LT Peters absent from Bills' voluntary practices

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters missed his second straight week of voluntary practices for undisclosed reasons on Thursday.

"We'd like to have him here, but as you all know, it's voluntary," coach Dick Jauron said Thursday, after the Bills wrapped up a three-day minicamp. "We certainly can't force anybody to come. We've had great participation and great attendance, so we'll just keep moving."

Jauron said he's not spoken with Peters. With backup Kirk Chambers filling in at left tackle, Jauron said Peters' absence is not affecting the offense's progress under first-year coordinator Turk Schonert, who was promoted to the post following Steve Fairchild's departure.

Peters has not been available for comment and his agent, Vincent Taylor, has not returned numerous messages left for him by The Associated Press.

Though the practices are voluntary, Peters is the only Bills player to have missed all seven sessions since they began last week. The Bills have six more voluntary practices left during the next two weeks before holding a mandatory minicamp June 11-13, when all players under contract are required to attend.

The Bills are then off until opening training camp in late July.

Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon declined comment on Peters' absence, except to say he expects the player to attend the team's mandatory sessions.

Peters has three years left on his contract and is scheduled to make a base salary of $3.25 million this season, which is considered low for someone playing such a prominent position. His current deal ranks third among Bills offensive linemen, behind left guard Derrick Dockery and right tackle Langston Walker, both acquired in free agency last year.

Peters had surgery this offseason to repair a sports hernia, which forced him to miss the final game of last season. The injury also prevented him from participating in the Pro Bowl after he was selected to play for the first time in his career.

Signed by the Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Arkansas in 2004, Peters broke in with Buffalo as a tight end before being converted to tackle the following year. He started nine games at right tackle in 2005 before he was switched to the left side midway through the 2006 season.

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Buccaneers re-sign Stevens, release Gradkowski

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed tight end Jerramy Stevens and released backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski on Friday.

Stevens, who signed with the Bucs in April 2007 after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, had 18 receptions for 189 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games last season.

Gradkowski was a sixth-round draft choice in 2006 out of Toledo. He started 11 games as a rookie after Chris Simms was lost to a season-ending spleen injury, throwing for 1,661 yards, nine TDs and nine interceptions.

As the No. 3 quarterback in 2007, he appeared in four games and was 13-of-24 for 130 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

The move leaves five quarterbacks on the roster -- Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Simms and rookie Josh Johnson. A sixth, Jake Plummer, is under contract but has said he is retired.

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Favre's old locker going into retirement with him

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre will be able to change at his old locker every day.

The Green Bay Packers are giving it to him.

A day after the future of the recently retired quarterback's locker was debated by several national media outlets, the team said it will remove the stall following the mandatory minicamp in June and give it to Favre.

"Obviously, I didn't realize it was going to get this kind of attention," Packers general manager Ted Thompson told the Wisconsin State Journal on Thursday. "We talked to Brett and [his wife] Deanna several weeks ago, and we thought that anybody who played 16 years here as well as he did might want his own locker. I think it makes it a little easier, quite frankly, for the next guy to go into there."

A new cherry wood replacement will be installed at the entrance of the locker room in time for training camp at the end of July.

Thompson said the team never planned on encasing the locker in glass and keeping it in the locker room. He said he came up with the gift idea while talking with coach Mike McCarthy shortly after Favre's decision to retire in early March.

"I was just sitting here with Mike and said, 'You know what we ought to do ...' I mean, you can't really put anybody in his locker," Thompson said.

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Jets hire Eagles' Cohen as asst. general manager

NEW YORK -- The New York Jets have hired Scott Cohen for their newly created position of assistant general manager, according to a person with the team.

Cohen will work with general manager Mike Tannenbaum on day-to-day operations, the person said on condition of anonymity Friday night because the team hadn't yet announced the hiring.

Cohen, 39, spent the last seven seasons as Philadelphia's director of pro personnel.

The person with the team also said Jets player personnel director Terry Bradway and college scouting director Joey Clinkscales will be getting new titles with the team and their contracts are being finalized. JoJo Wooden will continue to direct the Jets' pro personnel department.

Cohen joined the Eagles in 2001 after spending the previous two seasons with Jacksonville as assistant director of pro scouting. Before joining the Jaguars, Cohen spent seven seasons in various capacities with Washington.

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Urlacher shows up for start of Bears' minicamp

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Despite apparent dissatisfaction with his contract, linebacker Brian Urlacher showed up for the start of the Chicago Bears' mandatory minicamp Friday.

"When it says mandatory, you're supposed to be at those things, so that's why I'm here," Urlacher said. "I'm supposed to be here. I'm not trying to send any message. It's a mandatory team function and we're supposed to be here."

Urlacher

Due to his displeasure with a nine-year contract that expires after the 2011 season, Urlacher has not participated in the Bears' offseason conditioning drills or their voluntary workouts, known as organized team activities. He had also hinted in an Internet report this month that he might miss minicamp.

Players who miss the three days of non-contact drills at minicamp are open to demotion or fines for contract violations.

"All that matters is I'm here with my teammates," Urlacher said. "That's really the only thing that matters right now."

Urlacher did not want to comment on his contract situation or the possibility the Bears might renegotiate the deal, which he signed in 2003 for $56.5 million, including a $13 million signing bonus.

In several published reports, Urlacher has said he feels his contract is outdated. On Friday, he said he's content to leave talk about his deal to his agent.

"Yeah, I play football," he said. "That's my job to come out here and play and participate in the mandatory stuff and that's what I've done."

Urlacher, who had minor offseason neck surgery, said he has been doing his conditioning near his home in Arizona.

"He's healthy, 100 percent ready to go," coach Lovie Smith said. "We're expecting him to have the best year he's had so far and that's saying a lot."

"He's always stayed in great shape. He's a freak of nature as far as his athletic ability is concerned. It's still good. This is the first time we've actually seen him on the field, so that's good. And we saw the old Brian Urlacher."

A year ago, Urlacher's teammate Lance Briggs was threatening a holdout and missed workouts due to dissatisfaction with the lack of a long-term deal. The linebacker got a new contract at the outset of training camp, and Friday said he understands Urlacher's situation.

"It's part of the business and it's part of the business that none of us really like," Briggs said. "When you're in a contract dispute, you're viewed as selfish.

"Even though that is a fact that you're thinking about yourself, no one else is going to think about you but you. No one else is going to take care of you like you."

Briggs supports Urlacher's stance.

"In football, the way things work, if you've outplayed your contract, you've outplayed your contract regardless," Briggs said. "It doesn't matter if you've been making a lot of money and you're a marquee player.

"Everyone knows what our marquee player has meant to not only this team but this city and this organization."

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Giants get rings full of 'bling' to cap championship

NEW YORK -- After four months of celebrations, parades, dinners and a tour of the White House, the New York Giants got their final reward on Thursday night for winning the Super Bowl: the bling.

The Giants walked a blue carpet on fashionable Fifth Ave and then were handed their Super Bowl championship rings in a private ceremony at Tiffany and Co.

"As a kid you always think about winning a Super Bowl, winning a championship," tackle David Diehl said. "When you have that ring you are in a unique class. It is something that we will remember for the rest of our lives and something no one will be able to take away from us."

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

Michael Strahan shows off his Super Bowl ring, which he dubbed the "10-table stunner" for its gaudy, bright design.

While most of the team attended the ceremony, there were some notable exceptions.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey, who broke his leg late last season and then expressed concerns about his role with the team, was absent, along with linebacker Antonio Pierce, who is on his honeymoon.

Fifty-three players attended, led by Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan.

Even linebacker Kawika Mitchell and safety Gibril Wilson, who signed with other teams in the offseason, and Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, an Army officer who lost his legs in Iraq and became an inspiration for the team after meeting the players, attended. They each were given one of the white gold sparklers with about 1.5 carats in diamonds.

"It's a 10-table stunner," Strahan said, waving the ring in front of his face for effect and noting it can be seen in a restaurant from 10 tables away.

Punter Jeff Feagles, who waited 20 years to win a championship, dropped his right shoulder to mimic the Hunchback of Notre Dame when asked about the weight of the rings, which the team said cost about $5,500 apiece, but are valued at $25,000.

Co-owners Steve Tisch and John Mara addressed the team and coach Tom Coughlin handed the rings to each player as he was called up.

"Having the opportunity to look every player in the eye as they came up and the joy and excitement that they demonstrated as they came forward to receive a memento of a world championship was special," Coughlin said. It's a feeling the players will carry in their hearts forever, he said.

Manning felt having the team together made the ceremony special.

"We did it together and won it as a team," said Manning, who also got a wedding ring since the Giants' 17-14 win over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots on Feb. 3 in Glendale, Ariz. "Every game was different and in every situation someone else stepped up and contributed to us winning. It's all about the Giants."

David Tyree laughed when asked what it meant to get the ring at long last.

"It means I get to bling this thing," Tyree said.

On the only serious matter of the night, Strahan declined to say whether winning a title would lead to his retirement after 15 seasons.

"Don't even go there," Strahan said. "You're ruining the interview."

The ring features the team's three Super Bowl trophies, signifying the Giants' Super Bowl victories in 1987, 1991 and last February.

The team's "NY" logo is set in round diamonds, while "World Champions" is emblazoned in raised letters on the top and bottom bezel, with channel-set diamonds on the left and right bezel.

The ring's shanks celebrate the season, noting the team's "Eleven Straight on the Road," an NFL record; the NFL shield; and player name, along with player number in raised letters appear on one shank.

The final score, "Super Bowl XLII," date (02.03.08) and 'AZ' appear on the other shank.

If there was any doubt, however, that the time for celebrating was ending, it was this reminder: The Giants resume practice on Friday.

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Defiant Sauerbrun accepts deal, affirms innocence

DENVER -- Former Denver Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun pleaded guilty Wednesday to disturbing the peace in a confrontation with a taxi driver last December and was sentenced to perform 24 hours of community service.

But outside the courtroom, Sauerbrun insisted he is innocent and said he accepted a plea deal with prosecutors only because his record could be cleansed after a year.

Sauerbrun

He also took a swipe at the Broncos for cutting him after his arrest, saying, "I don't think they did me right."

County Court Judge Andre L. Rudolph ordered Sauerbrun to perform the community service through NFL Charities by Oct. 1. He also sentenced Sauerbrun to a year's unsupervised deferred judgment, meaning if he stays out of trouble for a year the charge will be wiped from his record.

An assault charge was dismissed as was a charge of failing to pay the cab fare as part of the deal, his lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, told The Associated Press. A jury trial had been set for Wednesday.

"They made us an offer we couldn't refuse," Steinberg said. "We talked about a jury trial lasting two to three days. This saves everybody the time and trouble."

Sauerbrun, who also had to pay $216 in court costs, could have faced one year in jail and up to a $999 fine on the disturbance charge.

Outside the courtroom, Sauerbrun maintained he was innocent and said he only pleaded guilty to the disturbance charge so that he could have it eventually erased from his record.

"I hit the 'easy button' today," Sauerbrun said. "It [stinks]. I'm disgusted about it. But in a year, it will be completely off my record."

Sauerbrun, who is living in Chicago, said he thinks he'll land with another NFL team now that this matter has been cleared up. The 35-year-old three-time Pro Bowler said he thinks he can play another five years in the NFL.

Sauerbrun remains bitter over his dismissal from the Broncos shortly after he was cited and taken to a detox facility after an argument outside a Denver restaurant on Dec. 7.

Sauerbrun said he's hurt that coach Mike Shanahan portrayed him as a bad apple and jettisoned him so quickly after his arrest even though the coach had spent much of last season defending troubled tailback Travis Henry over a failed drug test.

"The Broncos didn't give me a fair shot. I don't think they did me right," Sauerbrun said. "I do feel ill about it. And their new motto about character guys? The guys I've seen them pick up, you're going to tell me those are good character people? I think not."

The Broncos this week agreed to a one-year deal with veteran running back Michael Pittman, who has been involved in several domestic disputes during his NFL career.

Despite his guilty plea, Sauerbrun maintained he did nothing wrong on the night he was arrested and said he plans to sue the taxi driver for defamation.

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Pacman-Goodell meeting focuses on reinstatement

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Pacman Jones met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week in Atlanta about his possible reinstatement to the league.

Jones

The meeting was first reported by The Dallas Morning News.

Jones has not been allowed to visit the Cowboys' Valley Ranch facility or take part in any organized team activities, but he is hopeful the league will allow him to do so this week, according to the report.

But sources said if the NFL doesn't allow Jones to practice with the team, the Cowboys are hoping the league will allow him to undergo counseling at the facility and interact with his new teammates, the newspaper reported.

Pacman Jones has been on indefinite suspension since March of last year -- missing the entire 2007 season -- after several run-ins with the law. Last week, he cleared up a $20,000 gambling debt at a Las Vegas casino after the local district attorney threatened to bring felony charges against him.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told ESPN's Ed Werder that both he and the league office were aware of Pacman Jones' overdue gambling debt before the meeting between Goodell and Pacman. Jerry Jones contends the perception that disclosure could affect reinstatement is wrong. Jerry Jones says he has no time frame for any league decision and would not describe himself as optimistic. He also insists he's staying out of it.

"I don't think it's my place to get in here and call them up and say, 'What'd he say? What'd he do? What do you think?'" Jones said.

The owner stressed the Cowboys are following orders, having no official interaction with Pacman Jones, not even giving him a playbook. But they are keeping tabs.

"Adam is really working hard and zeroing in on all the things that it takes to be an NFL football player," Jerry Jones said. "Relatively speaking he's in good shape -- certainly not ready to play a ballgame but nobody else out here is either. The main thing is he's working hard. I feel that he certainly will take advantage of this opportunity to play with the Cowboys. I think it's going to work."

Providing the commissioner gives him that chance, Jones quickly added.

Pacman still can't set foot on team property, much less join his new teammates for organized team activities being held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Goodell could give permission for either of those without fully welcoming him back to the league -- sort of like he did with Tank Johnson last year. Goodell let Johnson practice about a month after being signed, three weeks before his suspension ended.

The status of the suspended cornerback remains the main topic of interest surrounding the Cowboys, especially with each nugget of progress in his bid to get reinstated.

Ready and waiting, Jones already has moved to Dallas and is hanging out with his new teammates. He attended Jason Witten's charity bowling event, worked out with some Cowboys at SMU and recently was at a party hosted by Deion Sanders.

"I teased him," receiver Terrell Owens said. "We went inside and were playing around on the basketball court, and I asked him if he was ready to play. He said, 'Yeah, but we're not going to no strip clubs this year either.' … Everybody is going to welcome him. I think he's going to try to keep his nose clean, and I think that's going to be best for him anyway in order for him to stay in the league and obviously to stay on this team."

Johnson plans to make sure of it.

Casual acquaintances as NFL players, they became linked as guys who endured Goodell's wrath. Now their Cowboys connection has turned them into kindred spirits.

The team's department that works with troubled players hooked them up as sort of a mentorship. Nate Newton, Michael Irvin and others helped Johnson, and now he's reaching out to Jones.

"I speak to him on the phone often," Johnson said. "His head is in the right place. He's eager to get out here with his teammates. He's eager to get acclimated to our system. He understands the position he's in, and he's ready to prove everyone wrong. … It's tough when you've been through as much as he has in such a short amount of time. He knows it's his last straw, so he's going to take extreme caution to everything he does."

Johnson's best advice?

"You got to make sure your good decisions outweigh your bad ones," Johnson said. "I told him, 'I will be your right hand. Whatever you need, I will be there for you.'"

Speaking from experience, Johnson said it's important to know the Cowboys have a support system in place.

"I felt like my back was against the wall and the world was against me and there was no one in my corner. I think for him to feel that there's someone in his corner who is supporting him, who cares about him, who wants to see him succeed -- sometimes that's all you need," Johnson said.

"Now that I've gotten a chance to know him on a personal level, I think he's definitely matured a lot through this process. I think he's figured a lot of things out. I think the maturation process for some is slower than others. Mine was a little slower, but now it's gotten to a point where I can handle myself. And I think Pacman is at that same level."

Johnson said he still speaks regularly with Goodell. However, he wouldn't say whether he's put in a good word for Pacman.

"He's a good guy, a fair guy, and he's going to do what's best for this league," Johnson said of the commissioner.

Jones pleaded no contest Dec. 6 to conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct in a deal that reduced two felony charges of coercion stemming from a February 2007 Las Vegas strip club shooting that left a bouncer paralyzed. The coercion charges each carried a possible sentence of one to six years in prison.

In return, Jones agreed to tell police what he knew about the gunman. Jones never acknowledged any role in the shooting.

The alleged gunman, Arvin Kenti Edwards, was arrested in April after Jones picked him from a police lineup, and remains jailed in Seattle pending an extradition hearing.

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Report: Deceased former Bucs player used drugs

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. -- Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers lineman Thomas McHale, who was found dead at a friend's Tampa-area home on Sunday, was using anti-depression medicine and cocaine the night before he died, authorities said.

According to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report released Wednesday, a friend of Thomas McHale told deputies he saw McHale take several Xanax pills and use cocaine. McHale was found dead at the home of Jackson Martin.

The 45-year-old was an offensive lineman for the Bucs from 1987-92, then spent two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and a year with the Miami Dolphins.

Martin told officers in the report that McHale had not made suicidal threats and was looking forward to returning to rehab the next day.

The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected.

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Taylor returning to Miami, in no rush to rejoin Fins

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Jason Taylor is headed back to South Florida after three months away from home. But the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end doesn't sound like he's in any rush to settle his stalemate with the Dolphins.

"I'm under contract with the Dolphins. So again, I'm looking forward to playing some golf. Football doesn't start until July and training camp, so I'll be all right," Taylor said Wednesday after playing in a pro-am for the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event in Iowa. "I've been in L.A. and so far removed from it. Like I said, I'll deal with that when I get there."

Taylor will return home to host a charity golf tournament this weekend. The Dolphins, who are upset that Taylor spent the offseason on the hit TV show "Dancing With the Stars" rather than in South Florida working out with teammates, likely won't have Taylor on hand when they hold a mandatory minicamp June 6-8.

Miami coach Tony Sparano said last week that Taylor isn't expected to take part in any team activities through training camp.

Taylor avoided questions about whether he plans to meet with Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells when he gets back. Taylor says his immediate plans are to work out, play golf and relax at home.

"We'll work with football here in the near future," Taylor said.

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Delhomme looks snappy testing arm in workout

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme took a few snaps Wednesday, another step in his rehabilitation from elbow surgery.

Delhomme

Delhomme participated in team drills on the opening day of the team's optional workouts. Delhomme threw about 40 passes, up from the 34 he threw in individual drills during April's minicamp.

Delhomme said he was "mentally a little rusty," but said his arm felt fine. Delhomme had ligament-replacement surgery in his right elbow last fall after playing in only three games.

The Panthers expect Delhomme to be at full strength for the start of training camp in July.

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Peterson, Jackson excused from Vikings' practice

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson were excused from Wednesday's "optional" practice for personal reasons, giving the Minnesota Vikings a chance to take extended looks at newcomers Gus Frerotte and Maurice Hicks.

The Vikings signed Frerotte, who is entering his 15th season in the league, to provide a more experienced backup to Jackson at quarterback. He took most of the reps with the first team in Jackson's place Wednesday, and coach Brad Childress liked what he saw.

"He's everything I thought he'd be," Childress said. "He's got a good presence about him, and the thing you always ask yourself is, 'Is the arm still alive?'

"And I see him snap off every throw he needs to make, so yeah, I don't have a question about that."

Frerotte is in his second tour with the Vikings. He spent two seasons in Minnesota in 2003-04, getting two starts before following offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to Miami and then St. Louis.

So Frerotte has used his time to get to know a totally new roster -- only nine players remain from his last season here -- and a new playbook.

"I got a long way to go," Frerotte said. "It's a whole different offense than I've been used to the last six years, so I just have to keep working at it, keep studying. Hopefully it all goes OK."

There are also new owners and a new coach this time around, with Childress taking over for the 6-foot-7 Mike Tice in 2006.

"Coach isn't as tall as my last coach that was here," Frerotte quipped.

Hicks has also made a nice first impression after being signed from San Francisco to replace third running back Mewelde Moore and fill in on special teams. With Peterson out Wednesday and Chester Taylor not attending the voluntary sessions, Hicks got plenty of work.

"He's done an exceptional job, I think," Childress said. "Not just the special teams, but he's been a beneficiary of a bunch of additional reps that maybe he wouldn't have normally seen until we got to training camp.

"I've seen a bright-eyed guy, and I don't see a lot of errors in terms of protection or carrying the football."

Linebacker Ben Leber also was gone on Wednesday to be with his wife, who was expecting the couple's first child. Childress said he expected Jackson, Peterson and Taylor to return Thursday.

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With Henry missing workouts, Broncos ink Pittman

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry's hamstring injury is healing slowly and the team doesn't expect him to return to offseason workouts until next week.

When he does get back on the field, he'll find even more competition for snaps.

Henry

Pittman

The Broncos agreed to a one-year deal on Tuesday with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman, agent Drew Rosenhaus told The Associated Press.

"There's a lot of ways Michael can help the Broncos," Rosenhaus said. "He can play fullback, halfback, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, return punts and return kicks. He's a versatile back."

Pittman, an 11th-year pro who spent his past six seasons in Tampa after four years in Arizona, rushed for 286 yards on 68 carries and caught 26 passes for 191 yards last season, when he missed six games with a high ankle sprain.

ESPN.com's John Clayton first reported the signing.

Rosenhaus said he's been in talks with the Broncos about Pittman since the start of free agency.

Henry's latest injury likely heated up those discussions.

Henry was hurt while running 100-yard sprints before the team's passing camp started last week and coach Mike Shanahan had hoped he'd return to drills on Tuesday.

"He can't go yet," Shanahan said after the workout. "Those hamstrings, you never know how long it's going to take, so I would say that chances are he'll be ready for the June camp. He will not be ready this week."

After three more workouts this week, the team returns for eight days of offseason drills over the first two weeks of June.

After signing a five-year, $22.5 million free-agent contract that included $12 million in guarantees, Henry had an injury-riddled season in Denver last year, when he rushed 167 times for 691 yards and four touchdowns.

He led the league in rushing after the first month of the season before leg injuries and off-the-field troubles took their toll. He spent several weeks fighting the NFL over a failed drug test that would have meant a one-year ban and never recovered from knee injuries as the Broncos missed the playoffs at 7-9.

Selvin Young, Andre Hall and rookie Ryan Torain have been getting extra carries in his absence.

Defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson (knee) and tight end Tony Scheffler (foot) also missed Tuesday's workout. Scheffler is expected to return for the team's minicamp in early July.

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Chiefs RB Johnson's injured foot passes the test

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Larry Johnson took a little swing pass, dodged a defender and streaked 50 yards downfield, running hard and fast, free and easy.

Johnson

Sure, it was only a team workout and anyone who actually had tried to tackle the highest paid player in team history would have risked getting cut right on the spot.

But the foot injury that shelved Kansas City's two-time Pro Bowl running back the final eight games last year seemed fully healed.

From all appearances, L.J. is back.

"It felt good to come out here and still be able to come out and run," Johnson said after the 90-minute practice on Tuesday. "Body-wise, I'm 100 percent."

It's taken a long time for the rough-and-tumble running back to say that. After rushing for more than 1,750 yards in 2005 and 2006, he missed most of training camp in a contract dispute and never regained his stride. But he'd scored two touchdowns on Oct. 4 when a Green Bay linebacker jumped onto his back and rode him to the Arrowhead Stadium turf late in the fourth quarter.

Johnson was slow to get up and then hobbled to the sideline. The Chiefs went on to lose that game and eight more, ending their season on a nine-game losing skid and finishing 4-12 while the running back who'd just signed a $45 million contract sat and stewed.

By the time doctors decided a bone in the right foot was broken, the season was lost.

"No one knew what it was," Johnson said. "It was so swollen, they didn't know it was a fracture. They didn't know if the bone had shifted. It was a little bit of both."

Johnson practiced outdoors three days last week. Then on Tuesday, he met with the media for the first time since the injury.

"They wouldn't have me practice if they weren't sure I that I was able to play or even practice," he said. "It felt good just to be out here. Everybody knew my foot was all right. I had fun coming out here practicing."

There seemed to be nothing bothering Johnson as he ran the plays.

"You guys saw him," coach Herm Edwards told reporters. "He's fine."

No one has said the Chiefs' nine-game slide, their longest in any non-strike year, was solely due to Johnson's being sidelined. Plenty of other problems also haunted Edwards' second year in Kansas City, including an aging offensive line that yielded a league-high 55 sacks and made life miserable for second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle. But taking Johnson out of the backfield took away the heart out of an already shaky attack and left it without hope.

"When I was playing, everybody's main emphasis was stopping the run," Johnson said. "Then when you didn't have me back there, those last couple of games it was like, 'all hell's going to break loose. You might as well just blitz him.'

"That's what happened. Of course, you lose that little bit of excitement. I like to rant and rave on the sideline and get everybody pumped up. I think they were kind of missing that. It was like everybody was down and was just trying to get through the season."

Although he didn't have surgery, it was late winter even before Johnson could work out.

"I'd say it was about February," he said. "I did a little bit. In March and April I started to do a little bit more. As soon as we got to offseason workouts, I was able to do a lot more as far as cutting and running straight ahead. That's what they were more concerned about. Was I able to go side-to-side without any problems?"

The answer seems to be yes.

"Sometimes you don't even think about it," he said. "You just make cuts and don't even think about it. To be able to do that and not be so hesitant, like 'Oh, I don't want to hurt myself again,' It felt good just to go out here and run loose. You want to run those plays and be able to cut and show the younger guys you're not that old and you still can play with the best of them. It's fun being out here doing that."

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New Jags coordinator stays away from Skins talk

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had several former colleagues at practice Tuesday, most of them watching him work with his new team for the first time.

They got to see Williams put his players through various drills, formations and schemes. They also got a firsthand lesson on dodging questions.

Speaking publicly for the first time since joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in February, Williams refused to talk about his seemingly awkward departure from the Washington Redskins.

"I'm happy to be a Jaguar," he said. "Any other questions about the Jaguars?"

Not yet. Williams met with Redskins owner Dan Snyder four times about succeeding head coach Joe Gibbs and probably could have provided the most continuity for a team coming off a postseason berth. But Williams got passed over for the job and then fired.

The only thing Williams would say about the situation Tuesday was that he never had an agreement with Snyder to take over for Gibbs.

"There's a lot things written many, many, many times that's incorrect," Williams said. "I just choose not to correct people."

The fiery assistant landed in Jacksonville a few days after parting ways with the Redskins and became a key part of coach Jack Del Rio's defensive makeover designed to close the gap on AFC powers Indianapolis and New England.

Del Rio released aging veterans Sammy Knight, Terry Cousin, Aaron Glenn and Grady Jackson, traded oft-injured defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and retooled his defensive staff with four new assistants.

He signed free agent cornerback Drayton Florence, then used two first-day draft picks on pass rushers in hopes of solidifying the team's biggest weakness.

Now it's up to Williams to make it all work.

"Everywhere I've been I've had to adapt to who's there," Williams said. "I think the mark of a good staff is to decide what the players can do best and make sure we put them in those positions and let them do the best, and we're doing the same thing right now."

Williams has put together some of the league's top defenses in recent years, helping Tennessee (1997-2000), Buffalo (2001-03) and Washington (2004-07) reach the upper echelon in just about every statistical category.

The Redskins ranked in the top 10 in total defense three times, but they also had an embarrassing 31st-place showing in 2006.

Williams wouldn't say what kind of scheme he planned to use in Jacksonville, but most expect it to be his typical aggressive, attacking style that tries to create turnovers.

"We're going to play everything that's ever been played in football before," Williams said.

Although Williams could have changed Jacksonville's defense completely, installing new formations, terminology and hand signals, he chose to keep most everything intact. Instead, he opted to handle all the adjustments himself by learning Jacksonville's play book. It was the first time in his NFL coaching career he didn't do things entirely his way.

"We want the learning curve for the players to be the shortest," he said.

Still, there have been changes.

The most notable is Williams' far-from-coddling approach to players. He yells and chastises them for mistakes, much different from the way former defensive coordinator and current Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith used to handle practice.

"Gregg is a little more vocal," cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "That is pretty much the big difference. He's involved in pretty much everything. It's cutthroat. He's going to let you know how it went when it went that way. He's not going to give you time to linger on and think about if you did it right or wrong. He's going to let you know right then and there if you did it right or wrong."

Williams also has made practice more intense with several competitive drills, including "up-downs." More common at the high-school level, they typically require a player to run in place, then at the coach's command, drop to the ground for a series of push-ups.

"We like to compete in every aspect of practice," Williams said. "I'm not going to apologize for being competitive. ... All those little bit tougher drills, little bit harder drills, I think that carries over a little bit into how we're going to play defense."

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Jets add depth to backfield by signing Musa Smith

Smith

The New York Jets added more depth to their backfield by signing Baltimore Ravens halfback Musa Smith on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal weren't available.

The 25-year-old halfback played five seasons with the Ravens. He started only one game. The 232-pound Smith is big enough to help out at fullback and has enough running ability to be a backup running back.

The Jets, who hired former Nebraska and Raiders coach Bill Callahan to coordinate their running attack, plan to be more of a running team this season.

Smith has 496 career rushing yards on 132 carries. He was an unrestricted free agent.

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Authorities: Former Buccaneers player found dead

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. -- Authorities are investigating the death of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Thomas McHale, who was found dead at a friend's home. He was 45.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said McHale was found by the friend early Sunday in the Tampa-area home. Authorities say foul play is not suspected. An autopsy has been scheduled.

No further information was immediately available.

McHale played for the Bucs from 1987-92, then spent two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and a year with Miami Dolphins.

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Ex-NFL players' lawsuit to continue after suicide

ATLANTA -- A former hedge fund manager's suicide has no effect on a lawsuit filed by six former NFL players against the league and its players union over $20 million they say they lost in an investment scheme, an attorney for the plaintiffs said Monday.

The lawsuit claims the union endorsed Kirk Wright's services even though he had liens against him.

Wright hanged himself in a suburban Atlanta jail on Saturday, three days after he was convicted of leading an investment scheme that caused clients, ranging from the former NFL players to his mother, to lose millions of dollars while he spent the money on jewelry, real estate and a $500,000 wedding.

Wright, 37, faced up to what would have amounted to a life sentence. He hanged himself with bedsheets, said John Mansch, chief of the Union City jail. He did not leave a note and officials had "no indication whatsoever he intended to do any harm to himself," Mansch said.

An attorney for the former players said they weren't planning on using Wright as a witness in the case.

"The point of the lawsuit is to make sure what happened does not happen again," attorney Marlon Kimpson said.

Attorneys for the NFL and its players union, the NFLPA, did not immediately respond to e-mails Monday, a national holiday. However, the union has countersued the ex-players, arguing it does not endorse any of its registered financial advisers and is not responsible for what happened. The union also claims the players breached union rules by not exhausting internal remedies before filing the lawsuit.

The former NFL players are Steve Atwater, Ray Crockett, Al Smith, Blaine Bishop, Carlos Emmons and Clyde Simmons. No trial date has been set for the lawsuit.

The criminal charges against Wright were related to the 2006 collapse of his Atlanta-based hedge fund company, International Management Associates.

According to authorities, Wright and his company collected more than $150 million from thousands of client accounts since 1997 and used false statements and documents to mislead some of them to believe the value of those investments was increasing. Much of that money is missing.

Wright was arrested in May 2006 at a hotel in Miami Beach, Fla., where he was staying under an alias. Authorities have said nearly $30,000 in cash, several fake ID's and seven prepaid cell phones were found in Wright's hotel room.

As part of Wright's criminal sentence, he also faced a fine of up to $16 million and could have been ordered to pay restitution to his victims. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta declined to comment Monday on what affect Wright's death will have on the payment of any restitution.

Wright already had been hit with a $20 million judgment as part of a civil suit filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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DA: Pacman's gambling debt paid off, case closed

LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas district attorney says Pacman Jones' $20,000 gambling debt to a casino has been paid off, allowing the DA to recall a request for an arrest warrant for the suspended NFL player.

Jones found a way to pay off his debts within 24 hours of a criminal complaint being filed, and the bad check case is now closed, Clark County DA David Roger said Friday.

Court documents filed Friday showed the DA was seeking a felony arrest warrant for the 24-year-old Jones unless he made good on three casino markers worth $20,000 he received last Sept. 3 at Caesars Palace.

In Nevada, unpaid casino markers, or loans to gamblers, are treated as bad checks and are turned over to the district attorney for prosecution.

Jones paid a total of $21,675, including $1,675 for DA's office processing fees and penalties.

Bernie Zadrowski, chief of the DA's bad check unit, said another $3,000 penalty cited in court documents would have been added if a felony theft warrant had been issued. No such warrant was issued.

Rogers' request for the warrant -- which included a criminal complaint charging Jones with fraud and theft -- alleged Jones wrote two bad checks for $5,000 and one for $10,000, last Sept. 3 at Caesars Palace.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/John Russell

Pacman Jones (at a 2006 Titans preseason game) faced a felony arrest warrant if he didn't pay his huge casino debt. He's now off the legal hook for his gambling ways.

"It's unfortunate that a non-story became public," Jones' lawyer, Manny Arora, said after the money was paid.

The case was first reported by the Las Vegas Sun.

Arora acknowledged Jones owed the money cited in the complaint to Caesars Palace, but said he had been quietly trying to arrange payment.

He accused Roger of filing the criminal complaint against Jones after a similar case involving retired NBA star Charles Barkley won widespread notoriety earlier in the week. Roger denied Arora's claim.

"In Mr. Jones' case, we were working with him since February to obtain restitution," Roger said. "We determined he was not acting in good faith, and we filed a criminal complaint."

Roger threatened to file criminal charges against Barkley before he settled his debt by paying $400,000 to reimburse the Wynn Las Vegas resort for four casino markers he received in October, Zadrowski said. Barkley also paid $40,000 in fees.

Gary Thompson, a spokesman for Caesars Palace owner Harrah's Entertainment Inc., declined comment on Jones' case, which the casino had asked the DA's office to open on Feb. 12.

Jones' Labor Day 2007 visit to Caesars came while he was facing felony coercion charges for his role in a strip club triple shooting that left a man paralyzed in Las Vegas in February 2007. He pleaded no contest in district court on Dec. 6 to a gross misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge stemming from the incident. His sentencing has been put off until he testifies in the shooting case.

Arora told ESPN's Ed Werder that the NFL office has been made aware of the facts in the dispute and does not believe the episode should impede their efforts to convince NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to let Jones take part in the Dallas Cowboys' offseason training program, or reinstate him for the 2008 season.

"We've informed the league and it is my sincere hope that it has no impact on the reinstatement process,'' Arora told Werder.

The NFL has no policy against players gambling in casinos, as long as they do not wager on NFL games. However, the league is scrutinizing the actions of Jones, who was indefinitely suspended last season by Goodell. Jones recently was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Cowboys.

Of the situation, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, "We are aware of it, and we are looking into it."

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the club had no comment.

Arora said Jones has not been paid since his suspension in March 2007 and has been "moving assets around" to pay bills. The suspension came after the star cornerback's sixth arrest since he was drafted by the Titans in the first round in 2005.

Jones had been scheduled for a base salary of $1.74 million in 2008 and had been under contract through 2009 before his suspension.

"Even though Mr. Jones is a witness for the state, he is not above the law," district attorney Roger said Thursday, according to the Sun. "He will be treated like any other person who violates Nevada's bad check laws."

But Arora called the gambling debt "a nonissue."

"We've been in constant communication with the district attorney's office about giving us some time to pay back the debt," Arora told Werder. "The only delay was we tried to liquidate assets on behalf of Adam to raise the money since he wasn't receiving a salary and it took longer than expected."

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Palmer calls out AWOL Johnson, Houshmandzadeh

CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have rid themselves of two distractions, but that doesn't mean that Cincinnati is finally free of controversy.

Wide receiver Chris Henry and linebacker Odell Thurman were released this offseason after years of problems, but a couple of offensive stalwarts are still causing a stir.

Johnson

Houshmandzadeh

Receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are skipping the team's voluntary workouts -- Johnson because he wants to be traded, Houshmandzadeh because he prefers working out at home.

Quarterback Carson Palmer said on Wednesday that he is disappointed that the two Pro Bowl receivers aren't in town helping the newcomers learn the system. The Bengals took three receivers in the draft last month.

"You'd hope that a guy like Chad and a guy like T.J. would be here helping guys out and trying to make the team better in that way," Palmer said. "But they've got to handle their own business themselves, too."

Players had bright orange T-shirts in their lockers Wednesday with "NOW" in large letters. Coach Marvin Lewis gave them T-shirts that said "One Heartbeat" a few years ago, trying to foster a team mentality.

The new shirts are part of his latest attempt to pull the locker room together.

"His point is: Don't wait," Palmer said. "Now's our opportunity. This year's our opportunity. He said in the first meeting that we have enough talent in the room -- and he said right now -- to win the Super Bowl, don't wait for things to happen."

The Bengals waited a long time for Thurman, but that didn't work out.

The organization publicly and steadfastly supported Thurman while he went through treatment for alcohol abuse and served a two-year suspension from the NFL. When it concluded that the former second-round pick wasn't working hard enough to regain a spot on the team, it made him past tense, releasing him two days ago.

"We've been patient enough with Odell, and he's no longer here," Lewis said Wednesday, following the team's voluntary, on-field workout. "No big deal."

In many ways, it is a big deal.

Thurman's release left the Bengals with virtually nothing to show for their 2005 draft. First-round pick David Pollack is retiring because of a broken neck, and third-round pick Henry was released last month following his fifth arrest as a Bengal.

The only starter from that draft class is center Eric Ghiaciuc, a fourth-round pick.

"Odell was a well-liked guy on the team, had possibly more talent than anybody we've seen come through here," Palmer said. "So it's tough to lose an athlete like that, a guy like that, and a draft pick.

"I mean, you only get so many second-round draft picks and when you only get one year out of them, it affects your team tremendously. It's just tough to lose the player that he was, and you really can't replace him."

Thurman showed signs of turning into a star as a rookie middle linebacker, when he led the team in tackles and led all NFL rookies with five interceptions. He never played for the Bengals again.

Thurman was suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell for the last two seasons after he skipped a drug test, got arrested for drunken driving and failed to meet the league's expectations for reinstatement.

He was allowed to resume working out at Paul Brown Stadium in January, and was fully reinstated on April 21. Teammates encouraged Thurman to spend more time with them so they could help him stay on the right path.

"To see a young guy with so much potential and so much talent, and let it go to waste ..." said safety Dexter Jackson, one of those who sought out the linebacker. "His mind-set just wasn't in the place. I wish him the best in whatever he does, but he had the opportunity to be here and be one of the best, but he didn't capitalize on his opportunities."

Asked if he got the sense that Thurman ignored what his teammates told him, Jackson said, "I wouldn't say that. Everything sounded good. I just think (it's) the other people he was with."

Thurman went back to Georgia for his grandmother's funeral on May 12 and didn't return for voluntary workouts last week. The Bengals have been using the workouts to install a new defense, a little more each day.

Thurman had a long way to go to win a spot on the team after not playing for two years. By missing so much time recently, he sealed his fate. Lewis suggested he shouldn't use the funeral as an excuse.

"His grandmother's been buried for quite a while. Don't get into his whole family structure," Lewis said. "He has not played football in two years. And we have people who will be better for our football team."


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Tuiasosopo back in Oakland, will serve as backup

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo is returning to Oakland after spending a year with the New York Jets, giving the Raiders the veteran backup they were looking for to help JaMarcus Russell.

Tuiasosopo signed a contract Thursday to return to the team that drafted him in the second round in 2001.

Tuiasosopo played sparingly as a backup for six seasons in Oakland before leaving to sign with the Jets as a free agent last season. He did not play in a single game with New York.

After losing Josh McCown as a free agent to Miami and deciding not to bring back Daunte Culpepper for a second season, the Raiders needed another backup to join Andrew Walter behind Russell on the depth chart.

Tuiasosopo was dressed in street clothes at the Raiders' offseason practice on Thursday, consulting with quarterback coach John DeFilippo as the other QBs went through drills.

Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, will be the starter in Oakland this season, but Tuiasosopo will have a chance to compete with Walter as the second-stringer. Tuiasosopo has more mobility than Walter, which could make him better suited to run coach Lane Kiffin's offense.

Tuiasosopo completed 48 of 88 passes for 550 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions in his time with the Raiders. He threw only four passes in his first two seasons before getting a chance when Rich Gannon went down with an injury in 2003.

But he tore a knee ligament in his first start and did not play again until late in the 2005 season, when he was given one start in December against the New York Jets. He struggled in that game and Kerry Collins started the following week.

Tuiasosopo did not play the rest of that season and threw only 13 passes in his final year on Oakland, when the Raiders ran an offense under coach Art Shell that was not suited to his strengths.

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Browns still don't know why Winslow isn't around

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns still don't know why star tight end Kellen Winslow is not attending the team's voluntary workouts.

Winslow

Two weeks into their organized team activities, Browns coach Romeo Crennel again said on Wednesday that he hasn't heard from Winslow and doesn't know why he's not with the team.

The three weeks of OTAs are not mandatory. However, players usually report so they can take part in conditioning drills and team meetings or rehab injuries.

In a video posted on YouTube, Winslow's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said his client will be at minicamp in June and training camp in July. He said Winslow, who underwent offseason knee surgery, was rehabbing in his hometown of San Diego. A phone message left for Rosenhaus was not returned.

Winslow has made it clear that he wants the Browns to redo his contract.

Winslow, who missed most of his first two seasons in the league with injuries, has three more years left on a contract that the Browns restructured after he missed an entire year following a motorcycle accident.

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Saints' Grant, recently indicted, posts $10K bond

BLAKELY, Ga. -- New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant posted $10,000 bond Thursday after his indictment on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from a February nightclub fight in which a woman died.

Grant

Grant appeared before a judge and was presented with the charges and read his rights, Assistant District Attorney Ron Smith said.

Grant's lawyer, Ed Tolley, said Grant entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to arraignment. The next step, a preliminary hearing, has not been scheduled.

Tolley said his client was to return to New Orleans for Saints minicamp at the end of this month.

Grant was stabbed in the neck during the Feb. 3 fight. He was charged by a grand jury that also charged Laquient Macklin with felony murder and killing a fetus in the shooting death of Korynda Reed, 23. Reed, who was pregnant, died after being taken to the Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan.

Tolley said Grant and Macklin had gone to Pokey's club in Blakely, not far from the player's hometown of Colquitt, and "somehow got entangled in the fight." Tolley said Grant didn't shoot a gun and didn't have a gun.

"They're saying he was part of a fist fight, and someone got shot, and somehow that's his fault," Tolley said.

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Ex-NFL player Tylski reaches deal on charges

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Former NFL player Rich Tylski reached a deal to eventually drop child abuse charges against him after he admitted hitting his adopted daughter.

Tylski will be in the prosecutors' program for first-time offenders for about a year or until he completes anger and parenting classes, his lawyer, Robert Willis, said Friday.

If Tylski completes the program, the charges will be dropped.

Assistant State Attorney Adair Rommel said prosecutors approved the arrangement to shield the girl from the ordeal of testifying against her former parents. She also said there were some conflicts in her accounts.

Tylski, an offensive guard who spent nine seasons in the NFL, played with Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Carolina before retiring after the 2004 season.

He said in court Thursday that he spanked the girl with a belt beyond the scope of proper discipline.

His wife, Jane Tylski, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated child abuse. She will face the same requirements as her husband under terms of her two years' probation.

The child, now 8, was removed from the Tylskis and placed in a new home.

Jane Tylski told Judge John Merrett she "maliciously punished" the child from 2003 to 2006 by striking her and bending back her fingers.

The child, whose name was not released, was taken to a Jacksonville hospital in March 2006 for a fractured right thigh bone. Her parents said she had fallen down the stairs about eight hours earlier.

Doctors found extensive bruising in various stages of healing. A skeletal survey found six or seven healing fractures in the child's hand.

The girl later told investigators that she lied about falling down the stairs and she demonstrated on a doll how her mother had pushed her leg over her head until they heard a pop, a police report said.

The Tylskis also volunteered to make a $12,500 payment into an educational fund for the girl's college education, Willis said.

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Senators honor champion 'New Jersey' Giants

TRENTON, N.J. -- The Super Bowl champion New Jersey Giants?

That name can't be found in the NFL standings, and the Giants helmets are emblazoned with a bold "NY" logo. But it was nevertheless proclaimed Thursday by New Jersey senators honoring this year's Super Bowl champions.

"Whether you're a football fan or not, I'm sure you found yourself caught up in the hype this past winter with the success of the New Jersey Giants," said Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen. "I emphasize the New Jersey Giants."

Sarlo's district includes Giants Stadium, where the Giants have played since 1976 while retaining their New York moniker.

And though the Giants tell the world they're from New York, Garden State senators said their come-from-behind attitude represented more of a Jersey mentality.

Sarlo said they resembled "gutsy New Jerseyans" and "what we are all about here in New Jersey."

The Giants beat the heavily favored New England Patriots 17-14 in the Super Bowl, ending New England's hopes for an undefeated season.

The Senate presented a ceremonial resolution to coach Tom Coughlin, who in turn gave Sarlo and Senate President Richard J. Codey new Giants helmets.

"You must be at your best when your best is needed, and certainly our football team was," Coughlin said.

The Giants and New York Jets, who have played in Giants Stadium since 1984, are building a new stadium near Giants Stadium that's scheduled to open in 2010.

The new stadium includes a new practice facility for the Giants, while the Jets are building a new headquarters in Florham Park.

"You'll be totally New Jersey, just like the Jets," Codey, D-Essex, told Coughlin.

The ceremony enlivened the usually reserved Senate, especially when Codey grabbed a football and unleashed a perfect pass across the Senate chamber to Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union.

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Vikings waive injury-prone James after 3 seasons

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Vikings on Friday waived Erasmus James, the former first-round draft pick who had a series of knee injuries during his time with Minnesota.

The defensive end was one of the top-rated pass rushers in 2005 when Minnesota chose him out of Wisconsin with the 18th overall pick. But after notching four sacks in 15 games during his rookie season, James tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 2 of the 2006 season.

James returned last season and played sparingly in six games. He suffered a similar injury to the same knee in Week 13 against Detroit and again landed on injured reserve.

The Vikings waived him after he failed a physical.

"We decided to waive Erasmus and we wish the best for him in the future," coach Brad Childress said in a statement issued by the team.

After his second injury, Childress said he expected James to make a full recovery. The 25-year-old James attended the four days of "organized team activities" this week and participated on a limited basis.

Calls to James' agent, Ethan Lock, seeking comment were not immediately returned.

The injuries weren't the only factor that made James' tenure in Minnesota a little rocky. He got into a fight with running back Chester Taylor in the locker room late last season and was openly ridiculed by teammates during his rookie year when he responded harshly to some hazing by the veterans.

His talent as a pass rusher, however, was never in question during his first year, and the Vikings sorely missed him on the defensive line the last two seasons, an absence that contributed to the team ranking last in the league in pass defense.

James' injury, coupled with Kenechi Udeze's leukemia diagnosis, made defensive end a priority for the Vikings in free agency. They made a big splash in April when they traded for Kansas City All-Pro Jared Allen, who led the NFL with 15½ sacks last season.

Now, with Allen, Ray Edwards and Brian Robison, the Vikings are on much more stable ground at the position, though defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said Thursday they will need someone like Jayme Mitchell or Ellis Wyms to step up and provide depth.

James leaves the Vikings with five career sacks and 38 tackles. Making the move this long before the start of training camp gives James the chance to catch on with another team.

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Browns formally name Keenan as team president

CLEVELAND -- Mike Keenan was named team president of the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, formally filling a position left vacant when John Collins resigned two years ago.

Keenan has handled the club's off-the-field affairs as its vice president of business operations since 2005.

A 10-year member of the NFL's Management Council before joining the Browns, Keenan will now be in control of the club's non-football operations and act as a league liaison for owner Randy Lerner.

"Mike is deserving of this appointment," general manager Phil Savage said in a release. "He has worked extremely hard in strengthening the Browns business operations and has been a valuable resource in dealing with the league office.

"We have an excellent working relationship and both of us, along with [coach] Romeo [Crennel], are committed to helping this organization reach its full potential and win as many games as possible in the future."

With the league, Keenan's responsibilities included financial matters involving the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap. During his time with the Browns, he has enhanced the club's sales, marketing and corporate relationships.

Keenan took on a larger role with the team in 2006 after Collins resigned after losing a power struggle with Savage. Although he didn't have the president's title, Keenan has been working as Lerner's top non-football aide for some time.

"I am appreciative of Randy Lerner for giving me this opportunity," Keenan said. "We have incredible fans and Cleveland is a dynamic community. I am excited to be part of it."

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McKinnie rejoins Vikings following court hearing

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Bryant McKinnie is back with the Minnesota Vikings, hoping he won't have to leave.

After attending a court hearing in Florida the day before, McKinnie joined his teammates on Wednesday for an offseason workout -- one of the voluntary-but-expected spring practices known around the NFL as "organized team activities."

At the end, McKinnie was huffing and puffing during an exhaustive series of sprints that left most of the Vikings visibly winded.

"I got a good run in after practice, so I'm feeling good, ready to jump back into things," he said.

Minnesota's starting left tackle for the last 87 games, dating to the middle of his rookie season, McKinnie has pleaded not guilty to charges -- one felony and three misdemeanors -- stemming from a fight outside a Miami nightclub in February.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest, McKinnie declined to discuss his legal situation but said the last three months have been a "learning experience" for him.

He was asked if he was confident he wouldn't have to miss any more time with the Vikings, this spring, summer or in the fall.

"I wouldn't make any speculations, but I'm hoping to be able to play with the team," McKinnie said.

McKinnie's attorney, Larry Kerr, is trying to get his client in a pretrial diversion program that would dismiss the charges if McKinnie fulfills certain requirements. Otherwise, his next hearing is scheduled for June 20.

Regardless of what happens in the Miami-Dade County Court system, McKinnie might be in trouble with the league office because of past off-the-field behavior. Most notably, he was fined one game check for his role in a rowdy boat party with several teammates in 2005. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in that incident.

McKinnie is expected to be summoned this summer to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell, who could suspend him for a game or two or more.

Vikings coach Brad Childress has also punished several players for various transgressions. In March, Childress refused to pass judgment on McKinnie but said this: "We could face some difficult decisions down the road."

Asked this week whether he's concerned about losing McKinnie to a suspension, Childress said: "I'm really not. I'm really more focused on the guys that are here. I'm aware of that, what's going on, but I'm more focused on the guys that we're trying to get better here -- whether they're rookies or they're 10-year vets."

Though McKinnie has had an up and down career and not bloomed into the consistently dominant Pro Bowl-type player the Vikings envisioned when they made him the seventh pick in the 2002 draft, his absence would be a big blow -- even for just one game.

Artis Hicks has played left tackle before, but he lost his starting job at right guard to Anthony Herrera last season. Chase Johnson, who has never appeared in an NFL game, is also getting time at the position.

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Walker: Spotlight shining brightly on Browns

The three contracts reportedly add up to $115 million. But is that enough to make the Cleveland Browns serious contenders? That is the question facing new additions Donte' Stallworth, Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, who all made their debut last week during Cleveland's organized team activities. The veterans were brought in to take last year's surprising 10-6 team to the next level. [+] Enlarge

Paul Spinelli/Getty Images

Donte' Stallworth brings big-game experience and big-play ability to the Browns' offense.

The Browns, despite last season's success, joined the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets as two of the most aggressive teams in free agency. Cleveland retained their two biggest free agents, running back Jamal Lewis and quarterback Derek Anderson, while patching up three glaring needs by signing a No. 2 receiver (Stallworth) and trading for a starting defensive tackle (Rogers) and defensive end (Williams). The league certainly took notice of the Browns' proactive approach and gave the team five prime-time games this season, including three on Monday night. Cleveland didn't have any prime-time games last year. "One thing about being in the NFL or any professional sports is that you want people to watch you,'' Browns receiver Braylon Edwards said. "You want to be on a team that people are interested in seeing and want to see on TV. So now that press is here and people want to see us, we're excited.'' Cleveland's 2007 season can be viewed in two ways. Browns supporters can say the team put together double-digit wins, and with a young core that includes five Pro Bowlers, they appear primed to make a run the next few years. Browns detractors can point to big December losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals, no playoff berth or AFC North title, and say the team has yet to prove anything.

Both theories are what make the Browns one of the most intriguing teams to watch in 2008. People are curious to see if Cleveland can do it again versus the NFL's ninth-toughest schedule and with a starting quarterback (Anderson) who sneaked up on the entire league last season. That is where veterans such as Stallworth, Rogers and Williams come in. They will be expected to add stability and production.

Stallworth and Williams played in big games last season as members of the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, respectively. Including playoffs, their two teams went 32-5 last season. Rogers hasn't had much team success with the Detroit Lions but has the most impressive individual credentials as a former two-time Pro Bowler (2004-2005).

Williams

Rogers

This is only the second team Rogers has played for in his eight-year career. He's had weight problems in the past but last week looked rejuvenated and in great shape during Cleveland's OTAs. "I thought it would be a lot harder than it is,'' Rogers said of fitting in with the Browns. "These guys have welcomed me with open arms. I knew a few of these guys prior to this and it's been real fun. It hasn't been a problem at all." Cleveland acquired Rogers after a trade fell through between the Lions and Bengals on March 1. The Browns offered cornerback Leigh Bodden and this year's third-round pick to get Rogers, then quickly re-did his contract to make it a six-year deal worth $42 million. Rogers' contract with Detroit already was a sizable. So according to Browns general manager Phil Savage, the team increased the guaranteed money and added three years on the back end of the deal. "Nothing was going to occur unless you do something with the contract,'' Savage said recently. "I know people will say, 'How can you give him that much money when he's never been with the Browns?' But in order for him to get with the Browns, you had to do something.'' Williams recorded 14 sacks the past two seasons with Green Bay and should help Cleveland in that category. Opponents often double-teamed the Browns' most dynamic pass-rusher, Kamerion Wimbley, who had just five sacks last year. The Browns as a team recorded just 28 sacks, which was tied for No. 26 in the NFL. Stallworth will be an added threat to take some of the pressure off Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Cleveland's coaching staff likes that Stallworth has the potential to bring more big-play capability to its offense. The seven-year veteran has averaged 15.1 yards per catch for his career. The Browns certainly have a talented team on paper. But whether they can deliver this season amid the high expectations remains to be seen. "We're all starting from scratch,'' Stallworth said. "So all the predictions and all that, we leave it up to you guys [the media]. Our job is to come out here and get better. Last year was last year, for me personally and this team.''

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Indicted defensive end Grant training with Saints

METAIRIE, La. -- Charles Grant participated in an offseason training session at the New Orleans Saints' suburban headquarters Wednesday, a day after being indicted by a grand jury in Georgia on an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Saints' Smith Skips Workout

New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith skipped an optional offseason training session on Wednesday, apparently because he is unhappy with his contract.

"You'd like to have all your players here. You know, it's not unusual. You just go around the league and each team's got a player or two that's unhappy with a contract," Saints head coach Sean Payton said.

Smith, who received about $20 million in bonuses when he signed as a first-round draft choice out of Ohio State in 2004, is slated to earn a base salary of $850,000 next season.

With performance incentives, that figure could grow to close to $3 million.

However, Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and led the Saints with seven sacks last season. He also was among the team leaders in tackles with 66.

Payton said he expects Smith to be at minicamp at the end of this month, for which attendance is mandatory.


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Browns CB Holly injures knee, may miss all of '08

The Cleveland Browns suffered another blow at cornerback this week.

Four-year veteran Daven Holly, who was competing for the starting job, recently suffered a severe knee injury during organized team activities. The timeline for his recovery is unknown, but the team says it is possible Holly could miss most or all of the 2008 season.

Holly

Holly was injured while competing for a jump ball Tuesday with receiver Braylon Edwards, who also suffered a hip pointer on the play and is listed as day-to-day.

Holly took the brunt of the play, landing awkwardly on his left knee.

Holly suffered cartilage and ligament damage in the left knee, and general manager Phil Savage said the surgery will most likely be Friday.

"Obviously it doesn't look good for him," Savage said of Holly. "It takes a couple hours to kind of get your head around the fact that we're probably going to be looking for another corner, if we weren't already doing so."

Edwards suffered a hip pointer on the play, didn't practice Wednesday and is listed as day-to-day.

Cornerback is Cleveland's most pressing need this offseason. Just last week, the team released veteran cornerback Kenny Wright because of an off-field incident, and in March the team traded last year's starter, Leigh Bodden, to the Detroit Lions.

Holly was expected to compete with second-year player Brandon McDonald, who now is penciled in as the starter opposite Eric Wright. The Browns also will look into signing a free agent at the position or explore possible trades.

"This was a position that if you look at our roster and our depth chart, it was kind of a soft spot," Savage said. "You hate to have an injury of any kind, but this one is particularly hurtful because of the situation we're in already."

There is one big-name free agent still on the market in Ty Law. There has been some internal discussion about Law because he has ties to Browns coach Romeo Crennel. But the team hinted yesterday that Law is probably out of the team's price range.

"We'll see who might be available, keeping working with the guys we have on this team and come up with our best option," coach Romeo Crennel said.

This year Cleveland already was one of the most aggressive teams in free agency, paying $115 million in contracts for new acquisitions Donte' Stallworth and defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.

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