It's no secret that Kevin Kolb wants to be a starting QB in the NFL next year. And it's no secret that Michael Vick will have that job for the Eagles, hence Kolb would like to be dealt somewhere that can accommodate his desire to start. And the Eagles have every reason to want to do it. Many have speculated that Kolb could net the Eagles a first round pick in next years' draft. Last week, when he was asked about the possibility of being traded, Kevin Kolb told reporters that Andy Reid sent him a text saying he would "do what's best for you." Kolb clearly took that to mean he will likely be traded when the lockout is lifted.
However, in an interview with WIP's Howard Eskin, former Eagle Freddie Mitchell warned Kolb not to trust everything Andy Reid says, because in the end Andy is going to do what's right for the Eagles, not for Kolb. I happen to think Freddie is absolutely correct.
We've got Freddie's full warning after the jump.
"Yeah okay [laughing]. Believe that if you want Kevin. Believe that if you want. Hey. I'll tell you what Andy Reid. ..I love him to death. He's like my father and whatever else, but I'm gonna keep it real. Andy is going to do what is best for the Philadelphia Eagles. I tried when I was going on after we lost the Super Bowl [XXXIX] or whatever else...I went in there and I did not want to go to the media or whatever else I said ‘Hey Coach Reid I had problems with Donovan McNabb. You know I can't eat off of 12 catches a year. I need more catches. I'm doing all the things with the blocking and whatever else to make it happen. I need more catches. Donovan will not throw me the ball. Andy Reid was like ‘Okay Fred well just don't tell nobody. You don't have to come to this next mini-camp. We're going to try to...I know a couple of teams and we're going to try to trade you.' At the end of the day what he tried to do was he tried to put a price tag on me that nobody was even going to touch. When they found out that they wasn't going to touch me, he released me, and then the blackball began with all kinds of dirt saying I was a cancer to the team. I talk too much and everything else. It's funny because you never heard a teammate complain about me. You never heard that or whatever else, but he put the cancer [comment] on. Kevin Kolb do not think them guys or anybody in the NFL is your friend. The only friend that you have is your agent and if you're a left or right-handed quarterback is your arm. That's it. Them guys at the end of the day they are going to go and save their job, save their butt, and go out and do what's best for the Philadelphia Eagles. You need to do what you need to do."
He's absolutely right and I said this back when Kolb was benched in favor of Vick. I have no doubt that Andy Reid genuinely cares for Kolb and does want what's best for him. However, if what is best for Kolb conflicts with what is best for the Philadelphia Eagles, we should make no mistake as to who wins that battle. Andy Reid's job is do whatever is best for the team and he's shown that he will do just that.
And when he thought that Michael Vick gave him a better chance to win than Kevin Kolb, even though Kolb deserved a chance to get a few games to prove himself, he didn't hesitate to pull the trigger and put Vick in the starting lineup. That's his job.
If Andy doesn't get the deal he wants for Kolb or doesn't feel comfortable with his backup QB situation, don't be shocked if Kolb is on the sidelines at the Linc for another season.