Michael Vick: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Franchised Him, and Why They Shouldn't

The Philadelphia Eagles announced yesterday that they were placing the franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick. Vick, who would’ve been an unrestricted free agent, will be guaranteed $23 million next season, and the Eagles retain exclusive rights to negotiate with him.

But with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the league and the players’ union expiring on March 3 and no end in sight to the acrimonious negotiations over a new one, the possibility of a lockout looms over the next NFL season. Will the labor strife negate the Eagles’ attempt to re-sign Vick? And even if they can, should they?

The provisions of the next CBA could render Philadelphia’s move largely moot; the franchise tag might not even exist under a new agreement. In that sense, yesterday’s move takes on the flavor of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. But even if the franchise tag evaporates next season (whenever next season may be), the Eagles’ choice to franchise Vick could prove meaningful.

Although the franchise tag has become associated with teams trying to hold onto a disgruntled star for one more year (see Haynesworth, Albert), it’s not always used as a weapon. In Vick’s case, the Eagles appear to be buying time to negotiate a longer-term deal with their new star. Vick has stated that he wouldn’t balk at being franchised, suggesting that negotiations are relatively amicable at this point.

Most importantly, the tag will likely discourage other teams from courting Vick during the CBA negotiations, which could drag on for months. By keeping him off the market now, the Eagles may gain an advantage in keeping him even if they can’t officially franchise him by the time the CBA is finalized.

It’s hard to argue with the Eagles’ logic in wanting to retain Vick after a hugely successful season, but the club could regret setting its mind too firmly on Vick as the QB going forward.

Vick’s value is closely tied to his running ability; even last season, his best as a passer, he amassed only 3,018 yards. As a runner, he’s exposed to more hits, and more dangerous hits, than a pocket passer would be. One knee injury and his value to the team would be just about gone.

Adding to the health concerns is Vick’s age. He’ll turn 31 in June, and though his time in prison reduced the wear and tear on his legs, it’s still fair to wonder how much longer he’ll be an elite runner in the NFL.

If, as many fear, there is no 2011 NFL season, Vick would be 32 before he plays another down in an Eagles uniform. With Vick’s style of play, that extra year of age will hurt him more than almost any other player if a lockout does happen.

Ultimately, the Eagles will probably be best served by keeping Vick, so long as they have an exit strategy in place if he can’t replicate his 2010 brilliance.

But if (as expected) they take advantage of Vick’s emergence to trade Kevin Kolb, they could find themselves with no viable quarterback options very quickly. The money they’ll commit to a franchise-tagged Vick (or to a long-term extension) would then become an albatross as they try to redefine their offense for a new QB.