While this week is going to be devoted to following the progress of the Collective Bargaining Agreement talks, ESPN's Adam Schefter passed along a little nugget to whet the appetite of fans looking for juicy gossip in the event of a new CBA. Schefter tweeted a short time ago that three teams have discussed deals for Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb. Schefter didn't mention any team by name, but added that "every NFC West team except St. Louis has to consider him and deal with Eagles."
Even though no player transactions can take place until a new CBA is reached, teams can still proceed with negotiations involving their own players, recently released players or with other teams for potential trades. Teams are not allowed to talk to players who could become free agents once the new CBA is put in place.
It was reported by Clark Judge of CBSSports.com at the Scouting Combine that Kolb was one of the hottest topics among team executives. It's not a surprise. Kolb is 26 years old and is ready to be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL. The Eagles just so happen to have a superstar in last year's Pro Bowl starter in Michael Vick ahead of Kolb. In his four seasons, Kolb has played in 19 games (started seven) and completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards with 11 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Last year alone, however, Kolb matched his career completion percentage while throwing for 1,197 yards with seven touchdowns against seven interceptions while posting a 2-3 record.
Kolb became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in each of his first two career starts in 2009. This past season, Kolb engineered one of the most impressive quarterbacking performances in recent Eagles history throwing for 326 yards while completing 79.3 percent of his passes for three touchdowns in a blowout win over the eventual No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs in Atlanta. For his efforts against the Falcons, Kolb won the second NFC Offensive Player of the Week Award of his career (2009 vs. Kansas City).
There is a lot of debate over who the top quarterback in this year's draft class is. Some like Missouri's Blaine Gabbert. Some prefer Auburn's Cam Newton. Some think Arkansas' Ryan Mallett or Washington's Jake Locker could be the cream of the crop. But teams know exactly what they will be getting with Kolb who is entering the prime of his career.
Kolb is under contract with the Eagles for one more season. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Friday at the Maxwell Awards that he would like Kolb to return in 2011. Kolb has expressed his desire to be a starting quarterback, whether it's in Philadelphia or elsewhere. If the Eagles choose to shake up the quarterback position again, they better have an insurance policy just in case.
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 1:40 p.m., March 7
