Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

[rangerrick012]

I saw Jahgee1124 had a blog post on this, so I decided to make a poll of it. I think the answer's pretty obvious, but some of the comments on the blog felt otherwise. Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

To me when you draft a QB #1 overall, you expect him to lead your franchise for 10-15 years, possibly to many Super Bowls. Vick failed on that count, and obviously failed in his off the field responsibilities. For the arrest alone, I think he's a bust. Not a JaMarcus Russell-level bust, but a bust nonetheless.

[Cebby]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

Absolutely not if you can be unbiased and ignore the dog thing.

He wasn't great, but he's still a 3 time Pro Bowler who led his team to the playoffs twice where he was the first QB ever to beat Green Bay in Green Bay and took his team to the NFC Championship.

He's not a fantastic quarterback, but if he's a bust then so is just about every quarterback picked #1.

Of the 13 quarterbacks picked #1 since 1985, he's clearly behind Aikman, Bledsoe, and Manning. He's clearly ahead of George, Couch, Carr, Alex Smith, and Russell, and Stafford doesn't have enough playing time to tell yet.

At worst of the 12 in question, he ranks 7th with Vinny, Palmer, and Eli as the other 3. Of those, he has the most Pro Bowls and only Eli has more playoff success.

He didn't revolutionize football like he was supposed to, but he's very far from a bust.

To me when you draft a QB #1 overall, you expect him to lead your franchise for 10-15 years, possibly to many Super Bowls.

Then you should look at reality. In the last 25 years, the only quarterback to do that is Troy Aikman.

[rangerrick012]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

Absolutely not if you can be unbiased and ignore the dog thing.

The dog thing is a fairly big thing, and has to be taken into consideration since it basically set the Falcons franchise back 2 years, could have been longer if not for Blank cleaning house.

He wasn't great, but he's still a 3 time Pro Bowler.

Pro Bowl is biased and voted on by the fans. Vick is a fan favorite of course. Looking at his numbers, he was never an elite QB. I can't think of one season where I'd ever say he was a top 10 QB.

who led his team to the playoffs twice where he was the first QB ever to beat Green Bay in Green Bay and took his team to the NFC Championship.

The #1 running game that season w/ Duckett and Dunn, and one of the top defenses that season had nothing to do with it. Take nothing away from Vick, but he didn't exactly carry that team.

Of the 13 quarterbacks picked #1 since 1985, he's clearly behind Aikman, Bledsoe, and Manning. He's clearly ahead of George, Couch, Carr, Alex Smith, and Russell, and Stafford doesn't have enough playing time to tell yet.

At worst of the 12 in question, he ranks 7th with Vinny, Palmer, and Eli as the other 3. Of those, he has the most Pro Bowls and only Eli has more playoff success.

I'd say Eli and Palmer are both already ahead of him, and Vinny is as well IMO. Eli's definite, Palmer still has some more to do but should pass him easily in the next 1-2 years, and Vinny is as well.

Then you should look at reality. In the last 25 years, the only quarterback to do that is Troy Aikman.

Manning has as well. Vick didn't live up to expectations on and off the field. To me that makes him a bust, plain and simple. The Falcons invested a lot of money into him, and didn't get a return on that investment. In fact they got a negative return on that investment all things considered. That makes him a bust in my eyes.

[Cebby]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

The dog thing is a fairly big thing, and has to be taken into consideration since it basically set the Falcons franchise back 2 years, could have been longer if not for Blank cleaning house.

The dog thing didn't set the franchise back at all.

They sucked for one year and then proceeded to draft their franchise quarterback because of their suckage.

Pro Bowl is biased and voted on by the fans. Vick is a fan favorite of course. Looking at his numbers, he was never an elite QB. I can't think of one season where I'd ever say he was a top 10 QB.

I'm not a big "QB wins the games!" guy, but if you are then Vick was a top 10 QB. From 2002-2007 Vick went 37-27 as a starter while the rest of the team went 7-24.

That's a pretty huge impact.

The #1 running game that season w/ Duckett and Dunn, and one of the top defenses that season had nothing to do with it.

Vick was the #1 running game. Without his rushing yards they drop to 20th. Their defense in 2004 was ranked #14 in yards and points. Hardly the top of anything.

Manning has as well.

Peyton Manning won many Super Bowls?

Vick didn't live up to expectations on and off the field. To me that makes him a bust, plain and simple.

Again, aside from the dog thing, Vick performed at an above average level for a #1 quarterback.

The Falcons invested a lot of money into him, and didn't get a return on that investment. In fact they got a negative return on that investment all things considered.

Money wise there's not even a possible argument to make that Vick was a bust. He was #1 or #2 in jersey sales like 5 years in a row and set record attendance numbers.

[wwharton]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

The dog thing is a fairly big thing, and has to be taken into consideration since it basically set the Falcons franchise back 2 years, could have been longer if not for Blank cleaning house.



Pro Bowl is biased and voted on by the fans. Vick is a fan favorite of course. Looking at his numbers, he was never an elite QB. I can't think of one season where I'd ever say he was a top 10 QB.



The #1 running game that season w/ Duckett and Dunn, and one of the top defenses that season had nothing to do with it. Take nothing away from Vick, but he didn't exactly carry that team.



I'd say Eli and Palmer are both already ahead of him, and Vinny is as well IMO. Eli's definite, Palmer still has some more to do but should pass him easily in the next 1-2 years, and Vinny is as well.



Manning has as well. Vick didn't live up to expectations on and off the field. To me that makes him a bust, plain and simple. The Falcons invested a lot of money into him, and didn't get a return on that investment. In fact they got a negative return on that investment all things considered. That makes him a bust in my eyes.

Sounds like you had an agenda when you made this thread.

[swill43507]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

No, a bust is like Jamarcus Russell who doesn't produce and you release him 3 years later. Michael Vick became a star of the NFL and at one time he was the face of the league.

[iAM-IncReDiBLe-]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

The #1 running game that season w/ Duckett and Dunn, and one of the top defenses that season had nothing to do with it. Take nothing away from Vick, but he didn't exactly carry that team.

Umm I'm a Falcons fan and if you take away Vicks rushing yards then that drops a lot. Also defenses were so scared of him running that they didn't really key on Dunn or Duckett. I remember hearing all the time that if you stop Vick then the Falcons lose. That was the truth, defenses game planned to stop Vick. If they didn't then they usually lost. He obviously wasn't a great passer, but was good enough to keep the threat of him passing alive in defenses minds.

[SPTO]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

A bust? I don't think so but I'd say his career hasn't turned out the way everyone envisioned it would. I do think that people put too much expectations on him and while he isn't the greatest QB in the world he did have a knack for winning for the most part. He has a chance to turn things around in Philly and perhaps maybe with another team if he can stay healthy. I can see him having a late career resurgence.

[Jukeman]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

oops i voted yes by mistake..


He is what I thought he would be, plus he did lead the team who drafted him #1 to a NFC champ game...

[mgoblue]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

Yes, because when you draft a player you expect him to play and not be in prison.

If he never went to prison he'd be a mid-tier QB, so not a bust with respect to talent. Just a bust with respect more with the situations he put himself in.

[TheWatcher]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

He isn't a bust, but was (and hopefully no longer) a bad citizen.

[Speedy]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

Another Vick thread...

In terms of a football career, he's not a bust as he was exactly whom the Falcons saw when they drafted him: elusive, playmaker, electric arm, decent accuracy with no touch, limited QB vision. He led them to the playoffs including going to the divisional round in '03 and went to a couple of pro-bowls. He generated revenue both in the seats and merchandise sales so he certainly delivered on the amount of money Atlanta paid him (or most of it as the owner got back $20M).

In terms of a society perspective, he is a bust with regard to America's demands that professional athletes be role models and superb citizens for young teenage followers to look up to but if taking that standpoint then half of the athletic arena should be considered busts.

[rangerrick012]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

Sounds like you had an agenda when you made this thread.

I actually like Vick. I think he got a raw deal from the public with the whole dogfighting thing, when there's guys in the league that have done worse IMO. But that's a whole other issue, not to derail things.

The fact is, Vick didn't produce in Atlanta to the level at which they expected him to. No doubt he was one of the best playmakers in the league at one point in time. But did that translate to wins? At times yes, but for the most part, no. 37-27 isn't that great of a record for a #1 pick at QB.

All things considered, on the field and off it, Vick was a bust for the Falcons. I think people get too wrapped up in the highlights. When you look at his numbers, they were mediocre for a QB. He never developed the balance between the playmaking as a runner and efficiency as a passer that Atlanta expected and needed at that point in time. That along with the off the field circumstances all comes together to make him a bust IMO.

[splff3000]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

WTF? How are there more votes saying yes than no? You people really have a problem if you think Vick is a bust. I hope Jamarcus Russell goes to one of your teams so you can see what a real bust is. SMH

[mgoblue]

Re: Is Michael Vick a 'bust'?

WTF? How are there more votes saying yes than no? You people really have a problem if you think Vick is a bust. I hope Jamarcus Russell goes to one of your teams so you can see what a real bust is. SMH

I'm sorry...I didn't realize having your QB in prison instead of playing on the field was a good thing...

I'm not denying his talent and ability. In that respect he's not a bust. In staying out of prison for years he's a total bust. Part of drafting a player is the mental side of life, not just numbers. Vick put himself in poor situations and cost him most of his career.