ESPN NFL Training Camp 2008

MEESTER OUT TO START SEASON? (10:02 p.m. ET)
Jaguars center Brad Meester could miss the start of the season because of a strained right biceps.

Meester sustained the injury during training camp Sunday, but it wasn't clear he was hurt until he missed practice Monday night.

"We're still trying to determine how long he may be out," coach Jack Del Rio said.

It's the third injury in the last four seasons for the 31-year-old offensive lineman and the second in as many training camps. Meester missed the last four games in 2005 after tearing his left biceps tendon. He missed the first four games last season after breaking a bone in his ankle during camp.
-- The Associated Press

49ERS' RB ROBINSON BANGED UP (9:52 p.m. ET)
San Francisco running back Michael Robinson will miss at least one week of training camp after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee Monday.

Robinson, the former Penn State quarterback who has played sparingly in two NFL seasons, was injured when he ran into rookie guard Chilo Rachal during the 49ers' first full-contact practice Monday morning. Robinson returned to the club's training complex in the afternoon after the minor surgery, but the 49ers didn't provide a timetable for his return to practice.

Robinson has rushed for just 237 yards and two touchdowns in his NFL career, instead playing mostly on special teams and as a kickoff returner.

Joe Staley, the second-year pro beginning his first season as the 49ers' starting left tackle, could participate in some drills Tuesday after missing the first four days of camp with an infection in his foot.
-- The Associated Press

HORN'S DAYS NUMBERED? (9:01 p.m. ET)
Joe Horn can look at the depth chart and know he doesn't have much of a future with the Atlanta Falcons.

The 36-year-old Horn, coming off a season in which he had only 27 catches and one touchdown, is working in training camp behind a bunch of younger receivers, including starters Roddy White and Laurent Robinson, former starter Michael Jenkins and third-round draft pick Harry Douglas.

Horn has no chance to beat out White and Robinson, and he's clearly below Jenkins and Douglas in the pecking order. Even Brian Finneran, returning after missing two full seasons with knee injuries, might have a better chance than Horn or being on the regular-season roster.

Asked if he expects to be with the Falcons for their Sept. 7 opener against Detroit, Horn smiled and said simply, "I don't know." But the notoriously outspoken Horn vowed not to be a distraction during training camp.

"Within me, there's frustration," he said. "But I can't take it out on the field. That's not fair to the younger guys."

While Horn's future is uncertain, the Falcons do know they'll be one man short in the secondary. Cornerback Von Hutchins, projected as the nickel back, is out for the year after injuring his foot on the first day of training camp.

The Falcons had hoped it was only a sprain, but surgery was deemed necessary after Hutchins saw a specialist in Charlotte, N.C.

In another impending move, the agent for Grady Jackson said the massive defensive tackle has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Falcons.

"It's contingent on him passing the physical and everything," Angelo Wright told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He wanted to be in Atlanta."
-- The Associated Press

ELLIS' HOLDOUT UPSETS PAYTON (8:32 p.m. ET)
Sedrick Ellis' holdout reached its sixth day and Saints coach Sean Payton appeared to be growing tired of it.

"He's missing opportunities to get better, and that can affect his play," Payton said. "If you just look at the history of guys who have held out for longer than a period of four or five days, it hasn't been real good."

The Saints reported to training camp for weigh-ins and conditioning tests last Wednesday. They began two-a-day practices on Thursday, meaning Ellis has missed 10 practices in all.

Part of Payton's frustration stems from the fact the first through sixth draft picks have signed, setting somewhat of a precedent for the amount of money Ellis, who was drafted seventh, should receive.

Ellis' agent, Eugene Parker, did not return phone messages left at his office.
-- The Associated Press

TITANS' BIRONAS, WINKLER HURT (7:40 p.m. ET)
Tennessee All-Pro place-kicker Rob Bironas strained a groin muscle Monday during a special-teams drill.

Defensive end Ulrich Winkler of Germany hurt his left knee and had to be helped off the field, as well.

Bironas said he felt a little pull as he was kicking off, and trainers chose to be cautious and check out the injury. Backup punter Josh Miller also pulled a groin muscle, forcing the Titans to use third-string quarterback Ingle Martin to kick a few punts during the morning session.

Winkler, who was on the Titans' practice squad last year as an NFL Europa exemption, was pass rushing against Leroy Harris when his left leg buckled, and he yelled out. The native of Munich stayed on the ground for a few minutes before limping into the locker room with assistance.

Coach Jeff Fisher said he had no immediate information on the severity of Winkler's injury.
-- The Associated Press

NEWMAN MISSES PRACTICE (7:08 p.m. ET)
Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman missed practice Monday afternoon because of a strained groin sustained in the morning workout.

Coach Wade Phillips said Newman got tangled up with a receiver during a play and twisted his leg awkwardly.

Phillips doesn't consider the injury serious.

Newman, who went to his first Pro Bowl last season, left the field a few minutes before the morning practice ended and did not come out for the afternoon practice.

Also missing the afternoon practice were cornerback Quincy Butler (strained hamstring) and linebacker Justin Rogers (dehydration).
-- The Associated Press

GARCIA TALKS FAVRE (4:58 p.m. ET)
Jeff Garcia knows what it's like to be coveted by Jon Gruden, so it hardly surprises him that the Buccaneers are smack dab in the middle of speculation about Brett Favre's future.

"He loves quarterbacks," Garcia said Monday. "But he likes to just date. He doesn't like to marry."

Garcia reported to training camp after being excused from the first three days to attend a reunion for the junior college team his father coached to a national championship in 1973 and reiterated his belief that Tampa Bay's offense is already in good hands.

The Bucs have yet to state publicly whether they'd be interested in acquiring Favre if the retired Green Bay star applies for reinstatement to the NFL and is either released or traded by the Packers.

"I worry about our football team. I really just prefer keeping this conversation to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers," Gruden said between practices at Disney World. "Jeff Garcia is our starting quarterback. We're in the fourth day of training camp, and we want to play a lot better football than we did last season."
-- The Associated Press

JACKSON TEXTING TEAMMATES (3:07 p.m. ET)
Steven Jackson missed his fourth day of St. Louis Rams training camp Monday. The holdout running back is keeping in touch, though.

Coach Scott Linehan hasn't spoken with Jackson since Wednesday, when he was informed there would be an empty seat on the team charter flight north. Instead, he's been text-messaging with a player apparently eager for updates while making a stand for a new contract.

Several teammates also have been in contact, including backup running back Antonio Pittman, who's been getting the bulk of Jackson's carries. Pittman said he's spoken with Jackson, while staying out of the impasse.

"I'm just trying to come out here and set the tone and just let the coaches know that when Steven does come out of the game the level of competition will not fall off, and we can keep it rolling," Pittman said.
-- The Associated Press

BENGALS' RIVERS A HOLDOUT (9:38 a.m. ET)
Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers, the No. 9 overall pick in the draft, was the team's lone contract holdout as Cincinnati opened training camp.

Rivers and the team's representation are talking but there is no timetable for reaching an agreement. Including Rivers, there are only three unsigned first-round draft picks remaining, and Cincinnati began its 9 a.m. practice with nine of its 10 draft picks in camp.

In other Bengals news, Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson is not cleared to practice following recent surgery to clean out bone spurs in his right ankle. Johnson has been off crutches for a couple of weeks but still has trouble making cuts and sudden stops.

Backup running back DeDe Dorsey (hamstring) and starting fullback Jeremi Johnson (unspecified) also were unable to practice at the start of camp.
-- James Walker, ESPN.com

VIKINGS' BIRK HAPPY WITH JACKSON AS QB (9:19 a.m. ET)
Center Matt Birk said Sunday he thinks this will be the best Vikings team he has played on -- and that's with Tarvaris Jackson as the quarterback, not Brett Favre.

"I like the guy we've got," the Pro Bowl center told the Star Tribune. "I think there's something to be said for just being able to come to work and focus on your job. I've been in situations like [at Green Bay] before, where there's stuff going on and it's kind of like a circus atmosphere. I feel for those guys over there, because … they're opening up camp and they're going to get plenty of questions and it's just a big distraction that you don't need.

"Tarvaris is our guy. He's worked extremely hard, and he's earned the respect of everybody here. I think everybody has seen the work he's put in and how excited and how motivated he is and determined to succeed. So he's our guy, and as players we don't get caught up in all those hypotheticals."

JAMES VOWS NOT TO LOSE EDGE AT 30 (8:55 a.m. ET)
Edgerrin James turns 30 on Friday. That's supposed to be a grim birthday for NFL running backs, given the pounding they take.

"That's like a cliche," he said with a chuckle after the Cardinals' practice Sunday at Northern Arizona University. "I don't think that applies to me, because after all I've done and the way I take care of my body, I'm not even concerned with that. I see some guys, they haven't even played as long as I've played and they're missing practice and they're not able to play every game."

The 6-foot, 219-pound James has started all 32 games since he left the Colts to sign a four-year, $30 million contract with Arizona.

His durability isn't a question. But there are hints he might be losing his edge as he prepares for his 10th season. The numbers he's produced in his first two years in Arizona haven't approached the lofty standards he established with the high-octane Indianapolis offense.
-- The Associated Press

PENNINGTON WANTS JETS TO MAKE DECISION (8:52 a.m. ET)
The Jets are focused for now on the four quarterbacks they have in camp: Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens, rookie Erik Ainge and Brett Ratliff. Rumors and speculation continue to swirl regarding the Jets' possible interest in Brett Favre and how the three-time MVP would be a perfect fit for a team whose biggest question mark is at the quarterback spot.

"The bottom line is this: Sooner or later, the organization has to make a decision one way or the other," Pennington said. "And I hope it's sooner than later. For our team to be able to move on and accomplish the things we want to get accomplished, the things coach Mangini and [general manager] Mike [Tannenbaum] want to get accomplished, we've got to make a decision. The sooner the better."

Pennington has appeared to have the edge over Clemens early on in the competition for the Jets' starting job. The veteran, entering his ninth season, has looked good if unspectacular running the offense.

"It's been business as usual for me," Pennington said. "Practice has been going great and I feel really good about my progress and how everything's coming along and trying to build and become better."
-- The Associated Press

ROBINSON HOPES FOR SPEEDY RETURN (8:48 a.m. ET)
The Texans expect Dunta Robinson to return by midseason. The cornerback doesn't plan on waiting that long.

Robinson badly injured his right knee and hamstring in a pileup while trying to make a tackle last November. He had surgeries to repair both injuries, and doctors told him he'd need a year to get back on the field. A little over nine months later, Robinson is confident he'll be ready before then.

"It definitely wouldn't be out of the question," he said of an earlier return. "I feel I'm ready right now, but in reality I'm not ready. So I've just got to keep working. To even be sitting here talking about being ready is a good situation."

Robinson is on the physically unable to perform list. He can be taken off before the regular season begins, but if he isn't he'll have to wait until after the sixth game. The Texans have one game after that before their bye Oct. 26. Coach Gary Kubiak expects Robinson to make his 2008 debut the following week at Minnesota.
-- The Associated Press