Bills notebook: Whitner likes idea of playing with Vick
Reaction was mixed in the Buffalo Bills locker room regarding Tony Dungy's comments that quarterback Michael Vick could be playing here next season.
Safety Donte Whitner enthusiastically endorsed the idea.
"If we had the opportunity to get Michael Vick and it came down to that I believe yes [he would be a fit]," Whitner said after practice Monday. "I believe that he's a great football player. Right now he's not in the swing of things with all the time off. But with a full offseason of conditioning and dealing with the right people helping him to get his mechanics back in line I believe he can pick up where he left off.
"I believe Michael Vick would be a good fit and I would encourage whoever to bring Michael Vick in."
Not everyone shares Whitner's view. Wide receiver Lee Evans is not so sure signing Vick would be the right thing to do.
"I love him as a player, and everything that he's done in the league," Evans said, "but I don't think it'll be something we'll aggressively go after."
Dungy, the retired Indianapolis Colts head coach and Vick's adviser, said during NBC's Sunday night pregame telecast that Cleveland, St. Louis and Washington are looking for quarterbacks. He then added that the Bills are "a dark horse" to obtain Vick next year.
"They talked originally," Dungy said of the Bills. "There was some communication there. I think that could be a good spot."
There are a couple of flaws in Dungy's thinking.
First, Vick is under contract for two years with the Philadelphia Eagles (the team has a $5.2 million option for next season), who signed him after he served 18 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring. Second, no one knows who will be making the decisions for the Bills in 2010. The job status of head coach Dick Jauron is tenuous at best and a front office shake-up could be in the offing if the Bills have another losing season.
Moreover, the Bills are still trying to determine if Trent Edwards is the long-term answer.
Jauron did not address the media Monday. The Bills issued the following statement on Vick: "He is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and we have no comment on it."
As for Edwards, he hasn't given the Vick issue a lot of thought.
"It's really out of my control," Edwards said. "I feel like we've got guys upstairs working those personnel moves, and if they feel like that's going to be the best fit for this team, and they feel like that's going to help us win football games, I'm sure they're going to do that without my opinion on it."
Whitner said no one's job is safe in the NFL and he's all for the Bills adding anyone — regardless of position — who will help them win.
"If things aren't going well you can easily be replaced," he said. "That goes for myself and that goes for anybody in the National Football league. If you're not getting the job done then they're going to bring in other players. I think it's more so a competition thing. I don't think you're downing anybody who is in that position.
"But you bring in other guys to help you win. I would welcome bringing in Michael Vick."
Whitner (ankle), rookie safety Jairus Byrd (groin) and rookie tight end Shawn Nelson practiced Monday, though their level of participation was not revealed. Nelson worked for the first time in three weeks due to migraine headaches. Safety Bryan Scott got more snaps at linebacker during positional drills.
Not practicing were cornerback Terrence McGee (knee surgery), outside linebacker Keith Ellison (quad), right tackle Jamon Meredith (knee), defensive end Aaron Schobel (groin) and defensive tackle Kyle Williams (knee).
Jauron is expected to provide a status report on all the injured players Wednesday.
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