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Feeling-out process Chargers to start familiarizing themselves with Vick
Some time Saturday at a hotel in Indianapolis, John Butler will settle his large, bear-like frame into a comfortable chair and start sizing up the future. There's no guarantee, of course, that the San Diego Chargers' new general manager will wind up using his team's No. 1 overall draft pick to select Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick. But for this weekend at least, Butler and Vick will begin taking the first tiny steps toward what could become a long-term relationship. Welcome to the dog-and-pony show that is the NFL Scouting Combine. "We're not going to put any bright lights in his face and grill him," Butler said with a laugh. "I don't want the poor youngster to feel overwhelmed. It's just about getting that first chance to meet, shake hands and look one another in the eye. So that the next time around, maybe he'll have a real feel for us and it'll go even better." Nothing will get decided this weekend in Indy, but as in the real world, first impressions are still important in the NFL. If the Chargers and Vick wind up being this year's marquee marriage two months from now on draft day, the seeds of that commitment may be sown in this first informal get-together at a downtown Holiday Inn. The Chargers are looking forward to seeing the dazzling talent they've watched on the video screen come to life. To start putting a personality to the passing arm. Vick no doubt is eager to impress his potential future employer, and officially begin what he hopes is a long-winding NFL experience. This is the first hurdle.
"I'm looking forward to it, because it'll be our first real exposure to each other," Butler said. "I want to break the ice early with him, so he's not uptight or nervous. We'll set some things up for the future, other meetings, and his workout. And I think once you recognize that friendly face, where you've had a laugh or two with one another, you feel much better the next time out." Make no mistake, this weekend will be just a meet-and-greet for Vick, the draft's consensus top selection. Like many projected first-round picks, Vick will not take part in any football workouts in Indy. He'll hold a well-attended private workout, probably on March 30 in Blacksburg, Va. The combine for Vick will be all about medical exams and making eye contact. "I wish he would work out," Butler said." But the medical part is a big, big thing. If we can come out of there with as much medical information as we can garner, that's worth it in its own right." Still, with this year's draft devoid of many headline names, Indy will doubtless be the Michael Vick show. With or without him ever cocking a football in his left hand. "Yeah, it'll be his show," Tampa Bay director of player personnel Jerry Angelo said. "But it won't be all eyes and ears on him. It'll just be ears. He's not working out, so that's what you do. There's not going to be a whole lot of foreplay." Every NFL team will have a chance to speak to Vick individually on either Friday or Saturday, but look for three teams to make sure they spend quality time with Vick: San Diego, Seattle and Atlanta. They have emerged as the three most likely destinations for Vick, with the latter two expected to at least consider trading up for the Chargers' top spot. Seattle holds both the No. 7 and No. 10 picks, and Atlanta is sitting at No. 5. All three teams crave a franchise quarterback. Said one experienced Combine observer: "There's really nothing to prepare [Vick] for. It's a medical exam primarily. If he were working out, there's no question that's a different mindset. That's a big day. That's a huge job interview, in terms of your performance on the field. "But those things won't apply here. He just needs to be himself. Be positive, be polite and show respect. He doesn't have to fill his head with answers. He's not going to be quizzed on football at this point. That comes later. This is sixth-grade stuff." So what will Vick get thrown at him, in lieu of doing any throwing himself? At one point he'll sit for a videotaped interview session, in which he'll get some basic queries, like, who is most important person in his life? Or when did football become important to him? They'll maybe ask him to identify the things that are more vital than football to him, or the crowd he likes to hang out with. In between all the talking, he'll undergo a blood test and X-rays, sign a ton of release papers, take the NFL's renowned Wunderlich intelligence test, have his height, weight, arm length and hand span measured, and submit his body to a number of examinations. The only known concern regarding his health will be checking on his months-old ankle injury, which cost him some late-season playing time in 2000. Nobody seems worried about how the personable Vick will fare this weekend. As the Combine joke goes, everybody remembers what happened with Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf in Indianapolis three years ago. People said he hurt his image by acting like a jerk. But it turns out he wasn't acting. Ah, Leaf. His name turned into a four-letter word in San Diego, and the Chargers can only pray that Vick doesn't follow suit some day. After the debacle of the Leaf era (or error), Butler and company know this much: A Vick pick must click. San Diego can't afford another miss. That's why a contingent of Butler, head coach Mike Riley, new offensive coordinator Norv Turner and Butler's assistant general manager, A.J. Smith, all will get the chance to eyeball Vick up close Saturday. Consider it an organizational chance to kick the proverbial tires. "I think the thing you do is get a lot of people in your organization exposure to the young man," Turner said. "You don't get a lot of time with him. It's more of a casual, 'How ya doing?' But this is one part you have to look at. You get a chance to see him and get that first feeling. "The questions you ask and the answers you get aren't huge in this meeting. He's a young player. He's played 22 football games in college. Ultimately the decision will be made by people watching those games." Butler doesn't quite know what to make of the position he inherited when he took over the 1-15 Chargers. In his long tenure as Buffalo's general manager, his Bills never drafted higher than 14th. But there will be nothing middle-of-the-pack about this spring for San Diego. Butler and Vick will be watched for clues closer than any two people at the combine. "I'll tell you, it's really different already," Butler said. "With just people asking about it all the time. I don't ever want to be here again because the record dictates it, but hey, you know what? Somebody's got to choose first. Somebody's got to start the draft." Don Banks covers pro football for CNNSI.com.
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