Michael Vick is not ever playing quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons again.
The Associated Press and others announced today that the Falcons have inked rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to a six-year, $72M contract. $34.75M is guaranteed. Ryan was the third player selected in the draft this year, after efforts by the Baltimore Ravens to trade for the Rams' second pick did not pan out. Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons and a one-time staunch Vick supporter, stated the deal had to be done today in order to get a six-year contract, due to the owners decision to opt out of the labor agreement for the 2010 season.
You can't lose your job to injury, but it appears you sure as hell can lose it to a prison term. Clearly, there is no place for Vick in the Falcons' organization as a quarterback. Even if Matt Ryan is the worst highly drafted quarterback since Ryan Leaf, the Falcons are now committed to him publicly and as far as the cap is concerned. There is no way out.
Ironically, Matt Ryan is the future - and savior - of the Falcons more than Michael Vick ever was. The cap implications of having to cut or bench Ryan are unfathomable, and would make it totally impossible for the Falcons to field a competitive team for at least one season, and perhaps longer. I don't know if the CBA opt out gives the Falcons an out in 2010, but if it doesn't the NFL's largest black fan base had better get used to the pasty white guy from Bahstin Cahllige behind the center.
On a related note, is Arthur Blank really this confident that 2010 will be an uncapped season? Combined with the unanimous vote to opt out of the CBA, do we need to be concerned that the owners are REALLY dug in for battle this time? Given Kevin Mawae's griping to ESPN about the largesse of Ryan's deal (and subtle hint that a four-year rookie system would be nice), are the two sides already negotiating through the media? Time will tell I suppose.
4 Responses:
We pretty much saw that one coming. It's no telling the physical or mental state of someone coming out of the prison system.
I doubt that anyone will pick Vick up, and that the bigger story in history will be if Matt Ryan was worth his weight in guaranteed money.
I'm not sure there is a substance that goes for $72M per 215 pounds.
I'd still like to see Vick make a run when he gets out, but I fear he'll have to start as a position player.
Yep, I loved the message that Blank sent when Matt Ryan was chosen in the draft. I immediately went to the Falcons website and purchased my Ryan jersey!! Personally, I hope the sadist Michael Vick NEVER returns to the NFL, he is the most hated man in the US today. There's a reason why most of the superbowl commercials feature animals, and it isn't because they approve of someone who would starve, hang, torture, fight, drown, hang, and electrocute dogs.
Yea, j-red, I would like to see Michael Vick make a run to when he gets out of prison. I'd like to see him running for his life, with about 10 hungry pit bulls on his heels. Jeez, don't you realize that Vick is persona non grata everywhere in this country today???
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