Sat NFL Notes

[BangTheBook]

Cleveland Browns - QB Rotation: Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey, Derek Anderson.

QB Charlie Frye said the offense will continue to add to its repertoire in this third exhibition game. After a dink and dunk passing game against Detroit, there has been more emphasis on the deep ball at practice.

Youth is the story at quarterback: The Browns made a surprising move, sending experienced veteran QB Trent Dilfer off to San Francisco in exchange for the younger QB Ken Dorsey.

Crennel said it will come down to a gametime decision whether or not Braylon Edwards (knee) and Willie McGinest (elbow) will see action in their first preseason games. Both participated in team drills Thursday, but the team was in shorts and no pads.

Offensive line thin with the recent loss of OL LeCharles Bentley, their star free agent signing. Kirk Chambers is expected to get the bulk of the work at right tackle with Ryan Tucker out. Tucker said he'd like to play in the final preseason game Aug. 31. The Browns asked backup defensive lineman Andrew Hoffman to switch from defense to offense - specifically to guard - where they're a little thin.

New center Ross Tucker is taking all of the first-team reps. C Alonzo Ephraim, who started last week, will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league substance-abuse policy. Meaning Charlie Frye has now worked with four starting centers.

Secondary thin: Injuries to rookie DeMario Minter (knee), Daylon McCutcheon (knee) and Gary Baxter (pectoral muscle) have decimated the unit. Only Leigh Bodden is healthy among the top three on the depth chart.

Buffalo Bills - QB Rotation: J.P. Losman (first half), Kelly Holcomb, Craig Nall (will play more), Kliff Kingsbury (see below).

Dick Jauron said he wants to see more of QB Craig Nall, so Kelly Holcomb won't play much in the Bills' third preseason game against Cleveland. Jauron said J.P. Losman remains the front-runner for the job.

Playing the entire first half last week, Losman completed 7 of 11 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, but his turnovers overshadowed his performance. Losman also coughed up the football on the Bills' last two first-half possessions.

QB Competition: HC Dick Jauron wants to see Holcomb and Losman battle for the QB job. Jauron said J.P. Losman has grabbed the lead in Buffalo's QB derby ahead of Kelly Holcomb and Craig Nall.

WR Peerless Price missed practice, two days after he was held without a catch for the second consecutive preseason game.

The Bills will run a 4-3 defense with a Tampa Cover 2 scheme under new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. He was defensive backs coach under Lovie Smith in Chicago. Smith was a disciple of Tony Dungy, who perfected the Tampa Cover 2 along with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin with the Buccaneers. Jauron has said that Fewell will make the defensive calls and new offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild will call the plays on offense. Fairchild was coordinator under Mike Martz in St. Louis but never called the plays there.

Indianapolis Colts - QB Rotation: Peyton Manning (first half and into the 3rd), Shaun King (will mop up), Josh Betts, Jim Sorgi.

Peyton Manning and the No. 1 offense are expected to play into the third quarter against the Saints, with King likely to finish. Coach Tony Dungy described the third preseason game as "game type." "Everyone knows we want to be sharp and play a good two-plus quarters," Dungy said. "This really should tell us a lot about where we are."

No. 2 QB Jim Sorgi was KO'd after only three plays with an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder and is out. The Colts could consider bringing in another quarterback, Tony Dungy said. Shaun King has taken the most snaps in preseason and would be elevated to backup in the interim.

The Manning-led No. 1 offense has played only four series, a total of 25 plays in the first two preseason games. It has opened each game with a touchdown drive. Injuries have kept the No. 1 defense from being together, and that likely will continue Saturday.

Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders will play. He missed the first two preseason games while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. RB James Mungro (knee) is out for the season.

Defense thin. Defensive tackle Corey Simon, defensive tackle Montae Reagor (knee), cornerback Tim Jennings (foot), and safeties Antoine Bethea (knee) and Dexter Reid (shoulder) are ailing. Starting MLB Gary Brackett was held out of Wednesday's practice after "tweaking" his knee.

The team signed defensive linemen Jason Davis, Phillip Alexander and Mark Word. With several defensive linemen hampered by injuries, all three should anticipate extensive playing time in the Colts' final two preseason games.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri missed practice last week with a sprained ankle. The uncertainty surrounding Vinatieri meant resigning place-kicker Shane Andrus. The Colts Punter Hunter Smith joined the list, suffering a strained groin that kept him out of Sunday's preseason game against Seattle.

New Orleans Saints - QB Rotation: Drew Brees (first half and into the 3rd Q), Todd Bouman (3rd Q+), Jason Fife, Jamie Martin.

Most of the starters are expected to play well into the third quarter, which will be the last preseason action for many of them.

Offensive line problems: Guard Jermane Mayberry (shoulder) and guard Montrae Holland (knee), both starters, have been hurting. In his absence, rookie Jahri Evans has stepped in as the No. 1 right guard. Mayberry would have to be considered the primary backup at this point. Pascal Matla can slide over from center to guard, and Jamar Nesbit, whom Coach Sean Payton said was the starting left guard replacing Montrae Holland, can play all offensive line positions. Darnell Alford also was taking some snaps at right guard in practice.

Cowboys assistant Sean Payton is the Saints new head coach. He coached the quarterbacks for Bill Parcells in Dallas and also held the title of assistant head coach. Before that, he was a New York Giants assistant, a stint that included that team's NFC championship in 2000.

Washington Redskins - QB Rotation: Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Casey Bramlet.

Running back Clinton Portis partially dislocated his left shoulder and will miss the rest of preseason.

RB T.J. Duckett was added from Atlanta to the Redskins.

The spirit of competition between Jason Campbell and Todd Collins for the backup role has heightened. Joe Gibbs said that the two remain equal competitors on a rotating basis.

Joe Gibbs was disgusted in a terse three-minute post-game news conference. "I'm concerned about the team," Joe Gibbs said. "You've got to play good as a team, and we're not. I couldn't pick out one positive thing." Said defensive end Andre Carter: "I can sense the feeling right now that we have a sense of urgency."

Washington has a new offensive system brought in by Al Saunders from Kansas City. Saunders' play-calling has been conservative and his unit's execution has been inconsistent. Gibbs was not happy with an offense that converted only three of 11 third-down chances, had three turnovers for the second straight game, and produced 84 yards rushing without an injured Clinton Portis after rushing for only 30 against the Bengals.

Gibbs also wasn't pleased with a defense that allowed the Jets to score on a 61-yard double reverse by rookie wide-out Brad Smith, and watched backup quarterback Brooks Bollinger complete 10 of 16 passes and lead his team on a 23-play drive that consumed nearly 12 minutes of the third quarter.

Secondary thin: Still looking to address their depth in the secondary amid a glut of injuries, the Redskins signed cornerback Julian Battle and safety Antuan Edwards. CB Ade Jimoh (sternum) and safety Curry Burns (hamstring) remained out of practice, while starting CB Shawn Springs is out three to six weeks after having surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle.

New England Patriots - QB Rotation: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Todd Mortensen, Corey Bramlet.

WR depth is thin, losing David Givens to free agency and trading Bethel Johnson this summer. The team's top wide receiver Deion Branch, who wants a new contract, is holding out.

The Patriots are trying a different rotation at cornerback, with Ellis Hobbs manning one spot and converted safety Eugene Wilson the other. Asante Samuel, a starter last season, still sees plenty of action in the nickel packages.

Linebacker depth thin: LBs Monty Beisel and Chad Brown and defensive lineman Marquise Hill are question marks. Tedy Bruschi won’t play in the preseason and the linebacker is questionable for at least the first two weeks of the regular season. Taking reps in their place were career special-teamers Don Davis, Larry Izzo and Eric Alexander, as well as veteran scrap-heap acquisition Barry Gardner. Rookie free agents Corey Mays and Freddie Roach are also in the mix. That's why they signed LB Junior Seau. The Patriots used Junior Seau and Mike Vrabel as their top inside linebackers during individual drills in practice.

San Fran 49ers - QB Rotation: Alex Smith (into the 3rd Q), Trent Dilfer (3rd Q+), Jessie Palmer, Shaun Hill.

Against the Cowboys, most of the starters will play into the third quarter, including quarterback Alex Smith.

The performance of QB Alex Smith, who led two scoring drives in Week 1, took a nose dive against the Raiders. He threw two interceptions and couldn't muster a scoring drive.

Center Jeremy Newberry underwent surgery on his left knee and will spend the rest of the season on injured reserve.

Mike Nolan wants a 3-4 defense, but because of injuries they moved to a 4-3 at Tuesday morning's practice. The change was necessitated by a right-knee injury that will sideline starting outside linebacker Brandon Moore at least this week. When Nolan looked at his personnel to decide who would fill in for Moore with the first team Tuesday, he did not choose a linebacker. He chose rookie defensive end Melvin Oliver. The 49ers front-line defense has no sacks in two games.

Nolan said guard/tackle Adam Snyder probably would miss a second consecutive game because of a biceps strain.

The secondary, which allowed the most yards passing in the league last season, remains a work in progress. It's missing left CB Shawntae Spencer, who's expected to miss the rest of the exhibition season with a pulled left hamstring. Free safety remains a position in flux with Mike Adams and Mark Roman still competing.

Dallas Cowboys - QB Rotation: Drew Bledsoe (first half), Tony Romo (3rd Q), Matt Baker.

Drew Bledsoe will start. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said that he might use Bledsoe and Tony Romo in similar fashion to Monday night’s victory against the Saints. In that game, Bledsoe started and played the first half; he finished 12-for-16 for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Romo played the second half. Rookie QB Matt Baker is working with the third team.

WR depth thin. WRs Terrell Owens (hamstring) and Terry Glenn (blisters) have been hurting. Owens did not play against the Saints. Owens might miss the rest of the preseason.

An impending suspension for Marcus Coleman and the play of Keith Davis might push rookie Pat Watkins into the starting lineup.

[BangTheBook]

Tampa Bay Bucs - QB Rotation: Chris Simms, Tim Rattay, rookie Bruce Gradkowski, Jared Allen.

The Bucs made some changes to the starting offensive line unit against Miami. There could be other starting shakeups for Saturday's game against Jacksonville. "We're still looking at some competitive situations on offense particularly," Jon Gruden said. "At the same time, we would like to see our starters some of them play a little bit longer, some will play for the first time."

The Bucs have not decided who their backup quarterback will ber, but with Jay Fiedler ailing and Tim Rattay performing only marginally, Jon Gruden said he is comfortable with the idea of turning to rookie Bruce Gradkowski should starter Chris Simms go down. After playing all of the second half a week earlier, Gradkowski played most of the second half Saturday, completing 11 of 14 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown.

QB Luke McCown, a third-year veteran who was expected to contend for the No. 2 job behind starter Chris Simms on the Bucs' depth chart, underwent surgery in June to repair a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss at least the start of the regular season. QB Jay Fiedler's rehabiliting a shoulder injury that required surgery in December. Fiedler said he hopes to be 100 percent by the start of the season.

Six of Tampa Bay's 11 offensive starters in the 2003 Super Bowl were at least 30 years old. If Sean Mahan beats out John Wade at center, WR Joey Galloway could be the only Bucs starter older than 29 on opening day.

Jacksonville Jaguars - QB Rotation: Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Quinn Gray, rookie Paul Pinegar (see below).

Jack Del Rio said the starters could go into the second half against Tampa Bay, depending on how much time they get in the first half. Backup QB David Garrard will take the majority of the snaps. The club hopes to play starter Byron Leftwich sparingly because of soreness in his throwing arm.

The coach also wants to see No. 3 QB Quinn Gray. Gray could get some work with the first team in the first half, but Del Rio said that depends on the flow of the game, and he could wait until the second half to look at Gray.

With WR Matt Jones returning to the lineup, Del Rio said he plans to introduce Jones, Ernest Wilford and Reggie Williams as starters. The team has been playing a lot of three wide receiver sets in training camp.

Two young running backs have impressed. Jack Del Rio thinks RB Greg Jones is finally regaining the form he lost when he suffered a serious knee injury in his junior year at Florida State. Del Rio also likes the running of Maurice Drew, the Jaguars' second-round pick this year.

The Jaguars are thin at tight end with Marcedes Lewis sidelined with a high ankle sprain and Brian Jones out with a knee injury.

Atlanta Falcons - QB Rotation: Michael Vick (first half), Matt Schaub (3rd Q), Bryan Randall, D.J. Shockley.

With Vick set to play at least the first half, the battle for the No. 3 QB position likely will go down to the final exhibition game. Jim Mora was not sure if Bryan Randall and D.J. Shockley will split the fourth quarter against Tennessee. One might play this week and the other next Thursday against Jacksonville.

The aftermath of losing 38-10 to host Green Bay Saturday left Falcons coach Jim Mora very uneasy about his team's depth. He was so disturbed that after the game he a high-ranking team personnel official to find him some help at the No. 3 wide receiver and backup safety.

The Falcons agreed to three-year contract with free agent defensive tackle Grady Jackson on Tuesday.

Rookie WR Adam Jennings (hamstring) will not play against Tennessee. Undrafted free agents Robert Redd and Troy Bergeron may replace him on kickoff returns.

A rash of injuries along the Falcons' offensive line has depleted depth. Guards Ben Claxton and Tyson Clabo and tackle Quinn Ojinnaka all suffered ankle or foot injuries last week.

They traded RB T.J. Duckett this week for WR Ashlie Lelie.

The Falcons don’t do live tackling in practice. Some say that's why they've allowed too many rush yards. Having close to a whole new group of players up the middle of the defense also could have had something to do with it. Darrell Shropshire is the new starter at nose tackle. Ed Hartwell, who missed nearly a year after recovering from Achilles’ tendon surgery, was really rusty and safeties Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker are still trying to get acclimated.

Secondary thin. Second-round draft pick Jimmy Williams has been forced into action with a training camp injury to starter Jason Webster and Saturday's mild injury to DeAngelo Hall. He struggled Saturday in several areas, including committing two costly penalties.

Tennessee Titans - QB Rotation: Billy Volek (1st Q+), rookie Vince Young (2-3rd Qs), Matt Mauck, Cody Hodges.

Billy Volek will start, QB Young is expected to enter Saturday night's game against the Falcons in the second quarter and play at least through the third quarter. Jeff Fisher said he plans for most the starters, including QB Billy Volek, to play well into the second quarter against the Falcons.

The Titans may make some alterations to their lineup and rotations for their third preseason game against the Falcons. That could mean a change in the order of the running backs — where Chris Brown has led off, followed by Travis Henry and LenDale White — and perhaps a look at right tackle David Stewart with the starting unit. Jacob Bell has started both preseason games at right tackle. "It's going to be worthwhile over the next couple of weeks to maybe shift some people," Fisher said. "For example, I'd like to see Travis and LenDale run the ball earlier in the game."

WR worries: WR Tyrone Calico has yet to play in the preseason, which could make it difficult for him to make it to the regular season. "We need to get Ty on the field practicing," Fisher said. Free-agent WR David Givens also has a hamstring injury and did not travel to Denver. WR Sloan Thomas (quad) and WR Courtney Roby (hamstring) have been ailing.

WR Brandon Jones will play a few snaps. Jones had right ACL surgery last December and hasn't played in a preseason game.

Defense thin. Defensive end Travis LaBoy (foot), DE Copeland Bryan (calf), LB Cody Spencer (abdomen), defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (back), and DT tackle Marcus White (knee) are hurting. Defensive end Antwan Odom hurt his right knee Saturday, getting carted off Invesco Field at Mile High. Odom left the stadium on crutches. The Titans considered their defensive line a strength at the start of training camp. But they lost tackle Rien Long for the season with an Achilles injury.

Rookie cornerback Cortland Finnegan is working this week as the nickel back, the fifth defensive back on the field.

St. Louis Rams - QB Rotation: Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dave Ragone.

The No. 1 offense has produced just two field goals in five possessions over two exhibition games. "I don't read anything into it," HC Linehan said. "It would've been worse if we were going three-and-out and punting every time. I'm not going to make a big deal about it."

Former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan takes over as the new head coach.

Linehan has promised to balance the attack, which was decidedly pass-heavy with Mike Martz at the controls.

RB Marshall Faulk is out for the season. The Rams signed Moe Williams to a one-year contract, addressing the need for a backup running back. They have third-year back Steven Jackson in the starting role, and behind him is Tony Fisher, a fifth-year running back from Notre Dame. RBs Antoine Bagwell and J.D. Washington, undrafted rookie running backs trying to make the leap from NCAA Division II to the NFL, are vying for a spot.

K.C. Chiefs - QB Rotation: Trent Green, Damon Huard, rookie Brodie Croyle, Casey Printers, Jeff Smoker (see below).

Trent Green will start at quarterback, and Damon Huard will also play, but rookie Brodie Croyle could be the first replacement for Green. Look for Croyle, who missed the first two preseason games because of a sore shoulder, to play extensively Saturday.

The Chiefs are disappointed with depth at wide receiver and some of the defensive-line positions and might look for help at those spots.

Pro Bowl guard Will Shields will not play in Saturday’s third preseason game against the Rams. One tackle, Kyle Turley, is new to the Chiefs after missing the last two seasons with back troubles. The other, Kevin Sampson, has one career NFL start. Jordan Black will fill in for Shields.

Running back depth is thin with Michael Bennett (hamstring), Ronnie Cruz (head) and Priest Holmes (neck) hurting.

“This is a game we’ve got to play with much more urgency and emotion,” coach Herm Edwards said. “I’m pretty sure guys will do that.” QB Trent Green said, “Is it time to panic? No. But I think we definitely have to have a sense of urgency going into this week’s game.”

Herm Edwards wants to see the Chiefs play defense with a lot more fire than last week. Edwards hinted that the Chiefs, after playing mostly plain, basic defenses in their first two preseason games, might show some new looks in Saturday’s game against St. Louis.

Seattle Seahawks - QB Rotation: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Gibran Hamden, David Greene.

Wideouts thin. Players currently unable to practice because of injury: TE Jerremy Stevens, D.J. Hackett, Keenan Howry and Skyler Fulton. WR Darrell Jackson (knee) hopes to play this game.

Secondary thin, with CBs Jordan Babineaux and Jimmy Williams, and S Michael Boulware hurting.

Mike Holmgren does not game plan for opponents during the exhibition season.

Left guard Floyd Womack returned to practice, his first day back from a strained right hamstring suffered Aug. 9. Rookie Rob Sims is currently playing left guard on the first-string offense. Second-year player Chris Spencer is back at center after Robbie Tobeck underwent surgery on his elbow.

San Diego Chargers - QB Rotation: Philip Rivers, A.J. Feeley, rookie Charlie Whitehurst, Brett Elliott.

For the first time in what is now his sixth season, RB LaDainian Tomlinson will not play even one snap this preseason.

The Chargers are pleased with their defense after two exhibition games. The Packers (218 yards) and Bears (189) combined for just 407 yards and 13 points from their offenses, and San Diego's starting unit has yet to allow a point.

Darren Sproles (ankle) is out the rest of preseason. Schottenheimer listed RB Michael Turner as the first option for returning kickoffs and wide receiver Eric Parker as the likely replacement on punt returns. Schottenheimer ruled out using rookie CB Antonio Cromartie.