Could Michael Vick Join the Cleveland Browns in the Dawg Pound in 2009?

I wrote a post earlier today that outlined 10 potential replacements for the injured Brady Quinn. MSF writer Joe Argabright left a tongue-in-cheek (I think) comment about the Browns signing Michael Vick that got me thinking.

Why not?

Michael Vick entered a guilty plea on November 25th to the state charges of dogfighting against him in Virginia. This plea clears the way for a probable early release from prison for Vick and opens up the possibility of him playing in 2009. Of course, he is still suspended by the NFL, so that would have to be lifted first. But if Pacman Jones and Chris Henry can be given seventh and eighth and ninth chances, then why shouldn’t Vick be given a second?

The fact of the matter is that no matter how much blustering or deliberation occurs before it is official, Michael Vick will be reinstated by the NFL; and most likely for 2009 if he is out of prison. I am sure that Roger Goodell is still pissed that Vick initially lied to him about his involvement in the dogfighting, but Mike Brown of the Bengals continues to lie to everyone that he is committed to winning and he still owns his team. If there is a place in the NFL for Mike Brown, shouldn’t there be a place in the NFL for Mike Vick?

So the next question becomes, where would Michael Vick sign? The conventional wisdom suggests teams with horrid QB situations like Detroit and San Francisco would be first in line. The Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys can’t be ruled out because Al Davis and Jerry Jones have a history of signing outlaws. And I have heard the Patriots bandied about as a possibility, if Vick is willing to play a position other than QB. Can you imagine a Wildcat-style formation with Vick as a change of pace with Tom Brady if Vick becomes a QB to RB/WR convert?

But what about the Cleveland Browns? I have not ever really seen them listed as a possibility, mainly because everyone was sure the Browns had one of the most solid QB situations in the league coming into 2008: a 2007 Pro Bowler and a 1st round pick both on the roster.

Well, Derek Anderson’s Pro Bowl season looks more like a mirage with every game that he finishes with a sub-50% completion rate, and there is no telling how good Brady Quinn is, or if Quinn will suffer any recurring trouble from his finger injury. It all sounds pretty routine; but anytime surgery and a Browns player are mentioned in the same sentence, we have to hold our breath until the player returns home from the hospital without getting the-infection-that-shall-not-be-named.

For shits and giggles, let’s analyze how well the Browns and Michael Vick would fit together.

Potential Fit #1: Both Michael Vick and the Cleveland Browns have a history of making dogs suffer.

The Browns, of course, have made their loyal Dawg Pound supporters suffer for years. There were the blown chances against the Broncos in the 80s, the team’s move to Baltimore in the 90s, the ineptitude of the early 2000s, and then the high hopes that developed in 2007 only to come crashing down in 2008.

And Michael Vick, well, there is really no need for further expatiation of how he has made dogs suffer.

Our good friends at Flash Sports Tonight actually discussed the connection in one of their Flash Reports last year during the Vick trial:

Plus, imagine the plethora of ironic and diabolically humorous T-shirts, signs, and assorted memorabilia that would be launched with the association of Michael Vick and the Dawg Pound.

Would they be in poor taste? Absolutely. Is this a PR nightmare that the NFL would most likely want to avoid like the plague? I would imagine so. For this very reason, I would think that Roger Goodell might step in if Vick-to-the-Browns ever became a realistic possibility. I’m not kidding.

But, on the flip side, it could also offer many opportunities for Michael Vick to both literally and figuratively express remorse and reverse his reputation as a dog hater and abuser. Some legitimate ideas:

–The Michael Vick Dawg Pound Patrol could scour the streets of Cleveland for stray dogs, put them in shelters, and then try to find them homes as quickly as possible. Season ticket holders could be given discounts if they sign up for shifts.

–The Michael Vick Dawg Pound Foundation could be set up so that Vick could give a certain amount of money to local animal shelters or other charities every time he contributes to a touchdown by passing, running, or receiving. And instead of any outlandish celebrations that draw attention to himself, he could simply jump into the Dawg Pound, give the ball to fans, etc, as an act of goodwill towards the Dawg Pound and, metaphorically, to dogs in general.

–The Michael Vick Don’t Dawg It Award could be given each week to the Browns player who plays the hardest and never quits in the previous week’s game. Vick himself could present the award each week at the first practice. With all of the talk this season about how Browns players purportedly quit during games, this could help to incentivize players to play hard and make sure that effort is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

And think about it: if the players that were the subject of the “they quit” comments by Jamal Lewis and Josh Cribbs had been dogs in Vick’s dogfighting operation, Vick would have beaten or killed them. (Luckily for these unnamed players, Romeo Crennel is much more mild-mannered.) This 180 degree flip for Michael Vick, celebrating effort as opposed to physical punishment for failure, could be a powerful and cathartic move for him.

(Editor’s Note: Thanks to the Sports Hernia for the Dawg Pound pic above. Hopefully they don’t mind me using it.)

Potential Fit #2: Michael Vick the receiver, if he switched positions, would likely have trouble catching passes and staying healthy after a two year layoff.

Yet another reason why Mike Vick would fit in with the Browns!

Cleveland is blessed with the immensely athletic and talented Braylon Edwards. However, as Braylon has proven this year, he likes catching balls about as much as Barack Obama likes the BCS and the Cubs. In addition, the Browns employ speedy Donte Stallworth on the other side of Edwards. Stallworth is talented, but it is quite possible that his bones are made of pretzel and his joints, muscles, and tendons are actually baked rubber bands.

An Edwards-Vick-Stallworth receiving duo would look amazing in pregame warmups – until the game started and Stallworth was deactivated, Edwards dropped every other pass, and Vick emerged as a less reliable target than Syndric Steptoe.

Perfect fit, right!?

Potential Fit #3: What if Michael Vick became more of a QB-RB-WR hybrid who was able to move all over the field, lead a zone-read Wildcat-type package, and take reverses and handoffs?

Well, he’d probably add a ridiculous level of dynamic play-making ability to the Browns offense. And with the whole three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-Lewis-or-five-step-drop offense that the Browns have utilized this season being woefully undynamic, Vick’s addition could be a welcome sight.

And, undoubtedly, the Browns coaches would be smart enough to get the Vick the ball, right?

Hmm…therein lies a problem. We have two guys, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison, who have been pretty successful this season when they are creatively utilized by the Browns. Unfortunately, the Browns coaches have seemed allergic to getting them the ball consistently.

How much could Vick really help out in this area if he were to, say, rush for 40 yards on 4 carries and then never get the ball again? But that would never happen with the Browns, right? Right!?!

I feel your pain Jerome Harrison. Damnit this season has been frustrating.

Potential Fit #4: What about Michael Vick as a possible QB? Could he actually be an improvement?

The Browns signed Derek Anderson to an extension before the 2008 season and have Brady Quinn locked in for a few more years. Could Michael Vick really start over these two guys?

The biggest knock on Michael Vick throughout his NFL career has been his accuracy as a passer. For his career Michael Vick is a 53.8% passer. By comparison, Derek Anderson’s completion percentage this season is 49.0%. Brady Quinn’s is 50.6%. So, essentially, the only negative about Vick the QB would actually lead to an improvement over what the Browns have now.

Interesting.

I know what you are thinking: take out the drops of Braylon Edwards and both DA and Brady would have completion percentages over 75%. You’re right, but still; the numbers are what they are. And Michael Vick would have the ability to tuck it and run instead of firing it downfield to Braylon, thus eliminating many of the drops and wasted plays.

And can you imagine how defenses would try to defend a loaded backfield formation of Vick, Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison, and either Josh Cribbs or Jason Wright? I mean, if we’re only going to complete 50% of our passes anyway, why not just start running the ball 50 times a game, throw in some option/zone-read, and just let Vick take 4 or 5 chances downfield a game. He may not be accurate, but he can still fling it 60-70 yards pretty effortlessly. Braylon Edwards catches one out of every five passes thrown his way, so that would be good for one big play in the passing game per week. It’s about what we are getting now.

Plus, we would be able to control the clock longer with a more sustained commitment to a ground attack. This would allow our defense to be fresher, and we all know how the Browns defense has worn down at the end of games.

Wow, just typing this is already getting me excited for the Michael Vick era of Browns football – for which there isn’t even a legitimate rumor.

Whatever ends up happening with Michael Vick when he is released from jail, it will be fascinating to see unfold. My personal opinion is that Michael Vick committed despicable acts and lied about them, and he got exactly what he deserved. However, he has now paid his debt to society and, I think, to the NFL.

Thus, when Mike Vick is released from jail, I think the market forces of the NFL should dictate whether he plays or not. If someone wants to sign him, let him play. He does not deserve further punishment, and from a fan’s perspective it would be great to have one of the most exciting players back in the league. (And someone else in every fantasy league would reach for Vick three or four rounds too early in drafts, thus marginally my chances of winning!)

Would it be a good move for the Browns to sign Michael Vick? That is obviously debatable. I went into the post thinking it would just be an attempt at irony and humor; but now that I’ve written it, I’m not so sure the Browns shouldn’t kick the tires on Vick once he’s cleared to play.

With the right plan in place for how to use him, Michael Vick could be a very valuable addition to a team that has some talent, but could always use another game-changing playmaker.

It is waaaaay to early to start seriously thinking about the possibility of Michael Vick in a Browns uniform, but don’t you at least have to admit that the possibility is intriguing?

[tags]michael vick, cleveland browns, nfl[/tags]