QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

HT: 6-1, WT: 215, Born: 6-26-1980, College: Virginia Tech, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 1

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full ADP list]

Overall: A Dalton (117), J Rodgers (118), Michael Vick (119), A Boldin (120), J Flacco (121)
Position: B Roethlisberger (108-QB14), A Dalton (117-QB15), Michael Vick (119 - QB16), J Flacco (121-QB17), J Cutler (140-QB18)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

Outlook

When Chip Kelly was hired as the Eagles new head coach, most assumed Kelly would either keep Michael Vick and build around him, or part ways with Vick and let Nick Foles and a rookie battle for snaps. As it turns out, Kelly opted for all of the above. Vick helped Kelly’s decision by restructuring his contract (Vick is now playing on a one-year, $7.5mm deal) and has said all the right things about Kelly, the new fast paced offense, and the opportunity to right everything that went wrong in 2012 that resulted in a 4-12 season. Athletically, even at 33 years old, Vick remains one of the league’s poster boys – he even beat LeSean McCoy in a sprint at an early preseason get together. The question is whether Vick is a good fit for Kelly’s up tempo offense, and whether Vick can regain the sharp decision-making that defined his MVP caliber 2010 season. While it’s impossible to know whether Kelly and his offensive coaches are willing to commit to Vick for the entire season, the decision to keep him for $7.5mm argues in the affirmative. In addition to learning a new offense, Vick’s fates will be tied to whether the Eagles offensive line can bounce back from an abysmal 2012. The return of LT Jason Peters will help, but it’s going to take more than one player. Offensively, Vick will see a lot of familiar faces in the huddle, including LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. There may be changes in the frequency of formations, as the team spent big money on H-Back James Casey and a high draft pick on TE Zach Ertz. Time will tell whether Vick’s future is in Philadelphia, but for now he’s atop the depth chart.

Latest News

Eagles | Michael Vick says he's fastest QB (Fri May 24, 01:44 PM) - Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick said he's still the fastest quarterback in the league, despite the presence of San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III. 'These guys are young and they're fast and they're quick, the thing I do have is a very quick get-up,' Vick said. 'I really don't feel like there's a quarterback in the league who can beat me in a 40-yard dash. If somebody wants to set something up, I'll be more than glad to accept the challenge.'

Our View: We love that confidence coming from Vick and we should see him utilized more as a runner in the Chip Kelly offense. Last year Vick only ran the ball 62 times. This season he may approach 100 rushing attempts on the year. Kelly's offense at Oregon had 685 carries in 2012.
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Eagles | Michael Vick will have to change in new offense (Wed May 22, 06:58 PM) - Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick, who held onto the ball for an average of 3.07 seconds last year, will likely have to change in order to be successful in head coach Chip Kelly's new offense. Kelly, while at Oregon, preached that his quarterbacks were urged to get the ball out of their hands in 1.5 seconds. 'I think there is a lot more to Michael,' Kelly said back in February. 'I think quarterbacks are a byproduct of their experience. But to sit here and say I understood the system that Michael's been in whether he's with the Falcons under Coach (Dan) Reeves or here, that depends on the system that you run. Some of the systems that they run they don't ask him to get the ball out quick. Do I think he can get the ball out quick? I think he's got an unbelievable release. It's up and out and it's quick.'

Our View: Vick is athletic and that should be featured in the Kelly inside zone read offense. However, Kelly's QBs need to get rid of the ball quickly to keep a defense on their toes and keep the high powered offense churning. We'll see if Vick can change this part of his game and lead the offense in 2013.
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Eagles | Nick Foles sees more time with starters (Mon May 20, 03:18 PM) - Philadelphia Eagles QB Nick Foles received 21 snaps with the first-team offense during organized team activities Monday, May 20, while QB Michael Vick received 15 snaps.

Our View: Foles is competing with Vick to be the team's starter in 2013. Vick is the better runner and may be the better fit for Chip Kelly's system. Foles could be the better passer if he works on the accuracy and decision making issues he had at times last year.
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Eagles | Michael Vick says coach helps with ball security (Sun May 19, 03:05 PM) - Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick said head coach Chip Kelly has helped him with his ball security by showing him a new way to hold the ball. 'The other day, I broke out in the pocket, and the first thing Chip told me was to tuck the football,' Vick said. 'So I showed him how I was running with it, and he looked at it and he knocked the ball right out of my hands. And he was like, 'Hold it like this.' And what he told me felt comfortable. I had a tighter grip on the football. That should secure that problem as long as I work on it.'

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Eagles | Vick working on ball security (Sun May 19, 02:05 PM) - Sheil Kapadia, from Phillymag.com, reports Eagles QB Michael Vick says new head coach Chip Kelly has shown him a new way to hold the football when he runs. "The other day, I broke out in the pocket, and the first thing Chip told me was to tuck the football," Vick said. "So I showed him how I was running with it, and he looked at it and he knocked the ball right out of my hands. And he was like, 'Hold it like this.' And what he told me felt comfortable. I had a tighter grip on the football. That should secure that problem as long as I work on it."

Our View: Ball security has been an issue with Vick during his time with the Eagles. He's set to run more under Kelly than he did under Andy Reid last year and ball security is paramount for his success on the ground. Vick is competing with second-year QB Nick Foles for the starting job in 2013.
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - The failures of Andy Reid's coaching staff to establish the run early in this game put Michael Vick and his offensive line under too much pressure. Vick repeatedly made bad decisions and showed no poise in the pocket. Vick is often criticized for trying to escape the pocket too quickly, in this game it's hard to blame him. The Eagles coaching staff repeatedly had Vick running play action plays, but the Browns never bought the run because LeSean McCoy was mostly an afterthought until the fourth quarter. If Vick didn't get rid of the ball instantly, he was forced to throw under pressure or scramble to find a receiver. The Browns consistently got pressure early on, but even when they didn't the effect of so many passing plays meant Vick was uncomfortable and making bad decisions in the pocket. His first interception came when he was flushed from the pocket. King Dunlap came flying into the backfield draped over Emmanuel Stephens to push Vick into the left flat. With defenders in pursuit, Vick made a terrible decision to throw across his body. Had he thrown the ball to LeSean McCoy underneath, it would have been a completion, but instead he didn't see the field and threw towards Brent Celek who was outmuscled for the football. Vick threw into a congested area of the field where he couldn't see defenders on the run. Vick did rebound at least. For the first time in the game, Vick stood tall in a clean pocket and was able to step into a deep throw. The result was a perfectly accurate pass to Jeremy Maclin down the sideline. Vick looked off the safety to create space for Maclin before dropped the ball over the cornerbacks head and away from the safety. With the offensive line giving him plenty of time, and Vick not feeling false pressure, he delivered another strike to a wide-open Jeremy Maclin in the endzone. That was followed up by another interception however. It was one of the rare occasions when Vick had more time in the pocket than he needed. Despite having plenty of time to survey the field and to step into his throw, Vick made a bad decision with the football. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson stepped infront of Clay Harbor to break up the pass before L.J Fort snatched the ball out of the air. Vick threw to a receiver surrounded by three defenders, it was simply a terrible, terrible decision. A third interception wasn't Vick's fault(see Jeremy Maclin), but the fourth was another awful decision. Vick had enough time in the pocket to survey the field. From his own goalline he still forced the ball into a window that was non existent over the middle. Two defenders lined up to catch the ball ahead of Jeremy Maclin, Vick's intended target. D'Qwell Jackson caught it and ran it back into the endzone. It was the kind of play that should have lost the game for the Eagles. Vick did lead a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, but even that drive was marred by a terrible decision. Before throwing the game winning touchdown pass to Clay Harbor, Vick threw a sure fire interception that was dropped by LJ Fort. It was another bad decision by the quarterback who threw into double coverage and hit the defender on the hands. Maclin had no chance at catching the ball. Even though Vick made many throws bad throws under pressure, his worst throws appeared to come when he had plenty of time in the pocket. On any other day, it would have been a losing performance.

Week 2 - Michael Vick led another game-winning drive in the fourth quarter against the Eagles, after doing the same against the Browns in Week 1, but his performance was far from perfect. Vick improved significantly over his horrible performance in Cleveland, but repeated some of his mistakes also. Vick came out of the game with a clear determination to right the wrongs from last week. He threw darts to DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant to put his team in scoring position. However, that good start was marred by Vick's first interception of the day. Vick threw accurate, well thought out passes from the pocket initially, but threw an interception when the Ravens forced him from the pocket. Vick had time in the pocket to survey the defense, as the Ravens only rushed three defenders. Once the pressure came however, Vick escaped from the pocket running to his right(the wrong side for a left-handed quarterback) before throwing across his body. Vick had room to run for maybe three yards, but instead saw Brent Celek at the back of the endzone. He made a split decision to throw the ball, which cost him because Bernard Pollard was hidden behind a closer defender. Pollard picked off Vick with a diving interception. Just like against the Browns, Vick didn't see the defender. Celek had no chance to catch the ball. He was open, but the ball had to be thrown further infield and deeper into the endzone if he was to catch it. Vick rebounded well from his early mistake. He threw another perfect pass to Brent Celek on third and 20. That proved to be the first of many excellent hookups with Celek on the day. Vick was consistently finding Celek and DeSean Jackson for chunks of yardage, but failed to see another defender with a throw over the middle that should have cost him. Vick was looking to Celek when Ray Lewis stepped infront of the pass and dropped a relatively easy interception. Lewis was crouched behind the offensive line, but was deep enough that Vick should have located him. Along with that pass, Albert McLellan should have intercepted Vick in the endzone on another occasion. McLellan was in perfect coverage on Brent Celek and it made no sense for Vick to try and throw the ball to his tight end. Outside of those mental errors, Vick was making better decisions on every play. He was using his legs to better effect than against the Browns and wasn't forcing the ball into tight windows. When the Ravens played zone coverage he was picking them apart over the middle. Probably Vick's most significant play came when Andy Reid trusted him to throw from close to his own endzone. Vick had thrown an interception in that situation last week, but did no such thing this week. He looked off the safety to open a small window down the sideline for DeSean Jackson. Jackson beat Cary Williams and Vick placed the ball perfectly in his hands for a 49 yard gain. That play was followed by another interception, alas it was an interception that was to no fault of the quarterback. Vick threw a pass to Brent Celek who was under pressure from Ray Lewis. The ball was in a position where only Celek had an opportunity to catch it, but it bounced off of Celek's hands into the chest of Ed Reed. Some would call it a risky throw, but it was a perfectly accurate throw that Celek should have come down with. Despite that misfortune, Vick was able to rally his troops and lead another game-winning touchdown that he finished off himself with a designed run. The Eagles used Vick on more designed runs in this game, each time they benefited from them. Vick made mistakes in this game, but there was definitely significant improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.

Week 3 - Michael Vick had an all-around awful day at University of Phoenix Field. The Eagles offensive line could not contain the Cardinal pass rush, as Arizona’s defense punished Vick in this contest. Vick started slow, and any flashes of life the Eagles’ offense showed in the 1st half were ultimately snuffed out by. Twice during the 1st half, Vick led the Eagles into Cardinal territory, and twice the Eagles came away with nothing. Early in the 2nd quarter and trailing by 10, Vick scrambled during a broken play. He put the ball on the turf as he was being brought down, and the Cardinals picked it up. Later, on the Eagles final 1st half possession, Vick once again looked to overcome his rough start as he led the Eagles down to the Arizona 1 yard line. However, during the drive, he got shaken up after a 20 yard run. Two plays later, he took a hard hit and was again slow to get up. The next play, on what would be the last play of the 1st half, Vick was hit once more on his blind side(the tenth of the half). He fumbled for the second time and the Cardinals returned the gift 93 yards for a touchdown. The 2nd half featured more of the same for Vick in terms of physical abuse. He led the Eagles to field goals on their first two possessions of the half, but he also absorbed 11 more hits. All of the pressure influenced Vick’s poise in the pocket, as he had to throw the ball away on several occasions. In addition the pressure, inaccuracy plagued Vick during this game. He missed open receivers on deep pass attempts, and under duress, his passes fell at the feet of his intended receivers. It all resulted in 217 yards passing. Overall, Vick was hit 21 times in game and the Eagles rarely could sustain any offensive continuity. Vick also contributed 28 rushing yards to the Eagles’ total.

Week 4 - The Eagles have figured out that a great way to reduce the number of turnovers caused by Mike Vick is to run the ball. A Lot. The Eagles had unusual balance on offense that kept them in very manageable down and distance situations. This allowed Mike Vick to settle for underneath and short throws to keep drives alive, instead of forcing big plays and subsequently turning the ball over. McCoy ran very effectively on the ground, allowing Vick to use play action and take advantage of a defense that had to worry about the passing and ground game of Philadelphia. Vick often bought time outside of the pocket and was able to connect to WR Jackson on a great sideline pass with terrific touch to keep it in bounds. Vick was hurried heavily and knocked down a lot in the first half of the game but figured out the Giants defense in the second half. The pass rush wore down as the running game for PHI got stronger and QB Vick was given an easier defense to read as a result and extra time in the pocket. Vick was turnover free, made smart decisions and checked down the ball as he went through his progressions which allowed for much smoother QB play and kept the Giants defense guessing all game along. Vick was afforded excellent pass protection on his touchdown pass to WR Jackson. Vick lofted up high a perfect corner route pass to his WR, who was wide open in the endzone for the touchdown. Vick used a high tempo offense and a lot of no huddle with quick passes to prevent sacks/negative plays and looked much more efficient working from the pocket as a result. The strong running game also took a lot of pressure off Vick and the Eagles need to continue this formula in order to minimize turnovers permanently.

Week 5 - For a very long time now, you've had to take the good with the bad when it comes to Michael Vick. This game was no exception, but there was plenty to be happy about if you are a Vick fan. Vick fumbled the ball three times and each fumble was his fault, but from a sheer passing perspective, Vick took care of the football expertly and never looked uncomfortable throwing the ball. This, despite being under pressure consistently throughout the game. His first fumble came on a play at the goalline when the Eagles called a quarterback draw. Vick lost the football going to the ground when he was hit by Ryan Clark. Vick was hit on the hands, but it didn't appear to be a massive hit and he should have held onto it. Soon after, Lawrence Timmons forced the ball from Vick in the pocket. Timmons was constantly in the Eagles' backfield before he finally got to the quarterback. Vick had evaded a sack earlier in the game from him, but this time he didn't see Timmons tracking him from behind as he looked to escape upfield. Timmons got his hand to the football, but again Vick should have been stronger and held the ball to his body. Vick's final fumble was his worst. Steelers defensive tackle Steve McLendon penetrated into the backfield at the snap. Vick saw him as he broke directly into his eyeline, but never adjusted to protect the football as he was hit. McLendon knocked the ball free with ease as Vick's arms flailed away from his body. Outside of his fumbles, Vick couldn't be blamed for any more of his offense's struggles. The patchwork offensive line infront of him couldn't hold off the Steelers' pressure, which limited the effectiveness of the outside talent. That forced Vick to repeatedly check the ball down and take underneath passes or throw the ball away. Those plays may have seemed like nothing, but a few weeks ago they were the plays that Vick was forcing into interceptions. Vick still has some distance to go to get completely back on track, but this game was definitely a step in the right direction.

Week 6 - Michael Vick came into this game, talking about how he needed to take care of the ball and avoid costly turnovers. He finished the game with two interceptions and a fumble that was eventually recovered. The Eagles also lost a fumble when the center snapped the ball before Vick was ready and he was unable to recover it. Vick spent most of the game under intense pressure from the Lions. While he was only sacked three times, he was hit 11 times including several shots from unblocked rushers that looked like it might take Vick out for the game. He hung tough though, and kept plugging away – only to see the victory slip through his hands with an epic flame-out of an opening series in overtime. For the most part, Vick does what he does best – bide time with his legs and create opportunities for his receivers to make plays while also making two or three bad throws a game that sometimes result in a turnover. In the first half, Vick was reasonably accurate with his short and medium passes, but he wasn’t able to make anything happen downfield. In the first quarter, his longest pass play was just an 11 yard check down to Brent Celek on 3rd and 23. He had more success running the ball, when the pocket collapsed and he took off for a big 12 yard gain and a 1st down. Midway through the second quarter, he tried to go deep down the middle of the field to Jermey Maclin, but the pass was overthrown and the Lions came down with the easy interception. When the Lions failed to score, Vick came right back to Maclin in a deep route down the right side for a big 17 yard gain. Three plays later Vick hit Jason Avant on a crossing route for another 17 yard gain. Two plays later he targeted Maclin In the end zone but the ball was just a little underthrown. Maclin was interfered with and the Eagles had the ball first and goal. Vick scored on the easy dump to McCoy who blocked for a second and then released at the line. As the defender came free, Vick zipped the ball to McCoy who dove into the end zone for the first TD of the game. It would be the only touchdown until the 4th quarter. After the Matthew Stafford score pulled the Lions to within three, Vick targeted DeSean Jackson deep down the field, but the pass was under-thrown and easily picked off. The Lions failed to score though, and on the next series, Vick hit Maclin in stride when he had blown pass the defensive secondary. It was off to the races and resulted in a big 70 yard TD that should have put the game away for the Eagles. But the Lions stormed back, tying the game and forcing overtime. Vick and the Eagles took the ball to start overtime, but the Lions could feel the momentum shift. Vick dropped back but was chased and dragged down by Cliff Avril for a seven yard sack on the first play of the extra period. On the next play, Vick panicked when the pocket collapsed and tried to scramble rather than throw the ball away. He was caught and sacked for a 14 yard loss, giving the Eagles 3rd and 31 from their own 4. He was under pressure on their third pass as well, and just threw the ball away, narrowly avoiding an intentional grounding call in the end zone. The Eagles punted and the Lions won the game on the following drive.

Week 8 - With the rain coming down in sheets at Lincoln Financial Field, and Philadelphia’s boo-birds in full force, Michael Vick turned in a performance that will likely give Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid serious pause in considering him the starter for future games. Completing twenty-one of his thirty-four passes and rushing for forty-two yards, Vick spent the day hurried and harassed by a serviceable Falcons pass rush. The Falcons kept their secondary off the line against the Eagles receivers, and with the pass rush doing a fine job, Philadelphia’s hand got forced into short and intermediate throws. The best the Vick-led Philadelphia offense could generate was a series of quick, rhythmic throws and a bottled-up running game.

Vick looked like the ghost of the quarterback that dominated the NFL in the second half of the 2010 season. He waited far too long to make throws after the snap. While the weather may have been a factor in Philadelphia, he threw a slow ball that his receivers had difficulty tracking down. Vick completed a disappointing five yards per pass. Several of his passes were batted down and he found himself on the ground at the end of a few plays. The much-maligned turnover machine succeeded in not giving the Falcons defense any freebies at Lincoln Financial Field, though he did throw up a duck that Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas nearly picked off. There were four Falcons in the area of the pass, including Nicholas – and zero Eagles. Aside from DeSean Jackson’s thirty-two yard catch-and-run off a missed tackle by Asante Samuel, Vick’s longest pass play of the day was a sixteen yarder to Brent Celek. His one passing touchdown came on a running back screen that LeSean McCoy took and pranced into the end zone. It went for seven yards. Blame the weather, blame the Falcons defensive strategy, or blame the Eagles’ uninspired play calling, but simply put, Vick looked bad. So bad, in fact, that rookie Nick Foles is being considered by Reid to start Week Nine against the Saints.

Week 9 - After taking a career high seven sacks, Michael Vick may find a second home within an ice tub. Throughout the game, the Saints pressured Vick with exotic blitz packages and constantly deployed blitzers in the A-Gaps. During his team’s first drive, Vick took three sacks and was hit five times on nine pass attempts. The Saint defensive pressure, coupled with the porous offensive line play, clearly made Vick uncomfortable and set the tone for the rest of the game. During his team’s second drive, Vick utilized his running back to alleviate some of the pressure. After a big 40-yard run by Bryce Brown, Vick failed to cash in on his first red zone opportunity. On a 2nd-and-Goal play from the New Orleans 7-yard line, the Saints deployed pressure up the middle and Vick’s pass attempt to Brent Celek wound up in the arms of Patrick Robinson who ran it back for a 99-yard touchdown. Vick was once again hit on the play and the ball was poorly thrown. After the interception, the Eagles took the air of the ball and pounded away at the generous Saint run defense. In total, the Eagles ran for 156 first half yards.

After halftime, Vick wasted little time before showing off his play making ability. With his team trailing 21-3, Vick ran a naked bootleg and found DeSean Jackson streaking down the right sideline for a 77-yard touchdown. The Saints blew the coverage, but Vick’s pass and Jackson’s slick moves after the catch propelled the much needed score. After Travis Cadet fumbled away the ensuing kickoff return, Vick was fortunate to get the ball back on the New Orleans 24-yard line. After scrambling for a 14-yard gain on the first down play, Vick gave the yardage back, taking a sack and losing 19 yards on the third play. The Eagles settled for a field goal and missed a golden opportunity at seven points. After the field goal, Drew Brees and the Saint offense drove down the field and delivered one final touchdown drive, enhancing a 28-13 fourth quarter lead.

After the fourth New Orleans’ touchdown, Vick began accumulating ‘garbage time’ statistics. Vick completed nine of his twenty two passes for 95 yards and added 30 of his 53 rushing yards. Vick had one last red zone possession during his team’s tenth drive, but Brent Celek fumbled it away after taking a big hit. Overall, it was a frustrating game for Vick. He took a career high seven sacks and attempted to operate behind a makeshift offensive line that had obvious pass blocking issues. If Howard Mudd doesn’t resolve his offensive line woes, Vick may not make it through this season.

Week 10 - Vick left the contest in the second quarter with a severe concussion. Prior to the injury, he had been efficient as a passer completing six of nine passes for 7.8 yards per attempt. His best pass came on a touchdown throw to Riley Cooper. On the play, Cooper lined up to the left from the two yard line. Vick took the snap and threw a hard pass to Cooper for the easy score and the early lead. Vick showed deft accuracy and touch on short passes to the outside, notably completing passes for long after-catch gains to Brent Celek and Lesean McCoy. Conversely, the Cowboys' defense did an excellent job controlling Vick on the run. He finished the day with three short rushes including one rush for a loss. He is expected to miss at least one game due to the concussion.

Week 17 - Michael Vick may have been playing an audition for a starting role in 2013 on Sunday against the Giants but it wasn’t quite the performance he would have liked to finish 2012 on. Vick was erratic with many throws, got pressured heavily and had little success stringing together long drives. Vick relied on big chunk plays to keep his offense on the field but this rarely worked against the Giants. Vick’s first drive resulted in an interception as his pass sailed high over his intended WR over the middle of the field and fell into the hands of a NYG safety. Vick had a nice clutch conversion on 4th and 10 to Avant on an in breaking route, showing patience and ball placement but this kind of efficiency was lacking for most of the day. Vick’s only touchdown came on a rollout to the left in the redzone, as he bought time for himself outside the pocket and easily found WR Maclin near the sideline for the score. Vick missed a lot of WR’s in stride and overthrew/threw behind a lot of balls. His receivers didn’t necessarily help him out either as he had some drops and penalties to negate plays. Vick’s biggest miss came in the redzone as WR Johnson ran free on a slant pattern but the pass was too far in front and fell incomplete. Philadelphia failed to possess the ball for long drives and the offense looked typically out of sync. An overhaul is needed in the offseason.