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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

We can rule out the New England Patriots as a potential suitor for Michael Vick.

The Patriots are the only AFC East club not to go on the record and state they're uninterested in giving the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback his second crack at the NFL.

Because Patriots policy is not to comment on personnel rumors, nobody within the organization has shot down the Vick-to-New England talk that has gained momentum throughout the offseason.

Yet common sense indicates Vick's not headed there. I'm even more convinced, after hearing Patriots coach Bill Belichick speak Thursday, Vick will not land in the AFC East.

"You know, Michael's an outstanding player," Belichick said when asked about him on the first day of training camp. "He hasn't played in a couple years, but right now our focus is on our team and our players and trying to get the New England Patriots ready. So that's really where my attention has been. But he's a tremendous athlete. Where he exactly is right now, I don't know."

Belichick didn't say anything overt there, but he made it a point to stress his "focus is on our team and our players and trying to get the New England Patriots ready." If Belichick were interested in Vick, then logic would dictate he know exactly where Vick is right now.

The Patriots have one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history (Tom Brady), one of the greatest receivers in NFL history (Randy Moss) and the player with the most receptions over the past two seasons (Wes Welker). They have a crowded backfield, too.

What use would it be to sign Vick for a handful of plays? Why take the ball out of Brady's hands, if even for a snap or two? Why eliminate touches for Moss, Welker and Joey Galloway?

What's the payoff that would be worth the headache?

Without an official statement or word from a team source, I had refrained from conclusively crossing the Patriots off the list of possible landing pads for Vick. I'm comfortable with it now.