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Sal Paolantonio has a column up that asks a very good question: "Why has the Philadelphia Eagles' front office -- general manager Howie Roseman, team president Joe Banner and team owner Jeff Lurie -- been silent in the face of such overwhelming public disenchantment with head coach Andy Reid?" Been wondering this a bit myself, and I agree with Sal's conclusion that it means one of two things:

1. Either they don't feel it's necessary to show Reid support because they've offered it privately and/or don't feel the need to legitimize the hysterical fan reaction to a season in which they're all surely at least as disappointed as the fans are.

2. They haven't decided yet what they're going to do.

All along, I have believed that it was the first thing. And it still may be. Reid has two years left on his contract, an outstanding record prior to this year and deserves a chance to come back in 2012 and try to right the 2011 wrongs. Look at the way a similar situation was handled last year a little further up I-95. Moments after the New York Giants' season ended last year, team owner John Mara told reporters that of course coach Tom Coughlin would be back. He'd told Coughlin the same thing weeks earlier, but nobody knew. Most times, these teams would rather we didn't know everything they're up to.

But as Sal writes, in Reid's case:

The level of public vitriol begs for response. Any business entity can't be happy when the public agenda is being dictated by outsiders with a constant drumbeat of anger and disapproval. It's PR 101: Don't let somebody else drive the message. Any politician will tell you that. Define yourself, or you will be defined.

Which is why option No. 2 can't be completely discounted. One-quarter of the season remains, and if the Eagles embarrass themselves four straight times the way they did in their most recent game, 10 days ago in Seattle, even a front office inclined to keep Reid might find itself re-thinking matters. Sal wonders what would happen if they did:

Would Reid find another head-coaching job elsewhere? Perhaps San Diego, if Norv Turner is dismissed as expected. Reid has a home in Los Angeles. His agent, Bob LaMonte, is based in the Bay Area and knows the California football market as well as anybody.

Would Reid move into the Eagles' front office and hire one of LaMonte's clients -- Jon Gruden -- to become the new head coach?

It's all speculation at this point, because the Eagles haven't told anybody anything. Either they think all of this anger directed at the winningest coach in their history is foolish and unworthy of a response, or they're listening and thinking about what to do. Either way, this is the dominant storyline of the remainder of this Eagles' season, which continues this afternoon in Miami.

Dallas Cowboys

ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer asks: Are the Cowboys' gambling they'll be able to re-sign left tackle Doug Free?

The Cowboys will let defensive end Marcus Spears and safety Gerald Sensabaugh test free agency before offering those players new deals, if at all, writes ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.

New York Giants

The Star Ledger's Mike Garafalo takes a look at how the labor dispute might affect the Giants' running back situation.

Philadelphia Eagles

Daily News columnist Paul Domowitch believes if there is a market for NFL quarterbacks this offseason, Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb will be a big part of it.

Eagles' owner Jeff Lurie was a producer on the documentary "Inside Job" which won an Oscar on Sunday.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins have released running back Clinton Portis, just 77 yards shy of 10,000 career rushing yards and 648 shy of Hall of Famer John Riggins' Redskins franchise record.

IRVING, Texas -- The Philadelphia Eagles would have made some changes after the 2009 season even had they not been thoroughly embarrassed in back-to-back losses to the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the season. But those beatings in Cowboys Stadium -- by a combined score of 58-14 -- prompted the Eagles to turn their roster upside down.

Coach Andy Reid tried to downplay the three losses to the Cowboys last season, but all it takes is one look at this Eagles defense to see the impact the defeats had on the organization. When I made a trip to Philadelphia this past offseason, I stopped by new general manager Howie Roseman's office and saw just how obsessed this team was with closing the gap with the Cowboys. Like most general managers, Roseman had his team's two-deep chart in a prominent spot on the wall. But next to it was the Cowboys' depth chart.

I certainly didn't see the Giants' and Redskins' charts anywhere in the office, so it was obvious what was happening. Reid and Roseman made their biggest move when they traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins on Easter, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. The Eagles have released or traded 21 players from last year's playoff roster. They addressed a ridiculous situation at safety by spending the second-round pick they acquired for McNabb on the University of South Florida's Nate Allen. He has responded by locking down a starting role and placing himself in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year.

Reid won't admit it publicly, but the Eagles were humiliated by the way the Cowboys dominated them at the line of scrimmage in those last two games. Then-Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett hadn't been known for his balanced game plans, but the Cowboys rushed for 377 yards in those games and Tony Romo threw for 523. Even without starting right tackle Marc Colombo, the Cowboys' offensive line manhandled the Eagles' defensive line and neutralized the pass rush. When Roseman started moving all over the draft board to acquire more picks, it was with the Cowboys in mind. On Wednesday, Reid was asked whether those back-to-back losses to the Cowboys crystallized his decision to overhaul the roster.

"I wouldn’t say that. I would be slamming the guys that were here and I wouldn’t do that," Reid said. "I will tell you, though, we were blessed to have that many picks. Whether those guys were here or weren’t here. Then we created some trades, but we had this good nucleus of picks that, if we did it right, we felt like we could bring in some young guys to add to the roster. I thought we needed that. Howie thought we needed that, and that’s kind of the direction that we went there."

Owner Jeff Lurie joked with me this past offseason that it was basically the same roster that had finished the 2008 season by beating the Cowboys 44-6, but he knew the changes needed to be made. Eagles fans view the Cowboys in much the same way the Red Sox view the Yankees, which is to say there's some hatred involved. The fact that Philadelphia entered the last regular-season game of 2009 with an 11-4 record meant nothing two weeks later.

Now the Eagles will encounter a team in a far different situation. The Cowboys have rallied under Garrett, but they still have a 4-8 record and are in the unfamiliar spoiler role. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones still thinks he has the makings of a playoff contender, but it obviously won't happen this season. But the Cowboys could gain a measure of redemption if they were to beat the Eagles in front of a national television audience Sunday night.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh told me Wednesday that the players are motivated to try to secure the jobs of Garrett and interim defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni. And he also tried to put his finger on why the Cowboys were superior to the Eagles at the end of last season.

"I think there's something to be said for knowing your opponent really well," Sensabaugh said. "We had a good idea of when they were going to take shots in certain areas. And it probably helped us that those receivers are a little undersized. But with Michael Vick back there, it's a different situation."

And more than any of the moves made on draft day, it is Vick who has given the Eagles their identity. When he's on the field, there's a belief among the players and coaches that no one can stop them. And unfortunately for the Cowboys, Vick has a pretty good memory of what happened at Cowboys Stadium last season.

"If you can't get motivated by that, then I don’t know what will motivate you," Vick told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. "I wasn’t even on the field playing and it hurt me deeply, so I can imagine what the guys who were out there are feeling now. You know it’s not a get-back game, it's a game we've just got to come back out and win."

When you spend an entire offseason trying to catch up with one of your rivals, I think it's more than a "get-back" game. The Eagles are looking for validation Sunday night in Dallas. And with Vick at the helm, I like their chances.

Michael Vick made a fool out of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. The owner not only made Vick the highest paid player in the game, but he treated him like a son. That relationship came crashing down when Vick was convicted for orchestrating a dogfighting ring and sent to prison for two years.

Now, another owner is smitten with Vick and his remarkable comeback story. No matter how you feel about the man's crime, it's impossible to deny his brilliance on the field this season. And that's why Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie will look past all the baggage and make Vick an incredibly wealthy man -- even after the quarterback pays off his enormous financial debt.

Lurie talked about Vick on Thursday for the first time since he'd been named the starting quarterback. He declined to address Vick's contract status (he's a free agent after the season), but it's pretty easy to read between the lines:

"The biggest thing I learned about Michael was what a dedicated worker he has become," Lurie told the Inquirer's Ashley Fox. "We always knew he was extremely talented, but watching the Falcons, I never thought he put it all together because there were inconsistencies. There were weaknesses in his game.

"He is so dedicated to harnessing that amazing, God-given talent in a much-better way now. So the hard work and the dedication and what a great teammate he is, that's kind of what I've learned. And you just have to take it week by week, month by month, and watch him evolve. It's a great thing to see."

And who can blame Lurie for crowing a little bit over his decision to sign Vick to a contract when teams weren't exactly standing in line for his services. I don't think Lurie is as close to Vick as Blank was, but he certainly is a huge fan. With a potential lockout looming, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles handle negotiations with Vick.

President Joe Banner and GM Howie Roseman have been very proactive with star players in the past, although you might not want to run that statement past DeSean Jackson right now.

Eagles' former star quarterback Donovan McNabb has a brand new contract. I think their current star won't be that far behind.

Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder were in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday to shoot a commercial for Papa John's Pizza that will likely air during the Cowboys-Redskins game Sept. 12. Dan Steinberg of the D.C. Sports Bog has obtained several photos of the shoot from Papa John's Facebook page if you're interested in seeing these "bitter" rivals find some common ground.

"Only Papa John's Pizza can bring the Cowboys & Redskins together!" said the Facebook page.

It's hard to believe these two organizations spent so many years hating each other when all they really needed was a moderately priced pizza with a bit too much tomato paste. Actually, Snyder and Jones have become good friends over the years. For the most part, the NFC East owners all get along, although Eagles owner Jeff Lurie won't go out of his way to spend time with Snyder.

But perhaps Papa John Schnatter, the man who conducts taste tests in our neighborhoods, can bring Lurie and Snyder together.

The National mid-size training camp tour continues today with a stop in Ashburn, Va., to visit with Mike Shanahan and the Redskins. But first, let's see what's happening around the division:

Cowboys

• Anthony Spencer may miss Sunday's Hall of Fame Game with a bruised Achilles tendon, according to ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.
• Goose Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News says that Kevin Kolb has been inspired by Troy Aikman.
• T.O. is hoping to finish his season in Dallas. Oh, and he wants you to know that his reputation for wrecking locker rooms is a figment of your imagination.

Eagles

• Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times says that Michael Vick wants to make Roger Goodell proud.
• John Smallwood thinks the Eagles should simply focus on Vick the football player.
• Jeff Lurie seemed to indicate that Kolb would have taken over sooner had Donovan McNabb's trade value not fallen.

Giants

• The Giants received some great news about Hakeem Nicks on Wednesday.
• Vinny DiTrani of The Record reports that Osi Umenyiora is saying all the right things.
• Tap the brakes on that Plaxico Burress getting out of prison story.

Redskins

• The Commish would address the Albert Haynesworth situation if called upon.
• Michael Wilbon of the Post has a combo piece on Haynesworth and Brett Favre.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeff Lurie has spent the last two days calling me "Dallas Guy," which may indeed be a reference to the city I've called home for the past 13 years. On Wednesday, Lurie spent most of his annual state-of-the-team address answering questions about Michael Vick's recent birthday party. I don't know about you guys, but I've sort of lost interest in that particular storyline. It would be one thing if Vick was projected as the starting quarterback, but that's not the case. Perhaps the Eagles should simply inform players that it's poor form to charge folks to attend their birthday parties unless the money's going to charity.

Fortunately, I bumped into Lurie later in the day and he wanted to discuss the NFC East. The Eagles owner reminded me (emphatically) that he'd predicted that the Cowboys were the most underrated team in the division at this time last year. He has a strange theory that teams that get annihilated in the final game of the season often come out strong the following year.

"We killed the Cowboys at the end of '08 and look what happened," said Lurie. "They killed us last season, so we'll see what happens now. People forget that we were 11-4 last season and should've had the playoff bye. But the team that gets blown out at the end of the season always gets dropped [in the predictions.]"

According to Lurie's groundbreaking theory, the Cowboys should also benefit from being blown out by the Vikings. From this point on, we'll refer to this as the Lurie Bounceback Theory.

Hold on, I think Brett Favre may have just sent me a text.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- In the NFL’s often unforgiving circle of life, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid has been handed a rare second opportunity -- a chance to hit the refresh button on his team and his career.

And there he was on the first day of training camp at Lehigh University, in his usual command position on the practice field, about 50 yards behind the middle linebacker, all alone, looking at his own reincarnation.

Gone was Donovan McNabb -- Reid’s first training camp in his 12-year head coaching career without the quarterback he drafted in the first round in 1999.

Gone was Brian Westbrook -- the veteran running back who provided much of the late-game heroics and pyrotechnics that often bailed out the Eagles and their head coach.

And there were all the new faces, including Kevin Kolb, who will have the fewest career starts -- just two -- of any prospective starting quarterback in the NFC this year. In all, the Eagles jettisoned 14 players from their 2009 roster -- more than any team in the league.

When the veterans arrive on Thursday, there will be 32 new players in camp.

How green are these Eagles? The training camp roster boasts only one non-kicker over the age of 30, the fewest in the NFL.

"There’s a little bit of unknown, which I kind of like," said Reid of his new team, average age 24.1 years old. "I like that."

Now, there is a first. The NFL’s head coaches -- among the planet’s greatest control artists -- rarely embrace the unknown, or at least admit it in public.

Assessing his rebuilt roster, Reid called it "a great challenge." What might be more challenging is convincing his championship-starved fan base that this roster overhaul can work. In Philadelphia, with McNabb now playing for the division-rival Washington Redskins, and so much inexperience wearing midnight green this season, there is little love of the unknown created by Reid.

More like fear.

And that translates into one thing: a whole lot of pressure on Reid. Yes, the head coach was given a three-year contract extension in December. But now failure to bring a Super Bowl title to Philadelphia can no longer be blamed on McNabb’s shortcomings, Westbrook’s injuries or aging veterans such as Brian Dawkins who are long gone.

It’s on Reid now.

"There are some big-name players that have been proven players on this football team that aren’t here," said Reid. "It’s important that the young guys step up and they go."

If they don’t, it will be difficult to try to peddle to Eagles fans that the team was victimized by inexperience. Going young was the franchise decision.

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Let's take a quick look around the division this morning:

Cowboys

• Ed Barkowitz of the Philadelphia Daily News thinks the Cowboys have a Super incentive.
• Emmitt Smith thinks that someone will eventually "approach" his NFL rushing record.
• David Moore of The Dallas Morning News has the latest on the Dez Bryant negotiation.
• Here's what ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins reported on the Bryant negotiations.
• DallasNews.com blogger Gerry Fraley files a report about Emmitt Smith's latest prediction.

Eagles

• Rich Hofmann of the Daily News wonders why athletes like Michael Vick keep putting themselves in dangerous situations.
• Reuben Frank takes a look at some of the top position battles.
• The Inquirer's Ashley Fox has done some excellent work on the newspaper's series about the Eagles' decision makers. She has a piece on owner Jeff Lurie today.
• T.O. and Donovan McNabb will reunite on Spike TV's "Pros vs. Joes" this week.

Giants

• Paul Schwartz from the Post has a pretty strong take on C.C. Brown's recent comments.
• Tight end Travis Beckum tells the Star-Ledger that he's ready to take the next step.

Redskins

• Chris Samuels is starting the next chapter of his life.
• Dan Steinberg of the Post brought back some interesting odds from Vegas.

As some of you know, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell dropped by the NFL Rookie Symposium in Carlsbad, Calif., on Sunday to make a few remarks. Following his speech, Goodell was asked about the shooting of Michael Vick's dogfighting co-defendant outside a club that was hosting a 30th birthday bash for the Eagles quarterback.

"We're still gathering the facts," said Goodell according to an NFL.com report. "I think they've been reported fairly accurately from what I can tell and we've been told by law enforcement that he's not a focus of this at all. Obviously we've got to look to see whether there was any violation of policy in there or his conditions [for reinstatement last year after he served jail time and a suspension for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring]. We're continuing to gather that."

The league will obviously attempt to figure out whether one of Vick's former co-defendants, Quanis Phillips, was invited to the birthday party or just showed up on his own. And if he was invited, the league might try to ascertain how much say Vick had regarding the guest list. And just because the quarterback isn't a part of the shooting probe doesn't mean the feds won't have some interest in why Phillips and Vick may have been in the same place.

My guess is that Vick won't miss any time on the field because of this situation. But something tells me that he may get a "kindly" reminder from Goodell of how much is at stake for him. I kept seeing Vick's name show up in association with NBA All-Star parties in Dallas, and it looks like his birthday party Thursday night in Virginia Beach, Va., was a pretty elaborate event.

It seems like Vick might be better served keeping a lower profile. After all, I thought he was a focal part of the Eagles' fight against animal cruelty in Philadelphia. Perhaps it's time for the organization to stop celebrating Vick's redemption story long enough to remind him how it began.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If you were hoping the Donovan McNabb era would officially end in Philadelphia, Tuesday and Wednesday provided watershed moments. Andy Reid, perhaps McNabb’s biggest defender, said he’s all ears if someone wants to trade for the veteran quarterback.

Reid’s statement after the season that McNabb would be his starting quarterback in 2010 was left dangling in the wind, although we’re reviewing tapes to see if his fingers were crossed. I’ve had the sense for the past two months that club president Joe Banner and new general manager Howie Roseman were leaning toward moving McNabb, but it was hard to imagine Reid getting on board.

On Tuesday in a Ritz-Carlton restaurant, Reid sounded the retreat. He told a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist the Eagles were “entertaining” offers on all three quarterbacks, but McNabb was obviously the headliner. Despite the infamous ’08 benching in Baltimore, Reid and McNabb have remained close over the past decade. But apparently someone in the building has convinced Reid that he should at least be open to the idea of moving McNabb while he still holds some trade value.

On Tuesday afternoon, while other head coaches rushed off to tee times, I saw Reid, owner Jeff Lurie, Banner and Roseman huddle for several minutes in a breezeway outside the hotel. About 30 minutes later, Reid was uncharacteristically spilling his guts to a Philadelphia newspaper. At 7 o'clock the next morning, Reid attempted to temper some of his remarks.

“I'm listening," said Reid. "I'm not saying I'm doing anything, but I'm keeping my ears open, which we do on every player. This is no different. ... I mean, Donovan's our No. 1 quarterback, and Kevin [Kolb]'s our No. 2 quarterback, and Michael [Vick]'s our No. 3 quarterback. That's how I feel.”

So this is no different than, say, trading for linebacker Will Witherspoon during the regular season? No, this is way different than any trade Reid’s been involved with. He’s openly admitting that the one player his coaching career is most intertwined with is being shopped. And the point that some folks are missing is that Reid’s also showing immense trust that the 25-year-old Kolb can hit the ground running as the franchise quarterback. (Try not to think about the fact the Eagles will enter 2010 with major questions at center and right guard, Kevin.)

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As of this morning, Andy Reid has a new contract to coach the Eagles through the 2013 season. The organization has been up front with its plans to extend Reid's old contract, which expired at the end of this season. And there really wasn't any reason to wait on this deal.

Reid has led the Eagles to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl appearance. The one enormous hole in his résumé is the lack of a Super Bowl win. But the fact that the Eagles have been one of the most successful and consistent organizations in the league overrides that factor when it comes to Reid's contract.

Reid now has more offensive weapons than at any time during his 11 seasons with the Eagles. There was no point in waiting to see how this season finishes before doing the contract. Quarterback Donovan McNabb and Reid have been together for a decade now, but it now looks like Reid will probably outlast the player with the organization.

I'm sure Reid will appear somewhat uncomfortable at the news conference this morning. He's in the middle of preparing for the New York Giants, but owner Jeff Lurie isn't going to let him skip this gathering.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, a noted animal lover, vowed that the signing of Michael Vick would eventually be a positive thing for the community. On Monday, the Eagles unveiled a new program called TAWK, which stands for Treating Animals With Kindness.

The Eagles awarded three grants of $50,000 each to three animal welfare groups, including the Humane Society of the United States. To most of us, it seems odd that treating animals with kindness is something that needs to be taught. But as Vick's conviction for running a dogfighting ring showed, there are still folks who need to be educated on how to treat animals.

I've been pretty skeptical about the Eagles' motives in signing Vick, but it's good to see that they are following up on some of their promises. I'll be interested to see if the Eagles continue down this path when Vick is gone, which will be sooner than a lot of people think. If Vick can perform reasonably well during his limited time on the field this season, he'll be starting for another team in 2010 -- at least in my opinion.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The Philadelphia Eagles and coach Andy Reid have begun talks on a contract extension, according to a Sal Paolantonio report Saturday. Eagles president Joe Banner told a radio station earlier in the week that the club hoped to agree to a contract extension with Reid at some point.

"Now would be the time to do it, because Andy does not want to be a lame duck in 2010," a source close to the negotiations told Paolantonio. Reid's agent, Bob LaMonte, did not confirm that the negotiations were taking place but did say, "Andy and [Eagles owner] Jeff [Lurie] and Joe have a very close relationship and they want that to continue."

	Ed Mulholland/US Presswire
	Andy Reid will have his first opportunity to use the Wildcat formation with Michael Vick.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The Philadelphia Eagles have gone to great lengths to suggest that the signing of quarterback Michael Vick is about providing a man a second chance. Owner Jeff Lurie, a self-professed dog lover, has suggested that Vick can be an agent for change in the fight against animal cruelty.

But Sunday afternoon at the Linc, we can finally get to the heart of why Vick was signed. Eagles coach Andy Reid, a descendant of the Bill Walsh coaching tree, watched what the Dolphins were doing with the Wildcat formation last season and became insanely jealous. Yes, Reid's personal struggles with his troubled sons might have played some role in his desire to sign Vick, but the main reason was that he thought the former Falcons quarterback had the skills to be the most dangerous Wildcat quarterback in the game.

This isn't so much a story of redemption as it is an opportunity for a so-called offensive guru to greedily make up for lost time. See, guys from the Walsh coaching tree aren't fond of being outwitted by the likes of David Lee and Tony Sparano (Bill Parcells/Tom Coughlin tree). I believe that Reid's ego got the best of him -- and so he had to have the ultimate Wildcat weapon in Vick. None of these knockoff models such as Pat White in Miami or even DeSean Jackson from his own roster did the trick.

What Vick brings to the table other than considerable personal baggage is a rocket arm that could potentially strike fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators. In his two preseason appearances, Vick showed that his arm strength is still there. Interestingly, it's his legs we're worried about at this point. In the preseason, he didn't show the same burst that made him one of league's truly special players earlier this decade.

Reid's not saying how he will deploy his quarterbacks Sunday, but I think it's safe to say that three quarterbacks -- Kevin Kolb, Jeff Garcia and Vick -- will be active for the game. Vick's not prepared to be a full-time quarterback at this stage of his comeback, and that's why I think Garcia will be listed as the backup for Sunday's game.

Peter King reported that Reid will have a 10-play Wildcat package for Vick on Sunday. But if the Eagles have some success early in the game, I wouldn't be surprised to see Vick in there for 12-15 snaps. Could that potentially disrupt Kolb's tempo? Sure it could, but Reid doesn't care about that.

When you make a huge move such as signing the most polarizing player this side of Terrell Owens, you're not going to ease him into things. Reid believes that he has made a brilliant move and he is eager to prove that to all his doubters. Despite all his emotionless news conferences, this is a prideful man who would like to stick it in his critics' faces. In fact, Reid is a huge admirer of Parcells -- and the two have more similarities than one might think.

The problem for Reid is that defensive coordinators spent a large part of the offseason figuring how to stop the Wildcat. I keep reading about how the signing of Vick has required opposing teams to spend hours preparing for him, which robs them of precious time from preparing for the Eagles' McNabb-led base offense. With all due respect to the men and women who've introduced that theory, I think it's an absolute crock. Every time Vick comes jogging onto the field, the Eagles lose the element of surprise. Do we really think that Kolb lining up at wide receiver causes defensive backs to break out in a sweat? I'm told that Kolb ran some nice zoom routes during walkthroughs at the University of Houston, but something tells me the Chiefs will have an answer for him.

I think Reid has set himself up for failure on a couple levels. If the Vick Wildcat is just moderately successful, then everyone will say the signing wasn't worth all the potential distractions. But let's say Vick has a game early in the season where he tears it up and contributes to an Eagles win. It's not like Eagles fans need a lot of encouragement to turn on McNabb.

I still believe that at some point this season there will be pressure on Reid to replace McNabb with Vick. That could come as a result of poor play or nagging injuries. Either way, it's not going to be pretty. And all fingers will be pointed at the benevolent head coach. Even Vick expressed some doubt in the viability of the formation Wednesday.

"It really helped our football team reach a certain plateau that we wanted to reach," Vick told Philly reporters, referring to his 2006 season with the Falcons. "Down the stretch, it kind of wore itself out, and it wasn't as productive as it was in the first half of the season. It can be a part of your offense, but not a major part of your offense."

You sort of half-expected Reid to show up at any minute and yank Vick from the podium. I think the coach is looking forward to "wearing out" the formation -- and it all starts Sunday against the Chiefs. If you're looking for a prediction, I think Vick will participate in eight plays out of the Wildcat formation and he'll run for a touchdown and complete two short passes.

As long as the Eagles win, Reid will continue increasing Vick's workload. So what happens if the Eagles lose at home to the Chiefs?

Reid doesn't want any part of that question.