Michael Vick's Payday: Why It Was a Bad Move

Michael Vick finally received his long-term contract; one he probably envisioned since the day he got out of prison.

Reportedly, the Eagles gave Vick a 6-year/$100 million contract with $40 million guaranteed.

While Vick was playing at such a high level last year, he regressed considerably at the end of the year, but the Eagles still feel he will continue his great play from early last season.

For the record, I think the Eagles should have given him a long-term deal, but not as many as six years and $100 million.

Here are five reasons why the contract was a bad decision.

Age

Michael Vick will be 31 when he enters this year as the starter, and though people may say he is a "young" 31 because of his stint at prison, the fact is that Vick has a lot of wear and tear on his body because of his running style.

At 31, Vick can expect a slow regression of his athletic abilities on the field, which sets him apart from any quarterback in football.

Injury Risk

Instead of going out of bounds or diving to the ground, Vick is always looking to get the extra couple of yards.

He is under 210 pounds and has clearly displayed his body cannot take the hits he has been taking his entire career.

Especially behind a poor offensive line, Vick had to take shots from opposing pass rushers.

A player who is being payed $100 million should be dependable and not injury-prone, and with the uncertainty of whether Vick can make it a full season, it is a major concern.

Was Last Year a Fluke?

I love my Eagles and want to ignore this question, but it must be asked. Other than last year, Vick never had a season where he was considered an above-average passer.

A part of me feels that maybe teams were not ready to stop Vick's unique football skills in the early to mid-season which parlayed into his MVP-like statistics, but it was clear by the end of the year, Vick was beatable.

Vick struggled to read the blitz and make pre-snap adjustments, proving to be detrimental behind the pocket. It did not help that he had a young center with Mike McGlynn who could not call out the blitz and help Vick.

With a reliance on his athletic ability, Vick struggled when teams confused him with complex or even simple schemes.

Regression This Preseason

Yes, I know the preseason means almost nothing, but there's no denying Vick has struggled in the preseason.

He was confused the whole game against the Steelers elite defense and threw three interceptions. In the game, Vick threw miserable passes that he even acknowledged he shouldn't have made.

Vick has struggled with his accuracy and could not make consistent throws to his receivers. There could have been many factors as to why Vick has struggled, but he seemed to not go through his progressions and instead made rash decisions with the football.

Reverting Back to His Atlanta Days

If the first read for Vick was not there, he would tuck the ball and run with it. This has been a continuing pattern since the end of last year and into this preseason where he has struggled.

Vick seems too pressing with a majority of his throws; something we saw in his Atlanta days.

The Eagles will not win a Super Bowl if Vick continues to ignore his progressions and take off and run with the ball.