BENGALSTRIPES – The talk of the NFL this week has centered around Michael Vick. Somehow even Brett Farve’s latest retirement announcement was eclipsed by the re-instatement and subsequent availability of this former all-pro quarterback. Most NFL teams are opting out–at least publicly–including the boys in tiger stripes. Brownies homer Sean McClelland wrote a tongue-in-cheek piece last weekend explaining why the Bengals should sign Vick, but if McClelland was smart the Brownies would be pursuing him since they have the shakiest quarterback situation in the AFC North. I believe the most intelligent NFL general managers are heavily lobbying their owners to take a chance on Vick.
My guess is that Vick will end up in the UFL this season. The man has money problems and it looks like the UFL is his best opportunity go get paid–this year. If he does prove that he can still sling it in the UFL, and that he can stay out of trouble, he will make a mint with a long term NFL contract in 2010. And I expect that he will. In the meantime, any NFL team that can convince him to play for them in 2009 is going to get a top-drawer (to borrow an expression from Mike Brown) player for a bargain basement price. I am not surprised at all that the leading candidates in the NFL clubhouse to sign Vick this year are the Steelers and the Patriots, teams who routinely land the best players and win football games.
Though there is merit in Mr. Brown’s statement that ‘quarterbacks are like queen bees,‘ I could see Vick in the Bengals’ backfield, either in the wildcat formation, or in some other new, innovative two quarterback formation. Remember the days when Sam Wyche and Bruce Coslet would actually invent new offensive schemes, causing the NFL to make new rules to counter them? I don’t know if Bob Bratkowski has it in him, but I, for one, would love to see it.
UPDATE – Fox Sports reports that the Bengals did indeed offer Vick a deal. Two years and 2.3 million, it would have been an absolute steal. I like the Bengals thinking although it turns out there were many more teams interested than most thought, including ones on PFT’s anti-Vick list.
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