So what do the Eagles have in Kevin Kolb? Well, the coaching staff believes they've got something special. That's why the Eagles' brass made the former University of Houston quarterback the team's second-round draft choice and the Eagles' first overall selection in 2007.
Kolb has spent his first three seasons learning the offense behind veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, and performed well when called upon early last season. In fact, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards in his first two starts. He also earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance vs. KC (9/27) after completing 24 of 34 passes for 327 yards and two touchdowns for a 120.6 QB rating, and notching his first career rushing touchdown on a QB sneak.
Are his numbers misleading? Scouts Inc. tackles that question in its weekly look at major off-season storylines. Former NFL scout Matt Williamson served up the following for an ESPN.com Insider feature. NFC East blogger Matt Mosley offered up a snippet, but we have the full analysis below:
What do the Eagles have in Kevin Kolb?
"When analyzing a backup quarterback such as Kolb, who doesn't have a lot of meaningful film yet at this level, we must understand that the Eagles know way more about him than any of us. They see him every day at practice and in the quarterback meeting room. They know how popular he is with his teammates, how intelligent he is and whether he is a good person. Much like Charlie Whitehurst or Matt Schaub when he went to the Texans, sometimes the true value of such a player is not entirely evident on film. But, as always, the film also never lies.
"The word that immediately comes to mind when evaluating Kolb as a passer is crisp. The ball comes out of his hand very cleanly. He has very good accuracy, hits his receivers in stride and gets the ball out on time. Those attributes are important for any quarterback but are crucial in Andy Reid's West Coast scheme.
"The Eagles are very young on offense, and it might be time for a young quarterback to lead their assault. But let's not forget what Kolb showed in 2009. In two starts, he was rather underwhelming. He racked up huge yardage in garbage time against the Saints and abused a Chiefs defense that can't get after quarterbacks and isn't talented on any level.
"But it isn't as if Donovan McNabb doesn't have his share of warts as well, most notably his failures in the clutch. If the Eagles could trade for a very early second-round pick (and maybe a starting player on defense), I would pull the trigger on shipping McNabb out of Philly. Heck, if St. Louis offered the 33rd pick in the draft straight up for McNabb, I would accept, especially considering that McNabb is signed for only one more season. The time is now for Kolb."
-- Posted by Bob Kent, 2:10 p.m., March 29
