Deion Sanders, Dan Reeves Say Michael Vick Is Ready to Play

Last Monday, Michael Vick was given his freedom from law enforcement officials who said he no longer has to stay at home with an electric monitoring device on his ankle.

This Monday, Vick was given a little more freedom: An opportunity to return to the NFL, with some conditions.

Deion Sanders and Dan Reeves each spoke to Vick recently about his troubles and both told FanHouse the quarterback is feeling good about coming back to the NFL.

"Just talking to Mike, I think he's grown as a person," said Sanders, who speaks to Vick regularly and visited him in prison. "Internally he knows he has a purpose in life that's bigger than football. When I talked to him he let me know he has to be a better decision maker, a better person, a better father, a better husband and a better friend."

Sanders said Vick wasn't surprised by Goodell's ruling, because he knew the commissioner was going to do his homework when it came to Vick. Sanders said Vick respects the commissioner's decision and believes he did the right thing.

However, Reeves, who spoke to Vick last week, believes the conditions of Vick's reinstatement makes it hard for a comeback.

Under the conditions of the reinstatement, Vick can practice and attend meetings but can't play until the last two preseason games. Vick's eligibility to play will be determined by the sixth week of the regular season.

"Personally, I was disappointed," said Reeves, who coached Vick with the Falcons. "I was hoping it wouldn't have any restrictions on it. I'd hope he play a few more preseason games. I think this will be more difficult for him, now with two years away, for a team to take a chance on him."

Several agents when contacted said they believe there is a market for Vick. Some agents said teams would work Vick out first then have him meet team officials to assess his mental state before offering him a contract.

Potential Landing Spots
Six teams who could have interest in Vick
Team	Current Starter	Why Vick?
Carolina	Jake Delhomme	There are no quality backups and Vick adds to the running game
Jacksonville	David Garrard	Vick can become a good backup in a small media market
Miami	Chad Pennington	A strong-minded head coach and VP makes it work
Oakland	J. Russell or J. Garcia	Garcia might be past his prime and Russell might not be good enough
San Francisco	S. Hill or A. Smith	A strong head coach in Mike Singletary is what Vick needs
Washington	Jason Campbell	Vick can stay close to home and maybe succeed

Sanders said he thinks Vick could start for 14 NFL teams.

"Michael Vick is still Michael Vick," Sanders said. "Two years away from the game, ain't nothing changed. He's still Michael Vick."

Sanders and Reeves said Vick has been humbled by his jail time and believes he's ready to become a productive member of society again. But taking a chance on Vick is risky for any NFL team because of the negative publicity it attracts.

"Mike Vick has never been labeled a bad kid," Sanders said. "He did a bad thing. He's humbled. I see humility. I see a hunger and a repentance and he really wants to do the right things and lead kids to do the right things."

Several NFL players have supported Vick in the last 48 hours, starting with Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.

"I know that he's able to train now with [trainer] Tom Shaw," McNabb said to reporters on Monday morning from Eagles training camp. "And I'm looking forward to him being reinstated and having the opportunity to get back on the football field."

When asked did he think Vick should receive further punishment from Goodell, McNabb said, "No. Not at all."

On Sunday, Owens told ESPN that Goodell should spend time in jail to see what it means to lose your freedom. Goodell brushed off Owens' comments when told about them in a conference call with reporters.

But Owens didn't back off from comments about how the suspension is being handled on Monday.

"I just want everyone to give the guy a break," Owens said. "He's well deserving of another opportunity. The guy spent two years in prison. This is not just jail, he's done fed time. I think that the public opinion is that everyone wants him to get another chance without the four-game suspension. What more can you ask of a guy that has sat behind bars for two years?"

Goodell said this conditional reinstatement should not be viewed as more punishment.

"I am not here to punish anybody," Goodell said in a news conference on Monday. "I'm here to extend players careers."

In an interview with ESPN's Jim Rome, DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFLPA, said numerous times that Vick has paid his debt and should be given another opportunity to play.

Smith said Vick is thrilled to be returning to the league and wants to work with former coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy to help in this process.

"He paid a substantial price," Smith said. "He spent a significant amount of time in jail, I'm a dog lover, and everybody who knows about what happens, certainly has strong feelings about it and you should. But he paid his debt and I know he's going to be working with someone I know [people respect]."