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Three Reasons Michael Vick Will Not Be Signed By the Patriots
Published: May 22, 2009
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Many sports journalists—including those at The Boston Globe, ESPN, and even here on B/R—believe the New England Patriots are a likely destination for Michael Vick.
They are mistaken. Even setting aside issues of whether Vick deserves another chance, here are three reasons why.
1. Once again, the salary cap rears its ugly head.
Vick is still under contract to the Atlanta Falcons and is scheduled to earn a $9 million salary for 2009.
Clearly, the Falcons are not going to pay Vick that money, but if they trade him, the team that trades for him has to absorb that cap hit before they can sign him to a new contract. Since the Patriots don’t have $9 million in cap space available, they would have to have several players renegotiate contracts to create that cap space.
2. Vick doesn’t fit the Patriots at quarterback.
Many writers who see Vick as a fit for the Patriots see him as a potential backup to Tom Brady in New England.
He’s not.
Bill Belichick has shown over the last few years that what he wants most in a backup quarterback is the ability to run the same offense the starter—namely, Brady—can run. Matt Cassel was able to do that, albeit with fewer deep bombs and more short passes, which is why the Patriots felt no need to bring in a veteran backup.
The Patriots see a lot of potential in their current backup quarterback, Kevin O’Connell. Bringing Vick in as a No. 2 and demoting O’Connell to No. 3 would not help O’Connell’s development.
O’Connell is a quarterback who can run. Vick would be a running back who can throw; given that at his best he wasn’t completing 60 percent of his passes, it’s hard to see how that would improve the Patriots.
That’s also ignoring that the Patriots would also have to dump at least one of their current quarterbacks, which would make it harder for them to operate their QB development pipeline.
3. The Patriots don’t need the Wildcat offense.
The other argument appears to be for using Vick as a Wildcat quarterback. (This argument has been made—rather incoherently—by John Clayton, who notes that Miami used the Wildcat last year; therefore Vick might interest the Patriots.)
As a fan at PatsFans.com noted, the Patriots using the Wildcat would make for a good change of pace—from scoring too many points.
The problem with the Wildcat offense is that it would require taking Brady off the field, and no one can possibly argue that would make the Patriots better either.
Moreover, if the Patriots want to practice against the Wildcat offense, they may already have drafted a rookie who can run the Wildcat in Julian Edelman. (Edelman even has similar stats to Vick’s too.)
Since the Patriots aren’t exactly hurting at wide receiver or running back either, it’s hard to see how the Patriots could possibly fit Vick onto the roster.
If Belichick and Robert Kraft feel adding Vick to the team is worth it, I, as a Patriots fan, would give them the benefit of the doubt, but very grudgingly. That said, for the reasons above, I just don’t see it happening.
Top Ten Signs You’re Probably a New England Patriots Fan
Published: May 8, 2009
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Note: Not all of these things apply to me (one obviously so). I leave it to you to figure out which ones do.
From the home office in Foxboro, Massachusetts, here are the Top Ten Signs You’re Probably a New England Patriots Fan:
10. You own a Patriots jersey—for a player like Stephen Gostkowski or Matt Cassel.
9. You decide that this year, you’re going to arrive at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night, and leave Monday morning, so you can avoid the traffic on Route 1.
8. You’ve considered naming your kids Wilfork, Moss, or Bruschi.
7. You actually care about the looming training camp battles at long snapper and third-string quarterback.
6. You have to think how you’re actually supposed to spell “Bills,” “Jets,” and “Dolphins.”
5. You have a man crush on Wes Welker (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
4. You have 9/14/09 circled on your calendar—along with the words “REVENGE SHALL BE OURS!”
3. Learning that Bill Belichick probably won’t draft the players you covet, you stop coveting players, and start lusting after picks in next year’s draft.
2. You think like this Patriots fan did.
And the number one sign you’re probably a New England Patriots Fan is:
1. When someone asks you what’s for dinner, your response is It is what it is.
