Michael Vick should be allowed to keep nearly $20 million in bonus money even though his NFL career is on hold because of his role in a dogfighting operation, a lawyer for the players' union argued Friday. The NFL Players Association asked a federal judge to overturn a special master's decision that Vick should forfeit the bonus money because of his guilty plea. The former Atlanta Falcons' star faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 10. Dogfighting wasn't the issue at Friday's hearing. Instead, the arguments turned on interpretations of the NFL collective bargaining agreement. Union attorney Jeffrey Kessler argued that Vick's "roster bonus" should be treated the same as a "performance bonus," which can't be forfeited under the collective bargaining agreement. "A roster bonus is a performance bonus," Kessler said, explaining that Vick earned it simply by being on the Falcons' roster in 2005 and 2006 and that the money a player earns can't be taken back under the contract.

Police have detained at least three people in the Fort Myers area for questioning in the death of Redskins' star Sean Taylor, a newspaper reported Friday. The Miami Herald said on its Web site that investigators believe the suspects learned of Taylor's house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about his wealth. The suspects include a teenager and two men in their 20s from the Fort Myers area, the paper reported.

Suspended Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick has agreed to set aside close to $1 million to pay for the care of the 54 pit bulls seized from his dogfighting operation. In court documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Billy Martin, one of Vick's attorneys, said Vick will deposit $928,073 on Friday into an escrow account controlled by Martin's Washington law firm. The money is being set aside "to pay whatever restitution amount is ultimately ordered in this case," a court filing said, according to the Journal-Constitution. In court papers filed last week, the government asked U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson to issue a restraining order that essentially would freeze the money to fulfill Vick's legal obligation to cover the costs of caring for the dogs and finding homes for them.

Police remained without a suspect Wednesday in the shooting death of Sean Taylor, looking for clues in hopes of determining who barged into the home of the Washington Redskins' star safety. No description of a suspect has been released, and police haven't made available results of Taylor's autopsy or the 911 call his girlfriend placed to report the shooting early Monday. He died a day later at age 24. Authorities took numerous pieces of evidence, including a computer, from Taylor's home. Police are studying a possible connection between the shooting and a burglary at the home eight days earlier.

A judge on Tuesday scheduled an April 2 trial date for jailed Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick on two state felony dogfighting charges. Vick's lawyer Lawrence Woodward requested a jury trial during the 5-minute session. The suspended NFL star did not attend the hearing in Surry County Circuit Court. Vick is being held in a Warsaw, Va., jail after surrendering on Nov. 19 to begin serving time for a federal dogfighting conspiracy conviction. Vick faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 10 in the federal case. The two state charges - beating or killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs and engaging in or promoting dogfighting - also are punishable by up to five years in prison each.

Like his team, Travis Henry is waiting to hear from the NFL about his future. "I haven't heard anything," an upbeat Henry said Monday. "To me, no news is good news. I think the NFL is really looking at the case, and I appreciate it." Henry's appeal of a pending one-year NFL suspension was heard Nov. 16 in Phoenix. Henry and the Broncos originally expected a decision last week. If no decision is handed down today, Henry would likely be with the Broncos at least another week because the NFL usually doesn't make moves on players once the work week begins in earnest. If Henry remains with the Broncos, he said he "definitely" expects to play Sunday at Oakland. He has missed the past three games with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Henry said he won't need surgery. "They said it would be about a four-week injury, and we're on week four," said Henry, who did not accompany the team to Chicago last weekend because he had the stomach flu. "I've got to get back on the field. I will definitely be ready this week."

While there are no guarantees, it appears Travis Henry will be available to play for the Broncos, if healthy, for at least another week. The NFL said Tuesday there would not yet be an announcement of a decision on Henry's appeal of a pending one year league-imposed suspension for marijuana usage. It was widely thought Henry would hear about his future Tuesday. But the league continues to consider a ruling, which could be perceived as a positive sign for Henry and the Broncos. During a long appeal hearing Friday in Phoenix, Henry's attorney Harvey Steinberg of Denver presented a list of evidence in an attempt to prove Henry's innocence. Before the hearing, Broncos' Coach Mike Shanahan said the running back passed hair sample and lie detector tests after testing positive for a small amount of marijuana in August. "I continue to be optimistic about this case," Steinberg said Tuesday.

A running back can give each of his offensive linemen a nice wristwatch at the end of the season to reward them for their blocking. Dan Marino can make commercials about giving his offensive linemen gloves to get on their good side. So what's wrong with defensive players offering financial incentives to teammates for achieving specific defensive goals? That was the question of the day in Green Bay on Tuesday where Packers defensive backs Charles Woodson and Al Harris were backpedaling as if it was gameday after their apparent willingness to pay teammates for their play attracted scrutiny from NFL officials.

Linebacker Cato June was arrested early Monday, just hours after the Buccaneers returned home following a 31-7 victory in Atlanta and charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. According to a Tampa, Fla., police spokesman, June was stopped at 2:52 A.M. after he was clocked at 66 mph in a 45-mph zone. Arresting officer Peter Bucher, in the arrest affidavit, said that as he approached June's vehicle he detected the smell of alcohol. June, who celebrated his 28th birthday Sunday, refused a breathalyzer test. But the officer subsequently conducted a field sobriety test and noted in his report that June "exhibited clues of impairment." At 11:30 A.M., June was released after posting $500 bail. The incident, details of which were still being sought by Bucs' officials, could bring June under review because of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick surrendered to U.S. marshals Monday, three weeks before his sentencing on a dogfighting charge, and was being held in a regional jail. Vick is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on the dogfighting conspiracy charge but turned himself in because he was anticipating a prison term, according to a court document. Vick could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.