Chiefs interested in trading for Nick Foles

While the Philadelphia Eagles see Nick Foles as a genuine option to be their quarterback of the future, the team has two other quarterbacks seemingly more fitted to run coach Chip Kelly's system.

The Eagles signed free-agent Dennis Dixon on Thursday. Dixon played under Kelly at Oregon in 2007 when Kelly was the offensive coordinator.

So it's in the realm of possibility Foles could be traded. If so, the Kansas City Chiefs could be the destination.

The Chiefs and new coach Andy Reid are interested in acquiring Foles if he becomes available, according to a person informed of the team's thinking. The person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs haven't discussed their thoughts publicly, said the team is working on plans to add a quarterback and considers Foles a possibility.

Kelly has said Foles and Michael Vick will compete for the starting job despite their differences in style. The person informed of the Chiefs' plans said the Eagles have not told Kansas City that Foles is available.

It appears what the Eagles are saying publicly about Foles — that they like his skill set and believe he can run Kelly's offense — is sincere, so it's unlikely he'll be made available for a trade anytime soon.

But if the Eagles decide Vick is their best option, it would make sense to deal Foles. In seven games under Reid last season, Foles showed flashes of being a successful NFL quarterback by throwing for 1,699 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Foles led a last-minute comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. It was the only victory in Reid's final 12 games as Eagles coach. Reid's elation on the sideline after Foles' game-winning TD pass showed how thrilled he was with the performance.

Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, an NFL.com analyst, reported that Reid and Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson, an assistant coach with the Eagles under Reid, "were very high on Nick Foles and his future."

The Chiefs have the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, but the class of quarterbacks is generally not considered strong.

The Chiefs likely will release veteran Matt Cassel unless he takes a pay cut from his $7.5 million base salary for 2013 -- and it's unclear if they'll even offer that option. The team's best chance at getting Reid a reliable quarterback will be in free agency or the trade market.

San Francisco 49ers backup Alex Smith also has been mentioned as a possibility.