Michael Vick, a former Atlanta Falcon, is now a free agent. Four or five years ago, you would have to be down-right insane to think that Vick would no longer be a “dirty bird.” To me, it’s practically unfathomable to the Falcons without Vick at quarterback.
But, here we are in 2009 without him. Many people are throwing around comments,
saying he can’t play anymore or will be too rusty after all the jail time.
If you’re one of those people asking if he can still play, I will strongly stand by the response that he can and will. Yes, Michael Vick has been away from the NFL for two years. Still, it’s hard to imagine he magically lost his feel for the game and his ability to play in that short amount of time. He may no longer have the ability or skill to serve as a prototypical first-string QB in today’s game, and I certainly don’t feel he’s going to resurface as a starter right off the bat. The simple fact is that no team is willing to invest much into him, which explains why the Falcons couldn’t trade him.
Never the less, sooner or later, I strongly believe you will see Vick back on the field, whether it’s as a backup, wideout, halfback, or quarterback. No matter how many people might continue to doubt this claim, I’ll stand by it time and time again–Michael Vick will return to the NFL and he will once again play at the intense and talented level he displayed as an Atlanta Falcon.
We have all played witness to the rollercoaster career of wide receiver Terrell Owens, as he has gone from an unknown face as a 49er, to a celebrity in Philly, to the toast of the town in Dallas–and now as a Buffalo Bill. The Bills signed T.O. to a one,year $6.5 million contract. With the signing, it leads many critics to wonder if Owens will become the all-too-familiar superstar that he was in recent years, or yet again prove to be another disgruntled nightmare for his newest quarterback, Trent Edwards?
For me, this is a difficult question to answer considering that the Bills already have another No. 1 wide receiver who will line up on the opposite side of the field in Lee Evans, who racked up 63 receptions and 1,017 yards last season. I know T.O. said he came to Buffalo just to help the team win ball games, but that sounds oddly familiar. We heard that from him back in Dallas, and I’m pretty sure none of us have already forgotten how badly that saga ended. When they were winning games, Owens had a big smile, but when they lost, it was certain that he would be blasting off to the media about something. With that being said, the Bills finished last season with a 7-9 record, last in the AFC East.
Like all athletes, T.O. isn’t a big fan of losing. We can assume he will give his all for the first few weeks, but if and when the Bills start losing, I wonder what will happen then? With him being in one the hardest divisions in the NFL, it will be essential for him to keep playing hard week in and week out, or this could be Owen’s first–and last–year as a Bill.
Chad Johnson, once the face of the Cincinnati Bengals, is now percieved as somewhat of a bother. He’s made it public that he does not want to be a Bengal any more, and it’s quite apparent that he wants very little to do the with organization. Will Chad come back in 2009 and be the “old” Chad again, or will he again be known as just a big mouth distraction? He has stated that not only will he be back this season, but he will be back to a top notch wideout for the Bengals. In an interview with NFL Network when asked about mini camp, he said “Of course, why not go and show off the product?” When asked if he would be present at the team’s upcoming minicamp 
he continued, “Why not leave my coaches’ mouths wide open? I’m sure all the people in Cincinnati think I’m really not doing that much, but you’ll see the results with the work I’m putting in right now.”
With that being said, Chad is apparently looking to have a breakout 2009 season and become the go to guy once again. Looking at some of Chad’s 2008 stats, he only had 53 receptions and 540 yards. Those stats are career lows since his rookie season. Many sports analysts say that he’s playing for all the wrong reasons and he doesn’t have that same drive and hunger he once had. Chad like usual doesn’t care what the analysts have to say, claiming that “He will be hungrier than ever.”
In my personal opinion, I believe that Chad now thinks that he has something to prove; To the Bengals, the fans, the NFL, and most importantly himself. He’ll be that game changer that has to be accounted for. But, with 2 years left on his contract the question remains, does he still want to be a Cincinnati Bengal?
