Norv Turner, too. Those two, the San Diego head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, would have coached Vick had not the Chargers traded away the No. 1 selection in the draft to Atlanta on Friday. And I feel sorry for them. Drew Brees is a good player and should be a solid NFL player. No question about it.
Football is a gamble.
The upside on Vick is so high that I don't know how a team with trust in its coaching staff's ability to develop players could pass on him, though I recognize he has a chance to be a classic bust. And if I had a quarterback I wanted to groom, I'd want Mike Shanahan first, with Turner and Mike Holmgren tied for second. Turner would obviously have been Vick's mentor with the Chargers. They might have gotten four new starters on defense, including free-agent cornerback Aeneas Williams, in the span of four hours Saturday. A one-pick onslaught.