WP:Redskins Notebook

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46545-2003Aug11.html

Redskins Notebook

New DT, but It's Not Wilkinson

By Mark Maske

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, August 12, 2003; Page D03

Coach Steve Spurrier said yesterday he believes it's unlikely that the Washington Redskins will re-sign defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson, who was released by the team on the second day of training camp.

"I don't think it's going to happen, but I'm not positive it's not," Spurrier said. "We thought we made him a very fair offer a month ago and basically he turned it down. I think he wants to go somewhere else, it seems like. And if a guy wants to go somewhere else, it's hard to get him to play real hard for you."

Wilkinson was scheduled to visit the Green Bay Packers yesterday, and sources said the Redskins no longer are willing to offer him a contract more lucrative than the modest deals he's being offered by other teams. The Redskins applied the finishing touches yesterday to a one-year contract with free agent defensive tackle James Cannida, and he participated in the club's afternoon practice at Redskins Park.

"Anything they ask me to do, I'm just going to try to come in and do it," Cannida said. "I'm looking over the schemes, trying to learn everything as fast as I can. Things are similar, but there's a lot of different terminology. So I've just got to try to get that down. . . . Right now I've got to try to catch up. I'm two weeks behind."

The Redskins decided to sign Cannida, 28, on Sunday, the day after they allowed the Carolina Panthers to average 5.4 yards per rushing attempt in the exhibition opener. The Redskins don't necessarily envision Cannida, who is listed at 305 pounds, as an immediate starter but want to see how he might fit into a rotation splitting playing time with current starting defensive tackles Brandon Noble and Jermaine Haley. He traveled to the D.C. area Sunday and signed a contract that apparently will pay him the minimum salary of $530,000 this season.

Cannida was released by the Indianapolis Colts in February. The five-year NFL veteran made seven starts in 10 appearances for the Colts last season and was credited with a career-high 41 tackles. He had eight tackles against the Baltimore Ravens and provided five tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery against the Redskins. He spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected in the sixth round of the 1998 draft out of Nevada-Reno. He has played in 50 regular season games in the NFL, making nine starts.

Wilkinson is being pursued by the Packers as a prospective replacement for nose tackle Gilbert Brown, who will be sidelined for the entire season after suffering a torn biceps muscle during Green Bay's triumph over the Atlanta Falcons in its exhibition opener Saturday. The Packers, though, appear unlikely to offer Wilkinson much more than $680,000 -- a $25,000 signing bonus and the minimum salary of $655,000 for players with his service time -- for this season.

The Detroit Lions and New England Patriots also have expressed interest in Wilkinson, who was cut by the Redskins two weeks ago after he refused to reduce his salary from $3.5 million to $2 million. But neither seems willing to pay Wilkinson, 30, as much as $1 million. The Redskins told Wilkinson and agent Brig Owens that they would be interested re-signing him if he didn't get the sort of offers he wanted elsewhere, but sources said the team no longer is willing to pay him much more than the other clubs negotiating with him.

Betts Almost Ready to Play

Tailback Ladell Betts participated in portions of yesterday's practice but did not take part in contact drills. He has been sidelined by a sprained elbow but could be cleared to practice fully by midweek. Fellow tailback Kenny Watson sat out yesterday's practice to rest his sprained knee. Guard Dave Fiore was sidelined by a bruised shoulder. Place kicker John Hall did some light kicking after sitting out the Carolina game because of a slight groin pull, and is scheduled to practice today. . . .

The Redskins released defensive lineman Jace Sayler and re-signed fullback Thad Buttone. . . . Bruce Smith likely will start at right defensive end in Saturday night's exhibition game against the Patriots at FedEx Field, while Regan Upshaw could be withheld from a second straight game to rest his surgically repaired knee. . . . Robert Royal got work with the first-team offense yesterday and could move ahead of Zeron Flemister this week as the starter at tight end.

Staff writer Emily Badger contributed to this report.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company