June 2009 4for4 Player News Articles

The Giants signed running back Andre Brown.

The Jaguars acquired safety Gerald Alexander from the Detroit Lions for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt.

Browns WR Donte' Stallworth said on a 911 call that the man he struck and killed while driving drunk came out of nowhere.

Stallworth is serving a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in the March 14 death of 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Stallworth also has two years' house arrest after his release from jail and is suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

On the 911 call released Monday, Stallworth describes how the victim "just ran in front of my car." Police have said Reyes was not in a crosswalk and was rushing to catch a bus when he was hit.

Stallworth tells the 911 operator, "You got to send an ambulance right now, man."

Stallworth also reached an undisclosed financial settlement with Reyes' family.

RB Ronnie Brown feels much better about himself and so do the Dolphins now that concerns about his knees and weight are long past.

Brown knows that a year ago he was ahead of where he should be in recovering from a torn knee ligament. What ensued was the Dolphins RB's first Pro Bowl season, albeit with statistics somewhere between mundane and magnificent.

So, compared to last year, Brown was asked, do you feel, stronger, faster or shiftier?

''All of the above,'' he laughed confidently.

Confident words and a confident air hang around Brown more often than in his past Dolphins seasons. Or, maybe ''comfortable'' is the better word. As in, he's more comfortable with his own body.

Not so fast.

That's the mindset of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when it comes to allowing Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick to return to the field this season, according to a Yahoo! report.

The commissioner, in keeping with his get-tough stance on personal conduct, is leaning towards suspending Burress and Vick, the report stated, citing 3 sources with knowledge of the situation. Goodell recently suspended Browns WR Donte' Stallworth indefinitely after Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter in the death of a Miami man.

A similar "indefinite suspension" could be in line for Burress, who has yet to be indicted on felony gun charges after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh in November. Yahoo! cited a league source who insisted that Goodell is "irritated" that Burress has refused to accept any jail time as part of a plea bargain and that the commissioner is prepared to suspend Burress even before prosecutors take any action in the case.

The Eagles agreed to terms with running back Lesean Mccoy on a four-year contract.

The Brandon Marshall saga has been quiet since he requested a trade nearly two weeks ago.

Expect the quiet to continue.

I talked to some people close to the situation Monday, and they said the Broncos will maintain their stance of keeping Marshall. The team still expects Marshall to show up for training camp.

The team still has no plans to trade Marshall. Denver's brass isn't fretting about the Marshall situation. The front office is on vacation and when the team reports to camp in late July, there is hope the Pro Bowl receiver will show. If he doesn't report for the beginning of camp, the team still expects Marshall to eventually show up.

The Broncos know they hold all the cards. If Marshall doesn't show up in 2009, he won't be paid. A prospective free agent in 2010, there is little chance Marshall will risk missing an entire season.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is leaning toward indefinitely suspending former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, three sources with knowledge of the situations have indicated.

His refusal to accept jail time as part of a plea bargain in the case that resulted in a self-inflicted gun wound and could be punishable by as much as 3½ years has irritated Goodell and others within the NFL, according to the league source.

Michael Vick, a former starter for the Atlanta Falcons, is scheduled to be released from federal confinement on July 20 after serving 20 months for his part in a dog-fighting ring. A source indicated there was a reasonable likelihood that Vick, suspended indefinitely by the league in August 2007, will not be allowed to play this season and certainly not be with a team in training camp.

Goodell has said multiple times that he wants to see Vick show remorse for his actions. That means Vick may have to follow a strict path of behavior before he’s allowed to return.

“[Vick] is not just walking out one day and playing again,” the source close to Vick said. “I don’t know if he understands that yet, but that’s what it looks like right now if you really pay attention. … Yeah, he served his time, but he has to prove himself. When the commissioner talks about wanting to see remorse, he’s not kidding.”

Raiders first-round draft pick, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-bey, said the hamstring that he injured during offseason workouts is at about “80” percent strength. He expects to be at 100 percent by the start of training camp. Heyward-Bey said he went through a lot of offseason drills despite not being at full strength to show coaches and teammates he could play through pain.

Jaguars signed sixth-round TE Zach Miller to a four-year contract.

Giants signed third-round TE Travis Beckum to a four-year contract.

After Kansas City traded for Matt Cassel during the off-season, Tyler Thigpen finds himself in the No. 2 spot on the Chiefs depth chart heading into this year's training camp.

"They've got a lot of money invested in (Cassel), and I'm comfortable being behind him," Thigpen said. "I'm going to support him and do anything that I can to make him better. I'm a team player and not just an individual."

John Clayton reports that Chicago has all but ruled out the possibility of singing Plaxico Burress.

Sean Payton indicated in the final days of his team’s organized team activities that a training camp competition is looming between incumbent backup Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington, the third-stringer most of last season, to be Drew Brees’ understudy.

Ray Rice has switched agents from Sportsstars Inc. to Todd France.

The Bucs have no interest in signing former Giants receiver Plaxico Burress at this time. The Bucs are looking for receviers to back up starters Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton.

The Valley Ranch voice of Cowboys Jerry Jones has rambled on and on for weeks about the whats-and-whys involving the ouster of the WR Terrell Owens formerly known as No. 81.

Yes, you can blame the media for this "Owens issue" continuing to surface. Questions are asked, of course. But, and I swear, it has happened more than once that Jerry just launched into an explanation, bringing it up himself, as if he were answering voices in his head.

Not to go shrink on Jerry, but the best guess from here is Mr. Jones is still extremely uncomfortable with his decision — and it was strictly his decision — to release the lovely and somewhat-talented Terrell Eldorado Owens. Plus, another best guess is that Jerry is now deep into personal regret.

Packers player analysis by position:

WR James Jones had bulked up to the 220-pound range last year at this time, and he looks a little quicker this year now that he’s back down to just under 210 pounds.

TE John Nalbone, taken four picks ahead of rookie safety Clemons with the Dolphins' earlier fifth-round pick, signed a four-year deal worth $1.75 million with a signing bonus of $173,000.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer looked good at minicamp last week, but admits that his arm strength needs some work. The quarterback’s plan to strength the arm is no ancient Chinese secret. In fact, the solution to the problem is a fairly easy fix.
“Throw,” Palmer said. “It’s just like when a track guy needs to get faster. You don’t do 5,000 squats, you run and run some more. To get your arm in shape you throw and continue to throw. So I will be throwing all summer long as well as in training camp.”
Palmer missed 12 games last season with a serious elbow injury. Now the former Pro Bowler is looking to rebound and lead his team to the playoffs. Palmer’s offseason preparation has included the OTAs and minicamp.

Former Browns WR Joe Jurevicius, who returned to Cleveland in 2006 to try to help his beloved Browns win a Super Bowl, is suing the team, the Cleveland Clinic and two team physicians over a staph infection that most likely has ended his NFL career.

Browns attorney Fred Nance said in a statement the Browns "deny the allegations and will vigorously defend against them." The Clinic, through spokesperson Erinne Dyer, declined to comment on pending litigation.

Jurevicius, who sat out all last season because of the staph infection, underwent routine arthroscopic surgery on the knee Jan. 7, 2008, and spent about a week-and-a-half rehabilitating at the Browns' facility. On Jan. 21, after experiencing swelling in the knee, severe shaking and chills, he was diagnosed with staph.
Since then, Jurevicius has undergone 6 medical procedures on the knee to eradicate the infection and repair the damage. The Browns released him March 12 despite the fact he offered to take a pay cut to remain with the team. He's currently out of football.

Jurevicius, 34, is the first of 6 known Browns players diagnosed with staph infections since 2003 to file a lawsuit. One of those, former Browns TE Kellen Winslow, contracted staph twice, once in 2005 and once last season.

The Lions have agreed to trade safety Gerald Alexander to Jacksonville for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, a person familiar with the situation said today.

From Rosenhaus Sports @ Twitter: There are now 5 teams interested in Plaxico Burress. I expect more teams to enter the mix over the next few weeks as well.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday notified Plaxico Burress that his office is initiating a review of incidents involving Burress under the personal conduct policy, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed.

The Chiefs signed tight end Jake O'connell.

Brett Favre might have a contract agreement in place with the Vikings in case he decides to play this season but it doesn’t appear anything has been signed.

A spokesman for the NFL Players Association wrote in an e-mail today that a contract for the quarterback has not been filed. It is a requirement that when a player signs with a team a copy of his contract be sent to both the NFL and the players association. The league requires it gets a copy within two days of it being signed by the player and team. A league spokesman declined to say if they had received paperwork on a Favre contract, but if that did happen the NFL would have no reason to keep it quiet and, in fact, it would be expected to be put on the transaction wire.

The Jets claimed wide receiver Mario Urrutia off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Browns WR Joe Jurevicius has filed a civil suit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court against the Browns, the Cleveland Clinic, former team physician Dr. Anthony Miniaci and current team physician Dr. Richard Figler, for negligence and fraud that he alleges led to a staph infection that might have ended his NFL career.

The suit claims that the Browns and their team physicians failed to warn Jurevicius that sterile techniques were not at all times used at the Browns training facility in Berea; that therapy devices passed among multiple individuals, including Browns players, were not properly maintained and/or cleaned, if at all; and that community equipment and frequently used surfaces were not properly cleaned, if at all.

Jurevicius maintains that he contracted staph in his knee because he was not warned and because Browns staff members did not tell the truth about maintenance and cleaning of the Browns facility.

As it seems to happen to Portis and many other smaller running backs, as the year goes on, injuries seem to mount up. This time it was a hip flexor, ankle and then finally a sprained knee which kept Portis from practicing during the week and being himself on Sunday.

So which player will show up in 2009-10?

Here is the latest word out of Redskins camp: "The guy that's been standing out to me is Ladell Betts, said offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. "To me, he's stepped his game up. He's preparing like he's a starter. He's taken a leadership role, which I'm not saying he wasn't a leader before, but I just think he's a very good player. He's jumped out to me."

Sounds like Betts might get a few more carries this year. Of course, we're not even on the practice fields yet, so take the comment "with a grain of salt."

The 6-foot-5, 246-pound TE Jared Cook has had a lot of impressive catches during Titans minicamp practices, but he has also had some bad drops. He has lined up at TE as well as split out wide like a receiver, and at times seemed overwhelmed with everything the coaching staff is throwing at him.

Titans OC Mike Heimerdinger would like to use Cook the same way he used 8-time Pro Bowl pick Shannon Sharpe while with the Broncos. Heimerdinger said it is unfair to compare the two at this point except that Sharpe was better at the line of scrimmage and Cook is faster.
“I still have to find out what he can do,” Heimerdinger said. “I get excited now when he gets lines up right.”

If Cook gets that part of the game plan down, the Titans plan using him in a variety of ways.

“He has had some drops but at the same time he is getting open, so that means he knows the offense, and the coaches are confident to put him in there,” veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck said. “Coming out of the gate he’ll probably have a lot of success because (defenses) will probably try and match up with a linebacker and I’m sure he’ll run away from them.”

Seahawks fullback Owen Schmitt was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol Saturday night in Black Diamond.

Former Dallas WR Terrell Owens said he became a scapegoat for QB Tony Romo's lack of leadership and he hasn't talked to owner Jerry Jones since he was released in March.

According to the Cowboys, one of the reasons the team released Owens was to make the locker room more Romo friendly. Owens’ departure is supposed to allow Romo to have complete leadership control of the team. That didn’t happen last year and couldn’t happen with Owens around, the Cowboys surmised.

Owens said Romo’s lack of leadership was more about Romo than him.

"He was the quarterback of the team. I think everybody realized that. It was upon him to adopt that leadership role and carry that out. Obviously, they saw that didn’t happen,” Owens said. “So, for whatever reason, I’ll be the scapegoat. I’m not here. Now, it’s his team. I wish him well."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team finally should have all its WRs healthy and ready to open training camp in San Antonio at the end of next month.

Sam Hurd (ankle) and Miles Austin (hamstring) missed the team’s last set of OTAs — organized team activities — and the three-day mini-camp earlier this month. Isaiah Stanback suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee during OTAs and underwent surgery May 21.

With Terrell Owens now playing in Buffalo, Hurd, Austin and Stanback are being counted on to produce behind Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton.

"My expectations are that all receivers that were limited, maybe not [Travis] Wilson [knee] — he might not be ready — but other than him, all the rest should be ready for training camp," Jones said.

That includes rookie Kevin Ogletree out of Virginia, who suffered a knee injury on the first day of mini-camp and did not participate in the final two days of workouts.

Titans RB Chris Henry landed with the Titans because of his blazing speed, but his world came to a screeching halt last season. Henry watched 16 of the 17 games from the sideline in street clothes.
"Time is kind of relative to what is actually going on. Not playing the entire season last year, it went by slow for me,'' Henry said. "If you are in games and playing, it flies by. … My goal this year is to make the season go by a lot faster.''

Henry was a 2nd-round pick in 2007, but his future with the Titans is in question. There are a half-dozen RBs competing for roster spots and the Titans can't keep them all, especially those who've underperformed like Henry has to this point.

The Titans simply can't wait forever on his potential, not with a set of hungry backs behind the proven duo of Chris Johnson and Lendale White.

Chargers RB Ladainian Tomlinson celebrating his 30th birthday Tuesday, insists he can still dunk a basketball, outrun DBs and lead the league in rushing.

Last season, for the first time in his career, Tomlinson’s body didn’t let him play. Soon after the 2008 season ended, Tomlinson called Emmitt Smith.

Smith gave Tomlinson advice about playing at the age of 30, the year NFL running backs’ numbers historically decline. Smith also gave Tomlinson the phone number of his physical therapist, whom Tomlinson has received treatment from in Las Colinas several times this off-season.

Smith had 5,789 of his 18,355 yards after he turned 30. Walter Payton rushed for 5,101 yards in his 30s. Curtis Martin was 31 in 2004 when he led the league in rushing with 1,697 yards.

Tomlinson believes it’s age over the beat down running backs endure.

"I still feel great," Tomlinson said. "That’s the one thing I’m eager to prove: When you turn 30, that doesn’t mean you can’t play anymore. … I think there are guys out there that defy the odds."

Tomlinson ranks 14th among the league’s all-time leading rushers with 11,760 yards — 6,595 behind Smith’s NFL record. Tomlinson has averaged 1,470 yards per season in his eight NFL seasons.

Tomlinson believes he can duplicate what Smith and Payton did in the "twilight" of their careers. In fact, he guarantees it.

Ladainian Tomlinson started offseason workouts in March and said he hasn't had any problems. The only change from past years is that he sees more doctors, including a therapist recommended by NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith.
"Just kind of making sure my body's in great shape, and making sure I'm as strong as possible," Tomlinson said. "I haven't missed any time, worked out every single day. ... I haven't had a setback at all."
Tomlinson said his energy level is still high and that he works out as hard as he always has. He insists there are no lingering aches and pains, and has even another reason to know that his legs are still good.
"I can still jump pretty high, can still dunk the basketball," the 5-foot-10 Tomlinson said. "If I can't dunk anymore, it's doing downhill.'"
Tomlinson was taking a break from his football camp for kids at TCU, his alma mater. There is about a month before training camp opens, and 2 1/2 months before the season begins.

Some interesting news about the Bucs in an interview that Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth had on Sirius NFL Radio. Haynesworth, the biggest jewel in this season's free-agent crop, chose the Redskins over an offer from the Bucs, apparently giving up money to do so.

Jets claimed WR Mario Urrutia off waivers from the Bengals.

Giants agreed to terms with fourth-round RB Andre Brown on a four-year, $2.2 million contract.

Commissioner Roger Goodell says he is beginning to focus on evaluating Michael Vick's future in the NFL.

But Goodell said Thursday his decision on the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback will come "in due time" and not necessarily before the season begins.

With the Detroit Lions drafting quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick -- and investing $41.7 million in guaranteed money in him -- there is a perception that, at some point, owner William Clay Ford Sr. will order the coaching staff to play him in a game.

Ford is adamant that not only will that not happen, but it's never happened.

"I do not, contrary to public opinion, interfere with the football side of it,'' Ford said. "I mean, if so-and-so plays lousy, I'll say 'I think he's a bum.' But, no, I've never said, 'Play this guy or that guy' or "Don't play him.' No, these guys know more about the game than I do by 10 miles. I'm not going to try to second-guess them. Now, if it goes wrong, we'll talk about it.''

Seahawks FB Owen Schmitt arrested Saturday on suspicion of DUI.

Juaquin Iglesias already is forming a strong bond with new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who completed a staggering 91 passes to rookie Eddie Royal last season in Denver.

The Detroit Lions signed seventh-round TE Dan Gronkowski to a three-year contract.

Brett Favre was spotted at Tria Orthopedics in Edina on Monday for an examination of his throwing arm, which is recovering from surgery to release a frayed biceps tendon.

There's buzz that the Vikings might sign ex- Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, 36, who is near the end of his career and has tender knees, to a one-year, low-end deal to provide competition for Sidney Rice.

The Jaguars plan to release Dennis Northcutt if they can't find a team interested in making a deal for him.

Sirius NFL Radio reports that the new Cowboys Stadium is 3,000,000 square feet compared to 900,000 square feet of the old stadium. The old stadium cost 24m to build. The new scoreboard came with a price tag of 40m.

Bills TE Shawn Nelson has spent some time practicing with the wide receivers.

Texans waived QB Alex Brink.

Broncos claimed WR C.j. Jones off waivers from the Chiefs.

The Jaguars are looking to trade veteran WR Dennis Northcutt, the most productive receiver they have left from last year's team, Northcutt's agent confirmed.

The Giants signed wide receiver Ramses Barden and quarterback Rhett Bomar.

The Packers released guard Nevin McCaskill.

The Broncos awarded wide receiver C.j. Jones off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Titans RB Lendale White, who was listed at 235 pounds last season but appeared heavier, is having a good offseason and said Tuesday he's down to 229.

Lions rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford threw the best pass of the day, lofting a long bomb over the inside shoulder of receiver Calvin Johnson, who didn't break stride in catching the pass.

Lions rookie receiver Derrick Williams, a third-round pick, is still sidelined by a sore hamstring and Schwartz said he might not take part in the three-day minicamp, which ends tomorrow.

"It puts a lot of heat on him as a young player,'' Schwartz said of Williams. "It's hard for young players to not practice and also prepare. They've typically been the best players in high school and college and they weren't the backups, they didn't have to learn by watching other people play. But he's going to have to do that until he gets back on the field full time.''

Lions WR Bryant Johnson suffered a right ankle sprain during the workout this morning, but head coach Jim Schwartz said it wasn't serious and hopes to have Johnson back soon.

Julius Peppers' long stalemate with the Panthers is over.

The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end signed his one-year, $16.7 million tender under the franchise tag Wednesday, ending the chances that Peppers could hold out at the start of training camp.

he Green Bay Packers have accomplished perhaps their most important goal of the offseason: signing wide receiver Greg Jennings to a contract extension. The Packers announced Wednesday that they had struck a new deal with Jennings, a second-round draft pick in 2006 who has blossomed into one of the league's most dangerous receivers.

Terms were not disclosed, but the new deal was expected to put Jennings among the NFL's highest-paid receivers. Jennings originally was due to make $535,000 in 2009, the final year of his rookie contract.

The Chiefs have agreed to contract terms with veteran safety Mike Brown. Brown, a nine-year veteran and a 2005 Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears, could challenge either of the incumbents, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page, for a starting job.

Redskins RB Ladell Betts has drawn praise from Redskins coaches during off-season workouts. Said OC Sherman Smith of players that have stood out: "The guy that's been standing out to me is Ladell Betts. To me, he's stepped his game up. He's preparing like he's a starter. He's taken a leadership role, which I'm not saying he wasn't a leader before, but I just think he's a very good player. He's jumped out to me."

There may very well be more room for Betts to make an impact this season. At the very least, Betts is expected to get more carries as the team looks to lessen the strain on Portis and keep the workhorse healthy. That was the plan last season before Betts's injuries kept him from factoring in heavily, so don't be surprised if he is much more involved in 2009.

If the season opened today the Redskins starter would be: RB Clinton Portis, and this has never been in doubt. Coming off of a Pro Bowl season in which he finished fourth in the NFL with 1,487 yards rushing, Portis was the most valuable member of the offense -- especially in the first half of the year, when he fueled the Redskins' run to a 6-2 record.

But amid recent reports that he has had flare ups with Redskins Coach Jim Zorn, there are questions about whether that will affect the star back's role. Portis denied any friction, but he publicly criticized Zorn last season and it would not be surprising if this storyline reappeared at some point in 2009-10.

Veteran DT Grady Jackson, a mammoth, 350-pound run-stopper, was arguably the biggest free-agent addition to the Lions' defense this winter.
But coming off knee surgery in mid-February, the 36-year-old Jackson has yet to take part in on-field workouts with the team this offseason. And he was missing again Tuesday as the Lions began their final three-day minicamp in Allen Park.

Brett Favre's agent denied another report this evening that the QB has agreed to a contract with the Vikings.

Two days after the website Pro Football Talk reported that a deal was in place and that the club had approved the production of Favre jerseys, WCCO provided a similar report with a few minor differences, namely that the QB's contract includes "heavy incentives."

Asked in an e-mail if there was any truth to the WCCO report, agent Bus Cook wrote one word: "Nope."

Cook did not elaborate.

That, however, meshes with what he told the Pioneer Press on Sunday, when asked about Pro Football Talk's report.

Longtime WCCO sports anchor Mark Rosen reported that Favre would be at training camp, barring a "major physical setback."

It has been two months since the Detroit Lions drafted QB Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick in the draft, and veteran QB Daunte Culpepper, who now sees his starting status in jeopardy, Daunte Culpepper is talking to the media.

At previous offseason workouts, Culpepper refused to speak.

"I'll talk at minicamp" is all he would say.

For a two-month buildup, though, Culpepper's comments hardly were controversial. If he holds any grudges toward the Lions or Stafford or anyone else, he is keeping them to himself.

"I had no control over that," Culpepper said of Stafford's arrival. "Since I've gotten to know him a little bit and we've been working, I think he's a great worker and it is what it is. You have to understand that my job is to be the best player I can be, and that's my focus right now. That's the approach I'm taking.

"I feel this is the first time I've been 100% (healthy) going into camp since 2004, so with that being said, I feel great. I'll continue to be the person I am and be the competitor I am. I'll continue to get better and better, and I felt better than I did in 2004. We'll see what happens."

Packers waived WR Lorne Sam.

FOX 6 Milwaukee is reporting that the Packers and Greg Jennings have agreed on a contract extension that will make Jennings the 2nd highest paid WR, after Fitzgerald.

Five days after agreeing to contract terms with their third and final seventh-round pick, the Chiefs announced Tuesday that Ryan Succop is officially under contract.

Succop has a nearly 60-yard range. Whether it goes straight or not, though, was a question throughout his final two college seasons, and that'll be something he has to address at Chiefs camp.

Though Packers WR Greg Jennings said the resolution to a contract extension was “close,” the sides aren’t near finalizing a deal, according to a team source. Even Jennings admitted that several areas still have to be bridged and a deal might not be finalized before training camp.

Chris Johnson said he is branching out on his own, leaving fellow Titans running back Lendale White to find his own nickname.

Johnson, in fact, has already found another one for himself — “Every Coach’s Dream.’’

“Smash and Dash have had a divorce — that’s official,’’ Johnson said after Tuesday’s minicamp practice at Baptist Sports Park. “I have to be my own guy, so no more Smash and Dash, that was last year. Every Coach’s Dream, that’s me. Because they say every team has its own identity. I feel for me, I can’t be noticed as a group any more. I am my own guy.’’

Titans agreed to terms with sixth-round WR Dominique Edison on a four-year contract.

Lions Coach Schwartz does not have a depth chart, nor does he plan to have one anytime soon. He said he would have one for the first exhibition, but only because he had to tell which players would play when.

Daunte Culpepper still looks excellent physically. He said he has been around 260 pounds -- more than 30 pounds less than he weighed last year -- and is 100% going into training camp for the first time since 2004, when he had the best year of his career and put up huge numbers for Minnesota.

As far as the competition between Culpepper and Matthew Stafford, the first pick in this year’s NFL draft, both players made some nice throws today and both had nice things to say about each other. Coach Jim Schwartz said no one would read too much into one practice.

Lions Wide receiver Derrick Williams did not practice because of a hamstring injury.

WR Greg Jennings is close to signing an extension with the Green Bay Packers.

The Falcons signed linebacker Spencer Adkins; waived wide receiver Khalil Jones.

The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Jared Cook has had a lot of impressive catches during Titans minicamp practices, but he’s also had some bad drops. He’s lined up at tight end as well as split out wide like a receiver, and at times he’s seemed overwhelmed with everything the coaching staff is throwing at him.

Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger would like to use Cook the same way he used another pretty good tight end, eight-time Pro Bowl pick Shannon Sharpe, while with the Broncos. Heimerdinger said it’s unfair to compare the two at this point except that Sharpe was better at the line of scrimmage and Cook is faster.

“I still have to find out what he can do,’’ Heimerdinger said. “I get excited now when he gets lines up right.’’

If Cook gets that part of the game plan down, the Titans plan using him in a variety of ways.

Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo, coming off December ACL surgery, made a nice TD catch on an intermediate route Saturday, with Eric Green behind him and out of position in the end zone. The play suggested Camarillo will be ready for training camp

Dolphins RB Ricky Williams: This time last year, Williams stood out every day.

This past weekend, Williams mostly was invisible.

Williams, 32, should come to life with pads on, but looks to have assumed the role as a complement to Brown.

Dolphins Ernest Wilford bounced back from two dropped two passes that hit him in the hands on Day 1, though one would have been quite a catch over the middle.

But now that he’s a tight end or H-back, Wilford will be called on to block if he’s going to make the team. In three-quarter speed drills alone, Wilford doesn’t look physical at all.

In his favor, he should be more dynamic than 6-8 Joey Haynos, who ended 2008 as the team’s third TE.

A wait-and-see attitude with Dolphins WR Ted Ginn is wise because his lack of physicality has been the big question with him.

But Ginn’s confidence and consistency at WR have been hard to ignore. Ginn made more plays than any WR, including a couple of long TD catches, and seemed to get open at will.

Let’s see if he can do it with pads on.

Ginn’s lack of impact in the return game remains a head-scratcher. He dropped at least one punt and bobbled some others.

Heading into a contract year, Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown looked fit, faster than ever and like he should be the team’s featured back, instead of splitting carries again.

Brown consistently beat the defense to the outside corner, split out wide and caught a long TD pass Saturday and handled most of the snaps out of the Wildcat. At 27, he looks poised for his best year yet.

Dolphins QB Chad Pennington can be an acquired taste, while Chad Henne can blow you away with some of his throws.

This past weekend, Pennington missed a whole day, but still made it clear he’s the offensive leader with his consistency and command of the offense.

Pennington rarely has a bad practice.

Veteran defensive tackle La'Roi Glover officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday.

The biggest problem facing Ravens TE Todd Heap is trying to regain explosion.

The Ravens' offense is built on timing patterns. They don't do a lot of head-faking and juking when they run routes because they want to get to a certain spot as soon as possible. Without explosion, Heap has been slow getting off the line of scrimmage. That has to change before he becomes Pro Bowl-caliber again, especially in this offense.

The Bengals went into this year's draft in search of a change-of-pace back to offset the bruising running style of starter Cedric Benson. To the surprise of most, the team drafted a little-known running back with a checkered past in Bernard Scott from Abilene Christian.
Apparently, the team did its homework because Scott was impressive in minicamp. He was quick, fast, elusive and possesses the ability to take it the distance. Scott made a number of nice cutback runs for big gains and was exciting to watch. He received a lot of reps, which means the team could have high expectations for the rookie.

From Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback:

I think the most amazing thing I've heard in the past month, and I've confirmed it with someone close to Roy Williams, is that the Dallas receiver was never on a consistent weightlifting program in his life before this off-season, when he got after it at Valley Ranch. "I'm serious,'' this acquaintance of Williams told me. "Roy never lifted before. Now that he has, and now that he's serious about making himself a great football player, especially with T.O. gone, I think he's really going to have a good year.''

It's almost unbelievable that a guy can play at a major program like Texas and spend five seasons in the NFL without ever taking a weight program seriously.

The fact that Williams has done so is a testament to his talent. It's also evidence that supports all the whispers about his rep for having a poor work ethic.

Maybe his embarrassing 2008 season could be his career wake-up call. By all accounts, he's put in a lot of work at Valley Ranch, in the weight room and on the field with Tony Romo.

Early in the 49ers practices, Shaun Hill, even though he's not known as a practice player, was getting the ball off quickly and fairly accurately. Meanwhile, everything about Alex Smith's body language indicated in flashing red lights: I JUST WANT TO BE THE BACK UP.

But Smith emerged during the team's final minicamp and finished OTA's strong enough to get labeled "All-Tasman." That's the street the runs along Centennial where the team facility sits. Former coach Steve Mariucci came up with the name somewhat mockingly to calm those who got a little over eager about players who excel running around in shorts and helmets.

Nevertheless, Smith's rebound was significant because he easily could have faded and made the decision on the starter relatively easy on new OC Jimmy Raye. But instead Smith threw the ball with stunning accuracy and led the team to touchdowns and field goals in red zone drills while Hill floundered.

So the competition is on in training camp and likely won't be settled until both quarterbacks perform in exhibitions.

This is no guarantee that there won’t be more Brett Favre-to-the- Vikings news this week. However, it’s a safe bet that Favre won’t be officially joining the Vikings for the next eight days.

That’s because coach Brad Childress is departing on a fishing trip to Alaska this morning and isn’t scheduled to return until next Monday. Childress will be joining his friend and Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid for some rest and relaxation. Childress, of course, served as the Eagles’ OC under Reid before becoming the Vikings coach in 2006.

Bucs TE Kellen Winslow, 25, will be used extensively. OC Jeff Jagodzinski said he believes in widespread use of his tight ends, and, being a former tight ends coach with the Packers and Falcons, he is intimately familiar with the position.

"I've been very, very fortunate with the guys that I've had," Jagodzinski said. "I had Bubba Franks as a rookie (in Green Bay). I had Alge Crumpler (in Atlanta), who was as good a tight end as I've been around. Now Jerramy (Stevens) and Kellen.

"I use those guys a lot. Quite a bit."

For his part, Winslow isn't ready to make proclamations. Ask him about his potential to loom large in the offense and you'll likely get vanilla answers.

"We (tight ends) just have to make plays," he said. "We're just a piece to the puzzle."

Albeit a big piece.

Brett Favre's agent denied a report today that the quarterback is already under contract with the Vikings.
Agent Bus Cook wrote in an e-mail to the Pioneer Press today that there is "no contract" when asked about a report by Profootballtalk.com, which speculated Favre had already signed and that the quarterback and the team are waiting to release the news.

A source claims that Brett Favre may have already signed with the Vikings, but they are waiting to break the news.

Maurice Clarett has asked the Ohio Parole Board for clemency in the form of a pardon, reprieve or commutation of his sentence.

While Aaron Rodgers did have the ability to audible last season, he often was limited to what options he had. McCarthy has indicated to this point that Rodgers will have more options at his disposal.

"I just think that the way he calls plays, he'll give me more responsibility at the line of scrimmage this year," Rodgers said. "I think it's him trusting that he can call more plays where there's more of a chance that I might change it at the line of scrimmage depending on what I see.

Odds are that Braylon Edwards will remain with the team this season.

The departures of LB Bart Scott, coordinator Rex Ryan and S Jim Leonhard will challenge the Baltimore Ravens defense. After dominating the NFL for the past decade, the Ravens' defense enters the 2009 season squarely at a crossroads with a new defensive coordinator set to take the controls. Greg Mattison replaces Rex Ryan as the architect of the league's most feared defense, and he inherits a group that led the league in takeaways on the way to finishing second in yards allowed in 2008.

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin’s still not going to be happy (with his contract this year). But he’ll produce.

report on RB Beanie Wells - Yes, Beanie is assumed to be the starter at some point. But I don’t see Wells being handed anything. RB Tim Hightower is determined to hold on to the starting role.

The Rams, clearly in a rebuilding mode, decided to part ways with WR Torry Holt and he is starting the 2nd chapter of his career in Jacksonville. Holt is certainly the most accomplished of the Jaguars wideouts, but he will now take on a role of team leader, as well as go-to-guy for QB David Garrard.

“When you talk to Torry for five seconds, his knowledge of the game and enthusiasm for the game jump out at you the most,”
So what can Jaguars fans expect from the 33-year old pass catcher? No one knows for sure, but Holt believes he can be more than just a minor contributor.

“He's looked good,” Jaguars OC Dirk Koetter said. “He doesn't run like he once did, and when we became interested in Torry we watched a lot of film on him and Torry has explained to me that he knows how to take care of himself and be ready when the time comes. You've got to take him on his word on that.”

Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown, who remains a senior member of Browns management, suggested on Friday that Browns WR Donte' Stallworth(notes) was smoking marijuana on the evening/morning of the accident that claimed the life of 59-year-old Mario Reyes. Brown made his remarks during an appearance on 790 The Ticket's The Dan LeBatard Show.
"This situation is a tragedy all around, but what was involved was alcohol and marijuana," Brown said. "On one hand, DUI is a very serious thing in America. Marijuana of course is against all the rules." Brown explained that he has some "inside information that says that that was also a part of what was detected," presumably in the blood test imposed on Stallworth. Brown said he's not "100% sure" that this is true, but Brown said he spoke with a " very reliable source" who shared this information, according to the report.

June, Cardinals offensive edition insights

Bengals waived WR Mario Urrutia.

Bengals waived TE Matt Sherry.

Bengals signed sixth-round RB Bernard Scott to a four-year contract.

Chase Coffman (foot) has been cleared to participate in team drills.

The Cardinals have reopened contract talks with WR Anquan Boldin.

Vikings coach Brad Childress told KFAN Radio host Dan Barreiro this afternoon that his understanding is that Brett Favre is “pain free” right now.

Chargers released WR Jeremy Childs.

Dieting running back Lendale White(notes) of the Tennessee Titans proudly announced to reporters Friday he had a new playing weight, according to the Nashville City Paper.

"I'm 234 pounds, and I feel great," White said. "I feel like this is my best playing weight, and I feel healthy at this weight. I feel like I'm the fast and the strongest at this weight."

Buccaneers signed seventh-round WR Sammie Stroughter to a four-year contract.

Chiefs released WR C.j. Jones.

The Cardinals signed cornerback Greg Toler to a three-year contract.

The Chiefs waived long snapper Thomas Gafford, wide receiver C.j. Jones, defensive tackle T.J. Jackson and linebcker Darrell Robertson.

The Steelers signed tight end David Johnson to a three-year contract.

This spring St. Louis Rams eschewed acquiring another veteran starter or selecting a QB with the second overall pick in April's draft.

For this, Marc Bulger is grateful. But he also knows the Rams aren't going to have much more patience without a relatively quick turnaround.

"I understand we have to win," Bulger told FOXSports.com after a recent offseason practice. "It's not fair to our fans or the ownership. If we don't, I know it starts with me.

"It's probably my final chance."

Two weeks of OTAs, and Malcolm Kelly did not have a setback with his left knee. It’s progress for the 2nd-year WR. After a lost 2008 season, Kelly is ready to be a regular presence at training camp this year. “My knee feels good,” Kelly said after OTAs wrapped up on June 11. “It has not swelled up on me at all. It’s not even aching.” Kelly was full-go during practices and his confidence improved as he leaped up for balls and landed without any pain his knee. “I knew once I left my feet for the first time, jumping up to get some balls, that I was back to where I needed to be,” Kelly said. “It’s reacting well. I just need to take care of it this summer and then go hard when training camp starts.”

Kelly had arthroscopic knee surgery again last January. He hopes the procedure, as well as continued maintenance of the knee, keeps the injury from flaring up again.

The Buffalo Bills announced today that their training camp at St. John Fisher College kicks off with two practices on Saturday, July 25, and two more on July 26.

Holdout WR Brandon Marshall reported to camp - his own.

The Broncos' Pro Bowl receiver, who skipped the team's mandatory minicamp last weekend in a contract dispute, is holding a two-day youth football camp for 500 kids ages 7-18 at a local high school in Aurora, Colo.

Marshall declined to answer questions Thursday about his status with the Broncos, other than to say he and his agent are communicating with the team. The Ravens said this week that they were doing their homework on Marshall but have not contacted the Broncos. Other teams said to be interested are the Bears, Browns and Jets.

The Falcons have announced their training camp schedule, which includes several practices open to the public.

The Falcons will hold their training camp scrimmage at Brookwood High School in Snellville on Aug. 7. They will hold a mock game at the Georgia Dome on Aug. 8. The team will hold 28 practices from Aug. 1-14 before facing Detroit in its first preseason game Aug. 15.

The Jets' owner told Boomer Esiason on this week's Boomer Esiason show that the Jets have not made any decision on WR Plaxico Burress because of his uncertain legal situation and what might happen as far as discipline from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

"We don’t know what his current status, both legally and from a league standpoint, and until those are cleared up, we look at him like any other player—we look at the talent, if there is talent, which there is with Plaxico, but there is with other talent around as well," Johnson told Esiason on the show, which airs tonight on MSG. "When those two questions are answered, then we’ll proceed to the next level. Otherwise, basically it’s a holding pattern."

The Palmers will not be having a house guest next month. During the first day of the Bengals’ minicamp on Thursday, Carson Palmer shot down plans of Chad Ochocinco staying with him for a week in July.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco continued to look good physically as he works himself into football shape. OC Bob Bratkowski said that the 9th-year WR passed his conditioning test on Wednesday and then ran an additional two heats.

“I felt good. I dropped the ball but I’m human. But I look good,” Ochocinco said.

You can also tell that he’s back to being the old Chad when he guarantees that the Bengals are going to make the playoffs, as he did on Thursday. He did drop a couple of passes during practice, but he also got separation on a couple of deep passes before hauling them in.

As for the relationship between QB and WR, Palmer said it is what it should be.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer, who said his right elbow continues to get stronger, looked sharp during the morning session but threw only one pass during the afternoon practice. The seventh-year player will remain on a pitch count of around 150 passes during two-a-day sessions.

“It’s getting stronger in the sense I can throw for longer. I still have same whip and speed on the ball that I’ve had at the end of practice,” Palmer said. “It’s starting to get to the point where the ball is not dying on me.”

Seahawks signed seventh-round TE Cameron Morrah to a four-year contract.

Texans TE Owen Daniels, who signed his tender of $2.79 million this week, missed a third consecutive day of minicamp. Because he’s under contract, Daniels was fined $9,000 for missing the minicamp.

Texans signed veteran kicker Kris Brown and rookie tight end Anthony Hill (North Carolina State).

Cleveland Browns receiver Donte Stallworth was suspended by the NFL indefinitely without pay following his guilty plea to DUI manslaughter in the death of a pedestrian, the league announced Thursday.

Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote a detailed letter to Stallworth explaining the stiff penalty levied by the league.
"The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable," Goodell wrote. "While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL commissioner to determine the appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL."

The suspension is effective immediately, but Goodell still plans to schedule a meeting with Stallworth to determine the length of the suspension. But now it appears the team will have no choice but to cut ties with the seven-year veteran.

Tailback Reggie Bush, defensive end Will Smith and Darren Sharper were excused from Friday's voluntary practice session. Receivers Lance Moore (shoulder), Robert Meachem (hamstring) and Adrian Arrington (hamstring), center Nick Leckey (foot) and tight end Dan Campbell (knee) were held out of team drills with injuries.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said he expects only three players to still be limited by the start of training camp - Moore, Leckey and rookie linebacker Stanley Arnoux, who is expected to miss the entire season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Moore has been able to participate in walk-through sessions and take "mental reps" throughout the offseason program. Both Payton and quarterback Drew Brees are confident that Moore will be able to pick up where he left off last season, even though he'll be limited at the start of camp.

Steelers released WR Jayson Foster.

Steelers signed third-round WR Mike Wallace to a three-year contract.

Todd Bouman is the Jaguars number 2 QB.

Atlanta running back Verron Haynes is scheduled to go to trial in September for writing bad checks to pay off an Aston Martin he bought from a Monroeville car dealer.

Three Giants rookies did not play a single snap during minicamp: William Beatty, Clint Sintim and Travis Beckum.

Titans Chris Davis — “the odd man out” last season in the receiver rotation, according to Fisher — continues to impress this offseason. He made several nice catches Wednesday. In team drills he caught a pass across the middle in the red zone and scored.

“His work last year has carried over,” Fisher said. “ … He’s working hard and trying to get on the field.”

Davis is also being considered for kickoff and punt return duties.

Bengals agreed to terms of a four-year contract with seventh-round WR Freddie Brown.

The Dolphins agreed to a four-year deal with sixth-round OT Andrew Gardner.

Eagles wide receiver Kevin Curtis returned to his home state of Utah for a charity golf tournament and proclaimed himself fully healthy to play this season.

Curtis missed the beginning of last season following sports hernia surgery and then missed the post-draft minicamp because of a followup surgery in April. He was a limited participant in the last group of OTAs, saying he felt strong at the start of practices but the area would get fatigued.

"I'm 100 percent this year," Curtis told ABC4 in Provo. "I'm feeling good. I should be ready to roll."

Mark Sanchez closed the Jets' three-day minicamp Thursday in Florham Park with five straight completions and a textbook touchdown pass, providing a feel-good vibe as the team scattered for a seven-week break before training camp.

Aaron Rodgers raved about two players in particular, saying Allen Barbre was the most athletic lineman the Packers have. He also complimented tight end Jermichael Finley, who seems to jump out with a big catch every practice.

"Yesterday he made two really impressive catches for touchdowns," said Rodgers. "He's a guy who has all the physical tools you could want - speed, athleticism, hands. Mentally he's just got to understand what we're trying to do on offense and make the right plays and not make any mental mistakes. And if he does that, you can't help but want to give him the ball."

Charles Rogers claims Charles Rogers finally gets it, finally is ready to make the commitment needed to fulfill Charles Rogers' promise as an NFL player. "There's nothing concrete (about the NFL), just speculative," Rogers said. "But if a team gives me a tryout, I know I'm going to be ready. I'm in better shape now than I was before."

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo denied Wednesday any notion that he had been told to get into better shape in a meeting with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett following a report earlier this week.

Ravens signed sixth-round pick RB Cedric Peerman to a three-year, $1.2 million contract.

Childress talked about Percy Harvin’s talent:

“I think the first thing I thought about was really the same feelings the first time we handed Adrian Peterson the ball,” Childress said. “It was with 50 rookies that we bring in right after the draft. When you see it with your own eyes … the thing that came to mind right away was, Wow.”

Texans signed fourth-round TE Anthony Hill to a multi-year deal.

Jay Cutler is ready to roll with the WRs he has on the roster right now.

Really, what else could the Bears' new QB say Wednesday afternoon when the team completed its offseason program. Players will show up Thursday, but the final day is usually reserved for a bowling outing. There will not be any more work on the field.

"I'm 100% comfortable [with the WRs],'' Cutler said. "I think we added some depth with some younger guys and then some of the older veterans are stepping up and playing well. So I think we've got more than enough to compete.'

Bears LBs Brian Urlacher, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach and Joey LaRocque were sidelined. Urlacher is dealing with a groin injury. Running back Matt Forte (hamstring) was also out. Check back later on for more updates.

QB Brett Favre gives interview.

The Raiders will complete the pre-training camp portion of their offseason getting little in the way of development from their top two draft picks, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-bey and safety Mike Mitchell.

Heyward-Bey pulled up on an out-pattern with an audible groan, clutching his right hamstring early in practice. He did not return, leaving the field with trainer Rod Martin.

As for Mitchell, who missed previous OTAs because NFL rules prohited him for participating before his class at Ohio University had graduated, the hamstring he injured back at the mandatory minicamp remains too sore for him to practice.

Matt Ryan's Falcons teammates say the QB will be even better in 2009 than he was when he won widespread acclaim as the NFL's offensive rookie of the year in 2008. Mike Smith says he has focused on the Falcons' passing game in the organized workouts.

"Matt is making good decisions and being accurate with the football," Smith said. "I don't think those two traits can be overlooked. That's what we've emphasized with Matt, make better decisions and to be more accurate throwing the football."
Ryan says the Falcons already are preparing to deal with increased expectations.

Cowboys QB Tony Romo is taking a new approach to conditioning in hopes of being in as good shape in December as he is in September. He's working on ways to be smarter and safer with the football.

Put it all together and it sounds like he's also accepting, and perhaps even embracing, the role of team leader — one that comes with more strings attached when that team is the Cowboys.

"It's not only dealing with the game but dealing with all the extra stuff that goes with it," Romo said Wednesday, the final day of a three-day minicamp that was the club's last official get-together before training camp.

"There are a lot of people that struggle with the mental side of off-the-field situations, and if you can't get over that then you're never going to be able to perform on the field. That's part of figuring out going with it and learning. I had to learn, just like I'm sure plenty of young guys will when they play."

The Broncos signed center Casey Wiegmann to a contract extension.

The Jaguars signed quarterback Todd Boeckman and wide receiver Andy Strickland; waived wide receiver Jason English.

The Falcons released offensive lineman Alex Stepanovich.

With or without his restructured deal, Eagles Donovan Mcnabb was going to be the team’s No. 1 QB this season. But his future with the Eagles beyond 2009 still will be determined by how he and the team do this season. His reworked deal doesn’t change that.

The Texans have signed kicker Kris Brown to a four-year, $10 million contract extension.
Brown, who scored 124 points last season, will get $2.5 million guaranteed.
Brown connected on 29 of 33 field goals last year and made all 37 of his extra-point kicks as the Texans finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. Brown and guard Chester Pitts are the only remaining original Texans from the inaugural 2002 season.
The Texans signed Brown as a free agent from Pittsburgh.

For the second straight offseason, Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart missed most of the significant on-field work at minicamp and summer school. This time the injury – considered mild – involves his left Achilles' tendon. Last season as a rookie he was recovering from toe surgery.

Stewart has been at practice, but mostly just listening to the play calls and watching other running backs take his turn.

He said he didn't need surgery, but was supposed to rest the tendon until training camp, which will begin Aug.2 in Spartanburg. “I'll be ready,” he said.

The team this morning released linebacker Boss Bailey, the younger brother of cornerback Champ Bailey.

The Cardinals signed linebacker Will Davis to a three-year contract.

The Falcons signed cornerback Christopher Owens and offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds.

The Patriots signed guard Rich Ohrnberger.

Giants WR Sinorice Moss, who strained his hamstring Tuesday morning, was one of them. He's out for the rest of minicamp. Moss said it's not serious and won't linger into training camp.

"It frustrates me, but maybe I just need to rest my legs," Moss said.

Said Coughlin, "It's unfortunate it's going to keep him out. He was getting a lot of snaps and he was doing something with them."

The Cardinals report to training camp at Northern Arizona University on July 29 and finish on August 20 this season.

The Jaguars today cut four players, including backup QB Cleo Lemon, to trim their roster to 80 players, the number they're allowed to bring to training camp in August.

The other three players cut are OL Drew Miller, DE Mkristo Bruce and CB Weldon Brown.

Plaxico Burress is intent on playing in 2009, and it appears he wouldn't mind doing so in Tampa Bay.

The former Giants receiver, reached out to Bucs RB Derrick Ward and others on the team to express an interest in joining them.

Coach Raheem Morris made the revelation on Tuesday, the first day of the team's mandatory minicamp. The Bucs are open to upgrading at receiver, and Burress, 31, suddenly is a more realistic option. He is one step closer to returning to the field after his case on Monday was continued until September. If no plea deal is reached before then, a trial likely would not be held until after the season, theoretically allowing him to play.

Morris said there are obstacles, without talking specifics.

Bucs RB Cadillac Williams continues to battle back from a second torn patellar tendon and maintains his intent is to return in time for training camp. "I'm doing lateral movement, I'm doing cutting — I'm pretty much full speed," he said. "But at the same time, you have to be careful. My goal is to be strapped up on Aug. 1."

The Bucs worked out free agent WRs Drew Bennett and D.j. Hackett on Tuesday. Morris said the team was looking at contingency options for possible injuries.

Cowboys WR Kevin Ogletree will not need surgery after suffering a bruised nerve Monday. He should be ready for training camp.

Cowboys RB Felix Jones (calf) did not practice Tuesday and is not expected to work out today for the final day of minicamp.

The next step of Nick Folk's rehab from hip surgery will come Monday when he begins kicking a volleyball. Folk will move from a volleyball to a soccer ball to kicking off a tee before his full return in training camp.

Folk will visit with Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo., on Saturday for a checkup after beginning light jogging last week.

"Feels awesome," Folk said. "I can't complain. It's more tired than anything else. It's not like it's sore, just tired."

This was the off-season in which Miles Austin was going to push to become a bigger factor in the Cowboys' offense, especially since Terrell Owens' release. But a hamstring injury has kept Austin out of the last 3 weeks of practice.

Austin's return to the field, as well as that of fellow WR Sam Hurd, who has a quadriceps injury, will come inside the Alamodome when training camp starts July 29.
Hurd said he is 100 percent and the team wants to keep him fresh for training camp. Both receivers have done running on the side during practices the last two weeks and in the first two days of this week's mini-camp.

"I'm a very competitive person, and it's difficult watching," Hurd said. "I'm ready now, but I'll be really ready for training camp."

After nearly three months of offseason training, Alex Smith and Shaun Hill apparently didn't do much to alter Singletary's perceptions about both passers - and that's a good thing, particularly for Hill. On Tuesday, Singletary said neither quarterback was ahead in the competition, yet he also repeated his belief that Smith would have to win the job from Hill, who's 7-3 as a starter over the past two seasons.

"There really is no insecurity," said Hill, a groomsman in Smith's wedding a few months ago. "I'm definitely used to that. Every single level I've been on, that's the way it's been. I'm kind of used to that, I guess."

Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush will be Nos. 1, 1A in the New Orleans Saints backfield this season. I've had several questions about the New Orleans Saints' running back situation and how I expect the workload to be divided this season. In short, I expect Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush to split the load, with Mike Bell spelling each player for a handful of reps a game. As a point of reference, think 2006, with Thomas in the Deuce Mcallister role and Bell playing the part of Aaron Stecker, albeit in a somewhat larger role. Read more...

It wasn't a fast run, more like an aggressive jog.
But for Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart, Tuesday's semi-sprints at the end of practice were nearly the extent of his work this summer. For the second year in a row, he was unable to participate in any practices during minicamp or summer school. Last year, it was his surgically repaired left big toe. This year, it's his left Achilles tendon, sore from compensating for the original injury. He said the problem “lingered throughout the season,” and “kind of flared up,” this offseason after working out. He said he didn't envision it keeping him from participating in training camp later this summer, but he didn't envision the toe slowing him as much as it did last year.
“I'm pretty much staying off of it to just kind of let it heal,” Stewart said. “It's just a matter of getting it well. I think the trainers had in mind ‘let's get it up to the best of its abilities for camp.'”
The fact he was able to perform as well as he did last year was remarkable, considering he had precious little time to practice.

The Bucs went through with their plans to assess free-agent WRs Drew Bennett and D.j. Hackett, but coach Raheem Morris indicated the team was just looking.

From Brandon Marshall's Blog:

To whom it may concern. Life is filled with change, and where I am in my life now change is probably best. It’s hard leaving an organization ran by one of the best owners in all of sports, and someone who’s been there for me through my ups and downs. The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field.

The Bucs still are interested in receiver Plaxico Burress, but until his legal and league matters are resolved, coach Raheem Morris said it's not worth discussing.

Giants WR Sinorice Moss suffered a strained hamstring during Tuesday's practice.

The 49ers are already facing significant opposition to their proposed stadium plan in Santa Clara.

The Bucs are hoping to trade Brian Griese.

The Ravens have yet to contact the Denver Broncos about Brandon Marshall, but the team is doing their homework on the Pro Bowl wide receiver, a team official said Tuesday.

Running back Jonathan Stewart said a sore left Achilles is what caused him to miss all of the Carolina Panthers OTAs, but that he should be ready to practice when training camp arrives in early August.

The injury was apparently related to Stewart overcompensating for a toe problem that slowed him down last off-season.

"It just kind of flared up," he said. "I'm pretty much staying off of it to just kind of let it heal."

An NFL source said commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to discipline Browns receiver Donte Stallworth before the start of training camp after he pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter Tuesday.

"[Denver Owner] Mr. Bowlen has said that ownership will do everything in it’s power to accommodate [Brandon Marshall's] wishes,” said Marshall’s agent Kennard McGuire to Fox31 Sports' Josina Anderson Tuesday morning. Whereas many of Marshall’s critics believed Broncos owner Pat Bowlen would not facilitate his top flight wide out thinking Marshall had no leverage given his record off the field, all indications reveal that the organization wants to make this an amicable split-should that indeed occur.
No absolute guarantees yet.

There are no indications the Broncos will treat the holdout of Marshall, a wide receiver who wants more money, as they did Cutler, a quarterback who refused to play for new head coach Josh McDaniels.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge.

The plea deal announced Tuesday calls for the 28-year-old Stallworth to also serve 10 years' probation and perform 1,000 community service hours for hitting and killing 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes with his car. Stallworth had faced up to 15 years in prison.

Stallworth also reached a confidential financial settlement with the Reyes' family. A person close to the negotiations told The Association Press about the agreement on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the deal.

Brian Griese was a no-show at Bucs mandatory three-day minicamp today. Griese has sought his release but has been unsuccessful.

After reworking the final two years of his contract, Donovan Mcnabb's 2009 cap number is $20,273,950.

Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco says he plans to stay with quarterback Carson Palmer's family in July to make up for the lost time of the pair not working together much during the offseason.

Ochocinco spoke about his relationship with Palmer before appearing on "Joe Buck Live" on HBO on Monday night.
"We do argue all the time like a married couple," he said. "I think that’s why we’ve been so successful together, because we have that type of relationship we can get on one another."

The Falcons signed offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry.

The Browns waived defensive back Bryan Williams.

The Texans re-signed tight end Owen Daniels to a one-year contract.

A plea agreement has been reached in Donte' Stallworth's DUI manslaughter case, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith. The deal is expected to be announced Tuesday.

A plea agreement has been reached in Donte' Stallworth's DUI manslaughter case, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith on Monday. The deal is expected to be announced Tuesday when the Browns WR is set to appear in a Miami courtroom.

Brett Favre says he is considering coming out of retirement for a second time and the only team he has talked to about a return to the NFL is the Vikings.

Favre appeared on the new HBO show "Joe Buck Live"in his first public appearance since retiring from the New York Jets in February.

The three-time NFL MVP said Monday night he had surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago on his throwing arm. He says the doctor who performed the surgery on his biceps told him it would take four to five weeks for the NFL's career leader in touchdown passes to know if the procedure was a success.

Favre says he has had contact with the Vikings, but "nothing more than are you interested."

Cardinals tight end Ben Patrick has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

The Broncos added to their receiving corps on Monday by signing free-agent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.

Plaxico Burress is still facing an indictment, a possible trial, and maybe as many as 15 years in prison. But none of that will stop him from playing in the NFL this fall.

That's what his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Monday, a little more than an hour after the weapons possession case against Burress was adjourned until Sept. 23. Though Burress may be indicted by a Grand Jury by then, Rosenhaus said he doesn't expect a trial to begin until 2010.So Burress, who was released by the Giants in April and is now an unrestricted free agent, is free to immediately resume his NFL career.

"Now that the legal process is on hold, we are hoping to have a deal in place with a team for Plex before training camps start," Rosenhaus said in a statement released through his Twitter account.

The only roadblock to that is a possible NFL suspension for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy

Saints WR Robert Meachem has a slightly pulled left hamstring and worked on a limited basis (walk-through and individual work)

DE Paul Spicer (groin) and WR Adrian Arrington (hamstring) did not work and are still battling nagging injuries.

Ellis, who spent 11 years with the Dallas Cowboys, is a respected veteran who fits in with the signings of Jeff Garcia and Lorenzo Neal, someone who hopefully not only has something left to offer as a pass rusher but as a leader in a unit which could use that type of presence.
It remains to be seen whether Ellis has anything left or if he's another Greg Spires, who came to the Raiders in similar circumstances last season but failed to make the 53-man roster.
The Raiders have not confirmed this signing. They have their final OTA starting Tuesday, with media availability on Wednesday.

Felix Jones won't participate in the afternoon practice because of a calf contusion, Wade Phillips said.

Receivers Miles Austin (hamstring) and Sam Hurd (quad) are out for the entire minicamp. So is DE Igor Olshansky (back), although Phillips said the free-agent addition would be able to go if the Cowboys had a game this week.

Cowboys WR Roy Williams believes the Cowboys' coaches, particularly play-caller Jason Garrett, have confidence in him. He points to the playbook, which includes a bunch of plays designed to get him the ball, as proof. Williams, who has made it a priority to earn Romo's trust this off-season, certainly helps his cause when he makes plays like his over-the-head grab of an off-target deep ball during the morning practice. That's one way to make sure Romo keeps coming back to him. "Just catch the ball when he throws it to me, any way I can," Williams said. "And buddy him up -- bring him some food, let him borrow some money if he needs some, just be his best friend. "I've just got to continue to be his best friend. Put my arm around him and hug him, tell him that his girlfriend looks good, and we'll go from there." Williams was just kidding about the Jessica compliments, but he's dead serious about building a rapport with Romo similar to the one the coachable WR had with new Cowboys backup Jon Kitna in Detroit.

The Jets agreed to terms with running back Shonn Greene.

The Dolphins released cornerback Scorpio Babers and punter Jy Bond.

Schefter reported on 850 KOA in Denver that Brandon Marshall asked Broncos owner Pat Bowlen for a trade during their meeting Friday.

A Minnesota Vikings trainer visited Brett Favre on Sunday night in Mississippi to discuss exercises the quarterback can do to improve shoulder strength following arthroscopic surgery at the end of May, a source told ESPN's Ed WerderFavre has been assessing the condition of his arm and whether he is interested in coming out of retirement for a second straight year following his release from the New York Jets.

The Vikings aren't showing any public impatience with the NFL's all-time leading passer, even though Favre's annual waffling over his retirement continues to cloud preparations for the season. Training camp starts in six weeks.

The Cowboys signed two new players for minicamp: P Matt Fodge (Oklahoma State and Garland) and WR Willie Reid, who has spent time with the Steelers and Eagles.

Cowboys not practicing: K Nick Folk (hip), WR Travis Wilson (knee), TE Rodney Hannah (hand), LB Justin Rogers (unsure), LB Stephen Hodge (calf), OG Kyle Kosier (foot), WR Isaiah Stanback (knee), DT Tim Anderson (knee) and DE Igor Olshansky (back).

Cowboys WRs Miles Austin (hamstring) and Sam Hurd (quadriceps) aren't ready to return after missing most of the last two weeks. They're not dressed out.

The weapons-possession case against the former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was adjourned on Monday until Sept. 23.

Mr. Burress, 31, shot himself in the thigh with an unlicensed gun on Nov. 29 while in a Manhattan nightclub. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison.

Titans QB Vince Young considered quitting football for the rest of the 2008 season, but he did not contemplate suicide, he told ESPN's E:60.

Police were told to look for the Titans QB on Sept. 8, 2009 after he did not show up to undergo an MRI on his knee and did not tell anybody where he was going. After Young was found, a police report surfaced which said that Titans HC Fisher and the QB's therapist told police that Young had mentioned suicide before leaving his home with a gun. The coach later said the situation was overblown.

"I didn't want to kill myself. That's absurd," Young told Michael Smith on E:60, which will air July 28 (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET). "Because I love my life, like I said. I love everything going on in my life. I love my family. I love everything that's going to happen to me in the future.

Eagles TE Brent Celek, a fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2007, became one of QB Donovan Mcnabb's go-to receivers after replacing injured L.J. Smith in the 2nd half of the 2008 season. He caught 3 passes, including 1 for a TD, in the Eagles' playoff-clinching, 44-6 win over the Cowboys in Week 17.

Celek is doing everything he can to make sure he's up to the task. He has spent much of the offseason in the weight room and the film room, and will be joining McNabb and the other receivers in Arizona for their pre-training-camp passing camp.

"I've lowered my body fat," he said. "I've put on some weight. I got stronger. I'm around the weight I want to be [about 260] and I'm going to keep working to get stronger."

In the film room, Celek has watched hours of tape of some of the league's top tight ends, particularly the Cowboys' Jason Witten and the Redskins' Chris Cooley.

There is a steep price confronting Brandon Marshall for protesting his contract by not attending the Broncos' mandatory minicamp over the weekend.

The cost: $35,329 in fines and a signing bonus deduction.

Marshall, the Broncos' top receiver, is coming off back-to-back 100-catch seasons and hip surgery. In the final year of a four-year contract that would pay him $2.198 million this season, Marshall is seeking an extension that suits his level of production.

To emphasize his point, Marshall skipped all 3 sessions of the Broncos' mandatory minicamp this weekend, although roughly an hour after the first practice Friday, the WR met personally with owner Pat Bowlen at the team's headquarters. Broncos coach Josh spoke with Marshall's agent, Kennard McGuire, again Saturday.
"They expressed their side, and we expressed our views," McGuire said. "I have spent a tremendous amount of time speaking with Josh and the organization. We have decided to continue our dialogue in hopes of finding common ground."

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall is entering the final year of the four-year contract he signed as a rookie and reportedly wants a new deal. McDaniels remains hopeful the situation will be resolved soon so that Marshall can be on the field in training camp.

“The lines are definitely open and well see what transpires in the next couple weeks,” McDaniels said.

There has been plenty of talk for the past month-plus about whether Brett Favre will join the Vikings for the 2009 season. But throughout this process, Favre has remained quiet. That silence will end at 8 p.m. Monday when the retired quarterback appears live in studio on the debut of "Joe Buck Live" on HBO.

Buck, who is Fox’s lead play-by-play voice for the NFL and baseball, was added to the HBO lineup after Bob Costas departed to start working for Major League Baseball’s new network.

Jets TE Dustin Keller was attacked by a "vicious pit bull," but is okay according to his Twitter:

Walking in Brooklyn and was attacked by a vicious stray pitbull that was foaming at the mouth..I jumped on a tall fence to avoid the mauling

Pro Bowl tight end Owen Daniels has signed his one-year, $2.79-million tender with the Texans, but his agents will continue negotiations on a multiyear contract they hope will make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at his position.
Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez ($7 million per year) leads in average per year. 'I'd be a little upset,' Daniels said in May about the possibility of playing for the one-year, $2.79-million tender.

Rookie running back Know- shon Moreno has been biding his time behind two veterans through the first two days of the Broncos' mandatory minicamp, but he's clearly making an impression on the team's offensive coaches.

Vince Young has revealed that the emotional ordeal surrounding the 2008 season opener in which he was booed at LP Field caused him to consider quitting football, a sentiment he had previously denied after similar situations in his three-year NFL career.

I was to the point where man, I didn't really want to play no more because of the fact that I was that hurt," Young told ESPN's E:60 in an interview that will air on this morning's 9 a.m. edition of SportsCenter. "I was that hurt from the boos and all the different things that were going on. It was just so much for me — I didn't want to play no more."

The comments are the latest in recent weeks from Young, the No. 3 pick of the 2006 NFL Draft and former Titans starting quarterback.

The Jets, Bucs and Bears have shown interest in WR Plaxico Burress, but the uncertainty that remains about his availability could easily scare teams away. Jail time is no longer the most immediate threat to his playing time. Roger Goodell is now first up with a chance to knock Burress down.

Burress will be in Manhattan Criminal Court tomorrow, but instead of his status being clarified with a plea arrangement or trial date for 2010, his attorney says the case will be adjourned until September.

Will any team sign him, bring him to training camp, count on him and then find out in September that he has reached a plea agreement to serve jail time that presumably would cost him at least the rest of the season? On the other hand, perhaps there will be another adjournment in September, or an agreement that jail time will not be served until after the 2009 season, or that there will be a trial in 2010. It appears Burress' goal is to do everything he can to get on the field this season and delay his legal woes until 2010.

If Favre is willing to sign a contract with an option that will determine his pay based on how he performs and how much he plays, the Wilf family will go all out to add Favre to the team. The contract will not be guaranteed. It could have some good incentive clauses that will pay Favre well if he can perform like he did in 2007, when he led the Packers to a 13-3 record and was an intercepted pass away from going to the Super Bowl. On the other hand, if he fails to produce, he will get paid for just the time he was with the team. With the economy as poor as it is, the Wilfs aren't going to sign Favre to a guaranteed contract and then find out he can't perform. But they are willing to pay him big money if he can produce.

Once Favre agrees to that option clause in the contract, some coaches will meet the 39-year-old star here or at a mutually decided site, and he will work out to demonstrate to the coaches that his recent shoulder surgery was a success and he is ready to perform in the NFL like he did in the first eight games last year for the Jets until he was injured. Of course, he will have to pass a normal physical.

Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo had his second full practice out of three. At this rate, it’d been surprising if he’s not in the starting lineup for the Sept. 12 season opener.

But Camarillo did come up on the short end on a nice play by rookie CB Vontae Davis. Davis stuck with Camarillo down field and showed how physical he is as he forced an incompletion.

With a big 6-foot-5 frame, a penchant for blocking and impressive hands, Pettigrew could be the complete tight end any team would treasure. During a recent Lions practice, first-round pick TE Brandon Pettigrew was a favorite target of QB Matthew Stafford's and the two seemed to work well together.

"It just happened like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm glad we're kind of getting a feel for each other and a good connection going into this thing and having a good relationship. That'll be good."

Pettigrew has been particularly impressed with Stafford's on-field maturity.

Announcing Kyle Orton as the Broncos' starting QB stirred all the reaction of a saint entering heaven.

No surprise, really, although there is significance in the moment, anyway.

Chris Simms took the news like an angel.

"Kyle's extremely underrated," Simms said while fielding questions regarding his personal defeat in the offseason quarterback competition at Dove Valley. "I've always felt that way. He was underrated in college, he was underrated with the Bears. He throws the ball very well. He's a smart guy. He's a big guy. There's a lot of pluses about Kyle, and I have the ultimate respect for his game."

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels notified Orton and Simms of his decision Friday night.

Browns WR Braylon Edwards returned to practice Saturday.

The Buffalo Bills announced that the Verizon Wireless Training Camp schedule will kickoff on Saturday, July 25th at the St. John Fisher campus in Pittsford. This marks the 10th year that the Bills will hold their training camp in the Rochester region.

The Browns walked off the field after their final minicamp Saturday with more questions than answers.

The quarterback position is still unsettled. Braylon Edwards is the only established wide receiver on the roster, and he was mostly a spectator during the three-day camp because of an undisclosed injury.

The tight ends are unsettled after the trade of Kellen Winslow and the knee injury to Steve Heiden, and the offensive and defensive lines remain in flux. At nearly every position on the roster, jobs are up for grabs.

Browns QB Derek Anderson practiced Friday and Saturday with a sleeve on his right calf, although the wrap Saturday looked thicker than Friday. Both he and Mangini declined to clarify the injury. Mangini would say only that Anderson will be fine for training camp.

Kyle Orton was selected to be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels decided to end the suspense early heading into next month's training camp.

Orton had been competing this offseason with Chris Simms for the starting spot left open by the blockbuster deal that sent Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears on April 3.

Pat White continues to struggle in Miami. Although Sparano says he is improving.

Brandon Marshall was a no-show again Saturday.

Derek Anderson did not practice Saturday with a minor leg injury.

Mangini likes what he's seen from rookie running back James Davis, the sixth-round pick from Clemson. With Jamal Lewis sidelined, Davis has received plenty of extra reps.

The Chargers spent portions of the past two days running the offense in earnest for the first time. "I think it's good for our defense to see," coach Norv Turner said. "They're going to face it." Turner did not rule out his offense using it, even saying maybe he can get fans and media off his back by giving Ladainian Tomlinson a few passes out of the formation.

Kyle Orton and Chris Simms each took repetitions with the first-team offense Friday, though it was Orton who took the first snaps in 11-on-11 drills.

Absent from the start of mandatory minicamp this morning, Broncos WR Brandon Marshall met with team owner Pat Bowlen this afternoon at 2 p.m., then left the property at 3:15 p.m. Coach Josh McDaniels said after minicamp practice that he planned to meet with Marshall. Marshall was dressed in black shorts and a black T-shirt and loaded three boxes into his car upon his departure. He declined to comment to reporters as he chatted on his cell phone.

The Broncos have reason to consider Marshall an investment risk. The team might want to first see how he recovers from his hip surgery. He also has been involved in numerous off-field legal issues to the point where another infraction could leave him vulnerable to a long-term suspension under the league's personal conduct policy.

Seahawks injury reports: CB Marcus Trufant sat out with tightness in his hamstring, WR Courtney Taylor injured his groin and WR Nate Burleson also has tightness in his hamstring, which was why he was held out of practices this week. S C.J. Wallace suffered a sprained foot last week, which is why he didn't practice. DT Cory Redding practiced on Wednesday, but was not participating on Thursday and Friday. RB Devin Moore -- an undrafted free agent from Wyoming -- wasn't practicing on Friday after suffering some sort of injury on Thursday morning.

"I want us to start camp healthy," Mora said of the injury absences. "We're going to err on the side of caution."

DE Patrick Kerney and LT Walter Jones are rehabbing from surgeries. Kerney had his shoulder repaired and loose chips removed from his elbow, and Jones underwent surgery on his knee back in December.

Mora said both are expected to be ready when training camp begins on July 31.

Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco-Johnson says his facial tattoos are fake.

Ex- Giants WR Plaxico Burress has been unable to strike a plea deal with prosecutors, and as a result he will ask for yet another adjournment when he reports to court on Monday.

According to the story, by news writer Melissa Grace, Burress’ attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said he hopes to get the case delayed until September, which could mean Burress could play in 2009.

Veteran QB Trent Green says he has decided to retire, Fox Sports reported. Green, whose career was hampered by injuries, played for five teams over 15 seasons and spent last season with the St. Louis Rams as Marc Bulger's backup. The Rams released him earlier this year.

The Eagles released defensive tackle Trevor Jenkins.

The Redskins signed linebacker Robert Henson; released long snapper Jeremy Cain and linebacker Tyson Smith.

The Steelers signed cornerback Kennan Lewis, cornerback Joe Burnett and running back Frank Summers; released punter Dirk Johnson.

Browns quarterback Derek Anderson sat out the second of two mandatory minicamp practices Friday with an apparent leg injury. The team would not give details afterward.

Anderson came up limping after scrambling to find an open receiver in the morning session, but was able to finish the practice.

In the next few days a Minnesota Vikings trainer and a member of the team's coaching staff intend to travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to work with retired quarterback Brett Favre, a source close to the situation tells ESPN.

The Vikings staffers will be assessing Favre's progress since having arthroscopic surgery to repair a partially torn biceps tendon in recent weeks. Favre already has resumed throwing, but he doesn't know yet if his arm will be healthy enough to allow him to play a 19th NFL season.

Training camp begins in seven weeks. Sources said Favre had surgery two weeks ago.

Favre did not report to organized team activities that began Tuesday.

Quarterback Vince Young continues to speak out about his status with the Titans. In an interview with ESPN broadcast Thursday, Young said he would be willing to be the No. 2 quarterback for the next two years — not by choice, but he did it last season — and reiterated the point he made recently on a Baltimore television station: He's ready to play now.

Young also said he "definitely" wants to remain a Titan.

The Redskins have released WR James Thrash after failing to pass a team physical. Thrash has been suffering from a bulged disk in his neck. Several rumors persist that Thrash may end up retiring.

Broncos star reciever Brandon Marshall did not show up for the team's mandatory minicamp this morning.

Marshall is in the final year of a four-year contract that will pay him $2.198 million this year.

Marshall, who is recovering from hip surgery, would not have been able to participate in the three practices this weekend, but was required to show up for rehab treatments.

Besides not being happy with his contract, Marshall has cited a lack of confidence in the Broncos medical team, saying the severity of his hip injury was misdiagnosed last season. The team could fine him because of his absence.

The Buffalo Bills announced today that their training camp at St. John Fisher College kicks off with two practices on Saturday, July 25, and two more on July 26.

Will Brandon Marshall officially become a holdout today?

Marshall, the Broncos' top receiver with 100-plus catches each of the past two seasons, has missed the past three weeks of the team's "voluntary'' minicamps because of medical trust and contract issues.

If he doesn't show up for the start of a three-day minicamp today, the Broncos would have a problem because participation is mandatory. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels has said he expects Marshall's return to the team today.

"We understand what is mandatory and what is voluntary,'' said Marshall's agent Kennard McGuire. "There is no dispute in interpreting the two.''

The Broncos waived tackle Marcus Gordon, linebacker Braxton Kelley and wide receiver Travis Shelton on Thursday. Each had been signed as rookie college free agents.

The Atlanta Falcons released Michael Vick, team officials confirmed to Channel 2 Action News Friday morning.

Donovan Mcnabb, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, was due to make $9.2 million this season and $10 million next season. The size of the raise wasn't announced.

However, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, McNabb's new deal is worth $24.5 million over the next two seasons.

Giants WR Taye Biddle will undergo surgery on Monday to shorten a plate in his finger.

Jets released TE Martrez Milner.

Phil Dawson arrived at Browns OTA Thursday.

Marshawn Lynch did not participate in the last two helmet practices with his teammates in minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday. His injury was outlined by head coach Dick Jauron.

“He got stepped on and his foot kind of swelled up,” said Jauron. ”So we sent him for x-rays and tests, and nothing is broken, but it was still swollen and sore.”

Lynch was favoring the foot a bit walking around on the sidelines at practice. But it’s not considered serious.

Patriots released FB Patrick Pass.

Texans agreed to terms with QB Rex Grossman on a one-year, $620,000 contract.

If Grossman passes his physical, as expected, he'll sign a one-year contract Friday worth $620,000 — the minimum for a seven-year veteran. Grossman, who turns 29 in August, was a first-round draft choice by the Chicago Bears in 2003. After spending six seasons with the Bears, they elected not to re-sign him, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Texans already have three veterans — Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky and Alex Brink. They aren't planning to take four quarterbacks to training camp, which could be bad news for Brink, a seventh-round pick in 2008.

Ochocinco said he decided to come back this week for two voluntary on-field sessions instead of waiting for next weekend's mandatory minicamp that will have five workouts so he could get started on picking up a renovated playbook. He figures three full days should do it.

"There are a lot of wrinkles I'm not familiar with,' he said. "I don't feel comfortable running with the ones at this point. I came back under perfect timing. I'll get (two) practices under my belt and be ready for minicamp and get up to speed as far as practice.

"I can train as hard as I want in the offseason like I've done, but there's no substitute for the speed in an NFL game. Second day, I'm on point. I'm not where I need to be. That's why I came in early."

"He's in a lot better shape; you can look at him and see it," said second-year wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who only saw Ochocinco play in his dismal '08 season. "He's looking a lot quicker, faster. He looks like the Ocho I've seen on TV and the highlights."

Redskins signed seventh-round pick Eddie Williams to a multi-year contract.

Per Drew Rosenhaus on Twitter: Rex Grossman will be visiting the Houston Texans tonight. He will be taking a physcial and we anticipate agreeing to terms on a 1 year deal.

Grossman would most likely compete for the #2 job with Dan Orlovsky.

Jaguars released CB Will James.

Jaguars waived TE Charles Davis.

Steelers rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace, taken in the third round of the NFL Draft, said he could beat speed burners like Santonio Holmes, Ike Taylor, Willie Parker or Troy Polamalu in a 40-yard dash or 100-yard sprint. Wallace is currently 5th on the depth chart.

Joseph Addai was held out of the OTAs and the mandatory minicamp as he completed his rehabilitation from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. That meant more work for first-round draft pick Donald Brown.

Though it's risky to judge a player's performance in no-pads, no-contact workouts, Brown was difficult to ignore. He showed he's still a work in progress as a receiver, but he displayed shiftiness and possesses great acceleration through the line of scrimmage.

Pierre Garcon is in the midst of a solid summer and probably is the front-runner to fill the No. 3 spot behind Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez. Garcon has good speed and size (6-0, 210 pounds) and caught most of what was thrown to him during the OTAs.

Look for Garcon to be pushed by fourth-round draft pick Austin Collie and Roy Hall.

Michael Crabtree did a bit more sprinting today. And, yes, I'm sticking to the word "sprinting." He seemed to start out slowly but then revved up over 40 yards until he was running at what must have been close to all-out speed.

From Chad Ochocinco's Twitter last night, "Yall might not believe me but my tatoo guy is here and i getting my face done, looks cool to, dont be mad just accept the Ocho please"

Ochocinco reportedly got three new facial tattoos - two crosses on one side, Florida on the other, and OC on the nose.

The New York Jets' Mark Sanchez rookie quarterback got his big deal -- and a huge sense of relief -- before minicamp was even completed, signing a five-year deal Wednesday that could be worth up to $60 million, including $28 million guaranteed.

"It sends the right message," Sanchez said. "It's not in my makeup to hold out like that. That would've just been terrible for me. This just eliminates that whole factor. I'll be there Day 1, ready to go and compete. It's going to be a good time and a competitive time."

Agent David Dunn said the deal is worth "around the $50 million mark," but could reach as high as $60 million with incentives. That would make it the richest rookie deal ever given out by the Jets.

Bears Charles Tillman is back on the field from shoulder surgery while Matt Forte continues to sit out with a hamstring injury, as expected, as the Bears have started today's organized teama activities. Forte is unlikely to practice this week. Kevin Jones is taking the first team reps.

The Bears today signed their final two draft picks, defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias to four-year deals.

Vikings HC Childress says he never set a deadline of this week for Brett Favre to decide whether to play for the Vikings. Childress called local sports radio station KFAN on his way to work Wednesday. He wouldn't confirm if the team will continue to pursue Favre this summer, but acknowledged he's eager to see what Favre has "left in that can" following recent reported surgery on his throwing arm. Childress also said he's spoken with quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels about the situation and that he's not concerned the Favre saga will distract them. The Vikings have a handful of offseason practices scheduled over the next week, their last organized activities until training camp.

Police in Florida today dropped a charge of sexual exposure against Buffalo Bills fullback Corey Mcintyre.

McIntyre was arrested last month on a misdemeanor charge of exposing his sexual organs following an alleged incident March 20 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. A 59-year-old Port St. Lucie woman initially told police she saw a man fondling himself outside the window of her home, and she identified McIntyre as the man.

However, in follow-up meetings with prosecutors, the woman said she never actually saw the man's genitals and was "unable to give other specifics in reference to her allegation," a police spokesman in Port St. Lucie said.

The Seahawks signed quarterback Mike Teel, safety Courtney Greene, and defensive end Nick Reed.

Matt Bryant returned to the team's practice field Tuesday and sounded conflicted about his chances of retaining his starting job in 2009.

The Bucs signed 27-year-old free agent Mike Nugent from the Jets to compete against Bryant, who turned 34 last month. Bryant set a franchise record with 131 points last season while converting 32-of-38 FG attempts, including all 27 of his tries from inside the 40.

Nugent, is considered to have a stronger leg, especially on kickoffs.

Bryant has missed Tampa Bay's voluntary workouts while attending to a family medical issue in Texas. He returned to the Bay area Monday evening and participated in Tuesday's practice session.

When the 49ers signed WR Brandon Jones in February to a five-year, $16.5 million deal with $5.4 million guaranteed, they weren't sure if Isaac Bruce would retire and hadn't drafted Michael Crabtree.

With Bruce and Crabtree in the mix, where does Jones fit in?

"The best way I can," said Jones, who had 41 catches for 449 yards and a touchdown last season for the Tennessee Titans. "I want to get on the field. I want to make plays. That's my job to do. That's what I'm going to do. I see myself fitting in wherever they want me to fit in. I want to help the team win."

Jones, 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, has made himself known at practice.

"He's got some wheels, and he's got much stronger hands than I thought," Hill said. "He's really surprised me with how strong his hands are in traffic, going up and making plays. He's got some range to him, and he's shown that in the last few days."

Prosecutors dropped marijuana possession charges against Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes this morning after deciding there was not probable cause for the traffic stop that led to the charges.

Jaguars WR Torry Holt missed practice with an ice bag on his knee."We just gave him a day [off] today. Nothing major. He needed a day to let it settle down. We're going to do that throughout camp,'' Del Rio said.

TRoy Williamson gave the Jaguars a glimpse of the WR they think he can be during the team's organized team activities this week.

Williamson made an impressive sideline catch Monday and then ran behind two defenders to pull in a TD pass in the back corner of the end zone Tuesday.

"Troy's done well,'' coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's done a nice job of competing.''

If Williamson keeps making plays like that, he can put himself in the mix for a WR job at a position that became more competitive when the Jaguars signed free agent Torry Holt and drafted 3 rookie WRs. Williamson has caught the eye of QB David Garrard, who said, "He's actually been looking really good. He needs to use his speed, go down the field and make plays on the ball that we need him to and just make routine catches.''

The Colts have re-signed place-kicker Shane Andrus, who has spent time with the team during prior training camps.

Andrus' addition comes less than a week after veteran place-kicker Adam Vinatieri underwent surgery on his right hip. It is uncertain if Vinatieri will be available for the preseason, but the team expects him to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Texans TE Owen Daniels has become the second player to skip organized team activities this offseason because of a contract dispute with the franchise’s front office.

Daniels’ agent, Alan Herman, said he and his client were told they would receive another offer over the weekend from the Texans. When no offer was made, Daniels decided to stop attending OTAs. Herman said he is unsure whether Daniels will participate in next week’s minicamp or training camp.

Last week, Packers HC Mike McCarthy noted “there’s a lot of competition” behind RB Ryan Grant, but he stopped short of saying third-down back Brandon Jackson or someone else might take on a larger ball-carrying load this season. The four-year contract Grant signed in August continues to pay him like a featured back, with $3 million in bonuses due on top of his $1.25 million base salary this year.

If Brett Favre signs to play QB for the Vikings in the next week or two, his family and friends will be ready for his one game back in Green Bay. About two months ago, a member of Favre’s inner circle blocked off 25 to 30 rooms at the Midway Motor Lodge near Lambeau Field for the weekend of the Vikings game against the Packers on Nov. 1.

Favre appears ready to sign with the Vikings relatively soon, contingent upon his throwing arm’s progress after recently having surgery on his injured shoulder. But friends and family members have been preparing for a while for his possible signing with the Vikings.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson is about as low-key as they come among NFL receivers. But even Johnson is showing signs of excitement and confidence during organized team activities."Offense is looking good," he said. Mattthew "Stafford's doing a good job early. Real exciting getting down to these last few days of OTAs."As for Stafford, Johnson seems pleased with the top draft pick's ability.

"He throws a nice, tight spiral," Johnson said. "Throws a hard ball. He has a big arm, so it's nice to see that."

The U.S. Attorney's office says former NFL player Travis Henry will remain in jail pending his July 15 sentencing on drug trafficking charges.

Henry, 30, had been free on $400,000 bail until he was arrested in Florida last month after testing positive for alcohol use, violating the terms of his release. Today, U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull in Billings ordered the defendant to be detained pending sentencing.

Henry pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess at least 11 pounds of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was cut by the Broncos in June 2008 after playing one season of a four-year, $22.5 million contract.

A couple of weeks after the Ravens seemed certain Derrick Mason would participate in training camp, the veteran wide receiver said Tuesday that there is no timetable for his return.

Mason has been limited because he is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The Ravens report to training camp in late July.

Mason, who has led the Ravens in catches for three of his four seasons here, had surgery to repair his scapula and the labrum in his left shoulder in February.

Even though he continues to run primarily with the second team, Ravens RB Willis Mcgahee said he doesn't mind backing up Ray Rice for now.

McGahee had been limited for most of the offseason after having arthroscopic knee surgery. Because Rice has been going with the starters during his absence, McGahee said he didn't expect to supplant Rice when he began fully practicing last week.

"It wouldn't be right," McGahee said Tuesday during the final minicamp for veterans. "I don't mind. Work is work. That's either with the first, second or third."

A judge who rejected Michael Vick’s first bankruptcy plan warned the suspended NFL star’s lawyers Tuesday that they have just one more chance to file a workable proposal for repaying the mil Lions he owes to creditors.

As Vick sat silently in the front of the courtroom, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro set a July 2 deadline for submission of a revised Chapter 11 plan. A hearing to confirm or reject the plan was set for Aug. 27.

Santoro said that if the new plan fails to address the shortcomings that prompted him to reject the first one in April, he will appoint an independent trustee to take over management of Vick’s finances.

“The feasibility of it the last go-round, as I ruled, left something to be desired,” Santoro said.

The Eagles have just agreed to terms on a 4 year deal for rookie TE Cornelius Ingram.

RB Edgerrin James will be taking his time before signing with a new team. We want to make sure his next team is the right team and that... decision may not be made until after training camps start. Edge is excited about playing this season & getting back to the Super Bowl.

According to multiple league sources, the Redskins briefly discussed signing the ex- Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and came to a quick and unanimous conclusion. It would not work here. It’s a message league sources say has been consistent since January.

Eagles agreed to terms with fifth-round TE Cornelius Ingram on a four-year contract, including a $183,000 signing bonus.

The Minnesota Vikings have at least temporarily suspended their pursuit of Brett Favre after the retired quarterback failed to report to organized team activities that began Tuesday as head coach Brad Childress had mandated, according to team and league sources. The Vikings conveyed their decision in a phone call from vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski to Bus Cook, the agent who represents Favre.

Marshawn Lynch is not participating on day one of minicamp. He is on the field watching practice and wearing his jersey, but is not doing anything. Fred Jackson is taking starter reps in the RB rotation.

Roscoe Parrish appeared to suffer a lower leg injury early in minicamp practice as he emerged from the training room with an ice pack on his right calf. But after practice on his way to the locker room Parrish when asked about it said, “I’m alright.”
Parrish was not favoring the right leg as he jogged off the field to the locker room

The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent QB Charlie Frye. Frye looks to work behind Jeff Garcia and Jamarcus Russell this week at their Alameda, CA facility as OTAs resume.

In what sounds like good news for DAL #2 and #3 WRs, Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton - Owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys have no interest in former Arkansas receiver Matt Jones. Matt Jones was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after failing a drug test and violating the terms of his probation from a previous arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance.

Coach Sean Payton says the Saints have no immediate plans to sign a veteran free agent running back.
"Right now we're content with the guys we have," Payton said. The Saints called Edgerrin James a possibility a month ago, but that was while Pierre Thomas was rehabbing from wrist surgery. Thomas is close to 100% now.

Seahawks signed sixth-round QB Mike Teel to a four-year contract.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley revealed that Dwayne Bowe reported to offseason workouts out of shape.
Bowe has since impressed with his focus on the practice field. Something of a class clown during the Herm Edwards regime, Bowe has appeared "more reserved" and "quieter" at OTAs under Todd Haley. An increased emphasis to detail can only help Bowe in his bid to break out as a third-year receiver.

Leon Washington "strongly hinted" at OTAs Tuesday that he'll skip training camp of the Jets don't give him a new contract.
This doesn't mean he'll do it. Washington would risk massive daily fines by sitting out August practices, and is due only $535,000 in '09 salary. Still, there are no indications that the sides are anywhere close to an agreement.

Todd Heap (back) returned to a full practice at Ravens OTAs Tuesday.

Derrick Mason (shoulder surgery) reiterated Tuesday that he's unsure if he'll be ready for training camp.

Willis Mcgahee says he's not upset about being demoted to Ray Rice's backup.
"I don't mind. Work is work," he said. "That's either with the first, second or third (team)." McGahee also confirmed that he underwent offseason knee surgery after earlier claiming the procedure was to his ankle.

Unsigned restricted free agent Owen Daniels skipped Texans OTA practice Tuesday due to displeasure with his contract status.

Ryan Torain (ACL surgery) admitted that there's "no timetable" for him to resume practicing.
Torain has begun doing some sprints.

A federal judge has assigned suspended QB Michael Vick a new July 2 deadline to construct a revised plan to get out of bankruptcy.
The judge wants Vick to sell certain homes and vehicles, and is skeptical about his return to the NFL. Vick's original proposal was rejected in April.

Colts signed K Shane Andrus.

Tom Brady (ACL, MCL surgery) took part in Patriots OTA practice Tuesday despite rainy conditions and a muddy field.

Marshawn Lynch is being held out of Bills practice Tuesday.

Jets minicamp opens today.

Kenneth Darby is considered the leading contender for the Rams backup running back job.
The good news for Steven Jackson owners is that he won't lose many touches to other backs. The bad news is that there's no clear-cut handcuff among Darby, Antonio Pittman and rookie Chris Ogbonnaya.

Chad Ochocinco reported to Bengals practice Tuesday.

Lesean Mccoy (thumb) returned to Eagles practice Monday.

The Cardinals are roughly $2 million under the salary cap after signing Adrian Wilson to an extension.
That money will be used to sign rookies, which means the team will have to get creative to rework Anquan Boldin's deal. Signing Karlos Dansby to an extension would help lower this year's cap.

Pat Kirwin of Sirius NFL Radio does not believe the Vikings will have any problem meeting Brett Favre's contract demands.

SI's Peter King speculated that Favre might get a one-year deal worth $8-10 million. The Vikings are $17.5 million under the salary cap. Favre's agent, Bus Cook, is already ramping up the rhetoric: "I would think [the Vikings] would pull out all the stops if they want to get the guy."

Tom Brady was reportedly "rescued" from the Charles River this past weekend after flipping his kayak.
Brady was in more danger of embarrassment than drowning. He participated in Monday's charity golf outing and was no worse for the wear, finishing second to Tedy Bruschi in the long-drive competition.

Chad Ochocinco revealed that he spoke to Carson Palmer for 40-45 minutes in a phone conversation Monday.
"We're good," Chad said. "We're like Brokeback Mountain." After the Bengals' June 18-20 mandatory minicamp, Ochocinco plans to work at passing camp with Palmer in July. It appears the two are genuinely back on good terms.

Broncos RB Ryan Torain, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Nov. 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, also missed Monday's practice. McDaniels said Torian, who missed almost all of his rookie season after also suffering an elbow injury in training camp last year, isn't ready to start practicing yet.

Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, who's rehabilitating his surgically repaired hip, wasn't at practice Monday. However, McDaniels said he expects Marshall, who's at his home in Orlando, Fla., to attend a mandatory minicamp that begins Friday.

On a day when Broncos WR Brandon Stokley stood out among his peers at practice, HC McDaniels spoke highly of the 11th-year wide receiver. "Brandon is certainly a veteran player who has done a lot of great things in this league and fits really well into our system and what we do," he said.

For some time, Stokley has been known around the league as a third-down threat. As a coach in New England, McDaniels got an up-close look as Stokley seemingly always found a way to move the chains for the Colts and Broncos.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder reported that Vikings coach Brad Childress has imposed a deadline of this week for Brett Favre to decide whether he will be the team’s quarterback for the 2009 season. We were told later in the day that Childress had talked about giving Favre a deadline of this week.

But did it happen?

Pat Kirwan said today on SIRIUS NFL Radio’s “Movin’ The Chains” that there is no deadline for Favre in Minnesota, contrary to what ESPN has reported. Kirwan’s words carry weight on this subject because he is friendly with Childress and frequently has the Vikings coach on as a guest during the season.

The Bills signed running back Justise Hairston.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart still out of OTAs

Kellen Clemens vs. Mark Sanchez. Through 11 OTA practices, Clemens is clearly ahead of the Golden Boy. Sanchez looked lost at the beginning, but he came on last week, demonstrating a better grasp of the offense. No one is going to win or lose the starting job in this minicamp, but Sanchez can close the gap with a strong performance. It's hard to get an accurate read on the quarterbacks in a controlled environment; the real evaluation will start in the pre-season games. The organization wants Sanchez to win the job, but Ryan is in a win-now mode and he's not going to throw away 2009 and put Sanchez on the field if he's not ready. The interesting question is this: Will O.C. Brian Schottenheimer scale back his offense to make it Sanchez-friendly? Believe me, some players are wondering that.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has imposed a deadline of this week for Brett Favre to decide whether he will be the team's quarterback for the upcoming season, according to two sources. Favre, however, is apparently reluctant to commit to playing a 19th NFL season without first being more confident the arthroscopic surgery performed recently on his throwing shoulder has succeeded in eliminating all of the problems related to a torn biceps tendon. Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery.

Saints TB Pierre Thomas (bruised wrist) and offensive tackle Jammal Brown (dehydration) were both back on the field Sunday after they left early on Saturday afternoon. Thomas did not participate in team drills, though.

RB Reggie Bush and WR Marques Colston fully participated in the final minicamp practice Sunday morning - a good sign that both players remain on track to be full-go for the start of training camp on July 30.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said after practice that he think there's "no question" that both players will be 100% by then.

As far as yesterday's 49ers practice, Alex Smith led the first-team offense. He continues to look sharp and confident as his throwing arm returns to full strength. ... When the first-string offense lined up, the top three receivers were "Z" Josh Morgan, "X" Dominique Zeigler and "slot" Michael Spurlock.

the 49ers now has four days of OTAs that begin tomorrow. The big news of the day -- and this is all relative -- is that rookie WR Michael Crabtree was seen sprinting with trainers. Now I'm not here 24 hours a day, so I don't know Crabtree's exact rehab regimen after foot surgery in March. But as far as I can tell, this is the first time Crabtree's actually run -- and run fairly hard -- on the foot since the procedure. Under the supervision of strength coach Duane Carlisle, Crabtree ran perhaps a dozen sprints of about 40 yards on the team's artificial field. He seemed to be going about 3-quarters speed.

with WR Marvin Harrison's exodus, Colts WR Reggie Wayne became the only No. 1. Or, in Wayne's words, "I am the Marv.''

Over the past five seasons, the 2001 first-round draft pick has established himself as one of the league's elite receivers. His 6,230 yards rank first among receivers while his 432 receptions rank fourth. He and Green Bay's Donald Driver are the only players heading into 2009 with five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Nothing Wayne has achieved has surprised team president Bill Polian. He points to Wayne's work ethic; Wayne spends much of his offseason laboring with other NFL players at the University of Miami. He also points to Wayne's consummate skills.

"He can do everything you want a wide receiver to do -- run, catch, block, run after the catch, get open, get deep,'' Polian said. "He's got incredible hands.''

Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez missed the team's practice because of an injured right leg.

Coach Jim Caldwell didn't give details Sunday about the injury, which occurred during Saturday's mini-camp practice at Franklin College. Gonzalez stayed on the field after hurting his leg, but spent the rest of practice stretching it out.

Caldwell said Gonzalez, who's expected to replace Marvin Harrison in the Colts' lineup, could return to the field Tuesday or Wednesday when Indianapolis finishes its scheduled offseason workouts.

Saints RB Reggie Bush is ahead of schedule in his return from knee surgery and should be 100% by the start of training camp next month.Bush participated in three of the five practices during the team's weekend mini-camp and showed no ill effects from December surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee as he worked at RB and on punt returns.

"I'm not trying to go out there and rip it up," Bush said, "But I am trying to get the feel back to cutting and all that stuff."
Bush was off to a productive start to his third NFL season before injuries knocked him out of six games last season. Bush and the rest of the running backs will have to fill the void left by the release of Deuce Mcallister, the franchise's all-time leading rusher.

Colts safety Bob Sanders isn't doing any on-field work with his teammates while he continues to recover from the physical demands of the 2008 season, but neither is he preoccupied with his health. "I feel good,'' he said. "Basically that's all I'm going to say. My soul is good and I'm in good spirits. I'm doing all right.'' Sanders has missed 35 of a possible 80 regular-season games because of injury during his five-year career. He missed 10 games last season after undergoing surgery on his right knee.

I don't think Saints TE Jeremy Shockey is out of the woods in New Orleans. Not at all. He wasn't working with the first team in this weekend's full-squad minicamp, in the wake of his May 24 removal from a Vegas hotel for "dehydration.''

I asked Drew Brees if he was worried about Shockey. He paused for a few seconds, then said, "Oh boy ... I'm not worried about him. I don't care who you are, here I feel like we can win without him, just like I feel we can win without Reggie Bush or Marques Colston. If he fits in, I'd love to have him.''

The meaning of the Brett Favre surgery -- per an ESPN report last night claiming he had his damaged right biceps tendon repaired recently by detaching it -- is simple: The man wants to play football for the Vikings, and they Vikings have obviously given him enough of an indication that if he's healthy and ready to throw full-throttle by early July that they'll be interested in signing him.

My guess is Favre had the surgery 10 to 12 days ago. An NFL medical source told me if Favre's biceps tendon was indeed "hanging by a thread,'' as I heard it was, that Favre would be able to throw a football in about two weeks and should be able to throw without pain in about four weeks.

49ers OC Jimmy Raye said said he wants to utilize tight end Vernon Davis' vertical speed to create problems for defenses. He wants his contributions in the passing game to come as a receiver - not a blocker. "He's also an excellent in-line blocker," Raye said, "but we would like to use him not as much in blocking in pass situations as we would running routes. So we would like to put him in positions where he is a matchup problem for the defense . . . provided the protection that we have will allow us to do that."

Free agent Brett Favre has undergone arthroscopic surgery to fix the torn biceps in his throwing arm, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Brett Favre's determination to play quarterback this season for the Minnesota Vikings prompted him to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured passing shoulder recently, according to two sources. However, Favre remains unable to make a commitment because subsequent throwing sessions indicate the shoulder is not yet 100 percent.

While Favre has now clearly demonstrated his interest in coming out of retirement for a 19th season in the NFL, it seems equally obvious that he will not do so unless convinced he has recovered fully from the torn biceps tendon that undermined him last year with the New York Jets.

Anthony Gonzalez was held out of Colts minicamp practice Sunday with an injured leg.

Lance Moore (shoulder surgery) has resumed participating in individual workouts.

A Colts team official told ESPN that he is "very confident" Joseph Addai will be recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery by training camp.
We're still trying to pinpoint when this scope took place, but players return from such procedures in as few as two weeks during the season. Still, the lost practice time gives Donald Brown a chance to eat into Addai's carries.

Marques Colston (microfracture surgery) returned to a full practice Sunday.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley says he's been very impressed with Matt Cassel's attention to detail and work ethic this offseason.
"When he's done working out, he's upstairs bugging us," Haley said. "He's making drawings, coming up with ideas, wanting to talk football all the time. He's lost some weight, has his body in shape. We want our quarterback to be one of the hardest workers on the team. He's clearly shown me that."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto believes that recent comments made by coach Eric Mangini indicate that he favors Brady Quinn over Derek Anderson in the Browns' quarterback competition.
Mangini spoke of "huddle presence and the ability to run the offense...who can look at the defense and understand what the coverage is and go to the right places with the ball." Anderson is seen as a big-armed but wild, while Quinn has more poise and won't force things. Quinn is also far more athletic.

Pierre Thomas needed surgery on his wrist after last season, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Rams WR Keenan Burton remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye reiterated that he plans to utilize Vernon Davis more as a receiver than a blocker.
"We would like to use him not as much in blocking in pass situations as we would running routes," said Raye. "So we would like to put him in positions where he is a matchup problem for the defense." Davis only saw 49 targets all year in Mike Martz's TE-unfriendly offense, hauling in 31 of them. Those numbers could double under Raye, making Davis one of our favorite tight end bargains.

Panthers fourth-round RB Mike Goodson continues to turn heads at OTAs.

Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall's trial for two misdemeanor battery charges in Atlanta has been postponed until August, ESPN's John Barr reported.

Cardinals QB Matt Leinart sought help from an unlikely source in an even more unlikely place this off-season. The Southern California graduate worked out a few times with Patriots QB Tom Brady at UCLA. The location made sense because Brady has a home near the campus, and Norm Chow, the former offensive coordinator at USC, is now an assistant at UCLA. Brady worked with Leinart on his footwork, release and other fundamentals.

Ravens 2nd-rounder Ray Rice’s role already seems to be growing. Primarily a third-down back last year, Rice has been taking snaps with the starters throughout the majority of the offseason minicamps. As a rookie, he placed third on the team with 107 carries for 454 yards, and he is obviously aiming to increase those numbers. Rice added a noticeable amount of bulk to his upper body to be more of an every-down runner. HC John Harbaugh believes Rice can fill that role. “Not that he wasn’t a tackle-breaker last year - he was a tackle-to-tackle runner at Rutgers, that was what he did - but he’s come a long way,” Harbaugh said. “Now, people see him as a third-down back because of the success he had last year, but I don’t think we have any question that he can be an every-down back.”

Jeremy Shockey practiced with the third team primarily at Saints minicamp this weekend.

Reggie Bush (microfracture surgery) sat out both practices at minicamp Saturday after practicing twice on Friday.

49ers signed LS Brian Jennings to a five-year contract extension through 2014.

Eagles signed sixth-round WR Brandon Gibson to a four-year contract.

Steven Jackson credits new coaches with helping him become stronger and having a better grasp of route running that he will need in the Rams new West Coast attack.
Working out with new strength coach Rock Gullickson has Jackson saying that he is "definitely stronger now", which will be key since the injury-prone back will once again be asked to carry the Rams offense. RB coach Sylvester Croom has helped S-Jax in his goal to be a "complete running back", which means he could see a rise in receptions this season.

Receivers Jason Hill (hamstring) and Arnaz Battle (foot) were among the players held out of the start of Niners minicamp on Friday.

Shaun Hill and Alex Smith each started a practice session with the first-team offense during the Niners minicamp on Friday.

WR Adrian Arrington (hamstring) will sit out Saints minicamp this weekened.

Kolby Smith sat out the team drills portion on the first day of the Chiefs three-day minicamp.

RB Joseph Addai revealed on Friday that he recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which caused him to sit out the start of Colts minicamp.
"It's feeling good right now," said Addai, who did not cop to which knee was scoped. Coming of his worst season as a pro, Addai is going through the usual rehab work and the Colts are saying all looks good. The fourth year-back is facing stiff competition for playing time from first-round pick and expected tag team partner Donald Brown.

Knowshon Moreno is currently running as the Broncos' third back behind Lamont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter.

What seemed to be Chad Ochocinco week on the NFL Network wrapped up Friday with a blunt admission from the Bengals WR about his performance last season. “I’m not even going to lie to you, I’m going to say it. Last year, the offseason, I didn’t lift one weight, I didn’t run one route, I didn’t exercise. I didn’t do nothing because my focus was on getting out of a situation I didn’t want to be in. I’m not going to lie,” Ochocinco said. “And the result of my season, whether we as a team did bad or not, that’s what I get. I get hurt in the preseason. I didn’t lift no weights. If I had been on my right regiment, I guarantee you my collarbone, my shoulder wouldn’t pop out of place. The ankle surgery, you know.”

With 10 days to go before a critical appearance in Manhattan criminal court, the attorney for Plaxico Burress is feverishly working behind the scenes to find a negotiated settlement that would allow Burress to play football in 2009 -- either by reaching a plea deal with minimal jail time or by postponing a possible trial until after the 2009 NFL season with the hopes of playing this fall, a source with knowledge of the case said Friday."Right now, everything is speculation, but I will know more on Monday," Burress' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said Friday.

My "Who's Hot" award from Friday morning's practice goes to fourth-year RB Mike Bell, who flashed an impressive amount of speed and quickness for a 230-pound back.

Granted, they aren't doing any live tackling out there, so the running backs all look good as they breeze through the defense. But Bell in particular stood out on several runs.

Bell has really been the forgotten man in all of the offseason running back talk, with so much attention being paid to bulked-up starter Pierre Thomas and younger backups Lynell Hamilton, P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson. But Bell looks like the clear front-runner for that #3 TB/power back role.

The Bears are being extra cautious with running back Matt Forte and plan to sit him through at least the next three organized team activities, according to an NFL source. There's a good chance Forte won't participate in any of next week's four sessions, although he will be re-evaluated on Monday. The Bears conclude OTAs on June 18.

Not long after the draft, Cowboys PK Nick Folk had hip surgery that will keep him out until training camp. I ran into Folk at the Poker for Pets event Thursday and he said he is feeling great and ready to do some light - extremely light - running on Monday. Renowned surgeon Dr. Marc Philippon performed Folk's surgery in Vail, Colo., and said Folk should come back stronger and never have an issue with the labrum again. Folk said he should be able to start kicking a volleyball in mid- to late June. Why a volleyball? It's lighter and offers less resistance. And he will move up from there. He talked with Olindo Mare, Seattle's kicker, who had the same surgery not too long ago about what to do and what not to do in his rehab. And it's interesting to note Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri recently had hip surgery too.

Saints Wide receiver Adrian Arrington, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury suffered during OTAs, was limited during practice.

The Saints' nearly two hours of drills was highlighted by the return of running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston.

Bush and Colston had offseason knee surgery. Bush appeared to be fully recovered during practice, as he worked with the first-team offense and returned punts.

Colston did individual drills, but did not work in the full team portion of practice. Both players did take in extra work following the morning session, as Colston caught passes from quarterback Drew Brees and Bush caught punts.

The biggest news on the field was the return of tight end Jeremy Shockey, who appeared fresh and healthy during the workout.

It was the first public sighting of Shockey since he was rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas late last month because of dehydration. Payton said he hasn't talked to Shockey about the incident yet.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook had surgery on his right ankle Friday. The Eagles said Westbrook had two bone fragments removed and scar tissue cleaned out. In addition, there was some inflammation in the tendon that moves his big toe because that tendon was laying up against a loose bone fragment. While there is no specific timetable for Westbrook's return, Eagles head
athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said it shouldn't affect him for the start of the season. "Brian's doing well," said Burkholder at a Friday news conference. "He's going to be non-weight bearing for two weeks, then will see the doctor and we'll
take it week-by-week from there. "We feel pretty comfortable he'll be back by the beginning of the season, but
whether he'll be back by the beginning of training camp it's too early to tell." The two-time Pro Bowl selection underwent a procedure called a debridement, performed by Dr. Mark Meyerson in Baltimore. "I am not concerned about this injury," Burkholder stated. "We had an option to do or not do it and we decided to do it. He's going to be in really good
shape come [the] season."

Indianapolis Colts placekicker Adam Vinatieri underwent surgery this week to relieve "nagging discomfort in his right hip,'' the team announced today.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart had an amazing rookie year. Imagine how well he can play if he ever starts practicing? Stewart hasn't broken a sweat yet this year, with an ill-defined "ankle" problem. This comes after missing minicamp last year after toe surgery, and 2008 OTAs as well. He'd have missed the June work anyway because of the league's archaic rule that prohibits players on quarter system schedules from joining their pro teams until their class graduates, but that's beside the point. Stewart didn't get a full training camp load last year, and it's hard to tell what he'll do anytime soon. He's a special talent, and it'll be interesting to see how much better he gets once he's able to work on his game on the field.

Giants WR Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith move into the starting spots. Sinorice Moss heads to camp at the #3 WR, a role that definitely can change. Manningham and 1st-round pick Hakeem Nicks will compete for playing time, followed by 3rd-round pick Ramses Barden. At 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, Manningham isn't especially big, but he's plenty fast, has solid hands and at Michigan excelled at getting down field. He did that twice this past Monday during an Organized Team Activity practice. There's another scheduled for today.
Without Burress, there's no obvious deep threat among the WRs, making Hixon and Manningham the primary options there.

While on Nashville's 104.5, Titans HC Jeff Fisher was asked about Vince Young's recent comments regarding his playing status. “Well, those are your words, ‘whining.’ Let me say this. I didn’t bat an eye at it, when I saw Vince today we didn’t bring it up. He was in the weight room working out, had a great workout. He came in probably two months ago now, right at the end of February, early March — it was well documented, I discussed our meeting publicly — and Vince wanted to know what he needed to do to earn his job back. He didn’t want it handed back to him. He wanted to know what he needed to do and we sat down, we mapped it out, we talked about it and he’s working. “He’s been here just about every day and he’s having a great offseason. That’s really the only thing that’s important to me. I would expect everyone on our football team to want to start. You need that attitude. I think he may have been led on a little bit in the interview, but I’m not paying attention to it, he knows there is no potential for us to move him and I am not backing down off of what I said at the end of that ball game or the Monday or Tuesday after Jacksonville, Kerry [Collins] is our starter but Vince is eventually going to be our starting QB and the QB we drafted him to be, period.”

The Bears’ reported interest in free-agent WR Plaxico Burress has the approval of the team’s players.

The Patriots reached back into their past yesterday and re-signed RB Patrick Pass. Pass played in New England from 2000 to 2006 and won three Super Bowl rings as a versatile reserve back and special teams contributor. The 5-foot-10-inch, 217-pound Pass joins a crowded backfield that includes Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk, Sammy Morris, Benjarvus Green-ellis, and Eric Kettani. He gives the team a veteran player capable of playing FB, something it lacked without Heath Evans, who moved on to New Orleans.The 31-year-old Pass was out of football last season. He left the Patriots following the 2006 season, which he ended on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment, and signed with the Texans, who cut him coming out of training camp. He then hooked on with the Giants in November 2007, but was released after playing in one game.

In the same week the Argos confirmed Kerry Joseph as their starting quarterback, they have more than a glancing eye on an enticing QB for the future. Sun Media has learned the Argos have placed troubled NFL QB Vince Young on their secret negotiation list, a more than interesting move considering new Argos coach Bart Andrus last worked for Young's Titans and is very familiar with the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. How big is Young? Big enough to have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times and big enough to have been chosen for the cover of Madden NFL '08. Covers aside, he was the NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2006 and named one of the top 10 collegiate players of all-time.

Today's ankle surgery is only one reason to worry that Eagles RB Brian Westbrook may not be Westbrook anymore. His earlier knee surgery is another. But perhaps the most alarming sign was the season that preceded this off-season of repair jobs. In 2008, Westbrook was not nearly the explosive, game-changing player he had become over the previous four seasons. He just wasn't. The hope was that surgery would ease the swelling and pain in his knee and return him to form. That hope took a major hit with news that Westbrook now needs ankle surgery. The issue isn't whether Westbrook can rehab from ankle surgery in three months - surely he can - but whether the accumulation of injuries will ever allow him to be the weapon he was from 2004 to 2007. The Eagles have to proceed now as if he won't be.

Late in a discussion with reporters about his QB competition on Thursday, Browns HC Mangini was asked how might his expertise on defense play a role in his decision. He answered: "One of the things that's tough defensively is not knowing who the starting QB's going to be. That's always a huge problem defensively. I hated when I didn't know who the starting QB of the other team was. A huge, huge headache." That said, could the coach envision playing both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson during the season for reasons other than injury? "I would anticipate having a starter and moving forward with that starter," he said. "But I wouldn't rule out anything." Even though Mangini had 3 starting QBs in 3 years with the Jets, he never rotated them. In fact, only in his 2nd season did Mangini not let his #1 QB start 16 games. In 2007, he benched Chad Pennington for Kellen Clemens with the team at 1-7. So splitting the job between Quinn and Anderson does seem far-fetched, even for Mangini. But his caveat leaves open the possibility. The issue Bears watching in light of the fact that neither QB has sparkled in the touch football portion of the season.

Veteran NFL RBs Edgerrin James, Deuce Mcallister and Rudi Johnson were still free agents as the Eagles went to work Thursday for a third consecutive day without feature back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles clearly hope the ankle surgery Westbrook is scheduled to undergo today in Baltimore truly is, as a team spokesman said, ''clean-up'' in nature. Westbrook's agent, Todd France, was quoted by ESPN as saying the procedure will ''clean it up.''

On mended knees. Tailback Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston are both expected to ramp up their participation this weekend while recovering from postseason knee surgeries. Although both procedures involved some microfracture techniques, they were considered relatively minor, and both players claim to be ahead of schedule in their rehab.