NFL Training Camp Capsules - NFC: Bears' Hester focusing on receiving

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester is a changed man.

After voicing frustration last season with his inability to break punt or kickoff return touchdowns while learning to be a wide receiver, Hester this year has accepted a slimmed down special teams responsibility. He’s going to focus on being a better receiver.

He’s a more serious player overall and he’s even given up the sports car he used to drive.

"I had to get rid of that — getting a little older," said the 26-year-old Hester. "That was more for younger guys. I moved on to something a little simpler."

It’s that way for Hester on the field, as well.

Last year, he gradually learned the receiving game and finished with 51 catches. Eventually Danieal Manning replaced him returning kickoffs the last four games and has gone on to post the highest career kick return average among active NFL players with at least 40 returns (28.8 yards per return).

"I’m not doing any kickoff returns this year — none," Hester said Friday. "That’s going to be all Danieal."

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub hasn’t discounted Hester in a complete emergency on kickoffs, but Rashied Davis, Garrett Wolfe and rookie Johnny Knox have practiced returning kicks behind Manning.

Hester electrified the NFL with 11 kick and punt returns for touchdowns in 2006-07 to draw within two of Brian Mitchell’s career record, but that was before he played much receiver.

Toub doesn’t want Hester shouldering all the blame for last year’s struggles. The Bears’ return units last year had a large turnover in blockers and special teams as a whole dropped from a top NFL ranking for two straight years to eighth overall.

"You’re going to get turnaround all the time, but there are a lot of guys who are coming back for the second time (this year)," Toub said. With blocking expected to improve, Toub thinks that even with full-time receiver duty Hester can average 10 yards per punt return.

Hester averaged 12.8 yards on punt returns in 2006, 15.5 in 2007, but only 6.9 last year.

"Those (2006-07) were unbelievable years," Toub said. "We had two great years where that was all he was doing. We’re asking him to do a lot more (for the offense).

"If he could just get the ball and get 10 yards, then anything after that is a bonus. That’s all I’m asking for. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be averaging over 10 yards per return. Last year he was 6.9 and he’s not happy with that, we’re not happy with that."

Added Hester: "If you’re getting 10 yards a return you’re breaking a few in there. That’s a goal."

Both Bears return men are starters — Manning is in the defensive secondary — yet coach Lovie Smith thinks handling one special teams chore shouldn’t prove taxing.

"Both players feel comfortable doing that, both players want to do that," Smith said. "And in order for us to win, we need them to do that. We’ll start from there, we’ll always have backups that we feel pretty good about. We have some other guys who can do both."

The bigger issue might be Hester clicking as a receiver with new quarterback Jay Cutler. Hester’s speed is always apparent, but in recent practices he has shown a better ability to run underneath routes or cross the middle.

Hester calls 2009 a fresh start.

"At the end of the day I want to be a complete receiver," he said. "And at the end of the season, for all the critics saying I’m maybe a third receiver or something like that, I want them (to say), ‘Yeah, he is capable of being a No. 1 receiver."’

Jackson still limping in practice

MANKATO, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has worked hard to return to practice quickly after missing some time with a left knee injury to ensure he doesn’t fall behind in the competition for the starting job.

On Friday night under the lights, Jackson said he may have tried to do a little too much. He came up gimpy after planting in the pocket and limped around for several minutes before returning to action.

Jackson said afterward that he is still working the kinks out from a sprained MCL in his left knee that he suffered last weekend.

"I was fine. I guess I just wasn’t ready for that right now," Jackson said after practice. "But it’s fine. It’s not bothering me still. It was awkward for me. I think it was just some scar tissue."

Jackson is in a competition with Sage Rosenfels for the starting job. The players split snaps with the first team during two practices on Friday. Jackson was first injured on Aug. 1 and missed three days of practice while working his way back. He has moved around well the last few days, but said he "felt something very uncomfortable" during the sequence on Friday night.

"I just felt something pop for a quick second," Jackson said. "But after I walked to the sideline it was pretty much OK. It’s fine."

Coach Brad Childress said on Thursday that the passing game had much to improve upon as training camp wears on. There were more struggles in the evening practice on Friday night, but Childress said that was because they were practicing third-and-long scenarios, a difficult position for the offense to be in.

Childress said he wasn’t ready to "slap a grade on" the quarterback competition one week into training camp.

"Obviously (Jackson) has missed time, so it wouldn’t be fair to sit there and say, ‘This guy’s ahead by virtue he had five more practices,"’ Childress said. "It’s a good competition. It’s all headed toward cumulative work here during practice and then I want to watch them compete with the lights on."

Rosenfels looked sluggish in the early going, but appears to have grown more and more comfortable with the offense and his receivers in the last few practices. Childress said that it is a natural progression for a player who was acquired in a trade with the Texans in the offseason.

"Obviously more understanding. He gets it. I don’t think he’s having to think quite as much," Childress said. "But yeah, he’s moving along. All three of those guys are moving along. We’ll see how far along here in about a week."

The Vikings open the preseason on Friday against Indianapolis. Jackson and Rosenfels figure to get plenty of playing time in the exhibition games as the fight continues.

-- Jon Krawczynski

Lions DE Avril revved up for season

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril ended his rookie season on a high note and feels even better a week into his second training camp.

"Last season I was pretty much worried about learning the plays and technique," he said Friday. "I feel like it’s more about polishing up things now."

Avril finished last season with five sacks — tops among NFL rookie ends — and started the final four games. The Lions will be hoping for more as they look to erase memories of last season’s 0-16 finish, the worst in NFL history.

The arrival of new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham bodes well for Avril and the rest of the ends. Cunningham favors a scheme that incorporates a variety of blitzes, which could open greater opportunities for the team’s edge rushers. Dewayne White started on the right side last season and finished with 6½ of Detroit’s 30 sacks.

The coordinator wouldn’t single any of his linemen out, but said he was impressed.

"They’re all working really hard," he said. "They’re showing a lot more toughness than I saw on tape."

Veteran Jared DeVries and third-year pro Ikaika Alama-Francis, who moved into the end rotation last season, add depth on the wings.

The additions of run-plugging tackles Grady Jackson and Chuck Darby should allow the ends to focus on getting to the quarterback. Jackson, a 12-year veteran who arrived in free agency, has gradually returned to practice after missing the first few days of camp. Andre Fluellen should see more time in his second season and rookie Sammie Hill will get a shot in the middle.

The Lions play their first preseason game Aug. 15 against visiting Atlanta.

Notes: Backup OT Damion Cook will have season-ending surgery to repair a triceps injury, coach Jim Schwartz said. He started four of the seven games he played in last season. ... Several players missed practice with assorted minor injuries, but only CB Keith Smith (groin) and TE Casey FitzSimmons (ankle, knee) will miss significant time, Schwartz said. ... The team signed free agent WR Bobby Sippio, who spent parts of the last two seasons with Kansas City. ... Saturday’s session will be open to the public at Ford Field. Lions players will sign autographs at noon and take the field an hour later.

Eagles recall Johnson’s last days on the sideline

PHILADELPHIA — Confined to a scooter because the cancer in his spine made it too difficult to walk or stand, Jim Johnson rode around the practice field with that same watchful eye instructing his players like nothing was wrong.

The camaraderie of being with the players, putting together a defense — that was the best medicine for Johnson. When he took a break from cancer treatments in May to work the Philadelphia Eagles’ minicamp, he didn’t dwell on his deteriorating health.

Johnson was there to coach.

So he coached.

Those few days were Johnson’s last on a football field. They endure as moments in time his players will never forget.

"He seemed like his same old self," defensive tackle Trevor Laws said. "I’m sure he was putting on a real big face for us, trying to show us he was doing well. He was getting on guys, making jokes. He was yelling, ‘Everybody behind the cart,’ and making us laugh. I thought he was going to be all right. He hid it."

Johnson drove that red, motorized cart around like someone who simply had a broken leg.

If a rookie made a mistake, he let him know.

When a veteran player was out of position, he chewed him out.

"He was the same Jim, the same focus," safety Quintin Mikell said. "He could see where everybody was. He could see all the mistakes. Mentally, he was sharp. He was getting on guys, same way as he always does. The only difference was he was in the cart.

"Jim was always a guy about his football. You never really got the sense it was as bad as it was. You can tell he didn’t want it to be about him and he wanted us to focus on football."

Johnson missed the rest of the team’s offseason practices, and assistant Sean McDermott — with his mentor’s blessing — was promoted to defensive coordinator two days before training camp opened.

On July 28, the day before veterans were due to report to camp, Johnson lost his six-month battle with cancer at age 68. On Friday, he was honored in a private memorial service at Lincoln Financial Field.

Eagles coach Andy Reid canceled practice so the entire team could be there, joined by players and former players from around the league. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended, as did a number of Johnson’s coaching disciples, including Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh and St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo

Looking back at that minicamp, Eagles players say they now realize how much it must have meant to Johnson to be on the field with them one more time.

"Being around football and being a coach for so long, you have that comfort level doing something you love," Mikell said. "I think being out there made him at ease and made him feel good. I think he enjoyed it and it got his mind off it. It’s unfortunate what happened."

Johnson never complained about his predicament and didn’t want sympathy. When he addressed the media after a practice session on May 2, Johnson downplayed his cancer and referred to it as an "injury." He thanked fans and reporters for their concern, answered some questions about the illness and talked football as usual.

"It’s great," Johnson said about his participation. "It’s a part of my life and it keeps me going. I don’t feel any different coaching. I’m coaching the same way. We’ve got a great bunch of assistants."

Johnson, who was treated for melanoma in 2001, suffered from back pain in January. He coached from the press box in the Eagles’ playoff win over the New York Giants and in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game.

Johnson’s defense was at its best in the 23-11 victory over the Giants that sent the defending Super Bowl champions home. The Eagles swarmed, suffocated and harassed Eli Manning, shutting down New York’s passing game and containing the league’s best rushing attack.

After the game, Reid praised Johnson and took a playful jab at him for sitting in the press box.

"I have the best defensive coordinator in the NFL," Reid said. "The guys believe in him and the things he does. He’s kept it fresh for them. For being almost 100 years old, he’s kept it fresh. If you noticed, he sat in the box. The poor guy, his back is aching."

No one could’ve known then it would be Johnson’s last shining moment in the NFL.

An MRI that week alerted doctors something might be wrong. Following the loss to Arizona in which the defense played poorly, the team announced the cancer had returned and Johnson would undergo more treatments. He returned for the post-draft camp, but had to take a leave of absence later in the month to continue his treatments.

Johnson coached 23 seasons in the NFL, including the last 10 as Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator. He was known as a defensive mastermind and his defenses consistently were among the best in the league, including last season, when the Eagles ranked third.

For many of his players, Johnson was more than just a coaching genius. He was a father figure, particularly to the young guys.

"He cared about everybody," veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown said. "He would you give you the shirt off his back. My first year, he sat down and talked to my parents. Not a lot of coaches do that. I’m blessed to have known him."

-- Rob Maaddi

Nagging injuries hinder progress at Redskins camp

ASHBURN, Va. — While giving a rundown of the good, bad and ugly from his offensive lineman this week, Washington Redskins assistant Joe Bugel dropped a line about guard Randy Thomas that had red flags all over it.

"I am concerned about Randy," Bugel said. "His knee’s aching right now."

The usual list of training camp ailments — hamstring strains, sore knees, aching groins — have started to hit the Redskins after a dozen or so practices, and it’s not hard to guess which ones could be long-term concerns and which aren’t. As fate would have it, the two positions that need the most practice time — receiver and offensive line — are the ones most affected.

"They’re nagging pulls and strains and stuff like that," coach Jim Zorn said, "so I’m not as concerned about the injuries as much I am about the lack of work."

The offensive line was a concern at the start of camp, yet there was a day this week when three-fifths of the starters — center Casey Rabach, right guard Thomas and right tackle Stephon Heyer — were watching from the sideline.

Rabach’s calf injury was minor and Heyer’s knee should be fine in a day or two, but it’s not a good sign when the 33-year-old Thomas, who had knee and neck surgeries in the offseason, is already gimpy. If he can’t make it through 16 games, the Redskins could be in for a long season.

"It’s going to be this up-and-down, getting-reps-and-then-resting type of training camp for him," Zorn said. "At the end of this thing, you’ve got to have him ready to go."

Heyer and Mike Williams were expected to compete for the starting right tackle spot, but Williams has been sidelined with a groin injury, forcing the offense to go to its third-string option with the first-team unit in practice. Williams, who has lost more than 100 pounds in his return to the NFL, also had dehydration problems earlier in camp. He and Thomas will be among the players sitting out Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage.

"We’re bringing him along slowly," Bugel said. "It’s like starting all over again for Mike. The techniques, losing over 100 pounds. He’s got a chance. We’ve got to see him in preseason games, that’s the bottom line right now."

It also had to be a disconcerting sight this week to see receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly sidelined with hamstring injuries for the second camp in a row. Both had the start of their rookie season hindered by hamstring issues in 2008, and Kelly also spent the year battling a knee problem. One or the other — preferably both — need to step up this year to improve an offense that sagged late last season.

Devin Thomas will sit out the scrimmage, while Kelly is now healthy enough to play.

"Based on what happened to him last year, he’s a little nervous to work through it," Zorn said of Thomas. "And I don’t want him to pull it either, so we’re just being cautious with him."

While the offense has been forced to the work around the injuries, the defense — which is expected to be good anyway — has been relatively healthy. The most significant setback is cornerback Carlos Rogers, who has been out a week with a strained calf muscle and will also miss the scrimmage.

At least the Redskins have perspective. So far there’s been nothing compared to last year’s calamity, when defensive ends Phillip Daniels and Alex Buzbee were lost for the season on the first day of camp.

"Nothing is major," Bugel said. "Nobody is out for the year."

NOTES: The scrimmage will feature the first live tackling of camp, although many veterans will be given the day off, including RB Clinton Portis and DT Albert Haynesworth. WR Santana Moss has a mild hamstring injury and will sit out as well. ... Traffic heading to last year’s scrimmage overwhelmed the highways in the suburban area surrounding Redskins Park, and officials are prepared for more chaos Saturday. "The big problem is that there’s one way in and one way out," Zorn said. "If you’ve got to be in a hurry, this is probably not the place to come."

-- Joseph White

McFadden ready to step in for Cardinals

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Bryant McFadden went from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Arizona Cardinals — on purpose.

The cornerback left the Super Bowl champion Steelers to sign with the Cardinals, whom Pittsburgh beat in Tampa last February.

McFadden says the long-downtrodden franchise is headed in the right direction.

"Here, before, it was a team that was up and down," he said. "You never really saw the same team. But as last season progressed, you saw a talented ballclub with talented individuals and a coaching staff that’s stable.

"With all that being said, it’s kind of easy to cross over, because it’s like a dynasty trying to start up," McFadden said. "It’s a blessing to be here with a talented group of guys, and being a part of something that’s going to be on the rise."

There’s a vast difference between a franchise that has won six Super Bowls and a club that has played in one. But McFadden, who played for two Steelers Super Bowl winners, said it was an easy decision to accept a two-year, $10 million offer from Arizona last March.

"It’s not that far away," McFadden said after a workout this week among the tall pines at Northern Arizona University. "The most important thing that we need to try to get here is the chemistry and consistency. Week in and week out, always be the same type of ballclub. That’s something that we’re working on, and we’re using these practices here as a stepping stone."

McFadden isn’t the first Steeler to head for the desert. Coach Ken Whisenhunt and his top aide, Russ Grimm, came from Pittsburgh in January 2007.

McFadden said Whisenhunt was one of the main factors in his decision to sign with Arizona.

Another reason: McFadden is impressed with the Cardinals’ young talent, including their other starting cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

The Cardinals saw the 6-foot, 190-pound McFadden as an upgrade for an inconsistent defense. His physical style is a marked contrast to Rodgers-Cromartie’s game, which is based on speed and athleticism.

They also want McFadden to set an example for some of their younger players.

"The thing about what ‘B-Mac’ brings, you look over in practice, if you’re a young guy and you get tired and you kind of want to slow down, you see that old vet running around and pushing himself and doing it right," Arizona defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "Then they just fall into line. Before you know it, habits are formed. So an old guy’s habits kind of trickle into the young guy’s habits."

McFadden was a young guy when he won his first Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh, after his 2005 rookie season. He capped his four-year tenure in the Steel City as a starter in Pittsburgh’s dramatic 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Tampa.

Now McFadden is hoping to take his winning ways to the desert. The concept would have seemed ludicrous until last winter, when the 9-7 Cardinals reached the playoffs for only the second time since they moved to Arizona in 1988.

Arizona made an improbable run to its first Super Bowl before losing a heartbreaker to McFadden and the Steelers.

The veteran out of Florida State earned a starting job with the Steelers last year, missing six games with a broken forearm.

He has seven career interceptions, and he returned one for a touchdown.

When he signed with the Cardinals, McFadden was expected to compete with Rod Hood for a starting spot. He became the presumed starter when the club released Hood last spring.

McFadden will see his former teammates on Thursday, when the Cardinals go to Pittsburgh for a preseason rematch of the Super Bowl.

"That should be very exciting," McFadden said.

-- Andrew Bagnato

Trick or Tweet with T.J. Houshmandzadeh

RENTON, Wash. — Tweeters, beware!

"TheRealTJ84" on twitter.com is not the real T.J. Houshmandzadeh, No. 84 and star wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks.

Screen names "tjhoush" and "houshmandzadeh"? Those aren’t him, either. They’re bogus monikers created by impostors on the popular social networking site.

"I know it’s not me," Houshmandzadeh said after practice Thursday evening.

Problem is, many don’t know who really is behind the keyboard on Twitter.

Houshmandzadeh’s tale of trick-or-tweet is a cautionary one for fans and the NFL, as the league encourages its players and teams to use Twitter to connect with the public.

Stars Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Nate Burleson are among the handful of Seahawks who have legitimate Twitter accounts.

Aaron Curry, Seattle’s unsigned rookie fourth overall pick, has one, too. But he hadn’t tweeted in six days as of Thursday night, since a message was posted on his page that he was "having a great time" with his fiancee and dogs and "loving life" on the day his teammates began training camp under a hot sun.

The NFL estimates about 300 of its players are on Twitter — at least the league thinks so. As tweeter T.J. Duckett says, how can it know for sure?

"It’s kind of impossible," the Seahawks running back said of trying to thwart online impostors. "There’s no way to know. You can sign up and create a user name with my name, and how do I know?"

Maybe that’s one reason some teams, including the Miami Dolphins, have urged their players not to tweet. Other teams are more lenient about the use of social media, including the Seahawks, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Hasselbeck fancies himself as a tweeting pioneer, having had his own page for two years "before anyone else was on there."

"Yeah, it’s me," he says of MatthewHass008.

The witty quarterback constantly updates his page. Last month, he posted from a trip over the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, to work his bulky back out with the trainer for two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. Hasselbeck tweeted that he would reward the first person he saw wearing Seahawks gear on the streets of that hockey-mad city with his cleats and a football. Two hours later, he "found a guy on Joe Sakic Way w a Seahawks backpack!"

Wednesday, Hasselbeck tweeted: "Raced back to facility for 2:45pm practice— only problem is practice is at 6:15pm."

Turns out, the only reason Hasselbeck has his own twitter page is because someone was pretending to be him.

"It just seemed kind of shady," he said.

So the three-time Pro Bowl passer took tweets into his own hands.

"I got the guy who runs my Web site and he helped me get rid of everybody — get rid of the fake people who were saying there were me — and then there was one real ‘me,"’ Hasselbeck said.

Initially, the security-conscious Hasselbeck kept his page closed to everyone but his closest friends. Eventually, he expanded it and had 9,984 followers as of Friday morning, almost double the number of followers for any other Seahawk on Twitter.

Hasselbeck said the site now has people who validate athletes’ pages. There is also a site listing all supposedly legitimate accounts, twitter-athletes.com.

Duckett’s had Twitter impostors, too, causing awkward moments this week with fans.

"Yes, I’m ‘DuckDeez,"’ he said, chuckling. "The sad part is people actually take (the fake page) as you, and you don’t even know. I’ve had people who have their own page who are getting bogus comments back from ‘me.’ Then I meet them out here and they are like, ‘Why didn’t you respond to me?"’

He likes Twitter and MySpace for the same reason most do, to keep up with friends. But how does Duckett guard against being impersonated online?

"Hopefully, your real name will spread what your real name is," he said.

Hasselbeck is the one who encouraged Darryl Tapp to get his own Twitter page. Now the fourth-year defensive end is devoted — or worse.

"It’s a little bit addicting," he said of his posting twice each day.

The jovial Tapp doesn’t worry about online impostors. And he can’t believe some teams are discouraging players from tweeting, as if guys would post sensitive information like injury updates or strategy.

"Really? C’mon!" he said. "I can’t see players really doing that. I can be wrong. But football is the main thing we all do, Twitter is for fun."

Houshmandzadeh isn’t a part of that fun. It’s not as if he doesn’t like the concept of Twitter — after all, he’s the one who got Chad Ochocinco, his outgoing former teammate in Cincinnati, into tweeting.

"I just don’t feel like doing it," Houshmandzadeh said.

As for being impersonated online, he just shrugs, knowing he can’t control cyberspace.

"I have no problem with that," he said.

-- Gregg Bell

Mare’s great ’08 means little in fight for job with Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. — If it’s true that an NFL placekicker is only as good as his last made field goal, Olindo Mare should be magnificent right now.

The 36-year-old former Pro Bowl kicker and all-time leader in field goals and accuracy for the Miami Dolphins made 89 percent of his kicks last season, his first with the Seahawks as the replacement for the departed Josh Brown. That was 9 percent better than Mare’s career average, and he wasn’t even fully healthy. His leg remained weakened into last season from an injury sustained late in 2007 with New Orleans.

Mare provided Seattle an even bigger boon — and boom! — on kickoffs. His 22 touchbacks tied for second-most in the league.

So why in the name of Lou "The Toe" Groza did Seattle keep rookie kicker Brandon Coutu on the roster all last year? And why is Mare battling this unproven kid for his job in training camp?

It’s no surprise Mare isn’t exactly getting a kick out of having to compete. He’s months removed from going 24 for 30 on field goals — many made in wind, rain and snow for a team that went 4-12 with a sputtering offense.

"You would think after the year that I had that it would be a, you know, little easier decision," Mare said after practice Friday. "I feel like I was as good as anybody in the league last year, touchbacks, field goals — we didn’t do a bunch of short ones, either."

Last week, Seahawks president Tim Ruskell made it clear 2008 might as well be 1908 when it comes to who will kick for Seattle this season.

Then again, he’s the guy who made Coutu the fourth kicker ever drafted by Seattle, and first since Brown in 2003. Coutu then made 7 of 7 kicks last preseason.

"(Keeping two kickers) won’t happen again this year," Ruskell said. "We’ll go with one guy, and it’ll be a nice battle to watch."

Special teams coach Bruce DeHaven is more effusive.

"I was certainly glad to have Brandon around, because he’s just going to be a Cracker Jack kicker in this league, in my opinion," DeHaven said. "I think Brandon is more than ready to kick in the league. He’s has the disadvantage right now of going against a guy that is really good, too."

Friday, coach Jim Mora’s message for Mare was a sobering example of life in the NFL.

"Every year is a new year and a new competition," Mora said. "It’s a really good competition. I imagine it will go all the way through preseason, and then we’ll have a decision to make."

Coutu spent last month working on kickoffs and mental preparation with Morten Andersen, the league’s all-time scoring leader who retired from the Falcons last season. The two kickers shared the same personal trainer in Atlanta before agreeing to work together there. Coutu said Andersen worked with him on striking his leg through kickoffs more.

"I definitely feel like it helped a lot," Coutu said. "I’m very happy with the way I’ve struck the ball, both on field goals and kickoffs. I feel like my kickoffs are much improved this year than last year. I’ve worked really hard this offseason.

"I definitely feel like I’m prepared. I’m confident in my abilities."

The Seahawks were criticized throughout last year for the unusual move of keeping two kickers on the roster and seemingly wasting a roster spot, while the rest of the team was decimated by injuries and were in need of reinforcements.

"Part of the reason for holding onto him last year is that we were getting interest from other teams, so we thought maybe, at some point, prior to the trade deadline. It just didn’t happen," Ruskell said of Coutu. "So we just kept him, and said, ‘OK, we’ll have this competition go for another year.’ He’s a good kicker. He was 7 for 7 last year in the preseason. Teams noticed ... we’re still getting calls on the guy.

"So he’s either going to be our kicker or we’ll make a move."

Mare gets a bemused smile when he’s asked about having a hotshot kid over his shoulder. He said it reminds him of 1996, when he was a rookie kept on the New York Giants’ practice squad. Veteran Brad Daluiso ended up making 24 of 27 field goals on a losing team.

"We used to joke around and said, ‘That’s because we competed every day,"’ Mare said of Daluiso. "Kind of a similar-type deal here.

"Brandon had a really good career in college. He was drafted, so two totally different backgrounds. But it didn’t bother me, as much I think that it bothered other people that it didn’t bother me. We became friends."

-- Gregg Bell

Ryan makes most of Falcons' scrimmage in White’s absence

SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Quarterback Matt Ryan doesn’t know how the Atlanta Falcons will be without Roddy White, so he used a scrimmage Friday night to work with other receivers.

"We’re getting timing down with the guys that are here," Ryan said. "Those guys are doing a job, and we’re hopeful Roddy will get his stuff done in the near future."

With his Pro Bowl wideout having skipped the first full week of training camp in a contract dispute, Ryan worked primarily with No. 2 wideout Michael Jenkins, new tight end Tony Gonzalez, No. 3 receiver Brian Finneran and running back Michael Turner.

Ryan, the 2008 NFL offensive rookie of the year, lost another favorite target earlier this week when Harry Douglas had a season-ending knee injury. Atlanta signed Marty Booker, who won’t arrive until Sunday, and Robert Ferguson, who took a few snaps in the scrimmage.

"I thought it was good for us to get out here tonight and go against some live defensive action," Ryan said. "It helps you get used to the timing against a pass rush and things like that. Tony, Jenks and Finn made some good catches. I thought our running game and passing game were OK."

Regardless of the wide receiver situation, the Falcons will rely heavily on Turner who finished second in the NFL with 1,699 yards rushing last season.

A crowd of approximately 12,000 watched at suburban Brookwood High School as the Falcons tackled for the first time in 11 practices of camp. All players except quarterbacks were subject to hits, and coach Mike Smith said afterward that no new injuries were reported.

Smith oversaw a workout staged for game-like scenarios that changed the scores and down and distance to put the offense, defense and special teams in different situations.

Second-year cornerback Brent Grimes, competing with Von Hutchins and rookie Chris Owens for a starting job on the left side, caused Jenkins to fumble after a 20-yard catch over the middle from Ryan.

Grimes followed a few series later by stripping tight end Justin Peele of a catch on the left sideline and running downfield untouched.

"Any chance I get to make a positive impression on film, I’ve got to do what I can to impress the coaches," Grimes said. "I was fortunate because the schemes put me in position to make plays."

Turner’s primary backup, Jerious Norwood, was stuffed in the backfied on a blitz up the middle from linebacker Robert James. Norwood followed a few snaps later by outrunning Owens, a second-round draft pick, on a pitch from Ryan that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown.

"I saw a lot of positives and negatives, but we knew there would be a lot of mistakes," Smith said.

The Falcons will have a mock game Saturday morning in their second season under Smith.

-- George Henry

He can hoop, but can Marcus Monk make Panthers?

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Scanning the practice field at Carolina’s training camp it’s hard to miss the towering Marcus Monk.

The 6-foot-5 receiver may have a tough time making the Panthers because of major knee surgery, but no one else on the roster can say they scored 12 points against No. 1 NBA draft pick Blake Griffin.

Not so many months removed from getting Griffin in foul trouble and helping Arkansas hand Oklahoma its first loss of the season, Monk is back on the football field — pursuing an obstacle-cluttered path to the NFL.

"It’s been crazy," Monk said Friday.

Monk’s once promising football career — he caught 50 passes and set an Arkansas record with 11 touchdowns as a junior — was derailed when he underwent microfracture knee surgery.

After playing in only seven games as a senior, Monk was taken in the seventh round of the 2008 draft by Chicago. He was cut in training camp, then lasted only a week on the New York Giants’ practice squad.

"I could tell it wasn’t as strong," Monk said of his right knee. "Once the Giants released me, I thought I had to concentrate on making my knee right."

So the Lepanto, Ark., native returned home. Working out near Arkansas’ campus when he ran into basketball coach John Pelphrey — the two knew each other because Monk played briefly for the Razorbacks hoops team as a freshman.

"Coach was like, ‘We really don’t have any senior leadership. Can you play basketball?"’ Monk said. "I was like, ‘I can hoop.’ So he said he’d put me on scholarship and pay for my school. I had already graduated, so I took some finance classes."

Monk played sparingly, using basketball mostly to help with his fitness. Then on Dec. 30, with Arkansas facing then-No. 4 Oklahoma and the highly touted Griffin, the Razorbacks’ big men got into foul trouble.

Pelphrey turned to Monk with a request: guard Griffin.

"We were short at the (power forward) position. I really don’t play there, but I told him I can guard him," Monk said. "I won’t completely stop him, but I wasn’t scared."

Monk scored eight points in the second half, two coming on free throws after he drew Griffin’s fourth foul. It helped stop the Sooners’ comeback and Arkansas won 96-88. Griffin finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, but fouled out.

"Marcus Monk — my goodness," Pelphrey said after that game. "That was one of the best performances that I’ve ever seen."

That would be Monk’s basketball high point. There were concerns later about his eligibility because of his late enrollment in the fall and he left the team to focus completely on getting back to football.

Monk felt his knee getting stronger and ran routes in front of scouts at Arkansas’ pro day. The Panthers called, and he signed shortly after this year’s draft.

"Marcus has worked hard," coach John Fox said. "He had a good offseason with us. He is a big target, he’s 6-5. Until we get into games, I’ve not watched a lot of these guys play in games, so I’m looking forward to it."

Monk said his right knee is strong, but he still had it wrapped in ice after Friday morning’s practice. Unlike Griffin, guaranteed millions of dollars as the top pick of the Los Angeles Clippers, Monk faces long odds to make the Panthers at the crowded receiver position.

Monk has spent much of camp quizzing starting receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad.

"I love to learn so I’m asking questions all the time so I can get an advantage," Monk said.

He’s fielded a few questions from teammates, too. Many want to know if he really bested Griffin in the paint.

"Some guys asked me about it," Monk said, "but I’m not close to being on his level."

-- Mike Cranston

Saints still deciding on power running back

METAIRIE, La. — With Deuce McAllister no longer around, the New Orleans Saints are looking for a bruising running back to lead the way in key short-yardage situations.

Mike Bell, Lynell Hamilton, P.J. Hill and Herb Donaldson are vying for one or possibly two roster spots to replace McAllister, the Saints’ career rushing leader who was released after last season.

"I’m anxious to see all of those guys," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "It’s hard to get them all work. You’ll see in practice that we’ll start clumping two or three of them in a nine-on-seven and not try to give each one of them two reps but try to give one of them a little bit more work. That gives us a better chance to look at those players."

Bell likely holds the edge for at least the third spot because he is No. 3 on the depth chart. He signed with the Saints as a free agent in November after being waived by the Texans in August.

Bell entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Denver in 2006 and led the Broncos with 677 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. However, Bell has rushed for 45 yards and one touchdown total the past two seasons.

Payton has been praising Bell throughout the offseason for his conditioning and work ethic. After quick success in Denver, Bell has learned to take nothing for granted.

"I’m a bottom feeder just trying to make this team," Bell said. "That’s how I’m going to play no matter what I’m always going to play like a bottom feeder. Right now I don’t have a role yet because I haven’t proven myself.

"I think I became too content in Denver. They named me the starter and I ran for all those yards and led the team in touchdowns. I felt like almost that I was owed something, but in all actuality, it’s a privilege to play in the NFL so you should do whatever they ask you to do."

Like Bell and Pierre Thomas, the other three young backs on the roster signed with the Saints as rookie free agents.

Hamilton spent much of last season on the Saints practice squad, while Hill and Donaldson signed with the team after not being drafted.

The Saints said during the draft that they tried to trade back into the first round to acquire Ohio State tailback Beanie Wells. The deal never came to fruition and the Saints opted not to select a running back.

After the draft, Payton said the answer to his running back depth issues could already be on the roster. Hamilton took that sentiment into the offseason programs and training camp.

"It helps me feel more confident in filling a role here and more comfortable within the offense," Hamilton said. "When you’re a rookie, your eyes are so far wide open because you really don’t know what to expect. That’s different for me now. It helps with confidence because the staff on its own already felt we had the guys already here in the building."

Hill (5-feet-10, 218 pounds) had a productive career with 3,942 yards rushing and 42 touchdowns at Wisconsin. Donaldson (5-10, 226) finished with 4,746 yards rushing and 50 TDs at Western Michigan.

Both may have uphill climbs to make the team, but seeing Thomas already on the roster, they both understand Payton will go by what he sees on the field and not where they were or weren’t drafted.

"It’s football in general," Hill said. "There’s always somebody ahead of you on the depth chart and there’s always somebody behind you looking to take that main person’s spot. But it’s all about what you do on the football field. Learn everything when you’re watching film and take advantage of when you play to show the coaches they can trust you."