Goodell needs to make Vick decision soon

Now that Roger Goodell has endorsed Michael Vick's return to the NFL, the commissioner should announce as quickly as possible that Vick is fully reinstated without further suspension.

That doesn't mark a change in my opinion about the Vick signing. But Goodell already has signed off on Vick's return to the league. He already has rubber-stamped the Eagles as a good fit for Vick's attempted football resurrection. Either Vick has paid his debt and deserves a second chance or not. Either he's doing the things Goodell and Tony Dungy have prescribed, or he isn't.

Besides, Vick's status will have a career-changing impact on at least one other player, maybe more. It isn't fair to place anyone else in limbo along with Vick, so Goodell must announce his decision as soon as possible.

"I do think the commissioner is going to rule fairly soon and wants to give the Eagles an idea of what's going to happen and let Michael know when he can expect to play," Dungy said yesterday in a conference call arranged to promote his role as an analyst on NBC.

Vick's situation will have a significant impact on the Eagles' decision-making Saturday, when they cut their roster to 53. The common wisdom is that the Eagles will try to trade veteran backup quarterback A.J. Feeley. But the smarter move - especially if Vick will be eligible to play right away or after a brief suspension - might just be to trade Kevin Kolb instead.

Feeley is 32 and didn't take a regular-season snap last year. He has played in just three games since 2006. That's three more than Vick, so all those issues about football readiness and coming back after a long layoff apply to Feeley as well. Other teams aren't apt to give up much in trade for a guy with those limitations and a $1.4 million salary - the prudent move would be to wait for him to be released.

Kolb has not dazzled in his limited playing time, but he still is seen as a young guy who has apprenticed with good coaches in an offensive system that remains prevalent around the league. A team that liked him coming out in the 2007 draft and that needs QB depth may well be willing to part with a player or a draft pick to get Kolb.

The other reason to move Kolb is the ever more apparent fact that Vick will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Donovan McNabb as soon as he is eligible to play.