Chad Pennington

Eighteen months from his most recent operation will be April 2011. By then, Pennington might be in the market for another team and a No. 1 job.

"Finally in '07 I no longer felt like I had had shoulder surgery," cheap Pennington jersey said. "You really don't feel totally out of the woods until about 18 months. But that doesn't mean you can't go out and compete and do well."

But his recovery actually took longer.

Pennington speaks from experience. He underwent shoulder surgery twice in 2005, then won the comeback honour when he led the New York Jets to the playoffs in 2006.

While arm strength has never been Pennington's forte, he has thrown well in the two exhibition games in which he has played, completing 10-of-18 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He said his throwing improves every day, but he's not 100 per cent and probably won't be this season.

The wholesale Dolphins jersey also have Tyler Thigpen, a fourth-year pro and former starter with Kansas City. He provides insurance should Pennington hit a setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery.

"We share leadership. I enjoy when he gets in there and has something to say, because I'm learning just like everybody else. He has been around a lot longer than I have. We're here to win as an offence collectively, and to have two quarterbacks in there saying stuff, it's good."

"It's just a great relationship," Henne said. "I'm learning so much from him just having him by my side.

Henne does. He says he learned plenty as a rookie understudy to Pennington in 2008, and while they've swapped spots on the depth chart, their friendship remains strong.

"Leadership comes a lot of different ways," Sparano said. "I'm not out there playing, and I guess the players consider me a little bit of a leader. I would say that they would be very wise to pay attention to some of the things that people like Chad Pennington have to say."

Sparano says discount  Pennington jersey can be a team leader even from the sideline.

"Chad understands that he has my full support," Pennington said. "The last thing that I want to do is undermine him. He knows that. I've talked in front of the offence about that, to make sure they understand he's our quarterback, period."

It's a tricky role when a young starting quarterback is trying to assert himself. But coach Tony Sparano says Henne's authority won't be diminished by Pennington's presence, and both quarterbacks agree.

Last year, the Dolphins backslid to 7-9, and they haven't won a playoff game since 2000. But expectations for the Bill Parcells regime remain high, and Pennington's job this year will be to provide leadership as a backup QB.

Pennington came to the Dolphins that season and had the best year of his career. He earned the affectionate nickname "Coach Pennington" from teammates because of his take-charge personality, and threw for 3,653 yards to help transform the Dolphins into AFC East champions one year after a 1-15 season.

"I felt like this was the place for me to be," he said. "Part of it was I wanted to help finish what we started in 2008."

Pennington opted to re-sign with Miami this year as a backup rather than join another team where he might compete for a starting job.

The latest injury cost Pennington a starting job. Second-year pro Chad Henne moved into the lineup and threw for 2,878 yards last season, and the Dolphins believe they're set at the position for years to come.

"I don't think anybody has tried to come back from three shoulder surgeries," he said.

The cycle continues. Pennington sustained a season-ending injury last September, necessitating surgery on his right shoulder for the third time. Now, at age 34, he's trying to revive his career in what could also set some sort of NFL record for resilience.

"Get hurt," the cheap Miami Dolphins jersey quarterback said with a laugh, "and then come back."

Pennington was asked the secret to winning such an award twice.

The quip dates to the end of the 2008 season, when injury-prone Chad Pennington was selected the NFL comeback player of the year for a second time.

Bengals' Former First Round Pick

Andre Smith came loaded with promise. During high school recruiters called Smith "one of the most dominant offensive line prospects in the last 10 years" (Rivals.com). He went on to become only the fourth O-line freshman to ever start for the Alabama Crimson Tide, playing in all 13 games and recording 62 pancake blocks and even a touchdown. This resulted in Freshman All-American honours.

Smith continued to rack up awards in college, culminating in winning the Outland Trophy in 2009 as well as sharing the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and receiving an All-Southeastern conference selection.

What came next was what, in hindsight, I see as the first warning sign. Alabama had reached the 2009 Sugar Bowl and were due to play the Utah Utes. Smith was banned from playing in this game due to dealings with an agent. What strikes me is that Smith was more engrossed in himself and his own prospects and dealings than he was in the success of the team.

It went from bad to worse for Smith, as he turned up to the NFL Combine weighing 332 pounds (you've seen the pictures!), running the 40 in 5.28 seconds and only managing 19 bench repetitions of 225 pounds. Smith then made headlines by leaving the Combine and returning to Alabama without informing his group leader and skipping a workout, ruffling a few feathers in the process and doing nothing to improve his image.

Smith, a former prospect for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, eventually went to the Cincinnati Bengals at pick No. 6 in the first round. To little surprise, Andre Smith held out, but nobody anticipated that it would be for as long as he did considering his Combine and pro day performances.

After missing all of training camp and the preseason, Smith signed a four-year, $21 million contract. Smith made little to no impact in his rookie season, playing in six games after suffering a sidelining foot injury. He failed to recover well from the injury, giving another source of criticism to detractors.

I find it strange that Bengals fans can be more upset about T.O. joining the team than they are that this waste of space is still around and that he used up a first round pick. Andre Smith has shown himself to be immature and having little passion for the game.

Am I wrong in feeling that Smith should have been desperate to prove the Bengals that he is better than his Combine performance and that all of the negative comments are wrong? He obviously doesn't mind the world's press decreeing that he is a bust, as long as he receives his paycheck.

Further solidifying Andre Smith's image as a locker room nuisance, his performance in this year's training camp has proved incredibly frustrating. Cincinnati's first round pick is entering his sophomore year with the Bengals, and he is not practicing with the team because he is not physically capable. Coach Marvin Lewis has gone as far as to suggest that he may be placed on the physically unable to play list come the season's start.

Is it just me, or should a first round pick not have to be monitored hourly? Should a first round pick with a contract like his not have to be threatened with a $32,000 fine for being overweight? It just suggests that Smith has no drive to play the game, that maybe his passion got lost along the way.

If Andre Smith really wants to play football, I expect big things from him this year; if he produces nothing, then I think it may be time to let him fall by the wayside. It's hard for a team to admit that its first round pick is a bust, so I understand the apprehension that Cincinnati will have, but I think Smith may not be the player they hoped he would be.

Andre Smith is the epitome of what is wrong with the NFL: an overpaid diva of an athlete with more money than sense. I wouldn't be surprised if Smith was happy to sit out with an injury last season and watch the money roll in. Smith could learn a thing or two from players like Nate Livings and Kyle Cook, who have already made the Bengals' O-line strong.

Maybe I'm wrong and Smith must be given more time. If this is the case, then surely Smith was not worth a first round pick. Let me know what you think, as my patience and I'm sure the Cincinnati board's patience is running out.

Former world No.1 Dinara Safina celebrated her return to Stade Uniprix with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany's Andrea Petkovic at the Montreal Cup on Monday and declared herself 100 percent pain-free after a horror run of injuries.

Russian Safina, who left to a standing ovation with the tournament's crystal trophy two years ago, enjoyed a more humble reception on center court, with a small afternoon crowd greeting her victory with a smattering of applause.

"If I was not 100 percent, there would be no reason to risk because the year is almost finished," Safina told reporters. "If I wasn't healthy, I would take time off."

Injuries have seen Safina's ranking tumble to 70 after the 24-year-old took top spot last year.

Following a back injury that forced her out of Wimbledon, the Russian snapped a run of six consecutive losses by beating Alona Bondarenko in the first round of San Diego earlier this month, but was bundled out in the next match.

Kim Clijsters stalled her comeback run in the second round of the Cincinnati Open last week.

"It hurts [to be ranked 70th], but it's more important I'm here, I'm playing and I am healthy," she said.

The win over the 39th-ranked German on Monday was just her fourth since the Australian Open and none of them have been back-to-back.

Safina expects that to change in Montreal, one of her favorite venues.

"It's a nice feeling to be back, I've played some of the best tennis in my career here," Safina said. "I hope they will put me a bit more on center court so I can feel the crowd. With their support I will try to do my best."

A return to form for Safina would provide a welcome boost for the tournament, which has suffered from the withdrawals of the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova, who sustained a heel injury during her loss to Clijsters in the Cincinnati Open final.

After a rain delay, Estonia's Kaia Kanepi dumped out 14th-seed Shahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 6-3.

Belgian 13th-seed Yanina Wickmayer eased past Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-3, 7-6, while 16th-seed Aravane Rezai tamed Czech Petra Kvitova 6-7, 7-5, 6-3.

The Taiwanese contingent had a mixed day in doubles play. Hsieh Su-wei and her partner, Alla Kudyravtseva of Russia, went down in two straight sets to Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, both of the Czech Republic, 6-1,6-3.

Meanwhile, Chan Yung-jan and her partner, Zheng Jie of China, handily defeated Canadian pair Heidi El Tabakh and Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-1.

Additional reporting by Staff Writer Andy Roddick recovered after losing his temper and the second set in a tiebreaker to reach the second round of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over the 46th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky on Monday.

What We Should Take From Andre Johnson's New Contract

A few days ago, the Texans signed All-Galaxy wide receiver Andre Johnson  to a two-year extension with a maximum value of $38.5 million and $13M of that guaranteed. Combined with his existing deal, Andre's contract is worth $73.5M over the course of seven years, which would make Andre the highest paid wide receiver in the National Football League.

Since that was announced, the talk about the deal has centered around the Texans keeping Mr. Johnson's services through 2016 and the potential opening of Pandora's Box. Anyone involved with the Houston Texans is happy, while the national media wonders if there will be an epidemic of stars asking for a new deal with multiple years left on their existing contracts. Lost in all of this talk is what Andre's contract actually says about Andre, Bob McNair, and Rick Smith. As this post's title suggests, that is what's really important to Texans fans.

Star-divide
If you paid attention earlier, or paid close attention to the contract's details, then you know that Andre Johnson can earn a maximum value of $73.5M ($10.5M per year). The new extension has a maximum value of $23.5M, but that is not guaranteed money.

What are those incentives and bonuses dependent on? Andre earns money based on his statistics and team involvement. A quick take for those not wanting to read, Johnson did earn a raise from his $5.8M base salary, but the final total depends on him finishing in the top five or 10 in one of the four major receiving categories - receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and yards per catch. Johnson can make anywhere from $8.9M (no top-10) to $10.5M (top-5 tier). That salary includes a $1M bonus which he earns from taking part in at least 90% of the teams offseason program plus all minicamps and training camps.
The first is that Andre Johnson is a special kind of football player. If Andre were a diva, then this situation could have gotten toxic. He could have whined and moaned about his contract and demanded mega-guaranteed dollars or a trade. Instead, The Juggernaut compromised by taking a slight raise and allowing the bigger bucks to be earned on the field. He is willing to trust in his talents, his quarterback, and his coaches. Given his career so far, no one, as the Examiner's Alan Burge says, should have any reason to doubt that Andre will earn every penny as he always has - on the field with his performance.

The second thing this contract should tell you is that owner Bob McNair takes care of his franchise's leaders. If you perform at a high level and behave like a professional, then Bob is going to make sure you are compensated as such. I know there has been criticism by some in the fan base that McNair is a penny-pincher because he doesn't throw money around carelessly for big names. This extension should silence that criticism once and for all if the DeMeco Ryans deal didn't. Like any smart businessman, McNair invests in his most valuable assets.

The final thing this contract should teach you is that general manager Rick Smith is a shrewd negotiator. Rick did not rip up a five-year deal or just tack on two more seasons, nor did he cave in to giving a huge contract that left the franchise unprotected or risk an unhappy leader in the locker room. Instead, Rick locked Andre down for two more years while restructuring the entire deal to pay 'Dre based on his performance. By doing this, Rick makes it hard to get upset about Andre making money since (a) he has more than earned a raise on the field and (b) he will earn the big bucks on the field. I was initially very anti-deal, but I like this deal the more I think and learn about it. In fact, I wish more contracts were structured in that manner.

Now in his fourth year as a general manager, this is another positive sign about Rick Smith's performance. Rick is a great evaluator of talent, does a great job of signing his rookie class on time, and now he can add this contract extension/re-negotiation feather to his cap. I know that some are worried about re-signing Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, and Bernard Pollard, among others, to long-term extensions in the near future, but this kind of deal, along with DeMeco's deal, gives me hope that maybe there is a way to get it all done while making everyone happy. If there is a way to get it done, I trust that Rick Smith will find it.

Until that day, we should all appreciate the people involved to make this deal happen and rejoice that we get to enjoy watching Andre Johnson playing in the deep steel blue until 2016. At this moment, #80's new deal should be chalked up as a great showing by Andre Johnson, stellar leadership by Bob McNair, more proof that Rick Smith is a very capable GM, and an overall fantastic move for the Houston Texans.

Gradkowski has to climb depth chart again

Bruce Gradkowski dropped back to throw, launched a deep completion down the right sideline and ran to bump chests with offensive lineman Khalif Barnes. Then he sought out wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey and did a leaping hip-bump.

The Oakland Raiders' journeyman quarterback is having fun, even if he's buried on the depth chart again.

It's not where Gradkowski expected to be, not after coming off the bench in 2009 and leading the Raiders to a pair of late-season wins while infusing the offense with a much-needed spark. At the very least Gradkowski assumed he'd enter training camp with a legitimate shot at the starting job.

Instead, Oakland traded for Jason Campbell during the NFL draft in April and head coach Tom Cable named Campbell the starter the day before training camp began.

"From what I've been through through my career, why get handed something now?" Darrius Heyward Bey Gradkowski said with a grin Thursday. "I'm never going to get handed anything. That's just the way I was brought up. You have to work for it and you have to earn it. I've never expected anything to come easy."

Gradkowski started 13 games as a rookie for Tampa Bay in 2006 then quickly fell off the map and into backup territory. Over the next two years, he started just six games for the Bucs and Cleveland Browns, then signed on as the Raiders' fourth quarterback before last season.

In Oakland, Gradkowski was behind former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia and Andrew Walter when camp began. By midseason, he had vaulted to the top of the depth chart and was a big hit at the Oakland Coliseum, where fans had grown tired of Russell's ineffectiveness and attitude.

Gradkowski started four games for the Raiders, including a 27-24 road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 6. Gradkowski grew up less than 10 minutes from the Steelers' stadium and the emotional return home, coupled with the victory, seemed to enhance Gradkowski's stock.

He compiled a 91.4 rating in his four starts but missed the final three games due to a knee injury. He hurt himself again this offseason when he tore a pectoral muscle while lifting weights. The injury required surgery that forced Gradkowski to miss all the team's OTAs and minicamps.

That's one of the reasons the Raiders traded for Campbell. The team also severed ties with Russell after three disappointing seasons.

Asked Thursday what hurt worse, the torn pectoral muscle or being informed Darrius Heyward Bey Campbell was the starter on the eve of training camp, Gradkowski chuckled.

"Well I think definitely ... definitely the pec," he said. "Those (other) situations, I can't control, so no need to worry about them. At least now I'm back and I can compete and do my thing and let things fall into place."

Through the first week of training camp Gradkowski has worked almost exclusively with the second-team offense while Campbell has taken the majority of reps with the starters.

Oakland also has Kyle Boller and journeyman Charlie Frye on the roster, though not even Campbell has asserted himself as vocally as Gradkowski.

During a 7-on-7 goal line drill Thursday, Gradkowski stepped to the line of scrimmage to scan the defense and noticed defensive back Stanford Routt lingering on the field when he should have been on the sideline.

"Hey Stan, you in or out?" Gradkowski barked. "Get off."

That leadership and his willingness to accept a backup role without complaining has made Gradkowski a hit with the coaching staff.

"Bruce is a pro, (he) is not about what Bruce wants," Cable said. "Everyone wants to be a starter, but he's about the team and he'll have himself ready to go, and his approach is fine. He understands this game at this level. He's just a play away from being the starter again."

Notes: WR Jonathon Holland was carted off the field with an undisclosed injury during the morning practice. Holland went down and appeared to be clutching his left ankle after running a pass route. ... Defensive tackle Richard Seymour was given the morning off. ... WRs Louis Murphy (foot), Darrius Heyward-Bey (general soreness) and Jacoby Ford (quad) also did not practice. ... Eight NFL referees attended Thursday's practice and will continue to work with the team for the next few days.

Bailey says he's still among the NFL's best DBs

Anything that Darrelle Revis, Nnamdi Asomugha or Charles Woodson can do, the Denver Broncos standout contends he can do better — or at least just as well.

Heading into his 12th season, Bailey doesn't feel like he's lost even a hint of his superior speed or a trace of his first-rate cover skills.

All he needs is for some quarterbacks to doubt him and throw the ball his way more often.

"I still can run with the best of them,"Champ Bailey asserted. "Until I do bad, then I bump myself down."

And until that time, he will consider himself one of the gold standards at defensive back, the definition of a shutdown cornerback.

"Look at my track record," he said.

Champ Bailey has amassed quite a resume since being drafted out of the University of Georgia in 1999, making three All-Pro squads, nine Pro Bowl teams and picking off 46 passes, a total second only to safety Darren Sharper (61) during that span.

And that's with quarterbacks frequently electing to challenge his counterpart on the other side of the field, which this season should again be Andre' Goodman.

Although he's entering the final year of his contract — one that will pay him US$13 million — he maintains he's not motivated by his next big contract.

"I can't control that," he said.

Bailey said he didn't mind the Broncos putting their big bucks into linebacker Elvis Dumervil's bank account. Dumervil signed a five-year, $58.332 million extension last month, leading many fans to wonder if Bailey was next in line for a huge contract extension.

Champ Bailey's age and price tag, the Broncos might decide to let him go in free agency after this year.

"It's not something I think about now," Bailey said. "I'm just concentrating on getting better."

When one of the best in the business wants to get even better, he pulls out footage of fellow cornerbacks around the league.

These days, his must-watch list includes defensive backs such as Revis, a holdout with the New York Jets, and Woodson of the Green Bay Packers. New to his video library is Philadelphia's Asante Samuel.

"Samuel's style is a little different from mine, but the way he plays and makes plays, that's what I try to steal from him," Bailey explained. "(Revis), I started watching him more in the second half of the season. He's got the total package. That guy can play."

Of course, Bailey is the one all the impressionable defensive backs strive to emulate around the Broncos headquarters.

His apt pupil this season is Perrish Cox, a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State and the cornerback who may just be his backup in 2010.

"Champ does it so smooth, makes it look so easy — until we go out there and try it," Cox said. "It's tougher than it looks."

There's a noticeable spring in Bailey's step this summer, a vigour that wasn't quite as apparent last summer. He said that's because he's not having to learn a new scheme again.

Sure, Don (Wink) Martindale is Denver's fifth defensive co-ordinator in as many seasons, but he's bringing the same principles to the field after serving as linebackers coach last year.

There will be no radical changes, such as in 2009, when defensive boss Mike Nolan ushered in the era of the 3-4 at Dove Valley. And a beefier defensive line should give Bailey more chances to do what he does best: pick off passes.

Martindale is hoping quarterbacks indeed decide to test Bailey.

"He's been here forever and made a lot of great plays," Martindale said. "I love it."

Bailey also arrives at camp healthy again, no lingering groin problems to hamper him like last summer.

"Now, I'm more confident," Bailey said. "More confident about what we're doing."

In the twilight of his career, he's finding an appreciation for two-a-days, no longer loathing them like he once did.

"I won't always be this positive," Bailey said, grinning. "But it's something I've tried to train myself to do, just because I know I've got to get through it to get where I want to go."

That's back to the playoffs, where the Broncos haven't been in four seasons.

The team started out 6-0 last year but finished 8-8 in coach Josh McDaniels' rookie season.

Bailey has played in just five playoff games in his career, and never reaching the Super Bowl gnaws at him.

Training camp Day 3 afternoon updates: waiving "The Konz"

Seahawks rookie tight end Jameson Konz was waived/injured after sitting out the last two days of practice with a hip injury. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated that the injury was something Konz, a seventh-round pick, came into training camp with.

Linebacker Aaron Curry sat out the afternoon practice, the third straight he has missed with a concussion. Carroll said Curry could be out again tomorrow, but should return Thursday after the team takes a day off Wednesday.

The four players who were given the morning off--Matt Hasselbeck, Lawyer Milloy, TJ Houshmandzadeh and Ray Willis--were all back for the afternoon session, while Deion Branch and Kam Chancellor took the afternoon session off.

Carroll said Milloy complained about being held out in the morning, and seemed to let his anger out in the second practice, dishing out a couple of hard hits, one to John Carlson and another to Justin Forsett.

Second-year receiver Deon Butler had an impressive practice, catching a few long passes.

Jared Allen is ready to lasso opposing quarterbacks for the Vikings

Harvin turned his ankle late in Saturday's morning session and was carted off the field for treatment, although he played in the night scrimmage.

With Sidney Rice rehabilitating from a nagging hip injury, the Vikings have been without their two most productive receivers of 2009 for most of camp.

Early impressions: Coming off a wildly inconsistent season that ended with the ignominy of having the NFL remove him from the Pro Bowl roster, left tackle Bryant McKinnie is having a strong camp.

"He's gotten better and better since I've been here," Childress said. "Regardless of whether he played in the Pro Bowl or not, he was voted a Pro Bowler last year, which is usually a vote by your peers. He's done some exceptional things here in the first four practices."

Also drawing rave reviews is rookie cornerback Chris Cook, who intercepted three passes during red-zone drills Sunday.

At 6-foot-2, Cook is the tallest player in the Vikings' secondary by three inches, Tarvaris Jackson giving them a new dynamic. He feasted on receivers trying to outjump him in tight coverage on

fade routes to the corner of the end zone.

"As a tall guy, he's got a pretty good drive," Childress said. "When you continue to throw to spots, sometimes those smaller defensive backs can't get to those spots by virtue of their size. He's making some plays on some balls that are being thrown into some pretty decent spots."

Since Favre is still tossing the pigskin with high school students, I would move on to what makes the Vikings a dangerous team in the NFC. Vikings is one few teams in the entire NFL with a very good offense and defense. Last year, the Vikings fell to eventual Super Bowl Champions, New Orleans Saints but for the season they played well from both sides of the ball.

Jared Allen is ready to lasso opposing quarterbacks for the Vikings. He was able to leave Tarvaris Jackson opposing quarterbacks fit to be tied because of his fellow defensive linemen Pat and Kevin Williams' strong defensive line play. Defense will be glad to see E.J. Henderson heading the Linebacker corps who has proven to be a good unit of players. The secondary is packed with veterans such as Lito Sheppard and Antoine Winfield. Winfield if he is 100 percent after the foot injury suffered last year, he should contribute to a good defense. Vikings' defense if they play like last season then Minnesota can contend for the NFC spot in the Super Bowl.

The offense has a few weapons and at the top of the list is the Cashier or Mr. Fumbles depending on which Adrian Peterson takes the field. Peterson's ability goes without question, but the frequency of putting the ball on ground has to be addressed. He cannot be on the sidelines when the game on the line because his carrying the football is unreliable. Percy Harvin is listed as a wide receiver but he does it all. The drafting of Toby Gerhart will add the big bruising runner who will provide good change of pace to Peterson's speed.

If Favre can have repeat of the season he had last year, the Vikings will do well. He and Sidney Rice seem to form a Corsican Brother- type wide receiver and quarterback connection with few big plays as result of the bond. Sidney Rice numbers is great reflection of what Favre means to team under center. Rice had a great season. If Peterson can protect the ball then offense will be able to give him the ball more and control the clock. Favre still has the gunslinger mentality encoded in his DNA but he should keep it to minimum because the Vikings will be better team for it.