The hiring of Chip Kelly as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles widely was viewed as a positive development for Michael Vick's chances of staying on board. The question that remained was if the team would cut Vick by Feb. 6, before the quarterback was due a $3 million roster bonus.
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports, via a source with knowledge of the deal, that Vick has offset language in his contract that says the Eagles can pay him the $3 million, and if another team signs him for more in free agency, that team will cover the payment. That moves the deadline for deciding on Vick to March 11 -- the start of free agency.
CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora also reports that the $3 million guarantee is "not a concern at this time." Kelly still is doing his film-study and analysis of Vick to determine how he fits in the spread offense.
In other words, it's worth the price tag to perform the proper due diligence on the quarterback situation as opposed to rushing to judgment. Once the Eagles pick up the option, Vick likely will be asked to take a pay cut on the remaining $13.5 million salary. If Vick balks -- or if Kelly decides to go in a different direction at quarterback -- the Eagles could wind up shopping the 32-year-old once the league year begins March 13.
It's hard to find fault with the Eagles' plan. Factor in a weak quarterback draft class with at least a half-dozen teams unsettled at the position, and Vick could bring back a mid-round pick in April.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
