Panthers don't need Vick, so shhhhhhhh!!!

While walking the course at Wednesday’s Quail Hollow pro-am event, I couldn’t help but overhear a number of conversations from the thousands of attendees on hand. And, though I tried to tell myself I was just imagining things, I heard lots of people talking about how they believe the Carolina Panthers should go after Michael Vick.

These people were displeased with the Panthers and their recent contract moves with current quarterback Jake Delhomme. They felt that Vick, fresh out of prison and no longer fighting dogs, would be the best bet to lead the team forward after their unceremonious departure from the NFC playoffs last year.

Let me tell you why that is a stupid idea.

First of all, despite one of the worst playoff performances I’ve ever seen, Jake isn’t a bad quarterback. He helped led the team to a great record last year before falling apart in that last game. And even then, how much of that was his fault? How much fault lies on the coaching staff from going away from the ground game that much of the year had been hammering teams? Despite their increased defensive abilities in the playoffs, Arizona could be ran on.

But Delhomme isn’t the questionable part of the (Carolina +Vick) – Delhomme = Super Bowl formula. The stupid part is the section of that formula where we bring in a quarterback that, at his best, was just a rich man’s Kordell Stewart. Vick is not a good quarterback. In fact, he’s a terrible quarterback, and that was before he spent time in the slammer. I doubt he learned how to throw accurately while lifting weights in prison.

Vick is a running back who for some reason likes to throw a lot. The Panthers don’t need another running back. And they don’t need a new quarterback. People need to chill. Peyton Manning had some bad playoff games, but you don’t hear people calling for his head. And, he got over those problems and won a Super Bowl.

The Panthers, despite the pain many people are still feeling from last year, still have Steve Smith and a dynamic running game. Hopefully we can still get something out of Peppers. Matt Ryan is due for his sophomore slump, New Orleans can’t play defense and Tampa Bay is rebuilding. The Panthers ought to still win this division and make another run at the Super Bowl with Jake leading the way.

Michael Parks ~News14.com