Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed his sorrow at the loss of Gene Upshaw; during the last round of collective bargaining, Jones had said, “Gene’s beating us up.”

Giants WR Steve Smith is trying to catch up.

Eagles coach Andy Reid says the receivers already on the roster can do a fine job of filling in for the injured Kevin Curtis.

Redskins RB Clinton Portis is ready to go for Saturday’s preseason game.

Vikings C Matt Birk says he respected Upshaw even though in many respects they “agreed to disagree.”

The Bears’ top two long snappers are both out with injuries.

Says Lions coach Rod Marinelli of RB Artose Pinner, “He is a good vertical runner. He gets that step in there, and boom. Every time he gets the opportunity he is productive.”

Crowds at Packers practices are getting smaller.

Falcons LB Curtis Lofton could be a starter.

Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart has four carries for three yards in the preseason, but the team hopes he can change that when he runs behind the starting offensive line.

Saints DT Orien Harris is making his presence felt.

Says Buccaneers OT Donald Penn of getting chewed out by the coach, “If he stops talking to me, that’s when I’ll start getting worried.”

The Cardinals’ offense is trying to improve the execution of the draw play.

Rams WR Donnie Avery is ready to play after missing time with a cracked pelvic bone.

The 49ers will have $11.6 million worth of quarterback standing on the sideline while J.T. O’Sullivan gets the start.

Says Seahawks secondary coach Jim Mora of DB Josh Wilson, “Josh is a tough, tough kid. He might be small in stature, but he’s very, very competitive and he’s been really fun to watch.“