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In this very good GQ story on Michael Vick by Will Leitch, one paragraph in particular is raising NFL eyebrows this morning, and it is this one:

"I think I can say this now, because it's not going to hurt anybody's feelings, and it's the truth," Vick tells me a few weeks after the commencement ceremony. "I didn't want to come to Philadelphia. Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about. Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options." Those two teams wanted him and would've allowed him to start, but after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell and other reps from the NFL, Vick was convinced -- and granted league approval -- to sign with Philly. "And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation."

The immediate question is whether Goodell had any business influencing where Vick signed once he got out of prison, and some have raised the issue of whether the Bengals or Bills will or should be upset about this. I see the point but have some issues with that interpretation.

First, I don't buy that the Bengals would have started Vick ahead of Carson Palmer in 2009, fresh out of prison. I may buy that the Bills would have done it, since they were going with Trent Edwards and eventually Ryan Fitzpatrick, but to say he was a starting option even for a team as quarterback-desperate as Buffalo is revisionist history.

Vick had just gone two full seasons without playing football. No one knew what kind of shape he was in, physically or mentally. If a team -- even the Bills -- was going to sign him, it's impossible to believe they were going to anoint him their starting quarterback right out of the gate. It's easy to look back over the way Vick played last year and say sure, of course he'd have been worlds better than those other options. But in August 2009, nobody knew he'd come back and be what he's become. Not the Bengals, not the Bills, not the Eagles, not Vick and not Goodell.

Goodell's mission at that time was not to return Vick to on-field football glory but simply to return him to NFL society and allow him to resume his career in the situation that would best enable him to be a productive member of that society on and off the field. Goodell had a lot of help in this effort, from agent Joel Segal to NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith to former Colts coach Tony Dungy, who served as a mentor to Vick during and after Vick's prison stay.

Now, to Goodell and all of those other people, the Eagles looked like the best spot for a number of reasons. They all believed coach Andy Reid, in part because of his own personal experience with his sons and their legal trouble, would be a compassionate mentor. They believed that Reid and his coaches could nurture and coach Vick while Vick served as backup to Donovan McNabb. They believed McNabb would be a good mentor for Vick.

Goodell said more than once, at that time, that he was looking for "a success story." And he didn't mean success in terms of yards or touchdown passes. And he certainly didn't mean success for any one particular NFL team. He meant success for Michael Vick -- and that meant putting Vick in the most beneficial situation for Michael Vick. The idea that the commissioner might have been playing favorites, or that other teams should be upset that he may have steered this remarkable athletic talent to a training camp other than theirs, is fueled by nothing other than hindsight. At the time, no one knew if Vick had it in him to ever complete another NFL pass. Even the Eagles didn't know. They just took a chance -- a chance for which they were ridiculed and criticized by many at the time -- and coached him into a better quarterback than he'd ever been before without ever thinking he'd start for them. Remember, a year ago, Vick was Kevin Kolb's backup.

To think that Vick would have become what he's become while riding the bench behind Palmer or even while starting games for Buffalo is to underestimate the work the Eagles did with him once they got their hands on him. If this is going to be a controversy, people had better come at it with all of the facts. Sure, it's possible Goodell wanted Vick in Philadelphia. But if he did, it had nothing to do with wanting to help the Eagles. They did that on their own.

Happy Flag Day, everyone. No matter what we do these days, we have offensive lines on the brain. Fired-up Friday was about left tackles. Last Thursday's column was about offensive lines. Power Rankings, which come out today, rank the best left tackles in the league. And lo and behold, this morning we find a Pro Football Focus ranking of left and right tackles based on a stat it has called "pass-blocking efficiency." The stat purports to measure the amount of pressure each lineman gives up and is calculated by "Sacks added to three quarters of Hits and Hurries, divided by the amount of snaps in pass protection multiplied by a 100, or: ((Sacks + (0.75 * Hits) + (0.75 * Hurries)) / Pass Pro Snaps) * 100"

You know, for those of you who like a little complex math first thing in the morning.

Anyway, the left tackle at the top of the list is Miami's Jake Long, which makes me feel better because I ranked him first in the league in the left tackle Power Rankings. The NFC East representation on the list doesn't make me look as good. Dallas' Doug Free ranked as the fifth-best left tackle in the league in pass-blocking efficiency last season according to the formula, two spots ahead of Philadelphia's Jason Peters. And Washington's Trent Williams, whom I ranked ahead of Free in Friday's debate post, ranked as the ninth worst. The Giants' David Diehl ranked third worst, incidentally, which I think helps explain Eli Manning's interception numbers a bit.

They also do right tackles here, with New York's Kareem McKenzie faring quite well and Dallas' Marc Colombo ... not so much. It's an interesting breakdown of one critical aspect of tackle play and provides a little data for our ongoing debate. As you chew on that, I'm hitting the links:

Dallas Cowboys

Because I know how you Cowboys fans love your Tony Romo golf updates, here he is qualifying for the Wisconsin State Golf Association Match Play Championship. Hey, gotta do something, right? I salute him. I remember guilt-free golf as a newly married guy before the kids came. Enjoy it now, Tony!

Oh, and in case you missed it, Jason Witten came in at No. 36 on this much-discussed NFL Network list of top 100 players as voted on by other players. One more Cowboy to go on this list, and it's DeMarcus Ware, who's ranked ... somewhere up higher. They're only telling us a little bit at a time, you know. And you say we're stretching for content during the lockout.

New York Giants

Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese said they wouldn't rule out a return of Plaxico Burress to the Giants. This was, presumably, before they read this.

Ralph Vacchiano says Eli Manning expressed "tempered enthusiasm" for the player workouts he and the other Giants had last week at Bergen Catholic High School. Personally, I've never known Eli Manning to express any other kind of enthusiasm.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jonathan Tamari wonders if Andy Reid has a Dirk Nowitzki-like, career-capping moment in his future -- a title celebration that would erase the only remaining criticism of his coaching career in Philadelphia. I mean, it'd be nice. The whole "He hasn't won a Super Bowl. Enough said" argument sure does seem to be getting old and overused.

Tony Dungy directly addressed a question about Burress potentially landing in Philadelphia along with Michael Vick, another player with whom Dungy worked as a mentor during and after his stay in prison. "I don't know that that would be the case," Dungy said.

Washington Redskins

Looks as if the Redskins are at least considering the possibility of moving their team headquarters from Virginia to Maryland. The current facility in Ashburn, Va., is not up to current NFL standards and needs an upgrade. Surely, if Daniel Snyder can get Prince George's County to help him pay for a new one, that would pique his interest.

The 2010 Redskins may not have won a lot of games, but they sure did make a lot of people mad. Santana Moss is the latest from the team to be sued, as he now stands accused of defaulting on a lease for a dry-cleaning business his family ran in Miami. Reason No. 8,437 the lockout needs to end soon.

Hey, make sure you have a good breakfast. Big day today. We're chatting at noon.

Busy day for Plaxico Burress, who held a news conference to announce his new affiliation with the National Urban League and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. He stood up at a podium next to Tony Dungy and said he spent some of his 20 months in prison thinking, "How can people learn from what happened to me?"

This is a guy saying all the right things, which is what you'd expect him to be a week after getting out of prison with hopes of returning to the NFL. And he appears to have the right people around him, especially in Dungy, who was a key mentor to the post-prison Michael Vick. Remember, Vick's crimes were far more heinous, evil and calculated than was Burress' accidental (yet knuckleheaded) firing of an unlicensed gun in a New York City nightclub. Burress the human being might well need less rehabilitation than did Vick.

Doing and saying all the right things, working and standing with Dungy, and talking to kids about the silly and unnecessary dangers that guns present will help Burress get his next job. There's no doubt some team will take a chance on him, and whichever team that is will be able to justify the signing of a questionable character by pointing to all this stuff he's doing in the meantime.

But what will decide Burress in the long run is the way he acts after he gets that chance. How well he handles the success or failure that follows him in his next NFL stop. If he's saying and doing the right things just to maximize his chances of playing football again, we'll all find out soon enough. If he's going to keep going around and preaching the dangers of gun violence, it really won't matter how well he does on the football field -- something good will have come out of his idiocy and the punishment he received for it. We're months, maybe years, away from finding out which it's going to be.

Let's take a quick tour around the most fascinating division in the NFL this morning:

Cowboys

• The master of the lectern, Jason Garrett, has brought game balls back to Valley Ranch, writes ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.

• Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks Garrett is making himself at home as the interim head coach.

• New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck had some kind words for Dez Bryant: "He's just one of those players that every time he touches the ball, you have to have an account of where he is in every situation -- special teams, as a wide receiver, even when he's running a reverse. He's one those players that can beat you. They're going to do their best to get him the ball, but however they do it, he becomes the most dangerous person on the field when he has the football. But we knew that, we understand that he's a great talent."

• So who actually "won" in the Roy Williams trade? Do we even need to ask the question? Just because the Lions didn't hit on all those picks doesn't mean it was a wise decision by the Cowboys.

• Jen Floyd-Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says, "Great job, Jerry!" over the drafting of Dez Bryant. I guess we won't bring up the '08 and '09 draft classes right now.

• An influential Dallas pastor compares Jon Kitna to Tony Dungy in terms of leadership, writes Clarence E. Hill of the Star-Telegram.

Eagles

• Les Bowen of the Daily News says we never saw it coming with quarterback Michael Vick back in training camp.

• The Inquirer has dispatched Ashley Fox to East Rutherford, N.J., for a day or two. And guess which former Eagles player is having some back trouble.

• As the Daily News' talented NFL man Paul Domowitch knows, it never hurts to lead with a Rodgers and Hammerstein reference. For the under-40 crowd, go rent "Oklahoma!" and try to figure out what the hell's going on during that dream sequence.

• The Giants have a plan for Michael Vick -- and it could be painful for the quarterback.

• The Eagles are going green -- with new wind turbines and solar panels at the Linc for next season.

Giants

• The most prolific tweeter in the New York media, Ohm Youngmisuk, takes a break to write a column on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

• After two consecutive starts at left tackle, Shawn Andrews' back is hurting. Stop me if you've heard this one.

• Vick is playing so well that it took two Times writers to pull off this story.

• Only four days after getting torched by Jon Kitna, the Giants are talking tough about Michael Vick, writes Gary Myers.

Redskins

• Matt Terl of the Redskins Blog has an entertaining item on Vonnie Holliday and Albert Haynesworth.

• Sally Jenkins of the Post points out that Donovan McNabb hasn't been very good this season.

• Dan Steinberg of Sports Bog fame makes a good point about the Redskins alleged "waitlist" for season tickets.

• The Mayor himself, Jason Reid of the Post, takes a look at what McNabb's contract is really worth.

This is a weekly staple that allows readers to lash out against the author of the Beast blog. We recently topped the 10,000-letter mark, which is apparently a blog network record at ESPN.com and one that is being celebrated in Bristol, Conn., as we speak. You guys have been prolific this week, so let's get right to it:

Stephen from Philadelphia is concerned with something I wrote about in Friday's Final Word column: Yeah, Jared Allen wore out Doug Free to the tune of ... one tackle over almost three quarters. I'm not pretending Free won't have problems -- I don't think Dallas can protect Tony Romo -- but the problem Dallas had in that game was Ray Edwards around the edge and both Minny's DTs DESTROYED the interior of the the Dallas OL (which I think they will do again), meaning Romo had no pocket to step up into. That was the problem, not Allen's one tackle, which actually came when Jason Witten was left one-on-one with Allen.

Mosley: The NFC East blog has taken a blood oath not to blame any sacks on Witten or Eagles tight end Brent Celek, Stephen. But seriously, Free did struggle in that game against Allen, and that's been confirmed by his offensive line coach, Hudson Houck. He was thrown into a tough situation, so I don't think we should hold that against him. And, yes, I agree that Ray Edwards was the bigger problem because he was racing around a gimpy Marc Colombo. The Cowboys must try to establish a running game early to neutralize the noise factor in the Metrodome. This may be one of the best home-field advantages in the league. I'd put Arrowhead No. 1 -- even with all the fancy new additions. (Shoutout to Chiefs coach Todd Haley, who reads this column religiously despite his frustration that I never mention the playoff-bound Chiefs.)

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Jakeem from Atlanta wants to talk NFL trivia: Tony Dungy may be the only person in NFL history to make an interception and throw one in the same game. Do you know if this happened in the 1977 game against the Houston Oilers that you mentioned?

Mosley: That's exactly when it happened, Jakeem. Dungy, a former college quarterback, was forced into the game against the Oilers when Terry Bradshaw and his backup were both injured. Dungy was 3-of-8 for 43 yards and two interceptions. And, yes, he also picked off the Oilers in that game. That's a point that Wade Phillips forgot to make when he was belittling Dungy's playing career Friday. I like Wade, but that was not a good moment for him. Dungy's paid to analyze teams and players for NBC. If he questions Tony Romo's leadership, it's not that big of a deal. And honestly, I have no problem with Phillips defending Romo. He just crossed the line with his petty commentary about Dungy's game against the Oilers in 1977.

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Andrew from Dallas has a Cowboys-Redskins related question: Why is it that when Dallas switched to the 3-4, Roy Williams (SS) was moved horribly out of position and never recovered, but Washington switches to the 3-4 and LaRon Landry, a very similar player, has a breakout year? I understand schemes are different, but shouldn't coaches adjust to the abilities of their better players?

Mosley: I think we all waited for Williams to develop into a John Lynch/Troy Polamalu type player, but he just didn't have the awareness to be that type guy. Williams really benefited from playing with Darren Woodson in 2002 and 2003. When Woodson was forced into retirement because of a back injury, Williams' game immediately leveled off. He certainly had his moments in Dallas, but his limitations in coverage were too much to overcome. And I'm not sure how much passion he had for the game when you really get down to it. Landry's always had the talent, but it looks like Jim Haslett has finally tapped into it on a week-to-week basis. Playing Landry close to the line of scrimmage allows him to be more physical. The guy is an absolute beast to deal with near the line and he seems a lot more engaged than ever. I'll never understand why former defensive coordinator Greg Blache had him playing so far off the ball. But the arrival of Haslett could turn Landry into a perennial Pro Bowl player. He's playing that way right now.

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Greg B from Philly is trying to settle a dispute with friends: In regards to your post about [Eagles safety] Nate Allen, you referred to a Suplex tackle made by Brian Dawkins. I find it interesting because my friends and I were attempting to find out just last week who was on the receiving end of the tackle. We have two suspects, neither of which is James Thrash, who was on the Eagles at the time. But it is either 83 Cliff Russell or 87 Rod Gardner. If you could out who it was, that would help settle a large dispute we are having.

Mosley: Greg, I recently watched video of Dawkins using the Suplex on then-Redskins receiver James Thrash in an '08 game. But he's had several such tackles during his career, so I wouldn't rule out any "suspects' at this time. Based on my exhaustive Google research Thursday while preparing a column on Allen, I ran across at least five Suplexes/body slams. I believe that Dawkins uses the version popularized by the Texas-based Von Erich family in the 1980s. Fritz Von Erich's "Iron Claw" is still used to settle disputes in remote parts of Kaufman County, Texas.

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Devin from Sydney, Australia, wants to know what's up with John Clayton and his Power Rankings staff: Matt, I've loved your analysis on the Power Rankings this year. Can you explain the rationale behind Houston -- on a two-game losing streak and looking worse in each -- having a higher ranking than the G-Men who are on a two- game winning streak, looking better each week and befuddled the Texans? It's time we get you on the panel.

Mosley: Devin, ESPN.com removed me from the voting process two years ago, in part, because I begged for two years to be taken off the panel. It's much more fun to write a post each Tuesday poking holes in John Clayton's voting habits. If the Skins beat the Colts on Sunday, I fully expect The Professor to move them into the top five. But thanks for your support. ESPN.com has looked into having my blog syndicated in Sydney. If it makes you feel any better, the Giants would likely rank No. 1 in my NFC East power rankings, which don't currently exist. I want to see how the Giants' linebackers play against Lions running back Jahvid Best tomorrow. I know Best has been banged up, but I think he'll still pose a serious threat. If this game's close, watch out for this Shayne Graham situation at kicker. He wasn't on his game last season for the Bengals (by his standards).

Thanks again for your wonderful e-mails and threats. I'm headed out to the Ballpark in Arlington to see if the Rangers can recover from last night's heartbreak. Then it's on to Minneapolis, where that Viking horn sound goes off every 15 seconds -- especially when the Vikes are playing the Cowboys.

I'm all about trash talk between two 1-3 teams, but now Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is going after TV analysts. Apparently former Colts coach and Steelers defensive back Tony Dungy questioned Tony Romo's leadership skills following his three-interception performance in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Romo responded Thursday by inviting Dungy to Valley Ranch so he could see for himself how the quarterback leads his teammates.

But Phillips, who used to coach against Dungy during his playing days, took it a step further.

"We played against him when he was in Pittsburgh and he turned it over several times,” Phillips said. “We knocked [Terry] Bradshaw out of the game, and he came in. I believe he fumbled the first snap."

As Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com points out, Phillips is referring to a 1977 game when Dungy was pressed into emergency duty in a 27-10 Oilers win against the Steelers. Of course, I don't recall anything like that happening when the Steelers and Oilers met in the playoffs.

I have no problem with a coach having his quarterback's back, but to go after Dungy's play at quarterback 33 years later seems a bit petty. What's next? Will Dungy make fun of Phillips for giving up a touchdown while playing linebacker at the University of Houston in the 60s?

The Dallas Cowboys love it when former Colts coach Tony Dungy calls them out on NBC. They've responded well to Dungy's barbs in the past, and now he's criticized quarterback Tony Romo's leadership skills.

After Romo threw three interceptions against the Titans on Sunday, Dungy said, "Part of being a leader at the quarterback position is protecting the football. You've got to do that to be a great quarterback."

Romo agreed with that statement, but he took issue with Dungy's questioning of his leadership skills and invited him to stop by Valley Ranch.

"I'd invite him, same as Rex Ryan did," said Romo on Thursday per ESPNDallas.com. "He can come along if he wants to see. He can see it anytime you're out here. That's just part of it. If you'd ask any of my coaches you'd probably get a different answer. If Tony Dungy was in here, it'd be the same way."

Backup quarterback Jon Kitna told me Wednesday that he's surprised that Romo's taking as much heat as he is.

"It's a tough thing when a quarterback's playing lights out and the team's 1-3," said Kitna. "I don't now how anyone's laying all this at his feet."

» NFC High Energy: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at a player who gave his team a significant boost in Week 2.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick's body language never changed when the Detroit Lions took a 17-7 lead in Sunday's game. In fact, he seemed to look calmer once the Eagles were in comeback mode.

Quite simply, Vick was the best player on the field in Sunday's win and you could tell that his teammates fed off his energy. Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham didn't attempt to keep Vick in the pocket. He dialed up the blitz over and over, in part, because of the Eagles' issues on the offensive line. Vick managed the game beautifully and seemed to know exactly when it was time to run.

He passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns while ripping off some remarkable spin moves to extend plays. On Sunday, the Eagles showed that it pays to have one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league on the roster. Coach Andy Reid called it a "beautiful" thing to have two quarterbacks he trusts to win games. Sunday's game served as a nice audition for Vick as he determines what the future holds. He'll be starting in the league next season, but I don't think it will be in Philly. Here's what Vick's mentor Tony Dungy said about him Sunday night on NBC per the Daily News:

"These last two games, he’s been outstanding," said Dungy. "He’s thrown the ball from the pocket well. He’s managed the game. He’s run when he needed to. I thought he played the quarterback position better these two games than he ever did in Atlanta."

Vick will not be able to pick up his High Energy Player of the Week award in person, but I assume he's thrilled to be honored.

Just when you thought Wade Phillips and the Cowboys were pretty much done, they go out and hand the Saints their first loss of the season. And as much as we've bragged about Drew Brees this season, Tony Romo was the best quarterback on the field in the Cowboys' 24-17 win. Romo was 22-of-34 for 312 yards and a touchdown. And he used his legs to extend important drives. He has been heavily criticized for his record in December, but this was the signature win that a lot of folks have been waiting on. Here are a few quick-hitting observations on the Cowboys' win in the Big Easy:

Week 15 Coverage

• MNF video analysis | Breakdown
• Monday Night Football HQ
• Seifert: Packers fail tough test
• Williamson: Emotional Chargers win
• Clayton: Last Call | Bengals hit hard
• Kuharsky: Titans on roll | Colts perfect
• Graham: Moss speaks little, says a lot
• Yasinskas: Saints far from perfect
• Mosley: Ware's return lifts Cowboys
• NFL Nation: Reactions | Wraps | Live

• Having DeMarcus Ware on the field gave the Cowboys a huge lift. Phillips wisely limited him to passing downs and he had a ton of energy. That made a big difference on the final drive. It was Ware who caused the Brees fumble that clinched the win for the Cowboys. And right up until that moment, I thought Brees might have a legitimate shot of leading the Saints back. Here's what Ware told the NFL Network moments after the game: "When I told the team I was playing tonight, everybody's eyes lit up. And as you can see, the scoreboard lit up too." Most people didn't believe Phillips on Monday when he said that Ware could possibly play against the Saints. But the All-Pro outside linebacker made steady progress with the team's medical staff and was finally cleared after going through a series of tests a couple hours before the game.

• Miles Austin is obviously the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver at this point. He had the big touchdown early in the game, but it was his catch and run on a third-and-long with 6:28 left in the game that held the Saints' comeback at bay. You can tell Romo has so much faith in Austin. Conversely, why would anyone have faith in Roy Williams at this point? His drop on a quick slant in the fourth quarter allowed the Saints to continue their comeback. I'd bench the guy. He really has no business being on the field -- especially with players such as Kevin Ogletree and Patrick Crayton making clutch catches.

• Surely the Cowboys will go ahead and cut kicker Nick Folk now. The NFL Network showed footage of him shanking field goals before the game and sure enough he hit the right upright on a short attempt with 2:14 left in the game. I can't imagine him being on the roster when the Cowboys make the trip to Washington next Sunday night. Winning has a way of covering up warts, but Folk can't hide after that miss.

• Mike Jenkins is about to become a perennial Pro Bowl player if he keeps this up. The Cowboys' second-year cornerback went toe-to-toe with perhaps the deepest group of receivers in the league. His interception in the second quarter ended a Saints scoring threat and he made plays throughout the game. He's playing with a swagger right now that's pretty impressive. And he's getting good jams at the line of scrimmage. Jenkins told me Wednesday he's a huge fan of Charles Woodson's game. And on Saturday night, he sort of reminded me of Woodson. He's by far the best cornerback the Cowboys have right now and he'll be in the Pro Bowl mix next season.

• It's a joke that Jay Ratliff isn't in the top five in the Pro Bowl fan voting. Ratliff can take over a game from his defensive tackle spot. He controlled Saints center Jonathan Goodwin and caused a lot of trouble in the middle. Ratliff didn't really show up on the stat sheet other than his fumble recovery, but he caused a lot of trouble for the Saints.

• This had to be outside linebacker Anthony Spencer's best game as a Cowboy. With Ware resting quite a bit on first and second down, Spencer turned up the pressure. For some reason, the Saints kept forgetting to block him and Spencer took advantage. Spencer and Ware combined for four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. This is what the Cowboys had in mind when they drafted Spencer in the first round.

• Let's revisit the Austin note: Austin completely embarrassed Saints first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins on a double move on the touchdown. Jenkins just bit all the way, allowing Austin to get over him for the easy touchdown. Perfect throw by Romo. And then the heralded Darren Sharper had trouble keeping track of Austin. Austin ran through Sharper's arm tackle on one long play in the first half. On that huge play with 6:28 left in the game, tight end Jason Witten did a nice job of clearing things out for Austin.

• Tony Romo said on TV after the game that the Cowboys used a Tony Dungy video clip as a source of motivation. Romo revealed special teams coach Joe DeCamillis showed a video of Dungy saying on NBC last Sunday night the Cowboys had "no chance" against the Saints.

• The Cowboys' reward: One whole week with no one talking about how awful they've been in December. Impressive win. If they follow it up with a win in Washington, we're looking at a huge showdown between the Cowboys and Eagles to end the regular season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

PHILADELPHIA -- Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy shared some interesting thoughts on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick during tonight's pregame show on NBC. Dungy, who advised Vick as he returned to the league, said the Bills were interested in the quarterback before he signed with the Eagles.

"But I think a dark horse is Buffalo," Dungy said. "They talked originally. There was some communication there. I think that could be a good spot."

Dungy also mentioned the Redskins, Browns and Rams as possible destinations.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

When Michael Vick was released from prison, there was speculation that the Oakland Raiders would try to sign him. Of course, Raiders coach Tom Cable said Wednesday that signing Vick was "never something we seriously considered."

Vick

But for good measure, former Vick adviser Tony Dungy recently said on NBC that he advised the quarterback to steer clear of the Raiders organization. The Eagles happen to play the Raiders on Sunday, so Vick was asked to respond to Dungy's remarks.

"When I got released from prison, I didn't care where I would have played," Vick told reporters Wednesday. "It really didn't come up. I think coach Dungy just wanted me to be in a place where I was going to be protected, and I just wouldn't have a lot of pressure on me. I think that's what he meant."

Vick acknowledged that signing with the Raiders would've put a lot of pressure on third-year quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who already had enough to worry about.

"If I'd have gone there, there would have just been a lot of quarterback controversy," Vick said. "I think the most important thing is for JaMarcus to get his reps and get a feel for the game and place, to prove that he can play in this league. You don't get too many years to prove that. They've given him his shot, and he deserved it."

The benevolent Vick then slipped off to take some Wildcat snaps.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will make a decision regarding Michael Vick's full reinstatement by Saturday's cut-down deadline, according to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. Under his partial reinstatement, Vick can't play in the regular season until he's notified by Goodell -- and that notification has to take place by Week 6. Goodell and Vick have been having weekly conversations, and the commissioner has been in touch with the Eagles on a regular basis.

The Eagles need to know which way the commissioner is leaning in order to make decisions regarding their 53-man roster. If there's a chance Vick will be back for the Week 3 game against the Chiefs (and I think there is), the Eagles probably won't put him on the roster exempt list. Andy Reid wants Vick to be working out with the team. If he went on the exempt list, he wouldn't be allowed to practice with the team.

This should make for a very interesting cut-down day. It would really surprise me if Goodell made Vick wait until after the bye week (4th week) to be reinstated. We'll keep our eye on this one for you as things continue to develop. The only thing that would worry me from Vick's perspective is that New York Post report that he was sipping an adult beverage in a Philadelphia airport hotel. That doesn't violate anything in his contract with the Eagles, but it certainly wasn't a smart move on Vick's part -- and his advisor Tony Dungy has said the same.

I think the latest that Vick will be reinstated is after the bye week. The Eagles would have a full two weeks of practice to get him ready to go with that scenario, but obviously Reid would rather have Vick back for the third game. We'll keep you posted.

	AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano
	With Plaxico Burress facing a two-year prison term, the former Giant's NFL future is very much in doubt.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Now that former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress has pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and agreed to a two-year prison term, you must wonder if his career in the NFL is over. It's important to remember that Michael Vick reported to prison two years ago at age 27, which should've been the prime of his career.

Vick hasn't taken a hit in two seasons and Eagles coach Andy Reid said he was only a couple of pounds overweight when he reported for duty last Friday. I think it's safe to assume that Vick's young enough that his legs didn't deteriorate all that much from two years away from the game.

Burress is a completely different story. He turned 32 earlier this month and even if he gets out in 20 months for good behavior, he'll be 34 by the time the 2011 season begins. It's not like he's going to lose any of his height (6-foot-5) in prison, and that's an attribute that helped make him an elite receiver in this league. Even at age 34, Burress could be a matchup problem for smaller cornerbacks.

Although Burress has never had elite quickness or explosion, those are things that naturally fade as players get older. Will Burress lose his acceleration and burst while sitting in prison? I think we can all agree the answer is yes.

"I don't think there's a lot of margin for error in terms of his speed," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "You have to think some of that's going away while he's in prison."

Marvin Harrison's one of the all-time great receivers to play in this league. By all accounts, he's relatively healthy right now at age 36. But the man can't find a job -- even with his former coach Tony Dungy actively campaigning for him. It's naive to think that Burress could sit in a prison for 20 months and then return to Pro Bowl status. It's not like he's a physical specimen such as Terrell Owens, a man who doesn't seem to age.

At best, I think Burress would come back as a second or third receiver who could help a team in the red zone. I certainly don't think he'll be a player that defensive coordinators will have to devise game plans around anymore. The late Jim Johnson talked about how much easier it was to prepare for the Giants when Burress wasn't on the field. He's not going to have that same impact at age 34.

There's also the question of whether Burress would face a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. I think 20 months behind bars would be more than enough punishment. He made a serious mistake last November, but at least in my mind, Vick's crime was far more heinous. In retrospect, Burress would've been better off agreeing to this prison sentence seven months ago. That means he could've been out of prison by October 2010 and possibly resumed his career at age 33. But try as he might, he can't turn the clock back now.

Judging by what we've seen with Vick, Burress would be wise to go ahead and put Dungy on retainer. But at this point, I think it's fair to say his NFL future looks pretty bleak.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Eagles 

• Bob Brookover of the Inquirer has a report indicating that Shawn Andrews is at peace with himself.
  

• Now Jeff McLane of the Inquirer is reporting that Andrews is in Los Angeles visiting with Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed his back surgery last October. McLane also has some good news on running back Brian Westbrook.

• Les Bowen of the Daily News is clarifying something that Donovan McNabb said today about Plaxico Burress.

• Bob Ford, columnist for the Inquirer, has some of the same questions that I've had about the Vick signing.

• Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times has a report on Todd Herremans' foot injury. 

• Here's a news story from the New York Daily News on Michael Vick's "60 Minutes" interview. 

• Donovan McNabb blogged on the Vick signing last night.

• Paul Domowitch of the Daily News has a daugther who's a defense attorney. Here's her take on the Vick signing. 

• Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times talks about Tony Dungy's involvement in Vick's life. 

• Here's Michael Wilbon's column on Vick from Friday. He says Jeffrey Lurie's the most important man in this equation. 

	AP Photo/Matt Rourke
	Signing Michael Vick appears to be a risky maneuver by the Eagles.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

PHILADELPHIA -- Outside the entrance to the NovaCare Complex, about 50 fans and protesters gathered to take part in what will become the biggest sideshow in the NFL this season. On the front lawn of the Eagles' practice facility, dozens of reporters paced back and forth on cell phones as they were surrounded by seven satellite trucks.

Welcome to the Michael Vick era in Philadelphia. If you thought Terrell Owens doing sit-ups in front of reporters in his driveway was surreal, just give this Vick thing a little time. Longtime Philadelphia Daily News columnist Rich Hofmann told me the Vick signing ranks ahead of T.O.'s sit-ups and Rush Limbaugh's comments about Donovan McNabb in terms of "grabbing this city by the throat."

Vick Signs With Eagles • Vick signs two-year deal • Mortensen: Philly adds up • Graham: Eagles embrace Vick • Mosley: Good or bad move? • Clayton: Eagles a good fit • Bryant: Vick's debt still unpaid • Reaction spans commerce, protest • Chadiha: Vick's head in right place • Mosley: Vick not worth the drama • NFL Nation on Vick signing • Fantasy: Vick a deep sleeper • SportsNation: How will Vick fare?

Inside the complex's main auditorium approximately 100 reporters waited on a delegation that included Andy Reid, Vick and former Colts coach Tony Dungy. Vick and Dungy both went with conservative suits. Reid appeared to have splurged at a Tommy Bahamas sidewalk sale, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and loafers.

Unlike most news conferences welcoming a new player to town, this one took on a grim tone. You get the sense that Vick realizes he'll spend the rest of his life showing remorse -- and that's probably an appropriate thing.

But what the Eagles could never sufficiently answer Friday -- at least to my satisfaction -- is why they think having a backup quarterback is worth all the drama that comes with it. I do realize why they spent most of Friday's hourlong news conference talking about how much Vick will be able to accomplish off the field. In my mind, it's a public relations move to help offset some of the backlash the club will feel from the local community and dog lovers across the nation. As I departed the facility Friday, one woman held a small dog and a sign that read, "Hide your Beagle, Vick's an Eagle!" And that's tame compared to what the Eagles will see at NFC East road games.

Reid said he thought the "majority" of people would end up supporting Vick, but that seems a bit naive to me. I do think this country has an amazing capacity to forgive, but in some people's minds Vick's involvement in dogfighting was too heinous to look past. I ran into tight end Brent Celek and linebacker Omar Gaither outside the practice facility, and they were both genuinely excited about Vick's signing.

"I think it's a great thing for us as long as Donovan's OK with it," said Gaither. "I think things will settle down in a couple weeks and nobody will be talking about this."

Sorry, Omar. I think Friday's news conference was the first of several flashpoints involving Vick. His first preseason game will be must-see TV, and then things will really get ramped up when he's fully reinstated. Some will argue that Vick's a low risk -- and they'll be correct in terms of a financial commitment. The Eagles -- and some in the media -- will beat the drum of the Eagles being a perfect fit because of their strong head coach and locker room.

None of that matters to me. If the Eagles thought they were one player away from finally winning a Super Bowl, then fine, have at it. But they've added the most notorious player in the league to be a Wildcat quarterback. Reid didn't want to reveal his plans for using Vick, so I asked Eagles president Joe Banner whether the team had a specific plan in mind for Vick.

"I think [Reid's] probably designing plays for him as we speak," said Banner. "I think he'll have a clear vision of what Vick can do pretty soon."

But unless that clear vision included Vick touching the ball 15 to 20 times a game, I don't think it's worth the risk. By all accounts, this team has excellent chemistry in the locker room. Now the Eagles have added a player who will receive constant attention. To me, it seems like overkill, and I expressed that thought to Banner.

"I don't think of it as overkill," said Banner. "You can never have enough talent."

Michael Vick Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles CAREER STATS YDS CMP% TD INT RAT 11,505 53.8 71 52 75.7

I think Lurie was completely sincere Friday when he expressed how "horrendous" he thought Vick's involvement in dogfighting was. In fact, Lurie showed some raw emotion in talking about his own dogs and how what Vick did was "despicable." Lurie even said he wanted to make sure Vick had "self-hatred" during an interview at the owner's home earlier this week. I don't know how you go about measuring a man's self-hatred, but it's not something I'd care to explore. Signing Vick has caused Lurie some pain, but in the end he placed his trust in Dungy, Reid and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who have all supported Vick's comeback.

What I don't understand is Lurie basically saying he doesn't care what Vick does on the field. It's as if the only way he can justify signing off on this is to try to turn Vick into a social activist. He thinks this might be an opportunity for the Eagles to take a stand against animal cruelty.

It almost sounds like the Eagles are now trying to put together a societal all-star team. Call me crazy, but I thought this organization was in the business of winning football games.

Hearing Reid talk about how the experience he has had with his troubled sons may have influenced the Vick signing makes me a little queasy. After all, Reid was the man driving the bus on the Vick signing. It's fine to have empathy for someone who has paid his debt to society, but do you have to create a roster spot for him? This has come across as a very personal decision for Reid. I just wonder if it was made with the organization's best interests in mind.

The McNabb-Vick relationship also is coming across as forced. McNabb's a sensitive quarterback who hasn't forgotten what happened in Baltimore last November. By my count, Reid and Lurie mentioned McNabb's name at least nine times Friday. They made it sound as if McNabb signed off on the move. But something tells me he didn't have much of a choice.

Is throwing one man a career life raft worth the risk of affecting an entire locker room? I guess we're about to find out.