Skip to main content
Advertising

Eagles play waiting game with Vick contract, Kolb trade

PHILADELPHIA -- Plenty of teams have a newsmaker at quarterback.

The Eagles might be the only one with two.

But as football returned with players coming back into club facilities Tuesday, the potential for fireworks at South Philadelphia's NovaCare Complex fizzled quickly.

Kevin Kolb is still an Eagle. Michael Vick wants to be one for some time to come, but isn't pushing the club to the altar quite yet. And so it's quiet for now, even with DeSean Jackson's simmering contract situation looming in the background.

"It's a back-burner issue," Vick told NFL Network and NFL.com, when his contract situation was raised. "If it's meant to happen, it'll happen. My focus is on getting in here and focusing on football, putting everything else aside and taking care of what I was put on this earth to do. And that's playing good football, representing this organization and my family, and have fun."

Kolb deal not imminent

The Kevin Kolb trade rumors have been building for months, but with the window for deals open, the situation could take more time than most expected, reports Jason La Canfora. **More ...**

If Vick's deal truly is on the back-burner for now -- he already signed a franchise tender worth more than $16 million -- then dealing Kolb isn't quite the front-burner issue many thought it would be.

According to club sources, the Eagles' plan all along was to be patient in exploring a trade market for their backup that they felt out a bit before the lockout began. So the deal didn't happen at 10:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Or 12:01 p.m. Or 7:01 p.m.

Whether or not the market develops for Kolb the way the Eagles hope remains to be seen.

According to multiple sources in Seattle, the Seahawks weren't nearly as interested in Kolb as they had been in 2010, when they made a run at prying him from Philadelphia, and weren't planning on making any real run at him this summer. The club adding Tarvaris Jackson simply proved that.

That leaves the Arizona Cardinals as the primary suitor for the fifth-year Eagle. Is another team lurking? It might depend on the asking price, and if Philly sticks to its desire for a first-round pick, even with Kyle Orton available for a smaller ransom.

All this, of course, represents a good problem to have. Most clubs are happy to have one quarterback who can play, and the Eagles have two.

But eventually, decisions have to come here. Kolb will have to be dealt. Vick will have to be signed.

And in both cases, for the team, timing is vital. With Kolb, the risk is having potential suitors acquire other quarterbacks. With Vick, it's the possibility that Peyton Manning signs first, and ups the ante on negotiations.

The Eagles go to Lehigh for camp quite possibly with more questions off the field than on it.

"I expect us to go out and win, compete each and every Sunday, be better than we were last year, and bring a ferocious attitude to the game," Vick said. "Play as one, but have fun at the same time."

Vick will be there Wednesday morning. Kolb won't.

And as for Jackson, his reporting status is still up in the air.

Like so many other things, right now, in Philadelphia.

Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @albertbreer.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content