Memo To Michael Vick: Avoid Confrontation This Offseason

Michael Vick had a career-defining season in 2010, earning the starting gig in Hawaii in two weeks. Once the Pro Bowl has been played and everyone forgets about the 2010 season, Vick will have some free time he has not had since last summer.

That was when he almost destroyed his second chance before he even recieved his shot at redemption. He attended a birthday party for himself, and as luck would have it some of his old connections were there causing trouble. He can ill afford to be anywhere near that type of trouble this offseason.

My advice for Mr. Vick would be to continue the redemption process off the field. There are groups of animal lovers out there who still want to have Vick drowned and shocked by jumper cables, and he would do himself a favor by not only staying out of trouble but by ramping up his community involvement.

Here are a few ideas for Vick to keep himself busy this offseason:

- Volunteer at a dog show or competition (such as Agility, Flyball or Dock Dogs).

- Work out the contract situation with the Eagles.

- Study the playbook and work on his endurance at NovaCare.

- Promote the local humane society, not just the national one, by volunteering to star in a free ad encouraging adoption of abandoned dogs.

- Get involved in good will efforts such as Habitat for Humanity or volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

- Attend a few Phillies games, taking notes from Jimmy Rollins on how to slide into second base.  

If Mike Vick is truly a changed person, he needs to prove it in the most important offseason of his NFL career—off the field. 

The worse thing for him to do would be to return to Virginia and get caught in the middle of tragedy.

For more from this author, check out the Bird Bytes blog.