The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The sun beat down through high, wispy clouds and a bluish-gray haze Wednesday. It was 81 degrees and climbing - just another typical summer morning in Jacksonville.

This hasn't been a normal training camp for the Jaguars, however. Two 300-pound defensive linemen, Larry Smith and John Henderson, succumbed to the heat and were taken to the hospital over the first four days of practice.

Smith returned to the field Wednesday and Henderson was fine, but their hospitalizations were another reminder of the dangers of playing football in the heat common during training camp. It's a lesson the NFL has been hammering home, especially since the heat-related death of Vikings lineman Korey Stringer two summers ago.

"The truth is, everybody gets a little dizzy sometimes," said Panthers offensive tackle Todd Steussie, a former teammate and close friend of Stringer. "And sometimes it's hard to determine on your own if you should be out there or not."

The Jaguars shipped in portable lights for the practice field and made plans to reschedule some workouts for nighttime, starting today. Owner Wayne Weaver also is considering buying a dome to cover the practice field so the team can escape the region's heat and frequent thunderstorms.

Most Jacksonville players agree Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio's first training camp has been no more taxing than those run by Tom Coughlin the first eight seasons, instead saying it has been less physical. Del Rio schedules two water breaks per practice, plus a number of "teaching sessions" when physical activity is scaled back and players can catch their breath.

Other than the night practices, Del Rio said he wasn't planning any changes.

"We counted every rep, we made sure the reps weren't out of line," he said. "Larry Smith had 16 reps before he went down the other day. It was only about 40 minutes into practice. It's pretty difficult to do much less than that and get ready for an NFL season."

Gene Upshaw, head of the players union, is satisfied with the hot-weather guidelines set by the NFL.

"I don't know what else we can do at this point from our end," he said. "We've notified everyone about it, and we know it's trainers and doctors who have to make medical decisions, not coaches."

The Panthers, Eagles and Bears are participating in a study designed to learn about ways to help prevent heat exhaustion in players.

Every day following practice, the Panthers pick about 15 players at random and wrap a plastic bag around one hand of each man to collect sweat so it can be studied for content and sodium loss.

REDSKINS: Negotiations have begun on a new contract for Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey, who can become a free agent after the season. His salary this year is just more than $2 million, not even in the top 10 among cornerbacks in the league.

BROWNS: Holdout rookie linebacker Chaun Thompson must sign before today or the team will reduce the amount of its five-year offer, team president Carmen Policy said. The second-round pick has missed 13 practice sessions.

DOLPHINS: Wide receiver Oronde Gadsden was carted off the field after injuring his left ankle, but X-rays showed it is not broken.

PANTHERS: Offensive tackle Melvin Tuten tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and is expected to be out four weeks.

BRONCOS: Rookie defensive tackle Nick Eason is expected to be back in training camp by the weekend after unexpectedly leaving the team. "It's really just some personal issues that he's dealing with," his agent, Gene Krcelic, said.

49ERS: Tight end Mark Anelli will miss six to eight weeks after breaking his collarbone Tuesday.

Starting fullback Fred Beasley will miss at least two days of workouts due to a sprained right knee, but rookie wide receiver Arnaz Battle was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list after sitting out five days of camp with a groin injury.

LIONS: Rookie wide receiver Charles Rogers could return to practice this weekend after dislocating his left ring finger Tuesday. Rogers, the team's top 2003 pick, received two stitches for the open dislocation.

COLTS: Cornerback Donald Strickland reported to training camp. His agent said the third-round pick out of Colorado accepted a three-year, $1.34 million deal.

PATRIOTS: Fullback Larry Centers signed after spending the two seasons with Buffalo. The 35-year-old has 808 receptions for 6,691 yards and 27 touchdowns in 13 NFL seasons and holds NFL records for catches and yards receiving for a running back.