Michael Vick Signs with Eagles, Chance for Redemption

Goodbye Kevin Kolb. Take a seat A.J. Feeley. And hello Michael Vick.

On Thursday evening during ESPN’s telecast of the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN’s own Chris Mortensen sat in studio and reported that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed estranged quarterback Michael Vick to a two-year contract.

Vick will be able to attend camp to get in shape before participating in the final two-preseason games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still has to make a final ruling on Vick’s eligibility for the opening of the season, but that’s another matter.

Vick to Philly is surprising, but it’s not shocking. Donovan McNabb is obviously the alpha dog in Philadelphia, and that won’t be changing anytime soon. Andy Reid runs a fairly tight ship, is a great leader, and will be a good fit for a man whose transgressions have led to him becoming a national pariah.

Say what you want about Michael Vick, say what you want about how he should or should not be suspended, it doesn’t really matter. Everybody has their own opinion, but the only opinions that matter are those of the court system and Goodell. We have spent months berating Vick for his actions and holding him over a bonfire of scorn and spite.

But this is about Vick the football player, and it’s indeed time to move on. What are we going to see out of Vick? Who knows, all I know is that it will be exciting. We could sit here and list off all of this stats and breathtaking plays that happened seemingly a lifetime ago in Atlanta, but does any of that really matter today?

Vick hasn’t played football, and specifically NFL football, for some time, so as far as I’m concerned, this is a rebirth of his career. He’s probably not the same player, and he’s obviously not the same man. Life’s twists and turns will alter your persona in a hurry.

We will have to wait and see how much Vick is used in the Eagles offense, and how Reid fits him into the game plan. Are we going to see some Wildcat in Philly? We could only hope.

With Vick now coming to an established team like the Eagles, he won’t only be chowing down cheese steaks. Defenses could follow shortly thereafter his first lovely hometown treat.

If Vick is only used sparingly, those legs will be some of the freshest on the field, and he won’t have to drop back and throw the ball all that much. He could, but I would rather see him run.

Philly has all of a sudden become one of the most exciting teams in football. The St. Louis Rams were known as ‘The Greatest Show On Turf’ earlier this decade, and now the Eagles have a chance to take that label and give it an all new meaning.

If you are going to compete with the Eagles this season, you better be a disciplined defense, and you better be fast. Donovan McNabb seems to be as healthy as he has been in years, and some are expecting a resurgence in his game. If that’s the case and he stays healthy, we all know what type of dynamic threat he is at the QB position.

Brian Westbrook seems to be battling injuries every season—the tolls of a long, successful NFL career—but when he is healthy and on the field, he terrorizes defensive coordinators and fantasy owners weep tears of joy. If you own him, that is.

Second round draft pick LeSean McCoy, a running back out of Pittsburgh and Westbrook’s potential back up, has already labeled as guy with the same type of game as Westbrook. That’s to say explosive and versatile. If Westbrook needs a breather, expect McCoy to run loose.

And then there’s two doses of lighting out wide. DeSean Jackson, who had a phenomenal rookie season last year out of California, is a speed demon who is fearless and may bring more swagger to the field than any receiver in football, pound for pound. The Eagles just drafted his equal in Jeremy Maclin, 19^th overall out of Missouri, who can be a game-breaker.

Sure, the Eagles may need more team doctors than your average ER, but if they are at full strength, it will be tough to find good match ups against them. That will work nice when going against the defensive-minded New York Giants, and will give them plenty of options to go to when they finish the regular season at Dallas on January 3, 2010.

How will Vick fit in ? I think he will be fine. I don’t think he’s much of a risk, you just aren’t quite sure what you are going to get from him at first. But a city with a heartbeat like Philadelphia’s is exactly what Vick needs.

He needs to be in the thick of things, and he needs to be demanded. He needs discipline and he needs high expectations to live up to.

That will foster accountability and will stoke his inner fire and thirst to compete, which we know must be white-hot right now. If Vick embraces the team and plays like he is capable of, Philly fans are going to love him. Philadelphia wants hard workers and winners.

Michael Vick finally has his chance to clear his record and prove to the world that he is both.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at [e-mail].