NFL Rumors: Michael Vick To The Miami Dolphins? No Thank You

Speculation has recently popped up about the future of Michael Vick since his appearance on an Atlanta area radio station on Wednesday.

Vick listed the Carolina Panthers as his first choice of teams to play for in 2010 during the interview on the Gangsta Grillz radio show.

The former All-Pro turned convict is set to hit the open market on March 5, barring the Eagles decide to pick up a $5 million team option on the second year of his contract; that isn't going to happen though.

Michael Vick will be free agent on Friday, and there's a team out there that's going to take the gamble on him.

Though his interest lies with the Panthers, it's highly unlikely they decide to pick him up.

Carolina's front office has stated their support of incumbent starting quarterback Jake Delhomme, as well as their confidence in 25-year-old backup Matt Moore. 

Vick just isn't a good fit for them and there doesn't appear to be any interest anyway.

So as we move past that scenario to others that have arisen to replace it. Teams such as the Saint Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, and Oakland Raiders have been mentioned as possible landing spots.

But it seems they aren't the only teams being touted as Vick's new home.

The Miami Dolphins have been linked to the controversial star on and off since his reinstatement in the league before the 2009 season. Because Miami runs the Wildcat and likes to feature the run-heavy nontraditional formation, media and fans from around the league see Vick as the solution. 

The knock on the Wildcat is the scheme's lack of a passing threat.

Running back Ronnie Brown, who takes the majority of the snaps as the Cat's triggerman, isn't really much of a threat to put the ball in the air. As a result, teams stacked the box against Miami's signature formation and rendered it relatively containable. 

The Dolphins drafted West Virgina star quarterback Pat White in 2009 to supposedly add another wrinkle to the Wildcat and help to revolutionize the NFL's offensive game.

Well, that didn't happen.

White failed to record a passing stat last season and rushed for just 81 yards on 21 attempts.

The experiment failed miserably.

With the emergence of second-year quarterback Chad Henne, the Dolphins traditional passing game showed solid potential for the future. Miami put less and less stress on running the Wildcat as the season progressed and fans watched a young player blossom into a valuable talent.

The Wildcat was always about playing to the strengths of the team's talent anyway.

Henne showed last season that the Dolphins' strength is having the ball in his hands, not letting him watch from the sidelines or stretched out at wide receiver. 

So why would the Dolphins want to bring in an older, controversial quarterback of the same mold of White when that idea tanked badly a year ago? Vick may be more physically talented than White, but don't be mistaken, they play the exact same role.

They're excellent runners in open space, are much faster than your average quarterback;  have great field vision; and use their athleticism to dominate opponents.

They also both struggle to succeed as traditional Pro quarterbacks.

Vick's stats may have been more impressive than White's in '09: 86 passing yards, 95 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns.

Neither inspired much confidence with their play.

Vick isn't the talent he was with the Atlanta Falcons.

That was four years and a lifetime ago.

The player you see on the field now is a shell of that All-Pro talent.

The Miami Dolphins need to realize that as free agency begins. If Pat White wasn't able to find any production, there's really no reason to believe Vick would make a serious difference.

He doesn't belong in a Dolphins jersey.

Thanks, but no thanks.