NFL Capsules - AFC: Mathis, Wayne make it to Colts' training camp
ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Reggie Wayne ditched the flashy training camp entrance and sneaked in without saying a word.
Just like the Colts wanted it.
Peyton Manning's favorite receiver and Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Mathis ended the speculation about potential holdouts by reporting to Indianapolis' new camp home, Anderson University, on time Sunday.
"All Indianapolis Colts players under contract have reported to training camp," the team said in a statement released Sunday afternoon.
It sounded good, though the team's new reporting-day policy assured there would be no comedy routine — or immediate face time — from Wayne, Mathis or almost any other Colts' player.
Wayne and Mathis caused quite a stir in June when they skipped the team's mandatory three-day minicamp as a protest to rework their current contracts. Both players have two years remaining on their deals.
To avoid any potential distractions, team officials prohibited access to all players except Manning — something they had never done since the Colts moved training camp to Anderson in 1984. Television cameras and a pool photographer were permitted to shoot arriving players but were kept 75 to 100 yards away, with fans even farther back.
The only four-time MVP in league history would have preferred to see what trick Wayne was going to pull out this year.
"That is always kind of fun to see," Manning said. "You'd always hear he did this or he did that, but you never really believed it. He drove, what was it last year, a truck?"
Actually, it was a dump truck complete with hard hat and orange construction vest, Peyton.
No such luck this year, and it wouldn't have made sense anyway.
"Since you all have been quarantined over here, I think he'd be disappointed," Manning said. "No one would be there to film it. I think he'd be disappointed — though it might save him some money."
The Colts had their own business dealings to work out, too.
One unidentified player was excused Sunday to deal with what the team called a "family matter." Team spokesman Craig Kelley said the player was expected to practice Monday morning.
Another absentee was first-round draft pick Jerry Hughes, who still has not agreed to terms on a contract.
The rookie defensive end is expected to give the Colts more flexibility in their pass rush this season and coach Jim Caldwell remains hopeful Hughes will arrive in time for Monday's opening workout.
"I anticipate that, yes," Caldwell said about four hours before the team's reporting deadline.
The Colts also signed veteran cornerback Deshea Townsend, who played all 12 of his NFL seasons in Pittsburgh. The move gives Indy some much-needed experience at a crucial position. Kelvin Hayden, a six-year veteran, was the only player on Indy's roster with more than one season in the NFL.
Caldwell also had some promising news for Colts fans.
He said receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who missed all but the first quarter last season with a right knee injury, and safety Bob Sanders, who missed all but two games last year with knee and biceps injuries, are not expected to open practice on the physically unable to perform list.
Gonzalez saw only limited work during the team's minicamps and went to Tennessee in July to work out exclusively with Manning and Austin Collie.
Sanders has been on PUP three times in the past four years. The one year he wasn't, 2007, Sanders was selected NFL defensive player of the year.
"Bob was here during the spring, he did a great job, he felt good, moved around well," Caldwell said, deflecting speculation about Sanders' health. "I fully anticipate that (he will practice). I anticipate everyone on the bubble will participate."
Manning had offseason surgery, too.
Doctors repaired a pinched nerve in Manning's neck in March, and it hasn't slowed him. He practiced throughout the spring with his teammates — even while Wayne and Mathis stayed home — and says he's feeling better than ever as he focuses on winning a second Super Bowl.
"My focus is to get better as a player, to get my timing down with any of the players, whether it's Brody Eldridge or Brandon James," Manning said. "I want to get better every day. I think that's what training camp is about, getting better."
Jets CB Darrelle Revis holding out from camp
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Jets reported for training camp with high hopes — and without perhaps their best player.
All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis is holding out while locked in a contract dispute with the team. And there's no telling how long he might stay away.
"Darrelle and his family were extremely deliberate with the decision-making process," agent Neil Schwartz told the Associated Press on Sunday. "Obviously his actions speak far louder than words."
Revis didn't show for the team's conditioning test Sunday morning at the Jets' training facility in Florham Park, N.J. He officially became a holdout when he missed the team's first meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Cortland.
Not good news for a team with its sights set on a Super Bowl.
"The lines of communication are open and we remain committed to finding a solution that makes sense for him and makes sense for us," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "The two things that we've all agreed upon is that Darrelle has outplayed his contract and it needed to be addressed, and he has three years to go on his contract."
Revis is to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, making him one of the lowest-paid defensive backs on the team this season. He wants to be the league's highest-paid cornerback, a distinction that belongs to Nnamdi Asomugha, who signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.
Tannenbaum, saying he's "an eternal optimist," added that the main disagreement between the sides is in total compensation.
"That is the threshold issue we have," he said.
Schwartz and agent Jon Feinsod said both sides worked until the last minute to get something done. Tannenbaum said the team made three offers in the last 72 hours: a long-term deal that would keep him with the Jets for life, a short-term deal and a face-to-face meeting — and all were denied.
By holding out, Revis will be fined $16,523 for each day he's not with the team and waived a clause in his contract which would have guaranteed him $20 million over the last two years of his deal.
"He's a great player, the best corner I've ever been around," coach Rex Ryan said. "So, certainly, I'm disappointed. I really thought, in my heart, he would be signed by now and we wouldn't be having these conversations."
Revis said in May that both Tannenbaum and Ryan told him they believe he should be the league's highest-paid cornerback. After all, he was coming off a season in which he routinely handled opponents' top receivers and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Revis also said the Jets promised him his contract situation would be taken care of by training camp.
He sat out a few plays in minicamp, saying he was lightheaded at the time but the negotiations also played a role in him sitting.
In his absence, first-round pick Kyle Wilson — who signed a five-year, $13 million deal late Saturday night — will get time with the first-team defense along with Antonio Cromartie and Dwight Lowery.
"He's a great player and a player of that magnitude, he will be missed," defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said. "But, we have some great guys backing him up and they're going to do what they have to do."
All-Pro center Nick Mangold is also looking for a contract extension, but unlike Revis, showed up on time for camp.
"We decided it would be best for me to be in camp," he said. "That's the decision we made, and we're moving forward."
He's making $3.3 million entering the final year of his rookie deal. Mangold said he wasn't bothered to hear that both Ryan and Tannenbaum were recently given contract extensions while he waits for his.
"They're working down the totem pole and they'll get to me in a couple of years, I guess," Mangold said with a laugh. "You don't try to read too much into it because then you become paranoid."
Also Sunday, the Jets' fourth-round draft pick, running back Joe McKnight, passed a conditioning test that he initially failed.
Wide receiver Santonio Holmes was given a later mandatory report date of Wednesday so he can attend to a family matter. Holmes wrote on this Twitter page a few days ago that his son was in the hospital, but it was uncertain if that was the reason for the delay.
Meanwhile, Jenkins (hamstring) and backup quarterback Kellen Clemens (calf) were placed on the active-physically unable to perform list. Both downplayed the injuries and said they would be OK.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Jenkins wins Jets' weight-loss challenge
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — Kris Jenkins is the Jets' biggest loser.
The hefty defensive tackle won a weight-loss competition with coach Rex Ryan and right tackle Damien Woody, shedding 33.6 pounds and showing up at training camp Sunday at a svelte 359.
"I won! I won!" Jenkins said with a huge smile while doing a celebratory dance.
Jenkins has been using Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet since May to help him lose the weight. He wants to drop another 10 and be at 350 heading into the regular season.
"I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in in a while," he said.
A donation will be made to Jenkins' chosen charity, Life Pieces to Masterpieces, which is based in Washington, D.C. and help kids focus on art as a way to avoid trouble on the streets.
Woody finished second by dropping 26.2 pounds to report at 340, while Ryan was down 20 since issuing the challenge to the two players.
"It's a win-win for everybody," Woody said. "Jenks did a great job. I commend him on his cookie diet. I call him Cookie Monster now."
Ryan jokingly questioned the results, saying he should have gotten credit for the 35 pounds he lost as a result of lap-band surgery.
"He tried to put us under the bus saying, 'Aw-w-w, you guys didn't let that count,'" Jenkins said. "He was the one when we started the competition who said, 'I'm not going to count this.' OK, well, take the 'L' like a man."
Still, Ryan thought he was really the big winner and said he's at 291 after weighing in at 348 before the surgery.
"Now, I did make the rules of it, but I don't understand how I lost 55 pounds — that I lost this," Ryan said. "How should I be punished 35 pounds? I don't understand how they get that. I'm not making excuses. You know I won't make excuses. I was on a two-week Europe vacation, but I don't make excuses."
And, as for Jenkins' comment that Ryan didn't take the loss well?
"Oh," Ryan said with a big grin, "I took a swing at him."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Bills' Gailey mandating O-linemen wear knee braces
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Despite recovering from a severely broken leg, Buffalo Bills starting right guard Eric Wood had no intention of wearing any type of protective brace this season.
Too bulky, awkward and restrictive, Wood complained after wearing them in college. "It's an extra pound or two on each leg," he said.
Turns out Wood has no say in the matter.
Under first-year coach Chan Gailey's orders, all 15 of the team's offensive linemen are required to wear a knee brace on each leg through training camp in a bid to prevent injuries. It's a practice Gailey and offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris first began considering more than 20 years ago when they were together with Birmingham of the World League of American Football.
Gailey said he didn't start implementing the mandate until about 11 years ago. Though he knows of no statistical evidence that show knee braces prevent injuries, Gailey said he's seen too much visual proof to know they must help.
"I believe it because I know it, because I've seen it with my own eyes," he said. "I've seen bent knee braces come off the practice field and the guy's not hurt. So I know it works."
And it doesn't matter to Gailey that most players don't like wearing them.
"No, they don't like it, but I think they're smart enough to understand why," said Gailey, though he won't require players to wear them during games. "With all the injuries we've had around here, I think that they weren't quite as reluctant."
The knee-brace mandate is new to the Bills and uncommon throughout the NFL.
The Miami Dolphins are one team that has such a policy, which shouldn't come as a surprise because of Bill Parcells' presence as the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Parcells instituted a similar knee-brace mandate as coach in Dallas last decade.
Otherwise, there are at least 11 teams, including the current Cowboys, that don't require braces.
Bills center Geoff Hangartner wasn't a fan of the policy initially, and made sure to voice his thoughts to line coach Joe D'Alessandris. But he's come around.
"Joe knows there's a reluctance on some of our parts to wear them, but he believes in them," Hangartner said. "And as beat up as we were last year, if it prevents one injury, then it's worth the pain that it is to put them on every day."
Knee injuries took their toll on Buffalo's offensive linemen last season. Wood, starting left tackle Demetrius Bell, starting right tackle Brad Butler and backup tackle Seth McKinney all finished the season on injured reserve after hurting their knees or legs.
Bell, who was hurt in Week 10 last season, was already planning to wear a brace on his surgically repaired right knee. Now he's getting used to one on his left knee, as well.
"They feel funny, even in your stance," said Bell, who took part in full contact drills on Sunday for the first time this offseason. "But it'll help us out in the long run and I feel it's already helped us out, so I don't think it's a bad thing."
Offensive linemen are most susceptible to knee injuries because of the nature of their position. Aside from having to start from a crouched position, the players rely on their legs to get leverage in blocking defenders. There's also a bigger potential for offensive linemen to have their knees cut out from behind or from the side, as happened to Wood during an 18-15 loss at Jacksonville on Nov. 22.
Wood was blocking one defender near the line of scrimmage when Jaguars defensive tackle Montavious Stanley made a diving attempt to tackle quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Stanley got only a piece of the quarterback and landed directly on Wood's lower leg, bending it sideways, in an injury that was so gruesome that CBS elected against showing more than one replay.
Despite his reluctance to wear braces in practice, Wood said he's becoming accustomed to them and just might continue wearing them in games.
"Oh yeah, the statistics show they reduce a lot of injuries. I was thankful I wore them in college. I had a couple of close calls," Wood said. "I'm not a huge protester of them. They're not fun to wear in practice, not fun to get used to again. But you deal with it."
-- John Wawrow
Patriots WR Welker returns from knee injury
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots receiver Wes Welker was removed from the physically unable to perform list and placed on the active roster Sunday, seven months after tearing ligaments in his knee.
Welker practiced with the club Sunday morning.
Welker was injured early in the final regular-season game against the Houston Texans on Jan. 3. He underwent surgery for a torn ACL and MCL a month later.
Welker participated in organized team activities in June. On Sunday, he ran pass patterns and participated in non-contact drills. He was loudly applauded by fans every time he touched the ball.
"It's a tribute to Wes and his work ethic," said Nick Casario, director of player personnel.
Casario said Welker passed his physical before taking the field.
"I'm not fully there," Welker said. "We're getting closer. I can't point out one thing. I think I can get better at a lot of things, whether I was 100 percent or not. We're working toward that."
He said his knee and the shoulder he injured during the season, forcing him to miss two games, both feel great.
Welker said he didn't know when he would be cleared for contact, leaving it up to coaches and doctors.
He said he wasn't really thinking about the knee during drills, although he would continue to wear the brace he sported Sunday at least for a while.
"Obviously if I was favoring it (the knee) or something, I wouldn't be out here," he said.
Welker said there was no chance to relax in the offseason as he rehabbed.
"There was no vacation time," he said. "A nice weekend here, a nice weekend there, or anything like that. It was six hours of work each day, making sure I was bringing it every day, and that was the toughest part."
Welker, a seven-year veteran from Texas Tech, caught a team record 123 passes for 1,348 yards last season despite missing almost three full games. It was the third straight year he caught more than 100 passes after the Patriots obtained him in a 2007 trade with the Miami Dolphins.
NOTES: Casario deflected questions on any possible negotiations with All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, who is holding out after refusing to sign a contract in the offseason. "I'm not going to get into that," said Casario. "We're focusing on the players that are here." ... Casario also said he expects a resolution soon on linebacker Derrick Burgess, who has not reported to camp and is reportedly contemplating retirement. Burgess, who had five sacks last year, signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract in the offseason. Because of Burgess' failure to report and the retirement of David Patten, the Patriots have two open roster sports for the time being.
Close friends Farrior, Foote compete for same job
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Larry Foote is the mouth of the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room. James Farrior is its conscience.
Foote loosens up his teammates with his nonstop chattering and incessant arguing on any subject. Farrior is the defense's acknowledged leader, a reliable perfectionist and team captain who is almost always in the right position to make a tackle or shut down a play.
Last season changed everything for Foote and Farrior, the starting inside linebackers on the Steelers' Super Bowl-winning teams during the 2005 and 2008 seasons.
Foote was miserable losing in Detroit, leaving Pittsburgh as a free agent only so he could remain a starter. Farrior was Pittsburgh's top tackler for the fourth consecutive season, but the quality of his play admittedly slipped as the Steelers went 9-7 and missed the playoffs.
Back in Pittsburgh this season, Foote intends to remain a starter at age 30. To do that, he must beat out the 35-year-old Farrior, the oldest starter on one of the NFL's oldest defenses — and a player who isn't the least bit interested in giving up his job. Not even to a close friend.
"I feel like I've always got to compete and that's the mindset since I've been in the NFL, there's always somebody out there younger, trying to take your job," Farrior said. "They're always looking to replace you."
Until now, Farrior looked to be one of the most irreplaceable of players on a defense that is the NFL's best statistically over the past five seasons. A two-time Pro Bowl linebacker and former team MVP, he has started 70 consecutive games — every one since 2005. He routinely does his job so well, it allows players such as Troy Polamalu and LaMarr Woodley to make the plays that do get noticed.
Still, Farrior hit some rough patches last season, especially during a difficult-to-explain losing streak against the Bengals, Chiefs, Ravens, Raiders and Browns that ultimately kept the Steelers out of the playoffs.
Several teams picked on Farrior when slid into pass coverage, and a defense that was the NFL's best in nearly every major statistical category the previous season lost fourth-quarter leads five times. The Steelers also ranked poorly in getting off the field on third and fourth downs.
"Definitely, we felt like we could have played a lot better and we're looking to pick it up," Farrior said.
To do that, the Steelers brought back Foote and cornerback Bryant McFadden, another former Super Bowl starter who moved on to a different team in 2009 — Arizona for him — and didn't especially like it.
They also drafted outside linebacker Jason Worilds in the second round to groom into a pass rusher. And they're experimenting in camp with last year's first-round pick, defensive end Ziggy Hood, sliding in for a few plays at nose tackle.
Foote left the Steelers partly because he knew 2007 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons was ready to start. Timmons finished fourth on the team in tackles and third in sacks (seven) and, at age 24, is one of only two defensive starters who are 28 or younger.
Timmons isn't about to lose his job so, if Foote is to play most of the time, Farrior must lose his.
"Right now on paper I am (a backup), but the coaches told me I'm going to play," Foote said. "It's up to my talent and how fast I get back into the swing of things that will determine my playing time. I'm just trying to put my cards on the table and see what happens."
To keep Foote from replacing him, Farrior made certain his offseason regimen was more difficult than ever. He spent the last few weeks before camp — a time when some players fit in a quick vacation — working out for three hours-plus a day in the Florida heat with a trainer.
Farrior believes he's in such good shape that his age shouldn't matter, even if he knows it does.
"Every year, everybody has to prove themselves all over again," Farrior said. "Especially me."
Not that Farrior isn't enjoying having Foote back.
"It's great to have that loudmouth back in the locker room. We missed him last year, not having his voice around," Farrior said. "He was one of my best friends when he was here. Hopefully we can get that back going, that good relationship that we had."
-- Alan Robinson
Steelers' Reed unhappy with contract status
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Steelers kicker Jeff Reed isn't happy after learning he won't be signed to the multiyear contract he expected after being designated as the team's franchise player.
The Steelers told Reed earlier in the year they wanted to work out an extended contract. Any chance that deal would get done apparently ended when right tackle Willie Colon was injured in June and Flozell Adams signed a two-year contract to replace him.
Reed, who signed a one-year contract for $2,814,000, can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
"All I can do is play this year out and that's pretty much it," Reed said Sunday. "I was very optimistic last offseason and that didn't get me anywhere."
Reed has played in Pittsburgh since 2002 and is the ninth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, making 189 of 227 attempts (83.3 percent). He is a league-best 77 of 87 (88.5 percent) since 2007.
The 31-year-old Reed became discouraged after the Raiders signed Sebastian Janikowski to a $16 million, four-year contract that is the richest for an NFL kicker, with $9 million guaranteed.
While Janikowski is a better long-range kicker — he is 25 of 49 from 50 yards-plus to Reed's 6 of 13 — he is less accurate from all distances (229 of 292, 78.4 percent). Reed also is 16 of 18 (88.9 percent) in the postseason, playing on two Super Bowl winners.
"Janikowski's a great kicker but ... he definitely doesn't have any rings and percentage-wise, I'm better," Reed said. "That's the kind of things you take into account. I wasn't asking for that kind of money, but it doesn't matter. Bottom line is this isn't Oakland, and they're going to pay who they want to pay here."
Reed wants to avoid putting pressure on himself to have a big season that might set him up for a multiyear contract elsewhere.
"Life's not fair and I have to move on because if I don't perform, I won't be here anyway," Reed said.
There is no indication Reed's off-field issues made the Steelers reluctant to sign him past this season.
In June, Reed said the NFL ordered him to undergo an evaluation after he became involved in an alcohol-related dispute with Pittsburgh police following an October home game. The evaluation apparently was similar to that ordered for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after he was accused of, but not charged with, sexually assaulting a college student.
Reed was charged with multiple offenses, including disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, after police said he became agitated as they were attempting to cite tight end Matt Spaeth for urinating in a parking lot. The incident occurred outside a bar near Heinz Field a few hours after the Steelers beat the Browns 27-14.
Reed later completed 40 hours of community service with the Salvation Army and was cleared of all charges on April 12.
Last year, Reed paid a fine of $543.50 for damaging a paper towel dispenser and harassing employees at a Westmoreland County convenience store, a few weeks after the Steelers won the Super Bowl.
Despite those problems, the Steelers often book Reed for community appearances, and he is one of their most popular players. Numerous fans were spotted wearing Reed's No. 3 jersey during weekend training camp practices.
-- Alan Robinson
Delhomme finds new home in Cleveland
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — For a refreshing change, there is no controversy over who will start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.
But that doesn't mean there isn't a stadium full of questions about the guy — Jake Delhomme — set to take the first snap at Tampa Bay on Sept. 12.
Coming off a miserable season in Carolina where he encountered what one publication delicately called "a 13-month turnover problem," the former Pro Bowler knows that at the age of 35 he has to prove all over again that he can lead an NFL offense.
"The older you get — and this is the approach that I take — is that this is my last year," he said. "Next year I'm going to say the same thing. You just don't know in this league. I think you start to appreciate it more and start to enjoy it because this is a privilege."
Delhomme struggled with turnovers a year ago. He threw 18 interceptions and only eight touchdown passes. He looked old, he looked confused and he looked as if he was done.
After seven strong years with the Panthers and a 58-40 record as a starter, his one poor season resulted in the Panthers releasing him in early March. Hiding his tears behind sunglasses, Delhomme, a horse owner, vowed that he wasn't "ready to go home and play with the horses just yet."
His time had clearly run out in Carolina, where fans were relentless in mocking him for his mistakes.
At the same time, the Browns were starting over at the position, releasing Derek Anderson and trading Brady Quinn to Denver. They had jostled for the starting job in an ongoing drama that seemed disruptive and distractive.
About a week after his release, Delhomme signed a two-year deal with the Browns that will pay him a guaranteed $7 million the first season. The Browns also acquired Seneca Wallace from Seattle and drafted former Texas star Colt McCoy in the third round, providing an entirely new cast under center.
Despite his errant throws last season, and despite his age, Delhomme became the starter almost by default. New Browns president Mike Holmgren said he was a marked improvement.
"The quarterback situation is much more solid and that improves a team immediately," Holmgren said. "By how much? We don't know. But it's solid. I know — I know — we're in a better spot at that position than last year."
Delhomme looked good in offseason workouts and has gained the confidence of second-year coach Eric Mangini.
"Jake is an older guy who has got a real presence and he's got a real control of the offense," he said after Saturday's first workout of fall camp. "He's got a lot of respect, which is deserved for the things that he has been able to do. But he backs that up with his work ethic and he backs it up with his leadership."
It's hard to quantify how bad the Browns QBs were last season. Cleveland was at or near the bottom in the NFL in many passing stats, and was a distant last with just under 130 yards a game through the air.
To put that into perspective, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Tony Romo and Tom Brady each averaged more than twice that many passing yards per game.
So anybody who can fling the ball down the field with any degree of consistency is a welcome addition in Cleveland.
Delhomme invites the scrutiny and pressure that comes with the job.
"When you suit up on Sunday, you are one of 32 in the world," he said, referring to NFL starting quarterbacks. "There's a great deal of, if you want to call it pressure or expectations, but I think there's a reason that quarterbacks play quarterback. To get to this level, you've had to kind of go through that at some point. You embrace it, 'OK, this is what I've got to do.' It becomes a pride thing and you want to do well and you want to be the guy to help your team win."
Whether Delhomme is that guy remains to be seen. A four-game winning streak to cap a 5-11 season a year ago saved Mangini's job and provided a spark of hope for Cleveland.
It didn't take long for Delhomme to shove that nightmarish 2009 out of his brain.
"I've put it behind me. Whenever your locker gets boxed up in Carolina, OK, it's behind you now," he said with a laugh. "But I've had a fresh start here. It's new. I don't want to be that guy who sweeps things under the rug. Yeah, it happened. I think you learn from it. With the new plays, fresh start, things are going extremely well so far. I'm looking forward to another season."
-- Rusty Miller
Haden on hand for first practice with Browns
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Joe Haden is the newest No. 23 in Cleveland.
The first-round draft pick, taken seventh overall, worked out at cornerback as the Browns went through their second day of camp on a hot Sunday before around 3,000 fans at their practice facility.
Haden and veteran corners Sheldon Brown and Eric Wright argued over who would get what number.
"I said, well, you all better give me a number besides 40 because I didn't really like that number too much," he said of the number he wore during rookie camp. "We worked it out and I got 23."
Haden said he didn't like 40 because it didn't make him look fast enough.
A big fan of LeBron James, who of course left Cleveland to join the Miami Heat, Haden said he was disappointed that the Cavaliers' No. 23 had left town.
"I was a little bummed because I definitely wanted to be a season-ticket holder," he said.
He could sure afford it. The former Florida standout held out until signing a five-year deal on Saturday worth $50 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
"Those are kind of big numbers," he said. "It did blow my mind at first. It's just a blessing and an honor to know that I'm getting paid to do what I love. Now I'm just trying to get on the field and make the team welcome me. I definitely felt good when I came into the locker room how everybody was saying, 'Hey, Big Money! Big Money!' All this stuff. They're just embracing me and have a good time."
Coach Eric Mangini said Haden was capable of handling the pressures that come with joining the league, the big contract and adapting to the game.
"He's a smart kid, a good person, a hardworking kid," he said. "That will serve him well."
During his first official practice as a Brown, Haden shared time with the other cornerbacks with whom he will battle for playing time.
At times he was matched up against receiver-kicker returner Josh Cribbs — perhaps the Browns most popular and best-known player — but no passes were thrown in their direction.
Most people believe it will come down to Haden and Wright for the starting spot.
"I've been challenged since I was a rookie coming in here trying to start," said Wright, a fifth-year pro who started all 16 games a year ago for the Browns while intercepting four passes and totaling 65 tackles. "I stepped up to the plate as a rookie and was able to start early and get some playing time. You know, competition brings the best out of everybody and the cream will rise to the top."
Haden adds speed and athleticism to a secondary that needs a dose of both. He's willing to contribute in a number of ways.
"I just want to go out here and give (receivers) coach (George McDonald) whatever I can do. If he ends up giving me a starting job, that's a blessing. But I'm just trying to go out and compete. It's definitely what I want to do, of course. Everybody wants to start. But I'm just trying to put my best foot forward."
Haden, who passed a conditioning test Saturday, posted messages to his Twitter account before his first practice that said, "Love being back with the team. ... I'm happy to be here."
He said he has already won another job.
"I just had to bring sunflower seeds to the meetings so far," he said. "When all the boys need sunflower seeds, I'm the sunflower seed guy."
-- Rusty Miller
Tebow a big draw at Broncos training camp
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — No insubordination. No contract consternation. No split locker room.
No more bad karma — just a bit of bad luck.
The Denver Broncos kicked off training camp without the negativity that enveloped them a year ago, when their two first-round draft picks were holdouts and the man wearing No. 15 was recalcitrant receiver Brandon Marshall.
With Marshall in Miami, rookie quarterback Tim Tebow is donning that number now, and his presence was a big reason the Broncos drew 3,103 fans to the start of training camp, a record for the first day at Dove Valley.
The only damper? Running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter got hurt.
That might have been the only two times many in the crowd took their eyes off Tebow, the two-time national champion from Florida and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Guy was a great player in college," Champ Bailey said. "He's going to do some great things for us."
Fans serenaded Tebow with cheers when he walked onto the field and when he stretched, then chanted his name when he walked off after winning every single one of the post-practice sideline sprints.
"I thought it was Bannan," cracked defensive lineman Justin Bannan. "Isn't that what they're out here for? No, obviously, it's Tebow. Everyone's out here to see him and it looks like he's doing all right."
Bannan said the veterans don't mind that Tebow's stealing the show.
"Obviously, he's a special case and he had an unbelievable collegiate career. He's the only guy to have a career like that, so it kind of demands that kind of attention," Bannan said.
Tebow is certainly accustomed to this adoration.
"We had some pretty passionate fans at Florida, too," he said.
Tebowmania is everywhere, from the jerseys in the crowd to the hand-painted signs kids held up.
Even wide receiver Brandon Stokley's house is abuzz over Tebow.
"He surpassed me as my son's favorite player on the Broncos," Stokley conceded.
The crowd even burst into applause when Tebow scrambled out of the pocket in 7-on-7 drills without the rush of any linemen.
For all the adulation, Tebow remains a raw rookie buried not only in the playbook but in the film room studying ways to improve his mechanics as he adjusts to the pro game.
"I'm still working on footwork and my drops and things like that but as far as just my throwing motion, it's more of just getting my feet in place," he said.
Tebow is working behind starter Kyle Orton and fellow newcomer Brady Quinn and throwing to a deep stable of 10 receivers, including fellow first-round pick Demaryius Thomas.
The Broncos' backfield is another story.
Moreno injured his hamstring and could miss the rest of camp, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn't confirmed the injury.
Moreno, who missed the start of last year's camp as a holdout, was carted off the field midway through the two-hour morning practice after hurting his right leg, and Buckhalter hurt his back minutes later and limped off favoring his left leg.
Coach Josh McDaniels, who 48 hours earlier traded veteran running back J.J. Arrington to Philadelphia for special teams stud Joe Mays, said he didn't know the extent of their injuries.
"Certainly, you don't want to see two of your guys that you really count on at the same position come off the field on the first day of training camp," McDaniels said.
The Broncos' backfield now looks like this: waiver wire pickup Kolby Smith, undrafted rookie Toney Baker and second-year pros Lance Ball and Bruce Hall.
Moreno caught a pass in 7-on-7 drills and turned upfield when his leg buckled. He grimaced as he hopped into the team's headquarters for tests. Buckhalter got hurt about 10 minutes later during the same drill and limped off the field.
"One guy goes down, a guy moves up," Ball said. "Chance to get more reps, get on film and impress the coaches."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Fans in camp helping Chiefs train
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Even for the NFL, a league that's famous for change, the Kansas City Chiefs seem saturated with newness.
From their relocated training camp, to their $375 million stadium makeover to the — relatively — relaxed and happy attitude of their head coach, it's a new day for the Chiefs.
The most obvious training camp difference is the added presence of thousands of happy, upbeat men, women and kids. They ring the new practice fields in St. Joseph day after day, seemingly oblivious to the heat and humidity that drape them like a heavy woolen blanket.
Even though the North Woods are cooler and more comfortable than Missouri in August, not many Kansas Citians were willing to make the nine-hour drive to River Falls, Wis., where the Chiefs trained for the past 19 years.
But the Chiefs' shiny new St. Joseph digs are only about 75 minutes away. Excited, supportive fans cheer, applaud and shout encouragement. Their enthusiasm lends an almost carnival-like atmosphere to the otherwise sweaty, gritty, grind-it-out reality of NFL training camp.
Whether they'll aid in improving a 4-12 record remains to be seen. But they're as welcome as the free cups of water the Chiefs are making available.
"There's no doubt it's huge for the players, it's huge for us," coach Todd Haley said. "It's easy to get up for the first day of training camp, the second day of training camp, but (not) when you start to hurt and you're banged-up and you're tired and you're getting no sleep and you're fighting with each other. When you come out of that locker room and there's people out there hooting and hollering, it has a huge impact. It brings an energy to the practice field which is tremendous.
"It will have a tremendous impact."
The players began borrowing energy from the fans on the very first day.
"We love it," cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "We were just talking about that on the side during practice. We love the fan base out here. It gets us going. The receivers get a catch, it gets them going when the crowd is cheering. We were acting like it was an away game, trying to shut the crowd up with our pass breakups. It's fun."
Having fans on the field is almost enough to make up for the Missouri heat and humidity the Chiefs went to Wisconsin to escape.
"Any time you have the fans out here it provides a little extra spark," linebacker Andy Studebaker said. "It's hot, but they're the reason we play the game. It's fun to have them out here. They give us good energy."
Two people the fans have been paying close attention to aren't even in uniform. One can hardly get around. But new coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, old friends and former colleagues of Haley, seem certain to have a major impact.
Crennel, the former Cleveland Browns head coach, is in charge of a defense badly in need of improvement. Weis is running the offense in spite of recent knee surgery which causes him to wear a heavy brace on his left leg and walk with a cane.
But he still makes an enormous difference for Haley. Last year, while still learning on the fly about how to be a head coach, Haley fired his offensive coordinator 13 days before the season opener and assumed the role himself. He'd been offensive coordinator at his previous stop in Arizona, but the dual role was especially challenging for somebody who was also breaking in as a head coach.
"That's why I'm excited about having a bunch of guys around me that I feel real good with and real good working with," Haley said. "It allows me to pay attention to (other) things. It's a full-time job, but it's fun."
It also helps that Haley, the other coaches and the players have all had a year to get to know one another.
"Now we all know what to expect from him and what he expects from us," guard Brian Waters said.
All around, there seems to be a feeling of familiarity that was missing last year in Wisconsin.
"What I feel good about is we've got a full year under our belt," Haley said. "This is our second time around. We're in a new place (in St. Joseph), and there's some adjustment and learning any time you have a new situation.
"But the big thing is the players have a much better understanding of what I'm about. At this time last year they didn't know much about me. And maybe more importantly, us as a coaching staff have such a better grasp of the players we have."
-- Doug Tucker
Oakland rookie eager to start hitting
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — After four days of limited contact drills, the Oakland Raiders will hit for the first time Monday.
Rookie Lamarr Houston can't wait.
Houston was one of the Raiders' most noticeable players during offseason workouts, as much for his frequent flare-ups with teammates as for his play. Don't expect much change when the pads go on.
"That's just how I am," Houston said Sunday, taking a break from the team's two-a-day workouts. "I love the game and I love to play. Until they tell me not to play, I'm going to go out there and play to the fullest."
That attitude — and a need to plug one of the NFL's weakest run defenses — is precisely why the Raiders made Houston the 44th overall pick in April's draft.
Since 2002, Oakland hasn't finished higher than 22nd against the run. Over the past seven seasons, the Raiders are allowing a league-worst 143.7 yards per game along with 146 rushing touchdowns. Last season they were 29th in run defense, allowing 155.5 yards per game.
That has been a big factor in the team's run of seven consecutive seasons with at least 11 losses, a league record for futility.
Coach Tom Cable and defensive coordinator John Marshall have wasted no time throwing the rookie into the mix. Houston opened training camp as Oakland's starting left defensive end, lining up alongside five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour.
"I ask (him) everything I can ask," Houston said. "He's been in the league for a long time and he has so many Super Bowl rings. Anything I can ask, I ask him during meetings and after meeting. Sometimes I just sit down with him and ask him about techniques and stuff."
The Raiders focused on improving their run defense during the offseason. The used their first-round pick on middle linebacker Rolando McClain and immediately selected him to be a starter. They also added veteran defensive tackle John Henderson and franchised Seymour.
Cable didn't rule out Houston playing as much as McClain, either.
"I don't see why not," Cable said. "Certainly, we'll find out as we go. But that's why we picked him, really."
Houston played primarily defensive tackle in college, though he was an end during his first two years at Texas. Raiders scouts were impressed by his athleticism — Houston is a former high school running back — and it didn't take long for his teammates to come to the same conclusion.
That is, when Houston wasn't getting into a scuffle or two.
During the Raiders' organized team activities and minicamps, Houston managed to get into tussles with veteran offensive linemen Robert Gallery and Langston Walker, as well as running back Rock Cartwright.
Now comes Oakland's first day of hitting.
"I'm excited, it's been a long time since everybody's been in some pads," Houston said with a grin. "Working technique in pads will be a lot different than just working in jerseys. It should be fine. Without pads, some guys get a little frustrated, and you just know with pads on, it will be a little bit different."
Notes: WRs Chaz Schilens (foot) and Louis Murphy (head) sat out practice again. Murphy was kneed in the head by cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha during Saturday's practice. ... The Raiders will hold one practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but will go twice a day on Tuesday and Thursday.
