Eagles rookie QB Nick Foles needs guarded optimism

Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles will make his first career start Sunday against the Washington Redskins. While that's exciting, Bob Brookover from Philly.com writes Friday that the team needs to protect Foles against false hope.

Brookover notes that while starting Foles could inject new life into a disappointing season for the Eagles to this point, the road for a rookie quarterback, especially one selected in the third round of the NFL Draft, is usually a rocky one.

Here's Brookover on what lies ahead for Foles:

The only thing we know for sure about Foles is that the odds are stacked heavily against him and not just because of the revamped offensive line that will be protecting his 6-foot-6 frame. History tells us that quarterbacks taken in the third round of the draft usually sink that low for a reason. In the last quarter- century, a total of 32 quarterbacks have been taken in the third round.

Brookover added that the combined record for those 32 quarterbacks as starters is 300-395-1. Also potentially going against Foles' favor is the possibility of coaching changes in the offseason and the prospect of learning a new offense.

Learning one system is hard enough, much less two, Brookover says:

Also working against Foles is the probability that whatever he learns from and does for this coaching regime will not be of any great value to a new coaching staff next season. In a lot of cases, nothing stunts a quarterback's growth more than having to learn a new offense with new coaches.

In relieving injured quarterback Michael Vick in last week's 38-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Foles completed 22-of-32 passes for 219 yards, along with a touchdown and an interception.