Pros and Cons of Vick in Philly

The news of Michael Vick signing with the Philadelphia Eagles is settling in. It’s a return that has been carefully orchestrated by the league office. The timing fits perfectly with what was undoubtedly a quiet plan Commissioner Roger Goodell demanded when he conditionally re-instated Vick. Vick, and his agent Joel Segal, did not overshadow the Hall of Fame inductions last weekend by signing then. This was either an act of tremendous self-control for Segal, who is good at getting his name in the media because he competes year in and year out for first-round draft picks, or he and Vick were told by the commissioner how things would proceed. Bet on the latter.

So Vick took his bow on a slow-news Friday. He will be eligible to play in the Eagles’ final two preseason games, which usually drag from an interest perspective since they coincide with vacations and Labor Day. Vick’s most significant action figures to be in the Eagles’ final preseason game, which, unfortunately for the league, takes place at the New York Jets on Sept. 3 -- although the potential media circus might be diminished because the game is on the Thursday night before the long Labor Day weekend. Vick will then be off-stage during the opening weeks of the regular season and can concentrate on resuming his career.

But while much of the rest of the media is debating the morality of Vick’s return, let’s move on to the more pressing question: Is the signing a good move or a bad move for Vick, the Eagles and football? Let’s look at some pros and cons.

The Pros

APMichael Vick

Vick brings game-changing ability to a contending team. A deep playoff run or Super Bowl can turn on a few critical plays. Vick certainly possesses the ability to make game-changing plays, and getting that ability cheaply and with as little long term exposure as Philadelphia did is something a confident team must consider.

Vick goes to an established team with leadership and identity. Donovan McNabb is a strong leader, and the Eagles are a solid franchise from top to bottom. Vick will have a support system and will be forced to live up to the standards set by his new teammates rather than rise and fall on his own. He and Segal also showed an understanding that Vick cannot resurrect his career in one day, and going to solid team with a strong locker room will be the best first step to integrating him into the NFL.

The Eagles and Vick fit from a football perspective. While Vick has never shown the touch or leadership of McNabb, his skills work in an Eagles offense designed to take advantage of McNabb’s ability to get on the corner with rollouts and bootlegs. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg has also introduced greater discipline to McNabb’s game since taking over for Brad Childress in 2006. He has also worked with Steve Young and Jeff Garcia, so Mornhinweg can coach a shorter, mobile QB.

Who’s more likely to win a game off the bench, Vick or Kevin Kolb?  Kolb, whose injury may have started this process, may still be the Eagles’ quarterback of the future, but McNabb, who turns 33 in November, has missed 15 games over the past four seasons. If McNabb goes down, Vick’s athleticism becomes an opposing defensive coordinator’s nightmare, and he may be far more dangerous to adjust to during a game than to prepare for a week in advance. In a tight division, which the NFC East figures to be, one or two games may mean the difference between making the playoffs -- so Vick, if he’s reinstated and competes well, may be inexpensive insurance at a pro-rated $1.6 million for the Eagles.

The Cons

Philadelphia is a major media market so the circus goes on. From a league standpoint, the NFL might have preferred that Vick sign with a team far removed from the media spotlight. That means outside the eastern time zone and away from the big media centers on East Coast. It also might have made sense for Vick to be able to focus on football and not worry about off-field issues, including the media circus that will follow his every move. Everyone involved would like to get beyond this, and signing with Philly, which has its own established media but is also a short drive from New York, Bristol (Conn.) and Washington D.C. doesn’t help.

AP

Philadelphia is not far enough from Vick’s so-called friends and family. Vick’s problems, both legal and professional, have always been related to the company he kept. A clean break from those people and his past might have been helpful. While Philadelphia is close enough to allow Vick to have the support of his friends and family as he adjusts to life outside of prison, it’s this same group that helped put him there.

Philadelphia fans don’t like the move. Eagles fans seem overwhelmingly opposed to the move. And Philadelphia sports fans are among the toughest and most opinionated anywhere. They love their teams and are unrelentingly merciless when they dislike something. So Vick, while he doesn’t have to start, has put himself in the arena.

The Philadelphia media is tough on its players. Remember, this is where the governor of the state, Ed Rendell, does the Eagles’ pregame show. Nobody in Philadelphia is free of the media’s scrutiny, which includes a couple of tough sports talk radio stations that will have a field day with Vick.

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