bengalboy
Footballguy
Len Pasquarelli & Chris Mortensen, ESPN
In what has quickly evolved into a collaborative effort that includes the input of officials from the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the Atlanta Falcons, embattled quarterback Michael Vick could be urged to take a voluntary leave of absence and to focus his energies on the legal challenges from a federal dogfighting indictment confronting him, sources said Thursday and Friday.
There are, however, two critical components that must be resolved: Falcons owner Arthur Blank must be on board with a plan that has generated considerable discussion at the league level the past two days. And Vick, who might be reluctant to accept even a paid hiatus from the game, might have to be convinced that the leave could be his best option right now.
Blank and the Falcons might also be considering other options.
Under the leave-of-absence scenario, and given the projected timeline of any trial that could ensue from the federal indictments brought against the quarterback on Tuesday, all parties would enter into the agreement, if it is consummated, with the expectation that Vick, 27, would probably miss the entire 2007 season.
While the concept of a leave has been broached conceptually to associates and advisors of Vick, it has not yet been formally presented to the Falcons' star. Vick could be briefed about the possibility of a paid leave of absence, however, as early as Friday. He would likely be granted time to consider the suggestion, which would almost certainly have to be made by Blank, with a decision not coming until early next week.
It has become clear, as high-level discussions have progressed, that all the parties involved in the talks are desperately seeking a resolution to a potential public relations disaster before the Falcons begin training camp next Thursday afternoon. A league source acknowledged on Thursday that "something one way or the other is going to have to happen ... by the start of training camp."
As incentive for Vick to consider a leave, the union is hopeful that Blank will offer to guarantee the player's full $6 million base salary for 2007. That could be a sticking point in the negotiations. No one will try to bully Vick into accepting the leave, but he might be reminded that while the league and Falcons are inclined for now to allow due process to play out in the courts, that stance is not an inalterable one, and unfolding events could possibly change the approach of Blank and of commissioner Roger Goodell.
Multiple sources at various levels of the ongoing discussions acknowledged a consensus was beginning to galvanize that nobody, including Vick, will benefit by the quarterback playing the 2007 season under a lingering cloud of suspicion and the ponderous legal burden of the federal indictment.
In what has quickly evolved into a collaborative effort that includes the input of officials from the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the Atlanta Falcons, embattled quarterback Michael Vick could be urged to take a voluntary leave of absence and to focus his energies on the legal challenges from a federal dogfighting indictment confronting him, sources said Thursday and Friday.
There are, however, two critical components that must be resolved: Falcons owner Arthur Blank must be on board with a plan that has generated considerable discussion at the league level the past two days. And Vick, who might be reluctant to accept even a paid hiatus from the game, might have to be convinced that the leave could be his best option right now.
Blank and the Falcons might also be considering other options.
Under the leave-of-absence scenario, and given the projected timeline of any trial that could ensue from the federal indictments brought against the quarterback on Tuesday, all parties would enter into the agreement, if it is consummated, with the expectation that Vick, 27, would probably miss the entire 2007 season.
While the concept of a leave has been broached conceptually to associates and advisors of Vick, it has not yet been formally presented to the Falcons' star. Vick could be briefed about the possibility of a paid leave of absence, however, as early as Friday. He would likely be granted time to consider the suggestion, which would almost certainly have to be made by Blank, with a decision not coming until early next week.
It has become clear, as high-level discussions have progressed, that all the parties involved in the talks are desperately seeking a resolution to a potential public relations disaster before the Falcons begin training camp next Thursday afternoon. A league source acknowledged on Thursday that "something one way or the other is going to have to happen ... by the start of training camp."
As incentive for Vick to consider a leave, the union is hopeful that Blank will offer to guarantee the player's full $6 million base salary for 2007. That could be a sticking point in the negotiations. No one will try to bully Vick into accepting the leave, but he might be reminded that while the league and Falcons are inclined for now to allow due process to play out in the courts, that stance is not an inalterable one, and unfolding events could possibly change the approach of Blank and of commissioner Roger Goodell.
Multiple sources at various levels of the ongoing discussions acknowledged a consensus was beginning to galvanize that nobody, including Vick, will benefit by the quarterback playing the 2007 season under a lingering cloud of suspicion and the ponderous legal burden of the federal indictment.
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