NFL Capsules - League and Player Capsules: Saints take on Patriots in exhibition openers
After two days of scrimmages against each other, the Saints and Patriots get started on the real thing — well, almost — when they meet Thursday night.
The first preseason game for both teams should have slightly more intensity than the joint workouts, but not nearly as much as a regular-season meeting. Certainly not like New Orleans' 38-17 home win over the Patriots that lifted the Saints to 11-0 on their way to their first Super Bowl title.
Most starters will make cameo appearances at Gillette Stadium as the exhibition season kicks off in full force this weekend. Also playing Thursday night are the Carolina Panthers at the Baltimore Ravens, and the Oakland Raiders at the Dallas Cowboys.
"You never try to pick up where you left off," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "We start from scratch again and I think there's a certain path you have to take that involves a lot of hard work and study and preparation. We're early in camp still, considering that there are still four preseason games left. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of stuff to clean up.
"But any time you begin a season, you want to start off on a good note. We were able to do that a year ago and we'll see what we do this year."
Payton expects the regulars to have 15 to 18 plays. It should be about the same for New England, with the intriguing possibility that star receiver Wes Welker could get on the field. He underwent surgery in February for a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been noncommittal on Welker's availability. Just the fact he is participating regularly in training camp is particularly encouraging for New England, and Welker was involved in the scrimmaging against New Orleans.
Saints running back Reggie Bush likes the idea of working out against another team, particularly when it's the Patriots.
"I think it's been very beneficial, because it gives us the chance to look at a different defense and offense and go up against a different team entirely, giving us a chance to compete," Bush said. "Some of the guys that are draft picks and undrafted free agents, it gives them an opportunity to compete and earn their spot. It was really productive at the end of the day."
And satisfying to hear the Patriots praise his team, with several New England players saying they are trying to measure up to the Saints' standard.
"I guess that's a compliment seeing that an organization that we kind of want to be like with everything they've done in their careers is where we're trying to get to," Bush said, citing the Patriots' three NFL titles in the 2000s.
No one wants to emulate the Raiders of the last decade. Oakland won the AFC title in 2002 and hasn't been to the playoffs again, losing 83 games since that season.
But owner Al Davis is comparing new quarterback Jason Campbell to Jim Plunkett, who won two Super Bowls with the Raiders way back when. Campbell was acquired from Washington in the offseason and the Raiders cut JaMarcus Russell, the top overall draft choice in 2007.
Dallas already has been through a preseason game, a ragged 16-7 victory over Cincinnati in the Hall of Fame game. The Cowboys lost tight end John Phillips for the season in that game, and they suddenly are thin at that position with only starter Jason Witten healthy among the veterans.
Witten's primary backup, Martellus Bennett, was held out of the preseason opener while he recovers from a sprained ankle and won't play against Oakland.
"I always want to play, but I don't want to go out there and mess (the ankle) up more than what it already is," Bennett said. "What really counts is the season."
The Ravens are being looked at as a prime contender this season in the AFC after making the playoffs as a wild card in 2009. Coach John Harbaugh has been impressed by the work of his pass rushers in training camp.
"The pass rush, especially in the red zone and in the blitz period, was really ferocious," he said. "It's good for our offense to see that, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it pays off in games, obviously. But right now it's the best we've seen it."
Carolina coach John Fox said 11 players wouldn't make the trip to Baltimore, including star receiver Steve Smith, cornerback Chris Gamble and running back Jonathan Stewart. Starters are expected to play the first quarter, then Fox will have plenty of new faces to look at.
"There are probably 20-something guys I've never seen take a snap in NFL football," Fox said. "You have some of those guys every year from your draft class. We just have a few more this year."
Bears-Chargers game to be blacked out in San Diego
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers say their exhibition game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday night will be blacked out locally.
The team says approximately 7,800 tickets remained unsold at 6 p.m. Wednesday, 72 hours before kickoff.
Both of the Chargers' home exhibition games last year were blacked out.
League News
Minnesota backup Moats has hand in Madden design
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — The video game makers at EA Sports, naturally, hear from plenty of people with ideas and an eagerness to help develop their products.
The offer from Ryan Moats, though, was too good to refuse.
Moats has started his sixth year in the NFL, now with Minnesota after previously playing for Philadelphia and Houston. The backup running back is just trying to pick up the playbook and make enough of an impression to stick on the regular season roster. He knows there's nothing guaranteed in this game.
Well, Moats already has a promising start on his life-after-football plan. As a summer intern of sorts with EA Sports, working on the popular Madden football game, Moats has gained valuable experience in the world of video game graphic design.
"It's a second passion of mine, after football," Moats said. "Hopefully one day once I get old and gray in football, I'll have an opportunity to do something in the field."
EA Sports was impressed.
"He's legit. He's not goofing around on his own time," said Chris Erb, the senior director of partnership marketing at the Orlando, Fla.-based company. "He's on a job interview."
EA Sports hadn't used an actual pro athlete before in this capacity, but the possibility was intriguing.
"I begged my way in. I said, 'I'll buy doughnuts. I'll do whatever I have to do,'" Moats said, recalling his rookie-season attempt to land an opportunity there.
For the newest version, Madden 11, that came out this week, Moats put together from scratch the entrance scene for his now-former team the Texans when the players run out of the tunnel and take the field before kickoff. Moats said the plan is to create the one for the Vikings for next year's game.
Moats also helped work on the look of the players' shoes through a modeling process that uses a bunch of actual photographs and a high-tech three-dimensional software program to build the rendering into the fabric of the game.
The Madden series makers pride themselves on authenticity, and the real-life input Moats has from playing the sport has been just as valuable as his creative talent. His time on site, in addition to the telecommuting he did after leaving Orlando, has been mutually beneficial.
"The passion that he has for modeling in general and the industry is really incredible," Erb said. "He's an awesome person. We love just kind of hanging out with him. It's not awkward or anything. He's down with the guys. He goes to barbecues with us."
Moats, a liberal arts major at Louisiana Tech who skipped his senior season and was drafted in the third round by the Eagles in 2005, enjoys the designing more than the actual playing of the video games.
"Just a million things that you can do," he said.
It's not as though he doesn't plop down in front of the console and dive in, however.
"I don't have a lot of spare time right now. I'm always in my playbook," Moats said. "But during the offseason and stuff, my wife has to pull me off of it."
Players often get fired up about their depiction in video games, with updated versions emerging annually. In case any teammates try to lobby Moats for a stronger rating, well, that's beyond his pay grade.
"They have a czar for that, a ratings czar," he said. "He researches. They're really in depth. They try to get as close to reality as possible."
Punter Chris Kluwe was unaware of Moats and his moonlight venture, but as an avid video-game player he perked up when he was told.
"I know it's not as much fun as playing the games, but it's a really cool process," said Kluwe, who has friends in the industry.
Kluwe said he had one fan approach him and tell him he planned to use him as not only his punter, but his kicker and his quarterback when he takes the Vikings in the Madden game.
"I'm like, 'All right. More power to you. Let me know how I do,'" Kluwe said. "One of my friends actually will buy the Madden games and put me in at quarterback to try to get me injured. I'm like, 'Thanks, I appreciate that.'"
Moats filled in for Steve Slaton last season and produced a career game with 126 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Fantasy football players sure knew his name after that. Video game geeks can now see his name in the credits, too.
For now, though, he's still a football player first.
"Just trying to stay on top of it and try to make sure I get better every day," Moats said. "That's the main thing, just trying not to make the same mistake over and over again."
-- Dave Campbell
Jamar Nesbit sues NFL over StarCaps
NEW YORK (AP) — An NFL lineman who lost his starting job while serving a drug suspension filed suit against the league in federal court Wednesday, claiming it knew the weight-loss supplement StarCaps contained a banned substance but didn't tell players.
Jamar Nesbit is an 11-year veteran who lost his starting job with the New Orleans Saints in 2008 when he chose to serve a four-game suspension after testing positive for bumetanide.
Nesbit says he took StarCaps, which didn't list bumetanide as an ingredient.
Like a couple of Vikings players who were caught in the same situation, Nesbit contends that NFL officials knew StarCaps contained bumetanide, but did not specifically notify players or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He also says other players who tested positive for the same substance were not suspended by the league.
Minnesota defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, and New Orleans defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith and former running back Deuce McAllister also were caught taking bumetanide, but fought their suspensions and were able to play.
Nesbit served his suspension and lost his starting job to Carl Nicks. He played in 13 games last season, mostly on special teams, and was released in March.
The 33-year-old Nesbit, now a free agent, says he was damaged by the NFL's nondisclosure of bumetanide in StarCaps and is demanding unspecified damages.
The NFL's position since the StarCaps controversy broke has been that players are responsible for what they put into their bodies.
"There is no basis for undoing the discipline issued for Mr. NesbitĀ’s violation of a collectively bargained program and, therefore, no merit to this lawsuit," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday night.
Player Moves
Derrick Brooks announces NFL retirement
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks is officially retiring from the NFL, making the announcement in a two-minute video presentation.
The 11-time Pro Bowl selection hasn't played in the league since being released by the Bucs following the 2008 season. He thanked fans, coaches and former teammates, including Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Simeon Rice, in the video message posted Wednesday on the web site derrickbrooks.tv.
"I simply want to say thank you to all you fans for supporting Derrick Brooks as well as the Buccaneers throughout my 14 years," Brooks said.
The Bucs have scheduled a news conference for Thursday.
Brooks played 14 seasons, helping transform Tampa Bay from a franchise that had been the laughingstock of the NFL into Super Bowl champions. He was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2002, the season the Bucs won the Super Bowl.
Brooks was selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls beginning in 1997. He was released in February 2009 and, despite insisting he was still capable of playing at a high level, was not signed by another team.
49ers waive injured linebacker McKillop
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers waived second-year linebacker Scott McKillop on Wednesday.
McKillop tore ligaments in his left knee during practice Aug. 4 and had season-ending surgery two days later. If he clears waivers, he will be placed on San Francisco's injured reserve list.
McKillop was running as the top backup to starting inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes before his injury. The team's fifth-round draft choice in 2009, McKillop led the 49ers with 31 special teams tackles last season and scored a touchdown on a muffed punt return.
In other moves, the 49ers placed linebacker Martail Burnett on injured reserve after he cleared waivers. Burnett injured his knee earlier this week.
The 49ers also signed rookie free agent receiver Bobby Guillory to a two-year contract and waived rookie receiver Scott Long.
Cards sign Fletcher, release injured Dykes
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals have signed defensive end John Fletcher and released injured defensive end Keilen Dykes.
The 6-foot-6 Fletcher was a rookie free agent who was released by the Ravens on June 18.
Fletcher was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection as a senior at Wyoming with 52 tackles, 12½ tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and one forced recovery.
He finished his college career with 24 sacks, placing him third in MWC history.
Dykes has been sidelined by a triceps injury. He was signed by Arizona as a rookie free agent out of West Virginia in April 2008.
Bills place WR Huggins on waived/injured
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have released Felton Huggins by placing him on waived/injured two days after the backup receiver hurt his left shoulder in practice.
The move was announced by the team during practice Wednesday, while Huggins watched on the sideline with his left arm in a sling. He was hurt landing awkwardly on his shoulder after making a diving catch Monday.
An undrafted free agent out of Southeastern Louisiana, Huggins spent the past two seasons on the team's practice squad. He's yet to play an NFL game, and had been competing for a backup spot on the team.
Bears sign LB Smith
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have signed linebacker Kelvin Smith to a one-year contract and waived Antonio Robinson.
A seventh-round draft pick out of Syracuse by Miami in 2007, Smith has appeared in seven games — four with the Dolphins his first year and three with the Carolina Panthers in 2009.
He also spent time with the New York Giants during the 2009 offseason.
Elsewhere
Eagles security asks fan to remove McNabb jersey
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Jim Devlin said he was just trying to stir the pot by wearing a replica of Donovan McNabb's maroon Washington Redskins jersey on the sideline at Philadelphia Eagles training camp Wednesday morning.
Instead, he believes he stirred up head coach Andy Reid.
Security guards asked Devlin, a 43-year-old from King of Prussia, Pa., to remove the jersey. He told Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic he did so without complaint, adding the guard who asked him to remove the jersey said the request came from coach Andy Reid.
A team spokesman denied that, saying that Reid was not aware of Devlin's presence and that the guards were acting to calm the commotion created when reporters crowded around the fan while practice was in session.
McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowler who spent 11 seasons with the Eagles, was traded in April to NFC East rival Washington.
While many fans were happy to see him go — although he took the Eagles to five conference championship games, but didn't win a Super Bowl — Devlin said he still thinks highly of McNabb.
He wore the McNabb jersey to a Phillies game Sunday, and said he got mixed reactions. On Wednesday, he got a sideline pass from a friend. Devlin said fans granted such access are given written instructions how to conduct themselves.
Devlin said cell phones and beverages are not permitted, but he was not made aware of restrictions on apparel of another team. A team spokesman confirmed that is not a set policy, just a preference.
"I just wanted to get reactions from the fan base, see who says what," Devlin said. "Maybe get in a healthy debate on whether Donovan McNabb was good or bad for this franchise."
But security intervened.
"I'm fine," he said. "Everybody was very cool, calm, professional and did not make a big deal about it. They asked me, and I figured I'm a guest at their facility, so why not make life easier for everybody?"
Devlin said the fans around him expressed surprise he was asked to strip down to the T-shirt he was wearing under the jersey.
"Nobody really thought I was really wrong," he said. "They asked me to do something, and I was more than happy to do it."
Devlin added he plans to wear the jersey when McNabb returns to Philadelphia on Oct. 3 to face his old team.
Alabama grand jury gets drug case against Russell
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A judge sent the drug possession case against former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell to a grand jury Wednesday despite testimony that the codeine drink found at Russell's home belonged to a longtime friend.
District Judge Charles McKnight questioned the credibility of the testimony given by Marcus Stevenson, who said he made the codeine-laced drink found in a July 5 raid at Russell's home.
Mobile County Sheriff's Deputy Johnny Thornton testified the orange-colored drink in Russell's bedroom appeared freshly poured. Investigators said Russell, who was in the bedroom, told them it was his Kool-Aid. Thornton said it later tested positive for codeine.
Thonton also said there nine people in the house and a codeine bottle without a prescription was found in a cabinet.
Russell's attorney, Donald Briskman, said in an interview with The Associated Press after the hearing that the codeine bottle was in a cabinet at a distance from Russell's bedroom. He said Stevenson told an officer at the home that it belonged to him, not Russell, but they took no action against Stevenson.
"They didn't arrest him at the scene. They targeted JaMarcus. ... He should have been discharged today," Briskman said.
Stevenson testified at the hearing that he mixed the drink and didn't make it for Russell. After the hearing, Stevenson was handcuffed and charged with possession of a controlled substance. He was released on bond.
Stevenson's attorney, Greg Evans, raised objections to the questioning of his client, citing his rights against self-incrimination. He later said Stevenson "was sworn to tell the truth and that is what he did."
Russell was a Mobile prep star and at LSU and became the No. 1 draft choice in 2007 but was released by Oakland this year after three disappointing seasons.
It could be months before the grand jury decides if the evidence warrants an indictment or not.
Josh Booty settles lawsuit against OC Sheriff's
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Former NFL quarterback Josh Booty has settled a lawsuit alleging Orange County sheriff's deputies shot him with a stun gun while booking him for drunken driving, his lawyer said Wednesday.
Attorney Tariq Hasan said the lawsuit settled for $8,619 but declined to comment further.
Sheriff's spokesman John McDonald said the figure was less than a nuisance lawsuit settlement.
"It would have been irresponsible to go to trial with that low of an offer to settle," McDonald said. "We had to be responsible and settle this lawsuit on behalf of the taxpayers."
Booty was pulled over in February 2008 for a traffic violation on State Route 55 in Santa Ana. While in custody, sheriff's deputies said they had to subdue him with a stun gun because he became belligerent.
Booty later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and sentenced to three years probation.
Booty, 35, was drafted in 2001 by the Seattle Seahawks and later traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he spent three years as a backup. He also played baseball for five years in the Florida Marlins' organization.
He is the older brother of former Southern California quarterback John David Booty, who now plays for the Houston Texans.
Irsay makes donations to 5 Anderson groups
ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has delivered on a promise to help the city of Anderson.
Irsay handed unopened envelopes containing checks for $5,000 each to five local agencies Wednesday. Those getting donations were the Anderson Salvation Army, Anderson Christian Center, Anderson YMCA, Anderson Black Expo and Anderson Public Library.
When the Colts opened training camp last week, Irsay told The Associated Press he'd find a way to reach out to the community that had fallen on hard economic times after the Colts moved camp from Anderson to Terre Haute following the 1998 season.
Anderson's unemployment rate was 11.6 percent in June.
