Would the Philadelphia Eagles Be Smart to Trade Michael Vick This Offseason?

Should the Philadelphia Eagles trade Michael Vick? It's not as clear-cut of an answer as it was just a few months ago.

Vick became one of the NFL's most expensive talents in late August when he signed a six-year, $100 million dollar contract to stay as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback.

Fast forward three months. The Eagles are 3-5 on the season, and three games out of first place in a division they were expected to win easily. The wild card chase is no easier for them, where they are two games behind the Chicago Bears and three games behind the Detroit Lions.

After a 34-7 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, the Eagles seemed to have momentum going into Monday night's contest against the Bears. Vick had perhaps his worst game of the season and the Eagles lost 30-24.

Certainly it isn't all Vick's fault that the "Dream Team" has not lived up to expectations. But he  must take a fair chunk of the blame. He was paid superstar money, and has been anything but.

Should the Eagles trade Michael Vick next summer? Let's take a look.

Why They Should: Monday's Performance

On the biggest drive of the season for the Eagles, Vick had three chances for a first down while at the Chicago 39-yard line. He came up empty on all three of them.

The worst of them came on fourth down, when he threw a pass at Jeremy Maclin. It was a smart play, and Maclin was wide open. If he'd been able to collect the pass, he could have easily secured Vick and the Eagles a new set of downs.

But Vick's pass was far too high, even for the athletic Maclin. While Maclin was able to get the ball, his jump cost him his footing. He was unable to stick the landing, and slid to the ground yards short of the first down.

It was the biggest of Vick's many poor passes on Sunday. Ron Jaworski, ESPN's color commentator, had, before the drive, said it was too dangerous for the Bears to give Vick a chance with the football to end the game.

You have to wonder what game he'd been watching. Vick hadn't played well all game, and certainly didn't come through in the clutch.

Why They Should: Falling Statistics

Last season, Vick finished with 21 passing touchdowns, nine rushing touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 100.2 in 12 contests. He had just six interceptions on the season.

So far in 2011, through eight games, he has 11 touchdowns, but nine interceptions and a quarterback rating of 85.8. He also has no rushing touchdowns.

It's not a horrific drop by any means, but his statistics are certainly falling. He's continuing to get good yardage, with 2,065 yards on the season, but that has failed to translate into touchdowns, and he hasn't produced in some of his biggest moments.

His 85.8 quarterback rating is currently ranked 13th in the league. That's pretty bad for one of the game's highest paid players.

Why They Should: Continued Poor Reputation

Vick, according to Forbes Magazine, is the most disliked player in the league by fans, with over 60% of those polled saying they dislike the quarterback.

His history with dog fighting will never leave Vick, even though he served out his prison sentence. But now a report has come out from BlackSportsOnline about a woman claiming that she has naked pictures of Vick when he was in jail.

Are Vick's continued reputation issues too big of a distraction for the Eagles?

Even though Vick has served his time in jail and has been a strong member of his Philadelphia community, his reputation will continue to haunt him. The Eagles knew it would follow him when they signed him, but will there be a point where it is just too much?

Why They Shouldn't: Bigger Problems

Certainly Vick hasn't lived up to expectations this season, but the Eagles have bigger problems.

For one, their defensive line continues to be burned every week. Philadelphia is ranked 22nd in the league in rush defense, giving up 124 yards on the ground each week. They gave up 164 against the Bears.

They have the most turnovers in the league, with 19 giveaways on the year. They are also tied for 28th in turnover ratio, with -1 a game. Certainly a good portion of that goes with Vick, with his nine interceptions and two fumbles, but eight of those turnovers are from other players.

The Eagles are just not a really good team. They have too many weaknesses they need to fix in the future, and you can't blame them all on Vick.

Conclusion: The Eagles Shouldn't Trade Michael Vick

Vick's season is pretty much captured in the Eagle's record so far—mediocre. It's not horrible, but failing to live up to expectations.

Still, Vick is one of the better quarterbacks in the league with all of his tools and abilities as a player. As he showed last season, he can be an effective quarterback and an above average passer.

And while some of the blame for the mediocre and disappointing Eagles record has to go on Vick, their offensive leader, Philadelphia has bigger problems. A poor defensive line, a below average offensive line and an offense that coughs up the most turnovers in the league are all bigger issues than Vick's performances.

And besides, with the gigantic contract the Eagles gave Vick in August, it would be difficult to move him. If they managed to find a buyer, it would be judged as a failure by Philadelphia to build around a talented star.

The Eagles should not trade Vick. But at the very least, it is a more difficult question than it was just a few months ago.