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Reactions: Atlanta-San Diego trade Chargers got the better end of the deal say usersPosted: Monday April 23, 2001 6:13 PMUpdated: Monday April 23, 2001 6:25 PM San Diego traded the rights to the top pick in the 2001 NFL Draft to Atlanta, which used the selection to take quarterback Michael Vick. San Diego selected running back LaDainian Tomlinson of TCU with the fifth overall pick, then got Purdue quarterback Drew Brees with the first pick of the second round. CNNSI.com users overwhelmingly feel that the Chargers got the better end of the deal. A sample of the responses we received follows: I think that San Diego made out like bandits. I would be willing to bet that Brees becomes a star and Vick becomes another sophomore bust. Anybody remember Tommy Maddox? Oh yeah he's an XFL star! If that wasn't enough, throw in L.T.
After Drew Brees fell into the Chargers' lap in round two, the Chargers definitely came out ahead on the deal with Atlanta. They not only get a top-notch running back, but they also get a consistent, proven quarterback with Drew Brees. Sure they say he is too small, but look at who is playing behind... Doug Flutie. Tim Dwight also came along with the package. Maybe he isn't a number one receiver, but he is among the top return men in the NFL and is a threat every time he touches the ball.
San Diego made the best moves by far. They took two very high quality players for the price of one. I'm sure that they will have a little guilty pleasure when Vick gets injured by a bigger, faster NFL defense.
Hmmm, what's the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. The bitterness (and the salary cap dollars) from Leaf are still fresh in the Chargers' mouth. The Chargers have a good QB in Doug Flutie, who for the first time in his career has two jobs. Starting QB and mentor. Personally I think he will excel at both. Yes, Vick could be the superstar of the future, but the Ravens took a rookie RB and went to the Super Bowl with an average/old QB. And in today's cap-driven NFL, two starting players for the price of one is a bargain.
Atlanta wins by a large margin! I saw, in person, over half of Michael Vick's games and let me tell you the films of him do not tell the story. It looks like everybody on the field is in slow motion when he is play-making. It also seemed that he never really had to put it in high gear to get away from the rush. I also thought that his passing accuracy was much better than the "experts" say it is. He had a lot of passes dropped. What a great talent to watch. All us fans at Virginia Tech were really lucky the past two years to be able to watch Michael Vick play. Good luck, Michael in Atlanta!
It seems that everyone understands that Vick is the most athletic quarterback ever. He has more potential than any player available in the draft. Barring injury in Vick's career, he will be phenomenal. Can they say that about Drew Brees? I think San Diego will regret their move.
I think the Chargers came out way ahead in this deal. Vick is a great athelete but has a long way to go to prove that he can be the next Randall Cunningham. I think Brees will be better in the long run and LT will make them more competitive right now!
San Diego got the better of the Vick deal. Even the most elusive running quarterbacks get hit. They get hit more when they are on bad teams. And if they get hit enough they get hurt. Vick might be a superstar, but the Chargers needed players, plural, and got good ones.
Some of the criticisms of Michael Vick are laughable. The suggestions that his accuracy is not NFL-caliber: have you forgotten that he led the nation in pass efficiency as a freshman with a near-record QB rating? Even Mel Kiper, Jr. stated several times during the draft that Vick is one of the most accurate deep-ball passers he has ever seen, but then comes back and criticizes his accuracy. The criticisms have come from old-school NFL coaches and QB's who can't grasp the concept that the position is changing and Michael Vick will thrive if the Falcons design their offense around him and don't ask him to change his style.
The Chargers have it all over the Falcons. With due respect to Michael Vick, having two players with playmaker potential is far more valuable in a team sport like football. Granted Vick has the makings of a superstar, but Brees and Tomlinson are probable future Pro-bowlers. And the Chargers do need a good team not just a lone genius.
The Chargers will regret the day they traded away Micheal Vick. He runs like Barry Sanders and has a cannon like Dan Marino. He will be the most exciting QB to EVER play the game. I can't wait until he learns the system and catches up with the speed of the NFL.
I believe that the Chargers did a good job at getting two quality picks with their first two round choices. I like Drew Brees' maturity and think that he will have a quicker impact with the Chargers. Tomlinson will also have an almost immediate impact. They gambled but I think that it paid off with Brees falling to the first pick of the second round. A job well done.
Michael Vick is as much a gamble as he is a top prospect. Vick could easily crumble and realize he should have gotten more experience in the pocket the first time Warren Sapp unloads on him. I think over time he MAY become a standout player, but for now, San Diego made the right choice for bolstering up their OFFENSE with two quality draft picks, instead of bolstering up their stress and expectations of putting everything on the shoulders of an untested, unproven rookie.
San Diego should never look back and think, "we should have taken Vick." The fact of the matter is by trading down they improved their team immediately, not two or three years down the road. Brees is a very good QB and should be looked at as having a very promising future with the Chargers. Tomlinson, along with Flutie and Brees waiting in the background, will give the Chargers offense immediate legitimacy. Instead of being a playoff hopeful in three years, they are now thinking about the playoff this year.
Are you kidding? The Chargers give up an unproven, small QB for Dwight and picks. They get a better arm and a winner with Brees. They take Tomlinson in the first. Now they have a QB, a WR/KR, and a quality RB. If you need to rebuild do it now. Remember they also have Flutie. The best move was to get rid of another past flop in Leaf. They will not win this year, but look-out in the future.
I think San Diego made the right move. Vick isn't in the same category as Donovan McNabb and we know how he struggled in his first NFL year, and he completed four collegiate seasons. NFL defense is a higher caliber than what Vick has experienced in 20 collegiate games. Good move S.D.!
The Falcons will be fine as long as they don't tamper with Vick's ability to sense when he needs to run, because you can't teach that. What they can teach him is how to stay in the pocket and become a more effective passer. The Chargers are a different story, in that they need help in every area of offense because they have none, but they are on their way with the picks they made. Overall, I would say it was a very shrewd deal for both parties.
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