The rumor mill over the Eagles backup QB Kevin Kolb has been hot all offseason as a number of QB needy teams have reportedly shown interest in the 26 year old. Several reports have suggested that the Eagles are looking for at least a first round pick in return. In a recent chat on ESPN.com, the "football scientist" KC Joyner was asked whether he thought Kolb was worth that price?
"After running Kolb's metrics for the 2010 season, I'm beginning to be of the mindset that he isn't worth a first rounder. He's got talent and some experience but he's making bad decisions at a very high rate. If that happens in an Andy Reid offense, it is easy to imagine a total like that increasing in a more high-risk offense."
I think what often gets lost in the discussion about Kolb is that he has just seven career NFL starts. He's been the league for four years so it feels like he's a grisled veteran, but experience comes from playing time, not years on the sideline.
Kolb started five games last year, I have a hard time seeing how Joyner would feel comfortable putting a lock stock in his "metrics" over that kind of sample size. Especially when you also factor in that he was injured in the first half of his first start and was running for his life playing with a crew of backups in week 17. If you look at games 5-7 where he really got a chance to play, you'll see two very good and one not so good start. He won NFC offensive player of the week for his start against the NFC's top seeded Atlanta Falcons.