Five Reasons Why Michael Vick Should Start in Philly

Recently I have been reading article after article about how and why Kevin Kolb will be the best quarterback for Philadelphia next season.

After reading these articles it hit me that we have Michael Vick sitting on the bench. Really quickly just sit back and realize the potential of Vick on the Eagles.

I wrote this article in response to the countless articles that are anti-Vick and pro-Kolb. This is a list of five reasons I think Vick could make Philadelphia the team to beat in 2010.

5. Vick has Already Proven Himself

Unlike Kevin Kolb, who only has two starts his entire NFL career, Vick has already proved himself during his six year stay in Atlanta.

Vick was a constant threat as a Falcon, through the air and on the ground. He topped out with an overall 75.9 QB rating, racking up 11,505 yards through the air, and 71 passing touchdowns.

He also scrambled for a whopping 3,859 yards, and rushed for 21 touchdowns. He totaled 15,364 yards and 92 touchdowns.

How is this not starting material?

4. Vick Needs to Redeem Himself

I am not going to try to cloud the fact that Vick committed a terrible crime, and I don't agree with it at all. But the fact of the matter is, it's said and done.

It's time for Vick to get back into the NFL and start to perform like he did before the charges and prison sentence. If Vick can get back into the groove he used to be in, he could easily turn the young Eagles team into a serious Super Bowl contender.

Vick is not proud of what he did. He has accepted that he made a huge mistake and he is ready to get back in the game, and the Eagles can give him that opportunity.

3. Vick Can Be the Leader the Eagles Need

Michael Vick is a veteran quarterback on a very young Eagles team. Kevin Kolb is not the man to fill in and take charge on a team that just lost, possibly its best player and leader, Donovan McNabb.

Vick has the experience to lead the offense and potentially lead the entire team just as a motivational force. With Vick's big-play ability it allows him to get the entire team moving in one focused direction.

2. Vick is a Spark Offensively

Everyone knows Vick is a big playmaker.

Not only do his stats prove it, he is a threat every time he touches the ball. Vick is essentially a defensive nightmare, he has the arm to make long passes and burn defenders, but if they leave an opening on the field then he can take out of the pocket and gain 20-plus yards.

Providing this extra threat on the ground should open up passes to players like Jackson and Maclin deeper down the field. The fact is when Vick is only getting two to three snaps a game the defense can manage him. When he is taking the ball every play the defense starts to struggle.

Another problem the Eagles had last year was their inability to complete drives. Vick is explosive enough to keep these drives going, whether it be on the ground or through the air.

1. Vick can Fill the Hole McNabb Left

When McNabb left Philadelphia, I think the city may have been at a standstill for a few moments.

Eagles fans had to accept the fact the our Philly boy—the man who was bashed when drafted, benched in the middle of the season, all-time Eagles passing leader, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl, and countless playoff appearances—was gone. Our man of the decade was gone.

Vick is the type of player that can fill the big gaping hole that McNabb left, a franchise quarterback that can lead the Eagles to that elusive Super Bowl win. He has all the tools and all the players around him to finally take that Lombardi Trophy back to Philadelphia.

Believe me, I am not happy McNabb is gone—I teared up a little when I heard he was traded—but I am looking towards the future. The future should lie in the hands of a veteran quarterback like Vick.

Kolb can learn overtime from Vick, as Andy Reid was trying to do with Kolb and McNabb. The fact is Kolb just does not seem ready to be a starting quarterback, maybe in a few years.

Conclusion

Whether or not Vick will be taking the snaps next year clearly does not rely on my opinion.

I have good faith in Andy Reid that he will make the right choice as he has in the past with McNabb, Westbrook, Dawkins, and so on. So we will just have to wait it out until the start of next season.