Lets cut through the crap: Michael Vick new what went on at that house. He didn’t just buy his cousin the home, turned around and never went back. Anyone with ¼ a brain would have questioned what all the kennels, equipment and dogs were for, or at the very least, would have taken more responsibility for who was allowed on the property. If Vick doesn’t wind up in jail or suspended, nothing short of a Ray Lewis-type miracle is going to save Vick’s image.
With that said, the Falcons should cut ties. Are there major cap ramifications with an outright release? Absolutely, around $6 million-plus this year and $15 mil next year. So what? At least the cap figures are larger now thanks to the CBA deal signed last year. The Chargers cut Ryan Leaf and eventally wound up with LaDainian Tomlinson. The Bengals cut Akili Smith and still nabbed Carson Palmer. New prospects and “face of the franchise” players come out every year, but you fail to do the right thing and it can haunt you. The Atlanta Falcons are bigger than Michael Vick and now it’s finally time for them to show it.
Don’t forget the Falcons just put together a nice draft and next year have an extra second round pick from the Matt Schaub trade. Even if they were handicapped in free agency, they’d still have the opportunity to play the youngsters, develop them under Bobby Petrino and have a nice core heading into 2009. Maybe the Falcons lose big next year without Vick, but what if Brian Brohm falls into their laps because of it?
More importantly than the on field stuff, however, the Falcons should think about their integrity above all else, including winning and selling tickets. Worried about people not showing up to the Georgia Dome? Start D.J. Shockley and watch UGA fans pack the place. Otherwise, there are more important things in life than winning football games and making money. Your franchise is hemorrhaging from within and the problem can be pinpointed. At the very least, the Falcons should usher Vick to the side until the legal matters take flight, then decide if a full release is the best move. But eventually, I think the outcome is still going to result in an ugly ending to Vick’s days in Atlanta, so why wait?
