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Another Sunday, another Fantasy Notebook. ... This time it means business!! That's right, NFL training camps have begun to crank up in earnest (see the full NFL training camp schedule here), meaning the news is flowing hot and heavy.

That being the case, I'll be trying to cover as much ground as possible to give you at least a taste of the items currently on the radar. And while I went out of my way to make last week's Notebook a Michael Vick-free zone, that won't be the case this week.

In fact, we'll get the ball rolling this week in Atlanta, where the situation at quarterback is only one -- albeit ginormous -- story of interest to Fantasy owners.

As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry pointed out this week, the Falcons hired Bobby Petrino because they thought he could turn Vick into a complete quarterback. They signed Joey Harrington merely to serve as No. 7's backup.

The worm, of course, has since turned.

Now that he's been indicted, charged and a trial date has been set, Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer D. Orlando Ledbetter reports there's a growing faction inside team headquarters that wants to cut ties with Vick.

Although he pleaded not guilty to federal dog-fighting charges on Thursday, Falcons officials believe Vick lied to the team and to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about his involvement in the illicit operation.

So, they are weighing the ramifications of cutting him loose against riding out the storm and waiting for due process.

As The Sporting News suggested, getting rid of Vick would be the easiest thing to do and solve the immediate public relations disaster. It's also worth noting that a growing body of observers -- NFL Network insider Adam Schefter and ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Len Pasquarelli and Merrill Hoge to name just a few -- believe Vick will never play for the Falcons again, whether the quarterback is convicted on federal charges or not.

The consensus also indicates that a conviction or plea bargain all but guarantee Vick never takes another snap as an NFL QB again.

We shall see. For now, Vick's November trial makes it clear he won't play this season and Harrington is now the Falcons' starter by default.

So, how can the Falcons possibly cope with the jarring change from Vick, who last season became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards, to Harrington, a first-round bust whose career record as a starter is 23-43?

To his credit, Petrino is taking an optimistic approach.

"I know Joey has been through some hard times. He's been hit a lot. But he's hung in there," the coach said. "The thing that impresses me most is his take-charge attitude."

With Harrington locked in as the starter -- at least for now, Petrino's focus turns to deciding on a backup. D.J. Shockley or Chris Redman are already on the roster and the Falcons might not be done adding talent at the position. Daunte Culpepper's name has been mentioned in media circles, but Petrino told reporters earlier this week that the former Dolphin wasn't on the team's radar.

While the decision to trade highly sought backup quarterback Matt Schaub just weeks before the allegations against Vick surfaced have to be weighing heavily on Petrino, the coach isn't letting on.

But let's face it: Harrington has done little to justify being the third overall pick in the 2002 draft. He was let go by Detroit after going 18-37 as its starting quarterback. During one year in Miami, he started 11 games but lost that job, too, after putting up a passer rating of 0.0 in a game against Buffalo near the end of the season.

Also, the 28-year-old Harrington is a conventional dropback passer, providing none of the scrambling or running ability that made Vick such a unique weapon (hard to hold that against Harrington, of course, since no other quarterback has that sort of speed and quickness).

The investigation of Vick began just weeks after Harrington was signed, so he's had all summer to prepare for the possibility of stepping in.

"If I do get a chance," Harrington said shortly after signing with the Falcons, "I'll be ready to help this team."

Of course, the Falcons didn't give Petrino a five-year, $24 million deal because they wanted him to work with Harrington. They felt he could improve Vick's erratic passing skills, which failed to develop in the West Coast offense of previous coach Jim Mora.

Still, Petrino insisted that any quarterback can thrive in his system.

"We've got a huge playbook," he told Newberry. "My job is to understand what the quarterback can do well and what he can't do well. Then we utilize the best parts of the offense. We really try to make the offense his own."

Based on Harrington's history, I can think of more promising scenarios. ...

Meanwhile, from the "If They Didn't Already Have Enough Problems" file: The Falcons revealed on the eve of camp that running back Warrick Dunn, who rushed for 1,140 yards last season, will miss up to four weeks after having back surgery last weekend. He was hurt during offseason workouts.

"The doctors told me that the discomfort would have lingered throughout the 2007 season had we not had the surgery, so I felt like this was the best course of action for me," Dunn said. "I've had a tremendous offseason, and I feel great. I plan to come back stronger than ever and will do everything I can to help us get back to the playoffs."

Dunn will likely miss all of two-a-days and the first two preseason games, but the Falcons expect him to be back for the Sept. 9 opener against Minnesota.

But as Journal-Constitution staffer Steve Wyche noted Friday, Dunn did not sound like a man willing to surrender his starting job to second-year speedster Jerious Norwood.

"I'm not going to miss time. I'm going to be back," Dunn said. "I'm confident in Jerious. Jerious is young, exciting guy. He's lightening fast. He has an opportunity right now to make some plays and establishes himself. I'm going to support him."

As for how he's feeling after the procedure to relieve discomfort from a herniated disc: "I was in a lot of pain just walking," Dunn said. "I had to stop and bend over sometimes just to walk. After the surgery, I was able to just walk with no pain. I feel pretty good. I'm moving around, stretching, lifting weights. I'll be ready."

As admirable as Dunn's approach to his return might be, it's not very realistic and Norwood will indeed assume the starting job for now. Norwood, a game-breaker who averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a rookie last season, was projected to have a bigger role in the offense before Dunn's surgery.

Whether Norwood will permanently trump the 32-year-old Dunn as the starter will be determined over the course training camp. Norwood drew positive reviews from Petrino and the coaching staff during the offseason.

If he continues to impress this summer, Dunn could have a hard time moving back into the rotation in as prominent role as he might like. ...

In Houston. ... The Texans are another team facing major changes -- one of which we touched on above: Schaub taking over for the since-departed David Carr as the starting quarterback. This means, as AP sports writer Kristie Rieken put it this week, "The Texans are relying on a first-time starter at quarterback and a 30-year-old running back to solve their longtime offensive woes."

Schaub and Ahman Green will began their first season in Houston when the Texans opened training camp Friday. The Texans hope Schaub and Green invigorate the offense after Carr managed just two touchdown passes in the last 10 games of 2006.

Schaub has already ingratiated himself to Texans veterans, most notably Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson, by spending the spring and summer working out with and getting to know his teammates. Players and coaches alike believe the touted backup can be the leader the team needs but never had in Carr, who was dumped after the Texans posted their fifth straight losing record.

"I've been impressed with the way he handles himself," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "That's a lot to handle. You go and make a trade like that for a kid and the pressure to come in here and take over this football team is great, but he's handled himself tremendously this offseason. He's been a great worker, very confident kid about his opportunity and what he's fixing to go take on."

Schaub has been learning Kubiak's offense since he was traded from Atlanta in March, and his transition will be aided by the rapport he's established with Johnson. Houston's top offensive threat caught a career-high 103 passes for 1,147 yards last season.

Unfortunately for Schaub, the Texans did little to reinforce their receivers beyond Johnson with many observers believing this week's addition of veteran free agent Keenan McCardell being a case of too little, too late.

On a more positive note, Green should reinforce a running game that sputtered last season until December. The Texans were forced to start rookie sixth-round pick Wali Lundy after Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) was placed on injured reserve just days before the season.

Ron Dayne finally got healthy and became a factor in December, rushing for 429 yards and five touchdowns.

The Texans are excited about Green, and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, who coached him in Green Bay, said Green looks better than ever. He had 1,059 yards rushing last season after returning from a torn right quadriceps in 2005.

With the 1-2 punch of Green and Dayne, the Texans are in much better shape at the position than entering last season.

"I think we have big-play potential with No. 30 (Green) back there," Kubiak said. "If we are right in the run game and we catch him right, we have a chance for some big, big plays. If we can run the ball that way, we can get people off Andre."

As usual, questions abound about who will protect the new quarterback after Carr was sacked 249 times in five seasons. It's a good question. It's also the reason I believe the assumption that Schaub will turn out to be a major upgrade over his predecessor is a reach.

I'm willing to watch for signs of improvement this summer, but unless the offensive offers up something to change my mind, Green will remain the more interesting of Houston's additions. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... Ben Roethlisberger opened training camp with a new head coach, offensive coordinator and according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat man Ed Bouchette, an intense desire to get his career back on track after what he readily admits was a disappointing 2006 campaign.

How bad was it? Big Ben tossed an NFL-high 23 interceptions as his passer rating dipped from 98.1 and 98.6 in his first two seasons as a pro to a pedestrian 78.1 last year.

The good news? New coach Mike Tomlin and his staff have given Roethlisberger the benefit of the doubt when it comes to last season. They also believe last season was a fluke, mostly attributable to the physical problems resulting from Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident, appendectomy and midseason concussion.

They have also gone out of their way to express confidence in Roethlisberger's ability to regain the form of his first two seasons -- a fact demonstrated by the new regime's willingness to give Roethlisberger a role in their transition.

Indeed, Roethlisberger helped rewrite the Steelers' offensive playbook, in collaboration with Bruce Arians, the Steelers' new coordinator. "Back in March and April, he spent a lot of time with me and helped me write some of these things up that we're going to change," Arians said.

Roethlisberger and Arians crafted a larger role for the Steelers' quarterback in the new playbook.

"He's always had good control of what he's doing, we're just asking him to do more," Arians said. "We're expanding his role. He embraced it. He's spent a lot of time at it."

The increased role for Roethlisberger includes more planned use of the no-huddle offense, more use of three and four receivers on first and second downs with the quarterback under center and not in the shotgun, and more freedom for him to change the blocking protection and the play at the line of scrimmage.

Although Roethlisberger is at his best when he is moving around, making plays on the run, Post-Gazette staffer Gerry Dulac points out the former first-round pick still has to prove to the coaches he can handle the responsibility of reading the defense.

That's because the previous staff of head coach Bill Cowher and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt limited what Roethlisberger was asked to do in that regard -- something they felt necessary, especially immediately after the newcomer was thrust into the job in just his third game after Tommy Maddox's right elbow was injured.

They gave him additional duties in his second and third seasons, but nothing like what Arians is doing this year. And the new coordinator couldn't be happier with what he's getting in return.

"He's been beautiful. I'm real pleased. I couldn't ask for any more," Arians said to describe Roethlisberger's work throughout the spring.

"It should be his breakout year."

Arians' comment prompted Bouchette to suggest: "That's a mouthful about a player who had such success in his first two NFL seasons."

And that being the case, I believe if that happens -- if Roethlisberger plays like the quarterback who won 27 of his first 31 starts and stamped himself as a rising star, not the one who threw the most interceptions in the NFL last season -- Fantasy owners who snag him as their QB2 might get a pleasant surprise. ...

In Oakland. ... No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell failed to agree on a contract with the Raiders before the start of training camp Friday, leaving the quarterback as a holdout from the team's first practice.

Head coach Lane Kiffin said Thursday that the team was making progress toward signing Russell to a deal but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement before the practice began Friday afternoon.

Second-round pick Zach Miller, a tight end out of Arizona State, also missed the opening session of training camp before signing a deal early Saturday.

But Russell is clearly of primary interest here. ... The Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick on Russell in April, making him the cornerstone of a rebuilding project for a team that had won just 15 games the previous four seasons.

Or as Contra Costa Times beat man Steve Corkran framed it: "Russell wasn't drafted to carry a clipboard during games."

Russell impressed his new coaches during offseason workouts but still has plenty to learn as he tries to adjust to the speed and complexity of the pro game. Kiffin has to make sure Russell has a firm grasp of the offense, the trust of his offensive teammates and solid enough blocking from a line that allowed a league-worst 72 sacks last season before he subjects Russell to NFL defenses.

According to Corkran, the smart money says Kiffin will name incumbent Andrew Walter or veteran Josh McCown as his opening-day quarterback and stick with that decision as long as things are going well or until Russell is ready to remove the training wheels. ...

Although I've been of the opinion that Russell will be Oakland's opening-day starter if at all possible, I'll readily concede the newcomer might have to wait. But I'm with Corkran; it won't be a long wait.

I'll also note that a number of observers have pointed to the team's Week 6 game against the Chargers in San Diego as a likely date for Russell's first start. The Raiders are off Week 5. ...

In Washington. ... The buzz surrounding the off-season progress made by quarterback Jason Campbell continues to grow. In an article published Friday, Washington Examiner staffer John Keim reported on a recent meeting at Redskins Park during which offensive coordinator Al Saunders pointed to the screen where Campbell, in a mini-camp practice, resembled a new, or at least improved, quarterback.

On the play in question, Campbell simply completed a four-yard out to Cooley. But it's not the yards that mattered.

"See how more compact Jason is," Saunders exaplained to Keim. "See how he carries the ball; see how square his shoulders are. His read is excellent. There's no windup there; the ball never falls below his elbow."

It's textbook.

"That's the most growth I've ever seen in a player from where Jason was before I got hurt [last November] to now," running back Clinton Portis said. "It's night and day."

"I feel different," Campbell said, "totally different."

As Keim went on to suggest, the Redskins and Campbell know the second-year starter must thrive for them to think about the playoffs after a 5-11 season. In seven starts last year, Campbell completed 53.1 percent of his passes for 1,297 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.

This year, Saunders said the Redskins want Campbell to improve his completion rate by 10 percent.

So they focused on his footwork, fixing everything from how he stood under center to how he dropped back. They changed how he held the ball, having him do so at shoulder level, reducing his windup.

Two weeks after the OTAs ended in early June, Saunders gave Campbell some homework. Each week, Campbell was given blank pictures. Saunders would give him a shift and a formation and a pass play and Campbell had to diagram it, putting in his progression and reads against a particular defense, letting them know he understood protection schemes and his responsibilities.

And they worked on his diction in the huddle.

"Early on, he was stumbling over words in the huddle," Portis said. "He had a lot of uncertainty."

Now Campbell's tone in the huddle improved, just like other parts of his game.

But issues do remain.

According to Richmond Times beat writer Paul Woody, part of the grand hope for marked improvement in the passing game this season has been based on the increased comfort level between Campbell and his receivers.

There were all manner of plans for Campbell, Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El to spend time together on the practice field this offseason. Instead, the bulk of the time they've spent together has been during OTAs and mini-camp workouts.

This after a plan for Campbell to spend time in Florida with Moss did not work out.

As Woody suggested, this is not the way to get the most out of the passing game.

Campbell and his receivers will get plenty of time together in training camp. But Woody went on to explain in this era of the NFL, that's not enough to perfect a passing game. As a result Woody believes that tight end Chris Cooley might turn out to be the receiver Campbell is most comfortable with.

According to Woody, Cooley is the only receiver to put in time with Campbell outside OTAs and mini-camps. Whether that will be enough to raise the level of the entire passing game is the question.

In Indianapolis. ... According to TSN, Tarik Glenn's decision to retire rather than return for a 10th season as Peyton Manning's back side protector forces the team to reload at a critical position and puts a crimp in its attempt at repeating as Super Bowl champions.

Glenn started 151 games, including the postseason, at left tackle since Manning's arrival in 1998. He always gave Manning expert protection and time to make his reads. Now, the team likely will look to either Charlie Johnson or rookie Tony Ugoh to fill in the most critical position on the O-line. ...

Meanwhile, Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Chappell advised TSN readers to look for the Colts to maximize the talents of second-year halfback Joseph Addai this season.

Along with giving him more carries than the 14 he averaged as a rookie while sharing time with Dominic Rhodes, Chappell believes the team will try to get Addai more involved in the passing game. Addai spent a lot of time during the off-season workouts on improving the receiving phase of his game.

Addai will still be a viable "check down" for Manning, but offensive coordinator Tom Moore might occasionally move Addai into the slot or out wide. According to Chappell, the former first-round pick has outstanding hands. Addai caught 40 passes during the '06 regular season, then had 10 catches in the Super Bowl win over Chicago.

That was one short of the Super Bowl record shared by Jerry Rice and two other players. ...

In Tennessee. ... Although many point to the loss of his most productive receivers last season -- Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade (via free agency) -- as reasons to be worried about Vince Young's second season as a pro, at least one interested (and eminently qualified) observer is looking elsewhere.

Former Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who knows firsthand about life as a rising star NFL quarterback without a lot of weapons to work with, believes the key to Young's second year won't be as much his receivers as it will be the emergence of a reliable replacement for another loss: Running back Travis Henry.

"When you have that ability to change a game all by yourself, you don't need as much," McNair said of Young. "I would love to see them continue to have great receivers around him. I think the young guys will do well.

"But what I'm concerned about is the running game. I think what makes a guy like Vince go is the running game. Because you know he can pass the football and you know he can do things with his legs. That's what gets the passing game started, a good running game."

McNair lacked quality receivers much of his career but had Eddie George at running back for seven seasons starting in 1997. George went on to become the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

"Whoever is back there, they've got to have a good running game," McNair told Nashville Tennessean staffer Paul Kuharsky. "Because regardless of how good a quarterback you are, you've got to have that balance running the football as well as passing."

The Titans reached a contract impasse with Henry and released him March 3 to avoid an $8.3 million bonus. He quickly signed a more lucrative deal with the Broncos.

Head coach Jeff Fisher will look to LenDale White (a second-round pick in 2006), Chris Brown (who fell out of favor last season but was re-signed) and rookie Chris Henry (a second-round pick this year).

The trio will get chances to run behind an offensive line that's widely regarded as the team's strongest unit.

But until one of them steps up and starts providing some answers, the questions surrounding White, Brown and Henry will make it very hard for Fantasy owners to get excited about the Titans' rotation. ...

Meanwhile, the team did add some veteran help at the position this week, signing former Buffalo and Houston receiver Eric Moulds. Still, all signs seem to point toward a pair of third-year men opening the season as Young's starting receivers.

While most expect Brandon Jones to emerge as Young's top target, there are those who believe Roydell Williams is the man to watch. According to Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt, Williams was the best of the team's wideouts during offseason workouts.

Injuries and inconsistency in his route running have kept him from breaking out so far, but Williams has great speed and good hands and is now experienced enough to know what to expect from defenses. ...

In Detroit. ... Kevin Jones is still recovering from Lisfranc surgery and opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. MLive.com beat writer Tom Kowalski, citing a source close to the situation, reports the odds are 50-50 that Jones will be ready by the start of the regular season on Sept. 9.

Kowalski went on to explain that Jones is far ahead of schedule on his recovery and he's running at full speed, but he still doesn't have total confidence in his cutting ability.

Meanwhile, team officials believe off-season acquisitions Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett allow them to take a cautious approach with Jones. However, the coaching staff also believes a healthy Jones is the most talented back on the roster and gives them the best chance to win.

Per Kowalski: "When Jones is ready, he's going to play. ..."

In Chicago. ... In an article published by TSN this week, Chicago Sun-Times staffer Brad Biggs advised readers that Cedric Benson seemed to be a new man during the offseason after ascending to the starting role after the team traded away running back Thomas Jones to the Jets.

Biggs suggested it might have something to do with no longer needing to look over his shoulder on the practice field, in the meeting room and in the locker room, but whatever the reason there are no more whispers about Benson not knowing the playbook and he's been a diligent worker on the field.

Benson is a physical runner who showed glimpses of being very good when he averaged nearly five yards per carry the second half of last season. He needs to prove he can stay on the field after the workhorse from Texas has had a couple minor injuries in his first two seasons.

Biggs further noted that Benson has looked fluid coming out of the backfield as a receiver and could prove to be better in this role than anyone anticipated.

In Miami. ... Good news for Ronnie Brown fans who might have been concerned by the third-year halfback's weight issues. According to Miami Herald staffer Jeff Darlington, Brown, who reported to offseason workouts more than 10 pounds heavier than his playing weight, quickly regained the chiseled physique that made him the team's second overall pick in 2005.

How'd he do it? Teammates claim nobody has worked harder during mini-camp workouts.

Darlington went on to suggest that's probably because Brown also knows he needs to have more than a good body to succeed. He also needs to make the leap this season from being a decent prospect to an elite back. That's going to take a more confident running back, someone who can have the confidence to fully utilize impressive speed and power.

And as Darlington noted, if the former Auburn star comes up short the critics will certainly be worried about more than Brown's weight.

In San Diego. ... While it might be seen as a slam to call receiver Malcom Floyd a poor man's Randy Moss, San Diego Union-Tribune beat man Kevin Acee reports it's considered a compliment by the former undrafted free agent who has added bulk to help make him more durable and perhaps prolong his career.

Acee went on to note the similarities with Moss are height, speed and hands.

Acee believes that if Floyd's new muscle can help him stay healthy, his hands and speed will eventually make him a bigger name on a Super Bowl-caliber team.

With rookie Craig Davis perhaps nursing a hip flexor injury suffered last year, Acee suspects Floyd will get more chances as the team's primary vertical threat early in the season. ...

In Green Bay. ... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staffer Tom Silverstein reports that rookie receiver James Jones, who agreed to terms with the team on Thursday, is going to be force-fed the offense in hopes he can have the kind of impact Greg Jennings did at the start of his first season.

According to Silverstein, Jones has a big body and strong hands and could be a very effective short-yardage receiver, similar to what Sterling Sharpe was early in his career. Jones has to show he can run after the catch in the pros as well as he did in college to be a factor. ...

And finally this week, one last note on the Vick situation this week. ... Even though he's been banned from the team's training camp, the heavy coverage and heated controversy surrounding Vick will rage on. Look for the protesters to keep protesting, the media to continue questioning and the Falcons to continue trying to paint the most positive picture possible.

Needless to say, that won't be easy. ... For example, at one point during Thursday's training camp practices, an airplane even circled above the practice field for a sustained period, towing a sign that read "New team name? Dog-killers?"

Asked if he noticed the plane during practice, tight end Alge Crumpler quipped, "I was wondering when it was going to run out of gas."

The bad news for Crumpler, his teammates and coaches is that -- unlike that airplane -- this story is now fueling itself. And it's not going away.

That's it for this week's Notebook. I'll check in again next Sunday. ... In the meantime, keep an eye on the News & Views section of this site for late-breaking news and other tidbits of interest. Watch the Headline News section for more in-depth reviews of current events -- including the Fantasy Notebook.