Philadelphia Eagles: Surrendering a Championship for Headlines and Highlights?

I maintain a belief that no option/running quarterback will ever translate into a true winner in the NFL.  And by true winner, I mean Super Bowl Champion. 

They may win some games for you, they will definitely make some highlights for you, they might even get you to the playoffs, but in the NFL, to win the big one, you still need a traditional quarterback. 

After all, you can find the list of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks right here. 

That being said, I strongly question the move by the Philadelphia Eagles organization to move Kevin Kolb.  He was drafted to be the quarterback of the future and in my opinion, was never really given a fair shake in the whole situation.

Now, not that Michael Vick did not perform superbly in the regular season, but he's just not that true NFL winning quarterback. 

He will have some amazing games, especially like that Monday Night game against Washington, one of the best performances ever. 

But let's also point out that in his 12 starts last season, the Eagles won eight games but only defeated one playoff team, the Indianapolis Colts. 

Not that Kolb was much better in his four starts. They were 2-2 but did defeat the Atlanta Falcons.  So essentially both quarterbacks had a victory against a playoff team during the season.

But let's get down to the brass tax of the whole situation.  Michael Vick is 31 years old, and he can't keep making the plays with his legs that he has in the past. 

He is going to start slowing down and become more and more injury prone as he takes more hits on his aging frame.  As he is forced into the role of pocket passer, his statistical decline will become rapid as defenses no longer have to worry as much about his ability to break the pocket and run.

Perhaps the most alarming part of the situation is the idea that, if they can move Kolb, they are discussing bringing in Vince Young to back up Vick.

You are essentially getting a slightly younger version of Vick without as good an arm and carrying a lot of baggage. Not to mention, equally as injury prone having only played in 24 games over the past three seasons.  

Also Young's results tend to mirror Vick's successes 4-5 in nine starts last season and not defeating a single playoff team. And in 2009, Young went 8-4 but only defeated one playoff team.

Kevin Kolb on the other hand has yet to be given a true shot in the NFL.  He fits the mold of the ideal quarterback, he is a drop back passer with a strong arm and seems to see the field well. 

In short, I don't think they should be so ready to give up on him so quickly.

I realize that Kolb's contract is up at the end of the season, but maybe that's when you decide if Vick still has it.  After all, by then he'll be 32 and for a running quarterback that takes as many shots as he does, most likely starting to lose a step. 

At that point, do you make the move to Kolb and let him finally take his shot in the NFL, or do you hold onto Vick for another year to say three years max and then move to Vince Young? 

He'll be over 30 by then and will be into the back end of his career for a running quarterback as well.

So although Michael Vick and Vince Young are amazing athletes that show shades of greatness from time to time, they are not true NFL winning quarterbacks in my opinion. 

They will get you some highlights on SportsCenter and definitely put up some huge fantasy numbers from week to week, but they aren't the quarterback to lead you to the Super Bowl.

The Eagles are making the wrong decision by giving up on Kolb and sticking with Vick to lead their team. 

He isn't a true winner in the NFL and just doesn't fit the mold of a Super Bowl winning quarterback.