NFL Capsules - NFC: Derek Hagan might be Giants biggest camp surprise
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Derek Hagan might be the most unexpected surprise that the New York Giants have had at training camp.
Entering his fifth season, Hagan came to camp somewhat lost in the depth chart at receiver.
The pecking order was Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden, Sinorice Moss, and maybe then Hagan would have found his niche.
The only thing in his favor was his ability to play special teams.
Hagan has done something else in the first week of camp at the University at Albany. He has caught as many passes and probably made more big plays than any other receiver.
"That just all comes down to working hard, and the quarterbacks having the confidence in me to go out there and make those plays," the 25-year-old Hagan said. "I am going into my fifth year and definitely looking forward to helping this team out a lot."
Signed by the Giants late in the 2008 season, Hagan also had a good camp last year. He made the team and played in all 16 games, finishing fourth with 11 special teams tackles.
With limited time on offense, he caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Coming to camp this year, Hagan knew where he stood.
"When I come into a situation, I always feel like I am the underdog," he said. "I just have to go out there and prove myself. I have to take one day at a time. I can't let too much of any situation bother me. I have to do what I have to do and focus on what we have in practice and make plays."
In the team's first full pads practice on Thursday, Hagan got behind the defense and caught a deep sideline route. He also stiff-armed cornerback Seth Williams after a catch. On Friday, he mixed it up pretty good with cornerback Bruce Johnson while blocking on a running play.
"He's a tough guy," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He's had things that have been problems for him but he finds a way to fight his way through it because he knows he has to. There's a certain thing about motivation but not just that, but about a guy that knows it. He knows it, he stays out there when other guys are done and fights like heck and he'll end up with a job."
Hagan also has picked up some added opportunities since camp opened. Manningham missed a couple of days with a groin injury, and Nicks has been limited to one practice a day because of offseason toe surgery.
Smith, who led the Giants with a team-record 107 catches last season, also tweaked a groin in practice on Friday, giving Hagan more chances to catch the ball.
"I always felt like there was opportunity regardless of guys being hurt," Hagan said. "I just try to go out and compete. Even though we are all friends and hang out, when we are on the field it's time to compete and get each other better.
"We'll let our play do the speaking," he added. "At the end of training camp the coaches will decide who will be out there and hopefully, I'll be one of them," Hagan said.
The only thing that has thrown Hagan in his time with the Giants has been living in a dormitory at camp. There are no clean sheets every night and no made beds, unless you do it yourself.
"This is training camp, you have to have fun," he said. "I have been playing football since I was a little kid. Just because you are older and getting paid to do what you do, it can't take the fun out of the game."
Old school: Redskins RB coach gets Portis duty
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bobby Turner is 100 percent old school, right down to the thick gray sweat shirt and sweat pants he wears at every practice — even in the stifling heat and humidity of a Washington Redskins training camp.
Given the high ego level of a group that includes Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, he might be the one person who can keep the Washington Redskins running backs under control.
"When you have that much testosterone in one room, you've got to have somebody who can deal with it," Portis said this week. "I think Bobby Turner is the perfect guy for it."
When Mike Shanahan accepted the job as head coach in January, he went to great lengths to get the 61-year-old Turner to come along. The pair spent 14 seasons together with the Denver Broncos, churning out top-notch seasons from a slew of seemingly interchangeable running backs, including Terrell Davis, Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson and Portis. Shanahan had to offer Turner the title of assistant head coach — along with running backs coach — to pry Turner away from the Broncos.
"Bobby demands perfection," Shanahan said, "and guys love Bobby because there is no nonsense and they know he knows what he's talking about."
Albert Haynesworth has stolen the headlines with his will-he-or-won't-he pass the conditioning test drama, but the No. 2 intriguing question at training camp concerns the aging star power the Redskins have assembled at running back. Portis and Parker are 29, and Johnson is 30. All three have been star ball carriers, but all three are about that age when the numbers start to decline.
Practice and preseason games will determine the eventual pecking order — or, for that matter, whether all three make the final roster. In the meantime, Turner is laying down the law the old school way — by mixing firm words with funny stories about the good ol' days.
"He provides a lot of the comedic relief," said Johnson, who played for Joe Paterno at Penn State and signed as a free agent with the Redskins in the offseason. "He always brings up the Denver old school days. He sounds so much like Joe. Joe never brought up the '80s and '90s; he always brought up the '70s and '60s. Coach Turner always brings up Terrell and the other guys."
Turner fully embraces his old school reputation.
"No question about it," Turner said. "If you want to put a couple of more 'old, old, old' to it. It's about run blocking, tackling, 'yes,' 'no,' being respectful, busting your tail, playing the game hard, nothing less."
Portis appears to be taking the message to heart. Known for his dislike of offseason workouts and in-season practices, the sometimes moody and often flamboyant running back was a steady participant in the team's conditioning program this year. And, of course, the additions of Johnson and Parker have put him on notice that, in the Shanahan-Turner world, even a veteran with 9,600 yards rushing can be made expendable unless he's willing to follow the rules.
"That's why we've had success playing a lot of younger players" in Denver, Turner said. "They're open-minded, more receptive. And if an older player can do it, more power to him. And if he can't, then he's taken himself out of the loop."
Turner coached Portis with the Broncos in 2002-03, when Portis had back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons.
"I never wanted to change Clinton — I want to him work," Turner said. "I want him to play on game day and I want him to practice hard. I have never tried to change his personality. I want him to play within the rules, but I don't get into guys' personal lives. I want him here. I want him on time, and I want him practicing hard. The bottom line is if he does that, because he does have ability, we're going to win games."
That said, neither Portis nor any of the running backs are about to emulate Turner's all-sweats practice attire. Turner says his tolerance for heat dates from his college days at Indiana State, when he would work in the blast furnace of a steel mill to help pay his way through school.
"That's hot. This," he said, gesturing with his arms on another humid Virginia day, "is a piece of cake."
Notes: First-round pick LT Trent Williams had some tightness in his hip during practice, but Shanahan said it wasn't serious. ... WR Mike Furrey (concussion), RT Jammal Brown (hip) and WR Malcolm Kelly (hamstring) are still sidelined.
-- Joseph White
So far, so good for McCray's second chance
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Whatever anger, disenchantment or betrayal consumed Bobby McCray when he was unexpectedly and unceremoniously released by the Saints in June, the veteran defensive end kept it mostly to himself.
"If you let your emotions out, the majority of the time it can hurt you," said McCray, who wound up re-signing with New Orleans a week before training camp opened.
"So if you got something (upsetting) going on, just try to keep it inside, don't let everybody know. Go in the bathroom and punch a hole in the wall and scream and curse and come back out and move on."
McCray's decision to keep any hard feelings private and maintain a constructive relationship with the Saints paid off. Not only is the quick, 6-foot-6 pass rusher back with the defending Super Bowl champions, he is also sharing first-team practice snaps at left end with Alex Brown.
"There's nothing but great things going on at that left end position because of the competition that's going on," defensive line coach Bill Johnson said. "Alex Brown's done a good job. Bobby's done a good job. And we've got about three weeks here to do a lot of evaluation to see how this thing comes out. But however it turns out, we're going to have some depth and be better on our defensive line than we were this time last year."
In 2009, Charles Grant was the starter at left end, opposite Will Smith on the right side, with McCray rotating in, often in passing situations. Grant, however, injured his triceps in Week 17 and missed the playoffs.
McCray, who had appeared in every Saints regular season game the past two years, started all three of New Orleans' playoff games. During the first of those starts, he made his mark on the postseason with a crushing block on Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner during an interception return.
When Grant was released last winter, McCray's spot on the roster only seemed more secure. Then the Saints went on the free-agent market and signed Brown, a former Chicago Bears starter, and Jimmy Wilkerson, a former Tampa Bay lineman who plays end and tackle.
During offseason training sessions and minicamp, McCray continued to work with the first team, and hardly expected to find himself unemployed five weeks before training camp.
"It definitely came out of the blue," McCray said.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the decision to waive McCray was not a negotiating ploy to get him to take less money. He said the Saints initially intended to move on without him.
McCray, however, preferred not to move on with his career outside of New Orleans, and made that clear in calls to coaches and the front office.
"We talked," Johnson said. "There wasn't much to say except, 'Let's see how it plays out.' And everything that was said to me was with a positive attitude."
Brown, a friend and former college teammate at Florida, said McCray is "not a very vengeful person."
"He's a professional and he understands the business side of it," Brown said. "Look at our competition. We're friends, but we understand when we come out here between the lines, we've got to compete. So it's not a big deal."
Now it's up to McCray to validate the Saints' decision to let him come back and help defend their title.
When practice ended on a hot Friday morning, McCray was among the last players to head for the locker room, choosing instead to stay on the field and work one-on-one with assistant defensive line coach Travis Jones.
McCray said he won't take his second chance for granted, and relishes the opportunity to again be teammates with his old friend Brown.
"I'm very happy," McCray said. "I got my teammate that I've had since 1999 in Florida. Me and him got some great things that we can do together. With Will Smith and our tandem, we've got a great ability to create some havoc this year."
Notes: The Saints added veteran WR Mark Bradley to the roster and waived WR Matt Simon. ... CB Tracy Porter returned to action after missing two practices with back spasms, while CB Patrick Robinson (hamstring) and LB Scott Shanle (strained left knee) sat out. ... New Hornets coach Monty Williams and Hornets president Hugh Weber were special guests at Friday's morning practice. Williams caught a few quick passes launched from a machine, similar to a drill receivers and defensive backs run. ... The Saints on Saturday will hold a scrimmage at 11 a.m. Central time that is open to the public. Coach Sean Payton said all four quarterbacks — Drew Brees, Patrick Ramsey, Chase Daniel and rookie Sean Canfield — are expected to play.
-- Brett Martel
Vikes will find out if missing stars have effect
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings want another season from their offense just like the last one.
The reunion has been difficult to organize.
One week into training camp, the Vikings — heard this one before? — still don't have a commitment to play from ageless quarterback Brett Favre. All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has been bothered by soreness and tightness in his left leg. Their top two wide receivers, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, aren't on the field. Even their starting center, John Sullivan, has been held out because he hurt his right calf muscle.
The opener at New Orleans remains more than a month away, so these absences are not yet cause for alarm. So how important is this time together for a veteran team? Well, the Vikings will find out if all these absences by important players in early August affect their rhythm when it counts in September and thereafter.
"I worry for those guys because you don't get another time at missed snaps," coach Brad Childress said.
Favre's arrival a year ago triggered a flourish by the offense unseen in Minnesota since Randy Moss's final year in 2004, and the swagger the Vikings developed rivaled that of the 1998 team that went 15-1 and set the later-broken NFL record for most points in one season. With the exception of backup running back Chester Taylor, the entire unit that finished second in the league in scoring behind the Super Bowl champion Saints is on track to return.
Favre, of course, didn't join the Vikings last year until three weeks of practice were completed. Though wide receiver Bernard Berrian's nagging right hamstring injury hampered his familiarity with Favre, the rest of the team had no problem.
This season, whether Favre comes back or not, the Vikings will again have to prove their ability to develop cohesion for the regular season — and in a shorter window, too.
Peterson returned to practice on Friday morning in pads, but his participation was limited to individual drills. Rice remains on the physically unable to perform list while rehabilitating his injured hip, and Harvin has missed six straight days following the death of his grandmother.
Plus, Peterson didn't work out with the team at headquarters during the winter and spring, skipping the mandatory minicamp for a personal event. Rice and Harvin were mostly away from Winter Park, too. Favre has been practicing with high school kids in Mississippi, while his left ankle recovers from surgery, but he hasn't thrown a pass to the Vikings since January.
"The guys that are out there right now, I think we're developing a good rhythm these last couple days," said running back Albert Young, who has filled in on the first team with Peterson resting. "You can only work with the guys that are out there."
Favre's success last year was an argument against the importance of two-a-day practices, but teams don't schedule them for no reason.
"Camp is huge. Every team in the league is trying to find an identity right now," Young said.
Left guard Steve Hutchinson brushed off any frustration that the absent stars might be causing the offense in the preparation process for the season.
"You're always going to have tweaks and bumps and bruises and guys in and out of camp, so you just learn to deal with that," Hutchinson said. "The offense has just got to keep going. You can't stop or slow down because Adrian's not running the ball or Sidney's been out or Percy. You run the same routes. You run the same plays, and guys have to step up."
Rice said he's not concerned.
"I feel like we've gotten a lot of work in minicamp," he said. "Hopefully it's not going to take too much longer to get healthy and get back out there, get a couple of snaps with those guys."
Rice added: "I think everything is still going well. We've got leaders on this team that know how to handle themselves and we're holding each other accountable to our own job. So we're not going to let any kind of distractions hold us back."
Peterson was not made available for questions following his first practice in three days. Childress declined to put a timetable on the process of putting him back in full-team drills.
"As a coach you want every guy to take every turn. That's the way we're wired. Reps are the best thing. No substitute for 'em," he said, adding: "As much as I want him to ... right now that's not the prudent thing to do."
-- Dave Campbell
Undrafted Shields an early Packers camp standout
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Rookie Packers cornerback Sam Shields knows what's at stake when he takes the field for Saturday's Family Night scrimmage.
"Once you're on that field, it's your turn to do what you've got to do," Shields said Friday. "You've got to show 'em something just to make them smile or anything."
Past Family Night scrimmages have been a stage for lesser-known players to make a case for their place on the team. One of this year's candidates is Shields, an undrafted free agent out of Miami who has been impressive in the first week of training camp.
Buoyed by exceptional speed and a studious approach, Shields has been a quick study in the Packers' talent-laden secondary only a year after he was moved from wide receiver for his final college season.
"I think he's on his way," Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. said. "He has a long ways to go, but he's in the right direction. He's not going the opposite way right now."
Whether flying in for an interception or making up ground fast to break up a pass, Shields is producing a big play on an almost daily basis since Green Bay's camp opened last Saturday. This Saturday, the Packers will hold their intrasquad scrimmage in front of a huge crowd at Lambeau Field.
"I'm very excited," Shields said. "Packers fans is crazy, I heard; they're all about the Packers. So, I'm more excited to see that, especially playing inside the Frozen Tundra. That's going to be great."
This is the 10th year of the scrimmage, a family-themed event that has regularly drawn more than 50,000 to 73,000-seat Lambeau in recent years, though thunderstorms washed out last year's game.
Whitt, among others, is looking forward to seeing Shields in a game-like environment.
"Sam, it's his first time to see a real NFL speed," Whitt said. "Family Night is going to be a lot faster than it is in practice. It's going to be packed, so he's going to see an NFL crowd. I'm excited to see what he's going to do."
Whitt's not surprised by Shields making favorable first impressions. The Packers coveted him as a cornerback when they were preparing for the NFL Draft in April, even though he had only 10 starts there as a senior at Miami.
"To me, he was the most talented corner in the draft," Whitt said. "We got lucky to get him, and we got him as a free agent" after Shields didn't have his name called during the three days of the draft.
"He's a talented young man," Whitt added. "He still has a ways to go, but I've been pleased with his progress. He's a serious guy, he's a professional, he studies as hard as he can to not make mistakes out here, so very pleased with him."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy gave Shields an assessment Friday of "up and down, (but) a lot of good things."
"He is a talented player that is making a position transition," McCarthy said.
The Packers also are trying to tap into Shields' breakneck speed — he was timed as fast as 4.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash in college — by having him audition as a kick returner. But he has been shaky so far in camp with numerous drops.
"We want everybody to catch the ball consistently," McCarthy said.
Shields had an 84-yard kickoff return on a reverse for Miami against Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl last December. He has heard comments about that play — a Hurricanes bowl-game record — from several Wisconsin and Packers fans since his arrival in the cheesehead state.
"Just running a return back on Wisconsin and then coming here, it's crazy," Shields said.
Notes: A day after Brad Jones returned to practice from a back injury he sustained the first day of camp, the Packers' injury woes continued at linebacker. Brady Poppinga suffered a concussion in practice Thursday night and was sidelined Friday. McCarthy said Poppinga won't participate in Saturday's scrimmage. McCarthy didn't have information after practice regarding the scheduled ankle surgery Friday for S Atari Bigby in North Carolina. Bigby, a returning starter, said Thursday the procedure is a scope to clean up scar tissue in his troublesome left ankle and he is hoping to be out no more than four weeks. Rookie Morgan Burnett has been working in Bigby's spot since the start of camp.
Lions LB Follett working toward starting job
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Zack Follett had a round lawn sculpture in front of his locker Friday, decked out in shiny blue tiles with white ones shaped into his number.
"A fan sent it," he said. "It's pretty cool."
Guys who make just 10 tackles during their rookie seasons don't usually get gifts from fans. But not many of them are like Follett.
There's his website, zakarianfollett.com, where visitors can view videos of Follett shopping in a drug store with his helmet on, frolicking with a live lion or sharing his thoughts after his father's death. The drugstore video featured him looking for Barbie bandages to give to opponents all the while talking in a drawl reminiscent of rockabilly singer Mojo Nixon.
He's also an avid woodworker, shaping plywood into sculptures of teammates, the University of California mascot or the Super Bowl logo.
And after a relatively obscure first season, he seems to be in line for a starting job this fall after seeing almost all of his action last year as a special-teamer brought up from the practice squad. He sounds ready.
"Now that I'm in my second year, I have an understanding of the basics of the defense and I'm able to grow from that," Follett said. "This is a cutthroat league, so if you don't know your job, you're not playing."
A seventh-round draft pick out of California, Follett was one of the final cuts in last season's preseason but was brought back to the Lions' practice squad. He saw his first action in the fifth week of the season and played in the team's final 10 games. Eight of his tackles were on special teams, including a jarring stop of St. Louis returner Danny Amendola on Nov. 1.
During the offseason, the Lions parted ways with starters Ernie Sims and Larry Foote, but didn't seek to replace them in the draft or through free agency. Enter Follett, who has been practicing on the left side once patrolled by Sims.
The coaching staff told him to get ready for the opportunity shortly before the team began offseason training.
"They said 'We like how you've grown in the past year as far as what you've brought to this team. We're going to give you the shot,'" he said. "It felt good.
"I had to show them I was more of a football player. I guess I failed the NFL eye test of not being big enough (6-1, 236) or fast enough but I have instincts and I play football."
DeAndre Levy, another second-year player, is the likely starter in the middle of the linebacking unit with veteran Julian Peterson on the right.
Though Follett has shown a goofy side off the field, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said it hardly bothers him when the whistle blows.
"On the field, he's all business," Schwartz said.
And he might have his eyes on show business. The videos, he said, started after he and a neighbor got bored sitting around during the offseason. Goofy as some of them are, there's a plan behind them.
"Football could be gone any time so I've got to get my foot it the door to open up other doors off the field," Follett said. "None of this stuff is planned. It's just a lot of fun."
The Lions play their first preseason game Aug. 14 at Pittsburgh.
Notes: Rookie cornerback Aaron Berry left the field Friday morning on a cart after injuring a hamstring. Schwartz said he didn't know the severity of the injury. ... Ends Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jared DeVries were given the morning session off. Running back Kevin Smith didn't participate in afternoon drills. ... Owner William Clay Ford watched the afternoon session from his golf cart.
Panthers rookie McClain honors slain teammate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — The silver No. 6 pendant dangles at the end of a chain around Robert McClain's neck. The tattoo honoring his slain college teammate covers the left side of his rib cage.
The seventh-round pick is busy these days trying to stick with the Carolina Panthers. But the former Connecticut star still thinks about Jasper Howard every day, about how in a year the fellow cornerback was supposed to be in an NFL training camp, too.
"He was a playmaker, a playmaker. He was on his way, man," McClain said Friday of the close friend he called Jazz. "He definitely would have had an outstanding year his senior year."
Howard's life ended in October. Less than 12 hours after he had starred in a Huskies' victory, he was fatally stabbed during a fight outside a university-sanctioned dance.
McClain, who had let Howard borrow his car earlier that week to pick up his girlfriend, had decided not to attend the dance. He instead stayed in a hotel room with his parents, who had watched UConn beat Louisville 38-25 on homecoming.
"I had my phone on silent the whole night. I woke up the next morning around 8 o'clock and I saw all the different phone calls," McClain said. "I couldn't believe it. I remember there was a cold rain that morning. I was sick and crying that whole day. It was just devastating."
Those memories remain fresh with McClain, even as he surprises many with his play at training camp with a couple interceptions and diving pass breakups.
"That kid has really come on," Panthers coach John Fox said.
McClain is playing a lot like he did at UConn, when he paired with Howard to make the Huskies a factor in the Big East.
The 5-foot-9 McClain was the speedy, undersized cornerback and kick returner capable of big plays on both sides of the ball. The second-team all-Big East selection had four interceptions and returned a punt for a touchdown last season.
The 5-foot-10 Howard returned kicks, too, and had made 11 tackles and forced a third-quarter fumble to help the Huskies maintain the lead against the Cardinals in his final game.
His death left a void McClain still shudders to think about. How they had to play again so soon. How they tried so hard, perhaps too hard, to win for him.
After three consecutive losses following his death, Connecticut tasted victory in emotional fashion at Notre Dame. After the game, coach Randy Edsall took out the pendant with the No. 6, the number Howard wore.
"Coach had said after we won he was going to give it to somebody," McClain said. "He gave it to me."
McClain immediately attached it to a chain in which he carries his grandfather's dog tags.
"I wear these every day," McClain said, clutching the chain.
Later, McClain was one of several UConn players to get a tattoo. It's a No. 6 with rosary beads and a cross. It also lists his birthday and the date of his death, Oct. 18, 2009.
"Me and Jazz were the last two leave the locker room that day," McClain recalled. "We were talking about how the season was going and (I kidded him) that he didn't have any picks yet."
McClain hopes he can continue to honor Howard by making Carolina's final roster. The 249th pick in the draft has intercepted Jimmy Clausen twice this week as he works with the third-team defense.
"Coach said in the first team meeting, 'If you want to be recognized, if you want to be noticed, you've got to make some plays out there,'" McClain said. "The best way for a cornerback to make plays is interceptions, pass breakups and (tackles for a loss). That really sets yourself apart from other members of the team."
The No. 6 around his neck sets McClain apart, too. And that's not going anywhere, no matter where he ends up.
"He's my boy," McClain said.
-- Mike Cranston
Rams WR Robinson bounces back from injury
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Wide receiver Laurent Robinson appeared well on his way to making the most of his opportunity last year with the St. Louis Rams.
Robinson, who came over during an offseason trade with the Atlanta Falcons, had earned a starting spot with St. Louis. He had 11 catches in the first two games of 2009, and two more in Week 3 before going down for the season in that game against the Green Bay Packers with a broken leg.
He is healthy now and fully participating at the Rams' training camp this summer. Robinson is looking to hold off the challenge from several young receivers and retain his starting spot. He refuses to look back on what could have been last season.
"It was a freak accident," Robinson said. "It was unfortunate. But you got to turn over a new leaf and keep feeling positive. I'll try to take care of my body whatever way I can.
A former third round pick of the Falcons, the 6-foot-2, 197-pound Robinson had a solid rookie campaign in 2007. He played in 15 games for the Falcons, starting six, and catching 37 passes for 437 yards and a touchdown.
Those numbers fell way off in 2008 when Robinson played in just six games and had five catches for 52 yards. That made him expendable, and the Rams, who were rebuilding at the position, took a shot at him and were not disappointed.
Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said that Robinson was clearly going in the right direction before the injury.
"When he got hurt last year I thought he was peaking and I know Marc Bulger at the time thought they were clicking," Spagnuolo said. "So you get set back a whole year.
"He has fought through a rehab. He says that when he runs and he's playing he's fine. Sometimes after practice it gets a little tired on him. But he's playing and he's doing a great job."
After missing so much time, Robinson said that he is just glad to get back on the field.
"I feel good," he said. "It feels good to be back our here with my teammates. To go out here competing for a job, just like everybody else. It just feels good to be out here in this heat, in full pads and get some contact going."
Robinson will be catching balls from a new quarterback this fall. He likes what he has seen from the Rams' No. 1 pick Sam Bradford.
"He's looking great," Robinson said. "I really didn't know how tall he was when he first came in. But he's a big strong kid. He's picking up the offense well and he throws a great ball, very catchable and very accurate. I'm excited for his future."
Like last year, the Rams are loaded with a lot of young wide receivers who are looking to stick. Even though he was a starter before going down, Robinson is taking nothing for granted.
"We have a lot of young guys and we're all competing," Robinson said. "Everybody wants to make a play and then that drives the next person.
"It's competition every play. You got make the most of every opportunity. When a ball comes your way, you got to catch it and try to make a play. It's a competition. That's what we live for."
NOTES: The Rams have put defensive tackle Chris Hovan, who has been battling a back problem, on injured reserve. ... Hovan was one of several Rams bit by the injury bug. Linebacker Na'il Diggs, (quad contusion) defensive end James Hall (groin), fullback Mike Karney (hamstring), running back Keith Toston (concussion symptoms), and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard all were out at the start of Friday's lone practice with what Spagnuolo called day-to-day type injuries. Safety James Butler hurt his right knee during practice and was being sent for an MRI. Others hurt Friday at practice included wide receivers Brandon Gibson (hamstring) wide receiver Brooks Foster (groin), safety Kevin Payne (quad) and Jacob Bell (oblique muscle).
Confident Cardinals RB could have breakout season
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Beanie Wells seems comfortable with the idea that this could be his breakout season in the NFL.
The quick, powerful running back from Ohio State enters his second pro season healthy and confident in his abilities, a far cry from his rookie training camp, when he was slowed by an ankle problem and dogged by a reputation of being prone to injury. He had to learn patience as he slowly worked into the offense behind starter Tim Hightower.
"My goal is to be a lot more productive than I was last year," he said. "If that comes with a breakout season, so be it. I'm happy with that."
Coach Ken Whisenhunt believes in a two-back system, with Wells and Hightower again sharing the duties. Wells, obviously, would rather be the No. 1 back all by himself.
"I ain't going to lie, it's very hard," he said. "I want to be the guy, he wants to be the guy, and we just have to go from there."
As for Whisenhunt's two-back beliefs, a concept he used to great success when he was offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wells just smiled.
"Who knows how he really feels deep down?" Wells said.
Whisenhunt is well aware of Wells' desire to play a bigger role.
"Beanie is a good young man," the coach said after the team's morning practice on Friday. "He's excited about what he's doing, and you really can see the energy from him on the field."
Wells acknowledges he had some rough days in his rookie season. Asked what he learned, the answer comes quickly.
"Patience," he said. "I didn't get on the field like I wanted to at the beginning of the season but I was able to cope with that. I had a great group of guys around me that showed me it is a marathon, it's not a 100-yard sprint. It takes times to develop into a top NFL player."
Then there was the problem of being away from home for so long. Wells, who turns 22 on Saturday, went to his coach in midseason to say he was homesick.
"I got here in July," Wells said. "I didn't go home until November to see my family or anything, so it was rough."
After Wells rushed for 72 yards on 13 carries in Arizona's 41-21 victory over the Bears in Chicago on Nov. 8, Whisenhunt let the rookie go home to Akron, Ohio, for a few days.
It helped "a whole lot," Wells said.
The next game, at home against Seattle on Nov. 15, Wells gained 85 yards in 16 carries and scored twice in a 31-20 victory.
Wells' biggest game came Dec. 20 at Detroit, when he gained 110 yards in 17 attempts in a 31-24 win that clinched the Cardinals' second consecutive NFC West title.
In the playoffs, Wells had 91 yards in 14 carries in the 51-45 overtime wild card win over Green Bay.
Overall, the Arizona running game improved in the later stages of the season, and Whisenhunt believes it should be better behind the team's revamped offensive line this year.
With some uncertainty at quarterback, Matt Leinart taking over from the retired Kurt Warner, Wells' explosive running game could provide some needed balance to the passing attack.
"He had some pretty big games for us later in the season and obviously feeling more comfortable with the offense helps," Whisenhunt said, "and he's in a ... really good group. You've got a strong veteran presence in Jason Wright, who helps these guys, and Tim is doing a good job as has since he's been here."
The next time he goes home to Akron, Wells joked, he could unseat LeBron James as the city's most famous son.
"I'll take that ring," Wells said. "I was telling Jason and those guys, when I go home, I officially put on the crown. I'm the king."
-- Bob Baum
49ers cornerback Clements finally healthy again
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Nate Clements slapped hands with Shawntae Spencer following the fellow cornerback's interception. Clements patted linebacker Scott McKillop on the helmet after another nice play by the defense.
Clements is having an absolute blast being back on the field for the San Francisco 49ers. Finally gone are the glum days of sporting a sling over his right shoulder and the grind of daily rehabilitation.
Clements missed the final nine games last season after he broke his right shoulder blade in the Niners' 18-14 loss at Indianapolis on Nov. 1. He might have returned in the final weeks had the 49ers, who finished 8-8, been in playoff contention.
"It's good to be injury-free," Clements said this week. "I healed up before the season was over with, so I got a chance to really get even more time and rest and rehab and training. It feels good just to be back running around on the field."
The 30-year-old Clements has never reached the postseason, and he hopes to change that in his 10th NFL season and fourth with the 49ers following six in Buffalo.
When on the field last season, Clements was effective and often matched up with the top receiver. He had 35 tackles, 30 of those solo, and one interception.
"We got our tandem back," Spencer said Friday. "We're enjoying each other. We're playing off each other, feeding off each other's energy. He has a great understanding of the game. I watch him a lot on certain techniques. You always see us talking between plays, hand signals and stuff like that, pretty much playing off each other to make everything look the same and confuse the offense. It's a joy playing with him. He's the ultimate professional the way he approaches his job every day and comes to practice every day."
Clements was happy to finally rid himself of the sling he wore for nearly two months late last year.
"It was too long. I don't even like to think about that," Clements said. "It was a while. Right now I'm just thinking football."
San Francisco is eager to see more big plays from Clements after giving him an $80 million, eight-year contract in March 2007. The former first-round pick by Buffalo was among the most prized players available in free agency that year.
Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky expects defensive backs to need about a week to get back into a rhythm at the start of camp.
"He's playing fairly good," Manusky said. "We'll be seeing (more) from next week probably. I want to see how his footwork is. I think give him a little bit of time to get everything, get the calls, work on his fundamentals and footwork and all of a sudden it usually starts to pick up in the second week."
Clements' 14 forced fumbles since 2004 are second for cornerbacks.
Clements likely will be pushed in training camp for the starting job at left cornerback by Tarell Brown, the player who initially replaced him in the lineup after the injury.
"I think I have something to prove every year. That's the way I approach the game," Clements said. "Every year you've got a new breed coming in, so the competition definitely gets stiffer. I think every year being a professional you have something to prove as an individual."
The 49ers' defense from last season is largely still intact, though nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin has yet to arrive and sign his one-year franchise tender. Linebacker Patrick Willis is back as the anchor of a defense that expects to wreak havoc every Sunday, and he has quite a talented supporting cast.
This unit finished 15th in the league and fourth in points allowed with 281 total. Seven times the Niners held an opponent to 10 or fewer points.
San Francisco also wound up with 44 sacks, the most by the franchise since 51 in 1998. The Niners had 33 takeaways, good for fifth in the NFL, with 18 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries — all positives for a hard-nosed unit that wants to get at the quarterback at every opportunity.
Clements knows he can't change what happened in his injury-shortened 2009 season, but he's looking forward to seeing how he and Spencer do leading the secondary.
Clements spent the offseason in Arizona for the first time, working out with a personal trainer who not only helped him regain strength in his shoulder and core but also tweaked his running style to help Clements develop more of a burst out of his first step.
Now, it's just getting refreshed on all the football details, like the playbook. He spent his share of time reading the plays and mentally preparing for the rigors of a new season, too.
"Every year you've always got to knock the rust off," Clements said. "You train but when you get into the football aspect of it and you run the plays, you have to regain that terminology and the concepts. I feel great. I trained extremely hard this offseason."
Notes: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived at the end of the morning practice to speak to a meeting of the Bay Area Council, of which 49ers team president Jed York is a member. ... QB Alex Smith gave Schwarzenegger a tour of the weight room and the governor also met with LB Patrick Willis and visited the training room.
-- Janie McCauley
