Jeff Garcia is not likely to be back for a third stint.


Heading into the draft the Eagles had a need at free safety and backup quarterback, among many others. Two veterans, Darren Sharper and Jeff Garcia, were rumored to be the solutions to those problems, but that appears highly unlikely anymore.

Nate Allen, taken in the second round, will probably become the starting free safety. He will compete with Marlin Jackson, but Jackson is a more natural cornerback and, with a need for depth at that position, will probably be moved back to corner.

The only other competition, Quintin Demps, has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and will be lucky if he's even given a fair shake. His mental mistakes have overshadowed a lot of the positives he brings and he might be nothing more than a backup/special teams player at this point.

Then, in the fourth round, the Eagles addressed their need for a third quarterback by drafting Northewestern's Mike Kafka. Andy Reid is apparently comfortable enough with Michael Vick as the man to take over if Kevin Kolb were to go down, so having a young guy as the emergency third quarterback makes more sense than a veteran like Garcia.

Kafka will be given a year to develop and watch from the sidelines with absolutely no pressure to get thrown into a game situation, then will take over as Kolb's backup next season once Vick is allowed to walk.

They say backup quarterback is the second-most important position on the team, so it would make sense the Eagles would want to develop a guy they trust behind Kolb.

The Birds have made it plainly obvious that an incredible youth movement is taking place and will continue to take place, and a 34-year old safety and 40-year old quarterback clearly don't fit in with that movement.