Lights, camera . . . Cooley?

ASHBURN The television show "One Tree Hill" and the Washington Redskins probably don't have much of an overlapping fan base. Chris Cooley could be the man to change that.

Next month the Redskins tight end will film a cameo appearance on the teen-targeted CW show, which Cooley watches and is not embarrassed to admit it. The only thing he won't divulge are plot details.

"I think that's got to stay a secret," he said.

This is the NFL offseason, where players have a few months to indulge in things other than football. In fact, most prefer to stay away from the game.

"People call me to talk about football, and I say, 'Can we not talk about football,'" safety Chris Horton said with a laugh. "This is the offseason."

The offseason unofficially ended last week when workouts began at Redskins Park. But those are optional, and the players who participate spend only two hours at the facility lifting weights.

That's a change for Horton from last year, when as a college player he was trying to wow prospective NFL teams.

"You go straight from the bowl game to working out to the combine and all that stuff, then straight to camp," he said. "Now I've got a little time to rest and get my body right."

The veteran players follow those offseason moves, keeping tabs on who the team adds, subtracts and drafts.

Picking up Albert Haynesworth and Derrick Dockery went over well with the returning players.

"I think we put ourselves in a good position to start the season," offensive lineman Casey Rabach said. "There's a lot that could happen before the season starts, but I like the position we're in right now."

They also won't have to anticipate the arrival of a new coach, as Jim Zorn enters his second year. He sent the players away for the winter with a list of things they could do to stay sharp.

One of those items likely wasn't to become an actor, though nobody will begrudge Cooley for capitalizing on his fame. After mentioning on his blog that he watched "One Tree Hill," producers for the show called him and asked him to appear, as well as sending him a box of show merchandise.

Cooley also is trying his hand at bring a producer. He held a casting call last weekend in Washington for a movie project. This is new territory for him, though he's managing to have a little fun during production.

"I'll be playing the sheriff role," he said. "So that will tell you how big-time of a movie it is."