http://aroundtheleague.nfl.com/2011/09/ ... line_stackThe rise, fall and stunning return of Michael Vick is well-documented — and he’s owned up to his shortcomings — but the ex-Falcons coach who drafted him, Dan Reeves, believes Atlanta’s franchise ultimately betrayed the quarterback.
“When Mike really needed them they turned their back on him in my opinion,” Reeves told PhillySportsDaily.com. “They could have been a big supporter and they let him go. I think it could have been handled differently.”
Reeves believed enough in Vick’s talents to engineer a draft-day trade with the Chargers to select the Virgina Tech QB No. 1 overall in 2001. Just like team owner Arther Blank, Reeves felt burned when Vick’s off-the-field transgressions led to an 18-month stay in federal prison on dogfighting charges. The Falcons moved on during Vick’s big-house odyssey — and it’s hard to blame them — but Reeves believes more could have been done to soften the transition.
“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the organization’s standpoint, but I thought they could have been more supportive and instead they severed ties with him.”
Now Vick, the unquestioned leader of the Eagles — armed with a six-year, $100 million commitment from Philly — faces the Falcons on Sunday. It doesn’t ring true to label the game some sort of a revenge tilt for a jilted Vick — not even close. If we believe that Vick has truly experienced some sort of core transformation, Atlanta’s hard-line decision to let him go played a role in shaping the spectacle of his comeback.