Former Steelers Dennis Dixon is facing promotion after one day with Eagles

As soon as former PIttsburgh Steelers Dennis Dixon signed his new, two-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, talking heads started talking.

Chip Kelly, the former Oregon University offensive coordinator turned new Eagles head coach, is expected to run his collegiate spread offense in the NFL. This expectation bred speculation of his desire to reunite with his former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, which was confirmed when Dixon joined him officially on Thursday.

Dixon's addition made perfect sense, due to his experience and production in Kelly's system leading to Heisman candidacy prior to injury in 2007. His athleticism fits perfectly with the offensive system, although he was one of four quarterbacks on the roster, after the team re-committed itself to fellow athletic passer Michael Vick. Filling out the depth chart are journeyman Trent Edwards and sophomore Nick Foles.

Kelly quickly put an end to quarterback controversy curiosity, by limiting the competition to two men, Vick and Foles.

Both men are leftovers from the Andy Reid era, who has taken over the Kansas City Chiefs since his termination following the end of the 2012 season. Now, just 24-hours after Dixon's signing, Reid is being linked to Foles in trade rumors. The Eagles responded quickly to notify any prospective partners they would be seeking substantial compensation for a relatively unproven rookie quarterback who displayed decent progress playing in place of Vick during 2012.

The biggest upside to Foles as a trade target, is his miniscule salary. He has three years left on his deal, with barely above minimum cap hits in each season. Team's with little draft hopes in addressing their own situations could gamble on basically re-drafting Foles, if looking for development projects to eventually replace aging or disappointing starters.

Considering the Chiefs have the top pick in the draft, they have sufficient means of compensating for Foles, but Foles is hardly worth a first-round pick. However, just because the Chiefs seem to be the leading the hunt because of Reid's association with the Eagles and Foles, doesn't mean they will be the one to snag the bird. If Philadelphia comes to the conclusion Foles doesn't fit into Kelly's philosophies, his price could plummet which would cause his demand to skyrocket.

All the while, Dixon has to be grinning from ear-to-ear. This self-generating publicity surrounding Foles' potential availability increases the chance a team will risk making a deal. If Foles is eliminated from the roster, Dixon would be competing for at least the second string job with Edwards, and possibly the starting job with Vick, should he struggle with injuries or the new offense.

Dixon manage to stay relevant since being drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft by surviving on the rosters of the Ravens and Steelers. His hard work and determination toward being a starting NFL quarterback may finally be paying off by turning his dream into possible reality.