• March 28, 2024

Will Eagles QB’s Stay Healthy, Despite Running Read Option?

NickFoles2I’m in Aurora, Ohio for the 2013 NFL Rookie Symposium and there’s been a lot of talk about Chip Kelly and the Eagles.  The big question which will need to be answered, concerns the Birds ability or inability to let their quarterbacks run with the football, but keep them healthy.  Most of the coaches in the league don’t believe you can run your quarterback consistently, but keep him healthy.

This will be the question that will be answered by Kelly’s offense and other offenses around the league.  Can you have your quarterback running with the football in the National Football League on a regular basis, but be able to keep him healthy?

I’m looking at this year’s crop of NFL rookies and they’re getting bigger and faster.  Having one of these defensive linemen fall on one of the Eagles quarterbacks could end Kelly’s plans of running the read option?

We all know Michael Vick’s history.  He hasn’t proven he can stay healthy when he’s staying in the pocket or leaving it to run.  All this talk about who is going to play quarterback could be washed away early in the season, if the Birds suffer some injuries at the quarterback position.

I’ve written and talked about how Kelly invested practice time in running the read option with not only Vick, but also Nick Foles and Matt Barkley.  I know that he values utilizing the quarterback’s running ability to get a player advantage on the defense, but can you do this in the NFL and keep your quarterbacks healthy.

We saw the read option utilized by numerous teams a year ago, but Robert Griffin III went down for the Redskins, Seattle’s Russell Wilson was able to stay healthy, and San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick was able to stay healthy, but only played a 1/2 to 3/4 of a season.  Carolina’s Cam Newton was able to stay healthy, but he weighs 250 pounds.

I don’t think Vick can stay healthy, if he’s running with the football.  I don’t think running Foles and Barkley is a legitimate option.

GCOBB

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The Silencer10
The Silencer10
June 25, 2013 1:01 pm

What is this a desperation article…. Look at chips stats. Yea he runs a read option, but his QBs hardly ran the ball. His RBacks did…his plays are plays where the QB gets rid of it in a hurry consistently. So the answer would be, they will be as healthy as they are. Vick was hurt Every year here and we didnt run a read option… Bad topic.. Sorry G

tsjohnson5
tsjohnson5
June 25, 2013 7:25 pm
Reply to  The Silencer10

Right.

Foles was hurt in what 6 games and we didn’t run the read option.

Kaep seemed just fine and San Fran ran the read option. Cam has survived and Carolina ran the read option.

QBs get hurt – regardless of what you run – the end.

Bad Topic – Agreed.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 25, 2013 10:04 pm
Reply to  tsjohnson5

All QBs do get hurt.

Running QBs get hurt more.

Its a simple concept.

RegalEagle
RegalEagle
June 25, 2013 1:14 pm

As I have stated Asking your biggest investment (Your Franchise QB) to run with the ball is a horrible idea. Getting the ball out quick and having effective play action are the keys to success and keeping a QB healthy. Let your RB take the punishment, let your 250 pound TE’s take the hits. That is what being a QB in the NFL requires. No mater how big and bad you are a DE or LB with a head of steam and malice in his heart can end you!

paulman
paulman
June 25, 2013 2:12 pm

I’ve stated this from the get go, The Eagles Offense is going to run the Read-Option or variation of it very seldom .. Why they have spent so much time on it is a break down (Military style) of how Chip Kelly Operates.. He knows that FOles and Barkely are not Athletic enough to handle the Read-OPtion just as he knows that Vick probably is not even on the FInal 53 Man Roster due to his poor decision-making, his turnovers and his history of injuried..
This Eagle Offense will evolve as a Pat Shurmue West-Coast Variaiton with a Standfor Power Football with Multiple TE Sets and rushing between the Tackles.. This Read-Option Bull-shit is just to see what QB’s are Coachable and to break them down to the same level to learn a new System .. Once Camp opens, I believe we will see very little Read-Option outside of Dixon getting some Reps as an Option in SHort-Yardage/Red-Zone and to keep opposing Defenses of having to prepare for it…

Stevo
Stevo
June 25, 2013 4:59 pm
Reply to  paulman

hey!!! Glad to see that you are “stating” things now instead of thinking that you are “reporting”: anything. See….. there is growth on Gcobb every now and then. Who knows…next week you might even be in big boy pants!!

paulman
paulman
June 25, 2013 6:01 pm
Reply to  Stevo

Maybe my spelling will improve too… Ha
Stating and Reporting my own Opinion is kind of the same thing Isn’t it…
I may not know much Steve, But I do know that Vick is not the answer or the future at QB for the Eagles

Stevo
Stevo
June 25, 2013 8:56 pm
Reply to  paulman

im not a vick fan so…. that opinion is fine by me. Im open to seeing if Foles is something but im not holding my breath. Im praying.. but I wont hold my breath. But….

Reporting is giving info from a position of authority. Reporting…implies that u have a job where you have been sent to REPORT back.

Opinionating is sharing what ya think from your sofa. See the difference?

paulman
paulman
June 26, 2013 10:16 am
Reply to  Stevo

Paulman Reports “That the Sun will come out today” …
Paulman States “That the Sun will come out today” …
Paulman Thinks “That the Sun will come out today” …

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
June 26, 2013 9:49 pm
Reply to  paulman

paulman’s you analysis is way off. The Eagles Offense will actually simply utilize some elements of the West Coast passing game that Mike Vick is very familiar with and the focus will be on running the football…which is why the read-option element is extremely important. Mike Vick’s blazing speed will force the defense end to stay open and open up more opportunities for Shady McCoy. The play action pass which was almost non-existent with the Andy ‘Passaholic’ Reid offense will be far more effective with Chip Kelly’s offense. Vick’s ability to make all the throws and threaten the defense deep because of his superior arm strength and DJax and Maclin’s speed will keep safeties deep and Kelly’s Read-Option emphasis will enable the Eagles to run the ball right up the gut of defenses. Foles should probably be cut and given a chance to catch on with someone else because he doesn’t fit in .

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 25, 2013 3:22 pm

Superbowl. Can’t win iit in the NFL with a read-option because your starting QB will miss more games. Its that simple.

Lets look at the top 2 QBs who came out last year. Luck and RGIII. Both extremely talented. Talented enough to win a SB I think. Will they? I do not know. They may, or may not.

But I do know that Luck has the better chance of the two of them.

Why? Simple math.

Over the next 12 years, I expect, because he runs a read option attack, RGIII to miss about 20-30 more games due to injury than Luck. 2 or 3 a year average.

Do we agree there is a dropoff for just about every team not named Eagles when the backup QB comes in? There certainly is for RGIII and Luck (notwistanding Cousin’s 1 good game)

Of course. Teams WANT their starting QB in the game, because he gives the team a better chance to win.

I expect Luck and RGIII to win at about a .620 clip and their backups at about .450.

So….if RGIII misses 30 more games over the next 12 years running the stupid read-option, that amounts to about 7 to 9 more wins over the 12 years for the colts – just by having Luck under centre more consistently..

In the NFL 1 win in a season is huge. Does this mean Wash will not make the playoffs? Of course not. But, if both continue to develop the way they have, Luck (or any other pocket QB will be exposed to less hits, be injured less, and play more games. One win a season is huge.

1 win a season gets the colts to 2 or 3 more shots at the playoffs over the next 12 years.

Both guys have great chances to make it to the show, but one has higher odds because he’ll play more.

Read-option is stupid in the NFL

Stevo
Stevo
June 25, 2013 4:26 pm

Gcobb has become all QB …. all the time. Any chance we pick up another CB? anyone out there worth talking about? G, can you please just call Vinnie and talk about the qb every day for an hour and write something else for once? This site has become boring and repeats the same hate/love daily.

coldbrewski
coldbrewski
June 25, 2013 10:13 pm
Reply to  Stevo

Stevo you know that won’t stop Vinnie. Damn near every post of his is about Vick. Doesn’t matter if the thread is titled “JEFF LURIE’S MOM RECOVERING FROM STROKE”. Somehow Vick or a qb like Vick will be part of his response.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 25, 2013 10:32 pm
Reply to  coldbrewski

Fine.

Lets talk about the DBs then.

It was great that they released Nmandi who I said the day they signed him was overrated and only appeared good because he was best on a shitty Raiders squad and DRC who I hated on the team because he is a lazy ass.

Their replacements however are just “meh”. Baltimore not upset they let Wiliams get away and he already seems to be a bit of a diva…might not even make the squad.

Fletcher? what to say there…..barely played last season.

Both guys are stopgaps. Eagles will concentrate on the secondary in future drafts once they….wait for it……..Solve the QB, oline and then Dline issues.

I’m intruiged by the Poyer kid because I’ve read good things about him, but never actually saw him play because, you know, Oregon State.

There, that make you feel better. I don’t write about the CBs because they don’t fucking matter at all right now.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 25, 2013 10:34 pm

The Eagles went Oline, TE, DL, QB with the only picks that matter in the draft this year (and this AFTER releasing both their starting DBs and signing 2 “meh” players).

That tells you how much the Eagles actually care about the position right now.

They have more important things to concentrate on.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 26, 2013 8:21 am

See? Talk about any other position and the comments stop. Dullsville.

Com’on – why aren’t people calling me racist for thinking Williams is going to suck?

paulman
paulman
June 25, 2013 6:05 pm

3 CB’s that I see out there by Mid-August who won’t make their Present Teams
Nnamdi Asamougah, Assante Samuel,and possibly DRC who has not impressed Coaches very much out in Denver.. HC John Fox has already called him out… and he does not put up with slackers and is no lock to make the Bronco’s 53 Man Roster… Read the list and weep

Biglion821
Biglion821
June 25, 2013 9:51 pm
Reply to  paulman

No way in hell Asante gets cut they love him in Atlanta and he’s still playing at a high level. The other two can go kick rocks.

paulman
paulman
June 26, 2013 10:14 am
Reply to  Biglion821

Falcons spent 2 High Draft Picks on CB’s this Draft (D Trufant and R Alford) plus have a young promising CB in R McClain who played well for the injured B Grimes last year which is why they let Grimes walk and they also signed Dominique Franks in the Off-Season
They are tight on their Cap.. CB Samuel may be the odd-man out ..

Stevo
Stevo
June 25, 2013 9:03 pm

thats so crazy Pman. Could you imagine if all 3 get cut? crazy. What a fall from grace all 3.

tsjohnson5
tsjohnson5
June 25, 2013 11:39 pm
Reply to  Stevo

The only one on that list who may get cut is DRC and that will be b/c of work ethic and/or attitude and NOT talent. And even if he does he’ll be picked up elsewhere ’cause it’s too tempting not to.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
June 26, 2013 12:06 am
Reply to  tsjohnson5

Too tempting is right.

Plenty of players keep getting jobs based on their tantalizing physical skills, yet who never perform that way or live up to their potential.

Lot of that going around.

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
June 25, 2013 11:09 pm

The Offensive Line is going to be key here…if they are much improved they can run the read option sparingly and use it as an effective tool to help the running game…which again is why Mike Vick-despite all of the talking heads and Vick haters moans and groans-is going to be the starting QB.
Kelly used valuable and much needed practice time to install it….he will run but again the main purpose is not to have the QB running around all of the time…it is to set up and facilitate the RUN game which is what Kelly really wants to do…this is going to be a running offense…not a pass-first, pass happy offense!

IrishEagle
IrishEagle
June 26, 2013 11:57 am

There are a lot of people that are going to be surprised how few running plays are called when a team is losing.

Here’s a prediction for you – if the Eagles are an 8-8 or worse team, they will pass the ball more than they run it next year…. It don’t matter who the coach is, you can’t run the ball when you’re down two TDs and the other team is scoring at will…

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
June 26, 2013 9:56 pm
Reply to  IrishEagle

The Eagles will run the ball far more than they did last year…Kelly, unlike Reid, will play to the Eagles strength on offense using the Read-Option, running the ball, and the play-action pass will be very effective for the Eagles…Vick wont take a pounding because of the new emphasis on the running game and it will open better play action passes for the Eagles to go deep to DJax and Maclin. This will also play into Vick’s strength since he has a much stronger arm than any of the current QB’s on the Eagles roster.

paulman
paulman
June 26, 2013 12:39 pm

Patriots TE A Hernandez arrested today, Patriots “Released” him shortly thereafter..