NFL camp roundup
Pats’ Bruschi to miss preseason after surgery to fractured wrist Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi underwent surgery Wednesday for a broken wrist, and will miss the entire exhibition season.
Missing Bruschi during camp is something the Patriots are used to after last summer, when he sat out because of a stroke.
“His presence, his leadership, his vocal (presence), his mental understanding of the game is huge for us,” safety Rodney Harrison said. “Right now, Tedy has an issue and, fortunately for us, we have time right now. We have other guys. We get a chance to look at other young guys.”
Bruschi, entering his 11th season with the Patriots, was hurt on July 31, the fourth day of camp, and hasn’t practiced since.
True to form, coach Bill Belichick was initially cryptic about his star linebacker’s status.
“His wrist is probably sore. I’m sure he has a lot of sore body parts. He’s day-to-day.”
On Tuesday night, after Bruschi missed his 10th straight workout, Belichick confirmed that Bruschi had a broken wrist and would not play in any exhibition games. He said he didn’t know if Bruschi would need surgery, then added, “I said everything I’m going to say about that.”
A few hours later, team spokesman Stacey James said Bruschi had surgery Wednesday.
Belichick hasn’t said which wrist Bruschi broke or whether the player would be ready for the regular season opener on Sept. 10 at home against Buffalo.
Bruschi had a stroke on Feb. 16, 2005, and returned for the seventh game.
Without Bruschi, their leading tackler over the last five seasons, the only remaining starting linebacker from the 2004 season, when the Patriots won their most recent Super Bowl and third in four seasons, is linebacker Mike Vrabel.
Redskins
Washington Redskins rookie offensive lineman Kili Lefotu was found unconscious in his room Wednesday evening and was undergoing tests at a hospital.
Coaches became concerned when Lefotu failed to show up for the team’s 7 p.m. practice. Representatives were sent to the players’ housing, where they found Lefotu unresponsive. Coach Joe Gibbs said Lefotu appeared to be doing better, but doctors had yet to diagnose what happened.
“He’s responsive, he’s talking, which wasn’t the case when they first found him at the dorm,” Gibbs said. “The first set of tests, they were looking for something bleeding, and they didn’t find anything.”
Gibbs said the Redskins training staff was not aware of any similar problems in Lefotu’s medical history.
Gibbs also said Lefotu had attended the afternoon meetings and showed no signs of illness. The team took longer than usual to become aware of Lefotu’s illness because his roommate, Manaia Brown, had been released earlier in the day.
Titans
Titans running back Chris Brown isn’t listening to the trade rumors.
“I still have a job here to do,” Brown said. “That’s what they keep me here for, and that’s what I’ve got to do. That’s why I go out here every day working hard, preparing to be the starter and take care of my business.”
General manager Floyd Reese isn’t biting, either.
“I have no idea what they’re talking about,” Reese said Wednesday when asked about reports that the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are among teams interested in trading for the three-year veteran.
The Titans have no reason right now to trade away their starting running back because they need him, too. Travis Henry has looked better in training camp, and rookie LenDale White has missed some practices in recent days with a flu bug and a sore toe.
Colts
Dwight Freeney will be one of six Indianapolis defensive starters sitting out Thursday night’s preseason opener at St. Louis.
Freeney missed his second straight morning practice Wednesday, and afterward coach Tony Dungy announced the Colts’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive end would be kept out for precautionary reasons.
Dungy said Freeney’s shoulder, which forced him to sit out Tuesday morning and skip the final team scrimmage Tuesday afternoon, was too sore.
Seahawks
Left guard Floyd Womack strained his right hamstring during practice and will miss at least a week.
Womack, scheduled to replace departed All-Pro Steve Hutchinson on the defending NFC champions’ often-dominant offensive line this season, was pulling behind a play that was flowing away from him during a full-contact running drill. He pulled up holding the back of his right leg and immediately hobbled to the sidelines.
Backup center Chris Spencer, drafted No. 1 in 2005, will likely start in Womack’s place in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against Dallas.
Cowboys
Terrell Owens ran hard, made cuts and came to some quick stops while catching passes, but did so during a post-practice session with a fourth-string quarterback – not with the rest of the Dallas starters.
Owens capped his workout by hauling in a long pass at the back of the end zone, slowing immediately to make sure he stayed in bounds, then walked to the locker room. He didn’t stop to talk to reporters, only saying his sore left hamstring felt “better.”
He missed two practices Wednesday, the ninth and 10th since he first felt the twinge Aug. 2. An MRI taken Saturday showed no damage, but he’s concerned enough to have flown in his own doctors, trainers and an oxygen chamber that speeds recovery. He’s also said the injury likely will keep him out of the preseason opener Saturday night in Seattle.
Jets
Running back Curtis Martin wants to play this season, but is unsure when he’ll be able to return.
The NFL’s No. 4 all-time leading rusher said he’s working out every day so he can come back from a right knee injury as quickly as possible, and is hopeful he can play in the season opener Sept. 10 at Tennessee.
“I’m working out as hard as I can,” he said. “I’m here every single day and probably up here longer than most of the other players because I’m doing extra work.”
Martin was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list July 27, the day before training camp opened. He initially got hurt in Week 2 last season and underwent surgery in December to clean out his knee.
Giants
Linebacker Lavar Arrington will miss New York’s preseason opener against Baltimore on Friday with soreness in his right knee.
The three-time Pro Bowler, signed in the offseason for $49 million, participated in team drills for the first week but has worked only briefly in one practice since last Friday. He watched from the sidelines again Wednesday at the University at Albany.
The soreness is affecting the same knee Arrington underwent two surgeries on in 2004 and 2005 when he was with the Washington Redskins.