Alexander a Question Mark for Vikings

Odds and ends from this week at NFL training camps:

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Derrick Alexander, signed as a free agent, was supposed to replace Cris Carter at wide receiver and complement Randy Moss.

But a quadriceps injury has hampered Alexander, who had 470 yards and three touchdowns in an unspectacular 2001 with the Chiefs.

Coach Mike Tice is disappointed that Alexander hasn’t been able to practice much. So D’Wayne Bates, signed from Chicago, is now the starter.

“He has worked hard to gain that spot,” Tice said of Bates. “I would wish that players, when they have a chance to compete for a starting spot, would step up to the plate and go ahead and compete for that spot, but that’s not the case with all players.”

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Coach Steve Spurrier, who has never had to cut players before, faces a real numbers crunch now that he has four quarterbacks in camp.

With first-round draft Patrick Ramsey signed, Spurrier is toying with keeping all four on the roster because he doesn’t want to part with Shane Matthews, Sage Rosenfels or Danny Wuerffel.

Spurrier also wants to keep six receivers--also one more than usual for a 53-man roster.

As a result, the Redskins may keep just two tight ends--Walter Rasby and rookie Robert Royal. Zeron Flemister is having a disappointing camp.

Spurrier also doesn’t have a return specialist for kickoffs or punts. He plans to use receivers or cornerbacks in those roles, saving another roster spot or two.

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TENNESSEE TITANS: Cornerback Andre Dyson has been the most impressive defensive player in camp. He took away a pass meant for his older brother Kevin in one drill, and he intercepted two passes and just missed a third during a short practice.

Andre Dyson needed only four games to play his way into the starting lineup as a rookie last season and led the team with three interceptions. He has been improving almost daily since then, and secondary coach Everett Withers said he is anticipating and communicating better than last season.

“Everything’s slowed down,” Dyson said. “It’s a little easier. Last year I was having to learn a lot of stuff and being thrown in having to think so much. This year I really don’t have to think as much. Just go out and play.”

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BUFFALO BILLS: Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has the confidence in Drew Bledsoe to allow Buffalo’s new quarterback to call some of his own plays.

“I’m really excited about that part of it,” Bledsoe said. “I think I have enough experience and enough knowledge of the game that I can attack some things when I have the opportunity.”

Bledsoe was not provided that freedom in New England. And the Bills did not allow former starter Rob Johnson to call his own plays.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS: Frisman Jackson is making a name for himself.

The undrafted rookie wide receiver from Western Illinois has impressed the Browns with his catching ability. He also amazed his teammates with his arm strength.

A former college quarterback, Jackson bet teammate Kevin Johnson $100 that he could throw a ball more than 80 yards.

Johnson lost. Jackson unleashed an 83-yard bomb.

“Have you ever seen that commercial with Michael Vick where he throws it out of the stadium?” said Johnson, who got off a 72-yard throw himself. “That’s what it looks like when the ball leaves his hand.”

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NEW YORK JETS: The team’s most significant offseason addition, linebacker Sam Cowart, has yet to participate in a practice. Bothered by a hamstring injury, the Jets are bringing him along slowly, particularly with Cowart coming off a torn Achilles’ tendon that sidelined him last season.

But the team isn’t worried about rustiness.

“It would be a lot more disappointing if we lost him for the season,” coach Herman Edwards said. “He had a serious injury and we really didn’t expect him to be this far in training camp. This was the week we first expected him to start suiting up.”

A 2000 Pro Bowler, Cowart left Buffalo for the Jets as a free agent, signing a six-year deal that could be worth as much as $31 million. He will combine with two other standout linebackers, Mo Lewis and Marvin Jones.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the three of them together,” linebackers coach Bob Sutton said. “It’s a good group of linebackers, all pretty good size guys. Hopefully we’ll present some people with problems out there.”

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: The riskiest experiment in camp, putting Mike Maslowski at weakside linebacker, looks good some days and bad others. Maslowski, a backup in his three seasons with the team, replaces Donnie Edwards.

Edwards led the team in tackles the past four years but was not offered a contract because the Chiefs used their available cap money on cornerback Eric Warfield.

What’s worrisome is Mazlowski’s lack of speed, especially compared with the fleet Edwards. Coach Dick Vermeil insists it is not a worry.

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GREEN BAY PACKERS: Terry Glenn has given the Packers two scares with minor knee injuries. Glenn has a long history of injuries and had a reputation in New England for an inability to play through pain -- Bill Parcells once referred to him as “she.”

He was hurt last Wednesday during a one-on-one passing drill when he reached back for a pass and his left knee buckled. “It bent far back at an awkward angle,” Glenn said. “I really thought I did something. Luckily, I didn’t do anything. It feels pretty good right now.”

Glenn hurt his right knee during the first week of camp.

The Packers are counting on Glenn to be a major part of their passing attack now that Antonio Freeman, Bill Schroeder and Corey Bradford are gone.

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS: One of the keys to the Steelers’ rushing offense is progressing much faster than expected from a potentially serious medical condition.

Running back Amos Zereoue is beginning to regain his leg strength after missing most of the team’s offseason workouts and minicamps. He lost 12 pounds during a hospital stay in March, when a benign cyst was found on his liver.

Zereoue has since regained the weight he lost -- he’s at 208 pounds -- but the medical problem slowed his offseason conditioning.

“Yeah it was scary, real scary,” Zereoue said. “I didn’t know what it really was. When they told me it was the liver, I didn’t know what to think.”

The problem didn’t prevent the Steelers from signing Zereoue to a four-year, $8.8 million contract extension, a large deal for a backup. He will make $2.839 million this season.

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: A.J. Feeley and Koy Detmer are battling for the backup quarterback spot to Donovan McNabb. Detmer has been the backup the last two seasons. Feeley, a fifth-round pick in 2001, completed 10-of-14 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the meaningless regular-season final against Tampa last year. ... WR Freddie Milons, a fifth-round pick, is having a solid camp in his bid to earn a roster spot as the fourth or fifth receiver and backup returner.

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MIAMI DOLPHINS: By staying away from the refrigerator at night, Jamie Nails lost 50 pounds.

The Dolphins’ guard is down to 335 pounds and competing for a starting job. A weight problem prompted the Dolphins to cut him 19 days into training camp a year ago, and he spent the season on the sideline.

Thus the diet.

“Instead of eating all the time, I drink more water,” said Nails, who played in Buffalo from 1997 to 2000. “After a certain period of time in the day I stopped eating, like after 7 o’clock no more food, only water.”

He’s also more devoted to weight room workouts.

“I’m a lot quicker than I was previous years and I feel a lot better,” he said.

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CHICAGO BEARS: The Bears didn’t know what to expect when they moved their training camp to Bourbonnais, Ill., just 50 miles south of Chicago after an 18-year run at Platteville, Wis.

Now they do.

They’ve encountered huge, wild crowds. They had more than 12,000 turn out for one weekend practice at Olivet Nazarene University and 8,500 for a weekday practice at 8:30 a.m. Crowds have averaged between 4,000 to 5,000.