“This guy is a heck of a football player, and I think everybody knows that. That’s not a secret. He’s even a better person. We’re very, very fortunate to have him as an Eagle.’’
What will the market bring for Kolb?
First, you have to look at the teams in the market. You can put them in two groups.
There are three teams desperate for a quarterback with no good options on the roster: the Cardinals, Redskins, and 49ers.
And then there is the “play it coy’’ group of teams that need a quarterback but act as if they’re all set to keep the price down: the Broncos, Bills, Seahawks, and Dolphins. The Browns could fit into this group, but Colt McCoy has some legitimate promise behind a very good offensive line and running game.
In an informal poll of seven general managers and personnel executives, four said Kolb was not worthy of a first-round pick, two said only if the team had no other options, and another said a late first-round pick could be justified.
“He is a good quarterback with promise, but we all need to be realistic about it,’’ the latter GM said.
Kolb has several things going for him, but he is far from a sure-fire prospect.
He has good size at 6 feet 3 inches and 218 pounds, a slightly above-average arm, and he is well-versed in the West Coast offense.
In his three starts in relief of Michael Vick last season, Kolb completed 70 of 108 passes (64.8 percent) for 810 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions. His career completion percentage is 60.8, and Kolb is well-liked among teammates.
The Eagles will send out the tape of Kolb against the Falcons, and for good reason. He was 23 of 29 (79.3 percent) for 326 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles handed the Falcons one of their three regular-season losses.
However, Falcons standout cornerback Dunta Robinson was injured early in the game, and Atlanta had a mediocre pass rush last year (tied for 20th with 31 sacks).
