Jeff Garcia

The last NFL player-coach was Dan Reeves in 1971. He was a running back and an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys. In 2010, could Jeff Garcia be the next?

The Eagles offensive system and play-calling has come under heavy scrutiny as of late, despite putting up franchise scoring records under Marty Mornhinweg. The offensive criticisms have encircled an inconsistency that seems to be correlated to a disconnect between the play-calling and the flow of the game.

A player-coach like Garcia may be just what the Eagles need to bridge that disconnect.

And Garcia has the fortitude to stand his ground when he knows he is right.

Aside from potential coaching/mentoring value, Garcia could fill a spot on the depth chart. The Eagles lack depth at quarterback and Michael Vick is not really the ideal passer for the Eagles system. Vick is still very much on the trading block as well.

Garcia may be 40 years old and he may not have the vertical passing game anymore, but his attitude embodies what Eagles' fans are looking for in a player, mentor, and a coach. He has passion, fire, and a no-nonsense approach to football.

He is a leader on and off the field and he knows how to get things done.

Garcia also has an intricate and accomplished knowledge in pass-first/west coast offenses. With both the 49ers and the Eagles, Garcia has led less than ideal talent into the playoffs.

He is a four time pro-bowler with three different teams, earning his most recent pro-bowl berth with Tampa Bay in 2007 at the age of 37.

In this Eagles' offensive system, Garcia has had success. It was 2006, the year of McNabb's sports hernia, when Garcia salvaged the season for Philadelphia. He helped the Eagles turn it around by playing smart football and winning five out of the last six games in his six starts—taking the Eagles into the playoffs.

Many critics had already written him off at that point.

At this point, he would make an excellent reserve whether Vick is traded or not.

Garcia is a fiery competitor that can't be counted out. He trumped his diminished arm strength with heads-up play and desire. He inspires other players to give their all and he could mentor Kolb. His constructive criticism and practical reassurances to Kolb could prove invaluable in adverse moments. 

In the big-picture, Garcia could be a candidate for quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and potentially a successor to Andy Reid. Garcia could be a player-coach for the Eagles in 2010, filling a spot on the depth chart and managing the quarterback situation in place of James Urban.

I have to believe that Garcia would be one of the best quarterback coaches in the league. He did sport the Eagles' head-set for two games in 2009.

And if Marty Mornhinweg can't generate more offensive consistency in 2010, the Eagles could find tremendous value from Garcia as his successor. He has the fundamentals and the intangibles to be a fantastic coordinator and coach.

Garcia could help this team in 2010 and over the long-term in either a coaching or playing capacity. It's is a "win-win" situation that the Eagles could jump-on and improve both the roster and the coaching staff.

It would be a great opportunity for Jeff Garcia as well. He has always shared a mutual affection with this town.

The rumors are that discussions have begun.

According to multiple sources out of Philadelphia, the Eagles are courting 40-year-old quarterback Jeff Garcia. The idea is for Garcia to come back as the emergency third quarterback while playing mentor to Kevin Kolb, but it might not be a role he's willing to take.

There's talk that, despite his age, Garcia believes he can be a starter and will only accept a backup role if nothing is offered.

Garcia's intent on becoming a starter once again was proven by his willingness to join the Oakland Raiders last season.

He believed he would get an opportunity to challenge JaMarcus Russell, but asked for his release when it became evident that was not the case.

Garcia would obviously not be afforded the opportunity to compete with Kolb, so convincing him to sign on might not be as easy as it would seem.

He plays quarterback with the intensity of a middle linebacker, so it's no surprise that he's so hellbent on being a starter.

But that's not going to stop the Eagles from giving it their best shot. According to MyFoxPhilly.com, the Eagles' brass (I'm assuming Andy Reid and Howie Roseman and perhaps Joe Banner) spent an hour with Garcia recently in an attempt to add him as an insurance policy.

Michael Vick is currently the only backup to Kolb, but Reid hasn't shown enough faith in Vick to think he'd feel comfortable starting him for a few weeks were something to happen to Kolb.

Right now, Vick is a Wildcat quarterback and a guy who can run gadget plays. At least, that's how the Eagles view him.

If things don't work out with Garcia, it wouldn't surprise me if the Birds showed an interest in a guy like Todd Collins or Daunte Culpepper, depending on what kind of ego he still has intact.

They will make a move with a veteran quarterback this offseason in order to have some insurance for Kolb, but with the Eagles, there is no telling who they could bring in or how long he's been out of football.

Perhaps Kelly Holcomb is looking for a glorious return.

In the latest of news, it is rumored that QB Jeff Garcia could potentially once again be a Philadelphia Eagle.

Sources are telling Fox 29 that the Philadelphia Eagles, Jeff Garcia, and his agent have spoke on multiple occasions during the 2010 offseason in regards to resigning Garcia to the team...again.

Les Bowen of Philly.com reports that if Michael Vick were to be traded in the weeks leading up to the draft that [Jeff] Garcia would be the best option to backup the Eagles' new starting QB Kevin Kolb.

Adam Ranks of NFL.com had this to say on Garcia possibly returning to the Eagles:

"The Eagles are still anxious to deal Vick, and would like to have a veteran to back up new starter Kevin Kolb. Garcia is a logical choice, consider that he played for the Eagles in 2006, and briefly in 2009. Garcia has already been lobbying for a return to Philadelphia "

I'm not sure the Eagles front office is "anxious" to part ways with QB Michael Vick but if another team made an offer they couldn't refuse and they do end up trading him, it is possible for Jeff Garcia to end up back in Philadelphia.

I think if anything the Eagles will keep Michael Vick and possibly sign Jeff Garcia giving the Eagles two former pro bowl quarterbacks to back up starting QB Kevin Kolb.

Jeff, as every Eagle fan knows, would again bring a ton of football knowledge and experience to the Eagles as he did in the 2006 season taking the Eagles into the postseason after Donovan McNabb suffered an injury during the season's first meeting with the (none other) Washington Redskins.

Stay tuned to this one Philly faithful, it is sure to re-spark the QB trade rumors in the Eagles organization for the second time in one offseason!

Did we really just hear him say that? Jerry Rice, really Terrell, really?

"I know hands-down I'd be close to Jerry Rice's records if I had been with quality quarterbacks like he had," Owens told USA Today. "He had Joe Montana and he finished with Steve Young." seriously Terrell is clearly high on something! 

The man played with several decent QB's I mean he had the chance to play with Steve Young and Jerry Rice from 1996 to 1999 and then in 2000 Jeff Garcia took over and in 2003 he called Garcia a homosexual in an interview with Playboy. TOXIC to his first team!

Then he went to Philadelphia where he had a fair amount of success and then got greedy and wanted more money and again slammed another teammate in the press by saying "I am not the one that got tired in the Super Bowl" directed at McNabb of course. In addition to that he made a comment cause his recovery from his severely sprained ankle and fibula injury's was accelerated and he didn't get enough press saying " a player like Brett Farve would have been praised for such bravery". Seriously? He said he would hold out of camp if his contract wasn't renegotiated, but showed up on time and repeatedly made comments about McNabb and the teams management, until he was suspended  and then deactivated for the rest of the season! Again TOXIC!!!

Next stop on the T.O. train ride through the NFL, Dallas! More of the same, whiny, ungrateful, selfish Terrell Owens! More finger pointing at his QB and coaches, more of the Oh wait that's my punchline! But to keep with the theme of his previous stints with teams, TOXIC!!!!

And for the most recent stop of the train Buffalo for once not as TOXIC, but a lack luster performance from the guy that thinks he is THE top receiver in the league, his second worst full 16 game season, 829 yards, 55 receptions and only 5 touchdowns! 

Now stat wise,Terrell IS one of the top WR's in the game but his TOXIC personality has made him lose the appeal to sign him.

Which brings me to my punch line, and a little advice to Terrell Owens...

Shut your mouth, catch the football, and let you actions dictate your legacy.

The coaches have all been hired to do a job, your not the only player on the team, and not the only guy a QB has to throw to, know your roll go with it, have fun get paid and just play football, your rich enough for 10 people to live out the rest of their lives and then some, so finish out your career and let your performance speak for itself for once and see where that gets you!!!

Jerry Rice is, was and always will be the BEST ever, your not even on the same page of NFL history as him, he has his own chapter! You have a page titled "The Toxic Journey Of Terrell Owens" and its all your fault! Its not about what could have been its about what you have done and your negatives out weigh your positives at this point in your career!

Not that I think Terrell Owens will ever read this article so this is just one of my rants, and don't say I didn't warn you in my first article about my rants!!!

When Matt Hasselbeck returned from injury on Sunday the Seahawks offense was markedly better. Hasselbeck didn’t throw an exorbitant amount of passes for a ton of yards, though he threw four touchdowns.

But the offense looked crisp.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh showed why the team broke the bank to bring him in. Finally, for the first time since Joe Jurevicius last stepped on the field turf at Qwest Field, the team has a physical receiver, and with Hasselbeck under center they have someone who knows how to capitalize on his physicality.

But truthfully, the thing I noticed most watching Hasselbeck on Sunday wasn’t actually related to what happened on the field that day, but rather what didn’t.

Seneca Wallace didn’t start, and after two weeks of Wallace, which preceded a near-healthy Hasselbeck start, one thing was blatantly obvious: Wallace is not an NFL-caliber quarterback.

Wallace is a product of the Mike Holmgren era. Holmgren was notoriously loyal to his draftees—Koren Robinson ring a bell? But his loyalty to Wallace was baffling. Wallace didn’t show the arm strength or accuracy to succeed in anything but a pared down version of Holmgren’s offense, and at his best, his legs could make up for an offensive line that has spent a large portion of the past three years undermanned or injured.

Holmgren was as devout a West Coast offense (WCO) purveyor as there was this side of Andy Reid. The offense values mobility (not scrambling ability), as it allows the quarterback to buy back some of the time that a sub-par offensive line will sell and make a quick throw.

Last year it was tough to distinguish ability between Wallace and Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck was dinged up and had the worst season of his career, barely completing half of his passes (52.2 percent), throwing two interceptions for every touchdown (10 INTs./5 TDs.), and averaging a sub-pedestrian 5.8 yards per pass attempt.

In his absence, Wallace improved on Hasselbeck’s numbers. He completed 58.3 percent of his passes, threw 11 touchdowns compared to three interceptions, and averaged 6.3 yards per pass attempt. Wallace’s higher completion percentage is very much responsible for numbers that looked a lot better, as the diminutive quarterback averaged only 10.9 yards per completion, compared to 11.2 yards per completion from Hasselbeck.

Reality is a harsh pill to swallow. Holmgren swore by Wallace as his backup, but Holmgren’s playing golf right now (or so I assume, a golf course seems like the best place for the legendary coach to keep his yelling voice and red face intact).

I’m tired of phrases like “quarterback of the future,” or “project quarterback.” Wallace is almost 30 years old, he’s losing athleticism, and he’s still the same under-6'0", weak-armed signal caller he was when he came out of college.

Most of all, I hate the word grooming.

Wallace isn’t the past, present, or future of the Seahawks quarterback position. At least not a good Seahawks team, as we’ve seen the past two seasons.

The Seahawks have teased fans with the occasional snap where Wallace lines up wide. His versatility is almost unmatched, and at the very least he keeps defenses honest.

However, the sixth week of the season is a really bad time to realize that a backup quarterback isn’t up to par.

Enter Jeff Garcia.

Garcia would make a ton of sense in any other season, but Garcia made two Pro Bowls under Knapp when the two were in San Francisco.

And now, if he were to find the field at some point, he’d be doing so without the destructive presence of Terrell Owens in the huddle.

Matt Hasselbeck has struggled to stay healthy, and while rib and knee injuries are concerning, they’re also reparable. However injuries to his back mean that his future could be defined by its brevity if he takes another big hit, and with Walter Jones on the sidelines, and the team shuffling lineman around for the second straight season, the team needs a backup plan.

The NFC West is within reach, as per usual. But the team will not win it with Wallace under center, and it would be unwise to count on Hasselbeck, who is still sporting a broken rib underneath extra padding, to play the rest of the schedule.

It’s not often that a team can add a quarterback who is highly familiar with their offense, with postseason experience, and remaining productivity this late in the season.

Garcia would likely come cheap, after being cut twice in a matter of months. The Seahawks would be fools to move forward without Garcia.

The following tweets are a fake, satirical, and relentless look inside the minds of athletes in 140 characters or less.

More Mock Tweets can be found at www.mocktweets.com

In today's revelations: Chris Paul, Brett Favre, and more...

What they're tweeting:

Chris-Paul: If I do this in a game, can it be worth 20 points?

Coach-K: My Dukies played well today against the No. 6 team in the nation. F%#& yeah!

Jeff-Garcia: I really have nothing against JaMarcus Russell, it's not his fault Al Davis has ruined his career.


What we're tweeting:

@Jim-Leyland: Your team couldn't be choking more if they smoked your entire lifes' in-take of cigarettes in one day.

@Mark-Cuban: Thank you Mark! We were thinking the same thing.

@Brett-Favre: Aren't you the least bit worried you may get confused and throw at the Packers' jerseys on Monday? Or did I just ruin your excuse?

Like it? Visit www.mocktweets.com for more. Want to send in a Mock Tweet of your own? E-mail contact@mocktweets.com.




As always, the Twitter names and tweets above are for entertainment purposes only. They are completely fictitious and do not represent the athlete or celebrity they intend to impersonate in any way.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia put the Raiders on blast, aiming his cannon straight for the organization that elected to release him and start JaMarcus Russell.

He started by saying it's unfortunate that "the entire work ethic and the entire goal of the team is really put upon one guy's shoulders."

He continued by adding that Russell may be more of a workout warrior than a battlefield leader, saying, "When you put him on the field in a one-on-one workout session, he'll make every throw for you."

When it comes to his leadership?

"That's where maybe things aren't where they need to be."

Garcia could be perceived as bitter, but he's been nothing short of a class act all the way throughout his career.

It's likely that he's incredibly torn up about not being the starting quarterback for the championship caliber Oakland Raiders .

The Daily WTF goes to...

The Oakland Raiders, who haven't known what they're doing ever since they fired Jon Gruden.

Although he's in the right, Garcia still gets a slap on the wrist for the way he talked about the Raiders' roster, saying, "It was to a point where I felt like guys who walked through those doors that just were there to collect a check and not really interested in putting everything that they had within themselves on to the football field."

What did the players on the team do to deserve those remarks?

Garcia has been a class act in the past, but I'm not sure what he was thinking by saying this. Maybe he's right, but calling them out unprovoked is uncalled for.

He had every right to put the organization on blast. It could be argued that he had the right to call out JaMarcus Russell's ineptitude as a quarterback after they chose him to be their starter while releasing a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

After all, Russell's work ethic has often been questioned, and it's fair to say that he can't carry the team like a franchise quarterback should be able to.

Yes, JaMarcus Russell showed promise toward the end of last season, but he is still a young quarterback with a lot to learn. Garcia is exactly right in the indictment of the organization, for putting Russell on the spot at such a young age when it's clear he's not ready for it.

Garcia isn't the only Raiders quarterback taking shots at 2007's first overall draft pick, either; Rich Gannon said on his Sirius radio show that Russell doesn't have the right mechanics in footwork, but also that he can't read the NFL's complex coverages.

Quarterbacks taken with the first overall selection have proven inefficient in reading coverages in the past, and Russell appears to be no different.

Although he had a strong showing at the end of the 2008 season, he did it against the Buccaneers (who went 0-4 in December) and the Texans (who had the 22nd ranked pass defense in 2008).

The Raiders had no idea what they were thinking releasing Garcia. It can obviously create a divide when there's a quarterback competition, but he could have (and would have been open to) mentoring a young quarterback.

Could this have been the season for the Raiders to make a run at the Super Bowl? No.

Even with Garcia under center, they wouldn't have made a run at the playoffs, but it's quite obvious they have a better chance of winning games with Garcia over Russell. Winning breeds winning, especially in the NFL, where confidence, knowledge, and work ethic are so key. Garcia possesses all of those qualities, along with a heap of leadership.

"Maybe it's because how things have been for a number of years now out there and they just don't see the hope," he said.

WTF, Raiders?

Sources:

The Clarion Ledger
ESPN.com

After accumulating a combined 0-6 record, with their quarterbacks amassing three combined passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions, the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers find themselves in similar holes: at the bottom of their divisions.

Behind the poor play of Brady Quinn in Cleveland and Jake Delhomme in Carolina, neither team has gotten much going on offense. The Browns have only scored two touchdowns all year, and one wasn't an offensive score: Josh Cribbs scored on a punt return in Week One. The Panthers have done slightly better, scoring four TDs, two on the legs of star running back DeAngelo Williams.

Both teams have had plenty of kicking success, with Cleveland's Phil Dawson 4-for-4 in field goals and Carolina's John Kasay 3-for-3, but teams don't win games on strong kicking alone.

Cleveland coach Eric Mangini has already tried to shake things up, inserting Derek Anderson in the second half of last week's 34-3 loss to Baltimore and naming him the starter for this week's game against Cincinnati. While Anderson went a solid 11-for-19 for 92 yards against the Ravens, he also threw three interceptions.

Carolina coach John Fox continues to reiterate that Delhomme's starting status is safe. Currently, the only other quarterbacks on the Panthers' roster are A.J. Feeley and Matt Moore, neither of whom have done much in the NFL. Moore is 6-for-11 this season with an interception, and Feeley hasn't seen game action since Dec. 12, 2007, when his Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. In that game, Feeley was 19-for-42 with four interceptions.

Fans continue to call for the head of Delhomme in Carolina, and Anderson hasn't shown signs of reverting to his 2007 form in Cleveland, putting both teams in a sticky situation. Regardless of each team's strength in the backfield (Williams in Carolina and Jamal Lewis, when healthy, in Cleveland), neither team is going to dig itself out of the hole without better play under center.

It may be in either team's interest to trade for a quarterback to try and get through the season. Regardless of the name status of Anderson and Quinn in Cleveland, neither quarterback appears to be as reliable as Mangini would hope. The Browns can't switch between two mediocre quarterbacks and expect to win games.

Perhaps somebody should put a call in to the Minnesota Vikings, who currently have a quarterback surplus. With two former starters in the NFL, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, backing up the ageless Brett Favre, it may be worth it for one of the teams to take a chance and try swinging a deal.

As for the other team? I know it's been suggested by everybody else in the world, and not to sound like a broken record who can't come up with his own suggestions, but Jeff Garcia is available...

Another quarterback who's currently looking for work is Gus Frerotte, who went 8-3 as the Vikings' starter last season, before going down with a back injury. One of those two, however, may end up heading to Oakland to replace the struggling JaMarcus Russell, whose 39.8 quarterback rating is worst in the NFL.

On September 14, I ventured out on a limb and posed the idea that then former Oakland Raider quarterback Jeff Garcia should replace Jake Delhomme under center for the Carolina Panthers.

Today, I am going out farther on that limb by strongly suggesting that the Panthers take a look at the now former Philadelphia Eagles reserve.

The Panthers are putting perhaps their final season with Julius Peppers in serious jeopardy by keeping Delhomme as their quarterback. Despite the organization's assertion on Wednesday that it wasn't looking to make a change, now that there's a proven winner on the free agent market (again) like Garcia, the Panthers need to think twice.

Earlier this week Steve Smith admitted that he bailed on his route on a play that turned into an interception returned for a touchdown by Dallas corner Terence Newman on Monday night. But Smith was seen earlier on Monday evening barking at Delhomme.

Delhomme turned the ball over three times on Monday night. His footwork has become poor and he's started making mental mistakes that have most of the southeastern region of the country wondering whose idea Delhomme's contract extension was this spring.

The Panthers had one of the best running games in the entire NFL last year, with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart both having strong seasons.

But now, with the Panthers unable to convert on third down (one for eight on Monday), their running game has suffered. Smith's production has also disappeared.

These are the same Panthers who were confident in their offensive line after securing tackle Jordan Gross this past spring. Coming into a season with lots of cause to be excited, the Panthers are winless after three weeks.

The Panthers have scored the second-fewest points in the NFC so far (37 through three games) and are tied for last in their division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will start a relative unknown at quarterback this weekend.

Tampa, however, is entering into a rebuilding time. They have moved on from the Derrick Brooks-led defensive teams and are searching for an identity. They have a rookie head coach and spent a high draft pick on a quarterback this year.

The Panthers have a veteran roster and don't have the same grace with their fan base that Tampa does; they're not getting younger and they won 12 games last year.

But their promise seems to be moving backwards with Delhomme under center.

They need a change.

When I wrote this piece a couple weeks ago, the biggest objections (that didn't come from Eagles fans in the wake of Donovan McNabb's rib injury) was that Garcia is wrong for the Panthers' system. He's a mobile quarterback who needs to be in a West Coast Offense to be productive.

My response two games later is: How productive has Delhomme been in this system?

Garcia might not be younger than Delhomme, but he's a fresh face and could spark confidence with the veteran roster. His legs might even become an asset in the running game that's stalled in the midst of Delhomme's poor decision making and fumble-itis.

The Panthers are off this week for their bye, and then have the failing Washington Redskins and the wandering Bucs. Those are two games the Panthers could, and should, win. But they're also games against opportunistic defenses that will prey on Delhomme's judgement.

The time is now for Carolina to make a change, and they're getting a second chance to bring in Garcia. They made the mistake two weeks ago, and have lost twice since Garcia went to Philly.

With quarterback changes happening in Miami (due to injury) and Tampa (due to ineffective play), it's time the Panthers follow Tampa's lead before they're forced to follow Miami's.