Michael Vick

If Chip Kelly drafted Matt Barkley, a quarterback virtually no one thought he could be interested in, then there is no reason to think that he can't start this season. History says fourth-round quarterbacks hardly ever start in the NFL, let alone as rookies. But the NFL is evolving and in certain segments becoming more like the college game than vice versa. And there's something about the Great Kelly Unknown that suggests anything is possible. There are some pertinent reasons to support Barkley's candidacy, among them his decision-making, accuracy, and moxie.

DID YOU NOTICE? * Two of the Eagles' first three plays were out of two-tight-end formations. LeSean McCoy gained a yard on the first and Michael Vick picked up 2 yards on the other one. * Michael Vick's poor third-down pass to Jeremy Maclin on the Eagles' first possession. He had Maclin open for a first down and missed him. It was one of the few poor passes Vick made yesterday. He had just seven incompletions in 22 attempts. * Safety Kurt Coleman, who forced the first-quarter fumble that Juqua Parker returned for a touchdown, knocked the ball loose from Santonio Holmes with his helmet.

LOOKING BACK at the Eagles' 31-13 win over the Rams while wondering what Jay Paterno would be doing for a living right now if his father wasn't Penn State's head coach:   BY THE NUMBERS *  Because of the problems they had against the run, particularly early on, the Eagles stayed in their base defense much of the game. They used their nickel sub-package (two linebackers, five defensive backs) just five times in the first half and a total of 11 times in the first three quarters.

Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Matt Barkley were on the field together for the first day of organized team activities on Monday. But any hope for a clue about who will start at quarterback for the Eagles this season based on the first practice was diminished by coach Chip Kelly's rotation. Vick opened with the first-team offense, but Foles also took a significant number of snaps at the NovaCare Complex. Kelly believed it was near a 50-50 distribution. Neither Barkley nor Dennis Dixon took first-team snaps on Monday, but both received steady work during Kelly's fast-paced practice.

If we can be sure of one thing about Sam Hinkie, it's that we can't be sure about anything. The man who will run the Sixers is said to be as smart as a master of business administration degree from Stanford suggests. He is known to be in the vanguard of using advanced metrics to evaluate players and make decisions. It is tempting from that sketchy information to conclude that Hinkie's hiring should drive the final stake through the Andrew Bynum Error. No matter how Hinkie crunches the numbers on Bynum, the only one that really matters is zero.

NEW COACH Chip Kelly has touted an even competition between Michael Vick and Nick Foles for the Eagles' starting quarterback position, but given the reworked 1-year, $10 million contract the Birds gave Vick, most of us figure he is likely to emerge as the starter. That's pretty much what receiver Jeremy Maclin thinks, as well. Maclin was asked yesterday, if he had to guess, who will be No. 1? "Right now, you've got Mike going with the 'ones' and Nick sprinkling in some reps here and there, so . . . " Maclin said at his Lincoln Financial Field charity event honoring five moms of kids he met through his summer football camp in West Deptford, N.J., where Maclin lives.

RIGHT NOW, we really don't know who the quarterback of the 2013 Eagles will be. That thought somehow forced its way through the sensory overload of the first Chip Kelly Eagles practice reporters were allowed to watch yesterday at NovaCare. (The other thought that arrived, almost concurrently: People actually listen to Nicki Minaj? I mean, if you autotuned Minnie Mouse . . . ) The hectic, no-huddle (ever!) pace and dance-party-volume music were certainly novel flourishes on the fields Andy Reid trod for so long in South Philly.

MATT BARKLEY is here to play. The Eagles' fourth-round rookie quarterback made that clear yesterday afternoon when he met with reporters following the first workout of rookie camp, which continues through the weekend. The full squad assembles Monday, the first time reporters can watch the team under new coach Chip Kelly. Barkley said Michael Vick and Nick Foles are "outstanding men," who "have both done great things," but "you come in knowing that you have a job. They're trying to take that job as well.

MICHAEL Vick was directed by the NFL to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons' training camp until the league "reviews the dogfighting charges against him. " What's left to review? Take the bodies of the dogs who suffered and review that! Vick is a monster. He hasn't talked publicly since May. Know why? He's a creep that no one wants to listen to! This'll be just like O.J. - he'll get away with bloody murders. Jennifer McShane, Wilmington, Del.

Michael Vick has missed 23 regular-season games (and two preseason) in his NFL career because of injury. Here's a breakdown, if you will, of No. 7's various troubles: 2001 Missed one game with a rib injury when Carolina safety Damien Richardson drilled him as he crossed the goal line scoring his first NFL touchdown. "You get hurt sometimes, you've just got to deal with it," Vick said. "I'll just rest a little bit and I'll be all right. " Bottom line: Injured while scrambling.

Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Matt Barkley were on the field together for the first day of organized team activities on Monday. But any hope for a clue about who will start at quarterback for the Eagles this season based on the first practice was diminished by coach Chip Kelly's rotation. Vick opened with the first-team offense, but Foles also took a significant number of snaps at the NovaCare Complex. Kelly believed it was near a 50-50 distribution. Neither Barkley nor Dennis Dixon took first-team snaps on Monday, but both received steady work during Kelly's fast-paced practice.

RIGHT NOW, we really don't know who the quarterback of the 2013 Eagles will be. That thought somehow forced its way through the sensory overload of the first Chip Kelly Eagles practice reporters were allowed to watch yesterday at NovaCare. (The other thought that arrived, almost concurrently: People actually listen to Nicki Minaj? I mean, if you autotuned Minnie Mouse . . . ) The hectic, no-huddle (ever!) pace and dance-party-volume music were certainly novel flourishes on the fields Andy Reid trod for so long in South Philly.

If we can be sure of one thing about Sam Hinkie, it's that we can't be sure about anything. The man who will run the Sixers is said to be as smart as a master of business administration degree from Stanford suggests. He is known to be in the vanguard of using advanced metrics to evaluate players and make decisions. It is tempting from that sketchy information to conclude that Hinkie's hiring should drive the final stake through the Andrew Bynum Error. No matter how Hinkie crunches the numbers on Bynum, the only one that really matters is zero.

If Chip Kelly drafted Matt Barkley, a quarterback virtually no one thought he could be interested in, then there is no reason to think that he can't start this season. History says fourth-round quarterbacks hardly ever start in the NFL, let alone as rookies. But the NFL is evolving and in certain segments becoming more like the college game than vice versa. And there's something about the Great Kelly Unknown that suggests anything is possible. There are some pertinent reasons to support Barkley's candidacy, among them his decision-making, accuracy, and moxie.

MATT BARKLEY is here to play. The Eagles' fourth-round rookie quarterback made that clear yesterday afternoon when he met with reporters following the first workout of rookie camp, which continues through the weekend. The full squad assembles Monday, the first time reporters can watch the team under new coach Chip Kelly. Barkley said Michael Vick and Nick Foles are "outstanding men," who "have both done great things," but "you come in knowing that you have a job. They're trying to take that job as well.

NEW COACH Chip Kelly has touted an even competition between Michael Vick and Nick Foles for the Eagles' starting quarterback position, but given the reworked 1-year, $10 million contract the Birds gave Vick, most of us figure he is likely to emerge as the starter. That's pretty much what receiver Jeremy Maclin thinks, as well. Maclin was asked yesterday, if he had to guess, who will be No. 1? "Right now, you've got Mike going with the 'ones' and Nick sprinkling in some reps here and there, so . . . " Maclin said at his Lincoln Financial Field charity event honoring five moms of kids he met through his summer football camp in West Deptford, N.J., where Maclin lives.

THIS IS interesting, albeit puzzling news to those of us who watched Michael Vick run down from behind by defensive linemen on more than one occasion last season. Yesterday at the Eagles' offseason workouts, Vick raced LeSean McCoy in the 40, apparently after repeated challenges from the 24-year-old running back. Vick, who turns 33 next month, won handily, according to various Twitter accounts of the race, the first provided by safety Colt Anderson. This is encouraging in that Vick really seems to be taking to new coach Chip Kelly's emphasis on fitness.

MICHAEL VICK indicated Wednesday he has no problem with Chip Kelly saying Vick and Nick Foles are engaged in an even competition for the Eagles' starting quarterback job. The problem might lie in getting Vick to believe he could ever lose such a contest, after 3 years as the starter here. "Honestly, I just look at it as it's still my team, still my job," Vick said during a session with reporters following the second day of the extra minicamp granted new NFL coaches. "I think that's the mind-set that you've got to have.

Two days into Chip Kelly's first minicamp, his attempts to downplay the new brand of football he's bringing to the NFL were thwarted by the Eagles' amazement with his approach. "From a communication standpoint, it's going to change the league," tight end Brent Celek said. Quarterback Michael Vick - who is confident that "it's still my team," and that the starting quarterback position is "still my job" - said Kelly's offense is "something like I've never seen before. " It's a new world at the NovaCare Complex.

The first official practice of the Chip Kelly era featured something that had never occurred during Andy Reid's 14 seasons as Eagles coach: two quarterbacks even on the depth chart and splitting the majority of first-team repetitions. Michael Vick and Nick Foles took turns running the starting offense Tuesday, as did the recently acquired Dennis Dixon on occasion, according to Kelly. The new Eagles coach closed practice to the media, so there was no opportunity to glean clues as to which QB may have the edge.