49ERS
\nAlex Smith will begin his first NFL season on the San Francisco bench.\nAfter struggling in both of his preseason starts, Smith was told Tuesday by coach Mike Nolan that Tim Rattay will open the season at quarterback against St. Louis.\n"I know how this works," said Smith, the top overall pick in this year's draft. "This is a team game. This isn't all about me. I think the team wants to win now. We expect to win now, and as of right now, this looks like the right decision.\n"Hopefully, I keep getting better and keep pushing it. Who knows what happens in the future, but right now, I understand it."\nWhile Smith looked befuddled in going 5-for-16 for 43 yards without a touchdown pass in the first two games, Rattay was 13-of-19 for 194 yards and three touchdowns.\n"I've been working hard, (and) I'd like to say I was excited to hear it," Rattay said. "I just felt like if I kept practicing hard, something good will happen. You can't get too upset or too happy in the course of training camp."\nNolan said the job is Rattay's for the season, barring injury. But Rattay has been plagued by injuries in his previous three seasons.
CHARGERS
\nAll-Pro tight end Antonio Gates agreed to a six-year contract, but still will miss three games, including the season opener against Dallas. That's his punishment for missing a team-imposed deadline for reporting to training camp on the weekend.\nGates wanted to be paid among the league's top tight ends following his breakout year in 2004, when, in his second season, he helped the Chargers win the AFC West at 12-4 and return to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. With defenses struggling to cover the former college basketball star, Gates caught 13 touchdown passes --a league record for tight ends -- and led the Chargers with 81 catches for 964 yards, nearly 20 percent of their offense.\nTerms were not announced.\n"I think I got Antonio Gates money," Gates said. "I think that was fair enough for me, and it's a good situation for me to be here long term."
Giants
\nStar defensive end Michael Strahan experienced tightness in his rib cage after doing drills and left practice early. He also skipped the evening practice.\nStrahan, meanwhile, acted as though nothing had happened.\n"I'm fine. Everything's great," he said.\nStrahan is coming off a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him for the last eight games of 2004, and he has been limited to a handful of plays in the Giants' first two preseason games.
Panthers
\nStephen Davis went through his first full-padded practice in more than 10 months as the team's first-string running back.\nDeShaun Foster had been working with the starters throughout camp, but Davis was the first running back in team drills Tuesday. Davis, 31, is trying to make it back from microfracture surgery on his right knee, which limited him to just two games in 2004.\nAnd, for the most part, he looked like the same player who ran for a franchise-record 1,444 yards two years ago and led Carolina to its first Super Bowl appearance.\n"It's more of a relief," Davis said. "It's a long road I've had and I've got a long road ahead of me still."\nHe is likely to skip Friday's game against Cleveland, but has targeted the preseason finale against Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 as his return date.
Eagles
\nSean Landeta, the leading punter in NFL history, rejoined the Eagles after two years with the Rams.\nLandeta, 43, ranks first in the NFL with 1,367 career punts going into his 21st season. Last year he averaged 32.5 net yards per punt in 10 games with the Rams with an average return of 15.5 yards -- worst in the NFL among starting punters.\nHe spent the 1999-2002 seasons with the Eagles, punting 342 times for a 42.7-yard average.\nDirk Johnson, the Eagles' punter last year, has missed all of training camp following surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Browns
\nRookie wide receiver Braylon Edwards got more practice time with Cleveland's starting offense, a sign he may move up the depth chart despite his two-week holdout.\nStill, first-year coach Romeo Crennel is doing all he can to keep Edwards from getting cocky.\n"If he keeps progressing, he might continue to move (up)," Crennel said. "But I'm not ready to put him in the Hall of Fame yet."\nEdwards made a leaping touchdown catch in his first exhibition game Saturday in Detroit and is expected to get more playing time Friday against Carolina. Crennel isn't making any promises, though.\n"Everyone wants to push Braylon up," Crennel said. "The guy has talent, and we knew that when we drafted him. He missed some time, and it wouldn't be fair to him and the rest of the guys on the team to throw him in there when he's not in the condition he needs to be in."\nCornerback Gary Baxter missed his second day of practice with effects from a concussion.
CHIEFS
\nKansas City released injured linebacker Mike Maslowski, but expressed hope he could someday return. Maslowski's knee problems kept him off the field all last season and part of the 2003 season. He had an unusual operation Sept. 29 to correct the alignment of his left knee.\n"We don't think this represents the conclusion to Mike's NFL career," said Chiefs president Carl Peterson. "By releasing him at this time we give him the opportunity to return to the Chiefs in the future if he can get himself ready to play."\nMaslowski joined the Chiefs in 1999, amassing 311 tackles in his career, including 162 during 2002, a franchise single-season record.\nKansas City also reached a one-year deal with free agent quarterback Jonathan Quinn.
Vikings
\nCoach Mike Tice said running back Michael Bennett's sore neck most likely will keep him out of the opener against Tampa Bay. Bennett, however, said he should be ready to go by next weekend's preseason finale.\nBackup Mewelde Moore will start in Bennett's place Friday against the Chargers.\n"Right now, Mike's out, so I'm moving forward, even for Tampa without Mike," Tice said after Tuesday morning's practice. "I don't see Mike being anything but an outside shot for Tampa."\nBut Bennett seemed brimming with confidence that his neck was improving. He did not rule out missing Friday night's game, but said he definitely would be back for next week's preseason game at Seattle.\n"If not this weekend, next week," Bennett insisted. "I'm ready."
Seahawks
\nSeattle released veteran defensive tackle Cedric Woodard after Woodard missed most of training camp with a knee injury. Seattle also released running back Jesse Lumsden, an undrafted free agent from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. To take Lumsden's spot, Seattle claimed running back Josh Scobey off waviers from the Arizona Cardinals.\nWoodard started all 16 games last year for Seattle, recording 49 tackles and one sack. In his five years with the Seahawks, Woodard had surgery on his left knee in the offseason and was hampered by problems with the knee during training camp. He left the team last week to have the knee examined by the surgeon who performed the operation.
Jaguars
\nCornerback Rashean Mathis signed a five-year contract extension, keeping him with the team through 2011.\nA three-year NFL veteran, Mathis has started all 32 games with the Jags after being selected in the second round out of Bethune-Cookman in 2003. He tied with Donovin Darius for the team lead in interceptions last season with five.
