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In release issued Monday night, the NFL announced that commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered Michael Vick not to report to the Falcons' training camp pending the completion of an NFL review of his recent indictment by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, for allegedly participating in an interstate dog-fighting enterprise.

Commissioner Goodell informed Vick that the review would be completed as soon as possible and that Vick's full cooperation is expected.

In a letter to Vick today, commissioner Goodell said: "While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy."

Vick will not forfeit his pre-season pay during his excused absence from training camp.

Commissioner Goodell also directed the Falcons today to withhold any contemplated team discipline regarding the Vick matter until the NFL review is completed.

As it currently stands, the decision gives league officials more time to assess the facts and judge additional facts that may come to light in the next month.

ESPN senior writer Chris Mortensen and NFL Network insider Adam Schefter both report that NFL, Falcons and NFLPA officials -- including Goodell, Falcons owner Arthur Blank and union president Gene Upshaw -- were in contact all day and into the evening.

This announcement is the apparent resolution -- at least in the short term.

By agreeing to what's essentially a cooling-off period, nobody will be rushed into a decision it later will regret. As Schefter explained, the NFL and the Falcons now have more time to gather more information and Vick will be allowed to concentrate on his legal proceedings, which kick off in a Virginia courthouse Thursday.

As FOXSports.com insider Jay Glazer framed it: "This is just the first part of what could be an extensive punishment for Vick's alleged involvement in a gruesome dogfighting operation at a property owned by him in Virginia."

Glazer went on to speculate there could also be a strong push to sit Vick down for the year while he clears up his personal problems. In fact, this action could even convince Vick to take a year-long leave of absence, which would certainly be the simplest resolution for all parties.

It's worth noting that Blank has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon in which he'll address Vick's situation. It's not clear if the owner intends to take disciplinary measures of his own at that time or not.

But it's safe to assume the owner isn't happy.

In fact, SI.com's Peter King suggested this morning that if Vick does not play for any reason relating to the case, he will not earn all of the $6 million he's owed this year in base salary. The Falcons will find a way to take some money away as part of their dissatisfaction with Vick for putting them in this position -- a mess that has ruined any chance they had to be a contender this season.

As King explained it: "At the end of the day, Blank runs a football business. And imagine his bitterness knowing his franchise player, a player he committed $130 million to just 30 months ago, a player he personally wheeled around the sidelines when Vick broke his leg in 2003, got himself involved in something as distracting and hurtful as a federal dog-fighting case."

It's a point well taken. ...

King also made another excellent point when he questioned how the Falcons could build their franchise around Vick the six seasons without somehow finding out he'd been involved in dogfighting for all of those six years. "How do you not know that?" King wondered. "If I'm Arthur Blank, the one thing I'm doing is calling in my security people and asking: 'Just what am I paying you for?'" Meanwhile, back on the legal front. ... I'll remind you that if convicted of the charges outlined in the federal indictment, Vick could face up to six years in prison, and $350,000 in fines. It's also worth noting Vick could still face state charges in addition to the federal charges.

As ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reported earlier this afternoon, Vick has retained prominent trial attorney Billy Martin, of the Washington, D.C.-based firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, to represent him in a potential trial stemming from indictments charging the NFL star in an alleged dog-fighting ring.

Martin is a former federal prosecutor and senior official at the Department of Justice and has been in private practice for 1990.

Vick will hardly be the first high-profile client Martin has represented. Other high-profile professional athlete clients have included former NBA players Jayson Williams and Rod Strickland, current NBA stars Allen Iverson and Juwan Howard and boxer Riddick Bowe. Martin also represented Monica Lewinsky and her mother, along with the parents of the late congressional intern Chandra Levy and Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell (in another federal prosecution). ...

I will, of course, continue to keep a close eye on developments in this case and I'll stress again, this appears to be a short-term solution to the problem.

In the meantime, Joey Harrington will be taking the starter's reps when training camp opens on Thursday and unless there major developments working in Vick's favor suddenly come to light, the former Lion is currently the odds-on favorite to line up as the Falcons' opening day starter.

That said, some observers believe the Falcons' interest in former Dolphin Daunte Culpepper will increase given the uncertainty surrounding Vick.

As always, I'll remind you to keep a close eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news of interest with more in-depth news of the day posted here, in the Headline News section.