Jason Campbell seemed pretty excited by the prospect of actually playing football this season, and took his "long-term" backup role as a major sign of faith. Todd Collins says he was "surprised," by the unconventional decision, and seemed a bit confused about how all of this might play out, but at least a semi-hopeful that should he get in a game and perform well, he might still got a shot at his first start since 1997. As for Al Saunders, he seems on board with everything, praised Campbell's progress in the latter stages of training camp, and, like Gibbs, said all you can really bank on is one week at a time, and entering Monday's opener, Collins in the guy behind Brunell.

Any changes to this plan based on team performance, injuries, individual performances, etc. would be Gibbs's all the way, Saunders said, and not his. Most importantly, let's not forget the chasm between the big dog - Mark Brunell - and the backups. Unless Brunell gets hurt, I see him keeping the starting job indefinitely, even if his play somehow slipped to 2004 levels. So in the end, this might be much ado about nothing. But, hell, who doesn't love a quarterback controversy, even a nonsensical one.

Springs says he's "a work in progress," but admits it would take significant practice time and progress for him to be ready to play after undergoing abdominal surgery last month. Springs, however, was in good spirits and eager to talk about former Redskins corner Fred Smoot, The Mouth Of The South, who makes his long-awaited return to DannyLand Monday night with the Vikes.

"Tell Silky Johnson (Smoot's nickname) he ain't got nothin' on me,'" Springs said, a nickname with it's roots in, what else, a Dave Chappelle sketch ("The Playa's Ball," if I remember correctly).

Springs went on to reminisce about the days he and Smoot went at each other through every meeting and practice, arguing about who was better at his craft. "Then the next day we'd be like best friends again, and then go at it some more," Springs said. Ah, the memories. Methinks that should Springs find his old buddy along the sidelines before the game, Smoot might end up the target of at least a few "Love Boat" comments ...

How 'bout my boy Dan Steinberg, and his Sports Bog, trying to recruit three of my top posters - Pink CC, P Diddy and Mucus Membrane (in no particular order) - for his new blog? Is nothing sacred? Oh, the seedy side of the blogosphere. Dan will come on strong, like a corrupt street agent at a high hoops game, like one of those corporate sneaker pimps, a Sonny Vacarro trying to get you to chose Adidas over Nike.

Yeah, the Steinblogger will promise you the moon and stars. Whatever it takes to lure you. But after a while you'll see how good you had it over here. You'll long for references to Ratt, malt liquor, Entourage, Chris Cooley's hair,. the English Premier League, and qusi-conversations with the owner of a certain local pro football team ... and you'll be back for good, never to stray again.

No, seriously, there's plenty to go around for everyone. Steinberg is a funny dude and a talented writer with an eye for the obscure. Check him out at blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog (I'm so lame on the tech front that I don't know how to post a link), and, by all means, don't forget about my dinky little blog here. The one with no name that is kept hidden in the tiniest crevices of Washingtonpost.com ...

Anyone else psyched about all of the dating ads that seem to have popped up around this blog? Those advertisers know their demographic. We're coveted baby. To paraphrase from a classic thriller, 'Would you date me? I'd date me." ... Skins signed O lineman Todd Wade today and cut Ike Ndukwe. Our special section on the NFL comes out Wednesday, and, to cut this off at the head, you will Ndukwe still on the depth chart and not Wade. It's not my deal. That stuff had to be set in print Monday at midnight, I'm told, so we're stuck with what we had.

Anything else, whether it be in Week 2 or Week 8 or Week 13, well, that's subject to change. This is the plan for now, a plan that is set for Week 1, and, says Gibbs, would only change if Brunell got knocked or pulled from a game. To me, it's pretty clear what the pecking order is, and it's a great job of couching the situation by Gibbs and a great way to keep Campbell's spirits up and make him feel like part of the equation. Shrewd thinking there.

But come on, if Todd Collins comes in and manages the game and the Redskins are a competitive team and Brunell is out a week or so, do you really see Campbell going in the following week? Not me. Not with the expectations for this team and not with the familiarity Collins has in this system. Even Coach Joe conceded that "The Campbell Solution" could be altered at any time, and this issue revisited depending on the play of the other quarterbacks, the team's place in the standing, etc.

Bottom line, should Brunell go down for any reason, Collins gets the first crack to show that he can be the guy for this team. That's all any backup can ask for. And we know how it's gone here the last few years. When Patrick Ramsey took over for Brunell midway through the 2004 season, Ramsey started for the duration of the season; when Ramsey was knocked out in Week 1 last year, Brunell came in and started every game from there on out.

All any coach can guarantee is who his top dog will be going into that Sunday/Monday, and who the No. 2 is. Right now, it's Brunell and Collins. I can appreciate the tact the staff is taking and it all makes sense from their perspective. But I still feel like what happens on game day from here on out will dictate the moves made at quarterback much more so than any long-term proclamations made a week before the season starts.

Really wanted to talk to Steve Young for that Brunell story that ran over the weekend, but we never could get on the same page. The last time he called me back was during the exhibition with the Ravens, and I never heard the phone ring. Steve says hi to all his DC fans, however, and says he'll be at FedEx next week as part of the ESPN crew doing the game ...Catch Parcells's pitch for those "Backyard Football Drills" DVDs yet? Likes like Tom Emanski has found his stiffest competition yet for cheesiest sports product commercials of all time ... Here's to hoping Jimmy Farris gets a job somewhere. Second straight year he was one of the last/toughest cuts, but there was just so much receiver depth here ...

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I'll check in again later this afternoon.

Cheers.

The name that jumped out at me most was Minnesota offensive lineman Chris Liwienski. He's played at a decent level in this league for a long time, and would surely be an upgrade for a second-string line that was punished regularly in the preseason. But, according to league sources, the Redskins did not make a play for him. He's heading to Arizona, to play for Dennis Green, his former coach with the Vikings. I think thus guy would have been a nice pickup.

A younger lineman who showed some promise last season was Rob Petitti. He started 16 games for the Cowboys as a rookie, and, while, taking his lumps, I thought could at least push Jim Molinaro for a backup tackle spot, an area of particular concern. The Redskins may have made a waiver claim, but it's a moot point as New Orleans claimed him. A young tackle who was cut by Kansas City, Jeremy Parquet, I thought might be worth a chance. Al Saunders would know him a bit from the Chiefs. However, the Skins had not called him as of last night, sources said, and Atlanta was expressing some interest.

Finally, Dwayne Carswell might not be able to play in the league anymore after suffering a bunch of injuries in an accident a few years back. He blocked for Portis in Denver and, yeah, that's a different scheme there, but again, if these guys were willing to give 400-pound Lincoln Kennedy a look-see during camp, I thought maybe Carswell would be worth a look. Wasn't able to pin down his health situation, Carswell did get through all of camp for the Broncos

On the defensive side of the ball, lineman Carlos Hall and corner Duane Starks are on the decline, but have put in some very solid years in the past. Both are Rosenhaus clients too, and we know how Snyder likes to do business with him, so you never know. They could probably provide some cover in a pinch.

Anyway, just some names for you to consider. I still have a feeling at least one new face will be at Redskins Park tomorrow, and I'll get any details up here on the blog as soon as I get them.

Enjoy the holiday.

Cheers.

(Perils of traveling with Wilbon - For the second time in four preseason games some random inebriated dude approached us mid-conversation near a stadium to tell Wilbon something like, "I love you. I love you. Everything you say is true. Everything you say is true!").

Anyway, after The Owner and Mike finish up, Dan calls out my name and says that, "Vinny (Cerrato) asked me to tell you something if I ran into you." Immediately, my reporter senses go up, and I have some doubts about this statement alone, but I let the man continue. So Dan, acting as if he has no idea what he's taking about, says that, per Vinny, I should go ahead and turn in my credential, because Jason Campbell is the backup quarterback. He's the guy behind Brunell. The Danny again goes to lengths to say that he doesn't know what any of this means, and he's just relaying a message.

I'm not buying this exact turn of events, but still explain to Dan that I wrote a blog Thursday saying that I believe Todd Collins has always been Al Saunders's guy, has the coach's ultimate faith and will be the man who goes in the game if Mark Brunell goes down in Week 1. I joked in the blog entry about being willing to stake my credential on this being the case. In the next paragraph, however, I revoked the offer, saying I'm not willing to risk my job on Collins being the No. 2 come opening day, but would be floored if anything other than that occurs

Okay, so why am I skeptical about this entire exchange (which was cordial, and, I thought, quite humorous, judging by the smiles and everything)? Let me count the ways:

First of all, Vinny knows I rarely if ever talk to Dan, that Dan is essentially not speaking to the sports media these days and that we almost never "run into" each other. And, obviously, Dan knows all of that, too. Secondly, how many good people out there believe that The Danny spends game-day making housecalls for Vinny? Like, "Hey Dan, can you pick up some brie and Grey Poupon from Whole Foods, tell TomKat to send over some autographed photos for the nieces and nephews, and, oh, if you should happen to run into that pesky reporter from The Post in the course of the day, fine chap - you know, since you run in the same social circles - tell him to turn in his credential. Okay, chop-chop, the game's only five hours away."

Thirdly, I still don't see Campbell as the No. 2, especially after Joe Gibbs raved about Collins Thursday night in a manner in which he has spoken about no quarterback's performance previously this preseason. Finally, if Campbell is indeed the backup, I won't be the only stunned media bozo in town, 'cause listening to Triple X Radio driving home last night - I actually get the 730 AM signal pretty decently driving back to Arlington even after dark - everyone else was saying the same thing. Their reporter said it. Their post-game host said it. Joe Jacoby said it.

Regardless, my suspicion is that if The Danny isn't checking in regularly on this little 'ol blog, he at least has one of his many Turtle-types monitoring it, which I've figured all along. (Dan, we're glad to have you among us. Please, feel free to post a comment anytime. I can take getting ripped, promise.) I'm all for the guys in the owner's suite having some fun at my expense, and I'll admit, my chance meeting with Snyder did give me much to ponder on the drive home about the backup QB situation. You messed with my head a 'lil bit, boys. I'll give you that.

But in the end, after mulling it over, I still see Collins as the No. 2 come Sept. 11. Coach Joe addresses the media at 5:30 today. Maybe we'll find out then. And if I'm wrong, I still won't turn in my credential, but I do promise to leave a bottle of Grey Poupon for Mr. Snyder at Redskins Park.

Okay, I've got a segment on Washington Post Radio at 1:10, the web chat at 1:30, so it's already a busy day. But if I get time, I'd like to put another blog entry put up later with updates on other thoughts from Thursday's game, Heavy Metal Parking Lot and my ill-fated telephone relationship with Steve Young. Cheers.

With the Ravens in town, there's bound to be plenty of Baltimorons (I write that with the utmost love and respect and can get away with that, since I'm a Baltimoron myself) making the trip. And all to watch the starters play probably a collective 12 plays. Oh well. Sometimes you don't get what you pay for, eh? I have to say, taking the logistics of this trip out of it, I still don't have high expectations for this game. The second half in particular will be an open audition for the collective scouts from the CFL, NFL Europe, Arena League ... you get the idea. Good thing my main man Howard Bryant is writing the game story tonight and not me.

I have a feeling Jason Campbell is going to get at least another half of play, which will change absolutely nothing. Al Saunders wanted Todd Collins, Al Saunders got Todd Collins and Al Saunders has ultimate faith in Todd Collins. Four preseason games never was going to change that. If Todd Collins isn't the No. 2 QB come opening day - which I have professed since the day he was signed in March - I will be utterly stunned. Floored. I'll turn in my credential to the NFL and walk away with my tail between my legs

Dose of Reality: Okay, I'm keeping the credential. The way Chloe Jane is tearing through the spinach nuggets these days (we've resorted to tricking her into eating veggies already, at just 18 months, telling her they're chicken nuggets. Man, she takes after her daddy sometimes), there's going to be a shortage on Size 5 Cruiser diapers in Arlington County, and I need this here job. So the credential stays. Back to the blog.

I'd keep an eye on LB Rocky McIntosh, too. He's coming on strong and plays the kind of knock-your-head-off football these coaches demand. He's got a ton to learn, still, but I figure he'll pop a few more people tonight and push his way into the base packages by Week 4 (I'm full of fearless prognostications today). Figure we'll get a decent dosage of RB T.J. Duckett tonight as well. But overall, don't expect much from this game. You'll only be let down.

I'm a huge fan of Carlsberg. Might be my favorite brew. Even dubbed it the official beer of Chloe's baptism, and turned a bunch of non-believers on to it last spring at her party. So I'm in Safeway Wednesday night, with a small list of stuff to get from my wife, when I stumble into Elephant, a new beer by Carlsberg. Turns out it's a malt liquor. A little too much going on for my taste now - but who hasn't gone though an Olde English/ St. Ide's/Mad Dog phase - yet an interesting beverage all in all ... Might have some new information on the future of this blog - apparently we're going to be out of the wilderness and into the mainstream soon enough - after heading to the office today. I'll let you know what I find out. Cheers.

But seriously, it made the players seem accessible. It seemed like they cared about kids. It wasn't stuffy or over-hyped or crazy corporate. Hell, if I remember correctly, they maybe even played on a stereotype or two. (And while I'm on that topic, the first coupla of Bad News Bears flicks were straight dope. Don't think you'd see them made today.) Regardless, baseball was cool. Not that football wasn't, but it just seemed like we related more to ball players, felt more connected to them. And that's not just because the NFL sat back and let Irsay move the Colts out of my hometown.

I look around at baseball these days, and how often do you see a kid from, say, downtown Detroit or Philly on a roster? The disconnect seems deep. But any NFL roster is loaded with dudes from inner city areas. Just a thought. But I think a modern day "Baseball Bunch," with Manny Ramirez as the "Baseball Idiot," Grady Little as "The Dugout Buffoon," and, say, Tim McCarver as "The Human Ego/Baseball Demigod" would be just plane good TV. Right?

Ethan's a great guy and I got to know him well last training camp when I did a big feature on the life of a long snapper. Ain't now way he's the worst snapper in the NFL. The man takes pride in his craft, and was clearly a little ticked off by his Madden treatment.

"If they really want to be accurate with the game, do long snapper category," Albright said. "Somebody was telling me my spin move rating? Like that's going to help me snap the ball. Why would I need a spin move? If they wan to be accurate, have a snap be 90-percent accurate in games and then when its botched watch everyone jump all over the video game. That would add some excitement. But the way I understand it, you just press a button and it's always a good, perfect snap."

I haven't played Madden in like 10 years - man, did we have some epic, all-night tournaments back in Day Hall at Syracuse University - but I'm pretty out of the loop now. Seems like a fair enough suggestion to me,. though. I'd say Ethan deserves to be on the cover of Madden '08 after this snub, but then again, that's not always such a good thing, is it?

Anyone heard the whereabouts of Larry Hill? Remember the former ref the team hired to handle its video replays in 2004? That move went about as well as the Eddie Johnson signing the other day ...
If there's work for Jeff George in this league, can Ryan Leaf by far behind? Would love to see the two of them compete for the third QB spot in Oakland. Sounds like a reality series. Get me FOX on the horn, now ... With the dawn of hockey training camp nearing, I suggest ya'll rent "Slapshot," the classic movie that asks, but never quite answers, that eternal question: "Who owns the Chief? Owwwwnns."

He's getting a hair cut, as we speak, right now in Arizona. Yep, that's right. Got it confirmed straight from the horse's mouth. Just got off the phone with him ... and he's getting a buzz while seeing if anyone claimed him off waivers. Teams can not contact him during this period, and he'll know later if anyone claimed him.

I'll give him a call back tonight and post whatever update I get. I figure we should do a weekly Novak watch all season, no matter where he ends up. Even if he's still waiting around to get signed and just, well, getting a haircut or shopping for groceries. He's a great dude and I'm sure he wouldn't mind me calling him randomly for updates, especially after I tell him how huge he is on this blog.

Johnson handled kickoffs for the Vikings in his rookie season and displayed strong hang time. He has not kicked off into the end zone as consistently in the NFL as in college. Johnson, 25, worked out for the team this morning, fared well, and was signed. The Redskins are expected to have at least one other punter in camp for today's practice as well, and Thursday's preseason finale with Baltimore could go a long way to settling the issue.

Griffin is a quiet warrior, who draws double teams and opens up terrain for the defensive ends. When the ends start getting into the backfield, suddenly life is easier for the linebackers to make plays, and, with Griff a stud run-stopper, too, you can see what makes everything tick around here. When he went down with that knee injury a few weeks ago, you should have seen how fast Williams was sprinting out to midfield to check on him. That don't happen for just anyone.

With Griffin out (he went down against New York with a knee sprain), the Jets and Patriots ran right up the gut. There was no pass rush, and quarterbacks had time to pick apart the secondary. If Griffin's injury lingers much longer, red flags should wave. He's practicing without pads this week, with a brace on the knee, and heaven knows he's a gamer. He'll be out there at far less than 100 percent if he has to be, and he'll still be effective. But you don't want your d-linemen having to worry about their knees, and with Phillip Daniels (back) and Renaldo Wynn (ankle) hurting, too, there is ample reason for concern.

Everyone seems confident these guys will be fine for the real games, but Griffin will need several more days work with the trainers before he is cleared for more work.

I'm thinking Al Davis has totally lost his mind now. Jeff "The Teammate" George? What the bleep! What coupling will last longer: Jeff George/Art Shell or The Danny/Tom Cruise. What are the odds that Redskins.comn get the first pictures of Suri? I can imagine our buddy Larry Michael leading off his nightly news with that tidbit, Suri tucked in her Redskins onesie, with a Six Flags pacifier in her mouth and Triple-X Radio diapers on her bottom. A marketing wonder-strike ... I think Mike Espy is on his last legs. Seemed like he had chances to do a little more with the kickoffs in New England. I don't see him beating out Jimmy Farris now, much less Patten. But that's just me guessing.

Been making calls on Gramatica and Edinger for a while now,. and last I heard neither had gotten a call from the Skins. Andy Groom got a look last year, and if the Rams cut him, I could see Danny Smith giving him a call. Gibbs has been offering his least ardent defenses of Frost yet in the last few days, and I know they have been in contact with some agents for kicker/punters.

This year is different because the big cuts don't come until after the final exhibition game, which means a lot of guys who will be on the street in a few days are still in camp now. Big cuts are next Tuesday and they may have to wait until then to do anything. Of course, then there's no preseason games to have the guys compete in, either.

I could still see the Skins going into the season with these two - yikes! - given how much support the coaches have expressed in them. But if it was up, there would have been at least another veteran punter in kicker in town at the start of camp.

And I like it, too, because he's always accessible while media brethren scamper elsewhere. There's nary a story on Gibbs or the offense I write without running some stuff by him, but I'm not sure I've ever seen any of the legion of television cameras out here ever turn his way.

This week that might change when Don returns from the hospital following a hernia operation. I look forward to catching up with him and hope he's feeling as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

When I first got this job in the winter of 2004, and started hanging out at The Park during the dull days, looking to make my introductions to the coaches, I enjoyed each conversation. But Don in particular could not have been more welcoming. We spent as much of that first conversation talking me as we did Coach Gibbs and the staff here, and that's because Don wouldn't let me get a question in. He was generally interested in my background, where I'd worked, which teams I'd covered, where I went to school.

It was a little daunting trying to make inroads with such a big and distinguished staff, and we great to know that right away someone knew my name, a little something about, and thought I was probably an alright kid. It's fun talking to Don about anything - he did some spear fishing this summer during a large family vacation in The Keys, for instance - and I still have to get him to his first NHL game at some point. I promised a while back. Maybe at the least I could shoot him over to the rink in Ashburn for a Caps scrimmage when they start training camp out here in the next few weeks.

1 - Joe Gibbs - The Freshmaker. Gotta give it to Joe. He always keeps ya guessing. A week after bringing a temper into his post-game press conference, Gibbs was tranquil as can be following the 41-0 debacle at New England Saturday night. I thought he might take a more docile approach like this - loving up the boys after beating them up; remaining calm when some would voice their obvious concerns - but he was downright chipper. Didn't quite bank on that.

Joe walked in nearly smiling, and immediately launched into platitudes about the Patriots. "The first thing for us to do is give a big thumbs up to New England," Gibbs said right off the bat, at which point he literally lifted a thumb and held it for a moment, like the money shot at the end of one of those legendary Mentos commercials. I was kind of floored. Gibbs never mentioned the word concerned once all night, played down any on-field issues, and preached team unity above all else. It reminded me of his tact last year when the team was 5-6 and on playoff life support. They rallied for five straight wins to reach the postseason for the first time since 1999, then won at Tampa in the wildcard.

This is what Joe does best - manage people, manage difficult situations, convey a massage. He should have more time than ever to work with all areas of coaches and players now that he's no longer running the daily operation of the offense, and it'll be put to use this week, I'm sure.

3 - Is there anyone who thinks this team is set at punter and kicker? Anyone? Let's take a poll. Please, fill up these comments and I'll tally the results.

4 - The Danny's weekly pre-game inspection of the field always makes me laugh. He's the first one out of the tunnel, like 2 1/2 hours before game time, shades on, of course, with a posse of dudes in gray and black suits following behind, Cerrato almost always in the No. 2 car. The man is security obsessed and there's usually a force of like a half dozen operatives circling him. The field is empty, the stands are empty, yet there they all are, whether the National Security Threat Level is orange or green.