With their shocking decision to sign Michael Vick, the Eagles are taking an enormous risk. All that’s at stake is everything owner Jeff Lurie and head coach Andy Reid have ever said about what the franchise stands for, and they have put all of that in the hands of a man who went to prison for murdering dogs.

It just isn’t worth it. Not from a football standpoint, which is secondary, and not from any other standpoint.

Let’s be clear about this from the very top:

Vick did his time for the heinous and despicable dogfighting operation he financed and operated in Virginia. He went to federal prison. He lost millions of dollars. Like anyone else, Vick deserves the chance to return to his chosen profession.

Just not here.

Repeat: just not here.

Full disclosure: I received the e-mail about Vick’s reinstatement by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell while waiting for my dog to finish his first chemotherapy treatment. I’m sitting in a sterile waiting room, worried sick about a 7-year-old Shih Tzu named Pogue, and a guy who oversaw the torture and murder of dozens of animals is getting cleared to play in the NFL. Let’s just say the news rubbed me the wrong way at that moment.

But I also get that Vick comes from a different background, that there is a surprisingly large subculture that sees dogfighting as acceptable. I believe in people getting second chances in life. I think Goodell was right to reinstate Vick. It would be wrong to ban him for life after he served his criminal sentence.

Actually hiring him is a different matter.

The Eagles say they did a lot of research on this, that they talked with Vick and Tony Dungy, who has taken on the role of spirit guide for the younger man, and believe he is truly remorseful for what he did.

The Humane Society has endorsed Vick’s return to football. The belief is that he has changed and will use his fame and street cred to educate young people about dogfighting.

That’s all fine. The Humane Society is smart to seize this as an opportunity to reach people it might not otherwise reach. Vick’s fame and infamy both make him uniquely qualified to speak on the subject of his former pastime.

Nevertheless, it is going to be very difficult to watch this guy without thinking about those dead and tormented dogs. There will be protests, and there should be. There will be verbal abuse from fans, and there should be. As much as Vick has the right to get on with his life, the rest of us have the right to remind him of what he did.

It seems inappropriate to discuss the football stuff, given the gut reaction brought on by the off-field aspects of this. But the Eagles are also creating a difficult situation on their roster and in their locker room. Bringing in a guy like Vick, who will draw lots of negative attention and who may well repulse some of his teammates, is a potential team-killing move.

Sure, Vick is remorseful now. He’s unemployed and in desperate need of a job in the NFL. He has been financially devastated and shamed in public and sat in a prison cell. He has every reason to be remorseful. No doubt he’s sincere.

And perhaps someone, somewhere should have given him an opportunity to play again. Just not the Eagles. Just not here.