Michael Vick is back in the news again today with the NFL’s announcement that he has been reinstated on a conditional basis with his status reviewed by Week 6. Commissioner Roger Goodell said moments ago a decision on full reinstatement could be made earlier.
Vick is eligible to play in the last two preseason games. If he has a team to play for, of course.
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Vick is now free to sign with a new team.
Who takes the plunge? (We’ll rule out his former team, Atlanta because the Falcons have moved on; and the local team, the Redskins — if Dan Snyder truly wants to give Jim Zorn every chance to succeed, he won’t sign Vick and the 10-ring circus that will come with it.)
Jacksonville: The Jaguars are having trouble selling tickets — the Jaguars have already announced both home preseason games will not be televised. Jack Del Rio is under fire so he’s probably open to something radical. The Jaguars have a great running back (Maurice Jones-Drew) and could envision Vick as a compliment to him as a running quarterback. The Redskins finish the preseason in Jacksonville so the presence of Vick would add some needed spice.
Miami: This would make a lot of sense because Bill Parcells swings a huge hammer with the players and the Dolphins became the first team to use the Wildcat with running back Ronnie Brown. But the Dolphins drafted West Virginia quarterback Pat White so that means there’s no role for Vick.
New England: The Patriots will be the “in” guess by a lot of people because Bill Belichick took a chance on Randy Moss (granted, he wasn’t a criminal and hadn’t sat out two years). Belichick is the NFL’s most innovative coach — he and his staff could develop a package of plays for Vick.
San Francisco: The 49ers are unsettled at quarterback and while Vick wouldn’t be the starter, he could slide into a Wildcat-type role and the Niners could use the final half of the season to see if Vick has any chance of returning to a starter-quality quarterback.
Oakland: This list couldn’t exclude the Raiders, right?
Ryan O’Halloran
