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| Williams |
The Raiders are ecstatic with new tight end Roland Williams, who has been described as a breath of fresh air compared to former tight end Rickey Dudley, who was not re-signed and moved on to Cleveland. Head coach Jon Gruden and many teammates have been impressed with the energy level Williams brings to practice as well as his blocking, route-running and soft hands.
The Bears were impressed when rookie wide receiver David Terrell returned from the team's first mini-camp having learned the skeleton playbook he was given. Even without a contract, Terrell took the time to study and wasn't lost during on-field workouts.
One of the issues that might lead to some haggling during contract negotiations between the second overall draft pick, Leonard Davis, and the Cardinals is the fact that Davis will want to be paid like a left tackle even though he will be lining up as a guard in his first NFL season.
Fourth-round draft pick Bill Gramatica currently has the edge over veteran Cary Blanchard for the right to be the Cardinals' kicker. The Cardinals were hopeful that Blanchard would help Gramatica during training camp, but don't count on that happening. We hear that Blanchard has had a chip on his shoulder since the team drafted Gramatica, and that the veteran will be looking out for himself when the competition begins.
Don't be surprised if you hear a lot of grumbling from veterans at the Redskins' training camp. New head coach Marty Schottenheimer has scheduled many more two-a-days than his predecessor Norv Turner. Schottenheimer has also made it clear that the players will be working harder than under the previous regime. We hear there are already some anxious veterans who are wondering how much harder they will be expected to work out this summer.
New Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson's presence has helped backup quarterback Shaun King see the light. King has lost some weight and was looking better in workouts.
Looking to add depth to their defensive line, the Lions have had conversations with former Bear and Cowboy Alonzo Spellman.
Once the Titans sign their rookies, they will turn their attention to re-signing general manager Floyd Reese.
We hear lingering hamstring problems have plummeted injury-plagued Saints cornerback Steve Israel to the fifth spot on the depth chart behind Kevin Mathis, Fred Weary, Fred Thomas and Michael Hawthorne.
While they aren't expecting much out of him this year, we hear the Saints genuinely believe fifth-round rookie Onome Ojo has the body and the raw ability to develop into a receiver in the mold of the 49ers' Terrell Owens.
We hear the Ravens couldn't be happier with the steady development of second-year quarterback Chris Redman.
The Steelers' first order of business leading up to training camp likely will be hammering out a contract extension with head coach Bill Cowher. There shouldn't be much to hang up the process, since owner Dan Rooney likes Cowher and is pleased with the job he has done.
The Dolphins have all but announced that quarterback Jay Fiedler will be the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback on opening day. Fiedler has looked really good thus far in the offseason.
The Chiefs have to be feeling a bit better about the quarterback position after Trent Green's performance in a late-June mini-camp. Green, who worked only in 7-on-7 drills while still rehabilitating his left knee, threw the ball hard and showed no real signs of rust. Green will continue to work with a handful of receivers who are staying in town prior to training camp. The Chiefs would like to have him go full tilt in camp, but the logical scenario is to bring him along slowly at the beginning.
With new coordinator Norv Turner in town to lead the offense, Chargers head coach Mike Riley said he is looking forward to spending more time overseeing the grand scheme of things and working with a special-teams unit that struggled mightily in certain areas last
season.
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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