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Hall of Fame Running Back Thurman Thomas made an impromptu call to the WGR Morning Show today to talk about Roger Goodell "steering" Michael Vick to the Eagles. Not surprisingly, Thurman is fired up.
"It goes all against what the Commissioner has been trying to do. It's like another slap in the face to the Buffalo Bills. I'm upset about it. I want to know what the whole idea was about wanting him to go to Philadelphia and not Buffalo or Cincinnati.", said Thomas. "I think Mr. Wilson needs to give the Commissioner a call and see what happened."
"It was wrong, I think there needs to be an investigation."
The term collusion is being thrown around, and this would fit that definition. Goodell acts as judge and jury with the players in the league. Goodell held the power to reinstate Vick into the NFL, and according to the article in GQ magazine, both the Bills and Bengals, "wanted him and would've allowed him to start, but after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell and other reps from the NFL, Vick was convinced—and granted league approval—to sign with Philly. "And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation."
It represents a breakdown in the NFL. Roger Goodell has orchestrated a free agent signing with a team. Vick, who openly admits he wanted to be a starter, took a spot as a 3rd string Quarterback with less money guaranteed. Yahoo! Sports reports the Bengals would have offered more money to Vick, and 2 years on the deal rather than a club option. It has not been reported what the Bills were prepared to offer.
Could compensation be something the Bills could ask for? Possibly. When a team loses a player (who is previously on the roster) they get a compensatory pick based on his productivity from that day forward. Vick was never a member of the Bills, but according to the report, he had interest in it, and that interest was diminished by the man in charge of his reinstatement.
You can hear all of Thurman's comments here.