Vince Young to sign with Eagles

UPDATE: It's official, Vince Young will sign a one year deal with the Eagles tomorrow.

As one backup quarterback departs, another enters: according to a report from CBSSports.com, Vince Young is expected to sign with the Eagles. After getting officially released by the Titans earlier today, Young is a lock to join the Eagles and backup Michael Vick.

I'm completely on board with this move. While Young wasn't exactly a great starting quarterback in the NFL he will be the perfect backup for the Eagles. Not only does he have tremendous athletic ability but he also has 47 starts under his belt and can be trusted should Vick miss time due to an injury. In some ways, Young might be a lateral move from Kevin Kolb and certainly is a better fit for an offense designed around a scrambling quarterback like Vick.

Signing Young, despite his past locker room issues, is a no-risk move for the Eagles. He will learn the offense under Vick and not force the Eagles to completely change their scheme when the backup QB enters the game. So far, the Eagles deserve high marks for the moves they have made this offseason. Now if they can only get DeSean Jackson locked up....

Rumor: Eagles interested in Brett Favre. Wow.

Say it ain't so.

Normally, I don't put much credence into what Howard Eskin puts out there, but this rumor is just too insane: once they trade Kevin Kolb, the Eagles might look to sign Brett Favre to be the backup quarterback. Let that sink in for a minute.

According to Jeff McLane of Philly.com, the Eagles didn't deny that they were interested, so this story might have some legs. Andy Reid and Favre go way back and he certainly knows the offense, so it actually makes some sense, except for the fact that Favre is 41 and supposedly retired again. There is no word right now if Favre wants to play in Philly or if he is even willing to be a backup quarterback.

The Eagles have brought the circus to town just for a backup quarterback before, so who says they won't do it again? There is no denying that Favre knows the offense but how much of a glutton for media attention must this team be to bring in the ol' gunslinger? I know the Eagles need a proven backup quarterback who can step in for the oft-injured Michael Vick but this is pretty ridiculous.

Who wants Kevin Kolb?

While the news that came out today about the Eagles receiving offers for Kevin Kolb is meaningless since teams can't make trades right now, it's still interesting to speculate about which teams might have interest in the Eagles backup quarterback. Since the rumor is that the Eagles are receiving first round offers for Kolb, we can look at which teams with first round picks need quarterbacks and start making some guesses:

1. Panthers
3. Bills
4. Bengals
5. Cardinals
6. Browns
7. Niners
8. Titans
10. Redskins
12. Vikings
15. Dolphins
16. Jaguars
25. Seahawks

First, we can eliminate the Panthers, who are probably going to draft a quarterback with the first overall pick. In fact, we can go ahead and eliminate everyone in the top 10, since they would have to be crazy to give up that high of a pick for Kolb. That leaves a few interesting options left, including the Vikings, though the 12th pick is still probably too high. The most likely option is probably the worst pick of the bunch, as the Seahawks have to be pretty desperate to move on from the Matt Hasselbeck era. If I'm the Eagles, I feel pretty good about moving Kolb for the 25th pick.

Of course, if the labor issues don't get figured out soon, the rumored draft picks would be for the 2012 draft and the Eagles would simply be rolling the dice, speculating on the quality of team they are sending Kolb to and gambling on a high selection. In that scenario, I would think the Eagles would be smart to hold onto Kolb as insurance if/when Michael Vick gets banged up. Unless they can pull in a decent veteran backup, like Carson Palmer or (shudder) Vince Young, the Eagles might be better off keeping Kolb, anyway.

Brian Westbrook wants to come back to the Eagles

After spending a year in California, it looks like Brian Westbrook wants to come back to Philly. In an interview with CSN Philly, Westbrook, who spent last season with the Niners after the Eagles let him go, talked about how he has constantly been in contact with Andy Reid and how he would love to return to the Birds. Westbrook feels that he still could be a contributor in the Eagles backfield in a backup role of some kind.

The question is, are the Eagles even interested in bringing him back? With LeSean McCoy firmly entrenched as an every down back and Jerome Harrison likely coming back to be a solid backup, what role would Westbrook play? The Eagles usually like their third running back to have some special teams versatility, which is why Eldra Buckley filled the role last season. Westbrook won't be playing special teams so what other role could he fill? Punt returner? Slot receiver? Running back coach?

Sure, Westbrook would likely sign a cheap contract to return to Philadelphia, but there aren't enough touches available to make him a useful addition. The only scenario I can see the Eagles signing Westbrook is if he wants to sign a one day contract and retire as an Eagle.

ESPN: Eagles to franchise Vick, possibly deal Kolb

Adam Schefter is reporting what we basically have known for a few weeks: the Eagles are planning to use the franchise tag on Michael Vick and will listen to trade offers for backup quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Slapping the franchise tag on Vick is a no-brainer to keep the Pro Bowl QB in an Eagles uniform. While the Eagles will have to pay a premium to keep Vick, if he can put together another season like last year, he will be worth every penny.

As for Kolb, who has already said he wants out if he isn't starting for the Eagles, this may be the perfect time to deal him. With a number of teams searching for a starting quarterback and Kolb set to make just over a million dollars next season, there should be plenty of offers for the Eagles to mull over. Expect the Birds to only make a move if they are given an offer they can't refuse, like multiple 1st and 2nd round picks, since Kolb is still valuable backup for the Eagles behind the injury-prone Vick. Should the Eagles deal Kolb, look for them to seek out a veteran backup that could be counted on to start a game or two.

Of course, none of this can really happen until a new CBA is worked out, which could be months from now, if then.

Could Jeff Fisher be the Eagles next defensive coordinator?

With Jeff Fisher and the Titans going their separate ways, it was only natural for this question to come up: could Fisher be the Eagles answer for their defensive coordinator opening? While it makes a ton of sense, from his ties to the Eagles organization to his mastery of the 4-3 scheme, don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

Sure, Fisher would be a perfect fit for the Eagles, but you can bet there will be a few of teams willing to hand him a head coaching gig right away. Fisher also could take a year off and essentially hand pick his next coaching job. The best chance the Eagles could have to land Fisher is if he decides to take a year to figure out his next move and decides to temporarily take a less stressful assistant position.

With plenty of sources already saying that Fisher won't be taking a defensive coordinator job with the Eagles or any other team, what looked like a perfect match seems extremely unlikely to happen. You can't blame Andy Reid if he at least gives Fisher a call, though.

Could Dick LeBeau be the Eagles next defensive coordinator?

UPDATE: Dick Lebeau himself squashes the speculation, saying that if he is coaching in Pennsylvania next year, it will be in Pittsburgh.

With the Eagles defensive coordinator search stretching into a second week and most of the top candidates snatched up, there has been speculation that the Eagles have a "mystery candidate" in mind to replace the departed Sean McDermott. Some intriguing news has emerged today that may give us a clue as to who the mystery man might be: Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's contract expires after this season.

LeBeau, who has coached one of the best defenses in the league over the last decade, would be a hot commodity if the Steelers let him become a free agent. ESPN is already speculating that LeBeau could land with the Cardinals, who have a slew of former Steelers on staff already. Of course, at age 73, LeBeau could be planning on retiring and may not even seek another job in the league.

While LeBeau employs a 3-4 scheme, I'm pretty sure the Eagles would be willing to change things up if they can land a coordinator of his caliber. While it would be a longshot at best, you can't blame the Eagles for at least trying to convince LeBeau to move across the state. After all, he has some experience with the team when he was their special teams coach way back in the early 70's.

Eagles fire Sean McDermott; enter Dick Jauron?

Just a few days ago, Eagles head coach Andy Reid said that defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was going to stay with the team for another season. Apparently Andy completely changed his mind (or he was lying), because the Eagles announced today that they have fired McDermott.

McDermott has been with the Eagles since 1998 and spent two years as the Eagles defensive coordinator after taking over for the late Jim Johnson in 2009. He did an adequate job with the defense as he tried to stick to the same formula that Johnson successfully used for several years. After their defensive failures in the red zone this season and their inability to stop the run in the playoffs, however, McDermott had to know that his chances of retaining his job would be slim.

As for who will replace McDermott, the smart money is on current Eagles secondary coach Dick Jauron. With the Browns reportedly looking to hire Jauron to be their defensive coordinator, the Eagles probably have to promote him if they want to keep him around.

Kevin Kolb to the Eagles: Start me or Trade me

The Eagles season has been over for just a few hours and we already have out first rumor: Kevin Kolb wants to be a starting quarterback next season. While that news isn't that surprising, the Inquirer is reporting that if Kolb isn't going to be the Eagles starting quarterback next season, he will demand a trade.

While the Eagles would be smart to hold on to Kolb as insurance if/when Michael Vick gets injured, there might be no better time to trade Kolb than now. With several teams looking for quarterbacks this offseason, including the Vikings and Niners, the Eagles could get a decent draft pick for Kolb. Of course, with the NFL labor situation looking dicey, who knows if teams will even be making trades.

The bottom line in this whole situation is that if Kevin Kolb gives the Eagles a start me or trade me ultimatum, he should start packing his bags. Despite the interception he threw to end the season, this is Michael Vick's team now.

Eagles release Joique Bell; Safety signing coming?

Joique Bell, we hardly knew you.

According to Adam Caplan of Fox Sports, the Eagles have waived running back Joique Bell. Bell, an undrafted rookie who was signed by the Eagles back in September, only suited up for 3 games with the Birds and never had a carry. In the preseason with the Bills, Bell showed a ton of promise but was stuck behind Eldra Buckley and the newly acquired Jerome Harrison. We may not have seen the last of Bell, though, as the Eagles also released DE Pannel Egboh from the practice squad, which opens up a spot to stash Bell away.

The release of Bell from the active roster frees up a spot for the Eagles to bring in a safety. With an injury to Nate Allen likely to keep him out for the Monday Night game against the Redskins, the Eagles are left with just two safeties, Quintin Mikell and Kurt Coleman, on the roster. Look for them to add someone familiar with the system, like Quintin Demps or Macho Harris. There have also been rumors that the Eagles are kicking the tires on Al Harris, the former Eagle who had recently been released by the Packers. If the Packers didn't think he was healthy enough to contribute, though, I wouldn't count on him coming to the Birds.