Quarterbacks

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.

   Which quarterback would you rather have on your team this weekend?    Former Eagle Kevin Kolb got off to a good start with his new team, the Arizona Cardinals, and Eagles starter Michael Vick earned a victory. Only former Eagle Donovan McNabb struggled with his new team, the Minnesota Vikings.    Here is a look at how Kolb, Vick and McNabb compare after the first week of the season: Rk Player    Comp-Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Lng 20+ Sck Rate 3 Kevin Kolb         18-27 66.7 309 11.4 2 0 70T 6 2 130.0 17 Michael Vick      14-32 43.8 187 5.8 2 0 41 4 3 83.7 28 Donovan McNabb     7-15 46.7 39 2.6 1 1 12 0 2 47.9

The season is just under way and the quarterbacks-on-crutches parade has already begun. Last week's victims were the Eagles' Randall Cunningham and Seattle's David Krieg. Pittsburgh's Bubby Brister sustained a concussion, but will return today. Four teams (including San Francisco and Phoenix, whose quarterbacks were injured before the season started) are already down to their second-string passers. With Pat Ryan's career resuscitated, can Guido Merkens be far behind? The trend is nothing new. Last year, six contending teams went into the playoff stretch without their regular quarterback.

Sam Bradford, Rams: No thanks. Ditto for the other rookie quarterbacks out there. Tom Brady, Patriots: Says he wants to play another 10 years. Even if she is a supermodel, married life will do that to you. Drew Brees, Saints: That Week 1 opener against Brett Favre and the Vikings should get the fantasy season off to a flying start. First one to 40 wins. Jason Campbell, Raiders: Campbell is an upgrade at quarterback over JaMarcus Russell. But, then again, Naomi Campbell would be an improvement for the Raiders.

Old quarterbacks, young quarterbacks, and Philadelphia-area quarterbacks were the story in Week 3 of the NFL season. Love the locals. Penn Charter graduate Matt Ryan threw a 70-yard touchdown pass for the Atlanta Falcons in their win over Kansas City. Audubon High's Joe Flacco passed for just 129 yards but led a Baltimore offense that held the ball for nearly 38 minutes in the Ravens' win over Cleveland. Good, and not so good. Rookie Steve Slaton, the former Conwell-Egan High star, experienced a tale of two halves for Houston.

It's not exactly 1983, when six quarterbacks were taken in the first round. But the 1995 draft is becoming the year of the quarterback in its own way. Four more quarterbacks - Rob Johnson, of Southern Cal; Chad May, of Kansas State; Dave Barr, of California; and Steve Stenstrom, of Stanford - were taken in the fourth round as the draft resumed yesterday. Alabama's Jay Barker in the fifth. Jerry Colquitt, of Tennessee, and Craig Whelihan, of Pacific, went in the sixth. And John Walsh, of Brigham Young, was taken in the seventh and final round, one that ended with Carolina taking Michael Reed, a defensive back from Boston College.

There was a time not long ago in Eastern college football when there was no balance of power to shift. Penn State, with an occasional scare from Pitt, was The Beast of the East for so long that the Eastern football landscape looked like something from one of those old Japanese monster films, with a Nittany Lion playing the part of Godzilla. Clearly, that is no longer the case. And a major reason is that some wise coaches have decided that a sound way to counteract State's traditionally repressive defense is to add another dimension to their offense.

Every year, we're surprised by a handful of players who emerge from obscurity to become instant fantasy heroes. We're equally shocked when "can't miss" studs turn into duds overnight. (I'm looking at you, Chris Johnson.) But I can't remember a time when an entire position seems to have been flipped upside down. Sure, we're only three weeks into the 2012 season, but what in the name of Johnny Unitas is going on with the quarterbacks? Tom Brady has thrown half as many touchdown passes as Ryan Fitzpatrick.

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.

Delaware quarterback Trevor Sasek was in stable condition after sustaining multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen during a fight early Sunday morning in Newark, Del., according to the website Delawareonline.com. Sasek, a Spring-Ford High graduate from Limerick, is a fifth-year senior expected to compete for the Blue Hens' starting job this fall. University officials would not comment on the incident or confirm that Sasek was the victim. Delaware football coach Dave Brock , citing university policy, also would not comment.

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.

Quarterback Tim Tebow was waived by the New York Jets on Monday, the end of an embarrassingly unsuccessful one-season experiment that produced more hype and headlines than production on the field. And it all ended quietly, with a three-paragraph news release. "Unfortunately," Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement, "things did not work out the way we all had hoped. " It also left Tebow's football future very much in doubt. A year after he threw a TD pass to win a playoff game in overtime for the Denver Broncos, the Heisman Trophy winner with two college national titles at Florida may have suited up for the last time.

Chip Kelly's insistence that he does not require a mobile quarterback was confirmed on Saturday when the Eagles traded up in the fourth round of the NFL draft to take Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley. Barkley was expected to be a top 10 pick in 2012 before he returned to school in a decision that likely cost him more than $10 million. Barkley was one of the most decorated players in college football the last four seasons, but a decline in production and a shoulder injury caused his stock to dive.

Drew Pederson is like many student-athletes, appreciating his time on the field even more once it was taken away. Pederson, considered among South Jersey's top 2012 football prospects, missed his senior season at Moorestown after breaking his left ankle in preseason practice. He's now back competing, albeit in baseball, but is also looking forward to the next chapter in his life in football. Pederson patiently waited behind Andrew Lisa at quarterback at Moorestown. As a junior, Pederson did emerge as one of South Jersey's top defensive backs, making eight interceptions.

Penn State quarterback Steven Bench, who was believed to be even with Tyler Ferguson in the race for the starting job at the end of spring practice, has been granted a release to transfer, coach Bill O'Brien said Wednesday. In a statement released by the university, O'Brien said he met with Bench, who would have been a sophomore this fall, and other players this week to discuss "where they are at related to football and academics and to discuss what they need to work on this summer.

NEW YORK - Geno Smith was swarmed by adoring children Wednesday morning and directed participants in an NFL youth festival the way he would West Virginia receivers. In the eyes of the children, Smith was just one of the 24 NFL draftees-to-be in attendance - and the most heralded quarterback in the group. He was not viewed by the children as the most polarizing player this season at the league's most polarizing position. Smith has been seen as a potential top-five pick, but he also has received criticism and been discussed as a quarterback who could fall out of the first round.

Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card by picking the first round of the NFL Draft:  Play the Daily News' Draft Challenge.  (Use promo code F73W.) NEW YORK - E.J. Manuel met his idol, Donovan McNabb, 2 years ago through quarterback guru George Whitfield. McNabb, a versatile, star quarterback long ago at Syracuse, counseled Manuel on focusing on development at Florida State. Manuel dined with McNabb on Tuesday night in New York, 2 days before Manuel will be drafted.

A LOOK AT the rest of the quarterback class after Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, E.J. Mannuel and Ryan Nassab, and where they may get picked: Mike Glennon, North Carolina State ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay: "He has natural arm talent, but is inconsistent with his accuracy. He doesn't move very well. And he doesn't have that 'it' factor about him in terms of commanding the huddle and being that fiery leader. " Projected round: 2-3 Tyler Bray, Tennessee ESPN 'MNF' analyst Jon Gruden: "This kid has rare ability to throw the football.