It's been suggested recently that Michael Vick's skill level "without one single doubt" will return to where it was pre-prison sentence. Vick is only 29 and should have maintained most of his speed. He worked out in Leavenworth and has endured little wear and tear on his body over the last 18 months, presumably (insert jailhouse joke here).

The rise of the Wildcat formation would seem to make Vick more attractive to NFL teams. He can run, throw, and make people miss. Vick excelled when the Falcons dabbled with a Vick-Warrick Dunn option package briefly during the Jim Mora era.

But it is overly optimistic to believe Vick can be anything more than a situational player. The NFL is not like the NBA, where a player can come back from a long layoff and quickly return to "playing shape." This is a sport built on violent hitting, and Vick hasn't faced (much) contact since the end of the 2006 season.

Continue reading "Vick's Biggest Obstacle is Contact" »

Posted by Evan Silva at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The Falcons officially put Michael Vick on the block Friday. Expect him to stay there for a long time. GM Thomas Dimitroff is performing his due diligence, trying to create a market for an asset he no longer has any use for. Unfortunately, Vick isn't much use to the rest of the NFL either.

Vick is due $15.43 million in 2009 in base salary and a bonus. If he was on the open market, he'd be very lucky to get one-third of that money. A team has to take a major P.R. hit just to acquire Vick, not to mention fit him into their offense after he's been away from football for two years. They aren't going to give up any extra trade compensation on top of that, just for the right to re-negotiate Vick's contract before anyone else.

Pacman Jones was dealt while suspended, but he also came with a bargain basement price tag. If Vick's reputation, playing status, and questionable NFL skill set don't scare all trade suitors away, his contract surely will. Look for Dimitroff to eventually dump Vick, but don't expect him to get anything in return except peace of mind.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

The most ridiculous thing you'll read this morning is the $63 billion lawsuit against Michael Vick.

Here's my favorite part ...

Continue reading "$63,000,000,000" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It's amazing how fast we move on in sports. Especially fantasy sports. Sometime around Michael Vick's indictment, when it became clear that he wasn't playing again soon, my passion regarding Vick's legal case began to wane. I still updated the story for the news, but there were more important things to worry about: Like Joey Harrington's affect on the offense and Warrick Dunn's back surgery.

I love football because I love what goes on the field. I know some of the players are bad apples, just like in the rest of life. I don't know these men, never did, so it's easy to move on.

Continue reading "Goodbye, Michael Vick?" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Over-30 running backs don't lose their mojo gradually. Just ask Curtis Martin, Duce Staley, and Priest Holmes.

We can probably add Warrick Dunn to the list. Halfway through last season, Dunn was a top-15 fantasy running back on pace for 1,300 rushing yards. He stumbled to the finish line with a 3.4 yards-per-carry average in the second half, then was forced to undergo serious shoulder surgery after the year. He watched his prize offensive line change schemes, his quarterback is under indictment, and now a herniated disc in his back will force him to miss the preseason.

Continue reading "The Rapid Decline of Warrick Dunn" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

We were going to end our day with a look at some teams that might be interested in signing Daunte Culpepper. Then all hell broke loose in the Michael Vick case, giving Culpepper another possible landing spot.

Someone who understands the law will have to discuss what happens now to Vick in the courts. Only Roger Goodell knows if he'll skip due process for a player like Vick that isn't a repeat offender. We can examine the football options the Falcons now have.

Continue reading "Falcons need a swift decision on Vick" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

He lies again!! Despite repeated claims that he wouldn't get a haircut until he won the Super Bowl, Vick has cut off his locks. You just can't trust this guy.

Bobby Petrino is impressed.

"He looks good. I like it. He's got a big smile on his face and a nice haircut."

I'll give Petrino credit for joking around while the sky is falling before his first season starts.

Note: For analysis on what life might be like after Vick, check out my latest camp tour column over at Rotoworld.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)