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Redskins receiver stays out of sight ahead of first game

The Washington Redskins' dining room is one floor beneath the locker room, fashioned on a basketball court with tables and chairs and the aroma of the afternoon's fixings. It's where players gather to eat -- and to avoid the queries from visitors in search of a good story or two.

Laveranues Coles, the former Jets receiver, has decided to make this room his haven this week rather than confront the questions about his former team's coming to FedEx Field tomorrow to open the NFL regular season against the Redskins.

On Sunday, the same day he informed the Redskins' public relations staff that he was not conducting interviews until the day of the game, Coles stayed mostly out of sight, even sending quarterback Patrick Ramsey into the locker room to pick up his playbook for him.

On Monday, the dining room served baked chicken. But Coles kept all thoughts about the Jets, and the meal, to himself.

"I thought about doing that, too," said Redskins kick returner Chad Morton, who is one of four players, including guard Randy Thomas and place-kicker John Hall, who played for the Jets last season.

"I don't want to be out there with anything bad to say about them. I think he just wants to worry about the game and not get into any shouting matches. He's just trying to do a job out there.

Coles signed a seven-year, US$35 million contract with the Redskins, which the Jets refused to match. Guard Dave Fiore said, "I think he's just trying to avoid a situation of everyone thinking this game means the whole season to him."

Though they are often grouped together -- Redskins Coach Steve Spurrier referred to the players after practice Monday as "the four Jets" -- each player is handling the run-up to tomorrow's game differently. Hall focused on memories of trips to the playoffs with the Jets and the pain of hearing about Jets quarterback Chad Pennington's injury in the preseason, news that "was like someone kidney-punched me, hearing Chad went down like that," Hall said.

Morton, who signed with the Redskins when they won an arbitration hearing in April after the Jets failed to match the voidable years in the Redskins' contract offer, said that playing his former team would be exciting and relaxing.

"You always want to play against your ex-team and show what you can do," Morton said. "I'm not bitter at them for not playing me because they had a future Hall of Famer and another guy that could start for any team," he said of Curtis Martin and LaMont Jordan.

"It was just too crowded. I don't blame them at all; it's just a better opportunity for me here."

While Coles was downstairs, Thomas leaned against a bench in the locker room and talked about trying to erase from his mind his career with the Jets, the good times notwithstanding.

"Right now, all I see is maroon and white and gold," said Thomas, who signed a seven-year, US$28 million free-agent contract. "When I wasn't in the plans for the Jets, I had to put off a lot of stuff ... I'm not a baby, so I'm not going to sit here and cry about it.."

The Redskins have larger issues, namely 15 more games that will show what benefits they received in overhauling their roster and topping it off with four Jets. Coles and Morton provide Spurrier with much-desired speed, Thomas helps solidify a more agile offensive line and Hall brings a booming leg and last season's 77.4 percent field-goal conversion rate.
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