Is Nick Foles the Future?

  
As the Philadelphia Eagles continue to progress and add the necessary pieces to becoming an elite team there is one question that needs to be answered first. The question that remains is, is Nick Foles the future of the Philadelphia Eagles?  Although many believe this is a hard question to answer after just one season of Foles starting, I believe that answer is, without a doubt, a yes. Foles started his first full game week five against the giants and took full command of the offense. After a depressing 1-3 start under the controls of Michael Vick, Nick

Foles and the Eagles finished the season at a respectable 10-6,   giving them the 3^rd overall spot in the NFC.  

             
 Foles not only executed the explosive Chip Kelly offense to perfection, but he added MVP caliber numbers along the way. Foles finished the season with 27 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions; the highest touchdown to interception ratio of all time. He also added 2,891 yards with a QB rating of 119.2 and an incredible completion percentage of 64 %.

                 
There is no question that Foles has the stats to back up the argument that he is in fact the franchise quarterback, but there are a few things that Foles has that numbers can’t show and those are heart, confidence and persistence.

              
  Foles came into the seasons the second string quarterback behind the elusive Michael Vick and many thought his days in Philadelphia were numbered. Chip Kelly, ever since his coaching days at Oregon has had a fast pace, explosive offensive with a dual threat quarterback. Not many people believed that Foles was the answer for this type of offense. Not only did Foles take Vick’s starting job, but he ran the offence, that no one believed he could, more effectively than Vick had.

        
 With each game you could see Foles’s confidence grow as he was letting deep balls fly left and right and fitting balls into almost impossible windows. Foles was also named the Pro Bowl MVP which should be a big confidence booster for the upcoming season.

               
 Above all the accolades and accomplishments, Foles has heart and a never say never attitude. Whether it was being the backup in the beginning of the season, the concussion he suffered against the Cowboys, or the comeback in an absolute blizzard against the Lions, Foles never quits.

               
 Although the season ended in a playoff lost to the Saints, the season was still a great success. The Eagles are a relatively young team with a bunch of important pieces returning next season.  Now with the Eagles talking about dealing off Michael Vick it is clear that Foles is the quarterback now and for the future of the Philadelphia Eagles.  

View Foles's amazing season here:

Nick Foles Highlights 2013

               

               

               

Off-season Moves

This offseason has just begun, but that hasn’t stopped the Eagles from making several extremely crucial moves. The first move that the Eagles made was to solidify Nick Foles’s blind side. Jason Peters signed a 4 year contract worth 38.3 million dollars with 19.5 million dollars guaranteed. Peters, when healthy, is an extremely valuable entity to the super bowl contending team that Chip Kelly is trying to construct for the 2014-2015 season.  

               
Peters is a 6 time pro bowler and a 2 time First-Team all pro. If he continues his dominance from the 2013 seasons then I’m sure Nick Foles will be one happy camper. But the Eagles weren’t done on the offensive line, they also signed center, Jason Kelce. The Eagles locked up Kelce for 6 years for 37.5 million with 10.4 guaranteed.

        
 Kelce, who originally walked on as a linebacker at the University of Cincinnati has worked his way to one of the most elite and consistent centers in the NFL. Keeping the same offense line together is crucial. They have developed a great chemistry together and that will continue to grow as long as they can all stay healthy.

             
 Now that the Eagles locked up their offensive line and have the protection they now needed to make sure that their offensive weapons were intact.  First the Eagles went after their big 6’3 target on the outside, Riley Cooper. Cooper is coming off of a career year in 2013. His receiving total of 835 yards eclipsed that of his previous three seasons combined. Also, his 8 touchdowns were three more than he scored in the previous three seasons combined. It’s safe to say that Cooper earned his new 5 year 22 million dollar deal.

 

               
The Eagles didn’t stop there with signing their explosive weapons. Coming off of a torn ACL, Jeremy Maclin says that he is ahead of schedule on his recovery and apparently, the Eagles believe so as well. The Eagles signed Maclin to a 1 year contract that is up to 6 million dollars.  Maclin has been an extremely consistent and reliable target through his time in Philadelphia. Through the past three seasons Maclin has added 22 touchdowns and was on the verge of being a thousand yard receiver several times. 

 However, with all of the weapons on the outside; Maclin, Cooper, Desean Jackson, etc there someone had to go. Unfortunately, that man was the hardworking, selfless Jason Avant.  The Eagles released Avant shortly after making the signings of their other key pieces. Avant has never been a superstar by any means, but he has been a leader in the locker room and was always willing to do anything as long as it benefited the team.  It is sad to see Avant go, but the NFL is a business and the Eagles felt it was in their best interest to make this move.