Raw talent often overshadows how good an athlete really is in the eyes of fans. A great play can erase the mistakes that occurred earlier in the game. A true, great quarterback needs to be able to have great leadership, control, judgment – things that Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, for example, already have.

In the NFL right now, there are around 4 or 5 great quarterbacks, and 15 to 17 average ones. The only quarterback that continues to stay unclassified is Mike Vick, who is entering his fifth season in the NFL. It is a year that will be the toughest one for him if his play doesn’t change.

Atlanta has brought up Michael Jenkins and rookie Roddy White, who figure to contribute this season. Furthermore, Peerless Price is still around, and if he ends up being the third receiver, then maybe he can contribute like he did in Buffalo. A reduced role should help him utilize his speed to separate from the second or third cornerback on the opposing team.

With that in mind, how does Vick continue to cast a spell on fantasy owners? The hype surrounding him is unbelievable, and the rumors of him having a breakout year continue to finish in whispers. He has a huge mega deal right now, but isn’t even one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the league.

What gives?

His legs are the only reason to pencil him in as a fantasy starter. If you look at his passing yards and touchdowns, they’re comparable to Joey Harrington. He averaged a mere 150 yards per game with his arm last season. That’d put him in the bottom five of the league, and would have put him on the hot seat if it weren’t for his legs.

With his legs he can give you running back fantasy points, with an easily dependable amount of 8 to 10 points a game. What will happen when defenses shut the lanes down of Vick? It seems unreasonable, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done it more than once, and Philadelphia obliterated any options of running the ball for Vick in last seasons conference championship game.

The defense to stop those legs can be done, and Vick needs to boost his pocket skills so that doesn’t happen. A one-dimensional athlete can’t survive 11 guys from tackling him. The "something out of nothing plays" will always be there for Vick, but the fourth down miracle runs are going to need to be passes, as those days are over.

To fool a team like that again on a fourth down would be like screaming across the other side of the field and yelling to the other coach what they are going to do.

Another leg injury to Vick might be the best scenario for Vick to develop his passing skills. Donovan McNabb also had the tendency to take off running before he had his foot injury and was forced to utilize his arm more. He than became comfortable with his arm and now uses that more than settling with his legs.

Vick has one of the strongest arms in the league, and when he is accurate his receivers can look like targets in the NFL quarterback challenge. Until his passing skills improve to a top 10 level, than he can’t be consider as a keeper league quarterback. His two drives against Indianapolis in Tokyo showcase the exact reason why.

He had an impressive few plays, but then threw a horrible pass way too high for his player. His offensive line had ultimate protection on the play, and Vick seemed to gun a lazy pass that he didn’t follow through on. Those are the type of plays that Vick needs to start being known for, instead of with his legs.

Every year Vick gets hyped up to be something out of this world, but the disappointing seasons continue. Will this be the year he changes, and his talent equates to him being a fantasy starter?

Right now fantasy owners would be more comfortable using him as a running back than a quarterback.