In what has the potential to be the steal of the year, someone is going to get Michael Vick for peanuts. Granted whoever signs him will have somewhat of a PR hit, but the second he makes a few people miss, all will be forgiven. The man paid his debt to society and has no choice but to be on his best behavior after severing his relationship with the commissioner. If Vick is even 80% of what he was when he left the league, heāllĀ be the best backup in the league⦠at worst. Here are the teams that should be heavily involved in grabbing Vick.
THE PERFECT MATCHES
Washington Redskinsā
Iām surprised Dan Snyder wasnāt sending Vick gift baskets while in the can. With this looking like a make or break year for Jim Zorn, plus an unhappyĀ Redskins pursuit of Mark Sanchez,Ā Washington would be the perfect fit for Michael Vick. The D.C. fans would embrace the former VA Tech star with open arms as they would finally get some speed on the squad. Even if Vick was a situational player, he would make a huge impact for the Skins in the NFC EastĀ which hasnātĀ seen much of the āWildcatā in that division. Clinton Portis already spoke up for Vick when this situation first happened.Ā Dan Snyder hasnāt been shy before, no reason to start now.
St. Louis Rams-
Michael Vick on turf⦠Marc Bulger, always on the turf. Need I say more. The Rams are one of the most intriguing spots for Michael Vick.Ā Having a run first attitude like Steve Spagnuolo would be perfect for Vick. The remnants of the greatest show on turfĀ took a nose dive and could use a shot in the arm.Ā Steven Jackson and Michael Vick in the backfield scares me more than than Bulger and Jackson. Another no brainer for the Ramsā brass. When Marc Bulger goes down again this year, your choices are Kyle Boller or Michael Vick⦠hmmmm.
HONORABLE MENTION
Tampa Bay Buccaneersā
Josh Freeman is presumed the future of the Bucs. I personally think heās going to be special, as long as the Bucs give him a chance to learn. Michael Vick wouldĀ be a nice complement to Derrick Ward in the backfield. Donāt think the NFC South opponents wonāt remember what Vick did to them on a regular basis. Seeing Vick vs. the Falcons twice a year would be Prime Time material as well, which brings me to my next point.
Carolina Panthersā An other NFC South squad that shouldĀ gunningĀ to bring in Vick.Ā The Panthers are built to be a run first/defensive minded team, which fits Vick perfectly. Could you imagine seeing Michael Vick, Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams lined up in the backfield with Steve Smith in motion.Ā How about seeing Delhomme, Vick and one of the two headed monster next to them? Who do you go after? Williams and Stewart were dominant last year, which certainly freed things up for Delhomme. Bringing in a weapon like Vick, even if it takes him aĀ while to get intoĀ football shape,Ā can only help.
Buffalo Billsā
The Buffalo Bills fans showed up to the airport to give Terrell Owens a heroās welcome. The media circus is already in town, why not eliminate their travel?Ā The Bills are already on somewhat of an island with the T.O. signing,Ā they might as well push their chips in. Michael Vick would just add to T.O.,Ā not to mention it makes a lot of football sense. The Bills are going to be facing some of the toughest defenses in the league this year and having a wildcard like Vick inĀ the backfield could be just what they need.
Put it this way, I hope the Jets donāt have to see Vick in the AFC East for the next 5 years, unless heās in Green, which again brings me to my next point.
The J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!!
The Jets need to sign Vick if for no other reason than to keep him out of the rest of the divisionās hands. VickĀ would beĀ a dangerous addition toĀ Rexās group. Brian Schottenheimer could easily find a spot for Vick on this offense, which by the way,Ā clearly lacks any kind of speed and explosiveness. Leon Washington is the only guy anyoneĀ worries about going the distance. Look, we all know Mark Sanchez is the QB of the future, but this could clearly helpĀ Clemens and/or this year. Not to mention theĀ addition by subtraction from the rest of the division is well worth the shot. The man has served his time and will be on his best behavior, with a chip on his shoulder, for the rest of his career. Hey Woody, do you want a chance to sell those PSLās after getting screwed by Favre? Hereās your chance.Ā Heās young, heās cheap, and he didnāt shoot himself in the leg, wearing sweatpants, with an illegal firearm, which is pending trial in your city. GO GET HIM! ITāS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!!!
Other teams that almost made the listā¦
San Francisco 49ersā Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, or Michael Vick⦠I wonder what Frank Gore is thinking?
Baltimore Ravensā Did you see Joe Flacco streaking down the sidelines as a receiver last yearā¦:) Baltimore lacks a true playmaker on the edge and Vick in the right situation is just one other way to make them more dangerous.
The bottom line is Michael Vick made a terrible mistake. Heās paid his debt to society and deserves a chance to make up for his mistakes. I think we all would like a chance to make up for ourĀ mistakes, whether itās in the public eye or not. Michael Vick was a phenom in this league, and is still young enough to make a positive impact. Someoneās gonna strike gold.
