Last week, Chris Myers of FOX Sports Radio reported that the Vikings were doing their homework regarding the possibility of signing quarterback Mike Vick.
Owner Zygi Wilf promptly slammed the door on the possibility. (Just like he did in February regarding Brett Favre.)
This week, the Packers reportedly are looking seriously at Vick.
According to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal, the Packers are “doing thorough due diligence” regarding Vick, and they have “had legitimate discussions” about the possibility of acquiring him.
This doesn’t mean that a signing is imminent. But it represents a rare indication of a team attempting to engage in the delicate cost-benefit analysis that, as a practical matter, has been difficult for most teams to accomplish while focused on training camp.
And we’ve been intrigued by possible link between Vick and the Packers, even though most brushed off G.M. Ted Thompson’s recent comment that he hasn’t ruled out pursuing Vick as Thompson characteristically keeping his cards close to his vest.
Since there’s no identifiable owner of the publicly-held team, Thompson arguably has more sway in Green Bay than he’d have in other cities. Throw in the fact that Packers CEO Mark Murphy is a former NFL player, and there’s no virtually no chance that someone with no football experience will get nervous regarding the potential consequences of flirting with Vick.
Besides, Thompson and the Packers have shown that they’re willing to ignore potential P.R. predicaments in the interests of fielding a successful football team.
Case in point -- Thompson didn’t flinch last year during the Brett Favre fiasco, which likely created far more local consternation than the arrival of Vick ever could.
Also, the Packers had no concerns about bringing in receiver Koren Robinson (wow, two PFT mentions for Koren in one day) despite his history of off-field misconduct, which prompted one writer to ask Thompson whether there’s a concern that Robinson might kill a local resident while driving drunk.
Ironically, it was Vick and the Falcons who did what at the time was unthinkable, winning a postseason game at the previously impenetrable Lambeau Field.
So maybe, just maybe, the Packers will decide to attempt to restore their playoff mojo with a little (you guessed it) hair of the dog that bit them.