The value of Michael Vick became a far more relevant topic, after the news broke that Philadelphia had agreed to a restructured deal with the 12-year veteran. I noticed that several prominent fantasy analysts quickly suggested where you should draft him. And after reading the recommendation that he could be selected as early as Round 9, I was immediately compelled to generate this column.
First, let’s rewind to last summer, when more than a few observers advocated that you should bypass Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees in Round 1, and wait until at least Round 3 to draft a QB. Vick was often mentioned specifically as a viable alternative to his elite counterparts, as some believed that he would experience a highly productive season. However in this column, you were warned not to follow that advice. There were simply too many yellow flags regarding Vick as he entered the 2012 season. Not only had he managed just 18 TD passes and 14 interceptions in 2011, but Vick had remained healthy throughout an entire 16 game regular season exactly once in his career (2006). And it was highly doubtful that he would suddenly repeat that accomplishment at age 32.
He eventually became the eighth QB selected on average in fantasy drafts, with the majority of owners choosing him in the fourth round. But these unfortunate souls could now explain in-depth how adversely their ownership experience unfolded last year. Vick was perpetually ineffective in the initial eight games of the season, while exhibiting almost no pocket presence. He was sacked 28 times, and fumbled ten times during that span, while throwing just 11 TD passes with nine INTs. Then, concussion issues sidelined him until he returned in Week 17 when he completed a thoroughly forgettable year.
Vick has thrown 20 TD passes just twice in his career, and his career high is only 21. His rushing yardage has steadily declined in the past three seasons, and he has manufactured just two scores on the ground in 2011-2012. It is important not to dismiss his shortcomings and recent struggles as you prepare for your fantasy drafts.
Our initial QBs rankings for 2012 illustrated that highly productive quarterbacks will be more prevalent than ever for fantasy owners this season, thanks in part to the influx of exceptional new talent at the position during 2012 https://fantasyknuckleheads.com/2013-qb-fantasy-football-rankings/ There are numerous alternatives that will produce far better results than anything that a 33-year old Vick is likely to supply. If he ultimately wins the internal competition to become the Eagles' starter, and you are enamored with the idea of owning him, you can utilize a late round pick in order to secure him as your QB2. But selecting him in the middle rounds, and expecting him to reemerge as a fantasy force is simply unrealistic.
