Bills, LB Barnett agree on 3 years, $12M
July 31, 2011
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP)—Linebacker Nick Barnett(notes) didn’t last long in freeagency after agreeing to a three-year, $12 million contract with the BuffaloBills on Sunday.
Barnett had agreed to the contract earlier in the day, and the Billsannounced the signing just after the start of their evening practice. A personfamiliar with the contract provided The Associated Press the monetary terms,speaking on the condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose theamount.
The deal came two days after Barnett was released by the Green Bay Packers.And it was reached hours after the eight-year veteran watched a Billswalkthrough at training camp in suburban Rochester. Wearing his 2011 Super Bowlring, Barnett spent much of the session chatting with assistant coach DaveWannstedt, who doubles as the team’s inside linebackers coach.
The Bills were in need of an inside linebacker after Paul Posluszny(notes) signedwith Jacksonville last week.
Barnett had already begun posting notes hinting at the agreement on hisTwitter account.
“You bills fans are great here on twitter. How bout in the stadium?”Barnett had written. He also added: “GO BILLS.”
Barnett and general manager Buddy Nix were scheduled to discuss the signingafter the evening practice.
Under NFL rules regarding veteran free agents this offseason, Barnett willnot be allowed to practice with the team until the collective bargainingagreement is formally ratified. That is expected to occur by Thursday.
Shortly after signing the contract, Barnett made his way on the field towatch his new teammates practice. Several fans immediately recognized him andbegan chanting his name, while a few asked to see his ring.
Barnett responded with a fist pump and a smile to the crowd. He then madehis way up the sideline, where he was greeted by Wannstedt, who shook theplayer’s hand and asked, “How are you, good?”
Barnett was a cornerstone of the Packers’ defense since being drafted in thefirst round in 2003 out of Oregon State. Injuries, however, have limited hisperformance and he’s ended two of the past three seasons on injured reserve.
That includes last year, when a right wrist injury limited him to only fourgames. His 2008 season was cut short following a right knee injury.
Barnett had a solid season in 2009, when he had a career-best 4 sacks, whilebeing credited with 105 tackles. Overall, he has 15 1/2 sacks and nineinterceptions in 107 career games.
The Bills continue revamping a defense that finished last against the runlast year, while also giving up an average 26.5 points a game. It was apatchwork and injury-plagued unit that took much of the blame for the team’s4-12 finish.
Bills players were upbeat about the possibility of Barnett’s signingfollowing their walkthrough.
“He’s a special kind of player and you can’t help but be excited about thepossibility of playing with him,” linebacker Shawne Merriman(notes) said.
Rookie linebacker Kelvin Sheppard(notes) was impressed after Barnett introducedhimself.
“For him to actually come up to me and say, `What’s up Shep?’ That’sexciting,” Sheppard said. “How could you not want a guy like that on yourteam?”
Barnett’s release by the Packers was not a surprise. Scheduled to make morethan $5 million this season, Barnett proved to be the odd-man out, especiallyafter the Packers reworked linebacker A.J. Hawk’s(notes) deal in March.
Barnett also proved to be a distraction in Green Bay. In January, he andtight end Jermichael Finley(notes) had complained on Twitter that injured playersweren’t going to be allowed in a team photo scheduled to be taken days beforethe Super Bowl in Dallas. The Packers eventually relented and allowed theinjured players to take part in the photo session.
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Burress signs 1-year deal with Jets
July 31, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—Plaxico Burress(notes) says there was “no sales pitch needed” inchoosing to sign with the New York Jets, saying he was just “going with myheart” without even needing to visit his new team.
The former Super Bowl star with the Giants signed a one-year deal with theJets on Sunday after recently being released from prison after serving 20 monthson a gun charge. Burress, who turns 34 on Aug. 12, caught the winning touchdownin the Giants’ upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 SuperBowl, before his career derailed after he accidentally shot himself in a NewYork nightclub later that year.
He says his time in prison made him miss the game of football and being withteammates and is “elated” to get a second chance.
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Jaguars TE Lewis ends 5-day holdout
July 31, 2011
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Pro Bowl tight end Marcedes Lewis(notes) is ending hisholdout with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although he still doesn’t have a long-term contract, Lewis said on hisTwitter page Sunday that he is returning to the team after a five-day holdout.
Jaguars general manager Gene Smith expects Lewis to be at training campMonday, saying “I eagerly anticipate him being back here. He’s a big part ofthis team and where we’re going. It’ll be great to see him.”
Lewis caught 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns last season—allcareer highs. The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Lewis, who signed aone-year tender offer worth nearly $7.3 million. But both sides want to work outa long-term deal and are continuing to negotiate.
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Manning reports after signing $90M deal
July 31, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Peyton Manning(notes) didn’t need the money, and he sure didn’twant the title of being the NFL’s highest-paid player if it meant losing histeammates.
Nope, all the four-time MVP really wanted was a few more shots at winning aSuper Bowl.
On Sunday, Manning, armed with a new five-year, $90 million contract—likely the last of his career, reported to the Indianapolis Colts’ training campwith a sense of relief.
“You take a look at things and what’s potentially going to happen, and Irealized that I’ve got to have these guys around me,”’ Manning said. “I’ve hadthat title, if you will, for the past seven years and I appreciate Bill (Polian)and Jim (Irsay) doing that seven years ago. I did everything I could to playlike it, and I think there is an extra responsibility that comes with it. Ifthey’re going to pay you like the highest-paid player, you better play likeit.”
Manning has been worth every penny.
Since signing his last contract in 2004, the Colts have not missed theplayoffs. Manning has won three MVP awards and led the Colts to two AFC titles,one Super Bowl crown. He now holds NFL records for most MVP Awards (four) andmost regular-season wins in a decade (115).
With a resume like that, team owner Irsay and club vice chairman Polian wereprepared to break the bank to keep Manning in Indy for the rest of his career.
But Manning said no thanks.
“Peyton called me on Thursday and we had a long talk. He made it clear thatthe he didn’t want to be the highest-paid player in the league, he wanted to putthe best possible team on the field and he wanted to finish his career as anIndianapolis Colt,” Polian said. “Over the weekend, we worked very hard tomake that happen.”
While the annual average salary of $18 million per year matches Tom Brady’s(notes)record, Irsay described the deal as cap-friendly throughout the life of thecontract.
Manning will get paid $69 million in the first three years and though hissalary cap number this season will be $16 million, that’s substantially lessthan the $23.1 million he would have gotten playing under the franchise tag.
The benefit of saving that money is already paying dividends.
Shortly after Manning agreed to his new deal, the Colts re-signed free agentrunning back Joseph Addai(notes) to a three-year, $14 million contract. Addai is Indy’sbest blocking back and a key part of keeping Manning upright against the blitz.
The team also redid the contract of right tackle Ryan Diem(notes) instead ofcutting him.
In addition, the Colts have re-signed unrestricted free agents MelvinBullitt(notes), Bob Sanders’(notes) projected replacement, and kicker Adam Vinatieri(notes) tothree-year deals. And Sunday, Indy announced it was bringing back defensivetackles Eric Foster(notes) and Antonio Johnson(notes), and offensive linemen Kyle DeVan(notes) andMichael Toudouze(notes). DeVan started at left guard the last two seasons, whileJohnson started at defensive tackle.
“When I said he would be the highest-paid player in the league, it reallywas symbolic of the respect I have for him,” Irsay said. “I told him the thingI love about him is that he hates losing as much as I do and Bill does. I’mhappy it’s done. He gave us a chance to sign Joseph Addai and the other guys.”
Practice is scheduled to begin Monday without Manning, who was placed on thephysically unable to perform list as he continues to rehab from neck surgery inMay.
It was the strangest offseason in Manning’s 14-year NFL career.
The 35-year-old quarterback had to contend with the longest work stoppage inleague history, was part of an antitrust suit against the league and had histhird offseason surgery since 2008. He got regular updates on the labornegotiations from NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and Pro Bowl centerJeff Saturday(notes), and, Manning explained, his rehab might have progressed morequickly if the lockout rules hadn’t prevented him from working with the team’straining staff.
Manning also had to contend with questions about his comment ofintentionally scoring poorly on the baseline concussion test, speculation thathe wanted a special exemption to lift the franchise tag before the lockout wassettled and more speculation that he wanted $25 million per year.
Manning insisted there was no substance to the rumors.
“We met on Thursday, we talked Friday, we had the deal yesterday and Isigned it about 15 minutes ago,” Manning said.
A smattering of fans cheered when Manning rolled a suitcase on campus atAnderson University. Later, Manning walked across the street and signedautographs.
The biggest question now is when Manning will return to practice.
Polian said team doctors have told him the healing process should acceleratenow that the nerve in Manning’s neck is “coming back.”
“There is no time table with these types of injuries,” Polian said. “It’snot like a knee where you can say he’ll be back in six weeks or something. Youjust don’t know and to speculate would be foolish.”
This is not the first time Manning has missed the start of training camp. Hesat out one week in 1998, his rookie season, while negotiating his first NFLcontract and missed all of camp in 2008 when he had two surgeries for aninfected bursa sac in his left knee. This time, unlike the other two, he showedup on reporting day.
But teammates don’t seem to be concerned.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been down that road before, too,” defensive captainGary Brackett(notes) said. “If there’s one guy you don’t have to worry aboutrehabbing, that’s Peyton.”
Manning has started 227 consecutive regular-season and postseason games andhe doesn’t expect to start missing games now though he will do some lightthrowing this week.
Not everyone benefited from Manning’s deal.
The Colts released starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden(notes) in a cost-cutting move.Hayden returned an interception for the game-sealing touchdown in Indy’s SuperBowl win and had a cap number of about $9 million this season.
And first-round pick Anthony Castonzo(notes) is the only draft pick who remainsunsigned.
But Manning did his part to help move things along.
“I think for him, it’s all about winning. He wants a winning legacy and hewants to go out a winner,” Brackett said. “He could have taken as much moneyas he wanted, but he didn’t do that because he wants to win.”
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Barnett agrees to 3-yr. deal with Bills
July 31, 2011
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP)—Linebacker Nick Barnett(notes) didn’t last long in freeagency after agreeing to a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
A person familiar with negotiations told The Associated Press about theagreement and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had notannounced the deal.
The agreement came two days after Barnett was released by the Green BayPackers. And it was reached hours after the eight-year veteran watched a Billswalkthrough at training camp in suburban Rochester. Wearing his 2011 Super Bowlring, Barnett spent much of the session chatting with assistant coach DaveWannstedt, who also doubles as the team’s inside linebackers coach.
The Bills were in need of an inside linebacker after losing returningstarter Paul Posluszny(notes), who signed with Jacksonville last week.
Barnett had already begun posting notes hinting at the agreement on hisTwitter account.
“You bills fans are great here on twitter. How bout in the stadium?”Barnett had written. He also added: “GO BILLS.”
Under NFL rules regarding veteran free agents this offseason, Barnett willnot be allowed to practice with the team until the collective bargainingagreement is formally ratified. That is expected to occur by Thursday.
Barnett was a cornerstone of the Packers’ defense since being drafted in thefirst round in 2003 out of Oregon State. Injuries, however, have limited hisperformance and he’s ended two of the past three seasons on injured reserve.
That includes last year, when a right wrist injury limited him to only fourgames. His 2008 season was cut short following a right knee injury.
Barnett had a solid season in 2009, when he had a career-best 4 sacks, whilebeing credited with 105 tackles. Overall, he has 15 1/2 sacks and nineinterceptions in 107 career games.
The Bills continue revamping a defense that finished last against the runlast year, while also giving up an average 26.5 points a game. It was apatchwork and injury-plagued unit that took much of the blame for the team’s4-12 finish.
Bills players were upbeat about the possibility of Barnett’s signingfollowing their walkthrough.
“He’s a special kind of player and you can’t help but be excited about thepossibility of playing with him,” linebacker Shawne Merriman(notes) said.
Rookie linebacker Kelvin Sheppard(notes) was impressed after Barnett introducedhimself.
“For him to actually come up to me and say, `What’s up Shep?’ That’sexciting,” Sheppard said. “How could you not want a guy like that on yourteam?”
Barnett’s release by the Packers was not a surprise. Scheduled to make morethan $5 million this season, Barnett proved to be the odd-man out, especiallyafter the Packers reworked linebacker A.J. Hawk’s(notes) deal in March.
Barnett also proved to be a distraction in Green Bay. In January, he andtight end Jermichael Finley(notes) had complained on Twitter that injured playersweren’t going to be allowed in a team photo scheduled to be taken days beforethe Super Bowl in Dallas. The Packers eventually relented and allowed theinjured players to take part in the photo session.
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Packers, WR Jones agree on 3-year deal
July 31, 2011
MILWAUKEE (AP)—Free agent wide receiver James Jones(notes) is returning to theGreen Bay Packers.
Agent Frank Bauer confirmed Sunday that Jones has agreed to a three-yeardeal with the team.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but Bauer said Jones is glad to be backand the Super Bowl champions are happy to have him.
“Everybody’s very, very happy,” Bauer said, in a telephone interview withThe Associated Press.
Several media outlets reported the deal earlier Sunday, including theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Jones explored the free-agent market, but several teams looking forreceiving help signed other free agents. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) hassaid the team should make keeping Jones a top priority.
Speaking to reporters in Green Bay earlier Sunday, Rodgers said he still washolding out hope that Jones and free agent running back John Kuhn(notes) both wouldreturn to the team.
“I am, yeah, for sure,” Rodgers said. “He’s an important part of thisteam. He plays a big role for us. We need to add him back, I think. We need toadd John Kuhn back. Those are two guys out there right now who are important tous. It’s not my decision, but I’m definitely pulling for those guys to bring ‘emback.”
Kuhn remains a free agent.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said earlier Sunday that he hoped to have bothplayers back after losing guard Daryn Colledge(notes) to Arizona, defensive linemanCullen Jenkins(notes) to Philadelphia and backup running back Brandon Jackson(notes) toCleveland in free agency. The Packers have retained kicker Mason Crosby(notes).
“You’re always hopeful to keep your own players,” McCarthy told reportersin Green Bay. “So, yeah, I’m hopeful that both of those guys are able to comeback. Just like the men that left here. You don’t want to lose your own guys,that’s for sure. That’s the way we’re built. We draft them and develop them, butthe reality is you can’t keep everybody. It’s hard to see some go. That’s justthe nature of our program.”
Jones, a third-round draft pick out of San Jose State in 2007, has 149catches for 2,069 yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons. He also has threetouchdowns in seven playoff games. He had five catches for 50 yards in the SuperBowl victory over Pittsburgh.
Jones’ return leaves the Packers well-stocked at wide receiver, includingGreg Jennings(notes), Donald Driver(notes), Jordy Nelson(notes) and second-round draft pick RandallCobb(notes). Brett Swain(notes) and a handful of lesser-known players also will get a lookduring training camp.
Connect with AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins on Twitter:www.twitter.com/ByChrisJenkins
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WR Marshall reveals personality disorder
July 31, 2011
DAVIE, Fla. (AP)—Brandon Marshall(notes) made a juggling, one-handed catch duringa drill, drawing a loud ovation from Miami Dolphins fans in nearby sun-bakedstands. A few minutes later, another spectacular grab earned him a fist-bumpfrom coach Tony Sparano and left Marshall clapping his hands.
He seemed incredibly happy.
Off the field, that isn’t always the case.
The Dolphins’ wide receiver says he was diagnosed earlier this year withborderline personality disorder, which has been known to stem from things suchas unstable personal relationships, a negative self-image and a fear of failure.He made the decision to go public with the issue to raise awareness, and says heplans to eventually lobby Congress for funding to assist research efforts.
“For so long, I’ve been just trying to get help. I’ve been seeking help,”Marshall said after practice Sunday during an interview session where he spokefor more than 30 minutes, the first 20 or so without taking a single question.“I’ve been talking with doctors since I’ve been in the NFL. No one has everhelped me. So I was praying there was a treatment out there for what I sufferedfrom and there was.”
Marshall told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for a story published Sundaythat he has spent $60,000 on treatment for the disorder, which according to theNational Institute on Mental Health is “a serious mental illness characterizedby pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, andbehavior.”
The NIMH says the disorder affects about 1 in 50 adults, making it morecommon than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
“There comes a time in a guy like myself’s life, with everything that I’vebeen through, that you become bulletproof to the critics and to what the worldthinks of you,” Marshall said. “Right now, today, I am vulnerable. I am makingmyself vulnerable. And I want it to be clear that this is the opposite of damagecontrol. The only reason why I’m standing here today is to use my story to helpothers who may suffer from what I suffer from.”
His interview was a slightly surreal scene. First Marshall talked about thestatus of his marriage and how he insists his wife was unfairly labeled forwhatever role she had in an incident at their home on April 22. Then headdressed the disorder, even pleading for more time although Sparano was readyfor his daily question-and-answer session.
Marshall was stabbed in the abdomen during a domestic dispute, and a chargeof aggravated battery with a deadly weapon was filed the next day against hiswife, Michi Nogami-Marshall. Prosecutors announced Friday, a few hours after theDolphins’ first practice of this summer’s training camp, that the charge wasbeing dropped.
Nogami-Marshall would only say that she acted in self-defense. Marshall, whowas briefly hospitalized, told police that he slipped and fell onto broken glassfrom a vase, and said again Sunday that his wife did not “stab me with aknife.” However, when sheriff’s deputies said they found no blood on the brokenglass, Marshall’s wife was charged with the stabbing.
“I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t stop the villainization of my wife andtell the truth,” Marshall said. “I want to thank her, just the way the she hashandled not only this situation this summer but the entirety of ourrelationship, of our marriage. She’s handled it with grace, dignity and she’sbeen very honorable doing it.”
The April incident wasn’t their first public issue, either: In March 2009,Marshall was arrested in Atlanta on misdemeanor battery charges after a fightwith Nogami-Marshall, who was his fiancee at the time. The charges were droppedwhen both refused to testify.
“I am in a position where I can live an effective, healthy life,” saidMarshall, who said he will continue receiving weekly treatment but did notdiscuss in any depth the state of his marriage.
His candor seemed to be supported by Sparano, though it is unusual for a proathlete to reveal any sort of mental-health issue. Marshall said he believes thediagnosis—after years of privately wondering why he was often depressed andunhappy—may translate into him becoming a better football player.
“Out of respect for Brandon, I’m really not going to talk about that awhole lot,” Sparano said. “I would just tell you that I’m going to supporthim. That’s my job as a coach, OK, to give this young man support. And that’sexactly what I’m going to do.”
Marshall led the Dolphins with 86 catches and 1,014 receiving yards lastseason, his first with the Dolphins. In four seasons as a starter in the NFL,he’s averaged 98 catches per season, including three straight 100-grab campaignswith Denver.
The stabbing incident was just one part of Marshall’s eventful offseason.
He said his agent and assistant staged an intervention with him over hismental state, that he summoned a friend to begin taping his life for adocumentary even though he was deeply depressed at the time, and that he prayedfor help.
“You’re not blessed until you bless others,” Marshall said. “There’s alot of people who suffer from what I suffer from that never had the opportunityto get the right help. That’s my purpose in life. Football, I have a betterappreciation for it because honestly, it saved my life.”
Notes: Dolphins LT Jake Long(notes) has been placed on the physicallyunable-to-perform list as he continues recovering from offseason surgery.Sparano said he is not yet concerned about Long’s availability for theseason-opener against New England. … The Dolphins agreed to terms with RonaldFields(notes), a defensive tackle who spent the last two seasons with Denver. …First-round pick Mike Pouncey(notes) practiced for the first time Sunday with theDolphins, getting reps as the first-team center for much of the steamy workout.
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Dolphins WR Marshall reveals disorder
July 31, 2011
DAVIE, Fla. (AP)—Brandon Marshall(notes) is revealing his latest opponent:Borderline personality disorder.
The Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver says he was diagnosed earlier this yearwith the disorder, which has been known to stem from things such as unstablepersonal relationships, a negative self-image and a fear of failure.
Marshall talked about the disorder in a nearly 20-minute statement after theDolphins wrapped up practice Sunday. He first announced the issue in Sunday’sSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel.
He had a tumultuous offseason and was stabbed in the abdomen on April 22during what sheriff’s officials say was a domestic dispute. Marshall’s wife wascharged with aggravated battery, though that charge was dropped late last weekand Marshall insisted again Sunday that his wife “did not take a knife and stabme.”
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Broncos sign veteran RB McGahee
July 31, 2011
DENVER (AP)—Veteran running back Willis McGahee(notes) has signed with the DenverBroncos.
The 29-year-old McGahee figures to complement incumbent starter KnowshonMoreno(notes) with his powerful style. New coach John Fox wants to lean heavily on therunning game after the Broncos were pass-heavy in 2010 under Josh McDaniels.
The 6-foot, 235-pound McGahee spent four seasons with the Baltimore Ravensafter four years with the Bills. Denver running backs coach Eric Studesville wasMcGahee’s position coach in Buffalo from 2004-06.
McGahee has 1,541 career carries for 6,167 yards and 55 touchdowns. McGaheehasn’t been a full-time starter since shortly after being picked for the ProBowl in 2007.
Under the new labor rules, McGahee can’t practice until Thursday.
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Raiders re-sign free safety Huff
July 31, 2011
NAPA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders have re-signed another of their freeagents, completing a deal with free safety Michael Huff(notes).
Huff signed his contract Sunday and reported to the team’s training camp inNapa. He can’t practice until Thursday.
Huff was the seventh overall pick by the Raiders in the 2006 draft. Hestruggled his first few years but played his best football last season at freesafety. His return means last year’s leading tackler, Tyvon Branch(notes), can remainat strong safety.
Huff is the fifth free agent who has returned to the Raiders since the endof the lockout. Oakland also signed eight of its potential free agents beforethe lockout.
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