Put On Your GM Hat: Do You Sign Vick?

Michael Vick has been unleashed (cheap shot)!

Vick is officially finished with this 23-month federal prison sentence for dog fighting and he’s now free to resurrect his NFL career.

So my question to you, The Huddle Nation, is this: If you’re the GM of an NFL team, do you sign Michael Vick?

Let me start off the debate: I say…

…YES! I sign Vick as soon as he is reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Assuming that a thorough evaluation by my coaching staff confirms that Vick still has some of the explosive physical gifts that made him a star two years ago, I add him to my team.

Notice I said “some” of the same gifts, because after a two year layoff with only the equipment in the prison yard to stay in shape, I think it’s safe to assume Vick will not be the same player he was in 2006.

Ok, with that being said, here’s why I bring him back:

With the Wildcat and similar creative offenses all the rage these days, any offensive coordinator should be able to find unique ways to use a player with the athleticism Vick (most likely) still has.

If the Dolphins’ Ronnie Brown is considered the gold-standard for Wildcat players, imagine how Vick would compare as an experienced QUARTERBACK rather than full-time running back. You can argue that the two run equally well in the open field, but in the passing game, there’s no comparison. Vick’s unique passing talents will potentially make him a star in the Wildcat.

Another reason why I’d put Vick on my team is for PR reasons. PR reasons, you ask? Yes. I think that as a team executive/coach, if you are a part of the franchise that successfully rehabilitates Michael Vick, you can spin that into a massive positive for your team.

Imagine the moral high-round a franchise can take. At that introductory press conference you can say something like, “We believe in the American judicial system. This man has served his time. We here at the (insert team name) believe in second chances, and we feel we have the right personnel in place to help Michael Vick get back on the right track, both personally and professionally.”

Despite the inevitable PETA protests, I think the fan base in whatever city Vick ends up playing for would mostly be on board with that. More so than any other league, fans in the NFL tend to drink the team Kool-Aid. If their owner/GM/coach/star player says they want to be the ones who help Vick make his life right, the average fan will be on board with it.

Is there risk involved? Sure. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a case quite like Vick’s.

In the past, players who have committed infractions ranging from drugs to manslaughter have been embraced upon their returns. But for whatever reason - and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong…you’re entitled to your opinion – dog fighting/animal cruelty strikes a cord in this country.

I’m pretty sure it’s inevitable that Michael Vick will be back in the NFL. The question remains though, which team will have the guts to bring him back.

If you’re a fan who is serious about winning, you should hope it’s yours.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle