According to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, receiver Brandon Marshall could be facing a substantial suspension if he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge at his trial on Thursday in Atlanta.

Marshall’s trade request is secondary to his trial Thursday in Atlanta. If he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge, he could be suspended for a substantial period. If that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos dump Marshall for a bag of deflated balls.

But if he’s found innocent, then I think the Broncos will try to get Marshall’s hip healthy and hope he has another big year for them. Only then would he have trade value.

Marshall received a three-game suspension from the NFL in August of last year due to his off-field issues, but he appealed the decision and it was reduced to only one game. If Marshall is found guilty on Thursday, then commissioner Roger Goodell could view the situation as the receiver’s second official offense under the league’s player conduct policy and come down hard on him as Klis suggests in his article.

Now, what kind of suspension that entails I don’t know but given Goodell’s track record, it could be anywhere from three to 16 games. (Pacman Jones was suspended for an entire season, while Chris Henry was suspended eight games, Tank Johnson for 10 games and Michael Vick for six games.)

We’ll see what comes out of Marshall’s trial. One thing is for sure, if the Broncos intend to deal Marshall before the season, they better hope he doesn’t receive a guilty verdict on Thursday or else they’ll be hard-pressed to find a trade suitor.

Carolina Panthers:
Receiver Steve Smith is expected to miss at least two weeks with a strained shoulder after suffering the injury in practice on Monday. Dwayne Jarrett is expected to fill in for Smith while he’s out, which is kind of like going from a corvette to a station wagon. (Charlotte Observer)

Indianapolis Colts:
Safety Bob Sanders is expected to meet with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews soon. Sanders had another clean up procedure done on his knee this offseason and the Colts don’t know when he’ll be healthy again. He hasn’t practiced or played in game since Week 16 of last year. (Indianapolis Star)

Kansas City Chiefs:
Receiver Dwayne Bowe isn’t currently practicing with the Chiefs’ starters and apparently is in new head coach Todd Haley’s doghouse. Haley appears to be making an example of Bowe, who hasn’t responded well to KC’s new disciplined training habits. (Kansas City Star)

New England Patriots:
Tom Brady has yet to miss one practice since returning to action following ACL and MCL surgery. Brady continues to work out with a brace on his knee, although he’ll likely have to play with the brace the rest of his career. (Boston Globe)

Tampa Bay Bucs:
Receiver Antonio Bryant will be out for the next 3-4 weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee. Bryant could miss the entire preseason, but is expected to be healthy by Week 1. Still, the Bucs are thin at receiver and are implementing a new offense so Bryant’s injury is of concern. (Pewter Report)

Earnest Graham is listed ahead of Derrick Ward on Tampa’s depth chart, but considering the Bucs paid Ward like a starter this offseason, it’s wise not to read too much into this. (Buccaneers.com)

Miami Dolphins:
Former Hawaii product Davone Bess has been starting ahead of Greg Camarillo in Miami. Carmarillo appears to be completely recovered from ACL surgery, but Miami likes Bess’ speed and playmaking ability and see him as a starting flanker. (Miami Herald)

While appearing on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike In The Morning” on Tuesday, former NFL head coach Tony Dungy indicated that free agent quarterback Michael Vick could be signed sometime this week.

From NBCSports.com:

Said Dungy: “I think something’s gonna happen this week.”

Dungy also explained that his comments from Sunday night’s Hall of Fame game broadcast on NBC regarding the level of interest in Vick arises from the fact that a dozen NFL coaches have called Dungy for input on Vick.

Dungy said that Vick needs to “get with a football family,” and that the sooner it happens, the better off Vick will be.

We’ll see. Teams have only been in training camp for a little over a week, so general managers and coaches are still trying to figure out what they have on their rosters. Given the baggage that Vick will carry with him, teams aren’t going to just take a flier on him without considering how he could fit into their offense.

Regular readers know that I maintain the notion that the Seattle, Oakland and San Francisco are the most likely destinations for Vick.

Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post is reporting that free agent quarterback Michael Vick will likely sign with a team east of the Mississippi.

Back to Vick. By the way, did you see him working out with those kids on the high school field? He looked good, throwing the ball around softly. In fact, I mentioned on the air that we should send him some new NFL footballs. Quarterbacks cannot be properly evaluated unless they have the right footballs. So where does this leave Vick? I put my thinking cap on (yes, Raiders fans, I have one) and, based on the east of the Mississippi clue, my best guess is Carolina. I still feel Jacksonville is in play, especially because they went after Andrew Walter and failed to land him, despite the fact their offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, coached Walter in college. Carolina badly needs a backup quarterback and has seen firsthand how Vick can create problems with his running skills. It makes sense, but it’s still a guess. I’ll keep working on the clues.

One thought being floated around the web is that Vick will wind up in a southern state because dog fighting is more widely accepted in the south. But that kind of seems like a ridiculous, fabricated notion and I think any team that signs Vick will do so knowing that PETA will be on their front lawn as soon as he reports to their facilities.

The Panthers are an interesting team that never crossed my mind in terms of who Vick could potentially sign with. Jake Delhomme just signed a new contract, but there’s nothing guaranteed about his play (see last year’s divisional round playoff loss to the Cardinals) and Vick could give Carolina better depth at the quarterback position.

But again, it all comes down to which team is willing to take the risk of signing him. Financially he’s probably worth it, seeing as how he’s probably going to have to take the first offer presented to him. But any team that signs him risks alienating their fan base and turning their facilities into a daily media circus.

New Orleans Saints:
Reggie Bush was limping noticeably after cutting Wednesday morning’s practice short, although he says his knee is fine. An MRI was taken on Bush’s knee earlier this week and apparently the results were positive, so the running back might just have to miss the next few days as a precaution. (FOX Sports.com)

San Francisco 49ers:
Apparently Alex Smith has pulled ahead in the starting quarterback derby according to 49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco. While Hill still seems like the more physically gifted quarterback between the two, it’s good to see that the franchise isn’t giving up on Smith (a former first overall pick) just yet. But Smith could also play himself out of the starting role in preseason, so stay tuned. (Matt Maicco on Twitter)

Denver Broncos:
Brandon Marshall continues to sit out with an undisclosed injury that he suffered last weekend. The Denver Post suggests that the injury was due to Marshall’s offseason hip surgery, although head coach Josh McDaniels refuses to comment on the situation. (Denver Post)

Kansas City Chiefs:
Head coach Todd Haley has reportedly been impressed with how good running back Larry Johnson has looked so far in camp. Teammates have apparently marveled at how good of shape the 29-year-old running back is in this season. Kansas City’s offensive line still needs some work, but it’s good enough to give a motivated LJ a chance to shine again this season. Maybe Johnson will be one of the surprise performers in ‘09. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Atlanta Falcons:
Harry Douglas was carted off the field on Wednesday with a left leg injury and it apparently the situation doesn’t look good for the Falcons young receiver. Atlanta’s already in a heap of trouble at the wideout position with Roddy White holding out for a new contract. If Douglas has to miss significant time, GM Thomas Dimitroff (who traded promising WR Laurent Robinson to the Rams for half a can of original Pringles earlier this offseason) might be forced to get a deal done soon with White. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

New York Jets:
Quarterback Kellen Clemens continues to struggle with his pocket presence according to a report by the New York Daily News. Considering the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, this seemingly is a huge problem, even though it’s still early in camp. Maybe this news bodes well for rookie Mark Sanchez starting right away. (New York Daily News)

Green Bay Packers:
The Packers are having trouble signing first round pick B.J. Raji and according to ESPN 540’s Scott Wisniewski, the two sides are far apart on a deal. Rotowold speculates that Raji’s agent could be waiting on No. 10 overall pick (Raji was the No. 9 overall pick) Michael Crabtree to sign a deal with the 49ers before he gets something done for Raji in Green Bay.. (Rotoworld)

According to a report by ESPN.com, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has told Plaxico Burress that he’ll begin the reviewing incidents (i.e. shooting yourself in the leg with your own gun because you decided to secure it in the waist band of your sweat pants) involving Burress that fall under the personal conduct policy.

Burress, who shot himself in the thigh Nov. 29 in a Manhattan nightclub, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison.

He made a brief appearance in court Monday where Judge Felicia Mennin adjourned the case until Sept. 23, enabling the former Giants receiver to continue negotiations with several NFL teams in hopes of returning to the field in 2009.

Goodell had been waiting for the legal process to be complete, but as it is delayed with no clear indication of when it will be concluded, the commissioner decided to take the initiative, league sources said.

ESPN’s very own Chris Mortensen believes that Burress will be suspended at least four games, which seems realistic.

In a related topic, Burress’ agent Drew Rosenhaus now says that there are five teams interested in his client’s services. The Jets, Bucs and Bears are the only reported teams that are interested in Burress, so that leaves two unidentified squads. But I’m sure Rosenhaus will dream up more teams as the weeks go on.

Training camp is still a month away but you don’t need daily reports from the grueling two-a-day sessions to see what players are going to have the heat turned up on them this season. I’ve complied a list of 10 players (in no particular order) who, not necessarily the same reasons, face make or break seasons in ’09.

1. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
If Romo doesn’t get the Cowboys to the playoffs in 2009 will Jerry Jones look for other options at quarterback in 2010? No. But if you read between the lines, the Cowboys jettisoned Terrell Owens this offseason so that Romo will have every opportunity to be the team’s most influential leader and hopefully go from being a great quarterback to one of the elite. While it might not technically be a make or break season for Romo, his career is certainly at a crossroads. Romo’s numbers last year were solid – 3,448 yards, 26 TDs, 91.4 QB Rating – but his play faded over the last month of the season and the Cowboys imploded. Since then, Romo’s work ethic, offseason dedication and leadership skills have been questioned and it appears as though the QB’s career has come to a fork in the road. If he continues on the path his currently on, he might put up decent numbers and lead the Cowboys to the playoffs a couple more times before his days are done. That’s certainly not bad, but Jones and the rest of the Cowboy faithful want Romo to be extraordinary and if he completely dedicates himself to the game, maybe he can take this talented team to the next level. One thing’s for sure – with T.O. out of the way, this is now Romo’s team and it’s up to him where he and the Cowboys go from here.

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According to a report by FOXSports.com, the Eagles have restructured quarterback Donovan McNabb’s contract for the next two seasons. McNabb’s deal is worth an estimated $24.5 million, which comes out to be a $5.3 million raise with another $1 million in incentives.

The interesting thing about McNabb’s restructured deal is that he didn’t get any more years added onto the contract. He essentially got a raise and that’s it, so after this season everyone will once again be talking about how McNabb only has one more year left on his deal. It’s nice that he got a raise and guaranteed money, but where’s the extension?

What’s even more interesting is what the Eagles do with Kevin Kolb now. They selected him in the second round of the 2007 draft and so far he’s attempted only 34 passes as McNabb’s backup. And now that Philly has committed to McNabb for at least the next two years, will they attempt to trade Kolb?

Kolb only signed a four-year, $4.32 million contract when he was drafted in 2007, which means he’ll become a free agent the same year McNabb does (2011). If the Eagles are committed to McNabb, one would think that they would try to get something for Kolb while they still have him. If not, he’ll surely walk in 2011 in hopes to become a starter somewhere else.

We’ll see if the Eagles make Kolb available now that McNabb’s deal is taken care of, or if they continue to use him as insurance in case McNabb suffers an injury (which let’s be honest, can happen at any second during the year).