As everyone has seen, Mike Vick was signed to be the backup QB for the Stillers, with Gradkow moving to IR.
A rare, savvy move by Doltbert. This comes down to talent....talent avail on the roster and talent avail in the FA pool. Laundry Jones is a farce -- a sad indictment of Doltbert and his foolish selection of Jones with a 4th rounder -- and is in no shape to be the #2. And at this point, there really were no better alternatives in the FA market.
Vick served his time. It's time to move on. I realize all sorts of Pittsburghers are all up in arms over this signing, but they can sit in a corner and pout all they want. It comes down to talent.
I believe this signing came about by way of 2 critical factors. One, Dumblin and Vick are both from Newport News, VA, and Dumblin has long had admiration toward Vick. 2nd, there is the "Blount effect". Last season, Dumblin got holier than thou and booted Blount off the team.....leaving the team with NO ONE to back up RB Leveon Bell. Bell then gets hurt, and the Stillers, with no one at RB, lose at home in the playoffs to an inferior Ratbird team. Dumblin has apparently learned his lesson. Ya can't have a position in which there in NO ONE of NFL caliber serving as a backup. (This include PeePee Archer, who laughably enough was Bell's backup once Blount got booted.)
It'll be interesting to see if Dumblin and Haley try to exploit Vick in some 2-point packages, which figured to be used considerably more with the new PAT rule.
I should add that the Stillers have wrestled with similar dilemmas like this in the past. Lightly used #4 WR Cedric Wilson slapped his lady, and was gone. James Harrison had a similar incident, but as a dominant OLB and DPOY, he was retained. It all comes down to talent and what else is avail.
As an example, at this point, RB D'Angelo Williams is in the catbirds seat. He can show up to team meetings 45 minutes late. He can juggle balls with a circus clown on the sidelines during game. He is the only NFL caliber RB behind Bell, and Bell has the upcoming suspension. Now, when Bell comes off suspension, Williams loses some his leverage and would have to be a choir boy. (Then again, if no one steps up at RB, Williams will be the lone NFL-caliber RB and should be considered fairly untouchable.) That's just how it works in the NFL. Talent over morality.
At any rate, it should be rather interesting when Vick visits the Clev. Dawg Pound...
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