Wednesday, July 24, 2013

National Football League: Vick up for Eagles quarterback competition

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PHILADELPHIA ? Michael Vick made a promise yesterday to coaches, teammates and most importantly, himself.

?From now on until my career is over, until I stop playing the game of football, I?m going to compete every day,? Vick said after the Eagles? first split-squad training camp practice. ?I love that part about football. I love the competition aspect. And I love what I do. I love the game that I play. And I think that supersedes everything.?

No one asked if that meant he took days off during a fairly illustrious 11-year career, the last five seasons with the Eagles. It wasn?t necessary.

In his younger days, the 33-year-old Vick was so explosive that he could take quarters and halves off and still win games. For several years, he was recognized as the fastest player in football.

Now Vick seems to be more accepting of his physical limitations. He?s added four pounds to a relatively smallish frame to absorb those shots that sidelined him. He grew a set of guns with barbell curls, if you will.

?Four pounds and all muscle,? Vick bragged. ?I?m trying to keep my body in the best possible shape to withstand the hits. Everyone says I?m injury prone so I?m trying to fight that. But it?s cool, man. That?s why we compete. That?s why we workout. That?s why we train hard.?

Vick is almost as weary of discussing the competition for the starting quarterback job as the injuries. But Vick knows it?s on.

Nick Foles is ready for the battle judging by his unabashedly candid words Monday. ?I?m not here to be a backup,? Foles said. ?I?m here to be the guy. I don?t think we play this game to sit on the bench. We play it to play. And I?m here to play.?

Rookie Matt Barkley threw his hat into the starting competition as well, although he?s not yet starting quarterback material.

?We all believe in ourselves,? Vick said. ?It?s great that Nick feels that way.?

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said the plan is to get the quarterbacks snaps and evaluated ?in certain situations.?

How long could it take Kelly to find his guy?

?Until a starter emerges,? Kelly said. ?Everybody gets a chance, and everybody has an opportunity to show us what their resume is, and your r?sum? is what you put on tape every day. If somebody continues to make plays and someone doesn?t make plays, that guy is going to move up and the other one?s going to move down. Our depth chart is written in sand right now.?

Kelly expects to have a starter before the gameplan is in for the Sept. 9th opener against the Washington Redskins. That won?t happen a few days before the game according to Kelly, who thinks Vick is ?excited about getting ready to get going.?

?He came in in great shape,? Kelly said. ?When you see him and get a chance to see him, I think he spent a lot of time here in the offseason and worked extremely hard with guys like (Jeremy) Maclin and (Jason) Avant, and the guys that were around here in the summertime. So he?s excited to get going.?

Vick sidestepped a question about reworking is contract knowing he would have to compete for the starting job, explaining that he did so because of Kelly.

?That was it. I heard a lot about him,? Vick said. ?I?ve watched Oregon throughout the years. And I just felt like this was the best opportunity for me. And I chose it regardless of what the things may be. I?m still going to compete. I?m still going to try to be the best quarterback that I can be on this field. I still feel good. I still feel like I?ve got a lot left in my tank. And I think it?s coming out each and every day in practice.?

If Vick doesn?t win the job, well, he?s not going to be team-wrecker.

?I will continue to support this team,? Vick said. ?I?m here for one reason, to help this team win football games. And like I just said a second ago by any means necessary. Whatever it takes. If I have to watch film with all the quarterbacks, if I have to coach the quarterbacks one day then that?s what I?ll do.?

Source: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130723/SPORTS03/130729756/national-football-league-vick-up-for-eagles-quarterback-competition-

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