Chargers Triumphed in 2001 NFL Draft Michael Vick Trade

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Saturday, January 20, 2007
Chargers Triumphed in 2001 NFL Draft Michael Vick Trade

The San Diego Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons had momentous decisions to make leading into the 2001 NFL Draft. Both teams desparately needed a quarterback. The Chargers were trying to overcome having drafted Ryan Leaf with the second selection in 1998. Jim Harbaugh was their backup or alternate starter. The Falcons had an aging Chris Chandler at quarterback with Danny Kannell in the wings. The Chargers had the number one pick in the draft and the Falcons had number five.

The top collegiate quarterbacks entering the draft in 2001 were Virginia Tech's Michael Vick and Purdue's Drew Brees. Of the two quarterbacks, Vick was the more highly regarded by far, although there was considerable doubt that he was worth the number one selection. Vick was marvelously athletic and exciting. Yet there were those who seriouly questioned whether his scrambling and throwing on the run could be translated into a successful NFL career. Brees was seen as the more traditional quarterback, perhaps the best of that kind coming out in 2001. But his arm strength was in doubt as was his size. In short, he was viewed as a bland option.

The Chargers did not want to take any big chances, however. The fallout in San Diego from Bobby Beathard's selection of Leaf in 1998, one selection after the Colts chose Peyton Manning, was still reverberating. While Beathard had once said that Leaf might even be a better selection than Manning, it had taken just a few months before even the casual fan realized that Leaf was a bust. By the end of the 2000 season, Leaf had clearly warn out his welcome in San Diego, both on the field and in the lockerroom. General Manager A.J. Smith and the rest of the Charger's brass was in no mood to take a chance on the possibility of another highly visible failure.

The Falcons were just a few seasons from a Super Bowl appearance. The team's clear weakness was that it had no quarterback with any remaining athleticism and little passing ability. Chandler had been servicable earlier in his career, but that career was coming to an end. Kannell never amounted to much. Coach Dan Reeves was probably hopeful that Vick could be as successful for him as John Elway had been when Reeves coached the Broncos.

The Falcons traded their first round pick, the fifth selection in the draft, along with their third round pick in 2001, a second round pick in 2002 and little used Wide Receiver Tim Dwight, who did have some signifcant impact returning kicks, to the Chargers for the number one pick. The Falcons selected Vick number one. The Chargers used the fifth pick in the first round on perennial All Pro Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers used the third round choice to select DB Tay Cody, who has since been forgotten. Wide Receiver Reche Caldwell was taken by the Chargers with the second round choice in 2002. The Chargers used their own second round pick in 2001, the first choice in that round, to select Brees.

While everyone is familiar with the careers of Vick, Tomlinson and Brees, few stop to think how thoroughly the Chargers triumphed and the Falcons failed in that draft. Of course, San Diego can't claim as big a victory as they might wish, since Brees has now moved on to continue his solid career with the Saints, and both Dwight and Caldwell have been sent packing after lackluster seasons in Charger town.

Jim Mora Senior agreed with a radio pundit that Michael Vick is a coach killer. The proof is in the pudding--Dan Reeves is gone, Jim Mora Junior is gone. Perhaps Vick is not only a coach killer, but a franchise killer as well. His off field woes have continued this off season. His success on the field has been wildly inconsistent and thoroughly underwhelming. He does not bring out the best in his receivers, he may indeed bring out the worst. While he has proven to be the greatest rushing quarterback of all time, he has also shown that no one can catch his throws. Brees has exceeded all expectations, but in such an unassuming manner that few realize how he has dominated Vick's performance in so many ways.

Passing
Name Att C Pct Yds Avg Td Int Sacks Rat
Drew Brees 2363 1481 62.7 16766 7.1 106 64 110/829 87.5
Michael Vick 1730 930 53.8 11505 6.6 71 52 187/1153 75.7
LaDainian Tomlinson 10 7 70.0 126 12.6 6 0 1/1 152.1
Tim Dwight 2 1 50.0 22 11.0 0 0 0/0 89.6
Reche Caldwell 1 1 100.0 20 20.0 0 0 0/0 118.8

Everyone now knows that Brees is the better passer, but not many realize how dramatically better he has been. Vick's career quarterback rating (75.7) is merely pedestrian. While he has a positive 71-52 touchdown to interception ratio, his 53.8 completion percentage is miserable in an age where most quarterbacks complete at least 60 percent of their tosses. In 2006, Vick completed 52.6 percent of his throws. Of the 44 other quarterbacks who attempted at least 100 passes, only one, Vince Young (51.5%), did worse. Twenty-three passers completed 60 percent or more. This in a year when Vick's 20-13 touchdown/interception ratio might have led fans to think that Vick had never thrown the ball better. Sad fact is, he probably never did throw much better.

Brees has a highly respectable career quarterback rating of 87.5. Brees career percent completion is 62.7. He has outpassed Vick by over 5,000 yards. His touchdown/interception ration is an impressive 106-64. Brees throws a touchdown pass once every 22 throws compared to Vick's once every 24. Brees throws an interception only once every 37 passes compared to Vick's once every 33.

Everyone knows that Vick is much more mobile than Brees, but that hasn't helped Vick avoid a pass rush better than Brees. In fact, Vick is remarkably worse. During his career, Vick has been sacked 187 times for losses of 1,153 yards. Vick goes down once every 10 times he drops back to pass. The visibly less mobile Brees, has only been sacked 110 times for losses of 829 yards, despite having attempted 600 more passes during his career. Brees is sacked only once every 22 times he attempts to pass. Vick is sacked twice as often as Brees!

I'll say this jokingly, but the statistics show, that if the you wanted a running passer, the Falcons should have stayed put and drafted LaDainian Tomlinson. Throwing halfback options, Tomlinson has completed 70 percent of his 10 passes, six for touchdowns. Even Wide Receivers Reche Caldwell and Tim Dwight have better career passing ratings than Vick, albeit on a handful of trick plays.

Rushing
Name R Yds Avg Td
LaDainian Tomlinson 2050 9176 4.5 100
Michael Vick 529 3859 7.3 21
Drew Brees 177 398 2.2 4
Tim Dwight 51 368 7.2 3
Reche Caldwell 14 108 7.7 0

Of course Michael Vick shines at running the ball. He became the first quarterback ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards when he gained 1,039 yards on 123 carries for a 8.4 yard average in 2006. During his career, Vick has gained 3,895 yards on the ground for 21 touchdowns. Brees lags far behind running the football gaining only 398 yards and scoring only four touchdowns on the ground. Of course, if the Falcons had wanted someone to run the ball, they couldn't have done much better than staying put and drafting Tomlinson who has gained 9,176 yards on 2,050 carries for a 4.5 yard average and 100 rushing touchdowns.

Receiving
Name Rec Yds Avg Td
LaDainian Tomlinson 398 2900 7.3 11
Tim Dwight 188 2866 15.2 17
Reche Caldwell 137 1710 12.5 11
Drew Brees 2 59 29.5 1
Michael Vick 2 3 1.5 0

But if you are comparing Vick to Tomlinson, you can't overlook Tomlinson's pass catching ability. Tomlinson has caught 398 passes for 2,900 yards and 11 touchdowns during his career, including the 2003 season when he had 100 receptions. If you wish to compare who got the better of the Michael Vick trade, you'd also have to consider the careers of Tim Dwight and Reche Caldwell. Some of Dwight's career receiving totals, those that occurred while he played for the Falcons before the trade, would need to be discounted. But then again, while servicable, neither Dwight nor Caldwell have been significant players. In his three years prior to the trade, Dwight caught 62 passes for 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns. Since the trade he has 126 receptions for 1,697 yards and six touchdowns.

In another statistical oddity (use this info along with the data on sacks to make a bar wager or two), the less speedy Brees has shown to be a better receiver than Vick. Whether they were batted balls or trick plays, both Brees and Vick have two career pass receptions. But Brees catches have gone for 59 yards, a 29.5 yard average, and one touchdown, while Vick's two catches totaled a three yard gain.

If you are looking at overall scoring punch, Vick has participated in 92 touchdowns (71 passing and 21 running). Brees has been part of 111 touchdowns (106 passing, 4 running and one receiving). Tomlinson has played a role in 117 scores (100 running, 11 receiving, and six passing). Dwight has 25 career touchdowns (17 receiving, 3 running, 2 kickoff returns and 3 punt returns) and Caldwell has caught 11 touchdown passes.

Anyway you cut it, at least thus far, the Falcons would appear to have been better off sticking in the number five spot of the 2001 draft and selecting either Tomlinson or Brees than having made the trade they did. The mercurial Vick could change all that by finally reaching his full potential. But as each year passes, that becomes an ever more remote possibility.

With a new coach already on the way, Vick will be asked to learn his third offensive system as a pro, even if he stays with the team. The Falcons may already have a better passer on the squad in fellow Quarterback Matt Schaub. Many think Atlanta should bite the bullet and trade Vick, although it is hard to imagine how, or from whom, they would obtain Vick's true value, if anyone even knows what that value is. He is like a chinese box puzzle, one mystery or enigma wrapped in another. Dealing with the Falcon's quarterback situation is likely to make or break Bobby Petrino, just as it did with Reeves and Mora.

Ragging on Michael Vick is kinda fun. But truly I'd rather be rooting for him, he may still be the most exciting player in the game. It would be nice if working with Petrino, he could also become one of the best.

Brees moves on to the NFC championship game this weekend. His work is cut out for him as he faces the Bears' defense. Caldwell will start for the Patriots in the AFC championship game versus the Colts. He hopes that he has finally found his role at last.

Despite their masterfull handling of the 2001 Draft, the Chargers will join the Falcons in watching this week's big games on television, through no fault of Tomlinson, it must be said. Despite the fact that Brees, Caldwell, Dwight and Cody are no longer with the team, the Chargers still have the better of the 2001 Draft.