NFL Capsules: Time now for Young, newer Titans to lead Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans look, and sound, dramatically different this training camp.
Linebacker Keith Bulluck is keeping practices lively with the New York Giants, and end Kyle Vanden Bosch is sprinting full-speed at quarterbacks in Detroit. Center Kevin Mawae, the veteran who kept the offensive line loose, is keeping busy waiting for his telephone to ring.
The loss of that trio of vocal veterans has left a leadership void, and coach Jeff Fisher has heard a lot of questions about who his new leaders are. Remember, this franchise opened 0-6 last season yet finished 8-8 — the first NFL team ever to finish at .500 after such a winless start.
"I don't have any reservations whatsoever about the lack of or concerns about it," Fisher said. "We've got a good locker room. We have young players emerging at each of the positions. This team has had a great foundation laid here over the years and the decades."
Who fills those gaps?
Vince Young, the third pick in the 2006 draft and 26-13 as a starter, is speaking up even more. He also has been around the team's headquarters more this offseason than any other. So is fullback Ahmard Hall, a former Marine.
There's linebacker Stephen Tulloch, the man Fisher calls the glue in making the defensive calls. There's also fiery cornerback Cortland Finnegan and usually quiet safety Chris Hope, going into his ninth season.
Hall insists the process started back during the offseason.
"You just can't come out of nowhere and start trying to lead. You have to start the first day we come back to organized activities during the offseason program. Then when the guys are here early every day, you have to show the guys you're going to lead by example," Hall said.
Justin Gage and Nate Washington do that daily, leading receivers to work catching balls off a passing machine. Finnegan calls himself a doer, not a talker, even though he tends to talk at opponents during games.
"I feel like I'm that piece of the engine as a spark plug. You really can't get the car cranked up unless you've got the spark plug," Finnegan said.
That's what tackle Tony Brown is trying to do on the defensive line. He's the senior lineman with this team, signing as a free agent in October 2006 and getting two more contracts to stick around. He has been on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from right knee surgery this offseason. He said nobody can replace Vanden Bosch, who wasn't afraid to speak up.
"I just have to show these younger guys how to do things by the way that I do things. I'm not a big rah-rah guy. I just go out to do what I can do, and that way it'll rub off on those guys," Brown said.
Brown predicts Hope, who won a Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh before signing with Tennessee in 2006, will be one of the players who speaks up before kickoff.
"It'll be a shock to us to hear from a guy who doesn't really normally speak too much," Brown said. "That definitely gets guys going."
Left tackle Michael Roos, who has started 80 straight games since being drafted in 2005, tried to take up for Mawae on the second day of training camp, wearing the center's No. 68 jersey out to practice. He fooled a few fans who hoped the Titans had decided to bring Mawae back to an offense that ranked second in the NFL in rushing last season and yet allowed only 15 sacks.
Most of the attention and pressure to lead falls on Young as the quarterback.
He did that very well in college, leading Texas to the BCS national title after the 2005 season. He came off the bench after last year's 0-6 start and led the Titans, with Chris Johnson running for 2,006 yards, to an 8-2 finish. Young agrees it's time for players like himself, Finnegan and Tulloch to pick up that leadership role.
And he likes what he sees.
"They're doing a good job," Young said.
Vikings safety Husain Abdullah awaits Ramadan fast
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Husain Abdullah is approaching his most challenging month of the football season.
That's when the Minnesota Vikings backup safety observes Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer. As a practicing Muslim, Abdullah will not eat or drink at all during daylight hours for the 30-day period that begins Wednesday.
Even while sprinting in the heat and humidity during drills, sometimes in full pads, Abdullah is adamant about his faith. He will not allow himself so much as a cup of water until the sun sets and before it rises.
"I'm putting nothing before God, nothing before my religion," Abdullah said. "This is something I choose to do, not something I have to do. So I'm always going to fast."
This time, the Vikings will be better able to help him handle the lack of nourishment.
"Last year it occurred in early September, and we saw a dip in his performance," coach Brad Childress said. "We said, 'What's wrong with Husain Abdullah? It doesn't seem like he has enough spunk.'"
Abdullah worked recently with the team's nutritionist on a meal and hydration plan to make sure he gets enough calories to maintain his energy, stamina and health in the coming weeks. He'll eat a big breakfast and a big dinner, when it's dark of course, and get up in the middle of the night to take a protein shake.
"I think we have our arms around it now and know when he is going to wake up and when he is going to eat and what we can pack on him before the sun comes up," Childress said. "Last year he was shouldering it all by himself. He is playing well. He is a good special teams player. He's interchangeable and can be in the emergency nickel situation because he is a smart guy. He's got great football instincts. He is a guy you pull for."
Abdullah insisted a back and hip injury last year was more a factor in his struggles than the fasting.
"I couldn't bend. I couldn't run, and I really wasn't the same player," said Abdullah, who played in all 16 games as an undrafted rookie out of Washington State in 2008 and led the Vikings with 24 special teams tackles.
This year, he's had a strong training camp, giving the Vikings confidence in their depth at safety behind incumbent starters Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. Jamarca Sanford is also getting a serious audition.
Fasting is a rare practice in pro sports, since proper nourishment is critical to optimum performance, but it's not unprecedented.
Abdullah's older brother, Hamza, plays in the NFL — an Arizona Cardinals safety — and plans to abstain from daytime food and drink during the holiday.
Former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon also observed. When the Houston Rockets had an afternoon tip-off or a grueling practice during Ramadan, he was often panting in thirst.
"I find myself full of energy, explosive," Olajuwon would say, according to a biography posted on NBA.com. "And when I break the fast at sunset, the taste of water is so precious."
Last month, however, an Islamic organization and German soccer officials determined that a Muslim player may break his fast for matches during Ramadan. They decided a player may do so if he is obliged to perform under a contract that is his only source of income and if fasting harms his performance.
Abdullah has been encouraging teammates, trainers and coaches to join him in the discipline. Childress passed, but head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman agreed to fast for a day or two.
"Some people are going. Some people are kind of reluctant to sign up for it," Abdullah said. "They're like, 'Ah, maybe I'll just drink something."
Abdullah grew up in Pomona, Calif., with seven brothers and four sisters and has observed Ramadan since he was 7. It's a time he looks forward to, not dreads.
"I used to kind of keep it to myself," he said. "But now I'm actually excited that Islam is getting some positive attention."
-- Dave Campbell
Battered Broncos catch a break
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos ensured themselves that they wouldn't lose another player to injury Sunday by canceling their practice.
Their next workout isn't until Tuesday.
The Broncos have been hit by more than a dozen injuries so far, most notably Elvis Dumervil's torn chest muscle that's expected to sideline him for the season.
Top draft pick Demaryius Thomas apparently injured his left foot Saturday night — the same one he broke in predraft workouts — and underwent further medical tests Sunday.
The Broncos were concerned initially because it was the same foot Thomas fractured in March. But a person with knowledge of the diagnosis told The Associated Press on Sunday afternoon that Thomas wasn't seriously injured and that he won't be out long-term.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn't publicly addressed the issue.
It's the first big break the Broncos have caught since they lost their top two tailbacks on the first day of training camp.
Fellow rookie receiver Eric Decker also suffered an injury to his left foot or ankle at the workout at Invesco Field on Saturday night that was attended by 20,782 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a Broncos practice.
Thomas came off the field after landing awkwardly when he caught a short touchdown pass over the middle. He was in the midst of his third straight spectacular practice when he went down.
"We saw the last couple days what we thought we saw on film and I think the game is starting to slow down for him," coach Josh McDaniels said. "Again, he's still a rookie, he still made, I would say, plenty of mistakes this evening but you know, God gave him some things that he uses to his advantage and he does a great job of that."
The Broncos needed a big receiver after trading away Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins, and they got two in the draft in Thomas and Decker, a third-rounder from Minnesota.
Although Thomas played in Georgia Tech's triple-option offense, he appears way ahead of Decker, whose 2009 season was cut short when he tore a ligament in his left foot that required surgery and sidelined him for all of Denver's offseason practices.
In his last three practices, Thomas has made a bunch of big plays and touchdowns, often reaching over defensive backs to snare passes.
"He's 6-3, 228 pounds, you know? And he can run," McDaniels said. "Those kinds of plays are rare to make in this league and if you're fortunate enough to have a player that can do some of those things, I think it makes your football team better."
Although the Broncos are banged up at receiver and running back — even LenDale White (ankle) got hurt two days after being signed following injuries to Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and Correll Buckhalter (back), their quarterback play has been a highlight of camp.
Incumbent starter Kyle Orton is playing with a precision not seen last year, when he dealt with injuries to both ankles, messing up his throwing mechanics. And newcomers Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow, their other first-round pick, have made their share of big plays so far.
All of them looked sharp Saturday night.
Well, Tebow didn't look so good when he took his helmet off to sign autographs.
In a rookie ritual, Tebow's head was shaved by linebacker Wesley Woodyard so that he looked like a friar. Other rookies had half their heads shaved or bald stripes carved into their long locks.
"I think the rookies all had a good time with it," Tebow said, "and I know the veterans really enjoyed it."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Maroney plans to run harder in 5th NFL season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Laurence Maroney's dreadlocks were bunched together with a rubber band, not the most attractive way to display that hairdo.
A few feet away, another Patriots running back, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, stood with his dreadlocks flowing freely.
"His probably looks better," Maroney said of his close friend. "There's no point in trying to look pretty for camp. This is probably going to be my new style for the year. Rough. This is my statement. Rough.
"That's how I've got to be on the field. Rough. I can't go out there being all pretty because then you're all going to say I'm dancing."
Critics have been saying that ever since 2006 when New England drafted him in the first round out of Minnesota.
The rap against him is that he wastes too much time in the backfield looking for holes, running from side to side. Can't he just attack the first opening he sees?
This season Maroney wants to eliminate those criticisms.
"I'm not trying to be on, what's that dance show they've got on TV? 'Dancing with the Stars?'" he said with his ever-present smile. "I'm physical. Downhill."
Maroney improved on that last year when, for the first time in his four seasons, he didn't miss any games because of injuries. He rushed for nine touchdowns but ran for only 757 yards and a 3.9 average carry in 15 games.
"I feel like I ran the ball harder than I ever ran," he said. "I felt comfortable running the way I ran last year, had some good successful games running. Now it's just basically taking what I did last year and bringing it to this year and improving on it."
If he had done that earlier — and avoided injury — the Patriots might not still be operating with a running back by committee.
In 2007, Maroney missed three games with a groin injury and led the team with 835 yards rushing, but four teammates combined for more carries. In 2008, he missed 13 games with a shoulder injury. Last year, he started five of 15 games and led the team with 757 yards rushing, but had fewer carries than the total of Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor and Green-Ellis.
All four are back in training camp, competing with Maroney for playing time.
"As a group, I think we're able to step up and even toward the end of the season we got really thin at running back (and) Kevin's asked to do a little more than he had before," Morris said. "I think it's just a testament to the kind of guys that we have. There's no job that's too little or trivial for us."
As a rookie, Maroney learned from Corey Dillon, who led the Patriots in rushing that season. But most of the other five running backs drafted in the first two rounds in 2006 have been more productive, even though Reggie Bush (picked second) was the only player at that position chosen before Maroney (21st).
DeAngelo Williams (27th), Joseph Addai (30th) and Maurice Jones-Drew (60th) all have more combined yards rushing and receiving. Only LenDale White (45th) from those two rounds has fewer than Maroney.
Even Marion Barber, who shared time with Maroney in Minnesota's backfield and was drafted in 2005, had more total yards in his first four seasons than Maroney has in his.
But Maroney is just 25 and healthy now. He still can lean on his fellow running backs for advice.
"I've got a lot of veterans (who have) done a lot of great things in their time that I can learn from," he said. "I feel real comfortable coming into my fifth year."
He was frustratingly inconsistent in his first four.
Last season, he didn't rush for more than 32 yards in any of his first five games. Then he broke loose for 123. But he followed that with games of 43, then up to 82, down to 31 and up again to 77.
"That's the biggest thing around here," he said. "You can come out here and play one or two good games but you've got to be consistent throughout the whole year. So that's my main goal, just stay consistent."
And stop dancing.
-- Howard Ulman
Champion Saints say smooth camp no accident
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The defending champion New Orleans Saints have opened training camp with the look of a team that has it all figured out.
All rookie contracts were signed by the first day of practice. No one is holding out for more money. Everybody reported without any significant, season-threatening injuries. No healthy players have been barred from practice because they couldn't pass a conditioning test.
There have been no fisticuffs. The main off-the-field drama — Reggie Bush's role in an NCAA report that produced sanctions for USC — largely played out before camp opened, won't affect Bush's pro career and does not appear to have hurt his local popularity. There hasn't been much drama on the field, either.
Are the Saints trying to be boring?
"We are," quarterback Drew Brees said. "We're just trying to take care of business, let everybody speculate and talk, and come out ready to play Week 1."
The headline-grabbing plot twists of the 2010 NFL preseason seem to be developing anywhere but the Big Easy. There's been the contract holdout by New York Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis. Brett Favre has kept the Minnesota Vikings guessing about their quarterback situation. The Washington Redskins' Albert Haynesworth struggled more than a week to finally pass his conditioning test.
The Saints have had no such distractions.
"Most championship teams don't have those issues, especially the ones that are really serious about trying to collect multiple Lombardis," fullback Heath Evans said, referring to the Lombardi Trophy given to Super Bowl champions. "That's kind of what we set our focus on, and I think the guys have followed (coach Sean Payton's) lead and Drew's lead and said, 'Hey, listen, let's cut the nonsense out.'"
At Saints headquarters in suburban New Orleans, one of the primary sources of suspense concerns who will hold for kicker Garrett Hartley on field goals. Pardon the masses of adoring fans packing open practices if they're not holding their breath to see how that turns out.
"This is one of those teams where you can probably say you've got 50 guys you know are going to make this team and maybe there's three spots where you're going to have some battles," Evans said.
The Saints have all starters back from last season's offense. Only two starters from the defense — linebacker Scott Fujita and defensive end Charles Grant — are elsewhere, and deciding how to fill those spots is perhaps the most compelling story line of camp. Punter Thomas Morstead is entrenched, as is Hartley at kicker.
During training camp a year ago, Hartley faced a looming suspension stemming from his positive drug test for Adderall, an amphetamine banned by the NFL. The Saints were forced to sign kicker John Carney to fill in.
Now Hartley is a playoff star with no competition. As for Morstead, the only change for him is that he has become one of the candidates to take over for former Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell as the holder on field goals.
Meanwhile, a good bit of the Saints' roster stability stems from choices made by several restricted free agents who were unhappy with their one-year tender offers but after minimal deliberation went ahead and signed them and kept practicing. Running back Pierre Thomas, receiver Lance Moore and strong safety Roman Harper all want more lucrative, multiyear deals, but they're all back and keeping quiet about contract talks.
"We're a special team and a lot of people are seeing a lot of greatness in us," Thomas said. "Just with the character of these guys, they have the mindset and the determination to be champions, and when you have that as a group, have that as a team, you're more focused. You don't have guys who want to do the holdout. You got guys who want to get better. You got guys who want to step up to a challenge and just try to defend our title."
Of course, preseason games have yet to begin, and Payton wasn't taking the Saints' general good health for granted.
"I think, knock on wood, that we have been healthier than in camps past," the coach said. "We still have three weeks. Overall, I have been pleased with that. Guys have been getting the work."
NOTES: The Saints had Sunday off. They're scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., on Monday to meet President Barack Obama at the White House and to visit wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center. The Saints will then continue north to New England, where they and the Patriots will hold joint practices before they meet in a preseason game Thursday.
-- Brett Martel
No early advantage between Packers' punters
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The first live-action situations in the competition between Tim Masthay and Australian Chris Bryan didn't give either punter an advantage.
It only convinced Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy of two things: the Packers have their two most talented punters in the past three years and that it's likely going to come down to the end of camp to decide who'll stay and who'll be released.
Both Masthay and Bryan had strong efforts during Saturday night's intrasquad scrimmage, with each getting five attempts and each nailing a long of 62 yards.
"We wanted to create as close as we possibly can to true game atmosphere, put pressure on them," McCarthy said after the scrimmage. "They handled it very well. It's going to be a very good competition. They're both very talented. I have no question that we're so much further ahead than we've been the past two years just with the individual ability at the punting position."
Punting has been a short subject around the franchise ever since the days of Craig Hentrich (1994-97) and Josh Bidwell (2000-03) left. McCarthy has used different punters each of the last three years, including Derrick Frost (2008), Jeremy Kapinos (2008-09) and Jon Ryan (2006-07), whose numbers continue to improve in Seattle.
Masthay kicked for four years at Kentucky and was named to the All-SEC team as a senior. Bryan was kicking too, four seasons in the Australian Football League after being drafted in that league in 2004.
"We really are friends," Masthay said. "And we wish the best for each other. We know that, in the end, it's just going to be one of us. We're friends, and we understand that. We've been pushing each other and making each other better."
On Saturday night, neither gained a significant advantage over the other in the first round of tries in game-like conditions. Bryan's first punt was his longest at 62 yards. He then had 52 and 53 yarders. Masthay's first punt was 48 yards, followed by his 62-yard effort and a 49-yard kick.
"He set the pace real quick," Masthay said of watching Bryan's 62-yarder on his first attempt. "He had a great punt to start it off, and I knew I had to answer it. I was happy to go out there and be able to do it."
In directional kicking, Bryan faired slightly better than Masthay, but only netted a total of seven more yards to finish with a 50.4 yard average compared to Masthay's 47.0 average. The two are also vying to be the holder for kicker Mason Crosby.
Masthay said even with nearly 50,000 people in attendance, he was most nervous because general manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy were standing behind them for each kick.
"With Mike and Ted back there, that gets my heart going more a lot of time," Masthay said. "It's good because it makes you really focus all of the time."
-- Colin Fly
Bly returns to Detroit 4 years after unhappy exit
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — When Dre'Bly left the Detroit Lions, he didn't expect to come back to the team. He's happy to be wrong.
Bly was traded away after publicly blaming quarterback Joey Harrington for head coach Steve Mariucci's firing in 2006, but signed a free-agent contract with Detroit in July.
"I honestly didn't think I'd ever be back here again after what happened with Joey and the trade," he said Sunday. "But I'm glad it worked out, because I played the best ball of my career in Detroit, and I'm glad to have a chance to possibly finish here."
In his first stint with the team, Bly was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, but this time, the expectations are lower. In the first week of training camp, Bly has spent most of his time playing nickel back.
"I've played nickel in San Francisco and Denver, and I even played it here a bit," Bly said. "I don't care what spot I'm at — my preference is just to be on the field."
At 33, Bly doesn't have the same athletic abilities that he had coming out of North Carolina in 1999, but he thinks that his experience more than makes up for it.
"I haven't lost my ball skills, and I have better instincts from playing in the league for this long," he said. "I was never a blazer to begin with, so that was never the main ingredient to my game. I think I can help this team and make plays."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn't worried about Bly's diminished quickness.
"Playing cornerback in this league isn't about speed — it is about covering people, and there are a lot of ways to skin that cat," he said. "Once you have the kind of experience that Dre' has, you can put yourself in position to cover people without speed."
Bly left the Lions as the Matt Millen era was plunging toward its lowest point, and is thrilled by the changes put in place by general manager Martin Mayhew.
"The attitude in this place is completely different," Bly said. "Martin has done a great job of changing the entire demeanor of this franchise."
NOTES: The Lions practiced twice on Sunday, but Schwartz cut the first session to just 67 minutes. "There are times in camp where you have to step on the gas, and times you have to cut back," he said. "We didn't want to give them a day off, but we limited things and I thought it went well." ... The Lions don't play their first preseason game until Saturday, but Schwartz said that Sunday night's Hall of Fame game will give his players a boost. "It is sort of a shock to see people already playing, but I know when you see that first game on TV, your eyes light up a little. It means you are getting closer." ... DT Joe Cohen missed practice with a knee injury sustained in Saturday's public practice at Ford Field, and Schwartz said the team isn't sure of the severity.
Falcons' Jenkins out 4-6 weeks
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins will miss four to six weeks with a right shoulder injury.
The team did not say if Jenkins, who was hurt in a team scrimmage Friday night, will need surgery or whether his shoulder might be separated for dislocated.
"You are always concerned any time your player goes down with an injury," coach Mike Smith said in a statement released by the team Sunday night. "One thing I am certain of is that Michael will work very hard to get back on the field as soon as possible."
Harry Douglas and rookie Kerry Meier are two leading candidates to fill in as the No. 2 receiver along side Pro Bowl wideout Roddy White.
Jenkins is entering his seventh season. The 6-foot-4 receiver has appeared in 92 games with 235 receptions for 3,007 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Atlanta opens the preseason Friday night at home against Kansas City. The Falcons' regular season opener is Sept. 12 at Pittsburgh.
LB Gilbert begins another stint with Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Veteran linebacker Tony Gilbert is returning to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gilbert signed with Jacksonville on Sunday, giving the team a proven special teams ace. The Jaguars also signed linebacker Kris Griffin and defensive tackle Leger Douzable.
The club waived receiver Nate Hughes, safety Terrell Whitehead and offensive lineman Andrew Crummey.
Gilbert spent five seasons with the Jaguars from 2003-07 and played in 56 games. He led the Jaguars with a career-high 16 special teams tackles in 2006. He spent the past two seasons in Atlanta, where he saw action primarily on special teams.
Griffin has played in 46 games with Kansas City and Cleveland, but hasn't played since 2008. Douzable has spent time with Minnesota, the New York Giants, Detroit and St. Louis.
Colts DL Gill arrested for public intoxication
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis police have arrested Colts defensive lineman John Gill after finding him passed out in a ditch on the side of a road about 4 a.m. Sunday.
In the police report, Officer Ricardo Flores Jr. says he called out to Gill, who tried to stand up, but couldn't and kept falling over. Flores says he eventually leaned Gill against his police car to keep him from falling.
He describes the barefoot 23-year-old's blue shirt and khaki shorts as disheveled and soiled. Gill was arrested for public intoxication.
Colts spokesman Craig Kelley says the team is aware of the incident but doesn't have all the details and has no comment.
Gill is in his second year with the Colts and played in a scrimmage game Saturday in Anderson as part of the team's training camp.
Raiders sign former Hawaii star Colt Brennan
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent quarterback Colt Brennan and could have the former Hawaii star on the field for Thursday's preseason opener at Dallas.
Brennan took a handful of snaps with the Raiders' second-team offense Sunday, completing 4 of 6 throws. He also spent time with quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett after practice before heading to his room for a crash course in Oakland's offense.
Brennan was the Washington Redskins' sixth-round draft pick in 2008.
The team cut him last Monday after they signed John Beck.
