Eagles Teammates Giving Vick the “Good to Go”

The Philadelphia Eagles have been all the rage this summer. Aside from losing Brian Dawkins to free-agency and the Denver Broncos, the Eagles are poised to be the NFC Champions by the time the Super Bowl rears its beautiful face in February. The x-factor for the Eagles remains in Michael Vick’s hands. The “Vick Forgiveness Tour” begins with the Carolina Panthers, and little is known about Vick’s capacity in Andy Reid’s offense. Vick’s new teammates, however, seem to believe that Vick will undoubtedly benefit their offense.

Andy Reid has not made a decision as to Vick’s playing time for the final two preseason games, but Vick is cleared to play. His regular season debut, however, may have to wait until Week 6. Roger Goddell has not made a final decision as to Vick’s full reinstatement as of this printing. The Eagles play the Jaguars and the Jets to close out preseason betting action.

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Michael Vick will also have to continually deal with his bankruptcy hearings throughout the season, but has promised that they will not be a distraction to the team. His new multi-million dollar contract with the Eagles (it makes me sick just writing that) will give him the funds to climb out of the hole, but it all depends on what Roger Goddell determines Vick’s future to be. Vick will lose his $1.6 million salary should he be cut before Week 1, when the Eagles clash with the Carolina Panthers.

DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook and Donavan McNabb are the anchors of the already high-scoring Eagles offense. Philadelphia ranked ninth in 2008 with 350.5 yards per game, while ranking sixth in scoring with 26.0 points per contest. Vick has already become an established runner in the NFL, gaining over 1,000 yards as a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. His elusiveness and natural speed are mind boggling, but his arm is also a shotgun – deadly, powerful and incredibly inaccurate.

As of right now, Vick is the backup quarterback in the Eagles roster. However, his ability to run the Wildcat offense that the Eagles could not successfully use with DeSean Jackson make him invaluable to the success of the Eagles who will be a scary offense when Goddell approves his full reinstatement. Whether he’s a receiver, a quarterback or a running-back, Vick’s mere presence on the field will be scary enough for team defenses, especially given his complementing components on the field.

The general public is split on how they feel about Vick’s return. Roger Goddell has given himself an “out” of sorts by saying he has yet to make a final decision. The fans in Philadelphia are fragmented on Vick. But Vick’s teammates are ready to see him play, and ready to see him hit the field with them in the heat of an NFL game. It’s not the full forgiveness and public acceptance that Vick may want right now, but it’s a start.