Training Camp UpdateVolume 2, Issue 2 – 8/09/06

Training Camps are in full swing and we want you to feel like you have attended every practice and seen every preseason game.

To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything, we've created our incredibly detailed Camp Updates. They're an exhaustive look each week covering every bit of news you need to know to stay completely on top of every team. Quite simply, they're the key to Dominating Your Draft.

This is the fourth of five training camp updates from us.  We'll break down every team's skill positions and position battles. It's the stuff you'd see if you were there at every camp.  This Camp Update was created by our own Bob Henry and reflects the most up-to-date info regarding each of these teams.

Happy reading and let's have a great 2006 season,

Joe Bryant and David DoddsOwners, Footballguys.com

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Nothing has changed on the Matt Leinart front. Leinart’s absence is John Navarre’s gain, at least for now. “I am glad to get as many reps as I can,” Navarre said. “I want to take advantage of them. Experience is so valuable to playing quarterback. I will take all the reps they can give me.” Navarre was supposed to battle Leinart for the No. 2 quarterback job. They split reps with the second team during OTAs in the summer, but they’re all Navarre’s for the time being. HC Dennis Green said he wants Navarre to get rid of the ball quicker, but he’s pleased with his progress. Meanwhile, Leinart received a text message from his buddy Reggie Bush. “I text-messaged him last night and just gave him some words of encouragement,” Bush said. “I don’t think he’s too down. Matt’s a pretty level-headed guy, and I think he’ll be fine through this process. He’s not the only guy to hold out in this world.”

Kurt Warner says the offense is continuing to improve every day, acknowledging that the defense usually has the upper hand early in training camp. “The big thing is that we are improving every day,” offered Warner. “The first practice was

a little sluggish and disappointing but I think we are starting to realize when we get things moving and the tempo going, that it just benefits us. Coach does a good job of throwing a lot of situations at us and it gets us thinking.”

RB: The preseason isn’t about Edgerrin James. Or should we say Edgerrin James isn’t about the preseason? James would be just as happy to practice hard, but leave the preseason games to the guys fighting for spots behind him. That doesn’t prevent him from setting the tone in practice though. His banter is just as good as his play and his teammates seem to enjoy it, too. “He talks a good game too,” said Dennis Green. “Defensively we have a lot of guys that are good at it and he is too. He brings a good intensity but has a lot of fun with it and he likes being out there. That is what we really try to emphasize and that is what we have tried to do from the start. You really have to love the game. You have to love coming out onto the field and Edge has always done that.” Darnell Dockett confessed, “We look forward to hitting him in practice because if you don’t you hear about it all day. He is one of the best running backs in the league and we have to go up against him all of the day and it is just going to help us be ready when the season comes around. We’ll be ready to face good running backs and it is a good challenge and key to having him on our team.”

Fullback James Hodgins remains hopeful that he’ll return to practice next week after rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee for the first week of camp. He was initially upset after being held out of practice. He’s been mentoring converted tight end John Bronson as he learns the position – even if it might cost Hodgins a roster spot. The Cardinals signed Diamond Ferri on Tuesday, August 1st. Roger Robinson is expected to miss four to six weeks. Ferri, 24, played for Amsterdam in NFL Europe. Ironically, Robinson re-injured his toe during practice last Monday. It was the same toe he hurt in the NFL Europe title game.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin were asked about becoming the best receiving duo in the NFL and becoming synonymous with the Dolphins’ Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. “That is something you have to do year in and year out,” Fitzgerald said. “One year is not going to get it done. We were on a terrible team last year. We moved the football and we produced in terms of us two, but we didn’t produce wins.” Boldin added, “Hopefully, we will get there one day. We’re starting to get recognized in that department, but the only way to get recognized as the best duo in the league is to put up numbers consistently. We are still working on that.” Edgerrin James enjoyed the benefits of playing with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and admitted the Cardinals duo helped lure him to the desert. “I never put a rank on it,” James said. “Both sets are good. I am friends with both of them and if I see something that Marv did or Reggie did that I can tell Anquan or Fitz, I would. They know what they have to do. As a receiver, you only get better as time goes. It’s amazing how hungry these guys are.”

Bryant Johnson continues to hold off LeRon McCoy for the No. 3 job, but that doesn’t mean McCoy can’t overtake him at some point. Dennis Green was asked if there’s a scenario where McCoy could take the job over Johnson. Green said, “I

don’t know...LeRon is young and ambitious and he wants that number three spot.” Johnson is a prime candidate to be the team’s kick returner and Green still believes Johnson is due for a breakout season. Johnson is taking it all in stride. “I don’t feel there is a battle,” said the former first round pick. “I know Q and I tried to take LeRon under our wings, and the better our entire receiving corps are, the better our team will be.”

TE: On Wednesday, August 2nd, the Cardinals released tight end Ben Hall.

Defense: DT Kenny King will be sidelined for a month after breaking his right hand. He injured it during last Thursday’s morning workout. King spent the last two seasons on injured reserve and missed most of his rookie season after breaking his right wrist twice. MLB Gerald Hayes has recovered from reconstructive knee surgery and he’s up to 253 pounds. He added the weight to help him make a run at the starting job. Dennis Green is making him earn the spot against James Darling. SLB Karlos Dansby heard rumors that the coaching staff was down on him during the off-season, but he didn’t know what to make of it. “I was productive (in organized team workouts) until my injury happened, and once my injury happened I still went through a whole week of practice,” Dansby said. “People didn’t know what was going on, but I finished the week out. All that stuff in the news, I don’t know how it came about; I didn’t even read it. I was in the blind with that. I never found out anyone was disappointed in my offseason workouts. I thought I did pretty doggone good.”

Antrel Rolle is expected to make a bigger impact in his second season. He has impressed the staff with his playmaking skills in camp. “Every day he makes a big play,” spouted Green. Rolle had an interception in Friday morning’s practice during team drills. “He made a big play today and that is his style as a defender,” confirmed Green. During red zone drills on Thursday morning, Rolle picked off another Warner pass. Rolle has been aggressive since camp began a week ago; batting down passes and talking smack with receivers. Rolle remains cautious though and Darnell Dockett talked about the return of Rolle and others from injury last year. “We keep looking at film and some of the mistakes we made last year. We made a lot of big mistakes and we have a lot of guys coming back from injury and that is going to help us. A big key is Antrel Rolle. He’s back and we needed that in a huge way so we’re going in the right direction.” With Rolle, Dansby, Dockett, Chike Okeafor, Bert Berry and Adrian Wilson the Cardinals have a potentially explosive defense.

Special Teams: Kicker Neil Rackers displayed his precise accuracy during practice last week, taking aim at a staff member operating a camera perched on a lift between the uprights. Rackers forced him to move twice to avoid being hit. Meanwhile, the debate rages on regarding the authenticity of Rackers’ video clip on the NFL Network. RB Marcel Shipp recently discussed his revised role on the team now that Edgerrin James is a Cardinal, “I'm on pretty much every special team. I'm hard core. I don't mind. That's how I made it into this league, and it's a very important part of the game." HC Dennis Green continues to mention that they’re hopeful

that WR Bryant Johnson will be more involved on returns. WR Troy Walters however remains the favorite in that department. The other primary return candidate, WR Michael Spurlock, has looked like the rookie he is practice, occasionally putting the ball on the ground.

Other: Starting right tackle Oliver Ross suffered an injury to his right knee on Tuesday, August 1st. Ross is expected to miss several weeks of action and former defensive tackle Fred Wakefield moved from backup LT to take Ross’s spot. Jeremy Bridges is also working into the mix in Ross’s absence.

Cardinals Depth ChartQB Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, John Navarre RB Edgerrin James, J.J. Arrington, Marcel Shipp, Damien Anderson, Diamond Ferry FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo, James Hodgins, John Bronson WR Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, LeRon McCoy, Troy Walters, Todd Watkins, Carlyle Holiday, Michael Spurlock (QB), Greg Lee TE Leonard Pope, Adam Bergen, Eric Edwards, Alex Shor K Neil Rackers, Nick Novak DE Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry (inj), Anton Palepoi, Antonio Smith, A.J. Schable DT Darnell Dockett, Kendrick Clancy, Tim Bulman, Langston Moore, Gabe Watson, Kenny King (inj), Jon Lewis MLB James Darling (W), Gerald Hayes, Lance Mitchell OLB Karlos Dansby (S), Orlando Huff (W), Darryl Blackstock (W), Calvin Pace (S), Mark Brown, Isaac Keys, Brandon Johnson, Lawrence Pinson CB David Macklin, Antrel Rolle, Eric Green (inj), Robert Tate, Dyshod Carter, Lamont Reid, Darrell Hunter, Jay McCareins, Damarius Bilbo, Justin Wyatt S Adrian Wilson (SS), Robert Griffith (FS), Aaron Francisco, Ernest Shazor, Jack Brewer, Chris Harrell

Atlanta Falcons

QB: On Tuesday, August 1, Michael Vick left the Falcon’s practice with a hamstring injury. Head coach Jim Mora didn’t think Vick would miss more than a couple of days, but Vick remained out of Friday’s practice marking his third straight day with the “tweaked” hammy. Vick didn’t require any assistance to leave the field, but he did pull up during a drill midway through the session. On his way into the locker room he insisted, “It’s no big deal.” As expected, Matt Schaub took the first team snaps in his stead.

Bryan Randall and D.J. Shockley have both impressed the coaching staff as they vie for the No. 3 job. Mora likes Shockley’s presence in the huddle and his field generalship saying that it eased his concerns of him being a rookie and feeling overwhelmed. Mora can’t wait to see them in preseason game action. "I've been really impressed with D.J. Just his personality, the way he conducts his business. The way he goes about running the show. He's got a real maturity to him. I can tell now why people love him. He's got a certain persona about him. Plus, he's got a whip. When he decides to

throw it, he can sling it.” He notes that Randall is doing well, too, "Bryan Randall certainly is not backing down."

RB: The Falcons like their backs to be “one cut” backs just like the Broncos do. To that end, veteran RB Warrick Dunn is putting on a clinic so far in training camp, but perhaps almost impressive has been the speed and elusiveness that rookie Jerious Norwood is flashing. Norwood needs to learn from the veteran Dunn how to pick the hole, commit and accelerate. Norwood is making a concerted effort for playing time thereby putting due pressure on T.J. Duckett, who reported to camp in great shape. Duckett continues to hold onto the backup spot, but Mora is taking note of the quickness that Norwood brings to the table "He's got that one cut-and-go ability you like in this zone scheme," Mora said of Norwood, who might be the better fit for the Falcons offense. "I've also been impressed with the way T.J. has played and practiced. He's going after it." Duckett is in the last year of his contract and his name has been floated in trade talks during the offseason. To his credit, he’s been making would-be tacklers pay, running downhill consistently and authoritatively.

WR: With Brian Finneran on the shelf for the entire season, the Falcons are said to be exploring trade opportunities. Oakland’s Jerry Porter and Denver’s Ashley Lelie are two prominent names that immediately come to mind, but the Falcons front office will do their homework before acquiring either of the erstwhile veterans. HC Jim Mora said if they do bring in any players they wouldn’t displace the Falcons current starters – Michael Jenkins and Roddy White. Mora likes what he’s seeing out of his receivers, even rookie Adam Jennings, a sixth round pick. "I think the receivers, in general, have really done nice work the last three days," said Mora. "Roddy is kind of hitting his stride. Jenkins is catching the ball well out in front of him and I keep liking Adam. I like him every day. He's mature and the game doesn't seem too big for him. So it's fun to watch him."

TE: Alge Crumpler isn’t expected to play in the team’s upcoming preseason game against New England for precautionary reasons. Crumpler had shoulder surgery in February and the team is taking things slowly with him through the early part of camp. "I can't remember anything about preseason games, but you do get something out of them as far as your timing is concerned," Crumpler said Monday. "I can't imagine that I would play, but it doesn't really matter because it's not my call." Reserve Dwayne Blakley is expected to start in Crumpler’s place.

Defense: Patrick Kerney has been a terror at times in camp. Last Thursday, he was a beast during pass drills as he punished just about every lineman that lined up against him. Kerney and John Abraham give the Falcons their best pass rush in years – perhaps the best in the NFL if both players stay healthy. The improved pass rush should be a help to the team’s secondary, which underwent a makeover in the offseason. Rookie corner Jimmy Williams is penciled in to start as the team’s right corner when the season begins. Jason Webster, last year’s starter, missed four days of practice with a sprained foot before returning on Thursday. "I don't take it personal," said Webster, who knows Williams wants to start

just as he does. "I see it as a good thing. We can both make each other better." DeAngelo Hall practiced with the receivers during the last week. At one point, he sported the offense's red practice jersey. After about 30 minutes, he returned to playing defense, and put his white practice jersey back on. Darrell Shropshire was promoted to starter over Chad Lavalais, but Mora indicated the move is not set in stone.

Special Teams: After Zac Derr was injured and released, the Falcons quickly added Carlos Martinez to join the kicking competition. He spent the last three years playing for the AFL’s Dallas Desperados, who happen to be owned by Jerry Jones, who happens to also own the Dallas Cowboys, who for many years employed kicking coach Steve Hoffman, who was hired by the Falcons this year to develop a cheap kicker. Martinez quickly joined the mix with kicker Tony Yelk. Punter Michael Koenen also remains a possibility, as he went 3-for-3 on FGs in practice recently, including a long one of 60 yards right down the middle. Jim Mora addressed the question of whether they’d really use him for both punting and kicking, "We don't know if he could do it all effectively. We'd really have to think about it and talk about it, and we are. We're going to work all three guys and hope we can find someone we'll be confident with. If not, we'll go with somebody else. But we're not to that point yet.” Mora also commented on the need to get all three involved in preseason games, “I'm not saying we're going to kick on third down, but I want to create some situations where we have to kick field goals. We've got to find out whether we've got a kicker who can make a field goal. I hope we get some long kicks. I hope we get some pressure kicks at the end of the half and the end of the game. I hope we get some wind. I hope we get some rain. I want to find out about these guys. You can't do that with extra points.'' CB/KR/PR Allen Rossum is being pushed by rookie RB Jerious Norwood on kickoff returns and by rookie WR Adam Jennings on punt returns. With a sore hamstring Rossum is pacing himself in camp, "If I learned anything, it was that I shouldn't try to push myself so hard and go full-speed all the time out. That's what the coaches told me, and they were right."

Falcons Depth ChartQB Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, D.J. Shockley, Bryan Randall RB Warrick Dunn (3RB), T.J. Duckett (SD), Jerious Norwood, Deandra Cobb (KR), Butchie Wallace FB Justin Griffith, John Pannozzo WR Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Jerome Pathon, Adam Jennings, Cole Magner, Troy Bergeron, Jamin Elliot, Javarus Dudley, Brian Finneran (inj) TE Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakely, Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells. Boone Stutz K Tony Yelk, Michael Koenen DE Patrick Kerney, John Abraham, Chauncey Davis, Constantin Ritzmann, Paul Carrington DT Rod Coleman, Darrell Shropshire (NT), Chad Lavalais (NT), Jonathan Babineaux, Antwan Lake (NT),  T.J. Jackson MLB Edgerton Hartwell, Jordan Beck OLB Keith Brooking (W), Michael Boley (S), Demorrio Williams (W), Ike Reese (S/W), Artie Ulmer, Travis Williams CB DeAngelo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Jason Webster, Allen Rossum (KR), Leigh Torrence, Kevin Mathis

 S Lawyer Milloy (SS), Chris Crocker (FS), Antuan Edwards (SS), Omare Lowe (FS), Chris Reis, Nick Turnbull

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Steve McNair has lofty expectations after coming to Baltimore to replace the disappointing former first round pick Kyle Boller. In the team’s Saturday scrimmage against Washington, McNair was intercepted on his second pass. He wasn’t too upset about it, but did say he felt comfortable in his brief playing time going 5-of-6 for 30 yards. Part of those expectations comes from being reunited with Derrick Mason. "You expect that. You expect that at that position, when you have that type of status," Mason said after the scrimmage as reporters flocked to McNair as he returned to his locker.

"You've got a responsibility - kind of like the Spiderman movies. He's got those powers. Now, with those powers comes great responsibility. That's what Steve has to uphold, and I don't see any indication of him not upholding that responsibility of being our starting quarterback and our leader. So everything he does is going to be scrutinized. Even if he does it perfectly, somebody's going to find some way where that gets scrutinized. But it's been that way his whole life, his whole career." McNair just needs some time to acclimate himself to the Ravens offense and offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. Later in the scrimmage, Drew Olson completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Romby Bryant.

RB: Jamal Lewis started in the scrimmage Saturday night, but only for the 7-on-7 drills. He did not play in the full-team scrimmage. The Ravens used Mike Anderson as a fullback during the 11-on-11 drills increasing the possibility the Ravens could use them both on the field at the same time. According to RBs coach Tony Nathan, it might happen. "That's in the plans, that's in the works," said Nathan. Anderson suffered a mild concussion on the fifth play while picking up a blitz. The injury thrust No. 3 RB Musa Smith into action. Smith has been marred by injury after injury in his brief career with the Ravens. He appears to be healthy after gaining 23 yards on five attempts. "I approach things with an attitude of gratitude," Smith said. "I'm just grateful that I'm back and playing."

WR: It’s been an up and down training camp so far for Devard Darling. On Thursday, Darling dropped a possible long touchdown, but bounced back with two great efforts later – beating Ed Reed for a short touchdown catch on one play, and then hauling in another touchdown later. Darling is competing for the No. 3 job against Clarence Moore and rookie Demetrius Williams. During last Thursday’s practice, starter Mark Clayton (hamstring), Moore (groin) and Williams (hamstring) were all sidelined giving Darling ample opportunity for more reps. During last Wednesday’s practice, Darling filled in for Clayton and made a stellar one-handed catch during the red-zone drills. Clayton didn’t play in

Saturday’s scrimmage either. Travis LaTendresse made some good impressions. The free agent caught passes for 23 and 20 yards during the Ravens' first touchdown drive. His 20-yard reception put the team at the 4-yard line and set up a Boller TD pass. "I'm just a free agent trying to make this team," LaTendresse said. "Every catch counts." On Thursday, August 3rd the Ravens signed Matt Cherry (Akron).

TE: The Ravens know they have a major weapon with Todd Heap at the position, but they intend on using him even more this year in short-yardage and goal-line situations. "We're going to move him around, not just play him on the wing," said Jim Fassel said when talking about Heap. "Moving him outside will definitely be part of the package. He will cause a mismatch. That's what I like about TE's when they are athletic like that, you can place them in different spots and that's the hardest match for the defense." The Ravens added Quinn Sypniewski in the fifth round because of his blocking. Yet so far in camp Sypniewski has caught everything thrown at him, including a 30-yard pass from Boller. Rob Abiamiri caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Boller and admitted afterwards that he had dreamt about the play for years. "Since the Ravens came here, I've always watched them," said Abiamiri, who comes from Maryland and was a three-sport athlete nearby at Mount St. Joseph. "I grew up here, and to be able to play for them is a blessing for me."

Defense: Rookie DT Haloti Ngata sprained the MCL of his left knee during the 11-on-11 drills in Saturday’s scrimmage. Ngata said the injury was not serious and expected to be back in practice by midweek. "It feels good," Ngata said. "It's just a minor sprain. I'll be back in a couple of days." Rex Ryan had a funny quote when talking about the Ravens 12th pick. "If his upper body ever catches up to his lower body, he could really be a 380-pound guy. Right now, he's a little puppy, but he could become a really big puppy." Ryan said of Ngata. The Ravens' first-team defense seemed to be in midseason form in the scrimmage, especially when matched up against backup quarterback Jason Campbell instead of starter Mark Brunell. The Ravens' starters allowed 2 yards on six plays, stuffing the Redskins behind the line twice. "They got a good chemistry going," Billick said. "The communication was very good. That's something that we've really been stressing. We caught ourselves short last year a few times because of communication." Some of the players weren't satisfied by their brief but dominating effort. "We still have a long ways to go," linebacker Adalius Thomas said. "We set a higher standard than anybody else." Rookie Dawan Laundry joined Ed Reed and corners Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle when the secondary took the field with the first-team defense. Landy might have surpassed Gerome Sapp as the starter opposite Reed. "That's pretty encouraging, but at the same time, I've still got to stay on my game and do a lot of film study," he said. "I want to be on the same page with those guys." Earlier in the week during practice, Rolle snatched a McNair pass and took it 50 yards for a “would be” touchdown. Last Wednesday, McAlister dropped an interception and did 10 pushups as a penalty. He came back strong the next day when he stepped in front of a quick slant from McNair to Mason during red-zone drills.

Special Teams: The Ravens were dismissed from practice 15 minutes early the other day when kicker Matt Stover just cleared the crossbar on a 48-yard field goal, which is near the end of his range. Attempts much over 50 yards have been handled by the kickoff specialist in recent years. Kicker Aaron Elling continues to compete with punters Sam Koch and Leo Araguz on kickoffs in practice. All have looked good, although Elling has looked the strongest, often getting the ball across the goal line. Running back / kickoff returner / punt returner B.J. Sams has been expanding his versatility by practicing at safety. He also handled all the returns in practice the other day, when his only competition at the position, rookie RB Cory Ross, sat out with a strained hamstring. Ross returned to practice the following day.

Ravens Depth ChartQB Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, Brian St. Pierre, Drew Olson RB Jamal Lewis, Mike Anderson (FB), Musa Smith, P.J. Daniels, B.J. Sams (KR/PR), Cory Ross FB Justin Green, Ovie Mughelli WR Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton (inj), Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Demetrius Williams, Ronald Bellamy, Romby Bryant, Rufus Skillern, Brian Bratton, Tre Moses, Matt Cherry TE Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Quinn Sypniewski K Matt Stover, Aaron Elling DE Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce, Jarrett Johnson, Roderick Green, Gary Stills DT Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Dwan Edwards, Aubrayo Franklin, Justin Bannan, Cedric Hilliard, Remi Ayodele MLB Ray Lewis, Mike Smith OLB Adalius Thomas (S), Bart Scott (W), Dan Cody (S/DE) (inj), Dennis Haley, Ryan LaCasse, Tim Johnson CB Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Corey Ivy, David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, Derrick Martin, Ronnie Prude S Ed Reed (SS), Dawan Landry (FS), Gerome Sapp (FS), B.J. Ward (FS)

Buffalo Bills

QB: Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman continued to battle each other for the starting QB this past week while Craig Nall was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Holcomb has been noticeably more accurate, but he appears to lack arm strength. His throws don’t seem to going more than 20 yards. New offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild’s offense is predicated on short and intermediate throws – a scaled down version of Mike Martz’s offense. That would appear to favor Holcomb, but whoever does win the starting job will still need to throw the deep ball and there is no question that Losman has the stronger arm of the two. Losman looked sharp in Saturday’s practice completing nine straight passes during the team’s 7-on-7 drills, including a touchdown to TE Robert Royal. Craig Nall hopes to return to the practice field sometime in the next week. He still hopes to compete for the starting job. "Not to put any extra pressure on myself, but I know I have to come out and pick up right where I left off when I get back,” he said realistically.

RB: During the first week of camp it’s become apparent that Steve Fairchild intends to use Willis McGahee much differently than the former Bills staff. The Bills are working with him in the passing game with the hope he’ll become a true three-down back. So far in his career, McGahee has largely been a 1st and 2nd down back often leaving the field on third downs. For his part, McGahee is noticeably thinner than last year and he’s running decisively, too. The backup job remains up in the air with Anthony Thomas, Lionel Gates and last year’s backup Shaud Williams competing. Anthony Thomas reported to camp at 218 lbs, the best shape of his career, but Dick Jauron has been taking longer looks at Lionel Gates and Shaud Williams. Perhaps he’s familiar with Thomas from their days in Chicago, or perhaps Gates and Williams are ahead of Thomas. The Bills signed former Ravens fullback Alan Ricard to compete for playing time with Damien Shelton and Joe Burns (who is more of a special teamer).

WR: So far, Josh Reed seems to be leading the pack for the starting job opposite Lee Evans. Reed is competing against Peerless Price, Andre Davis and to a lesser extent Roscoe Parrish, who will probably be the team’s slot receiver. Oddly enough, many think Reed is a better fit in the slot, but for now he’s in the starting lineup. In Saturday’s 7-on-7 drills, Price was the top receiver with eight catches and a TD. Lee Evans wasn’t able to play due to an ailing shoulder, so the defense was focused on Price as the No.1 receiver. The team is taking it easy with Evans’ shoulder so they won’t rush him back onto the field even thought it’s considered a minor injury. He was sidelined from Wednesday, when he fell awkwardly while catching a pass, through Saturday when he took part in individual drills fully dressed in pads.

Defense: The most noteworthy change this past week was the move of WLB Takeo Spikes to SLB with former backup Angelo Crowell lining up as the team’s starting WLB – as he did while filing in for Spikes last year when he was out. Crowell beat out veteran Jeff Posey; who was subsequently waived by the Bills this past week. The move drops Spikes’ fantasy value, while ‘spiking’ Crowell’s considering they’ll use the cover-2 defense and the WLB is usually the leading tackler in that scheme. After missing the first eight days of camp, first round pick safety Donte Whitner agreed to terms. He’ll compete with Matt Bowen to start alongside veteran Troy Vincent at strong safety. The Bills are using Vincent against slot receivers in the dime package.

Special Teams: Punter Brian Moorman remains the starting holder for Rian Lindell on kicks. Quarterbacks J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb practiced as backups last week for the first time this year in that role. Camp leg kicker Nicholas Setta has been working with the kickoff return group. Terrence McGee is, of course, the starting kickoff returner. Competing for the backup role, and in some cases competing to make the final roster, have been RB Shaud Williams, WR Jonathan Smith, WR Roscoe Parrish, CB Nate Clements, WR Andre Davis, S Jim Leonhard, and RB Fred Jackson. RBs Lionel Gates and Anthony Thomas have been practicing in the upman role. When the team practiced running reverses, WR Sam Aiken, S Matt Bowen, S Rashad Baker, and DB Kiwaukee Thomas took handoffs from whoever fielded the kickoff. Nate

Clements, Jim Leonhard, Roscoe Parrish, Jonathan Smith and Shaud Williams have also been practicing punt returns. The latter three are the top contenders.

Bills Depth ChartQB Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman, Craig Nall RB Willis McGahee, Shaud Williams, Anthony Thomas, Lionel Gates, Fred Jackson FB Damien Shelton, Alan Ricard, Joe Burns WR Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Peerless Price, Andre' Davis, Roscoe Parrish (PR), Sam Aiken, Jonathan Smith, George Wilson, Martin Nance, Chris Denney TE Robert Royal, Brad Cieslak, Kevin Everett, Ryan Neufeld

 K Rian Lindell DT Larry Tripplett, Tim Anderson (NT), Lauvale Sape (inj), John McCargo, Jason Jefferson, Kyle Williams DE Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Mark Word, Ryan Neill, Jason Hall, Joshua Cooper MLB London Fletcher, Liam Ezekiel, Courtney Watson (inj) OLB Takeo Spikes (S), Angelo Crowell (W), Josh Stamer (S/W), Mario Haggan (W), Keith Ellison, John Digiorgio CB Nate Clements (PR), Terrence McGee (KR), Eric King, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty, Kiwaukee Thomas, Eric Bassey S Troy Vincent (FS), Donte Whitner (SS), Matt Bowen (SS), Coy Wire (SS), Ko Simpson (FS), Rashad Baker (FS), Jim Leonhard (SS), James Bethea

Carolina Panthers

QB: The Panthers are taking it easy with starter Jake Delhomme. In their first scrimmage, Delhomme was on the field for only five plays and did not throw a pass. "It's not the shoulder," said Delhomme, who also was given Friday's practice off. "I could've thrown it this morning, but Foxy just wanted (me) to rest. That was his decision, but I was ready to go today. It's hard not to be out there and throw a little bit. I almost called a couple of passes. But hey, that's just part of it. We want to be smart, because we're throwing a ton of balls." Delhomme’s rest gave Stefan Lefors an opportunity to mix it up against the starting defense. Lefors, grouped with several other backups, drove the team to the 32-yard line before they were stopped when LB Dan Morgan tipped a pass that was intercepted by safety Mike Minter.

RB: In addition to Delhomme resting, starting RB DeShaun Foster was held out of action, too. "We just rested them," Fox said. "We kind of know what both those guys can do; we still have a lot of camp left and there's a lot of hits to be taken." So far in camp, Foster has looked good showing no ill-effects from a broken ankle suffered last year in the team’s playoff loss to Chicago. Foster’s absence was a golden opportunity for second-year back Eric Shelton, who gained 4, 4 and 5 yards on consecutive running plays against the first team defense. He also caught a 12-yard screen pass. "I'll be able to look back on this day and (say), `I can produce in the NFL against the No. 1 defense and be successful,' " he said.”I've got confidence in

myself. I think I put confidence in my teammates and my coaches, as well, that I can produce." Coach John Fox watched intently adding, “Just by the naked eye, watching what was going on, he was productive… He ran hard. He's a big, physical guy."

DeAngelo Williams is competing with Shelton for the No. 2 job. Williams is catching the ball very well, but he’s also put the ball on the ground twice within two days taking away from what has otherwise been a solid showing in camp. In Saturday’s scrimmage, Williams showed his quickness on a pitch to the right gaining seven yards against the team’s second-string defense. Also in the scrimmage, he had a 4-yard carry and a 3-yard loss.

WR: So far, Keyshawn Johnson has been the perfect teammate, playing hard consistently throughout practices. Due to Steve Smith’s hamstring injury, which will sideline him for a couple more weeks, Johnson has been able to work more with Jake Delhomme on their timing. Keary Colbert looks like a different player than last year. "He is a different player," quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "You can just see the way he runs his routes. He has explosion. He has separation." Said offensive coordinator Dan Henning: "It's markedly different. He is 100 percent quicker and stronger than he was last year." Colbert and Drew Carter are having their moments in camp as they battle for the team’s No. 3 WR. The Panthers added another body for camp last Tuesday signing free agent WR Terrance Metcalf to a deal.

TE: Starter Kris Mangum will be out for several weeks after partially tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot. Mangum struggled with the injury during the first few days of camp, but was then put into a cast and walking boot on Thursday. The team hopes he can play in at least one preseason game. That gives Michael Gaines an opportunity to get more reps and develop consistency. That’s the main drawback with Gaines. Dan Henning was asked if Gaines needs to practice and play with more consistency. Henning replied, "Yes, the answer to that question is definitely yes.” In a recent press conference, HC John Fox talked at length about his young backup tight end. “He's a young player that continues to improve. I saw great improvement last year, and he worked hard this offseason. He even went back to college and got his degree. He's continuing to work… He was always a mature kid. The more you do something the better you get. He just lacked experience. He's further along now and he's continuing to work on that aspect of his game. He's got all of the physical tools.”

Defense: If the Panthers are to become the No. 1 defense in the league, (they were No. 3 last year) the prevailing opinion is that second year LB Thomas Davis needs to have a breakout season. It’s not whether DT Kris Jenkins can stay healthy. The team did fine last year when he went down for the second straight year. They are deep at tackle. Frankly, the front four are stacked with talent. The team’s corners are solid, too.. Dan Morgan was asked about Davis: "Once he knows exactly what he's doing out there, he's going to be dangerous. He's got all the athletic ability in the world." Davis is known as a "thumper”, meaning that when he hits someone you can hear it

throughout the stadium. When asked what his favorite part of the game is, "Contact," Davis said, smiling. "By far." Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said, “We have to realize he's not a seasoned six-year linebacker and not try and throw the whole playbook at him each and every game… His first step is so explosive. He's a great hitter. He can change directions and turn and run and when he hits you, he packs a punch. And he loves the game. With all those elements in there, we're hoping for big things."

Another player the team is watching closely is rookie linebacker James Anderson. John Fox recently discussed Anderson’s progress. “He's doing well as are all of our rookies. We're adding stuff everyday, and everyday is a new experience for them because it's new things. Fortunately, they heard it at mini-camp and they heard it in summer school and now they are hearing it for a third time around. At some point, you want them to just go play. Right now they are still thinking, and that hurts their playing ability. Hopefully, we'll get that all cleaned up at this camp.” Fox was asked if Anderson reminds him of former Panthers LB Will Witherspoon. “They are very similar. We were looking for a similar player, and there are similarities between the two. Now it's just a matter of developing. Will was a finished product. He's no longer here, so James has got a lot on his plate but he's handling it well.” Fox then described their similarities, “Good speed. Good athleticism. Very good pass defenders.”

Special Teams: Kicker John Kasay continued to miss practices with muscle tightness in his kicking leg. He has been doing some light kicking and stationary bike riding. Like Kasay, temporary kicker MacKenzie Hoambrecker is also a leftie. This has allowed long snapper LB Jason Kyle and holder P Jason Baker to stay in sync. Kasay’s importance has been reinforced as Hoambrecker has missed several short range kicks (26, 39, 40, and 40 yards). WR/PR Steve Smith continued to miss practice due to his hamstring injury. He has done some light agility drills and caught a few balls. WR Efram Hill has been getting some work on punt returns. Rookie RB DeAngelo Williams persisted in his quest to return kicks, “Every time I pass the special teams coach I say, 'When are we doing kickoff returns, coach?' I bet he's probably tired of hearing that.” He got his wish and has been working as the primary kickoff returner. RB Jamal Robertson and rookie CB Richard Marshall have been practicing as backups.

Panthers Depth ChartQB Jake Delhomme, Chris Weinke, Stefan Lefors, Brett Basanez RB DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Eric Shelton (SD), Jamal Robertson FB Brad Hoover, Nick Goings, Casey Cramer WR Steve Smith (PR) (inj), Keyshawn Johnson, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, Karl Hankton, Jovon Bouknight, Daniel Smith, Justin McCullum, Lynzell Jackson, Taye Biddle, D.J. Smith TE Kris Mangum (inj), Michael Gaines, Mike Seidman, Jeff King K John Kasay DE Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Al Wallace, Jovan Haye, Stanley McClover, Devan Long

 DT Kris Jenkins (inj), Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Jordan Carstens, Atiyyah Ellison, Tony Brown MLB Dan Morgan, Vinny Ciurciu (W/M) OLB Thomas Davis (S), Keith Adams (W), Na'il Diggs (W), Adam Seward (W), James Anderson (W), Chris Draft (S/M), Sean Tufts CB Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, Reggie Howard, Richard Marshall, Jermaine Hardy, Marcus Cassel, Jarrett Bush, DeShane Dennis S Mike Minter (SS), Shaun Williams (FS), Colin Branch (FS), Kevin McAdam, Nate Salley (FS)

Chicago Bears

QB: Backup quarterback Brian Griese had surgery during the off-season to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. Yet so far he has shown no ill effects from the surgery, but he’s only practicing once per day during two-a-days. His mobility looks good and he’s reporting no problems. "I haven't had as much swelling as I expected to have, and I've really been pleased with it,'' he said. During Friday’s practice Griese showed good accuracy, putting passes into tight spots along the sidelines. On Thursday, Griese was given the day off allowing Kyle Orton to work with the second team. Orton’s two minute drill ended when Dion Byrum intercepted his pass along the sideline.

RB: Cedric Benson was carted off the field on Friday evening after injuring his left shoulder after catching a short pass over the middle. He’s expected to miss two or three weeks – best-case scenario. Benson was hit by LB Brian Urlacher and then safety Mike Brown, but the hits looked clean and nondescript. Benson then went down to one knee and it quickly became apparent he was hurting as he grabbed his wrist writing in pain. "He broke through, a freak accident, those kind of things happen," head coach Lovie Smith said. "Hopefully it isn't too serious." “The X-Rays were negative. I'm doing pretty good," Benson said. "I don't think it's nothing severe. Everything seems good. I did a little treatment this morning and was moving it around. I felt pretty strong. I just feel really sore today." Benson will likely miss the team’s preseason opener on Friday against San Francisco. There was speculation that the defense was dishing out punishment to him during the first week in camp, but he downplayed that notion saying, "Initially you tend to think bad things. You start to wonder why they hit you or if they were looking to hit you. But we watched the film and stuff and I definitely don't think they were trying to hit me or nothing like that. It was basically what we do every day in practice. I think it was a combination of bad timing, where I got hit and bad luck." Smith added, "Our guys don't hit unnecessarily out here. It's a team. But you're going to get hit from time to time. Nothing cheap about it." Asked for his opinion of the play, Mike Brown shrugged. "You're asking the wrong cat.” Benson had been running the ball well, but concerns remain regarding his ability to pass protect and catch the ball. While his hands might be improved, his blocking is still questionable. Thomas Jones remained out of practice

nursing his hamstring, so Adrian Peterson figures to get plenty of reps while Benson is out.

The injuries to Benson and Thomas Jones give Adrian Peterson a chance to work as the starter for the time being. P.J. Pope will work with the second team and the Bears signed rookie free agent Andre Hall to a contract on Friday to give them another back in camp. Hall was released by Tampa Bay on July 21. 'It's a little bit of a setback,'' Grossman said when asked about Benson. ''But we have to do what we can. Adrian is a great running back. He's going to play a lot this season. It's a good time for him to get some reps with the 1's.'' Less than 24 hours after Benson went down, the team’s starting fullback Bryan Johnson pulled his hamstring and had to be carted off the field. Johnson’s injury opens the door for Jason McKie to work as the starter. Rookie J.D. Runnels returned early in the week from a quad pull. ''Whenever they lay on the ground a little bit, you should consider it as a serious injury, and that's what we're doing,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''We don't know exactly what extent, but it wasn't a tweak. He actually pulled it.’

WR: Leave it to Muhsin Muhammad to lead by example. The veteran receiver reported to camp 10 pounds lighter. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner saw him from a distance last week and thought they signed a new player. Bernard Berrian even walked past him without recognizing him. ''When a guy loses weight like that, it tells you he is trying to do something, trying to make himself better,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said. ''When you lose weight, that is normally some kind of commitment you've made to get pounds off like that. Moose has worked extremely hard. It seems like the All-Pros, the ones I have been around, they seem to get better as the years go on. They take care of their body year-round. He didn't have the type of year he wanted last year. Normally, when that happens you say, 'Hey, what can I do?' All you can do is get your mind right and then come in the best physical shape you can.''

As for the heated competition for the starting job opposite Moose, Bernard Berrian holds a slight edge over Mark Bradley. "Bernard has played well throughout camp," said Smith. "He's making a move. It's been documented about the second receiver (competition), and somebody needs to step up. Who's to say that it won't be him?" Berrian is more comfortable in his third camp, he is completely healthy and he got some experience in the playoffs last year, catching five balls for 68 yards against Carolina. "It's experience. No one else but 'Moose' (Muhammad) really has a lot of experience at the receiver position, so that would be the main word," said Berrian. "I think a lot of the coaches and players know that I belong here and that I can be the number-two guy. I've always known I can get the job done; it's just a matter of getting the opportunities to do it." In the long run, Mark Bradley may overcome Berrian as he did last year, but Bradley has missed some practice with a sore knee. He returned to the field last Thursday and made a diving grab on a pass from Rex Grossman while also looking smooth running routes across the middle. The team hopes he’ll be 100% by the season opener. On Friday, Berrian was forced from practice after tweaking his groin. He sat out practice on Saturday, too. 'I would be

really mad [if the injury was more serious],'' he said. ''It didn't even scare me because I knew it wasn't.'' Berrian was expected back on the field early this week. Airese Curry underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday, as did OG Terrence Metcalf. Justin Gage had a strong practice last Thursday.

TE: There has been little to no news out of Bears camp regarding the tight ends, but Desmond Clark continues to work as the starter and he made a nice catch over his head in Friday’s practice between Charles Tillman and Mike Brown.

Defense: Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera said the team is converting Dwayne Slay, out currently with a hamstring pull, to outside linebacker. Safety Cameron Worrell has looked good playing with the second and third team defenses after missing all of last year with a dislocated shoulder. Todd Johnson is being used as the backup nickel back at the moment while rookie DB/WR/KR/PR Devin Hester could be the team’s fifth corner and wide receiver.

Special Teams: Robbie Gould and rookie Josh Huston continue to compete for the kicking job. WR/PR Bernard Berrian has missed time with a hip flexor. The Bears signed free agent RB Andre Hall, who was released by Tampa Bay. He returned kickoffs during his junior year at South Florida. Rookie WR Devin Hester continues to look like the real deal as a return specialist. His former strength and conditioning coach at Miami said, “Devin Hester is one of the most freakish athletes to come through here. With the caliber of athletes we've had, that's a big statement. I call him the X-factor. He has something that will change a game in a few seconds." Bears’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub indicated, "He's pretty advanced. He had good coaches at Miami. He's well-schooled in that area. He just needs to brush up on some things. He's got to be very aware of the hang time in the NFL and where the ball's being punted is probably a little different than it was in college. His catching skills keep improving. He improved over the OTAs and he keeps getting better now. His ball reads are very good. I just can't wait to see him a game situation. He's the Roadrunner."

Bears Depth ChartQB Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton RB Cedric Benson (inj), Thomas Jones (inj), Adrian Peterson, P.J. Pope, Andre Hall FB Bryan Johnson (inj), Jason McKie, J.D. Runnels WR Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Justin Gage, Airese Curry (inj), Alex Bannister, Devin Hester (KR/PR/CB), Rashied Davis (PR), Craig Bragg, Bryan McClendon TE Desmond Clark, Gabe Reid, John Gilmore, Tim Day, Cooper Wallace K Robbie Gould, Josh Huston DE Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Israel Idonije, Michael Haynes (DT), Jamaal Green, Mark Anderson, Khari Long DT Tommie Harris, Ian Scott (inj), Terry Johnson (inj), Alfonso Boone, Dusty Dvoracek MLB Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Cain OLB Lance Briggs (W), Hunter Hillenmeyer (S/M), Joe Odom (S), Leon Joe (W), Brendon Ayanbadejo (S), Dwayne Slay, Brandon Marshall, Jamar Williams

 CB Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Ricky Manning, Dante Wesley, Alfonso Marshall, Abraham Elimimian, Carlos Hendricks S Mike Brown (SS), Chris Harris (FS), Danieal Manning (FS), Todd Johnson (SS/FS), Cameron Worrell, Brandon McGowan (SS) (inj), Dion Byrum, Donnie McCleskey

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Carson Palmer’s return is going well with no setbacks, but he’s still working hard to shake the rust off his game. On Friday, following a slow start, Palmer completed four of his last five passes featuring a six-yard touchdown flip to WR Tab Perry. Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said they’re evaluating Palmer weekly. They gave him about 40% of the snaps last week and they would decide whether to increase his reps over the weekend. "I’m going to do whatever I get cleared to do," Palmer said. "If the doctors think I need more reps and give me more reps, I’ll do it. If they want me to back off and say I need more rest, I’ll do it. I’m just going on what they say." Despite the optimism surrounding Palmer and his steady progress, neither he nor the team are making any guarantees that he’ll be in the starting lineup when the Bengals open the season at Kansas City. "I'm still not completely healthy," Palmer said Friday night. "I'm still not back as far as timing and rhythm are concerned. The more reps I get, the better I feel. I need to be more athletic in the pocket and get back to the technique I've always had and always relied on. It will take time, but I'll get there." Palmer said he probably won’t play until the August 28 game against Green Bay. He’s wearing a black brace on his left knee, but did not appear tentative or restrained during practice.

With Palmer sidelined, Anthony Wright worked with the first-team offense and Doug Johnson with the second team during the team’s mock game Saturday. Wright went 23-of-33 for 291 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, two of which were tipped and should have been caught by Chad Johnson. Doug Johnson finished 16-of-30 passing for 130 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Wright may have locked up the backup job, but he did have the benefit of working with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh while Johnson did not. Wright struggled in the team’s scrimmage the previous night completing only seven out of 17 passes. Johnson went 5-of-11 with one touchdown and one interception on Friday night.

RB: Rudi Johnson looks great in camp. He’s down to 218 pounds and appears to be even stronger throughout his upper body and shoulders. His knee is healthy and he’s breaking tackles like usual. As a result of his workout regimen, he appears quicker getting to and through the hole. During the mock game the offense mostly threw the football, but Johnson still had one of the most noteworthy plays breaking through for a 21-yard gain off the left side. He ran eight times for 41 yards. Backup Chris Perry remains on the PUP giving veteran Kenny Watson an opportunity to work as the third down back – a role he previously held before Perry was drafted. “It hurt

me watching everybody play. Now I'm back and ready to make some plays." Watson said, "It's important for a guy like me… The more you can do, the better chance you have to be on the field. Whatever they put me out there to do, I'm going to take advantage of it."

Quincy Wilson and rookie tailback DeDe Dorsey also broke long runs, thanks to dominant offensive line play at times. Dorsey also worked as a kickoff returner with Reggie McNeal and Bennie Brazell, as special teams coach Darrin Simmons looks for a top backup to No. 1 kickoff returner Tab Perry. "We're all trying to earn a spot," Dorsey said. "For us rookies, special teams is where it's going to be at. Tab's the guy, but if I can, I'll come in and take his place." Rookie free agent FB Naufahu Tahi broke a bone in his foot on Friday and will be out for a few weeks.

WR: The mock game was dominated by big passing plays. Chad Johnson had 142 yards on 11 catches, despite letting two balls go through his hands for interceptions. T.J. Houshmandzadeh added seven catches for 107 yards. Chris Henry did not participate, but rookie Reggie McNeal has three catches for 20 yards. McNeal said he’s finally adjusted to the extra running that comes with his new position in the pros. McNeal is a project, but his presence gives the Bengals the ability to call trick plays much like the Steelers have done with Antwaan Randle El in the past. While Henry didn’t play Saturday night, the team got plenty to see from him the previous night. On Friday, Henry dominated the team’s scrimmage catching five balls for 117 yards, including a 44-yarder, and a 10-yard TD. His play caused Carson Palmer to draw comparisons between he and Randy Moss. Henry simply had his way against whoever tried to cover him making plays with his 6-foot-4 frame, jumping ability, and sure hands. Marvin Lewis wasn’t overly thrilled, but he did offer Henry some reassuring words following his troubled offseason. "He has faced some adversity," Lewis said. "He’s learning to deal with it. And in dealing with that, he is becoming a more mature person and accepting responsibility for what has occurred. He gets the opportunity to defend himself, and that will happen." Receivers coach Hue Jackson added, "I've never had a football problem with Chris… I never anticipated it would be, but I also never anticipated it would be the other…He's a talented player who is working his way back into shape and he's trying to earn the respect of his teammates by being out there every day and fit in and do his job. That's all he can do. Chris has to learn to do the right thing in society. Chris' problem is not on this team as a player. Chris puts himself in jeopardy away from here. That's what's gone on. Other than that, his talent will always show up. That's why we drafted him. I'm not in awe. It's like, 'OK, but I expect more.' I'm not surprised by anything he does."

Besides Henry, Tab Perry and Bennie Brazell also stole the show. Perry caught a 6-yard TD from Palmer on the opening drive. After the TD, Perry and fellow wideouts Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh drew a 15-yard penalty following their celebration. Perry stood on the back line of the end zone and "bowled" the football toward his three teammates, who acted like bowling pins, falling backward simulating a "strike." "I didn't see it," head coach Marvin Lewis said, "but

from what I understand… it was pretty good, though." Brazell had one catch where he ran 52 yards only to pull up with a cramp in his leg. He appeared to be fine afterward giving the fans a "thumbs up” as he left the field. HC Marvin Lewis said his injured receivers are healing well. Kelley Washington (hamstring) and Antonio Chatman (hip) are expected to be ready soon.

Defense: It didn’t take rookie MLB Ahmad Brooks long to make some plays in training camp. On Tuesday, August 1, Brooks was literally a human highlight film on his own. He intercepted a pass from Anthony Wright, then not long after that, he grabbed Quincy Wilson on a sweep and rode him out of bounds crashing into a photographer. "I was thinking they were going to slow down," said the AP photographer. "But they just kept coming." Brooks continued to hustle saying afterwards, “I'm just trying to get better. I'm trying to take my game from college to pro practice. Hopefully, I can do it in a game. It's imperative for me to go out there every day and compete hard. Every day, I've got to do good." In Saturday’s practice Keiwan Ratliff intercepted two passes then broke up several more during the mock game in the afternoon. Ratliff returned on interception 33 yards for a score, while Patrick Body had another interception. Ratliff is engaged in an intense battle with rookie Johnathan Joseph for the team’s nickel back job , but the team’s other corners – Rashad Bauman, Greg Brooks and Body - are also playing well. "Keiwan isn't giving anything up, and Rashad didn't even have a ball thrown at him today, so he's doing something right over there," defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said. "Greg Brooks is playing his butt off. And Pat Body is doing some good things. They're all competing, and it's making us a better team." Coach Marvin Lewis is pleased, too. "Keiwan did some good things today," Lewis said. "We have a real battle between Keiwan and Johnathan. Rashad Bauman is probably having his best camp, and Greg Brooks ... a great competition between those four guys."

LB David Pollack didn’t play Saturday night because of a hamstring injury. His injury is allowing Landon Johnson, the team’s projected starter at WLB, to also get some work in Pollack’s position. Johnson can play all three LB positions. As for Pollack, the hamstring could be day-to-day or sideline him for as much as three weeks. Other injuries of note include DT John Thornton, who is getting some rest due to a hip contusion. DT Sam Adams has been on the PUP list as he works himself back into football shape. Their absence has allowed backups Shaun Smith and rookie Domata Peko to run with the starting defense.

Special Teams: In last Friday’s scrimmage, kicker Shayne Graham went 6-of-6 on field goals (27, 32, 35, 39, 42 and 46 yards). He was less perfect in Saturday’s practice, missing wide right from 48 yards and hitting the left upright from 36 yards. Starting punt returner WR Antonio Chatman has missed practices and the scrimmage with a groin injury. In his absence, CB Keiwan Ratliff, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and CB Deltha O’Neal have handled punts. WR/KR Tab Perry also joined in on punts during a practice. He remains the top kickoff returner; however the backup KR role is up for grabs. RB Kenny Watson appears to be the most likely candidate.

Several rookies have also been regularly practicing on kickoff returns: WR Bennie Brazell, WR Reggie McNeal, and RB DeDe Dorsey.

Bengals Depth ChartQB Carson Palmer (inj), Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson, Erik Meyer RB Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry (3RB) (inj), Kenny Watson (3RB), Quincy Wilson, DeDe Dorsey, Terrence Whitehead FB Jeremi Johnson, Naufahu Tahi, Chris Manderino WR Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Antonio Chatman (KR), Tab Perry (KR), Kelley Washington, Reggie McNeal (QB), Benny Brazell, Ethan Kilmer TE Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart, Darnell Sanders, Ronnie Ghent, David Jones K Shayne Graham DE Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson (inj), Jonathan Fenene, Frostee Rucker, Eric Henderson DT John Thornton, Sam Adams, Matthias Askew, Shaun Smith, Domata Peko, Marcus Lewis MLB Odell Thurman (susp), Brian Simmons (M/W), Ahmad Brooks (S), A.J. Nicholson OLB David Pollack (S/DE) (inj), Landon Johnson (W/M/S), Caleb Miller (W), Marcus Wilkins, Hannibal Navies, Wyatt Gayer, Kenny Kern CB Tory James, Deltha O'Neal (WR/PR), Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff (SS/PR), Rashad Bauman, Greg Brooks, Patrick Body S Madieu Williams (FS/CB) (inj), Dexter Jackson (SS/FS), Kevin Kaesviharn (FS/SS), Anthony Mitchell, Ifeanyi Ohalete (SS), John Busing, Jeremy Modkins, Jereme Perry, Blake Ferris

Cleveland Browns

QB: Charlie Frye is tired of hearing that he has a weak arm. He recalls a particular play where he connected with Dennis Northcutt, "I threw that ball 66 yards in the air," Frye said, "so I don't want to hear anything about the arm strength thing." Since the opening of camp, Frye and Northcutt have been on the same page, especially on the deep balls. "The thing I'm happy about is we're taking more shots down the field," Frye said. "It makes it a lot easier when you don't have to go 14 plays, 80 yards every time." HC Romer Crennel wanted to see his young offense get into a rhythm after struggling a bit in camp. He had them play against the 2nd and 3rd string defense, but it didn’t work as he had hoped. "We threw interceptions, fumbled snaps, can't make FG's -- it's hard to win doing stuff like that," Crennel said. "We've got a lot of work to do and a short time to try to get something done with it." Crennel described the offense as "sluggish". If that’s not a bad sign, then perhaps the battle for the backup QB is shaping up that way. Neither Ken Dorsey nor Derek Anderson have looked good in camp. Dorsey isn’t a good practice player and, while Anderson’s arm is impressive, his lack of mobility and inability to secure the ball don’t bode well for a No. 2 quarterback. Sean Jones and Antonio Perkins intercepted Dorsey on Tuesday, but Crennel didn’t seem too concerned

saying, "Maybe he could have made better decisions, but I don't think it would be fair to say he's struggling."

RB: Rookie Jerome Harrison continues to draw the attention of the coaching staff. "He's done some nice things," Crennel said after practice. "He's gotten everyone's attention with his ability to make cuts and his acceleration through the hole. There are some things that he has to work on and he's working at it. Pretty soon, the story will be told. We'll play the games and find out." The Browns are looking at Harrison as a third-down or change-of-pace back behind starter Reuben Droughns. "He kind of reminds me of some of those third down backs," said Romeo Crennel on Thursday. "We had a player named David Meggett (former Giants and Patriots running back) who was a third down back with explosiveness and quickness. When you see him make some of those cuts and that acceleration, it kind of reminds you of Meggett." If Harrison continues to play this way in the games, he could beat veteran Lee Suggs for a job. Not taking the competition lightly, Suggs has been on a mission in camp using his 3rd spot on the depth chart as motivation. "Anything other than first is a disappointment," Suggs said, "but that's how they chose to make it, and I have to go with it. I was ready for it." Suggs would do well for himself if he could simply stay healthy. If the season began today, he’d be the team’s third down back, unless he’s traded by then. "I'm out to prove them wrong," Suggs said. "I hope I stay here, but if not, maybe there will be an opportunity somewhere else."

WR: The Browns didn’t sign Joe Jurevicius during the off-season because of his blinding speed. They signed him because they needed a red zone presence at the position and they weren’t sure how quickly Braylon Edwards would return from his torn ACL suffered during his rookie season. Jurevicius probably has the best hands on the team and it doesn’t hurt that he’s 6’5” inches tall. "I kind of look at myself as a security blanket," Jurevicius said. "I don't like being the guy that's out there in the spotlight." Jurevicius knows it’s only a matter of time before Edwards returns to full health and claims the No. 1 job. Meanwhile, rookie Travis Wilson is catching up to the rest of the group after missing the beginning of camp. He had an excellent day of practice on Friday, catching Romeo Crennel’s eye. "One day is not going to do it for him, but I was encouraged by what I saw today," said the head coach. “He’s working and trying to impress us... If he continues to run correct routes and block the correct people, then, he can make some progress.” Crennel continued on Wilson pointing to a couple particular plays he made that got his attention. “I saw the one where he jumped over the (defensive back) and took the ball away from him. I thought it was a good play on his part and he made another good catch at practice. I talk about opportunity and he had some opportunities today. At the beginning when we had the team together, most of the young guys were on the field. They were trying to take advantage of the opportunities that were given and I think Travis did. He showed some of the things he did in college as far as going up for the ball and taking it away from guys. I was glad to see him step up and make some plays," Crennel said.

TE: What Kellen Winslow lacks in common sense; he makes up for with confidence, or is it hubris? He commented last week that he probably will never be 100% again after sustaining a severe knee injury last year in his infamous motorcycle escapade, but he didn’t stop there. “I hate to be brash but I think my 90 percent is better than every tight end out there…It's all hype right now,'' he said. “We have to get on the field and do what we do best. Right now it's just all hype. I'm sick of talking about what I'm going to do. It's time to just get on the field and do it.'' One of the best ongoing battles in camp has been between Winslow and rookie linebacker Leon Williams, who know each other from their days at the University of Miami. "We're just battling," Williams said. "Pushing off, holding, whatever, playing dirty, whatever it is. We just try to get the job done." Winslow's feistiness is no surprise to Williams. "Kellen never changes," Williams said. "I love that about him. He's going to be that same guy every day out here." Williams is a fourth round draft pick who is currently backing up Andra Davis, but he ran with the first team last Tuesday as Davis was temporarily moved to the other inside spot. Fellow rookie and second round pick D'Qwell Jackson and Chaun Thompson are competing for the starting job next to Davis, but Williams, who didn’t start at Miami, is playing well. "Eventually," Winslow said, "I think he'll be (starting), most definitely." Backup tight end Darnell Dinkins was sidelined during Friday’s practice with an ankle injury.

Defense: Corner Daylon McCutcheon and right offensive tackle Ryan Tucker both opted to undergo knee surgery to fix some ongoing problems they are having so they (hopefully) can be ready in time for the season opener. Corner Antonio Perkins missed Friday’s practice with a hamstring injury. Another corner DeMario Minter never made it to the practice field in camp because of a knee injury. With the injuries at corner stacking up Jeremy Perry is getting a chance to make an impression. "It's like going through a tunnel with no lights," said the aspiring Perry. "You just keep going forward... Injuries and stuff always give you an opportunity. I know I'm at the bottom of the cornerbacks, so I'm just trying to prove myself." Meanwhile, first round pick LB Kamerion Wimbly expects to make an immediate impact with the team as a pass rusher. "I'm getting more comfortable every day," Wimbley said. "The confidence is getting there. I'm starting to react without thinking. Each day gets easier."

Other: Having already lost LeCharles Bentley the Browns were dealt a crushing blow when replacement center Bob Hallen left the team for medical and personal reasons. He is expected to be lost for the season; leaving the Browns to scramble by acquiring Ross Tucker from New England. Either he or Alzono Ephraim will get the nod; making it tough going for the Browns skill position players.

Special Teams: Kicker Phil Dawson has been working with long snapper Ryan Pontbriand and holder P Dave Zastudil. Dawson noted, “There’s a lot of things you can’t necessarily practice until you’re in a game, so we’ll use the four preseason games to get where we need to be. I try to peak when week one gets here. Dave and I are working on certain situations every day to try to see how we respond. Hopefully, by opening

day we’ll be ready to go.” In the team’s scrimmage, Dawson missed wide left from 49 yards and kicker Jeff Chandler missed wide left from 50 yards. Back at the teams’ lodgings for training camp, Dawson is the team champ in ping pong. Rookie RB Jerome Harrison, who has drawn comparisons to Dave Meggett and Greg Pruitt, is getting some work on kickoff returns. He noted, “Of course, you want to get on the field as a running back first, but if it’s as a returner, that’s OK. I just want to play.”.

Browns Depth ChartQB Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey, Derek Anderson, Darrell Hackney RB Reuben Droughns, William Green, Lee Suggs (3RB), Jerome Harrison (3RB), Chris Barclay FB Terrelle Smith, Corey McIntyre, Lawrence Vickers WR Braylon Edwards (inj), Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt (PR), Frisman Jackson, Travis Wilson, Joshua Cribbs (WR/RB), Brandon Rideau, Carlton Brewster, Brent Little, Glenn Holt TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkins, Paul Irons K Phil Dawson, Jeff Chandler DE Orpheus Roye, Alvin McKinley, Nick Eason, Simon Fraser NT Ted Washington, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo, Ja'Waren Blair ILB Andra Davis (L), DQwell Jackson (R), Chaun Thompson (R), Leon Williams (L), Mason Unck OLB Willie McGinest (S/DE), Kamerion Wimbley (S/DE), Matt Stewart (S), David McMillan (W), Nick Speegle (S), Charlton Keith CB Daylon McCutcheon (inj), Gary Baxter, Leigh Bodden, Antonio Perkins (inj), Pete Hunter, DeMario Minter (inj), DeMarcus Rideaux, Ralph Brown S Brian Russell (FS), Brodney Pool (FS), Sean Jones (SS), Antwaan Harris, Justin Hamilton (SS)

Dallas Cowboys

QB: The Cowboys held their first intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday. Unofficially, Drew Bledsoe finished 12-of-17 leading the team to field goals. Tony Romo completed 9-of-18 passes leading the offense to three scores – two touchdowns and a field goal. Romo threw a touchdown to receiver J.R. Tolver. "It was good to get out there and move the ball," Romo said. "And it's always encouraging when you do it against the first unit, too, as the No. 2 (unit). So I think we're showing progress here and we'll take it into next week." Third stringer Drew Henson completed 12-of-17 passes and led the team to two touchdowns, including a 11-yard strike to rookie Skyler Green. He also led the third team offense on a touchdown drive capped by FB Lousaka Polite’s 4-yard plunge. "We moved the ball, we scored a couple times when my group was in there," said Henson, who struggled in practice earlier this week. "We kicked a bunch of field goals and scored a few touchdowns as an offense. So I think as tough as it's been on us the last three or four days in practice,

today we were able to move the ball a little bit and make a few more plays than we had this week." Overall, the offense scored on seven out of nine 10-play series. Henson’s play even drew a pat on the rear from HC Bill Parcells, a gesture that’s not easily earned. "That's a big compliment," Henson said. On Romo, Parcells, said, “I’ve got to decide where he is…I think he is ready to play a lot. I see a guy that’s pretty smart. It looks like in practice he’s making less and less mistakes. It’s time to go forward.” During the Saturday scrimmage, there were still far too many dropped passes. Receivers Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, tight end Anthony Fasano and running backs Keylon Kincade and Tyson Thompson all came up empty handed at times.

RB: Julius Jones had trouble finding room to run in the scrimmage Saturday, but the same can’t be said for Marion Barber, who ran very well with the second-team offense. Barber broke off a few nice runs, including two that ended with collisions involving free safety Keith Davis. After running 20 yards down the right sideline, Barber was blasted by Davis out of bounds drawing a flag from the officials. Barber got even a few plays later when he took a screen pass for almost a 30-yard gain. Davis had Barber lined up again near the sidelines, but this time Barber lowered his shoulder and knocked Davis backwards while staying on his feet. Barber also scored on a 6-yard touchdown run.

WR: During one practice last week, the entire offense was out of synch. Terrell Owens short-armed a pass then missed another ball over the middle as two defenders closing in on him. Patrick Crayton made a catch a few plays later, which prompted a fan to jeer, "Patrick, show T.O. how to catch the ball." Owens was sidelined for a couple of days with a balmy hamstring. An MRI taken on Saturday revealed no structural damage. "I'm not worried at all," said Owens, who has never had a hamstring problem before. "I know it'll get well. I know my body responds very quickly to treatment." Owens missed three days of practice in a row. Also in Saturday’s scrimmage, rookie Sam Hurd had a 31-yard over-the-shoulder catch that was the play of the day. Hurd also had a 26-yard reception. “If you look at his size, he has great hands,” Owens said. “He’s been making some plays throughout camp. The upside and potential is there.” An undrafted rookie from Northern Illinois, Hurd is working closely with Owens in camp. Hurd spent an extra 20 or so minutes running routes and catching passes from Owens after practice on Thursday afternoon. “There are some things he wants to work on. Obviously, he’s struggled with some things,” Owens said. “Today he had a deep ball, (and) he said he couldn’t get to it. He was running wildly trying to track the ball. (I am) trying to get him focused on the ball instead of losing your composure and rhythm.”

TE: Having one of the league’s best young tight ends didn’t prevent the Cowboys from bolstering their lot on draft day. They added Anthony Fasano, out of Notre Dame, in the second round. Fasano has drawn numerous comparisons to a former favorite of Parcells, Mark Bavaro. The move signaled that Parcells plans to use more two TE sets this year. Parcells also felt that Fasano had a good chance to make an immediate impact having been coached by Charlie Weis in college. "My expectations are that it should be a quick transition," Parcells

said. "He made a couple of mental errors yesterday (Monday). You know, we're getting into that information overload time of camp, particularly for the young players, but I expect him to make a quick transition to pro football. You couldn't ask for a situation that's better for him. He's playing the same exact position for the Cowboys that he played for Notre Dame. I'd say it's 90 percent the exact same terminology. I couldn't see how it could get to be an easier transition. ... I do think, of all the rookies, he should make the quickest transition." Parcells said Fasano is a complete player that can block, run and catch. The Cowboys waived injured Brett Pierce, but they plan to place him on injured reserve once he clears waivers. Last, but not least, backup tight end Tony Curtis had a 27-yard catch during Saturday’s scrimmage.

Defense: The Cowboys didn’t want to play with fire and allow Roy Williams to enter free agency following this year. They agreed to terms with Williams on a four-year extension reportedly worth $25.2 million with $11.1 million guaranteed. In Saturday’s scrimmage, the offense fared much better, but the defense did manage to record seven sacks. Rookie linebacker Bobby Carpenter and defensive end Chris Canty had two sacks each, while Greg Ellis, linebacker DeMarcus Ware and former Carroll High School linebacker John Saldi had one sack apiece. Corner Terrence Newman had the hit of the day when he blindsided reciever Terrance Copper, forcing an incompletion. Safety Keith Davis also tackled running back Keylon Kincade for a 5-yard loss. Corner Jacques Reeves had two huge pass deflections on receiver Terrance Copper. Bill Parcells also gave linebacker Rocky Boiman an earful for a takedown in what was not supposed to be a full contact scrimmage. Defensive end turned OLB Greg Ellis repeated last week that he is not happy about moving to OLB this year, but added that he’ll make the best of the situation. "For me to do something I've never done at this point of my career, it's not a happy situation for me," Ellis said. "It's one I would like not to be in, but I'm in it and I'm just going to do what they tell me to do and try to make plays. Before I talked to you guys I had to make sure I was ready to accept this challenge. Honestly, I am ready and able and trying to accept it and excel at it."

Special Teams: The most accurate kicker in NFL history has missed quite a few FGs in practice recently. Mike Vanderjagt is not pleased, "I'm a perfectionist. I don't think missed field goals are acceptable, regardless of the situation. Whether it was a good hold or not, or if it's in a game or practice. If I put a good foot on it, I think it should go in.” The cause of the problem could be backup QB Tony Romo, who is also the holder. Vanderjagt responded to that idea, "We're in a transition, and because (Romo) is a quarterback, he doesn't have much time for me." During one practice that Vanderjagt missed, kickers Shaun Suisham and Tyler Fredrickson went a combined 2-of-8. On the topic of kickoffs, Vanderjagt noted, "Yeah, I have not kicked off in a long time. I think I'll probably do some of that next week. I really don't think it's a problem at all. I'm going to do it the best that I can. If it's not what they want, then they'll get someone else." HC Bill Parcells noted, "If I use him as kickoff guy then there's no impact on the roster. So that's why I want to use him. Ideally, I'd like them inside the five with a nice four-plus hang time.

You're going to get pretty good coverage if you have that. But the bottom line in this business is what you're forced to settle for usually.” The recently acquired PK/P Frederickson could be a possible kickoff specialist. Rookie WR Skyler Green, CB Terence Newman, and WR Jamaica Rector have been practicing punt returns.

Cowboys Depth ChartQB Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Drew Henson, Matt Baker RB Julius Jones, Marion Barber III (3RB), Tyson Thompson (KR), Demetrius Summers FB Lousaka Polite (HB/TE) WR Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton (PR), Terrance Copper, Skyler Green, Jamaica Rector TE Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Sean Ryan K Mike Vanderjagt, Tyler Fredrickson DE Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Junior Glymph, Jason Davis NT Jason Ferguson, Montavious Stanley, Samuel Taulealea ILB Bradie James (M), Akinola Ayodele (S), Scott Shanle (J), Ryan Fowler, John Aldi OLB Demarcus Ware (W), Al Singleton, Bobby Carpenter, Kevin Burnett (S), Greg Ellis (DE), Rocky Boiman (inj)  CB Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Quincy Butler S Roy Williams (SS), Keith Davis (FS), Marcus Coleman (FS/CB), Pat Watkins (FS), Willie Pile (FS), Justin Beriault (SS)

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer said he hopes to throw for more touchdowns than a year ago (18), but he wasn’t sure he could do so without throwing more interceptions (7). With all due respect, Jay Cutler is the player everyone is watching. Cutler has shown good athleticism throughout camp scrambling for first downs and generally throwing the ball well. He’s struggled at times like any rookie quarterback, but he’s happy with his progress. “I feel pretty good. We have been doing some two-minute stuff, which is a little different. We’ve been putting some combinations and stuff together when we are out there by ourselves. Other than that, seven-on-seven and the running game, everything’s been pretty good so far.” Mike Shanahan seems to agree when asked about Cutler, “He’s very sharp. He picks things up quickly and it’s not his first week. This is the fourth time he’s been through it. He picks it up as quickly as anyone. He’s very, very sharp, very accustomed to the passing game and very impressive to where he is at this time.” When Cutler was asked about his grasp of the offense, he answered, “I feel really good about it right now. The only problem right now is just the two-minute drills because we have to put stuff together out there on our own. When we are in team and in seven-on-seven and on our run plays and things, I feel fine.” Bradlee Van Pelt is in danger of losing his job, especially if Shanahan decides to keep only two quarterbacks as he’s done in the past. Cutler is working more and more with the second team offense at Van Pelt’s expense.

RB: In the surprise move of the NFL preseason, Mike Shanahan promoted rookie undrafted free agent Mike Bell to the first team. Tatum bell is running with the second team while Ron Dayne is now listed 3rd despite opening camp as the starter. "I think all of our guys are able to carry the whole load," HC Shanahan said. "You just have to evaluate who you think is the most effective for your team." "Mike's having a heck of a camp," Shanahan said. "He really has stepped up and been very impressive." Shanahan told the press not to read too much into the depth chart shuffling, and acknowledged that either Dayne or Tatum Bell could exit camp as the starter. "I've been very pleased with Tatum, he's had his best camp he's had this year, and Tatum could win the job before the season starts," he said. "So far Mike deserves a chance to start at that position and that's why he's got it."

Tatum Bell openly expressed frustration over Mike Bell’s promotion. Broncos elevated undrafted rookie free agent Mike Bell from third string to the starting running back position this past weekend, ahead of Bell and Ron Dayne. Tatum Bell said he has nothing against Mike Bell and praised the rookie for performing well in camp, but he was upset. "I'm (ticked) off, to tell you the truth," Bell said. "I don't think they trust me…I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's coach Shanahan or B.T. (running backs coach Bobby Turner), it's somebody up in the front offices that makes the decisions that I think doesn't trust me."

Cedric Cobbs has not been consistent, but he had a great day on Saturday. He ran the ball well up the middle getting to the second level of the defense – even knocking Hamza Abdullah on his backside one play. The team cut Marty Johnson last week, then claimed Rashaun Woods off waivers, only to waive him when he failed the physical. After all that, they signed Damien Nash, who was waived by Tennessee on Monday after reporting to camp out of shape.

WR: Rod Smith suffered a “minor” hamstring injury on Wednesday, July 26th during morning practice. Smith broke across the middle on a deep cross pattern, but Plummer threw the ball to the outside as if Smith was running a corner (route). Mike Shanahan talked about it after the practice. "Rod Smith is smart to know that with a hamstring, there is nothing you can do about it except rest it, and we might have to get him an extra day. Instead of being two days up, it might have to be three. I really don't know how bad it is," said Shanahan. A Broncos trainer said “it was just a tweak, but it could be a little more serious than that. I don't think it will be too long, knowing Rod." While Smith missed Friday’s workout, Javon Walker returned to action. Darius Watts continues to shine at times only to drop a couple passes at other times. Nothing new there. David Terrell has been playing well of late. “He is doing better. He is one of those guys who just needs to be more consistent with everything he does. Today he had a great day. He caught everything near him and I told him that that is what you have to do every day. That is what we expect and regardless of wherever he has been or whatever he has done, you have got to respect that. It is tough as a receiver. You are running, and even when you are not in the play, sometimes you have to run 40 yards as hard as you can and then you have to come back to the huddle and do it again. So those guys are

tired, but there is no excuse for losing concentration, busting a play, or dropping a ball. That is where the mental toughness has got to come in," Shanahan said.

David Kircus is having a good camp, but he has dropped too many balls, too. Kircus can run like a deer and his hands have improved during camp, but he’s still a long shot to stick with the team. Rookie Brandon Marshall is showing his unique skills. His vertical jump is astounding and once he refines his technique and adopts to the pro level, he could be special. Another player making plays is Brian Clark. He’s shown some flashes and made a great catch from Cutler in Saturday’s practice. There are reports that Atlanta, Seattle and Baltimore could have interest in WR Ashley Lelie, who is holding out in hopes of forcing a trade, but it doesn’t look like any deal is imminent.

TE: It’s still early but the team seems content replacing Jeb Putzier with rookie Tony Scheffler and holdover Nate Jackson. Scheffler is a better than advertised blocker, but it will take time before he’s up to speed in that area as a rookie. His hands are one of the biggest reasons the team drafted him. Nate Jackson missed several workouts with a sprained ankle giving Scheffler more playing time and an inside track on the pass-catching role vacated by Putzier. Scheffler is adjusting well to badly thrown balls often making tough catches look easy. Jackson simply needs to be on the field more to have a fighting chance in this competition.

Defense: The Broncos lost defensive tackle Gerard Warren over the weekend for two to four weeks with a dislocated left big toe. Warren had his toe yanked back in place before being carted off the field. LB T.J. Hollowell was also carted off the field after injuring what appeared to be his calf. DE Courtney Brown, no stranger to the infirmary, needed treatment on his left knee. "It's inflamed a little bit more than I thought it would," said Brown. "I'm just basically listening to the trainers. It was no one thing that happened. It just started up in practice." Ebenezer Ekuban is taking a crash course on playing defensive tackle. He’s sliding inside for the first time in his career and hopes to be part of the nickel package from that spot. He’s running with the second team, behind rookie Elvis Dumervil, but he remains one of the team’s best pass rushers. As camp drags on, the defense has been itching to do some hitting. In Friday’s afternoon practice, linebacker Ian Gold slammed rookie tailback Mike Bell on the turf prompting safety John Lynch to run up to Gold, look down at the flattened Bell and ask, "Is he asleep, is he asleep?" The battle at right cornerback continues between Darrent Williams and Domonique Foxworth, but lately Karl Paymah has been getting some run, too. "Karl has made plays and made some strides," Foxworth said. Williams is slightly ahead showing he can be a major playmaker and that he plays hard on every play. Foxworth is solid but not as spectacular as Williams.

Special Teams: Kicker Jason Elam discussed what he does to get ready for the season, “There is no secret to it. I just try to just be in good general shape. Other than that, it’s just God-given ability that I got a leg swing that allows me to be a decent field-goal kicker… That’s just knowing your role, and I’m on the team to kick field goals, and I’ve got to do what

I’ve got to do to keep my body in shape and fresh. There is no reason for me to go out and run routes and do tackling drills. That’s just not what I’m here for.” During a recent practice near one end zone, Elam kicked the ball out into the parking lot and through a windshield. QB Jay Cutler, P Micah Knorr, and K/P Paul Ernster have been practicing holding for kicks, although QB Jake Plummer remains the starting holder. Elam commented, "I want Jake. You always want to work a good rapport with someone, and Jake and I have that. Plus, he's very good at holding. He's such a great athlete and he has such great eye-hand coordination.” HC Mike Shanahan isn’t happy about punter Todd Sauerbrun’s suspension, “Of all things, ephedra. What it does is make you lose weight. He's the only guy on the team where I don't care if he's fat. I don't care if he's 30 pounds overweight. All you've got to do is punt the ball and kick it into the end zone.'' Rookie WR Domenik Hixon continued to miss valuable practice time with a foot injury. He was expected to compete on kickoff and punt returns.

Broncos Depth ChartQB Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler, Bradlee Van Pelt RB Mike Bell, Tatum Bell, Ron Dayne, Cedric Cobbs, Damien Nash FB Cecil Sapp, Kyle Johnson, Rashon Powers-Neal WR Rod Smith, Javon Walker (inj), Ashley Lelie, Darius Watts, Brandon Marshall, David Terrell, Charlie Adams, Todd Devoe, Domenik Hixon, Brian Clark TE Stephen Alexander, Tony Scheffler, Nate Jackson, Chad Mustard, Landon Trusty (IR) K Jason Elam DE Courtney Brown (inj), Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Kenard Lang, Elvis Dumervil, Randy Garner DT Gerard Warren, Michael Myers, Demetrin Veal, D.J. Renteria, Amon Gordon, Antwon Burton, Bryan Save MLB Al Wilson, Nate Webster, Keith Burns OLB Ian Gold (W), D.J. Williams (S), Raymond Wells, Louis Green (W), Patrick Chukwurah, Cameron Vaughn, Kevin Harrison, T.J. Hollowell (inj) CB Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams (PR), Dominique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, Roc Alexander (KR), Willie Middlebrooks S John Lynch (FS), Nick Ferguson (SS), Sam Brandon (FS), Curome Cox, Hamza Abdullah, Tyler Everett

Detroit Lions

QB: Head coach Rod Marinelli began camp with Josh McCown as his No. 2 quarterback, but in the past two weeks second-year quarterback Dan Orlovsky has emerged to make it a competition. Orlovsky earned some snaps with the second team and Marinelli was asked if he has a shot at the backup job. "He's got a chance," Marinelli said. "He's doing a good job of competing, a very good job." Marinelli insisted that the job is not settled. "Maybe I should say it again," Marinelli said Thursday. "Two and three are still competing." Orlovsky is always around. "I just think the guy really loves football -- a gym rat," said Marinelli. "He's always around here, hanging

out, watching tape." Keep an eye on Orlovsky in dynasty leagues, he could emerge in the long run as a “player of interest”.

RB: Kevin Jones was limited in practices this past week with a quad contusion. He was held out of goal-line drills on Friday. Another player who is creating a stir is rookie Brian Calhoun, the Lions third round draft choice. Calhoun’s versatility has Marinelli and offensive genius Mike Martz thinking of many ways they could use him. Marinelli offered up these comments on Calhoun: “He does a lot of little things – he can catch the ball; you move him outside and he catches the ball; he runs with it. He’s good, we just have to get guys into preseason games and see how they react.” On whether the Lions might use him immediately or develop him for down the road, Marinelli said, “I want to see how far he is. Let’s see how he performs in games and see what he does under pressure; how well he picks up blitzes; all those things – protection schemes – that’s important. Anytime a guy is up there, you hold somebody else’s career in your hands with protections and all those things. So we’ve got to prove that we can take care of all of those details.” Basically, Calhoun’s chances for extended playing time this year lie squarely on his ability to pass protect, one of the most difficult transitions most college backs have to make as a pro.

WR: At Saturday’s practice (open to the public), it became apparent that Roy Williams is the most popular Lion. He received quite a roar after several plays. He made three outstanding catches, one which he stretched out in the end zone to snare. "Pretty good catches," Williams said, judging his performance. "I should have had more, but Dre' (Bly) sticks his hand in there and knocks them out." Mike Williams couldn’t get off the field last Tuesday, while Charles Rogers couldn’t get on the field on Wednesday. The Lions staff challenged Williams to go several plays in a row, in pads, in the stifling heat as they worked outside. On Wednesday, they were not in pads, but Rogers didn’t get a single rep. Marinelli cautioned reporters from jumping to conclusions saying, "Don't read more into it than there is.” Marinelli then added that reps are earned, not given. On Thursday morning, Rogers rotated in with the first team, but when they switched to the 2-minute drills, Rogers wasn’t on the field. The first team was Roy Williams, Corey Bradford, Mike Furrey and Eddie Drummond during the drill. The second-team consisted of Glenn Martinez, Mike Williams and Brett Fischer.

The Lions gave Drummond a four-year deal worth $6 million with $2 million guaranteed. One of the reasons he returned to Detroit instead of leaving for Chicago was Mike Martz. More than anything else, Drummond wanted a chance to be more than a return guy. With Mike Martz, he thought he’d get a chance to play receiver. The first time he met Martz, he liked what he heard. "He didn't BS me at all," Drummond said. "He told me man-to-man, 'I'm used to players like you, your size, your speed, how you move around. I'm going to give you an opportunity to play receiver. You've just got to prove it to me.' I've been doing everything possible since that moment to earn a spot on offense.”

TE: In what might be a surprise, Casey Fitzsimmons began camp as the Lions starting tight end. In the second week of training camp, Fitzsimmons remained atop the depth chart. For his part, Marcus Pollard offered up his praise, too. “With years you gain more experience and you get comfortable in your abilities and what you're comfortable doing," Pollard said. "I think Casey's right there now. He's excited about getting an opportunity to play, with the potential to make a lot of plays in this offense. I think it's driving him. A lot of us are still making our errors, but Casey, he's just a rock. He's a smart guy, very confident in his abilities, and the coaches see the same thing. When you’ve got those two things going, you're going to get a lot of playing time and going to get a lot of balls." Fitzsimmons is taking it in stride. "I knew coming into camp that I'd be running with the ones.” Tight ends coach Pat Carter is working with Fitzsimmons on his footwork and hand placement to improve his blocking. Indeed, Mike Martz’s offense has everyone excited. "I love it," he said. "You really keep the defense on edge. They show their hand a little bit sooner too because they can't really be moving around because you have them on edge. It gives us an advantage in the passing game and in the run game."

Defense: It didn’t take long for LB Ernie Sims to make his presence felt. On one of his first plays in camp, Sims bolted across the field in pursuit of Brian Calhoun and clubbed the rookie across the shoulder pads with his right forearm. "It always feels real good to get a lick in," Sims said. "I couldn't really explode on him like I really wanted to. To get a little forearm in on him, it felt good." Sims also had an interception towards the end of the session. It was a good start for his first practice. Sims is expected to start at WLB, but the team isn’t going to just give him the starting job. The same goes for second round pick FS Daniel Bullocks, who will have to surpass Terrence Holt to start. "I want them to earn it," said head coach Rod Marinelli. "And that's important after everything I've said, let's just let them come in and see how well they do and earn the spots because the guy in front of him might be playing better, who knows. We want to play the best Lions, or they may have a great opportunity to get into the rotation. It might be that we have a chance to rotate a guy in (for) a series to be fresh. Once these guys go in - sometimes when you have a first round pick, you just hand it to them and he never understands what it takes to earn a job." Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers scared the team when he slumped to the ground last week with an injured shoulder, but a MRI revealed only a mild separation of his left shoulder. He is considered week-by-week. Rookie LB Anthony Cannon is day-to-day with an injured finger. Corner Fernando Bryant is day-to-day with a hamstring injury. The Lions signed DT Lynn McGruder, a former Buc, on Friday, August 4.

Special Teams: WR/KR/PR Eddie Drummond has a few camp aches and pains (groin pull), and missed last weekend’s scrimmage. There is speculation that he might see a little more work on offense this year, and consequently a little less on returns, kickoffs in particular. Drummond recalls his first meeting with new OC Mike Martz, “He didn’t B.S. me at all. He told me man-to-man, ‘I’m used to players like you, your size, your speed, how you move around. I’m going to give you an opportunity to play receiver. You’ve just got to prove it to

me.” He also noted, "I'll still be there [on returns], but there might be times they shift me in and out. I still want to do punt returns. I think receiving will help me with my special teams because last year, I was always on the sideline cooling off, just waiting for punts or kickoffs. You get over there and get cold. This will help me." The most likely candidate to spell him on returns is rookie RB Brian Calhoun. Two more remote possibilities are undrafted rookie WRs Shaun Bodiford and Devale Ellis. Special teams coach Chuck Priefer commented on their chances, "If they return a couple for touchdowns in preseason, what are you going to do? Remember a guy named Andre Coleman? He was 169 pounds and scored six touchdowns in three years. These kids are lightning fast. I agree they're long shots, but that's why you play."

Others: Five days into training camp, injuries are already taking their toll. OT Rex Tucker, starting on the right side, crumpled to the ground and clutched his left knee during Tuesday afternoon's practice. He was carted off. Team officials said he suffered a knee sprain and would undergo an MRI, but the team says he’s “week to week.” The Lions waived offensive tackle Courtney Van Buren last Thursday. He was signed to compete for playing time at right tackle after sitting out the 2005 season. Meanwhile, OG Damien Woody left practice Friday, Aug. 4, because of a hand injury and could be out for two weeks. Backup TE Dan Campbell, LB Teddy Lehman, and backup WR Scottie Vines remain on the PUP list.

Lions Depth ChartQB Jon Kitna, Josh McCown, Dan Orlovsky, Joel Klatt RB Kevin Jones, Brian Calhoun (3RB/KR), Arlen Harris, Artose Pinner FB Shawn Bryson (3RB), Cory Schlesinger, Matt Bernstein WR Roy Williams, Corey Bradford, Mike Furrey, Glenn Martinez, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Eddie Drummond (KR/PR), Scottie Vines, DeVale Ellis, Brett Fischer, Shaun Bodiford TE Marcus Pollard, Casey Fitzsimmons, Dan Campbell, Sean McHugh, Cole Downer K Jason Hanson, Matt Prater DE James Hall, Kalimba Edwards, Cory Redding, Jared DeVries, Bill Swancutt, Claude Harriott, Val Barnaby DT Shaun Rogers, Shaun Cody, Marcus Bell, Tyoka Jackson, Damian Gregory, Cleveland Pinckney, Lynn McGruder MLB Boss Bailey, Levar Woods, Matt Grootegoed OLB Ernie Sims (W), Ted Lehman (S) (inj), James Davis (W), Alex Lewis (W/S), Paris Lenon (S), Donte' Curry (S), Anthony Cannon (S), James Hargrave CB Dre' Bly, Fernando Bryant, Keith Smith, Stanley Wilson, Jamar Fletcher, Alton McCann, LaMarcus Hicks, Antonio Malone S Kenoy Kennedy (SS), Terrence Holt (FS), Daniel Bullocks (FS), Jon McGraw (FS), Idrees Bashir (FS), Vernon Fox, Harrison Smith, Marcus Demps

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre strained his right calf during evening practice on Tuesday, July 25th. The injury was never considered serious. HC Mike McCarthy downplayed it as well. “He just got banged in the back of his leg,” McCarthy said. “It was during the blitz drill. We’ll see him in the morning. We only have one practice tomorrow so I think we’re OK.” Favre made several nice plays during the week and second year quarterback Aaron Rodgers also has shown great improvement compared to last year. In a two-minute drill during the team’s recent scrimmage, Favre led the team on a 75-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 4-yard TD to Donald Driver. It was Favre and Driver who connected on a 48-yard pass just three plays earlier. Favre went 3-of-4 for 64 yards and connected with rookie Greg Jennings for a two-point conversion. Rodgers looked solid playing with the second team completing 6-of-8 for 27 yards, but he was also intercepted by Marviel Underwood during the two-minute drill.

RB: In Saturday’s scrimmage the Packers running game seemed to struggle a bit, but not according to Mike McCarthy. "Running the football is a commitment, running the football is a four-quarter journey," McCarthy said. "It's not very often you come out in this league ripping people with the run game," he added. “I didn't look at it like the run game struggled, and we had the run at the end there that [starting RB] Samkon [Gado] scored on…The biggest thing running the football is you don't want negative runs…I thought we got off to a solid start." Indeed, Samkon Gado scored from 10 yards out to cap one drive, but he was stuffed on 4th and 1 on another. Ahman Green remains a couple weeks from returning to the field while backup Najeh Davenport was sidelined again, this time with a calf injury. Noah Herron continues to play well in practice and in Saturday’s scrimmage.

WR: For Robert Ferguson, this year truly is a “make or break” year. "It's my sixth year. I think it's just time for me to go out and show what I'm capable of," Ferguson said last Tuesday. Entering camp, Ferguson is the starter at split end opposite Donald Driver. Wide receiver coach, Jimmy Robinson, says the receivers have been no better than average so far in camp, but after Driver, Ferguson is the one player who is making a move. Ferguson has never looked better since he added five more pounds to check in at 215 pounds. As long as Ferguson stays healthy (which has historically never been long), he holds solid potential as a late round fantasy pick. However, the more intelligent move might be to hold out for rookie Greg Jennings. The team’s second round pick has passed Marc Boerigter and Rod Gardner on the depth chart already. On Saturday night, he looked like a younger Donald Driver. Jennings even had Favre gushing to a reporter in an interview about his skills and impressive play. The longest play during the scrimmage Saturday was a 64-yard pass from fourth-string quarterback Brian Wrobel to rookie Cory Rodgers, who was caught from behind by Ahmad Carroll before reaching the end zone. With Jennings playing so well, the pressure is on Boerigter and Gardner just to make the roster. Of Boerigter, offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said, "He's been inconsistent to this point." Boerigter’s main problem has been dropped balls. If the team only keeps five receivers, he may

find himself sixth behind Driver, Ferguson, Jennings, Rodgers and Gardner.

TE: Bubba Franks missed several practice sessions this week due to what HC Mike McCarthy called “camp swelling.” The injury isn’t considered serious and he’s expected back at practice in a day or two.

Defense: A.J. Hawk didn’t make a big splash in the team’s scrimmage Saturday night, but nobody is concerned. Hawk said he’s just adjusting to the pro game, "It's something that's pretty new so it takes a little longer to get comfortable with it," Hawk said. "I'm learning every day. Watching the older guys. Just listening to my coaches." In Friday’s practice, corner Charles Woodson suffered a minor hip injury and left practice. In an earlier practice, Favre was nearly intercepted by Woodson when he overthrew William Henderson on a short pass. During 11-on-11 drills, Mike Hawkins dropped what would have been a nice interception over the middle on a bullet thrown by Favre. Overall, the defensive backs have struggled in the 1-on-1 drills with everyone sharing the limelight getting burned at least once. Nick Barnett was the lone linebacker in the Packers dime package that featured Aaron Kampman, Cullen Jenkins, Corey Williams and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the front four. The extra corners were Ahmad Carroll and Jason Horton. Rookie linebacker Abdul Hodge served as the linebacker in the second string dime defense.

Special Teams: The Packers ended last weekend’s scrimmage with each kicker attempting five field goals. Each missed twice, Billy Cundiff from 39 and 52 yards and Dave Rayner from 39 and 49 yards. Overall they’ve looked okay in practice, with Cundiff still holding a slight edge. But neither one has been especially Longwellesque, so the Packers are keeping their options open. Free agent kicker Paul Edinger was in for a workout last week, although was not signed. Quite a few different players have practiced on returns, including CB Ahmad Carroll, RB Najeh Davenport, RB Samkon Gado, WR Robert Ferguson, rookie WR Greg Jennings, rookie WR Cory Rodgers, and even WR Donald Driver. The one that is getting the most hype is CB Charles Woodson on punt returns. HC Mike McCarthy said, "If he's your lead punt returner, you expect him to be a weapon. He's a very talented football player and always has been. He's an exciting player when the ball's in his hands. So, that's the way we're going to get him the football." Special teams coordinator Mike Stock adds, "I think he can do it well. And, I think these 10 other guys (on the return team) will be happy about it, too, if that happens that way.” Woodson himself however thinks it will play out differently, “When the season comes [Greg] Jennings probably will be doing a lot of it. Don't put it out there like I'm making a decision on what's going to happen. But I just got a good feel for him just watching him. Jennings looks pretty comfortable doing it. He's square on the ball when it's coming down. He's got a good feel."

Packers Depth ChartQB Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Ingle Martin RB Ahman Green (inj), Najeh Davenport, Samkon Gado, Noah Herron (FB), Arliss Beach, Shermar Bracey

 FB William Henderson, Vonta Leach, A.J. Cooper (TE), Ben Brown WR Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson, Greg Jennings, Rod Gardner, Marc Boerigter, Cory Rogers, Will Blackmon (KR/PR) (inj), Chad Lucas, Leo Bookman, Vince Butler, Calvin Russell, Chris Francies TE Bubba Franks, David Martin, Donald Lee, Zac Alcorn, Tory Humphrey K Billy Cundiff, Dave Rayner DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Aaron Kampman, Mike Montgomery, Kenny Peterson, Corey Williams, Dave Tollefson, Jason Hunter, Montez Murphy DT Ryan Pickett (NT), Cullen Jenkins, Kenderick Allen, Colin Cole (NT), Johnny Jolly, Jerome Nichols MLB Nick Barnett, Abdul Hodge OLB A.J. Hawk (W), Ben Taylor (S/W), Roy Manning (S/M), Brady Poppinga (S), Tracy White (S), Kurt Campbell, Tim Goodwell, Kevin Schimmelmann CB Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Ahmad Carroll, Michael Hawkins, Jason Horton, Patrick Dendy, Jerron Wishom S Nick Collins (FS), Marquand Manuel (SS), Marviel Underwood (SS), Tyrone Culver (FS), Jeremy Thornburg, Tra Boger, Atari Bigby

Houston Texans

QB: One of the biggest differences under Gary Kubiak’s watch is that QB David Carr is being held accountable. He’s just one of the guys now as opposed to being treated differently by the previous regime for fear of breaking his confidence. Previously, Carr says he never knew where stood with Capers’ staff. That’s no longer the case with Kubiak. "The truth is nice," Carr said. "It doesn't feel good at first, because the first six days of OTAs, he was on me every time we got together for a team meeting. It kind of bites you. But at the same time, you know it's going to make you better." So far, Kubiak and offensive coordinator Troy Calhoun are happy with Carr’s progress picking up the system.

RB: Kubiak has made it perfectly clear to the team’s running backs; he wants a running back with quick feet, good vision and the ability to make one cut and go. "We preach a one-cut philosophy," Kubiak said. "We tell (our running backs) you get one cut and no more. That's it. We don't want to wiggle. We want to go downhill and try and make a play." How does this affect the Texans’ RBs? It means that second-year RB Vernand Morency must be more disciplined. With Domanick Davis out for most of the past week with a sore knee, the team split the reps amongst Morency, veteran Antowain Smith and rookie Wali Lundy. Davis sought a second opinion on his balky knee after experiencing some problems during the first week of camp. The Texans re-signed free agent fullback Nick Luchey on Thursday, after releasing him on July 23rd.

WR: Andre Johnson continues to make strides and looks as good as ever in camp. The addition of veteran Eric Moulds is helping everyone including Kevin Walter, who signed with the Texans after playing for the Bengals for three years. Walter is

having a great camp. Barring an injury or surprise, he should be the team’s No. 3 receiver behind Johnson and Moulds. Receivers coach Kyle Shanahan said Walter will have a prominent role in the Texans’ offense. “He's a consistent receiver who can make every catch," said Shanahan. "He's talented enough to separate and he can beat man coverage. He's also as tough as anyone."

TE: After three years or heartbreaking injuries, Texans tight end Benny Joppru is healthy and making plays in training camp. The former Michigan Wolverine has excellent hands, but he’s been on injured reserve essentially since he was drafted in the second round a few years back. On Saturday, Joppru made a finger tip grab prompting some kudos from his quarterback. Carr said, “Jopp’s going to be a good player. Talk about a guy with a chip on his shoulder.” If he stays healthy, you might be looking at the best tight end on the Texans roster. Keep that in mind as you watch the Texans preseason games. Ben Steele fractured his leg during Tuesday morning's practice last week and will miss the entire season.

Defense: Rookie DeMeco Ryans worked with the first team defense during most of Saturday’s practice. He seems to be emerging as the team’s starter at MLB ahead of veteran Sam Cowart. “I’m still working on it,” Ryans said. “It’s kind of difficult at times because there is a lot going on. Each day, I try to get better with one call here and there. By the end, I should have it all down. I don’t take it all in at one time because it’s just too much to memorize at a fast pace.” DT Travis Johnson reported to camp in better shape than a year ago. Of the lighter Johnson, Kubiak said Friday: "I was very impressed. Travis can be a dominant football player. He was in college and at times he was here. But it's about consistency and doing it all the time. We just told him we don't want to wait anymore." On Saturday, both starting corners Dunta Robinson (ankle) and Phillip Buchanon (hamstring) sat out of practice. Chris McKenzie hurt his shoulder and the team placed him on injured reserve along with LB Wali Rainer (broken ankle). CB DeMarcus Faggins broke his foot and will be out a minimum of 6-to-10 weeks. The Texans signed free agent cornerbacks Kevin Garrett and Earthwind Moreland last week to help offset the depth issues at corner.

Special Teams: Kicker Kris Brown discussed his preseason goals, "It's just a matter of getting my leg in shape, getting ready to endure a 16-game season. I'm getting the work in during camp to get myself prepared for the season, but at the same time I'm not doing too much so that my leg is not shocked before the season even starts." Special teams coordinator Joe Marciano discussed the teams’ goal for Brown for the regular season, "We want to get Kris in at least six times a game. It's been documented if the kicker gets on the field six times a game, you are going to win. If we're not using him, we're not scoring. The kicker is the leading scorer of every team." HC Gary Kubiak discussed the time frame for the return of WR/KR Jerome Mathis, “I don’t think you’re going to see Jerome any time soon. I think Jerome is going to be a decision from a PUP (physically unable to perform) standpoint, it could be about week five or week six before a decision is made about him as far as coming back this year. He has a ways to go.” The two leading candidates to return punts,

CBs Phillip Buchanon and Dunta Robinson, both missed time last week with minor injuries. WR Derrick Lewis, RB Wali Lundy, RB Chris Taylor, WR Kendrick Starling, and WR Jake Schifino have all been working on kickoff returns.

Texans Depth ChartQB David Carr, Sage Rosenfels, Cody Pickett RB Domanick Davis (inj), Antowain Smith, Vernand Morency, Wali Lundy, Chris Taylor, Damien Rhodes FB Jameel Cook, Quadtrine Hill, Nick Luchey WR Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds, Kevin Walter, Derick Armstrong, Jerome Mathis (PR/KR) (inj), Derrick Lewis, David Anderson, Nick Narcisse, Jake Schifino, Richie Ross TE Mark Bruener, Jeb Putzier, Benny Joppru, Owen Daniels, Patrick Hape, Scott Weaver, Ben Steele (IR) K Kris Brown DT Anthony Weaver, Robaire Smith, Seth Payne, Travis Johnson (inj), Alfred Malone DE Mario Williams, Jason Babin, Antwan Peek, Jeff Charleston, Phillip Alexander MLB DeMeco Ryans, Sam Cowart, DaShon Polk, Dave Moretti OLB Kailee Wong (inj), Morlon Greenwood, Shantee Orr,  Barrett Green, Charlie Anderson (inj), Kenneth Petway, Saleem Rasheed, Wali Rainer (IR) CB Dunta Robinson, Phillip Buchanon, DeMarcus Faggins (inj), Dexter McCleon, Lewis Sanders (FS), Kevin Garrett, Tramon Williams, John Walker, Earthwind Moreland, Chris McKenzie (IR) S Glenn Earl (SS), C.C. Brown (SS/FS), Jason Simmons (FS) (inj), Ramon Walker (SS), Michael Stone

Indianapolis Colts

QB: While Shaun King’s play on Saturday wasn’t Manning-esque, it was good enough to earn the play-of-the-day honors. With no time on the clock, King rolled to his right to avoid the pass rush and found former Purdue receiver Brian Hare in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard yard score. King is fighting for a roster spot and the chance to compete with Jim Sorgi for the backup job. "Every play (matters), especially if you're a free agent and trying to make the team,'' said the undrafted rookie Hare. “You know one bad day could make or break you. You've got to be on top of your game every day in practice.'' Hare described the play as "a normal jump-ball drill you do every day in practice.'' King agreed noting that practice ended perfectly. "We actually work on that in quarterback drills,'' he said. “Do a little scramble drill and (throw it) high in the back of the end zone. It's (the receiver's) ball or nobody's ball.”

RB: The battle for the starting job is one of the hottest in fantasy football this year. Dominic Rhodes entered camp with a slight advantage over rookie Joseph Addai given his experience with Tom Moore’s offensive system. “Dominic deserves it. He has the most experience. He has played, he is a 1,000-yard rusher and number two behind (former starting RB) Edgerrin (James) last year. That’s where it is and we’ll

see what happens," said HC Tony Dungy. Rhodes might want to count the days he’s able to hold onto the job. Team observers have said that Addai is clearly the more impressive of the two backs. His ability to catch the football helps tremendously as does his own experience in a complex offense (from his playing days at LSU). “The biggest thing about Joseph so far, I think everyone on the staff has talked about, is composure. We do a lot of things on offense and he’s run with the first group, been in with (starting QB) Peyton (Manning), had some plays changed at the last second, and none of that has flustered him. He did a good job in pass protection in the two drills that we had. He understands how to play the game. He has tremendous speed. He’s a little bit better in the hole than we thought. He’s made some people miss in the hole in his first three days, but more than anything, he doesn’t seem to get flustered and that’s going to help him," Dungy said. Count Peyton Manning among those impressed with Addai's hands. "I think that's one reason that (Colts' President) Bill (Polian) drafted him. He loved his running game, but he knows in this offense our backs are going to be called on to catch the ball on swing routes. I think Bill saw that he caught the ball well, or he wouldn't have taken him. His hands have been a nice bonus in his game." While Peyton likes Addai’s hands, it’s his blocking ability that ultimately will dictate how much playing time he earns. “Pass protection is critical for us and all of those guys know it. That’s one thing where Edgerrin was really underrated. I think he was a tremendous protector. So, they have big shoes to fill, but the positive is you want to be in the game and that’s the situation. You have to be able to protect and they know that," Dungy said. "Certainly we have high expectations. We are going to put a lot on those guys. We are not going to call different plays because Edgerrin James is not here. Edgerrin has spoiled us for a long time with some of the things he's been able to do. For us to be the kind of team we need to be, we have to be able to run the same plays and make the same checks and call multiple plays in the huddle and to have that flexibility. Dominic has been here for a number of years. He's getting more repetitions than he's ever had. With Joseph we don't have a lot of patience with rookies. We put a lot on these guys. That’s what the mini camps and summer schools are for. He has responded brilliantly up to this day as far as his real intent to learn the offense. There is a real difference between learning the offense and memorizing it. Some guys just memorize the scripts but that’s not really learning the offense. You learn it by understanding why we do things. Both of those guys are doing a good job of getting comfortable with what we are doing. We expect big things out of the running game this year."

Over the weekend, the team signed RB Tony Hollings.

WR: Besides Rhodes, Brandon Stokley is another veteran who could reprise a much larger role in the offense this year. Two years ago, the team used the three receiver set as its main formation and Stokley produced a career year. Last year, the team drifted back to more double tight end formations and Stokley’s role was greatly reduced. This year, it looks like Stokley is in luck as the team expects to use more three-receiver formations again. Manning is also aware of Stokley’s precipitous drop in the stat columns last year. "Brandon is a

great teammate. Brandon is the number three receiver in the slot. He is probably a number one or two on many other teams. We're lucky to have guys like (#1) Marvin (Harrison) and (#2) Reggie (Wayne) that make so many plays. Brandon is an unbelievably unselfish guy and at the same time, very competitive. He loves football and everything about it, with the blocking and the mental aspect. He understands how important that is. He is my roommate here in camp, so he is one of my buddies. Last year was probably a frustrating year because he came off this 10-touchdown, 70-catch season and had one touchdown last year. That's our fault. That's my fault and (OC) Tom Moore has made it a point to get him involved, because when he gets the ball in his hands, big things happen. That’s been a point of emphasis for us, to get the ball in Brandon's hands to hopefully make us more explosive."

The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Gerran Walker was waived by the Colts after signing as an undrafted free agent following the draft.

TE: Corey Roberts remains on the reserve/left squad list. The Colts originally placed a waiver claim on linebacker Dale Robinson, but later withdrew their request, before the paperwork was processed by the league when Roberts was forced to leave the team for personal reasons. The Colts were able to get a roster exemption for Roberts. They will retain his rights through the 2006 season.

Defense: The Colts already had the lightest pair of bookends in the NFL with Robert Mathis (240 lbs.) and Dwight Freeney (268 lbs.). Now, DT Corey Simon lost 25 pounds and wants to shed another 10 to 15 before the season is underway. When Simon was acquired before last year, he was grossly out of shape. "He's had the whole offseason and a season behind him to know what we're doing, to play with our guys and to get himself ready to run the way we run,'' Dungy said. "I think he's going to have a lights-out year.'' DT Montae Reagor will miss two weeks with a sprained ligament in his knee. “He’s got a sprained ligament in there. It’s going to be awhile, it’s going to be at least two weeks,” Dungy said. “He’ll miss this first preseason game for sure, but it’s not anything that should jeopardize the beginning of the season.” In the secondary, there is a battle brewing at corner where Marlin Jackson splitting reps with incumbent Jason David. Definitely not shy, Jackson was asked if he can overtake Jason David for the starting spot. "In my mind, yeah, it can happen," Jackson said. Dungy commented, "Marlin's doing fine. He obviously knows a lot more about our defense this year. That's going to help him." Jackson then went on… “I'll just say I want to be on the field. I'm champing at the bit to be on the field so much more." With the dearth of injuries at safety, Jackson may end up moving back and forth in practice between safety and corner. Rookies Antoine Bethea and Antwan Marsh were held out of practice last Wednesday after "getting banged in the knees,'' according to Dungy, while starting S Bob Sanders (shoulder) and S Mike Doss (calf) were already held out of practice. On Jackson moving from cornerback to safety, "That's something we'll talk about,'' Dungy said, adding, "we're hesitant to move him if we can help it.'' Over the weekend, the Colts signed former Texans safety Jammal Lord. They also placed S

Antwan Marsh and TE Corey Roberts on the reserve-left squad list.

Special Teams: Kicker Adam Vinatieri has quickly acclimated according to HC Tony Dungy, “He has been tremendous in terms of getting to know the routine, the system, the players and working himself in. We expect him to make big kicks and I think that’s why he came.” Vinatieri ended last week’s scrimmage with a 37-yard “game-winning” field goal. There have been minor rumors that kicker Shane Andrus could make the final roster to handle kickoffs, however special teams coach Russ Purnell alludes otherwise, “Adam’s a very capable kickoff guy. If Adam had a tired leg or was injured, Shane has proven that he can kick off… He’s a good kicker and a hard-working kid.” Vinatieri is also planning on kicking off, "Absolutely. I'd be disappointed if I wasn't the kickoff guy. I'm only 33, not 43.'' Veteran WR Terrence Wilkins is hoping to land the return specialist role, “I’m glad that they’ve given me this chance to come back here. Mr. Polian called me… and said that they’d like to bring me in to return kicks. The offense is pretty much the same as when I was here before, but they’ve added several wrinkles to it since then. That’s what I’m trying to learn and pick up on now.” His primary competition, rookie CB T.J. Rushing, has missed time with a groin strain. Rookie WRs Jamie Goodwin and Gerran Walker were dark horse candidates, but both have been waived. Competition that still remains is WR Dan Sheldon, WR Ashlan Davis, and CB Tanard Davis.

Colts Depth ChartQB Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi, Shaun King, Josh Betts, David Koral RB Dominic Rhodes, Joseph Addai, Kory Chapman, Vashon Pearson, Tony Hollings FB James Mungro WR Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Aaron Moorehead, Terrence Wilkins (KR), Ed Hinkel, Brian Hare, Jamie Goodwin TE Dallas Clark, Bryan Fletcher, Ben Utecht, Ben Hartsock, Joey Hawkins, Corey Roberts (res) K Adam Vinatieri DT Corey Simon, Montae Reagor, Vincent Burns, Darrell Reid, Tom Johnson DE Dwight Freeney, Raheem Brock (DT), Robert Mathis, Josh Thomas, Jonathan Welsh, Javor Mills, Marcus West MLB Gary Brackett (W/M), Rob Morris OLB Cato June (W), Gilbert Gardner (S/W), Freddie Keiaho, Keith O'Neil, Deryck Toles (W), Tyjuan Hagler (W), Brandon Hoyte, Kyle Killion, Kendyll Pope (susp) CB Nick Harper, Jason David, Marlin Jackson (CB/FS), Kelvin Hayden, Tim Jennings, Von Hutchin, T.J. Rushing S Bob Sanders (FS), Mike Doss (SS), Matt Giordano (FS), Dexter Reid, Antoine Bethea (FS), Daryl Dixon (FS), Tanard Davis, Jammal Lord

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich enters this year still searching for that elusive breakout season. It looked like he was well on his way a couple times in the past two years only to be sidetracked by injuries. This year, despite the retirement of Jimmy Smith, there is growing optimism on the Jaguars that this is his year. In Friday’s scrimmage, Leftwich completed 6-of-11 for 36 yards but he was intercepted on a perfectly thrown ball on a slant pass to Ernest Wilford, who promptly bobbled the ball before it was picked off by David Richardson. Backup David Garrard went 3-of-5 for 14 yards in the scrimmage.

RB: Maurice Drew shined in the Jaguars first scrimmage last Friday night. The second-round draft pick and former Bruin broke a 31-yard run, then followed it up with a 3-yard touchdown run a couple of plays later. "He showed some of that explosive quality that he has," coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's got that ability to get out in the open field and then really get going. You got a little taste of that." Drew finished with 39 yards on four carries to lead the team. When asked about the run, he was more upset that he was tackled. "I should have scored," he said. "I’ve got to work on my speed, I guess." Fred Taylor started the game despite a strained hamstring. He ran for 9 yards on three carries. Greg Jones ran four times for 19 yards, and LaBrandon Toefield ran five times for 18 yards. Running back Alvin Pearman fumbled – something that plagued him last year as a rookie. Both Jones and Toefield are having strong camps, but one has to wonder, will all of these backs make the team? Will the Jaguars decide to deal one of them to a team searching for RB depth? Toefield, Taylor’s backup three years ago, is running well in camp now that he’s finally healthy, while Jones is reportedly back in “collegiate form.” JDR is pleased, too. "I think his feet are as alive and active as they have been since he's been here. He was outstanding last night. He made some terrific cuts. He ran with power and determination." he said. Del Rio agreed when asked if he’s regained the form he lost after a serious knee injury during his junior year at Florida State. “I think that's fair,” said Del Rio. Still, the player to keep an eye on is Drew.

WR: Matt Jones missed much of the week's practices with a moderate ankle sprain. The team put him in a walking boot as a precaution and he wasn’t on the field during Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage. Fred Stamps was a bright spot on Friday night catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Gray. Reggie Williams was the only other receiver with a catch longer than 10 yards in the scrimmage. The team hopes Williams and Jones will emerge as consistent playmakers this year. Ernest Wilford played brilliantly down the stretch last year and caught 7 touchdowns. He’s competing with Williams for a starting job opposite Jones, widely considered the team’s new No. 1 receiver with Smith’s retirement. Asked if he’s feeling any pressure, Wilford calmly responded, “There's no pressure - it's a challenge… I love challenges. So I'm just trying to go out there and work as hard as I can to be the best player I can be. We all have to step our game up. From the starters to the backups, we all have to take our game to another level and I think that's what we are doing in this training camp. Everybody is coming in executing the offense and finishing the plays." 

TE: The Jaguars love what they’re seeing out of rookie Marcedes Lewis. Not only does he give Leftwich another king-sized target, but he has incredibly soft hands, too. Lewis is taking it in stride. When asked about his first NFL training camp, Lewis said, “It's been real good… You know it's been good when the week flies by. I didn't even know that today was Thursday. Everyone is out there working hard and looking forward to the season. We are adults. Jack always says that he is going to treat us like adults and it's on us to be ready. Everyone respects things and handles things as they come."

Defense: The Jaguars were thought to be clamoring for a high-profile free agent to bolster their LB corps, especially as Akin Ayodele left via free agency, but the team opted to stay out of the free agent frenzy and waited until the third round before selecting Clint Ingram. Entering camp, Pat Thomas is penciled in as the starter at WLB. His primary competition comes from Nick Greisen, but Jorge Cordova, rookie Brent Hawkins and Ingram are all in the hunt. Even Brian Iwuh is competing for a spot. Iwuh has been a hit, no pun intended, at camp. He has impressed the coaching staff amidst the tough competition. “Nobody, but nobody, has been more impressive. He's competing for more than a roster spot. He's flashed enough to make that statement. The competition is intense. He's a good run-and-hit guy. He has explosiveness in his play. He reminds me a little of Takeo Spikes.” said LBs coach Mark Duffner, who also coached Spikes in Cincinnati.

Special Teams: Kicker Josh Scobee showed his strong leg during last weekend’s scrimmage, connecting on field goals of 47 and 50 yards into the wind. HC Jack Del Rio reiterated that Scobee is definitely their kicker, unless of course he screws up, “We know he's our kicker. What he's got to do is continue to play well and kick well. He's got a great leg and great mechanics. That's the one position on this team that doesn't have direct competition. However, there's still a level of performance, a standard, he has to stay at, or we would have guys in here quick." RB Maurice Drew was a little rusty early in camp, dropping several punts, but he’s progressing well. Special teams coordinator Pete Rodriguez assessed his status, "He's got explosive speed and he's strong. He's not the kind of guy that's going down with an arm tackle. He's still inconsistent with mechanics and fundamentals; he's a typical rookie." Drew himself also feels he’s adjusting, ““Returning punts on special teams is all about being comfortable. When you are comfortable you can do a lot of things. Right now I am trying to work at it and have fun.” Don’t dismiss WR Chad Owens, last year’s return specialist hopeful. HC Jack Del Rio commented, "He's having another solid camp. I think he learned from his experiences last year. We all do. He's no different than anybody else. He's more comfortable this year. He's working hard, and he's doing a nice job."

Jaguars Depth ChartQB Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Quinn Gray RB Fred Taylor (inj), Maurice Drew (KR), Alvin Pearman (3RB/PR), LaBrandon Toefield (SD), Rich Alexis FB Greg Jones (SD), Derrick Wimbush (KR) WR Matt Jones, Ernest Wilford, Reggie Williams, Cortez Hankton, Randy Hymes, Troy Edwards, Felton Huggins, Kyle Brown

 TE Kyle Brady, Marcedes Lewis, George Wrighster, Brian Jones, Todd Yoder K Josh Scobee DE Reggie Hayward, Paul Spicer, Bobby McCray, Marcellus Wiley, Brent Hawkins, James Wyche DT Marcus Stroud, John Henderson, Anthony Maddox, Martin Chase MLB Mike Peterson, Nick Greisen (W), Tony Gilbert OLB Daryl Smith (S/W), Pat Thomas (W), Jorge Cordova (W/S), Clint Engram, Brian Iwuh CB Rashean Mathis, Brian Williams, Terry Cousin, David Richardson, Scott Starks, Demetrice Webb, Trestin George S Donovan Darius (SS) (inj), Deon Grant (FS), Gerald Sensabaugh (SS), Chris Roberson (FS/CB), Nick Sorenson (FS) (inj)

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Everyone knows Trent Green will start, but this year he’ll have a new backup because Todd Collins left via free agency. One of those players competing for that spot is former Canadian Football League QB Casey Printers. In 7-on-7 drills against the Minnesota Vikings, his first taste of NFL action, Printers did an admirable job reading the defense and checking off his receivers. The Vikings were blitzing, though not at full speed, but Printers still made the read and got it to the hot receiver. There were times when he wasn’t as sharp, but in his first real exposure to live action, the team was pleased with his performance. Coming out of Canada, Printers reputation is that of a quarterback who runs first and passes second. “I only escape the pocket when I have to, contrary to what people say,” said Printers. “It’s a matter of getting a feel for it. Defenses won’t just allow you to run. But I’m out here learning.” The Chiefs are content with Printers at this point knowing he’s mobile in the pocket and he has a rifle for an arm. “I had a lot of fun out there,” said Printers. “It was my first crack at it. Obviously, I have a lot of things to work on… It’s about making plays when I get opportunities... I’m going to get better. The game is coming to me and I’m not trying to force the ball down the field.”

RB: Priest Holmes was placed on the PUP list and the Chiefs acquired former Vikings RB Michael Bennett last week to strengthen their backfield and give them a “proven” veteran behind starter Larry Johnson. Kansas City’s GM Carl Peterson tried to downplay Holmes going on the PUP list saying, “This is not an indication that Priest is not coming back… He's comfortable with that and we're comfortable with that." Peterson then continued, "We'll continue to monitor his physical well being. I've had conversations with him and he's right now where he is. But the doctors have still not given him a release to have contact." On last Thursday, Bennett went through his first practice and said he’s happy to be with the Chiefs – even in a secondary role to Johnson. "My thing is I'm going to come in here and do the best that I can and if that's going to be my role then I'll have to take it," said Bennett,

adding that he still runs a 4.2 or 4.25 40-yard dash time. “I've been in this game going on six years and I've had a lot of success. So my thing is just to basically come in here and learn the offense. I've got to learn a whole new offense, so it's kind of like being a rookie again. I'll just put everything together and get out on the field.” Bennett said it’ll take a few days to come up to speed. “It normally takes three to five days to kind of get the base stuff down,” he said. “That's why you have the OTAs and mini-camps, to just prepare you for training camp. Right now it's the early stages and the first day of officially being on the Chiefs and again, I'm just very happy to be here and looking forward to the opportunity."

WR: Many felt the Chiefs needed to upgrade their receiving corps during the offseason, but they return essentially unchanged from a year ago with starters Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker and Dante Hall working out of the slot. “I'm not worried about it, Eddie's not worried about it, and Dante's not worried about it,” Parker said when asked about the threesome. "We know what we have here, and we know we'll get the job done." Of course, Kennison has made it clear he’s not thrilled about his current contract and that he would like the Chiefs to give him an extension or re-work his contract to reflect his stature as the No. 1 receiver. It doesn’t help that he’s 33 years old, but coming off a career year. “Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter,” said Kennison. "There's no person walking the face of this earth who's going to tell me that just because I'm 33 years old, I'm too old to play this game. That's what they say. I've heard it a lot. Eddie Kennison will prove them wrong. I'm in great shape. I've worked hard. I'm ready to have another big season." The player who is making an excellent value play at the moment is Parker, who had 36 catches for 533 yards and three scores in 2005. Entering his third season, Parker thinks it’s his time to blossom. "I missed four games last year, and the year before that I missed maybe eight, but I put up good numbers when I played, and there's no telling what I could have done in those games that I didn't play," said Parker. "I'm just looking forward to staying healthy and having a big season." Here’s some sage advice: consider Parker around rounds 13 to 15 in your league draft. Add him for depth knowing he has some upside and he still hasn’t shown his full potential.

TE: Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez was allowed to leave camp over the weekend to attend the Hall of Fame induction of former teammate and close friend Warren Moon, who played with the Chiefs in 1999-2000. "I give Warren a lot of credit for my success in this league because he really showed me how to relax and have fun," Gonzalez said. "My first two years in the league, I was really trying too hard, trying to have everything perfect. I was so serious about everything. When Warren got here, he showed me you could play the game, work hard and still have some fun. I remember during that first season he was here; we went out to Las Vegas for a short trip on a Monday after a game. He was probably the oldest guy in the league at the time and I was probably the youngest. We went out there and everybody knew him and they were calling out to him. Then, we were back at Arrowhead for practice Wednesday morning and he got right back to work. It really showed me that I needed to relax a little bit and have

some fun." Gonzalez enters camp in the last year of his contract, but he doesn’t appear to be worried about it. "I'd be lying to you telling you I didn't think about it, but I'm not worried about it like a negative thing, not by any means," said Gonzalez. "My cap number is really high and it would kind of hurt the team for me to play under that cap number this year."

Defense: Defensive tackle Lional Dalton had to leave practice last Wednesday with a sprained knee. HC Herm Edwards described his injury as a slight hamstring pull and Dalton did not play against the Vikings. One veteran who looks to be in excellent shape is newly signed CB Ty Law. He is in better shape than a year ago, weighing in at 204 pounds. Playing corner in Edwards’ cover-2 scheme, Law may be the perfect fit and just what the Chiefs have been needed for far too many years now – a cover corner that also brings something to the table in run support. The Chiefs could have a new pair of safeties in the starting lineup when the season rolls around, too. Rookies Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page have been impressive. Sammy Knight and Greg Wesley have their work cut out for them if they want to remain in the lineup. Edwards and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham like Knight’s experience, but are concerned by his lack of foot speed, especially when receivers are able to get behind him. Knight’s never been a speed merchant, but even the Chiefs LBs can out run him. Wesley doesn’t seem to be the hitter he once was either. That gives the rookies an opportunity to earn significant roles immediately. Pollard and Page can run and they love to hit. Edwards recently spoke about Page. “A lot of people questioned why we should take another safety,” Edwards said. “He’s a good football player. He’s a very gifted guy. If you watch him in practice, he always makes plays on the ball. We’ve got him in nickel, we’ve got him in dime, he’s playing safety. So he’s at a lot of positions, and he’s going to play a lot of football for us.”

Special Teams: New special teams coach Mike Priefer likes what he sees in kicker Lawrence Tynes, “He's ready to take that next step. He's got a great mentality. He's hard on himself, which is a good trait to have. But he also knows when it's time to just learn from it and move on. He has very few technique flaws for a young kicker." Tynes appears less stressed this year, and the change in head coaches is a factor, "Edwards isn't in my ear chiming in if I make one or if I miss one. He leaves me alone. He doesn't get involved with it. He talks to you, and he's never negative. Coach Vermeil was never negative with me, but obviously with the media he was. That's Edwards' prerogative to say something to you guys if I miss one, but I don't think he'll throw me under the bus." Herm Edwards discussed his thoughts and approach with kickers, “He [Vermeil] fired more kickers and punters than anyone. So I leave them alone. At the end of the day, I like to pat them on the back. I understand their dilemma. They've got the hardest deal of anyone on this team. They get one play to get it right, and what they're trying to do isn't easy." Punter Dustin Colquitt will again handle holding on kicks for Tynes this year. WR/KR/PR Dante hall discussed his role for the upcoming year, "I will say this – two years ago when Johnnie Morton went down and Eddie (Kennison) went down, I had to start and it about wore me out," Hall said. "To return a kick 35 yards and have to go right in the huddle and do three or four

plays at a hot tempo.... I'm really comfortable with my role now. Not too many return guys play 30 to 40 percent on the offense and go right in and rotate with the starters. So I love it."

Chiefs Depth ChartQB Trent Green, Damon Huard, Brody Croyle, Casey Printers RB Larry Johnson, Michael Bennett, Dee Brown, McKenzi Smith, Quentin Griffin, De'Arrius Howard, Derrick Ross, Priest Holmes (inj) FB Ronnie Cruz, Travis Wilson, J.R. Niklos WR Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker, Dante Hall (KR/PR), Craphonso Thorpe, Jeris McIntyre, Jeff Webb, Nate Curry, Chris Hannon, Terrance Metcalf, Scott McCready TE Tony Gonzalez, Kris Wilson (HB), Jason Dunn, Aaron Golliday, Bob Docherty K Lawrence Tynes DE Jared Allen, Eric Hicks (inj), Tamba Hali, Carlos Hall, Jimmy Wilkerson (DT) DT Ryan Sims (NT), Lional Dalton, Ron Edwards, Junior Siavii, John Browning (inj), James Reed, Alex Guerrero, Shane Burton, Steve Williams MLB Kawika Mitchell, Rich Scanlon, Boomer Grigsby OLB Derrick Johnson (R), Kendrell Bell (L), Keyaron Fox (S/W), Kris Griffin, Nick Reid, William Kershaw, Brandon Guillory CB Patrick Surtain, Ty Law, Lenny Walls, Benny Sapp, Chris Johnson, Julian Battle (inj), Alphonso Hodge, Marcus Maxey, Justin Perkins, Jerald Brown S Sammy Knight (SS), Greg Wesley (FS), Bernard Pollard (SS), Jarrad Page (FS), Gabriel Helms

Miami Dolphins

QB: Let’s look at the Dolphins quarterback play during the last week of training camp. On Day 4 of camp, Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington and Cleo Lemon were boosted by the play of their receiving corps. Kelly Campbell hauled in two long touchdowns to help their cause. During 11-on-11 drills, Culpepper lost the football on his first attempt then followed that by a botched flea-flicker and miscommunication with No. 1 receiver Chris Chambers on his pass route. Harrington was intercepted by safety Yeremiah Bell on a terrible pass as he threw the ball into coverage during a red zone drill. Chambers bailed out Culpepper on another play as he wrestled the ball away from corner Michael Lehan while crossing the goal line following a long throw. On Day 5, Culpepper looked much better in the morning, even though backup TE Justin Peelle dropped what would have been a long touchdown. Marty Booker dropped one during the evening practice. Culpepper also had a pass batted down by DL Vonnie Holliday. Lemon was intercepted by corner Eddie Jackson while 4th string QB Brock Berlin connected with Cliff Russell for a 25-yard touchdown. During 2-minute drills, Harrington hit Marcus Vick, who made a diving catch over the middle, to keep that drive alive. Culpepper even made a block on Holliday when the team ran a reverse to Chambers showing that he’s confident running on his surgically repaired knee.

On Day Six, Culpepper caused a stir when he scrambled for a touchdown; despite the fact, the defense knew better than to hit him once he left the pocket. They pulled back as Culpepper motored past them into the end zone. Harrington avoided a sack by Yeremiah Bell, but still couldn’t make a play as he fell on his backside. He got some work with the first team in 11-on-11 drills hitting Marcus Vick for two completions in a row before having a pass batted then intercepted by Channing Crowder. Lemon completed a nice 20-yard pass down the sidelines to Jamall Broussard, who made a leaping grab. During Day Seven, Culpepper worked with some reserve receivers. He was intercepted by Eddie Jackson in the morning, but later he completed a nice pass to TE Randy McMichael and he was sacked by Yeremiah Bell to kill a drive during a two-minute drill. He bounced back quickly throwing a ball to rookie Derek Hagan in a tight spot for a 20-yard gain. In the same practice, Lemon completed a nice pass to Jason Willis, while Harrington’s struggles continued as he missed open receivers and seemed rush in his delivery. Harrington completed a 40-yard touchdown during 11-on-11 work, but even that was under thrown and Willis had to come back for the ball to snatch it away from Jackson who had his mind on scoring six the other way. On Day 8, Culpepper and Harrington did some scrambling and both had problems overthrowing their intended targets on occasion. Culpepper overthrew McMichael in the end zone on one play, while Harrington flew the coop trying to hit RB Sammy Morris but missing by three feet. Brock Berlin made an impressive string of touchdowns during red zone work including an over-the-shoulder lob to TE Teyo Johnson.

RB: No news is good news. Ronnie Brown is working hard and taking advantage of his opportunity to be the Dolphins featured back in his second season as a pro, but the rumor mill has the Titans’ Chris Brown interested in playing for the Fish. More succinctly, Brown’s agent is the one stirring up commotion. Agent Ryan Morgan has let it be known that the Dolphins are among the list of teams that Brown wouldn’t mind going to if a trade does happen. Back in camp, on Day Six, the play of the day came on a gadget play when Culpepper handed off to Sammy Morris, who pitched it back to Culpepper, who threw a deep ball to Marty Booker. It wasn’t exactly smooth, but the result is what mattered – a 35-yard touchdown as Booker jumped over defensive backs Deke Cooper and Eddie Jackson for the score.

WR: Marty Booker hopes to take advantage of the added attention defenses are bound to give Chris Chambers this season. "That's the price you pay for being a good receiver. You start to get double-teamed," Booker said of Chambers. The Dolphins No. 1 receiver was limited during this past week in practice following a mild hamstring injury. He worked on the sidelines with a trainer for a day and then returned to practice on Saturday sporting a red, no-contact jersey. Marcus Vick made the best catch in Thursday’s practice as he dove to snare a Harrington pass over the middle for a 15-yard gain. Vick has been extremely impressive with his route running considering he played quarterback his entire collegiate career. On Friday, Wes Welker contributed a diving catch between two defenders for a 50-yard gain. On Saturday, rookie WR

Devin Aromashodu executed a one-man tip drill to make a touchdown grab over Eddie Jackson.

TE: In Thursday’s morning practice, Justin Peelle let the ball slip through his hands in the end zone on a long pass from Joey Harrington. The backup tight ends haven’t been overly impressive during camp as far as catching the football. Keith Heinrich had a drop during seven-on-seven drills.

Defense: On Monday, the Dolphins finally came to terms on a six-year contract with safety Jason Allen, their first round draft choice. Second year DE Matt Roth is getting comfortable in his second training camp. “You come in there and you got these studs that have been proven; they've been in tons of Pro Bowls [six] and have Super Bowl rings [five]," said Roth. "It's definitely hard at first to get along and try to break their group and earn their trust and confidence…But after a while you just become one of the guys and learn from them." Meanwhile, fellow DE Jason Taylor missed his fifth consecutive day of practice on Saturday. Taylor has a back injury, the severity of which remains unclear. LB Zack Thomas says he is fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. "At first I wanted to know how it felt to get hit," said Thomas, who was limited in the team’s minicamp. "When you take FB Fred Beasley on with your shoulder, you know you're ready to go." Thomas added seven pounds of muscle during the offseason and he reported to camp weighing 229 lbs.

Second year DT Manuel Wright has shed his image as being soft after losing weight. Clearly, he’s feeling more part of the team this time around. He’s working behind Keith Traylor hoping to earn more snaps this year. "They treat me with a lot of respect, they all call me by my little nickname," Wright said. "It's like ... not lovey-dovey, but it's like, you can tell I'm part of the family now." In Friday’s morning practice Will Poole was tooling around in a gold cart with his leg still in a brace as he recovers from a torn ACL that sidelined him all of last year. Fellow second-year corner Travis Daniels sprained his ankle last Wednesday. He was listed as day-to-day after missing several days of practice. Saban said,” He may be a few days, but it's still day to day. We'll get the swelling out and we'll see."

Special Teams: Kicker Olindo Mare has been connecting on quite a few long field goals in practice, including a 64-yarder the other day. Practice also includes a drill of kicking without the ball. Kicker Ola Kimrin noted, "I do it for timing and to work on my leg swing. But, yeah, it probably looks pretty dumb." HC Nick Saban has eased up on his practice requirements for the kickers, "I would make them run routes on the scout team and all that, but all they did was miss field goals and lose games and punt bad. Finally I said these are guys who have a special job to do that's a little different, and the mind-set they need is a little different." Return specialist WR Wes Welker will need to stay on top of his game during camp. He’s part of a crowded WR group, and surprisingly is not necessarily a lock to make the final roster. That’s even truer for QB/WR Marcus Vick, who’ll need to impress during camp at wide receiver and on kickoff and punt returns in order to stick around.

Dolphins Depth ChartQB Daunte Culpepper (inj), Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon RB Ronnie Brown, Sammy Morris, Travis Minor, Kay Jay Harris, Gerald Riggs Jr., Ricky Williams (susp) FB Fred Beasley, Darian Barnes WR Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, Wesley Welker (KR/PR), Derek Hagan, Devin Aromashodu, Kelly Campbell, Marcus Vick (QB), Kendall Newson, Fred Gibson, Jamal Broussard (KR), Eric Kimble, Frank Murphy (KR) TE Randy McMichael, Justin Peelle, Keith Heinrich K Olindo Mare DE Jason Taylor (OLB) (inj), Kevin Carter (DT), Matt Roth, David Bowens, Ben Ishola DT Keith Traylor (NT), Vonnie Holiday, Jeff Zgonina, Manuel Wright (NT), Fred Evans, Josh Shaw, Kevin Vickerson, Steve Fifita, Rodrique Wright (inj) MLB Zack Thomas, Lester Towns OLB Channing Crowder (W/M), Donnie Spragan (S), Sedrick Hodge (S), Derrick Pope (W), Keith Newman, Sam McGrew, Trent Bray, Travis Harris CB Travis Daniels, Will Allen, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman, Eddie Jackson, Shirdonya Mitchell S Travares Tillman (SS), Deke Cooper, Jason Allen (FS), Yeremiah Bell (SS), Norman LeJeune, Michael Lehan

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Mike McMahon is projected to be the Vikings backup quarterback behind starter Brad Johnson, but he understands that nothing will be given to him in training camp. He faces competition from J.T. O’Sullivan. “One of the tough things about being a backup," said McMahon when asked about O’Sullivan "is when you do get in there, a lot of times it's not the way you had hoped it would be. We had a lot of injuries in Philadelphia. And we had a lot of stuff happening off the field with Terrell Owens that hurt. But you still have to perform. So, yeah, I look at J.T. as competition. There's a good chance they aren't going to keep four quarterbacks, so I could be going home if I don't perform." Neither player has looked especially sharp in practices, but HC Brad Childress isn’t worried yet. "Backups are backups, and they are fighting to be starters," he said. "They are trying to get their best foot forward. They are going to get a chance to get on the field in the preseason, but I don't have a concern because I think it will all sort itself out." Rookie Tarvaris Jackson is all but assured of the No. 3 job, which leaves McMahon and O’Sullivan to vie for the backup job with the loser likely to be cut. In one practice, the Vikings dedicated much of their session to red zone offense and defense. They started at the 5-yard line with the No. 1 offense going against the No. 2 defense for three plays. Then they swapped as the No. 2 offense worked against the No. 1 defense. The No. 1 offense scored one touchdown in three plays, a five-yard pass from QB Brad Johnson to TE Jim Kleinsasser. The starting defense didn’t allow a score, as CB Antoine Winfield made an excellent tackle to stop the final attempt.

RB: Brad Childress removed all doubt as to who the team’s starting running back is confirming that Chester Taylor is their featured back. Mewelde Moore will be the primary backup, at least right now. “(Moore is) the second running back," Childress said. "He has to be able to run it between the tackles, and you know that he has skills to be a pass receiver. You can extend him and move him out of the backfield, but he's a backup right now. Right now Chester Taylor is the starter." Taylor injured his left leg in Friday’s practice forcing him to sit out both practices on Saturday. Taylor dubbed it "a little strain" in the groin area. He said he’d return to practice when the trainers gave him clearance. "It's up to the trainers. Whenever they say I'm ready to come back, I'll come back." Taylor removed doubts about his conditioning by showing up to camp in good shape. Before the injury setback, Taylor was seen running all over the place in practices, taking handoff after handoff and hauling in plenty of passes. If Taylor can stay healthy, he could blossom behind the Vikings much improved offensive line. Meanwhile, Mewelde Moore should have a decent role in the Vikings offense, even as a backup. He’s at his best on third downs but hasn't proven durable enough to be considered as an every-down back. With Taylor sidelined, Moore and Ciatrick Fason got plenty of work on Saturday. Fason had one of the niftiest moves of camp, juking corner Fred Smoot by faking to his left and darting right. Fason gained an extra seven yards on the play. Smoot gave some kudos to Fason on the move – then returned the favor a few plays later, nailing Fason on an outside run.

The team is ecstatic with the addition of fullback Tony Richardson during the offseason. Newly elected Hall of Fame quarterback, and former Viking, Warren Moon said during a conference call, "He was one of those great leadership, great locker-room guys… One of the hardest workers on the team, he has really made himself into an all-pro player over the last three or four years." Brad Johnson agreed, praising Richardson for his work in camp. "That has probably been one of the most important moves that we made in this offseason," Johnson said, "especially in this system… He's going to get the job done and be a force for us. He's a great pickup."

WR: So far, Troy Williamson has been practicing alongside Koren Robinson with the team's starting unit. During 7-on-7 drills, Brad Johnson said Williamson did a nice job catching passes over the middle as well as making some nice grabs along the sideline. "I thought Troy Williamson did a good job of catching the football," added HC Brad Childress. "He had a couple of tries inside that I thought were in traffic. I was pleased to see that." Williamson admitted the team's coaching staff recently uncovered a problem with his hand-eye coordination. "Everything is with my eyes, pretty much," Williamson said. "I know that if I can get my eyes on the ball, I can just let my hands do the work. It will all work out.” Travis Taylor is working in the slot as the team’s No. 3 receiver. Offensive coordinator Darell Bevell recently praised Taylor’s work. "He is a savvy receiver and has a great feel of how to use his abilities to get open," said Bevell. "This is a great offense for me," Taylor said, "There is a lot of stuff across the middle, a lot of driver routes, a lot of crossing routes. It's going to be tough for a lot of teams to play [man-to-man] defense against us." Elsewhere, Kevin Kasper was

knocked out of Saturday’s practice with a bloody nose and the team released Dez White just a week after signing him.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins is a happy camper playing in Brad Childress’ version of the West Coast offense. "This is definitely TE-friendly," said Wiggins. "I'm going to have the opportunity to make plays, and I'm going to have an opportunity to do a lot of good things." Last year, the tight ends had a well-defined role with Wiggins catching passes and Jimmy Kleinsasser primarily blocking. That is expected to change this year in the new scheme. New offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell expects both of the TEs to contribute in multiple ways. What does that mean? Kleinsasser could catch more passes while Wiggins might be asked to block a bit more. So, temper Wiggins’ enthusiasm and don’t overpay for him on draft day. He’ll see the ball, but probably not as much as he was targeted in that past few seasons under Mike Tice.

Defense: On Saturday, safety SS Tank Williams was carted off the field with an injury to his left knee. It occurred while backpedaling during 7-on-7 drills without any contact. He has been diagnosed with a fractured knee and is lost for the season. Dwight Smith was signed just before camp after being released by the Saints. He was to compete with Williams during camp for the starting position, but now will be counted on. DT Pat Williams started camp on the PUP list after reporting to camp overweight and not passing the players’ conditioning test. HC Brad Childress had a chat with him on Friday to set clear expectations for the veteran. "I think he understands where I'm coming from," Childress said. "And I understand where he's coming from. So he's got his nose to the grindstone." DT Manase Hopoi missed Tuesday's practice (Aug 1st) and had an MRI on his foot after experiencing swelling. LB Napoleon Harris is hopeful that a move back to MLB will rejuvenate him this year. "He's real focused, has a lot of confidence," CB Antoine Winfield said. "He's our leader at the middle linebacker. We're expecting big things out of him this year." Rookie corner Charles Gordon underwent surgery on Monday after suffering cartilage damage in his left knee. He’ll miss the rest of the preseason and the Vikings signed former Titans corner Tony Beckham on Saturday. First round pick LB Chad Greenway left the field with a team doctor on Saturday. He was shaken up and evaluated for a possible concussion. Greenway later said the trainers were "just being cautious" but weren't sure whether he had suffered a concussion.

Special Teams: Kicker Ryan Longwell has consistently done well during practice on kickoffs, an area in which the Vikings struggled in recent years. Special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro indicated that punter Chris Kluwe is progressing as the holder on kicks, “He’s doing well. There are some little technical things here and there in terms of getting the ball exactly where Ryan [Longwell] wants it and the lean of the ball and that kind of thing. But for somebody that hasn’t done it before, I think he’s doing a really nice job at this point.” Ferraro also discussed the punt returner situation, "Mewelde [Moore], as of right now today, is our punt returner. He certainly did a good job and was at a high level a year ago with that. But we're working some different people back there.

[FS] Darren Sharper is taking some, [WR] Travis Taylor has taken some, we have some rookies in camp that will be in the preseason games getting an opportunity. So Mewelde is our number one guy." Regarding kickoff returns he noted the following, “We're just going to have to see where it goes with preseason where Koren Robinson goes with the offense and where the competition goes with the kick return situation. It's obvious what he brings to the table, but that's something we're going to continue to evaluate with the other guys we're giving some reps too." RB Mewelde Moore, WR Kevin Kasper, WR Jason Carter, and WR Troy Williamson have practiced on kickoff returns. CB Charles Gordon was in the mix, until a knee injury sidelined him for at least the remainder of the preseason.

Vikings Depth ChartQB Brad Johnson, Mike McMahon, Tarvaris Jackson, J.T. O'Sullivan RB Chester Taylor, Mewelde Moore (PR/KR), Ciatrick Fason, Joe Echemandu, Wendell Mathis FB Tony Richardson, Richard Owens, Steven Jackson, Brandon Jones, Joey Goodspeed (inj) WR Koren Robinson, Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson, Billy McMullen, Aaron Hosack, Ryan Hoag, Kevin Kasper, Josh Davis, Jason Carter TE Jermaine Wiggins, Jim Kleinsasser (FB), Richard Angulo, Jeff Dugan K Ryan Longwell DE Erasmus James, Kenechi Udeze, Darrion Scott, DeQuincy Scott, Ray Edwards, Jayme Mitchell, Khreem Smith DT Pat Williams (NT), Kevin Williams (DE), Spencer Johnson (DT), C.J. Mosley, Eric Taylor, Manase Hopoi, Ross Kolodziej MLB Napoleon Harris (M/S), E.J. Henderson (M/W), Rod Davis, Kyle McKenzie OLB Chad Greenway (W), Ben Leber (S), Dontarrious Thomas (W/M), Heath Farwell (S), Marcus Lawrence CB Antoine Winfield, Fred Smoot, Devonte Edwards (KR), Cedric Griffin, Dustin Fox (FS), Will Hunter, Ronyell Whittaker, Tony Beckham, Ahmad Treaudo, Charles Gordon (inj) S Darren Sharper (FS), Dwight Smith (SS/FS), Willie Offord (SS), Greg Blue (FS/SS), Tank Williams (IR)

New England Patriots

QB: Reports circulated that Tom Brady was “mad as hell” about the Patriots impasse with veteran WR Deion Branch, whose holdout continued into the second week of training camp. When pressed by the media, however, Brady backpedaled smoothly. Brady made his point, but didn’t want to further create a rift between the front office and Branch or even himself. Brady has been wearing a brace on his left leg during camp. The presence of the brace led to speculation that Brady had a knee injury, but Brady explained that it’s simply something he wears as a preventative measure. “Just trying to be more proactive and take care of myself,” said Brady of the brace. “You see all these quarterbacks’ left knees get hurt,

Carson Palmer and Brian Griese. The last thing you want to do is hurt your knee.”

RB: Corey Dillon is playing it forward, so to speak. Instead of approaching rookie first-round pick Laurence Maroney as competition, Dillon is taking the young back under his wing in training camp. Dillon was asked why he wasn’t making him carry his equipment or giving him grief. Dillon said he doesn’t belief in hazing; that all Maroney needs to do is buy breakfast for the other backs. "He said that?" Maroney asked, glancing over at Dillon, who was smiling back at him. "When did he say that? I didn't hear that. Does McDonald's count?" Maroney then added, “He's a cool dude, a really cool dude," he said talking about Dillon. "He's fun to be around. You can learn a lot from him." Dillon also talked about not giving up his job without a fight. After playing last year at 235 lbs., he’s in better shape than a year ago. “I concentrated in the offseason on getting my weight down and cutting down my body fat," he said. "Hopefully, it will work out. You've got to be cognizant of that… The heavier you get the more problems you tend to have. This offseason, that was my whole goal, to get a little leaner and a little stronger. I have no personal goals, no total (yardage) I want to achieve," Dillon said. "Just come out here and help the team." For now anyway, everyone is content.

WR: There is no change on the Deion Branch front as the team and Branch remain in a stalemate. Branch has accumulated $126,000 in fines (and counting) through the weekend. Maybe some of those fines will be forgiven if Branch and the Patriots reach an agreement but the two sides remain far apart in negotiations. In Branch’s absence, newcomer Reche Caldwell has been making an impression with Tom Brady. On the first play of one session, Caldwell ran past Ellis Hobbs to pull in a long pass from Brady. Caldwell’s fast start had Brady singing his praise, "He's very athletic, he's smooth, he's fast, he's got good hands, he's quick, he's smart...he's really going to be an asset for us this year. I'm glad he's here. He's an exciting player." Caldwell seems most likely to assume a major role with Branch incognito and first round pick Chad Jackson beginning camp on the PUP list, especially since Andre’ Davis, David Givens and Tim Dwight all departed via free agency. “Reche can take advantage of that opportunity,” said Brady, who worked extensively with him during the offseason. “He’s very exciting and is going to be a really great playmaker for us this year.” The team is taking it easy with Troy Brown, but he may once again play a major role if the other players don’t pan out.

TE: The Patriots signed veteran TE Walter Rasby a week ago to give them added depth at tight end for training camp. It’s no secret the team plans on utilizing more two-TE sets this year. Still, Rasby isn’t much of a receiver and he’ll be hard pressed to make the roster, but he did make a nice one-handed shoe-string catch during practice over the weekend.

Defense: The team didn’t like to see Tedy Bruschi break the scaphoid bone in his wrist last week during practice. The injury will sideline him for the entire preseason and could cost him regular season time if it requires surgery. Bruschi’s absence opens the door for veteran Barry Gardner to spend time working with the first unit. Gardner watched a lot of

Bruschi on tape during the offseason. ``He's a smart guy and he's been in the system, so he understands where to fit and what the defense expects from him," Gardner said. ``I've tried to feed off that." If Bruschi is out for a long period, the team once again will use versatile veteran Mike Vrabel on the inside as well as outside, where he’s spent all of camp thus far. “You’re never going to be told around here that you’re ‘firmly’ at one position, at least I’m not,” Vrabel said. “I recognize I could be at a lot of different spots. The past couple of days I’ve been outside. I expect that to change throughout the preseason. I’m probably going to end up at different spots throughout the year. But it’s been a while since I played outside linebacker, going back to Week 5 of last year. So there was some rust I had to work out.” On Thursday, defensive captain Richard Seymour took the field for the first time in camp. A tight quadriceps kept Seymour from practicing previously. Seymour remained on the PUP list, but reiterated that he expects to be at full strength for the regular season. Safety Mel Mitchell will undergo surgery for a torn biceps tendon suffered during Thursday’s practice, which will sideline him for the 2006 season.

Special Teams: Kicker Martin Gramatica has consistently been making field goals throughout camp. Rookie Stephen Gostkowski started off camp missing some easy kicks, but has come on strong recently. Both players have been getting the ball deep on kickoffs; however Gramatica’s tend to be low returnable line drives while Gostkowski gets more height and hang time. HC Bill Belichick reminds us that it’s still early, "You're talking about a three-man operation. We've got two snappers out there and two kickers. There's a timing element and they're just getting into the routine of kicking twice a day. I would say that after the player has been in camp for seven or eight days, that's a good break-in period. I'd say everyone at that point is pretty much up to speed. Then you're talking about volume. Until we have to make a decision, I would let that competition play out. We've all seen players go at different rates. We see that in all sports. Some guys start fast and level out and some guys start slow before hitting their stride." Rookie CB Willie Andrews continues to be a slight favorite among a very crowded group of returner candidates that includes: CB Ellis Hobbs, RB Kevin Faulk, RB Laurence Maroney, WR Reche Caldwell, WR John Stone, WR Chad Jackson, WR Bam Childress, WR Matt Shelton, WR Kelvin Kight, CB Vernell Brown, WR Reche Caldwell, and WR Troy Brown.

Patriots Depth ChartQB Tom Brady (inj), Matt Cassel, Corey Bramlet RB Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk (3RB), Patrick Cobbs FB Patrick Pass (3RB), Heath Evans WR Deion Branch, Reche Caldwell, Chad Jackson, Troy Brown, Bam Childress, Erik Davis, Michael McGrew, Zuriel Smith, John Stone, Rich Musinski, Keron Henry, Matt Shelton (IR) TE Daniel Graham, Ben Watson, David Thomas, Garrett Mills (HB/FB), Matt Brandt, Walter Rasby K Martin Gramatica, Stephen Gostkowski DE Richard Seymour (DT), Ty Warren (DT), Jarvis Green, Marquise Hill, Ifo Pili

 NT Vince Wilfork, Mario Monds, Dan Klecko, Johnathan Sullivan, Le Kevin Smith MLB Tedy Bruschi (inj), Monty Beisel, Chad Brown, Larry Izzo, Don Davis, Barry Gardner, Fred Roach OLB Rosevelt Colvin (W/DE), Mike Vrabel (S/I), Tully Banta-Cain (S), Pierre Woods, Jeremy Mincey CB Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs (KR), Randall Gay, Chad Scott, Eric Warfield, Hank Poteat, Willie Andrews, Antwain Spann, Vernell Brown S Eugene Wilson (FS/CB), Rodney Harrison (SS), Tebucky Jones (SS/FS), James Sanders (SS), Artrell Hawkins (SS), Guss Scott, Mel Mitchell (IR)

New Orleans Saints

QB: Drew Brees said he’s ready to play after making it back from offseason shoulder surgery. "There is no doubt in my mind that I can go right now," Brees said. "But I'm going to build gradually, listen to my arm and listen to my body and build it up from there." He said his shoulder is "85 to 90" percent healthy adding, "I reached my limit as far as where I could go with rehab. To pick up that last 10 to 15 percent is what camp is for." He’s been feeling well enough to scrap the limitations he placed on himself when camp opened. Brees said he would not hesitate to throw 120 passes per day. "Now I'm at the stage where I can almost just walk out on the field and just start playing. I'm not saying every day I'm going to go out there and throw 125 balls. I don't think any healthy-armed guy would throw 125 to 150 balls. That'd be hard, but every other day is fine.” During Wednesday’s practice, Brees completed 7-of-9 passes during a full-speed scrimmage against the starting defense. Brees exhibited good velocity on balls over the middle, nice touch on his deep passes and even good accuracy on throws to the sidelines. Head coach Sean Payton plans to play Brees for a quarter in their preseason opener at Tennessee on Wednesday. Backup quarterback Jamie Martin reported to camp last Wednesday. He was excused for the first five days of camp to help his wife cope with her battle with breast cancer.

RB: Reggie Bush knows that expectations are sky high for him after signing his $62 million dollar contract with over $26 million guaranteed. As he took the field for his first practices, Bush was the focal point of the fans who cheered with approval nearly every time he touched the ball. Bush looked good making several would-be tacklers miss as he broke off a few nice runs. “It was a good day, I thought it was pretty productive,” he said. However, Bush knows that he won’t be able to make those jaw-dropping moves with regularity if he doesn’t seal the deal and prove his ability to pass protect. "I've always taken pride in those kinds of things," Bush said after Saturday’s practice. "A lot of what I do is just natural, God-given gifts, you know. But something like pass-blocking, that's really something you have to want to be good at. It isn't something that just happens. You've got to work at it and, when you do it well, there's a real sense of accomplishment. I don't know, maybe that's why I like it so much." In Saturday’s scrimmage, Bush carried the ball eight times for 30 yards and

he caught four receptions for 19 yards. Despite a procession of quick whistles, Bush was able to display his agility and acceleration during another practice as he finished with about 35 yards rushing on seven attempts and about 30 yards receiving on five catches. Coach Payton and QB Drew Brees both thought Bush looked explosive. Payton added, "We all kind of saw that gear that everybody talks about Reggie having. He looks good on a college field; I think he looks pretty good on an NFL field, too." Meanwhile, Deuce McAllister is waiting for live tackling to test his surgically-repaired right knee. Payton has not allowed the defense to wrap up RBs and WRs fearing injury.

WR: The more things change, the more they remain the same with the Saints receiving corps. Last year, Joe Horn seemed to fall off his Pro Bowl perch as the younger Donte’ Stallworth finally showed more of his explosive potential. Yet, while everyone assumed that Stallworth would be starting for the team as camp got underway, it was Devery Henderson lining up at his No. 2 spot instead. Ironically, the only “sure thing” seems to be Joe Horn at the No. 1 spot again. "In Devery Henderson's case he's working hard, and he keeps going and going. There's things he's working on and improving. There's some things he does real well. I thought he came off a pretty good offseason. In Donte' Stallworth's (groin) case it's hard because he's injured," HC Sean Payton said last Friday. Henderson is trying to make the best of his fresh start with the new regime. He’s running better routes and he’s working hard, but the dropped passes remain an issue and he’ll need to be more consistent if he’s going to keep Stallworth out of the starting lineup.

"Devery just had to get his confidence back. The big thing was he was letting the dropped balls linger. I told him that he had to get amnesia, so I had to stay on him a little bit." With help from the coaches, Henderson seems to have snapped out of his funk and he’s now doing what he did all spring — catching the football. Meanwhile, the staff is leaning on Stallworth to pick up his pace in practices. "He's made some progress," Payton said regarding Stallworth. "I'm trying to get more consistency and see him try to get better. He's made some progress. With a number of guys we just need to see them keep getting better. He's getting better. We need to see him get better. We need to see (starting WR Joe) Horn and he's been working hard. I think Joe's having a pretty good camp. I'm looking for consistency. If you're a receiver you need to be able to catch the football. Linebackers need to be able to tackle. Your receivers need to be able to catch. He's been working hard at it. We'll see how it goes. We'll see his progress."

TE: Ernie Conwell is running with the first team so far in camp while free agent addition Mark Campbell is mostly running with the second team. Zach Hilton remains in the mix, but he’s mostly running with the third team. Tim Euhus and Nate Lawrie are also in the mix for a roster spot.

Defense: As expected, veteran LB Anthony Simmons, who was AWOL when training camp began, announced his retirement citing family issues and a flare up of an old wrist injury that kept him out of the league last season. The Saints

made a couple of roster moves signing DT Joe Minucci to a contract while waiving DT McKinley Boykin. Also, according to reports, there are several veterans who may be on the roster bubble this preseason. Those players include safety Steve Gleason, WR/KR Michael Lewis and reserve RB Fred McAfee. "I think that they're competing against the down-the-line receivers and defensive backs," head coach Sean Payton said. "I see Gleason as a guy that, although he primarily plays specials teams, he's comfortable playing safety as well. In Michael Lewis' case, he's had a great career as a returner. For him it's more how does he come off this injury? Fred's case is the same way; he's had a long career. Those guys know each year that they're competing against the other guys on the roster. We'll see how it unfolds. That phase of it (special teams) is going to be important to us, as it is to any other team."

Special Teams: The Saints’ scrimmage on Saturday turned out to be a showcase for the kickers. John Carney went 6-of-6 on field goals (32, 35, 37, 37, 46, and 46 yards), while rookie Connor Hughes went 2-of-2 (37 and 49 yards). One task for Carney in camp is to adjust to a new holder, "I'm just trying to dial some things in and working with a new holder, Jamie Martin. So, as always, it's a matter of getting a lot of reps with the new holder and just getting into rhythm." Return specialist WR Michael Lewis had arthroscopic knee surgery last year, a follow-up clean out procedure a month ago, and still hasn’t been able to practice. HC Sean Payton said the following regarding rookie RB Reggie Bush’s role on returns, "We've got an idea of what we want to do, we'll move forward. We're not ready to announce it." If Lewis isn’t ready for the regular season, then Bush may be very involved no matter what idea they have now. Payton indirectly hinted that punt returns could be a more likely option for Bush, "Well I think probably there are greater collisions on kickoff returns. Guys are running further. The life expectancy of kick returners isn't long.” The experiment of QB Adrian McPherson trying punt returns continues, “"They asked me if I had ever done punt return. I said that I had never done it, but I could catch. It might not look good, but I can catch the ball."

Saints Depth ChartQB Drew Brees, Jamie Martin, Todd Bouman, Adrian McPherson, Jason Fife RB Deuce McAllister (inj), Reggie Bush (KR/PR), Aaron Stecker (3RB/KR), Ray Hudson FB Mike Karney, Fred McAfee. Jamar Martin WR Joe Horn, Donte Stallworth, Devery Henderson, Bethel Johnson, Chris Horn, Mike Hass, Michael Lewis (KR/PR), Chase Lyman, Jamal Jones, Lance Moore TE Ernie Conwell, Mark Campbell, Zach Hilton, Tim Euhus, Nate Lawrie, Billy Miller, Marcus Colston, Wesley Dukes K John Carney, Connor Hughes DE Charles Grant, Will Smith, Tony Bryant, Rob Ninkovich, Tommy Davis DT Brian Young, Willie Whitehead, Hollis Thomas, Rodney Leisle, Brandon Villareal, Joe Minucci MLB Alfred Fincher, Colby Bockwoldt (W/M), Cie Grant OLB Scott Fujita (S), Tommy Polley (W), Jay Foreman, Terrence Melton (W), E.J. Kuale, Bobby Iwuchukwu, James Allen (S) (inj)

 CB Mike McKenzie, Jason Craft, Fred Thomas, Joey Thomas, Josh Lay, Grant Mason, Anwar Phillips, Ray Williams S Josh Bullocks (FS), Bryan Scott (SS/FS), Jay Bellamy (SS), Roman Harper (FS), Steve Gleason (FS)

New York Giants

QB: All of the Giants backups - Tim Hasselbeck, Jared Lorenzen and Rob Johnson - are in the mix for the No. 2 job. Each player had had his moments prompting head coach Tom Coughlin to say, “They do different things well on different days… Tim has been pretty consistent. We’ve had some flashes there, and some flashes out of Jared. Rob had a couple nice balls here today. There is no question that it is very competitive right now, and it’s going to be interesting. Naturally, the competition, I hope, is going to bring out the best in those three and we’ll be able to make a difficult choice.” In one morning practice, Hasselbeck made several nice throws, especially on one deep ball over the middle to Amani Toomer. Hasselbeck also threw a pretty pass to David Tyree down the seam on the right side.

RB: One of the biggest changes in camp from a year ago is the transformation of 2nd-year RB Brandon Jacobs from a shy rookie to a confident, almost brash participant often seen jawing with defenders on the field. The contact in camp so far has been limited. There is no tackling, just “thud” hits. For veteran corner Frank Walker, that’s probably a good thing. Jacobs took a handoff in one practice and sprinted through the secondary as the 5-10, 198-pound Walker playfully acted like he was going to tackle the 6-4, 265-pound running back. "Yeah, right," Jacobs yelled as he jogged past Walker. "You ain't stupid." Jacobs said, "I told Frank, 'I love you to death, but realistically, you're not coming up like that.'" Tom Coughlin likes what he’s seeing of his young back. "He's learning, growing, trying to understand how best to protect himself and to get into the best situation to be most effective… We've seen some improvement, but we're going to have to see how things go when things turn bad." Other players have noticed the improved RB depth. "I think it's very important to have depth at the running back position should something happen or just to give me a blow," RB Tiki Barber said. "Last year, I didn't think Brandon or Derrick [Ward] were ready for that, but I think they've made strides this offseason." On Sunday, the Giants backup RBs were sidelined after Jacobs turned up an irregular heartbeat and Derrick Ward broke the fifth metatarsal (outside bone) in his foot. Jacobs underwent a stress test on Monday to further evaluate his condition. As for Ward, the severity of his injury is unknown and the team wasn’t sure when he’d return to the practice field.

WR: On Wednesday last week, Plaxico Burress did not practice. He sprained his ankle the day before and spent most of the day’s morning session with his ankle wrapped and elevated. “It’s a little sore, that’s all - nothing to get overly excited about,” Burress said. "I woke up this morning and it was a little sore and stiff. I told the trainers I couldn’t go. I

might (practice this afternoon). It just swelled up overnight. It was a little stiff.” Tim Carter worked with the first team in Burress’ absence. Burress returned to the field on Thursday and caught the first two passes by Eli Manning. Amani Toomer made a terrific catch of a Manning throw in the right side of the end zone. The receiver drawing the most attention so far in camp has easily been Tim Carter. On Friday, Carter made a spectacular catch on a Manning throw that covered 31 yards during a one-minute drive drill. Carter has been catching everything thrown his way. "I definitely think it’s my best camp, mainly because of consistency," Carter said. "I’m more consistent about everything. I’m focused on the details and the small things, but also the major things, the ability to make the plays I need to make." Meanwhile, rookie Sinorice Moss has hardly practiced because of a strained quad muscle. “I don’t feel good about that,” Carter said about his new teammate. “He’s a very talented player and he’s a great addition to the team. I think he’s going to contribute. As far as me getting better during this camp, I’m definitely happy and excited about that.” On Friday night, Carter continued his fine play when he leaped high in the end zone to snag the ball away from two defenders, Corey Webster and Will Demps, to end a hurry-up drill by scoring.

TE: After missing almost a week due to a concussion suffered in a collision with safety Will Demps, Jeremy Shockey returned to practice on Sunday. "Yesterday I felt pretty much what you would call myself again," Shockey said. "Every day I feel better. I was trying to get in there a couple times and they wouldn't let me in. I'm anxious to go against the defense. We have to find a happy medium between the two, and I think we did that this morning." On Friday, Coughlin was asked if Shockey’s situation was similar that of Sinorice Moss’, but Coughlin said, “Shockey has done it before… He’s a veteran player. He’s been in the system. Moss has no idea, he’s just learning on a daily basis. It’s a situation where the more he misses the more difficult it is going to be. Jeremy has been out enough now to need to get back in the harness as well.” Asked if he was upset with Demps for the play that resulted in his concussion, Shockey stated, “I was upset at Will at first, but he was going for the ball. I looked at the play and it was really the ground – Mother Nature – that caused it.” For his part, Demps didn’t feel like he owed Shockey an apology either. "We were both going for a play," Demps said. "It is what it is. It's a mild concussion. It's football."

Defense: Giants fans need not worry about DE Osi Umenyiora’s play falling off this year. "He's becoming a complete player," said Luke Petitgout, who goes up against Umenyiora every day in practice. "He's not just flying off the ball. Well, he is, but he's not a one-dimensional player." Umenyiora said, "Everything is different now, I know that… Your peers voted you to be amongst the best in the entire NFL, so you have to walk with a certain swagger. That said, if you want to continue to be there, you have to forget about everything you've accomplished." Petitgout agreed adding, "You can see him maturing as a player. The experience and intelligence along with his physical ability. Anybody can just run around. I expect big things out of him this year." But nobody expects more out of Umenyiora than himself, noting that he coined the phrase "Get your Osi up!" as a rallying cry

for the defensive line last year. On Thursday, Michael Strahan left practice after experiencing tightness in his back. LB Carlos Emmons missed a couple practices with a burner and safety Gibril Wilson sat out one afternoon practice with a hip flexor. LaVar Arrington also missed practice over the weekend because of soreness. “He’s got a couple of different areas,” HC Tom Coughlin said. “We thought we’d see if we could get him for tonight.” Arrington said his absence is “nothing to be alarmed about.” During Friday’s evening practice, the secondary turned in some strong play knocking down several balls and coming up with an interception when Corey Webster picked off an Eli Manning pass intended for Plaxico Burress.

Special Teams: Kicker Jay Feely rooms with LBs LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short. Off the field they spend their free time playing chess. Dating all the way back to their days at Penn State, Short has beaten Arrington in every game except one. Feely is the chess rookie, “I’ve never played before this. By the end of camp I’m going to be beating both of them.” RB Chad Morton, CB R.W. McQuarters, and WR Michael Jennings practiced reverses and laterals on kickoff returns. Rookie WR Sinorice Moss, who could possibly challenge Morton on returns, missed time with a quadriceps injury. HC Tom Coughlin noted, "It's a situation where the more he misses the more difficult it is going to be." One of the most explosive returners for the Giants is WR Willie Ponder; however two fumbles kept him in Coughlin’s doghouse last year. He discussed the matter, "It's been kind of tough. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. My role was reduced. I didn't really know why. It's up to the coaches. I was sat down, my time was reduced, maybe it was because of the fumble against Minnesota. They don't want no fumbles. I can't drop the ball. I'm going to break out of the doghouse or I'm going to stay in the doghouse. Either way, I'm going to work hard. I'm a quiet guy. I'm going to continue to work and work and work."

Giants Depth ChartQB Eli Manning, Tim Hasselbeck, Rob Johnson, Jared Lorenzen RB Tiki Barber, Brandon Jacobs (SD), Derrick Ward (inj), Chad Morton (PR), Little John Flowers, James Sims, Ryan Grant (inj) FB Jim Finn WR Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Tim Carter, Sinorice Moss, David Tyree, Willie Ponder (KR), Anthony Mix, Harry Williams TE Jeremy Shockey, Vishante Shiancoe, Boo Williams, Tony Jackson, Darcy Johnson K Jay Feely DE Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Eric Moore, Willie Evans, Thomas Carroll DT William Joseph, Fred Robbins, Damane Duckett, Barry Cofield, Jonas Seawright, Ahmad Childress, Junior Ioane, Marcus Green MLB Antonio Pierce (W/M), Gerris Wilkerson, Kevin Lewis, Chase Blackburn OLB Lavar Arrington (S) (inj), Carlos Emmons (W), Reggie Torbor (S), Brandon Short (S), Nick McNeil CB Sam Madison, Corey Webster, R.W. McQuarters (FS/PR), Frank Walker, Curtis Deloatch, Jason Bell, Brandon

Williams, Gerrick McPhearson, E.J. Underwood, Kevin Dockery S Gibril Wilson (SS), Will Demps (FS), Quentin Harris, Charlie Peprah (SS), James Butler (inj)

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington has taken control of the quarterback competition. According to one source, he has won the starting job even though head coach Eric Mangini didn’t make a formal announcement and rebuffed the reports that Pennington was named the starter. During the team’s scrimmage on Sunday, Pennington looked poised and accurate working with the first team offense. He finished 12-of-14 for 117 yards. While many doubted how strong Pennington would rebound from this last shoulder surgery, there is no doubt that he’s looked good in camp. Some are even surprised by the arm strength and accuracy that he’s displayed in practice thus far. He’s easily distanced himself from Patrick Ramsey. "We're surprised at the progress he's made," said a team official. "No one expected him to be this far along this early." In an earlier non-contact scrimmage Pennington also established himself as the offensive leader. He split time with the first team with Brooks Bollinger, but he looked sharp, completing 6-of-7 for 38 yards with a TD to Laveranues Coles. He also completed a two-point conversion to Tim Dwight. Meanwhile, Ramsey didn’t do much with his opportunity completing 7-of-12 for 60 yards. He was sacked twice and had two delay-of-game penalties.

RB: The mystery with Curtis Martin continues to linger and fuel speculation that he may indeed retire. Martin remains on the PUP list, but he’s been working out on the side of the practice field. Mangini continues to say Martin will practice when he's ready, but he’s not given any indication when that will be. Meanwhile, the Jets are probing the market, according to sources, just in case Martin won’t be ready for the season opener, if at all. Martin continues to say he wants to play this year, but there are rumors that he might not fit into the Jets’ plans. In the mean time, the team is using Martin’s absence to get a better read on what they have in Cedric Houston, Derrick Blaylock and rookie Leon Washington. "I think both Derrick and Cedric have shown some good things in different areas," Mangini said, complimenting Houston for his blocking and Blaylock on his improved route running. He also liked Washington’s awareness noting that he’s “paying attention at the meetings." Blaylock missed most of 2005, but he says he’s ready to bounce back with a strong year. "It's not about what Blaylock can do to show the fans what he can do," he said, "it's about what Blaylock can do to help this team win." Houston said he wouldn't mind a "running back-by-committee" situation if it comes down to that. "We're just going out and practicing so hard," he said, "you can't tell who's out here and who's not." Meanwhile, as the Jets poke around the league, one person close to the team said they have expressed interest in Titans RB Chris Brown. The Titans need to grant Brown permission to speak with other teams first, so for now any such talk is in a holding pattern.

WR: Two players have drawn attention in the first week or so in camp. The first is Jerricho Cotchery, who has an outside shot of displacing starter Justin McCareins if he continues to have a strong showing in camp. "I'd say I've made a lot of improvements over the last year," said Cotchery, who has opened eyes by catching difficult passes in traffic the last few days. "The coaching staff has challenged me a little bit. That's helped me out a lot." One positive factor working in Cotchery’s favor is the presence of wide receivers coach Noel Mazzone, the former offensive coordinator at NC State where Cotchery played. "I gained a lot from him," Cotchery said of his previous time with Mazzone. Will Mazzone be helpful to Cotchery now? "I think he will be," Cotchery said. "He knows how I approach the game and he knows my abilities. He knows what it takes to get certain things out of me."

Meanwhile, rookie Brad Smith is also drawing praise from the coaching staff with numerous highlight reel catches. Mangini commented, "Each day is a little bit better… Each day you capitalize on the opportunity and it's not, 'Well, who is that guy?' It's, 'Did you see what he did?' or 'He's really making progress here.'" On one play Smith made an impressive touchdown catch from Brooks Bollinger as he adjusted his body after initially trying to catch the ball over his left shoulder only to make the catch over his right shoulder while falling down on the sideline. "I know they expect me to make plays in any kind of way," Smith said. "That's how it was in college, so I don't know if they'd be surprised." The team hopes the 6’2” Smith can become the same type of playmaker he was in college. Smith was the first quarterback in Division 1-A history to pass for more than 8,000 yards and run for more than 4,000. He’s still a work in progress and he’s dropped a few balls, but his upside is huge. For now, he’s competing with Reggie Newhouse for the No. 5 WR. His quarterbacking skills may come into play at some point, too. In practice, Smith had a few chances to throw passes on reverses. "I definitely like that," Smith said. "When I have the opportunity to throw, I need to make the right decision with it."

TE: Sixth-round draft pick, tight end Jason Pociask is out for the year after injuring his shoulder. He was placed on injured reserve. Last year’s starter (before he was lost for the season) Chris Baker watched video of Antonio Gates during the offseason in an attempt to improve his own skills. "I'm not Antonio Gates, but I think I can do a lot of things in the passing game that I haven't done here in the past with an expanded role," said Baker, who averaged almost 15 yards per catch last year. Baker is competing with Doug Jolley for the starting job re-enacting the same competition he won last year during training camp.

Defense: Jonathan Vilma is learning a new position as the team shifts to a 3-4 defense this season. Vilma’s been studying hard to learn his new duties at inside linebacker. “It doesn’t surprise me that Jon would do that extra work and try to study and give himself any edge he can,” said Eric Mangini, adding, “Jonathan is a great example of what you can do if you take the coaching, if you study, and if you work the technique.” Also making a shift is 310-pound lineman DeWayne Robertson, who will slide over to nose tackle instead of lining up in the guard-tackle gap as he did a year ago. Robertson will

now line up over the center. “Nose tackle is a great position,” he said. “I’m having fun learning how to play it.” The Jets lost corner Drew Coleman to a season-ending knee injury on Sunday. Earlier they signed Bruce Thornton, who was released earlier in the week by the 49ers. The Jets also waived defensive back Jovon Johnson.

Special Teams: Kicker Mike Nugent has been looking strong in camp. He hit a 58-yard field goal between narrowed uprights in practice, and hit a 50-yard field goal into the wind at the end of a scrimmage. He is now the only kicker on the roster, as the camp leg D.J. Fitzpatrick was released. Leading punt return candidate WR Tim Dwight started off practice by muffing a punt, however he looked good thereafter and by the end of the day had won over the crowd of fans. Down at the other end of the punt return depth chart is rookie RB Leon Washington. He’s shown good hands and has impressed HC Eric Mangini. The kickoff return depth chart is still a question. CB Justin Miller, WR Tim Dwight, WR Jerricho Cotchery, and RB Derrick Blaylock are all candidates for the upper spots.

Jets Depth ChartQB Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Kellen Clemens, Brooks Bollinger  RB Curtis Martin (inj), Cedric Houston, Derrick Blaylock, Leon Washington, Stacy Tutt (QB/WR), Nick Hartigan FB B.J. Askew WR Laveranues Coles, Justin McCareins, Jerricho Cotchery, Tim Dwight (PR), Brad Smith, Reggie Newhouse, Dante Ridgeway, Maurice Avery, Deqawn Mobley, Phil Silva, Chris Baker TE Chris Baker, Doug Jolley, Joel Dreessen, Jason Pociask (IR) K Mike Nugent DE Shaun Ellis, Kimo Van Oelhoffen, Trevor Johnson, Dave Ball, Darrell Adams NT Dewayne Robertson, Sione Pouha, Monsanto Pope, Matt McChesney, Titus Adams, Brennan Schmidt ILB Jonathan Vilma, Brad Kassell, Anthony Schlegel OLB Eric Barton (W) (inj), Victor Hobson (S), Bryan Thomas (DE), Matt Chatham (S), Darrell McClover, Craig Bailey, Blake Costanzo, Alonzo Jackson CB David Barrett, Andre Dyson, Justin Miller (KR), Derrick Straight, Ray Mickens, Andrew Davison, Roosevelt Williams, Lamont Reid, D.J. Johnson, Drew Coleman (inj), Rayshun Reed, Bruce Thornton S Erik Coleman (SS) (inj), Kerry Rhodes (FS), Rashad Washington, Eric Smith (SS), James Taylor, Andre Maddox, Jamie Thompson

Oakland Raiders

QB: Head coach Art Shell likes what he is seeing from Aaron Brooks. Shell said he is beginning to see signs that Brooks is mastering the job and showing the kind of leadership he was hoping to see from the team’s new quarterback. "Aaron is taking big strides," Shell said after Tuesday morning's practice

in Napa. "The light bulb is going off. He understands what we're doing." Shell said he plans to give Brooks some freedom to call plays at the line, especially during 2-minute drills and no-huddle situations. Brooks talked about how his first camp as the Raiders quarterback is going. "My leadership qualities” carried over from New Orleans he said. "I'm good with hands-on communication. My skills speak for themselves. The communication factor from player to player and player to coach is probably one of my best attributes. A team like this needs that." Shell agreed: “If you perform, the team will eventually come toward you. The guys are looking at Aaron as a guy that can be a leader on this team. But you have to do your job. You can't just come in and say, 'I'm the leader because I'm the quarterback.'”

RB: You can count LaMont Jordan among the happy campers under new coach Art Shell. "Coach said we're going to run the ball, we're going to run the ball, we're going to run the ball, and two more times, we're going to run the ball," Jordan said as he oozed confidence in the team’s newly installed offense. "As a running back, you want to hear that." Shell expanded on that a bit saying, "This is the Al Davis system… I grew up in this system. It allows you to run the football with power. We're going to come downhill at you, attack the flanks, just run the football. And then, play-action and strike from anywhere on the field. "That's the way it's always been." Shell has implemented an inside the tackles philosophy that has Jordan excited. "Last year, we did a lot of sideways stuff," Jordan said. "That was not our identity. I didn't like it, the offensive line didn't like it. I never really did make the adjustment and say, 'Hey, this is what we're going to do, so this is what we have to do.' Now, we're going to play attack-the-defense style of offense. I think this offense is definitely geared more toward my running style." For his part, Jordan is donning more of a Raiders-like mentality going into this season. Jordan took boxing lessons during the offseason, bought a black “Scarface” shirt and he even grew a beard and shaved his head – all part of his new image. “I've been a little bit too nice," Jordan said. "A couple of my boys told me that when I was in New York, I ran a lot angrier. I was an angry man, and I have to get back to being that angry guy that I was ... to being a violent running back. Scarface is an angry guy, too, when he needs to. I won't go psycho, but, hopefully, I will go crazy on the football field with the football."

WR: The Raiders aren’t paying much attention to Jerry Porter’s attitude and injury problems. When asked about Porter’s antics, the legendary Al Davis quipped, "He has lost his way a little bit, but he is a good guy." Davis answered whether the Raiders would accommodate his trade demands. “If someone offers us the (draft) choice we want or a representative player and the $4 million bonus he took from us this year, we'll respond," Davis said. "They got to get it done. (Porter's) agent has known this since the draft (in April). Before the draft, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't get it done." Meanwhile, the team is moving on and fourth-year WR Doug Gabriel is taking Porter’s place with the first team offense opposite Randy Moss and Alvis Whitted is now involved in three-receiver sets. "We think we have a good receiving corps, and Doug is one of those guys," Shell said.

"He can make plays, so we're just looking to see that he gets a chance to show what he can do."

TE: After missing several days of practice, Courtney Anderson returned to practice last week. He also caught a touchdown pass from Aaron Brooks in Sunday’s Hall of Fame game against Philadelphia on the team’s opening drive.

Defense: Not long after Art Shell was named the team’s head coach, he called DE Tyler Brayton into his office to let him know that he was moving back to defensive end. "I said, 'Tyler, you're a defensive end,'" Shell said. "He said, 'Thanks a lot, coach. I really appreciate it.' He said, 'I'll show you what I can do from that position.' It's good to have him there." Brayton had been moved between DE and OLB in the Raiders hybrid defense the past couple of season, which seemed to limit Brayton from playing up to his physical abilities. Some players adapt to change better than others, while some players were never meant for a different position. Hold that thought, because rookie Darnell Bing appears to be adjusting to outside linebacker very well after playing safety during his college career at USC. "Darnell is making the adjustment very well," said Shell. The Raiders hope that putting Bing closer to the line of scrimmage will help him make better use of his mobility and speed. Meanwhile, LB Kirk Morrison was back on the field after missing two days because of a hamstring problem. Corner Duane Starks aggravated his back and he is temporarily sidelined again. LB Robert Thomas missed practice with a calf injury.

Special Teams: Kicker Sebastian Janikowski may have finally gotten a good night’s sleep following the HOF game. After struggling all last year, and early in camp this year, he was perfect on all three FG attempts (24, 50, and 51 yards) in the game. By comparison, last year he missed all three 50+ yard attempts for the season. Return specialist CB Chris Carr didn’t fare as well in the game. His one kickoff return went for only 14 yards, and his two punt returns went for seven and negative one yard. WR Doug Gabriel did a little better on his two kickoff returns, averaging 22.0 yards. Two rookies saw the other action on punt returns. WR Burl Toler averaged 2.5 yards on his two returns, while CB Dennis Davis fair caught his opportunity. Special teams’ practices have been intense under new coordinator Ted Daisher. Carr described them, “He's basically just stressing the fundamentals. Most returns that go wrong, people are just on the wrong side, or they got lazy and did the wrong thing. They seem real adamant if people aren't doing their jobs, they're going to put somebody else in, so I think everyone is real confident more lanes are going to open up."

Raiders Depth ChartQB Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasosopo, Kent Smith RB LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas, Rod Smart (KR), ReShard Lee, DeJuan Green FB Zack Crockett (SD/3RB), Joe Hall WR Randy Moss, Jerry Porter (inj), Doug Gabriel, Ron Curry (PR) (inj), Alvis Whitted, Johnnie Morant, Carlos Francis (KR), Kevin McMahan, Rick Gatewood, James Adkisson TE Courtney Anderson, John Paul Foschi (FB), Randal

Williams, Marcellus Rivers, O.J. Santiago, John Madsen, Jacob Brown K Sebastian Janikowski DE Derrick Burgess, Tyler Brayton, Bobby Hamilton, Grant Irons, Lance Johnstone, Bryant McNeal, Ryan Riddle DT Warren Sapp (inj), Tommy Kelly, Ed Jasper, Terdell Sands (NT), Anttaj Hawthorne, Kenny Smith, Donnell Washington MLB Kirk Morrison (I/W), Danny Clark (I) OLB Sam Williams (S) (inj), Thomas Howard (S), Robert Thomas (S/W), Darnell Bing (S/W), Isaiah Ekejiuba, Henri Crockett CB Nnamdi Asomugha, Fabian Washington, Stanford Routt, Tyrone Poole, Duane Starks S Stuart Schweigert (FS), Derrick Gibson (SS), Michael Huff (S/CB), Chris Carr (PR), Calvin Branch, Keyon Nash

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: The Eagles opened their preseason in the Hall of Fame game Sunday night against the Oakland Raiders. Donovan McNabb played just one series hitting all three passes for 29 yards as Brian Westbrook capped the 61-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. "We came with a different attitude," McNabb said. "This is something that's serious for us. We were prepared to come out and have a good showing." McNabb returned to action following a sports hernia surgery that doomed his 2005 season, one of the main reasons the Eagles finished 6-10. McNabb is as competitive and enthusiastic as ever going into the season. He said, “The majority of guys that are out there with me are guys that have played in game situations. So we don’t have to worry too much about butterflies and guys second-guessing themselves. But, we will have some guys rotating in there with the first group. Rookies like WR Hank Baskett or WR Jason Avant if he continues to get healthier to work in there with us. It will be something to try and calm them down but I think they will be able to learn from the rest of us.”

RB: Brian Westbrook also looked good in his preseason debut after missing the last four games in 2005 with a sprained foot. Westbrook rushed for 32 yards, had a 1-yard TD and caught a 14-yard pass in his brief appearance. "I think as an offensive unit we're out there trying to prove we can run the ball," Westbrook said. "We've certainly committed a lot of time to the running game and we did it out there in the first preseason game." Later in the game, RB Bruce Perry was taken off the field on a stretcher after he initially lost all feeling to his arms and legs. Perry quickly regained feeling and gave the crowd the old “thumbs up” as he was taken off the field. He was later diagnosed with a concussion. Eagles coach Andy Reid said Perry had X-rays taken of his neck and they were negative. A CT scan also came back normal and Perry was expected to travel with the team back to Pennsylvania. "He had some loss of feeling in his arms and legs initially and the feeling started to come back," Reid said. "I don't know how far along he is now." Reid said that veteran Correll Buckhalter was experiencing tenderness in his knee last week after he was

held out of practice. "A little bit of swelling," Reid said. "Again, we know there are going to be ups and downs with it and we've just got to be smart with it. He got some great work in yesterday." Rookie FB Jason Davis underwent surgery on his broken hand. He had pins and screws inserted. Ryan Moats remained out of practice all week with a sprained knee ligament. Earlier last week, Westbrook was held out of practice for two days because of a stomach virus. With injuries reducing the number of players available, veteran Reno Mahe’s chances of making the team improved. "I'm one of those guys you call a 'bubble guy,' so I never know what is going to happen," Mahe said. "You never feel safe… It's been good to get more reps and give them more film so they see that you're doing everything to make this team… The bad thing is - ugh! - your body," he added. "Your body is saying, 'No more.' "

WR: One of the players generating talk is undrafted rookie receiver Hank Baskett, who earned a start in the Hall of Fame game opposite Reggie Brown. Baskett has been making big catches and taking full advantage of the opportunity he is getting in practice and in the game. He’s 6-4 and 220 pounds. Obviously, his size is impressive, but he uses his strength well to gain separation and he’s not as slow as his size might suggest. With Todd Pinkston still sidelined while recovering from the Achilles injury that placed him on IR last year, Baskett is progressing nicely. “I’ll tell you what; he’s a big, strong, physical receiver that’s had a solid camp. And, we’ll see. I talked about that just a little earlier. We’ll see if he can bring what he does from practice into a game, so, what a great opportunity for him," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. As camp moves forward, Baskett will probably fall back to Earth a bit, but he’s worth keeping an eye for those of you in dynasty leagues. The Eagles removed Jeremy Bloom from the PUP list on August 1.

Defense: The Eagles rewarded Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins with a two-year contract extension on Sunday. "It's nice to get this out of the way and it's time to get the season going," Dawkins said. "I'm looking forward to being here another two years. It's a good thing for me, absolutely, and for the organization." The Eagles were also happy to ink first-round pick DT Brodrick Bunkley for a six-year deal. Bunkley was the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft. Andy Reid said DE Darren Howard was held out of practice last week due to inflammation and swelling in his knee. "Until we get that out, we won't bring him back out here," Reid said. "He's had that before and we just will work with it and get it taken care of." Reid also said incumbent LB Dhani Jones remains ahead of LB Greg Richmond in the battle at strongside linebacker. On the opposite side, WLB Matt McCoy is working hard to keep his new starting job. “I think anytime you go in the first preseason game, the first thing you want to do is you would like to find out about the younger guys," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said Thursday. "I see execution in practice; the older guys have been here. And, I know some guys I want to see haven’t really been around, how they are going to play. It will be interesting to see how Matt McCoy plays. It will be interesting to see how some of our young linebackers, that haven’t had much scrimmage time in a game situation, how they react. I think all preseason games - that’s one of the first

things - you want to find some surprises. Guys that are o.k. on the practice field and then all of the sudden they get into game situations and they become playmakers. That’s the first thing. And then, you always want execution, I’ll be surprised if we don’t execute, especially that first group, defensively, handle all the situations, because we are cutting things down quite a bit for a preseason game. But, the main thing is making sure that we find some players that can help us this year.” Another player the coaches want to see in action is former first-round pick DE Jerome McDougle. “He’s doing good, he’s right in the mix. He’ll be playing sometimes in nickel situations and with the first group at times. So, we’ll kind of rotate. He’s doing well. He’s come back in great shape, best shape I’ve ever seen him in. (He has a) great attitude, best attitude I’ve ever seen so we’ll see how he goes this Sunday night. We expect good things out of him," Johnson added.

Special Teams: For a guy that’s supposed to be taking it easy, kicker David Akers is hitting some very long kicks. He made a 63-yard FG in practice, and then set a HOF Game record Sunday by making a 55-yarder (his only attempt in the game). Akers is also coming to terms with the fact that he’ll likely have a new holder this year, punter Dirk Johnson, ''I'd be lying if I said I didn't want the guy [Koy Detmer] who has been holding for me for six years out there. But Dirk's also held a lot in practice, and we're in the fourth year now [with Johnson at least in camp]. We've come to know each other, but we haven't done it in game situations where you have to know how the wind is going to play and how he's going to hold it. But he's a very talented athlete, a [Division II] All-America safety in college, so I have no doubt we'll be successful together.'' Starting punt returner RB Reno Mahe averaged 6.0 yards on his two returns in the HOF Game. CB Dexter Wynn had an eight yard return. Starting kickoff returner RB Bruce Perry averaged 23.3 yards on his three returns, before suffering a concussion on a hit later in the game. Wynn had a 22-yard return, while Safety J.R. Reed continued his comeback with a 19-yard return. Time might be starting to run out for rookie WR Jeremy Bloom. He finally returned to practice last Tuesday, but tweaked his hamstring injury that same day and has not practiced since. He did not make the trip for the HOF Game.

Eagles Depth ChartQB Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Koy Detmer, Timmy Chang RB Brian Westbrook, Ryan Moats (inj), Bruce Perry (KR) (inj), Reno Mahe (PR), Correll Buckhalter (inj) FB Josh Parry, Thomas Tapeh, Jason Davis WR Reggie Brown, Todd Pinkston (inj), Jabar Gaffney, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Darnerien McCants, Jeremy Bloom (KR/PR), Carl Ford, Justin Jenkins, Bill Sampy, J.J. Outlaw, Derrick Fenner, Jermaine Jamison TE L.J. Smith, Matt Schobel, Steven Spach, Andy Thorn, Jonas Crafts K David Akers DE Jevon Kearse, Darren Howard, Trent Cole, Jerome McDougle, Juqua Thomas DT Mike Patterson, Darwin Walker, Sam Rayburn, Brodrick Bunkley, Ed Jasper, Keyonta Marshall, LaJuan Ramsey MLB Jeremiah Trotter, Mark Simoneau (W/M), Omar

Gaither (W/M) OLB Dhani Jones (S), Shawn Barber (W), Matt McCoy (W), Chris Gocong (S), Jason Short (S), Dedrick Roper (S), Greg Richmond, Torrence Daniels CB Sheldon Brown, Lito Sheppard (inj), Roderick Hood (KR), Donald Strickland, Matt Ware, Dexter Wynn, Joselio Hanson, Mark Clark S Brian Dawkins (FS), Michael Lewis (SS), Quintin Mikell (FS), Sean Considine (SS), J.R. Reed (FS/KR), Scott Ware (SS)

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: It didn’t take Ben Roethlisberger long to get acclimated in camp. He’s already pronounced himself fit for the Steelers’ first preseason game. Big Ben went on to say that Head coach Bill Cowher would have to "hold me back" from playing against Arizona. Cowher merely stated that the decision wouldn’t be made until the game is closer (this week). For his part, Roethlisberger had a good week of training camp, but he was coping with fatigue at times. Cowher said he’s fine and he was open to giving him a morning off if he needs it.

RB: The main story playing out this week is who will win the team’s role of goal-line back. Cowher said, at this point, the race is wide open. In Saturday’s practice, Willie Parker and Verron Haynes both saw action with the team’s goal-line package. Obviously, if Parker nails down the goal-line job, then his fantasy value increases significantly. Otherwise, Haynes remains a certifiable sleeper, especially if Duce Staley continues to miss football games due to injury. Last year, Haynes served as the team’s third down back. Adding goal-line duties to his repertoire would give his value a definite boost and make him a good candidate for RB depth on your fantasy roster (especially in a basic scoring league). "We'll take a look at all those guys," Cowher said. "Verron, Duce, Cedric [Humes], even Willie. Jerome had been the guy the last couple years so there's open competition right now." In one series of goal-line plays, Parker got two carries. He was stopped for no gain on the first and he gained three yards on the second. Both runs were between the tackles. Haynes was stopped for a two-yard loss on third down, and then failed to score while diving to the one yard line on fourth down. Staley took the field with the second unit. He gained one yard on first down, and then Charlie Batch threw a four-yard TD to the fullback, which happened to be OLB James Harrison on that play.

On Parker, Cowher was quoted, “He's having probably as good a camp as anyone here.” Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt then chimed in, “He did such a good job for us last year and he's really shown, especially in this camp, that he's a strong inside runner… So we wanted to give him an opportunity.” Parker said he told the coaches he wants a chance to stay on the field when they get close to the goal line. "If you're a running back," Parker said, "and you don't like goal-line [plays] and scoring touchdowns, I think you're in the wrong position or profession." Meanwhile, Duce Staley was

working more as the team’s lone back on third downs during 11-on-11 practice. "That's a sign from coach Cowher telling me I got to learn a little third down," Staley said. "I take the good with the bad and third down is not bad. In the shotgun, you have to watch the blitz pickup, that's something we've been working hard on the past three years. I look forward to the challenge."

WR: Hines Ward tweaked his hamstring over the weekend, but it’s not considered serious and Bill Cowher described his status as day-to-day. Rookie Santonio Holmes received a bit of good news following his legal problems from earlier in the summer. Holmes had a charge of disorderly conduct in Miami Beach, Fla., dropped in exchange for a $250 donation. Holmes plead not guilty to charges that he blocked traffic and refused to obey a police order at 3:30 a.m. on May 27 in the South Beach section of Miami Beach. In Saturday’s practice Nate Washington was one of the top performers. He came down with a deep pass from Ben Roethlisberger between corners Ike Taylor and Ryan Clark on one play in particular.

Defense: Joey Porter remains on the sidelines watching his teammates practice, but Cowher said that Porter is beginning to “look very comfortable” and the team will continue to assess his progress during the next week. Undrafted rookie Lee Vickers was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker this week. Vickers played multiple positions in college at North Alabama. Cowher said that safety Zach Baker (hamstring) and linebacker Mike Kudla (hamstring) would miss a few weeks of practice as they recover from their injuries.

Special Teams: Kicker Jeff Reed was successful on all five field-goal attempts (20, 30, 35, 40 and 50 yards) against a live rush in practice the other day. The 50-yarder grazed the upright, but was still good. Camp leg kicker Mark Brubaker fared just as well, making all five from those same distances. Rookie WR Willie Reid has looked great returning punts, utilizing his speed, good hands, ability to avoid defenders, and more speed. Rookie WR Santonio Holmes and especially CB Ricardo Colclough have had problems hanging onto the ball on punt returns. WRs Cedrick Wilson, Isaac West, and Nate Washington have also been practicing on punt returns. WR Quincy Morgan and CB Ricardo Colclough have been working with the first team unit on kickoff returns, while the rookie WRs Willie Reid and Santonio Holmes have worked with the second unit. Colclough has also been mishandling kickoffs. Bill Cowher is watching!

Steelers Depth ChartQB Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Omar Jacobs, Shane Boyd RB Willie Parker, Duce Staley, Verron Haynes (FB), Cedric Humes FB Dan Kreider, Doug Easlick WR Hines Ward, Cedrick Wilson, Santonio Holmes, Quincy Morgan, Nate Washington, Willie Reid (KR/PR), Sean Morey, Lee Mays, Walter Young, Marvin Allen TE Heath Miller, Jerame Tuman, Charles Davis, Jonathan Dekker, Isaac Smolko K Jeff Reed, Mark Brubaker

 DE Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Travis Kirschke, Rodney Bailey, Shaun Nua, Orien Harris NT Casey Hampton, Chris Hoke, Scott Paxson ILB James Farrior, Larry Foote, Rian Wallace, Clint Kriewaldt, Mike Kudla OLB Joey Porter (inj), Clark Haggans, James Harrison, Andre Frazier, Arnold Harrison, Lee Vickers CB Deshea Townsend, Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Ricardo Colclough (PR/KR), Chidi Iwuoma, Anthony Madison S Troy Polamalu (SS), Ryan Clark (FS), Tyrone Carter (FS), Mike Logan (SS), Anthony Smith (FS), Zack Baker, Mike Lorello

St. Louis Rams

QB: St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger has already won over his new head coach, Scott Linehan. "I don't know what it is about him, maybe because he's not 6-foot-5, but that guy is the best-kept secret in the NFL in my opinion," Linehan said of Bulger. "People don't really talk about this guy. I think this guy is going to have a great year. Not just statistically, but as a guy who's going to take his game to a new level, leader of the team and the offense, and just playing winning football for us." It’s obvious from Linehan’s comments that Bulger is well on his way to being full strength and he has suffered no setbacks so far in training camp.

RB: Marshall Faulk’s surgery on his right knee didn’t go as planned according to Linehan. Surgeons were unable to repair Faulk's posterior cruciate ligament because it was too damaged to continue the procedure. "There wasn't much left of the ligament," Linehan said. "If he wants to have a chance to ever play again, he's probably going to have to have a complete reconstruction." Last Wednesday, the Rams signed veteran Moe Williams to a one-year contract to give them more depth behind Steven Jackson. Of course, Williams is familiar with Linehan’s offense as the two were together in Minnesota. Williams will compete with Tony Fisher for the backup job. The team began working him slowly into the mix as he took limited reps in Thursday.

WR: Linehan said he plans to excuse veteran Isaac Bruce from most of the morning practices when the team begins their “two-a-days”. He expects Bruce to still put in “mental reps”, but indicated he would extend the same courtesy to some of the other veterans on the team. The Rams new coach has also been impressed by the play of backup WR Shaun McDonald. "I think he really showed to me in today's practice with the receiver corps. He made some really nice catches. He's a different type of receiver than the other guys. He's more of a slot type receiver. He can play outside, he does a good job there because he's got speed. He has that initial body quickness that it takes to beat safeties and linebackers with those in and out moves and quick feet. He has range. I think he's really done a nice job there. In the return game, we've really been throwing it more than anything. You kind of find

out who your returners are when the live bullets step the line." On August 3, the team released Joshua Tinch.

TE: It’s still early in camp, but rookie Joe Klopfenstein is leading fellow rookie Dominique Byrd in the battle to be the team’s starting TE. "I think Joe's been the most consistent," Linehan said. "He's certainly what we were looking for. Tight ends are blockers and receivers, but they're blockers first. I have no problem with Joe's ability to be a really good receiving tight end, and he's shown positive signs as a blocker. He just has to be consistent."

Defense: The Rams linebacking corps seems to be taking shape in camp. OLB Brandon Chillar moved into the starting lineup at SLB displacing veteran Dexter Coakley, who is returning from a season-ending injury suffered last year. Free agent addition Will Witherspoon is set at MLB while veteran Pisa Tinoisamoa is on the weak side. Ron Bartell limped off the field on Thursday after spraining his ankle during team drills. It was his first full week of practice at the new position after moving over from corner. "It's sprained, but how serious it is, I don't know," said Linehan. "He's been doing a good job with the change. Ronnie is still pretty green but he's willing. He's learning how to work." LB Drew Wahlroos suffered a broken bone in either his wrist/hand during Thursday's practice. First round pick CB Tye Hill showed toughness after aggravating a shoulder sprain he sustained at the NFL combine. In Saturday’s scrimmage he collided with newly signed RB Moe Williams. Just a few minutes later, he was back in the mix. "I've never questioned his toughness or his ability to get back out there, I was more happy that it wasn't anything more serious," said Linehan. "He got back out there quick."

Special Teams: Recently signed RB Moe Williams discussed his likely participation on special teams, “At this stage in my career, I’m going to do whatever it takes to let me make the team. I’m a realist and I know this is a business. The younger guys are looking good out there as far as the running backs. Special teams is what kept me in the league for five years before I was ever even on the offensive side of the ball, so I know I’m going to try to get on special teams and hopefully there’s a spot for me.” Rookie WR Marques Hagans, who had already been working on punt returns, is now also practicing on kickoff returns.

Rams Depth ChartQB Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dave Ragone RB Steven Jackson, Tony Fisher, Moe Williams, John David Washington, Antoine Bagwell, Marshall Faulk (IR) FB Madison Hedgecock, Paul Smith WR Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis, Shaun McDonald (PR), Dane Looker, Brad Pyatt, Marques Hagans, Clinton Solomon TE Joel Klopfenstein, Dominique Byrd, Jerome Collins, Aaron Walker, Alex Holmes, Landon Trusty (IR) K Jeff Wilkins, Remy Hamilton DE Leonard Little, Tony Hargrove, Brandon Green, Clifford Dukes, Victor Adeyanju, Matthew Rice DT Jimmy Kennedy (NT), La'Roi Glover, Claude Wroten,

Brian Howard, Jason Fisk, Jeremy Calahan, Tim Sandidge MLB Will Witherspoon (W/M), Tim McGarigle OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa (W), Brandon Chillar (S), Dexter Coakley (S) (inj), Raonall Smith, Jon Alston, Drew Wahlroos (S) (inj) CB Tye Hill, Jerametrius Butler, Travis Fisher, Fakhir Brown, DeJuan Groce, Kevin Timothee S Corey Chavous (SS), Oshiomogho Atogwe (FS), Ronald Bartell (FS), Jerome Carter (SS), Dwaine Carpenter (FS)

San Diego Chargers

QB: If the first week or two of training camp are any indication, then Philip Rivers is progressing nicely and ahead of schedule. He’s throwing the ball accurately and not repeating mistakes. Even head coach Marty Schottenheimer said Rivers was “a little ahead” of where he expected him to be at this point. "Philip Rivers might be a little bit ahead,” Schottenheimer said. "He understands this offense completely and he understands how the pieces fit together. He has had a very good camp." RB LaDainian Tomlinson is also excited by Rivers’ play. “He’s coming along just fine and he’s ahead of all the predictions to where he might be. But Philip is a very smart guy so it is really not surprising where he is right now.” Rivers was a star in Saturday’s scrimmage along with WR Malcolm Floyd. The two teamed for two touchdown passes on the same drive (the first was nullified by penalty). Floyd beat Antonio Cromartie with a double move for the one that was called back, then later he burned rookie Cletis Gordon on a corner route. “It was good to get back out here. Last time I was out here it wasn't too happy when we left the field,” Rivers said, referring to the season-ending loss to Denver. “I thought we had a good day – made some mistakes, did some good things. I think we're growing. I think we're on pace. We'll be where we need to be.”

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson missed a day of practice last Friday with a sore neck after colliding with DE Igor Olshansky in practice on Thursday. "I don't know what happened; I was just playing football," Olshansky said. "It's a physical game, things happen. But it's not purposely." Tomlinson added, "Everything's good… It's not real serious anyway. It doesn't hurt to go out and practice. People made it to be a big deal but it wasn't really a big deal at all."

WR: Malcolm Floyd (as mentioned above) and second year WR Vincent Jackson continue to have strong camps. Floyd, at 6-5 and 225 pounds, caught Philip River’s first NFL touchdown pass during the final weeks of the 2004 season. He is not eligible to go back on the practice squad, so the coaching staff has a tough decision to make with this group if Floyd makes the roster. He added 25 pounds of muscle during the offseason to help his chances (of making the team). “He's a good young prospect,” HC Marty Schottenheimer said. “The only issues we've had were some of the bumps and bruises he's had.” With the release of Rashaun Woods, Floyd might be safe. He is the leading candidate for the fifth and final receiver spot. “It makes you feel good, but you've still got to take it one

day at a time,” Floyd said. “You've got to keep the body healthy. I worked hard in the offseason… I was here every morning.” Meanwhile, Jackson has a vision of his own. It involves the near future and the word potential. “That's a good word and a bad word,” Jackson said, “That's an in-between word. I'm looking forward to showing it. You want to get over that 'Could-be.' “I see limitless possibilities. I know I'm going to make plays this year. I'm a mismatch (for defensive backs). There are a lot of things I can do.” Jackson appears to have an inside track on the No. 3 job, but he still needs to beat out Kassim Osgood, which may not be an easy task. The Chargers claimed Gerran Walker off waivers from Indianapolis and Eric Parker was held out of team workouts on Saturday, August 5, but he was able to participate in individual drill work.

TE: Antonio Gates did not participate in team workouts last Thursday, August 3, due to a hamstring injury. He was able to participate in individual drills though.

Defense: The key battle on the Chargers defense is shaping up at free safety where free agent addition Marlon McCree is the current leader. “I'm a good field commander while I'm out there,” said McCree. “Cornerbacks like to hear you. They don't want to have to think. They're great athletes, and they play the toughest position on the field. It makes their job a lot better. They can play a lot more aggressive. It makes your job as a safety better, because if (the corner) can drive and get to a ball and tip it, you're there to get an interception. To be a safety you have to be a guy who can run the defense. That's what I've been able to do in the places I've been.” DT Luis Castillo likes what he’s seeing, too. “They look good,” Castillo said. “They're really talking a lot back there.” That’s good news to the Chargers front office. They signed McCree largely because they felt the secondary lacks experience and leadership. McCree could still be moved to strong safety, but for now he’s running with the first team at free safety. McCree said he can play both positions, also noting that you can be the “quarterback of the secondary” from either slot. “I played strong last year, and I was that guy,” he said of his time at Carolina. “I played free safety in other places, and I was that guy. It doesn't matter as long as the safety is loud and uses hand signals when appropriate.” In Saturday’s scrimmage, safety Terrence Kiel intercepted a pass in the end zone that was nullified by a penalty called against Quentin Jammer (one of two against him during that practice). The defense was also aided by sacks from linebacker Shaun Phillips and DE Igor Olshasky. Also, on Saturday, Donnie Edwards (back) and Shawne Merriman (hamstring) missed practice. Merriman was able to go through individual drills but not team workouts. Safety Bhawoh Jue (knee) has missed a little practice time and so has LB Stephen Cooper (hamstring), WR Eric Parker (ankle) and LB Randall Godfrey (veteran rest) for various reasons.

Special Teams: Kicker Nate Kaeding is off to a great start in camp. After he made a 60-yard field goal against the wind, HC Marty Schottenheimer was practically gushing, "I tell you what, that was huge. I just loved it. It almost brought tears to my eyes, to be honest with you. He's an outstanding kicker, we all know that. I put it downwind; I didn't know we were going to go back to 60. I think it was just a spur-of-the-moment

decision. He nailed them all." Kaeding is more proud of his recent consistency, “I know there's a good majority of guys that have as strong a leg as I do, if not stronger. My thing is consistency. We kicked 12 field goals before practice and eight with the team there and I didn't miss a single one of them. I'm more happy being 20-of-20 than I was making the 60-yarder.” Right now he’s in the zone and he knows it, “My confidence is 10 million times better than it was this time last year. As the season progressed last year my confidence got a lot better, but right now I feel like I can't miss, which is a good feeling.” That same day, kickoff specialist candidate Kurt Smith went 4-of-5 on field goals, with a long of 42 yards. The Chargers claimed rookie WR Gerran Walker off waivers from the Colts. He could compete for a backup role on returns.

Chargers Depth ChartQB Philip Rivers, A.J. Feeley, Charlie Whitehurst, Brett Elliott RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles (KR), Tyrone Gross, Bryson Sumlin FB Lorenzo Neal, Andrew Pinnock, Shawn Willis WR Keenan McCardell, Eric Parker, Kassim Osgood, Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, Mark Simmons, Sean Coffey (inj), Robert Ortiz, Gerran Walker TE Antonio Gates, Aaron Shea, Brandon Manumaleuna, Ryan Krause (inj) K Nate Kaeding, Kurt Smith DE Igor Olshansky, Luis Castillo (NT), Jacques Cesaire, Derrick Robinson, Chase Page (inj), Patrick Massey NT Jamal Williams, Ryon Bingham, Brandon McKinney, Alvin Smith ILB Donnie Edwards, Randall Godfrey, Stephen Cooper, Matt Wilhelm, Carlos Polk, Tim Dobbins OLB Steve Foley (W), Shawne Merriman (S), Shaun Phillips (S), Marques Harris (W), Jonathan Pollard CB Quentin Jammer, Drayton Florence, Antonio Cromartie, Raymond Walls, Markus Curry, Cletis Gordon, Steve Gregory, Anthony Mims S Marlon McCree (FS), Terrence Kiel (SS), Bhawoh Jue (SS/FS), Clinton Hart (FS/SS), Hanik Milligan (FS), Andre Lott (FS), Richard Yancy

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Mike Nolan was asked recently if he sees a developing relationship between OC Norv Turner and QB Alex Smith mirroring that of Turner and another top overall pick, Troy Aikman. “You could say I'm full of it, but if I had to be a betting man, I would say it's going to go right where it went with QB Troy [Aikman], but we'll just have to let that happen,'' Nolan said. ``I just see the compatibility that is there. They communicate well and there is a mutual respect for what the quarterback has to do and what Norv does.'' For his part, Smith has been improving each day in camp after poor play dominated his first few practices as camp began. One big play came last Friday when Smith threw a pass 60 yards hitting new No. 1 WR Antonio Bryant in stride during the team’s morning practice. In his second camp, Smith is also leaning on

veteran QB Trent Dilfer for advice. Smith knows how much Dilfer helped Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and he hopes Dilfer can do the same for him.  What is Dilfer’s evaluation of the young signal caller? "I could not be more impressed. I talked to Matt last week and I told him, 'He is every bit as good as you are’,” said Dilfer, who continued, “Alex doesn't have Matt's instincts yet -- Matt played behind (Brett) Favre, he played for years under (head coach Mike) Holmgren – but Alex will develop those. This kid has great presence, he's tough, smart as a whip, he gets it."

RB: Frank Gore and Kevan Barlow continue to battle for the team’s starting RB job. Gore’s main drawback has been his extensive history of injuries. Otherwise, during the summer, Gore has looked great and he continues to work hard with hopes of knocking Barlow out of the starting job. So far, Nolan hasn’t named a starter and he’s letting the two compete for the betterment of the team. "I want to see who that guy is," Nolan said when asked about the depth chart at running back. "I'm wide open. There's no reason not to be." Last Wednesday, in the morning practice, Alex Smith connected with Frank Gore along the sidelines in a play that was reminiscent of Gore’s touchdown run in Jacksonville last season. Nolan said that he didn’t think Gore could handle more than 20 carries a game, but Gore scoffed saying that he could handle "as many as my coaches want to give me." Meanwhile, Barlow isn’t taking anything for granted. In fact, he’s working harder than ever to retain the job. "I'm going to play 100 percent for these guys," Barlow said last Tuesday. "I'm going to do the best I can do regardless of if that's a positive play or if that's a negative play.”

WR: Antonio Bryant has easily been the most impressive receiver in camp so far. As mentioned above, he connected with Alex Smith on one play last week that covered 60 yards in the air for a “touchdown.” Practice observers note that not only is Bryant getting open, but he's running good routes and not dropping the ball. The last two issues became a source for discontent in his stops in Dallas and Cleveland. Meanwhile, #2 WR Arnaz Battle continues to miss practice time due to swelling in the same knee that caused him to miss eight games in 2005. Battle’s absence has provided Bryan Gilmore with more practice reps. Gilmore seems to be taking advantage of it, too. He previously played for receivers coach Jerry Sullivan in Arizona and Miami and he is currently the favorite to win the #3 job. “We didn’t have much speed last year in the wide receivers corps, so (Gilmore) gives us some things that we didn’t have last year,” head coach Mike Nolan said. “Obviously, Antonio Bryant gives us some of the same things.” Under Sullivan’s tutelage, Bryant seems to be turning the corner. It’s good to see Smith looking for Bryant, too. “Chemistry is something you want to get with players, so the more you're throwing to him the better, and he's throwing to Antonio a lot. So, naturally, that chemistry is coming along better and better," said Nolan.

TE: Rookie Vernon Davis is adjusting to the NFL slowly, but surely. He’s found a great mentor on the team in what would otherwise seem like an unlikely source – the team’s long snapper Brian Jennings. Davis remained on the field after practice with Jennings last week as the two worked on

everything from routes to blocking assignments. Jennings also serves as the team’s emergency tight end. "He just goes with me every day after practice and works with me," Davis said. "Pass protection, run blocking, running routes. He knows this stuff. It's a privilege to have him teach me some things." Coach Nolan seems intent on working Davis into the offense slowly. "My objective is to get him to the point where he can be in there," Nolan said. Meanwhile, in Saturday’s red zone drills Eric Johnson score on back-to-back touchdown catches. The defense also came up with some stops as Mike Adams leaped to knock down another would-be touchdown.

Defense: Rookies Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson are gunning for a starting role in a defense that hopes to replace two of its best pass rushers from a year ago. Julian Peterson and Andre Carter started on the edge last year, but both veterans departed via free agency. "Now I'm trying to fill both of those spots," Nolan said Friday. "The two rookies are both doing a good job. I see both of those players as competing for the possibility of being the guys at both of those spots." Corner Shawntae Spencer switched to the left side this spring and the coaching staff is optimistic about him being a big contributor this season. "He's getting better all of the time and competes very well," coach Mike Nolan said. "He works extremely hard in the offseason and pays the price. You'd like him to get a little bigger than he is; he is a little light. But he's got the height. He's good for the team." In other news, the 49ers signed DL Lance Legree to a contract.

Special Teams: Luis Berlanga, the Mexican kicking sensation, was still having problems getting a work visa. The 49ers already had Andrew Jacas, the Jamaican kicking sensation, on the roster as a camp leg to spell Joe Nedney. Jacas has a slim chance of making the final roster as a kickoff specialist. Special teams coordinator Larry Mac Duff notes, "He has a legitimate chance to be a kicker and/or a kickoff specialist in the league. He's a guy who has very good leg strength. He is in the developmental stages. With all young kickers, they need to find their mechanics that will help them be successful.'' For most teams, the kickoff and punt returner positions are intertwined with certain offensive and defensive positions when it comes to final roster decisions. That is particularly true for the wide receivers for San Francisco. Brandon Williams, Antonio Bryant, Arnaz Battle, Otis Amey, Bryan Gilmore, Rasheed Marshall, Jason McAddley, Delanie Walker, and Derrick Hamilton are all wide receivers and all have experience on special teams’ returns. Several of them will be gone by September. Williams remains the early favorite for KR/PR duties. The only serious non-WR candidate for returns is RB Maurice Hicks on kickoffs.

49ers Depth ChartQB Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Jesse Palmer, Shaun Hill RB Frank Gore, Kevan Barlow, Maurice Hicks, Michael Robinson (QB/WR) FB Chris Hetherington, Moran Norris WR Antonio Bryant, Arnaz Battle (inj), Bryan Gilmore, Brandon Williams, Derrick Hamilton (inj), Rasheed Marshall, Jason McAddley, Otis Amey (PR), Marcus Maxwell, C.J. Brewer TE Vernon Davis, Eric Johnson, Delanie Walker, Billy

Bajema, Terry Jones, Onye Ibekwe K Joe Nedney, Andrew Jacas, Luis Berlanga DE Bryant Young, Marques Douglas, Jerry DeLoach, Melvin Oliver, Lance Legree NT Anthony Adams, Isaac Sapoaga, Ronald Fields, Bobby Payne ILB Derek Smith, Jeff Ulbrich, Brandon Moore, Renauld Williams, Zak Keasey OLB Manny Lawson, Corey Smith (S), Parys Haralson (DE), T.J. Slaughter, James Maxwell, Andre Torrey CB Shawntae Spencer, Mike Rumph (inj), Walt Harris, Derrick Johnson, Sammy Davis, B.J. Tucker S Tony Parrish (SS) (inj), Mike Adams (FS), Mark Roman (FS), Keith Lewis (FS), Chad Williams (FS), Marcus Hudson (FS), Vickiel Vaughn (FS)

Seattle Seahawks

QB: In the team’s first scrimmage last week Matt Hasselbeck completed 4-of-6 passes for 43 yards including a TD to WR Maurice Mann. He didn’t throw any interceptions. Backup Seneca Wallace was 5-of-11 for 40 yards, but looked much better working in the red zone where he was 5-of-6 for 53 yards with a 20-yard TD. Hasselbeck and Wallace got all the snaps during the red zone work, while David Greene was 3-of-4 for 18 yards and Gibran Hamdan was 3-of-5 for 45 yards splitting snaps in the regular scrimmage work. "David and Gibran and Travis are battling," Holmgren said about the battle for the No. 3 spot. "Travis will not get as many reps as the other two guys, which is the unfair part of it. But that's just the way it is." On Wallace, Holmgren said, “He works so hard passing the ball; he wants people to know he’s a fine passer so he doesn’t always cut it loose… He wants to stay in there and throw it. But I know he’s a fine passer. And when he plays in a game, his legs are a big weapon for us, too.” Wallace wants to show he’s not just a runner who can throw, but he’s also a good instinctive quarterback. “I feel good about it,” Wallace said. “I feel good about everything. Every year you have to step up a part of your game and this year I wanted to focus on poise in the pocket and being comfortable getting the ball to the right receiver.”

RB: After last year’s tremendous season, it’s difficult to imagine what Shaun Alexander might do for an encore. Alexander likes to keep things simple. "I never want to be done," Alexander said. "Every year, I have had the same goal: to get a little bit better." Does that mean he’s shooting for more than 28 touchdowns? "You say 29, and we can try to go for it," Alexander said. He also rushed for 1,880 yards and led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. "He wasn't Super Bowl MVP last season. He didn't get 2,000 yards," running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. "So there are still a lot of goals." Nobody said it would be easy, but Alexander faces more challenges than he did a year ago. For example, Mike Holmgren prefers a 60-40 pass-to-run ratio, so Alexander might have to make due with fewer opportunities than he had last year. "I have been working hard this summer and hard

through this training camp to get a little bit better," Alexander said. "Whatever that is, we're going to be happy with."

In the team’s scrimmage last week, Alexander didn’t participate, but the player of the day amongst the backs was Marquis Weeks, a rookie free agent from Virginia. Weeks rushed for 44 yards on seven carries, breaking a 25-yarder for the longest run of the day, most of it coming against the first-team defense. Weeks led all rushers. Ran Carthon scored a TD while Leonard Weaver rambled for 20 yards on four attempts. Maurice Morris ran four times for 8 yards. What many described as the “hit of the day” came on a play when second-year fullback Leonard Weaver snagged a Hasselbeck screen pass. Weaver turned and steamrolled first-round pick Kelly Jennings drawing a roar from the crowd. "I could have easily hit him lower," Jennings said, not wanting to think about it again. "I'm not afraid to tackle him." It wasn’t exactly a fair fight given that Weaver holds a 73-pound advantage over the rookie corner, but Weaver didn’t really know who it was, only that he made the play. "I guess I had to say, 'Welcome to the NFL,' " said Weaver.

WR: Nate Burleson continues to emerge as a potential star in the Seahawks offense this year. He’s being used much differently in Seattle so far when compared to the role he fulfilled with the Vikings. He hooked up with starting QB Matt Hasselbeck on several deep passes during the OTAs this summer and that pattern has spilled over into the practices at training camp. Burleson is considered a good runner after the catch and, so far, he’s living up to that billing with the Seahawks, too. "We know he's a good player. Now he has to adapt to the ways we do things. You see it all the time when you acquire players from other teams. There will be something in the technique that he's used to that he has to change. We are big on after the catch, and he certainly has the ability to do that, he's shown that in practice. He, (OLB) Julian Peterson, the guys we've brought in from other teams, they're working hard to do that," said Holmgren last Thursday. The team’s other starting receiver, Darrell Jackson, remains out for a while longer as he comes back from offseason knee surgery. "I've got to talk to Darrell today. He's on a program to get his leg strengthened. His knee is pretty good, but his muscles in his quad and so on have to be stronger so he doesn't re-injure anything. He's right on schedule. We're setting a target date of a third preseason game." Holmgren doesn’t expect Jackson to play until the team’s final exhibition game at San Diego on August 26.

D.J. Hackett expects to miss 2-to-3 weeks with a strained right hamstring. He injured it while catching a pass in the end zone on the final play of Wednesday's practice on July 26. In the Seahawks scrimmage, it was Taco Wallace (of the FBG All-Name team) with the top performance. He caught four balls for 61 yards with two TDs. Nate Burleson caught three balls for 42 yards including a 20-yard TD. Rookie Ben Obomanu reeled in three balls for 35 yards. Maurice Mann had three catches for 32 yards with a 17-yard TD from Hasselbeck. With Jackson out, Burleson moved from split end to flanker as he and Keenan Howry worked with the first team last Friday. The move allowed Bobby Engram to remain in the slot. The second-team offense went with four wides as Ben Obomanu

and C.J. Jones lined up on the outside and Peter Warrick and Taco Wallace manned the inside spots. On Saturday, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson turned in eye-catching receptions during the morning workouts, both coming on slant patterns over the middle.

TE: The team waived TE Matt Henshaw and signed free agent Matt Murphy to a contract last Wednesday. Holmgren expects starting tight end Jerramy Stevens will be able to return to practice as early as this coming week.

Defense: Last year’s standout rookie, LB Lofa Tatupu is shining in training camp. He reported to camp at a lighter weight and he says he feels better than ever. He continues to have a nose for the football and he seems to be involved in every play. "I'm a little quicker on my feet coming in," Tatupu said. "I lost weight. I'm down to about 238 right now and I feel better. But I think more than that my heightened awareness is showing itself. I know more about the game, more about offenses." New addition OLB Julian Peterson is off to a fantastic start with his new team, too. Peterson sprinted around the field, making plays on one screen pass near the line and on two long runs into the secondary. He also rushed the passer as a defensive end on third downs. Peterson said he’s finally feeling like his old self again after rehabilitating himself from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in October 2004. Doctors told him it would take 20 months to be fully recovered. "What do you think? I think I looked pretty good out there," Peterson said, "On that one pass, I felt like I haven't gotten that high in a long time... No worries at all. I felt like my old self." Safety Ken Hamlin still has not engaged in any real contact during camp so far. Nicknamed “The Hammer” for the big hits he laid out during his first three years, he’s returning from a fractured skull and blood clot near his brain after he was involved in a street fight last October. "I'm not full throttle," Hamlin said. "I really can't go all out against my teammates." Corner Jimmy Williams twisted his ankle on Thursday morning and limped off the field. On August 3rd, the team waived DL Darrell Wright.

Special Teams: Kicker Ryan Killeen is a camp leg to help Josh Brown carry the load, but he’s also hoping to build his resume and catch some other team’s attention. He didn’t help his cause when he wasn’t even close on his first two field goal attempts in Saturday’s scrimmage. Kicker Josh Brown connected from 40 and 50 yards. WR Peter Warrick has set his sights high for his punt return comeback year, "I'm trying to make it to the Pro Bowl. That's my goal." Special teams coach Bob Casullo noted, “We're hoping Peter Warrick is the old Peter Warrick we all know and love. And he's showing signs that he's back to that." WRs Bobby Engram, Keenan Howry, Nate Burleson, C.J. Jones, and Ben Obomanu are all potential backups on punt returns. Casullo commented, "We've got guys that can catch the ball and run with it and they understand the scheme that we're trying to run. That's a hell of a lot different than in training camp last year, when we didn't have anybody.” On kickoff returns, Casullo believes that improved blocking will lead to a much better year for RB Josh Scobey, “I'm pleased with Scobey. He took some hellacious hits. He was not perfect, but he was better than average. Now hopefully we can keep him and move forward with him." Also

practicing on kickoff returns has been RB Maurice Morris, RB Marquis Weeks, FB Leonard Weaver, WR Keenan Howry, and WR C.J. Jones.

Seahawks Depth ChartQB Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene, Gibran Hamdan, Travis Lulay RB Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Josh Scobey FB Mack Strong, Leonard Weaver, David Kirtman WR Darrell Jackson (inj), Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Peter Warrick, D.J. Hackett (inj), Ben Obomanu, Keenan Howry TE Jerramy Stevens (inj), Itula Mili, Will Heller, Caleen Powell, Matt Murphy, Mike Gomez K Josh Brown DE Grant Wistrom, Bryce Fisher, Darryl Tapp, Joe Tafoya, Ronald Flemons, Kemp Rasmussen, Chris Cooper, John Syptak DT Marcus Tubbs, Chartric Darby, Rocky Bernard, Craig Terrill, Russell Davis, Ron Smith MLB Lofa Tatupu, Niko Koutouvides OLB Leroy Hill (W), Julian Peterson (S), D.D. Lewis (S/W), Kevin Bentley, Isaiah Kacyvenski (S), Cornelius Wortham, Lance Laury, Evan Benjamin CB Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon, Kelly Jennings, Jordan Babineaux, Jimmy Williams, Kevin Hobbs, Gerard Ross S Michael Boulware (SS), Ken Hamlin (FS) (inj), Oliver Celestin, Mike Green (FS)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Chris Simms seems to be doing everything that HC Jon Gruden expects of his fourth year pupil in training camp. He had a strong offseason during team workouts and that seems to be spilling over into training camp. "Well, I don't want to say too many positive things because it's so early in camp, but he's doing a great job with our offense right now. He's throwing the ball tremendously. He's seeing things. He's handling a lot of situational football extremely well. He's picking up right where he left off last year, as a very good young quarterback who's getting better. He's emerging, I think, as a player at that position," said Jon Gruden, who later lavished more praise on Simms following back-to-back long balls in Sunday’s practice. "QB Chris Simms threw the ball great," said Gruden. "We had some very good work in the passing element from an offensive standpoint. Defensively, we've got to do a much better job than I saw in that period.” Even though CB Torrie Cox was the one beaten on both long passes, he “has had a great camp for us,” according to Gruden.

Backup Jay Fielder remains sidelined giving sixth round pick Bruce Gradkowski plenty of reps, but Gruden said that isn’t the only reason he’s seeing extra snaps. "He's earned them [reps]," Gruden said. "He's doing a good job. I do know this:

When training camp is over and we get going in the regular season, I'm not going to be able to get him a lot of reps…This is it, baby. You're going to have to respond. And if you do respond, we'll keep giving you the work." As for Fielder, "It's coming. Every day I get out here it's improving," said Fiedler. "I took a day off (Friday). That really helped get it fresh, and I definitely took a step forward."

RB: There has been talk of Cadillac Williams becoming more versatile in his second year as the team hopes to use him more in the passing game. Last year, he frequently left the field while Michael Pittman served as the third down back. Likewise, Mike Alstott took almost all the snaps once the team got inside the 5-yard line. Williams only caught 20 passes for 81 yards as a rookie. Over the weekend, Williams also dropped a pair of balls in the same practice – one of which was a swing pass out of the backfield. Gruden all but admitted that he misused his star RB as a rookie. “We'd like to get him more involved in the passing game," Gruden said. "We'll try to get him the ball a little bit more than we did a year ago…He might carry the ball 500 times. I don't know." Williams is down for whatever. “I do feel I'm better. I am cutting and sprinting better. I just feel a lot swifter this year. I know that might be because I feel better confidence. I feel like I am going to dominate." Backup RB Derek Watson suffered a neck injury after colliding with LB Jamie Winborn on a play, but he was seen on the sidelines later in the day as the special teams practiced.

WR: Two players who are making things happen during the last week are David Boston and Chas Gessner. Boston has slimmed down to 219 pounds this year and he reportedly ran a 4.52 during a workout in front of the team this offseason. He is only practicing once per day to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on his problematic knee that sidelined him in each of the past two seasons in Miami. So far, Boston has looked explosive running patterns. He could push Ike Hilliard for the No. 3 spot. "We've got some tough decisions to make," receivers coach Richard Mann said. "But that is a good problem to have." For what it’s worth, Chris Simms seems to like throwing to Boston, too. The two connected three times on deep passes during practice on Saturday. Ike Hilliard also knows the competition is at an all-time high for him, too. "My spot is not solidified by any means," Hilliard said. "Everybody brings something different to this offense and it's going to be interesting. I'm sure it's going to be hard on the coaches and the staff. Going into the preseason games, we'll see who makes enough plays to be around…And hopefully I'm a part of that group."

Gessner, an undrafted free agent from Brown, is working hard just trying to get noticed. In Thursday’s morning practice, corner Ronde Barber jumped Gessner’s route and intercepted the pass, but Gessner never quit on the play and ultimately he popped the ball out of Barber’s hand, which was then recovered by fellow rookie WR Maurice Stovall. "Hey, man, how about that guy?" Gruden said. "I call him the Golden Goose. He hates that name, but Chas has made a lot of plays. We're going to see a lot of him in the preseason." At 6-5 and 220 pounds, Stovall is also hard to miss out there, especially when he stays on the field every day after most players flock

to the locker room to get out of the heat. Stovall has been staying on the field to catch extra passes and work on his route running. His goal is clear: to become an all-around receiver.

TE: The expectations for second-year TE Alex Smith continue to grow as word leaks out about his improvement. Gruden has put together packages specifically to take advantage of his unique skills. For his part, Smith is enjoying a strong camp and Gruden is excited for what he brings to the table. "Not a lot has changed with him. He's a businessman. I'm really proud to have him here. He's what a Buccaneer football player is all about. The guy takes it very seriously. He's got talent, that goes without saying. But he's just much more confident, comfortable with how we're going to do business here and what we're asking him to do. He's going to make a lot of plays for us, I believe that," Gruden said.

Defense: The Bucs are pleased with the play of rookie corner Alan Zemaitis during the first week of camp. He intercepted two passes during the last week, then added a third over the weekend during 7-on-7 drills when Blue Adams deflected a Simms’ pass in the end zone into Zemaitis’ hands. Free safety Will Allen underwent surgery to repair his broken thumb. He is expected to wear a hard splint and return to practice in about a week, but his status for the Aug. 11 preseason opener against the Jets is uncertain. Another player making a move is free safety Kalvin Pearson, the leading tackler on special teams last season. Pearson began practicing with the first-team defense with Will Allen sidelined. Then there is the Bucs reclamation project from last year, NT Chris Hovan. "I came from an organization that didn't care about defense, that put it on the back burner," said Hovan. "Think Tampa Bay and what comes to your mind? Defense, of course. We may have an offensive coach -- and I'm glad we do -- but [Tampa Bay] and this team was built on defense, and I count my blessings every day just to put a Buccaneers helmet on." On Saturday, August 5th, the Bucs released CB Reuben Houston.

Special Teams: Kicker Matt Bryant is off to a great start in camp, and HC Jon Gruden is very happy, “He’s pretty good, isn’t he? Yeah, I like Matt Bryant. He’s a football player more than a kicker. He’s doing a great job. We’ve got a combination, a battery of [holder Josh] Bidwell and Bryant, and [long-snapper Dave] Moore helps too. That’s a battery we’re confident in, and [Bryant] is putting it right through the uprights, man. He’s got a strong leg. He’s getting the ball up quick. He’s making field goals and kicking off well, so we’re really happy with him.” Camp leg Xavier Beitia is also having a solid camp, and is hoping other teams are taking notice. RB Michael Pittman has no doubts who will be the Bucs’ kickoff returner this year, “It’s my job. It’s my job and I’m not going to lose it. I’ll be here all season doing it. I asked to do it last year. I went to Coach Rich Bisaccia and he had to go to Coach Gruden and ask if I could do it, and Coach Gruden gave us the green light. I think with my speed and the guys blocking for me upfront, I’ll have an opportunity to break one. I’m going to hit a small gap full speed and those guys on the other team aren’t going to want to tackle me full-speed. They’d rather tackle a receiver.” WR Mark Jones is equally focused on keeping his starting punt returner role, "I have to set myself apart. Even when I'm tired, I have to take it serious because

that's what's keeping me here. I can't be slacking off out there." Bisaccia is sold on Jones, "The guy just does not allow the ball to touch the ground, period. He really makes great decisions back there. That's why he's so valuable to us."

Other: The Bucs have been without RT Kenyatta Walker for three days as he continues to rest his injured knee. OL Toniu Fonoti is also out indefinitely with a sprained right ankle.

Buccaneers Depth ChartQB Chris Simms, Jay Fiedler (inj), Bruce Gradkowski, Tim Rattay, Luke McCown (inj), Jared Allen RB Cadillac Williams, Michael Pittman (3RB), Earnest Graham, Derek Watson FB Mike Alstott, Jerald Sowell, Rick Razzano WR Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Ike Hilliard, David Boston, Maurice Stovall, Mark Jones (KR), Edell Shepherd, J.R. Russell, Paris Warren, Ben Nelson TE Anthony Becht, Alex Smith, Dave Moore, Tim Massaqoui (inj), T.J. Williams (inj) K Matt Bryant  DE Simeon Rice, Greg Spires, Dewayne White (DT), Julian Jenkins DT Anthony McFarland, Chris Hovan (NT), Ellis Wyms, Jon Bradley, Anthony Bryant, Kevin Lewis MLB Shelton Quarles, Barrett Ruud OLB Derrick Brooks (W), Ryan Nece (S), Jamie Winborn (S), Marquis Cooper (S), Wesly Mallard (W), Jermaine Taylor (W), Charles Bennett, Anthony Trucks CB Ronde Barber, Brian Kelly, Juran Bolden, Torrie Cox, Alan Zemaitas, Justin Phinisee, Dwight Ellick S Jermaine Phillips (SS), Will Allen (FS) (inj), Donte Nicholson (SS), Kalvin Pearson (SS), Steve Cargile (SS), Eli Ward (FS), Blue Adams, Jahmile Addae

Tennessee Titans

QB: The Titans were able to get a good look at both of their quarterbacks during this week in camp. Billy Volek sat out Thursday’s morning practice to rest a sore arm giving rookie Vince Young a chance to run with the first team. "If the arm gets sore and tired then it makes sense to rest him," said head coach Jeff Fisher of Volek. "There is a lot of throwing going on and he's taking the majority of the reps. Billy has been doing a lot of throwing, so we decided to rest him. We may do that again. Vince stepped up and had a good morning. He needs to do that, so he can get more reps with the number ones. It was great learning experience in the heat (for Young). When you're tired, you've got to concentrate and focus on not how you're doing, but what you're doing." Fisher then talked about Young’s performance, “Vince stepped up and had a good morning.” Indeed, he did. One on play he threw a deep ball to WR Roydell Williams for a touchdown over the outstretched arms of top corner Pacman Jones. On Saturday, Young didn’t fare quite as well. He failed to complete a pass and he was intercepted on another. "It happens," Young said of the interception. "These guys are great, phenomenal athletes on both sides of the ball. Interceptions are going to happen. As

long as they happen out here at practice, right now I'm just playing the game, getting better as the days go on."

RB: Rumors continue to circulate that Chris Brown wants to be dealt to a team where he can make the best use of this talents, or more specifically, get the most playing time. Ironically, he’s listed as the team’s starting running back, something that Jeff Fisher continues to reiterate to anyone who is willing to listen to him. That hasn’t stopped Brown’s agent, Ryan Morgan, from propagating the story. Morgan said the Dolphins are one of the teams his client would like to play for, but until the Titans grant him permission to pursue a deal, the issue is a dead in the water. Meanwhile, LenDale White did not practice on Saturday due to an injured toe. An MRI revealed that he has bone spurs around the toe that have aggravated and irritated the injury. White was expected back on Monday. On Saturday, rookie Quinton Gaither drew the biggest cheer of the day when he ran downfield and over fellow rookie safety Calvin Lowry. One fan yelled out, "smash-mouth football." Ganther can play fullback, too. He filled in for Troy Fleming (swollen knee) and Ahmad Hall (concussion) also on Saturday. Fisher liked what he saw and said Ganther would continue alternating with the fullbacks and running backs. "As it relates to his opportunity, it's not a bad thing. He's strong, heavy, can catch and is a contact player ... You take those assets there and use them the best you can, I think this will help him," Fisher said.

WR: Starting WR Drew Bennett is entering the final year of his contract, but he says that it doesn’t bother him. “I haven’t thought about it that much. I know it’s the last year of my contract and everything, but I’m looking to get back on the field, be successful and win some football games. I really haven’t thought about anything contract-wise, as far as where I’m going to be next year or what’s going to happen this year.” Free agent addition David Givens joins the starting lineup opposite Bennett. "My role is definitely to come in and make a lot of plays," Givens said. "Definitely in the passing game, make plays. In the run game, I'll definitely be there to block. A good run game always opens up a good pass game and vice versa. I'm definitely going to be blocking and I'm here to make big plays so that's the bottom line."

Whoever comes next on the depth chart is anybody’s’ guess at this point. Jeff Fisher knows there is no shortage of players competing for the spot and he was none too pleased when Tyrone Calico was not able to practice on Saturday, August 5. "We're running out of time for Ty," Fisher said. "He's been a little inconsistent catching and has yet to really finish a practice full speed." One player the team is hoping to get back from injury soon is Brandon Jones. "He's very close. I don't want to say days or weeks, but somewhere in there,'' Fisher said. "We'll be able to start to get him back and ease him back into practice. I don't think he is ready to work twice a day yet. But he's one of the first guys we've had, I think, on PUP (physically unable to perform list) that had an ACL the year before and come back and work at camp.” Jones is ready to come off the PUP, but he’s been limited to rehab work and the team plans on working him into practice at least once per day in the next week if all goes well. Courtney Roby, Roydell Williams and Bobby Wade are all in that mix, too. Wade is

one of the players that has caught Fisher’s attention during OTAs and in training camp. Wade can also return punts. "He had a great offseason," said Fisher of Wade. "He is fun to watch and he loves to play. He is competitive, and he is always smiling. He is very creative. He's got a lot of ability inside to get open, and that's the kind of receiver we need. He has been very generous with his time. He came out and worked out (QB) Matt Leinert (before the draft). He was doing those things for us during the offseason. He really just loves the game." It’s unlikely the team will keep six receivers, so one or more of the receivers above could be on the street, which is just another reason why Calico needs to get on the field and out of the infirmary.

TE: The Titans suddenly became particularly thin at tight end after Erron Kinney underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week and Bo Scaife was sidelined with an injured quad. That left the team with only Ben Troupe and Jamie Petrowski prompting them to re-sign Ben Hall on Thursday. Greg Guenther missed some practice time with an injured hip flexor.

Defense: Pacman Jones doesn’t mind the fact that first round pick Vince Young has generated so much excitement this summer. After getting the same treatment last year, Jones doesn’t mind the cameras being focused on someone else for a change. "Last year when I first got in, it was a whole lot of pressure, everybody's eyes on me," Jones said. "I'm a little back in the cut now. Everybody's eyes are on Vince. I'm just happy to be out here and on time. If I'm here on time, I feel pretty good and hopefully everything will be good enough." Rookie fourth round pick LB Stephen Tulloch was picked mostly to help on special teams immediately. Yet, so far Tulloch has impressed the coaching staff with his hard-hitting ability. Tulloch’s athletic ability and football acumen might allow him to contribute immediately as a rookie. "Stephen Tulloch knows how to use his pads," said Fisher said. "That’s becoming more and more evident each day."

Corner Michael Waddell is expected to be out until at least October as he recovers from a patella tendon injury suffered in the spring. On Friday, the team announced they have released linebacker Moses Osemwegie.

Special Teams: Kicker Rob Bironas was good on 9-of-10 field goals in a recent practice. In another practice he was perfect on field goals, all in the 35 to 45 yard range, while working with two different holders, P Craig Hentrich and WR Drew Bennett. HC Jeff Fisher noted, "Rob is kicking well. We're going to bring some help in here at some point. We just have to massage the roster a little." If Bironas continues to kick as well as he has, the Titans may not need to bring in anyone else. The various kickoff and punt return practices have mostly featured three key players: CB Adam Pacman Jones, WR Bobby Wade, and WR Courtney Roby. Jones is expected to be the primary kickoff returner while Wade is expected to be the primary punt returner. The two appear to be enjoying working together and have snuck some laterals into their practice.

Titans Depth ChartQB Billy Volek, Vince Young, Matt Mauck, Cody Hodges RB Chris Brown, LenDale White (inj), Travis Henry, Jarrett Payton FB Troy Fleming (inj), Ahmard Hall, Quinton Ganther WR Drew Bennett, David Givens, Bobby Wade, Tyrone Calico (inj), Courtney Roby, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Jonathan Orr (inj), Sloan Thomas, Jason Anderson, O.J. Small, Tramain Hall TE Ben Troupe, Erron Kinney (inj), Bo Scaife (inj), Greg Guenther (inj), Jamie Petrowski, Ben Hall K Rob Bironas DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom, Bo Schobel, Copeland Bryan, Sean Conover, Tim Thompson DT Albert Haynesworth, Randy Starks, Rien Long (inj), Jared Clauss, Jesse Mahelona, Daleroy Stewart, Marcus White, Wayne Dickens, Jeff Littlejohn, Chris Herring MLB Peter Sirmon (M/S), Stephen Tulloch OLB Keith Bulluck (W), David Thornton (S), Cody Spencer (W), Robert Reynolds (S/M), Jared Newberry (S), Marcus Randall, Terna Nande, Spencer Toone CB Pacman Jones, Reynaldo Hill, Andre Woolfolk, Rich Gardner, Michael Waddell (inj), Cedric Holt S Chris Hope (SS), Lamont Thompson (FS), Vincent Fuller (FS), Donnie Nickey (SS), Calvin Lowry (SS), Cortland Finnegan (FS)

Washington Redskins

QB: It didn’t take long for Mark Brunell to rekindle his connection with TE Chris Cooley in the team’s first scrimmage. During 7-on-7 drills Brunell completed several passes to Cooley over the middle. "His rhythm and timing was really good," offensive coordinator Al Saunders said of Brunell. "This is the first stage where the quarterback is working with receivers he hasn't really worked with before. I liked the way he got rid of the ball." Young Jason Campbell and veteran Todd Collins are competing for the backup spot. Campbell finished 4-for-7 for 48 yards while Todd Collins went 3-for-5 for 37 yards. Campbell was lucky enough to face the Ravens starting defense. "Their defense was kind of teeing off, but that was a good experience for all of us to have, especially going against their defensive backs," Campbell said. Saunders added, "Jason had a good 7-on-7 and made some good decisions. He's a work in progress and has a long way to go. We expect he'll be better next week than he was this week." On Campbell’s second 10-play segment, he completed 3-of-4 passes hitting receiver Mike Espy for 21 yards and tight end Robert Johnson for 19 yards to set up a rushing touchdown for Jesse Lumsden. "I felt comfortable during that drive," Campbell said. "I wasn't rushed, I felt relaxed and had fun."

RB: In Saturday’s scrimmage it was Jesse Lumsden who saw plenty of action. The big Canadian looked good as he finished off one drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. Clinton Portis had a little fun last Wednesday when he completed a bomb to WR Richard Smith on a halfback option pass. The Redskins like their 1-2 punch of Portis and Ladell Betts, but Al Saunders had the following comparison that he offered up. "RB Ladell Betts is better than a lot of people think," he said. "RB Clinton Portis is more like RB Larry Johnson, where Ladell is more like RB Priest Holmes. It will be fun to mix and match those guys… They'll be on the field at the same time. Sure, there are times they won't be, but there will be some down-and-distance circumstances where our best players are those two guys. Both are accomplished receivers and excellent blockers. It adds another dimension to the utilization of our personnel."

WR: Taylor Jacobs might be the odd man out in the competition for roster spots amongst the receiving corps. With newcomers Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El joining Pro Bowler Santana Moss in the starting lineup, the competition for Jacobs boils down to one of the last two roster spots with veteran speedsters James Thrash and David Patten and several other free agents. "When they bring in so many guys, it's like, 'Where do I fit in?'" Jacobs said. "I just have to find somewhere in myself to boost my own confidence," said Jacobs, 25. "Since I've been here, things just haven't worked out for me. I've had some hard times; I've had some decent times when I played well on special teams. I know I've got talent. I'm not second-guessing myself. I'm just trying to get the ball rolling." Count Mark Brunell among those who believes in Jacobs... "He's got great ability, he's got speed, strength, he runs great routes and can catch," said Brunell. "The only thing that Taylor lacks is just a lot of time on the field. If and when he gets on the field, he's going to have quite a career."

Brandon Lloyd has been working with receivers coach Stan Hixon to round his game into tip-top shape. Hixon likes his speed and route running, but cautions that Lloyd is far from a polished player at this stage. "He's a really good route-runner, but he knows and I know that there are some things he needs to get a little better at to take it to the next level," Hixon said. "And he knows that we're going to keep harping on it." David Patten has been out of practice with viral meningitis, but he was expected to return to practice as soon as Monday, August 7. Santana Moss didn’t play in Saturday’s scrimmage, noting “I was OK with [not playing]… When it's 7-on-7, that's our chance to go against their No.1s and as a receiver, you're only about getting in and out of routes and looking at the different coverages. This is camp and this was like another practice for us."

TE: There is no shortage of speculation when it comes to how Chris Cooley will be utilized in 2006. With Al Saunders calling the plays, everyone is quick to point out that he’ll be used more like Tony Gonzalez was in Kansas City (Saunders’ last stop). To confound those of you wondering if Cooley is indeed an H-back, a TE or a fullback, Saunders offered up this dandy during morning practice last Thursday. Saunders called a running play for Cooley. A what? “That kind of surprised

Chris a little bit. But it's like we tell our guys – the more you can do, the more you'll be involved,” said Saunders, who also said he will use Cooley more downfield as well as on the intermediate routes where Cooley is already extremely effective. During last Wednesday’s practice, TE Calen Powell strained his quad and was unable to finish.

Defense: It didn’t take long for Sean Taylor and Marcus Washington to make big plays. In Saturday’s scrimmage, Washington intercepted a pass and returned it 39 yards, while Taylor laid a huge hit on Baltimore’s Mike Anderson. The starting defense, minus linemen Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave'a and Phillip Daniels, played the first 10-play segment. Andre Carter stopped Anderson for a short gain on the first play, Taylor rocked Anderson on the fourth play and Washington intercepted Steve McNair on the fifth play. All were nice plays, but when Taylor laid the wood on Anderson, it really got the crowd and the Redskins players on the sideline stoked. "He's a beast," Washington said. "He comes in going 100 miles an hour and is going to lay the Ridell [helmet] on you. That's the way he plays and I wouldn't have him any other way."

Special Teams: Kicker John Hall got off to a shaky start in last weekend’s scrimmage. He missed field goals from both 45 and 46 yards. Tyler Jones would normally have been brought in for the 37-yard attempt that surfaced later in the scrimmage, but special teams coach Danny Smith wanted to give Hall another shot at making good. Hall made good. HC Joe Gibbs didn't sound overly convincing in support of Hall, "You never want to miss field goals. Don't get me wrong there. But I think we have a lot of confidence in him." Hall does not seem overly concerned, "Obviously you don't want to go 1-for-3. But I made my last one, and I'm moving on. Guys miss field goals. It's no big deal. I hit them all solid. That's why we're out here, we're working on things. It's nothing to get your undies in a bundle about." Coming off of another injury plagued season, he slightly modified his conditioning program this year, "I pretty much did the same stuff. I added some yoga to it, just to try to get more flexible again." Many expected veteran punter Derrick Frost to lose his job, but he is definitely ahead of rookie David Lonie in the competition right now. WR Antwaan Randle El, WR Santana Moss, WR Taylor Jacobs, WR Ataveus Cash, CB Kenny Wright, and WR Steven Harris have been practicing punt returns.

Redskins Depth ChartQB Mark Brunell (inj), Jason Campbell, Todd Collins RB Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts (3RB), Rock Cartwright, Nehemiah Broughton (FB), Jesse Lumsden, Joe Rubin FB Mike Sellers, Manuel White WR Santana Moss (PR), Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El (KR/PR), David Patten, Taylor Jacobs, Jimmy Farris, Andrae Thurman, Mike Espy TE  Chris Cooley, Christian Fauria, Robert Johnson, Jared Hicks, Buck Ortega, Dustin Denning, Brandon Sebald K John Hall, Tyler Jones DE Philip Daniels, Andre Carter, Renaldo Wynn, Demetric Evans, Manaia Brown DT Cornelius Griffin, Joe Salave'a, Cedric Killings, Ryan Boschetti, Anthony Montgomery, Kedric Golston

 MLB Lemar Marshall (S/W), Robert McCune (S/M) OLB Marcus Washington (S), Warrick Holdman (W), Rocky McIntosh (W) (inj), Chris Clemons (W), Khary Campbell (S/M), Kevin Simon, Spencer Havner (S) CB Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, Kenny Wright, Ade Jimoh, Dmitri Patterson, Christian Morton, Chris Hawkins, Dennard Wilson S Sean Taylor (FS), Adam Archuleta (SS), Pierson Prioleau (SS), Curry Burns (FS), Reed Doughty (SS), Bobby Godinez