NFL reinstates Michael Vick on conditional basis

[Valigarmander]

NFL reinstates Michael Vick on conditional basis - CNN.com

Nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia, Michael Vick was reinstated to the National Football League on a conditional basis, according to an NFL statement Monday.

Vick "will be considered for full reinstatement and to play in regular-season games by Week 6 based on the progress he makes in his transition plan," the statement said. Week 6 of the NFL season is in October.

Vick may participate in practices, workouts and meetings and may play in his club's final two preseason games under the conditions of his reinstatement, the league said.

Vick, 29, was freed from federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 20 and returned to his home to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement.

The former Atlanta Falcons player is a free agent and has not been signed by any team.

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy has agreed to continue working with Vick as an adviser and mentor, the NFL statement said.

In a letter to Vick, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote that his decision regarding full reinstatement "will be based on reports from outside professionals, your probation officer and others charged with supervising your activities, the quality of your work outside football" as well as factors such as the absence of any further law enforcement issues.

"This step-by-step approach is not meant to be a further punishment and should not be viewed as such," Goodell wrote, according to the NFL. "Instead, it is intended to maximize the prospect that you can successfully resume your career and your life. I believe that a transitional approach with a strong network of support will give you the best opportunity to manage effectively the various issues and pressures that you will inevitably face in the coming weeks and months and earn your full reinstatement."

The league suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after his guilty plea. Although he was released from federal custody July 20, he must serve three years of probation, the league said.

...

Well, I don't know. I'd say he's done his time by now.

[Eagle Eye]

He's done his time, but I completely understand the commissioner's approach.

For one he's not going to be ready to play weeks 1-6 anyway, it's going to be a little while. The NFL is trying to keep the opening day talk from being about Vick pretty much, it's PR.

Someone is going to sign him because they're curious to see waht kind of playmaking abilities he still has. He was never a terrible quarterback, but he wasn't a good one. He was a below average passer with a dimension that none had ever seen at that position (sans Cunningham).

[Lurch1982]

Who would be insane enough to sign him? While he could make a Wildcat offense insane, there's no way the team would survive the PR nightmare plus protests at every home and away game.

[deathscythe]

Someone is going to sign him because they're curious to see waht kind of playmaking abilities he still has. He was never a terrible quarterback, but he wasn't a good one. He was a below average passer with a dimension that none had ever seen at that position (sans Cunningham).

With the time passed age and inability to work out the way he would like would take at least a few steps, and a few notches off of his arm which at one point was pretty strong.
If i was a team i would allow him to do something like try out but i wouldn't try anything with out at least seeing what he can still do.

Who would be insane enough to sign him? While he could make a Wildcat offense insane, there's no way the team would survive the PR nightmare plus protests at every home and away game.

There will be teams. any team desperate enough for a spark from the QB position will be looking.

Im not sure if there would honestly be much protesting after the first few weeks.

[Eagle Eye]

Originally Posted by Lurch1982

Who would be insane enough to sign him? While he could make a Wildcat offense insane, there's no way the team would survive the PR nightmare plus protests at every home and away game.

At some point, PETA has to stop, at some point a team is going to say, okay look, he's done his time, now you're just being disruptive. If PETA is going to waste their time, money and energy on fighting Mike Vick, they're foolish. You've got other convicted felons in this league, so why can't this guy play? Leonard Little, Donte Stallworth, Jamal Lewis and Nathan Vasher are just a few people who have gotten serious convictions, but they're still eligible to play. If he can go out and make the same plays he did when he was in Atlanta, guess what, people will forget. Quickly.

On the first question, I've been saying this for months.

Cleveland.

I would think that it won't happen until 2010 or late 2009, but Cleveland is going to learn that Quinn is a flop, and they're going to try and sign Vick out of desperation.

[Lurch1982]

Originally Posted by ^_^(death)^_^

There will be teams. any team desperate enough for a spark from the QB position will be looking.

Im not sure if there would honestly be much protesting after the first few weeks.

Pretty much every team is set at the QB position and has a backup that's NFL starter ready. Even in his prime, I'm not sure Vick would be able to find work in a deep QB market combined with his reputation as a coach killer. Even teams in QB messes like the Niners (lol Vick in the cause conscious BAY AREA? Really?) have QBs that have arguably better passing abilities. The weaker QB teams have competition on the bench, and the rest have too much tied up in an existing QB. I just don't see a roster spot for him.

[Eagle Eye]

Originally Posted by Lurch1982

Pretty much every team is set at the QB position and has a backup that's NFL starter ready. Even in his prime, I'm not sure Vick would be able to find work in a deep QB market combined with his reputation as a coach killer. Even teams in QB messes like the Niners (lol Vick in the cause conscious BAY AREA? Really?) have QBs that have arguably better passing abilities. The weaker QB teams have competition on the bench, and the rest have too much tied up in an existing QB. I just don't see a roster spot for him.

He never "killed" any coach but Mora, who dug himself into a hole by allowing Knapp to run the show for a year. Knapp absolutely killed the offense and Vick AND Mora got a bulk of the blame. No one in that city even tried to get him help, it took Joe Horn and the WR's coach Petrino brought in to get in Roddy White's ass before he learned how to use his skills.

There are several teams that I think would take a chance on him, moreso as a backup then with any intentions to be the starter. If he doesn't see the field as a starter by 2010, he's never going to again. Buffalo, Minnesota (if they don't get Favre), Cleveland, and Denver are all teams that could consider taking him in. As weird as it may be, he could very well end up as a backup to Matt Schaub in Houston. Rumors are Jacksonville is interested, so you never know where he may end up, but I believe he'll end up somewhere.

[Crazyswordsman]

Originally Posted by Lurch1982

Who would be insane enough to sign him? While he could make a Wildcat offense insane, there's no way the team would survive the PR nightmare plus protests at every home and away game.

The Dallas Cowboys -CSM

[Maximum Spider]

I would love more than anything else for him to go to Pittsburgh, but that's not going to happen.

[Lurch1982]

Originally Posted by Particular Set of Skills

He never "killed" any coach but Mora, who dug himself into a hole by allowing Knapp to run the show for a year. Knapp absolutely killed the offense and Vick AND Mora got a bulk of the blame. No one in that city even tried to get him help, it took Joe Horn and the WR's coach Petrino brought in to get in Roddy White's ass before he learned how to use his skills.

There are several teams that I think would take a chance on him, moreso as a backup then with any intentions to be the starter. If he doesn't see the field as a starter by 2010, he's never going to again. Buffalo, Minnesota (if they don't get Favre), Cleveland, and Denver are all teams that could consider taking him in. As weird as it may be, he could very well end up as a backup to Matt Schaub in Houston. Rumors are Jacksonville is interested, so you never know where he may end up, but I believe he'll end up somewhere.

Dan Reeves, Mora, Petrino (you know, because Vick getting arrested basically killed any chance Petrino had in his 3 year window).

Hard to blame WRs when the QB throwing the ball has no idea what "touch" is (like throwing it fullspeed at a TE or RB on a 5y quickout). Yeah, its not his fault when Alge Crumpler doesn't remember his route and gets a ball off the back of the helmet, but every other time he chunks the ball into 2x or 3x coverage, or throws way over or way under the WR, or just bungles a play isn't really their fault.

Vick's problems IMO came when defenses gamed him. The NFC South defenses are geared to stop Vick. Fast DEs, Larger DTs, and coverage LBers that spy him. Everyone else gamed it. Instead of sending DEs in, they'd flare them out. Or they'd run more spies with fast LBers. The main idea being that if you stopped Vick on the ground and forced him to throw, the numbers would make it much more likely that he'd turn the ball over or run out of downs.

That's the thing: if every defense in the division knows how to game you and your arm isn't good enough to get the job done, you're not going to have much of a career to begin with. Vick's been off the field for what, 2 years? He hasn't been eating or working out under proper conditions, and the odds are pretty heavy that he's lost a step off of his main weapon (speed). He pretty much established that he can't handle a traditional West Coast offense, so that kills about 80% of the league.

Buffalo already has TO as a distraction. I don't see them bringing in one that could even overshadow TO. Vick doesn't fit with Minnesota's post Loveboat MO. They're trying to keep it squeaky clean (read: the same strategy the Pacers are using in the NBA). Cleveland already has a QB controversy. They're bringing Anderson through camp. If they keep him, why bother with Vick as QB3? If they cut him, why the hell would they even entertain another QB controversy since they'd presumably finally be out of one. Denver already has Orton and Simms. Vick really doesn't seem like he'd work here either, especially since the town is notorious for running QBs out on a rail.

Houston just dumped a QB controversy by trading Sage, and Jacksonville would be retarded to sign Vick as a QB since they have too much money and time invested with Garrard (again, why create any controversy).

Unless he can show that he bulked up to RB weight/size and that he can catch balls like a WR, I don't see him working unless some team wants to just run the Wildcat and hope to god nobody learns how to game it.

Originally Posted by Crazyswordsman

The Dallas Cowboys -CSM

Maybe. Jones loves to take on problem players to show them the light (in the center of the stadium over the star), but the Cowboys don't really create QB controversies either. He would have to show he can convert to a WR/RB/KR/PR before they'd bite.

[Brandon2390]

Minnesota should give him a shot. He has to be better than Tavaris or Sage Rosenfails.

[Lurch1982]

Originally Posted by Brandon2390

Minnesota should give him a shot. He has to be better than Tavaris or Sage Rosenfails.

Minnesota needs a game manager more than anything else. Vick is anything but that.

Originally Posted by Brandon2390

Minnesota should give him a shot. He has to be better than Tavaris or Sage Rosenfails.

Minnesota needs a game manager more than anything else. Vick is anything but that.

------------------
Also, if you were in my FF league last year, sign into yahoo, you should have an invite.

[Eagle Eye]

Originally Posted by Lurch1982

Minnesota needs a game manager more than anything else. Vick is anything but that.

I wouldn't be surprised if they went out and tried to contact him, Childress already threw his neck out there.

I do believe they're better off with Tarvaris than anyone else at this point, he has great passing ability, but is slow with his reads. He's improved with playing time, but won't continue to improve if Childress keeps yanking him for other mediocre QBs. Gus Frerrote? Sage Rosenfels? Seriously?

You're better off in the long-run putting the young guy in (if he shows promise) than starting a journeyman.

[Crazyswordsman]

Originally Posted by Lurch1982

Maybe. Jones loves to take on problem players to show them the light (in the center of the stadium over the star), but the Cowboys don't really create QB controversies either. He would have to show he can convert to a WR/RB/KR/PR before they'd bite.

I was (jokingly basing this off Dallas' recent history of hiring players who will ignite controversies. I remember someone (it was either Madden or one of the MNF people) talked about how they love this stuff in Dallas during an Eagles-Cowboys game I was watching. -CSM

[Marchie]

Vick signs with Eagles.

[Crazyswordsman]

I didn't think he'd sign with Philly. Andy Reid has a zero-tolerance policy for controversy. -CSM