Philadelphia Eagles to tag Vick ,listen to Kevin Kolb offers

The Philadelphia Eagles will make it official next month and place their franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick, a league source has confirmed.

The move will prevent Vick from leaving Philadelphia this offseason and ensure he's tied to the Eagles for the 2011 season.

Vick was selected to start the Pro Bowl, his fourth trip to Hawaii in eight seasons. He set career highs in yards passing (3,018), touchdowns passing (21), touchdowns rushing (9), completion percentage (62.6) and passer rating (100.2). The Eagles (10-7) were 8-3 in games he started and finished.

What's just as significant about the move is that, by tagging Vick, the Eagles then will entertain offers for backup Kevin Kolb, who is sure to generate more interest this offseason than any other available quarterback once there is a new collective bargaing agreement.

Franchising Vick will give the Eagles contractual control of two quality quarterbacks, one of whom they will be able to shop. Kolb still is under contract for 2011 at the cap-friendly price of $1.4 million, making him an even more desirable commodity.

Multiple teams coveted Kolb last offseason. Kolb started the 2011 season as the Eagles' starting quarterback but was replaced by Vick after suffering a concussion in the season opener.

Kolb said after the season that he wants "to be starting somewhere" in 2011.

 Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Adam Schefter was used in this report.

McNabb asked for release after season

Being that Donovan McNabb no longer is a part of the Washington Redskins' game plans, he has his own game plan in place for after this season, according to one person close to the quarterback.

After the season, McNabb is planning to meet with the Redskins and ask them for his release. McNabb wants to be in a position where he can pick the place to finish his career, not have it dictated to him as was the case last season when Philadelphia traded him to Washington.

McNabb, who was benched in place of Rex Grossman for last week's game against Dallas, will be the No. 3 quarterback for the final two games of the season.

It's highly unlikely the Redskins initially would release McNabb, not when they believe he still has some trade value. Washington would want to recoup as much as possible for the player whom they surrendered second- and fourth-round picks.

What will test McNabb's trade value is the $10 million option bonus in his contract that another team might have to pay. Yet there are any number of teams -- Minnesota, Seattle, San Francisco, Carolina, Tennessee and Miami -- with significant quarterback questions looming for 2011.

McNabb was benched only once in 11 years with Philadelphia, and he's already doubled that total with the Redskins since being acquired by the team in April. Shanahan yanked McNabb for Grossman in the final two minutes against Detroit in October with the game on the line, then offered several different reasons for the decision.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said he felt Grossman had a better grasp of the team's two-minute offense, then said McNabb lacked the "cardiovascular endurance" to run a fast-paced drill because of nagging hamstring injuries. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said McNabb had been tipped off in advance that the team might go with Grossman; McNabb said he hadn't.

Then the Redskins gave McNabb a five-year contract extension worth up to $78 million -- though the quarterback is guaranteed to receive only an extra $3.5 million this season. The deal contains a clause that allows the Redskins to cut McNabb before next season with no further financial obligation.

But with McNabb intending to ask the Redskins for his release, and with Washington in the market to trade him, one result seems unavoidable: McNabb will not be a Redskin in 2011.

 Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Eagles-Vikings game postponed until Tuesday

NEW YORK -- The NFL has moved the Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles game from Sunday night to Tuesday because of an expected blizzard that could dump up to 20 inches snow on Philadelphia.

The game will be played at 8 p.m. ET, and will be televised by NBC.

In announcing the postponement, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Twitter that the league was wary of "public safety concerns" and the "uncertainty of snow emergency" in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter declared a snow emergency as of 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

Nutter, reached by telephone before the decision to postpone the game, said it was not the city's decision. "We'll be prepared," said Nutter, who said city operations officials were in constant contact with the NFL and the Eagles front office. "Either way, if there is a game or not, the city will be ready. But it's the NFL's call to play the game or not."

The city was hit by more than 30 inches of snow last year the night before the Eagles played the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 20, 2009. The city and the Eagles cleared the streets and the stadium in time for the game -- but the snow had stopped for three hours before the game.

The Vikings already have had two home games affected by the weather this season. Their game against the Giants on Dec. 12 was postponed a day after Minneapolis got 15 inches of snow. It was then moved to Detroit when the Metrodome roof collapsed.

Their game against Chicago the following week was played at the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium because of the damaged roof.

Minnesota (5-9) is out of playoff contention, but the Eagles (10-4) can clinch the NFC East with a win.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Sal Paolantonio was used in this report.

Donovan McNabb agents blames Shanahans for dispute

McNabb Felt Disrespected

ASHBURN, Va. -- The simmering feud between Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan and his son continued Thursday with a blistering statement from the quarterback's agent.

Fletcher Smith took aim directly at the Washington coach and Kyle Shanahan, the Redskins' offensive coordinator, for the way they have handled the benching of his client.

Smith said the bad blood between the quarterback and the Washington coaches is due to McNabb's suggestions for improving the Redskins' offense.

"I believe there is tension between Donovan and Kyle that's rooted in the fact that Donovan has suggested modifications to Kyle's offense based on intricacies Donovan has learned in his NFL career," Smith wrote. "For example, Donovan has asked all year that the team run more screen passes to help manage the pass rush more effectively. Ironically, Kyle decided to employ Donovan's suggestions after he unceremoniously benched him on Sunday."

McNabb listened to questions from reporters Thursday while sitting in his car after practice but did not answer before driving off. He was benched before last Sunday's game against Dallas and told by Mike Shanahan that he would not play the remainder of the season.

Fletcher Smith said in a statement that the Shanahans have made comments that go beyond disrespectful and "unprecedented for a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback such as Donovan."

Smith said that the comments made by the Shanahans -- "both Mike and more specifically Kyle" -- have made the quarterback's relationship with Washington difficult to maintain.

Late Thursday, Mike Shanahan responded with a statement of his own.

"As I stated earlier, when I traded for Donovan McNabb I had hoped that he would lead us to the playoffs," Mike Shanahan said. "No one wanted him to be more successful than me. When the team was 5-8 and mathematically out of the playoffs, I made the decision to evaluate our other two quarterbacks.

"This was not personal, but strictly professional. The decision was made in the best interest of the Washington Redskins and I stand by my decision. I will attempt to talk to Fletcher Smith directly to clear up every one of his misconceptions."

According to Smith, Kyle Shanahan said that McNabb "will never take another snap for me again" after McNabb drove the Redskins down the field for the potential game-tying drive against Tampa Bay on Dec. 12.

The 34-year-old McNabb was listed as the No. 2 quarterback during the Redskins' 33-30 loss to Dallas. McNabb said he felt "disrespected" by the way he was benched and demoted.

"Everything was handled awkwardly," he said Tuesday on his weekly radio show on ESPN980, "somewhat to a disrespect to me and to the team."

McNabb was benched only once in 11 years with Philadelphia, and he's already doubled that total with the Redskins since being acquired by the team in April. Shanahan yanked McNabb for Rex Grossman in the final two minutes against Detroit in October with the game on the line, then offered several strange excuses for the decision.

Smith said the benching of his client has been part of what he described as a "difficult season" for McNabb.

"Donovan is coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2009 where he threw for 3,500 [plus] yards on 60 [percent] completions, with a TD-INT ratio of more than 2:1," Smith wrote. "He also led his team to the playoffs with an 11-5 record, and that's what he hoped to accomplish in Washington.

"This year, Donovan was on pace to set the Redskins all-time passing yards mark before being benched."

Earlier this season Mike Shanahan said he felt Grossman had a better grasp of the team's two-minute offense, then said McNabb lacked the "cardiovascular endurance" to run a fast-paced drill because of nagging hamstring injuries. Kyle Shanahan said McNabb had been tipped off in advance that the team might go with Grossman; McNabb said he hadn't.

Then the Redskins gave a McNabb a five-year contract extension worth up to $78 million -- though the quarterback is only guaranteed to receive an extra $3.5 million this season. The deal contains a clause that allows the Redskins to cut McNabb before next season with no further financial obligation.

McNabb has expressed a desire to return to Washington next season, and Shanahan said he would be willing to have McNabb as a backup -- a pairing that seems unlikely.

Smith left the door open in his statement, saying McNabb has taken the high road during the circus-like atmosphere.

"Donovan has maintained a high level of professionalism on and off the field," Smith said. "He is determined to continue his relentless commitment to win and looks forward to the opportunity wherever that may be!"

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press