WitP: Tala, Lelie, Bess, Colt

Tala Esera has been signed to the Colts' practice squad after being waived on Saturday.

A Raiders columnist asks, Is Lelie the answer?

Wide receiver Ashley Lelie brings instant experience to a raw group of backups, that much is clear now that the Raiders have signed the 49ers castoff.

The question is, can Lelie still produce? He was once a 1,000-yard receiver for the Broncos, but that was four seasons ago.

The Falcons dumped him after one year in 2006 and the 49ers -- who are as receiver-challenged as anyone in the league -- dropped him one year after handing out a $2 million guarantee.

There won't be any telling if Lelie still has the speed and skill to stretch the field that he did when drafted in the first round out of Hawaii in 2002.

Davone Bess has been practicing on the Dolphins' first team in three-receiver sets, and Miami coach Tony Sparano had some good things to say about him.

On Sunday, Ireland said sixth-round pick Donald Thomas was the biggest surprise of training camp.

Thomas, who didn't play football until college, is the starting right guard.

Asked the same question Monday, Sparano singled out rookie wide receiver Davone Bess.

"Coming from kind of where he came from, meaning the guy wasn't drafted, to see what he did," Sparano said. "He did a nice job in this pre-seasoncamp."

Colt Brennan made some nice throws as scout team QB yesterday.

Colt Brennan continues to make unlikely and entertaining throws even in his very limited practice time. Today, heading up the scout team offense, he connected twice with new practice squad guy Devin Aromashodu (wearing number 80, fact fans!), once dropping a corner route perfectly over Shawn Springs, and once putting up a jump ball that Aromashodu got away from Fred Smoot. Probably completely insignificant in the long run of the season, but exactly the sort of plays that earn guys some fans during exhibition games.