How Michael Vick Released the Atlanta Falcons from Hostage

It was the 2001 NFL Draft, and the Atlanta Falcons were on the clock. A polarizing quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies by the name of Michael Vick sat and waited at his station, knowing that he could very well be the name announced by the Commish.

By virtue of a trade the day before, the Falcons were picking first instead of the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers were now picking fifth, and they would eventually make great use of that pick.

"And with the first selection in the 2001 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Michael Vick, Quarterback, Virginia Tech University."

Nothing but smiles all over Vick and his family's faces, as he finally fulfilled his dream of taking his family out of the bad parts of Newport News, Virginia. Vick had defied the odds and was set to lead Arthur Blank's Falcons team to playoff berths and possibly the Super Bowl for years to come.

Sure, Vick had a few character issues, but his talent would supersede any of that. With the fifth pick that year, the Chargers selected LaDainian Tomlinson from TCU.

Vick was a sure-fire star with all of that God-given ability and speed, and one of the safest first picks in a while. He had a rocket arm and the agility of a tennis star, combined with the speed of a cheetah.

Vick was ready to take on the NFL.

And Vick did not disappoint. He immediately made an impact, and in his second season started 15 games and passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 TDs, while rushing for 777 yards and eight TDs.

Vick even led his Falcons to the Wild Card playoffs, and defeated Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field 27-7, ending the Pack's undefeated playoff streak at home.

Even though the Falcons would lose to Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional round, Vick had made his mark in the NFL. His early success made him the most exciting player to watch in football, and his aggressive, reckless style of play would bite him the following year.

After a Pro Bowl year, Vick fractured his right fibula against the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason, squashing Atlanta's hopes of winning the Super Bowl that year. Vick returned in Week 13, but the damage was done.

Atlanta's season was over, but Vick wasn't done.

He returned to make the Pro Bowl in 2004, rushing for over 900 yards and throwing for close to 3000 yards. In 2006, Vick became the record holder for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback, rushing for 1039.

Questions were rising about Vick's ability to pass in the pocket, and whether he would ever be as successful as he'd been when he led the Falcons to a playoff victory.

He didn't seem to be able to read defenses consistently, and his career completion percentage hovered around the 50 percent mark, which isn't good enough for an NFL QB.

It was Vick's ability to make plays with his feet that separated him from the rest of the QBs, but would it ever be enough?

Meanwhile, in 2007, a man by the name of Matt Ryan was playing quarterback for the Boston College Eagles, and making a name for himself. A senior, Ryan was poised to become the first QB taken in the NFL Draft.

He faced stiff competition from other QBs such as Delaware's Joe Flacco and Louisville's Brian Brohm. Ryan was the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, and the Falcons were the first to pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and were just getting over a pool of turmoil.

Michael Vick was supposed to be the franchise QB for the Falcons, but on April 25, 2007 his life would change forever.

On that fateful day, authorities searched the Surry County, Virginia home owned by Michael Vick, and found over 70 dogs that showed signs of injuries sustained from dogfighting.

The highly publicized case sent Michael Vick to jail in Leavenworth, Kansas, subsequently putting his NFL career and life on hold. Vick was sentenced to 23 months, and currently is set to be released in 2009.

Truthfully, the Falcons were going nowhere in the Vick regime, and the passing game was dead. Vick only passed at about a 50 percent clip, and he threw too many interceptions.

Early in his career, he went extended periods of time without throwing picks, but that changed as his career progressed. The Falcons were stuck in no man's land, and were chained by the one-dimensional left arm and two legs of Michael Dwayne Vick.

Not after the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Arthur Blank felt betrayed by the talented Vick, and Atlanta seemed to be in complete disarray once he rode that bus to prison in Leavenworth. It was almost like the aura of the Georgia Dome rested in the cell of Vick and his fans' hearts.

The debate turned into how dead of a franchise Blank was running and how nobody could save it. After a terrible year with the likes of Joey Harrington and Chris Redman at quarterback, the Falcons seemed to fall further in Vick's shadow.

That was until this: "With the third selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Boston College."

The pick was met with resistance from some camps, and the minority fanbase in Atlanta felt shorted. How would their beloved Falcons ever move on without Michael Vick? And to do it with Ryan, a basic pocket passer who didn't catch anybody's attention at Boston College but scouts?

There would be many sad days in the ATL.

That was until Ryan hit the field. His first pass was a 62-yard strike to Michael Jenkins, and he immediately began to make his presence resonate in Georgia.

After nine games, the Falcons sit at a surprising 6-3 record, with wins over the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears.

Where are all of the naysayers?

They're cheering for Ryan and the Falcons, and they are becoming the best story of the year. Paired with running back Michael Turner and wide receivers Roddy White and Michael Jenkins, the 2008 Falcons are vying for a playoff berth behind the arm of Matt Ryan.

Meanwhile, Vick sits in Kansas waiting and hoping to atone for his past mistakes. All he wants is another chance, and hopes Goodell will give it to him in 2009.

One thing he knows for sure is that it won't be in Atlanta.

Matt Ryan continues to impress while learning on the fly, and has gotten a huge lesson in fate. While he tries to push the Falcons over the top, Vick watches from his cell, wondering what may have been.

Arthur Blank is now free from the chains that held his team hostage. Talk about a blessing in disguise.