Micah Warren – Falcons Are In Trouble

Aside from the Denver Broncos, who had two deaths in the organization, has anyone had a tougher offseason than the Falcons?  The problems with Michael Vick have been well documented and that is a public relations nightmare.

We all know that.  People around here think that we’ve had issues with our QB situation? That’s nothing and Vick’s situation should highlight that even more.  While I’m not going to continue to harp on that, I will briefly say that I did hear that he told Roger Goodell at the NFL Draft his original explanation of “I never go there.”  Why do I get the feeling that Goodell doesn’t like to be lied to?  If the commissioner feels just that, at some point, Mr. Vick is in serious, serious trouble with the league.  
 
But the bigger problem down in Hotlanta could be the trade they made this offseason of QB Matt Schaub.  While they didn’t know about the dog-fighting at the time, it’s still a terrible move.  They put all of their eggs in Vick’s basket and that’s not a basket I’d want to be holding right now.  They have no insurance policy and they could be ruined for years to come.  I know they were looking to cash in on a backup player that has been coveted by many teams over the last few years, but as we all saw last year in Philly, you need two good QB’s.
 
So, aside from the off-field issues with #7, should the Falcons have traded Schaub?  I say no.  Even before all of this canine nonsense, the Falcons should not have been sold on Vick as “the guy.”  He has a career completion percentage of 53.8%.  That simply doesn’t get it done at this level.  Yes, I know they have him signed to huge dollars and the cap hit would be enormous if they released him at some point, but when do you decide that winning is more important than filling seats?  Flashy QB’s with blazing speed certainly sell tickets, but guess what else fills the stadium?  Winning.  
 
On the field, Vick is just not that good.  Forget the poor passing stats, let’s look at him as a leader.  He admitted that he didn’t take the 2004 NFC Championship game as seriously as he should have.  He figured he’d get to many more.  Is this the guy you want leading your team to battle? After a home game last year, he flipped off fans in front of the cameras.  I can’t ever remember a time in any sport where this would be a good decision.  Could you imagine Joe Montana doing that?  Peyton Manning?  Tom Brady?  Donovan McNabb? I definitely cannot.  This guy has proven that he is not a leader, and now the Falcons have left themselves with no Plan B by trading Schaub.  
 
There are tons of rumors on Profootballtalk.com about the Falcons scrambling for that other option. They could be making a move for Chiefs QB Trent Green, who won’t play another down in Kansas City unless his new team has a road game there.  It’s widely been considered a foregone conclusion that Green would end up in Miami, but there is still no deal.  But, Green will be 37 years old in July, so he certainly would be just a temporary patch for the Falcons.    
 
So, just what are the Falcons’ options right now?  I preface this with saying that I am not claiming in any way, shape or form that these items are in the Falcons plans.  I’m just eyeballing the league to see what could possibly even be available.  
 
I can’t see the Eagles keeping four QB’s and that would make Kelly Holcomb the odd man out. Like Green, however, that would be a move for the short term.  And in addition to that, let’s not delude ourselves to believe that Holcomb is Joe Namath in 1969.
 
Perhaps they could swing a deal for the Jags’ David Garrard?  I doubt that as Jacksonville isn’t sold on Leftwich and they aren’t ready to reduce their options at the position.
 
If I’m Atlanta, I’m watching the QB-heavy Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski and Luke McCown are all currently on the roster.  They may take a look at an odd man out there, but let’s be honest, who really wants the fourth worst of this bunch?
 
The more I look through the teams, the more I see that the Falcons are screwed.  The only realistic long-term fallback option would be if they could find a way to get Aaron Rodgers from the Packers. And we don’t even know if this guy can play.
 
Arthur Blank and his team are in trouble.  Their hands are tied by their investment in Vick and the trading of Schaub. Unless Vick is cleared of all charges, doesn’t get suspended, and somehow some way flourishes under new head coach Bobby Petrino, the Falcons can get used to the phrase “with the fourth pick in the NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select…”