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Published: August 24, 2009
In a heavily-publicized move, the Eagles signed “quarterback” Michael Vick to a two-year contract just a couple of weeks ago. Now they’re dealing with the ripples that the move has caused in the hopes that the on-field production outweighs the headache they’re enduring at the moment.
The idea is that Vick will be a utility, or gadget type of player. He might line up anywhere on the field including quarterback, wide receiver, or running back. The plan is that his presence alone will cause a panic and confusion for the defense, allowing the Eagles’ offense to take advantage of said confusion and create a big play.
However, is it possible that there was a better option available? Namely, Matt Jones.
From the football side of things, Jones was actually progressing quite well in Jacksonville before his most recent run-in with the law for possession of cocaine. He was a gadget guy coming out of college, and was eventually stuck in as a wide receiver though there was talk of him playing tight and end and, his college position, quarterback.
He’s not the athlete that Vick is, but then again that could be said of any player. However, Jones is also more versatile than Vick. While Vick probably has the athleticism to play running back, or even line up at wide receiver, Jones has shown that he can catch and is a viable option at wide receiver, and is probably big enough to play tight end at 6’6″ and 242 pounds.
While Jones has not played tight end in the NFL, he would certainly be better than the Eagles’ options behind Brent Celek (Eugene Bright, Rob Myers, and Matt Schobel). On top of that, he’s a great redzone target and could operate the wildcat just as well as Vick with his prior experience playing quarterback, which as I said is in fact his natural position.
As a quarterback, Jones may even stack up with Vick. Jones wasn’t a terrific quarterback in terms of his mechanics and when it came down to the little details, but he had a fairly strong arm and could get the job done. Vick’s troubles as a quarterback are well-documented, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever be able to really get all of the nuances of being an NFL quarterback.
From a PR standpoint, it makes even more sense.
Bringing in Michael Vick has not been good for the Eagles’ reputation as a company outside of NFL circles, and while the move has been praised by a few who believe Vick deserved a second chance, it has mostly been met with harsh criticism and confusion.
Signing Jones would have probably been the opposite. Outside of the Philadelphia scene, the move to bring Jones in probably would have gone unnoticed and blown off as just another signing. There quite certainly wouldn’t be anyone at the NovaCare complex to protest the signing of Jones.
Yes, defensive coordinators and opposing teams will worry about Vick much more than they would have worried about Jones, but after running the wildcat a few times, or catching a few fades in the corner of the endzone, teams would have certainly started to take notice to Jones’ presence on the field.
Let’s also not forget that Jones is a guy that Eagles were interested in, and some thought he may have even fallen to the Eagles with the 31st overall pick that year. It’s unclear whether the Eagles would have actually taken Jones, as it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him passed up for Mike Patterson anyway, but they were definitely kicking around the idea.
At this point, it’s nothing more than a “what-if” scenario, but it’s something worth considering. Vick may turn out to be a fantastic signing, and he may bring it all together and really work for the Eagles this season, but it’s hard to think that maybe, just maybe, there was and still is a better option available.
Tagged with: Football, Matt Jones, Michael Vick, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles
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