Former Atlanta Falcons QB Mike Vick Is All Reward and Zero Risk

For the record, I believe what Michael Vick did to those dogs was terrible. I am a dog lover myself and was shocked and appalled to hear of the atrocities that had taken place under Vick's supervision. He deserved every day he spent in prison.

That being said, I do believe he should be allowed back into the NFL, and that a team should absolutely sign Vick.

The case for his reinstatement has already been made. He's paid his debt to society, he's given up so much, etc. etc. Just know that I'm on board with all of that.

As far as after he gets reinstated (because I do believe he will be reinstated)...now that's a different story.

Just because he has been reinstated does not guarantee employment. Anyone who has been out of high school for three years is eligible to give the NFL a try, but it of course does not mean that a team must sign anyone who strolls onto the field.

There is no doubt that Vick is a fantastic athlete. There is absolutely no arguing otherwise. However, there is an argument to made as to whether or not he can play quarterback in the NFL.

Let's Compare, Shall We? Vick vs. Eli Manning

Vick

67 GS, 38-28-1, 930-1730, 54 percent completion rate, 11,505 yards, 71 TDs, 52 INTs, 75.7 QB Rating

Manning

71 GS, 42-29, 1,276-2284, 56 percent completion rate, 14,623 yards, 98 TDs, 74 INTs, 76.1 QB Rating

This comparison, of course, is contingent upon how you view Eli Manning as a quarterback, but the majority seem to think he's pretty good and those numbers are eerily similar.

In my personal opinion, Vick can be coached up into a good quarterback but that would take too long. The best course of action for any franchise is to just find a way to put his athleticism to good use. The "Wildcat" is all the craze in the NFL today and any team running it would look scary with Vick at its helm.

Down to Brass Tax: What Kind of Contract?

Well this is simple. Any GM simply needs to sign him to the veteran minimum (which I believe for him is somewhere around $600,000 give or take) with a lot of incentives mixed in and little to no signing bonus.

Vick is eating a huge piece of humble pie at the moment and would do a backflip to get this kind of contract (literally, the man is a freak—he may just do a standing backflip).

This way, if Vick turns out to be a distraction, he is easily cut and forgotten or simply kept on the roster as the 53rd man and paid like it. This is a win-win for everyone because he knows he's on a short leash (not a sick pun, I swear) and will produce—or worst-case scenario, he gets cut.

How to Handle the Situation So It's Not a Distraction

Remember back when Ray Lewis had his sticky situation? Yeah, with the murder allegations and all of that.

Anyway, when all of that went down, Brian Billick stood up and said any questions about Ray Lewis and his situation would be directed to him. Not the players, not even Ray Lewis, but him. That way, the players don't need to worry about the questions and it's not a distraction.

This is genius. Absolute genius on Billick's part. This is precisely what a coach has to do with his players. It shows them that he cares and it helps them stay focused. Any team signing Vick would have to have a coach willing to do exactly this.

All Semi-Joking Aside

Mike Vick could be a fantastic asset to a team willing to do all of the things mentioned above. This minimizes financial risk and distraction for your football team while at the same time signing one of the best athletes the NFL has seen over the past 20 years.

I would bet that Vick comes in and is a model citizen as well. Really, he doesn't have a choice. It's football or lose the last little bit he's been able to hold onto. With that in mind, Vick is all upside, all reward, and zero risk.