Michael Vick: Eagles' gamble

The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be getting a bargain, said Matt Mosley in ESPN, by signing a contract with quarterback and ex-con Michael Vick. But the football team could end up paying a higher price than the $1.6 million it's paying Vick in his first year. Vick will have to get back in playing form after serving nearly two years in prison for his dogfighting conviction—and any time you add one of the game's "most notorious" players to your roster, it's a gamble.

It's a risky move, to be sure, said USA Today. But the Michael Vick–Eagles deal could pay off big. The team "has made it to the NFC title game five times in the past eight seasons without winning a Super Bowl." And if Vick still has "the speed and elusiveness" he had as an Atlanta Falcon, he could add a new dimension to the team's offense.

The Michael Vick–Eagles matchup should be judged according to what the player and team can accomplish together, said Joe Windish in The Moderate Voice. Vick's past shouldn't be a factor. "He has done his time and paid for his crime." His cooperation with the Humane Society, and his apology on CBS' "60 Minutes" show Vick's accepting responsibility and moving on—so should the rest of us.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up