The Philadelphia Eagles have a few weeks before they are projected to cut Michael Vick. However, with Chip Kelly now on board, the Eagles have to think longer and harder about cutting Vick, since he is Kelly’s ideal quarterback on paper. In addition, their first actual meeting went very well, as Kelly told the press on Jan. 21.
USA TODAY quoted Kelly as saying he “really liked” talking to Vick back on Jan. 18. He revealed this after the first day of Senior Bowl practices on Jan. 21, as he is already getting right to work for the Eagles. But he doesn’t have any official coordinators to help him, and his quarterback situation is a long way from being settled.
A big decision day will come on Feb. 6, when Vick is owed a $3 million bonus but is expected to be cut instead. If Kelly keeps getting won over by Vick, Philadelphia could reconsider -- but not before cutting the $15+ million salary that would be owed to him in 2013.
Yet if Vick won’t do that, then Kelly would either have to work with Nick Foles, or find another more mobile quarterback in the draft or free agency. He told the press that his first talk with Vick was more of a “sit down, tell me about yourself” kind of meeting, but future talks will have to go further in depth.
With the Feb. 6 deadline 15 days away, the Eagles, Kelly and Vick have a lot to sort out before then. However, once Kelly hires the rest of his staff and Philadelphia finishes Senior Bowl evaluations, they should have a better idea of their strategy.
The Eagles are already rumored to have hired former staff member Pat Shurmur as their offensive coordinator, according to the Associated Press on Jan. 21, so that would complete one piece of the puzzle. After a defensive coordinator comes on board as well, the new regime -- and whether Vick has a place in it -- should start taking shape in Philadelphia.
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