Philadelphia Eagles: Should the Eagles Look to Deal Mike Kafka?

Should the Philadelphia Eagles look try to cash in on yet another back up quarterback this offseason? They already have Michael Vick and Vince Young as his backup; so why would they need to keep their third-string quarterback with no starts under his belt if they could receive something worthwhile in return? 

There are plenty of reasons why the Eagles should keep a hold of their third-string quarterback. It may seem like a question that does not answering at the moment, but Philadelphia does have a history of wheeling and dealing quarterbacks for draft picks and players (not to mention their starting quarterback plays with reckless abandon and their backup has no experience in the foreign land also known as the West Coast offense). 

The Philadelphia Eagles traded their backup Kevin Kolb, who only had seven starts under his belt, for a second -round pick and a Pro Bowl cornerback this offseason, though Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg had groomed Kolb in their pass-happy offense.

The Eagles most certainly will not look to trade Kafka anytime soon. As a Northwestern alumnus, the kid certainly has a head on his shoulders. Along with an accurate and strong arm, 
his 6’3" and 225-pound build places him right in the modern day quarterback profile.

Kafka is still very young at the tender age of 24 in a league requiring in-depth knowledge of defenses, offensive packages and on-the-job experience. The Philadelphia Eagles remain at the top of the list as one of the most well-run organizations not only in the NFL, but also in all of sports. Just read the Forbes top 100 if you don’t believe the statement. They slide in just outside the top 10 at No. 11. 

If you have not noticed, there has been a trend in the NFL over the past few years that has developed and the Eagles were one of the trendsetters. Teams with a stable of starting quarterbacks—which compromises roughly one-third to half of the league—have begun drafting quarterbacks in the middle or late in the draft. 

European football, aka soccer, has used this philosophy for quite some time. Before an experienced player runs out of gas, a team will bring in a prospect with the tangibles to be their replacement. They sit on the bench for a few years, but they also learn the team’s tactical schematics and position from a veteran mentor as they develop into the position.

Aaron Rodgers and Kevin Kolb are two great examples of how smart teams in the NFL have groomed their backups to become reputable starters. Now, there no doubt lies a big difference between Rodgers and Kolb, but you get my point. 

The Philadelphia Eagles are willing to spend the time and money to invest in Mike Kafka to be their starter of the future. Vince Young has a one-year deal and more than likely will part ways after the 2011 season. 

Kafka is the future. Kafka will be the backup to Michael Vick and will be the intended starter of the future until proven otherwise. If he does not pan out, the Eagles will ship him off to another club that hasn’t figured things out yet and is willing to pay up for another average quarterback. 

Do not count on Kafka being sold anytime soon in Philadelphia. Andy Reid loves his projects, especially at the quarterback position. 

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