Atlanta better off without Vick

The Atlanta Falcons are better off without QB Michael Vick. They will be better this season, and they will be better in the years to come.

The mistake the Falcons and owner Arthur Blank made was tying their franchise to the young QB from Virginia Tech. When the Falcons traded up to get Vick (with San Diego, who used Atlanta's #5 pick to draft RB LaDainian Tomlinson), he was being billed as the next evolution of NFL quarterbacks. John Elway's arm and Barry Sanders' legs. Steve Young but much, much better.

All Vick has shown since then is that he is an electric runner, but a mediocre passer. For all the talk of how Vick's athletic ability will change the QB position forever, the top 4 QBs, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, and Drew Brees, have reminded us that intelligence, accuracy, and leadership abilities are what makes for a great QB.

Now that Vick is out of the picture, the Falcons can concentrate on building a good team. Guys like Warrick Dunn, Alge Crumpler, and Keith Brooking are better suited to represent this franchise.

For far too long, the Falcons have made personnel decisions with Vick in mind, like trading backup QB Matt Schaub. These types of decisions have hurt the Falcons, and new coach Bobby Petrino will need several years to revamp the Falcons' talent level.

While Joey Harrington is certainly not a reliable option at QB, the Falcons are better with him under center than Vick. Vick does not fit Petrino's offense. Trying to fit the offense around Vick is a recipe for disaster, with former coach Jim Mora and Greg Knapp's attempt at designing a West Coast offense around Vick's talents a perfect example. With Harrington at QB, the other players on the team not named Michael Vick will have to step up.

Even before Vick's legal troubles, the Falcons were a six win team, at best. They are still a six win team, but now Petrino and company has the freedom to build that team from the ground up. If the Falcons aren't a contender in three to four years, it will not be because of Vick, it will be because another college coach couldn't get the job done in the pros.