One of the big Philadelphia Eagles questions this offseason concerns the backup quarterback. Starter Michael Vick has played 16 regular-season games just once in his career, and while that doesn't mean he can't, it certainly means it's likely that someone else will have to start at quarterback at least once for the Eagles in 2012. But unlike what they've done in past years, the Eagles didn't make backup quarterback a priority this offseason. They signed veteran Trent Edwards, who didn't play in 2011, and drafted Nick Foles, who likely needs some time to develop.

So, if Vick goes down, the Eagles' best hope is that Mike Kafka, whom they drafted in the fourth round in 2010, has developed into a reliable backup. Jonathan Tamari checked in during minicamp week on the work Kafka has done and is still doing on that front. This offseason, he's showing up extra early to study, staying late after practices to do extra work with the receivers and keeping a notebook on opposing defensive backs:

Beginning the offseason as the backup, instead of the No. 3 quarterback, Kafka has had the benefit of taking far more repetitions than he ever has in the past, helping him grow even more comfortable with the offense. After playing in Northwestern's prolific spread offense, Kafka had to learn the proper ways to drop back from under center and other nuances of a pro-style offense. In his third season, though, Kafka said those basic but important fundamentals finally feel natural. He no longer has to count his steps as he drops back. "Now I'm just playing and making sure I can execute," Kafka said. "The more you can not think about all the other stuff and just think about throwing the ball on time and accurately, that's important."

The Eagles have developed quarterbacks from that backup role before. Vick, in fact, stands as perhaps the most successful example. The problem is that, without seeing the guy on the field against live NFL competition, it's hard to know whether he's ready to step in if needed. They can think he is. They can believe he is. They just can't know he is. In the case of Kafka, he's doing what he has to do to prove he's ready if called upon. The best-case scenario, though, remains that they never have to.