National Football League

Eagles' Reid listens to teams' interest in Kolb

Published Mar. 22, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Eggs, toast with a side of quarterback intrigue. That was the menu for the annual NFL coaches' breakfast with the media at Tuesday's owners meeting.

And just like at last year’s coaches’ breakfast, a Philadelphia Eagles quarterback dominated the discussion.

“We have gotten a number of people that are interested ... which is a tribute to (Kevin Kolb),” Eagles coach Andy Reid. “Which also makes me feel like I said what I before that I’m a lucky guy ... to have two good quarterbacks, really three. I think that Mike Kafka is a good quarterback.”

What a difference a year makes.

At last year’s coaches’ breakfast, Michael Vick was listed third on the depth chart and Kolb was pushing veteran Donovan McNabb for the starting job.

There was interest in McNabb last year, but Kolb is generating far more buzz.

Reid confirmed that teams are allowed to discuss player trades with other teams, but they can’t agree on a deal until the lockout is ended.

“You can’t do deals. You can be all ears,” he said.

One of the most difficult things for a coach to assess during the lockout is what kind of shape his players are in. However, Reid has trust in them that they will keep themselves in shape.

“I trust that the players are doing their thing and working out. I trust that both sides are going to get this thing (new collective bargaining agreement) done. I actually encourage both sides to get back together and rolling on it.”

While Reid tries to sort through trade offers for one of his younger players, some of his disciples are dealing with their own issues. There are seven first-time head coaches this year and it could be a while before they get a chance to work with their players.

New Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, who coached the linebackers under Reid for five seasons in Philly, could have a tougher challenge than most since he has yet to work with his new players.

“It (the lockout) can go long or it could go short. But the biggest thing we have to do and the biggest thing that we have talked about his being ready more so than anything else," Rivera said. "We’ll go through the process of preparation, be ready to go, and soon as things happen, we’ll adjust and be fluid.”

The challenge to get his players up to speed on the playbook and offensive and defensive schemes if the lockout extends into the summer could be very demanding. Rivera and his staff could be forced to simplify their teaching methods.

“You start with your base fundamentals and teach the concepts. I got that from my time with Andy Reid and (former Eagles defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson. Everything branches out from your concepts," he said. "This is what we want to do; this is how we want to do it. Then as they get good at those things, they get very good at those things, get great at those things, now you can start to branch out and go from there.”

As for Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, who coached the quarterbacks for 10 seasons under Reid, he knows there will be an adjustment if the lockout goes into the summer.

“There’s a certain amount of work they need to put in to get themselves ready for a season," Shurmur said. "Most of them know what they workload is. Whatever they decide to do, I’m sure it will be very professional.”

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is aware that there could be a disadvantage to being a first-time head coach during the lockout, but he actually welcomes the challenge.

“Everybody seems to agree that it’s a disadvantage for first-year coaches. It probably is. But we’ll find a way to overcome it," he said. "I love the uncharted waters, I really do. I just love being in uncharted waters. There is something about it. There’s more of a challenge to it,” he explained. “Maybe it’s because I grew up in 12 different towns before I graduated from high school, I don’t know. Something about it, I just feel more comfortable when it’s the uncharted waters.”

But for another first-time head coach, Mike Munchak of the Tennessee Titans, at least he has the experience of knowing most of the players on the current roster, a luxury most new head coaches don’t have.

“Well, the good thing is I know our team being here for the last 14 years. So that’s the one plus I do have, so I already knew all these guys.” Munchak told FOXSports.com. “But even as a head coach, they still know me. A lot of guys were around the building working out.”

However, while Munchak knows plenty of the players because of his tenure with the team as offensive line coach, he hired many new coaches who have no previous experience with these particular players.

“A lot of our assistant coaches called our players because they don’t have any experience with them,” he said. “We reached out and made some calls back in February and March before this whole thing happened.”

Rivera, Munchak, Harbaugh and Shurmur are first-timers, but Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, now in his third year at the helm, is ready for anything.

“Oh, we have like a thousand plans in place if it goes long. You have to. You have to be ready for anything. We’re like every team out there. We’re in the same boat. If it goes long, you adjust,” Caldwell told FOXSports.com.

For Caldwell, like all coaches at his level, understands the challenge of getting his players ready to play if the lockout extends into the summer.

“That’s a significant amount of time you’re talking about. There’s no way to recover that," he said. "If that was the case then everyone would do it because you would limit the wear and tear on your body. But it’s like everything else in your life. That’s just time that’s lost. You can’t go back and undo something that’s been done. So if that happens (lockout goes on longer), you have to have a plan.”

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