Thursday, June 16, 2005 | 9:20 a.m.
SUN WIRE SERVICES
Brad Kassell thought his brief NFL career was over.
Originally signed in 2002 because the Tennessee Titans mistakenly thought he could snap to punters, the undrafted linebacker out of North Texas expected to be released last summer after nearly shredding his left Achilles' tendon when a picnic bench snapped underneath him.
"I thought they were going to cut me because of my injury," Kassell recalled Wednesday after a minicamp workout.
Nearly a year later, Kassell is the incumbent middle linebacker with the edge for keeping that job over a handful of draft picks after showcasing the physical and mental toughness that may be his best asset.
Kassell made his move last September, stepping up when linebacker Rocky Calmus had a back injury that sidelined him against Indianapolis. Coach Jeff Fisher said Kassell was still up to 10 days away from being activated for practice and had been listed as out for the game.
"He lined up and played. He played about 30 plays in that game," Fisher said. "To think how far he came from camp with the injury to the way he played at the end (of the season) against Detroit to the very last play ... it typifies where we like to play on defense."
Tongue played just one season with the Jets and had the second longest interception return in the team's postseason history with an 85-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh. The longest was 98 yards by Darrol Ray in 1982.
A second-round draft pick in 1996 by Kansas City, Tongue played four years with the Chiefs and four years with Seattle.
Hakim, who played for Vermeil when the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl six years ago, was released by Detroit in April. He signed as a free agent there before the 2002 season, but didn't produce the same way with the Lions as he did while excelling for St. Louis.
"First, Az has to make the football team," Vermeil said. "He knows the situation. We've got a lot of good young receivers who are competing.
"He's going to be very competitive. But we're not giving him a position to play -- he's going to have to work like everybody else does."
Gamble, who spent seven seasons as a scout for the Colts, will oversee all aspects of the pro personnel department.
"Tom will be instrumental in putting together our team from a pro personnel standpoint," coach Mike Nolan said. "He comes from a football family and has a great deal of both pro personnel and college experience."
Madden, the former Oakland Raiders coach, became available when ABC decided not to renew "Monday Night Football" after the coming season and NBC acquired the Sunday prime-time package.
"This is something new and fresh," Madden said during a teleconference call with reporters Wednesday. "When I first got into the business with CBS, that was exciting. Moving to Fox was a lot of fun, being the first one there and starting something, and going to 'Monday Night Football,' I enjoyed every minute of it."
ABC pays him $5 million a year. His NBC salary was not disclosed.
Doss was sentenced to community service last week after pleading no contest to misdemeanor gun charges in Akron, Ohio, where he was arrested after firing a gun into the air outside a restaurant on May 29.
"We support the policy and the commissioner completely and therefore left it in his hands. He has acted," Colts president Bill Polian said of the decision by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
"We hope this swift sure action by the commissioner sends a signal to all concerned, players and fans alike; that actions such as those engaged in by Mike Doss will not be tolerated in the NFL or with the Colts."
Under the league's suspension, Doss may participate in all preseason practices and games but must sit out the first two regular season games -- without pay -- Sept. 11 at Baltimore and Sept. 18 at home against Jacksonville. He will be eligible to return to the active roster on Sept. 19.
Anthony Wright has the credentials to be an NFL starter, yet there's a good chance he won't take a snap this season. Given his plight of a year ago, he has absolutely no complaints.
Wright underwent shoulder surgery last summer and began the season on the physically unable to perform list. He was activated on Nov. 17, but never got into a game as the backup to Kyle Boller, who became the first Ravens quarterback to start all 16 games since Vinny Testaverde in 1996.
Boller is again the starter, and Wright is at minicamp this week as his backup. But at least Wright is throwing the ball without pain, so he walked off the field Wednesday wearing a big smile.
"I'm feeling really good right now. I'm just ready to start some contact in the scrimmages and preseason games," he said.
archive
