The Associated Press
A big green and white sign greeted Mark Sanchez as he drove up to the New York Jetsí training facility for the first time in months.
And, boy, was it a pleasant sight.
ěWelcome Back!î it blared in block letters, followed by ěHere Come The Jets.î
ěIt was wonderful,î Sanchez said with a big smile Tuesday. ěNow weíre back and we can start playing, so itís good.î
The gates were up, facilities were open all around the league and NFL players finally went to work.
Now, they need to get ready for the season in a hurry.
ěItís good to be back, get everything over with and just come back and feel welcome again,î said Brett Swain of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. ěGet back in the roll of things and get camp started.î
After a lockout that lasted 41/2 months ended Monday with an agreement between the NFL and its players, teamsí facilities were buzzing with activity Tuesday.
During the lockout, the Tennessee Titans had a chain around their closed front gate to keep players out. That chain was gone and the front gate wide open as rookie quarterback Jake Locker, the No. 8 pick overall in April, and quarterbacks Rusty Smith and Brett Ratliff were among the first to arrive.
ěIt is nice to drive by and not have the lock on the gate and actually get a friendly smile when you come in here,î left tackle Michael Roos said.
Players all around the league were allowed back in to meet with coaches, work out, take physicals and receive playbooks ó among other things.
ěI came for the free lunch,î quipped Washington Redskins receiver Anthony Armstrong.
Teams were already starting a feeding frenzy on their drafted players and undrafted free agents, and were allowed to start negotiating with free agents in what will likely be a flurry of activity the league has never seen.
Players such as Nnamdi Asomugha and Santonio Holmes will soon find out where theyíre going ó or staying ó as free agency began.
ěWith this whole free agency opening up, itís going to be crazy,î Redskins quarterback John Beck said at the teamís facility in Ashburn, Va. ěOur teamís going to look different.î
Washington has several free agents to address this summer, including Santana Moss, Rex Grossman, Carlos Rogers and Rocky McIntosh. Oh, and thereís also the murky statuses of Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth to deal with.
The Jets and general manager Mike Tannenbaum have 16 players who are unrestricted free agents, including Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Antonio Cromartie and Brad Smith.
ěIt would be interesting just to get a camera in (Tannenbaumís office) and see how crazy it could be,î center Nick Mangold said.
Teams were also greeting players by saying goodbye, at least for now. The New York Giants have told center and player representative Shaun OíHara and guard Rich Seubert that they will be released. A source close to each veteran said on Tuesday that the team told the players they would be cut on Thursday in what are salary-cap moves.
At Cowboysí camp in Irving, Texas, Dallas was set to release several high-priced players, including running back Marion Barber, receiver Roy Williams, right guard Leonard Davis and kicker Kris Brown ó according to multiple people familiar with the decisions who told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not made any announcements.
The Baltimore Ravens told running back Willis McGahee, former Pro Bowl tight end Todd Heap, wide receiver Derrick Mason and nose guard Kelly Gregg they will but cut.
ěItís just the reality of the salary cap,î coach John Harbaugh said. ěItís the situation weíre in now, and going forward weíve got to try to make the best team we can.î
In Philadelphia, Michael Vick was one of the first to arrive at Eagles headquarters and said heís ready to report Wednesday to training camp, even without a new contract.
ěEverything happens when itís supposed to,î he said. ěI put that in the hands of God and this organization to make it happen.î
But, he suggested DeSean Jackson could hold out because the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver is unhappy with his deal. Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb didnít attend the voluntary workout Tuesday, and is on the trading block.
In Cincinnati, Bengals owner Mike Brown insisted he wonít trade quarterback Carson Palmer, who wants to leave despite having four years left on his contract. Palmer told the team in January that he would retire if heís not traded, and Brown said the team will move on without its franchise quarterback.
ěI honestly like Carson Palmer,î Brown said. ěHe was a splendid player for us. Heís a good person. I wish him well. And he is retired. That is his choice. … Iím not expecting him to be back.î
The San Diego Chargers will have their big wide receiver back in camp as Vincent Jackson will sign his non-exclusive franchise tag on Friday as soon as he is allowed to do so, according to agent Neil Schwartz.
While most teamsí rosters are nowhere close to looking the way theyíll be even at this time next week, Tuesday was all about getting back to football.
ěIíve been here for the past week,î Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker said at team headquarters in Foxborough, Mass., ědriving around here and finding a place to work out and doing all that stuff I donít have to worry about anymore.î