Eagles observers are currently in guessing-game mode about the future of the quarterback position under rookie coach Chip Kelly. Michael Vick is on the roster with a bloated, $15.5 million base salary. Nick Foles was a rookie in 2012, and his performance generally underwhelmed in six starts. Third-stringer Trent Edwards is a 29-year-old journeyman.
Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News has compiled some relevant Kelly quotes on his vision for quarterbacks. One theme stands out: Kelly does not like quarterbacks who take sacks.
“In our attitude, every sack is the quarterback’s fault,” said Kelly. “It’s not a sack if the quarterback throws the ball away. Nobody ever lost a game on an incomplete pass. Throw the ball away, and give us another opportunity to make a first down.”
As an Eagle, Vick has absorbed an unwieldy 85 sacks in 36 starts.
“The job of a quarterback is simple,” added Kelly. “He has to ‘let it happen’, and not ‘make it happen.’ We want to move forward. ... The cardinal sin at our place is the quarterback sack. We want the ball out of the quarterback’s hands in 1.5 seconds. That does not mean holding the ball until 2.5, waiting for someone to get open.”
Kelly has also stated that he prefers quarterbacks who have big hands. Foles’ hands measured bigger than any quarterback at the 2012 Scouting Combine. Vick’s hands are more than two inches smaller than Foles’.