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As Providence Journal sports writer Tom E. Curran noted this morning: "Four years ago, Tom Brady was the wide-eyed one at Patriots rookie mini-camp merely trying to make an impression after being selected 199th overall in the sixth round.

Yesterday, Brady was among the rookies again in the Patriots locker room. Having just completed a workout, Brady took a few moments and paused briefly at his locker to talk with reporters.

According to Curran, there's a small pink scar on the front of his right shoulder left over from the surgery he had done this off-season, but that's the only thing lingering. Asked how his arm feels, Brady said, "Strong."

Patriots receivers have also said recently that Brady is throwing the ball well in practice sessions at Foxboro.

The quarterback is also bigger. Brady said he hasn't played much golf this off-season. Instead, he's spent more time in the weight room and his thicker upper body seems to display that. ...

Also of interest in New England. ... According to the Sporting News, the surprising selection of a tight end, Ben Watson, with the 32nd pick appears to be an indication that team officials are disappointed with Daniel Graham, a first-rounder last year. ...

Meanwhile, in Miami. ... The competition between Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley for the Dolphins' starting quarterback spot officially got underway Friday.

"Today is the first day of our real preparation for the 2004 season and that includes evaluating all the players," head coach Dave Wannstedt said Friday in announcing the start of Miami's quarterback duel.

"Today was our first opportunity to start evaluating the team for next year. So to answer your question, everything starts today."

According to Miami Herald staff writer Armando Salguero, Fiedler is the starter now as evidenced by his work with the first-team offense during the first day of the current three-day mini-camp. But Feeley got some snaps with the first-team as well on Friday and will get an opportunity to unseat the incumbent in the coming months.

Not that either player is publicly embracing the matchup.

"I'm not looking at it like that," Feeley said. "It's like I'm playing golf out here. It's me against the game. The game of quarterback is not against someone else, it's against yourself."

Fiedler, one of the more competitive players on the Miami roster, also focused on himself rather than the competition between the two.

"There's always a challenge to step your game up," Fiedler said. "It doesn't matter who they brought in, what they did. I challenge myself and expect a challenge from the coaching staff and everyone around here to get better. That's what you're trying to do in the offseason -- in the weight room, in the drills and in the mini-camp. ..."

Dolphins coaches expect Fiedler to look better than Feeley initially, if for no other reason that Fiedler has been in this offense for three years while Feeley is still learning the system.

Wannstedt said he wanted to make the quarterbacks feel comfortable on Friday. That's the reason coaches scripted mostly short passes to running backs, tight ends and fullbacks throughout the afternoon to "get the quarterbacks some confidence."

But according to Salguero, neither sparkled for the entire two-hour practice despite the relatively easy assignments both were asked to carry out.

"There were a few balls on the ground early, but nothing we can't clean up," Wannstedt said.

Also of interest in Miami. ... The Dolphins got their first look at David Boston, traded for in order to bolster the passing attack.

But according to Palm Beach Post beat man Joe Schad, Boston dropped a few passes and seemed uneasy.

"David was OK," Wannstedt said. "He was a little bit rusty, to be honest with you."

Nonetheless, Boston's arrival and the installation of a new offense formulated by Joel Collier with input from quarterback coach Marc Trestman offers new hope for an offense that finished 24th in the NFL last season and a passing offense that finished 26th.

"The new coaches have brought in some new ideas," Fiedler said.

Fiedler said Trestman has asked him to find ways to "make plays my own," meaning to interpret and take command of a certain number of them. The plays he and Feeley don't feel that comfortable with, Fiedler said, will be removed from the playbook. ...

In New York. ... Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet is back practicing after concussion forced him to sideline last season.

For a few weeks after last season, Chrebet didn't know whether he'd be back. His bout with post-concussion syndrome was that scary. But by February, the headaches were gone and his passion for football had returned.

And according to New York Daily News sports writer Rich Cimini, the popular wideout took another big step yesterday in his comeback, participating in opening day of the team's mini-camp at Hofstra.

Chrebet has a new role as the No. 3 receiver behind Santana Moss and Justin McCareins, making him a backup for the first time since 1997 -- a change that's resulted in a new outlook.

"For me, it's like a second chance, a second chance to do it the way I want to do it and leave my mark," he said. "At the beginning of the year, I didn't know if I'd have that chance."

Chrebet, who missed the final eight games due to a severe concussion, expects to wear a special helmet with extra protection, but insists he's there to play.

"I'm going to play the same way I have my whole career," said Chrebet, who got up slowly after a diving catch in the afternoon practice. "If I couldn't have played that way, I wouldn't have come back. ..."

In Detroit. ... As reported by Detroit Free Press staffer Curt Sylvester, wide receiver Charles Rogers and running back Artose Pinner, two of last year's top draft picks who were hampered most of their rookie seasons by injuries, are participating in the mini-camp.

"I'm not holding back, I'm doing everything," said Rogers, who suffered a broken collarbone five games into the season. "I'm doing what I'm told. Some things I feel I could do a little extra, but [head coach Steve Mariucci] says, 'Hey, just take it easy.'

"I'm kind of anxious at times, but I have to realize what's best for us and what's best for the team."

Pinner missed the first 13 games last season recovering from a broken ankle suffered in the Senior Bowl but has spent virtually the entire off-season working out.

"Actually, I feel like I've gained a couple of steps this mini-camp," Pinner said. "I felt a lot faster. Sometimes I was a little out of control, but as the practice progressed I gathered it all together and got used to my speed again."

Speed seems to be a recurring theme in reports emanating from Detroit.

"You can see from watching that we have more team speed and quickness. That's exciting," Mariucci said after the first practice of the team's three-day mini-camp.

As Booth Newspapers beat man Tom Kowalski noted, in addition to a healthy Rogers and Pinner, rookie first-round picks Roy Williams and Kevin Jones made immediate impressions.

Williams, a receiver from Texas, made a nice catch on a bomb down the right sideline while Jones, a running back from Virginia Tech, displayed the kind of speed, quickness and running ability the Lions haven't seen in, oh, about five years.

"Now we've got talent," quarterback Joey Harrington said. "There is so much young talent on that field, I'm obviously expecting great things. ..."

In Cincinnati. ... Starting tailback Rudi Johnson has said he would join veterans in Cincinnati after the team's rookie mini-camp next weekend.

Johnson, a restricted free agent, also said he would, "in the next few days," sign the one-year tender offer of $1.824 million extended by the Bengals on March 1, according to the team's official web site.

According to Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Mark Curnutte, Johnson and Peter Schaffer, his agent, continue to say Johnson would prefer to sign a multi-year contract and retire a Bengal.

The Bengals used their first-round pick in last weekend's draft on Michigan running back Chris Perry.

Other veteran backs on the roster are Kenny Watson, Skip Hicks and Herbert Goodman.

Also in Cincinnati. ... The Bengals claimed Kurt Kittner off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, bringing in another candidate for the third quarterback job.

Head coach Marvin Lewis has chosen Carson Palmer as the starter, with Jon Kitna as the backup this fall. Kitna could take over if Palmer struggles in his first season running the offense.

Kittner was the Falcons' fifth-round pick in 2002 and didn't play as a rookie. He started four games and appeared in seven overall last season, going 44-of-114 for 391 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions. ...

In Washington. ... According to Associated Press sports writer Joseph White, Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsey split the quarterback work about equally. Ramsey showed no signs of the foot injury that cut his season short last year.

Also according to White, running back Clinton Portis, who wore No. 3 at the last mini-camp, is wearing No. 6 this time. He's still trying to find a way to get safety Ifeanyi Ohalete to give up No. 26. ...

In Jacksonville. ... Florida Times-Union beat man Bart Hubbuch reports that backup quarterback David Garrard said Friday that he has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an intestinal ailment that is not life-threatening.

Crohn's, which is not curable and affects more than 500,000 people in the nation, causes intestinal blockages, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and severe weight loss.

Garrard learned in January he had the disease but didn't suffer major problems from it until last week, when he was hospitalized for several days. Garrard is back in uniform but is being held out of this weekend's mini-camp because of minor concerns about his playing shape.

"It feels like I'm walking in mud right now," said Garrard, who has lost 10 pounds from his playing weight of 237 last season.

Garrard does not expect his football career to be affected by the condition.

'Football isn't going to bring [the disease] back or keep it away," he said.

Head coach Jack Del Rio said he expects Garrard to be available for the Jaguars' next mini-camp later this summer and to participate fully in training camp, but the illness is almost certainly behind the addition of former Falcon backup Doug Johnson. ...

Also according to Hubbuch, receiver Jimmy Smith, noticeably leaner, said he recently dropped more than 10 pounds from last season.

Smith reported to the mini-camp at 197 pounds after spending much of last year at more than 210 pounds. His ideal weight is 205 pounds.

"I was a little overweight last year, and my endurance wasn't there, so I had to drop some pounds," Smith said. "I'd be happy to stay around 205, but it's tough to keep the pounds off as you get older."