As I look around the series of interconnected tubes known as "The Internet", I've noticed that some Falcons fans have been making what I feel are, frankly, illogical arguments about this whole trade. Yes, Vick hasn't done nearly as much as he should. No, Matt Schaub would not have challenged him for the job this year no matter how hard we all clicked our heels together and wished for it. Yes, Schaub would have been out of town as soon as unrestricted free agency came up for him. Like it or not, this team is stuck with Vick for at least a couple more years. Keeping Schaub around to keep the bench all toasty and then letting him go for nothing would've been insane.
Hey, I liked Matt Schaub too. I think he has the potential to be a great quarterback. But you've all seen firsthand how much potential Vick had and has now, and there hasn't been a whole lot coming out of it. Schaub could end up absolutely sucking for the Texans. It's important to remember that outside of the physical tools that scouts feel all warm and fuzzy about, we have a very limited sense of what he's capable of as a quarterback. People who want to see a vast conspiracy in this aren't facing the facts. Vick is the starter because he's flashy, he makes some great plays, and he's extremely marketable. Matt Schaub is not the starter for all three of those reasons. A harsh truth none of us really like to deal with, but a truth nonetheless.
The fans have a right to their opinion, of course. But some are acting like we didn't get back anything of value for Schaub. We didn't trade him for a fiery bag of crap, people. We've virtually guaranteed to get LaRon Landry or whoever the hell else the team wants at the #8 slot, as well as a chance to pick up two good players in the second round the next two years. The Falcons could certainly screw that up, I grant you. But to repeat myself, Schaub hasn't done a damn thing at the NFL level, and I'm almost insulted by the idea that this was a terrible deal or a move to "ensure" Vick was going to start. He's the symbol of Falcons football for many fans and the ownership, Ron Mexico and flipping off the fans and unfulfilled potential be damned.
But if someone's got a really good argument for why this trade shouldn't have been made, I'm all ears.