First, a few things about Vick. I sincerely believe that people deserve a second chance, and after serving his penalty I feel Vick should be allowed to make a living. If someone is willing to give him that chance, so be it. Trust me, there will many people who will never let him forget what he did, so in that respect, he’s still serving time and will spend the rest of his life accounting for his actions.
Now about Michael Vick the football player. I’ve always thought he was one of the most exciting players in the league, having unlimited potential. There’s not much debate there. But I’m certainly in the minority when I say Vick could have become a top notch QB in this league. In fact, Vick may have gotten to that level except Atlanta did a dumb thing back in 2004. They fired Dan Reeves, who Vick was progressing under very nicely. And they replaced him with yahoo Jim Mora, Jr. who basically gave Vick zero direction IMO. All you have to know is Mora visited college campuses in his first offseason to learn about installing the QB option into his offense. Poor planning, poor coaching. Mora treated Vick as a runner, rather than a quarterback who could run. From there, Vick spiraled downward as a quarterback.
So the signing of Vick is an intriguing one. First, playing under a coach like Andy Reid is probably a good situation. For all his shortcomings on gameday, the man knows QB’s, having worked with some of the best, and understands how to deploy an offense. That’s exactly what a guy like Vick needs: good, technical coaching. But here’s what doesn’t make sense. The Eagles are unquestionably one of the deepest teams in the league at QB, going three deep. McNabb is a Top 10 QB. Backups Kevin Kolb and AJ Feeley both can be considered competent. Why would the Eagles invest in such a controversial player at a position where they don’t really need it? It just doesn’t make sense to me. And for Vick, is this really the best place for him? I think back to a situation much like Kerry Collins was in 1999 with the Giants. Collins again had to prove himself by coming in as a backup, but it was a spot where he could also wiggle his way back into a starting role, which he eventually did. Can Vick expect that in Philadelphia? A place like Minnesota seemed a much better fit, but it takes interest from both sides.
And here is where it gets even more puzzling. The thin-skinned McNabb apparently pushed for it, according to the Eagles and McNabb himself. Can this really be considered a healthy decision in the long run? McNabb was benched last year, and after being quickly reinstated played with a chip on his shoulder the rest of the year. So much in fact he publicly bragged of a sit down where the QB and management would straighten things out. That translated to everyone in terms of a contract extension. McNabb’s late season playoff push (where Reid proclaimed him the “best QB in the league”) seemed to pack all the ammunition McNabb would need. But McNabb came out of talks with the Eagles with his tail between his legs, settling for a raise in the final two years of his existing deal, rather than a new contract (and the all important signing bonus). As always, McNabb’s the quintessential “organizational guy”. And by signing off on Vick he’s done it again. To himself. McNabb continues to allow the Eagles to control all the chips. Is Vick going to replace him this year? Almost zero chance, barring injury. But it does serve to loom over McNabb, especially when he goes thru a stretch where he isn’t playing well. And who’s to say that if McNabb, clearly not given a contract extension so the Eagles could keep their options open in 2010, plays poorly this year or again comes up short in big games isn’t moved out with a rehabilitating Vick in the wings? Far fetched? Perhaps. But then just ask yourself if a week ago Michael Vick could end up an Eagle.
