Michael Vick will get his second chance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback any day now. Although I am sure there will be a compliance list a mile long, I can't imagine Goodell ruling anything other than reinstatement for the convicted dog killer. What Vick did as the mastermind of a dog fighting operation was brutal, ghastly and evil. But a federal judge set his sentence at 23 months and those have been served. Vick is bankrupt, his career shut down for two years and his reputation ruined forever. There is no need for the NFL to pile on. His is a lifetime sentence. Don't get me wrong, I am not defending Vick, but it is time to move on.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth killed a man and only served 24 days in jail. He made a financial settlement with the man's family which certainly shortened his time served. What does that say about society when the wealthy can buy their way out of punishment? Stallworth's case is different in that it was a DUI and he did not set out to kill somebody. But the fact is that he made a number of horrific decisions that led to the death of a human being and served 22 fewer months in jail than Vick, and will miss only one NFL season.
So, assuming I'm right and Vick is reinstated, which of the 32 teams will take a chance on bringing him into their organization? Vick is probably in decent shape as he has been working with a high-profile trainer. His role at this point is likely that of a back-up quarterback, although he might be willing to move to another position to resume his career. Atlanta released him and will not take him back. Teams like Miami that run some form of the "Wildcat" offense which features a running quarterback make sense, but that is a short list. Of course, the biggest concern for any team would be backlash of their own fan base and the distraction of the media circus that would set up shop adjacent to their practice field.
I suppose some team will take that chance, but darn if I know who will be that bold. The Oakland Raiders come to mind because Jamarcus Russell may not pan out and Jeff Garcia is at the very end. They are of course known for being something of the outlaw team and have been in a disarray for a number of years, so they have less to lose on such a gamble. Vick fits the Miami Dolphins offense and they have gotten production out of Ricky Williams, who at one point quit the NFL so he could smoke marijuana full-time. But they also drafted West Virginia quarterback Pat White and may not want to rock the boat with their fortunes turning around.
Forgotten in all of this by many is that before Vick was a dog killer, he was labeled the "coach killer." That's a reference to former Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. His dad, former NFL coach Jim Mora, was interviewed in 2006 saying that Vick was not a passing quarterback, and that you could not win consistently in the league that way. While those Falcon teams teams were often ranked first in rushing behind the athletically gifted Vick, they were also usually dead-last in passing. Vick was exciting to watch, but only once were the Falcons a playoff factor in his time at the helm. So, while Vick should get his second NFL chance, one has to wonder why a team would want to provide it.
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