NFL teams seeking to fill quarterback vacancies through free agency saw arguably the best available option come off the market yesterday, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick agreeing to a one-year deal that could potentially lock up the 32-year-old quarterback for the entirety of the 2013 season.
Vick’s contract, which is highly incentivized, could earn him upwards to $10 million, with a guaranteed $3.5 million signing bonus and another $3.5 million coming his way if he’s able to beat out Nick Foles for the starting quarterback position. Vick could also earn an additional $1 million if he’s able to pull off what no other Eagles’ quarterback has done in the past – win a Super Bowl. He will also receive $1.2 million if he participates in 80 percent of the offensive snaps.
The contract is a win for both Vick, and the Eagles. Chip Kelly, the Eagles’ newly hired head coach, ran an up-tempo offense at the University of Oregon, a system New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick emulated this past season. When asked about Vick’s propensity for injuries and his struggles turning over the ball last season, Kelly had this to say:
“I think in terms of Michael, we look at everything, Kelly said. “What I look at is skillset first and foremost. What he can do, how he can throw the football, how he can beat people with his feet. There are a lot of different factors he has. And you have to look at the landscape for other quarterbacks.”
Kelly believes Vick has the capabilities to succeed in his style of offense, but says the quarterback position will be an open competition between Vick and Nick Foles, with both of them likely to be on the roster for the season opener.
“There is an open competition, Kelly says. “Michael knows that. Nick knows that. Nick knew every step of the way what we were doing. I wanted to make sure Nick was included in the plans, and I think both of them have outstanding qualities in terms of being quarterbacks in this league. Both of them have started in this league.”
Michael Vick and Nick Foles’ quarterback style differ, but Kelly says the system will remain the same whether Vick or Foles is in the game.
“There is a skill set that Nick has that really excites me about him. And I had the opportunity to see him up close and personal for three years and I know what he can do, Kelly stated. “So I’m excited to work with him. I think we’ve got an older quarterback in Michael who is 32 now, and have a younger guy in Nick who is going into his second year, and I think it’s the ideal situation for us moving forward this season.”
