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NFL: Is Mike Kafka Eagles QB of the Future?
Written by Bo Marchionte    Saturday, 20 August 2011 12:01    PDF Print E-mail

Walk into the new office with your Harvard degree and the man behind the desk is going to ask you when you want to start and how much you’re asking for in pay.

That Harvard degree may compare to how teams will begin viewing quarterbacks leaving the Philadelphia Eagles after spending time under head coach Andy Reid and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweng. Reid has drafted five total quarterbacks since taking over in 1999 and each has been, for the most part, a productive player in the National Football League. The chart below details the picks that have been groomed by Reid and his quarterback savvy staff. Only sixth round pick Andy Hall failed to develop into a legit prospect at the NFL level.

Year Player Round Years Experience
1999 Donovan McNabb 1 13
2001 A.J. Feeley 5 11
2004 Andy Hall 6 1
2007 Kevin Kolb 2 5
2010 Mike Kafka 4 2

In 2006 the Eagles brought in Jeff Garcia, who would eventually finish the season with his second best passer efficiency rating (95.6).

Three years later Reid took on the ultimate player project in Michael Vick. In 2010, under the tutelage of the Philadelphia staff, Vick produced a passer rating of 100.2. It was, by nearly 20 points, his career best. But it’s more than just passer ratings; it’s the transformation of Vick into a complete passer, not just an athletic player who could occasionally throw the ball.

Kevin Kolb was so successful in seven starts in two seasons in Philly that the Arizona Cardinals traded a second round pick along with a very talented defensive back in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for his services. Not to mention his 63 million dollar contract with 20 million guaranteed.

That sets the stage for the most recent quarterback project, Mike Kafka. The former Northwestern man was the last quarterback to play in the team’s second pre-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kafka entered the game in the fourth quarter and passed for 160 yards and two touchdowns while completing 14 of his 19 passes. That’s a whopping 133.7 passer rating. Preseason or not, the results all point in the right direction.

“Obviously there are some things I left out there I want to get back,” said Kafka on his performance. When pushed to go deeper on what he would like to get to do over Kafka explained, “A quick out I threw a little bit low and a comeback route, I threw it a little low.”

Currently Kafka is sitting third on the depth chart, but some believe he is outplaying current number two, Vince Young and deserves the back-up role.

“Coach Reid and Coach Mornhinweng put us in great spots play call-wise to score points,” said Kafka while discussing some of the traits that lead quarterbacks to be so successful in the Philadelphia system.

Keep your eye on the former Big Ten quarterback who is likely destined for greater things as his football career takes off.

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Follow Bo Marchionte on Twitter @NFLDraftBible


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