NFL Roundup

The Favre saga continues, Reports for all 32 teams  as camps open, and all is right with the world again

NFL training camps have opened across the country. These are the days in which optimism runs wild. Fans anxiously await reports from local beat writers telling them how the current crop of rookies, free agent acquisitions and returning veterans look in their respective training camps and we will run down some of the latest here.

Back when Brett Favre retired, we penned a small ode to Brett, little did we know that a few months later, everything would change. You have to wonder if this would be happening in any other NFL city, can you imagine this kind of acrimony in Denver when Elway left, or in Dallas when Aikman left. Something about not being an "owner" makes Ted Thompson different, there is no "relationship" to the players, and in situations like this it really shows. It will all be over soon though one way or another, we just hate to see the way its happening. Favre doesn't deserve this, and neither do Packers fans. It's one thing to be seen as a "tough" GM, quite another to be a distraction to the team, at this point the Packers are backed into a corner and are going to play Rodgers if they go 2-14. They aren't going to let Favre go to Minnesota, that would be stupid, so there is an impasse. At least Favre is going to stay away from camp for now, when and if he shows up there, the circus will be unbelievable. The Packers might even pay Favre his 2008 salary to stay away.

49ers
There is crying in football. You can take it from defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, who said he shed some tears after his agent and the 49ers agreed on a contract. The team's top draft pick called his father, Charles, a truck driver who was on the road in Mississippi to give him the news. "He's crying, I'm crying -- it's a very emotional time," Balmer said. "I couldn't control myself." It's nice to see a kid who appreciates what he has.

Bears
The Chicago Bears have settled their contract dispute with Devin Hester and agreed terms with the Pro Bowl returner on a four-year contract extension

Bengals
Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson didn't participate in the Cincinnati Bengals' first practice of training camp because his right ankle hasn't fully recovered from surgery. The defense suffered a setback when Antwan Odom hurt his left foot and rode off the field on a cart. The defensive end was taken for tests to determine the severity of the injury. The Bengals held their opening practice without top draft pick Keith Rivers, a linebacker from Southern California who was projected as a starter. Rivers, the ninth overall pick, is the Bengals' last unsigned rookie

Bills
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday he won't discipline Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch for a hit-and-run accident that left a Milton, Ont., woman injured.

Broncos
Dewayne Robertson is trying to delete years of playing in the New York Jets' 3-4 system from his head, but the knowledge is firmly imbedded. Still, the 6-foot-1, 310-pound Robertson thinks he's going to flourish in the Broncos' 4-3 format with four down linemen and three linebackers, once he gets the hang of it again.

Browns
Brady Quinn doesn't want to sit anymore. Being No. 2 hasn’t slowed Quinn’s desire and his urge to compete remains as strong as ever. He’s a relentless worker whether in the film room or weight room. Although he didn’t make his NFL debut until the final game of his rookie season, replacing Anderson for one series in the second quarter against San Francisco, the small taste of action has him wanting more.

‘‘It made me hungrier than ever to play football again,’’ he said.

Bucs
Antonio Bryant was out of the NFL during the 2007 season and is hoping to make the Buccaneers 2008 roster. In previous stints with the Cowboys, Browns, and 49ers Bryant displayed playmaking talent, but also had problems in the locker room and off the field.

Cardinals
Anquan Boldin is none too happy with his paychecks. The dynamic of the situation shifted drastically in the spring, when Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million deal. The Cardinals seem to recognize that Boldin is underpaid. They have made him a couple of offers since December, yet neither is believed to be close to what Fitzgerald is making. With Boldin under contract for three more years, the team isn't under any deadline to lock him up for even longer.

Chargers
Call it an obsession, a fixation, or at the very least a more than understandable preoccupation. But from top to bottom as an organization, the Chargers have it for the Patriots, in spades. And why not? San Diego has gone a combined 27-9 (.750) the past two seasons, cruising to AFC West titles by five games in 2006 and four in 2007. But San Diego is 0-3 against the NFL's team of the decade in that span, losing twice to New England in the playoffs and once in a much-anticipated Week 2 Sunday night showdown last season

Chiefs
Just a day after signing his six-year contract worth as much as $51 million with about $23 million guaranteed, the 5^th overall pick in the draft Glenn Dorsey was on the practice field for the first time yesterday.

Colts
For some reason the word on the street remains that the Colts are going downhill fast. That is crazy. Let's not forget that it was the Colts who nearly had the undefeated season. They lost a tight one at San Diego, losing 23-21 on a last-second field goal. They blew a 10-point lead late to the Patriots and then rested starters in the final loss to the Tennessee Titans when it didn't matter. Manning will be fine and the Colts will be too.

Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys decided Friday to part ways with veteran receiver wide Terry Glenn but not necessarily close the door. The Cowboys will release Glenn, but should his conditioning improve, the team would like to revisit the possibility of bringing him back in the fold at some point.

Dolphins
It's ugly at quarterback in Miami. It appears the Dolphins are headed for another season with the quarterback situation murky. Beck threw more interceptions (three) than touchdowns (zero), including back-to-back picks in limited action. Henne threw an interception and missed receivers, while McCown didn't take first-team snaps as part of Miami's rotating practice schedule

Eagles
The Eagles, coming off an 8-8 season, have one of the game's best running backs in Brian Westbrook, a good coaching staff, led by Andy Reid, and legitimately harbor NFC title aspirations as long as five-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb stays healthy

Falcons
This Atlanta team could go from worst to worst: As in arguably worst in the league last year to worst in league history this season. Too many young players, 26 with no experience in the NFL, and 15 second year players in camp. That's out of 80. Most teams might have half that in camp. It could get worse before it gets better.

Giants
Plaxico Burress is not a happy camper, and although he did show up to camp, he did not practice in the morning or the afternoon, supposedly because the left ankle that was thought to be healed was acting up. More likely, Burress in another "business decision" decided to deny the Giants his services until they ante up some more money.

Jaguars
The Jaguars signed receiver Jerry Porter to a six-year, $30 million contract and bolstered an ineffective pass rush by drafting Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves with their first two selections in April. However Porter is on the PUP, and Harvey is a holdout.

Jets
Kellen Clemens, the Jets' quarterback of the future who replaced Chad Pennington in Game 8, was a disappointment, so Eric Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum decided the best backup they could get was the one they had already under contract, albeit one with a $7 million cap hit for 2008. That's a lot to spend on insurance for a quarterback who can only throw the ball 15 yards.

Lions
William Clay Ford Jr., son of owner William Clay Ford, said Sunday he thinks third-year coach Rod Marinelli finally has a collection of players who understand and believe in his system.

"So far, one thing that's very clear is this is very much the group Rod wants to go forward with. I think that says a lot," Ford said after the team concluded a training camp practice.

Packers
The Packers have informed Brett Favre that he would not be allowed to compete for the starting quarterback job with Aaron Rodgers. Coach Mike McCarthy said strongly that Rodgers would be his starting quarterback this year. The saga continues

Panthers
Jake Delhomme is back and showing no signs of the elbow injury that ended his season and the Panthers hopes last year.

Patriots
Former Raider LaMont Jordan hadn’t been a free agent for very long Friday when his agent’s phone rang. Jordan played with Randy Moss in Oakland and hopes for a similar rebirth with the Pats

Raiders
Al Davis told LaMont Jordan's agent, Alvin Keels, that he would only release Jordan if he didn't go to one of two teams.
Team No. 1: the Denver Broncos, for the obvious reasons.
Team No. 2: The New England Patriots, who Jordan signed with Saturday
Sorry Al, but the Patriots got your senile-ass again.

Rams
Steven Jackson the Pro Bowl running back, and the team's most irreplaceable part, is a camp holdout.

Ravens
The Ravens are being bitten hard by the injury bug in camp. Running back Willis McGahee didn't practice because of a lower left leg injury, and tackle Jared Gaither didn't practice after spraining his right ankle Saturday and now, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was carted off the field yesterday with an injured right leg after getting caught in a pileup during a full-contact drill.

Redskins
Jason Campbell might be a superstar in the west coast offense. He looks amazing in camp and the offense fits him like a glove.

Saints
Defensive tackle DeMario Pressley was placed on injured reserve with a foot fracture, forcing the fifth-round draft pick to miss his rookie season

Seahawks
When Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren missed two practices because of an undisclosed surgical procedure, offensive coordinator Gil Haskell took the reins, not secondary coach Jim Mora, who will become the head coach next season. That might be tied to the Seahawks' concerns regarding the perception that Mora is infringing on Holmgren's turf this year, Holmgren's 10th and final season

2008 NFL Draft Team Grades and Recaps
Complete recaps and grades by team for the 2008 NFL Draft.

Information provided in NFL Roundup has been gathered from A.P. reports, ESPN.com, Sportsline.com, NFL.com and numerous other e-sources.

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