Pure Steel
Doc's NFL Notebook
By James Santelli

The Long Road Back

The end of Michael Vick's dogfighting sentence is merely the first of many chapters in his return to football. His return to civilian life, albeit under house arrest until July 20, has already sparked speculation about when, if, and for whom Vick will play again. Nearly every team in the league has been discussed as a destination for the former Falcon (including the Steelers, believe it or not), either as a starting QB, backup, wide receiver, or a specialist in the Wildcat formation.

Tired of Retirement

Seasoned veteran Brett Favre has only been linked to one team, the Minnesota Vikings, but his situation has become just as complicated as that of Mike Vick. There have been a myriad of questions concerning the 39-year-old's partially torn biceps tendon, including many rumors about a possible surgery. If Favre does pursue an arthroscopic procedure, sources say that he may abandon the entire comeback effort. Even commissioner Roger Goodell commented at the NFL owners meetings that he didn't know whether or not Favre had filed his official retirement papers.

Driving a Hard Bargain

Discussions of a new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players' union are expected to begin this month. The labor talks are of high importance, since failure to reach a new deal could result in a lockout of the 2011 season. League owners opted out of the former CBA last year, and issues such as a rookie pay scale and a longer regular season could become points of contention. At the owners meetings, NFL executive VP Jeff Pash said that the league has not set any deadline for the new agreement.

Return to Sender

Josh Cribbs of the Cleveland Browns has become one of the league's most versatile players, and took steps to be paid as such. The return specialist, who also dabbles at receiver, running back and cornerback, skipped the first two days of the Browns' May voluntary workouts and stated his desire for a new contract. Cribbs, a former Pro Bowler, is in the third season of a six-year, $6.7 million deal. The 26-year-old is reportedly using the contract of a fellow return man, Chicago's Devin Hester, in his negotiations. Hester signed a 4-year, $40 million extension with the Bears last summer.

Say Hey Willie

An O-line mainstay in the AFC North may be hanging up the cleats for good. Tackle Willie Anderson, who will turn 34 in July, was placed on the reserved/retired list by the Baltimore Ravens on last month. Anderson played the first 12 years of his career in Cincinnati, earning four Pro Bowl appearances before signing with the Ravens last season.

The Big Game in The Big Easy

The NFL is returning its championship to New Orleans in 2013. Super Bowl XLVII will be the record sixth at the Louisiana Superdome, which won the rights to host the game after the State of Louisiana agreed to pay for an $85 million upgrade to the dome. New Orleans beat out bids from Miami and Glendale, Ariz. for the 2013 Super Bowl, the city's first since Hurricane Katrina. Next year's Super Bowl will take place in Miami, followed by Arlington, Texas and Indianapolis, two cities which will be hosting the championship for the first game.

Check Your Program Guide

Football fans with Comcast digital cable received some good news on May 19. The cable giant agreed to move NFL Network from $8 per month extra sports package to its Digital Classic level, which boasts 10 million customers. The deal ended a nearly three-year fight between the NFL and Comcast over the network's 70 cents per subscriber price. NFL Network will make the move to Digital Classic on August 1, at a cost of about 45 cents per subscriber.

Hard Knock Life

If the 4-11-1 Cincinnati Bengals didn't necessarily make for quality television on the field last season, HBO hopes that they will in training camp this year. The Bengals will be featured in the fifth season of the "Hard Knocks" series, which follows an NFL team through the rigors of preparing for the regular season. Head coach Marvin Lewis mentioned that he had turned down offers for his team to be on the show in the past, but thinks the 2009 version to be able to handle it. Viewers should expect to see a good bit of receivers Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry, but Bengals fans may be weary of the attention. The last three teams to be spotlighted on the show failed to make the playoffs.