NFL Capsules: Crayton back with Cowboys after wanting out
IRVING (AP) — Patrick Crayton was back catching passes for the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, marking the first time on the field since indicating that he wanted to be released.
While Crayton still isn't sure if he will be with the Cowboys when the season begins, he practiced after skipping the first three weeks of voluntary offseason workouts.
Crayton is under contract for about $2 million in 2010, but his role suddenly became minimized when the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in the first round in April.
"This is my thing, I'm not going to complain about things I can't control," Crayton said after practice. "If I go out there and give it my all, bust my tail and do what I'm capable of doing, I'll be here. ... If that's the case when it comes down to it and the numbers get crunched and everything and I'm not here, I don't know what to tell you."
The receiver indicated during a radio interview while away that he wanted to have the opportunity to go to another team, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made it clear that he has no immediate plans to let Crayton go anywhere else.
Crayton said Tuesday that neither he nor his agent asked Jones for a trade or demanded to "let me go. We never once came forward with that at all."
Bryant is likely to be among the Cowboys' top three receivers with Roy Williams and Miles Austin, and the rookie wearing No. 88 also could return punts.
Crayton had 37 catches for 622 yards and five touchdowns last season, his sixth in the NFL — all with the Cowboys. He was also the team's primary punt returner, averaging 12.1 yards per return with two TDs.
"Man, we're in minicamp, no more questions about training camp or the future," he said. "I can't predict it, neither can you guys. Let's not even talk about it."
When Crayton got on the field Tuesday, he said Jones spoke to him for a "real quick minute" and asked if he felt in shape. The receiver responded that he was, and said afterward that he had no problems with conditioning despite the heat.
"He's been working out and training, so he's been doing everything he's supposed to do," receivers coach Ray Sherman said. "Yeah, he's in shape, he's lighter. ... He's a smart guy, he's not going to make very many mistakes at all. He was pretty good today."
Crayton said he weighed in at 205 pounds, about 10 pounds lighter than last summer.
Crayton had not been expected back until the mandatory minicamp this weekend. But he came back for the first of three voluntary workouts before the minicamp starts Friday.
"I'm always glad to be back with my teammates, back on this field," he said. "It's like your sanctuary, so it was a great feeling today to just get back out there, be able to run some routes, and put the jersey back on and the helmet on."
Asked if he still wanted to be release, Crayton responded, "Right now, I'm not worried about being released."
Bryant came out of the workout early Tuesday because of left hamstring tightness, but Crayton was still running plays with the second-team offense.
Neither Bryant or Sherman expressed any concern about the hamstring issue. Bryant said he planned to practice Wednesday.
"I started to work out and let (the trainer) know it was tight. He didn't want to take any chances," Bryant said. "It's not frustrating at all. I'm just following orders."
Coach Wade Phillips said it was good to have Crayton back on the field.
"It's voluntary. I'm glad he volunteered to come back," Phillips said. "He worked hard and did some good things. That's what we expect, and I know that's what he expects of himself. He going to give you everything he's got when he's out there for practice or a game."
Rookie RB Tate healthy and practicing with Texans
HOUSTON (AP) — Ben Tate spent most of his first 11 practices with the Houston Texans sitting on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
So on Tuesday, in his first full practice since being drafted, the rookie running back could barely contain his excitement. The second-round pick from Auburn dashed on and off the field with a smile as he ran plays with the offense, including a few snaps with the first team.
"It felt good," Tate said. "This game is fun to me. I love it and it's really good to get back out there and go live with everyone else."
The Texans were hoping he wouldn't be too far behind after missing most of their offseason practices. He seemed to fit in well Tuesday and said he was able to keep up because he spent his time out studying the playbook.
"You've got to stay in the playbook, even when you're not playing," he said. "That's an important part of the game, stay in my playbook and making sure I know what's going on so I can start playing the game fast."
Tate spent much of his time between plays standing and talking with running backs coach Chick Harris and kept discussing plays with the coach as the team left the field.
"I know what's going on. I know the plays," Tate said. "It's just the matter of getting out there is different. You can look at the paper and know exactly what to do on paper, but when you get out there and things start moving it's a little different."
Coach Gary Kubiak joked that Tate was the fastest player at practice on Tuesday because he had fresh legs from sitting out while the rest of the team is a bit worn out from working for several weeks. He also liked the rookie's effort.
"The thing I was impressed with is that he's obviously been paying attention and knew what he was doing," Kubiak said. "We were actually doing some tough stuff on them today as far as no scripting, just calling stuff and seeing how guys react and turning the noise on. So it was good to see him come out here and get going."
The Texans hope to use Tate as a complement to the 5-foot-9, 199-pound Steve Slaton as they try to improve a running game that ranked 30th in the NFL last season.
Houston's running game has been a weakness for years except for in 2008 when Slaton set a franchise record with 1,282 yards. He struggled last year because of a nerve issue in his neck that required surgery and he still hasn't been cleared for contact.
The Texans struggled overall running the ball in 2009, but had the most trouble in short yardage situations. Tate, who is 5-11 and 220 pounds should contribute in that area. Kubiak said they like Tate because he can be a power runner, but with a 4.4, 40-yard-dash he's also a threat to break big runs.
Tate was coy when asked if he prefers running around or at people.
"I like to do whatever it takes to get yards," he said. "As long as the ball is in my hands and I'm running it doesn't matter what I'm doing."
Tate had the ball plenty in his four-year career at Auburn where he ran for 3,321 career yards. He had 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
-- Kristie Rieken
Saints visit Louisiana communities weary of oil
FORT JACKSON, La. (AP) — A Who Dat Nation weary from the worst-ever U.S. oil spill set aside its misery for a few hours Tuesday to schmooze with the Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints.
Along the main highway to Fort Jackson in Plaquemines Parish, coach Sean Payton, team owner Tom Benson and some players passed "Who Dat?" banners that sprouted where anti-BP signs had stood.
A crowd packed the fort, which has been a staging area for cleaning birds rescued from the oil flowing from BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico.
In oppressive heat, a jazz band played and Payton and star quarterback Drew Brees signed autographs. The distraction for the community since oil began washing up in April was evident and appreciated.
"We haven't had anything to smile about in a while. Today at least people are getting the chance," said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser.
Brees also announced a chance for a lucky fan to get a Super Bowl ring like those that will soon be worn by the team. The Saints plan to raffle a ring, with all funds going to aid victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Tickets are $2 each, but buyers must make a minimum $10 order. The winner will be announced before the Sept. 9 regular-season game against Minnesota. The Saints hope to raise $1 million through the effort.
Most Plaquemines coastal waters have been closed to fishing. Some fishermen have found work with BP contractors in booming coastal marshes to protect from the oil.
But the oil has encroached well into some marshes and no one knows what the long-term impact will be on the oysters, shrimp and other seafood species that are a lifeblood of the local economy.
Le and Shawn Townsend said they spent Monday spotting oiled birds in the bayous around their home in the marshes, and were frustrated with attempts to get BP to act on their finds.
She said she was delighted the Saints were in Plaquemines, said "the crowd would have been bigger if they told us they were bringing Tony Hayward to kick."
Hayward is CEO of BP, which operated the rig Deepwater Horizon until it exploded April 20, killing 11 people, and sank two days later about 50 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Millions of gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico since then.
-- Mary Foster
Jets CB Revis back at practice after sitting out
NEW YORK (AP) — All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis returned to practice with the New York Jets on Tuesday, despite not having a new contract in place.
Revis was back for the voluntary practice session in a good-faith gesture after sitting out last Thursday amid a contract dispute. He has only missed that practice this offseason, and was not fined because it was voluntary.
"It was good," said coach Rex Ryan, who was at Citi Field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets' game against San Diego. "He made like three interceptions today, one of them it's not possible to make. It's always good to see him out there."
It was uncertain whether Revis would sit out additional practices. The Jets have one more organized team activity on Thursday, and their three-day mandatory minicamp begins Monday.
Agent Neil Schwartz declined comment to The Associated Press.
Revis wants to be the highest-paid player at his position, but was initially scheduled to make just $1 million in the fourth season of his six-year rookie deal. Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha is the highest-paid cornerback after signing a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.
His six-year contract is set to void after this season, but the Jets can buy back the final two years, which would be worth $20 million guaranteed.
Revis has said he doesn't think his request is outrageous, considering he's coming off an outstanding season in which he routinely shut down opponents' top receivers. He also finished second to Green Bay's Charles Woodson for Defensive Player of the Year, an award Ryan repeatedly said Revis deserved.
Ryan, who was wearing a No. 30 Mets jersey — a throwback Nolan Ryan, he said — isn't too concerned about the situation.
"That's somebody else's job," Ryan said. "I just hope that it's going to work out for both sides, where both sides are happy. Obviously, Darrelle, everybody knows what I think of him. I think he's the best corner in football. You know it'd be a lot easier to win with him, let's just put it that way."
A few weeks ago, Revis said he discussed the matter with Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"They believe I should be the highest-paid player at my position," Revis said on May 20. "They understand that, and I understand that. I don't think anybody would want to settle for less if they were in my situation right now. It's something that's going to get done. This is family to me. The Jets are family to me and I trust them and respect them, and I hope they would do the same."
Revis also said the team promised him it would take care of the contract by training camp in August.
"We remain committed to trying to get something done within reason that's good for Darrelle and good for the team," Tannenbaum said last week. "Hopefully he'll be here not only for the short-term, but the long-term."
In addition to Revis, Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold has asked for an extension, and linebacker David Harris and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson are in line for long-term deals.
The Jets have made re-signing all four players a priority, and are believed to have even set aside room in their budget to do so. But, Tannenbaum maintains that the uncertainty of the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap are tough factors to navigate around when dealing with prospective long-term deals.
New York worked with a salary cap of about $128 million last year, but are reportedly operating at around $110 million this year. While there is no cap this season, many teams are trying to stay around their normal operating level to avoid possible penalties in case a cap is instituted next season. Still, the Jets are operating well below last year's level, despite needing to sign — and appease — key players.
Last week, Mangold wouldn't rule out sitting out practices in minicamp while looking for a new deal, although he said that wasn't in his immediate plans. Mangold, who has made two Pro Bowl appearances, is entering the final season of a five-year deal.
Harris is also entering the final year of his deal. Meanwhile, Ferguson, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, is signed through next season, but the final year is a $10 million option.
The Jets will also have to deal with several other key players who are playing for deals this season, including wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
NOTES: Ryan, who routinely throws passes during practice, said he has never pitched a day in his life. His players didn't show much confidence when he asked them how many thought he would throw a strike. "Two hands went up," Ryan said. "I'm like, 'God, they've got a lot of confidence in me.'"
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Jets QB Sanchez fully practices for first time
NEW YORK (AP) — Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, recovering from knee surgery, was a full participant in practice Tuesday for the first time this offseason.
Sanchez had the patella-stabilizing ligament in his left knee repaired in February. The team confirmed Tuesday night that the second-year quarterback fully participated in 11-on-11 drills after being limited to individual and passing drills since workouts began several weeks ago.
He had only been involved in one 11-on-11 drill — a handoff two weeks ago that was unplanned — as a result of the team being cautious and not wanting to rush him back.
Sanchez had hoped to be able to practice without restrictions during minicamp next week. It appears he has progressed to the point that he'll be a full-go moving forward.
ESPNNewYork.com first reported that Sanchez fully participated in practice Tuesday.
"If things keep going the way they are, if they progress the way they are now, I'm confident I'll be ready to go," Sanchez said last week of the three-day minicamp. "It's ultimately going to be up to the training staff and Rex (Ryan). I feel good about it. I'm confident."
Team doctors have told Sanchez he's coming along faster than most who have had the same procedure. Sanchez said the most unsettling part of the rehabilitation process was dealing with the scar tissue popping in the weeks following the surgery.
"Every day, it's feeling better and that's been key," Sanchez said.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
49ers QB Davis working hard to learn playbook
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Picture a living room study session between two football players, a thick book of offensive schemes and formations and the NBA Finals as background noise.
The quarterback, 49ers second-year pro Nate Davis, has dyslexia and often works for close to 45 minutes at night with housemate and San Francisco wide receiver Dominique Zeigler to master the system. Davis' learning disability often causes him to mix up basics like left and right — not a good thing in the football world when sets and blocking patterns depend on directions.
He has a tough time "getting the play out" and actually executing a given call.
"I know what I'm doing out there. It's just saying the play, that's my main problem, getting the words out," Davis said. "I made big progress from last year. I've just got to keep on working."
Quarterback David Carr, signed to a two-year contract in March, has been receiving a significant number of reps during offseason workouts so he can learn the 49ers playbook. That has limited Davis' chances.
Coach Mike Singletary said Monday that Davis isn't coming along as quickly as the coaches would have hoped.
"He's coming, not as fast as he would like, not as fast as the coaches would like, but he's coming," Singletary said. "I think the biggest thing with Nate is to figure out how he learns and get that burning desire to do whatever it takes to be out here and to get it done. I know he can do it, it's just a matter of him doing it. Time will tell."
Davis was told of his coach's remarks for the first time after Tuesday's practice — and he didn't argue with the assessment.
He plans to reach out to Singletary soon, to "just see where he's at with me."
"He's the head coach. And now I've got to put more into it," Davis said. "That's what it all comes down to."
Speaking a day after Singletary, offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said he believes Davis could challenge Carr for the backup job behind Alex Smith when the time comes.
"His progress has been impeded by the fact we have an additional quarterback, but I think his progress to this point has been OK," Raye said of Davis, the team's fifth-round draft pick in 2009 out of Ball State.
Davis' aim is to win the backup job.
"I don't want to be someone who sits on the bench their whole life," he said.
Thus, the extra work with Zeigler, who lives in Davis' Santa Clara home. The quarterback's girlfriend helps out, too.
Zeigler said he benefits from the extra studying in the process.
"We'll go over the script," Zeigler said. "Sometimes he'll ask me the play, what we have in a certain formation. Or I'll read the play to him and he'll tell me his reads, which read is first. He'll tell me which the hot is. We just basically just test ourselves."
Getting Davis up to speed is an important step for an offense led by Smith that Singletary and Raye say is ahead of schedule at this stage — more than a month before the start of training camp.
While Smith isn't facing a pass rush in these practices, he has been crisp and accurate, and the receivers are making some athletic catches when the ball isn't right on target. Ted Ginn Jr. made a pretty diving grab for a 20-yard gain Tuesday and Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis had a couple of leaping receptions.
"We are just so much further ahead of the game compared to last year with everything," Smith said. "We really have the foundation set and we are able to build on it now."
It helps having the stability with Raye back for a second season after Smith experienced a different offensive coordinator in each of his first five NFL seasons. Last year, Raye was the seventh person in the job in as many years.
"If you have to change that every year consecutively as you start, then it would be mind-boggling to think where he would be if he was in a change again. I think it would be unparalleled," Raye said.
The 49ers also are counting on their two highly touted offensive linemen draft picks learning in a hurry: 11th choice tackle Anthony Davis and No. 17 selection guard Mike Iupati.
Defensive end Ray McDonald flattened Davis during 11-on-11 drills, then razzed the rookie a bit afterward. Raye said the team would probably wait until at least after the first exhibition game in August to determine its starting offensive line.
He is eager to see the two rookies in full pads at the start of camp in July. Any first impressions?
"They're huge," Raye said.
Notes: RB Frank Gore practiced after he missed Monday's workout because his arrival was delayed by travel problems from Miami. ... CB Tarell Brown came up hobbling after going down while covering a play in the end zone and didn't practice the rest of the time. ... The 49ers don't plan to hold any joint practices with the Oakland Raiders as they have done during the past two training camps because the teams play each other in the regular season this year. ... Former Stanford OT Matt Kopa observed Tuesday's session and later signed a free-agent deal with the team following a physical. He withdrew his appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of NCAA eligibility based on medical hardship because of a broken foot.
Carroll vague on White, waiting on Hill
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The games haven't started yet for new Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. The questions already have.
Why did he release LenDale White, weeks after he traded for his former star runner at USC?
And will Leroy Hill ever play again for Seattle? The starting linebacker is facing the revocation of his probation in Georgia because of a domestic assault charge in Washington.
"We are getting closer to understanding what the situation is," Carroll said, adding he will know about Hill's playing status for 2010 "pretty soon."
The 25-year-old White helped Carroll win two national championships at USC. A few offseason workouts after Carroll traded with the Tennessee Titans to reunite with White, the Seahawks abruptly released him May 28.
Asked after Tuesday's organized team activity if he was disappointed the reunion with White didn't work out, Carroll said: "Sure, yeah. We were giving that some hope to get something going there, and it just didn't come around right.
"It was just time to move ahead. I think he needs to go somewhere else and find a spot. It wasn't going to be here."
White and his uncle still would like to know exactly what happened.
"He missed some (minicamps and OTAs), but those were voluntary," Herman White told The Associated Press on Tuesday from Colorado, where he is now training with the running back in hopes another NFL team calls. "If those are being held against him, they should have to take that up with the league."
LenDale White said last month three days before he was released — and his uncle reiterated Tuesday — that one absence was because of a death in the family. Both family members and Carroll said that the other one was when the running back stayed behind in Nashville, Tenn., to tend to his house amid flood conditions there.
White's uncle confirmed the running back is facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
"He knew about that," Herman White said.
He and LenDale don't think that's the reason for his release.
"All I know is what he's reported to me, that things were going good, that he was happy," said Herman White, who says he began a training regimen with LenDale on Monday.
"Now, that's what he's related to me. He left town, everything was good. And he had to be tracked down and told he was released. He wasn't released when he left Seattle (on May 27).
"Either he's not being honest, or someone's not being honest."
White had lost more than 45 pounds, down to 219, and Carroll said it was the lightest he'd seen him since he recruited him out of high school.
Rumors around Seattle are that White lacked the work ethic Carroll required, that he blew off or was late for meetings and workouts. Those were some of the issues he had with the Titans — along with his weight and the emergence of Chris Johnson as a 2,000-yard rusher in Tennessee.
Carroll said White's release was a football decision. He did not directly answer if he completed all of his football requirements in his month in Seattle.
"He came out here and competed. And I think it's better for us to go this way," Carroll said. "He came out in pretty good shape, and was able to practice and all that. So he had a chance to show."
White's uncle has heard the rumors.
"He's supposed to have this sense of entitlement, this baggage," Herman White said. "I don't know. Pete Carroll rolled the dice with him. Pete's coached him before. He knows his baggage."
Hill has some of his own, too.
A prosecutor in Douglas County, Ga., is weighing a decision whether to recommend to a judge that he revoke the 12 months of probation Hill received April 1, in a plea deal on a marijuana charge stemming from a traffic stop there. Ten days after that deal, the 27-year-old Hill was arrested in suburban Seattle for investigation of domestic violence.
Douglas County solicitor-general Brian Fortner has said he is leaning toward revoking the probation, but he first wants to see if the prosecutor in Issaquah, Wash., pursues that case.
Hill has pleaded not guilty. He has a second court hearing scheduled for this week.
Carroll said Hill missing this offseason, which the Seahawks forced him to do, matters.
"If that didn't matter then why would you practice, you know?" the coach said. "Practice is hugely important. There's a new system. There's a whole new approach to how we're doing things. It's certainly hindered his opportunity, without question. The other guys have just rocketed ahead with their chances and are taking advantage of that.
"So he is going to have to battle back — if we get him back out here."
-- Gregg Bell
Seahawks WR Tate warned after pastry incident
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Seahawks rookie wide receiver Golden Tate apologized Tuesday and said he was "very embarrassed" after police in suburban Seattle gave him a warning for trespassing into a gourmet doughnut shop at 3 a.m. last weekend.
Tate said the Top Pot doughnuts store is in the bottom of the building in which he lives in Bellevue, Wash.
"Freshly baked. I made the mistake of — a buddy made the mistake going in grabbing a couple. We ate them," the former Notre Dame star said after an organized team activity. "This is the wrong type of media I want to bring to the organization."
The celebrity gossip outlet TMZ first reported the incident Tuesday.
Mark Klebeck, co-founder of Top Pot Doughnuts, told Seattle's KJR radio that a baker must have gone to the restroom and left a door unattended or unsecured. He said that during that time Tate and another person must have entered the bakery through a back door or freight elevator that connects the store to the residences in which Tate lives.
He said the baker followed proper company protocol and immediately called police. While officers were dispatched, Klebeck told KJR, the baker recognized Tate as a resident of the building. That diffused the situation.
"The baker just said it really wasn't anything more than people were in the bakery who shouldn't have been there," Klebeck told the station. "That doesn't make any excuse for coming in when we're closed."
Klebeck couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday by The Associated Press.
Tate said police gave him a warning. "They just kind of said 'don't do it again,' which I won't."
He also called the incident a "foolish mistake."
"But," he added, "if you ever want maple bars, that's the place to go."
Top Pot recently signed an agreement with the Seahawks' stadium, Qwest Field, to sell doughnuts and coffee during NFL and Major League Soccer games.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he has already spoken with Tate about the incident.
"No, I'm not disappointed at a guy being at a doughnut shop at 3 in the morning when they got maple bars like Top Pot has," Carroll deadpanned.
"However, under the circumstances, I think they were closed or something like that, trying to close, or whatever," the coach said. "That's definitely wrong. We've talked about it, addressed it. He's remorseful and all that. I do understand the lure of the maple bars."
"Must be some good Maple Bars!" Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck posted on his Twitter page.
Tate said he understands he could have learned a lot tougher lesson than getting some bad publicity off a warning.
"I'd rather learn on this ... than on something on me being arrested or cited, something bigger," he said. "Next time I will have the buddy go in and buy them instead."
-- Gregg Bell
LaFell ready to block his way to Panthers' starter
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Brandon LaFell gets an earful each time he's around new Panthers teammate Jonathan Stewart.
In Carolina, blocking isn't optional for a receiver. So if LaFell hopes to replace Muhsin Muhammad as a starter, he'll not only have to catch balls, he'll need to open holes downfield for Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, the first teammates since the 1970 merger to each rush for over 1,100 yards.
"Every time Jonathan sees me in the training room or we're at the lunch table that's what he talks about," LaFell said Tuesday. "He's like, 'Hey man, Moose caught a lot of passes but he was mostly downfield blocking. I'm going to make some big runs if you're downfield blocking.'"
While the former LSU star's head is spinning in optional workouts this month as he scrambles to keep up with the speed of the NFL and the more complex offense, LaFell is confident he can become the big target, strong-blocking receiver opposite Steve Smith after Carolina decided not to re-sign Muhammad.
The 23-year-old LaFell also has the added motivation of trying to prove shouldn't have fallen into the third round of the draft.
"I was mad I went in the third round," LaFell said before trying a different spin. "But if I went in the first round I'd have a lot of pressure on me. Second round, I'd have a little more pressure on me. Third round, everybody is expecting a lot from me on my team, but outside of the team nobody is expecting much.
"Me coming in and having the opportunity to compete for the No. 2 job, I'm in a great situation."
LaFell is currently working behind Dwayne Jarrett, the disappointing former second-round pick entering his fourth season. But LaFell will be given an opportunity to compete for the No. 2 job, a position Carolina has struggled to fill for years.
"He looks good. It looks like he belongs," coach John Fox said. "Again, we're not in pads yet, we're not in game situations yet, but so far he looks to be adapting well to football at this level."
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound Houston native was a second-team all-Southeastern Conference selection last season after catching 57 passes for 792 yards and 11 touchdowns. LaFell's 25 career TDs rank second in LSU history despite a carousel of quarterbacks in his final two years.
"My last two years, Ryan Perrilloux, the guy who got kicked out of school, if he had stayed, a little more experienced guy, I feel like I could have had more catches, more yards, could have broke a couple of records," he said. "But those young guys, we helped each other a lot. I helped those young guys grow and they helped me get better, whether it was going for bad balls, diving for low balls and things like that."
LaFell, once considered a potential first-round pick, saw his stock fall when he ran a slow 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the combine, something he writes off as a "bad day." LaFell said he ran a 4.49 and 4.51 at his pro day, but also tweaked his hamstring.
"I felt like a lot of people were going to fall off me then," he said.
LaFell tumbled to the 78th pick, where the Panthers took him just before they selected Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State, who is being converted from quarterback to receiver.
The two players have become the projects of new receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, himself a former LSU receiver and Texas native.
"So he feels like we have a lot in common," LaFell said, laughing. "It seems like he's on me a little harder than he's on everybody else around here."
But for a team that's seen numerous drafted receivers disappoint, ranging from Keary Colbert to Drew Carter to Jarrett, the Panthers need LaFell to meet expectations. That includes become enough of a threat as a possession receiver to prevent teams from constantly double teaming Smith — and blocking downfield for Carolina's potent ground game.
"You don't step on the field at LSU unless you're blocking," LaFell said. "And that's all Jonathan Stewart is talking about."
NOTES: LB Thomas Davis fell to the ground while backpedaling in an individual drill and clutched his surgically repaired right knee. Davis walked off the field without a noticeable limp, but didn't return to the workout. There was no immediate update on Davis, who has made a speedy recovery from a torn ligament. ... LT Jordan Gross is participating in team drills this week for the first time since breaking his right leg in November. "It's exciting worrying about getting beat again rather than healing up," Gross said. ... Rookie QB Tony Pike participated in his first workout after being barred from the past two weeks because classes hadn't ended at his old school, Cincinnati. "He looked like he didn't miss a beat today," Fox said. ... Former Panthers RB Tshimanga Biakabutuka watched the workout.
-- Mike Cranston
LB Torbor eager to make fresh start in Buffalo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Linebacker Reggie Torbor has no intention discussing what went wrong in Miami now that he's got a fresh start with the Buffalo Bills.
The sixth-year NFL player was in an upbeat mood after taking part in his first Bills practice during voluntary workouts Tuesday, one day after signing a two-year contract. It's a new deal that replaces the two years he had left on his contract, which was terminated by the Dolphins late last month, when the team balked at paying Torbor a $3 million salary he was due this season.
"I could sit here and talk about this and that, but then it'll just start something. It's useless," Torbor said, refusing to get drawn in to talk about how his two-year tenure ended in Miami. "I have a good job. I have a place where I'm wanted. I have good teammates, good coaching staff. The rest will take care of itself."
That doesn't mean he lacks motivation.
"I think I have a lot left to show still," Torbor said. "I kind of come to work with a little chip, something to prove. It helps."
The practice Tuesday was Torbor's first since he had offseason shoulder surgery. He said the injury is not fully healed, but felt pretty good.
The Bills are counting on Torbor, who becomes the latest addition to a defense that's making the switch to the 3-4 scheme this season. It's a scheme Torbor was familiar with in Miami. And he's reunited with former Dolphins linebackers coach, George Edwards, who has taken over as the Bills defensive coordinator this season.
With experience playing both inside and outside linebacker spots, the 6-foot-2, 257-pounder is currently slated to compete for an outside position in Buffalo. Torbor's arrival not only provides much-needed experience to a young linebacking corps, it also serves as insurance as the Bills' top pass-rusher, Aaron Schobel, contemplates retirement this offseason.
Selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2004 draft out of Auburn, Torbor was a noted pass rusher as a defensive end in college. Though he's been a consistent contributor as a backup and on special teams in the NFL, Torbor has failed to land a regular starting role.
He had only three starts in 32 games with the Dolphins, during which he managed just 1½ sacks, and was unable to beat out linebackers Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele for a starting job.
Torbor's numbers with the Giants were only slightly better. He had five sacks in 62 games, including 18 starts.
"It's me," he said, blaming himself for his pedestrian statistics. "You don't look around and say it was the coach's fault or somebody else's fault."
Torbor added that he did gain plenty of experience learning from the Giants pass-rushing specialists such as Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.
Torbor smiled when reminded that the Bills are scheduled to open the season against hosting AFC East rival Miami.
"I'm looking forward to playing, period," Torbor said. "I'm going to go out there and we want to win the game. It's no secret."
-- John Wawrow
No alcohol found in Henry's system after his death
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A toxicology report found no alcohol in Chris Henry's system after the Cincinnati Bengals receiver died in December from a fractured skull and other head injuries in what's been ruled an accident.
The full autopsy and toxicology reports were released by the Mecklenburg County medical examiner's office on Tuesday, nearly six months after Henry died when he came out of the back of a pickup truck driven by his fiancee.
No traces of alcohol were found. The toxicology report didn't include any other tests for drugs.
Witnesses told police Henry jumped into the back of the moving vehicle driven by Loleini Tonga in the driveway of her family home in Charlotte on the morning of Dec. 16 during a domestic dispute.
It remains unclear if Henry jumped or fell out of the truck while it was traveling about 19 mph on a windy road about a mile from the home. Henry was declared brain dead 18 hours later. He was 26.
Tonga, who claimed in an interview with ESPN that Henry jumped from the truck, was not charged.
"While it is impossible to know the decedent's intent upon leaving the vehicle, whether it represented an intentional jump or an unintentional fall, either act would be classified as an accident," the report said.
The autopsy was done after Henry's family donated several of his organs, including his heart, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen and pancreas.
The report, which was signed off by Mecklenburg County medical examiner Dr. Christopher Gulledge on Friday, indicated Henry suffered numerous head injuries, including a fractured skull and brain hemorrhaging.
His brain was taken to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for further examination, and was also donated to a group studying brain injuries among professional football players.
A witness said Henry, who was away from the Bengals after being placed on injured reserve with a broken arm, was agitated when he jumped into the truck bed.
Witness Lee Hardy told reporters he heard Henry say, "If you take off, I'm going to jump off the truck and kill myself."
A 911 caller told a dispatcher she saw a shirtless man wearing a cast "beating on the back of this truck window." A later 911 caller said he saw an unresponsive man laying on a curvy, residential road about eight miles northwest of downtown Charlotte.
-- Mike Cranston
Giants holding training camp in Albany again
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants are heading back to the University at Albany for training camp for at least another year.
The Giants and the university announced Tuesday that the new deal includes a two-year option to train in New York's capital through 2012.
There has been little doubt that the Giants would return to Albany this year, but the two sides wanted to wait until an agreement was signed before announcing it.
Camp will open on Aug. 1, with the players reporting in the morning and practicing in the afternoon.
"I can't say enough about the cooperation we receive from the university and its staff," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "The spirit of a common purpose and objective allows our team to get the work done that is necessary for us to compete at the highest level at the outset of the season."
The Giants have trained at the university, about 150 miles north of the Meadowlands, since 1996. This will be their 15th season in Albany, their longest period at one site in the team's training camp history.
"Albany has been an ideal summer home for our football team," Giants president John Mara said.
The Giants' average attendance since moving to Albany from Fairleigh Dickinson-Madison in New Jersey has been more than 33,000 fans. The attendance last year was a record 46,960.
This camp will be shorter than most of the previous camps, with the team leaving Aug. 20. The team, which missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record last season, will practice 16 days, including seven double sessions.
"The New York Giants' training camp at UAlbany has become part of the fabric of the Capital Region," Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings said. "The countless number of fans that live in Upstate New York have an opportunity to watch and interact with players, and, ultimately, form a greater bond with their team."
-- Tom Canavan
Panthers' Davis signs tender after injury scare
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers restricted free agent linebacker Thomas Davis has signed his one-year, $3.268 million tender hours after he appeared to tweak his surgically repaired right knee.
The starting outside linebacker had been participating in optional workouts this month under an injury waiver. He fell to the turf Tuesday while backpedaling and grabbed the same knee in which he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in November.
Davis walked off the field, but didn't return to the practice. A team spokesman says Davis was undergoing tests and they could know more Wednesday.
Starting cornerback Richard Marshall also signed his one-year, $1.759 million tender on Tuesday.
The Panthers made no attempt to ink either player to a long-term deal.
Patriots sign rookie TE Aaron Hernandez
FOXOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have signed former Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez, their fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft.
The 6-1, 250-pound Hernandez had 68 catches for 850 yards — both school records for tight ends — while playing with star quarterback Tim Tebow last season.
The 113th overall selection in the draft, Hernandez acknowledged that he violated the substance abuse police once in college but denied published reports he was a multiple offender.
Hernandez, a native of Bristol, Conn., is the fourth of 12 Patriots' draft choices to sign with the team. Terms were not disclosed.
Bills sign rookie OL Calloway; waive DB Virgil
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have signed rookie offensive lineman Kyle Calloway, the second of the team's two seventh-round draft picks.
Listed at 6-foot-6, 323 pounds, Calloway had 37 starts in 39 games at Iowa and was a second-team Big 10 Conference selection in each of the past two seasons. He was selected 216th overall in the NFL draft in April.
The Bills also announced after a voluntary minicamp practice Tuesday that they waived defensive back Stephan Virgil, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Virginia Tech.
Elsewhere
Kroenkes aim to keep NBA, NHL, NFL teams
DENVER (AP) — Stan Kroenke said Tuesday he plans to keep ownership of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and NBA's Denver Nuggets in his family if he gains full control of the NFL's St. Louis Rams.
The Missouri billionaire owns 40 percent of the Rams and is trying to acquire the rest, but NFL rules prohibit owners from also owning clubs in the NBA, NHL or Major League Baseball.
"My family looks forward to owning the Rams, Nuggets and Avalanche for years to come while being compliant with all stipulations set by the NFL," Kroenke said in a written statement. "Our family remains committed to fans in St. Louis and Denver."
The statement, first reported in The Denver Post on Tuesday, said "family continuity remains a priority."
The Post reported Kroenke plans to transfer some or all of the Nuggets to his 30-year-old son Josh, the Nuggets' vice president of team development.
A statement given to The Associated Press by Kroenke Sports Enterprises didn't mention that plan, and Kroenke officials didn't immediately respond to e-mails requesting clarification.
The statement didn't say how Kroenke would handle his ownership of the Avalanche or his 29.9 percent share of Arsenal, an English soccer power in the Premier League.
The NFL said its finance committee is still reviewing Kroenke's proposal, but league spokesman Brian McCarthy said he couldn't confirm Kroenke's plans.
An NHL spokesman had no immediate comment and an NBA spokeswoman didn't immediately return messages from the AP.
NBA commissioner David Stern told The Post Kroenke hasn't formally notified the league of any plans to transfer the Nuggets to his son. A transfer would have to be approved by the NBA board of governors.
Stern called the Kroenkes a "very smart business and basketball family."
Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez currently own the 60 percent share of the Rams. They reached an agreement in February to sell to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan for an estimated $750 million. In April, Kroenke exercised his right to match the offer.
The NFL has worked around its cross-ownership rules before. In 1994, Wayne Huizenga bought the Miami Dolphins when he already owned the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers.
-- Dan Elliott
Former Eagles lineman Runyan wins N.J. GOP primary
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Former NFL lineman Jon Runyan has won the Republican primary election in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional district.
The retired Philadelphia Eagles player is a political neophyte who will face first-term Democratic Rep. John Adler in November.
Observers anticipating the matchup say it could be one of the most competitive and expensive races in the nation this year.
Adler easily won the Democratic primary in the southern New Jersey district.
Runyan fended off a challenge from the lesser-funded Justin Murphy, who had some support from the tea party movement.
Runyan surprised some by acknowledging last month that he had been late paying property taxes on his Mount Laurel home in 16 of the past 40 quarters.
