watches on against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The collective bargaining agreement mess aside—because no one knows what's going to happen with that—can the Eagles expect to get equal value in return for Kevin Kolb?

Here's a look at some recent quarterback trades that should give us an idea of what the Eagles will want:

• In April 2010, Philadelphia traded Donovan McNabb to Washington for a second-round pick and either a third or fourth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.
• In March 2010, San Diego moved up 20 spots in the second round and got a third-round pick for sending Charlie Whitehurst to Seattle.
• In March 2009, New England received a second-round pick from Kansas City in exchange for Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel.
• In March 2007, Atlanta traded Matt Schaub to Houston for two second-round picks and to move up two spots in the first round.

I'd argue that Kolb's trade value is higher than all four of those quarterbacks at this time, especially McNabb and Whitehurst.

If the Eagles don't get a first-round pick or at least two second-round picks in return, trading Kolb might not be worth it. 

1. Vick's Durability

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 09: Clay Matthews #52 of the Green Bay Packers sacks Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2011 NFC wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by

You've often heard the cliche: Play every play like it's your last.

Well, Michael Vick really does it. 

Even though he's only 6', 215 pounds, he goes all-out on every single play—scrambling for extra yards, taking big sacks from huge defensive linemen and lowering his shoulder into much bigger defenders.

As we saw this season, it's almost inevitable that Vick's risky style of play will result in him missing multiple games due to injury.

If/when that happens, the Eagles will want to have a good quarterback to fall back on.

And that guy is Kevin Kolb.