The Bears signed all their draft picks and gave Brian Urlacher the contract he wanted, but they still weren’t able to open a holdout-free training camp.Kick returner and wide receiver Devin Hester refused to show up for the opening practice and is staging a holdout because he’s unhappy with his contract, Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

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Brandon Jacobs has been thought of as the Giants lead back heading into the season, and while that might still be the case, it also appears that he is in danger of losing touches, according to the Giants Official Website. When asked about how the team’s runners will be treated this season, here is what offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. “…depending on how certain defenses are playing us, which guy’s playing better that day, in other words, kind of who has the hot hand, who is playing the best, that is the guy that we would certainly feature that day.”

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Kurt Warner is unlikely to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the Cardinals before the start of training camp, his agent suggested on Tuesday. Training camp to begin as Cards head to Flagstaff “That’s what I would guess,” said the Chicago-based Mark Bartelstein. And that would mean the veteran quarterback might well play out the remaining year of his contract with the Cardinals and then become a free agent. Warner has said he wanted a deal done by the start of training camp so that negotiations don’t interfere with football.

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While the Philadelphia Eagles are taking it easy with Donovan McNabb in training camp as he works his way back from a shoulder injury, that hasn’t stopped them from going after some potential insurance. The Packers made a call to the Eagles Wednesday about potentially trading for retired quarterback Brett Favre. Eagles’ interest in Favre would be surprising because their quarterback situation is better than most teams in the league, but they do fit the West Coast passing tree where Favre could be successful in Andy Reid’s offense.

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Colts coach Tony Dungy says wide receiver Marvin Harrison will report to training camp Friday with no problems, either from the knee injury that wiped out most of his 2007 season or from the shooting in Philadelphia in which his gun was allegedly used. “I’ve been given reason to think that Marvin’s part of it will not be anything that will come up for us during the year,” Dungy said of the shooting. Police have said Harrison is not suspected of pulling the trigger, but that his gun was used. It’s still not clear who did fire the gun, but a man was hit and a boy was injured by broken glass.

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A quarterback competition promises to heat up the Chicago Bears’ training camp, and coach Lovie Smith wanted to make it clear there was no perceived favorite between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton.

“It’s dead even,” Smith said Tuesday as the Bears reported to Olivet Nazarene University for a camp that kicks off with a first practice Wednesday.

“I think it will be a great competition between Rex and Kyle or Kyle and Rex, however you want to say it. The guy who ends up winning the position, we feel real good about him leading us where we want to go.”

So who gets the first snap with the first team on Wednesday?

“Practice is tomorrow at 3 (p.m.). See you there,” Smith replied.

Smith wouldn’t set a date for deciding the starter, even if he has one in mind. He said teams generally like to have their starters play together for the third preseason game. The Bears begin their preseason schedule Aug. 7.

“As far as competition when it goes, I want the players to think they have as many chances as they possibly can to prove they deserve to be in a certain position,” Smith added. “I just don’t think that’s anything that no one else really needs to know right now.”

One guy who isn’t in the Bears’ picture is a player who has beaten them often—Brett Favre. Favre and the Green Bay Packers are embroiled in a rift after he decided he wanted to play again and not retire.

“Brett Favre is one of the all-time great players to play our game for a long period of time,” Smith said. “I assume he’ll play for the Packers this year. If not there, I assume somebody out there, I don’t who that is.”

The Bears have plenty to sort out during training camp other than the battle between Grossman, who led the team to the Super Bowl two years ago but whose career has been characterized by erratic play, and Orton, who started 15 games in 2005 and the final three last season.

Orton is eager to play again after sitting for so long.

“I was kinda stuck back at three these last three camps and this is the first time I’ve come in with a chance to be the guy opening day,” he said, adding that he expects an even competition.

“I definitely think so. It’s been extremely fair through OTAs and I don’t see any reason why that would change.”

Grossman said what’s happened during his first five seasons is behind him.

“I’m focusing on the present. The past or the future doesn’t really matter. I’m living in the now right now,” he said. “In some ways I think everyone has to prove themselves every single year. So you know this is a little bigger for me in this instance. But no doubt I am extremely motivated, ready to go.”

Chicago is revamping its offensive line and a lot is contingent on getting first-round pick Chris Williams signed so he can learn the left tackle spot that is so crucial to protecting the quarterback.

With the departures of Ruben Brown and Fred Miller, John Tait has moved to right tackle alongside Roberto Garza. Terrence Metcalf, Josh Beekman and veteran John St. Clair are all candidates for playing time on the left side.

Williams is expected to be the starter and Smith said he thinks the young tackle will sign soon.

“If you’re a rookie and if you’re just looking at what history tell you, you need to be in camp that first day. You want to blend in that first day, you don’t want to come out and stick out as being the only story that’s happening that day,” Smith said.

“I assume he’ll be here and ready to play.”

After the release of the Cedric Benson following two off-field incidents, the Bears could turn to second-round pick Matt Forte as their starting running back, but it could be recently signed Kevin Jones, who’s coming off a knee injury and will be brought along slowly.

With speedy Bernard Berrian now with the Vikings, the Bears brought back Marty Booker and added Brandon Lloyd to a receiving corps that will feature return star Devin Hester.

And Smith said he expects the Bears to play defense like they did two years ago en route to winning the NFC. Tackle Tommy Harris and linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, who form the core of the defense, all have new deals since last season. Urlacher signed a one-year contract extension Tuesday through 2012 that is worth $18 million. He is coming off minor neck surgery in the offseason.

The Bears also need a healthy Nathan Vasher in the secondary. He played only four games last season.

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DETROIT (AP) — Caleb Campbell will not get a chance to play for the Detroit Lions because of a change in military policy.

Campbell was a seventh-round draft pick for the Lions in April. At the time, Army policy would have allowed the West Point graduate to serve as a recruiter if he made the team.

But a subsequent Department of Defense policy has superseded the 2005 Army policy.

In a letter to Lions president Matt Millen dated Wednesday, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba wrote that Campbell has been ordered to give up professional football for “full-time traditional military duties.”

Liba wrote that 2nd Lt. Campbell may ask to be released from his active duty obligations in May 2010.

Liba said Campbell was allowed to enter the draft “in good faith.”

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As we await the NFL’s decision on the tampering charges filed by the Packers against the Vikings for “inappropriate dialogue” with Brett Favre, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had an interesting bit of information in a piece he wrote about the quarterback today. McGinn writes that a source said Favre had continued to use a Packers-issued cell phone and that when the team checked the phone records it found “repeated calls to coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.”

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Colts coach Tony Dungy is certain Peyton Manning’s left knee will be ready for the Colts’ season-opener, and even thinks there’s a possibility of Manning playing during the presesason. On Tuesday, Dungy said he was optimistic the Colts’ biggest question heading into training camp — Manning’s valuable knee — could be resolved quicker than most people expect. Manning had surgery last week to remove an infected bursa sac, a procedure doctors said would require four to six weeks to heal. “I have talked to Peyton and we’re just following the doctors instructions right now,” Dungy said. “I’m hoping for four weeks, but if he’s truly out six weeks, I think it will be hard to keep him out. However it goes, he’ll be ready when he comes back.”

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Garrett Reid, the son of Eagles coach Andy Reid, was sentenced today to two years in a state corrections program that is specifically designed for drug addicts.Reid will also have three years’ probation after the two-year sentence has ended and will have to pay $30 a month in supervision fees. He will be subject to frequent random drug testing. “The intention is to get this young man treatment,” Judge Steven O’Neil explained. “His addiction is deep, long-lasting and he is in need of treatment.”

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