Michael Vick no longer has to wear the electronic monitor he had on while under home confinement for the past two months. His 23-month federal dogfighting sentence ended today, meaning Michael is a free man and is now eligible to resume working as a professional football player—if anyone wants him. And someone does want him, you can be sure of that.
I’m not ready to say a hopefully repentant Michael Vick will be employed by any of the 32 teams in the National Football League in 2009 (in fact, I think he deserves a lifetime ban for slaughtering innocent dogs), but …read more

The Kansas City Chiefs traded perennial Pro Bowl tight end (and future Hall of Famer) Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons today for a second round Draft pick in 2010. In the process, the Falcons address an immediate need by adding one of the NFL’s best pass-catching TEs to their already impressive offensive attack. And I believe they also gave themselves a “big three” with quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner (don’t forget receiver Roddy White). Therefore, if the Falcons weren’t already widely considered to be a force to be reckoned with in the future NFC playoff picture, they …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The Atlanta Falcons are trying to trade the contract rights of quarterback Michael Vick to any interested parties. Unfortunately, Michael is currently in a federal prison on felony charges and isn’t scheduled to be released until July. At AtlantaFalcons.com yesterday, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said:
“With regards to Michael Vick, we’ve decided to seek a trade of his contractual rights to another NFL club. We took a number of steps in the 2008 season, including using our first pick to draft a quarterback. We feel a trade is the best move for the Falcons, …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
One day after losing a Wild Card playoff game to the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was named the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year. Coach Smith edged Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano by a mere one vote. He explained his team’s process to success:
“I’m honored individually, but more so for our coaching staff and our players. I think we have tried to establish that we’d be very systematic in how we did things, that we were going to have a plan. We laid that plan out from the very …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year yesterday by the Associated Press. I think Falcons owner Arthur Blank had hoped for Matt to have a shot at the starting quarterback position this season when the team drafted him third overall back in April. But I’m sure he didn’t expect this kind of success this soon — not for Matt and not for the Falcons as a team as the prepare to play the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals Saturday in a Wild Card Playoff game. As one would …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The opponents for all 2009 regular-season games have been determined and a complete list of each team’s home and away matchups was issued yesterday by the NFL. The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Under the formula, every team within a division plays 16 games as follows:

Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games)
The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games)
The four teams from a division in the other conference on a …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today the schedule of sites, dates and times for the National Football League Wild Card games of January 3-4 plus the Divisional Playoffs of January 10-11 (all times Eastern). First thing’s first, though. Let’s look at the Wild Card schedule:
SATURDAY JANUARY 3
4:30 PM – Atlanta (11-5) at Arizona (9-7) NBC
8:00 PM – Indianapolis (12-4) at San Diego (8-8) NBC
SUNDAY JANUARY 4
1:00 PM – Baltimore (11-5) at Miami (11-5) CBS
4:30 PM – Philadelphia (9-6-1) at Minnesota (10-6) FOX
In the Divisional Playoffs, the division champion with the best record in each conference …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Running For My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond
by Warrick Dunn and Don Yaeger, 288 pages, $25.95
If you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas/holiday gift idea, I suggest the great new book by Tampa Bay Bucs running back Warrick Dunn — Running For My Life. I received my review copy from Harper Collins a few weeks ago and I can tell you it’s a very inspiring, uplifting and eye-opening read.
Warrick is truly one of the good guys in the National Football League. It’s pretty well-known what he does for families through his …read more

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received 951,246 votes to lead all NFL All-Stars in fan balloting for the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl. N.Y. Jets quarterback Brett Favre (880,833 votes) ranks second overall, while N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning (821,852 votes), Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis (767,817 votes) and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (673,710 votes) round out the top-five. Here is the list of Top-Ten vote-getters for the 2009 National Football League Pro Bowl:

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brett Favre, N.Y. Jets
Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Larry …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Atlanta Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli is thankful. And he wants to know what you’re thankful for. Impress him enough with your answer and you will receive a special gift package from “Ovie Claus.” To enter this Thanksgiving contest, just visit Ovie’s Yardbarker blog and leave a comment.
Source: YardBarker.com