Newly-hired Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly has plenty to ponder when it comes to the quarterback position.
Let's start with Michael Vick. CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman reported Kelly embraces the notion of keeping Vick at a reduced rate, according to a source familiar with the team's thinking. Kelly and his assistants have broken down film from Vick's 2012 season and view him as a capable quarterback -- but they still aren't certain what they have in the 32-year-old passer.
Eagles coaches also are studying Nick Foles. Freeman reported Kelly might not be as sold on the second-year pro as some believe, and might ultimately pursue San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and wave goodbye to Vick, largely because of Vick's massive salary and concussion history.
NFL Network analyst Donovan McNabb still sees Vick as an ideal fit for Kelly's up-tempo offensive scheme.
"He fits in it very well, if you look at it from afar," McNabb said on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" on Wednesday. "If you look at just the 2010 season, when they were playing very well, the offensive line was healthy, and they were making explosive plays. Explosive plays from 30, 40, 50 yards, and that's what Chip Kelly has been doing at Oregon."
McNabb cited money as a sticking point here, and that's accurate. The Eagles don't want to pay Vick's $15.5 million salary this season, especially when factoring in his shaky durability. The Vick of the mid-2000s would have been a sublime fit for Kelly, but the Vick of 2013 is surrounded by question marks.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
