Michael Vick was released from prison Wednesday, after being locked up for being “the key figure” in a grotesque dogfighting ring. He was sentenced in December 2007 to a 23-month stay in federal prison.

Vick, once one of the most electrifying players of all the NFL, was knocked off his pedestal of fame and fortune when found guilty.

A few major question marks hang over Vick, as two years is a long time to be away from the complex game of NFL football.

First, he has to be cleared by the iron fist of Roger Goodell to play again, and soon. If Vick has to wait out another year, he would be 30 when the season started, three years removed from a game of perfectionist quarterbacks.

Vick was drafted in 2001 and 2009 would be his seventh season, at the age of 29.

IF Vick was cleared soon, before camps, teams should jump at the opportunity of the former Pro Bowl quarterback being eligible.

Second, Vick has to accept that he may not ever be a starting quarterback again in the NFL, and if he wants to be one, he must really listen to coaching and play the way plays are drawn up.

Also, Vick has much to learn, especially if he wants to play for McDaniels’ highly complex offense, after being out of the NFL for two years.

IF all come to fruition, the Denver Broncos should definitely pick up Michael Vick.

Three reasons immediately come to mind about why the Broncos should snag Vick to compete for their starting quarterback job.

 

Reason One: With Jay Cutler gone, there is no defined starter…yet.

Sure, the Broncos acquired Kyle Orton in the trade with Chicago for Cutler, but he is not entitled to the starting job. McDaniels said so himself, stating that Orton and Chris Simms are in competition with each other.

Orton, a three year veteran, had his best season in 2008 with 2,972 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Not awe-inspiring when compared to Cutler’s record-setting 2008 season.

Like Vick, Simms has been out of the NFL for two seasons, after rupturing his spleen in 2006. Not many expect him to win the job, making the “competition” almost nonexistent.

Vick could come in and truly compete with Orton, if not for his smarts, but for his athleticism.

 

Reason Two: Vick is a veteran of the NFL.

Even though Vick has been out of the league for two seasons, he was a six-year veteran when he was placed in prison. He understands offenses and could possibly pick up McDaniels’ offense better than the others due to his experience.

Vick went through many coaching/play-calling changes throughout his career with Atlanta, so he knows how to quickly adapt to new plays.

Also, with Vick’s experience comes the knowledge of defenses and their tendencies.

 

Reason Three: Vick is exciting.

Michael Vick was a player that “puts butts in the seats;” he’s a fan favorite, exciting for even the most casual NFL fan.

He has the third most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history with 3,859, with 21 touchdowns to boot. Vick could drop back only to tuck and run on any defense, even if they planned for it. Late in games, Vick was known to take over and run for game-winning touchdowns.

As a passer, Vick has 11,505 yards, for 71 touchdowns. His best season included 2,474 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Quite comparable to Orton’s 2008 campaign. Add in Vick’s over 1,000 yards rushing and two TDs and Vick’s best season was much better than Orton’s.

Plus, imagine what McDaniels could do with Vick, Marshall, Royal, Stokley, Graham, and Moreno to name a few. There could be the Mile High-Octane offense, a wildcat-like style running and passing, innovating along the way.

That is what McDaniels is heralded for, right? Being innovative?

That really makes my point overall. Vick could come into Dove Valley and compete with Orton, and Simms to a lesser degree, which would push all players to their top level, and would prove the starter would be the best Denver could put out in 2009.

Competition should lead to better players and better play when all is said and done.

Vick could, and most likely would, make the Denver Broncos a better team in 2009 as far as the quarterback position is concerned.

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