Aubrayo Franklin

Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown pass and rookie Jahvid Best had a 51-yard run to lift the Lions to a 35-27 win over Cleveland in Detroit. Stafford was 13 of 17 for 141 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson on Detroit’s first drive. Jake Delhomme was 20 of 25 for 152 yards and a TD for the Browns, whose quick-strike, no-huddle offense found a lot of holes in Detroit’s defense . . . Rookie running back C.J. Spiller scored twice to lead Buffalo to a 35-20 win over Cincinnati in Orchard Park, N.Y. Terrell Owens had three catches for 35 yards for Cincinnati. cheap Bengals jersey cornerback Brandon Ghee was carted off the field after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Bills running back Chad Simpson, but coach Marvin Lewis said Ghee got “dinged’’ . . . Eagles Pro Bowl defensive end Trent Cole has a mild ankle sprain and is day to day. Cole injured his right ankle during the second quarter of a 20-17 win at Kansas City Friday . . . Kansas City rookie linebacker Cameron Sheffield has been released from the hospital after hurting his neck while making a tackle Friday night against Philadelphia. The Chiefs said in a statement that Sheffield has movement in all his extremities. 

Lions’ Stafford sharp
Ravens jersey wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth broke his foot in host Baltimore’s 24-10 preseason victory over the Giants. New York, meanwhile, managed only five first downs in the first half behind quarterback Eli Manning, who returned after a one-week absence . . . Tony Romo was sacked twice and fumbled as Dallas lost to the Texans in Houston, 23-7 . . . Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, managed just 10 yards on eight carries as the Titans lost to Carolina, 15-7 . . . Brett Favre threw for 187 yards with two interceptions, one that rookie Earl Thomas returned 86 yards for a touchdown, in Minnesota’s 24-13 victory over Seattle in Minneapolis. Favre completed 16 of 26 passes . . . The Bears’ depleted linebacking corps took another hit when Lance Briggs sprained an ankle and left the game in Chicago’s 14-9 loss to visiting Arizona.

Stallworth injured

In last night’s game, Bruce Gradkowski threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns after Jason Campbell left with an injury for the Raiders, and David Carr led a late touchdown drive that gave the wholesale 49ers jersey a victory in the annual Battle of the Bay. Campbell landed hard on his right shoulder after being sacked by Travis LaBoy; he was diagnosed with a stinger.

He has a little more than two weeks to get ready for the season opener Sept. 12 against Seattle.

Franklin passed a physical and signed the deal before the Niners’ 28-24 victory over the Oakland Raiders in an exhibition game last night. Franklin watched the game before rejoining teammates for practice next week of cheap NFL jersey .

San Francisco 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin ended his lengthy holdout yesterday by signing a $7.003 million franchise tag tender.
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Baltimore is pretty loaded offensively

This team is old and they're full of characters, but they should have enough play-makers to make a solid run at the postseason. Obviously injuries have caught up with Carson Palmer. When Palmer first came into the league, his was so advanced that he was immediately ranked with Manning and Brady as an elite QB in the AFC. But his body has gone through the football version of a meat grinder, and now his skill has dropped off.

Palmer is going to have a ton of fun throwing to the weapons around him. It's not so much the quality of the wide receivers but the quantity of them. He has Ochocinco on one side and Owens on the other. Antonio Bryant will provide support, and TE Todd Heap will also surprise.

Gresham was an outstanding college TE for Oklahoma before he got injured at the start of last season. If he had had a healthy year, he probably would've been taken in the top ten of the '10 draft. Cedric Benson is a good running back, although he has had injuries and issues with the law over the past year. If he can't play his backup Brian Leonard is a capable replacement.

One of the best things about Cincinnati this year is their improving defense. They are very well rounded in that area. Jonathan Joseph and Leon hall are an outstanding, underrated cornerback duo. It's unfair that Leon Hall doesn't get more credit for his work.

Rey Maualuga was so effective at linebacker at USC that one has to only assume that he will improve. The one player I've been disappointed with so far is Keith Rivers. He was drafted 7th in the '08 draft out of USC, and has been very underwhelming as a pro. Isn't it crazy though: there have been four linebackers that have come out of USC in the past three years – Rivers, Maualuga, Houston's Brian Cushing, and Green Bay's Clay Mathews – and Cincinnati has the worst two of the four.

Pittsburgh will be a good team this year with Ben Roethlisberger behind center. Unfortunately, he doesn't step onto the field until week 8 (six games suspended, week 5 is a bye).

Pittsburgh does benefit from an easy schedule. They get to play Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo and Carolina in the final weeks with Roethlisberger at the helm. I don't think they are better then Cincinnati and they will lose both of their games against them. Ultimately, they will miss the playoffs, but they will make a legitimate drive towards the post season.

It really isn't so terrible being a Pittsburgh fan. The defense is still good. The problem lies in how they are going to score points. There is a reason why Byron Leftwich is a journeyman in this league: because he's not very good.

Rashard Mendenhall is a player that could either flop or star. He was bad his first year in the league, and was benched for the first couple games of '09. On the field, he's a good runner – but he's not an elite one. He's not a runner that can change games.

The best thing about Pittsburgh this year is going to be watching Mike Wallace play. With a good quarterback he would put up terrific stats. If he were the main receiver on New England or Houston, he would be a top ten receiver. Even with Roethlisberger in the game, Wallace won't be able to show off his true potential. That is not to fault Roethlisberger, because the man does win games, but he doesn't get full potential out of his receivers.

I guess they're getting better.

There isn't a whole lot to like. Hopefully Mike Holmgren will pull a Terrell Suggs and get this team rolling. I like Eric Mangini as coach and thought he got a bad rap in New York. He got his team to play for him at the end of last season, and they weren't very talented, so that's a plus.

I like the Colt McCoy pick. McCoy isn't playing this year, but I still think he's a good talent.

Montario Hardesty and Jerome Harrison provide a good running back duo and Josh Cribbs is a very good return man and receiver.

Their 1st round draft pick in 2010 was Joe Haden, and he got good reviews while at Florida. He's a defensive back and they took him in the top ten, so hopefully it works out for them. I would never take a defensive back in the top ten unless they are shutdown guys. Eric Berry went in the top ten as a can't-miss prospect. Supposedly, Haden is just "a good player," and not a great one. Hopefully he proves people wrong.

This team will win a few games. They don't have much talent and that is their biggest problem. Cribbs is a playmaker but they need a couple more of them. If I were Holmgren I would try to lock up as many draft picks as possible.

Eventually Cleveland will get good, but it won't be this season.

Baltimore is my pick to win the Super Bowl. Their defense is excellent and hard-hitting (even with the loss of Ed Reed and the aging of Ray Lewis), but now Baltimore has a new and improved offense that will finally put up points and take some of the work away from the D.

I have to admit, I knew pretty much nothing about Joe Flacco when the Ravens took him in the first round a couple of years ago. It seemed like an odd pick to take a QB out of the University of Delaware so high in the draft. Flacco has played very well over his past two years. He's 3-2 in the playoffs (wins at Miami and Tennessee in '08; New England in '09) and that's pretty good considering the players around him. His first year in the league was sort of a mess. Baltimore had Willis McGahee carrying the ball for most of the year, and their wide outs were reduced to the talents of Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason. Not a lot to work with.

This year, Baltimore is pretty loaded offensively. Flacco is improving with every snap, and RB Ray Rice is one of the better runners in the game. He's the rare runner who can hurt you equally catching the ball as he can running the ball. That's valuable especially since NFL offenses revolve so much around hurry-up offenses and the passing game.

I personally don't think their new receiver Anquan Boldin (originally from Arizona) is going to be the talent that they are looking for. Boldin is a fine receiver, and I admire his toughness and his skill, but he has durability questions. It's always a little scary when teams willingly give away a good player from their team – as Arizona did with Boldin.

However, Boldin will be enough to carry this team to the top of the AFC. Last year they were close (they just ran into the brick wall known as the Indianapolis Colts). This year I expect them to win their division and to be the top ranked team in the AFC.

Champ Bailey Admits Darrelle Revis Is NFL’s Best Corner, Agrees With Holdout

Champ Bailey has relinquished the title of best corner in the NFL.

Long considered tops at his position, the Broncso' veteran recently acknowledged that the Jets' Darrelle Revis has him beat, the New York Post reports.

"I was reluctant to give it to anybody because I thought I was the best," Champ Bailey  said on 104.3 the Fan in Denver.

"I watched every game he played last year, and I've got to give it to him. He's better than anyone right now."

While Revis may be the greatest, he's keeping his talents to himself in the midst of an ongoing contract dispute with the Jets that's keeping him out of training camp.

"If the Jets want to do anything, they better get this boy in camp," Bailey told the Post.

Revis wants to be the highest-paid cornerback in the game, ahead of Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha, who is scheduled to make about $16.5 million in 2010. Under Revis' current contract, he would only make $1 million this season and $10 million in each of the last two years of his contract.

While the decision to hold out may seem selfish, Champ Bailey agreed with Revis' choice, saying, "If I was making what he's making, I'd probably do the same thing."

Bailey has a point -- Revis is making peanuts compared to some of the other cornerbacks in the game, and deserves a raise that's on par with his skills. Asomugha's exorbitant deal was a rarity, though, averaging fifty percent more than stars like Asante Samuel, Dunta Robinson and Bailey.

While Revis surely deserves a big, fat contract, it wouldn't kill him to be a little more flexible. If the Jets don't figure out a way to make him happy, Revis' holdout is going to be more than a distraction -- it's going to be a problem.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan hasn't been shy about saying he would prefer Revis to play.

"The tape doesn't lie," Ryan told the New York Daily News. "This guy's a heck of a football player. He is under contract for three years, so you like to see him out here. You hope it works out in the end where both sides are happy. That's what needs to happen."

But in the face of having to take the field without such a large piece of the defensive puzzle, Ryan remains confident.

"We admit that if Darrelle's not here, that it's going to be more difficult," Ryan told the Daily News. "You're taking the best corner in the league out of your defense. But by no means does that mean we're not going to still get it done. We will still get it done on defense."

Ryan's optimism may be wishful thinking. Revis is the best player on the team, and at such a key position, his impact is crucial for the Jets to succeed in 2010.

Ryan and recent addition LaDainian Tomlinson have both predicted a Jets Super Bowl win, before even taking the field.

Without Revis, the chance of that happening doesn't look good for the Jets.

Justin Tuck the Giants’ defensive end

In the Giants' equipment room here, there are more than a half-dozen styles of the newfangled shorts. It is easy to pick out the ones that are most likely to be embraced by players. Some shorts have large, inflexible pads sewn onto the hip and thigh area, making them look like something a ninja turtle might wear. But others have small foam, plastic or puttylike nodules sewn into the fabric, allowing the shorts and the padding to bend more than traditional pads around the target area, which is more likely to appeal to players who worry about a negative impact on their range of motion. (The players will still wear regular knee pads underneath their pants).

Skiba anticipates that if the pads are made mandatory, companies will make position-specific shorts. Defensive backs, for instance, want padding only in the front of the thigh. Offensive linemen usually wear the biggest pads because they get the most blunt force hits. But most running backs and linebackers, who are hit often in the legs, do not usually wear large pads, making some of the new shorts an intriguing option for them. And Justin Tuck, the Giants' defensive end, wears thigh and knee pads but no hip pads, on the theory that he is seldom hit in the hip.

"A pound here or there goes a long way," said Tuck, who is unsure if he will wear the new girdles in the preseason. "I feel a lot better if I play at 260 than at 263. Athletes are very superstitious. Guys have certain routines they follow for years and they want to keep it that way."

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin requires players to wear thigh pads, although they Justin Tuck offer much less protection now than they used to. Traditional thigh pads were half-inch foam, but at the behest of players they have been winnowed to a piece of inflexible plastic barely the width of a bicep. They crack often; Skiba said the Giants go through at least 100 of them each season. Players dislike them so much that they leave them in their lockers.

"So how much protection is it?" Skiba said.

The good news: the padding is so light and flexible on some of the designs being tested that players who are used to wearing compression tights under their uniforms are unlikely to feel weighed down. The bad news: the padding is so light that it is unlikely to prevent a serious injury caused by a direct blow from a helmet. But for skill position players who receive mostly glancing blows, the new shorts may alleviate some of the lacerations and contusions they get when wearing no pads.

The N.F.L. has no statistics indicating that wearing lower-body padding prevents injuries. But Ray Anderson, the N.F.L.'s executive vice president for football operations, said data showed that bruises to the hip, thigh and knee cost players workdays — vital practice time, if not games. There is urgency to limiting lost time: with an 18-game regular season almost certain to be a part of a new collective bargaining agreement, the N.F.L. is exploring things like equipment and expanded rosters to insulate players from bruises and broken bones.

"You mitigate any excuses," Anderson said in a telephone interview. "They think it makes them lighter and they feel faster and therefore they don't want to wear them. Then players say, 'I would wear them but I look across the field and I think they have a speed advantage.' "

Parcells considered not wearing full pads as conduct detrimental to the team because it created an unnecessary injury risk. But even one of the game's most influential coaches lost out to a more ingrained part of the N.F.L. culture: speed kills.

With players and collisions bigger and more devastating than ever, it may seem counterintuitive to eschew anything that offers protection. But professional football players — mainly receivers and defensive backs who rely on quickness, but some linemen, too — have a finely tuned sense of their bodies and are convinced that even plastic shells less than a quarter-inch thick and a few inches wide encumber them.

The days of fully armored players — with bulky thigh and hip pads rippling from beneath uniforms — are long gone, especially at the skill positions. Many leave everything except shoulder pads in the locker room, preferring the risk of injury — and in the case of Johnson, who played for Parcells with the Jets and the Cowboys, multiple team fines — over allowing an opponent to have an edge.

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers

 Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers waddled up within range of the machine that hurls practice passes to wide receivers and set his feet.

Footballs came off the machine at a frightening speed, and Rogers was just a few feet away. But he would dip one of his mammoth hands into the path of the ball and snag it, like King Kong grabbing a plane circling a skyscraper.

So far in training camp, that's the only action that Shaun Rogers has seen for a Browns defense that will count heavily on his intimidating presence on the front wall. Shaun Rogers is on the PUP list with a leg injury. It's just another point of concern for a team trying to tamp down as many question marks as possible.

"We want to turn the page on last year, but we want to carry the same mentality as we had at the end of the season," veteran linebacker David Bowens said. "Right now in camp we have the mentality that we're attacking. We're coming out in September and we're attacking. Teams are going to have to beat us. We're not going to find ways to lose games."

The Browns were good at doing that a year ago.

In nine games the offense didn't even surpass 12 first downs, an alarming lack of production that left even less margin for error on an already stressed defense. The Browns lost another game by a point at Detroit after time expired because of a defensive interference penalty.

But a four-game winning streak to end the season left them at 5-11. Now the defense feels it's ready to reach for something more.

"I've talked to fans, just at a restaurant or at the airport. They do seem optimistic. True fans, they've been through the highs and lows. It's time to give (some success) to them," linebacker Chris Gocong said. "Just looking at our defense, it's so much skill. If we can put it all together, I think we've got a real good chance."

Rogers may be the key up front. Even when his injury mends, he could be suspended for bringing a loaded weapon into an airport. But on the field, he can disrupt an offense by clogging the middle with his 350-pound frame and pushing linemen into the backfield. He'll likely be flanked by tackles Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman, making for a solid first line of defense.

Linebacker may be where the Browns are deepest and best. The front office pulled off some magic by plucking outside linebacker Matt Roth off the waiver wire from Miami and signing free agent Scott Fujita, who played at New Orleans last year. Gocong and D'Qwell Jackson will likely hold down the inside linebacker spots, with Bowens moving around wherever needed in the front seven. Eric Barton will also be a factor.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has a world of options.

"Some are going to have to play on special teams, so that's going to be a component of it," coach Eric Mangini said. "Some may play in the sub-suited defenses: nickel and dime, goal-line, short-yardage and more run-specific defenses. There could be a lot of roles for a lot of different people — and meaningful roles."

Jackson said all those experienced linebackers will not only improve each of the parts but also the whole.

"The more the better," he said. "With the competition, it's only going to make myself better, it's going to make Eric Barton better, it's going to make Chris Gocong better. And it's going to make the team better."

On the back end, Eric Wright and Sheldon Brown will battle for cornerback spots with first-round draft pick Joe Haden. Abram Elam and T.J. Ward fill the safety spots.

Ryan has been drawing up plays in the coaching room like a mad scientist, scheming up sets that may get more active athletes, more playmakers onto the field.

For a change, Cleveland appears to have some choices, not only in personnel but also in what that personnel can do.

"It doesn't matter who's on the roster, it doesn't matter who plays what," Bowens said. "That guy is expected to do a job. Everyone has evolved in the understanding that ego is all set aside. Everyone's here to do their job. That's how we're approaching it."

The interview ended and Chris Cooley

"You try to get him to be all disciplined back there with his footwork and all that, that's not the strength of his game. It never really has been. The pretty passes, hit your fifth step, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, hit your fifth step, ball out, ball on the finger tips, that's not really what he does best. But he is a very good creator, he extends plays well, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Those are also some of the weaknesses, too: Hold the ball too long, not throwing on timing, all that kind of stuff.

"But I think Mike, he's seen enough of him through this offseason, through the tape, to know that he's not a great rhythm and timing passer, that he does have some mechanical issues when it comes to accuracy.

"The best thing Andy Reid did, he always used the analogy of Larry Bird. If Larry Bird got off to a bad shooting night, Boston didn't take the ball out of his hands. He'd keep shooting and hopefully shoot his way out of a slump. For most Sundays, if Donovan started off bad and went through a bad stretch, it didn't really stay all game. He'd get himself out of it, and Andy understood that. I think Mike knows he can be really streaky hot like that. And if he is, you ride him. If he isn't and he gets off to one of those starts where the ball is all over the place, that's where I think the two tight ends, bootleg, dink and dunk, those kind of things might really help him get out of it."

I think Donovan could have a great year. I just don't know if they have enough at the wideout position to really scare anybody right now. I think that's where they're limited. ...You just don't know if they have enough
guys to really scare anybody down the field. Now maybe Malcolm Kelly will turn into something. I haven't seen anything from him. Maybe Devin Thomas will really come on. I don't know what they have out there right now. I know what Santana [Moss] is and there's a place for Santana. But you're asking Donovan to throw a pin-point pass 30 yards downfield to Santana Moss, that's going to be hard to do."

The interview ended and Chris Cooley did, well, what Chris Cooley does. Which means something a little different. This time it involved shaving off the stubble on his face as part of a promotion, surrounded by cameras. Another time in camp he helped a fan with a marriage proposal.

But the Cooley that Washington needs him to be is the one he was on the field for his first six seasons. That's before a broken ankle ended his season after seven games in 2009. And while Fred Davis emerged in his absence, it must be noted that Cooley made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and '08. And in a dreadful season he was on pace for more than 64 catches when he was hurt.

It was very hard for me to sit out and watch last year," Cooley said. "I can't wait to get out and start playing."

Nor can the Redskins wait to see him this season. With major questions at receiver, aside from Santana Moss, Washington needs receiving threats. Cooley and Davis can offset some of the problems because they're both dangerous. And Washington plans to incorporate both into the game plan. Just remember: Mike Shanahan's credo is to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Davis and Cooley can be in the game at the same time serving as blockers in the run game -- both have improved in this area. Davis and Cooley could be the best tight end tandem in the NFL; both could catch more than 50 passes.

"Both of us have proven that we can catch the ball," Cooley said. "It makes us very versatile ... . Defenses will have to guess."

And offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said, "They're all interchangeable. It's 'What's the best matchups?'"

Usually that best matchup at tight end will involve Cooley. And Cooley knows what Mike Shanahan can do with a tight end, having watched Shannon Sharpe as a young Denver fan. He doesn't remember specifics; he does remember watching the Broncos win.

"To sit down and talk to Mike Shanahan for the first time was kind of cool," he said. '"I was in awe a little bit."

Deshea Townsend agreed to a contract with the Indianapolis Colts

Townsend, 34, played 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being drafted in the fourth round of the 1998 draft.

The 5-foot-10 Townsend has 21 career interceptions in 183 games.

Revis is holding out while locked in a contract dispute with the Jets, and there's no telling how long the All-Pro might stay away.

"Darrelle and his family were extremely deliberate with the decision-making process," agent Neil Schwartz told the Associated Press. "Obviously his actions speak far louder than words."

Revis didn't show for the team's conditioning test Sunday morning Donald Brown at the Jets' training facility in Florham Park, N.J., and officially became a holdout when he missed the team's first meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Cortland, N.Y.

Not good news for a team with its sights set on a Super Bowl.

Schwartz and agent Jon Feinsod said both sides worked until the last minute to get something done. General manager Mike Tannenbaum said the Jets offered long-term and short-term deals, and a face-to-face meeting in the last 72 hours and all three were denied.

Haynesworth's sore left knee kept him from taking the conditioning test once again, forcing him to sit out practice for the fourth straight day.

"There's no change from yesterday," coach Mike Shanahan said. "He's still sore, irritated, getting treatment, working out, and we'll see if he's ready to go tomorrow."

The two-time All-Pro defensive tackle won't be allowed to practice until he passes Dallas Clark the test. He failed it on the first day of training camp Thursday and again on Friday. He didn't take it Saturday because he had a small amount of swelling in his knee.

After Sunday's practice was over, Haynesworth emerged for what has become a daily ritual. He spent about 15 minutes walking through plays with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and defensive line coach Jacob Burney, learning the nuances of the team's new 3-4 defense.

Haynesworth is the only Redskins player required to take the test because he skipped the team's offseason conditioning program, partly because he wanted to work out on his own and mostly because he didn't want to play nose tackle in the 3-4 scheme and was hoping for a trade.

Mathews signed a five-year, $25.65 million contract with the Chargers, with just more than $15 million in guaranteed money. The heir apparent to LaDainian Tomlinson, Mathews was expected to be at Sunday's late-afternoon practice. He missed seven practices, including three for rookies and selected veterans last week.

San Diego moved up 16 spots in the draft to take Mathews with the 12th pick overall. He'll replace Tomlinson, the 2006 NFL MVP who was released in the offseason and then signed with the Jets.

Late Sunday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they had come to terms with their first-round pick, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu from California. The deal is for five years and worth about $28 million. It includes more than $17 million guaranteed, but Alualu's agent says the proposed deal had not been approved by his client.

"We're close, but my client has still not signed off on it," agent Kenneth Zuckerman said. "I think they're just excited. That's all I think it is. I think someone jumped the gun."

At San Antonio, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said his arm has been sore for a Dwight Freeney couple of days. He says it's normal and nothing to worry about.

After the Cowboys finished their ninth day of training camp a week before their preseason opener, Romo said he started cutting back on his throws after first feeling soreness Saturday. He described it as "usually about a two- or three-day thing."

Romo says he is too competitive to be on the field without participating and plans to keep grinding because there is so much to be working on.

At Latrobe, Pa., Steelers kicker Jeff Reed wasn't happy to learn he won't be signed to the multiyear contract he expected after being designated as the team's franchise player.

The Steelers told Reed earlier in the year they wanted to work out an extended contract. Any chance that deal would get done apparently ended when right tackle Willie Colon was injured in June and Flozell Adams signed a two-year contract to replace him.