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QB Michael Vick could revolutionize the QB position. Scott Halleran/Allsport |
By Stewart Mandel, CNNSI.com
Florida State may have won the 2000 Sugar Bowl, but 10, 20 years from now, the thing most people will remember about that game was that it launched the legend of Michael Vick. It was the first time we saw what will by then be the predominant breed of quarterback, the guy who can destroy defenses with both his feet and his arm.
I know it seems ridiculous, all the hyperbole that's been thrown around about this kid in the 15 months since that memorable performance, but trust me, it's all true. Vick does things with his feet no one has ever done before, and he has a cannon arm to boot.
If Vick can avoid injury, if he ends up in a system innovative enough to showcase him, and with a coach patient enough not to rush him, the "Michael Jordanof the NFL" analogy won't seem that farfetched.
And let's face it, the NFL needs Vick.
With the possible exception of a St. Louis Rams game, professional football these days is about as exciting as C-SPAN. More and more it seems like the players are just pawns, with the higher premium being put on successful coaches and coordinators.
A guy with the skills of Vick would put the emphasis back on what the fans want to see: exciting players. Because no defensive scheme, no matter how masterfully crafted, is going to shut him down. Much of what Vick does is improvised anyway, so you can't prepare for it.
No one is saying Vick will come in and take over right from the start. He's going to take his lumps like any other rookie quarterback, maybe more so because of his youth. He needs to work on his accuracy and his decision-making.
But given a chance, Vick is going to revolutionize the sport. If his team and the league are willing to accept his unconventional ways, he's going to give them a jolt of energy.
And if they don't, so be it. I just won't watch.
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Quick-stepping QBs -- like Doug Flutie -- are nothing new.
Rick Stewart/Allsport |
By B. Duane Cross, CNNSI.com
Contrary to popular myth, Michael Vick is not the first fleet-of-foot quarterback to throw his helmet into the NFL Draft fray. Do the names Steve Young, Doug Flutie or Steve McNair ring a bell? Hence, the uniqueness of Vick's arm and feet are lost on me.
As for Vick's passing, no one can deny he has a strong arm, but his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired -- more than his reported asking price ($15 million bonus, $50-$60 million deal) can buy. His arm strength may be Popeye-esque, but Olive Oyle-type accuracy ... you can get that with half the league's backups -- at a much lower price tag.
The success of NFL teams begin -- and end -- with the quarterback. Even Trent Dilfer. And after the Ryan Leaf debacle, why would San Diego make such a huge financial commitment to a player who is far from ready to take a snap? It does not make sense for the Chargers -- or any team -- to take the chance on a guy with "unlimited potential," as many draftniks have described Vick. Potential does not make an NFL player, especially a quarterback.
And as for Vick possibly being the Michael Jordan of the NFL ... ha! That's a bigger whiff than His Airness taking his cuts at the plate. The NFL does not need a Jordan; one player will not carry a team to the Super Bowl. And arguing that Vick will be an impact player if he stays healthy is akin to saying it will flood if it rains enough. Duh! The fact is Vick will not juke NFL defenders, leaving them weak-kneed in their cleats. A stutter-step here will end with Vick over there -- on the sideline, nursing the bell ringing in his ears.
One exciting player will not lift the Chargers -- or any other team -- to the title game. Ask Barry Sanders; the Lions' supporting cast remains so weak that he will not budge on retirement, despite the fact he'd be the most entertaining running back even after two years in retirement.
I will not argue Michael Vick was a talented college quarterback. However, he will not have the same success in the NFL; the game is bigger and faster -- even more so than Mr. Vick's fleet feet.
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