Michael Vick Wants to Play for the Carolina Panthers

Bad boy quarterback Michael Vick wants to play for the Carolina Panthers.

Yahoo Sports quoted Vick, who played as Donnovan McNabb's backup with the Philadelphia Eagles last year, as wanting to go to the Carolina Panthers.

"Well, you know, it's close to home," Vick said in a radio interview. "I like the uniforms. You get to play against Atlanta twice a year. Ain't nothing better than playing against your former team, right? So, yeah, that would be a good look, it would be a good look."

Michael Vick is a scrambling, run-and-gun quarterback who wouldn't seem to fit the Panthers run-first, play-action scheme well. But the Panthers have trouble at receiver and are looking to add someone fast who could jump start the offense. The wonderful Steve Smith is their playmaker, but teams routinely double-cover him due to the lack of a decent second reciever for the Panthers.

In fact Smith, who is 30, recently said he'd love to see the Carolina Panthers add someone faster than him to the team to take off the pressure. Right now the alternative receiver is Mushin Muhammad, who has been a decent reciever but had a subpar season with just one touchdown catch and is clearly showing his age.

Adding to the Panthers' trouble and Michael Vick's allure is the fact that Carolina don't have a number one pick next year to pick up a franchise-quarterback. Coach John Fox doesn't value the quarterback position very much. That philosophy killed the Panthers last year when encumbent starter Jake Delhomme was a bust.

Eventually young Matt Moore took over and performed well. Moore looked good, but for some reason Fox seems to be reluctant to label him the quarterback of the future for the Panthers.

So the Carolina Panthers current choices are Jake Delhomme (who has too much guarenteed money just to dump) and Matt Moore. Micheal Vick would be an upgfrade over either one.

Also, Carolina does have money to spend. They just dumped defensive end Julius Peppers who took up a staggering $16.1 million last year with an additional $1.5 milliuon Pro Bowl bonus. Next year is likely to be an uncapped salary year in the NFL.

Currently Michael Vick has a year left on his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and would have to be cut or traded to go to the Carolina Panthers.

Sources:

Yahoo Sports, "Vick wants to play for Panthers"