The Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. - NFL single-season sack king Michael Strahan has a broken little toe and his status for the New York Giants' preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Thursday is uncertain.

"If it were the regular season, I would be playing," Strahan said Tuesday after the Giants finished practice.

Strahan would not say whether the toe was on his left or right foot, but team spokesman Pat Hanlon said it was the right one.

Strahan was hurt in practice Monday when a teammate stepped on his foot. He did not participate in either practice Tuesday.

Giants coach Jim Fassel said there is a chance Strahan might participate in the walk-through practice today, but he also indicated he wasn't going to take a chance with his starting defensive left end.

"I'll see how he feels," Fassel said. "The main thing is if you break a bone, it's going to hurt a little bit. There is nothing you can do for it."

Trainers probably will put some extra padding in Strahan's shoe, Fassel said.

"If I'm not ready for the Rams, then there is something wrong with me, I'm a slow healer," Strahan said of the Sept. 7 opener.

BROWNS: Coach Butch Davis listed both Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb as the starting quarterback on a depth chart for Cleveland's preseason game Saturday against Tennessee.

"Anybody, media or players, that would make anything out of a depth chart before the first preseason game would be grossly overstated," Davis said.

He said he knows which quarterback will start in the game and will make an announcement later this week. He has said he will name a starting quarterback for the Sept. 7 season opener by Aug. 23.

STEELERS: Running back Amos Zereoue injured his left ankle on the last play of practice Tuesday.

Coach Bill Cowher said he thinks the injury is a sprain; Zereoue will be examined today.

Cowher said center Jeff Hartings' sore knee has improved but he's listed as questionable for Saturday's preseason game at Detroit.

COWBOYS: Darren Woodson says he didn't need clarification from Emmitt Smith on his negative remarks about the Cowboys. Still, the Dallas safety got a phone call this week from Smith, now with Arizona, who was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying he "felt like a diamond surrounded by trash" with the Cowboys last season.

"I just knew it wasn't a big deal at the beginning," Woodson said. "I didn't take it that way."

LIONS: Charles Rogers said he's likely to miss Detroit's preseason opener against the Steelers on Saturday. The No. 2 overall draft pick dislocated his left ring finger during practice a week ago.

"I don't think I'll go this week, but I look forward to next week and look to get in that game," he said.

BILLS: Pat Williams feels rejuvenated now that he has Sam Adams as a teammate. Adams is happy, too, finally getting a chance to play under highly respected defensive line coach Tim Krumrie.

Williams, a seven-year veteran, hasn't been this excited since he spent two years playing alongside Ted Washington. Together, they were part of a defense that ranked first in the NFL in 1999 and third the following season.

Released by the Raiders in February, Adams was eager to join the Bills. He had always wanted to work with Krumrie, who joined the Bills coaching staff in January after eight years with Cincinnati.

"He has an extensive knowledge for the defensive line position, his attitude, his demeanor, everything about him," Adams said. "People want to play for people like that."

PACKERS: Wesley Walls, one of the NFL's elite tight ends for much of the last decade, agreed to a one-year contract. The addition of the 6-foot-4, 240-pound veteran of 15 NFL seasons gives the Packers a major receiving threat at the position to pair with two-time Pro Bowl selection Bubba Franks.

Walls, waived by Carolina Feb. 26, accepted the veteran's minimum base of $755,000 and a $25,000 signing bonus. That enables the Packers to count just $475,000 against the salary cap.

GIANTS: William Joseph ended the longest holdout by a Giants first-round draft pick since 1995 by signing a $6.95 million contract. The defensive lineman from Miami, the 25th overall pick in the draft, signed the deal at 2:30 a.m. and was on the field with the team seven hours later.

CHIEFS: Offensive tackle Willie Jones remained hospitalized after suffering a sprained neck and temporarily losing feeling in his body during Monday's 9-0 win over Green Bay, the team said.

Chiefs president Carl Peterson said in a statement that Jones was doing better and probably would be released today from Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio.

49ERS: Jeremy Newberry won't be healthy this season - not while the ligament that's supposed to be holding one of his leg bones to the other is still severed. The Pro Bowl center is practicing despite the injury, which can't be fixed until after the season, but probably won't play in the 49ers' exhibition opener at Kansas City Saturday.

"It irritates everything in there, the tendons and the other ligaments," he said of the injury. "It'll probably be like that all season."

JAGUARS: The team's medical staff held defensive tackle Larry Smith out of practice, deeming him not fit to participate in two-a-days more than a week after he collapsed due to the heat.

DOLPHINS: Cornerback Patrick Surtain underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee for the third time in two years, but he's expected to be ready for the start of the regular season Sept. 7.

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