Last Thursday against Jacksonville, Vick was included in six plays, none of them successive, all of them unconventional, an odd way to use a pedigreed Pro Bowl player.
Tomorrow night Vick will be used in concert with No. 2 quarterback Kevin Kolb. The Eagles will not use starters, Reid said. Kolb will start, Vick and A.J. Feeley will play in the second half.
Why not start Vick? Why even bother with Feeley?
Because commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated that Vick, who is only conditionally reinstated, could remain suspended into the regular season. Which means the non-suspended quarterbacks on the roster need work.
Kolb will be the team's backup and Feeley the No. 3 while Vick serves his expected suspension, which could last through Week 5.
While Vick was signed to be Weapon X, he was signed, too, to upgrade the roster. Having not played quarterback in more than 2 years, Vick, once the most dangerous man in shoulder pads, has plenty to show after less than 3 weeks practicing with the Eagles.
Reid anticipates progress, if not perfection.
"I think you'll see him probably play a little faster this week than he did last week," Reid said. "It was just a matter of getting him acclimated back into the speed of the game and then this week he'll have a chance to get in and get a few more reps."
How many? When?
Reid would not commit.
"You'll see him take some snaps from under the center. I didn't really put a number on it," Reid said. "He's been doing it all week and looked fairly smooth. He had a drop [in a center exchange] today but that was his first one here."
It won't be his last.
Assuming Vick is suspended, and assuming the decision comes before Sunday's final-cut deadline, the Eagles could opt to place Vick on the exempt list. Then they wouldn't have to count him against the 53-man roster. He also would be ineligible to practice with the team; he could attend meetings but not practice.
So, after missing 2 years, what would be the point?
"I would think it would be important for him to continue to practice," Reid said.
Reid did leave the door open, though. If the suspension is longer than the Eagles believe they can swallow, and if Reid believes Vick could be whipped into quarterbacking football shape in a short period of time, perhaps the exempt list could be an option.
"I would have to see what the situation was," Reid said.
Has he lobbied Goodell?
"I think the commissioner will make his decision when he wants to make his decision. I don't go there with that," Reid said. "I'm sure he'll let us know when he thinks the time is right. It's not for me to wish on that part. I've got a plan either way."
That plan could hinge on how well Vick performs tomorrow.
And while the second-half competition among third-stringers will draw unusually large interest from the public at large, certainly no one will be watching more closely than Reid.
Birdseed
Andy Reid reiterated that no starters will play tomorrow unless injury forces them into action - significant especially for the reconstructed offensive line, which will enter the season without a single snap taken with all five starters on the field . . . On that note, right tackle Shawn Andrews (back) practiced with the first-team offense exclusively, his greatest involvement since returning to practice 4 days ago . . . Rookie receivers Jeremy Maclin and Brandon Gibson will start, as will rookie running back LeSean McCoy; No. 1 running back Brian Westbrook, who has not played this preseason, will not play . . . Probable starting middle linebacker Omar Gaither, who sprained an ankle Monday, will not play; Joe Mays will . . . Receiver Kevin Curtis (knee) missed practice again. He will travel with the team and go through pregame warmups but will not play . . . Middle linebacker Stewart Bradley and rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram (knees) were placed on injured reserve, which, with the release of linebacker Charleston Hughes, tackle Chris Patrick and safety Brandon Harrison, put the Eagles at yesterday's mandated 75-man roster mark.
