ESPN NFL Training Camp 2008

BILLS WR HARDY, FS SIMPSON MISS PRACTICE (8:23 p.m. ET)
Buffalo Bills rookie receiver James Hardy was held out of practice Thursday night after experiencing soreness in his left hamstring.

Starting free safety Ko Simpson was absent because he was having tests on his left foot.

Hardy, the Bills' second-round draft pick, said he was held out by trainers as a precaution after tweaking his hamstring during warmups. Hardy expected to be back on the field Friday, noting that his hamstring felt better after practice at the Bills' training camp facility in suburban Rochester.
-- The Associated Press

O'SULLIVAN IN HUNT FOR QUARTERBACK JOB (8:23 p.m. ET)
J.T. O'Sullivan is back in the hunt at quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers.

O'Sullivan took all the repetitions with the first-team offense Thursday in place of Shaun Hill, who rested a tired throwing shoulder by sitting out practice.

Hill and incumbent starter Alex Smith have been sharing time with the first unit since the beginning of training camp last week. It was Hill's turn to work with the first unit Thursday, so coach Mike Nolan gave the practice time to third-stringer O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan did not take a snap during team drills through the first five days of camp.
-- The Associated Press

PEEK LIKELY TO MISS PRESEASON AFTER KNEE SURGERY (8:13 p.m. ET)
Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Antwan Peek underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday to remove a piece of cartilage and is expected to miss the preseason.

Coach Romeo Crennel said the surgery was a success and hopes Peek will be back for the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against Dallas.

Peek tore cartilage in the same knee in the opener last season, but played 14 games before undergoing offseason surgery. He missed two games with an ankle injury.
-- The Associated Press

STEELERS INK FORMER PRO BOWL KR DRUMMOND (8:02 p.m. ET)
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Pro Bowl kick returner Eddie Drummond on Thursday to help bolster what has been a weak special-teams unit.

"He's a return man that has some track record and he has a background in other areas, be it as a gunner or covering kicks," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "He's shown he's capable of doing that and he's had a nice career doing that."

Drummond played for the Chiefs last season after spending the first five seasons of his career with Detroit. He returned a punt for a touchdown during each of his first two seasons in the NFL, but has not scored in the past three seasons.

Drummond, who has played on kick and punt coverage teams as well, said he also had received interest from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills.

The Steelers released veteran return man Allen Rossum in the offseason and were projecting a multiplayer battle for the punt and kickoff return jobs.
-- The Associated Press

RAVEN SIGN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN SLAUGHTER (7:36 p.m. ET)
The Baltimore Ravens addressed a dire need for depth at offensive tackle by signing former Oakland Raiders lineman Chad Slaughter to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum salary.

Because starting tackles Jared Gaither and Adam Terry are sidelined with sprained ankles and rookie backup Oniel Cousins limped off the field with a right knee injury, Slaughter found himself lining up with the first-team offense at left tackle Thursday morning.

A few days ago, Slaughter was pouring concrete at home after being out of work for the entire 2007 season. Now, he's an NFL starter again.
-- The Associated Press

MASON, JONES RETURN TO PRACTICE (7:34 p.m. ET)
Wide receiver Derrick Mason (right knee) and linebacker Edgar Jones (right leg) returned to practice on Thursday.

Offensive guard Adrien Clarke limped off the field and didn't return.

Running back Willis McGahee (left knee) was limited, with rookie Ray Rice taking most of the carries again. McGahee had his knee wrapped in ice.

Quarterback Kyle Boller left the morning practice early without wearing his right cleat.

Cornerback Samari Rolle (bereavement) and linebacker Terrell Suggs (contract dispute) remain absent.

"We've got a tentative timetable, but I'd rather leave that to Samari right now," coach John Harbaugh said.
-- The Associated Press

ALLEN TO MISS SCRIMMAGE WITH CHIEFS (6:47 p.m. ET)
The much anticipated matchup of Vikings defensive end Jared Allen against his former team, the Chiefs, didn't happen because the team decided to leave him at home.

Vikings coach Brad Childress decided to leave key veterans over the age of 30 (and selected veterans such as Allen) at home for the team's Thursday night scrimmage against the Chiefs in River Falls, Wis. Allen was supposed to be the show Thursday because of the way he left the Chiefs.

Allen, a defensive end who led the league in sacks last season, was the Chiefs' franchise player but he didn't want to stay with the team long term because he had disagreements with management. He vowed not to say anything to Chiefs president Carl Peterson if he ran into him.

The Chiefs wanted to face Allen as a test for first-round choice Branden Albert.
-- John Clayton

WARE SITS OUT OF PRACTICE (6:16 p.m. ET)
Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware sat out Dallas Cowboys practice Thursday, a day after leaving the field early following a hit to the head.

Ware was on the field, but not in uniform, for the team's only practice of the day.

At the end of Wednesday morning's practice, Ware left the field early with a trainer while the rest the team gathered for its post-session stretch. Coach Wade Phillips said that Ware was feeling "dizzy a little bit" after getting "dinged in the head."

Phillips said Ware was OK, and the linebacker was then on the field Wednesday afternoon when players came out in shorts for a practice devoted to special teams.
-- The Associated Press

RUSSELL RETURNS FROM INJURY (5:49 p.m. ET)
JaMarcus Russell returned to Oakland Raiders practice on Thursday after being sidelined for two sessions because of a sore elbow.

Russell took part in all team drills, but held back a bit in his throwing to make sure not to damage his elbow even more after banging it off the helmet of teammate Darren McFadden on Tuesday.

"I'm just trying to protect myself as much as I can," Russell said Thursday. "I just wanted to get out here today just so I could get back in practice. I don't really like sitting out and watching guys bust their behinds when I can be out there doing something."

Russell said he felt fine after the practice and would be ready for the night session later Thursday. Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said Russell didn't have his usual velocity but that there were no concerns that the injury was serious.

With Russell back with the first team, Andrew Walter returned to the backup role he has had for most of his time in Oakland. Once the quarterback of the future for the Raiders, Walter, 26, became an afterthought when the Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick on Russell in the 2007 draft.
-- The Associated Press

BELL, TEXANS AGREE TO DEAL (4:15 p.m. ET)
Running back Mike Bell, released by the Broncos last week, has agreed to a two-year contract with the Texans, his agent Steve Feldman told ESPN.com Thursday.

As a Broncos rookie out of Arizona in 2006, Bell rushed for 677 yards and eight scores. Last season he was converted to fullback and was rarely used as a ballcarrier.
-- ESPN.com's Bill Williamson