The Associated Press

ASHBURN, Va. - That's no way to welcome back a Hall of Fame coach.

On the first scrimmage play of Joe Gibbs' first Washington Redskins minicamp in a dozen years, assistant coach for defense Gregg Williams pulled a surprise and blitzed all 11 players.

"Why would Gregg do that?" Gibbs said, laughing. "You're supposed to follow the script. The defense always cheats."

If it had been a full-contract drill, quarterback Mark Brunell would have been pummeled into the turf.

"I don't think I've ever seen that in my career, bring all 11 guys," Brunell said. "I don't know if I would have made it through that play."

Williams tipped off Gibbs only seconds before the ball was snapped. No one else knew it was coming, except the 11 players in the defensive huddle.

"It was an attitude setter," Williams said. "That's what we hope to be like for the rest of 2004."

The night before, it was Gibbs who set the tone with an inspired speech at his first team dinner since coming out of retirement. On Friday, the Redskins had a high-spirited practice they hope begins a return to their glory days.

"Coach Gibbs, he commands respect instantly," Brunell said. "Guys know what he has done in his career. That speaks for itself. But he's a good man, too. He's going to push you. He's going to make you work hard, and at the same time he's going to treat you like a man. Guys like that."

• The Redskins have given linebacker Jeremiah Trotter permission to seek a trade. Trotter, who was absent from Washington's first day of minicamp Friday, is a prime candidate to be cut after June 1 in a salary cap move; he would enter the third year of a seven-year, $36 million deal this fall.

BRONCOS: Free agent tackle Cornell Green signed with Denver.

Green, a four-year veteran, spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay, playing in 24 games and starting eight.

PACKERS: Green Bay re-signed defensive back Michael Hawthorne and waived linebacker Ralph Turner. Hawthorne signed with the Packers on Sept. 15 and played their final 14 regular-season games and two playoff games, totaling 23 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.

JAGUARS: Jacksonville signed former Broncos offensive lineman Ephraim Salaam, who started 14 games for Denver last year. The seven-year veteran was released earlier this month.

RAMS: Defensive end Sean Moran signed with St. Louis after spending the last two seasons with San Francisco, rejoining a team he played for in 2000 and 2001. Moran has started 13 of 121 career games, with 152 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.

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