If Michael Vick was your employee, what would you do? If he worked with you, would you want him sitting in the next cubicle, eating at the same lunch table?

If your answer is, I don't know, then you understand the predicament facing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Falcons owner Arthur Blank, considering Vick hasn't been found guilty nor has he accepted a plea. In America, Vick is innocent until a jury or a judge says otherwise.

Now the NFL may be in America, but the same basic laws don't necessarily apply. Pro football is as much entertainment as it is sports. You say or do something stupid, you could lose your job. Remember, a racist remark by former Dodgers executive Al Campanis on ABC's Nightline years ago? Campanis seemed color-blind to me whenever I interviewed him, but his job and career were essentially over.

In sports, the rules are made by the fans, the people who buy the tickets and sit at home by the millions, watching on television. Public opinion is serving like a jury on the Vick matter. Many fans think he's guilty or at least responsible -- the conspiracy charge comes into play here -- of knowing what occurred on his former Virginia property. They surmise that he must have been aware of what was happening.

No national survey has been taken, but Goodell and Blank both believe that the majority of fans don't want to see Vick playing until he's proven to be innocent of these repulsive dog-killing charges. This is why Goodell has put his own investigators on the Vick case. He needs to know how strong the government's case is against Vick. Blank wanted to suspend Vick for the first four games of the season before the league asked to wait until more information on the case was revealed.

The game has endured for decades, now in its 88th season. Players come and go. We cheer them and boo them and the very best are even enshrined in Canton. But mostly we want our stars to be good people, men you can introduce to your daughters or your wife. And right now much of America doesn't want Vick in the same living room with them, either in person or on TV.

Finally, Blank and the Falcons wouldn't have this big financial headache -- whether or not to release the quarterback -- if they hadn't been in such a rush to re-do Vick's contract in 2004, giving him almost $34 million over the past three years. His original contract would have been ending this year and the salary-cap accelerations would have been nominal.

Thanks to Faneca

The Pittsburgh Steelers have grown weary of Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca's complaints about being underpaid, and his negative vibes toward the front office actually helped safety Troy Polamalu's bid for a new contract. How's that? Troy kept his mouth shut.

The Faneca backlash created an opening for Polamalu, who is truly respected by his peers and coaches, and it led to the richest contract ever for an NFL safety. Over five years, Polamalu has the chance to earn $33 million. He will collect almost $15 million over the next two years, more than double what he would have received if he played on the final year of his contract and then the projected franchise number if the Steelers decided to that in 2008.

Polamalu's deal is more than $5 million better than what Baltimore's Ed Reed signed.

Gallery at guard

When Robert Gallery was selected at the top of the first round by the Raiders in 2004, most scouts thought he was next great offensive tackle. Well, Gallery has struggled at that position and now he will start training camp at left guard even though owner Al Davis would prefer him at right tackle. Davis makes the draft picks and rookie head coach Lane Kiffin is basically saying that Davis made a huge personnel blunder. No team drafts a guard that high in the first round.

What is compounding the offensive line moves in Oakland is that new line coach Tom Cable is also changing the blocking scheme. He's switching to the Alex Gibbs' approach  -- you know, that chop-blocking style that defensive linemen abhor -- and the Oakland offensive linemen aren't that athletic. Art Shell found that out the hard way last season. It will be interesting if the switch really works. But right now, two players listed as guards, Barry Sims and Paul McQuistan, are the starting offensive tackles.

Despite Coach Jeff Fisher's positive remarks that he wants a new contract with the Tennessee Titans, there have been no negotiations on extending his contract beyond this season. Technically, the Titans picked up the option on Fisher for this season, which is about $5.4 million. If he doesn't re-sign, Fisher would be the hottest candidate behind Bill Cowher if unemployed in 2008 regardless of how his team performs this season.

Fisher, co-chair of the NFL's Competition Committee, is well respected in NFL ownership circles. With the assumption that Cowher could be headed to Cleveland next season, Fisher could be in play with the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and maybe even the Dallas Cowboys depending how Wade Phillips' season goes.

You can bet the next month or so will be crucial to the Titans and Fisher. It makes sense that the coach would like a long-term contract in place prior to the start of the regular season. Otherwise, it makes a lot of sense for him to coach out his deal, considering the potential opportunities next year.

Ravens make sense for Culpepper

You can add the Baltimore Ravens to the Daunte Culpepper sweepstakes because of the brittle nature of starter Steve McNair and the disappointing career of backup Kyle Boller, who is in the last year of his contract. McNair managed most games very well last season, but Baltimore lacked an explosive offense, which lessens any playoff hopes against such high-scoring outfits such as Indianapolis, New England and San Diego.

If Culpepper's knee is right, he would give the Ravens a big edge in the pocket where McNair is no longer the scrambler he was during the early parts of his Tennessee career.

Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris told his teammates on Monday that he was simply kidding around when he said friend Donovan McNabb would win a Super Bowl if he was playing in Chicago. Harris is probably right; McNabb would make a big difference in the Chicago offense.

When players get caught speaking their mind, like Harris did, they always have to face the music. Harris reportedly explained himself to Rex Grossman, Chicago's starting quarterback. The bottom line, whether he was kidding around or not, Harris most likely was speaking the truth.

Defensive players are very much like the fans. Harris knows that Brian Urlacher and friends put the Bears in the Super Bowl. McNabb would be an upgrade over Grossman. That's simply the facts, based on NFL experience and production to this point in their careers.

Pacman can't steer clear of trouble

Strip clubs and friends with guns. Adam "Pacman" Jones can't seem to steer clear of either.

Pacman's latest incident, in which DeKalb County police (outside Atlanta) want him to identify who in his group was packing a gun,  once again shows his utter recklessness and his total disregard of Commissioner Roger Goodell's ultimatum to stay clean and off any police blotter while serving his one-year suspension.

I don't think there's any doubt that the Tennessee Titans and coach Jeff Fisher have moved on without their talented cornerback. I'd be shocked if we ever see Pacman in Titans' uniform ever again. And what a waste of talent that is!

I also say one more strike and the NFL should ban Pacman for life. The league doesn't need young men like him. He's had plenty of second chances, plus there are plenty of cornerbacks in America who would love his roster spot and don't have an arrest record attached to their resume.

Can someone please tell me why does Pacman need to hang with guys that need to shoot it out after there is some argument (fight?) over some stripper? It happened in Las Vegas and now in Atlanta. There must be a better way to have a little fun in the midnight hours.

Speaking of Titans

The signing of running back Chris Brown by Tennessee -- the Bears were once again slow to react -- reveals that young backs LenDale White and Chris Henry (second round pick) haven't secured anything.

In fact, White still has weighty issues and few are convinced Henry can be a 200-carry runner. Brown has ability. He simply hasn't been able to stay healthy, either, or prove he can be the every-down back. The Titans need one of these backs to emerge if they are going to make any playoff run.

Badge of honor

I have never been a huge fan of organized team activities (OTAs) because I think football players need a pronounced rest from their season-long pounding. But a lot of coaches and NFL teams believe these sessions are the only way to keep their players out of trouble and in good physical shape. With the money they earn these days, it's pretty rare to see a NFL player drastically out-of-shape.

There is no doubt that many coaches have abused the OTAs and mini-camps with too much physical contact. Heck, it is football! But there have always been enough whistle-blowers to get coaches and teams reprimanded, causing them to lose some of these unnecessary practice days.

But in the case of the Raiders and rookie head coach Lane Kiffin, it was good news to any Oakland fan that his OTAs were tough and that his practices were very up-tempo. But this style of practicing cost the Raiders one entire week of OTA drills because they broke the rules.

Still, I find this good news compared to last season when the Raiders were in hibernation; their practices were dreadfully slow and excruciating long under Art Shell. Kiffin may have been a little rough on these Raiders, but Oakland fans probably believe it was necessary and definitely deserving. All you have to say is one win in their last 24 AFC West games.

Like his mentor Mike Martz, Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild is preparing J.P. Losman and his youthful receivers to go to the next level. This means that Buffalo has been working on five receiver sets this off-season, believing that the free-agent offensive line acquisitions will allow Losman the time to go deep and throw, throw, throw.

Such a strategy worked in the Jim Kelly era in wild-weather Orchard Park, but no one is convinced these Bills are up to the task. There is no doubt that Fairchild knows some offense and is a strong enough voice to play it safe, too.

The Bills are in one of the AFC's toughest divisions, considering the Patriots, the newly-improved Jets and the always-reliable Dolphins. To compete for a playoff spot, Buffalo must improve on a red-zone offense that managed only 15 touchdowns on 35 visits last season. Losman showed improvement at the end of last season and must continue those strides this summer. It's just hard to imagine Dick Jauron coaching a pass-first offense.

Bears fixing Rex

Chicago's coaching staff has been diligent in the off-season of constantly reminding quarterback Rex Grossman to quit throwing off his back foot and to remember to step into every one of his throws. It is Quarterback School 101. The Bears believe that most of Grossman's 20 interceptions last season were the result of faulty mechanics and bad habits like throwing off his back foot.

Young quarterbacks like Grossman, who does have a strong arm, often believe that their arms can salvage any precarious situation. Well, that rarely happens unless you are a young John Elway.

What is odd about the Bears, though, is that they showed absolutely zilch confidence in highly-paid backup Brian Griese last season. They have a young team coming off a Super Bowl and shouldn't management be focused on making sure the offense can score if Grossman doesn't produce?

I mean, shouldn't the Bears consider signing Daunte Culpepper? He knows the NFC North and he can throw. Wouldn't Culpepper be a better option should Grossman misfire once again?

Zone blocking

The use of zone blocking along the offensive line has raised its head in Carolina under new coordinator Jeff Davidson. It seems like the futility of Carolina's running game last season had as much to do with Dan Henning's firing as offensive coordinator as Jake Delhomme's subpar passing season. There were rumblings that owner Jerry Richardson had a hand in Henning's dismissal, but it appears that coach John Fox believed he needed to make a dramatic change even though he had a lot of respect for Henning's work. It's just too bad that Fox didn't take into consideration all the injuries on offense last season, too, before bailing on Henning.

There has been a lot of speculation about Fox's future in Carolina and most of it hinges on the fact that ex-Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher is retired and living nearby. But Fox doesn't appear to be entering a win-or-else season and if Cowher does return to the NFL sidelines his likely landing spot would be Cleveland where owner Randy Lerner has the money ($7-to-$10 million) to pay him. Plus, it would be a coup for Lerner and the Browns to hire Cowher and give him the keys to the franchise.

Moss beneficiary

A lot has been written lately about Randy Moss and his strong workouts with the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. There is no question that Moss should be a splendid weapon in the Patriots offense if he remains healthy. But what Moss and speedy receiver Donte Stallworth mean to Brady and Co. is pretty obvious.

If those two receivers can be effective deep, it will allow ex-Dolphin Wes Welker to operate in single coverage underneath and be in position to catch 100 passes this season.

Welker -- not Moss -- was the pivotal New England acquisition this off-season. Not only does Welker's departure lessen Miami's offense, but he gives Brady a sure-handed, feisty target to keep the chains moving. When the Patriots play teams like the Colts, time of possession will be as important as scoring. With Welker, the Patriots will move the chains.

And, finally, if Brady has a successful passing offense, you can bet that running back Laurence Maroney could have 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. If defenses are forced to play the pass, Maroney should have plenty of opportunities to run.

The beauty of the Green Bay Packers is that the franchise has survived with community ownership and that those in the football operations can concentrate on building a solid product without a lot of top-heaving interference.

Bob Harlan, the Packers' chairman, was going to retire and turn over his position to John Jones, but that isn't going to happen now and Jones has been placed on paid leave.

Now, Harlan's job may not be as powerful as say Ted Phillips' position with the Chicago Bears or John Shaw's with the St. Louis Rams, but he does have tremendous influence over the hiring of Green Bay's general manager and head coach. The best thing Harlan ever did was hire Ron Wolf as general manager, who then hired Mike Holmgren. The Packers have been living off that legacy for years now, primarily because Brett Favre hasn't retired.

Yes, part of Harlan's job is ceremonial and public-relations conscious. But that doesn't have to be true of his successor. The executive board would be wise to give Harlan's replacement a bit more power and influence. If the league opts out of the collective bargaining agreement in 2008, a franchise like Green Bay could suffer competitively against the big-city markets. That's why Harlan's renovation of Lambeau Field was so financially critical to the franchise.

Everyone is talking about Tennessee GM Mike Reinfeldt returning to Green Bay, but that is highly unlikely. Vice President Andrew Brandt is probably the best in-house choice. But you can bet that Harlan would have pushed Brandt by now if that was a real possibility.

Harlan and the Packers should consider these experienced club executives: Bryan Wiedmeier, president of the Miami Dolphins; Rob Brzezinski, vice president of football operations for the Minnesota Vikings; and Jay Zygmunt, president of football operations for  the Rams. This would be a great job for former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi if he wanted to come out of retirement.

Some believe this position is one of the best in the NFL. But the downside is that you have to live and work in Green Bay.

Restoring some sanity

The long-term result of Commissioner Roger Goodell's strong stance against the NFL's most embarrassing players (Chicago's Tank Johnson received an eight-game suspension on Monday, following the punishment of Chris Henry and Pacman Jones, et al) will be the opportunity to restore some sanity to the locker room while making other league employees realize that Goodell means business and that even lesser violations might warrant a one- or two-game suspension.

There is nothing wrong with putting a little fear into every player. Hopefully, it will make them all think twice before doing something stupid. There is too much at stake to simply toss away a million dollar career and the overall good name of the league.

There is no question that the majority of players support Goodell's no-nonsense stance because the rap sheet element on teams erodes the good name of the vast majority of players and club employees.

Meanwhile, the league waits to see whether Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is charged in a dog fighting scandal in Virginia. Those close to Vick believe he has nothing to worry about and that any potential courtroom drama will be postponed until 2008.

The Falcons have shown no interest in signing another veteran quarterback (they have Joey Harrington as a backup), believing Vick will be their starter this season. For example, when Trent Green was available the Falcons decided against bidding with the Chiefs for his services.

Carr fitting in

There is no question that Jake Delhomme is Carolina's starting quarterback, but David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, has looked good in workouts for the Panthers. Carr chose the Panthers over Seattle. The Raiders kept calling, too, but they couldn't promise Carr that they wouldn't select a quarterback (JaMarcus Russell) with the first overall pick.

"Everybody likes their team in June," Carolina GM Marty Hurney said. "Carr has looked good. But let's wait until we're into training camp for a couple of weeks before we say how good we can be."

Remember, the Panthers had one of the NFL's best drafts in April, plus there's the positive news of linebacker Dan Morgan's return. Morgan (concussions) is one of the league's very best when healthy.

When you think about Carr, you have to wonder why Miami didn't make a run at him, considering his arm strength. The Dolphins have finally acquired Trent Green, but there are many in Kansas City who believe Green's career is at the end of the line.