Preparing to camp out with Judge

Training camps open this week, with Philadelphia holding its first practice for veterans Monday afternoon. So let's follow the Eagles' example and dispense with the T.O. talk. And let's move on to what's really important.

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Questions for Five Guys I'd Like to Talk to

1. Drew Bledsoe, QB, Dallas: OK, level with me, Drew: Have you been in touch with Donovan McNabb or Jeff Garcia? And if not, why not?

Kyle Boller may be wishing for the days of Art Modell in Baltimore. (Getty Images)

2. Tom Walsh, offensive coordinator, Oakland: Let's make this quick: Where should I stay the next time I'm looking for a room in Swann Valley, Idaho, and just how did your last job experience prepare you for coaching Randy Moss?

3. Bill Belichick, head coach, New England: As someone who knows more about pro personnel than just about anyone out there, could you please explain this one: How or why are you better off without Adam Vinatieri?

4. Kyle Boller, QB, Baltimore: Let's be honest here: What exactly do you think the arrival of Steve McNair means for your future with the Ravens?

5. Mike Brown, owner and president, Cincinnati Bengals: What in the name of Ickey Woods is going on with your club? Chris Henry. Odell Thurman. A.J. Nicholson. Frostee Rucker. Ahmad Brooks. Matthias Askew. When they talked about what's important in this game, Mike, they were talking about character, not characters.

Five Coaches to Keep Your Eyes On

1. Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego: For some reason, he's walking the plank ... and he must count on a quarterback who hasn't started a pro game to cover his back. Good luck. I saw this play in 1991 when then-San Diego coach Dan Henning was saddled with a virtual rookie he didn't choose. He went 4-12 and was fired when the season ended.

2. Bill Parcells, Dallas: I don't know how he handles T.O., but you must admit: You can't wait to see how it plays out. This is my definition of must-see TV: Parcells and T.O. on the same sideline, each waiting to explode ... or implode. Somewhere Andy Reid must be smiling.

3. Brian Billick, Baltimore: He was supposed to be in trouble last year, but I don't believe it. Too many injuries, not enough Jamal. Now he has Steve McNair, and let's see clubs stack the line of scrimmage again. McNair gives this club ... and Billick ... a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.

4. Tony Dungy, Indianapolis: I don't know how you endure what Dungy did a year ago and come through the experience unscathed. But he will manage, and watch him while he does. There's a lesson there for all of us. I love critics who contend he's too nice to make it to the top. They forgot he's already there, gaining altitude without compromising friendships or values. I only marvel at how he does it.

5. Brad Childress, Minnesota: He sand-blasted the roster during spring cleaning, and now awaits the results. I give the man credit: He didn't think twice about cutting Onterrio Smith or putting Daunte Culpepper in the rear-view mirror. The reason: Team harmony is everything to Childress, who gained his masters on the subject coaching T.O. in Philly. Childress' intentions are good, but they better translate into wins.

Five Assistants to Keep Your Eyes On

1. Al Saunders, offensive coordinator, Washington: All he did in Kansas City was put the Chiefs at the top of the league's offensive rankings each of the past two seasons -- with Priest Holmes setting a single-season TD record (later broken by Shaun Alexander). Impressive. Washington needs a lift on offense like W. needs a boost in the polls. Saunders might be just the right guy.

Give Whisenhunt a hand, his big plays keyed the Steelers' Super Bowl win. (Getty Images)

2. Mike Martz, offensive coordinator, Detroit: Once, I wasn't sure which had less fizz, downtown Detroit or the Lions offense. Now I see hope for the football team, only I don't know how Martz pumps juice into a unit that hasn't had a pulse since Barry Sanders suited up. Believe me, the guy will do it. I saw the Rams too many times to know you don't underestimate Martz. I just want to know how he kicks in the door.

3. Jim Haslett, defensive coordinator, St. Louis: It's the Arch that bends, and the Rams defense that breaks. These guys were horrible last year, surrendering 30 or more points five times. But there's hope with Haslett. He built his reputation with good, solid defenses, and a good, solid defense is what St. Louis needs to make a run at Seattle.

4. Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh: Some team will make him its next head coach. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy watching an assistant who knows how to exploit defenses. I call Mike Holmgren to the witness stand. The Steelers made, what, three plays against him in the Super Bowl? Yet they won because they were the game's biggest plays, and that's the beauty of Whisenhunt. He may take his time, but he will find a way to beat you.

5. Todd Haley, receivers coach, Dallas: He's a solid assistant who can be an emotional, volatile and in-your-face guy. That's OK, except it forced Parcells to restrain him during last year's loss to Seattle. And it might walk him into the crosshairs of the club's wide-receiver-turned-author. I mean, if Childress couldn't handle T.O. what's Haley to do? Remember, he's the first line of defense to Parcells.

Five Restaurants I Wouldn't Miss

1. Las Olas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.: Beach, blondes and burritos. Talk about laid-back. This must be heaven. I loved it when I lived in San Diego; I love it more now that I'm gone.

2. The Red Hen Cantina, Napa, Calif.: About a mile down the road from the Raiders camp on Solano Avenue, and a place I try to hit once a day. Two reasons you should, too: the nachos and margaritas.

3. Deja Brew Coffeehouse and Deli, Bethlehem, Pa.: Just down the hill from Lehigh, and an absolute must for lunch. Great people. Great sandwiches. Go for the Reuben on the menu or the Reuben on the jukebox ... as in Reuben Frank, who covers the Eagles for the Burlington County Times and serves as an unofficial D.J. Make him happy and ask for anything by Guided By Voices.

4. Tav on the Ave, Mankato, Minn.: Great wings and lots of sports on TV. I have a T-shirt from the place, and there's a reason: I love sports bars that care about their customers.

5. The South Fork in River Falls, Wis.: I'm not sure which is better, the burgers and chocolate milkshakes or the parking on the street. Meters take nickels and pennies.

Five Experiences I'm Looking Forward to

1. Lunch at the Blue Oar in Haddam, Conn.: If I'm driving to the Patriots camp I always try to stop in here. OK, so it's about 15 minutes off 95, but you won't be disappointed. The food is great, and the setting is so surreal Connecticut Magazine had the restaurant on its cover. Dining alongside the Connecticut River -- and I mean right alongside -- is my idea of atmosphere.

2. A night on the town in Stillwater, Minn.: It's not far from the Chiefs camp in Wisconsin, and it's where I'd live if I worked in Minneapolis. Correction: It's where I'd live if I worked within three hours of Minneapolis. Wow. You want far from the madding crowd? Welcome to Stillwater.

3. Dinner with Rich Quodomine in Albany, N.Y.: You want to know what's happening with the Bills? Well, so do I. So I dial Rich, and we solve the team's crises over burgers. He's a loyal fan, and a faithful friend -- and I value the time and energy he's taken to communicate with me over the years.

4. Any time with Tony Dungy: Once upon a time I received a phone call from the NFL scouting combine. It was a coach saying there were two people missing from the annual event. One was Randy Moss, the other was me. He wanted to know what happened. Well, I had knee surgery, preventing me from attending, but only one guy cared to ask. It was Dungy, the classiest guy in a sometimes nasty profession.

5. Interviewing Tiki Barber: One of the most thoughtful and charismatic guys in this business who is to the Giants what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees. I've seldom seen him have a bad afternoon on the field, and I've never seen him have a bad one off of it. He's kind and generous to people who approach him, one of the game's best interviews and a dead-bolt cinch to go on to a career in broadcasting whenever and wherever he chooses.

Five Experiences I'm Dreading

1. Driving Route 95: I don't care what part. I want to avoid it. Take your pick: accidents, congestion, road work. It's all there, and the results always are the same: a traffic nightmare. This is why those who know drive the Merritt Parkway to New England.

2. Navigating any of the campus roads around Lehigh University: I swear these roads must be part of the entrance exam. If you figure 'em out, you're in. Last year they were under construction, and Algernon couldn't have found his way to the Eagles PR office.

3. Covering anyone's fourth preseason game: Training camp is too long, and the league requires too many games. The last one is always a beauty, with clubs resting starters and coaches more interested in getting to work on next week's openers. Memo to the next commish: Have mercy and reduce the number of preseason games.

4. The words 'Road Work Ahead': Plan on sitting in traffic, usually in one lane. When Gershwin wrote Summertime, road crews must not have been invented.

5. Flying through Chicago: Do the words "Flight Delayed" ring a bell? They will the next time you and a thunderstorm converge in Chicago.