Vick begins transition as Falcons start OTAs

Flowery Branch — Keion Carpenter, who played with Michael Vick at Virginia Tech and with the Falcons, was elated with his former teammate’s release on Wednesday to home confinement.

“I’m extremely happy for him,” said Carpenter, who visited Vick in prison several times. “You never want to see any of your friends in that situation where their freedom is taken away from them. I’m excited for his kids.”

As the Atlanta Falcons began organized team activities, their former star quarterback was traveling across the country to his home in Hampton, Va.

“I hope for he and his family as they move into this next chapter of their lives that it goes well for him,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said.

Falcons wide receiver Roddy White talked to Vick three times while he was in prison.

“I just hope that he’s going to get to play again,” White said. “Hopefully he’ll get to play this season.”

White was a member of the “Free Vick Five” who were fined by the NFL for displaying signs of support during a 34-14 defeat to New Orleans on Dec. 10, 2007. That was the day Vick was sentenced to 23-months in prison and appeared in a Richmond courthouse wearing a stripped black and white prison outfit. White got fined $10,000 for wearing a “Free Mike Vick” shirt.

Joe Horn, Alge Crumpler, DeAngelo Hall and Chris Houston were also fined by the league for supporting Vick.

“Yeah, I paid my fine,” White said. “We disputed it and they didn’t give me any of my money back, that kind of upset me.”

White said his talks with Vick focused on his family.

“I know he’s been waiting for this day so he can get back home with his family and his kids,” White said.

Vick still needs to get re-instated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in order to return to the league. The Falcons are trying to trade his contractual rights and will not let him return to the team.

“It can only get better from here,” White said. “Hopefully he gets to play this year, and gets back out there and he’s able to do his thing, man.”

Some of the Falcons, didn’t know what the fuss was about. The roster has undergone a massive overhaul since Vick’s pleaded guilty and surrendered to U.S. Federal Marshals on Nov. 19, 2007.

“Ninety-five percent of the guys don’t know Mike or were never around him, so it’s almost a non-issue for us as a team,” wide receiver Brian Finneran said. “Some of the guys that were friends of Mike that are still here, myself, (Michael) Jenkins and Roddy (White) and a handful of other guys wish Mike the best.”

While his initial return may be a distraction, White believes some teams will covet Vick.

“He’s already paid his dues,” White said. “He wants to play football. I think if he gets re-instated before this season, there will be a couple of teams that will be after him and give him a chance to play.”

Smith declined to give his opinion on Vick’s possible return to the NFL.

“That’s up to the commissioner in terms of him being re-instated,” Smith said. “There are all kinds of situations, but I just hope for him as a man and as family it goes well, this next chapter of his life.”

Before Vick gets to seek re-instatement, there are other matters he wants to address.

“Obviously he wants to play again, that’s how he made his living,” said Carpenter, who played for the Falcons from 1999 to 2005. “That’s his job. But there are some other things that he wants to get in place first and the football will take care of itself. He wants to let people know who the real Mike Vick is.”

If Vick is re-instated in time for the 2009 season he will have some considerable rust to shake off. His last game was against Philadelphia on Dec. 31, 2006.

“I don’t know if you can teach a guy to back pedal, but he’s an athlete,” said Gil Brandt, a former personnel executive with the Dallas Cowboys. “He might be a corner because of his speed and athletic ability. Because of his running ability, he might be a running back. I think that there will be opportunities for him, but I think it will extremely hard for him to come back as a quarterback.”

Jamie Dukes, who played in the NFL from 1986 to 1995 and is currently an analyst on the NFL Network, believes Vick will return as a quarterback.

“Michael Vick is still better than a bunch of the quarterbacks in this league,” Dukes said. “He’s more impactful. I’m sure there is going to be some rust …

He was the most physically gifted quarterback, skill-set wise, that has every played the position.”