ST. LOUIS — Marshall Faulk was back on the field for the St. Louis Rams, and coach Mike Martz is optimistic again.
"He brings so much into the huddle," Martz said after Faulk practiced for the first time in almost three weeks after being sidelined with a bruised knee. "Now we can start to practice things that we've got prepared for Philadelphia and Atlanta, the first few games of the season. And it allows us to get into our getting game-ready phase."
Faulk, the NFL MVP last season, was given an extra week to rest the knee. He hadn't practiced since Aug. 1 and sat out the Rams' 23-10 loss Friday night to the Tennessee Titans.
Faulk's practices were supposed to be limited, but the running back said he was working out and "on my own, I did everything. I just need to get back into playing shape."
Also, the Rams filled a hole at defensive end, signing former Tampa Bay starter Chidi Ahanotu to replace Cedric Jones, lost for the season with a hip injury.
The one-year contract is worth $600,000, including a $100,000 signing bonus
The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Ahanotu started 104 of the 113 games in his NFL career. Ahanotu was released by Tampa Bay in a salary-cap move in April.
COWBOYS: There were no fumbled snaps, no interceptions and no frustrated looks from the sidelines. There was just Quincy Carter flipping tight spirals through the chilly air on Monday, trying to make amends for his woeful starting debut against New Orleans.
The Dallas Cowboys rookie handled himself with the poise of a veteran during the team's first practice since their 16-10 loss to the Saints on Saturday.
"He was about as sharp as I've ever seen him," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "He understands the ups and downs that come at this position. Quincy's going to be able to handle anything that comes his way."
Carter looked confident and patient during the team's drills on Monday, completing touch passes to his secondary receivers and occasionally zipping bullets through tight coverage.
Carter spent most of Saturday's preseason contest against the Saints scrambling away from defensive pressure, then tossing the ball away. He finished 5-of-17 for 27 yards, including two fumbled snaps and an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
JAGUARS: Doctors and trainers found no further damage to Tony Boselli's knee, and the Jacksonville Jaguars expect their Pro Bowl left tackle to be ready for the season opener.
Boselli twisted his surgically repaired right knee in practice Sunday, and he had to be taken off the field on a cart. But a thorough examination showed only a bone bruise.
Coach Tom Coughlin said receiver Jimmy Smith will see his first action of the preseason Thursday, when the Jaguars play host to Kansas City. Smith had two abdominal operations in the offseason and has only returned to full practice this week.
PANTHERS: Carolina Panthers quarterbacks Jeff Lewis and Chris Weinke were so bad in their last preseason game that they have earned more playing time in the next one.
Lewis and Weinke struggled in a 23-8 loss to New England on Saturday, combining for three interceptions and just 89 yards.
Both will see more action Thursday night against Baltimore as coach George Seifert continues to evaluate his top two signal-callers.
"They will definitely get more time," Seifert said.
Lewis, the starter, was 5-of-9 for just 37 yards and had one interception. Weinke was 5-of-13 for 52 yards and had two interceptions.
REDSKINS: Former All-Pro guard Dave Szott signed with the Washington Redskins, rejoining coach Marty Schottenheimer, with whom he played most of his career in Kansas City.
Szott's only negotiation was over an extra day off so he could spend it in Morristown, N.J., at home with his wife and a 6-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy.
Szott, 33, was one of the top linemen in 11 years with the Chiefs, but he tore his left biceps in the first game of the 1998 season and did the same to his right biceps in the first game of the 2000 season. Meanwhile, he and wife decided that it was best to move back to their native New Jersey to find the right school for their son, Shane.
RAVENS: The injuries are beginning to mount for the Baltimore Ravens, who will begin defense of their Super Bowl title with a battered offensive line blocking for a substitute running back.
All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who sprained his right ankle in Saturday's 16-3 loss to the New York Jets, will not play Thursday against Carolina.
The Ravens, already without right tackle Leon Searcy for the next three months, expect Ogden to be ready by the Sept. 9 opener against Chicago. Cornerback Duane Starks, who hurt his knee against the Jets, will probably miss the final two preseason games.
The champions have been tormented by injuries since the first week of training camp. In addition to Searcy, running back Jamal Lewis (knee) is out for the year and defensive tackle Tony Siragusa is being held out of the Carolina game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last week.
Cornerback James Trapp has been sidelined by a dislocated shoulder and rookie cornerback Gary Baxter is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks after hurting his knee against the Jets.
At morning practice, guard Edwin Mulitalo remained on the ground after a running play, grabbing his knee before helped to the sideline for treatment. The injury was not serious, and Mulitalo expects to play Thursday.
JETS: New York Jets nose tackle Jason Ferguson will miss the season with a torn rotator cuff.
Ferguson underwent an MRI that indicated he would need surgery on his right shoulder. Jets coach Herman Edwards said Ferguson would have surgery later this week and would be placed on injured reserve.
Ferguson was hurt on the first day of training camp. He was placed in a harness as the team hoped the tear would heal, but the MRI showed otherwise.
Ferguson signed a four-year, $12.7 million contract in the offseason to stay with the Jets. In switching to a 4-3 alignment, the team expected Ferguson to be their main run-stopper in the middle of the defensive line.
VIKINGS: The Minnesota Vikings released Gabe Northern, who had been expected to start at outside linebacker.
Northern, who started two games for the Vikings last season, wasn't productive enough in the team's first two preseason games. Coach Dennis Green said Northern and another veteran, long snapper Mitch Palmer, were let go early to give them a chance to catch on with another team.
Lemanski Hall will take over for Northern in the spot that Dwayne Rudd — now with the Cleveland Browns — held last year.