Chip Kelly has not settled on a starting QB for the 2013 season, causing some frustration in the locker room.

QB Michael Vick and WR DeSean Jackson are among the Eagles who have publicly voiced their desire for Chip Kelly to name a starting quarterback. While the locker room seems more curious than angry about the quarterback controversy, the position battle is the first time Kelly has been openly questioned by his players. How Kelly’s relationships with his players evolve over time could set the tone for the season and for Kelly’s tenure as head coach.

Players are justified in knowing their starting quarterback. The winner of the job will immediately be thrust into a leadership role and become a face of the franchise. Not only that, but teams with no clear starting quarterback are doomed in the regular season. With very few exceptions, playoff caliber teams have one clear signal caller with command over his teammates and his organization. Teams without a clear-cut starting quarterback often show a lack of leadership, identity, and offensive firepower on the field.

Face it, Eagles fans. This is Michael Vick’s team. The locker room has his back and he has won over the complete support and confidence of the offensive players. Although he and Foles both played poorly in 2012, Vick is still the superior quarterback in any system. Throw in Chip Kelly’s preference for mobile quarterbacks, and Vick is the clear choice. To be perfectly clear, Vick’s age and declining skill level will prevent him from being a long-term answer at the quarterback solution, but he gives the team the best chance to win in 2013.

Though Vick should have already been declared the team’s starting quarterback, Chip Kelly isn’t totally in the wrong. In his defense, it’s only June. As long as he names a starter before training camp, the competition won’t divide the team or start to turn the players against him.

More importantly, Chip Kelly simply does things differently. That’s the main reason the Eagles hired him. Kelly does not follow conventional wisdom, and the Eagles players and fans should give him a fair shot at doing things his way. The Eagles made a conscious choice to hire a mad scientist of a coach, so they cannot be surprised or upset when the squad does not function like a typical NFL team. The players owe Kelly a bit more patience than they’ve shown to this point. Kelly is a big believer in competition and has never coached either Vick or Foles in person. He reserves the right to make Vick fight for his job and still has plenty of time to make a final and firm choice. While the drama surrounding the quarterback picture is intriguing, let’s evaluate Kelly’s decisions at the end of the season instead of second guessing them in June.

C Jason Kelce’s recovery appears to be going smoothly.

C Jason Kelce appears to be fully recovered from a devastating knee injury he suffered in September of 2012, according to a report from Comcast SportsNet. If he is indeed all the way back, Kelce’s return would provide an enormous boost to an offensive line that desperately needs to rebound from a nightmarish, injury-plagued 2012.

In the same report, Geoff Mosher questions Kelce’s ability to thrive outside of Howard Mudd’s system. He states that Chip Kelly’s scheme is not “a system that isn’t catered to his quickness,” but that could not be further from the truth.

In fact, Kelly coveted athletic centers at Oregon and when he had them, he often pulled them on outside running plays. That system showcased Max Unger’s skills and allowed him to be a top 50 selection in the 2009 draft. Athletic centers like Kelce allowed Kelly to open up his playbook at Oregon, and it’s reasonable to expect the Eagles to carry over some of those same elements.

In an offense where plays are designed to get the ball in space, athleticism is supremely important for offensive linemen, who don’t often operate in closed quarters. That’s why the Eagles spent a top-5 pick on Lane Johnson, and that’s why they’re counting on Kelce, Jason Peters, and Evan Mathis to return to form in 2013. If all five starters make it out of training camp healthy, Eagles fans have a lot to get excited about up front.

Juan Castillo and ex-defensive line coach Jim Washburn used defensive linemen primarily to rush the passer. In doing so, they were willing to sacrifice some size and stoutness against the run in order to field quick linemen who could get after the quarterback without the help of blitzers.

Under Billy Davis, the Eagles are asking their defensive linemen to gain weight. Their roles will shift dramatically, going from finesse pass rushers to big uglies occupying blockers and holding the line of scrimmage. By focusing more on the run game, the hope is that the defensive line will be able to free up inside linebackers to make tackles without having to shed blocks.

Starting defensive ends Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton now weigh 311 and 310 pounds, respectively, while nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga stands at a massive 330. Second team players Antonio Dixon, Clifton Geathers, and Bennie Logan all weigh at least 309 pounds as well.

The Eagles have long been under fire for fielding undersized defensive units, and Chip Kelly’s staff has already put an end to that problem. What remains to be seen, however, is whether or not the team’s new infatuation with size will hurt their ability to rush the passer.

The Linc’s expansion plan suggests the Eagles are focusing their efforts on hosting a Super Bowl.

With the NFL branching out its Super Bowl locations to cold weather cities, the Eagles could have an eye on landing the big game themselves. The team recently announced a two-year expansion plan which will be completed prior to the start of the 2014 season. Here are the main features of the plan:

• 1,600 seat expansion to bring the stadium’s capacity to 70,000
• New HD video boards
• Footbridges connecting opposite sides of the upper concourse
• In-stadium Wi-Fi installation

Next year’s Super Bowl will be held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. If the game is successful, expect cities like Chicago and Philadelphia to pounce on the opportunity to host the game. Owner Jeffrey Lurie admitted that he would be intrigued by the possibility of luring the big game to Philly.

“We’re going to watch that very carefully. I’m sure we’ve all been at phenomenal football games outside in December and January. So, absolutely, root for a decent-weather day in New York and New Jersey and we think we’ve got a great city here to host it, a great stadium, and I’m sure others feel the same way.”

Ultimately, the Eagles’ potential bid on the Super Bowl won’t have any effect on the team’s on-field performance, which is what fans are most concerned about. The important thing for the Eagles is to win the Super Bowl, not to host it.

For the inaugural Fantasy Friday post, I will try to slow down the hype trains of 5 players who are being overrated by experts right now. Keep in mind that everybody’s draft board will look a lot different come August:

Randall Cobb, WR, GB – Cobb has unlimited upside in PPR and return yardage leagues, but in standard formats, he will disappoint owners who reach for him in the third or fourth rounds. He will catch a bunch of passes, but won’t rack up yardage at a fast clip because all of Aaron Rodgers’ down field targets are intended for Jordy Nelson and James Jones. After drafting a pair of running backs, the Packers also figure to take away Cobb’s rushing attempts. There are so many mouths to feed in Green Bay and only one ball, so Cobb figures to be a low-end WR2 as an underneath slot receiver.

Robert Griffin III, QB, WSH – It amazes me that RG3 is talked about as a fourth or fifth round pick. There are so many good quarterback options out there that rolling the dice on Griffin and his knee would be ludicrous. Remember, Griffin only threw for 3,200 yards and 20 scores last season and figures to cut down on his rushing attempts in 2013. Fantasy owners will inevitably make panic moves and reach for their starting quarterbacks, but take Tony Romo or Russell Wilson instead.

Percy Harvin, WR, SEA – Harvin is a dynamic talent, but don’t buy the rumors that Seattle will run its offense through him. Everything starts with Marshawn Lynch for the Seahawks, and that run-first, slow-paced offense will take away opportunities for Harvin. Unlike Minnesota, Seattle has other legitimate receiving threats who will also compete with Harvin for targets. For example, the Seahawks view Sidney Rice as a number 1 receiver, but he only caught 50 passes in 2012. I’d be shocked if Harvin topped 1,000 yards, and he shouldn’t go anywhere near the third round.

Eddie Lacy, RB, GB – I have fallen into the trap of taking Packers running backs on more than one occasion. No Packer has topped 190 carries or 4 rushing TDs since 2009, and don’t cross your fingers that Lacy will be the first to do either. He doesn’t play on passing downs, has serious medical concerns with his toe, and enters a crowded backfield where he will have to hold off Johnathan Franklin, DuJuan Harris, Alex Green, and John Kuhn for carries. There is no indication that the Packers will suddenly anoint a feature back and Lacy should be viewed as a low-end RB3.

LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI – As an Eagles fan, I recognize that McCoy has tremendous upside in a system that will feature his abilities for the first time in his career. He should get plenty of opportunities to run the ball with Chip Kelly calling the shots, but don’t get carried away and take him in the first round. The chance that the Eagles offense crashes and burns is very real, and fantasy owners don’t want to be stuck with a bust of a first round pick if that happens. McCoy’s role in the passing game will be slashed, he will cede carries to Bryce Brown and potentially Felix Jones, and he doesn’t figure to approach the 20 TDs he posted in 2011 on a rebuilding squad. Though McCoy could easily surpass 300 carries, expect his rushing average to plummet as defenses key on him. He’s a borderline RB1 who simply isn’t worth the risk in the opening round.

OT Jason Peters would provide a big boost to the offense if he returns to his 2011 form

Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in March of 2012 and again in May of 2012. While those back-to-back tears threatened Peters’ career, he insists that he is fully healthy heading into the 2013 season.

Peters has been a full go all offseason, and though he admits he is 10 pounds overweight, he has no concerns about his Achilles’. After Tuesday’s full speed practice, left guard Evan Mathis came away impressed with his performance:

“It looks like he has never been through an Achilles injury to me. He was at his true form. If you know football at all, you would see that yourself. He looks great. He looks phenomenal. He was a tremendous athlete before and after the injury.”

Peters has not had to deal with much contact so far, but the chances that his Achilles’ holds up through 2013 are looking better and better. Before going down to injury, Peters was the best left tackle in football and probably the best all-around offensive lineman. He has a rare combination of strength in the run game and agility as a pass protector, and his health will be crucial to the overall performance of the offensive line. His nastiness is especially needed under Chip Kelly, who figures to lean heavily on the run game.

Logan has a golden opportunity to carve out a nice role as a rotational defensive lineman right off the bat. Don’t expect him to beat out Cedric Thornton, Isaac Sopoaga, or Fletcher Cox for a starting job, but he has the versatility to play all over the defensive line and earn a bunch of snaps as a rookie. At 6’2″, 309, Logan is much better against the run than against the pass, but he has the length and bulk to fit as a nose tackle or defensive end. At LSU, he starred in a 4-3 defense as a defensive tackle, usually lining up as a 3-technique and occasionally as a 1-technique. By the end of the season, Logan could be pushing Thornton and Sopoaga for their starting jobs.

The Eagles will also hold a pair of joint practices with the New England Patriots, their first preseason opponent. Usually, one or two pairs of teams decide to practice together each preseason, but I didn’t think it would be the Eagles. So far, Kelly and company have been rather secretive, and I’m surprised that he would let another coaching staff get such an up-close-and-personal look at his team. Those practices will be held August 6 and 7. Players generally enjoy joint practices as they get the opportunity to hit somebody different. In this case, the defense will have its hands full against Tom Brady, even if he will be missing Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

C Jason Kelce is on the verge of returning from a knee injury suffered in September 2012

Both C Jason Kelce and OG Evan Mathis returned to practice on Tuesday and practiced with the first-team offense. This is excellent news, especially for Kelce, who is coming back from a devastating knee injury he suffered in week 2 of last season. The starting offensive line is now intact, featuring Jason Peters, Mathis, Kelce, Todd Herremans, and Lane Johnson from left to right.

Kelce and Mathis are both returning right on schedule, if not ahead of where they should be in their recoveries. Mathis is bouncing back from a minor ankle operation, and he should continue to play at a Pro Bowl level. While Kelce’s return to practice is encouraging, he’s not out of the woods yet. He’s dealing with a very serious injury and a setback is always possible. There’s no doubt that the Eagles entire offensive line is trending upwards, though. This group looks elite on paper, with the only question marks being rookie Lane Johnson at right tackle and lingering injury issues.

In other injury news, S Kenny Phillips practiced in full, although he does not appear to be playing at full speed according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He has battled chronic knee issues throughout his career, which is why he settled for a one-year contract on the free agent market, and the Eagles have been very cautious with him so far. If healthy, Phillips should have little trouble beating out Nate Allen for the starting safety gig next to Patrick Chung, but his knee issues are likely to be a lingering issue.

“When I went in there, he said he expects everybody to buy into the system and do everything the right way,” said Jackson.  ”And if there is any little thing a player doesn’t want to do, that’s his way of reacting to it. The best thing I did was go talk to him instead of just sitting back and being mad.”

Part of the reasoning behind the demotion is that Kelly expects all his players to know multiple positions, and Jackson is not yet completely comfortable with all of the receiver spots. It’s too early to assume that Kelly is dissatisfied with Jackson’s performance, but it’s worth noting that Kelly favored stronger receivers at Oregon who were willing blockers and that the two receivers the Eagles brought in this offseason have been on the big side (Arrelious Benn and Ifeanyi Momah).

After recently firing his agent, Jackson could also be concerned about his contract situation. He is due $44 million over the next four seasons, and the Eagles could cut him relatively easily after the 2013 or 2014 seasons.

The larger point to keep in mind, however, is that under Chip Kelly, the depth chart is meaningless. Kelly structures his practices in a way that maximizes reps for every player and allows coaches to get film of different combinations of players. Kelly has repeatedly cautioned sportswriters against reading too much into the depth chart, and I’m inclined to believe him. He has given many players first-team reps and no lineup appears to be set in stone. As long as Jackson and Kelly maintain a good relationship, there isn’t much to worry about here.