Michael Vick: 7 Reasons Why He's Key to Philadelphia Eagles' Free Agent Success

Entering their all-out assault on the NFL free agency period, the Philadelphia Eagles had two advantages. The first was a meticulously-crafted plan put together by President Joe Banner and General Manager Howie Roseman.

Over the offseason the Eagles' brass bragged about their aggressive approach without revealing its substance. Fans were predictably skeptical, but the dominoes that fell after the lockout ultimately vindicated the duo.

But every team has a plan. Why did the Eagles succeed where others failed?

Two words, one man: Michael Vick. The star quarterback played a vital role in attracting big-name talent to Philadelphia. Perhaps no other player had as heavy a hand in this year’s offseason dealings.

Through his presence and his promotion, Vick sold the league’s most eligible talent on the Eagles’ prospects and took the Birds from fringe contender, to sexy Super Bowl favorite.

Without taking a single snap, Vick is already this team’s MVP. Let’s examine how No. 7 helped the Eagles accrue their free agent riches.

1. Players Respect His Athleticism

Professional athletes aren’t impressed by much. They’re used to being the fastest, strongest, most agile dude in the room. So when fellow athletes stand in awe of a peer’s talents, you know the man has game.

Vick is, and has always been, one of those rare athletes that stands a cut above the rest. He’s able to attempt and execute moves others wouldn’t dare try.

In an SI Players’ Poll conducted this past summer among MLB players, Vick was selected as the player from another sport that would make the best baseball player. He edged out LeBron James, Sidney Crosby, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees, all more accomplished players in their respective sports.

Even though Vick doesn’t have the stats or accolades of those other four, the mere specter of his gift makes other athletes drool. That reputation likely helped him convince other great players to join the Eagles.

2. His Individual Performances Last Year

Once the NFL season ends and we begin to reflect on the year that was, the moments destined for immortality begin to separate from the chaff.

It just so happens that a couple of 2011’s most indelible snapshots came via Michael Vick.

His MNF dismantling of the Washington Redskins may well be the best single game performance of the last five years and his inspired comeback charge against the Giants delivered game-of-the-year thrills.

As free-agents-to-be stewed in the summer heat, Vick’s heroics surely danced in their heads. It wasn’t simply that he’d played well, it was that he’d so thoroughly dominated opponents for extended stretches.

Looking back on the highlights of 2010, it's easy to see why a free agent would want to do battle alongside No. 7.

3. He's a Quarterback

Facts are facts: It’s a quarterback’s league.

There are other electric players (Adrian Peterson, Ndamukong Suh, etc.), but the best chance for a player to experience NFL success is to link up with a seasoned, successful quarterback.

Just ask Nnamdi Asomugha.

He’s dominated his position for five years and still has never been to the playoffs. I would estimate that good quarterbacking makes a 4-8 win difference over the course of the year and it's no surprise that the few teams exempt from the rollercoaster of NFL parity all have exceptional signal callers (Steelers, Patriots, Colts, etc.).

NFL careers don’t last long and free agency is the player’s one chance to dictate where they play to determine their likelihood of winning a championship. For players like Asomugha, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown and Cullen Jenkins, it's best to hedge bets with a great player in his prime that's playing the NFL’s premier position.

Clearly Vick fits the mold.

4. Vick Is the Star

Observing Asomugha, Babin, Brown and Jenkins over the course of their careers, none of them seem intently extroverted. Asomugha, in particular, seems rather quiet and composed, happy to fade into the backdrop.

In Oakland, with his monster contract, he couldn’t play the wallflower. Now, with Michael Vick the undisputed face of the franchise, Asomugha can slide back into the supporting role he prefers.

When the Eagles win or lose, the media will first turn to Michael Vick for reaction. Asomugha can deliver a canned “we did what we could” type of line and focus on his job.

6. The Pro Bowl Pitch

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s hard to determine what role this may have played in the Eagles’ free-agent pursuits, but much was made of Vick’s personal appeal to Asomugha at the Pro Bowl last year.

Apparently, Vick and fellow Cal alum DeSean Jackson took an intense interest in Asomugha and tried to convince him to play for the Eagles.

Perhaps what they said worked, because when Asomugha saw Vick after the signing he told him, “we made it happen.” Nothing definitive in those four words, but it does suggest some level of collusion. I wouldn’t be surprised if Vick also talked to other prime free agents over the tumultuous offseason.

It seems that Vick took it upon himself to improve the team and push them towards the Super Bowl.

6. He's Been to Prison

As crazy as it sounds, Vick’s stint in prison and subsequent rehabilitation only enhanced his standing among his peers.

In a recent story for Philadelphia Magazine, author Robert Huber included this tidbit on the players’ reaction upon hearing of Vick’s signing:

“There was another reason he earned respect right away, on a team with plenty of players from rough circumstances. He had done something we hadn’t—served time,' says Sheldon Brown, then an Eagles cornerback. ‘That was like, in the locker room, Wow'."

In a league where quarterbacks often struggle for the respect of their more-physically imposing teammates, Vick’s past helped cement him as a tough guy. Vick isn’t a quarterback’s son from New Orleans’ Garden District or a golden boy from outside Silicon Valley.

Rather, his life journey from the housing projects of Newport to the athletic precipice resonates deeply with players around the league. The prison stint, in its own bleak way, helped grow his legend.

7. He's a Veteran Leader

Another excerpt from the Vick piece in Philadelphia Magazine:

“And last season, when an injury to quarterback Kevin Kolb made him the starter, he didn’t just play well, spectacularly well; there was something more. It was the way his teammates followed him. It leaped right into our living rooms: This guy was the leader.”

Vick has a level of celebrity that many of his teammates don’t. But more than that, he has the charisma and, in some manner of speaking, the character necessary to lead a team. There may be other talented quarterbacks with rough upbringings and blinding athleticism, but Vick is the only one who combines that with veteran leadership.

No one has commanded a locker room as quickly as Vick has with the Eagles and few do so with the same conviction. That is exactly the type of environment a win-now NFL free agent craves. I think Asomugha, Babin, Brown, Jenkins and even Vince Young saw a team trending in the right direction, under the right leadership and jumped aboard.

The more cynical among us like to think that free agent contracts are ultimately about dollars and cents, and that may be true. But don’t marginalize the importance of personnel and chemistry in a player’s decision. The Eagles are strong in both departments and Michael Vick is a big reason why.