Eagles' Michael Vick sees himself as Robert Griffin III's forerunner

• Vick: 'I'm the originator of everything that's transpired in the league with the style of quarterback'
• Eagles QB admires RGIII's game and how Washington has capitalized with it
• Wherever he is in 2013, Vick wouldn't mind playing in a read-option offense

PHILADELPHIA — Robert Griffin III is so good that he can make defenders grasp for thin air in the open field, fling laser-accurate passes 50 yards downfield ... and even alter perception.

How else to explain the effect the dynamic Washington Redskins rookie has had on Michael Vick?

"I'm a big RGIII fan," Vick told USA TODAY Sports. "He reminds me of what I do. I'm the originator of everything that's transpired in the league with the style of quarterback. It makes it gratifying to me."

No question, Vick — inactive as the Philadelphia Eagles No. 3 quarterback Sunday for the clash against the Redskins — ushered in an era of new-wave quarterbacks when he was selected No.. 1 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. His impact as a game-breaking runner opened the door for the exciting double threat that has become more common.

Griffin III, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick epitomize the alternative to the traditional NFL pure pocket passer. Said Vick: "They come into the league, 'This is how I play. This is what I'm going to do.' "

Yet when Vick sees himself in Griffin, he is stretching the point a bit. Griffin is a more accurate, less mistake-prone passer than the strong-armed Vick has ever been, demonstrating how the double-threat has evolved.

Vick, meanwhile, has had his promise undermined by turnovers and inconsistency, not to mention the hiatus forced by his off-the-field dogfighting issues.

In nine games this season before suffering a concussion that has left him inactive for the past five games, Vick committed 14 turnovers, including nine picks.

Some more bare numbers:

• Griffin ranks second in the NFL behind Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers with a 104.2 pass efficiency rating. He has completed 66.4% of his passes, with 18 TDs against 4 interceptions.
• Vick completed 44.2% of his passes and had a 62.7 rating as a rookie, when he started just two games. In his first full season as a starter in 2002, he completed 54.9% of his throws, with a 16-8 TD-to-INT ratio and an efficiency rating of 81.6.
• For his career, Vick has an 80.7 passer rating and 56.3% completion rate. He has thrown for 122 TDs, with 81 picks.

Still, Vick's primary point about RGIII is understood. Griffin has flourished with a style that was once considered taboo on the NFL level.

"You have to give credit to Coach (Mike) Shanahan," Vick said. "You can have a guy with all the talent in the world, but if you don't know how to use it, what's the point? So a lot of credit to Mike Shanahan, and a lot of credit to RGIII, staying true to his game."

Vick — who could soon be looking for a new team with the Eagles likely to release him during the offseason — can also see himself playing a scheme similar to the read-option scheme the Redskins have built around Griffin.

"I wouldn't mind," he said. "That's what I did in Atlanta, and I did a lot of it in 2010 here. But then the offense kind of changed a little bit. (Offensive line) Coach (Howard) Mudd got here, so I had to deal with what I was dealing with, trying to make the most of it."