Eagles Sign Michael Vick

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It took a little more than two weeks from the time Michael Vick was conditionally reinstated to play in the NFL for a team to sign him. I am not surprised that somebody signed him, but I was a bit surprised to hear it would be with the Philadelphia Eagles. I thought the most likely place that he would have ended up would have been with the Oakland Raiders or the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones and Al Davis both have a history of signing troubled athletes, and Davis doesn't give a damn what anybody thinks about him.

The Eagles have Donovan McNabb as their starting quarterback, so they are solid there. They also have Kevin Kolb, who was drafted to be the heir apparent to McNabb. Kolb recently suffered a knee injury that is reported to be minor, but perhaps that spurred the Eagles to go after Vick. After two years out of the league, I would not expect Vick to vie for a starting job out of the gate. Most likely Andy Reid will use Vick in a wildcat formation as a possible runner or passer.

Vick can begin practicing immediately but will only be eligible to play in the last two preseason games. After that, Roger Goodell could fully reinstate Vick after the first four games of the regular season. With the possible exception of Terrell Owens, McNabb is considered to be one of the good guys. He also has had a relationship with Vick. Here is hoping that he can be a positive influence on Vick and help him turn his life around.

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