The Tim Tebow saga is never ending and another landing spot could open up in Philadelphia if the team decided to part ways with Michael Vick.
ESPN NFL reporter Sal Paolantonio spoke on ESPN Radio this morning about Vick's future with the team and what place he has in Chip Kelly's offense.
Paolantonio said the team is trying to buy time for itself as well as Vick to figure out what the best move is. He said the "math is simple", Vick is getting older and he had a rough season filled with sacks and turnovers.
The Eagles had the chance to cut Vick before he was set to get a guaranteed $3 million on Wednesday, but the team chose not to do that. Since the team did not cut him, they have until March 12 to decide what to do with the quarterback, either through a trade, staying with the team or releasing him.
Vick is set to make $15.5 million in base salary next season, which would be very high for a backup quarterback. Paolantonio said the team will try to ask him for a pay cut, but there is a chance he won't do it because it likely will come with the idea of starting as a stop gap for a short time until Kelly finds a quarterback that fits his system.
Tim Tebow could be that fit, but right now the Eagles haven't made any significant moves in that regard, but Kelly is known for his out of the box thinking and that could be an option for him and the team.
The biggest issue for Vick, says Paolantonio, is that many of the other options he could choose from are not interested, including the Buffalo Bills and the Arizona Cardinals, who have said they are not interested. Other options could be with his old coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia or ion Oakland with the Raiders, who are known for making moves with athletic quarterbacks.
Vick is in a complicated situation, since he has purchased a house in the area and his football situation is up in the air. Paolantonio said that Vick likely would be released if they can't make a better option for the team, but there is a chance Kelly could go after Dennis Dixon with the Ravens, as he was a quarterback at Oregon under Kelly.
If Vick stays in Philadelphia, it could be hard for him to regain the trust of his teammates, as he went after them hard after the blowout loss to the Giants in Week 17 to finish the season. Vick started the game for Nick Foles, but he likely thought it was his last game as an Eagle, so he lashed out at his teammates and said they quit during that game and they didn't hustle.
Paolantonio said he has already spoken to some players one-on-one and with Kelly about the situation and that there is a chance he could stay with the team and finish out his contract. Kelly and the Eagles could have more cap space if they get rid of Vick, which would give them a chance to get Tebow or another quarterback.
Tebow had a rough season with the Jets, but he showed some excellent promise with the Denver Broncos and Kelly could be interested in what he brings to the table. Tebow was involved in only 73 offensive plays and gained 102 rushing yards on 32 carries. He had only eight pass attempts and completed six of them for 39 yards and scored zero touchdowns
There were rumors that Tebow could go to Jacksonville or Arizona, but that has cooled since both teams have hired new head coaches. The Jets would like to trade him and the Eagles could be a potential landing spot for the backup star.
