Over on his Yardbarker blog, Donovan McNabb details how and why the Eagles signed Michael Vick.

I wanted Michael to come to Philadelphia and, in any way he can, help bring a Super Bowl championship to the City. There is no doubt he is a uniquely talented player that can add to our offensive weapons. For him personally, I want to see him continue to grow as a person, spend time with his family and re-establish himself as a leader on and off the field. Due to the nature of what happened and the attention it has received, it may not always be easy for him but he seems up for the challenge. Fortunately, with a tremendous individual like Tony Dungy in his corner, he will have the support he needs.

I just caught a bit of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” where they were discussing the Vick signing. One of the guests was Gov. Ed Rendell who said that we, as a society, preach over and over to inmates when they go to prison that if they serve their time, we’ll give them another chance. One of the other guests — I didn’t catch his name (sorry) — said that all this talk of redemption is fine, but this was a football decision.

Well, duh, of course it was. The Eagles signed Vick because they thought he could help their team. Rendell is talking about rehabilitation and redemption as a way to justify the signing to those who would like to see Vick go and crawl under a rock and never play football again. These are two separate questions:

1) Why did the Eagles sign Vick?
2) How do they justify it?

I consider myself a dog lover, so I find Vick’s history of animal abuse to be disgusting. That said, he has served his time and seems intent on proving to everyone that he is sorry for what he did and that he’s a changed man. While the Eagles’ decision to sign him may piss off a few animal lovers in Philadelphia, they’ll get over it if he’s averaging 7.0 yards per carry in the Wildcat formation.

I just wonder what Vick says about dog-fighting behind closed doors, when it’s just him and his buddies. I hope he’s sincere, but there’s only a select few that know for sure.

Here is what some of the local beat writers, columnists and bloggers are saying about the Eagles’ signing of Michael Vick.

Philadelphia Inquirer:
- Phil Sheridan writes that Vick isnt’ worth the trouble for the Eagles.

- Paul Domowitch says that controversy aside, the Vick signing is a perfect move by the Eagles.

- John Gonzalez is “astounded” by Philly signing Vick.

- Bob Cooney highlights the pros, cons and total shock of the signing.

- Jeff McLane writes that Vick’s role with the Eagles is still unclear.

Philadelphia Daily News:
- Unsurprisingly, animal activists and readers are shocked by the signing.

- The Eagletarian (the PDN’s blog) discusses what kind of impact Vick will have on Donovan McNabb.

Blogs:
- BLEEDING GREEN NATION details who Pro Football Talk made up another story (I say “another” because this certainly isn’t the first time they’ve reported fake news) about how McNabb wasn’t pleased by the signing of Vick, yet as the blog notes, McNabb actually lobbied for the team to sign Vick.

- BLEEDING GREEN NATION also has a live blog dedicated to Vick’s first press conference with the Eagles.

- IGGLES BLOG writes that they’re proud of the Eagles for signing Vick.

- EAGLES PERCH is still in shock over the signing.

To the surprise of many, the Eagles went out on a limb and signed free agent quarterback Michael Vick to a one-year, $1.6 million deal with a $5.2 million team option for 2010. Below are five reasons why this move makes sense for Philadelphia.

1. The Eagles are going for broke this season.
This offseason, Philly traded a first round pick to Buffalo in exchange for Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters and also signed lineman Stacy Andrews. They also added playmakers Jeremy Maclin and LeSean “Shady” McCoy via the draft, so it’s clear that the Eagles are stocking their roster with as much offensive talent as they can. Vick was once highly regarded as the best athlete in the NFL and at $1.6 million, Philly is willing to take the risk in hopes that they just added even more talent to their brimming roster.

2. The Eagles offer a solid support system.
The Eagles have always been a model organization and they wouldn’t have made a move like this if they hadn’t first consulted Tony Dungy (who is mentoring Vick) and weighed all of their options. Vick leaves a lot to be desired as a human being, but Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Tom Heckert must believe that he can turn around his life and are willing to take him in. Plus, one would assume that Vick will be on his best behavior and Reid isn’t going to put up with an attitude. Another key to this situation is Donovan McNabb, who has the respect of his teammates and will certainly take some of the attention away from Vick’s arrival.

3. Kolb’s knee injury maybe worse than the Eagles are letting on.
While Vick doesn’t pose a threat to McNabb’s starting job, he does put pressure on backup Kevin Kolb, who was carted off the practice field at the beginning of the week after spraining his left knee. While reports state that Kolb should be fine, the signing of Vick may indicate that Philadelphia wants some insurance behind McNabb and Vick, despite his two-year playing absence, was the best QB on the market.

Of course, it’s entirely conceivable that the Eagles were working on a contract with Vick before Kolb’s injury, in which case maybe Philly just isn’t that high on Kolb’s development after two years. It’s a shame to think that a team would give up on a 24-year old former second round pick after just two years (especially a quarterback), but maybe the Eagles just don’t see much of a future in Kolb.

4. Vick gives Reid options in the offense.
While Vick never fully developed as a passer before being hauled off to prison for 23 months, he was explosive running various formations for Greg Knapp and Jim Mora in Atlanta. Reid definitely has a more creative offensive mind than Knapp does, so having an athletic talent like Vick at his disposal could be dangerous to opposing teams. Vick certainly could be a nice fit in the “Wildcat” formation and he could allow the Eagles to give opponents various looks from different offensive sets. In McNabb, Vick, Maclin, McCoy and DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia now has a host of offensive weapons.

5. The worst-case scenario isn’t that bad.
Let’s say half way through the season, the Eagles realize they made a huge mistake and that Vick has lost all of his athletic prowess. So what – they’ll cut him and move on. Let’s say half way through the season Vick gets into trouble off the field. So what – they’ll cut him and move on. If Vick is a distraction in anyway, the Eagles will cut bait, admit the mistake and carry on. This is a low-risk signing in terms of football and football alone, seeing as how it’s essentially only a one-year deal. They’re only financially tied to Vick for one season so worst case scenario he’s gone in a year. The upside (again, in terms of football) is much better than the downside.

That said, the Eagles risked alienating their fan base with a move like this, although it’s a risk they’ll gladly take if Vick can somehow contribute to a Super Bowl berth.