The Jets have made major changes at the quarterback position, releasing Mark Sanchez who was the fifth overall pick in 2009 and lost his job to 2013 second-round pick Geno Smith. Then just moments after releasing Sanchez, Adam Schefter reported the Jets signed Michael Vick to compete for the starting job next season.

Vick has plenty of reasons to thank the Philadelphia Eagles for giving him another shot in the NFL and he returned the favor over a five-year stint with the team. Durability was always the problem for the electrifying quarterback, never playing in more than 13 games.

It was just three seasons ago when Vick took over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback and had a career-year while leading the Eagles to the playoffs. Vick took over when Kevin Kolb went down, and in 12 games he threw for 3,018 yards, 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was in vintage form as an athlete as well with 676 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Over the next two seasons Vick remained the starting quarterback in Philadelphia and while he would throw for a career-high 3,303 yards in 2011, he would combine for just 30 passing touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 27 games between 2011 and 2012. His career in Philadelphia ended on the bench after he lost the starting job to Nick Foles and watched Foles have a breakout year.

Vick drew interest from the Oakland Raiders, but when the Raiders traded for Matt Schaub earlier today, it left New York as the only option to compete for a starting job. Vick has a strong relationship with Jets’ offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who was the Eagles’ coordinator from 2006-’12.

Now the 34-year-old Vick arrives in New York with the chance to battle with Smith for the starting job. Smith struggled as a rookie, completing just 55.8 percent of his passes while throwing 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. But while the numbers may look bad, there is still reason for hope.

Smith is still 23, and was in a horrendous situation last year where no rookie quarterback could have succeeded and even some veterans would have struggled. The Jets gave up 46 sacks last season, leaving Smith to run around for his life and chuck the ball to below-average wide receivers. Santonio Holmes was hurt most of the year, leaving a rookie to depend on Jeremy Kerley and David Nelson. Even under the circumstances Smith showed improvement in the final stretch throwing four touchdowns to just two interceptions and a 3-1 record in the Jets' final four games.

But the Jets made a significant upgrade to their wide receiver corps earlier in free agency when they signed Eric Decker, and they should still look to draft a top wide receiver or tight end with their first round pick. Adding weapons will help solidify the offense more and give either Vick or Smith more weapons to work with. New York could also explore trading for Vick’s great friend DeSean Jackson who is on his way out of Philadelphia.

It’s a move that is beneficial for the Jets, Smith and Vick as they all get what they want. Vick gets a chance at a starting job along with $5 million on a one-year deal, while Smith gets more motivation by being pushed in training camp and he has a great veteran to help mentor him. If Smith earns the starting job and struggles, Vick can step in nicely and provide a smooth transition. The Jets upgrade from Sanchez to Vick and really set up an ideal situation given their circumstances.