Steelers Insider Ed Bouchette Says Vick Was Best Backup QB Available
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - Michael Vick is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and is the primary backup to Ben Roethlisberger. The signing has become a hot button issue in town with Vick's past conviction for dog fighting.
Today, Steelers insider Ed Bouchette joined "The KDKA Morning News" to discuss the signing.
Bouchette thinks signing Vick is a good football move.
"Back on July 30, I wrote a blog and I said, 'sign Michael Vick now.' Because I had seen all the backups and [with] Bruce Gradkowski; there were red flags all over the place because he couldn't throw [a football] in the spring. They called it shoulder fatigue, I call it sore shoulder and then he opened training camp on the sideline unable to throw," Bouchette said.
Bouchette said the Steelers had a debate about bringing in Vick back in 2009. However, one of the reasons they didn't was because of the backlash they expected.
Bouchette says while Vick has tried to rehabilitate his image working with animal groups, "to some people, that will never be enough. I can see it on my Twitter account. Some people are really angry."
"I don't think I have ever had as many comments after one of my stories in the Post-Gazette as I have this one."
The Eagles and Jets were able to overcome the initial backlash according to Bouchette.
"It became a non–issue as time went on and I assume that's what going to happen [in Pittsburgh]," Bouchette said.
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