The Next Step Is The Hardest

AUGUST 5
BEREA

IS THERE NO end to the bad news for the secondary? The Browns learned that cornerback Gary Baxter, the big-money 2005 free agent who was to come back from double knee surgery 22 months ago, needed another operation, this one arthroscopic. The Browns prepared to waive him. "Heartbreaking," Savage said. Baxter was a beacon of hope in his bid to return from having shredded the patella tendons in each knee on a play in Week 6 of 2006. His new injury and pending surgery turned the atmosphere at camp funereal.

But the show must go on, and one of the corners scheduled to start, Wright, was at least talking a good game. "I hope teams want to come after us," he said. "We'll be ready."

Oh, teams will be coming after Wright and McDonald. Rapidly, however, the safety net under them was disappearing.

AUGUST 16
BEREA

ANOTHER LATE night for Edwards, who was captivated by the swimming in Beijing. The previous night, he had left a screaming message for Phelps after his friend won the 100-meter butterfly by a fingertip for his seventh gold medal. On this night, near midnight, Phelps called Edwards from Beijing soon after he won his final gold medal and reminded him of their bet. "I got eight," Phelps said, "so that means you've got to get 16 touchdowns this year."

"News flash," Edwards said. "I did that last year. I'll give you 17."

AUGUST 18
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

"My God," Ron Jaworski, the ESPN analyst working the Giants-Browns preseason telecast, said during a first-half commercial break. "We've got these guys [on Monday night] three times this year!" He was reacting to what he had seen in the first 17 minutes: Wright had been beaten badly twice by the less-than-immortal Domenik Hixon; Anderson had flubbed a goal line handoff to Lewis that the Giants recovered and ran back for a touchdown; Anderson had been steamrolled and suffered a concussion when his protection broke down; punter Dave Zastudil had booted the ball into one of his blockers for a safety; and the Giants had returned the ensuing free kick for a touchdown. New York led 30--3 after barely a quarter of play.

Crennel fumed. Players shrugged. "It's the preseason," said Savage. "You never know what it means."