Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson is more than a month into his 120-day stay in the Cook County Jail for violating probation on a weapons charge, and Chicago head coach Lovie Smith continues to strongly defend Johnson, describing him as an example of “what can happen to a good guy.” Smith definitely doesn’t want to see Johnson suspended for eight games or an entire season.  

Smith and Brian Urlacher, the heart of the Bears’ team, have both stood up for Johnson. Smith visited him in jail and although he doesn’t know Pacman Jones and Chris Henry of the Bengals, Smith claims Johnson is not a violent guy. “I've been around bad guys before and he's not one,” Smith said.  

Johnson, who had 500 rounds of ammunition and six guns in his suburban home, was also a witness to the shooting death of his boyhood friend, Willie Posey, at a Chicago club in December.  

Basically, Smith is proud of the fact that Johnson has made great strides to change his life. Smith asked him to cut his braided hair and also to get rid of pit bull dogs. He did both and Smith believes he has moved on with his life and will be a better person in the future.

I’m not sure that Goodell, despite the strong support of the Bears and Smith, will decide to give Johnson a free pass simply because he’s paying the price right now in jail.

Unlike Pacman Jones and Henry, Johnson has been convicted and been jailed. In the past, such actions have always warranted a four-game suspension.

“I think it's devastating for any young man to get locked up for a while.” Smith said. “What Tank did, it's not like he pulled a gun on somebody. You haven't heard about him beating up people. My wife, I didn't ask her to go down there (to court). She wanted to. She's been up a few nights like a concerned Mom with Tank because of what type of guy he is. We all make mistakes. Murder and things like that, that's different."

Vick better improve

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino definitely has his hands full at quarterback. Petrino is on record that he wants Michael Vick to improve from a career 54 percent passer into a 65 percent quarterback this season. Joey Harrington, who will battle D.J. Shockley for the backup role, has never been better than a 57 percent passer and his career average is lower than that.

“The first thing we're going to work on is his footwork, making sure he's in the right spot, where he’s supposed to be,” Petrino said. The former U. of Louisville coach said that Vick, being a six-foot athlete, needs to drop deeper into the pocket in order to see the field better.

“It won't be seven-step drop all the time. You say that and offensive line coaches go crazy, but we will utilize some of that,” Petrino said. “You want to open up a few more lanes, spread things out a little bit more so they can see it as opposed to the max protections.”

Petrino wants a minimum of three potential receivers in most formations in order to force opposing defenses to cover more players and take the heat off Vick. But most in the league believe he will never make Vick into a Joe Montana-like passer when it comes to accuracy.

Commitment to family

When the Houston Texans picked Fresno State’s David Carr in the first round as their franchise quarterback, they liked that he was married and starting a family. But what they eventually disliked about Carr is that his football family came second to his own family. Carr was a standup guy in the locker room with the media, but he preferred hurrying home to his wife and children once his day’s work was done. Nor was it a bargain that Carr’s father became a regular at team practices. 

There is no question that Carr has ability and the toughness to play the position. Houston has had an awful offensive line during Carr’s tenure. But Texans coach Gary Kubiak never believed that Carr followed his progressions like an NFL quarterback should and that’s why he’s in Carolina today.

Carr, unbelievably, still may have a lot to learn after five seasons in the NFL. But given a chance to play, I bet he succeeds with the Panthers. He definitely has a better arm than Jake Delhomme.