So, when when will Kolb make an impact?

by Tom V.

While Donovan McNabb is busy faking smiles, the general public wants to know why the Eagles drafted quarterback Kevin Kolb with their first pick (second round). Have they lost faith in McNabb, that he can finish a season without a sports hernia or other injury? It makes sense, to a degree, that the Eagles drafted Kolb because they wanted a young backup who could step in and keep the team alive. He hasn’t, after all, played a complete season since 2003, and he’s accumulated a mere 19 starts over the past two seasons.

But why not pursue a capable veteran, instead? Why waste a draft choice that could have helped the team this season and spend it instead on a quarterback who won’t be starting over McNabb until the latter leaves the team through free agency or retirement?

NFL players, as a rule, prefer it when their coaches spend precious draft choices on players who are capable of an immediate impact; the Eagles did, after all, come from behind to win the division last season — though, it should be noted, the come-from-behind was accomplished without McNabb. Why not add a player who can push the Eagles over the edge and back into Super Bowl country?

Kolb is a player who will make an impact in 2010, not 2007. And the only way he can make a real impact this season is if McNabb goes down with an injury. Actually, thinking about it, odds are fairly strong that the Pro Bowl quarterback will miss at least a few games this season — he’s average about 13 starts per season since he took over the offense in 2000.

But why Kolb? The Eagles were a playoff team last season because of veteran leadership in the second half of the season, courtesy Jeff Garcia. Garcia caught lightning in a bottle, can Kolb? Hey, Kolb wasn’t even considered one of the top 3-4 quarterbacks by most experts. BYU’s John Beck and Stanford’s Trent Edwards both have great composure and were rated higher — though, obviously not on Philadelphia’s draft board.

Kolb won’t make an impact this season, even if he does manage to start a stretch of games. He lacks experience and will struggle to adjust to Philadelphia’s brand of offense that relies on its quarterback to throw 30-40 times per game.