NFL Capsules - AFC: CJ's on hand for Titans, 1st-rounder reaches deal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chris Johnson is smiling and joking with Vince Young. He also has some sore legs after his first practice of training camp with the Tennessee Titans.
Not because the All-Pro running back didn't work hard enough this offseason when he stayed away, looking for a long-term contract. No, he delayed taking the conditioning test until just a couple hours before that first practice. Needing to run the 300-yard shuttle in under 60 seconds, Johnson passed.
How fast did the fastest man ever timed at the NFL Combine with a 4.24-second 40-yard dash run?
"I'm not sure. I just know I passed," Johnson said with a smile Saturday.
Coach Jeff Fisher said Johnson looked real good in his first glimpse at the running back since the Titans wrapped up the 2009 season.
"He's in shape. He got the times confused a little bit, so he ran his shuttle test a little closer to practice than everybody else. So he was a little tired, but he'll be fine tomorrow," Fisher said.
The Tennessee Titans opened training camp Saturday with the two players who stayed away from the team the entire offseason looking for long-term contracts on the field in Johnson and middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, though likely not as happy as the All-Pro running back.
Also on hand is receiver Damian Williams, their third-round pick who agreed to terms Friday night though a sore right hamstring has him on the physically unable to perform list.
But the Titans started without their first-round draft pick, defensive end Derrick Morgan. Team officials had hoped to wrap up a contract with the 16th pick overall out of Georgia Tech before the first practice of camp. They didn't manage that but reached agreement on a reported five-year deal Saturday night so he can be on the field Sunday.
Morgan has been staying in town so he drove over Saturday night to sign his first NFL contract. He also tweeted a photo of boxes of donuts in front of him in the break room where he waited.
"And this is what they got on the table knowin I got to weigh in 2moro," Morgan tweeted with the picture.
The Titans also placed five other players on the physically unable to perform list, including starting defensive tackle Tony Brown and linebacker David Thornton, who is recovering from shoulder surgery that ended his 2009 season early.
Brown had surgery on his right knee and spent the offseason rehabbing. Safety Nick Schommer, cornerback Jamar Love and fullback Willie Rose also are on the PUP list. Fisher said some players will be on the list for a day, two or maybe a week.
"But we just felt like we still had some work to do before we clear him for practice," Fisher said of Brown.
The Titans made Johnson happy for 2010 by reshuffling some money from 2012 to go with his $550,000 salary. Tulloch didn't get his deal and wound up signing his $2.52 million tender just before the deadline when the team could have reduced that amount.
"It opened my eyes a lot to see how serious this business is, and you can see just that side is not just playing on Sundays," Johnson said. "It's real serious on the other end."
Johnson has his own plan to help force the Titans' hand in negotiations after this season: Bust Eric Dickerson's all-time rushing record of 2,105 yards and become the first man in NFL history to run for at least 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. That also should earn him NFL MVP honors as well.
"I was close to doing it last year. That gives me motivation to do it this year," Johnson said after running for 2,006 yards in 2009.
Tulloch is in a little different situation. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this year if not for the labor agreement being in its final year, turning him into a restricted free agent. He declined to say if he stayed away because he was unhappy and wanted a long-term deal, saying he left that to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
He spent his offseason training in Miami, and the Titans' leading tackler last season is being counted on heavily to lead a defense missing end Kyle Vanden Bosch (Detroit) and outside linebacker Keith Bulluck (now with the Giants). Tulloch said he's in the best shape of his life.
"I'm going to keep working to be the best," Tulloch said.
NOTES: Receiver Justin Gage needed fluids intravenously after practice, but not because of a heat index that reached 100 degrees. He has had an intestinal problem and left practice early. ... CB Tye Hill, one of four competing to start opposite Cortland Finnegan, had ice on the back of his right leg. He missed his turn at the rotation during the organized team sessions when he hurt a hamstring. ... DE Jason Jones practiced with the team for the first time since having shoulder surgery last December.
Jaguars searching for another starting receiver
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent the past decade trying to replace star receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.
They used first-round draft picks on R. Jay Soward (2000), Reggie Williams (2004) and Matt Jones (2005). They spent millions on free agents Dennis Northcutt (2007), Jerry Porter (2008) and Torry Holt (2009). None of them panned out. All of them moved on.
And the search continued.
Jacksonville may have solved half its long-standing problem last year, when Mike Sims-Walker emerged as David Garrard's go-to guy and a legitimate big-play threat. As for the other half? The Jaguars are hoping to figure that out in training camp.
It's one of the most intriguing position battles going on in Jacksonville, with everyone keeping a close eye on young receivers Jarett Dillard, Clarence Denmark, Nate Hughes, Mike Thomas and Tiquan Underwood. Throw in veterans Kassim Osgood and Troy Williamson, and the Jaguars have numerous options to play alongside Sims-Walker this fall.
"It's so wide open that training camp and these preseason games are probably going to determine who's the starter and who gets cut," Hughes said Saturday.
Dillard and Thomas are considered front-runners for the starting spot. They contributed as rookies last season and looked dynamic at times, but they also have been slowed by injuries.
A fifth-round pick from Rice in 2009, Dillard missed the final seven games after breaking his right ankle in November. He also sustained a stress fracture in his left foot in June and opened camp on the physically unable to perform list. He expects to return in a couple of weeks, but it could be a setback.
Thomas, a fourth-round pick from Arizona in 2009, missed most of offseason workouts because of a nagging hamstring injury. Nonetheless, he showed so much promise last season that Jacksonville didn't hesitate to part ways with Holt — a seven-time Pro Bowler brought in to mentor the young guys.
Thomas caught 48 passes for 453 yards and a touchdown in '09. He also carried 12 times for 86 yards, and returned kickoffs and punts.
"We just need somebody to say, 'I'm stepping up,'" Garrard said.
Denmark and Underwood stepped up during organized team activities. They stood out in those spring/summer workouts and got a big confidence boost.
"It's been a huge difference," said Underwood, a seventh-round pick from Rutgers in 2009. "I'm more confident this time around. I know what to expect. I can go about training camp like a veteran."
Osgood and Williamson are the veterans of the group.
Osgood spent the past seven seasons in San Diego and made three Pro Bowls as a special teams ace. He signed a three-year contract worth $6.675 million with Jacksonville in March. He received nearly $3 million guaranteed, but got no promises of more playing time.
After catching just five passes the past five years, Osgood wants a bigger role. But he has dropped several passes thrown his way.
"It's all about being consistent," Underwood said. "We all have the talent to do it. It's going to come down to who's the most consistent."
Williamson showed the most consistency last preseason. The former first-round bust in Minnesota caught 12 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, and earned a starting spot opposite Holt. But he tore his right labrum in the second game of the season, spent the rest of the year on injured reserve and opened the door for Sims-Walker.
Sims-Walker finished with 63 receptions for 869 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Jaguars expect more from him this season, but they realize they need someone opposite him to make it work like it did with Smith and McCardell.
Hughes could be the guy. He's certainly the underdog. Hughes surprisingly earned a roster spot last season, only to get waived after dropping a fourth-quarter pass in the end zone against Arizona in Week 2. He was in tears after the game and couldn't sleep after getting cut. But he turned down several offers to sign elsewhere and rejoined Jacksonville's practice squad.
He got a little playing time late in the season, but he's still waiting for a chance to redeem himself.
"I'd give anything for another shot," he said.
He has it — along with everyone else at the position.
"It's going to boil down to being consistent," Hughes said. "Consistency and speed are the two things they've been searching for for years. If you can play consistently fast, I think you'll have a chance — and make sure you catch everything."
-- Mark Long
Nervous Roethlisberger encouraged by fan support
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger was so worried that the Pittsburgh Steelers fans who once embraced him would boo him, he couldn't recall being so nervous and apprehensive before a football practice.
What Roethlisberger didn't expect was this: Waves of cheering supporters wearing his No. 7 jersey and knocking over temporary security fences to get the autograph of a player whose vulgar off-field behavior led the NFL to suspend him for six games.
Roethlisberger, so disliked in Pittsburgh a few months ago that he wondered if he'd ever regain a sliver of his previous support, was greeted warmly by an enthusiastic crowd estimated at 10,000 on Saturday at Saint Vincent College. He heard few, if any jeers, and many fans appeared to go out of their way to embrace him.
There were cheers when Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward arrived on the practice field together, and more when the quarterback found Antwaan Randle El on a pass route.
Pumped up by the response, Roethlisberger couldn't recall throwing a single incompletion during a nearly two-hour practice.
"I was nervous, scared, anxious, a lot of emotions," Roethlisberger said.
Once practice ended, fans clamoring to get his signature knocked down a mesh plastic security fence near the Chuck Noll Field grandstands.
Roethlisberger, noticing one youngster getting shoved aside, took off one of his practice shoes, signed it and gave it to 8-year-old Micah Delattre of Houtzdale, Pa.
"Everyone was pushing me and I was crying and he just gave it to me," Delattre said.
A few minutes later, Roethlisberger took off his other shoe, signed it and gave it away, too, as he scribbled his name countless times for a half-hour.
Whether it was a calculated public relations move or random act of kindness, it was one of the first signs that Roethlisberger is trying to repair his badly damaged image.
While the Steelers fans troubled by the accusations he sexually assaulted a Georgia college student during a night of bar hopping in March no doubt skipped the practice, Roethlisberger and his teammates still weren't anticipating such a forgiving crowd.
"A lot of my teammates came to me and said regardless of what comments they hear, not knowing what's going to happen, that don't worry, we've got your back," Roethlisberger said. "So that's special."
Roethlisberger was more outgoing and animated than usual during both of the practices, only one of which was open to the public. Drawing such a steep suspension — a punishment that could be trimmed to four games by commissioner Roger Goodell — apparently convinced him that changes were needed, some teammates suggested.
Roethlisberger expects to talk to Goodell when the commissioner visits camp on Thursday, though it's likely any reduction of the suspension won't occur until the preseason ends.
"For many years, people didn't know what was really going on with Ben," Ward said. "He's starting to open up and be more personal with guys. Today he was talking to everybody. I really think he understands the situation. I think you could really see the excitement in him, competing and playing football again. ... He's working on trying to improve himself."
This is the third time in five years that Roethlisberger's off-field behavior has caused major problems for the Steelers.
They missed the playoffs following a Super Bowl victory after Roethlisberger was badly injured during a motorcycle crash in 2006. Last season, a former Nevada hotel employee filed a civil suit accusing him of assaulting her. That case remains unresolved.
While Roethlisberger will practice less than usual because fill-in starter Byron Leftwich also needs time with the regulars, the two split time Saturday. Roethlisberger ran the opening series, by design.
"He's our quarterback and everybody else is fighting for a job," offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. "We'll switch it every day cause he's got to get with the young receivers and the other guys have to get with the veteran receivers."
Roethlisberger can't be with the team during his suspension, so the only practice time he will get until October will occur during camp.
"Coach Tomlin did a great job of putting Byron and him both with the first group," Ward said. "It's still training camp for Ben and he has to go out there and get his rapport."
Roethlisberger knows the reception he gets won't be anything like this on the road — or even at home, when not every Steelers fan will be a Roethlisberger fan. But he said repeatedly he's trying to move on, get back to football, and he hopes the fans eventually will, too.
Some, it appears, already have.
"I was happy just being right here at the field with him," said 25-year-old Matt Wellen of Williamsport, Pa., who drove nearly four hours each way to watch in a Roethlisberger jersey.
Wellen admittedly tries to see the good in athletes who have angered their fans. Besides his Roethlisberger jersey, he wore a Tiger Woods hat. All that was missing, he said, were his LeBron James shoes.
"I was thinking about wearing them, but I thought it was a little too soon," Wellen said.
-- Alan Robinson
Mangini knows Browns need to get off to fast start
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini doesn't have the hangdog look of a man whose job teeters on the brink.
As he strolled from station to station on the field at Saturday's first practice of training camp, there were no singe marks on his baggy shorts from that hot seat on which he's sitting. He looked tanned and comfortable as he began his second year as head coach of the Browns — something that seemed almost impossible as winter set in for good on nearby Lake Erie in December.
Mangini knows things have to change in Cleveland, a city awaiting the next major disappointment from one of its sports teams. The cycle of losing, of pessimism, has to end. Now.
"I want to accelerate it as quickly as possible," he said calmly. "If I could press the fast-forward button I'd probably get carpal-tunnel syndrome pressing it so much. I want it as badly as anybody and more importantly I want to be able to provide that for everybody here. It's a great, great group of people."
The Browns won just one of his first 12 games as their coach last season. Everyone in Cleveland and observers around the country were already making up a list of candidates to succeed him.
But all of a sudden the Browns rode a resurgent running game to four wins in a row to close out the season. Mike Holmgren, who led the Packers to a Super Bowl title, came aboard as team president just in time to see the winning streak.
Tom Heckert Jr. took over as general manager after the firing of George Kokinis, who has been hand-picked by Mangini. Both Holmgren and Heckert have expressed support for Mangini.
"If I thought (Mangini) couldn't do it, I wouldn't have come here in this role," Holmgren said earlier this week. "We have some new talent and Eric is going to put it together."
Now there's a feeling of expediency around the team's preseason camp. Another slow start and that late step forward will be meaningless.
"It's nice to have Mike and Tom and to be able to really focus on coaching," Mangini said. "That's been a huge plus."
The 39-year-old swears that just as he expects his players to improve, he is also striving to get better.
"You go through every offseason evaluating the things that you did, whether it be game to game or over the course of a season," he said. "You look at each phase and you say, 'OK, that didn't work out very well, let's change it.' And you try different things to see if it works out better."
Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who injured a shoulder in Week 6 last year and missed the rest of the season, said he's noticed the changes in Mangini this time.
"He's more laid back," he said. "You can tell the guy's more confident."
Mangini was a defensive assistant for five years and defensive coordinator another year for the New England Patriots before going 23-25 in three years as head coach of the Jets.
He was fired after going 9-7 in 2008, then was scooped up by the Browns who had just fired another former Patriots defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel. Crennel had averaged six wins in his four seasons.
The Browns have changed a lot in the months since Mangini was hired. Gone is the weekly drama involving quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Now Jake Delhomme, who threw for eight touchdowns with 18 interceptions last season at Carolina, is guiding the offense. Obviously, a lot is riding on his 35-year-old shoulders.
Running back Jerome Harrison rushed for 570 yards and five TDs in the season-ending winning streak.
There are questions everywhere. Cleveland, fresh from losing LeBron James, has come to expect the worst — and get it — from its sports teams.
Mangini optimistically says that everyone should look at that 4-0 finish instead of the 1-11 start. Success is at hand. The fans just need to be patient.
At the same time, he expresses his impatience.
"My biggest priority is for us to make sure that we really build on the lessons of last year," he said. "There's a lot of guys who were here through the latter part of the season last year and understand what I'm looking for and what we need in terms of Browns football. I really felt that we played that way at the end of the season. You want to start at that point. And each of those guys who were here needs to be a teacher, needs to help that happen a lot quicker than it did last year."
If not, the despair will continue in Browns Stadium.
-- Rusty Miller
Broncos' banged-up offensive line a mystery
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos rookie offensive lineman Zane Beadles doesn't want to be pigeonholed into one position.
So, he's brushing up on blocking schemes and formations at guard and center to go with his skills at left tackle. That versatility could come in handy for a Broncos team whose pocket of protection has been plagued by injuries and exits.
The Broncos had trouble maintaining a cohesive front last season, losing right tackle Ryan Harris to a toe injury midway through the season. Later, left guard Russ Hochstein tore a knee ligament and was placed on injured reserve.
In the offseason, center Casey Wiegmann returned to Kansas City and All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady underwent surgery after tearing his left patellar tendon while playing hoops.
Now, the Broncos are trying to piece the parts back together. Coach Josh McDaniels attempted to fortify the offensive line in the draft, taking versatile linemen who could play a multitude of spots.
There's Beadles, a second-round pick out of Utah who's in the running to play guard, center and both tackle positions, along with third-round pick J.D. Walton, a center out of Baylor who may see time at guard. Denver also took Eric Olsen in the sixth round, a Notre Dame product who can play either guard or center.
Although the final wall of security for quarterback Kyle Orton & Co. is still being ironed out, there are some mainstays in place heading into the official start of training camp Sunday.
Right guard Chris Kuper signed a six-year deal in June, and Tyler Polumbus remains an option after filling in for Harris when he went down at midseason. Second-year guard/center Seth Olsen and newcomer D'Anthony Batiste also could figure into the equation.
For now, though, the offensive line is in a state of flux, especially until the return of Clady, who's currently on the non-football injury list until he's able to pass a physical. The Broncos are hopeful he'll be back by the start of the season in September.
Even McDaniels is unsure of what his line will resemble in training camp. Sure, Harris and Kuper will be on the right side, and Polumbus somewhere on the left.
It's a mystery after that, especially at center, with Walton the likely opening option.
"We're going to move some people in and out at center and left guard," McDaniels explained. "I don't want to declare anything at this point, in terms of who will be there and who won't. You're going to see a lot of different bodies."
That's why Beadles is diligently studying as many positions as possible, seeing that as a way to get on the field even faster.
"I come out here every single day and wherever the coaches put me, I'll put my best foot forward," said Beadles, who predominantly played left tackle for the Utes. "I take pride in knowing multiple positions."
Young linemen who can play more than one spot is the trend in the NFL, especially with teams typically activating just seven linemen on game days.
"Unless you're an elite starter at one spot, you better be flexible," McDaniels said. "They're all being trained in multiple spots."
Beadles thinks his time with the Utes prepared him to step in immediately. He started 13 games at left tackle last season, allowing only 1½ sacks in 405 passing plays. Rock-solid protection.
Sound familiar? Clady has been that adept at keeping his quarterback upright in his two years in the league. He didn't allow a full sack in his first 20 starts, the longest streak by a tackle to start his career since STATS LLC began charting the statistic in 1994. However, Clady won't be rushed back into duty.
"Make sure we're smart with him once he's able to play," McDaniels said.
Harris and Hochstein are just getting up to speed, too, going through practices last week with the rookies.
No matter what the starting five is when it's all settled, things should be a bit easier this year up front. The Broncos will go to a power blocking scheme full-time and ditch the remnants of their old zone-blocking philosophy after a hybrid of styles last season. For Beadles, it doesn't matter where he suits up as long as he's suiting up.
"The way I try to learn this is as a whole — what the entire play is trying to get done," Beadles said. "I'm looking at what the tight end is doing, what the running back is doing. Obviously, you're not going to get all that stuff down right away. You learn it as a whole so you know what everybody else is doing."
And just maybe, slide into any position up front if called upon.
-- Pat Graham
Raiders look to get running game back on track
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Lost in all the struggles by quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the passing game a year ago for the Oakland Raiders was the fact that the running game regressed as well.
Once considered a major strength for the team, the Raiders' running game has slipped from sixth-most productive in the league in 2007 to 21st a year ago as neither Darren McFadden, Michael Bush or Justin Fargas ever seemed to find a rhythm.
"I felt like we always got behind so much that no one could get into the flow of the game," Bush said.
With Fargas no longer part of the three-headed backfield after his offseason release, the running load will fall on McFadden and Bush.
McFadden, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, has been hampered by injuries, fumbles and an inability to break tackles consistently during his two years in the NFL. He has rushed for just 856 yards in 25 games, seeing his average per carry drop from 4.4 as a rookie to 3.4 last season.
That's a far cry from the game-breaking back the Raiders were counting on when they picked McFadden so high. He scored just one touchdown last season and has only one run of at least 20 yards since the second game of his rookie year.
"The whole offense needs to step it up and take the game to the next level," he said.
Bush, a fourth-round pick in 2007, had a little more success last season when he led the Raiders with 589 yards rushing, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns.
Bush played all 16 games but went through long stretches without many carries as the Raiders tried to get all three running backs involved. He had just eight carries during a four-game stretch late in the season that was surrounded by his two best games of the season: a 119-yard effort against Kansas City and a 133-yard game at Denver.
There should be more opportunities for both backs this season with only two players sharing the bulk of the carries. Fargas led all Oakland backs with 129 carries last season, but was let go in the offseason.
Bush and McFadden are rooming together at training camp and complement each other well on the field with Bush offering more size and McFadden having more speed and the ability to line up wide as a receiver to get into space.
"It changes the game," Bush said. "Maybe he'll do more sweeps and I'll do more inside. But we can mix it up also. He can go out and catch. I can go out and catch. We both know one week it could be him and the next week it could be me. It's not a big deal."
The Raiders have had their running production drop from 130.4 yards per game in 2007 to 106.3 last year. Part of that can be attributed to limited opportunities to run because of early deficits.
The Raiders fell behind by more than 14 points in the first half in four games last season as quarterback JaMarcus Russell often put the team in deep holes. With the passing offense nonexistent for long stretches under Russell, opposing defenses were able to key even more than usual against the run early in games.
"We'd like to run the ball more," Bush said. "They got McFadden and me here. We've both been kind of sitting on the side a little bit starting games form behind. We'd like to get out early with the run and show everybody what we can do."
Coach Tom Cable has talked about wanting to get back to being a strong running team once again and new offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is putting more of an emphasis on the power-running game.
Oakland was primarily a zone running team the past three seasons, but Jackson is looking for the offense to be more physical.
"His motto is building a bully," Bush said. "That's what he preaches to us. We're going to run the ball to open up the passing game."
Notes: WR Louis Murphy is sidelined with a concussion after being kneed in the helmet by teammate Nnamdi Asomugha on Friday. ... WR Chaz Schilens watched practice as he still has soreness in his surgically repaired left foot. He is searching for a new shoe that will let him practice without pain.
-- Josh Dubow
Berry shows up at Chiefs practice
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The kid wore a "KC Chiefs" logo on his cap and a worshipful look on his face.
"Wow! Eric Berry can do anything!" he exclaimed, so excited his dad reached over to make sure he wouldn't fall out of the riser.
The kid was not alone in keeping his eyes glued to No. 29 Saturday morning. Everybody in Chiefs camp was keeping their eyes on No. 29. And the rookie safety from Tennessee, one day after signing a big contract, did not let them down.
The fifth overall pick in the draft, Berry brought cheers from several thousand fans more than once with his moves and quickness during one-on-one drills. On one of his most memorable moments, he shadowed the receiver down the field and turned his back at just the right moment to knock the ball away, bringing a big cheer.
"I'm just excited to be here today. I'm just so excited," he said.
According to reports, Berry's deal is for six years and as much as $60 million. But not even the highest-paid safety in football is exempt from a little rookie hazing.
At the end of a long, hot morning practice on Saturday, Berry came trudging up the hill toward the locker room lugging not just his own helmet and shoulder pads. He also carried the equipment of a couple of teammates, something most rookies are required to do for veterans.
"These are (wide receiver) Duane Bowe's pads and (cornerback) Maurice Leggett's helmet," he said. "I'm just thankful that we have really good vets on our team that have really just taken me under their wing."
The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Berry steps into what was perhaps the weakest area on one of the worst defenses in the league. He's expected to become an instant starter. That's why coach Todd Haley was crossing his fingers for an early contract agreement that would get him in on time. As it was, Berry missed only one practice. And he immediately addressed that when he showed up at camp Friday evening.
"He was texting us saying he wanted to be here on time," cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "He even apologized for not making it on time. That just shows he's ready to come in, wanting to win games."
Berry said the apology was sincere.
"Yesterday was the first practice I ever missed in my whole life. It kind of hurt me," he said. "I just told them I apologized for being late and missing a meeting. And I told them I'm here and I'm ready to do whatever to help this organization get where it needs to be."
Without a doubt, the pressure will be severe. Many fans will look to him as the player who's going to save the defense.
"I think the biggest focus is on us just coming together as a defense," he said. "No one person is going to save anything or do anything for a team sport. I just want to come here and play my part, play my role and make sure I'm doing everything in my power to help my teammates. I think we're all on the right track to doing some good things."
For the most part, the secondary looked sharp in Saturday's drills.
I've been pleased with the secondary," Haley said. "I think that's going to be a critical group for us this year. It's got a chance to be one of the strengths of our team if the guys continue to get better."
-- Doug Tucker
Buffalo Bills challenged to overcome losing legacy
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Opening training camp with a belief the Buffalo Bills are finally on the right track, running back Fred Jackson won't hold it against anyone for already dismissing the team as an also-ran.
At this point, that's an argument Jackson understands he can't win given Buffalo's decade-long string of futility. It's a stretch peppered with losing, turmoil and coaching changes, during which the Bills have gone 10 years without making the playoffs.
"We haven't done anything for them to pick us any different," Jackson said, referring to most national publications projecting the Bills to be among the NFL's worst teams this season.
That doesn't mean Jackson has to agree with what's been published, though he does understand that it's ultimately up to the Bills to change the tenor of the conversation.
"For us to get respect, we have to go out and make the people respect us," Jackson said. "The only way to change that is to go out and win ball games."
That's been a familiar lament among Bills players over the years, and one proven easier said than done.
Long faded is the luster of the Jim Kelly-led heyday dominance of the 1990s, and the four straight Super Bowls the Bills appeared in and lost. What's left is the tarnish of a franchise that's lacked identity and vision, reflected by the constant upheaval the team's undergone since its last playoff appearance — the last-second loss to Tennessee in the 2000 AFC wild-card game, which was dubbed "The Music City Miracle."
Since then, the Bills are on their sixth head coach (including Perry Fewell who finished last season on an interim basis) after Chan Gailey was hired in January, and fifth general manager with Buddy Nix.
And of the countless personnel moves that have been made during one rebuilding project after another, the most unsettled position has remained quarterback. Eight players — from Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie in 2000 to Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick last season — have started at least five games for the Bills over that time.
Overall, the Bills went 66-94 last decade, the fifth-worst record over that stretch, not including Houston, which joined the NFL in 2002. Buffalo and Detroit are tied for the NFL's longest current playoff drought.
It's gotten so bad that linebacker Chris Kelsay had to politely correct a reporter when asked how difficult it's been to spend his entire eight-year career in Buffalo without a winning season.
"We had one winning season when we went 9-7," Kelsay said, referring to 2004. "I had to clarify that."
And yet, Kelsay will acknowledge that's not something to crow about.
"We've fallen short. There's no excuses to be made there," Kelsay said. "We just haven't gotten the job done."
Three days into training camp in suburban Rochester, it's becoming apparent how much the Bills have to do to overcome the low expectations, which are being reflected even among their once-hearty fan base.
The turnout at St. John Fisher College so far has been noticeably smaller than previous years, and particularly last summer when Terrell Owens' presence packed the stands during much of camp.
T.O.'s gone, and whatever lingering buzz has followed him, leaving a team that lacks a marquee draw after Nix made no major splashes in free agency and instead followed his build-through-the-draft philosophy.
Now even the Bills' old-guard is starting to question the team's direction.
Attending Kelly's charitable golf tournament in June, former defensive tackle Fred Smerlas criticized the Bills for hiring Gailey, when more established and high-profile coaches were available. He also lamented the team's failure to land a franchise quarterback.
"They make it very tough to root for," Smerlas said. "They bring in a coach no one really knows. When you're playing against (New England coach) Bill Belichick, who makes $10 million a year, I'm not putting Chan Gailey in there. I'm not putting a cat against a lion."
Noting that coach and quarterback are the most important positions to address for any team to be competitive, Smerlas added: "I have to have a game plan, and I need a guy smart enough to execute that game plan otherwise I'm dead. And they're just dead."
Receiver Lee Evans disagreed with that perception. He believes Nix and Gailey are introducing a winning culture to the Bills.
"Not that the other guys didn't want to win, but they just bring a different mentality," Evans said. "Hopefully, I think we've found that, we've at least found a start, a foundation. And now we've got to build from there. That's what makes everybody optimistic."
-- John Wawrow
Miami newcomer Marshall bonds with fans, teammates
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — A grueling practice in steamy weather had just concluded Saturday, and Brandon Marshall lingered at the fence behind the sideline, chatting with young fans as he signed caps, helmets and other Miami Dolphins souvenir gear.
Marshall appreciated the requests. Growing up in Orlando, he was an autograph-seeker himself.
"I've still got autographs from guys like Curtis Martin, Shaquille O'Neal, Cris Carter," Marshall said. "I can go on and on — Phil Simms and Brett Favre, when they were in the quarterback challenge in Orlando. I got all those guys. I love signing autographs for the kids, because that's something they'll remember for a long time."
As training camp begins, the Dolphins' new Pro Bowl receiver is bonding with fans and teammates as well, especially quarterback Chad Henne. Marshall caught two long passes from Henne during the opening practice Friday, drawing whoops from spectators.
Coach Tony Sparano resisted any temptation to whoop, but he smiled when asked what impressed him about Marshall in the first two practices.
"He does have great physical ability," Sparano said. "You don't always get a chance to watch a real topflight big receiver."
Sean Smith agreed. He was the cornerback burned by Marshall's combination of finesse and strength on both long completions.
"He showed me something new I'd never seen before," Smith said. "He's a vet. He has been around and showed me some new tricks out there."
That rare talent is the reason Miami traded two second-round draft picks to the Broncos in April for Marshall, then gave him a four-year contract extension worth an average of about $10 million a year through 2014.
In Denver, Marshall caught at least 100 passes each of the past three years and made the Pro Bowl in 2008-09, yet still wore out his welcome. He clashed with coach Josh McDaniels, and a long legal record leaves him one strike from a yearlong NFL suspension.
Marshall says he learned from his mistakes, and he has received an A in comportment since joining the Dolphins. Sparano praises Marshall's work ethic and leadership, as well as his skills.
"You'll see him with his arm around some of these young players, and he's talking them through some of the things he has done," Sparano said. "He has been unselfish. That's something I appreciate and have been impressed with."
For the Dolphins, Marshall's most important relationship will be with Henne, and it's a work in progress. Hip surgery in May curtailed Marshall's offseason regimen, and timing between a receiver and quarterback only comes with time.
"We've got a long way to go," Marshall said, "but the first game isn't until September. This is what the preseason is for. We have a lot of time to get it right."
Henne is familiar with the rewards of a rangy receiver — as a freshman at Michigan, he threw 15 touchdown passes to Braylon Edwards. In his first year as an NFL starter last season, Henne worked with an unimposing pass-catching group, and he's quick to recognize the 6-foot-4 Marshall as an inviting target.
"Brandon is very smooth," Henne said. "He understands how to run the routes, and he understands how to use his body. You can tell that you've got a really good guy out there that can glide and is very smooth throughout his cuts."
In the Dolphins' first two seasons under Sparano, they've been a run-oriented, ball-control team. Their wideouts totaled six touchdowns last season; Marshall had 10 in Denver.
Sparano has tweaked the playbook, eager to take advantage of his big offseason catch and improve on last season's 7-9 record.
"When we got Brandon," Sparano said, "I told the offensive coaches, 'I want you to put together all the things that this guy does well.' You go through the film, and all of a sudden you're at 40 or 50 plays. You watch him on tape at Denver, you see some of the things he really does well. Some of these concepts weren't completely in our offense, so we were able to take some of those things."
On a team lacking star power, Marshall has quickly become the face of the franchise. Because his familiar No. 15 was taken, he switched to No. 19, and it's already a popular jersey number with spectators at training camp.
When asked if he thought a lot of the fans were there to see him, he smiled.
"No, not at all," he said. "Jake Long, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams ... I wasn't the only guy."
But he is the Dolphins' new go-to guy — for autographs and more.
-- Steven Wine
Dolphins QB White returns to practice
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins reserve quarterback Pat White was back at practice after a one-day absence he blamed on "personal issues."
White took part in both practices Saturday after missing the first day of training camp Friday because of an excused absence.
"I'm having personal issues," he said. "They've been handled. I'm happy to be back out here, thankful I have people around me that care about people in general."
White declined to elaborate.
He played sparingly as a reserve last season, and in the final game was carted off the field with a concussion following a chilling helmet-to-helmet collision with Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. White also suffered a concussion as a senior at West Virginia.
When asked if he had reservations about playing this season, White said: "I love the game of football. I always will. I always have."
A second-round draft choice in 2009, White is one of four quarterbacks in camp and battling for a spot on the roster. Also competing for backup jobs behind Chad Henne are Tyler Thigpen and Chad Pennington.
Coach Tony Sparano said the team was supportive of White's situation.
"We were dealing with some personal health issues with him that we wanted to get checked out," Sparano said. "We did. We were all satisfied and had him back out on the field today, so everything is good, and he's ready to go."
