TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? Edgerrin James appears to be back in form.

In the first week of the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp, the two-time NFL rushing champ is making moves he couldn’t make last season, the year after he underwent surgery on his left knee.

“We’ve seen the same thing in summer school,” Colts president Bill Polian said with a wide smile Monday. “It tells me he’s on schedule, and he’s back to where he was.”

For James, it has been a long, painful and difficult recovery from the injury: a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the worst injury there can be for a running back.

Doctors and coaches warned him it would take two years to heal completely.

But last year at training camp, James proclaimed himself 100 percent fit just nine months after the surgery.

Initially he showed glimpses of his Pro Bowl form. As the season wore on, though, things changed. James got nicked up, and eventually wore down.

He sprained both ankles and missed two games. He needed rest during games and practice. He cut cautiously and his typically powerful runs became rare. He was even replaced in short-yardage situations.

He finished the season with 989 yards and a 3.6 average compared to 1,553 and 4.2 and 1,709 and 4.4 in his first two seasons.

Edgerrin James makes a catch in front of defensive back Walt Harris. The Indianapolis running back made the play during drills at the Colts training camp Monday in Terre Haute, Ind.

“I was coming from a situation of not being able to walk every day,” James said. “I was held back, I couldn’t do full two-a-days and that gave a false sense of what I could do.”

This year already feels different to James, whom the Colts selected ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams in the 1999 NFL draft.

When he walks up and down steps, he doesn’t feel pain. On the football field, he’s running with power and doesn’t worry about hits.

“There’s a big difference,” James said. “The cuts, going through the holes, it’s totally different. Before I was going with caution.”

Ravens

Westminister, Md. — Kyle Boller nearly didn’t make it through his first NFL practice in full pads.

The rookie quarterback dropped into the pocket Monday when Terrell Suggs, the Baltimore Ravens’ other first-round pick, rolled the quarterback’s legs out from under him.

Both players quickly jumped back up; no harm done.

“It brought back old memories,” said Boller, who played against Suggs in college. “He’s a great player. It’s awesome to have such a good defense coming at you. You get the best work that way.”

Not all was positive Monday for the Ravens, though.

Linebacker Bernardo Harris, who started 12 games last season after Ray Lewis was injured, broke his left leg at practice and said he expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

The team also said that wide receiver Javin Hunter will miss the entire season with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Safety Ray Perryman dislocated his left shoulder and is out indefinitely.

Redskins

Ashburn, Va. — Mindful of his reputation, Steve Spurrier was quick to dash any notion that Danny Wuerffel’s return is the first stop in yet another year of quarterback carousel.

“We don’t have any problems,” the Washington Redskins coach said Monday. “Some of you guys may want to create them, but there’s no problems on our team who the quarterback is.”

After making five starting quarterback changes in his first NFL season a year ago, Spurrier is going with second-year player Patrick Ramsey through thick and thin, at least for now. The plan is for Wuerffel, who joined the team Monday morning at practice, to compete with struggling veteran Rob Johnson for the No. 2 spot.

“Patrick Ramsey is by far our best quarterback,” Spurrier said. “Danny gives us some insurance.”

Patriots

Foxboro, Mass. — Two rookies will start at cornerback Thursday for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants in the exhibition opener for both teams.

Second-round draft choice Eugene Wilson of Illinois and fourth-round pick Asante Samuel of Central Florida will start in place of injured veterans Ty Law and Otis Smith.

Law has been limited in practice with an ankle injury. Smith, in his 14th season, is rehabilitating offseason shoulder surgery.

“They’ve moved along well,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of the rookie cornerbacks. “They’re going to be out there and they’re going to get the opportunity to go against whomever the Giants put out there, their best guys, so it will be a good evaluation for them.”

Lions

Allen Park, Mich. — Wide receiver Charles Rogers dressed in pads and took part in a few light drills at training camp Monday, nearly a week after he dislocated his left ring finger.

“We’re going to get those sutures out in a day or two, then he’ll be able to do more,” coach Steve Mariucci said. “He’s out here. He’s suited up. He’s running routes. He’s doing some of those things. He’s not fully participating, but after those sutures come out, he’ll do more.”

Mariucci has said Rogers’ availability for Saturday’s preseason opener at Ford Field against Pittsburgh would depend on how much he practiced this week.

Jets

Hempstead, N.Y. — New York activated cornerback Will Hunter from the physically unable to perform list Monday.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Hunter was placed on the PUP list with an ankle injury on July 21. Hunter, a rookie free-agent out of Syracuse, will return to practice with the team today.

Dolphins

Miami — Newcomer Sammy Knight needed barely a week of training camp to dislodge Arturo Freeman as the Dolphins’ starting strong safety.

Knight was listed with the first team on the first depth chart released Monday, and he’ll start the opening exhibition game Friday against Tampa Bay.

“Sammy right now is just playing a little better,” coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Sammy will start this week and we’ll just progress from there.”

Knight was a six-year starter at New Orleans, and made the Pro Bowl in 2001 before signing with Miami as an unrestricted free agent in May.

Panthers

Spartanburg, S.C. — Carolina Panthers rookie defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead returned to the team Monday after spending four days in a Charlotte hospital because of an insect bite.

Moorehead is expected to practice later this week. But he might not play in the preseason opener Saturday against the Washington Redskins.

On the first day of training camp, Moorehead said he awoke with what he thought was a mosquito bite on his right forearm. Four days later, his right forearm, hand and elbow were swollen.

Chargers

Carson, Calif. — Five wide receivers missed both practices, including rookie Kassim Osgood with a broken thumb that will sideline him for at least four weeks. Osgood, a free agent from San Diego State, was hurt making a one-handed catch Sunday. Other wideouts missing practice were David Boston (oblique muscle), Tim Dwight (groin), Dondre Gilliam (knee) and Reche Caldwell (groin).