Ryan: Bills considered signing Vick but he's not a 'bad-weather QB'
Buffalo Bills general manager has admittedly said the team is almost in "quarterback purgatory." To much-needed context, he said it with regards to being good enough to not pick first or second overall, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl.
Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel are the likely candidates to win the starting job (which may not be announced until Week 1), but according to Rex Ryan, the Bills were close to bringing in reinforcements.
On Friday, Ryan said the team considered signing Michael Vick, but the Buffalo weather changed their plans.
"I had a conversation with Mike," Ryan said to NBC Sports Radio, via ESPN. "Mike's an outstanding athlete, he's a tremendous person. I really enjoyed my year with Mike [in 2014 with the Jets], and he's great for a team. However, our conditions are a little different than most teams in this league. And Mike will tell you, he's not built really for a bad weather quarterback. He doesn't have great, big hands, and the weather affects him some. And he'd be the first one to tell you."
Since making his return to the NFL, Vick has played with two cold-weather teams: the Eagles and the Jets. However, neither of those climates are quite as cold, windy, or snowy as Buffalo, and Ryan is well aware of that fact.
"You get the wind that we're gonna have in our stadium and the snow and all that stuff, that's not in his best interests," Ryan said. "And quite honestly, I considered it. We considered it. And I know that's not the spot for him."
Barring an injury to a quarterback in camp, Vick may not be on an NFL roster for the start of the regular season. At 35 years old, Vick still has incredible athleticism, but whether or not he can hold up over the course of a 16-game season remains a question.
(h/t ESPN)
