07/31 — It was the Green & White version of "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"

WR Chansi Stuckey was running wide open at this morning's training camp practice on a slant over the middle during two-minute drills and Kellen Clemens found him.

But so did safety Kerry Rhodes.

One step after Stuckey gathered in the 18-yard pass, Rhodes sized him up, strode forward and stuck his shoulder in the middle of the wideout's chest. It wasn't as violent as it could've been, but it was a forceful knockdown just the same.

And Stuckey, who held on for the catch, said it was all a good thing.

"It felt great," he said, meaning every word. "I hadn't really been hit like that in a year. I told Kerry, "Thank you, I needed that.' We receivers need that, and the DBs need it, too, give a little nudge to get us ready."

"Chansi said he needed it, and I was very happy to give it to him," Rhodes said. "It was something to let him know I was there, let him know that it wasn't an easy catch."

Clemens, bouncing back with a second solid practice, and this one without picks, threw another ball that was an easier catch for fellow WR David Clowney. Clowney had separated past CB Justin Miller in another two-minute drive and Clemens lofted the ball to him, a perfect strike. By the time the catch-and-run was over, Clowney had a 43-yard reception.

"I'm getting a chance to use my speed here," Clowney said, adding that in his stay in Green Bay's camp last year, he wasn't being asked to go downfield as much. I asked him if, as some have speculated, he is the Fastest Jet.

"Some players got to arguing on that. They said it was between me and Drew [Coleman]," Clowney said. "He's fast, I'm fast, and we leave it at that."

Clowney said his personal best in the 40 was 4.27-4.28 seconds. At the 2007 NFL Combine, he said he was clocked at 4.35 with a hamstring strain. That's moving.

There were some other highlights in what was probably the hottest practice of camp (86-degree heat index for Hempstead, NY). The defense rose up with a number of plays.

One of the biggest playmakers was LB Cody Spencer. He got fine penetration and perfect arm action to deflect a Brett Ratliff pass — right into the hands of CB Ahmad Carroll, who took the pick back for six. Then on Chad Pennington's two-minute drive with the second offense, Spencer tipped a pass that Wallace Wright couldn't hold, then swatted away the last play of practice at the goal line.

Early on, there was a trench vignette where LB Matt Chatham, just returned to practice, locked up with the bulked-up D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The two danced, then seemed to skirmish. But the play ended with the two giving each other man-hugs and returning to their respective huddles.

LB Marques Murrell continues to show up. He got great penetration and swatted away an Erik Ainge swing pass in 7-on-7 work.

Coleman punched out a Clemens-to-Stuckey end zone fade for an incompletion. And David Ball nearly made another YouTube reception, going high in the end zone for a Pennington pass, but S James Ihedigbo and new DB Rudy Burgess broke it up as the three tumbled out of bounds.

Working through nicks and bruises with strength coach Sal Alosi on the sideline were TE Chris Baker, RB Jesse Chatman, WR Laveranues Coles, LB David Harris and DB Artrell Hawkins.

Today's practice, coming in at 2 hours, 9 minutes, from the horn to start stretching until the "break" to end the final midfield huddle, was the longest of the 10 camp practices to date.

Despite the highlights, Eric Mangini was not happy with the results of practice. We'll bring you the head coach's comments from his midday news conference on the Radar in a short while.