Will a team really wait until August to trade for Vick?


Jason La Canfora of NFL.com reported yesterday that he doesn't believe the Eagles will move Michael Vick until late August or early September.

The thinking is that, with strong performances in the preseason, that teams would be more willing to part with a third round pick for the quarterback. The Eagles have made it clear that they will not simply give Vick away for a late round pick, so this could be their way to drive up his price.

"I don't think there is enough value in a trade to make the move now," said an executive with a team that needs help at quarterback to La Canfora. "They don't have to trade him before the roster bonus is due, and I'd be very surprised if they traded him in March. I expect them to hold on to him until he has more peak value, and that could be in August or September."

That makes sense for the Eagles, but how much sense does it make for potential suitors?

If the Eagles actually hold on to Vick throughout the entire preseason, why would a team then trade for him this season? They would be trading for a quarterback who has absolutely no time in their offense, but is expected to come in and start.

That's just not realistic. It's not realistic for a quarterback to spend all offseason in one offense, then come in a week before the first game of the season and be able to pick up a brand new offense and be able to execute it to perfection -- the way teams will expect if they're trading for Vick.

This could, however, be exactly what the Eagles want other teams to think. Just giving the illusion that they're willing to hold onto him until the bitter end could cause a team to, in a sense, bid against themselves and just offer the third round pick that the Birds are looking for in order to get Vick into all the offseason practices.

Personally, I think Vick will get moved in or around draft weekend. If a team is sitting there with a third round pick and they know that's what it will take, they could pull the trigger if they don't see a player they like with that pick.

I think the way teams have to look at swapping picks for a player is, "If this player was on the board right now, would I draft him?" That's the only way teams can avoid overpaying for a player like Vick.

I don't see a team giving up a straight-up third round pick, but a conditional fourth or fifth is certainly possible. Something tells me the Eagles will squeeze a conditional fourth out of the Rams if a team like the Bills offers a conditional fifth.

Either way, I don't believe teams will want to trade for Vick after he's missed their OTA's, training camp, and all offseason team meetings.

I think he gets moved in or around draft weekend, before the veterans report for post-draft workouts, and that it will be to the Rams for a 2011 condition fourth.