NFL Training Camp Capsules - NFC: AP Source: Vikes QB Jackson has sprained MCL

MANKATO, Minn. — When defensive tackle LeTroy Guion rolled up on Tarvaris Jackson’s left knee in practice on Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback competition nearly ended before it really started.

Much to Jackson’s relief, the injury was not nearly as serious as it first looked and he expects to be back on the field competing for the starting job in no time.

Jackson sprained the MCL in his left knee, but avoided any serious injury, a person with knowledge of his condition told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because the team did not make an official announcement.

Coach Brad Childress declined to divulge the specific injury, but said Jackson would be OK.

"It looks like he’ll be just fine," Childress said.

It was still a scary sequence for the Vikings. During an 11-on-11 drill in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts in the morning practice, Guion got tangled up with a few offensive linemen and fell to the ground just as Jackson was stepping up in the pocket. The 303-pound tackle rolled up on Jackson’s leg, the kind of play that has often inflicted far more serious damage.

"I really don’t know what happened," Guion said. "Everybody was moving so fast."

The fourth-year pro first received some attention at a tent on the side of the field before heading to the team’s locker room area at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He got an MRI, which revealed the most mild form of a sprain, and the rest of the team breathed a sigh of relief.

Jackson is in a competition with Sage Rosenfels for the starting quarterback position after Brett Favre decided not to come out of retirement and join the Vikings.

"We’re competing out here and I’m sure he’ll be back," Rosenfels said. "You never want to see anyone with an injury, even an opponent much less your own teammate."

In his four seasons in the pros, Jackson has had to deal with multiple injuries. He tore the meniscus in his right knee during his rookie season, missed two games with a strained groin, one with a broken finger and one with a concussion in 2007. He sprained his right knee in the preseason last year but did not miss any regular-season games because of it.

"Whether it’s Tarvaris or any of your guys, you don’t want to see any of your guys go down, no matter who it is," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said after practice. "Whether it’s your quarterback, your third tight end, it doesn’t matter. You don’t like to see anybody have any type of injury."

The Vikings have held three practices since training camp began on Friday, and Jackson and Rosenfels have been splitting the snaps with the first team.

"It’s pretty tough (to see that), especially in practice," left tackle Bryant McKinnie said. "Hopefully he’ll be all right."

In his first season on the job in 2006, Childress drafted Jackson in the second round as his quarterback of the future. He has been up and down in his first three seasons in the league, which led to the recruitment of Favre all summer long.

When Favre called Childress on Tuesday to tell him he wasn’t coming, the competition started anew for Jackson and Rosenfels.

Jackson’s familiarity with the offense appears to have given him a slight edge so far, but it’s still very early in the competition.

"At this time, Tarvaris has a little bit more knowledge of our system," Bevell said. "He is an athletic quarterback. He’s got a very strong arm and those would be the positives about him."

Childress said there was no need at this point to bring in another quarterback to help out Rosenfels and third-stringer John David Booty in practice, a telling statement on the health of Jackson.

Jackson missed the Vikings’ practice on Saturday night. If he can’t go for the team’s lone practice on Sunday, Rosenfels and Booty will get all the work.

"You can’t put a price on the elevated snaps they’re getting," Childress said.

Vikings aren’t only ones trying to forget Favre

MANKATO, Minn. — As June turned into July, Chris Brustuen was convinced. Brett Favre was definitely coming to play for his favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings.

The 31-year-old special education teacher who lives in the Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids had read all the breathless media reports.

Favre had surgery to fix his ailing throwing arm.

Favre’s family supposedly booked 25 hotel rooms in Green Bay for the weekend the Vikings will be at Lambeau Field.

Favre allegedly put a down payment on a condominium in the Twin Cities.

"It’s a slam dunk," Brustuen thought. "This guy’s coming."

So the married father of two went online and found a Web site advertising Vikings No. 4 jerseys with "FAVRE" on the back, and he didn’t hesitate to plunk down $45 to order one. It arrived in the mail from overseas on July 21, and Brustuen was ecstatic to be ahead of the pack.

"I was pretty pumped to get it," Brustuen said. "I only wore it once and everybody had something to say to me, positively or negatively, and they all asked me where I got it."

Brustuen only got to wear it once, of course, because after a long courtship by the Vikings, Favre surprised nearly everyone in Minnesota by telling coach Brad Childress that he would not be coming out of retirement to join the team.

If the Vikings players were the only ones who had to forget about Favre, this rejection would have been so much easier. But the flirtation with Favre stoked the aspirations of a championship-starved fan base, had the team’s box office expecting increased demand following a year in which they struggled to sell out a home playoff game, and could have helped efforts to get a new stadium gain some traction with state lawmakers.

"We never factored that in at all," owner Zygi Wilf said in reference to the business side of the Favre equation. "We just wanted to make sure, as we always do, that we get players on our team that make us better. It didn’t work out and we move on and I’m looking forward to what’s going to unfold here."

From the players’ perspectives, Favre is already history. Most seemed surprised that he did not show up to camp, but also are relieved that the three-month circus is finally over.

"I’m done with it, honestly," defensive end Jared Allen said Friday after the first practice of camp. "I’m talking about the guys out here on this field. We have the 2009 Vikings right here, right now. That’s all we’re discussing."

The two players affected most — quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels — should be galvanized by the news after thinking their competition for the position was over before it started.

Childress called the notion that either quarterback would struggle because he felt betrayed by the organization’s pursuit of a three-time MVP and future Hall of Famer "preposterous."

"When I saw it on TV, I watched it, but it wasn’t a big deal where I was worried about it every day because it was nothing that I could control," Jackson said. "It was kind of out of my hands, as you all know. I just have to do my part."

Moving on may be a little tougher for others.

The Vikings have sold out 115 consecutive games dating back to Randy Moss’s first season in purple in 1998. But without a star quarterback to help Adrian Peterson sell tickets, and with some fans still holding Childress’s 6-10 record in his first season as coach three years ago against him, there is some work left to do this season.

Tickets have been selling at a slower pace this offseason, but vice president of sales and marketing Steve LaCroix said it’s difficult to compare it to previous years considering the current state of the economy.

"Fans are starting to shift away from the Favre story line and they’re seeing that this is a very good team," LaCroix said. "Admittedly, he would have made an initial surge across our revenue streams, especially ticket sales and merchandise. But it’s not just about one player."

For about a month this summer, it seemed like it was for some fans.

Before school let out for Brustuen in June, he bet a colleague $1 that Favre would end up in purple. On the last day of school in June, the co-worker told him that he would have to find his address to send that dollar Brustuen’s way.

"Now I have to find him," Brustuen said with a chuckle. "Grand total I invested $46 in Favre. And he hosed me."

Join the club.

When Favre’s 16-year love affair with the Green Bay Packers ended with a trade to the New York Jets before last season, both sides wound up bitter.

Maybe those wounds will start to heal now after Packer fans watched their former hero hold their biggest rivals hostage for half the summer before leaving them at the altar two days before training camp started.

Joining the Vikings would have been perceived as an act of treason of the highest order in Packerland, where bashing a man once was viewed as the state’s biggest icon has become common sport.

Just last weekend, a sports apparel store at a mall in Brookfield, Wis., had two T-shirts hanging at its entrance. One had a picture of Favre with the state of Wisconsin as its backdrop and the words "We’ll never forget you Brent."

Another had a picture of Favre wearing a purple No. 4 shirt and sitting in a highchair with tears coming down his face and "I wanna play!" written across the top.

Now, for the first time in his 31 years on this planet, Brustuen might have found some common ground with Packer fans.

"I’m kind of frustrated," he said. "We were led on this long chase all summer long and then he left us. I just wish he was coming."

-- Jon Krawczynski

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

Spagnuolo schedules heavy hitting for Rams

ST. LOUIS — Right away, Steve Spagnuolo set a hard-nosed tone. Rather than ease players into training camp, the St. Louis Rams coach had about 30 plays of tackling on the first day of two-a-days.

Since the franchise moved from the West Coast in 1995, there’s seldom been any of that aside from the occasional scrimmage. The Rams’ new coach comes from a different background as an assistant with the Giants and Eagles, both of which did not shy away from hitting, and said it was important to get an early gauge.

"It’s a whole new staff and a lot of unknowns," Spagnuolo said. "Really, the only way to find out is to put them in those kind of situations."

There was no complaining from the players, even if they had another practice just a few hours away. Advance notice helped them prepare, too.

"One thing about Spags, he’s going to tell you everything that he’s got going on," cornerback Ron Bartell said. "He told us we were going to do some live drills and guys are not afraid of it.

"That’s what we get paid to do, tackle."

With enthusiasm, too. The new regime headed by Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney has players eager to turn the page from the past two seasons in which they totaled five wins, and optimistic about their chances for a turnaround.

"It’s a new feel around here. I don’t know if you guys can tell," he said to reporters, "but for us as players, we definitely feel it. I think guys are welcoming the challenge.

"He said camp is going to be tough, and we’re ready."

The Rams have more than a dozen two-a-days scheduled, and will be in pads for the morning workouts on most days. The afternoons figure to be lighter workouts.

"It’s not going to be one of those things that just feels absolutely great, but it’s needed," linebacker Chris Draft said. "We have to get in better condition."

No one was exempt. Running back Steven Jackson absorbed his share of blows.

"It’s not ‘live, but hey, exceptions,"’ Draft said. "Everybody has to get hit, we have to get ready, too. We have our chance to get out here, run to the ball, everybody be able to tackle and it doesn’t matter who has it."

Spagnuolo wasn’t overly tough on his players, though, ending a scheduled two-hour workout about 15 minutes early. He built in extra time to repeat plays in case of mistakes but didn’t need it, although he noted coaches aren’t using much of the playbook yet.

"We don’t have a lot of volume in yet, so I’m going to kind of hedge on that one," Spagnuolo said. "But it’s impressive in the first day they were able to do that."

Unseasonably mild weather, with temperatures in the low 80s and dropping to 73 after early afternoon showers, undoubtedly aided production.

"Somebody’s taking care of us right now," Draft said. "I really appreciate it, too. It’s beautiful out there."

-- R.B. Fallstrom

Singletary focuses the 49ers on the fundamentals

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mike Singletary’s old-school, focus-on-the-fundamentals approach to football showed up all over San Francisco’s practice field on the first day of training camp.

The intense, no-nonsense 49ers coach stayed in the middle of the action at all times, his little black journal and pen in hand as he surveyed the scene and stopped players to offer instruction. He leaned over, hands on knees, and at one point jumped in the huddle to talk to quarterback Alex Smith between snaps.

Singletary got after players when he thought they were lagging and — surprisingly — even told them to tone it down when he thought they were going a little too hard in a hitting drill for the opening practice.

The 49ers were in pads from the start, just as promised.

"We still have a long way to go," Singletary said following the initial two-hour workout that was open to some 1,500 fans. "I just want to be honest every step of the way, every practice, every drill, everything we do. I just want to make sure there’s not a false sense of security about where we are. Right now we’re not very good, but by the end of it we’ll be where we need to be."

That "nutcracker" hitting drill, as Singletary calls it, was something right tackle Marvel Smith hadn’t done since his college days at Arizona State.

"With the intensity he brings, every practice is going to be like that," said Smith, who made comparisons to Bill Cowher’s camps with the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Every single play he demanded 100 percent. There’s no letdown from beginning to end."

Yes, it’s back to basics in many ways for the 49ers in the Singletary regime.

At the start of his first camp, the most intriguing stories will be whether Shaun Hill or Alex Smith will emerge as starting quarterback, a receiving corps that’s as deep and talented as the club has had this decade, and the timetable for when top draft pick Michael Crabtree will join that group.

The star wideout from Texas Tech still hadn’t signed his contract as of Saturday’s first session.

Singletary acknowledged he doesn’t have time to concern himself with the state of Crabtree’s negotiations.

Smith, who reinjured his surgically repaired right shoulder last season, was booed after throwing a ball out of bounds. He followed with a long completion to Brandon Jones.

"I think it’s outstanding, because Alex has got to learn how to deal with it," Singletary said of the crowd’s reaction. "That’s what they’re here for, that’s what they do. They’re fans."

Singletary has repeatedly said he expects Smith would have to win the job from Hill, who’s 7-3 as a starter over the past two seasons.

Smith understands the fans want to see him at his best.

"You’re kidding yourself if you think you’re not going to hear boos and cheers," he said. "That’s a very real environment."

Hill, who said he believes he’s ultimately going to earn the job, took more snaps with the No. 1 offense, but Singletary also warned about reading too much into that.

"I keep hearing, ‘It’s yours to lose,"’ Hill said. "I’ve been taking the approach it’s mine to take."

Singletary, beginning his first full season as head coach after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan last October, is overhauling the 49ers’ offense with a philosophy heavily committed to the running game. San Francisco went 7-9 last season and scored only 339 points.

He’s not ready to choose a favorite in the QB race.

"The way we functioned today, there are too many other things that are wrong," Singletary said. "Before you can evaluate the quarterback, you’ve got to make sure it’s the quarterback that’s the issue. Today, there were just too many other things that were wrong, and it makes it difficult to evaluate the quarterback when so many other things are wrong. ...

"It doesn’t matter where he is today. I want to find the guy who can lead this team, and right now I’m not seeing that guy."

By the end of the grueling first practice, linebackers Patrick Willis and Manny Lawson sat in neighboring outdoor ice tubs, smiles still on their faces. For Singletary, that had to be a positive sign.

NOTES: DT Ricky Jean-Francois contracted a staph infection in Miami and was diagnosed upon reporting to team headquarters. He is being treated and won’t take the field until the Niners feel he is fully recovered. ... LB Parys Haralson hurt his right hip flexor in the morning practice and was to be evaluated. ... FB Moran Norris received an excused absence for personal reasons. ... The Niners will hold another practice open to the public Aug. 8.

-- Janie McCauley

Seahawks on the run without Holmgren

RENTON, Wash. — The motto for this all-new Seahawks training camp — and season — echoes off the walls of the team’s opulent headquarters. It bounces off the ripples in Lake Washington that lap up to the edge of the practice fields.

New offensive coordinator Greg Knapp yells it incessantly, and loudly, drowning out the blaring music and catcalls coming from tipsy fans watching practices on boats anchored just offshore: "One cut and GO!"

The words define Knapp’s quick-hitting running game behind a zone blocking scheme, already seared into the heads of Seahawks running backs just two days into camp. It’s replacing exiled coach Mike Holmgren’s analytical, pass-first offenses that ruled the last 10 years in Seattle.

"Oh, all day. All day," lead back Julius Jones said Saturday, when asked how often he hears Knapp’s siren call. "When I wake up in the morning, and before I go to bed.

"He’s very passionate about this scheme, and he does a really good job with it."

Yes, he does.

Knapp’s offenses have finished in the top 10 in the league in rushing all eight seasons he’s been a coordinator. That includes from 2004-06, when he was in Atlanta under new Seahawks coach Jim Mora, and the running of Warrick Dunn, Michael Vick and T.J. Duckett led the Falcons to the NFC championship game. And last season in Oakland, when Justin Fargas and rookies Darren McFadden and Michael Bush each ran for at least 400 yards on a team that finished 5-11.

Now, Knapp’s command is reviving the Seahawks, who flopped to 4-12 last season to end their four-year reign in the NFC West. Seattle will also have a triumvirate answering Knapp’s call Jones, Duckett and Justin Forsett, a slithery second-year flash from California.

"It fits perfectly with my style of running," Jones said. "I’ve dropped a lot of weight in order to be quick and fast and make this one cut and get downhill."

The 5-foot-10 Jones said he’s lost about 10 pounds, down to 212. The last time he was so light?

"My rookie year," he said. "I had a decent year that year, so maybe this will work."

Seattle hopes so. In 2004, Jones was a second-round draft pick of Dallas out of Notre Dame. He missed eight games with injuries yet finished with 819 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, both totals leading NFL rookies that year.

He arrived in Seattle last year feeling snubbed by the Cowboys, who dumped him as their featured back in favor of Marion Barber. Then last season Holmgren benched Jones for fumbling and being ineffective behind an injury-depleted offensive line. He started 10 games, ran for 698 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

This is another opportunity for vindication.

"I’m always looking to prove myself in this league," he said. "This is a new coaching staff, so obviously I have something to prove to them. But I’m always out to prove that I’m definitely one of the better backs in the league.

"I think every back should do that. If not, they should shut it down."

Mora said Jones is the lead back, but that Duckett and Forsett will also get opportunities behind fullbacks Owen Schmitt and Justin Griffith, another former Falcon.

"We told him, ‘The ball is yours right now, so take it and run,"’ Mora said of Jones. "I think he relishes in that. I think that’s what any running back wants to be told."

Jones agrees.

"I feel comfortable, a lot more comfortable than I did last year," he said. "The atmosphere — everything just feels better."

Duckett said the offense is very similar to the one Knapp ran in Atlanta, down to the play calls. That makes him more comfortable than he was last season, when Holmgren used him mainly as a battering ram on short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Now, that ram has wings.

"Instead of picking a whole or bouncing it out, it’s just — GO!" he said.

The bullish, 254-pound Duckett likes that.

"Anytime my momentum is going forward, that’s a good thing," he said, smiling.

Jones and Forsett have never had a coach emphasize hitting the hole so quickly. Nor have they heard a coach yell another pet phrase as often as Knapp does, one that means bulling pell-mell into a stacked up pile of bodies, whether the hole’s there or not.

"We’re going to be a balanced offense," said Forsett, who ran behind zone blocking at Cal. "It’s exciting. Everybody is pumped up, ready to go."

This doesn’t mean quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is taking his ball and going home while the Seahawks run amok this season. The three-time Pro Bowler is a more polished and accomplished thrower than Vick was for Mora in Atlanta.

That has Seattle’s new coach feeling this offense has the potential to be dynamic, even if most outside team headquarters think the running game lacks a star.

"I know there’s a lot of concern about our running back position," Mora said. "I feel good about it because I believe that the players we have fit the system we’re going to run.

"I hope I’m proven right and not wrong, but we’ll see."

-- Gregg Bell

Saints hope they’re getting better with age

METAIRIE, La. — Drew Brees turned 30 this year, still in his prime, but old enough to start pondering how much time is really left for him to win it all.

"When I look at our team, we’ve made some great moves in free agency and that kind of thing, but we’re a very veteran team, so we’re definitely not getting any younger," Brees said.

The Saints opened training camp with one of the older rosters in the NFL, with 19 players in their 30s and an average age of just under 27. Their oldest player is second-string quarterback Mark Brunell, who’s 38, followed by their new long-snapper, 37-year-old Jason Kyle.

One of New Orleans’ most significant moves in free agency was to bring in projected starting safety Darren Sharper, who at 33 is entering his 13th season.

"There’s definitely an urgency this year," Sharper said. "When you get up in age a little bit, past 30, you don’t know how many more years you’re going to play, and then it’s so hard just to get to the level of only getting to the playoffs. ... So each chance you get to be on a good team that you know has a chance to make it, you want to do everything you possibly can to get there."

Brees’ final two seasons in his 20s were two of his best, but the Saints fell short of the playoffs both years.

In 2008, his 5,069 yards passing made him the only quarterback other than Dan Marino (5,084 yards in 1984) to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season. Yet the Saints finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. In 2007, Brees’ 4,423 yards passing ranked second in the NFL, but the Saints were 7-9.

Every NFL team covets the kind of quarterback play Brees has given the Saints. No team wants to waste it.

"This is definitely a window of opportunity for us and no longer can you say, like most young people do, ‘There’s always next year,"’ Brees said. "There might not be next year, so it’s all about the here and now."

The Saints don’t necessarily lack young players in starring roles. Running back Reggie Bush is 24 and receiver Marques Colston 26. Yet New Orleans sees a potential advantage in having a number of key players in their 30s.

The Saints were competitive and not far off from being a playoff team last season, given that five of their eight losses came by three or fewer points. They figured bringing in a few more veterans such as Sharper, or versatile, 30-year-old fullback Heath Evans, could establish the level of maturity, experience and leadership needed to make the difference in close games.

"Experience will beat speed and youth every single day of the week," Evans said after practice on Saturday, the second day of full practices at Saints training camp.

"I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think this team had the experience that it needed to win. I love hearing there are that many guys over 30 because it means you’ve got a lot of war wounds, a lot of knowledge, and that’s really what it takes to win in this league, experience and knowledge."

Evans spent the past four seasons with veteran-filled New England, a stint that included the Patriots’ 18-1 season in 2007 that ended with a close Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

Having come so close to winning what would have been his first and only title in his nine NFL seasons, Evans likes to think he’s learned some valuable lessons that could help in New Orleans.

"I’ve got that bitter taste in my mouth that we’ve got to get out," he said. "I saw myself as a piece of the puzzle and maybe a piece that pushes us over the hump."

Similarly, the Saints’ coaching staff looked at Sharper, with his 54 interceptions, as a potential defensive leader whose difficult-to-teach knack for creating turnovers could compensate for the steps he’s lost with age.

"He’s in the books as being able to make plays on the ball and that’s why he’s here," defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. "I have to help keep him fresh, but the instincts and the ability to make plays on the ball, that’s Darren Sharper."

"I like those guys," Williams added, alluding to the Saints’ most seasoned veterans. "Young guys drive me nuts."

-- Brett Martel

Bush sits out fourth practice of Saints camp

METAIRIE, La. — Reggie Bush missed his first practice of training camp, but Saints coach Sean Payton said the star running back was just resting and did not appear to have any problems with his surgically repaired left knee.

Payton said the Saints planned all along to give Bush intermittent rests during two-a-day practices "just to keep the knee from getting aggravated, so he’s doing fine."

The Saturday evening practice Bush missed was the fourth practice held in the two days since Saints training camp opened Friday morning. Payton said Bush was expected back at practice Sunday afternoon.

Bush had surgery in December to repair cartilage in his left knee. On Friday, he characterized the health of the knee as "99.5 percent."

"I’m still staying on top of it like it was the first day being injured," Bush said.

Bush did not appear limited in the Saints’ first three practices, during which he worked as both a running back and punt returner, though he did slip and fall on his back while practicing punt returns late in Saturday morning’s practice.

Payton says Bush has not had any swelling in the knee.

"It’s really kind of one of the things we wanted to do with him just to keep that from coming up," Payton said.

Also missing practice were defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy with back spasms and receiver Adrian Arrington with a nagging left hamstring injury.

Bush stood off to the side wearing his jersey, but no pads, and shorts while watching an eventful practice that involved several skirmishes during 11-on-11 drills.

One involved reserve safety Chris Reis and reserve offensive tackle Zach Strief, who were quickly separated by teammates. A few plays later, a melee involving several players erupted after rookie safety Chip Vaughn aggressively tried to strip the ball from Paris Warren following a short pass. Cornerback Leigh Torrence and offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod also were involved as a small pile formed.

Payton said he wants his players to be smart enough to avoid needlessly hurting themselves in practice, but the coach seemed willing to tolerate the latest brief scuffles, which players quickly brought under control.

"I like the competitive nature of the way we’re practicing," Payton said. "We just want them to be careful and not do something stupid."

-- Brett Martel

Peppers boosts Panthers, and gives them less depth

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Thanks to Julius Peppers changing his mind, the Carolina Panthers return all but one starter from last season’s 12-4 team.

Thanks to Peppers’ fat contract, they’ll spend much of training camp trying to find suitable, cheap backups on both sides of the ball.

Peppers is expected to show up for the start of training camp here Sunday, ending a bizarre offseason that included his pleas to play elsewhere. The Panthers didn’t blink, placed the franchise tag on him and waited him out as he skipped offseason workouts.

Peppers eventually relented and signed with Carolina, but it came at a big cost. Handcuffed by his one-year, $16.7 million deal that takes up nearly 15 percent of the salary cap, the Panthers were the only NFL team this offseason not to sign a veteran free agent from another team.

They watched helplessly as key offensive line backups Geoff Hangartner and Frank Omiyale left in free agency, while Jeremy Bridges was released to free cap space.

They didn’t re-sign defensive tackle Darwin Walker and failed to bring in a veteran to shore up that position. They didn’t sign a receiver to replace the disappointing D.J. Hackett, who was let go. They couldn’t even find the cap space to re-sign long-snapper Jason Kyle.

So while released cornerback Ken Lucas is the only starter missing from last year’s team that won the NFC South, there are still numerous concerns ahead of three weeks of workouts in the searing heat at Wofford College.

"We’ve got a lot of questions just like everybody else in the league," coach John Fox said.

Not seven months after a shocking 33-13 home playoff loss to Arizona, the Panthers will place heavy loads on rookies and untested veterans.

As Peppers tries to overcome his missed offseason workouts and quickly learn new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks’ scheme, new defensive line coach Brian Baker must find rotation players at defensive tackle behind starters Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis.

With Walker gone, the Panthers will turn to third-round pick Corvey Irvin and Nick Hayden, a 2008 sixth-round choice who struggled mightily late last season when Kemoeatu and Lewis were hurt.

Undrafted rookies Marlon Favorite and Lonnie Harvey are behind them.

The offensive line also lacks depth. While all five starters return from the unit that helped DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart run wild last season, Hangartner, Bridges and Omiyale played important roles. All three filled in when each starter got hurt at some point last season.

Now they’ll depend on players with minuscule experience. Mackenzy Bernadeau didn’t get into a game as a rookie last season, Geoff Schwartz spent his rookie year on the practice squad, and Duke Robinson is a rookie fifth-round pick.

"As it sits now we can’t really afford to get anybody hurt," left tackle Jordan Gross said after an offseason workout in June. "Not saying anything bad against our backups but that is really just so unknown. There is no established backup right now."

At receiver, the Panthers have one of the game’s best in Steve Smith. But they’re depending again on 36-year-old Muhsin Muhammad, who easily beat out Hackett last year for the other starting job.

Hackett was so ineffective he was released, making it a critical year for Dwayne Jarrett to finally grab the No. 3 job.

The former Southern California star has struggled in his first two pro seasons, but is clearly ahead of Ryne Robinson, Jason Carter and Kenneth Moore, one of whom could replace the departed Mark Jones as kick returner.

"I have high hopes for him," quarterback Jake Delhomme said of Jarrett. "If I didn’t have high hopes for him I wouldn’t be hard on him."

The long-snapper position shows how strapped the Panthers are as they make Peppers the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player this season.

Kyle never botched a snap in eight seasons with the Panthers, but Carolina went for a cheaper alternative by sending a conditional seventh-round pick to Green Bay for J.J. Jansen. He’s never snapped in an NFL game after spending his rookie season in 2008 on injured reserve.

Jansen’s competition will be undrafted rookie Nick Sundberg.

Much of the focus early in camp will be on how Peppers responds to being back where he said he had "maxed out." But avoiding injury and finding capable backups might be just as important if the Panthers expect to survive a difficult schedule and defend their NFC South crown.

-- Mike Cranston

Falcons’ Pro Bowl WR White no-show at camp

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith hardly seemed irritated that Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White skipped the first two sessions of training camp Saturday in a contract holdout.

"No, it’s not a distraction, and I want to state that I’m not angry," Smith said Saturday. "How can you be angry when it’s the first day of training camp and the first day of the 2009 season? This is my favorite day of the year."

With six weeks before they open the regular season against Miami, the two sides have plenty of time to reach an agreement. The Falcons’ first preseason game is Aug. 15 at Detroit.

White, who did not answer phone calls The Associated Press made to his home, is coming off a career-best season after helping Atlanta earn a surprising wild-card playoff spot with an 11-5 record. He has been seeking a multiyear deal.

Drafted 27th overall out of UAB in 2005, White held out six days as a rookie before signing a deal that pays $2.5 million this season. Without a new contract, White will become an unrestricted free agent in February.

During minicamp in late May, White was optimistic the team would recognize the value he brought as the first receiver in franchise history with consecutive 1,200-yard seasons.

"Yeah, I hope they do what’s right in my eyes," he said. "I feel like I’ve shown the Falcons a lot of what I can do. I also know I’m only going to keep getting better."

Quarterback Matt Ryan, last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, developed an immediate rapport on the field with White, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection with 88 catches for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns.

"You’d like everybody to be here, and I certainly would," Ryan said. "Roddy’s a big part of this team, but we’re hopeful that they’ll get it done soon, and he’ll be out here working with us."

General manager Thomas Dimitroff offered no timetable for how long it could take before White reports to camp.

"No updates at this point," Dimitroff said. "I’m confident things are going to get done and they’re going to work in the best interests of the club and Roddy. I truly believe it’s not something that’s going to be contentious. It’s about two parties working together in a fair and firm fashion. I think that’s very important."

White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, had no comment when told that Dimitroff seemed optimistic about the situation.

Without White in camp, Michael Jenkins worked mostly as the No. 1 wideout with the first-team offense, though he shared snaps with Brian Finneran and Harry Douglas.

Jenkins was in the final year of his contract last season when Atlanta offered a new four-year deal worth approximately $20 million. Though he knows White likely will command more, Jenkins believes his teammate could help his cause by reporting to camp instead of holding out.

"I was just focused on playing football," said Jenkins, the 29th overall draft pick in 2004. "My agent and the guys upstairs handled that. I knew as long as I played football, things would get done. We all want Roddy here as soon as possible, but they’re going to handle that. You just got to worry about playing football and getting better."

-- George Henry

Fans embrace Rodgers as Packers open camp practice

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is entering his second season as a starter more comfortable, more confident and fully embraced by the fans.

Other than one teenager wearing a No. 4 New York Jets jersey, fans who showed up to watch the Green Bay Packers’ first day of practice Saturday seemed solidly behind Rodgers. Last year, Brett Favre’s unretirement saga split fan loyalties between the team’s once and future leaders.

"I think Aaron proved himself for the fans to be able to stand behind him and give that support," running back Ryan Grant said. "But it’s always nice. We rally around that support. Fans don’t know how important that is."

After a somewhat rocky reception last year, Rodgers now feels like he has earned fans’ support.

"I felt pretty embraced last year," Rodgers said. "I think the response at the end of the season was great. But definitely, the fans are very supportive. And in Green Bay it’s a first-name basis, so they call you Aaron, they want to talk to you about football and they love it. This place is like no other place in the country to play football in."

With Favre squabbling with the Packers’ front office over his last-minute desire to unretire at the beginning of last year’s training camp, Rodgers was left in the unenviable position of trying to prepare for his first season as a starter with fans chanting "Bring Brett back" during practice.

"As professionals, we’ve got to deal with distractions," Rodgers said. "So obviously last year, there was a distraction that we had to deal with. ... It is definitely a little more relaxed this year."

Rodgers went on to complete 63.6 percent of his passes for 4,038 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, playing through a painful shoulder injury for a significant portion of the 2008 season.

But the team went a disappointing 6-10. Now the Favre retirement circus has long since left town, and the Packers aren’t getting much national attention.

"We don’t have a problem with that at all," Grant said. "I think over the past couple years, we’ve had enough to (last) us for a while. We’ll take ‘underneath the radar,’ and just focus on the football aspect."

Wide receiver Donald Driver, one of Favre’s few close friends still playing for the Packers, sent Favre a text message after he decided to remain retired instead of joining the division rival Minnesota Vikings this season.

Asked what the future holds for Favre, Driver joked that it might involve "chasing raccoons and killing squirrels," given Favre’s affinity for hunting.

Still, Driver wasn’t willing to completely rule out the possibility of a Favre comeback.

"I don’t know," Driver said. "We’ve all got to sit back and wait. I’m not going to say he’s going to come back, (or) he’s going to retire. Right now, I know he’s done, and I wish the best for him."

Favre’s future aside, his successor in Green Bay appears to have solidly established himself as a leader.

"He’s the general of this team, and we’re going to go as far as he goes," Grant said. "And the confidence that he has is second to none."

-- Chris Jenkins

Buccaneers’ ‘Cadillac’ ready to roll after injury

TAMPA, Fla. — Carnell "Cadillac" Williams took the handoff and eagerly headed into a cluster of defenders.

"I was looking for contact," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back said Saturday. "It was cool to be out here getting knocked around."

A little more than seven months after suffering his second major knee injury in just over a year, Williams not only was back on the field but participated in full-speed drills during the opening practice of training camp.

Williams was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005, when he became the first player in league history to begin his career with three consecutive 100-yard games. Since then, his production has been limited because of injuries.

He began 2008 on the physically unable to perform list after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee against the Carolina Panthers in September 2007.

Six games into his comeback following a lengthy rehabilitation, the 27-year-old tore the patellar tendon in his left knee when he was tackled at the end of a 28-yard run during a season-ending loss to the Oakland Raiders.

"That Oakland game, I really felt things coming on. I was back in that comfort zone," said Williams, who led the Bucs with four rushing touchdowns despite starting just one game — against the Raiders — last season.

"Coming back, everything was fast to me. The game was slowing down (against Oakland), I could see cuts before I would make them," he added. "I was back."

In a departure from the past seven seasons under Jon Gruden, the Bucs opened training camp with a practice in pads under new coach Raheem Morris.

Williams was not surprised he was able to participate without limitations because the latest injury was not considered as severe as the first.

In 2007, the patellar tendon in his right knee was ruptured. In his left knee, the tendon pulled away from the bone, making it simpler to repair and requiring less recovery time.

"My whole mind set was this one wasn’t as severe, so I knew I’d be good once I got going," he said. "I feel better than ever. My mind is clear. I’m good. I’m back. ... Again."

Williams is also facing stiff competition for playing time, maybe even his job.

The Bucs signed Derrick Ward, a 1,000-yard rusher with the New York Giants in 2008, in free agency. Earnest Graham led Tampa Bay in rushing the past two seasons, and second-year pro Clifton Smith, a Pro Bowl kick returner as a rookie, also is in the mix.

After rushing for 1,178 yards and six TDs as a rookie, Williams has gained 1,239 yards with eight TDs in the past three seasons. He welcomes the challenge earning a spot in a potentially crowded backfield.

"We’re going to be a physical team. We’re going to run the football and get after people. I’m excited to see how things turn out," Williams said.

Under Gruden, the Bucs normally used the first two of three days of training camp to get acclimated to the heat before donning pads.

Morris has promised more practices in pads in hopes of building a team that’s tougher and less susceptible to late-season collapses like the one that cost Gruden his job in January.

After a 9-3 start, the Bucs dropped their last four games to miss the playoffs.

"I just believe pads are going to be our winning edge. There’s no other place like Tampa that you’ve got to come play at one o’clock in the afternoon and try to win," Morris said.

"A lot of people look at it as a negative that we don’t have any night games. I looked at (the schedule) and said we’ve got one o’clock games, people are going to come down here and get tortured. It’s going to be hot, and we’re going to be used to it. We’re going to embrace it."

-- Fred Goodall

Detroit QBs hope for friendly competition

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Duante Culpepper knows he’s in only a short-term battle with Matthew Stafford for the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback job but insists he isn’t worried about anything beyond this season.

Detroit took Stafford with the top overall draft pick in April. Since then, it’s been clear that he, not the 32-year-old Culpepper, is Detroit’s quarterback of the future.

"I’m not thinking about anything beyond 2009 right now," Culpepper, who joined the Lions midway through the first 0-16 season in NFL history, said Saturday after the team’s first training-camp practice. "I’m focused on helping this team win some games."

Unlike last year, Culpepper spent the entire offseason as part of Detroit’s program.

"That’s a huge benefit when it comes to competition," he said. "Last year, it was like I was running a race where everyone had a head start. This year, I’m starting even."

While Culpepper unquestionably wants to be Detroit’s starter, that doesn’t mean he intends to be the competition with Stafford to be unfriendly.

"You want that level of competition. When you have guys competing like we are, that’s when everyone is going to get better and that’s where wins come from," he said. "Matt’s a guy that wants to be good and wants to work hard, so we get along. That is how it has been since the day we met. We’re going to push each other to get better."

Stafford said he feels the same way and that he has already learned a lot from his veteran teammate.

"We’ve had a bunch of practices together, and we’re both pulling for the same thing: for this team to win," he said. "It’s fun getting better. He’s told me a lot of things about how he’s gotten better over the years. I can’t run like he does, but we’ve got similar arm strength, so I can learn from his experiences."

While Culpepper has been through numerous NFL training camps, Saturday was Stafford’s first official practice.

"It’s exciting, because now football season is right around the corner," he said. "In two weeks, we’re going to be at Ford Field, playing our first preseason game."

NOTES: The Lions didn’t wear pads for Saturday afternoon’s opening workout. "We need to work our way back into things," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "When you haven’t had any hitting for a month, and haven’t had any real hitting all year, there’s no sense jumping into it on the first day. We’ll get into shoulder pads, and then go from that to full pads." ... Three players — OT Ephraim Salaam, DT Sammie Hill and WR Demir Boldin — failed Saturday morning’s conditioning test and were held out of practice. "That’s disappointing, because they passed when they left here a month ago," Schwartz said. ... WR Bryant Johnson was placed on the non-football-injury list because of lingering problems after a July golf-cart accident. DT Grady Jackson was placed on the non-football-illness list for an undisclosed problem, but Schwartz said he has recovered well from knee surgery.

Chicago Bears see need to seize the moment

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris understands the fleeting nature of the NFL.

"I feel like we don’t have that much time," Harris said during Chicago’s training camp on Saturday. "This is our time to really do it."

Chicago’s defense has seven starters who have been together since Lovie Smith became head coach in 2004, but the defense has struggled to 28th and 21st rankings since ranking fifth when they went to Super Bowl XLI as NFC champions.

"It’s rare that you have this many guys together for a long time, so you’ve got to get it done," Harris said.

The Bears defense was young and at its peak in 2005-06. Now, players see a need to seize the moment.

"This team is not the same team as last year, so you don’t know who’s going to be here, you don’t know who’s going to get hurt," defensive end Alex Brown said. "When you’ve got everybody there, make the most of it.

"I don’t think that’s just for this season. That’s for every season."

Linebacker Brian Urlacher, who enters his 10th season, is coming off his worst year in tackles per game at 6.6. But now he’s healthy and says this year is different.

"I just was able to train this year," Urlacher said. "Last year (before the season), I had the neck surgery. I was trying to get ready for the season and rehabbing that and get ready.

"But now I was just able to train hard and lift weights and do things I normally have done throughout my career."

Another key for Chicago is Harris. When completely healthy, he pressured quarterbacks and took up double teams from blockers along the line to make it possible for other defensive linemen to get sacks. After knee and hamstring problems, he’s starting this season strong.

"Tommie can be the best lineman in the game, and he’s healthy right now," Smith said. "He’s excited to play at that level."

But other members of the Bears defense aren’t so healthy.

Safety Danieal Manning returned to practice Saturday after missing two practices with calf and hamstring soreness. And Charles Tillman remains sidelined until late in training camp after two offseason surgeries.

"Just so long as we have (Tillman) there during the season," Harris said.

Players expressed optimism over Smith’s ability to call game day schemes and believe the addition of former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli as defensive line coach will fuel a turnaround.

"Marinelli, obviously is one of the great football minds I’ve been around," Urlacher said. "He’s got the D-linemen fired up.

"He’s got our whole team fired up, to tell you the truth."

NOTES: Cornerback Zack Bowman made the first interception of camp off Jay Cutler in scrimmage Saturday night, and shortly afterward Brian Urlacher picked him off as well. ... A record crowd of 10,000 turned out for the night practice at Olivet Nazarene University.