NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Friday, March 21, 2014, 7:27 PM
Updated: Saturday, March 22, 2014, 1:03 AM
Photo via @nyjets The Jets tweet out a picture of Michael Vick signing his contract, which is for one year, according to a source.
The Jets reshuffled their quarterback depth chart by signing four-time Pro Bowler Michael Vick Friday night. Minutes after Mark Sanchez was officially released, the team announced that Vick would fill the void.
Vick, who spent the past five seasons with the Eagles, inked a one-year, $5 million deal, according to a source. He is expected to mentor Geno Smith and give the Jets a viable option in case their young starter struggles.
“I wouldn’t say that I would necessarily be OK sitting on the bench all year, but I know what I signed up for,” Vick said. “I know what I came to New York to do. First and foremost, I came to compete and be a helping hand for Geno.”
Vick, who visited the Jets' facility in Florham Park on Friday before signing on the dotted line, will be reunited with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg after they spent four years together in Philadelphia. Vick’s familiarity with Mornhinweg’s West Coast offense made him the ideal fit for a team that lacked a viable backup option last season. “He’s here in a role where he’s going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be,” Mornhinweg said in a statement.
Vick, 33, entered last season as the Eagles’ starter before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Giants. He didn’t rock the boat last season after Nick Foles took over for good as Philly’s starter.
“I have a lot left. It’s evident,” Vick said. “I got injured and Nick Foles came in and played great. That was the reason I was sidelined. . . . It wasn't because of my play or because I didn’t have anything left in the tank.”
In a conference call on Friday, Vick maintained that he wants to “help (Smith) to become the quarterback that we all want him to become,” but there will be “an open competition every day.
“As of right now,” Vick said, “Geno is the starting quarterback of this football team.”
General manager John Idzik intimated Thursday during a conference call that Mornhinweg’s experience with Vick was a valuable resource.
“Whenever you have inside knowledge on a player,” said Idzik, “with a coach that worked with him . . . some member of your staff had been around that player for a while, that is a tremendous advantage. There is less projection. Especially if you're dealing with a position that entails a lot.”
Vick may no longer be a game-changing player, but he provides a dimension that was lacking last season for Rex Ryan’s team. Although Vick’s production dipped in the past two seasons, he still can be productive if needed. He threw for 57 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in five seasons with the Eagles.
Vick was a human highlight reel for the Falcons for six seasons before his role in a dogfighting scandal ended his days in Atlanta and put him behind bars for 18 months. He resurrected his career and transformed his life in Philadelphia.
“I appreciate all the Jets fans who appreciate me for who I am and what I’ve become, not for what I’ve done,” Vick said. “Right now, my past is irrelevant. We’re talking about football, not the things that transpired off the field.”
Vick has had ball-security issues in recent years. He had 15 fumbles (and lost seven) in his last 17 games with the Eagles. There have always been durability concerns with Vick, who has played in 16 games only once in his 11-year career, but his role as a veteran backup makes plenty of sense for the Jets. Matt Simms, who was Smith’s backup last season after Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason, will be the No. 3 quarterback now.
The Vick-Sanchez quarterback shuffle came on the two-year anniversary of the Tim Tebow trade.
HE DIGS DESEAN: Vick would welcome former Eagles teammate DeSean Jackson, who is rumored to be on the trading block. The Jets are among the teams to reportedly express
interest in the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
“If there’s an opportunity to get DeSean,” said Vick, “I’m pretty sure the New York Jets fans would be in favor of that. But who knows? It takes a lot to make a trade happen. . . . It’s not for us as players to try to decide. Hopefully everything works out for DeSean. If he is up in New York, we’ll be happy — just as happy as he will be. But who knows? We can’t say.”
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