Scout: Vick no longer special
Teams' unwillingness to part with draft picks to acquire Michael Vick has less to do with the whole dogfighting ordeal than it does his diminished athletic ability.
Scout: Vick no longer special
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
As we mentioned yesterday, the Eagles' QB situation is the NFL topic most likely to be discussed around the nation between now and draft time.
Yesterday, we pointed you to Peter King's MMQB column on SI.com in which he questioned why more teams weren't making aggressive plays for Donovan McNabb.
And today, a similar question pertaining to Michael Vick.
Per Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the reason is simple: teams don't think Vick is a special player anymore.
In other words, their unwillingness to part with draft picks to acquire Vick has less to do with the whole dogfighting ordeal than it does his diminished athletic ability.
Marvez spoke to a scout who watched all of Vick's snaps last season.
"He can’t throw," the scout said. "A guy could be open 20 yards downfield and he’ll throw it 25. He never could throw, but he was fast before. It’s not like he’s slow now but he doesn’t stick out like, 'Wow, this guy is faster than everybody.'"
To be fair to Vick, I'm not sure it's right to judge him on those 64 snaps. We all watched how the Eagles shuffled him in and out all season. It's a situation that most NFL quarterbacks would likely have trouble with, especially one who was coming off a two-year stint in prison.
But then again, what other evidence is there to go by? It's not like he's a draft prospect who can hold private workouts for teams. It's not like teams had scouts at practice to see if he was picking up the offense. They really can only go by those 64 snaps and people they talk to.
Marvez asked an NFL personnel director whether the lack of interest in Vick was because he's no longer a "special athletic talent" and the guy responded via text: Right on.
Vick completed six of 13 passes last season for 86 yards and a touchdown. He carried 24 times for 95 yards and a pair of scores.
I'll try to post our Year in Review on Vick later this week.
Anyone happen to have all of last year's games on DVD? I'm going to need a special DVR with more space next season so I don't have to clear these out...
As both the Inquirer and Daily News have reported, running back Mike Bell is in town for a free-agent visit. The good news on Bell is that he has just 348 career carries in four seasons, and will only be 27 when next season starts. Click here for his career stats.
Good piece by Les Bowen today, which updates the QB situation.
And finally, Paul Domowitch takes your questions in an Eagles chat at 11 a.m.
Become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
Seriously the Mcnabb and Vick srticles need to stop unless it is the story of the birds getting some draft picks for them. Both Qbs are inaccurate, #5s problem is the same that it has always been needs to work on footwork. That is what happens when you take a scrambling Qb out of college and force them to be a pocket passer. Mcnabb's feet are rarely set during his throws which causes the ball to come out at differant angles. Try throwing a football accurately while jumping and pumping your legs like a fat guy walking bare foot across a pit of hot coals.— SWIM
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- Vick on the other hand could never throw, he was lazy, and even at one point compared his brother Marcus and himself to Eli and Payton Manning. The reason why he did so well was because the falcons pretty much ran the option his whole career. Remember DVD? Vick would overthrow a wide open Crumpler by 10 feet in the air, the ball would land somewhere on the sidelines. Granted he could be a decent fit in an offense that wants to run the option or wildcat. They would need to have two good RBs and atleast 1 recieving option with no QB, some where like Buffalo or Oak. However the Birds would only get like a 3rd rd combo at best for him. Mcnabb could pull better picks, but the birds are too stubborn to realize that only Ari and Min would give up their late 1st rd pick for #5. Better to ask Stl or clev for their 2nd round picks which are only like 6-9 picks after the birds. Or trade the birds 1st and mcnabb for one of the Hawks 1st and a 2nd or 3rd. Either way this team needs more picks for this deep draft, and our entire defense needs an over haul.— SWIM
- tremo12..you shouldn't name call especially when you have no idea what your talking about.it was actually a 30 yard pass beautifully thrown on what is called a "flag pattern"— Quick82
- He might become special again, athletically, given enough reps, but he is not the leader you need at starting QB. He showed that in Atlanta, and he showed it again in his statements this year. This is a very me-centered dude. There's always some stupid team, when it comes to a guy with great potential, so it won't shock me if someone trades for him and starts him in Sept.— tacklinjoe
- So, if he is not a winner , should they kill him?— rita1
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- Vick's game has always been about his athleticism. Now, he is out of practice and older and his athleticism has decreased. It happens when players near 30 years old. Ask Westbrook. He never learned to be a pocket passer, like McNabb smartly did early in his career, so now is an average QB. Combine that with the distraction he brings, and I say just cut him.— allen_jones
He aways sucked.— Morty Seinfeld- Absolute nonsense. Vick has plenty of game left. What QB Could come in and do better given the erratic in and out routine? Coach Reid & everybody else knows he never got enough snaps.Write something decent.— MJPD345
- I have to agree, you really can't judge a gut on, what, 64 plays. My other point is, people cry for the head of #5, but isn't Reid the one calling plays? #5 finally has some "Real" weapons around him. Let's see what he can do once we get, 1) both lines together, 2) our defense together, & 3) better coaching. I'm off my soap box now.— hump8137
- The scout is right, Vick's biggest asset was his speed, and that has diminished over time. He was never known as an accurate passer.— M-star
- Its not that he lost it...its that he never had what it really takes. Attendance hungry owners sell EXCITEMENT to the casual fans. History shows that this type of QB is much less likely to win a championship. Good teams in the playoffs can game plan for the one dimensional QB. Real championship QBs are able to quickly analyze the very sophisticated defenses and pinpoint their weakness on every play. In the playoffs its about the QBs brain not his feet.
- Vick never was anything special and never could throw he cracked the 80 passer rating just once as a regular in his career. So in his best passing season he almost passed for 3,000 yards and had a passer rating just over 80, both career highs wouldn't get him out of the bottom third of QBs. So if you think he will never be as good as he once was and he was never very good why would you give up anything for him? For the guy who thinks the Eagles will get a draft pick for letting him walk, that is assuming anyone wants a QB in his 30s who never could pass, isn't as fast of a runner as he once was, and who has proven to be one of the most irresponsible people in the history of the game.— jtj06
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