| John Butler, you’re on the clock. For
those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Butler — and shame on you if you are — he is
the man running the football operations for the San Diego Chargers, and he has quite a
decision to make. Fortunately, he has three months to make it.
The question is this: Does he keep the first overall pick in the NFL draft and take
Virginia Tech QB Michael Vick, or does he trade the pick for a number of selections and
sign an experienced quarterback in free agency?
Or maybe he finds a way to draft Vick and sign an experienced veteran in free
agency. What they do with disgruntled QB Ryan Leaf will play a role in that decision.
But let’s examine the first question. Do the Chargers draft Vick?
This was not the year for the Chargers to finish 1-15. The 2001 draft class just
isn’t as deep as previous ones, and the positions where it is deep aren’t
pressing needs for the team.
It’s said that this draft is deepest on the defensive line, particularly at
defensive tackle. Sure, the Chargers need a pass rusher, but so does everybody. What the
Chargers need most are skill-position players, namely a quarterback and a running back.
By that thinking, it makes perfect sense to draft Vick and then perhaps follow that
selection with a running back in Round Two. After all, no running back is even close to
being worthy of the No. 1 pick.
If the Chargers opt to sign a QB in free agency and deal the pick, they better make
sure they receive enough in return. But the problem is this: Who needs a quarterback? Who
would draft Vick?
Seattle? The team has the ammo to trade up (Nos. 7 and 10 overall), but I can’t
see Mike Holmgren starting over at quarterback in his third season with the Seahawks after
struggling to get by with Jon Kitna/Brock Huard. Holmgren likely will come away from free
agency with an experienced signalcaller and perhaps draft one late.
Atlanta? The Falcons have the fifth overall pick, but would they package a future No. 1
for Vick? I have a hard time believing they would. Vick may become the greatest
quarterback of all time, but that wouldn’t be for a while. And I don’t think Dan
Reeves is the type of guy to mortgage the future on a QB with two years of college
experience.
Other than those two squads, other teams with high first-round picks are pretty set at
quarterback. So where does that leave the Chargers? Either with Vick or a free agent,
that’s where.
If there’s any way possible of signing a free agent in addition to drafting Vick,
that’s the thing to do. But the Chargers may have to do some salary-cap finagling to
make that happen. If the Chargers dump Leaf, they would take a reported $3.8 million cap
hit.
The bottom line is this: Even if the Chargers somehow come away with, say, three
first-round picks (one predicted scenario had the Chargers winding up with three No. 1s
after a three-way deal that sends Drew Bledsoe to Seattle and the Patriots’ and
Seahawks’ first-round picks to San Diego; New England would then draft Vick No. 1),
it wouldn’t be enough to match the upside of Vick. Besides, who’s to say the
Chargers hit on all three picks?
In the end, Butler will make the call. But drafting Vick and signing a veteran sure
makes a lot of sense — if they can pull it off, that is.
Then the question becomes: Who will that veteran be? |
