The Harrington Family Foundation

Joey Harrington believes he has found a perfect fit with the Atlanta Falcons.

"I feel like this is a situation where I can build my own confidence," Harrington said Tuesday, "and if I do get a chance, I'll be ready to help this team."

The No. 3 overall draft pick of 2002, Harrington is playing for his third team in three years. After beginning last season as Daunte Culpepper's backup in Miami, Harrington now fills the same role behind Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Winning just five of his 11 starts last year caused the Dolphins to bench Harrington for the finale in favor of Cleo Lemon. Even so, Harrington's overall experience in Miami was a major improvement over his first four seasons, when he went 18-37 with the Detroit Lions.

"I didn't realize how tough it was until I got out of it, until I saw what else was out there," Harrington said. "I saw what other types of cities and other types of organizations there were and what it was like to be on a team I enjoyed playing with."

As Harrington sees it, any NFL city outside Detroit is a welcome sight. He played for three head coaches with the Lions and heard thunderous boos at home games.

"I had a rough experience in Detroit," Harrington said. "There's no hiding that. I was not the same player I was when I left as I was when I came in, and last year in Miami was extremely good for me."

The Falcons advanced to the NFC title game in 2004, Jim Mora's first year as head coach, but they collapsed during the final two months of 2005 and 2006, going a 1-7 at home, 4-13 overall.

New head coach Bobby Petrino, who led the team through its first mini-camp workout Tuesday, takes over an offense that led the league in rushing for three straight years but ranked last in passing.

Atlanta finished 27th in 2005 and 30th in 2004, but Petrino brings a balanced scheme that helped Louisville become an offense powerhouse in Division I. During the past four years, Petrino's teams went 41-9.

"We have a lot to work on, there's no question about that," Petrino said. "But I think the players understand that when we're talking about improving in the passing game - and there is only one way to go from on last year's stats, so we've got that going for us - it's all 11 guys that are going to do it from the timing, the protections and routes. We're all going to get better."

Petrino declared that Harrington will begin Atlanta's mandatory mini-camp in May as the No. 2 quarterback. Chris Redman, who thrived under Petrino at Louisville before injuries and poor performance ended his career with the Baltimore Ravens, will compete with D.J. Shockley for the No. 3 job.

"I'll do whatever it takes and anything they ask me to do," said Redman, who signed March 23 after spending last year rehabbing shoulder and back injuries and selling insurance in Louisville. "I'm comfortable with the terminology of Coach Petrino's system, but he's definitely added a few wrinkles."

The Falcons needed an experienced backup after trading Matt Schaub to Houston last month. Since Atlanta began its offseason conditioning program March 19, Vick has worked with starting wideouts Michael Jenkins and Roddy White and newcomer Joe Horn to learn Petrino's playbook.

"We're deep, but we've just got to keep working and keep getting reps," Vick said. "The good thing is we've got a lot of time between our next mini-camp and OTAs, so we'll keep getting ready for it."

Vick, the most prolific running quarterback in NFL history, still hasn't developed as a passer. As the No. 1 overall pick of 2001, he thrived under former coach Dan Reeves in 2002, but Vick broke his leg the following preseason, and the Falcons went 2-10 without him.

Under former coordinator Greg Knapp, Vick never adapted to the demands of a short passing attack. His frustration boiled over after a blowout loss to New Orleans last November when he gestured obscenely to fans at the Georgia Dome as he left the field.

In January, Vick endured an embarrassing incident at Miami International Airport, when security personnel said he initially declined to hand over a water bottle that smelled like marijuana.

Police never filed charges, and Petrino insists that Vick since has done everything asked of him.

"He's done a real good job of taking charge," Petrino said. "We're asking him to do some different things cadence-wise and responsibility-wise for the offense. He's done a nice job of setting the tone for everybody and for what we're going to do, and I like that."

Petrino also praised Harrington, who took some reps Tuesday but spent most of the two-hour session watching as coaches installed some of the offense.

Harrington signed a two-year contract the previous day. The deal could be worth as much as $6 million.

"He's been in Africa for three weeks, so he is a little bit rusty, but what I liked most about him was when they were behind the play, he was really into it with what the call was, what the check would be for the quarterback, what the defense was," Petrino said. "You can see that intelligence part of the football game that I think he'll really help us at."

Considering that Vick has started 46 of the 48 games the past three years, Harrington doesn't know how much he will play. He's just glad to have a new home after the Dolphins cut him to avoid paying him a $1 million bonus.

"People say you learn things from every situation, whether it's good or bad, and one thing I said after playing in Detroit was that I wanted to play in an offense that gives me answers, and I believe Coach Petrino's offense does that," Harrington said. "It's going to take me a little while to pick up the terminology and become comfortable with what his answers are, but I believe in what he's doing so far from what I've seen."