Arizona Cardinals

QB: As expected Kurt Warner looked good in the first few days of camp. Coach Dennis Green indicated that Kurt was throwing well and looking sharp. Green’s pleased with the development of the offense overall and specifically with Warner. Of course, ask Kurt and he’ll be the first to say he can recapture the glory years of his past. Keep tabs on Josh McCown, too. Knowing Warner’s recent history and relative ineffectiveness it won’t be a big surprise if he’s forced into action at some point. McCown and 3^rd stringer John Navarre each threw a nice TD in Thursday’s practice. Navarre hit Bryant Johnson on a 40-yard pass down the right sideline against the first team defense while McCown located FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo in the end zone during a goal-line drill.

RB: So far so good for J.J. Arrington. He’s looking sharp and on top of his game in the opening week of camp. Green was noticeably happy after watching a rather physical practice last Wednesday stating, “There were some really nice plays. You saw J.J.’s speed and speed can really be a good thing with this offense when you can spread people out.” RBs coach Kirby Wilson also had glowing praise for Arrington, “He's been well-coached, No. 1, and No. 2, he comes from a very good offensive system where he was allowed to be what he is, which is a very good runner tackle-to-tackle, outstanding perimeter run skills.” The first week of camp hasn’t changed our mind. Arrington looks like he’ll be the man this year.

Troy Hambrick was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform, or PUP, list and the Cardinals signed veteran RBs J.R. Redmond and James Jackson to add more competition to the mix. Marcel Shipp was also on the PUP, but the team welcomed him back to practice on Wednesday (Aug 3rd). “We’re working step by step with him and he is looking a lot better,” said Coach Dennis Green. “He had done well with his conditioning the first two days and everything seems to be falling back in place for him. It’s good to have him back out there.” As Shipp gets stronger he’ll be part of the mix, but it’s unlikely he’ll start opening day over Arrington.

WR: Anquan Boldin inked his new four-year extension and was a happy camper up until Thursday when he broke his nose being tackled by safety Aaron Francisco. He’ll miss up to three weeks after having surgery Friday to reset his nose. In Boldin’s absence Charles Lee and Lawrence Hamilton split reps with the first team offense during the rest of the morning practice. A player to watch in camp is rookie Dan Sheldon, aka “Seabiscuit”, as he was dubbed at Northern Illinois. Sheldon is only 5’8”, 173 lbs but he led the nation in punt returns as a sophomore with a 22.7 yard average.

TE: Eric Edwards left practice last Wednesday with a pectoral injury and immediately scheduled an MRI which revealed a partial tear. “That was the best thing that could have happened,” Edwards said. “It could have been a lot worse. They thought it was a lot worse until they got the MRI.” He’ll miss between two and three weeks. Edwards is competing for the starting job along with four other inexperienced players in Bobby Blizzard, Adam Bergen, Aaron Golliday and John Bronson. Currently, it’s rookie Adam Bergen taking snaps with the first team. Keep an eye on this competition, particularly on Bergen, who was a good pass-catching TE in college.

Defense: Reminiscing to last year’s surprise training camp cut of G Pete Kendall, Dennis Green struck again. This time it was DT Wendell Bryant who was summoned by the reaper unexpectedly. On the flipside, new safety Robert Griffith has been setting the tone in practice recently laying out RB Josh Scobey drawing the crowd’s praise. Griffith has been impressive so far. DT Kenny King injured the same wrist that forced him to miss the 2004 season. Overall, the defense is looking good during the first week of camp. They didn’t allow a rushing TD during goal-line drills while forcing two fumbles. On one play, MLB Gerald Hayes met a diving J.J. Arrington at the 1-yard line stopping him cold and keeping him out of the end zone. LB James Darling also had a big hit on Arrington.

Free agent WLB Orlando Huff also got into the act with a nice blast on Arrington during 9-on-7 drills. Needless to say, Arrington is getting plenty of greetings from his new teammates. DE Calvin Pace delivered a nice blow to Ayanbadejo forcing a fumble (Ayanbadejo’s 2nd in as many days). DE Bertrand Berry was able to penetrate on a couple of plays politely tapping backup QB John Navarre on the shoulder. Needless to say, if hitting QBs were permitted, Berry would’ve run Navarre’s bell on those plays. Rookie Ernest Shazor didn’t report to camp and was placed on the reserved/did not report list. Dennis Green indicated he was dealing with some issues. It sounds like he’s a little bitter about going undrafted after initially being dubbed a 2nd round pick potentially.

Special Teams: During a mock game this week, PK Neil Rackers connected on both his field goal attempts (32 and 31 yards). After a poor showing on returns last year, the Cardinals are paying extra attention to blocking schemes on kickoff and punt returns in practices this year. As expected, WR Bryant Johnson, RB J.R. Redmond, and rookie WR Dan Sheldon practiced punt returns this week. Other candidates for the punt return job include CB Antrel Rolle, WR Reggie Newhouse, and rookie WR LeRon McCoy.

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Atlanta Falcons

QB: One of Michael Vick’s primary goals this camp is improving his accuracy. During the first couple days of camp Vick looked great throwing the football to the left side of the field, but he struggled at times throwing to the middle of the field and to the right. In his 2^nd season in the West Coast offense Vick hopes to improve his accuracy and his overall passing, but he may have to do it while working with a pair of younger, inexperienced receivers. After the American Bowl, Falcons QB Michael Vick said he feels far more comfortable entering his second season in offensive coordinator Greg Knapp's West Coast offense and Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. said the fluidity and familiarity in the way the first-team offense performed against the Colts was a good sign.

RB: T.J. Duckett continues to make progress and, as reported last week, dropped 24 lbs in the first two days of camp due to the sweltering heat. He dropped 13 lbs the first day and 11 more by the middle of Tuesday last week. "I'm drinking as much water as I can, but I don't have an answer for it," Duckett said after a two-hour evening session. "This is the hottest I've ever witnessed in my life. I've never lost this much weight on a daily basis." That didn’t temper Duckett’s feistiness as he and LB John Leake mixed it up after Leake got too rough. The leaner and meaner Duckett drove Leake into the ground taking exception to Leake’s aggressiveness.

WR: First round pick Roddy White was signed, sealed and delivered after missing the first nine practices. White hit the ground running though. He made several outstanding plays during receiving and goal-line drills. Coach Mora was pleased, “I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm impressed by some of the things he does”. White narrowly beat him to a Vick pass on an 18-yard out pattern, while Hall got the better of him on other plays. After practice, DeAngelo Hall called White “like Larry Fitzgerald without all the hype” when he was asked how the rookie is playing. White will play the “X” position according to Mora. If Vick emerges as a legitimate passer to compliment his legs, one of the guys in this group might finally emerge with some fantasy value. Despite the late start White is expected to put pressure on Dez White to start opposite 2^nd year WR Michael Jenkins. Brian Finneran is also in the picture as is deposed starter Peerless Price, who relinquished his starting job to Jenkins. Meanwhile, Dez White had a brief scare after landing awkwardly on his abdomen and experiencing chest pain. He visited the hospital then was later cleared to practice.

TE: Alge Crumpler had some minor knee issues to work through early in camp, but it was minor. He didn’t require any fluid to be drained and coach Mora said “it’s nothing to be concerned about”. He’s just adapting to the wear and tear of camp. Apparently, it didn’t slow Crumpler down much. He’s already in mid-season form. Coach Mora didn’t hold much back gushing about Crumpler recently. "He's better than advertised, in my opinion," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "I think you can make an argument that he's the best player on our team, the best pure football player on our team. There's nothing he can't do. He's a great blocker. He's levelheaded and he's got great hands. In our opinion, he's the premier tight end in football." Needless to say Crumpler is in position to return to the Pro Bowl if he remains healthy.

Defense: One of the main battles in training camp is among the safeties. Bryan Scott is still being held out of contact drills but he’ll return soon and is expected to start at free safety with Keion Carpenter at SS. Meanwhile, Ike Reese and Demorrio Williams are competing for the SLB job. The additions of Ed Hartwell and Ike Reese have given the Falcons LBs an added swagger in camp. Perhaps the biggest impact player for the Falcons defense this year might be 2^nd year corner DeAngelo Hall. Hall finished his rookie year on a high note and is looking good in camp. He sure doesn’t lack confidence either. Hall talked about regaining his confidence, "You've got to have the swagger and, after what I went through last year, it's definitely good to have it back. If you play cornerback, you want people to notice you, because teams are coming after you anyway. So, I'm just kind of saying, 'OK, here I am.' I really don't mind sticking out, not at all." Other defensive players worth noting are DT Brandon Mitchell and DE Brady Smith. Mitchell tweaked his back while Smith will be out for at least another three weeks after undergoing neck surgery.

Special Teams: PK Todd Peterson made both his field goal attempts (28 and 36 yards) during the American Bowl on Saturday. Punter Michael Koenen handled all the kickoffs, getting anywhere from 60 to 74 yards (excluding one squib and one he put out of bounds). Rookie WR Brian Bratton handled most of the return duties on both kickoffs and punts. Rookie WR Cole Manger fair caught a punt and WR Romby Bryant returned one kick. None of the three receivers are likely to make the final roster.

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Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller, like Michael Vick, is focusing heavily this camp on improving his accuracy. He should also benefit from his 2^nd season under the guidance of Coach Jim Fassel, now the team’s offensive coordinator. Rick Neuheisel is also working with Boller as the QBs coach. Boller has more tools to work with this year, but he also must develop chemistry with new WRs Derrick Mason and rookie Mark Clayton. With all the additions and help for Boller come higher expectations and more pressure to succeed. On the subject of pressure Boller noted, “Sure, there's a lot of pressure on me. There are a lot of high expectations for this team and myself. But I put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to be the best player I can be and I'm going to put in the hours and hard work. I think the pressures going to turn out to be good for me. It's made me work that much harder."

RB: The expected return of Jamal Lewis was postponed slightly because of a holdup with his probationary period. He was supposed to join his teammates on Friday, August 5^th, but instead will report on Monday, August 8^th (at the earliest). For now, the team has Lewis and Musa Smith on the PUP, but only for the short-term as both are expected to return within the next week. In their stead Chester Taylor is getting plenty of work and has been very impressive. The Rouge Rocket may once again be a nice sleeper if Lewis gets hurt again. The Ravens might want to get their money’s worth since they invested $3M in him for 2005.

WR: Rookie first round pick Mark Clayton signed a 5-year contract worth $8.2 million ending his holdout. Clayton is talented enough to earn a starting role possibly beating out Randy Hymes and Clarence Moore to start opposite Derrick Mason, but the week long holdout will undoubtedly set him back. Mason is already making an impact. Not only will he be a nice possession receiver for Boller but he gives the younger receivers in camp a mentor and sounding board. When Boller was asked if Mason will help take the pressure off the younger guys he responded, “They're going to pick his brain because Derrick really has a good understanding of defenses and where the holes are. That makes the game a whole lot easier when you can understand that. So the young guys are really going to learn from him and he's going to push them. It works out for both of them.”

TE: Todd Heap continues to push ahead with his rehabilitation and is expected to return to practice in the next couple of weeks. For now he’s merely working on conditioning and catching passes after practice from Kyle Boller. His ankle seems to be doing fine, but his shoulder is a little further behind; he’s trying to rebuild strength in it before returning to practice.

Defense: Rookie OLB Dan Cody suffered a second or third degree knee sprain casting a big shadow on his availability for the 2005 season. Reportedly some team officials are already preparing for Cody to miss the season. Such speculation may be prompting the Ravens to re-consider bringing OLB Peter Boulware back into the fold. The ball is largely in Boulware’s court as other teams are said to be interested. GM Ozzie Newsome recently contacted Boulware’s agent, so don’t rule out Boulware’s return just yet. On the bright side, look for bigger things out of S Will Demps this year. He’s playing the Doug Plank position in the Ravens version of the ‘46’ defense. Demps promises to be more aggressive in this role and make more plays since he’ll effectively be an extra LB at times.

Special Teams: Accurate PK Matt Stover kicked a 38 yard FG in the Ravens scrimmage against the Redskins on Saturday. Punt and kickoff return specialist B.J. Sams was held out of the scrimmage due to a minor hamstring injury. Backup punt returner Deion Sanders was perhaps the most memorable player on the day but not for one of his patented electrifying returns. Playing in the Ravens newly implemented 4-6 defense, he had two sacks on the day.

Ravens Depth Chart
QB Kyle Boller, Anthony Wright, Derek Anderson
 RB Jamal Lewis, Chester Taylor (3RB), Musa Smith, B.J. Sams (KR/PR), Tellis Redmon, Keith Burnell, Alex Haynes
 FB Alan Ricard, Ovie Mughelli, Justin Green
 WR Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Randy Hymes, Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Patrick Johnson, Derek Abney, Fred Stamps, Curtis Williams
 TE Todd Heap, Terry Jones, Daniel Wilcox, Darnell Dinkins, Trent Smith
 K Matt Stover
 DE Anthony Weaver, Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnson, Roderick Green
 DT Kelly Gregg, Dwan Edwards, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Aubrayo Franklin, Matt Zielinski, Cedric Hilliard, Tron LaFavor
 MLB Ray Lewis, Bart Scot, Jim Nelson, Mike Smith, Matt Sinclair
 OLB Adalius Thomas (S), Tommy Polley (W), Dan Cody (S/DE) (inj)
 CB Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Deion Sanders, Dale Carter, Calvin Carlyle, Zach Norton, Jamaine Winborne, Mark Estelle
 S Ed Reed (SS), Will Demps (FS), Chad Williams (SS), Jarvis Johnson (FS), Chris Kelley

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Buffalo Bills

QB: When the Packers played the Bills on Friday night Mike Sherman was thinking about what he almost had in J.P. Losman. Sherman made it no secret that if he were available when the Packers selected, they would’ve taken him. Instead he was selected three picks earlier. "We had very high interest (in him)," Sherman said. "We thought he was a very talented young man, and he is. He'll be one of those surprises, like a (Ben) Roethlisberger-type surprise this year to a lot of people." In the first 11-on-11 practice session on Thursday, Losman and the offense as a whole started slowly, but calmed down later. Earlier in the week Losman showed his running ability scrambling for what would have been a long TD run in 11-on-11 drills. "He told me it was 82 yards," Coach Mike Mularkey quipped. Mularkey wants Losman to be wise about running though considering he broke his leg last year making a similar move. Against the Packers, backup Shane Matthews connected with George Wilson for a 23-yard TD pass. Losman impressed his teammates on Friday night with making good, quick reads and showing a quick release. "He handled things well," running back Willis McGahee said. "I'm no expert on quarterbacks, but he sure looked good to me. He didn't seem nervous. That's a great sign. He's got his confidence and he knows we have his back."

RB: During practice last Wednesday the defense got the better of Willis McGahee when the first teams assembled for a four play goal-line drill. DE Chris Kelsey was the star bagging McGahee for a 6-yard loss on the first play. J.P. Losman threw the ball away on the next down. On third down Kelsey stuffed McGahee again. But McGahee didn’t stop. On 4^th down he broke through the middle and appeared to score. The referee on hand signaled TD but the defense claimed his knee was down. A war is being waged for the backup spot behind McGahee between Shaud Williams, Joe Burns, Lionel Gates and ReShard Lee. After one week it’s too close to call. Lee scored on a 1 yard run against the Packers.

WR: Lee Evans has picked up right where he left off last year. He broke off a huge run on a reverse in a scrimmage against the Packers that was called back on a penalty. In the morning session on Thursday (8/4) he caught two TDs in 7-on-7 drills with CB Terrence McGee smothering him. Top pick Roscoe Parrish shined during one-on-one drills going deep on the first two plays in Friday’s practice. He also stood out against the Packers making several nice catches. Parrish is getting off the line cleanly with his cat-like quickness, turning a Packers rookie corner inside-out on one play.

TE: The Bills are crossing their fingers that Tim Euhus and Mark Campbell will stay healthy. "I think some of the players were offering to sacrifice a chicken in our room," said tight ends coach Mike Miller after practice. Euhus and Campbell were both lost within a span of five plays last year after they both tore their ACL. Fortunately, they’re both on the field now and fully practicing after a lot of rehabilitation in the offseason. Neither are wearing braces either. For Euhus, it’s his second knee operation. He injured the same knee back in 2001 at Oregon State. Campbell had also injured his right knee previously. The Bills expect to use their tights ends more frequently this year after having them do mostly blocking last season. With a quality group of receivers, Euhus and Campbell should enjoy plenty of single coverage. Now they just have to take advantage of it. When asked if their roles might change Campbell said, "What I foresee happening is we're going to do a lot more with J.P. (Losman) athletically, getting him to run around a bit. You want to build confidence with a young guy and get him some short throws early. I think that comes into my strength. Anything within the 15-yard mark I feel pretty good about, and I'm just building that camaraderie with him right now."

Defense: One of the Bills strengths defensively is a strong secondary led by 5^th year corner Nate Clements along with veteran safeties Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy and corner Terrence McGee. For Clements this is a contract year. That means another big season will almost certainly be followed by a lucrative free agent contract. Clements knows what lies ahead of him but when asked about it he tried to play it off. “It's hard not to think about it, especially with people bringing it to my attention," said Clements. "But I'm not going to sell myself by talking about it. I'm going to let my play speak for me.” The Bills would prefer he not hit the open market, so they may opt to use their franchise tag on him or sign him to an extension at some point during this season.

Special Teams: Rian Lindell has been doing well in camp so far, even attempting and connecting on some FGs over 40 yards - something which didn’t occur very frequently in games last year. CB Nate Clements, WR Roscoe Parrish , WR Jonathon Smith, WR Drew Haddad, WR Josh Reed, CB Terrence McGee, and S Jim Leonhard all practiced punt returns this week. The rookie Parrish is expected to overtake incumbent Clements for the top spot. Despite probably being more involved on defense this year, CB Terrence McGee still wants to and should be the primary kickoff returner again.

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Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme is still developing as a quarterback but he’s really settled in now as the Panthers starter going on three years. Head coach John Fox said, “I think he's getting more and more used to being THE quarterback. Last year, I thought he got off to a little bit of a rocky start but really finished strong. Like most young players at their position, I just see him getting better and better. I've seen that so far in this camp.” Rookie Stefan Lefors is a lot of fun to watch. He’s sort of a Delhomme clone. He and WR Drew Carter provided most of the sparks Saturday. In parts of two 12-play periods, LeFors was 7-of-7 for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Carter, coming off last year's season-ending knee injury, caught five passes for 101 yards and both scores.

RB: Eric Shelton is already practicing with the first team in short yardage situations. DeShaun Foster was named the starter, but he’s missed 30 games in three years due to various injuries. Foster’s betting on himself forgoing a contract extension for the right to be a free agent after the season. That’s risky for a guy with his track record in the infirmary, but Fox has faith in him. "If he's had any bad things happen to him, it's been injuries," Fox said Wednesday. "When healthy, we feel good about DeShaun Foster. He is very capable of running it 35 times (a game)." Foster was given the morning practice off on Thursday after feeling general soreness after five straight two-a-days. Foster has loads of talent, but buyers beware. Shelton lurks in the shadows like the ghost of Stephen Davis, only younger and healthier. Nick Goings is getting more reps at fullback leaving the backup job to Shelton and maybe at some point Stephen Davis, who is day to day.

The team still won’t discuss when Stephen Davis will test out his knee in a live practice. He continues to run on his own and looks good doing that. Davis did say he's had no swelling in his right knee in recent weeks. He's increased his cutting and lateral movement and said Saturday he still thinks playing in the third or fourth preseason game is a realistic possibility.

WR: Keary Colbert sat out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to a tweak in his hamstring allowing the newest Panther Rod Gardner to get extra reps. Gardner took a pay cut restructuring his contract taking his salary from $2.1 million to $1 million. Steve Smith is back to full speed. One reporter says he is moving better than he’s ever seen. “He can still jump, still cut, he's still quick and he's still fast," S Mike Minter says. But Smith says he did lose a step, “I probably lost a step, but you can't tell.” Receivers coach Richard Williamson said Smith is six pounds lighter and "can stop and start better than anybody I've ever been around."

TE: And from the left field.. Freddie Jones announced his retirement citing, “It was in the best interest of my family that I conclude my career at this time. I appreciate the Panthers signing me. It's a top-notch organization and I'm glad I got a chance to experience it before I retired.” That puts Kris Mangum right back into the lineup with Mike Seidman also in the picture.

Defense: Julius Peppers is planning on 2005 being his breakout season. He might be right. The Panthers plan on using him in a variety of ways. “We line him up at tight end, wideout, defensive end, linebacker. I mean, he's a phenomenal athlete, and he makes phenomenal plays," Fox said. "I think he's grown as a football player, not just in his techniques but mentally. So much of this game is mental, and he's gaining experience in that every day.” A healthy Kris Jenkins will do wonders for both Peppers and Mike Rucker. Free safety Mike Minter sprained his knee and was carted off the field on Thursday. Luckily, there was no major structural or ligament damage, just a sprain. The injury could pave the way for rookie S/LB Thomas Davis to get more first team work. Davis has been working as the backup strong safety behind Colin Branch. CB Ken Lucas pulled his hamstring on the 2^nd play of the Panthers’ scrimmage on Saturday. Coach Fox said he doubts Lucas will be available for their preseason opener against Washington.

LB Brandon Short also suffered a knee injury in the first week of camp, though Short’s is not considered serious.

Special Teams: PK John Kasay has been hitting FGs from over 50 yards this week in practice (including a long of 59). Head coach John Fox noted that, “John has worked very hard this offseason. He has lost some weight. He has taken great care of himself. He's a pretty strong-character, mental guy. He's gotten himself ready to play." Both primary kickoff returner RB Rod Smart and primary punt returner WR Steve Smith have looked very good in practices showing no lingering signs of their injuries from last year.

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Chicago Bears

QB: Rex Grossman recently praised the simplified approach of new offensive coordinator Ron Turner’s offense. Unlike Terry Shea’s approach a year ago, Turner is implementing specific plays in steps or packages. Once they master one package, they go to a new one as opposed to using a bigger playbook and practicing more plays, fewer times. Grossman said, “Coach Turner understands this offense better than Terry Shea understood last year's offense. He has had experience calling this offense. He created this offense. It's a branch of the West Coast offense. But he designed it and has its own personality to it. I felt like [last year] we were trying to run Kansas City's offense, not Terry Shea's offense.” The mere possibility of Grossman playing all 16 games would help the Bears rebound from a horrific offensive performance a year ago. Sleepers abound on the Bears beginning with Grossman who is among the last QBs getting draft in most leagues – if he gets drafted. If there were any questions about Grossman’s knee, they’ve been answered so far. He’s not wearing a brace and his drops have looked good not showing any lingering effects from his season-ending injury. Grossman’s also making good decisions, displaying command of the huddle and proving to have a strong and accurate arm. On Monday night Grossman looked pretty good overall connecting with Muhsin Muhammad for a long completion (and near TD).

RB: Cedric Benson’s holdout continues virtually guaranteeing he’ll miss no less than the first two preseason games. Meanwhile, no progress is being reported even though there is ongoing communication between Benson’s agent and the team. One of the sticking points is Benson wants a deal comparable to Philip Rivers’ deal last year. Both were the 4^th overall pick. That ship isn’t sailing in Chicago or with GM Jerry Angelo. "It's America,'' he said, "You can ask for anything you want. It's not comparable to last year's fourth, and everybody knows that. It was different, given the fact they made a trade.'' The Bears have also refused to work off last year’s 3^rd pick Larry Fitzgerald. Both sides are growing more frustrated.

While Benson and the Bears remain at an impasse Thomas Jones just keeps going to work. And rightfully so knowing the team drafted Benson to ultimately replace him just one year after signing as a free agent. Jones continues to impress the coaches and teammates and at this point it would take a minor miracle for Benson to begin the season atop the depth chart. Jones is taking essentially all of the first team reps in practice. Even beyond that Jones is miles ahead of Benson with his pass-blocking skills. Jones is also a first-rate receiver out of the backfield and has made several nice catches in drills this week. Jones played well Monday night and capped a TD drive with a 1 yd run after Muhammad made a big play along the sidelines.On a side note fullback Keith Belton has gained the early edge in the competition for the starting job. He’s currently running with the Bears first team offense.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad is making a strong first impression in Bears camp. He’s providing just the kind of veteran leadership the Bears needed. He’s working hard, setting the example and displaying excellent hands. The daily battles between Moose and CB Charles Tillman are a highlight of camp. Competing for the No.2 job Bernard Berrian looks great. He went up high for a catch in double coverage on one play, and then a couple plays later reeled in a pass over his shoulder for a 30-yard TD from Grossman. Justin Gage is looking good, too, but he lacks Berrian’s explosive quickness. Gage dropped a pass, but came back with a nice grab on a slant route later in the same practice.  Mark Bradley continues to drop passes, but he’s also showing a willingness to go over the middle. Despite the drops he has displayed good hands, too. Kareem Kelly was waived and the team signed Derrick Lee.

TE: Desmond Clark (right ankle) is expected to be cleared from the non-football injury list sometime this week, but his status for the St. Louis game is unknown. Ron Turner will be happy to get him back considering he’s yet to work with him much. "I don't know a lot about him, although I've seen him on film," Turner said. "I'm excited to get him back." Kind of lurking in the background is Ron Johnson. The former Raven is converting to TE from receiver and he’s making some plays in camp. The team is lining him up mostly outside where he’s just like a slot receiver, but they believe he can create matchup problems if they continue developing him. At Thursday night’s practice John Gilmore was the starter but Dustin Lyman took several reps with the first team when they went to double TE sets.

Defense: Starting corner Jerry Azumah visited a specialist in Denver this past week regarding a degenerative hip condition and surgery was recommended. Such a procedure would keep him sidelined for three to four weeks and provide more opportunity for second year CB Nathan Vasher. CB Charles Tillman is having an excellent camp. He’s openly talking about becoming a Pro Bowler but he’s backing it up making play after play in practice and drills. His instincts and ability to break on the ball are outstanding. 2^nd year DT Darrell Campbell’s high motor has made an impression on coaches, but he’s competing for a roster spot at a deep position.

Bears Depth Chart
QB Rex Grossman, Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Orton, Ryan Dinwiddie, Kurt Kittner
 RB Thomas Jones (3RB), Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson, Fred Russell, Zack Abron
 FB Bryan Johnson (inj), Thump Belton, Marc Edwards, Jason McKie (inj)
 WR Muhsin Muhammad, Justin Gage, Bernard Berrian (KR/PR), Bobby Wade, Mark Bradley, Eddie Berlin, Airese Currie, Carl Ford, Derrick Lee
 TE Desmond Clark (inj), John Gilmore, Dustin Lyman, John Owens, Ron Johnson, Darnell Sanders, Gabe Reid
 K Doug Brien, Nick Novak
 DE Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, Michael Haynes, Israel Idonije, Alain  Kashama, Shurron Pierson, Greg White, Jonathan Jackson
 DT Tommie Harris, Ian Scott, Alfonso Boone, Terry Johnson, Darrell Campbell
 MLB Brian Urlacher, Quinn Dorsey
 OLB Lance Briggs (W), Hunter Hillenmeyer (S/M), Joe Odom (S), Marcus Reese (S), Jeremy Cain (W), Derrick Ballard (W), Levar Woods, Rod Wilson, Leon Joe
 CB Charles Tillman, Jerry Azumah (KR) (inj), Nathan Vasher, Todd McMillon, Alfonso Marshall, Talib Wise, Rashied Davis, Leroy Smith
 S Mike Brown (SS), Mike Green (FS), Todd Johnson (SS), Bobby Gray (SS), Jason Shivers (FS), Cameron Worrell (FS), Chris Harris, Jerrell Pippens, Brandon McGowan

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Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Carson Palmer continues to look the part in training camp this year. He appears ready to take the team to the next level – i.e., the playoffs. "I don't care whether it's the skill guys, or the linemen, or whatever, people just prefer to be around him," Coach Marvin Lewis said of his quarterback. "It doesn't matter who it is. Guys are drawn to him and, for a quarterback, that's great, because he has to be a leader. With Carson, there's just something about him, you know?" The Bengals are well set at QB with Jon Kitna as a backup. Craig Krenzel and Casey Bramlet are dueling for the No. 3 job.

RB: No significant changes in the first week of camp except perhaps that Chris Perry is practicing along with Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson and Quincy Wilson. Watson continues to do what he does – catching passes out of the backfield while contributing on special teams. Wilson faces tough competition to win a roster spot. Perry hopes to unseat Watson but is already looking good catching passes out of the backfield and giving the Bengals a completely different style of runner than Johnson.

WR: Jamal Broussard keeps working hard and trying to make a name for himself, but he faces a tough battle for a roster spot at a super deep position for the Bengals. Peter Warrick continues to miss practice but was seen running deep fly patterns.  “He's doing really good, but it's being able to do things three days in a row and more," Lewis said when asked about Warrick. Just when you’re ready to write off Kelley Washington, he shows another glimpse of his talent. “They draft two receivers, but if it doesn't work out here, I'll play somewhere else," Washington said. "And I'm talented. No one can tell me I'm not a good football player.” If the first week of camp is an indication, he could be in for a bigger year instead of getting cut. He’s the classic third year receiver, but there are a lot of hurdles for him to clear first.

TE: Reggie Kelly was slowed by a balky left knee and didn’t practice on Wednesday.

Defense: LB David Pollack returned to Georgia without a contract and remains a holdout heading into the 2^nd week of training camp. Fellow rookie MLB Odell Thurman appeared fatigued in his 2^nd practice with the team after a 5 day holdout, but now he’ll need to regain the starting job from LB Landon Johnson. Johnson took the first team reps while Thurman was holding out. During Wednesday’s practice DE Duane Clemons had an interception and DE Justin Smith had a pair of sacks in the two minute drill. LB Caleb Miller had arthroscopic ankle surgery and will miss about 3 weeks.

Special Teams: Despite playing with a sore groin, PK Shayne Graham hit FGs from 27, 32, 35, 39, and 42 yards in Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage. His only miss was from 46 yards. The Bengals might want to consider bringing in a camp leg to rest Graham as he is currently the only kicker in camp. Top punt returner CB Keiwan Ratliff is playing 15 pounds lighter this year and displaying his speed in practice. There are growing rumors that the return of WR/PR Peter Warrick is getting very close.

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Cleveland Browns

QB: The holdout situation with Braylon Edwards brings back memories for QB Trent Dilfer, who held out 12 days in his rookie season. Dilfer offered the following advice for Edwards when asked about the holdout, “I completely stunted my development as a football player," Dilfer said. "I was never able to catch up. I worked as hard as I possibly could, but there's no substitution for reps, there's no substitution for camaraderie and there's no substitution for a trust level with your teammates.” Rookie Charlie Frye is a lifelong Browns fan from nearby Willard. He lit up Saturday night’s practice featuring mostly 11-on-11s. Frye eluded the blitz on one play and threw a 31 yd pass to rookie Brandon Rideau. Frye also completed another 20-yarder to Rideau and ran for 20 yards in a 2 minute drill. He fumbled at the goal line and rookie Antonio Perkins picked him off at the start of the 2 minute drills. Even with the two mistakes he played much better than the others - Doug Johnson and Josh Harris – and he’s gaining ground on Doug Johnson for the backup job. Frye dislocated his left pinkie on the fumble, but kept playing.

RB: The Browns are experimenting with the notion of using Lee Suggs and Reuben Droughns together on the field at the same time. They’ve used both backs in the backfield as well as splitting them out wide, too. Romeo Crennel mentioned using both backs “does put a little pressure on the defense. They have to defend you differently with two halfbacks in the game." Unfortunately, Droughns sat out three straight practices with a pulled hamstring. Almost forgotten in the shuffle, William Green continues to turn his life around both on and off the field. “I think he's applied himself to this game and to life in general,” Crennel said. “He's doing pretty good. He's still out there in the rotation, so that's a plus.” Green looks to be in the best shape of his career after losing a few pounds, improving his quickness and strengthening his upper body. During 7-on-7 drills Friday he made several nice runs against the 1^st team defense. One noticeable difference is he seems to be recognizing his read quicker and in turn hitting the hole quicker. “The bottom line is that I want to play, and I want to play for the Cleveland Browns," he said. "So I've got to get out there and work hard on and off the field - whatever it takes." He has an uphill battle against Suggs and Droughns, but we shouldn’t discount Green knowing how quickly injuries can change a team’s depth chart.

WR: The Browns are still without Braylon Edwards as the first week of training camp comes to a close. At this point Edwards needs to get into camp if he has any hope of making an impact as a rookie. "It's a problem for Braylon to miss because he is going to be behind everyone else," Browns head coach Romeo Crennel said earlier this week. "The beginning of training camp is valuable time for any player. We do individual drills for the players. Once the season starts and you start game planning, you cut back on the individual stuff. He's missing a lot of individual time.” While Dilfer hasn’t been able to work with Edwards in camp, he’s clicking with Antonio Bryant. The former Biletnikoff Award winner is taking advantage of Edwards’ absence. Bryant dropped a pass in the endzone but bounced back catching every pass thrown his way the rest of the day. Brandon Rideau has been one of surprises in camp. He was an unknown and now has the coaching staff’s attention.

Defense: One of the keys to the Browns new defensive alignments under coach Romeo Crennel is getting great nose tackle play. That’s where veteran Jason Fisk comes into play. Fisk has experience in the 3-4 from San Diego where he also played at nose tackle. Kenard Lang is lighter in camp this year as he makes the switch to OLB from DE. CB Daylon McCutcheon missed a couple practices this last week due to migraine headaches. Safety Brodney Pool blocked a FG and made another nice play on a Charlie Frye pass, and then on Saturday he made some nice plays. Crennel said he’s working his way into the safety rotation, "He's flashed a lot of ability, but we still might try to bring him along slowly.” The Browns claimed NT Ethan Kelley from the Patriots while waiving DL Ellery Moore to make room.

Special Teams: PK Phil Dawson is enjoying the hot weather in camp, "It feels good. This is like Texas weather." He’s also enjoying the large chunk of change from his contract extension. During a half-speed open-to-the-public practice, WRs Richard Alston and C.J. Jones returned several kicks untouched. Alston is the favorite to again handle kickoff returns. RB Reuben Droughns is a potential backup, although he hasn’t had a chance to compete having missed practice all week due to a pulled hamstring.

Browns Depth Chart
QB Trent Dilfer, Doug Johnson, Charlie Frye, Josh Harris
 RB Lee Suggs, Reuben Droughns, William Green, Sultan McCullough
 FB Terrelle Smith, Ben Miller, Corey McIntyre
 WR Andre' Davis, Antonio Bryant, Braylon Edwards, Dennis Northcutt (PR), Frisman Jackson, Richard Alston (KR), C.J. Jones, Brandon Rideau, Lance Moore, Josh Cribbs (WR/RB)
 TE Aaron Shea (TE/HB), Steve Heiden, Keith Heinrich (IR), Kellen Winslow (IR)
 K Phil Dawson, Nick Setta
 DE Orpheus Roye, Alvin McKinley, Amon Gordon, Andrew Hoffman, Corey Jackson (W), Simon Fraser
 NT Jason Fisk, Nick Eason, Ethan Kelley, Larry Burt, J'Vonne Parker
 ILB Andra Davis, Ben Taylor, Brant Boyer (W), Mason Unck, Jamal Brooks (S), Orlando Ruff, Renauld Williams
 OLB Kenard Lang (S), Chaun Thompson (W), Matt Stewart (S), David McMillan (W), Sherrod Coates (W), Nick Speegle (S), Justin Kurpeikis (S)
 CB Daylon McCutcheon, Gary Baxter, Mike Lehan, Leigh Bodden, Antonio Perkins, Dyshod Carter
 S Sean Jones (SS), Brian Russell (FS), Brodney Pool (FS), Chris Crocker (FS), Michael Jameson (SS), Antwaan Harris, Michael Grant (SS)

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Dallas Cowboys

QB: Drew Henson continues to struggle through a slump that’s lasted the first full week of camp. He’s overthrown receivers, made a careless throw off his back foot, missed an open receiver down the sidelines, but then bounced back drilling a bullet to TE Jason Witten between two defenders in the end zone. Henson is competing with Tony Romo for the backup job behind Drew Bledsoe. If the first week is a harbinger of things to come Romo seems to be distancing himself from Henson. Romo has been sharper with his throws, but this situation will almost certainly change several times through camp and Parcells wasn’t about to make any defining statement regarding their competition noting, “We're not even to the first furlong pole.”

RB: Julius Jones knows there are big expectations for him entering his 2nd season with the Cowboys. After rushing for 813 yds in the team’s final seven games, Jones has plans on becoming one of the NFL’s top young backs. "I'd like to get 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns," Jones said while trying to remain humble. He’s clearly the starter and if he remains healthy could be in for a monster year. The Cowboys have great depth, too. Anthony Thomas is proven and while not flashy, is durable and reliable. Rookie Marion Barber may also figure into the picture. He’s looked good for the most part in camp, but recently had a tough day of practice drawing the ire of head coach Bill Parcells when he bobbled a pass in the flat only to fumble on a running play in the red zone a few plays later. The Tuna barked at the rookie, “That's two. Are you one of those? Are you one of those Barber?"

WR: Quincy Morgan made a spectacular catch during team drills on Friday. He’s made several nice catches during the week. This one came against CB Anthony Henry. Rookie receivers Jamaica Rector and Reggie Harrell each dropped passes in position drills, prompting Parcells to give both players an earful. Former Rams QB Kirk Farmer worked out at receiver for the Cowboys last week, but wasn’t signed.

TE: Jason Witten made the Pro Bowl last year in his 2^nd season, but the Cowboys don’t want him to rest on his laurels. Parcells certainly isn’t letting up on him. ``I was teasing him before camp, I said, `Well, are you ready to be a star now or you just want to be a real good player?’,’’ Parcells said. “I try to give him a needle a little bit.” The good news is Parcells usually saves this kind of rhetoric for players he really likes or the ones he thinks can excel. Bledsoe and Witten are connecting well in training camp, too. Witten got wide open in the back of the end zone on back to back players during goal line drills. On another he snatched the ball away from the grasp of two defenders. ``He's too quick; he's too fast for linebackers. He's too big, too physical for safeties,'' said fellow TE Dan Campbell, who remains sidelined following an emergency appendectomy last week. ``A lot of the safeties in the league, he's just as fast as they are. Then you put the size on top of it, you can't cover it.''

Witten isn’t getting a big head though, especially with Parcells around to set the tone and constantly ask him if he’s going to be another one year wonder. ``He says that stuff, that's every day,'' Witten said. ``You appreciate that just because he's pushing you and he wants you to have success. At the same time, he doesn't want you to get the big head. So that's him, he's going to be like that every day.'' 

Defense: Rookie defensive end Marcus Spears will miss 2 to 4 weeks after spraining his right knee and ankle Friday in team drills. Spears also hurt his groin. It all happened when a lineman was knocked down and rolled up on Spears’ leg. He was running with the 2^nd team when he got hurt. Kenyon Coleman is practicing with the 1^st team and appears to be well suited to the team’s new 3-4 scheme. The injury allows Jay Ratliff, a 7^th round pick, to take Spears’ spot. Another rookie, DL Chris Canty wasn’t healthy during the offseason but has been cleared to start full contact work August 8^th. Canty has experience in the 3-4 from Virginia under Al Groh, Parcells former longtime assistant. Third-year LB Bradie James is working with the first team at inside LB with Dat Nguyen. "He just seems to be more professional," Parcells said. "He seems to get it now."

Special Teams: Bill Parcells said he expects PK Billy Cundiff to hit in the mid-80s for FG percentage and that his 76.9% from last year wasn’t acceptable for Texas Stadium. So far in practices, he is not meeting that goal. Cundiff’s competition, Brett Visintainer, injured his back and was released this week. The Cowboys subsequently signed Jose Cortez, who is a camp leg and kickoff specialist but not really a threat to take over placekicking permanently. CB Jacques Reeves, RB Anthony Thomas, RB Marion Barber, RB Tyson Thompson, WR Zuriel Smith, and WR Terrance Copper all practiced on kick returns this week. CB/PR Lance Frazier has missed practice with a high ankle sprain.

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Denver Broncos

QB: Plummer is looking good in camp during the first week. He’s hitting Rod Smith on shorter routes and also connecting with Ashley Lelie on deep passes even though a few of the long balls sailed on him a bit. In typical Mike Shanahan fashion just days after lauding Danny Kanell’s commitment to the offseason problem he demoted him to 4^th string. On the new depth chart Bradlee Van Pelt, the local product out of Colorado State, is running 2^nd string with Matt Mauck No. 3. Mauck has been inconsistent and looked bad in Thursday’s practice. This is sure to change with four pre-season games ahead, so keep Van Pelt’s name written in pencil. “I think it was just giving Bradlee a shot”, said Kanell. “Things change and things evolve, as long as I keep persevering and keep working that much harder things will fall into place." Van Pelt is still holding the ball too long and struggles looking away from defenders, but he seems comfortable rolling out of the pocket where he can use his mobility to his advantage while avoiding the rush.

RB: Mike Anderson is the starter for the moment, but common sense tells us Tatum Bell will emerge as the starter before camp breaks. As easy as it may be to discount Anderson as an old veteran coming off another knee surgery, he’s a proven player who Shanahan trusts. And who knows what Shanahan might pull? Just look at last year as a prime example. Ron Dayne is in good overall shape and he’s been running with the 3^rd team mostly running inside with good power, but his footwork still needs improvement. Shanahan said Dayne’s been working hard during the offseason and is having a good start to camp. Rookie Maurice Clarett is having his moments – including a nice stiff arm on fellow rookie CB Darrent Williams during a goal-line drill. Clarett has a lot to prove, but he’s banking on himself by forgoing a signing bonus in favor of an incentive-laden contract. Clarett was held out of Thursday morning’s practice with a tight groin. Bell, meanwhile, is running well. His inside running is sharp and with his speed is effective on sweeps. His hands are looking better as he snagged a few screens for first downs in Thursday’s practice. Anderson seems to be coming back to the pack and didn’t show the same fire he had earlier in the week. Quentin Griffin is struggling. He’s only practicing once each day to keep the swelling in his surgically repaired knee to a minimum.

WR: Rod Smith didn’t practice on Thursday morning, but that’s nothing to be alarmed since he generally only practices once a day in recent years. After dogging it early in camp, Lelie has picked up the pace showing improved focus. His hands have been consistent thus far and he’s been going all out for balls – even those that are nearly uncatchable. Charlie Adams and Todd Devoe are fighting for a roster spot and making the most of their opportunities.

TE: Recently in practice Stephen Alexander has been running with the first team. We’re not reading much into that though. Jeb Putzier is the team’s starting TE, but look for the Broncos to mix it up and utilize double TE sets frequently making both players honorary “starters” to some extent. Alexander is a better blocker, but Putzier shows more promise as a vertical threat. Putzier’s also practicing with pain as he’s dealing with a minor knee injury.

Defense: DE Courtney Brown suffered a setback when he dislocated his elbow Thursday. Brown’s expected to miss three to six weeks. He was injured during morning practice while attempting to strip the ball from a player only to have his arm get twisted in the process. Shanahan hopes he’ll be ready for the season opener. X-rays showed no breaks and an MRI showed no structural damage. "He's done everything in the offseason to get himself ready, and his previous injuries are feeling great, so to have something like this happen to him I'm sure is disheartening," Shanahan said.

Special Teams: PK Jason Elam went 10 for 10 in his first kicking session of the week. He followed that up going 10 for 10 again in his second session. Rookie P/K Paul Ernster has looked very good on punts, getting off kicks in the 60 to 65 yard range consistently. Unfortunately for him, the Broncos had signed Todd Sauerbrun, who is hitting them another 5 or 10 yards further. CB Darrent Williams was drafted to upgrade the return game and has impressed the staff and team mates so far, even drawing public praise from Mike Shanahan.

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Detroit Lions

QB: The pressure couldn’t be any greater on Joey Harrington than it is going into the 2005 season. He’s run out of excuses in his 4th season and has Jeff Garcia looming over his shoulder. Yet Joey remains as upbeat and dreamy as ever. "It doesn't take too much to see we've got more talent than we've had since I've been here," Harrington said. "That makes it more exciting. It's still a matter of getting guys on the same page, keeping healthy. When we start winning ballgames, that's when it's fun." That, my friends, is the key. Winning ball games... Joey could either be a super sleeper or just as likely flame out by mid-September. Harrington and Garcia are both looking good in camp. So far Harrington has done nothing to lose the job and Garcia nothing to distinguish himself.

At Saturday’s practice, the first open practice of the season for fans, 26,000 were in attendance. Joey Harrington listened to a smattering of boos from a vocal crown after every completion. "Oh yeah, I heard them," replied Harrington after being asked if heard the booing. "I don't like it, but it's part of the game. I don't listen to them. I don't care about them. They are booing for their own reasons, some of which happen to do with us losing. I want to change the losing, obviously." On a funnier note, the local radio station was looking for new nicknames for Joey. Apparently his college nickname was ‘princess’. The two best calls were ‘lame duck’ and ‘Joey Checkdown’.

RB: Kevin Jones has been outstanding in camp. He’s ready to take his game to another level and he makes no bones about it. “I want to do bigger and greater things,” Jones says. Head coach Steve Mariucci said running back Kevin Jones and wide receiver Roy Williams are both "light-years" ahead of where they were last year. "They're more confident," he said. "They get it. They understand what we're asking. I expect terrific years from guys like Roy and Kevin Jones.” As a mid to late first round pick in many leagues Jones might be undervalued. His upside is tremendous and he’s capable of becoming one of the best players in the league. ESPN’s John Clayton recently called Jones “bigger, better and just as fast as last year” and said he thinks he could be a 1,800 to 1,900 yard back.

Fullback Will Matthews, a rookie free agent from Texas, is making some big hits in the first week of camp. "He had a collision on a linebacker that was heard around the building," Mariucci said. "He got some hoots and hollers from the team. That's how fullbacks earn their stripes. ... He is showing us that he has a chance to make the team." Backup Jamel White was held out of Saturday’s practice by a hamstring injury. On a related note to the running game.. Right tackle Kelly Butler has caught Mariucci’s eye. ``Kelly Butler is playing pretty darn well. Now, we haven't played the Jets and we haven't played live and all of that sort of thing, but so far, so good. I've been impressed with Kelly Butler, I think he's got a chance to be a pretty good tackle in this league.''

WR: Charles Rogers enters his third season with more confidence than ever. He’s not worried about playing with caution either. He’s been feisty and aggressive, eager to show everyone his two broken clavicle injuries were a fluke, and not a trend. “I'm feeling healthy, feeling excited,” Rogers said. “I'm ready to go out there and play a full season.” Rogers slimmed down about 8 lbs from last year and said he can feel a difference and prefers playing at a lighter weight to regain his speed advantage. With Rogers essentially missing his first two years it’s easy to say that Roy Williams could very well be the furthest along among the two potential stars. Williams is lining up at flanker and he’s primed for a big season, too.

Now that Mike Williams is signed and in camp he’s got some catching up to do. The first day he was in pads receiver coach Fred Graves pulled him aside to run him through a 90 minute cram session.  The rookie has a lot of work ahead of him. In the mean time, veteran free agent Kevin Johnson is looking good and is on track to begin the season as the team’s No. 3 WR. That may change once Williams comes up to speed, but Johnson is easily the most experienced receiver among the group.  Williams, working at the No. 4 WR spot, caught a long touchdown pass in practice, but it was called back for offensive pass interference by the visiting NFL officials crew. The contact didn't appear worthy of a flag. Not that Mariucci was going to argue. ``Let's say something controversial right now about the officiating so I get fined,'' Mariucci said with a laugh. ``Fined in training camp for dogging the officials, wouldn't that be awesome?” Finally, Eddie Drummond (the team’s Pro Bowl return man and receiver) ended his holdout signing the one year $1.4 million contract that’s been on the table all along. He arrived at camp on Thursday.

TE: Marcus Pollard should flourish in the Lions offense and vastly improve the Lions chances in the red zone and converting third downs. He’s already a positive veteran influence on the team in the locker room. There's an excellent battle brewing for the No. 3 spot between 2^nd year tight end Leonard Stephens and rookie Jason Randall, from Michigan State. Stephens is the better receiver but the 280-pound Randall is a better blocker. ``That's where he makes his mark,'' said Mariucci.

Defense:  LB Boss Bailey has been restricted to one practice per day as a precautionary measure. Bailey’s not reporting any problems with his knees and is looking great so far in camp. The Lions visited with Ty Law a 2^nd time, but no contract was offered. They remain interested, but aren’t likely to make an offer in his expected range (like the Jets). Even without Law the Lions secondary looks better with Kenoy Kennedy and R.W. McQuarters definite upgrades. In Friday afternoon’s practice Mariucci rested defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Dan Wilkinson. James Hall (groin) is sidelined and considered day to day.

Special Teams: During a special teams drill this week PK Jason Hanson was perfect on FGs, including long range attempts from 52, 56, and 61 yards. The fans in attendance gave him a standing ovation after the last one. After a one week holdout per his agent’s advice, PR/KR specialist WR Eddie Drummond surrendered and joined practices late in the week. During Drummonds absence, CB R.W. McQuarters and CB Dre’ Bly worked on punt returns, while WR Scottie Vines, RB Shawn Bryson and RB Paul Smith worked on kickoff returns.

Lions Depth Chart
QB Joey Harrington, Jeff Garcia, Dan Orlovsky
 RB Kevin Jones, Artose Pinner, Shawn Bryson (3RB), Jamel White, Howard Jackson
 FB Cory Schlesinger, Paul Smith, Will Matthews
 WR Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Kevin Johnson, Eddie Drummond (PR/KR), Scott Vines, David Kircus, Steve Savoy, Paris Hamilton, Kahlil Hill
 TE Marcus Pollard, Casey Fitzsimmons, Leonard Stephens, Jason Randall
 K Jason Hanson
 DE James Hall, Cory Redding (DT), Kalimba Edwards, Jared DeVries, Bill Swancutt
 DT Shaun Rogers, Dan Wilkinson, Shaun Cody (DE), Marcus Bell, Brandon Kennedy
 MLB Earl Holmes, Wali Rainer (W/M), Scott Genord
 OLB Ted Lehman (W/S), Boss Bailey (S/W), James Davis (W), Alex Lewis (W), Donte' Curry (S), Jonathan Goddard (W), Andrew Battle (W)
 CB Dre' Bly, Fernando Bryant, R.W. McQuarters (FS), Andre Goodman, Chris Cash, Keith Smith, Stanley Wilson, Jeff Sanchez, Mike Echols
 S Kenoy Kennedy (SS), Terrence Holt (FS), Bracy Walker (SS), Vernon Fox (SS), Kentrell Curry (FS)

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Green Bay Packers

QB: First round pick Aaron Rodgers looked as good as can be expected in the Packers/Bills joint practices and scrimmages on Thursday and again on Friday night under the lights at Lambeau. "He did good," Packers head coach Mike Sherman said. "I thought he responded quite well." On the first night Rodgers found WR Vince Butler, rookie WR Craig Bragg, tight end Tory Humphrey and RB Tony Fisher all for TDs. Yet much of this particular practice session came against defensive players who may not even be in the league this season. He still has a long way to go as it was apparent in organized team activities that his inexperience is difficult to overcome sometimes. He had difficulty with his reads and going through his progressions from the hot receiver to the safety valve. For now he’s focusing on his timing and footwork and getting the ball out on time. "The mistakes I've made in minicamp --I've learned from them and haven't made the same mistakes twice," Rodgers said.

RB: Ahman Green’s back stiffened during practice last Tuesday causing him to sit out a morning practice session. He also played sparingly against the Bills Friday rushing three times for 11 yards. The Bills defense was keying on him in goal line situations (which allowed Favre to connect on a pair of TDs). In game action both Najeh Davenport and Tony Fisher looked good, but Davenport had to leave with an ankle injury. Third year back Walt Williams has been out most of camp with an ankle injury and RB/KR Chaz Williams broke his ankle in drills Thursday. The Packers waived Chris Robertson replacing him with Derrick Johnese, a rookie free agent.

WR: It’s not taking Javon Walker long to make his impact felt in training camp. Despite not participating in the offseason program he’s having a strong camp and in Wednesday’s practice beat safety Earl Little on a crossing route for a 50 yard TD pass from Favre. Walker is focused and downplayed his big day noting that training camp is a marathon not a sprint. 6^th round pick Craig Bragg injured his knee Friday morning practicing against the Bills. He tried to stay on the field but left shortly thereafter. “I was able to go out there but I was sitting around a lot and it stiffened up on me," Bragg said. "Hopefully it's not anything serious.”

TE: Bubba Franks remains a holdout without a contract as he’s not signed the one year tender that comes with the team’s transition tag. Backup David Martin is nursing a groin injury leaving the team with 2^nd year TE Ben Steele getting all the first team reps. He’s struggled during the offseason with his hands. Against the Bills he lunged for a pass near the sidelines in a red zone drill but came up short. He rebounded quickly though snagging a pair of TDs from Brett Favre later in the same goal line drill.

Defense: The Packers run defense looked ok for this early in camp after struggling badly a year ago. They held the Bills to 116 yards on 30 carries in Friday’s scrimmage; McGahee had just 32 yards on 12 carries. "They were flying to the ball, doing a great job tackling wise," McGahee said. Nick Barnett was quick to add they are “nowhere where they need to be” and they still have a lot of work ahead of them – mainly improving their timing and communication.

Despite being a rookie 5^th round pick, corner Mike Hawkins is getting some attention in camp. He got some personal mentoring from the best in the business in the offseason. Hawkins worked out with Deion Sanders focusing on technique and agility together. Hawkins is an interesting story having attended Oklahoma in ’02 before taking the Arena Football League route in ’04 and ’05. Injuries to CBs Joey Thomas and Al Harris are giving Hawkins more reps and his opportunity to shine. He jumped a route by Bills FB Daimon Shelton and nearly had an interception, but he dropped the ball.

Another player emerging from nowhere is undrafted rookie MLB Roy Manning, who is running with the 2^nd team defense behind Nick Barnett. “He’s doing a nice job,” said Sherman. “He has a lot to learn.” Of course, it helps that Hannibal Navies (knee), Kurt Campbell (knee), Na’il Diggs (ankle) and Brady Poppinga (hamstring) have been limited by injuries – all of them sat out practice on Friday morning. DT Colin Cole is also making an impression displaying solid pass rushing skills from the inside. “He’s in the mix,” Sherman noted. “He’s very stout, very strong.”

Special Teams: PK Ryan Longwell still appears to obsessing about his holder situation, “I’m still really unsure and panicked about that.”  P B.J. Sanders, BQ Aaron Rodgers, QB Craig Nall, WR Javon Walker, and WR Terrence Murphy have all given it a try in practice. WR Antonio Chatman (the incumbent), rookie WR Terrence Murphy, rookie WR Craig Bragg, RB Najeh Davenport, WR Robert Ferguson all practiced kickoff returns this week. Chatman wants to keep that job but knows that the writing is on the wall.

Packers Depth Chart
QB Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Craig Nall, J.T. O'Sullivan
 RB Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, Walter Williams, Joey Harris, Chaz Williams (IR)
 FB William Henderson, Nick Luchey, Vonta Leach
 WR Javon Walker, Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson, Antonio Chatman (KR/PR), Terrence Murphy (KR), Craig Bragg, Andrae Thurman, Michael Marker, Sam Breeden
 TE Bubba Franks (UFA-T), David Martin, Ben Steele, Garrett Cross
 K Ryan Longwell
 DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Aaron Kampman, R-Kal Truluck, Corey Williams, Kenny Peterson, Seante Williams
 DT Grady Jackson (NT), Cletidus Hunt, James Lee (NT), Cullen Jenkins, Donnell Washington, Colin Cole (NT), Mike Montgomery, Doug Sims (NT), Quintene Newhouse
 MLB Nick Barnett, Roy Manning, John Garrett
 OLB Na'il Diggs (S), Raynoch Thompson (W), Hannibal Navies (S), Paris Lenon (W), Brady Poppinga, Ike Emodi (W), Shawn Morgan (W), Nick McNeil (S)
 CB Al Harris, Ahmad Carroll, Joey Thomas, Michael Hawkins, Jason Horton, Chris Johnson (inj), Kurt Campbell, Art Smith, Chris Day, Charles Byrd
 S Mark Roman (SS), Arturo Freeman (FS), Nick Collins (FS), Todd Franz (FS), Michael Underwood (FS), Julius Curry (FS), Wendell Williams (FS), Chonn Lacey (SS)

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Houston Texans

QB: Third string QB Dave Ragone is a popular guy on the team right now. “We call him the MVP (laughs),” Pro bowler Andre Johnson said.  “Dave had a great year over in NFL Europe.  Now he’s out there playing well and as he goes along, he’ll continue to get better.” Ragone completed 63% of his passes playing for the Berlin Thunder. He set an NFL Europe record with 174 consecutive passes with nary a pick. He was named the league’s offensive MVP.

RB: The long reported contract extension for Domanick Davis is finally completed. Davis was scheduled to earn the $380,000 league minimum but instead inked a 5-year, $22 million contract with $8 million guaranteed. The primary competition in camp is for the right to backup Davis. The Texans drafted 25 year old rookie Vernand Morency to compete with veterans Tony Hollings and Jonathan Wells. Head Coach Dom Capers gushed about Hollings early in camp stating it’s the “best he’s ever looked”. Take that for what it’s worth. Morency will give them both a run for their money. "Everyone knows about Domanick," offensive coordinator Chris Palmer said. "I'm eager to see Morency go against other teams, and I want to see how much Hollings has grown. They've looked good so far, but until you start playing against other people, you never know for sure." The Texans are giving lip service to resting Davis more this year. We’ll believe it when we see it.

WR: The Texans hope to get Andre Johnson in better matchups by sending him in motion a lot more this year. Johnson is off to a great start in camp. "That's what you get when you get a rare guy like Andre," coach Dom Capers said. "A couple of plays he made on the practice field today were in critical third-down situations. That's the difference in whether you continue your drive or are off the field. Without Andre, we'd have been off the field today.” Johnson’s only drawbacks remain the conservative nature of the Texans offense, QB David Carr’s tendency to check down to RB Domanick Davis too quickly, and the Texans need to develop a solid starter opposite him. That honor will likely go to Jabar Gaffney, who continues to sport a red jersey limiting his contact until his shoulder is 100%. Corey Bradford remains in the mix and Derick Armstrong continues to get no pub. “Jabar and Corey are two different kinds of guys,” Capers said. “Jabar is more of a route-runner with sure hands, while Corey is more of a vertical threat. Derick may have the best hands on the team.” Gaffney still managed to show his speed is intact streaking past a defender and nearly catching a TD in the back of the endzone in practice.

Rookie receiver Jerome Mathis has world class speed and he used it in practice beating Dunta Robinson on a deep route by a few steps only to have Robinson put on a display with his closing speed, using a well-timed jump to bat the ball away. Mathis will be a home run threat on special teams immediately but he might prove useful as a receiver, too. Everybody in camp is singing praises about his speed. Robinson’s ego was bruised as he’s used to being the fastest guy on the field. "He's probably the fastest receiver I've ever had to cover. So I think he's going to help us a lot this season,” said Robinson. “You hear about a lot of guys who run fast in the combine, but you really don't see it on the football field. But with him, he ran fast in the combine and he shows it on the football field.”

Capers obviously noticed, too, “His speed, wow, it's breathtaking. He just runs by people, but he knows there's a lot more to it. When he got here, he started competing hard. He's done a good job of catching the ball, but he has to stay on course and learn his assignments and proper techniques for the position. He's already improved his route running." 2nd year Kendrick Starling also made a spectacular over the shoulder diving catch in 7-on-7 drills.

Defense: How well the Texans two new starting inside linebackers play could very well define which way the Texans defense goes this year – up or down? Morlon Greenwood and Kailee Wong are settling into their new roles and learning everything they can about each other both on and off the field. “We’re definitely really tight,” Wong said.  “The two inside linebackers really need to be on the same page, it is probably the most critical position aside from maybe the two safeties.” Antwan Peek has the potential, and now the opportunity, to become a double digit sack guy starting at OLB opposite Jason Babin.

Special Teams: A slow news week on the kicking front… as a result of having to attend two team practices, PK Kris Brown missed out on going to a Wiggles concert with his family. Rookie WR Jerome Mathis, a candidate for the PR/KR specialist position, appears to be making a quick transition to the big leagues. Head coach Dom Capers noted, “When he came in here, you could tell he was very raw, but you could also see he has amazing speed to go with a lot of ability. He looks a lot smoother and more confident right now.” He’ll be competing with WR Reggie Swinton for both KR & PR and with CB Phillip Buchanon on punt returns.