When Falcons owner Arthur Blank and team president and general manager Rich McKay recently left for a vacation in Africa, they figured that no dogfighting charges were imminent for quarterback Michael Vick, despite ongoing local and federal investigations.

Upon their return, July 17, Vick and three others were indicted on a felony conspiracy count of running an interstate dogfighting ring that could result in a prison sentence of up to five years, $350,000 in fines and additional restitution.

The cautious comfort they felt just weeks earlier turned into a gut-wrenching reality that prompted hours of conference calls between Blank, McKay, coach Bobby Petrino, lawyers for the team, the NFL and the players union; league commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA director Gene Upshaw and Vick's attorney and agent. Other officials from all entities also were involved to varying degrees.

The plethora of people involved occasionally bogged down talks.

Several options were put on the table for a resolution, with the choices for keeping Vick away from the team outweighing those to have him around.

The temporary result was Goodell's order Monday that Vick stay away from the Falcons training camp until the completion of a league investigation that will determine if Vick violated the NFL's player conduct policy.

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, one of the options already discussed will be levied and that decision could determine whether Vick and the Falcons will ever be partners again.

A high-ranking official in the NFL with knowledge of the discussions told the AJC of the options that were discussed leading up to Goodell's decision.

Cut Vick

Although this was not the most popular choice, team officials seriously pondered this option until the realization that it brought serious complications that could be spared by pursuing another route.

The salary-cap implications, which would cost the Falcons roughly $21 million over the next two seasons, were not the deterrent. Possible grievances by Vick and the players union were. The collective bargaining agreement does not allow teams to cut players for disciplinary reasons and there would be no way the Falcons could mask the release of Vick any other way.

Therefore, talk of cutting the franchise player was tempered — for now.

Suspend Vick

This is what Blank and the Falcons' leaders wanted to do. However, teams are only allowed to suspend players for four games based on the collective bargaining agreement and Vick would have been able to come to training camp and be at the facility, causing a potential distraction the team wanted to avoid.

After four games Vick would have been able to return, but the cloudiness of his legal situation and the stability of the team prompted more questions than answers about a team-imposed suspension.

"It's very complicated stuff," the person said. "There were a multitude of issues."

At first, Goodell was on board with the Falcons' course of action but as more conversations took place, he felt more time was needed to figure out a solution.

Allow Vick to play

This was discussed but the magnitude of everything in play left it overshadowed by some form of sanction. Fan reaction played heavily into this option but so did what was best for the franchise and for Vick.

NFL suspend Vick

Though this was discussed, it was Goodell who preached patience throughout the discussions. With this being uncharted territory, precedents for the future would be established and a rush to judgment in any direction could have long-term ramifications.

However, this could be the most likely option should the NFL investigation show that Vick violated the recently strengthened player code of conduct. Unlike the four-game maximum suspension a team can levy, Goodell could hand down a season-long suspension, as he did to Tennessee's Adam "Pacman" Jones.