As he exited a Thursday hearing in his never-ending federal bankruptcy case, Mike Vick said he’s “getting close” to finding a new team, according to the Associated Press.
Vick declined to give any other details.
The quarterback and his representatives have remained completely silent regarding the teams that are (or aren’t) showing interest in Vick. This could prompt some to conclude that there are no interested teams. But we think the reality is that any team that has contacted Vick’s agent, Joel Segal, has made it clear that, if any news of the team’s interest leaks before a final decision is made, the pursuit will immediately end.
As a practical matter, interested teams will need some time to do their due diligence on Vick, especially since it only became apparent within the last week that he’d be available to officially join an NFL team as soon as this week.
Realistically, the team that signs Vick will have: (1) built a sufficient consensus within the building that it makes sense to pursue Vick; (2) kicked his tires from a physical standpoint, checking out his running/throwing abilities via a covert workout; (3) gauged the likely local fa and media reaction to the acquisition; (4) consulted with sponsors who might have to take some heat from the PETA crowd once word breaks of Vick’s arrival; and (5) determined whether any players or key employees will raise a large, public stink if Vick becomes a colleague.
It also might be wise, once everything else is in place, to float a trial balloon 24-to-48 hours before the formal signing in order to see whether the news will spark the kind of firestorm that might cause the team to back off.
Meanwhile, teams are otherwise negotiating rookie deals and getting ready for training camp. So, basically, there simply might not be enough time to get the planets lined up to permit an expedited decision on Vick — unless a team foolishly decides to give short shrift to one or more of the factors outlined above.
