Chip Kelly will still be wearing green in 2013. By Abdoozy (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

After 14 years in Philadelphia, the Andy Reid era is finally over. During the offseason, the Eagles worked to find a “big name” coach for a replacement. Former Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly seemed to fit perfectly as the coach of this team, which had an awful season last year due to a mixture of injuries and poor performance. The spread offense system that he incorporated into the Ducks made them one of the nation’s top offensive teams, would now be brought into the NFL. Under Kelly, the Ducks ranked second in points per game (49.6) and third in rushing (315.2 yards per game) while the Eagles ranked 13^th in the NFL with 117.1 rushing yards per game.

But college is much different than the NFL. I realize that but rushing for over 300 yards per game in the NCAA is almost equivalent to being in the top five rushing teams in the NFL. What Kelly was able to accomplish at Oregon was astonishing and he will try to duplicate that success in Philadelphia. The Eagles addressed the first question — that of which quarterback will run Kelly’s offense — by re-signing quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick had a down year compared to his previous two in Philadelphia but that was due to injuries I believe. Many people questioned whether he would even be back in Philly since rookie Nick Foles showed some promise for the Eagles in Vick’s absence last season. But Vick is better suited to run Kelly’s run-n-gun style of offense so management decided to restructure Vick’s contract and give him a one-year deal worth about $10 million. In my opinion this was a very smart move by Eagles management. They gave Vick one more shot to prove he should be the quarterback of this team after four uneventful seasons. He has a new coach and a new offensive system so what better way to prove himself? If he were to fail in Kelly’s system then the Eagles still have Kelly inked for four additional years and could build a whole new team around his offense schemes. Plus, the Eagles have the fourth overall pick in this April’s upcoming draft so that isn’t too shabby either.

If Vick and the rest of the Eagles team can stay healthy then I believe that they can be very deadly on the offensive side of the ball. With some improvements on defense, the Eagles could easily be back on top as a title contender. Kelly’s spread offense may find some difficulty gaining traction in the NFL, but Kelly is a smart coach and I hope it does work out for him. The Eagles hope to have Kelly repeat the same type of success that he had coaching college football and if all the pieces can fit together then maybe this team can finally show us some of that “dream team”, that Vince Young was blabbering about a few years ago.

Find out why Tony Romo is turning a corner, why Michael Vick might be turning the wrong corner. Also — Are the Bills, Lions and Radiers for real?

The baseball season ended during the podcast. The Red Sox and Braves choked and we talked about why.

Lots of NCAA discussion including who will win in the swamp on Saturday….

And last, but not least, which former NBA player looks like a…. Koala Bear?

Happy Listening!

Yet, somewhere, somehow, a hoarders complex turned Eagles management insane this offseason with a spending an upward of $100 million for new talents. 

Adding Namdi Osomugha is one thing, but to continue the gluttony with Culen Jenkins, Vince Young and Ronnie Brown is another. Stack in newly-acquired Steve Smith and things get more outlandish.

The acclaimed “Dream Team” is bringing lofty expectations with its high caliber of Pro Bowl talents. In an NFC East as unpredictable as a quarter slot machine, the moves seem like a small cry for help.

This season the Eagles have set themselves up for quite a storyline—though enticing and paralyzing—automatically placing them as the most hated team in football.

They also upturned a common divisional denominator—the Redskins—who are well-known for zealous spending and are now minuscule in comparison to the Eagles flaunt of cash.

But, why now ?

 Considering that the best they ever got the future Hall of Famer Donovan McNabb was an unhappy Terrel Owens and injury prone Brian Westbrook, proposes a larger question that may be rumbling quietly beneath the surface.

Is Mike Vick for real? Signing the 31-year-old to a one-year franchise tag answers that as “no”.

What then can we make of this current spending spree that has catapulted the one-time prudent Eagles toward Miami Heat status?

You got me.

I am certain the impending embroilment between Vick, and an undervalued Vince Young is a storyline the Eagles management is interested in. The former Longhorn is 30-17 as a starter, and like Vick, can win games with his feet.

But more compelling will be what Vick can do this season with a fattened offense. As nice as he looked as a pocket passer all last year, he now will be forced to do so even more with Ronnie Brown in the back field—a talented player able to slot out and run with efficiency.

With three flankers in DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith and Jeremy Maclin, can Vick continue in a pass-first offense molded around a need for a governing slice and dice-wheeler dealer?

He is not a Brady, Manning or Brees—but a guy who at times still showed signs last year he is uncomfortable under pressure in the pocket, resulting in an injury that cost him two weeks, the Eagles a first-round bye and their loss to the Packers in the playoffs.

Two losses in a row from the man and four turnovers warrants team concerns. But it also, considering the nature of pro athletics, could be water under the bridge with an early rise this year.

Last night’s line: 13-6 W over Baltimore, 4-6, 74 yards and a touchdown says that is a fair possibility. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not this “Dream Team” will crumble in LeFraud fashion or flourish in a hoarder’s heap.

According to the AP, the Philadelphia Eagles have placed the ‘franchise tag,’ on the reigning “Come Back Player of the Year,” Mike Vick.  It is bit surprising, considering Vick for much of the year was an MVP candidate. He established a winning way in Philadelphia after the departure of their past great Donovan McNabb.  Replacing Kevin Kolb early in the season, Vick set a league record by not throwing an interception in his first nine starts. His 3,018 passing yards, in just twelve games on 62.6% accuracy, were a career best. Not to mention, his renewed attitude toward the media proves he’s trying. It would seem the perplexing move is a judgement call on the Eagles part. Yes Vick was impressive this year, but can the thirty one year old continue to build upon  the greatest year of his dramatic career? His final two games, both losses, including a drubbing to the Packers in the first round, saw the old Vick re-emerge turning the ball over four times.  The way he ended things has to make the Eagles worry about his consistency. As for us, we will have to wait and see if Vick can continue to overcome his odds.