One of the many pre-draft rituals that the so-called experts partake in is helping that good old rumor mill churn.
Who failed a drug test? Who has a lingering knee issue? I’m not talking about you Trent Richardson! Who is about to be traded? What quarterback will have his successor drafted? Ah I got your attention!
Over the past nine seasons at least two quarterbacks minimum have been selected in the first round. Some drafts have had three quarterbacks selected. Point is if you are not one of the elite or supremely talented quarterbacks, that first night of the NFL Draft is stressful for you.
The latest round of rumors hit home for me. Being a Philadelphia native I am aware of all that goes on with the Team Vick and his Bird Gang. Vick in my opinion is a top ten quarterback when healthy and is the NFL version of my Philly favorite Allen Iverson. Vick who is small for a quarterback plays with immense heart and courage, while constantly walking that tight rope in terms of his position discipline.
Vick recently dealt with rumors of Andy Reid trying to enter the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. Vick responded to those rumors with the bravado a top-tier quarterback should display. During an appearance on the NFL Network Vick was asked about those rumors and stated “I don’t know how true it is and I really don’t care… I’m one of the best.” I loved the answer from the NFL”s human highlight reel.
My question now is how will Mike Vick deal with Reid feeling like he can teach Ryan Tannehill how to be a great quarterback. According to reports Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles are showing some interest in the Texas A&M quarterback. Reid loves the challenge of molding the raw quarterback talent into a quality NFL starter. Reid in his mind is the quintessential quarterback guru.
Coming off a season in which Vick completed 59.8% of his passes for 3,303 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Vick must cut down on the costly turnovers and work on his inability to recognize the blitz coming from his left.
Should Mike Vick be threatened by Ryan Tannehill? Hell no! Is Tannehill talented? Yes there is potential there as a passer. He has good height and is extremely athletic. Just the way Andy Reid likes them. He has his negatives also. He has one year of actual playing experience in the Big 12 and is extremely inaccurate. Again the way Andy Reid likes his quarterbacks. We truly never will know if Tannehill’s numerous interceptions were his problem or the result of average wide receiver play at A&M.
In my opinion the Philadelphia Eagles have way more pressing needs than the quarterback. Mike Vick is not the problem. Just like Allen Iverson he is the Answer. Reid needs to address a porous offensive line along with getting his full eleven players on defense to tackle and chase the football as a group. We truly won’t know for another 24 days what the Eagles will do. We experts love to speculate though.
