NFL Capsules - AFC Teams: Titans eager for camp after hectic offseason
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — It's time for Jeff Fisher to open his 16th straight training camp with the Tennessee Titans, and that first practice Saturday will be a welcome return to football after a busy offseason.
Fisher expects Chris Johnson to show up, happy the Titans reshuffled some money to pay him more for 2010. Vince Young will be available for all 16 games, and Fisher hopes maybe more, with the NFL not punishing him for a Dallas strip club tussle in June.
And Fisher had to reshuffle his coaching staff after Kennedy Pola bolted for Southern Cal, which has the team suing the university and Trojans coach Lane Kiffin.
Now the Titans can focus on trying to move on from becoming the first NFL team to finish at .500 after starting 0-6.
"There's going to be a tremendous emphasis on getting started fast, on a fast start. It's going to be very, very important," Fisher said Friday.
The Titans also hoped to avoid a couple more distractions by wrapping up their draft class.
Fisher said they were busy trying to sign their top two draft picks before practice Saturday afternoon. By Friday afternoon, the four players taken after defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech at No. 16 overall all had contracts.
Receiver Damian Williams from Southern California, their second pick taken in the third round, agreed to terms Friday night. Terms were not immediately available.
The other big question is whether starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch will be here Saturday. Tulloch signed his one-year tender for $2.52 million in June as a restricted agent, but stayed away the entire offseason in protest as he looked for a long-term contract.
"I have no reason not to expect Stephen here," Fisher said. "I have not talked to him. He signed his tender, so yeah."
Fisher sounds eager to see exactly what shape Johnson is in after the All-Pro also stayed away from Tennessee all offseason, lobbying for a long-term deal of his own. Johnson didn't get it, but the Titans did turn money the running back already had earned under his original contract but not due to be paid until 2012. The Titans had not commented on that until Friday when Fisher said the Titans "got creative."
"CJ's happy. We're happy. I'm expecting him to be in great shape, come in and really pick up where he left off. I have no reservations whatsoever about his conditioning level. As far as our plans for CJ for the preseason, just to get him back to where he was and pick up where we left off," Fisher said.
Fisher moved Craig Johnson from coaching quarterbacks to running backs Wednesday to replace Pola and promoted two others to handle new duties.
Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has drawn up some new plays to take advantage of having both Johnson and Young in the same backfield, something that happened only in the final 10 games of last season. Johnson ran for 2,006 yards, and Young is coming off his best passer rating yet of 82.8 going into his fifth NFL season.
"I believe we have surrounded him with the best players, skill players, to date that he's been on the field with so that simply points toward and helps his improvement," Fisher said. "He's got room to improve."
The defense has lots of work ahead in training camp with three starters gone needing to improve a unit that was 31st against the pass and 28th in total yards allowed.
Tackles Tony Brown and Jason Jones didn't practice with the team during the offseason as they recovered from surgeries. Neither did Morgan as he dealt with first a strained hamstring, then a pulled calf, nor linebacker David Thornton (shoulder surgery).
Fisher said only that they might start camp with a player or two on the physically unable to perform list.
The Titans also must find a starting cornerback opposite Cortland Finnegan with four candidates vying for the job before the preseason opener Aug. 14 at Seattle — where Tennessee wrapped up last season.
Notes: All Titans must take the conditioning test before the first practice of camp. Fisher lets veterans take the test early if they're already in town, and those who took part in part of the offseason program get a slight edge of breaking the shuttle runs into 50 yards instead of 25 yards. All rookies take the test Saturday morning after a mandatory team breakfast. ... The Titans put approximately 3,000 single-game tickets on sale Saturday morning, a sale delayed by three weeks to help Tennesseans cleaning up from May floodwaters. The team has sold out 112 consecutive games since moving into their current stadium.
Kampman returning with caution from knee injury
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Kampman walked by rows of Jacksonville Jaguars fans clamoring for his autograph Friday, promising to sign after the night practice.
His debut was on hold, too.
Kampman, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end and the team's top offseason acquisition, is taking a cautious approach to his return from knee surgery. Kampman sat out minicamp in May and organized team activities this summer. He also skipped team drills Friday as Jacksonville opened training camp.
"Two-a-days they don't want me to do," said Kampman, who was scheduled to make his debut during Friday night's session. "That's a decision they made."
The Jaguars have reason to be careful. Kampman had surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in early December, leaving him with less recovery time than most football players the same injury. He also signed a four-year contract worth $26 million in March to be the cornerstone of the team's revamped defense.
Jacksonville parted ways with linebacker Clint Ingram and defensive linemen John Henderson, Reggie Hayward, Quentin Groves and Rob Meier. The Jaguars also traded for veteran linebacker Kirk Morrison and used their first four draft picks to fortify the D-line.
No one really knows whether Tyson Alualu (first round), D'Anthony Smith (third), Larry Hart (fifth) and Austen Lane (fifth) will help right away, but the Jaguars are confident Kampman can boost a unit that ranked last in the NFL with a franchise-worst 14 sacks in 2009. It was the fifth-lowest total in NFL history, an embarrassing effort that led coach Jack Del Rio to fire defensive line coach Ted Monachino.
"There are a lot of things we have to do better," Del Rio said. "A lot of them have been regurgitated so many times this offseason that I'm frankly getting tired of looking at them, but it is what it is because it's what it was. But what was is not what we will be going forward."
Jacksonville has plenty of other issues to settle during training camp:
—Can they sell enough tickets over the next six weeks to avoid more blackouts and cease speculation about relocation?
—Who will be the No. 2 receiver opposite Mike Sims-Walker? Troy Williamson? Mike Thomas? Jarett Dillard?
—How will the interior offensive line, part of a unit that allowed 42 sacks last season, sort itself out with the addition of veteran guard Justin Smiley?
—Is quarterback David Garrard the answer? Owner Wayne Weaver and Del Rio challenge Garrard during the offseason, saying he needed to do more on and off the field. Garrard responded by insisting he's more dedicated and determined than ever.
The defensive overhaul, though, probably will be the biggest story line.
It starts with Kampman, who spent the last eight seasons in Green Bay and emerged as one of the NFL's elite pass rushers. He had 37 sacks between 2006 and 2008.
His productivity dipped last season because he didn't make a smooth transition to Green Bay's 3-4 defensive scheme that called for him to play outside linebacker. He had just 3 1/2 sacks before missing a game in mid-November because of a concussion. He returned the following week, but injured his knee. He had surgery Dec. 4, making Jacksonville's signing a somewhat risking move since he's a 30-year-old defender coming off major knee surgery.
But the Jaguars also believe Kampman's work ethic and relentless effort could lead to a rapid recovery and an instant boost on defense.
Even though he's practicing in a limited capacity, Kampman feels full speed and ready to go.
"What knee?" he said. "That's my mindset. You don't think about it. It's literally something I haven't been thinking about. That will continue to be my mindset and we'll keep just charging ahead."
-- Mark Long
Dolphins at full health for start of camp
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — At least one Miami Dolphin took the field for the start of training camp Friday in the best shape of his career: coach Tony Sparano.
Thanks to a rigorous diet and workout regimen, Sparano is 55 pounds lighter than last season.
"I didn't lose a little weight; I lost a whole person," he said with a chuckle. "I feel great. I've got a lot of energy. I'm sure the boys weren't happy to hear I have that much energy, but I do."
Sparano's players were feeling spry, too, as the long preseason grind began. Several key players returning from surgery were cleared for full-speed participation, including newcomer Brandon Marshall, running backs Ronnie Brown and Patrick Cobbs, quarterback Chad Pennington and cornerback Will Allen.
Sparano said the Dolphins are at full health. He was pleased with the results of conditioning tests and said everyone made their targeted weight — including him.
"Coach looks great," quarterback Chad Henne said. "It shows he put some hard work in, just like we did."
Before the first practice, players unveiled T-shirts bearing the words, "I'm starving ... feed the wolf."
"We're starving for success," linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "We're hungry. We're all fighting for one goal, and that's to win it all."
Mindful of their goal, the Dolphins began five weeks of preseason practice with a 2-hour workout that was spirited despite sweltering 93-degree sunshine. Highlights included two long completions from Henne to Marshall, who beat cornerback Sean Smith both times.
"We're going to be battling for the rest of our careers, hopefully," Smith said. "It's definitely going to be a day-to-day challenge."
The Dolphins acquired Marshall from Denver in an April trade. The Pro Bowl receiver underwent hip surgery in May, which curtailed his offseason work.
When asked if he thought about the hip on the field, he responded, "What's that?" Then he grinned. "I already forgot it, see?"
Marshall's two long catches prompted the biggest cheers of the afternoon from spectators. He was among the last players to leave the field after practice, lingering to sign autographs for fans.
"It feels good the way they're welcoming me," he said. "It just makes me work harder. I love the support of the fans and the community, and I'm going to try to do my best to do right by them."
Back on the field were Brown, Pennington, Cobbs and Allen, all of whom are returning from surgery necessitated by season-ending injuries last year.
Brown missed the final seven games because of a foot injury. Pennington lost his starting job when he was hurt in the third game, and he'll compete for the No. 2 job behind Henne.
With the focus on those returning, reserve quarterback Pat White's absence was the most glaring. The Dolphins didn't give a reason, but before practice Sparano said a couple of players might be held out. With the return of Pennington and reserve quarterback Tyler Thigpen, White faces a tough battle for a roster spot.
The Dolphins worked on everything from the wildcat to drawing the defense offsides, calling timeout three consecutive times when defenders — mindful of the offense's strategy — failed to jump.
Lining up with the first team were Miami's first two draft choices, defensive end Jared Odrick and outside linebacker Koa Misi. That didn't spare them from rookie hazing, although the 304-pound Odrick said he had not yet been forced to carry a veteran's shoulder pads.
"Let's not talk about that, because they start getting ideas," Odrick said. "They'll be like, 'Oh yeah, rook, you didn't carry my pads yet.' I had to throw Channing Crowder's trash away today. Let's not bring that stuff up. I'm willing to do it, but let's not remind them."
With veteran Phillip Merling sidelined by a recent Achilles' tendon injury, Odrick's the front-runner for a starting job. Merling remained on the roster rather than being placed on the physically unable to perform list, suggesting the Dolphins believe there's a chance he might return this season.
Along with 14 rookies, newcomers included Dansby, guard Richie Incognito and three recently acquired defensive linemen — Charles Grant, Marques Douglas and Montavious Stanley.
Dansby spent his first six NFL seasons in Arizona, and even he was impressed by South Florida's summer weather.
"The heat is unbelievable, man," Dansby said. "I thought I was prepared for it, man, but that heat is a monster. I've just got to try to get used to it as quick as I can."
Sparano, the weight-loss expert, has scheduled two practices for Saturday.
-- Steven Wine
Bills C Hangartner, LB Maybin scuffle at practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Coach Chan Gailey's has added more hitting to Buffalo Bills' training camp and it has raised tensions on the practice field.
Center Geoff Hangartner and linebacker Aaron Maybin exchanged shoves and wrestled each other to the ground midway through practice Friday morning. Things got heated after Maybin shoved running back Fred Jackson from behind and sent him sliding along the grass field.
As Jackson yelled out, "C'mon, man," Hangartner ran over and straight-armed Maybin across the helmet. The two then exchanged several shoves and Maybin got in a punch on Hangartner as they tangled on the ground before being separated by teammates.
Just two days into training camp and there is already more physical contact under Gailey, who took over as coach in January after Dick Jauron was fired midway through last season. Unlike Jauron, who preferred holding walkthroughs and having his players practice without pads, Gailey is demanding far more hitting in practice.
"If you got passion about the game it is going to come out," said Gailey of the skirmish. "Sometimes it comes out the wrong way. If it becomes an issue then you have to talk about it because it could be an issue during a ballgame."
Gailey did not address the team about the scuffle and does not plan to barring any more confrontations.
"I think it's part of the game," Gailey said. "I've been in them and everybody that has played the game has been in them. It comes with the territory."
Hangartner was unhappy with Maybin's hit on Jackson.
"You hit our 1,000-yard rusher in the back when he's not looking, then it's going to kind of cause some hard feelings with the O-line, so that's kind of the way things go," Hangartner said afterward. "I've got to protect our guy."
Hangarner and Maybin says things are fine between them.
"Stuff like that happens. No hard feelings," Hangarner said. "And it'll happen again with somebody else before this camp's over with I promise you. It may not be me and him, it'll be somebody else, but it'll happen again."
Maybin laughed when asked about the scuffle.
"I think it's a little bit less of a big deal than everybody makes it out to be, but it is what it is, it's a physical game," Maybin said. "Emotions are always going to be a little bit higher because you have pads on. So it is a little bit of a heightened emotional level."
Maybin joked that he and Hangarner will likely continue "talking trash in the locker room." Maybin's hit did lead to some trash-talking on the field.
Within earshot of several reporters standing alongside a fence near the practice field, offensive guard Eric Wood yelled that Maybin should "give back some of that money you ain't earned."
Touted as a solid pass-rusher and drafted 11th overall last year, Maybin saw limited action, registering 16 tackles and no sacks in 16 games as a backup as a rookie.
Defensive lineman Marcus Stroud voiced support for Maybin by yelling out: "Do that again, Maybin. This is football. You're supposed to get tackled."
Wood declined to comment afterward about what he was overheard saying. Wood acknowledged that practices have been more physical.
"Yeah, tensions do rise," Wood said. "It's the game of football. I mean, Stroud yelled it, it's football."
Maybin said he didn't hear Wood's comment. When informed what Wood said, Maybin smiled and said, "There's nothing to make out of that."
-- John Wawrow
Brady says contract talks won't be distraction
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is known for being able to focus on his receivers in the face of oncoming rushers.
This season he plans to put that single-minded approach to another use — keeping his contract negotiations from becoming a distraction to the team.
"Nobody here can solve it but myself and the team," Brady said after practice Friday morning at New England's training camp. "I'm in the position a lot of guys are around the league and on this team. I'm under contract and it's my responsibility to come out and play as well as I can. I've always felt that's what I love to do anyway — to come out here and compete."
Brady, who turns 33 Monday, said that he would like to play another 10 years, hopefully for the Patriots. He is making $6.5 million in the final year of his contract.
Brady believes he has the mental toughness to not let the contract talks or anything else become a distraction that would affect his play.
"We all deal with different stuff in our life — some more challenging than others — but I'm a leader on this team and I've been a captain for a long time. You just put those things off the field behind you and come here with a good attitude and show good leadership."
Coach Bill Belichick said that Brady has things he needs to work on during camp, just like every player and is confident he will get the work done.
"Now's the time to really start developing timing and consistency, feeling the rush and all those things a quarterback has to deal with such as time management, game management, so forth and so on.
"He works as hard as anybody does. He's very professional. He's got a great work ethic. ... but there's no substitute for being out there with 21 other players."
Brady said the contract talks have not affected his relationship with the organization or the Kraft family.
"I've always been privileged to play for Coach Belichick, who I've always said is the best coach in the history of the league."
Brady said his goal is to play his entire career with the Pats, but noted that's he's only under contract for one year and that no one's future is guaranteed in the NFL.
Besides Brady's contract, the absence of All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, who is holding out after refusing to sign a contract in the offseason, has been the other story at the first two days of camp.
"Logan's been a good player and a great representative for this team," said Brady, who also serves as a player representative for the NFLPA. "We miss him. He has a lot of good friends on this team."
Brady said his surgically repaired left knee, which he injured nearly two years ago, feels "great."
"I'd like to play for another 10 years, hopefully," he said.
NOTES: Veteran linebacker Derrick Burgess still has not reported to training camp. Burgess, who had five sacks in his first season in New England and signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in the offseason, was a no-show Thursday.
Roethlisberger glad to put offseason behind him
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger is understandably glad that his troubled offseason is behind him. He's about to find out if the Pittsburgh Steelers' fans are ready to forget about it, too.
Roethlisberger ditched the oversized SUV he normally drives and, perhaps trying to reshape his battered image, arrived at training camp on Friday in a subcompact convertible that barely held the quarterback and injured offensive lineman Willie Colon. Several other linemen also traveled from Pittsburgh in a caravan of tiny cars.
"It's good to be able to put a lot of things in the offseason behind you and move on and that's what this is about," said Roethlisberger, who is suspended for at least the first month of the season. "It's about doing that and getting ready to play football, because that's my No. 1 focus."
Even if the Steelers' No. 1 quarterback since 2004 will be No. 3 when practice starts Saturday.
While Roethlisberger can't play until Oct. 17 at the earliest, coach Mike Tomlin said Byron Leftwich will take the majority of the snaps in practice and backup Dennis Dixon will follow. Roethlisberger won't get nearly as much work as usual with the regulars, even though he will be the starter for most of the season.
"We're going to be somewhat non-rhythmic," Tomlin said. "We're going to make sure that at the end of this thing, Ben has had a productive camp. But our focus, of course, is who's going to be playing quarterback for us the week of the opener (Sept. 12 against Atlanta)."
Wide receiver Hines Ward said training camp always is about preparing for the start of the season, not worrying about what will happen well into the season. Roethlisberger was suspended for six games after being accused of, but not charged with, sexually assaulting a Georgia college student in March, but the Steelers expect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reduce the ban to four games before the season begins.
"He's going to be our biggest cheerleader right now," Ward said. "We, as a unit, we have to move on. We still have to see who our starting quarterback is, get our (practice) reps and go from there. Ben's still a part of this team. We've just got to hold down the ship until he gets back."
The estimated 5,000 or more fans who are expected to attend the team's first open-to-the-public practice Saturday no doubt won't be accustomed to watching Roethlisberger as a backup. Whether that affects their reception for him is uncertain.
When the sordid details of Roethlisberger's excursion to a Milledgeville, Ga., college bar with an entourage of friends were revealed by authorities, his popularity in Pittsburgh plummeted. Some angry fans shipped their children's No. 7 jerseys back to the team or burned them, and others said that while they would cheer the Steelers, they planned to boo Roethlisberger.
Training camp will provide the first indication whether the unhappy fans have softened their stance during the past 3½ months, or whether Roethlisberger must do more to win back his rooters.
Roethlisberger knows he will be booed on the road, but getting jeered at Heinz Field — in a city filled with some of the NFL's most passionate fans — undoubtedly would be unsettling.
"It's all about football right now and I'm focused on that, and winning a championship," Roethlisberger said in brief remarks to reporters. "That's what this year is about and that's what's starting (here) is about, winning a championship, That's kind if where I'm at with it."
If any of Roethlisberger's teammates remain unhappy that he's put a team that's won the Super Bowl twice in the past five seasons at a decided competitive disadvantage by getting suspended, they didn't say so.
Still, Tomlin acknowledged that no NFL team has had a training camp like this, knowing it must prepare not one but two starting quarterbacks — one for at least four games, the other for the rest of the season.
"It is irregular. It is unique," Tomlin said. "But such is life in the NFL. You're always presented with challenges to that end. We'll handle it thoughtfully, we'll communicate with all parties involved and we'll proceed."
Tomlin also said the newly acquired Flozell Adams will shift from left tackle, where he played 12 seasons with Dallas, to right tackle. Max Starks remains at left tackle, although he once played on the right side and Adams never has.
"We have an issue at one position and that's right tackle," Tomlin said. "I'm not going to make it an issue at two positions unless I have to."
No player had trouble completing the traditional camp-opening run test — including 325-pound nose tackle Casey Hampton, who couldn't finish the series of sprints in 2008.
-- Alan Robinson
Stallworth rebuilds life after manslaughter plea
WESTMINSTER, Md. (AP) — Donte' Stallworth formally resumed his football career Friday, taking the field in pads for the first time since "the situation."
In March 2009, Stallworth was driving in Florida when he hit 59-year-old crane operator Mario Reyes. The dock worker died, and three months later Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony.
He served 24 days in jail and was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for the entire 2009 season.
"I won't forget about what happened and I will never belittle the situation, because you can't," Stallworth said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But at the end of the day, when my name is written on a tombstone hopefully a long time from now, I would want to be remembered for something other than the situation.
"I would like to be remembered as a good person who did a lot for a lot of different people. A person who loved being around people, being sociable and helpful to everybody."
The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver took a major step in that direction Friday.
He donned shoulder pads and took the field with teammates, something he hadn't done since his final days with the Cleveland Browns in December 2008.
After practice, Stallworth spent nearly an hour signing autographs for children. And then, after he was ready to walk off the field, stopped and signed a few more.
The 29-year-old Stallworth knows he can't change what happened while he was behind the wheel of his car that morning in Miami. But since the tragedy, Stallworth said he has reached an accord with the Reyes family, financially and spiritually.
He and the family agreed on a settlement to avoid a civil lawsuit and, through his lawyer, Stallworth pleaded for their forgiveness.
"I know they were very appreciative of the way I handled everything. Despite what everyone else says, that's what matters to me the most," Stallworth said. "You can't bring back the situation that occurred, but at the same time it gives me a sense of peace knowing the family appreciates the way I handled everything afterward, and that they were on my side."
By signing Stallworth as a free agent in February, the Ravens enhanced their receiving corps and provided him with the opportunity to restore an NFL career that hasn't quite lived up to expectations. He's never had a 1,000-yard year and has scored only 32 touchdowns in seven seasons.
"Last year I was able to rest my body and able to work out and focus on certain aspects of my game that I wouldn't be able to do if I would have been playing," Stallworth said. "I just try to make the best out of every situation. That's all I know how to do."
In football, and in life.
"You can't dwell on the past. You want to always try to move forward," he said. "I think that with everything that I've been through, there's really just a sense of serenity within myself, knowing that God forgives and that I can move forward and can try to continue my life as a I know it."
Stallworth signed a $900,000, one-year contract with the Ravens — a significant cut in pay from what he was to make with Cleveland. Stallworth received a seven-year, $35 million deal with the Browns in 2008 and received a $4.5 million bonus the night before the crash.
And now, he's trying to make a living playing football again.
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was charged with murder in Atlanta in 2000 and ultimately pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. He rebounded from his brush with the law to enjoy a stellar career, and Lewis is certain Stallworth can do it, too.
"I haven't jumped into Donte's world, but anytime you've gone through adversity you always have something to prove. All you can do is keep going forward. Don't go backward," Lewis said. "Looking at his heart from the outside in, he's a man of humility. He's a man that found himself in a tough time, but now he's getting a second chance and I believe he's someone who will capture that opportunity and really run with it."
Stallworth will never be able to outrun his past, but he's doing his best to deal with it.
"I think he understands that will always be part of any public discussion about Donte' Stallworth. That kind of goes with the territory," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "But I also think he wants to let people see who he really is. From a football standpoint, I think Donte' wants to have kind of career that he always planned on having. He's always been a very good player, but I think he believes he's capable of being a really, really special player. He is very determined to prove that."
Stallworth's teammates plan to help make it happen.
"They've been extremely supportive. No one's mentioned it. It's in the past," Stallworth said. "Right now it's all about football."
-- David Ginsburg
Broncos rookie Tim Tebow: Bring on the shots
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Tim Tebow is ready for the shots, both on the football field and in the locker room.
The two-time national champion from Florida practiced with other rookies Friday in advance of the start of the Denver Broncos' training camp and said he couldn't wait for the hard hits.
Tebow, the 25th pick in the NFL draft, is fresh off putting his signature on two contracts, one of them a five-year deal to play for the Broncos and the other a multiyear deal to serve as a pitchman for Jockey underwear.
Beyond the usual rookie ritual of carrying veterans' shoulder pads and maybe grabbing them a cup of coffee or a sandwich, Tebow knows he'll be catching a good amount of grief for his endorsement of the tighty whities.
"A few people have said a few things to me about it," Tebow said with a hearty chuckle. "Actually, Coach McDaniels was the first one to say something to me. But, you know, I'm sure I'll get some (more) of it, but it's all in good fun."
So, what did Josh McDaniels tell his prized pupil?
"I told him they passed on me for him," McDaniels cracked. "I turned it down."
Tebow said he was relieved to have a contract in hand so he could finally practice with the Broncos, who were still negotiating Friday with their other first-round draft pick, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Tebow said it felt good to work up a sweat again during the one-hour workout at Dove Valley but what he was really looking forward to was getting hit again.
Although he'll don the red no-contact jersey along with starter Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn when camp starts Sunday, Tebow will get a taste of NFL hitting early on because the coaches are eager to see if they can have him run the ball like he did in college.
He won't be blasted by his own teammates; that kind of contact won't come until the preseason.
"It may be a negative of mine, that I look forward to that and I'm a quarterback, so you kind of have to stay calm," Tebow said. "But it is fun once Sunday gets out here and everybody is hitting. I'll get excited too."
If Tebow can do it, the Broncos could use a healthy dose this season of the wildcat, the newfangled version of the old-fashioned single-wing employed by several NFL teams, notably the Miami Dolphins.
In Denver, they call it the Wild Horse, and Tebow might even throw out of the funky formations.
McDaniels said he's never used a quarterback rotation before but would give it a shot if Tebow is up to the task.
"Certainly, people have speculated about how we may or may not use him in those roles, but since we haven't really done any of it in pads, I haven't had the opportunity to evaluate what that may do for our team," McDaniels said. "... There's going to be some things that he can obviously do that the other two can't in that regard. How much we do or don't do will depend on how productive we are at it."
At any rate, McDaniels appreciates Tebow's tough-mindedness.
"I think that's part of his demeanor. I think that is also part of what he brings to your football team," McDaniels said. "I think that may be a little unique in terms of the contact part of it."
Quarterbacks can give an offense a toughness by bouncing up after a big collision, McDaniels said, "and I know he's had an opportunity in college to do some of the other stuff where he actually is inflicting some of the hitting at the end of a run or something like that."
Tebow is generating the kind of buzz that John Elway did during his rookie season in 1983. Tebow isn't nearly as polished as Elway was coming out of Stanford and he's not only cramming the NFL playbook but he's been working tirelessly on tweaking his techniques and mechanics as he adjusts to the pro game.
While his detractors say he won't measure up in the NFL even if he was a great college player, Tebow's supporters, who include Elway, suggest his athleticism, work ethic and pedigree will translate into success.
McDaniels said he wasn't going to try to tamp down expectations for Tebow, who planned to work late Friday and rise early on Saturday to catch up on the practice plans he missed while his agent hammered out a contract worth $11.25 million over five years.
"What other peoples' expectations are of him or how much he'll play or contribute or compete to play early, I don't really know," McDaniels said. "I'm not that worried about it. I think if he's the best player at some point in some area, then he'll be able to affect the team."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Chiefs unveil Hunt statue, start training camp
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — At the unveiling Friday of a nine-foot statute of Lamar Hunt, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised the founder of the AFL and Kansas City Chiefs as a humble leader and farsighted visionary who helped shape the modern game.
"Lamar's role in pro football history is unparalleled," Goodell told several hundred invited guests as Hunt's widow and four children sat on the stage behind him. "He was one of the finest men and innovators in the entire history of sports. His vision of the AFL 50 years ago transformed pro football from a regional sport to a national passion."
Hunt, who died in 2006, was the 27-year-old son of oil billionaire H.L. Hunt when he talked several other wealthy sportsmen into forming the AFL in 1959 and challenging the established National Football League. He had been rebuffed several times in an effort to buy an NFL team, so he decided to form his own league.
After a rocky beginning, the new league became a huge success and finally forced a merger with the NFL. The Founder's Plaza on the north side of the renovated Arrowhead Stadium is dedicated to Hunt and the AFL.
Hunt, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, gave the Super Bowl its name and was the first to suggest the games be given Roman numerals. He also had the idea of naming the Super Bowl trophy after coach Vince Lombardi.
"Lamar looms large among all of Hall of Famers as a pioneer and a founding father and one of the most important architects in the history of our great game," said Goodell.
When he began his climb up the NFL power structure, Goodell was an assistant to Hunt.
"I had the good fortune of working with Lamar as his assistant back in the league office for several years," Goodell told the assembled guests, including many former players and local dignitaries.
"His impression stays with me to this day. I think about what he would do in many of the circumstances and many of the decisions I have to make. He never lost sight of the game and the importance of keeping it strong and exciting for the fans. His spirit will always be a part of us."
The statue depicts Hunt as most fans remember him — coatless and wearing a plain shirt and tie with the sleeves rolled up.
"He was a fan first and he always looked forward to spending time with Chiefs fans on Sunday," said Clark Hunt, chairman of the Chiefs and the only family member who takes an active role in the club. "He made a habit of walking the parking lot on game days, crashing tailgate parties, taking pictures with fans and welcoming the Arrowhead faithful to the stadium that he loved so much."
The statue and Founder's Plaza were added to the renovation project after Hunt died.
"Given his humble nature, my father would never have let us go to so much trouble on his behalf," Clark Hunt said. "From the start, it was clear that we had to have a space devoted to Lamar and it had to be available to all fans."
Later Friday, the Chiefs began training camp at their new facilities in St. Joseph, Mo.
-- Doug Tucker
Chargers missing 4 stars as camp hits high gear
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers didn't have perfect attendance Friday for their first two full-squad practices of training camp.
Running back Ryan Mathews, the heir apparent to LaDainian Tomlinson, hasn't signed a contract yet and has missed five practices. He missed three practices earlier this week for rookies and selected veterans.
Mathews was the 12th overall pick. The players picked on either side of him, San Francisco's Anthony Davis and Philadelphia's Brandon Graham, both agreed to deals on Friday, which could help Mathews and the Chargers finalize a contract.
"Now that guys are starting to sign around where he was picked, our guys think a deal can get done pretty fast," coach Norv Turner said.
Neither Mathews' agent nor general manager A.J. Smith returned calls seeking comment.
Also missing were outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, left tackle Marcus McNeill and Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson. They are unhappy about their status as restricted free agents.
While McNeill and Jackson are expected to have prolonged holdouts, Merriman's holdout isn't expected to be as long.
Still, Turner isn't happy.
"He needs to get back to where he's practicing and playing every day," Turner said. "The biggest thing people need to understand is that this is a team deal. Nothing we do is based on any one guy. It's based on a team, on 11 guys playing together, and I'd like to get him back to being one of those 11 guys working on a common goal."
The holdouts have been the talk of Chargers training camp and likely will be for some time, but Turner doesn't believe it will distract from the team's on-field work. He's also put a moratorium on discussing anyone who hasn't reported to camp.
"I'm not going to address the three guys who aren't here after today," he said. "I'm not going to speak of it and our guys aren't going to spend a lot of time talking about it either. They would all like those guys to be here, but this group has handled change and distraction as well as any I've been around. I don't think it creates distraction in our building.
"There are a bunch of guys getting an opportunity to play and I believe our team has confidence that they'll get the job done."
McNeill and Jackson appear to be prepared to sit out training camp and the season's first 10 games. They'll likely report for the final six games in order to accrue another season toward unrestricted free agency.
Jackson and McNeill were tendered one-year deals at just more than $3 million each. When they didn't sign the offers by June 15, the Chargers were entitled to offer them their same salaries as 2009, resulting in a loss of about $2.5 million each.
Merriman hasn't signed his tender for $3.269 million, but the outside linebacker was due a 10 percent raise anyway, which would put his 2010 pay at approximately the tender amount. Still, he hasn't said when he'll report.
He did comment on his Twitter account recently about tight end Antonio Gates' $36 million contract extension: "1st thought upon seeing Antonio Gates' full deal: wht do Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill & Shawne Merriman think?God Bless."
