Why Michael Vick is Responsible for Eagles Free-Agent Frenzy

Last season, the Eagles reinvented themselves in the wake of the departure of franchise icon Donovan McnNabb.

After an albeit brief but failed experiment with Kevin Kolb, national villian Michael Vick grabbed ahold of the Eagles' teetering ship and guided it to a familiair destination--the postseason. Equally familiar was the result once they got there--a premature postseason exit, filled with "almosts," "what-ifs."

Fast-forward six months through yet another team holding up the Lombardi Trophy and a tumultuous NFL labor negotation and we have arrived at one of the most turbulent and fascinating times in this franchise's long and mostly painful history. 

A much-hyped and condenced free agency period started without a mere whimper from the Eagles, and then without warning, their front office, led by general manager Howie Roseman and team president Joe Banner, went to work.

Say hello to Jason Babin, Vince Young, Cullen Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Ronnie Brown, Ryan Harris, and mostably, Nnamdi Asomugha. 

And the million-dollar question muttered in front offices and on training camp practice fields this week is, "How the Hell did the Eagles pull this off?"

And it's a good question. But it's also one with a fairly simple answer.

Top free agents aren't lining up to play for the Eagles because of a passionate fan base, because they've long been regarded as one of the better franchises in the league, or because they like the team's midnight green color scheme. 

And sure, money plays a large part in this, but in many cases, the Eagles recent signees have accepted less to come here than they would have received from other teams. 

So what gives?

Let's call it the Michael Vick effect.

Gone are the days of Donovan McNabb, Duce Staley, and Chad Lewis. Gone are the days when it appeared the Eagles were more concerned about the public image of their roster (Google "Damon Moore" and "dog") than they were with talent. And gone are the days when after an infuriating early postseason exit fans would curse (sometimes unfairly) what they deemed a cheap front office for leaving a promising roster a player or two short.

Somewhere along the way after one of these patented early playoff exits, the Eagles conciously altered their philosophy, focusing more on explosive playmakers, even if it were to mean a headache or two along the way.

Sure, the movement didn't happen overnight. It really began when they selected wide receiver Desean Jackson, whose brash personality and diminutive frame scared off potential suitors in the 2008 draft. It gained momentum when the Eagles shocked, well, pretty much everyone when they took a chance on embattled Michael Vick two seasons ago and then a year later scrapped their finely drawn plans of a future led by Kevin Kolb to hand the keys over to the former Atlanta star. 

It came to a head this past week when some of the game's finest free agents landed in Philadelphia to play with Michael Vick. Like it or not, Vick is considered the leader of this team. Like it or not, Vick is well-regarded by many of his peers in the league. And like it or not, Vick has the ability to put a team on his back and win a Super Bowl. And many of the game's top players have taken a gamble on this. The Eagles are betting on their free agents, and they are betting that Vick and this team are on the cusp of greatness. 

When the Eagles took a chance on Michael Vick two years ago, they were taking a calculated risk that Vick would regain his form and bring elite playmaking ability to the team. Little did they realize that this elite playmaking ability, in addition to Vick, would come in the form of a conerback, backup quarterback, running back, defensive end, defensive tackle, too.