NFL Training Camp Capsules - AFC: Dolphins now look like a football team

DAVIE, Fla. — One year later, Tony Sparano can laugh about his first impression of the Miami Dolphins.

The team he took over in early 2008 was coming off a 1-15 season, the worst in franchise history. It showed when Sparano conducted offseason workouts.

"It sometimes didn’t really look much like football out there," Sparano says with a smile. "A little bit of rugby, a little bit of other things going on, but not a whole lot like football all the time."

Then came a sudden transformation. The Dolphins went 11-6 in 2008, climbing from worst in the NFL to first in the AFC East. They ended a seven-year postseason drought and became the first team in league history to make the playoffs a year after winning only once.

Now the challenge is to continue the extraordinary progress of last season. As preparation for Year 2 of the Bill Parcells regime begins Sunday with the first training camp practice, coach Sparano isn’t counting on much carry-over.

"What’s in the past is in the past," Sparano says. "Nothing is owed to you. Nothing is guaranteed to you in this league. That’s not the kind of business that we’re in. ...

"That being said, there are some things you can take from 2008. There’s a confidence."

Prospects are a lot rosier than at this time a year ago, when there was so much uncertainty following the biggest organizational shakeup in decades. The Dolphins had a rookie head coach, no starting quarterback and 45 new players.

The offense and defense have both been significantly upgraded since, and Sparano and his staff have won the respect of the players.

"A year later, they understand what it is that we’re looking for as coaches," Sparano says. "They know the system better. There are fewer mental errors. Guys are able to react a lot faster. Without being arrogant, it’s like night and day."

The steady roster turnover since Parcells took over continues. Only 21 players who were with the team in 2007 remain, and that includes Jason Taylor, back after a year in exile with the Washington Redskins.

The position most dramatically improved under the Parcells regime is quarterback, which now includes NFL Comeback Player of the Year Chad Pennington, highly regarded backup Chad Henne, and Pat White, a second-round draft pick in April who could thrive in the Wildcat package introduced last year.

The Dolphins didn’t make much of a splash this offseason in free agency, where the most prominent additions were Taylor, center Jake Grove and defensive backs Gibril Wilson and Eric Green. Other noteworthy newcomers include cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith and receiver Patrick Turner, all rookies.

"We’re excited about what happened in the offseason with all the new faces that we have in free agency and with the draft," says Pennington, coming off the best season of his nine-year career. "That is why every year is different. What we did in 2008 has no bearing in 2009. We have a big challenge ahead of us: to learn each other and to build team chemistry and to work together."

Some of the new faces at practice will be on the sideline. Owner Stephen Ross completed his purchase of the team from Wayne Huizenga in January, and new minority owners Marc Anthony and Gloria and Emilio Estefan may stop by to check out their investment.

One goal in camp will be to find ways for Taylor to complement linebacker Joey Porter and upgrade the pass rush. The Dolphins are counting on rookies to shore up the two thinnest areas, the receiving corps and secondary. At least four starting jobs are up for grabs: receiver, right guard, cornerback and defensive end.

Miami hopes to carve out a role for White in the Wildcat, the variation of the single wing that rejuvenated the offense last season. White discovered in offseason workouts that the NFL is different from West Virginia, where he set a career NCAA record for yards rushing by a quarterback.

"Guys are definitely running around faster," White says. "They are lot smarter, they are bigger, faster and stronger. It’s going to take some adjusting, but hopefully I will get there one day."

Like White, Sparano will find the competition stiffer this season. As a consolation prize for going 1-15, Miami benefited from a soft schedule in 2008, but this year the Dolphins face four defending division champions, including Super Bowl winner Pittsburgh to conclude the regular season.

The first of four exhibition games is Aug. 17 against Jacksonville.

As Sparano prepares to lead the first practice, he’s confident his players are ready to follow — more so than at this time in 2008.

"I’m doing the same things right now that I was a year ago," he says. "The difference is they’re paying attention a little bit more. Last year, every day you came out, you had to prove something to the players. Now I think these guys understand there is a method to my madness. They have bought in, and there is some history there."

Jets WRs tired of hearing they’re not good enough

CORTLAND, N.Y. — David Clowney has had enough with people saying the New York Jets have no wide receivers other than Jerricho Cotchery.

No, really, he’s tired of all the doubters and naysayers who insist the Jets lack a No. 2 receiver. Clowney is so fed up, in fact, he needs to censor his thoughts.

"I can’t say it over the mic," the speedy wide receiver said Saturday at training camp, laughing and shaking his head. "Write that down. I just can’t say it."

Clowney is among a group of inexperienced and unproven receivers trying to win the starting spot opposite Cotchery that was vacated when Laveranues Coles was allowed to leave as a free agent.

"It’s the perception and it’s pretty strong out there," said Brad Smith, taking a more toned-down approach. "Everybody has a right to their own opinion."

Not that the receivers have to like it.

"I don’t think anyone’s taking it personal," Chansi Stuckey said. "Every one of us has thick skin, so I think we’re just going out and want to prove everybody wrong by just making plays and hushing all the talk."

That "talk" stems from the fact that Cotchery, a five-year veteran, has 260 career receptions while Stuckey, Smith and Clowney have combined for just 86 career catches. The prevailing thought has been that help is needed, and the Jets did little to quell that when they acknowledged having inquired about Plaxico Burress before the draft.

With Burress’ legal status uncertain, it’s up to the guys on the roster at SUNY Cortland to make the idea of the former Giants star joining the team a non-issue.

"It’s maybe come up once or twice where we’ve said we’re the weak link of the team and things like that," Stuckey said. "We just come out everyday and try to make all the plays that come our way."

While none of the three — or any of the other five receivers on the roster — has the combined production of Coles or Burress, coach Rex Ryan likes the group’s versatility. And perhaps there could be a rotation for the No. 2 spot, depending on formations.

"Everybody knows Stuckey’s a great receiver in the slot," Ryan said. "Well, it seems to me maybe he ought to be in the slot. Clowney’s got great vertical speed. OK, there he is. And then you’ve got Brad, and maybe someone else will emerge. I’m comfortable with those guys, I really am."

Stuckey has been practicing almost exclusively with the starting offense after having 32 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns last season.

"I’m just preparing myself as if I’m going to be the starter," Stuckey said. "You have to go in with the mindset that you’re the best player on the field everytime you step out there."

Smith is a converted college quarterback who has 53 career receptions in three seasons, but had only 12 for 64 yards last year. He credits new receivers coach Henry Ellard, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, for an improved approach.

"Not playing the position before, there were basic things I just didn’t know coming in and people kind of assume that you know it," Smith said. "He’s getting me back to scratch."

Smith has focused this summer on getting off the line of scrimmage better, running crisper routes and improving his separation from defenders.

"He can do everything," Ryan said. "I don’t know why he can’t be an excellent receiver and he’s going to be given every chance to be the No. 2 guy."

Clowney has speed to burn and excited fans with an exceptional preseason a year ago before missing several games with a shoulder injury. He then reminded everyone of how valuable he could be when he hauled in a pass from Brett Favre with one hand and turned it into a 26-yard gain against Buffalo in Week 15.

"That play by itself didn’t make me hungry," said Clowney, a fifth-round pick by Green Bay in 2007. "I’ve been hungry since I was drafted."

All three receivers insist having a tight-knit relationship makes things easier as they compete against each other.

"We’ve got a depth chart, but that could always change," Clowney said. "You’ve got guys that start doing better, and guys who start doing worse. So, those names start switching spots. We’ve all just got to make it happen."

NOTES: QB Kellen Clemens had an outstanding practice before being intercepted by Jim Leonhard on consecutive passes. Mark Sanchez was also picked off by Eric Smith. ... RB Danny Woodhead was held out of his second straight practice after taking a hit to the head Friday. Ryan expects Woodhead back soon, but "we’re just being cautious with him." Woodhead participated in the afternoon special teams practice, but was wearing the no-contact red jersey.

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Schobel’s return bolsters Bills’ defensive front

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel admits he’s getting old, but the Bills would love to just have the old Schobel back.

"It’s just so good to have him," head coach Dick Jauron said. "That skill level is impossible to teach. You can’t teach a guy some of the things that he does so naturally and that top pass rushers do so naturally. So it’s nice to have him back on the field and working to get ready for the season."

Schobel wasn’t on the field very often last year for the Bills. The former Pro Bowl pass-rushing specialist sustained a serious foot injury that limited him to just five games.

Schobel never missed a contest in his first seven years in the league. His return to Pro Bowl form is paramount to the Bills’ defense, which last season amassed only 24 sacks, fourth-fewest in the league.

Schobel has dropped the quarterback for a loss just 7.5 times in 21 games the past two seasons after racking up 45.5 sacks during a four-year period starting in 2003. But defensive tackle Marcus Stroud said Schobel gives the team "an added dimension."

"To have a guy like that will work wonders for us," Stroud said. "He’s got that chip on his shoulder and is ready to make an impact."

With his gruff exterior in tow, Schobel, the second-leading sack producer in team history, has worked harder this training camp because of the lost time. The extra load has burdened him with some overall soreness, but the 31-year-old has shrugged it off in aiming to reproduce his impressive 2006 campaign, in which he recorded a career-best 14 sacks.

"In my legs I don’t feel as explosive as I was two years ago at this time, but I feel like there’s no question I can do that," he said. "I just have to get back into it. It’s like anybody. I’m as good right now as I was two years ago at this time, and I don’t feel like I’ve lost any speed or any quickness. I feel like it takes me longer to warm up."

Schobel should be helped by the addition of rookie defensive end Aaron Maybin, the Bills’ first-round (11th overall) pick in April’s draft. Maybin, who has yet to sign, will be counted on to give the Bills added pressure from the edge.

But it’s Schobel who ultimately holds the keys to Buffalo’s ability to hinder the quarterback.

"He’s still grumpy as he always has ever been, but at times I see the flashes of Aaron Schobel from two years ago," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "But then there are times when I see some rust. He needs to continue to work and play football again and get his timing down. But he is definitely working on doing that."

Notes: The Bills signed DL Corey Mace and CB Antwain Spann on Saturday. Mace was on Buffalo’s practice squad from 2007-08, while Spann joins Buffalo after a three-year stint with New England. ... Backup OL Kirk Chambers was held out of Saturday’s practice because of a sore foot. ... The Bills are off on Sunday and will return to practice Monday.

Browns in quarterback quandary as camp opens

BEREA, Ohio — As Eric Mangini pulled from the parking lot at Cleveland’s training facility on Friday night, the eve before his first camp practice with the Browns, he did a double take when he spotted something strange outside the gates.

It was an overnight camper, sleeping out for the Browns.

"Amazing," Mangini said.

Not really. Make no mistake, win, lose or draw — and in the case of the Browns in recent years, mostly lose — this is still a football town. Or, as it says on the cover of the team’s new media guide: "cleveland lives football."

On Saturday, the Mangini Era officially kicked off as the former New York Jets coach opened camp with a pair of two-hour workouts under ideal weather conditions. With U2’s anthemic "Beautiful Day" booming through loudspeakers rimming the newly re-sodded fields, the Browns began preparing for a season they can only hope goes better than the last one.

Mangini has taken over a club that collapsed under the weight of unreal expectations, finished 4-12 and all but fell off the NFL map.

It’s a new season, but there’s already a familiar feel: a quarterback competition between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, a race currently too close to call. Mangini knows it will be the topic du jour until he names his starter.

"We’re probably going to talk about that every day, aren’t we?" he asked.

Yes, sir.

Quinn, the people’s choice who took over for Anderson last year before sustaining a season-ending finger injury, took the initial snaps from center with Cleveland’s first-team offense during the morning workout. However, Mangini indicated the race is a long way from over.

At the conclusion of the team’s mini-camp in June, Mangini characterized the competition as even. And, as of now, it’s still that tight.

"Just like we talked about when we broke up in the spring," Mangini said, when asked if it was a dead heat. "That’s where we are."

Every one of their passes, downfield reads, at-the-line audibles and incompletions are expected to be analyzed by Mangini, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterbacks coach Carl Smith.

During 7-on-7 drills, Anderson threw an interception when tight end Robert Royal broke off his route, then bounced back by throwing a long touchdown pass to Syndric Steptoe on the next play. Later, Anderson hooked up with rookie Brian Robiskie for another TD.

After one practice, Anderson, who has come out on both sides of QB derbies before, already seemed tired of the attention.

"It’s going to play out how it’s going to play out," he said. "I want to play. I want to have fun. I want to watch this team progress and whoever plays best is going to play."

Quinn has waited three years for his chance to take over the Browns, and although he’d easily win a popularity contest, the former Notre Dame star understands he has to convince a new coaching staff that it should be his job.

"I’m not going to speculate at this point," Quinn said. "My biggest thing right now is my confidence and how I’m playing and how I’m feeling now. My body feels great. It’s the best it’s ever felt going into a camp. I’m extremely comfortable with the offense, so I just have to string together some good practices and get us ready for our first preseason game."

Unlike last season, when fans chanted "Super Bowl" on Day One of Browns camp, the loudest screams were for post-practice autographs. Many fans held rosters to help them identify some of the 31 new players — seven of them former Jets.

As Mangini’s team broke its first sweat of summer, Browns Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Paul Warfield watched from the sideline along with team owner Randy Lerner, who fired Romeo Crennel after four seasons and hired Mangini to turn around the franchise.

Mangini’s first practice included some hard hits in blocking and pass rushing drills, something rarely seen during Crennel’s tenure.

It was a smooth opening session with two minor sideshows.

Wide receiver Braylon Edwards sat out with an unspecified leg injury, the same one that kept Cleveland’s top playmaker off the field during mini-camp. Edwards wouldn’t elaborate on his injury, deflecting questions to Mangini, who is defiant in discussing medical conditions.

Edwards was placed on the non-football injury list this week. For now, he’s limited to riding a stationary bike, running and stretching.

"I want to be out there with my team," he said. "Not being out there is very frustrating. It’s very boring over there on that far field. The sooner I can get out there the better."

Mangini said Edwards will practice as soon as he gets medical clearance.

Kick specialist Joshua Cribbs, who wants the Browns give him a new contract, came to camp but didn’t seem certain he would stay. Cribbs, with four years remaining on a six-year, $6.7 million deal, skipped the team’s voluntary workouts in May.

"I can’t make a prediction on how it’s going to work out," said Cribbs, a Pro Bowl pick in 2007. "Hopefully something will be reached before the season starts. My only leverage is my heart to this team, what I’ve been giving to this team thus far."

-- Tom Withers

Edwards out as Browns open camp

BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards missed the team’s first training camp practice with an injury no one wants to talk about.

Edwards rode a stationary bike, ran sprints and stretched while his teammates sweated through the first of two practices Saturday under first-year Browns coach Eric Mangini.

Edwards, who missed minicamp in June with a leg injury, deflected questions about the nature and severity of his injury. There have been reports that Edwards hurt himself playing basketball, but the Browns’ top playmaker refused to divulge any information.

"Talk to coach Mangini about that, see what he says," Edwards said.

Mangini would only say that Edwards would be on the field once he got clearance from Cleveland’s medical staff. He wouldn’t put any timetable on a return, but did confirm that Edwards was late in reporting to camp. Despite Edwards’ tardiness, Mangini said he has been impressed with the 26-year-old’s attitude and work ethic.

"My experience with him has been very positive," Mangini said. "Multiple times he’s been the first one through the bags (agility drills). Multiple times where he’s out on front of the group in the classroom. I’ve seen a lot of really positive things from him. And I’m happy with the way he’s picked up the information we’ve asked him to pick up."

Edwards is eager to bounce back from a disappointing season which began with him missing most of training camp with a foot injury. He caught 55 passes for 873 yards and three touchdowns, a significant drop from his 2007 Pro Bowl season when he had 80 receptions for 1,289 yards and 16 TDs.

He also led the league with 16 dropped passes.

Edwards said he began thinking about the upcoming season as soon as last year ended.

"We got into a downward spiral and never really came out of the spiral and things got worse. and attitudes, in terms of approaches, became monotone, definitely mine," he said. "I think the big for me this year is approaching it with a solid attitude. It’s a fresh start, a new regime, and even myself, just going out there and just having fun with the game."

-- Tom Withers

Chris Henry changing impressions at Bengals camp

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Tattoos tell the story of Chris Henry’s troubled, turned-around life in football.

There’s an NFL emblem inked across the back of his right hand, something he got as a youth to remind himself of where he wanted to go.

"I was in high school," the receiver said. "It was kind of a dream. It all worked out."

For a time, anyway. His inability to stay out of trouble with the Cincinnati Bengals cost him everything. After his fifth arrest in March of last year, they dumped him. All that Henry had left of his pro career was that shield-shaped tattoo on his right hand.

So much for the dream.

Stunningly, owner Mike Brown changed his mind and decided to give Henry what amounted to a fifth chance last August. After serving a four-game suspension from the league, he had a so-so season in Cincinnati that got a little better as it went along.

When it ended, Henry decided another tattoo was in order. This one would be just below his left ear, an inch-tall word in flowing text.

It says: Blessed.

"I kind of felt like I dug myself out of the hole and started doing the right things," Henry said. "People say, ‘How you feeling now Chris? You doing all right?’ I just tell them I’m blessed. That’s why I got it."

Finally, he seems to get it.

Coaches and teammates have seen real change in the thin, soft-spoken receiver, who had ignored their advice about changing his lifestyle during his troubled times. He showed a new commitment to working out with the team and getting in top shape. He stayed out of trouble.

During an interview outside his dorm room at Georgetown College, the 26-year-old from suburban New Orleans talked freely about how his few months out of football last year became a bottoming-out moment.

"I don’t live the way I did in the past," Henry said. "I kind of plan my days out and take it one day at a time and stay away from the wrong people. I’m not partying anymore. I’m just focused on football right now and my family. I don’t associate with the same people. I’ve completely changed everything."

It’s not all talk. In the past, he ignored teammates who reached out to him. Now, he’s listening to them. Needing a ride to training camp — his fiancee had to use the car — Henry called quarterback Carson Palmer and hooked up for the drive down Interstate 75 on Thursday.

How has Henry changed?

"In every way a man can change," said Palmer, who tried to befriend Henry when he was getting in trouble. "He’s a great kid with a great heart. He’s changed his life around. He ran into some trouble, made some bad decisions, and realized that. He’s sorry for them, apologized for them, and has done everything he can to make himself a better person. I’m just proud of him."

So is the owner who gave him the chance.

The Bengals overlooked Henry’s history of outbursts at West Virginia when they took him in the third round of the 2005 draft. Once in Cincinnati, he was arrested four times — accused of marijuana possession, carrying a concealed weapon, drunken driving and providing alcohol to minors — and repeatedly suspended for violating the NFL’s conduct policy.

His fifth arrest last year prompted Brown to finally cut ties. Then, the owner who refers to himself as "a redeemer" changed his mind and gave Henry a two-year deal, despite the objection of coach Marvin Lewis.

Brown is proud of his change of heart, which was widely criticized. He hopes that Henry is one of the players featured on HBO’s "Hard Knocks" show about the Bengals training camp so fans can see what Henry is like.

"If you only knew him by hearsay, you’d think he’s some kind of ogre," Brown said. "It’s not true. He’s a good person. When you see him up close, you’ll find that you’ll like him. He’ll be a soft-spoken, pleasant person."

When the Bengals opened camp a year ago, Henry was out of football.

"I’ve thought about that," he said. "It just goes to show how lucky I am. Last year, I was looking for a team to play for. I was blessed that Mike Brown picked me back up."

Henry has been so dedicated in offseason workouts that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski is trying to figure out how to get the No. 3 receiver more time in the offense. Bratkowski, too, has noticed a change.

"A lot of people tried to take him under their wing early, when all the issues were going on, and it didn’t click," Bratkowski said. "The light didn’t go on. As it’s moved forward — I can’t give you a reason why — the light went on.

"And, knock on wood, it will stay on and it will stay bright."

-- Joe Kay

Lewis: Smith can compete for Bengals starting spot

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says whenever first-round pick Andre Smith is signed and in training camp, he’ll get every opportunity to win the starting spot at right tackle.

Lewis said following Saturday’s morning practice in Kentucky he has no updates on Smith’s contract talks.

Last year’s first-round pick, linebacker Keith Rivers, was unsigned for the first 10 days of training camp before coming to an agreement. Despite missing time, he was the Bengals’ starter at linebacker when they opened.

The team also announced it has extended its agreement with Georgetown College for another year. The Bengals have been training at Georgetown since 1987 and have been on a series of one-year agreements since 2005.

Colt & Chase: Ex-Heisman hopefuls as Redskins subs

ASHBURN, Va. — Two of the most successful college quarterbacks in recent years ran onto the field on a steamy Saturday morning at Redskins Park, eager to impress the fans who have been screaming for their autographs during the first week of training camp.

They didn’t get much of a chance. For the next 2 hours, 20 minutes, Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel spent a lot of time standing and watching. During the lengthy team drills at the end of practice, Daniel took all of three snaps. Brennan got maybe a dozen.

"It’s definitely a big adjustment," Daniel said. "I know that I’ve got to get ready for those three plays. Those three plays could mean my career."

If nothing else, the Washington Redskins lead the league in high-profile, down-the-depth-chart quarterbacks. In 2007, Brennan finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, one place ahead of Daniel. They shattered records and piled up victories. Brennan led Hawaii to an undefeated regular season. Daniel led Missouri to the Big 12’s North Division title in 2007 and 2008 and left the school with a 30-11 record as a starter.

Now they are Nos. 3 and 4 in the Redskins QB pecking order, behind starter Jason Campbell and veteran backup Todd Collins. They are crowd favorites because of what they did in college, and in Brennan’s case, because of his decent performance in mop-up situations during preseason a year ago.

But they have learned that universal popularity and big NCAA numbers aren’t enough to ensure playing time, or even a roster spot, in the NFL.

"Remember, the reason they’re here is that they dominated when they were in college. That doesn’t mean they’re going to dominate here," said coach Jim Zorn, himself a former quarterback. "And they can see it. I think it’s the most frustrating thing. I hear them mentally asking that question, ‘What is wrong with me?’ And a lot of that is just getting to know what the expectations are, then working them into their game."

Brennan and Daniel were always going to be a tough sell in the NFL. They had reputations as "system quarterbacks" — players who supposedly succeeded because they happened to be plugged into unique, high-powered college offenses that didn’t translate well to the pros. Brennan was a sixth-round draft pick by the Redskins last year, while Daniel went undrafted this year and was signed as a free agent.

"Chase had an unbelievable career, and I had one, too," Brennan said. "We were both laughing because we always tell stories about when we were at the Heisman together, and now we’re fighting for reps."

Brennan sent Redskins fans into a frenzy last year when he completed 68 percent of his passes during the preseason, but Zorn was quick to point out that those numbers came against backup defenses. After a 9-for-10 game, Brennan said he was told by an assistant coach that his performance was "pretty horrible when it came to technique."

A year later, Brennan has a better understanding of what Zorn wants.

"With Colt, this year his footwork has gotten so much better and he’s feeling more comfortable," Zorn said. "And Chase is at that same place, where I’m not even talking about his throw as much as I’m talking about what he’s doing with his feet. So he’s frustrated. But he’s got a great attitude. He actually has a pretty good ball when it comes out."

Daniel made some nice throws early in Saturday’s practice, but Zorn was almost always there to offer some sort of critique afterward. Daniel also has to battle his height — he’s only 6 feet tall. At one point, he walked over to speak to former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who is the same height.

"He was saying ‘Us short guys, we can make it. We’ve just got to try harder. We’ve got to find lanes to throw to,"’ Daniel said. "He did it. I feel like I can do it."

Brennan and Daniel have remained good friends since their Heisman-contender seasons and hang out together after practice. One difference: Daniel is big on Twitter. "About to start the journey of my life" he wrote on the eve of camp.

The journey could have a rough ending. Barring injury, Daniel’s chances of making the roster seem remote. Campbell and Collins aren’t going anywhere, and he’s a year behind Brennan in learning the offense. Zorn said Saturday he’s not going to keep four quarterbacks on the main roster, although there’s a small chance Daniel could earn a spot on the practice squad.

The upcoming preseason games could change the coaches’ minds, though.

"I’ve got to go out there and take every snap like it’s my last," Daniel said. "Not only to prove people wrong, but just to prove I can play in this league. I’m a work in progress, but I’m going to learn. I’m a sponge. I’m going to take in as much information as I can and take it to the football field."

NOTES: Saturday morning’s practice was the first in full pads. Several players, including T Mike Williams, were treated for dehydration. ... FB Eddie Williams sat out with a hamstring injury, and CB Carlos Rogers missed part of the workout after tweaking a leg muscle.

-- Joseph White

Raiders adjust to different camp under Cable

NAPA, Calif. — For most of the Oakland Raiders, the first few days of training camp under coach Tom Cable are like nothing they’ve been through before as football players.

Quarterbacks are forbidden to pass the ball in seven-on-seven drills. They practice barking out audibles in the corner of the field while their teammates do other drills. The whistle blows almost as soon as the ball is handed off as coaches make sure each player is in the right spot. And then the process repeats itself.

"It seemed like it was weird at first when he talked about the concept, but you go through it and it’s a great concept," linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba said. "We’re doing a lot of learning, get all the mistakes out the way."

The Raiders spent Saturday participating in their third straight day of what Cable has called a "learning-intensive" approach to football, eschewing pads, contact and running actual plays in favor of drilling fundamentals in this outdoor classroom in wine country.

Fullback Lorenzo Neal told Cable he hadn’t seen anything like it in 17 years in the NFL. The approach is in stark contrast to what the Raiders’ cross-bay rivals are doing under coach Mike Singletary. The 49ers opened camp Saturday with two contact practices in pads as Singletary tries to instill a physical mentality with his team.

Cable says there is plenty of time for hitting later in camp, in preseason games and the regular season. So for the first four days of his camp, he’s focusing on the mental part of the game.

"When you hand them a set of pads and it’s time to go do that, they get into that part of it rather easily. That’s the way they’re wired," Cable said. "Remember now, the NFL season starts now and it hopefully ends sometime in February for you. The human body can only take so many car crashes."

For the Raiders, those crashes won’t begin until Monday, the fifth day of training camp. For now, they have one more day of drills that may look mundane but are ones Cable says are vital for the Raiders to reverse a six-year slide of losing.

In seven-on-seven passing drills, the quarterbacks drop back, survey the field as receivers run their patterns, then stop without making a pass. JaMarcus Russell pleaded with his coaches to be able to show off that strong arm of his to no avail, although defensive coordinator John Marshall did shout out at one point, "It’s time for a pick."

Later in practice, the quarterbacks line up near a fence, calling signals and taking simulated snaps. They bark out audibles, hand signals and all, as quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett calls out different defensive looks.

Defenders practice their run fits, going to a particular spot to fill a gap in the defense even though no plays are being run.

Then when the team lines up for 11-on-11 drills, the quarterback takes the snap and hands off the ball, only for a whistle to blow after the blockers and defenders take just a step. That’s repeated over and over again, as coaches watch footwork and other small details.

"You’re really trying to get their mind into the who and the how part," Cable said. "When you throw pads on, you add that combative part of it, and that really changes everything. ... You’ve trained them, and now it’s just handling it the right way."

Cable says one benefit of the approach that he first used as a college coach at Idaho is that younger players can get more practice time as the first and second teams are on separate fields, with no fear of injuries.

The players say the back-to-basics drills have been helpful, reinforcing what they learned in offseason workouts and allowing them to get back up to speed without the risk of injury.

"I think it’s great," offensive lineman Mario Henderson said. "In my opinion, at camp when you get out the first day, you sometimes are not really focused on trying to do the right things. You’re just focused on going out there and trying to win the starting job. Sometimes that can be bad because you are going fast, but you’re not really doing your assignments. Now we have four days where we get everything down pat so then when it comes time Monday to earn a job, it’s not your assignments slowing you down."

While the players like the approach, they’re also eager to put on the pads and hit each other like football players again.

"They are like, ‘Come on coach, let’s go play,"’ Cable said.

-- Josh Dubow

Tomlinson motivated to prove detractors wrong

SAN DIEGO — LaDainian Tomlinson took the handoff from Philip Rivers, faked right and cut through a massive hole on the left side.

"Oh yeah," Rivers yelled. "Look at that!"

Most eyes were tracking the running of No. 21 at the Chargers’ first full-squad training camp workout Friday.

That the five-time Pro Bowl player would be starting his ninth season with the Chargers was hardly a given during a contentious offseason. The Chargers wanted Tomlinson to restructure his contract after he produced career-low marks in 2008, a season derailed by toe and groin injuries. A new deal was struck despite some biting comments from Chargers general manager A.J. Smith.

"It’s good to be back and I’m excited," Tomlinson said. "And everything that goes in between."

But he’s dogged by whispers that he may be losing a step. While his 2008 numbers would be high points for some backs — 1,110 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns — for Tomlinson they were far off his usual pace.

"Everybody wants to compare him to 2006," said left guard Kris Dielman, referring to the year Tomlinson rushed for 1,815 yards and scored an NFL-record 31 touchdowns. "But that was like Barry Bonds hitting 73 home runs in a season. It wasn’t going to happen again."

Tomlinson hears the talk and says it doesn’t bother him.

"I’m not hurt at all," said Tomlinson, who has 11,760 rushing yards, 3,801 receiving yards and 141 touchdowns for his career.

"That is the perception not only for me but running backs throughout history," he said. "That is something you fight against every day and every year. Not only me, but every guy at certain positions there is a number or stigma or whatever you want to call it that says you should be old at this position at this point of your career. At running back, it says 30.

"So my challenge is to prove them wrong and it is certainly going to be a heck of a challenge and I’m certainly looking forward to it and in the long run I think it’ll help me out."

Tomlinson also has to contend with the emergence of Darren Sproles. The Chargers designated Sproles as the team’s franchise player, and it figures the Chargers seek to get plenty of bang for their $6.6 million.

Coach Norv Turner said the Chargers will rely on Tomlinson as they always have.

"We will do what we have to do to win football games and L.T. is a big part of this offense when we are going good," Turner said. "There is no question Sproles showed he can complement L.T., but L.T. is going to end up with enough carries, as I’ve said, to be a contender for the rushing title. I think that is when he is at his best."

But when the Chargers have needed him most — in the playoffs following the last two seasons — injuries have prevented Tomlinson from playing. He said he approached this offseason differently, hoping to stay fit until the final game.

"I spent some time with a biomechanics doctor to just kind of get myself back together. I was so messed up to be honest with you," Tomlinson said.

"I’m completely recovered, didn’t have any setbacks. I was out there at minicamps, OTAs and didn’t have any problems so I knew that when we got to training camp that I would pretty much be healthy," he said.

Gates’ health has Chargers eyeing the Super Bowl

SAN DIEGO — Chargers tight end Antonio Gates isn’t holding back, and he predicts his team won’t either.

"Anything less than a Super Bowl championship, it doesn’t exist for us," Gates said.

Among the reasons the Chargers enter the year as a Super Bowl contender is that Gates is healthy, and he’s running and cutting in a manner that hasn’t been seen of late.

The five-time Pro Bowler struggled in 2008 with a foot injury after a toe ailment the previous year. His production last season didn’t decline dramatically, however, as he led the Chargers in receptions (60) and touchdown catches (eight).

"It feels good, a long time coming for me," Gates said Saturday at the Chargers’ training camp. "Just being out there and feeling good, being able to do the things I struggled with last year, it feels special to me and it feels like a special season for me."

It was obvious Gates, a former Kent State basketball player, didn’t really have his hops. Among the attributes making him a three-time All-Pro is his ability to shield defenders and out-jump them for catches.

"My ability to jump was something that took a toll on me," said Gates, whose 51 scoring catches since entering the league in 2003 leads all tight ends. "It came in spurts at times. As the season progressed, it was up and down for me. It was a tough struggle."

But in the Chargers’ first week of summer workouts, Gates’ spring has returned to his step. He is getting after passes with regularity, something he wasn’t doing this time last year.

"All my answers for my injuries were answered for me in minicamp and when I came out and practiced in the OTAs," Gates said. "That was a big step for me because I missed all of last year’s offseason workouts and training camp."

Gates’ health — and that of his teammates — has some Chargers eyeing South Florida, where the Super Bowl will be held.

With the Chargers the lone team in the AFC West that isn’t rebuilding, that should present a clear path to their fourth straight playoff appearance. But after winning three straight AFC West titles and advancing to one AFC Championship Game, the Chargers want more.

"I like this year’s focus more than anything else," said quarterback Philip Rivers, who threw a franchise-record 34 touchdown passes and a led the NFL with a 105.5 rating in 2008. "This locker room has a unique feel to it. We’re all tired of talking about it. I think that’s good, because there’s a long season ahead.

"We need to maintain that focus and intensity and progress each week to put ourselves in position come December. Hopefully we will be the best team then."

While being a savvy Super Bowl pick this year, don’t forget that last year the Chargers were 4-8 at one point. But they won their final four games and were the benefactor of the Denver Broncos’ historic collapse to claim another AFC West crown.

Once in the playoffs, they beat the visiting Indianapolis Colts but fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional Game.

Still, NFL observers view the Chargers’ roster as among the most talented.

"It isn’t about having talent; it’s about what you do with it," linebacker Shaun Phillips said. "The goal is to maximize what we do have."

Among their possessions is a free-running Gates. And if all goes well, the Chargers will celebrate their 50th anniversary season by reaching their second Super Bowl.

"It’s all business for us," Gates said. "And we’re looking forward to playing this year in Miami."

CB Champ Bailey returns to Broncos practice

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Champ Bailey returned to the football field and also coach Josh McDaniels’ good graces Saturday after failing his conditioning test 48 hours earlier.

The perennial Pro Bowl cornerback said at first he was angry with the Denver Broncos’ new head coach but came to realize McDaniels made the right move in holding him out of Friday’s two practices along with safety Renaldo Hill and defensive lineman Marcus Thomas.

"It bothered me a little, but I’m all for the right thing, you know?" Bailey said after the three veterans returned to action Saturday. "In the end, as long as I’m there Sept. 13 (for the season opener), that’s all that matters."

Bailey and the others were banished to the team’s weight room during Friday’s practices, and Bailey acknowledged it was difficult for a team leader like himself to accept such a red-faced punishment.

"It’s frustrating because one thing I want to do is always practice," Bailey said. "I don’t want to be just a guy off to the side, and I’ve had my share of days doing that. So, I want to be out here practicing."

Bailey sat out much of last season, missing seven games with a torn groin and then undergoing elbow surgery in the offseason after watching his streak of eight straight Pro Bowl berths come to an end.

He said he tried at first to fight McDaniels over his exclusion from the start of training camp, "but I know where he’s coming from, so I respect that," Bailey said.

Bailey insisted the matter wouldn’t harm his budding relationship with McDaniels, who, at 33, is just two years older.

Bailey said he’s healthy, just a little out of shape.

"I feel good. I’ve got to work myself back into it," he said.

McDaniels welcomed the three veterans’ return.

"You didn’t really notice Champ, which is pretty typical because he always does his job really well and you don’t throw much over there," McDaniels said. "So, that’s a great thing to have out there on the left side of our defense. He challenged our receivers today, he was very aggressive and you can feel his impact when he’s out there on the field."

Bailey was plenty noticed by the crowd and the offense, intercepting one throw and then baiting Kyle Orton into throwing a deep pass to Brandon Marshall that he broke up at the goal line.

Hill also looked good at practice, but Thomas was winded.

Still, he said it was harder sitting out Friday.

"I was out there looking from the windows trying to watch everybody and I wanted to be out there real bad," he said. "(McDaniels) just felt like he needed to hold us out a little bit and get ourselves together."

Defensive lineman Nic Clemons was carted off with a right knee injury, and two other players missed practice, safety Vernon Fox (right ankle) and pass-rusher Jarvis Moss, for what McDaniels said was an unspecified personal reason. He declined to elaborate. KDVR television station in Denver reported that Moss, the Broncos’ top draft pick in 2007 who hasn’t lived up to expectations, was considering retirement. Moss did not return a phone message from The Associated Press.

NOTES: McDaniels showed some more of his disciplinarian style when he had rookie QB Tom Brandstater and C Blake Schlueter run a lap around the field after fumbling an exchange. Later, he ordered his entire third-team defense to run a lap along with coaching assistant Jay Rodgers for having just 10 men in the huddle.

-- Arnie Stapleton

Orton latest QB to try to escape Elway’s shadow

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Gone from Dove Valley are the famous fastballs that left Broncos receivers with bruised hands and disjointed fingers. Absent, too, is the petulant personality that magnified the stress levels both in the huddle and the locker room.

Kyle Orton brings less heat than Jay Cutler did — both on the football field and off.

In the NFL’s biggest trade this offseason, the Denver Broncos shipped the cannon-armed Cutler, their Pro Bowl passer and infamous pouter, to the Chicago Bears for even-tempered Orton, who’s 21-12 as a starter in four NFL seasons.

Cutler, whose relationship with the Broncos crumbled after Mike Shanahan was fired, gives the Bears their first franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman was calling signals in the 1940s.

Orton gives the Broncos the efficient, brainy signal-caller that new coach Josh McDaniels favors to run his complicated offense, one that requires pinpoint passing and precision reads more than a rocket arm.

Orton spent his first three months in Denver cramming his new playbook and battling Chris Simms for the starting job. McDaniels, who helped Tom Brady and Matt Cassel thrive in New England, named him the starter last month.

Even though Orton enters training camp as the starting quarterback for the first time since his days at Purdue, he’s not taking his role for granted, a seemingly wise choice after what McDaniels said this week:

"We’re going to evaluate the quarterbacks just like we do every other position. If Chris is the most effective quarterback in our system by September, then he’ll start," McDaniels said.

Orton said very little is different for him coming into camp as the No. 1 guy, save for being a bit more vocal than usual.

"Obviously, leadership-wise, it sets up at the forefront a little bit more and just making sure as a unit we’re running smoothly," he said. "But I just go about my business and try to improve every day. Really, that’s the goal."

Simms insisted he’s not bothered by getting fewer snaps than Orton.

"It’s not going to affect the way I do anything because it’s a long camp, a long preseason and Coach McDaniels has made it apparent that every job’s open and I believe him," Simms said.

Simms has started 16 games in six seasons, but he’s thrown just two passes since undergoing emergency surgery to remove his spleen after a game in 2006. He signed a two-year, $6 million deal originally to back up Cutler, but now finds himself behind Orton, who will make about $1 million this season in the final year of his contract.

Orton and Simms are now in the bulls-eye of a quarterback-crazed city where nobody has been able to emulate even a sliver of the success John Elway enjoyed during his Hall of Fame career that ended a decade ago.

Brian Griese, Gus Frerotte, Jake Plummer and Cutler combined for one playoff win (Plummer’s) since Elway capped his stellar career with back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

Cutler seemed to have the best shot, although his leadership traits weren’t as honed as his football skills. At times, he lost focus on the field when one of his teammates made a mistake, and he could really hold a grudge like the one he had with kicker Matt Prater for missing a short field goal during a game late last season.

Still, the Broncos touted the enormously talented Cutler as the post-Elway cornerstone of their quest to return to championship contention, and he was coming off his first 4,000-yard season and first Pro Bowl appearance when things went sour in Denver.

Cutler and his agent, Bus Cook, believed the Broncos shopped Cutler when free agency began. McDaniels said the team simply listened to a trade proposal that would have sent Cassel to Denver and Cutler to Tampa Bay in a three-way deal with the Patriots.

Either way, it was the beginning of the end, and Cutler left town a month later without having come close to escaping Elway’s long shadow.

Now it’s Orton’s turn. And maybe Simms will get his shot, too.

"There are so many shadows in Denver. There’s Elway’s shadow. There’s Cutler’s shadow," Simms said, chuckling. "So, we shouldn’t get a sunburn in camp, should we?"

-- Arnie Stapleton