NFL Training Camp

This year's NFL training camp is about to get under way. Unfortunately for some teams and players, questions still loom. And to top it all off, Michael Vick can technically jump back into a uniform and play for whatever team will take him.

Vick is supposedly meeting with commission Roger Goodell on Friday to discuss his future. Goodell has several options here. Either Vick could be reinstated effective immediately, reinstated, but suspended, or not reinstate him at all. If the commission decides to let Vick play again in the NFL, regardless of when, there will be eyes on him 24/7. And any sign of misconduct, he's gone, for good.

I don't think the question is whether or not Vick will be reinstated. Goodell will let him back in. The main question is, who'll take him? No team will pick him up as a starter. I could see a team grabbing him as a backup, then using him in the ever popular "wildcat" formation. There may even be a team interested in grabbing him as a 3rd down running back.

If there are any teams interested, they're keeping quiet. For good reason, too. Bringing Vick on the team will increase ticket sales, I don't doubt that. The problem is the negative publicity that will be brought to the team, not to mention the possible locker room troubles. Expect a few owners to be toying with the idea of picking Vick up once he meets with Goodell Friday. Take the poll to give your opinion on what should be done.

Another big story going into camp is Brett Favre. The deadline Favre put out is eight days away. So luckily that story will be put to rest in just over a week. There isn't much more to say about it, other then you can expect Favre to be in a Vikings uniform come August.

Earlier on a specific national sports network, they asked a former player, who now works as an analyst, about a few teams that picked up big name players in the off season. He had to say whether or not they are playoff bound. Those teams were Buffalo (T.O), Washington (Haynseworth) and Chicago (Cutler). He said none of those teams were playoff bound, yet he wanted to say "Yes" to the Bills.

I wouldn't count Chicago out of the playoffs, though. They don't have any big wide receivers, but look who their QB was. Now that they have a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback the Bears can open up their offense a bit more and let that defense do what it does best. The way I see it, the NFC North is wide open. The Packers and Vikings could go either way (even with Favre), and the Lions - well, they're the Lions. I think the Bears can snag that division come December.

I do agree that Buffalo and Washington will be watching the playoffs from home. No way a 35-year-old receiver focusing on his reality career is the game breaker you need to come out of a tough division like the AFC East. And the NFC East is the same way. Unless the Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants melt down, the Redskins don't have a chance.

Anything can happen before the season starts. Training camp is an important time of year. Not only do you see if the players are ready to play, but most importantly, players need to stay healthy.