Questioning the Michael Vick decision

As you've heard by now, Michael Vick is the new Eagles starting quarterback. The move is a definite head-scratcher and a complete departure from the Andy Reid philosophy of sticking with "his guy". While the initial shock of the decision has worn off, I'm still left with a few lingering questions about the move:

- So the Eagles traded Donovan McNabb with the idea that Kolb would take over at quarterback, give Kolb 10 pass attempts against the Packers and then anoint Vick the new starter? Developing Kolb into a quality quarterback is going to take time, so what's the purpose in sending him back to the bench and potentially ruining any chance he ever has to grow? What changed between the offseason, when Kolb was clearly "the guy", to now, when Vick can steal the job from him after a few above average weeks of play? Reid made it clear that the concussion was not the reason for the change, so is there something else about Kolb's inability to pick up the offense that we don't know about?

- Do the Eagles really consider themselves Super Bowl contenders? If the reason to switch to Vick is because he gives the team a better chance to win, does Andy Reid really think that the Birds can make a serious run at a championship? Given how poor the defense looked against the lowly Lions, the Eagles barely look like a playoff team. If they aren't a Super Bowl contender, there is no reason not to play Kolb and let him develop.

- Does this change have more to do with the poor play of the offensive line than anything else? Given how terrible they have looked and how Vick is mobile enough to elude the pass rush, perhaps Reid is protecting Kolb from getting knocked around because he is less mobile.

- How long of a leash will Vick have? Given that the Eagles have a relatively easy schedule in the coming weeks as they face the Jaguars, Redskins and Niners, I would expect Vick to put up some pretty good numbers. No, he won't magically become an accurate quarterback but he should be able to make enough plays to be effective.

- Has there ever been a more expensive backup quarterback? Remember that Kolb was given that 12 million dollar extension in the offseason.

That's all I've got for now. What do you guys think? Was it the right decision to bench Kolb and go with the "hot hand" of Michael Vick? While I'm not a big fan of the switch, if the Eagles win a few games, you won't hear me complaining. I just hope the Eagles aren't flushing Kolb's development down the toilet for a few extra wins.