Consider the following facts:
- The Rams averaged only 10.9 points per game in 2009. That made us #32 in scoring, or dead last in the league.
- Quarterback play was terrible. Only 4 teams passed for less than we did.
- We were a mono-dimensional running team, with just one weapon: Steven Jackson
- The line was suspect last season, even with Alex Barron, Jacob Bell, and Ritchie Incognito. Incognito is now gone. Barron is sure to follow. Bell will likely return... but with a really bad hamstring problem. We are in deep shit on the offensive line.
- Our receiver corp is very thin. We may have two good men. We may draft another. We will still be very thin unless we acquire someone like Brandon Marshall.
- Marc Bulger, our starting QB for the past 8 season, just cleaned out his locker. We are expected to cut him because he is set to make $8.5 million and cannot stay healthy.
- Regrettably, Kyle Boller was ineffective last season. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
- Dealing for Vick allows us to avoid playing a rookie QB.
- Dealing for Vick guarantees us free resources to select Ndamukong Suh.
Given this scenario, what in the hell are we supposed to do? Acquiring the fastest damn QB who ever played the game is pretty good move considering this scenario. Just like any other QB, Michael Vick would greatly appreciate an all-pro offensive line. Unlike most QBs, he doesn't die a pigs death when he lacks this advantage. Vick's speed and pocket awareness has made him one of the most difficult QBs to sack in each and every season he has played in the league. It also forces at least one 'Green Dog' to stay in the shallow zone and spy on him when ever he drops back to throw. This fact would make life easier for our thin receiver corp.
Vick has been described as a throwing tailback who would rather carry than throw the football. That reputation is detrimental in many places. Not in St. Louis. In St. Louis it might be the only shot we have at scoring just 10 more points per game. When you have a thin corp of receivers who can be smothered, you need a QB who can run. When you have a poor line, poor receivers, and an immobile QB, you experience travesties like the one we experienced last season.
Imagine the Rams have a 3rd and Goal situation on the 3 yard line. Imagine we run a naked bootleg where the fake Packer-Sweep goes right, and Vick + the football go left. The defense will respect Steven Jackson near the goal line. You are ill advised not to. Vick can either throw to a trailing tight end or run it in. The Falcons ran this play quite a bit when they had Vick. More often than not, Vick just sprinted into the endzone. He made it look easy.
Does Vick plug a ton of holes? Not exactly, but he can do reasonably well in spite of our terrible holes. Can Vick 'make it work in St. Louis'? It depends upon what you mean when you ask that question. If you expect the Rams to average 28.7 points per game next season, forget it. If we can average 20 per game that would be a huge moral victory. If you think we can go 9-7 with Vick next season and get the 6th slot in the NFC, you should dial down your expectations. 20 points per game might get us to 7-9... maybe... Vick can make the offense work better. Don't expect the Greatest Show on Turf.
The most important aspects of acquiring Vick are the long-term bennies. As you well know, I am a major advocate of drafting Tim Tebow. The Rams have already featured him several times on the official corporate website. I am very happy this is so. As we all know, Tebow will require 1 full red-shirt season in the NFL, and perhaps 2. Vick will make it possible to draft Tebow and be patient. Better still, he prepares the way for a Tebow era in several important ways:
- Vick is a mobile southpaw, and Tebow is a mobile southpaw. Vick is much faster and Tebow is much more powerful, but their approaches are not dissimilar in concept. To get anything out of these two gentlemen the offensive will have to be re-jiggered to work well for an athletic mobile southpaw.
- Vick loves to operate from the shotgun. So does Tebow. Having these two on the depth chart will force us to use more of the shotgun, wildcat and spread. This is a good thing.
- Lefties spin the ball in the opposite direction of the righties. Believe it or not, receivers are impacted by this fact. Just ask Jerry Rice. Jerry will tell you he experienced a significant adjustment period when Steve Young became the QB in SF. Having Vick and Tebow will allow our WRs to get used to a consistent left-handed spin.
- Our Right Tackle will always be the blind-side protector, and he will know that. He will be able to prepare himself accordingly. Incidentally, we better keep Jason Smith there.
- Hopefully, by the time Tebow is ready, we will have enhanced our offensive line a great deal. Even if we haven't, Tebow is a big, strong, robust young man who can escape and run if he has to.
- The cost of acquiring Vick is said to be a 3rd or a 4th round draft pick. Our 3rd needs to be Dexter McCluster. If they will take a 4th, acquiring Vick is a very cheap transaction indeed. Our odds of selecting a QB better than Vick in the 4th round are slim and none. It could happen, but the probability is very low.
- There is another rumor circulating today which states that the transaction for Vick will only occur after the 2010 draft if finished and done. This gives the Eagles a chance to shop for a new young QB, and it gives the Rams the ability to pay later by mortgaging a 2011 pick or two. This has advantages for both sides.
- Jamie Dukes believes that Vick would increase Steven Jackson's production by 300 yards. This is due to the fear of the bootleg which would force backside defenders to stay at home. Vince Young had a similar impact on Chris Johnson this season.
- Vick has had seasons where he ran for 1,000 yards all by himself. Supposedly this would make us the #1 rushing team in the league.
- In a best case scenario, Jackson rushes for 1,700+, Vick rushes for 1,000+, and between the two of them we average something like 168 yards on the ground per game.
The more important fact is that Vick paves the way for Tebow. Vick will be 30 years old on June 26th. Baring unforeseen injury, he will easily be able to play until Tim Tebow is ready.
In summary, these are the logical reasons why the Rams should be willing to trade for Vick this season.
