Problems galore as teams open camps

Grab the marshmallows, kids. It’s time for camp.

NFL players are trooping off to glamorous places such as Macomb, Ill., and Albany, N.Y., wedging 300-pound bodies into dorm rooms built for history majors. In the next month, the camps will produce some blood, plenty of sweat and even a few tears, but relatively little real news. That’s how the coaches like it.

But as the 2004 training camps kick off, a handful of clubs have made headlines, to their chagrin.

•Miami. The Dolphins have always counted on Ricky Williams to run. But not this far.

Now that Williams has taken off on the strangest run of his career, the Dolphins are hurting at running back. For the moment, the starting job falls to Travis Minor, who has never started an NFL game and has rushed for 930 yards in the last three years (Williams ran for 1,372 last year).

•Chicago. Welcome to Camp Limp-a-Lot.

There is a place for golf carts. It’s called the fairway. But darned if the Bears didn’t need one to carry injured star linebacker Brian Urlacher off the field after he collided with another player during what was described as a light-contact scrimmage. This isn’t how Lovie Smith envisioned his first day as Bears head coach.

Urlacher, the Bears’ leading tackler in each of his first four seasons, was diagnosed with a right hamstring injury and is expected to be out four to six weeks.

•Oakland. Welcome to the Black Hole, Norv Turner.

When Turner took over the 4-12 Raiders last winter, he had two Woodsons on his team. Now he has none — in camp, anyway.

Safety Rod Woodson, a 17-year veteran who is a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team, was released after he failed a physical.

Cornerback Charles Woodson isn’t in camp for a different reason. He doesn’t want to be there. Woodson was angry when the club slapped a franchise player tag on him.

•San Diego. The great thing about training camp is it gives fans a chance to inspect a team’s new draft picks — unless you’re a Chargers fan and want to get a glimpse of quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers hasn’t signed yet. He wants to be paid like the overall top pick in the draft, even though the Chargers selected Eli Manning first and then shipped him to New York for Rivers, who was taken fourth.

Giants’ Dayne slims down

By all appearances, Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne is making the most of what could be his last chance with the New York Giants.

Just looking at the Giants’ first-round draft pick in 2000 tells the story.

His gut is gone. His body is lean. His mind is focused on playing football for new coach Tom Coughlin in a backfield where he will share time with Tiki Barber.

“I think he realizes this is his time. This is his opportunity,” Barber said between practices at camp. “Coach Coughlin laid it right out for him when they met in the off-season. ‘I am going to expect this out of you.’ “

While Dayne refuses to discuss his weight, Barber said Dayne weighed 233 pounds on Friday.

Dayne reported to camp at 245 pounds last season.

Barlow stands alone this season

Kevan Barlow is done sharing the ball.

After three years in an uncomfortable partnership with Garrison Hearst in the San Francisco 49ers’ backfield, Barlow will be the full-time starter this season. The team allowed Hearst to leave for Denver shortly after signing Barlow to a five-year, $20 million contract in February.

“I’m ready. I’ve been looking forward to this challenge since I’ve been here,” Barlow said. “I’ve been scratching for three years now, and it’s finally here. I feel more comfortable that the team has confidence in me.”

His coaches believe he worked harder than ever this summer to build muscle and flexibility — even studying kickboxing on a tip from Baltimore’s Jamal Lewis.

“He said he did the kickboxing thing last year and got 2,000 (yards),” Barlow said. “I just said, ‘Hey, I’m going to do it, see if I can get 2,000, too.’ “

Around the league

Rams offensive tackle Kyle Turley re-injured his surgically repaired back in practice and the team scheduled tests to determine the extent of the problem… . The Bills will have both of their first-round picks ready for the start of training camp after receiver Lee Evans and quarterback J.P. Losman agreed to contracts on Saturday. Evans was selected 13th overall out of Wisconsin and Losman 22nd out of Tulane… . The Dolphins signed first-round draft pick Vernon Carey, an offensive lineman from Miami, to a five-year contract.