NFL Capsules - NFC: Giants' veteran offensive line may face shakeup
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — When Eli Manning broke the huddle and walked to the line of scrimmage the past three years, there was always a security blanket in front of him.
With the exception of a couple of games last season, the five big linemen protecting the New York Giants quarterback have been a constant. David Diehl was at left tackle, Rich Seubert at left guard, Shaun O'Hara at center, Chris Snee at right guard and Kareem McKenzie at right tackle.
Coming off an 8-8 season and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004, there is speculation the makeup of the line will be changing, particularly the left side.
The predominant talk has Diehl moving from left tackle to left guard, with second-year pro Will Beatty taking over at tackle. The 31-year-old Seubert would become a backup.
Diehl and Seubert have heard the rumors and they knew exactly how to respond on the second day of training camp at the University at Albany.
"I have always been a team guy," Diehl said after eating lunch. "I have always put the team first. That's the case throughout my entire career. Having said that, I think I am the best left tackle on our team and I am one of the best ones in our division, and I intend to go out there and prove it."
Whatever happens, Diehl knows he is going to have a job somewhere on the line.
The 29-year old, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, has started at left tackle for the past three years. He also has started at right tackle and both guard positions in his eight NFL seasons, compiling a string of 112 consecutive starts.
Entering his 10th season, Seubert admittedly didn't have a good year in 2009. He missed the final two games because of a knee injury, but that wasn't his biggest problem. He played all season with a bad shoulder that needed surgery in the offseason.
"It wasn't great," Seubert said. "In our game, everything is in our legs and shoulders and our punching guys. I am not making excuses, but I know I can play better than I did."
The sometimes gruff Seubert also isn't about to hand over the position without a fight.
"You know we all want to play," said Seubert, one of the team's practical jokers. "I want to play. He (Beatty) wants to play, Shaun and Chris and David and Kareem, too. It's football and the best five guys are going to be out there playing. I know if I work hard, I will be one of those guys."
There is no doubt Beatty is pushing to break into the lineup. The second-round draft pick out of Connecticut started four games at right tackle last season and played well with McKenzie sidelined by groin and knee injuries.
"They're not going to just give me the spot because they drafted me in the second round," Beatty said. "They expect me to win the spot. The only way I can win the spot is by being mentally and physically better than the guy in front of me."
The irony of the line battle is that Beatty is really not competing with Diehl for the right tackle spot. He is just trying to show line coach Pat Flaherty that he is one of the team's best five linemen.
If he does that, it might allow the team to exploit Diehl's versatility and move him to left guard.
Diehl insists he is concentrating on being the starting left tackle.
"I am not worried about anything else," he said. "I was focused all during minicamp and during the summer at that position and I know that it's a battle between Beatty and I. I have worked extremely hard, been in battles before, know what it takes to be a football player. I know my work ethic and attitude and mentality. You are not going to move me."
Seubert, who overcame a horrible broken leg in 2003 to return to the Giants, feels the same way.
"If I didn't think I could play, I would have called it quits," Seubert said. "The way I feel, I have many more good years of football in me. The shoulder feels good. My legs feel good. I'm excited to be up here and get it rolling."
Redskins' D gets used to life without Haynesworth
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Albert Haynesworth just stands there, wearing his baseball cap and watching his teammates play.
And the guys wearing the helmets? They're becoming used to playing without him.
One reason the Washington Redskins can let their most infamous malcontent twist in the wind day after day is because they can put together a decent starting defensive line without him. While Mike Shanahan opened the door just a sliver Monday that he might one day let Haynesworth practice without passing the team's conditioning test, the coach can also point to Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Adam Carriker and Kedric Golston and feel confident in what he sees.
"Very confident," Shanahan said. "That's what you do. You practice with the guys that are in football shape — and are doing what they can to help your football team."
The trio has already logged hundreds of training camp snaps together as the front line of the team's new 3-4 defense, the scheme a certain two-time All-Pro defensive tackle tried so hard to avoid. When and if he ever does practice, there won't exactly be a loud chorus of "Make Room For Haynesworth."
"We've got three good players. We've got three guys who work hard," Carriker said. "We're building a chemistry. We're not there yet, but we're getting to the point where I know what (Kemoeatu) is going to do before he does it. The more we get to do that, the better it'll be."
Haynesworth will initially work with the reserves when he does start practicing, Shanahan has decreed. Players say Haynesworth also has plenty of ground to make up on the team's camaraderie depth chart for boycotting the offseason workouts.
"He's been gone all year," fullback Mike Sellers said. "He hasn't been missed. Once he gets in shape, I guess, and gets back on the field, that's a plus always, but we've gone so long without him. It's kind of hard to miss him. ... Everybody put in the work. We really wanted him here to put in the work with us."
Because Haynesworth stayed away during the offseason — while wishing for a trade that never came — the team is requiring him to pass the conditioning test before he can practice. He has failed three times, including Monday, when soreness in his left knee forced him to pull up early. Should the saga go on and on and on without resolution, Shanahan said he "possibly" might eventually allow Haynesworth to practice without passing the test.
Certainly, the Redskins would be better with Haynesworth than without him. For one thing, the Kemoeatu-Carriker-Golston line has its share of pitfalls.
The threesome have experience — a combined 117 NFL starts — but only six of those starts came last year. Kemoeatu missed the entire season with the Carolina Panthers after tearing his right Achilles' tendon in training camp, Carriker sat out the season with the St. Louis Rams after tearing a muscle in his right shoulder, and Golston was mostly a backup with the Redskins playing in a different position — defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme.
Kemoeatu and Carriker say they're recovered from their injuries and are working their way back into full football shape, but even a healthy starting line rotates in and out of the game to stay fresh. Kemoeatu's current backup at nose tackle is Anthony Bryant, a fourth-year player who has been cut six times in his career.
Haynesworth doesn't want to play nose tackle, and he appears to have lost enough weight to warrant some coveted play-making snaps at defensive end. He's shown that when he's motivated he can be a dominant player, but he hasn't played 16 games since he was a rookie in 2002.
With Shanahan in charge, Haynesworth will have to show both motivation and fitness — and then have some catching up to do — before getting a chance to displace Kemoeatu, Carriker or Golston.
"The more days that he's not out here," defensive end Phillip Daniels said, "he gets further behind."
-- Joseph White
Haynesworth starts and stops, again doesn't pass
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — This time, Albert Haynesworth started but had to stop.
The two-time All-Pro defensive tackle tried to take the Washington Redskins conditioning test again Monday morning, but he pulled up after three back-and-forth sprints because he felt some irritation in his left knee.
Haynesworth isn't allowed to practice until he passes the test, which consists of two timed 300-yard back-and-forth shuttle runs performed 3½ minutes apart. Each back-and-forth sprint is 50 yards, so Haynesworth completed about half of the first part of the test before stopping.
"That's one of the reasons he's not out there practicing with the team," coach Mike Shanahan said. "You've got to be in certain shape to go through a practice, and that knee after three sprints back and forth couldn't go any further."
Haynesworth failed the test on the first day of training camp Thursday after taking an extended bathroom break in the middle of it. He failed again Friday when he didn't post a sufficient time, then didn't attempt it Saturday or Sunday because his knee was sore.
Unlike previous days, when he was mostly exiled from his teammates during practice, Haynesworth for the first time looked like a regular injured player at training camp. He walked onto the field at the start of practice in his No. 92 jersey with no pads and stayed for the entire session, watching the various drills while holding a play sheet. He wore a baseball cap but also brought his helmet, which he repeatedly tossed playfully in the air.
Afterward, he stayed for what has become a daily ritual — a solo session with defensive coaches to walk through some of the plays.
Haynesworth is the only player required to take the test, having boycotted the team's offseason conditioning program. For Shanahan, the knee problem helps vindicate the coach's decision not to have him practice.
"Hopefully with treatment it gets better and he gets in football shape," Shanahan said. "And he's out there ready to play with his teammates."
Shanahan again said he is confident Haynesworth will eventually pass the test. The coach was asked how long the saga can drag on, and whether there might be a point in which he might put Haynesworth in pads anyway — even if the test isn't passed.
"Possibly," Shanahan said with shrug. "You'll just have to stick around."
"It's like someone sprained an ankle," the coach added. "If you sprain an ankle, you can't run. If you can't run, you can't practice. He's got to get in football shape."
-- Joseph White
'Big Pat' not quite as big this year
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — When Pat Williams reported to training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, he proudly proclaimed that he was 18 pounds lighter than he was last year.
"I've been training hard. I've been feeling good," the defensive tackle said. "I just want to feel good this year, so if I want to take some days off at practice, coach won't get mad at me. I'm down to 324. I feel good, ready to go."
For a player known as "Big Pat," both for his girth and his productivity, Williams' declaration is getting a few good-natured doubts from some teammates and coaches.
When asked if Pat looked slimmer these days, linebacker Ben Leber said, "Pat Williams?"
Defensive end Jared Allen just let out a hearty chuckle.
"I don't know about that," Allen said. "Pat looks the same. I don't know where that 18 pounds came from. Maybe he was tweeting or something."
Leave it to his closest friend on the team Kevin Williams — the other half of the "Williams Wall" tackle tandem — to get his back.
"He's looking slim and looking good," Kevin Williams said. "It's good for him. It will help him out down the stretch and hopefully he can play some of my snaps."
Big Pat's actual weight has always been one of the great mysteries in Minnesota, a subject thoroughly discussed, dissected and joked about inside the locker room and out. It's always been difficult to put an exact number on it, given Pat's vagueness about the subject and the notoriously inaccurate listings in the media guides.
For instance, when Pat showed up to training camp on Thursday, he said he had lost 18 pounds and was down to 324. But his listed playing weight last season was 317, a number scoffed at and discarded faster than a rookie guard lined up across from the three-time Pro Bowler.
Either way, Pat Williams enters his 14th NFL season as happy as ever despite being in the final year of his contract without a new deal in sight and continuing to pour money into his defense in the StarCaps case. He says he's just enjoying being around a close group of teammates and chasing that elusive Super Bowl.
"I always feel good. This is fun to me. I don't dread it," he said of camp. "I just come here and have fun. My mind's clear. I'm having fun. I've got all my boys here."
He came close to his first Super Bowl last season, when the Vikings lost to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game. Williams said earlier last season that if the Vikings won the Super Bowl he would retire.
So here he is again, starting his sixth season in Minnesota.
"It's time to finish it. Basically we didn't finish it last year," he said. "We're going to start it here and we're going to finish it this year. That's our plan, to not come in second place like we did last year."
Pat Williams will turn 38 in October, but he still carries himself like a kid on the practice fields, laughing and joking with his teammates and chattering constantly with the rest of one of the most feared defensive lines in football. And he isn't showing many signs of slowing down physically, still one of the most formidable run-stuffers in the league and a true sideline-to-sideline player despite his considerable bulk.
"Pat, he's a unique dude," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "He can play a little above his playing weight, whatever it is, and still be effective. His attitude and his demeanor has a lot to with his success.
"Eighteen pounds lighter? Maybe. I don't know."
And where Pat Williams let business become a distraction a few years ago when he complained before getting a contract extension, he seems to be enjoying the moment more these days in the twilight of an impressive career, especially considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent by Buffalo in 1997.
"That's the last thought on my mind," he said of his contract situation. "I'm just trying to make it through the year. That's my last thought. I'm just enjoying the guys."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Chillar emerges in Packers' search for OLB help
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — When the Green Bay Packers didn't make any significant offseason moves to improve their outside linebacker situation, the emphasis appeared to be on improving from within.
Now Packers coaches have tossed a wild card into their search, putting Brandon Chillar at right outside linebacker with the first-team defense during a training camp practice Monday.
Chillar is a versatile inside linebacker best known for his pass coverage skills. It isn't clear whether coaches are serious about a permanent position switch or are just experimenting while second-year outside linebacker Brad Jones sits out because of a back injury.
"It was a little bit of a surprise to me," Chillar said. "But with Brad going down, I think they just wanted to give me some reps just in case, later on in the year. And as I've showed them in the past, I can play different positions. I take it as a challenge and it's fun for me."
Chillar said he played a similar position on passing downs in St. Louis, a fact not forgotten by Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
"Playing against him his last year in St. Louis, we felt that he was a very good blitzer, a natural and instinctive runner, but also had the ability to play inside," McCarthy said. "As you know, he has even played strong safety for us in some situations last year. Once again, it's just an opportunity to try to find as many different combinations to keep getting these athletes on the field."
Chillar didn't get much advance notice from coaches on the switch but tried to make the most of it Monday, getting after the quarterback when he was on the field and hitting up Clay Matthews for advice when he wasn't.
"He's not your prototype outside linebacker, but we've seen the guy hurdle a running back and sack the quarterback," Matthews said, referring to Chillar's leap over running back Garrett Wolfe to sack Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler last year. "I think that speaks volumes for his athleticism. That's what we need out of an outside linebacker."
With Chillar lining up on the right side, Matthews moved to the left Monday and said he didn't mind experimenting.
"I've been kind of growing into a right outside linebacker as far as my moves and just really perfecting them, and now it's time to kind of take them to the left side of the game," Matthews said. "And hopefully now I can become a master of both sides."
Finding a pass-rush threat to pair with Matthews at outside linebacker could help a much-improved defense take the next step.
Jones, a seventh-round rookie out of Colorado last year, did an admirable job filling in after Aaron Kampman was injured. Now Kampman has left as a free agent, and the Packers don't have much in the way of cover if Jones can't develop into a consistent pass rush threat over the course of a full season.
Another player in the mix, veteran Brady Poppinga, acknowledges he still is trying to master the art of rushing the quarterback as an outside linebacker.
With Matthews and Chillar flanking Nick Barnett and Desmond Bishop on Monday, the Packers had a wealth of athletic linebackers on the field.
"It's definitely an intriguing idea," Barnett said.
Running back Ryan Grant said Chillar's athleticism could pose a unique challenge to opposing offenses.
"Brandon is one of the best, I think, pass rushers we have because he can kind of do it all," Grant said. "He's so athletic, and I think a lot of people take that for granted. He's got great hips, he's lanky, he can run, he can use his hands well, (he's) shifty and at the same time can bullrush."
As a blocker, Grant added with a laugh, "Versatility as a linebacker (stinks) for us."
-- Chris Jenkins
Lions QB Matthew Stafford set for strong 2nd year
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions will need a lot of help to fix their franchise after winning only one playoff game in more than a half-century and becoming the NFL's first 0-16 team two years ago.
Matthew Stafford seems to give them a chance and he's not worried about the pressure that comes with being the source of hope.
"I put more pressure on myself than anyone," Stafford said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "If I miss a ball by a little, it's unacceptable to me."
Stafford was a little high and slightly low on consecutive passes during the morning practice, leading to him flailing his arms and muttering to himself.
"I want to be as perfect as I can," he said.
As a leader, he just might be.
Stafford has the requisite arm an NFL QB needs, along with the personality. The easygoing Texan has a ton of confidence and he naturally attracts athletes ready to follow him.
He slaps more hands and helmets than anyone on the practice field. On the sideline, he can easily transition from talking about routes and footwork with receivers to shooting the breeze about vacationing.
Stafford and some teammates went to the Masters earlier this year and he's convinced bonding away from the field can help win games.
"It's huge," he said. "We have a bunch of guys pulling for each other and we all understand it's going to take all of us to turn this around."
A lot of it, though, will depend on Stafford's right arm and the split-second decisions he makes between his ears.
Stafford showed signs of promise last season, especially when he threw a fifth touchdown to beat Cleveland after getting knocked out of the game, but he threw 20 interceptions to trail only Chicago's Jay Cutler.
"I can't turn the ball over so much because that killed us last year," Stafford said. "I need to be more judicious with the ball."
Knee and shoulder injuries limited him to 10 games, hurting a team that won just twice. He said experiencing setbacks as a rookie will make him stronger as a second-year pro because none of them broke him physically or mentally.
Stafford is sure he will be better this year in part because his surrounding cast has improved. Detroit drafted speedy running back Jahvid Best in the first round, signed veteran receiver Nate Burleson and acquired tight end Tony Scheffler along with guard Rob Sims in trades to fill holes on offense.
Burleson and Scheffler were impressed with Stafford from afar, playing for Seattle and Denver, respectively, and have quickly figured out they're going to love playing with him.
"He's more intelligent and confident than I thought he would be," Burleson said. "I knew he had grit after what he did in the Cleveland game and obviously his arm is crazy. But he doesn't lean on coaches as much as most young quarterbacks do because he knows the offense so well. I'm not saying he's ready to cut the umbilical cord, but he knows to be successful he'll have to take some risks and do some things you can't coach."
Scheffler said there are probably only a few guys in the league who can put a football in small window on the field like Stafford can, adding he has been more awed by how the QB carries himself.
"He's way beyond his years in terms of maturity," Scheffler said.
Ask anyone who has spent time around Stafford and most of them will say he simply "gets it," after growing up in the spotlight as a star QB growing up near Dallas and staying in it at Georgia.
"That's a compliment," he said. "A lot goes into being an NFL quarterback. You need to be responsible for your job on the field and you have to be responsible off the field because you're representing the organization every day."
-- Larry Lage
NFL commissioner 'not surprised' by Saints success
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Commissioner Roger Goodell's latest stop on his tour of NFL training camps was at the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints' facility Monday afternoon.
Goodell reflected on how far the Saints and New Orleans have come since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina five years ago this month. Goodell was a deputy to then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue and was heavily involved with efforts to get the Superdome reopened and bring the franchise back to the city after being displaced to San Antonio for the 2005 season.
"I'm not surprised by this community," Goodell said during a whirlwind visit that took place after a visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars training camp earlier in the day. "This community keeps coming back. It meets every challenge. It shows the world why it's such a great place to be."
Goodell recalled being in the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006 when it reopened for the first time since serving as a refuge during Katrina. A raucous, sellout crowd watched the Saints defeat the Atlanta Falcons, 23-3, on Monday Night Football.
"I think this team has always had a special relationship with the community," Goodell said. "I think they, as well as the NFL, played a very valuable role in helping to rebuild the Superdome, which was a symbol of the tragedy that took place here.
"When we came back here and played, that was one of the highlights of my career in the NFL. That was a great evening I think for this community and for the NFL."
New Orleans will be on center stage several times during the upcoming NFL season. The traditional NFL Kickoff Game, which has the reigning Super Bowl champions playing at home on national television in the first game of the season, will be held in the Superdome on Sept. 9. The Saints host Minnesota in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship.
New Orleans will also be a featured attraction on three more prime time games, including visiting Dallas for the Cowboys' traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
"Every national opportunity for us to be able to put our best foot forward is something we continue to look at in our process of making the schedule," Goodell said. "Obviously you have the Super Bowl champs playing a big game in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day and that creates a lot of attention.
"That's just like the kickoff game with Minnesota is going to do. They're a great celebration of football, and the Saints have earned the opportunity to play on that stage, and I'm sure they're going to represent their community and the NFL very well."
When asked if he would attend the opener against the Vikings, Goodell replied, "I wouldn't miss it."
NOTES — Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey missed practice because of a sore knee for the second consecutive day Monday. Coach Sean Payton said Shockey will be held out of practice for a couple of days, but the injury is not serious. ... Payton said wide receiver Marques Colston, who has been on the Active/PUP list as he works his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery, is expected to come off the list and practice Tuesday. ... Defensive lineman Jimmy Wilkerson practiced in the afternoon after being held out of the morning practice Monday as he is being limited because of major knee surgery in the offseason. ... Fullback Heath Evans worked in the morning and sat out the afternoon because he's coming back from major knee surgery. ... Rookie center Matt Tennant practiced for the first time Monday afternoon after an excused absence to attend his mother's funeral.
Atlanta RB Turner expects productive season
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Michael Turner is getting his swagger back.
He wants the Atlanta Falcons to know he can carry a heavy workload this season. The right ankle sprain that essentially ended his 2009 campaign in mid-November has fully healed.
Turner spent the offseason training vigorously to regain the burst that helped him rush for a career-best 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns the year before.
Well, the burst was back on the Falcons' first day in full pads Monday.
"At this point, yeah, I do feel quicker," Turner said. "I feel faster, stronger. It's kind of tough to say right now, but I feel like I'm in it for the long haul now."
Despite trading in March 2009 for perennial Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta's offense fell short of its goals last year.
Quarterback Matt Ryan missed two games with a toe injury. No. 3 receiver Harry Douglas was out the entire season with knee surgery. No. 2 running back Jerious Norwood, who suffered a hip flexor and a concussion, was sidelined for six games.
Gonzalez and two-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White both stayed healthy and combined for 2,020 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. However, without Turner, the Falcons lacked some of the identity that helped them finish 11-5 and earn a playoff spot the year before.
"Some years you have to fight through injuries," Turner said. "It just happened that it was my year. It's unfortunate, but I just have to move on from it and focus on this year."
Turner has heard all the wear-and-tear stories from aging and retired running backs. They tell the compact, 244-pound Turner that one day he will wake up after a game and feel half-dead.
As far as Turner is concerned, that day is in the very distant future.
"The older vets say it all the time. 'There's going to be a point in your life where there's some days you just don't feel like getting up,' "Turner said. "But I haven't had that feeling. That's fortunate for me, but the first four years I didn't play a lot, so I've still got a whole lot of years left in me hopefully."
After leading the NFL with 376 carries in 2008, Turner knew some people were predicting his body would break down quickly.
He spent the previous four years as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego and signed a lucrative contract with Atlanta despite having only 228 career rushing attempts.
So when Turner averaged only 3.4 yards per carry through the first six games, critics wondered if he'd lost a burst at the line of scrimmage.
It seemed Turner wasn't hitting holes as aggressively and breaking tackles as easily as he did the year before.
By Week 8 in New Orleans, Turner flipped a proverbial switch and gouged the Saints for 151 yards and one TD on 20 carries. He put the first part of the season to rest.
"It was a different way we were running the football," Turner said. "It was different play-calling. There were a lot of factors that played into it, and I just gave a better effort on my part to break more tackles and make those plays that sometimes aren't always blocked clean. You know, defenses were loading up against us the first couple of games, so we had to make a point."
Unfortunately, the Falcons were in the midst of a 2-6 streak that eventually ended their playoff hopes, but Turner seemed to have regained his swagger.
Over the next six quarters, he gained 277 yards on 27 carries, but Turner went down with an ankle sprain just before halftime at Carolina and did not return.
Atlanta coach Mike Smith considers the ankle sprain to be an aberration.
"I think one of the reasons Michael doesn't feel too bad on Mondays is that he's a compact runner," Smith said. "When he runs, basically it's shoulder pads and knees. There's not a whole lot of surface to hit. He's got a low center of gravity, and that takes some of the wear and tear off of him. Last year's injury, I don't think, was based on workload."
Notes: Norwood missed both sessions Monday with a hip injury. Though Smith acknowledged that Norwood hurt the same hip last year, he believes the injury is different. ... Cornerback Dunta Robinson couldn't practice for the second straight day because of a strained hamstring.
-- George Henry
Bucs' DT McCoy gets pointers from Warren Sapp
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Gerald McCoy grew up watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on television, admiring the play of Warren Sapp and envisioning himself becoming a dominant NFL defensive tackle, too.
The third pick in this year's draft out of Oklahoma never imagined the opportunity to realize his dream would come with a chance to learn from none other than his all-time favorite.
Mentor and pupil got together on the practice field one day this offseason, with Sapp giving McCoy a crash course on what to expect in training camp and what he needs to work on to have a chance to have a successful rookie season.
They plan to stay in touch with each other in coming weeks — and years.
"I worked out with him a little bit while I was still here at OTAs. Everything he showed me, I went and worked on it, worked on it and worked on it," said McCoy, who is being counted on to plug a hole that's existed in Tampa Bay's defense since Sapp left the Bucs following the 2003 season.
"He showed me a lot of minor things. He said personally, he can't do it in one summer. We have to keep working and keep working to get where he thinks I can be — just like he did. He just kept working, and eventually he got better until he was unstoppable. That's where he wants me to be, but he said it's going to take time."
The Bucs don't intend to bring McCoy along slowly. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound tackle was inserted into the starting lineup on the first day of camp, hours after agreeing to a five-year, $63 million contract.
Tampa Bay drafted UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price in the second round, believing he can help McCoy transform the defensive line into a dominant unit.
The Bucs ranked 27th in total defense in 2009, 27th in points allowed and tied for 26th in sacks.
"Personally, I think we can be game changers. They didn't draft us to not be. They didn't draft us just to be another guy. They didn't draft us to sit on the side and come in here and there," McCoy said. "They want us to be game changers. That's what Sapp did. They think I can have the same type of impact as him, so that's what I want to do."
The Bucs obviously liked what they saw of McCoy at Oklahoma, where the 22-year-old had 14 1/2 sacks in three seasons while playing the "three-technique" right tackle position in a scheme smiler to the defense run by Tampa Bay.
Coach Raheem Morris is excited about the strides the rookie has made since joining the team for offseason workouts.
"He's getting acclimated with the Tampa heat with the pads on. ... He's made a few mistakes but he's a sharp young man and he takes a lot of pride," Morris said. "The thing I notice is he's hard to get a smile out of him on the football field. When you're on the field, he's all business. He's locked in and serious. You can tell that he wants to get it, and that's what I like about him.
"I like his demeanor, I like his approach to practice, I like his approach to the game. You see it in the class room and you also see it on the field. I'm pleased at where he's going and where he has the ability to go."
About $35 million in McCoy's contract is guaranteed, but the rookie said money won't change him or his objective with the Bucs, who are coming off a 3-13 finish.
"I want to help this team and get back to playing like Tampa plays. Tampa was really known for playing defense, and that's what I want to come and get us back to," he said. "My goal is to be the best football player I can be. I want to be in the Hall of Fame, I want to be in the Pro Bowl, I want to be known as being one of the best ever. ... By doing that, the money will come and I will share it with my family. The money is the money — not saying that it's not great — but I'm a football player."
McCoy also wants to continue building his relationship with Sapp, who played nine years with the Bucs and four more with the Oakland Raiders before retiring after the 2007 season.
"Thing is, I watched him on TV as a child. ... I used to watch those linemen challenges with him and Jason Taylor and John Randle. I was rooting for Sapp," McCoy said. "Out there, it's a little different. I could actually comprehend and knew what he was talking about. It was something I didn't take for granted. I took it all in, and I cherished those few moments we had because that's not something everybody gets.
"He took out of his time. He didn't even make me come to him. He drove down here to meet me. That was real nice of him to do that."
-- Fred Goodell
OT Saffold a key player for Rams
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis rookie offensive tackle Rodger Saffold is not allowed to drive the Rams' Ferrari, otherwise known as $78 million dollar quarterback Sam Bradford.
But he will play a key role in keeping the engine intact.
Saffold, the Rams' second-round pick in the NFL draft, has turned heads with solid performances during the first three days of training camp. The Indiana graduate is spending almost all of his time with the first-team offense.
With a starting spot available, Saffold realizes that his future performance could be just as important to the franchise as that of the highly celebrated Bradford.
"I don't want to be the guy that lets somebody get through where (Bradford) he could get injured or something like that," Saffold said. "That would stay with me the rest of my career.
"That's one of the reasons I'm working so hard."
Saffold, the 33rd overall pick, took most of his reps on Monday at the left tackle spot, which was supposed to be held by Jason Smith, the Rams' No. 1 pick a year ago. Smith is out with a toe injury and has seen limited action. Saffold, who was originally thought to fit in at right tackle, has been so impressive on the left side that coach Steve Spagnuolo could have a decision to make when Smith returns.
"Both guys in my mind are interchangeable," Spagnuolo said. "They're all tackles. But I'm happy with what I'm seeing."
The 6-foot-5, 323-pound Saffold started 41 of 42 games at Indiana. The Hoosiers rushed for more than 100 yards 29 times, running almost exclusively behind Saffold.
The Rams felt strongly about selecting Saffold to guard their treasure.
"No pressure, I've just got to go out there and do what I'm capable of doing," said Saffold. "The biggest thing is making sure that I'm prepared. There aren't too many people that start right out with the (first team) and they kind of threw me into the fire.
I'm just going to try to continue to battle."
Saffold butted heads with St. Louis veteran defensive end James Hall throughout most of Monday's two-hour 30-minute practice session held in 91-degree heat. Saffold more than held his own and got the better of Hall on several occasions during a full contact activity.
"He's definitely making me the type of tackle I want to be," said Saffold. "I've got a lot of appreciation for what he's doing for me."
Saffold is a gentle giant, a teddy-bear type that does his job in a businesslike manner. His hard-work and dedication make him a perfect fit in the Rams' young offense.
Like most rookies, Saffold has been forced to undergo a little first-year hazing from the veterans. He has done so with a smile on his face.
"I've already carried my share of helmets, brought towels to people, brought out snacks and stuff," he said. "That's fine with me."
Saffold says the heat has forced him to make a few adjustments. The heat index hit 100 on Monday according to the National Weather Service.
"The humidity is tough," he said. "But right now, there's no place I'd rather be."
NOTES: Former St. Louis coach Dick Vermeil attended practice and spoke with the players on Monday. He is in town to promote his new wine brand, Vermeil Wines. Walking around the complex was, "a great feeling," he said. Vermeil coached the Rams for three seasons including a Super Bowl winning campaign in 1999.
Defensive lineman Chris Hovan tweaked his lower back and defensive back Marquis Johnson tweaked his left hamstring during practice. Spagnuolo said the injuries don't appear to be serious. Defense tackle Clifton Ryan suffered from cramps and left near the close of practice.
"It was a hot one, it was a hard one, it was a physical one," Spagnuolo said. "But I think we got something out of it."
University of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert attended practice on Monday. Former Missouri standout wide receiver Danario Alexander, an undrafted free agent, watched the practice with Gabbert. Alexander passed a team physical earlier but did not work out with the Rams. He flew to Seattle late Monday to meet with Seahawks officials.
Milloy reunites with Carroll 11 years later
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Lawyer Milloy is shuffling to the side. He's waving his arms. He's grooving to the rap music that is blaring yet again during a Seahawks practice run by new coach Pete Carroll.
A minute later, the 36-year-old is on the sidelines tutoring rookie safety Earl Thomas while holding a play card in his hand. The 14th-overall draft pick and new $21 million man is currently starting next to Milloy on the last line of Seattle's defense.
A minute or so later, the closely shaven veteran of four Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls is ragging on 24-year-old fellow safety Jamar Adams about his bushy and unruly hair.
Calling Milloy just another defensive back on these Seahawks is like calling the high-fiving, music-playing, $30 million Carroll just another coach.
"There's a lot of guys who are like, 'Damn, how do you do it? How do you do it for 15 years? I'm already feeling the soreness now, and I've only been in the league four years, two years, whatever,'" Milloy said after Monday morning's practice.
Carroll let him mostly watch that, but the coach joked "we had to hide his shoulder pads."
From 1997-99, Carroll was struck by how intensely and how smartly Milloy played safety for him in New England. So when Carroll returned to the NFL in January, he called the free agent back for a 15th season.
"(I) had somewhat of a special relationship with him was he was very young," Carroll said Monday evening. "It's been a lasting impression. I had in the back of my mind he could be a great guy to help us transition a new program.
"When I finally watched his film and saw him knocking the fire out of people I kept thinking, 'He can't keep doing this ... he can't get up.' He wasn't only getting up, he was getting up and standing over guys and being all jacked up."
Already, Seattle's coach and his defensive backs are leaning on Lawyer — the self-described foster kid and product of nearby Tacoma's streets.
"He brings so much," Carroll says.
Milloy personifies the description quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has for Carroll: "old school, but new school."
How old school? Milloy was playing baseball for Tacoma's Lincoln High the month that Thomas was born in 1989.
"Oh, man. Here we go!" he joked with a big laugh later when reminded of that.
Thomas, who left Texas two years early, said he saddles up to Milloy because "I try to get around people who know what they talk about."
Adams hangs out with Milloy at local lunch spots, and at a basketball gym in Seattle's suburbs. He said Milloy is so old fashioned, he loves to step back behind picks and shoot 3-pointers. No drives inside for flashy passes or shots, like most of Adams' generation.
"Deep range," Adams said. "It's funny, though, he struggles doing anything else, like shooting off the dribble. But shooting off the pick? He'll get (wild) on you.
"He's worse on the basketball court than he is on the football field. Oh, waaaaay more competitive. I'll be on another team, playing against him, and he'll be screaming, 'Push the ball! Push the tempo!' I'll be like, 'You're not on our team!'"
Milloy even helps his teammates with advice on how to invest their money.
"He's the type of guy who will seek you out. He is the ultimate leader — he wants to see you get better," Adams said. "Sometimes he sees something special about a particular guy, and he latches onto him.
"He even talks to me about cutting my hair. He'll be like, 'C'mon, man, you don't need your hair like that, man! Cut your hair!'"
Milloy said he wasn't really thinking about retirement this spring. But the former Washington Husky was thinking about leaving his hometown team after riding its bench under former coach Jim Mora last season. Milloy had signed with Seattle after Atlanta set him free in a salary purge, after three seasons there.
But Carroll, true to his mantra of "always compete" that is boldly stamped on a big, new scoreboard next to the practice field, told Milloy he'd get a chance to start again — provided he do some coaching, too.
"He told me to come here and compete for the job, lead by example," Milloy said. "I told him last year I didn't like sitting on the bench. I told him the only way I'd come back to this organization is if I knew I had a true shot to actually get on the field.
"Last year was a very humbling experience for me. I'm using that as fire to compete."
Milloy is now to Thomas what former Patriots Willie Clay, Willie McGinest and Bruce Armstrong were to Milloy 15 years ago in New England.
"That's the one thing that's different now. That's the biggest deal. There were more veterans around then," Milloy said of those Patriots. "Older guys are almost obsolete now here."
Asked if he senses Thomas is watching how Milloy conducts himself, the veteran said, "He needs to be.
"I got the blueprint for how you last in this league," Milloy said. "It's a very simple formula: You've got to be consistent in everything you do. ... Go out there and make plays. Be humble. Respect yourself. Respect others around you. And always stay hungry.
"That's how I've lasted so long."
-- Gregg Bell
QB Smith the man again for 49ers at start of camp
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Alex Smith raised both arms then clapped his hands after a long completion to Brandon Jones. Sure, it was only the first full day of training camp for the San Francisco 49ers, yet the quarterback had reason to celebrate after several miscues only minutes earlier.
A bonus: coach Mike Singletary watched the nice play from close by.
These days, Smith calls out the cadence with a voice of authority and carries himself in the pocket with a poise that signals he is in charge again. At last.
What a change from training camp a year ago, when the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick began as the backup to Shaun Hill — only to unseat him as the starter come late October.
Smith hasn't been entrenched as the top guy for the 49ers at the onset of the preseason since the beginning of his tumultuous 2007 season. Without the pressure of fighting for a job, Smith is noticeably more comfortable with his situation now. Leading San Francisco back to the playoffs after a seven-year drought is all he cares about.
"When you're going through a competition like that, you're really ingrained to you and the other guy and what's going on between you two and that's kind of it," Smith said of his 2009 training camp mentality. "You kind of have that singular focus on that. Now it's different. My focus is to do every single thing we can to get ready for opening day. It's easy for teams to just endure this, just to go through this, 'Hey, we're going through this time with the pads, it's not fun, two-a-days.' It's easy just to go through the motions and not get better."
Singletary has been declaring Smith to be the starter all offseason, even after the 49ers signed veteran David Carr to be their No. 2.
Smith is playing for pride, the playoffs and a contract. He's in the final year of the two-year deal he restructured in March 2009 that sharply reduced his base salary. He's never been all about the money, though he knows full well his performance this year will do a lot to dictate his football future.
Singletary expects Smith will only become more comfortable as the Sept. 12 season opener at Seattle nears.
Smith is thrilled with his status — and he's saying all the right things, too.
"The expectations have definitely risen. We all expect so much more, expect more success," Smith said. "This is an entirely new year. We haven't accomplished anything."
This camp, Smith has one of his top targets in uniform: second-year receiver Michael Crabtree, the 10th overall pick in 2009 who didn't sign until early October last year. He missed all of camp.
Crabtree and Smith expect to get a lot of quality work in this month.
"We need that chemistry," Crabtree said. "Just working with Alex, just trying to get better. I feel like this offseason we really hit it hard. I could have went harder but sometimes you have to take what they give you. I feel like me and Alex, we really clicked this summer and we're looking forward to really doing something this training camp."
Smith started all preseason and the first four games in '07 before injuring his throwing shoulder. He sat out the next two games, then tried to return and played three ineffective outings in constant pain. He was sacked seven times in those three games — all losses — and that was it. He eventually had surgery in December, well after he wanted to get the procedure, but going on then-coach Mike Nolan's preferred schedule. Smith missed the entire 2008 campaign.
All that drama seems a distant memory to Smith, now a mature NFL veteran.
"I have faith in our quarterback," said Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, who's coming off a career year. "He's confident. He's a leader. When I look at Alex, I look at him as a leader and someone who just wants to be successful. He wants to be successful real bad. He just wants it. That's what we need around here. We need a quarterback to step up and take control. I think he's doing a good job. He's definitely working toward it."
Smith threw for 2,350 yards and 18 touchdowns last season but also had 12 interceptions and was sacked 22 times for 134 lost yards.
"I know when I see him he looks a lot more confident. I can see it in his eyes," Crabtree said. "I'm just ready to go with him."
Smith took over for Hill at halftime Oct. 25 at Houston and started the rest of the way for San Francisco, which finished 8-8 and ended a franchise-worst stretch of six straight losing seasons.
All the work Smith did this offseason with other receivers like Crabtree could put the 49ers offense in a strong position at this stage — though Singletary won't go that far, not this early in the preseason. There were plenty of mistakes Monday.
"There just are a lot of details that we have to continue to get better at, and as we move forward, as we gain momentum, as we gain confidence, we'll have a better idea," Singletary said. "Even when we're in preseason, a lot of the defenses are not playing the way they would normally play. They're not playing their normal defenses. They don't want to give it away. So, once we get into the season, I'm sure Alex Smith will talk to you in terms of how he plays."
-- Janie McCauley
Tempers flare as Cardinals forced indoors again
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Tempers erupted into a scuffle between Pro Bowl defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and offensive tackle Levi Brown in the Arizona Cardinals' second practice of the day Monday.
Four-time Pro Bowler and Cardinals newcomer Joey Porter also got in the face of fellow outside linebacker Cody Brown for putting up with tight end Stephen Spach repeatedly grabbing Brown's facemask in the drills.
It was the first practice in full pads for the Cardinals and the third straight workout forced by rain indoors to the Northern Arizona University's domed stadium.
Dockett was on top of guard Alan Faneca and reached out to trip quarterback Matt Leinart, who slammed the ball down in disgust. Brown faced off with Dockett in a shoving match before the two were separated.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt didn't mind the intensity at all.
"It was nice to see guys getting after it," he said, "but that's typical of being in full pads the first day. The emotions were running high."
Dockett and Whisenhunt were pleased to see some fire from the normally low-key Levi Brown, who is being switched from right to left tackle.
"I'm proud of him," Dockett said. "That's what I expect him to do. I pat him on his back and at the end of the day that's my child, that's my family."
Whisenhunt called Brown's reaction "a good thing."
"You're looking for guys to develop that bond or that kind of territorialism to protect their guy," the coach said, "and that was good."
Dockett said he pushed Faneca back and fell on him.
It was the second day in a row that Dockett had knocked Leinart down.
"I swiped my hand and hit Matt in the ankles," Dockett said. "That was kind of dumb. I shouldn't have done that. But you get caught in the battle, the engine turns on, you really don't think about it until after the fact."
Porter wasn't pleased with what he saw as a passive reaction by Cody Brown, a second-round draft pick a year ago who missed all of last season after breaking a wrist in training camp. Porter said if a player puts up with that in camp, he will do it in a game.
Dockett said that's one reason he loves having Porter around.
"That's what its all about, it's all about attitude,'" Dockett said, "much as you love your teammates, damn, you're trying to kill them."
He said he's just trying to give maximum effort as an example.
"You can't come out here and go 80 percent and expect to win our third divisional title," Dockett said. "It just don't happen like that. Every day we step on the field we've got to go harder and harder and harder. We've got to treat them like they're the 49ers and they've got to treat us like we're the 49ers. That's the only way we're going to be able to compete."
