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Garcia Knows His Place In QB Picture

Is Jeff Garcia an Eagle again because the Eagles suddenly lack confidence in Kevin Kolb? No. Is Garcia here because Donovan McNabb is hurt worse than the team initially expected? No. Why, then, did the Eagles and Garcia agree to terms on a one-year contract to bring back the 39-year-old quarterback? It really is a simple, up-front explanation and for anybody hopeful of some "conspiracy" theory, well, sorry to disappoint you.

Garcia is here as insurance policy. He is here because McNabb is nursing a fractured rib that could keep him out of Sunday's game against New Orleans. And even if he can play, McNabb will be in pain and the Eagles will need more than two quarterbacks eligible to play. And until Michael Vick is eligible to suit up, Week 3 against Kansas City, the Eagles had just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

Enter Garcia.

It is as straightforward as that. No hidden agendas. The Eagles needed somebody who could join the team and could help in an emergency situation, and Garcia fits that job description about as well as anybody. He knows the system. He knows the coaching staff. He is a veteran of the game and he can aid this team in a number of ways as a reserve quarterback.

That idea that the Eagles lack confidence in Kolb, as is being suggested in some ridiculous circles, is as absurd a throw-it-against-the-wall theory as I have heard in a long, long time. Yeah, the Eagles are so down on Kolb that they kept him instead of A.J. Feeley -- now in Carolina -- and have Kolb as the No. 2 quarterback on the roster, with Vick No. 3.

The last time Kolb started, the Eagles scored 24 points in the first half of the final preseason game against the Jets. Twenty-four points in the first half of the game.

What a lousy performance.

The truth is, the coaches are very high on Kolb. They like the skills he brings to the game. He is an accurate passer who throws a catchable ball. He sets up and has excellent mechanics. He has enough of an arm to make any throw, and Kolb's unflappable demeanor and his intelligence and calm in running a hurry-up offense are all positives in the eyes of the coaching staff that works with him every day.

Kolb will take the reps at practice on Wednesday and on Thursday, key days in the development of the game plan. By Friday, I'm sure, we'll have a complete grasp on McNabb's health and the chances of his playing on Sunday. If he can go, great. McNabb is the toughest of the tough and if there is any possible way he will play, he'll go.

If not, the job is Kolb's. It would be a big, big moment for a young man who has demonstrated remarkable patience in a short career of being a backup. Kolb has always been a starter, and a star, and for him to sit around for two full seasons and then the start of this year requires a lot of self-examination and reflection. He has waited a long time to get a chance to play, and the time he has spent on the field in two seasons has been very limited.

In those instances, Kolb either cleaned up late in a blowout game, or, in the case of the game in Baltimore last season, was thrown in a very difficult situation. Kolb played against Pittsburgh in 2008 when McNabb was injured and came out slinging passes and actually looked pretty darn good. In Baltimore, Kolb did a lot of positive things moving the offense, but the throw he will always have to live down is the one intended for Reggie Brown in the back of the end zone that Ed Reed intercepted and returned two miles for a touchdown.

All of a sudden, Kolb couldn't play. Didn't have an arm. Was destined to be a career backup.

That is what the critics said. That is not what the Eagles said then, or now. Kolb is a bright, young quarterback who is ready to play in the NFL. When the time comes -- whether it is Sunday or later in the season or next year -- Kolb will experience the same ups and downs that every quarterback experiences. In the end, though, the belief here is that Kolb will be a very, very fine quarterback in the NFL.

So there is no hidden agenda to Garcia's return. The entire Eagles organization is, honestly, happy to have the guy back. He is a great teammate and if you need to win a game in a pinch, there are few veterans you would rather have on your side, especially with the offense the Eagles have put together. Garcia knows he could be here a week, three weeks or an entire season. He knows his role here. He knows he is an emergency quarterback who will help by lending his eyes, his mind and his competitiveness to the team and to the locker room.

But Garcia is here not to threaten anyone's job, or to signify a lack of trust in any player here. The Eagles have a need, and Garcia fills it nicely.

Sorry to let you down, muckrakers. This is a football decision only, and a good one at that.

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