Bark At The Moon.

America's favorite dog lover is getting even more heat lately -- SI's Don Banks pens a piece with the usual un-ID'd sources to state that Falcons QB Michael Vick definitely knew about the dog fighting and breeding going on at his Virginia property, which is really no big shock to any of us if actually true and verified. How do you not know what goes on at a home you own. That's really kind of tough to do, especially when your cousin is the one living in the house.

Again, let's be fair to Vick -- the sources Banks notes have known Vick, and say he likes the dog fighting subculture. There's no proof; the investigation has to take its course.

Vick is now THE subplot of the NFL season, if he manages to elude suspension under The Iron Fist of Rog, and he was even before all this dog breeding stuff came up. The Falcons are banking the entire franchise this season on Vick's arm, and Bobby Petrino has repeatedly stated that he wants Vick to take more responsibility for the plays on the field, to get him more involved. They traded Matt Schaub, the so-called insurance policy.

A make-or-break year in Atlanta is now more of a make-or-break year for Vick's career. The problem is that the Falcons' division (the NFC South) may shape up to be one of the most competitive. A revived Saints team is the class of the division; Carolina should be back on the ups after a disappointing season. Tampa Bay will be mired at the bottom, but the Falcons will be fighting to get a playoff spot from the get-go. Will Vick be able to put the problem behind him by leading his team, or will he even have the opportunity to lead that team if the investigation finds other unsavory aspects?

(Semi-unrelated update: Pacman Jones' lawyers have compiled a helpful PDF of every NFL arrest. Thanks, Deadspin!)

Giving Up Without Even Trying.

That is pretty much all you can say about the trade that will send Atlanta's backup QB Matt Schaub to Houston, and basically end David Carr's career in Houston before it even got a chance to develop.

David Carr has been royally screwed in several years with the Texans, bearing the brunt of the front office's inability to build an actual offensive line to give him some decent time to throw the ball instead of getting pounded and placed on his ass for at least 30 something times per season with the ball still in his hands. He had to continue to tolerate bad offensive lines and the Houston fanbase's screaming for Reggie Bush and Vince Young instead of Houston's drafting of Mario Williams (when your second round pick at LB outplays your first round DE when it comes to getting in the backfield and making plays, then maybe you might consider that you made a bad call there.)

Either way, some NFL team with an O-line will be happy to have Carr when, not if, he's put on the trade market. Pacifist Viking is probably still dying for the Minny front office to get on this like white on rice.

Schaub will get the chance he has long deserved after sitting behind Michael Vick as an insurance policy if the erratic quarterback ever fell completely out of favor in Atlanta, but Bobby Perino wants to put it all on Vick (rightfully so) and to do that, you have to stop the QB controversy for the time being. However, Schaub has no wins as a starter, and if Houston does nothing with their O-line again, he'll be looking for a while until he gets that win.

UPDATE: Schaub just got PAID IN FULL, people -- $48 big large over six years from his new team, and ESPNews is saying that Carr will be on the way out in the next couple of days. Brad Childress, please have your GM pick up the goddamn telephone!)

ink and wheels, NFL #2.

If I'm going to be doing semi-regular posts on NFL free agency (which I like doing), I'd better give 'em a name. Shorten "As the Ink Dries and the Wheels Turn," and you get the above for signings and trades. Of course, it will only make sense to me.

The ATL has made it perfectly clear to Michael Vick that this is the year that he ships up or they're looking elsewhere, because otherwise you would not ink Joe Horn up fresh after he's been released from the Saints. 35-year old Joe Horn still has juice in the tank, and he's the best receiver talent-wise that Vick has had in years. However, odds that Horn will help out the failed first-round picks Roddy White and Michael Jenkins have yet to be seen. If he does, you get double the value (and terms haven't been disclosed, Falcons management isn't even confirming it yet.)

Consider the Cleveland Browns out of the market for OU RB Adrian Peterson come draft day -- they've gotten Jamal Lewis fresh off the cut line from the Ravens. A year at $3.5 mil sounds appropriate, because he has much to prove after a couple of below-par seasons. Now, Cleveland needs to look to draft an offensive lineman to block for him -- Reuben Droughns was reprehensible last year, but it didn't help that he had no blocking whatsoever. I still don't think teams respect Charlie Frye enough at quarterback to not stack the line with 8 men against the Browns.

Obligatory Broncos note: they've signed a backup, former Washington and Jets QB Patrick Ramsey. Issue a collective yawn.