With NFL Kickoff ’99 on the horizon, many young players are shining.

"I’m just trying to win a spot any way possible," says Buffalo Bills running back ANTHONY GRAY, an undrafted rookie who leads the team with 126 preseason rushing yards. "The bottom line is that I am here and I’ve got to make the best of my opportunity."

Gray has, and so have others during the NFL preseason…

DENVER DYNAMOS: "Everybody wants to see what you can do," Denver Broncos quarterback BRIAN GRIESE said last year in his rookie training camp. "All I can do is go out, have fun and do my best."

Griese has done just that this preseason, completing 66.7 percent of his passes with a six-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio for a 106.5 passer rating. He has been so impressive that Broncos head coach MIKE SHANAHAN has named Griese the starter as Denver launches its quest for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.

"Brian has played so well throughout our camp, throughout our preseason games, that I feel he deserves the opportunity," Shanahan says. "He’s picking things up extremely well, as quickly as anybody I’ve ever been around. He handles himself like a 10-year veteran."

Another youngster expected to start in Denver is rookie third-round pick CHRIS WATSON, a cornerback from Shanahan’s alma mater, Eastern Illinois. Watson is likely to be the Broncos’ first-team kickoff and punt returner.

"Thus far, he’s proven that he’s the No. 1 guy," Shanahan says. Watson has preseason averages of 18.0 yards per punt return and 25.5 per kickoff return.

HASSELBECK HUSTLING IN GREEN BAY: When the Green Bay Packers traded veteran quarterback RICK MIRER to the New York Jets early in the preseason, the team was left with relatively inexperienced backup quarterbacks -- MATT HASSELBECK, who spent the 1998 season on Green Bay’s practice squad, and rookie AARON BROOKS, who is a 1999 fourth-round draft choice out of Virginia.

But grooming quarterbacks behind BRETT FAVRE is a tradition in Green Bay. NFL starters MARK BRUNELL of Jacksonville, TY DETMER of Cleveland and DOUG PEDERSON of Philadelphia are all former Packers backups.

With his play this preseason, Hasselbeck certainly looks like another future starter.

Through four games, he has been outstanding and has won the No. 2 backup job. He has completed 35 of 51 attempts (for an impressive 68.6 completion percentage) for 453 yards, with nine touchdowns and one interception, producing a 127.7 passer rating. His three touchdown passes against Denver on August 23 tie for an NFL-preseason high for a game this year.

"Hasselbeck has played well against good defenses," says Packers offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis. "It's the preseason and we don't want to get too excited. But we are very pleased."

ON GUARD: RANDY THOMAS was the New York Jets’ first draft choice this year, a second-rounder selected 57th overall.

When the Jets open the season September 12 against the New England Patriots, the offensive lineman from Mississippi State will achieve a rare distinction. Thomas is expected to start at right guard, becoming the first Jets rookie to start at the position since RANDY RASMUSSEN in 1967.

BEARS DEFENSE HAS PROMISING FUTURE: Two rookie draft choices have made an impression on the defensive side of the ball for the Chicago Bears this preseason.

Rosevelt Colvin, a fourth-round choice out of Purdue, contributed 3.0 sacks when the Bears played Pittsburgh on August 13 and added another against St. Louis on August 21.

Used as a rush end in passing situations, Colvin is tied for the league lead with 4.0 preseason sacks and his 3.0 against the Steelers ties for the most in a game this preseason. As a senior last season, Colvin set Purdue’s single-season record with 15.0 sacks.

Bears rookie linebacker Warrick Holdman has been another preseason standout. Last week at

Cleveland, Holdman recorded his most impressive statistical outing of the preseason with one interception, 1.0 sack, five defensive tackles and a special teams stop. Holdman also led the Bears’ defense with eight tackles against Pittsburgh and projects to be Chicago's nickel linebacker in the regular season.

"If you get picked in the fourth round, everybody thinks you need some work," says Holdman. "I still need work, but a lot of people are now thinking, ‘Oh, he can really play.’"

IN THIS CORNER: In the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected USC cornerback DAYLON MC CUTCHEON, a player some observers thought might have been a higher choice.

"The thing that hurt Daylon coming out of the draft was his size," says Browns head coach CHRIS PALMER. "Everybody’s into height and measurables. But he’s a guy that you put him on the football field and he makes plays. We’re counting on him to play inside in the nickel."

McCutcheon is tied for the preseason lead with three interceptions. In the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, he had two interceptions, with the second setting up the Browns’ winning field goal in overtime.

McCutcheon comes from solid football genes. He’s the son of LAWRENCE, an NFL running back from 1972-81 who led the Los Angeles Rams five times in rushing and is now the team’s director of scouting.

LINEBACKER BATTLE IN PHILLY: In Philadelphia, second-year pro JEREMIAH TROTTER and rookie BARRY GARDNER are in a heated battle to determine who will start the season at middle linebacker.

Trotter, a 1998 third-round selection out of Stephen F. Austin, saw action in eight games last season at linebacker, defensive end and on special teams. Gardner was a second-round selection this year from Northwestern. He originally joined the Wildcats as a walk-on but ended his career as the school’s second all-time leading tackler (468). He posted six 20-tackle games during his college career.

Both Trotter and Gardner have been playing so well that Eagles head coach ANDY REID is glad he has a tough decision to make.

"That’s such a pleasant situation to have, as tough as it might be," says Reid of his upcoming decision. "It would be different if they both weren’t playing well, but both guys are playing like crazy. The thing with Trotter is that he can give you an outside rush while at the same time be a middle linebacker. He did that in college. He was a pass rusher and he has a nice feel for that. Again, it’s so close."

NEW NEW ENGLANDERS: "Exciting," thrilling" and "exhilarating" have been accolades used by New England Patriots head coach PETE CARROLL and quarterback DREW BLEDSOE to describe the play of rookie quarterback MICHAEL BISHOP, who has a 109.8 rating and a 8.8 yards per carry average this preseason.

"Right now he’s a backup, but his skills are obvious," says Bledsoe. Added Carroll: "This Bishop watch is fun to see. It’s really been exciting."

But Bishop is not the only rookie to impress in Foxboro. Running back KEVIN FAULK (second round), linebacker ANDY KATZENMOYER (first round) and center DAMIEN WOODY (first round) are expected to start the season opener for New England.

BUCS ROOKIE VERY SPECIAL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker JOHN MC LAUGHLIN will start his career as many do in the NFL – on special teams. But two things make McLaughlin different from ordinary rookies: 1) His exceptional special teams play; 2) His past work experience.

From Cal, McLaughlin plays special teams with needed ferocity and energy, but at 6-3, 247, he is known as a "tweener," which may have hurt his status with some teams.

"He was a guy a lot of people were working out as a 3-4 linebacker in their system -- an undersized tweener," says Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy. "He's kind of a perfect right end in our system, so we liked him better than some other people. We saw the special teams tape and he did look like a guy who was going to be exceptional on specials."

"A lot of guys have the size and the speed," says Buccaneers special teams coach Joe Marciano, who rated McLaughlin as the best special teams player in the country. "But this guy, he has a passion for playing the game. He loves practice. He loves games. It's hard to manufacture that stuff. It's hard to teach that stuff. He shows up every day in camp and he'd block a punt or block a field goal. I'm glad he's on our team."

McLaughlin’s past work experience? During the offseason a few years ago, he worked for a security company. On his first day on the job, at a Hollywood charity benefit, McLaughlin met superstars NEIL DIAMOND and TOM HANKS, and had to personally guard MADONNA.

"It was something," says McLaughlin. "I just happened to meet Neil Diamond and Tom Hanks."

And Madonna?

"They were assigning people as the limos pulled in. They just said, ‘When Madonna gets here, you and so-and-so escort her to her room.’ They showed me where her room was going to be and the underground way to get to the stage. I told her (Madonna) that I was a DJ and that everybody was still requesting those old songs of yours. She said, ’Tell them to keep buying those CDs, I've got a lot of bills to pay.' I was kind of thinking, ‘You've got a lot of bills to pay?’ You're Madonna!'"