NFL Capsules - NFC Teams: Haynesworth fails again, still can't practice
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Early Friday morning, the cones were lined up 25 yards apart on the field for Albert Haynesworth's conditioning test. He needed to complete the first part in 70 seconds or less to have a chance to pass.
He clocked 71.
Another failed effort. Once again, the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle was not allowed to participate in practice at Washington Redskins training camp.
And so the Haynesworth saga drags on. By now, some coaches or organizations would have worked out some sort of a behind-the-scenes compromise in the name of team harmony and good publicity, especially with one measly second hanging in the balance. Not Mike Shanahan. The rules are the rules are the rules for the Redskins new coach, no matter who the player is.
"Either you play by the rules, you're gone or you'll get fined, one of the two," fullback Mike Sellers said. "He's a no-nonsense guy. A lot of the vets around here who are pretty much old-school guys appreciate it."
Perhaps Haynesworth didn't see it coming, especially after spending last season under laid-back, player-friendly coach Jim Zorn. Or perhaps he thought by now he'd be playing for another team. Or perhaps he'd heard stories about the "star treatment" given to Redskins players such as Michael Westbrook, Bruce Smith and Clinton Portis over the years.
Either way, Haynesworth has learned the hard way that going toe-to-toe with Shanahan is not a good idea: Shanahan is going to win.
"He wants to come in and put a lot of discipline in this thing," defensive end Phillip Daniels said. "Discipline is the key."
So, for Haynesworth, the second day of training camp was much like the first. After failing the test, he was sent inside to do treadmill and agility work while the rest of the team practiced. After practice, Haynesworth emerged in a long-sleeved gray T-shirt and burgundy shorts and spent about 15 minutes walking through some plays with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett in order to learn the playbook.
A few fans yelled support as Haynesworth walked back to the building. He paused to sign a few autographs but did not speak to reporters.
The Redskins, however, took a different approach in explaining the whole thing. Shanahan had previously declined to reveal the details of Haynesworth's conditioning test, but on Friday the team sent out strength and conditioning coach Ray Wright to give a full breakdown.
Haynesworth, explained Wright, was the only player required to take the test because he was the only player not to attend 50 percent of the team's offseason workouts. However, the players did run the same drill as part of those workouts in the spring.
The test consists of 300 yards of sprints — called a "shuttle" — back and forth 25 yards at a time. It has to be run twice, with only a 3½-minute break in between. The short break demonstrates that the player can recover quickly. Linemen have to run the first shuttle in 70 seconds, the second one in 73 seconds.
Haynesworth clocked 70 seconds on the first shuttle when he tried to pass the test on Friday — but he then violated the test's rules by taking an extended potty break.
"He had to use the restroom," Wright said. "You get 3½ minutes. He was gone close to 10."
So Haynesworth had to start all over again and failed.
On Friday, his first shuttle took 71 seconds, so there was no need to run the second one. He'll try again Saturday.
"He's learning how to run it," Wright said. "There's a pace you have to have, a certain tempo each 25 yards, and I expect him to pass it pretty soon."
Shanahan called the drill a "very minimal test" and that "most people could do this test in their sleep." He said he is confident Haynesworth will eventually pass.
"I don't want to put a guy out there before he's ready, before I know he's in shape," Shanahan said. "I know it's the best thing for him. He may not know that at this time, but I can guarantee you, the big linemen that I've been with, the guys that are in the trenches, they still need to be in shape."
But this is more about proving a point than proving someone's in shape. That was evident late in the afternoon, when Haynesworth wasn't even permitted to take part in the team's one-hour walkthrough in which the players wore baseball caps.
Haynesworth instead worked on conditioning drills near the field. At one point, he stood with hands on hips watching his teammates, looking like an exile who can't join the party. Asked by a reporter if his teammates were giving him a hard time, Haynesworth used a profanity and essentially said he didn't care.
Last year, Haynesworth would often take a knee at the ends of plays and would have to leave the game. He hasn't played 16 games in a regular season since he was a rookie in 2002, but he has noticeably slimmed down this year.
Haynesworth, entering the second year of a seven-year, $100 million contract, stayed away from the team's offseason program because he wanted to work with his own trainer and because he is unhappy with the switch to a 3-4 defense. He was hoping the Redskins would trade him rather than make him report to camp.
On Friday, Shanahan was clearly getting tired of having the Haynesworth matter dominate the opening days of camp. The coach wants to move on to other things.
"The next time we talk about this," Shanahan told reporters, "is when he's practicing with us."
Another rule — and one that will no doubt be followed.
Most familiar Eagles are long gone now
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Donovan McNabb wears different colors. Brian Westbrook is job-hunting. Sheldon Brown and other veterans are gone, too.
These aren't the same Philadelphia Eagles who dominated the NFC East for much of the past decade.
A new era for the Eagles kicked off Friday when the whole team held its first practice at training camp. Fans who gather to watch the first practice in full pads on Saturday morning might need a program to figure out who is on the field.
For the first time since 1998, No. 5 isn't out there. McNabb, the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, was traded to Washington in April after 11 very successful seasons in Philadelphia.
That familiar No. 36 also is missing from camp. Westbrook, the former All-Pro running back, was released after several injuries slowed him the past two seasons. He remains unsigned.
No. 24 now belongs to Victor "Macho" Harris instead of Brown, the hard-hitting cornerback who never missed a game in eight seasons with the Eagles. Brown was dealt to Cleveland for draft picks.
Shawn Andrews, a two-time Pro Bowl guard, wide receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, defensive end Darren Howard and linebackers Jeremiah Trotter, Will Witherspoon and Chris Gocong are no longer with the team, either.
Despite winning 11 games last season, the Eagles completely restructured their roster in the offseason. Trading McNabb was the biggest move, paving the way for fourth-year pro Kevin Kolb to take over.
During McNabb's tenure, the Eagles reached the playoffs eight times, won five NFC East titles, went to five conference championship games and one Super Bowl.
But they didn't win the big game. So the organization decided it was time to move on from McNabb.
Now it's Kolb's turn. He's ready for the challenge.
"I think everybody's excited, not only the players, but the fans and the coaches — everybody," Kolb said. "There is a sense of the unknown a little bit, so everybody's anxious to see what we got, including ourselves, so we'll keep working hard and hope that will be a positive thing."
Kolb has a talented supporting cast. He has one Pro Bowl wide receiver in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin — a first-round pick last year — has star potential. Tight end Brent Celek is coming off a breakout year, and there's depth behind him. The backfield includes promising second-year running back LeSean McCoy, backup Mike Bell, who earned a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans, and Pro Bowl fullback Leonard Weaver.
McNabb didn't have this luxury when he became the full-time starter a few months into his rookie season in 1999. It wasn't until Terrell Owens joined the Eagles in 2004 that McNabb even had a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Still, he guided the Eagles to three NFC title games with pedestrian wideouts such as Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, James Thrash and Todd Pinkston.
So, the pressure's on Kolb. He doesn't feel it, though.
"I don't want to get caught up in what other guys are thinking and doing," he said. "As a player you've got to understand that you've got to do your job and the rest of it will come along. I think I proved myself a little bit last year and these guys saw what I had on game day, but we always can get better. We're always going to continue to get better and I want them to keep believing in me and knowing (if) there's two minutes left and we're down, that we're going to win the game."
Kolb has been groomed in this offense for three years. He filled in nicely as a starter when McNabb missed two games last season, and might even be more suited to run Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense.
"The best qualities that Kevin has, there's many of them, but some of the better ones are his quick decision-making, and his accuracy, and his timing," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "He also has a good amount of skill and ability and I think he has some guts. Some guts and some gut instincts as well."
Overall, the Eagles got much younger during the offseason — all their projected starters on offense and defense are under 30. But they don't consider themselves in a rebuilding mode.
"I don't look at it as rebuilding, I look at it as retooling," coach Andy Reid said. "Put guys in, and here we go."
-- Rob Maaddi
Panthers RB Stewart in familiar role on sidelines
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Jonathan Stewart has put together a gaudy resume in his two years in the NFL. He set Carolina's rookie rushing record, led the Panthers in rushing last season and has played in all 33 regular-season and playoff games.
Yet this may be the most remarkable part of it all: He's hardly practiced in nearly three years.
"Stew's got it down to a science," tight end Jeff King said, smiling. "He's outsmarting us all."
The ribbing Stewart gets is expected, yet behind it is respect and amazement by his teammates for how he's been able to play through a painful Achilles' tendon and heel injury. After undergoing surgery in January, Stewart still hasn't been cleared to return, and is watching the start of training camp while on the physically unable to perform list.
"There's a lot of jokes being made here or there about that whole situation, but me being an athlete and me being a competitor, practice is something that's very important to excel," Stewart said Friday. "You've got guys that are practicing around you and getting better and you're not being able to get the opportunity.
"Once I get healthy, it's going to be one of the best days of my life."
Stewart indicated the last time he was pain-free was in his final year at Oregon, just before he injured his right big toe against Arizona on Nov. 15, 2007. It required surgery, and Stewart was held out of all offseason practices after going to Carolina with the 13th overall pick.
Overcompensating for his toe by putting more pressure on his left foot is what caused the new injury. About halfway through his rookie season he started being held out of at least one practice a week with what the secretive Panthers called just a "sore left heel."
Despite the pain, the strong and stocky Stewart rushed for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns, both franchise rookie records. Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for the most yards by NFL teammates since 1984.
Stewart then sat out every offseason workout last season, and had participated in eight of 48 practices before playing in Week 1 against Philadelphia. His Achilles' tendon and heel throbbing, Stewart wasn't sure he'd make it through the season.
"At the beginning, no," Stewart said. "But I had my teammates around me, the training staff to build up this realm of a way to get through the season, really. It was a good situation."
Despite practicing once or twice a week at the most, Stewart recovered from a slow start and had big games after Williams went out with an ankle injury. Stewart rushed for a franchise-record 206 yards in a win at the New York Giants, and finished with 1,133 yards despite being in constant pain.
"There was one play I remember, he broke like 40 yards, guys were still trying to tackle him, and he was moaning and yelling at the bottom of the huddle," center Ryan Kalil said. "And he got back in and we ran another play. That's a tough guy. I'm glad he's on my team."
Shortly after combining with Williams to become the first set of teammates since the 1970 merger to each rush for over 1,100 yards, Stewart had surgery on the area between his Achilles' tendon and heel. He said some bone spurs were removed and the doctor "cleaned it up, did some stuff, tightening and whatever."
Stewart missed all offseason workouts — he hasn't participated in one minicamp practice or organized team activity workout in three years — and is now sitting again.
"I can't wait until he gets out there it takes reps off of us, and we can get back to midseason form like we were last year," Williams said. "I think the coaching staff did a great job rotating us in and out, and he did a great job of taking over there at the end when I was hurt."
Stewart said he hopes to return "soon" but added, "I really don't know" when that will be.
"In my career, I've known guys who, man, they'd be so excited if they could have some kind of excuse to get out (of practice)," Kalil said. "I know he cares a lot about what his teammates think of him.
"I try to reassure him all the time, that guys know that it's just one of those things that you try to fight through. I tell him we'd rather have him on Sunday than through the week."
So Friday afternoon, when his teammates were sweating through a workout with a heat index over 100 degrees, Stewart was watching — again.
"He's got a good schedule going, why mess with it now," King said before finishing with one more friendly jab.
"Maybe if we started practicing him he won't be as good."
-- Mike Cranston
Weatherspoon has fun as Falcons open camp
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Falcons coach Mike Smith was smiling cautiously as training camp opened on Friday.
Smith was happy because all the players lost to injuries in 2009 were back and his top 2010 draft pick, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, signed just in time for the first practice.
Smith was cautious because he knows it will be difficult to avoid injuries through two-a-day practices in intense heat.
"The biggest thing for us is to stay healthy, especially in the first 10 days of training camp," Smith said.
"I think throughout the league as you watch, there's going to be a lot of guys missing time. We want to have our guys on the field."
Weatherspoon, the first-round pick from Missouri, signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract, including $10.5 million guaranteed. The deal was completed late Thursday.
"My main goal was just to make sure I was out here for practice," Weatherspoon said after Friday's first practice. "You don't want to miss any time out there on the field. It was a big deal to me, getting here."
Weatherspoon is learning both outside linebacker positions in the Falcons' 4-3 scheme.
"It was fun to get out there and run around and just try to make some plays and knock the rust off a little bit and get back in the swing of things," he said.
Weatherspoon is projected to eventually replace 34-year-old Mike Peterson, who is serving as the rookie's mentor.
"He knows everything that's going on out there," Weatherspoon said. "He's played this system for so long. He knows exactly what's going on so I kind of lean on him."
Weatherspoon was the Falcons' last draft pick to sign.
Smith also celebrated the return of three key players who had season-ending knee injuries in 2009: defensive tackle Peria Jerry, cornerback Brian Williams and receiver Harry Douglas.
Jerry and Williams are possible starters.
Douglas was projected as the team's No. 3 receiver and punt return specialist before he suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in last year's training camp.
"Having (Douglas) coming back, having Brian Williams coming back and Peria, it's only going to help us become a better football team," tight end Tony Gonzalez said. "That's why I'm so excited. That's why this 100-degree weather is just a side note as far as I'm concerned."
Jerry, a 2009 first-round pick, had a light brace on his left knee in his return from the injury that forced him to miss most of his rookie season.
"I thought Peria looked very good this morning," Smith said.
Jerry was held out of team drills in the morning practice. Each of the three were limited to walkthrough drills in the afternoon session. Smith said that pattern could continue for the first two weeks of camp.
"We're going to manage all three of those guys and bring them along," Smith said. "Our philosophy is to make sure they meet certain milestones that are set by our doctor first, our (trainers) and then us as coaches. We're going to be very, very careful on the workload we give those guys, especially through these first two weeks of practice."
Williams is competing with Brent Grimes and Christopher Owens for a starting job. Dunta Robinson, who signed with Atlanta as a free agent after six years in Houston, is the other starting cornerback.
"I think it's going to be one of the most competitive position battles that we have," Smith said.
The Falcons hope Jerry provides an inside push to help the team's outside pass rush.
The Falcons tied for 26th in the NFL with only 28 sacks last season. Kroy Biermann could emerge as John Abraham's new pass-rush complement at defensive end.
Biermann, a third-year player, had five sacks in 2009. Jamaal Anderson, the No. 8 overall pick in 2007, has only 2½ sacks in 44 career starts, including one-half sack last season. Anderson is working in a new swing role at end and defensive tackle.
NOTES: Temperatures soared into the high 90s for the afternoon practice, but Robinson wasn't fazed. "No, because I played six years in Houston," he said. "This was a good day compared to what I'm used to out in Houston, Texas." ... John Parker Wilson of Alabama is the No. 3 quarterback after D.J. Shockley was released in the offseason.
-- Charles Odum
Peterson returns to field for Vikings
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — With a smile on his face and a helmet on his head, Adrian Peterson joined the Minnesota Vikings for the first day of training camp determined to put two troubling issues behind him — his problems holding on to the football and his decision to skip a mandatory minicamp back in June.
The Vikings opened training camp on Friday, the first time Peterson has been in uniform with the team since early June. The star running back angered coach Brad Childress later in the month when he blew off the mandatory minicamp to attend Adrian Peterson Day festivities in his hometown of Palestine, Texas.
He also spent almost all the offseason working out in Houston rather than at the Vikings facility, a change from his first three years in the NFL. That led some to speculate that he was unhappy with his contract, which will pay him about $19 million over the next two years if he hits all of the deal's escalators.
But Peterson said his absence had nothing to do with finances. He said his hometown celebration was planned before he learned the dates of the minicamp.
"I'm happy with my contract," Peterson said. "I'm here in training camp working out and getting ready for the season. That's my focus."
Childress, who didn't hide his disappointment when asked about it in June, said the two met and aired out their differences. He called the issue "water under the bridge" and staunchly defended Peterson when questions of his fumbling came up at his press conference.
"Adrian Peterson is a tremendous football player," Childress said. "I know we picked like we do during the draft at weaknesses, but by anybody's measure in this league and in history, he's had three exceptional years. There's a reason you look at a highlight film and so much of it is Adrian Peterson, because he's a hell of a talent."
Peterson has been one of the most productive running backs in the league since he was chosen seventh overall in the 2007 draft, rushing for 4,484 yards and 40 touchdowns.
But Peterson also leads the league in fumbles over that span, putting the ball on the ground 20 times and losing 13 of them. It was a nightmare for him in the NFC title game against the New Orleans Saints, when a superb 122-yard, three-touchdown effort was overshadowed by two fumbles in a game the Vikings eventually lost in overtime. Peterson also could have been charged with another one on a botched handoff near the goal line just before halftime.
"What I came up with is it's all mental," Peterson said. "Basically it's that simple. Just mentally being aware of my surroundings at all times. Knowing guys are definitely throwing those extra punches to knock it out it at all times."
It puts the Vikings in a tough spot. Even when quarterback Brett Favre is on the field, Peterson is still the focal point of their offense. He is the kind of back that gets better as the game goes on, wearing down opponents with a bruising, ferocious running style that is predicated in part on high volume carries.
The team has looked at several options to help their workhorse back get it together. They have consulted Giants coach Tom Coughlin and former running back Tiki Barber, who battled fumbling problems early in his career before solving it by changing the way he carries the ball.
"I don't want to change the way he runs with the football," Childress said. "You can't play that position and be cautious. He is a violent, reckless running back.
"In football sometimes the ball comes loose. Do I like it? No. Am I going to tolerate it? No. We are going to emphasize it and usually you achieve what you emphasize."
The issue comes up often, but Peterson said he can handle the negativity.
"Actually this offseason I got away. Tried to stay away from NFL Network and ESPN," he said. "But it doesn't bother me at all. I'm the only one that can do something about it."
Minnesota could rely even more heavily on Peterson's broad shoulders this season after veteran backup Chester Taylor departed for the Chicago Bears. Taylor was the third-down back and excelled in the receiving game and in pass protection.
The Vikings drafted Stanford's Toby Gerhart in the second round, but asking a rookie to take on the complex tasks of picking up blitzes and catching passes out of the backfield may be a little too much this early in his career.
"With Chester being gone, he was a big part of our offense," Peterson said. "It's up to me to grab and take care of and that's what I'm going to do."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Bigby reports to Packers camp, fails physical
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Green Bay Packers coaches finally got a look at safety Atari Bigby.
They didn't like what they saw.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Bigby was one of three players who failed a physical examination on Friday. Bigby, cornerback Al Harris and rookie running back James Starks will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
"I'm concerned," McCarthy told reporters in Green Bay on Friday. "Everybody's concerned. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to Atari. He's had the ankle injury, and that's something that's bothered him in the past. Hopefully we can get the answer for that and he can get out there and get ready to go."
Harris is recovering from a season-ending left knee injury last November; McCarthy is encouraged by his progress and said he could be ready for the regular season opener. Starks continues to have problems with his hamstring.
Bigby, a restricted free agent, did not sign his tender offer right away and spent the offseason away from the team. McCarthy confirmed Bigby reported to camp with the rest of the team Friday, but his ankle — an injury that has bothered him in the past — flared up during a conditioning test.
"There was communication with Atari, but we all know what his business situation was," McCarthy said. "This is really the first opportunity our doctors have had a chance to examine him."
Now it's an opportunity for rookie safety Morgan Burnett, a third-round pick out of Georgia Tech. Burnett has impressed coaches with his intelligence and work ethic — but now the pads go on.
"That's what training camp's for," McCarthy said. "I really like what the young man has done."
The situation at safety is one of several challenges McCarthy will have to navigate beginning with the Packers' first training camp practice Saturday.
McCarthy knows expectations are high, and acknowledges this might be the best team he has had on paper.
"There's nothing new this year," McCarthy said. "We're not putting in a new defense, we don't have a new quarterback, we don't have a new special teams coach. We have an opportunity to build off some continuity and some success in the past."
There might not be anything new in terms of the big picture, but Packers camp will look a little different. McCarthy is adding drills to improve tackling and avoid special teams penalties.
Beyond that, there are some starting spots up for grabs.
The Packers must replace defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, who has been suspended for at least this season under the league's substance abuse policy.
The Packers laid the groundwork for Jolly's absence in the offseason, moving Ryan Pickett from nose tackle to defensive end and making second-year player B.J. Raji the team's primary nose tackle. Second-round pick Mike Neal also could figure in at defensive end, as could oft-injured former first rounder Justin Harrell.
McCarthy said Harrell finally is healthy.
"This is an important camp for Justin," McCarthy said. "He knows that, we all know that. We're excited that he's finally healthy. That's a frustrating place to be as a player, when you have back to back injuries and things that keep you out, especially with the expectations of being a first-round pick."
The offensive line will be heavily scrutinized after a rough start that set the Packers back in the first half of last season. Barring injury, the Packers appear set at four of five offensive line positions, with Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz expected to compete for a starting guard job.
First-round pick Bryan Bulaga, who signed a contract on Friday, is expected to learn the left tackle position behind Chad Clifton.
McCarthy also will be keeping a close eye on punters, a weakness in recent years.
Tim Masthay, who was waived by the Colts during training camp last year, is competing with Chris Bryan, a former Australian rules football player.
"I'm not in a hurry," McCarthy said. "The last two years, it's been a negative, there's no doubt about that. I think it's important to give both the opportunity to punt in games."
-- Chris Jenkins
Bears under microscope as camp opens
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) — He just might be their best pass-rusher since Richard Dent, so Julius Peppers understands why all eyes are on him.
He signed the big contract. He's the source of optimism around the Chicago Bears.
One thing, though.
"Just because I'm here doesn't really mean anything," he said Friday, after the first training camp practice. "I've got to go out and perform just as well as those other guys."
Well, it does mean the stakes are higher for the Bears after they signed him to a six-year deal worth potentially $91.5 million because not since Dent was terrorizing opponents have they had a pass rusher like this.
It means opposing quarterbacks figure to be under more pressure. And, it means the Bears are under a microscope, too.
After three straight playoff misses, patience is running thin. Coach Lovie Smith is under a win-or-else mandate from above, as is general manager Jerry Angelo, and he's pulling out motivational tricks, drawing on the past to bring out the beast in the Bears' defense.
Players found "Monsters of the Midway" T-shirts when they arrived at camp.
"I came in my room, my dorm, and I saw the T-shirt on the bed," defensive end Mark Anderson said. "I saw Tommie (Harris) walking around with it. Everybody had it on. That's our motivation."
The irony is the Bears never resembled the old Monsters of the Midway even when the defense led the way to the playoffs in 2005 and the Super Bowl the following year. They were built on speed and finesse and were more likely to bend but not break, rather than break opponents' bones.
They weren't about big hits and big personalities, like the 1985 championship team. The opposition didn't cower in their presence as it seemed to do two decades earlier.
Even so, the Bears had one of the most effective defenses not too long ago. It just hasn't been that way the past few years.
"All I know is this year, we really aren't in need for much," Peppers said. "We pretty much have everything we need. I predict great things from this defense, and hopefully, we can live up to it."
Coming off a dreadful 7-9 season that left some fans calling for Smith and Angelo to be fired, there are some big question marks on the offensive line, at receiver and in the secondary.
There is also that 6-foot-7 source of optimism.
The Bears hope Peppers can inject some life into a defense that tied for 13th with 35 sacks and ranked 17th overall last season. They see him taking pressure away from often injured Tommie Harris on a revitalized line, which in turn will help the secondary.
And with linebackers Lance Briggs and a healthy Brian Urlacher, they're counting on the defense to show some of its old dominant form, just as they were heading into last season and the season before that.
A big difference this time is Peppers, the five-time Pro Bowl pick who had 81.0 sacks in eight seasons with Carolina and ranked third in the NFL over that span.
With one of the league's top pass rushers, Smith sees the Bears being more physical. He also said he envisions blitzing more, although that might be difficult considering how often they did in recent years.
They should blitz more effectively, though. And even when they're not blitzing, they figure to get to the quarterback more often.
"In an ideal situation, four guys rush, everyone sees the ball, break and make plays," Smith said. "We're not going to just play zone defense every time. Even though everyone assumes we play cover-two 95 percent of the time, that's not the case. I am excited about us being able to blitz more."
Peppers, however, said blitzing "might not be as necessary" if the line does its job. Can the Bears be modern day monsters, though?
"Just because one team did it a certain way and had great success doesn't mean this team can't do it another way and have success," Peppers said. "I feel like you can accomplish the same goals different ways. I feel like I have trust in the head coach, and I think he knows what he needs to do to get the team to play well."
-- Andrew Seligman
Arizona faces many personnel changes as camp opens
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A powerful thunderstorm that brought a deluge of rain and blasts of lightening greeted the Arizona Cardinals when they gathered Friday to open a training camp that will feature wholesale personnel changes for the two-time defending NFC West champions.
"There's going to be a lot of interesting things going on at this training camp," said coach Ken Whisenhunt, who enters his fourth season at Arizona with a hefty new contract that runs through 2013 with a team option for 2014. "There's going to be battles for positions, there's going to be battles for play time."
The only absentee was first-round draft pick Dan Williams, and coach Ken Whisenhunt didn't seem too concerned, saying that he hopes that the big nose tackle from Tennessee will arrive soon as other first-round picks reach contract agreements.
Arizona signed its second-round pick Daryl Washington earlier Friday. The linebacker from TCU was the 47th player selected overall.
Starting inside linebacker Gerald Hayes will not be practicing. He is recovering from surgery to relieve pressure from a bulging disk.
As he walked to his room, Hayes told reporters he underwent the procedure early in the summer and that there is no timetable for his return.
The most notable change will be at quarterback, where Matt Leinart finally gets the opportunity he has been waiting for following the retirement of Kurt Warner. Whisenhunt acknowledged that Leinart will feel some pressure from the national attention he is sure to receive.
"I hope he's better prepared to handle that," the coach said. "I don't think that you can ignore that as a quarterback. That's a part of that position. He's worked very hard at preparing himself for this opportunity. I think that Matt didn't' want it to go this way. I know he wanted to play, but he's worked, he's done what we've asked him to do, and now it's his chance to show that. Frankly, I'm excited about seeing that."
Whisenhunt said that "what he's done this spring and how he's handled that all point to good things."
Before Whisenhunt's news conference, NAU officials and Cardinals president Michael Bidwill took part in the formal announcement of a three-year contract extension for the team to train in Flagstaff.
The players underwent physicals at the team's Tempe headquarters before heading up to Flagstaff, where they practice among the pine trees at an elevation of 6,000 feet.
They will go through a conditioning test Saturday morning with the first practice scheduled that afternoon.
Among the Cardinals losses is three-time Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin. Unhappy with his contract situation, the wide receiver finally got his wish to be traded. Arizona sent him and a fifth-round draft pick to Baltimore for a third- and fourth-round pick. Steve Breaston moves up to the No. 2 receiver spot behind Larry Fitzgerald.
The once-lowly Cardinals have not had a losing season in Whisenhunt's three years as coach. He said the team has developed an attitude where veteran players let the youngsters and newcomers know what is expected of them.
He looked back to the first day of free agency, when the team lost inside linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Antrel Rolle.
"Things didn't look great," Whisenhunt said, "and I have to give credit to Michael and to (general manager) Rod (Graves) for the work that they did to allow us to address those. We had a plan in place, we executed that plan and I feel good where we are right now."
The team acquired safety Kerry Rhodes in a trade with the New York Jets, then signed free agents Joey Porter at outside linebacker and Paris Lenon at inside linebacker.
Rain won't stop the Cardinals' workouts. The team plays in NAU's domed stadium in bad weather.
Whisenhunt joked about being stuck in his car during the downpour after he parked outside the Northern Arizona University dormitories, where the players and coaches stay. He finally decided to make a dash for it to show he wasn't afraid of a little bad weather.
"The one thing I was scared about was looking unathletic," he said, "but hopefully nobody got that on camera."
-- Bob Baum
Spagnuolo eager to begin full-squad workouts
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Practices are moving a little slow for Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo.
He can't wait for St. Louis' first full-squad workout on Saturday.
"There's a little extra juice," said Spagnuolo. "I'm feeling that already."
The Rams went through practices Friday morning for rookies, quarterbacks and players coming off injuries. Since the full squad wasn't scheduled to report until later Friday, the Rams didn't have the numbers they'd need to run at their usual high tempo.
"There were moments I thought the tempo could have been a little bit faster," Spagnuolo said. "But we had three linebackers and that's it. I have to remember that. You try to get the tempo real high but you got three guys running every play.
"When we get rocking and rolling with the whole crew, I'll probably feel a little bit better."
Spagnuolo will probably feel a lot better when the first overall pick in last April's draft, quarterback Sam Bradford, is in camp. Although negotiations between the Rams and Bradford's representatives went well into Thursday evening, the former Heisman Trophy winner remained unsigned and has now missed three practices.
For now, veteran A.J. Feeley, second year man Keith Null and rookie Thaddeus Lewis are taking the snaps.
"Really nothing's changed," Spagnuolo said. "When I see (executive vice president of football operations) Kevin (Demoff) I'm looking for one word, just give me d-o-n-e. And when I don't get that, I say OK, I got to go to practice. "
Spagnuolo said Bradford has not fallen too far behind. However, the sooner he gets here, the better.
"We all need all the time," he said. "I needed the time. It will just be a crash course. But he's a sharp enough guy if we feed him and he pulls one of those all-nighters, he'll be OK."
The Rams are hoping the same can be said for last year's No. 1 pick Jason Smith, who was limited to some individual work and conditioning Friday due to a nagging toe injury that Smith suffered toward the end of the organized team activities.
Smith was an injury casualty for much of last year. He missed seven games due to a knee injury and concussion-related symptoms.
Given that Smith is moving to a new position, left tackle, he also could use all the work he can get. But Spagnuolo said the team is not pushing.
"Jason just did the individual and then he went over to do some conditioning," Spagnuolo said. "But he felt good. We're treading a little lightly on that one. We're trying to get him completely healthy and get rolling.
"He's getting the things in the meeting room. He's getting the physical stuff from the conditioning standpoint. So we're good with that."
