The Case for GJ Kinne

My name is Brandon Lee Gowton, and I'm a fringe-quarterback-aholic.

Last year, my addiction hit hard. I fell in love with the prospect of former Eagle Mike Kafka as the Eagles backup QB. My obsession took off to extreme levels. Don't believe me? Look at this comprehensive 5000+ word post (including video breakdowns!). LOOK AT IT.

We all know what happened after that. Kafka was cut and after a brief stint with the New England Patriots, he's now on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. His chances aren't looking good down there in Florida, but I'll never stop believing in him from afar. Missin' you, Mike

With Kafka out of the picture, I've been clean for a year now. Thanks, I know. It's been rough, but thanks to your support I've been able to keep my addiction in check. I'd like to think I'm much more reasonable with my appreciation for fringe quarterbacks now.

That brings us to our topic for today's discussion: G.J. Kinne. Don't worry. I'm not raising him to the levels that I did with Future Hall of Famer Mike Kafka. I've tempered my expectations. With that said, a brief background on GJ:

He was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulsa that the Jets signed in 2012. After being cut by the Jets, he spent time on the roster of a United Football League team and an Arena League Football team. He was signed by the Eagles earlier this off-season.

Off the field, we don't know too much about this man of mystery. Kinne's an enigma by default. We do know of the bizarre story of his father's near-death. Beyond that, your guess is good as mine.

Now that we know who he is, let's talk about his role. I'm not sure GJ Kinne will ever throw a pass in a meaningful moment in his NFL career, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have value to the Eagles. If you've been following my training camp practice notes, you've seen me say a number of times that Kinne lines up everywhere in practice.

First and foremost, quarterback, obviously. Elsewhere: fielding punts. Fielding kickoffs. Punt coverage team . Punt block team. Safety, nickel CB (during teach phase, not live action). The list goes on. Clearly, he's a guy who's willing to do anything to earn a spot.

This is why Kinne makes perfect sense as a practice squad QB. Look, Chip is probably going to keep a QB on the practice squad anyway. Chip wants to maximize reps in practice, so it's only natural he'll keep the extra QB on the PS to get receivers extra reps. The PS QB also provides depth in case he needs to be called up onto the 53 man roster in the event of an injury.

Dennis Dixon is still practice squad eligible and could be the guy the Eagles keep. He has NFL experience, and might be a better overall QB than Kinne. But Kinne's versatility in practice could make him the more valuable candidate.

So there you have it. The case for GJ Kinne. My fringe-quarterback addiction will never go away completely, but it's been tempered.