The Sports Xchange

Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan thought about bringing in free-agent quarterback Michael Vick during the offseason but was concerned about his ability to handle bad weather conditions and scrapped the idea.

Ryan also said Friday that the Bills might not announce their starting quarterback until the regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.

“I had a conversation with Mike,” Ryan told NBC Sports Radio on Friday. “Mike’s an outstanding athlete, he’s a tremendous person. I really enjoyed my year with Mike, and he’s great for a team. However, our conditions are a little different than most teams in this league. And Mike will tell you, he’s not built really (to be) a bad-weather quarterback.

“He doesn’t have great, big hands, and the weather affects him some. And he’d be the first one to tell you. You get the wind that we’re gonna have in our stadium and the snow and all that stuff, that’s not in his best interests. And quite honestly, I considered it. We considered it. And I know that’s not the spot for him.”

The 35-year-old Vick, who remains unsigned, played for Ryan last season when both were with the New York Jets. In 10 games (three starts) last year for the Jets. Vick completed 52.9 percent of his passes (64-of-121) for 604 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.

The Bills acquired veteran Matt Cassel instead during the offseason and he is competing against former Baltimore Ravens backup Tyrod Taylor in training camp for the starting job.