• March 29, 2024

Should The Eagles Keep Mike Kafka or Trent Edwards?

Every team in the NFL this season will begin Week 1 with 53 men on their respective rosters. Three of those men will play the position of quarterback. The Eagles are no different. Michael Vick, Nick Foles, but then who? Who will take on the responsibility of scout team/emergency quarterback? At the start of training camp, that was an easy question to answer. Three weeks into the preseason, it’s not so easy anymore.

At the start of camp, everyone figured Michael Vick would start, Mike Kafka would back up, Nick Foles would be the number three, and Trent Edwards would be the odd man out. But the greatest equalizer in sports is injury. With Kafka breaking his hand during the first preseason game against the Steelers, and Michael Vick seemingly getting hurt when he’s breathed on, we got a nice long look at both Foles and Edwards, and neither has disappointed. Foles has rocketed up to the back-up role, and all Edwards has done is gone 32-48 for 292 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs for a quarterback rating of 96.9. Marty Mornhinweg has been impressed with Edwards thus far.

“I think he’s a gamer. There’s no question; he has some natural instincts. I think his experience has shown as well. You’ve been to all of our practices, so you see that he gets very, very few reps and that was the thought with him going in. He understood his role, that he was going to get very few reps and then I expect him to go in a game and perform at a high level and he’s done that. He’s done just a beautiful job, just like I expected him to do and just like he expected himself to do and all his teammates and all the coaches expected. He’s done a fine job.”

Kafka, on the other hand, has not played since that first preseason game, and before he got hurt, did not look particularly well. It has been decided that he won’t play in the final game vs. the Jets, so his final evaluation will be during practice and his past accomplishments. Andy Reid had this to say about Kafka not playing Thursday night,

“I’ve got enough time with him to be able to make that evaluation. The main thing for him right now is that it’s tender right now. He took some snaps yesterday and he could feel them and it’s just best that we hold him out.”

Trent Edwards knows his back is against the wall. He knows he has to take the job from Kafka, it won’t be given to him, but he’s not putting any extra pressure on himself, “It’s still a preseason game and I have put as much importance on the first three games as I have Thursday’s game. It’s all the same to me.”

If the team’s third quarterback has to play an extended amount of time, there’s no other way to put it. They’re in trouble. But A.J. Feeley going 4-1 down the stretch after injuries to McNabb and Detmer aren’t that far removed from our memories. Trent Edwards will get three more quarters to prove he’s worthy. Mike Kafka has done everything he can to preserve his spot on the roster. Who do you trust? Edwards, who has 32 NFL starts to his name, or Kafka, who looked competent enough last year almost leading them to a win vs. the Falcons, but who has only thrown 16 passes in his short NFL career. We’ll find out Friday.

 

Dennis Dunn

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ridusofreid
ridusofreid
August 30, 2012 10:08 am

Edwards is the pick (needs to perform decently tonight-no picks/bad sacks/ fumbles). Kafka is a Kolb clone- another smart weak armed guy who cannot get the ball to speedy outside receivers. Foles is the young future guy, Edwards is the veteran back up and Kafka is gone.

paulman
paulman
August 30, 2012 10:21 am

Absolutley not in my opinion.. Vick is the QB of the Present, FOles is the QB of the Future and Edwards at least can be the emergency/3rd QB if needed who is at least NFL Ready and could maybe win a game or two in a pinch..Kafka is still unproven, does not have the big arm to take advantage of the speed and deep passing game the Eagles have, why keep him if you are trying to put the best 53 Man Roster to win now.. Now if he had displayed some Upside, that would be different, but he’s back-up #QB at best and nothing more and to be honest, they are a dime and dozen ..
I am no big Edwards fan, but he has played pretty well, I think he has command of the Huddle and with more reps, I would feel more comfortable if he had to go into a Regular Season Game if Vick & FOles were to get hurt than Kafka and since Foles appears to be the QB ofthe Future, whats the point in keeping Kafka ..

paulman
paulman
August 30, 2012 10:23 am

What the Eagles should have done was play Kafka Tonight, then come up with
an injury after the game and then place him on IR for the Season, He’s cheap and that would buy you a full year to really see Fole’s Development
This is what GM Paul would do..

scramz25
scramz25
August 30, 2012 10:31 am

OK so you know how on the Eagles website they have live chat with Patrick? I cant seem to get a answer from one of the company people on there so i will ask ageneral question and i am seriously looking for answers.

So i hear people saying Foles shouldnt be out starter right, and he has only seen vanilla defenses and what not. Ok i get that. And Vick has more expericance and seen more defenses right? SO… whats the difference if we start FOLES becasue VICK may have seen exotic defense but HE STILL CANT READ THEM.. So who cares if Foles only saw vanilla defense Vick cant read them either. they only thing he will do is run and that gets him hurt every year.

The reason Mike had a nice couple of game run a few seasons ago was ANDY gave him a simple read playbook and gave him the green light to run if he doesnt know what to do. Defenses didnt plan forhim that half of the year but look what happened when they caught on to him. You need to play the game at the line these days and he cant do that. He is agreat athlet but a avearege QB.
Now teams know how to get him. what happen to all that talk in the off season about “im reading defenses and and studing film”. what happened on the third play of the first preseaon game?? He got shook when he saw the blitz and CALLED A TIME OUT. Come on man.. After 10 years in the leauge everyone keeps saying “this can be his year, or is this his year” your not supposed to have a question mark over your head after 10 years. either you can or you cantand he has proven he cant.

it is best to bring him off the bench as a wild cat QB and let him run wild. That way teams are prepairing for a pocket QB and not him. He is a 1 trick pony. he goes for the long ball and if he gets it the defense is right back on the field and tired. he doesnt manage the clock its long ball or turn over..

NOW Foles doesnt rely on his speed so he knows football and knows how to move in the pockethe will pick up on defense if he listens to his coach. He came to the line and changed the play against the defense he saw NOT CALL A TIME OUT. Foles is much bigger and cantake a hit. Vick keeps forgetting that 10 years ago he was faster than alot of lineman but now times have changed and they are bigger and faster. You cant ask a linemen to hold a 10 second block when the play is designed for 3.5 seconds.

I say go with Foles we have nothing to lose. At least he hasnt given you 10 years of question marks..

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 30, 2012 10:44 am

– you are being ignored…for a asinine statement/question…

scramz25
scramz25
August 30, 2012 3:21 pm
Reply to  RealTalk777

answer the question smart guy.. lol

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
August 30, 2012 10:51 am

Kafka is ASS! cut em

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
August 30, 2012 11:17 am
Reply to  Dennis Dunn

Ya. He’s won 2. (lost 3)
And in the first GB turned the ball over 6x and Vick threw for 117 yrds on 50% comp. And in the 2nd he threw for….wait for it….82 yrds.

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
August 30, 2012 11:04 am

I read comments about players and then go back and research them – Edwards is leaps and bounds above Foles – but I have read several comments about Edwards arm strength –

This is from USA Today as Edwards the High Schooler –

Edwards has all of the tools to be the best quarterback in the country. He has the size, uncanny accuracy, and tremendous arm strength.

“Trent has everything that you need as a quarterback, but his field presence is his biggest asset,” says high school coach Butch Catallico. “I’ve never seen a high school quarterback with more poise in the pocket.”

Edwards was a sensation at both the recent Southern Cal and UCLA camps. Because of his size, accuracy, arm strength and velocity, he has been compared favorably to a young Troy Aikman.

So Top QB in HS –

pre-draft –

Trent Edwards possesses prototypical NFL size at 6-4, 230+ pounds, and has the ability to stand tall in the pocket to make every throw. Not afraid of taking a hit, he gives his receivers the extra split second they need to make their breaks. He has more-than-adequate scrambling ability and can bootleg or escape the pocket to make a play.

Edwards is a talented pocket passer. He has good size, and shows the ability to stand in the pocket and move the football. He has the toughness to sit in the pocket and take a hit, and the accuracy to deliver a strike all over the field.

Positives: Has a tall, thick frame with good muscle thickness, broad shoulders, well-defined chest and arms, thick thighs, long calves, minimal body fat (8.5 percent) and room on his frame to add more bulk … Mobile passer with the ability to throw the ball running out of the pocket … Lacks great timed speed, but has the body control and balance to avoid defenders on the move and shows the nimble feet to step up in the pocket … High character type who is a leader by example (when he was hurt and missed the final five games of 2006, he helped in coaching the reserve quarterbacks and new starter) … Took a lot of punishment behind a bad offensive line (84 sacks in 31 starts), but is not the type to place blame on others … Very intelligent field general who does a good job of scanning the field, if given a chance to stand tall in the pocket … Plays until the whistle and has the upper body strength to absorb and dish out punishment … Has just adequate quickness, but shows good footwork driving away from center and the pinpoint screen mechanics to move the chains when given time to throw … Can freeze a defender with his play-action fakes and shows good zip on his throws when he takes a three-step drop, sets and throws … Despite his 33 interceptions, he does not force his throws (20 interceptions were the result of passes bouncing off the receivers) … His toughness in the pocket is evident, but he needs to avoid contact more than he has in the past … Shows much better accuracy throwing short to intermediate routes, but also does a good job of throwing the ball down the middle of the field … Quick to learn and retain plays and does a nice job of reading and diagnosing defensive schemes, when given time to scan the field … Throws with good touch when firing to running backs and made marked improvement with his progression reads, as he was quicker at locating his second and third targets the last two years than he did in the past … Maintains balance and drive back from center to stand tall in the pocket … His feet are fundamentally sound (just lacks speed) and he shows good fluidity and footwork … Looks more comfortable operating in the pocket than on the move, as he does a very good job of scanning the field and following through with his throws when given time … Best when going through his progressions and having time to read the defenses … Does a good job of seeing the pre-snap and is adequate to react to the bull rush … Has a proper overhand release and is creative enough to improvise and make the play … Displays a compact over-the-top delivery, has a very smooth motion and when given protection, he is very effective at getting rid of the ball in a timely fashion, doing a much better job of stepping off his front foot to generate consistent ball speed … You can see that Edwards has the ability to control a secondary on deep and intermediate passes and he also shows improved touch working underneath … Gets good placement on his short passes, throwing a catchable ball … Has a good understanding for when to zip the ball, thanks to his improved touch … Can stick the pass into tight areas much better than he did in the past and has good awareness to know when to fire the ball or put touch behind his passes … Throws a tight spiral on intermediate and long tosses, showing good zip and the ability to give his receiver a chance to compete for the pigskin … Tough standing under the pass rush, perhaps realizing that he is not the type that can gain valid yardage with his feet … Has good pocket presence and awareness, doing a nice job of standing in and delivering under pressure than he did in the past … Since he improved his progression reads, he is much quicker scanning the field to locate secondary targets than he was earlier in his career … Shows good timing throwing over the middle and is a good progression reader with the ability to find his secondary targets … Has a good feel and understanding of the offense and keeps his head on a swivel to make the check downs in time while maintaining poise … You don’t see much movement from Edwards as a scrambler, but he does have enough agility to avoid the pass rush when pressured and uses his upper body strength adequately to break arm tackles … When forced to throw on the move, he is better rolling out to his right than to the left hash.

bottom line is Edwards was a top rated QB (3rd) coming out of college playing for a really really bad Standfrod team –

as I read this – Foles is the 2012 draft version of the 2007 Edwards, two top tier QBs playing on really bad teams behind bad O lines…

My vote doesn;t count – but I vote for Edwards – way more upside and he is all of what 3 years older then Kafka?

jimmy mac
jimmy mac
August 30, 2012 11:09 am

Apple and a road map time for Kafka..

Frank22
Frank22
August 30, 2012 11:13 am

Dennis – I dont agree with Scramz comments either. However, Kurt Warner won the Superbowl in his rookie season! He had spent some time in canada and AFL, but still his rookie season in NFL.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 30, 2012 11:29 am

Edwards has had a strong preseason and he could honestly be considered for the backup job as well…I do think it would be unfair to cut him…but Andy Reid and his loyalty, Kafka may win out…AR says he knows what to expect from Kafka already…I like Kafka and he isn’t as bad as some of you make him out to be…with the way Edwards has played I dont think he is in line with 3rd string QB’s…def can be a backup somewhere…

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
August 30, 2012 11:39 am

I honestly don’t think it matters. If either of them plays it spells trouble.

I dodn’t think Kafka got a vote of confidence last year when Reid kept starting young (shudder) over him.

When in doubt, I’d go with the younger player. I could see Reid grooming Kafka to be a QB coach. But my gut says they keep Edwards.

I might also check the salaries..Edwards 700k, Kafka 540. Why pay more for a guy who isn’t going to see the field?

scramz25
scramz25
August 30, 2012 3:04 pm

alright i get the rude remarks..lol i can take it . Imnot saying Foles will win the superbowl this year. BUT i damn sure aint jumping back on the Mike Vick wagon like the rest of you. You need a passing Qb not a running QB to win it these days. Foles Qb iq is leaps and bounds over Vicks.

You will beon the Foles bus trust me .. soon as you see Vick continue to do dumb shit like he has for 10 years. Look at his body of work even as the elite QB he used to be. and tell me those are numbers of a Super Bowl QB. Eli got better number and the rings to prove it. Vick is to damn skinny man..lol

Im just not going to get worked up like the rest of you and have heart attacks. You want a superbowl so bad you will believe any slick talk. SMH damn shame

scramz25
scramz25
August 30, 2012 3:19 pm

and another thing Real Talk.. this is real talk bro.. You made a comment but didnt answer my question. What is the difference? If vick cant read defenses and gets blitzed out his ass and hit all around . why not put someone who can take a hit??? smart guy..lol WHATS THE DIFFERNCE FELLAS????

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 30, 2012 3:28 pm

@Scramz…..what has Foles shown you, that suggests he can take a hit? We’ve seen Vick get up from big hits many times…what proof do you have that states Vick can’t read a defense? Has Andy Reid or MM stated Vick is having trouble reading defenses? are you on the field? in the huddle? Honestly, what proof does any of you guys have that suggest Foles will consistently handle the blitz without issue…He hasn’t been blitzed much in the preseason….Also, as the author of this article stated, Foles has not been truly tested….Yes Foles appears to be a very good player, appears to be the back up QB, possibly even the QB of the future….appearances can be deceiving…real talk!

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 30, 2012 3:29 pm

In fact, one of the very few times Foles has felt pressure, he threw a horrible INT….of course had that been Vick it would of been made a big deal, horrible decision, Vick is dumb nonsense talk….

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
August 30, 2012 4:07 pm

….”what proof do you have…..”

Geez man, I’ve done nothing but feed you proof for the past 2 years. You just won’t read it.

More proof….remember how I’ve told you many times that Vick spends too long holding the ball? Told you he was 2nd worst in the league in 2010? I mean what’s he doing back there? (trying to process)

Well don’t take my word for it….here’s from Pro Football Focus via bleeding green…

Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus wrote a piece for ESPN Insider today attempting to figure out exactly what might be to blame for Michael Vick’s injuries. He generally exonerated the offensive line and found that Vick does take an inordinate amount of hits when he’s running (as many as much bulkier QBs like Tim Tebow & Cam Newton), but one stat really jumped out at me.

Average time in the pocket. Only Tim Tebow (3.7 seconds) spent more time in the pocket than Vick (3.2 seconds) last season. And the rest of the top 5 reveals the problem. #3 Cam Newton (3.1), #4 Christian Ponder (3.0), #5 T.J. Yates (2.9).

All rookies. Guys who don’t really know what to do with the ball yet. That’s who holds onto the ball as long as Vick. Elsayed explains why this is such a problem.

Vick held onto the ball for an average time of 3.2 seconds, 0.4 seconds per play longer than the average NFL QB (2.8 seconds). This may not seem a lot, but with Vick dropping back to pass on 500 designed passing plays, his line spent an extra 200 seconds in pass protection than it would have for a standard NFL quarterback. In raw numbers, that’s like spending an extra 71 plays in pass protection, greatly increasing the chances of giving up pressure.

That said, he does point out that Vick gets hit as a passer only slightly more than league average and notes he takes far more hits as a runner than average. But as we’ve seen, his injuries have come mostly from the pocket, so getting rid of the ball quicker would save him from more dangerous hits in the pocket, even if he doesn’t change his running style at all.

The new body armor is nice and all… But getting rid of that ball will go a long way toward protecting Vick as well.

zoltek
zoltek
August 30, 2012 4:12 pm

scramz, here is your answer.

you can’t start a season with a super bowl dream, be one of the favorites to win the NFC, and then bench vick and start some guy that noone cared about a month ago. Vick was a dumb QB (and may still be one) in a system where he didnt care about learning… essentially when he took over the starting job here, he was a rookie again. Jesus I am not even a vick fan and sitting here reading “they should start foles over vick” is some of the craziest nonsense I have ever read… honestly.

according to your logic they can literally start anyone that knows how to throw a football.

paulman
paulman
August 30, 2012 4:55 pm

Eagles are not favored for a SUper Bowl, that’s a pipe dream

Paulman’s Initial Rankings of the NFC after 3 Pre-season Games

#1) NY Giants – Defending Champs, enough said until someone knocks them off
#2) GB Packers – Best QB in the NFL who will be highly motivated
#3) NO Saints – No HC, Bounty-Scandal, No Problem still have Brees and Co controlling their Offense
#4) SF 49ers – Have the Best Defense in the NFC, have some WR’s now for Alex Smith (Moss & Manningham)
#5) Chicago Bears — Added WR B Marshall & RB M Bush to help sply load with MAtt Forte, still have a good Defense
#6) Seattle Seahawks – Have youth, talent and a motivated Staff to get th ejob done, have a healthy OL who had 3 Starters miss significant time due to injury last Season..
#7) Eagles/Lions/Cowboys/Falcons/Panthers are all mixed in from 7th thru 10th and look good some weeks, look bad in others and are just not consistent enough from their QB’s, PLay-Calling and Defense

BirdoBeamen
BirdoBeamen
August 30, 2012 6:18 pm

Don’t listen to these clowns REALTALK.

I compare the “love” for Nick Foles like the “love” for a new girl in highschool. Everyone wants to get with her because she looks good and she’s “new”. Until they find out she’s a whore than its good riddance!

It’s human nature. People are always going to fall in love and fall in love FAST with the new “flash”.

I call these people morons and idiots.

BirdoBeamen
BirdoBeamen
August 30, 2012 6:24 pm

VinnietheVillageIdiot — as for your little “article” from ProFootballFocus.com — I would LOVE to see what McNabb’s numbers were because we bitched about HIM holding the ball too long as well.

This is an explosive offense that takes TIME to open up. I believe any semi-competent, half-successful QB in the NFL has the ABILITY to read a defense and get rid of the football immediately. But if it’s not in the playbook for that to happen, how can you blame the QB? The “hot read” has never been in this playbook and it probably never will be. Any semi-competent FAN should see that and not use BS to try and support their idiotic agendas with certain players.

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
August 30, 2012 7:21 pm

Nice Post Birdo

mhenski
mhenski
August 30, 2012 7:58 pm

Birdo,

I don’t know if you had a case of the gay or what in high school, but when I found it the new girl was a whore I stepped my game up and got some action.

jakedog
jakedog
August 30, 2012 8:02 pm

Bird’s post was below the Mendoza line of intelligence, get ready for the franchise quarterback nick foles

jakedog
jakedog
August 30, 2012 8:08 pm

I saw all I need to see with foles in the preseason, especially that first drive against the jets, time to weed out these faux eagles fans who root for Vick over the team good riddens, a new era of eagles football is upon us

MaybeTheyCan
MaybeTheyCan
August 30, 2012 9:33 pm

I just can’t see how they could cut Edwards for Kafka knowing that both Foles and Edwards have shown the Eagles so much more than weve ever seen from Kafka. I also believe that Edwards could, with his NFL experience, be far better for Foles than Kafka to learn from.

larrwd
larrwd
August 30, 2012 9:45 pm

Edwards is still young it would be stupid to cut .. He played well in every game and looks like a starter

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
August 30, 2012 10:34 pm

“The “hot read” has never been in this playbook and it probably never will be.”

Not in the playbook. Right. Every one of Reid’s plays calls for every WR, TE and RB on the field to run 40 yrds down the field…why Vick sits there and waits for them.

A worst peice of crap I have never seen written here.

No coach on the planet, not even Reid, sends every WR on the famous Madden “all-streak!” Just because Vick doesn;t throw to the short route to the TE on a curl, or dump it to McCoy sitting in the flat doesn’t mean they’re not there.

So stupid.

Go back and look at the play where Vick got hurt. If he had just stood there and flipped it over the DTs head, Shady would have been running for a long time. (of course Vick couldn’t see him because those DTs are tall you know)

daggolden
daggolden
August 30, 2012 11:49 pm

I dont care what anyone thinks of my comments Im gonna tell you this right now. After watching the last 4 preseason games # 47 Rau is the best LB on this whole team. I dont give a damn what string he was playing against. Just watching him all over the field and how physial he was it was amazing. Yes better than Kendricks and definetly better than any other LB that as played.

larrwd
larrwd
August 30, 2012 11:52 pm

trent edwards , ryan rau , marty gilyard , and chris polk should all make the team .. all 4 can contribute immediately .. andy reid isnt the best at evaluating talent

frankdialogue
August 31, 2012 12:11 am

Edwards without question.

med776
med776
August 31, 2012 1:17 am

Edwards has played well, but they’ll keep kafka because he’s cheaper(i think) and going to be the emergency QB.

What I’m interested in, when Vick gets injured and should Foles do well, does Vick get his job back when he’s healthy.

Donmegga
Donmegga
August 31, 2012 5:55 am

What has Kafka done to stay on the team? No brainer he gets cut.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 31, 2012 11:00 am

Rau has done some work, but we’ve also seen a bit more of him for a reason, Dag…I do like him too, but better than Kendricks, thats a bit much..

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
August 31, 2012 11:07 am

@Birdo – haha, I hear you and agree!

@Jakedog – you never fail to prove how much of a dumbass you are son! its frustrating that you are so simplistic!
@Mhenski – SMH, how was the crabs? were the risk?

Frank22
Frank22
August 31, 2012 1:27 pm

Dennis – you are correct, my apoligies on the incorrect info.

Frank22
Frank22
August 31, 2012 1:30 pm

larrwd – i think Andy can evaluate talent, I question what he does with it.