Michael Vick never has been known for his durability.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has played a full 16-game NFL season only once in 10 tries. Knowing he must present himself as a more dependable option now that he's fighting for a starting job, Vick hit the gym hard in the offseason.
Very hard.
"I've been doing a lot of curls, a lot of bench press this offseason," Vick explained Tuesday from Eagles training camp. "Just trying to put my body in the best position possible to withstand the hits. Everybody says I'm injury prone, so I'm trying to fight that.
"But it's cool, man. That's why we compete. That's why we work out. That's why we train hard ... to come out and do the things we know how to do, and that's play good football. But you have to stay on the field to do so. So that's why I've been working out."
Vick then pulled the ol' Barry Horowitz pat-self-on-the-back move in describing the muscle mass he's added.
"Four pounds, four pounds of pure muscle," he said, "So, it's a credit to myself."
Adding bulk to his frame shouldn't hurt, but Vick's best move is to play smarter and avoid the types of hits that have knocked him out of action in the past. If Vick wins the job, only to be forcibly sidelined again, it will be difficult to get himself back in the lineup.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
