Eagles QB Coach Gives Us A Snapshot Of QB’s

Yesterday Eagles quarterback coach Bill Lazor said it was too early say which of his quarterbacks, Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley, Dennis Dixon and G.J. Kinne.

“It’s too early to put a number on it,” Lazor said. “Just like with most competitions in this league, day-to-day, you have ups and downs – like the offense sometimes has against the defense. They’re working to improve. What I try to foster in that room, and what I think they’re doing a great job of, is just concentrating on themselves.”

As the interview continued he talked about the quarterbacks and he seemed to have a more glowing description of Foles and Barkley than he had of Vick.

Concerning Foles:  “He can evaluate what’s happening. He can make decisions, and he can make it look like it’s really easy for him,” Lazor said. “He has a calmness about how he plays. But I know he’s taking all this information in and computing it and making the throw. And I think it’s really a testament to mentally how on top of the game he is and the kind of athlete he is.”

“I think he really can play the game,” Lazor said. “He knows how to put it together.”

Concerning Barkley:  “From the moment he’s walked on the field here he has been accurate, and that’s the No. 1 thing. Accuracy and decision making. He’s been decisive and accurate,” he said. “I feel like the way we evaluated him so far — without having played a game — has proven to be true.”

“You’re talking about extremely high football intelligence, great work ethic,” Lazor said. “Some of the off-the-field skills, what he had to deal with, as far as the ups and downs. . . . Really, it’s a guy that became the face of the franchise out there.”

“I think Matt comes in with exactly the right attitude,” Lazor said. “I didn’t expect anything less. Matt is a quarterback. It’s easy to see why he’s had so much success in his career, from high school all the way through college. He understands how to play the position. He carries himself like a quarterback should on the field. He’s a leader. He demands respect. He works extremely hard. He puts in a lot of hours. He’s accurate. He can handle things happening quickly on the field and react to them and make quick decisions.

“He’s shown, so far, that he can learn and apply classroom knowledge to what he does on the practice field, which is a great trait for a quarterback. He’s athletic. He can throw the ball accurately on the move. These were all things that we suspected, and that’s why we took him.”

Concerning Vick:  “Now he approaches work every single day like someone who wants to be better, wants to maximize what he’s doing,” Lazor said. “He’s really been a lot of fun to be around.”

“He’s seen defenses. He’s seen coverages. He’s been blitzed,” Lazor said. “He’s made good decisions. He’s made bad decisions. He’s had them work out and not work out. . . . Now he brings all that experience. He’s an extremely willing learner.”

“I find Michael to be extremely open to it,” Lazor said. “From the viewpoint of someone coming in, being new to the situation, I find him pretty enthusiastic to learn and improve. I didn’t expect anything different. He’s being very professional.”

“I’m confident Matt is going to play in this league. I’m trying to get a guy to be the championship-level guy,” said Lazor. “I think we are a long way from determining how quickly Matt will get to being a championship-level quarterback. So though everyone wants to know, ‘Who’s the starter? Where are we in the starting competition?’ my focus is so far beyond that. You can have a starter and win six games, no one is going to be happy. We need a guy who can take us where we want to go and bring a championship here. The expectations we’re setting in our room and the standard of excellence that we are trying to be achieve every day is well beyond, ‘Could this guy be a starter.’ ”

You can see that his comments about Foles were pointed, specific and very positive.  Even his comments about Barkley are clearly positive and he believes he can be a championship quarterback.   But his comments regarding Vick are both positive and negative.  He doesn’t get on one side or the other about how Vick has played so far.  I think it would be very easy to draw too much into his comments, but we’re all looking for some indication of where these quarterbacks stand right now.

“When will someone emerge?” Lazor asked rhetorically, repeating the question. “That will happen when it happens on the field. When will Chip make a decision? You’ll have to ask Chip.”