No-Huddle Notebook: Teams Continue to Shy Away From Vick

The number of possible NFL teams willing to take Michael Vick in is dwindling. Just about every franchise has, in one way or another, said the former Falcons' quarterback would not be welcomed to its organization.

One front-office source told me that if a team brought in Vick, it would have to be proactive -- contacting animal rights groups and get them involved somehow; making Vick speak to the media and fans as quickly as possible.

"Somebody will probably give him a job," Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said to FanHouse last week. "I don't know why he wouldn't go to Canada and kick the rust off. Right now, so many question marks. Somebody will [have to] be really desperate to sign him."

McNair said having Vick would be a distraction to the team. He pointed out that when a practice would end, most of the media would swarm him almost every day. And what do you do in training camp during practices that are open to fans?

McNair said one of the biggest reasons he doesn't want Vick is he likes what he already has at quarterback. Matt Schaub looked really good in early workouts at Houston's camp. "He's first-class," McNair said of Schaub. "He's certainly good enough for us to win. We need him to be healthy and he's athletic enough to outrun these defenses."

The Texans' owner is also fond of backups Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman, even though Grossman looked a little shaky on some throws last week.

Packers GM Ted Thompson didn't rule out the signing of Vick, but that's what he's supposed to say -- you never know what might happen in the NFL.

Several agents think there is a market for Vick, but at this early stage of training camp, nobody will touch him. Teams want to see what they have in quarterbacks, starters and backups before taking on a major risk.

TRAINING CAMP OBSERVATIONS: The Cowboys seem to be more business-like in San Antonio, which is another reason why Terrell Owens, Greg Ellis and Pacman Jones are gone -- they concerned themselves with individual play instead of the team.

"I know we're all trying to be on the same page and work on the same goal," cornerback Terence Newman said. "But as far as identities, we're the Cowboys. We've got to start playing football like it."

Coach Wade Phillips said this is one of the youngest teams he's had in the league, and that's a good thing, because you have hungry players. Overall, the team speed has improved as well. Dallas' weak point could be the depth. Starting guard Leonard Davis saw some time at left tackle in practice last week, in case Flozell Adams goes down with an injury.

The Texans also seem pretty fast, but losing cornerback Jacques Reeves to a broken leg the other day hurts their depth. There are too many players concerned about their contracts down in Houston, but overall the team seems to have a good chemistry. Star defensive end Mario Williams doesn't feel the team put pressure on itself by setting a postseason berth as a goal.

RUNNING THE BALL IS THE KEY: Fewer teams are leaning on one running back alone to move the ground game. The Giants 2,518 rushing yards led the NFL last season, with both Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward cracking 1,000 yards and Ahmad Bradshaw adding 355.

One team with a chance to increase its rushing total this season is Dallas. The Cowboys didn't have a single rusher reach 1,000 yards in 2008, but you can expect Marion Barber to get that this season. Felix Jones, Tashard Choice and Barber combined for 1,623 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and both Jones and Barber missed time due to injuries. If they are healthy, their rushing totals will increase.

FOURTH DOWNS: I have just one question: How do all these NFL players have time to Twitter and do live streams from their dorms and hotel rooms? ... The Saints say the swelling in running back Reggie Bush's surgically-repaired knee is normal. But with him limping around after practice on Wednesday, you wonder if an incident in Sunday's practice, where he turned hard and pushed off it, might have done some damage. ... Vikings coaches like QB Tarvaris Jackson's ability to elude pass rushers, and that is a reason he could be Minnesota's starter. ... Dolphins QB Pat White had a strong day of practice on Tuesday. He needs more time in the film room, and is still working on his technique and trying to find some touch on his passes.