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Steelers add McDonald, Ratliff; Peppers skips first day of Panthers' minicamp

Just days after the Seahawks had rescinded the franchise designation for OLB Leroy Hill, making him an unrestricted free agent, the two sides reached agreement on a six-year, $38 million contract, with $15.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL.com. The news surfaced one day before the Seahawks were to begin a minicamp.

Hill had refused to sign the $8.3 million tender as the team's franchise player and had skipped an early April minicamp. After the Seahawks drafted Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry on Saturday, they removed the franchise tag from Hill the following day.

Hill is facing possible discipline from the league as a result of his January arrest in Georgia for misdemeanor marijuana possession.

The Chiefs signed former Bengals UFA C Eric Ghiaciuc to a contract Thursday. The terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Ghiaciuc has played in 48 games during his four-year career, all spent in Cincinnati, starting 42 games, including all 16 last season.

He may challenge Rudy Niswanger for the starting center spot on a Chiefs offensive line that is still very fluid with a new head coach in charge.

The Broncos announced RB Selvin Young had been waived on Thursday.

Young made 13 starts in his two seasons in Denver after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Texas. He struggled to stay healthy last season, appearing in just eight games, and became expendable after the Broncos signed three running backs in free agency and drafted Knowshon Moreno with their first overall pick.

The Patriots traded an undisclosed 2010 draft pick to the Bucs for TE Alex Smith, the Patriots announced Thursday. Smith was deemed expendable following the Bucs' acquisition of Kellen Winslow, and he'll come to a Patriots squad with no definitive top TE target.

Benjamin Watson is the presumed starter, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from reaching the potential his athletic gifts suggest he has. The team picked up former Jet Chris Baker upon his release in New York, and it also has David Thomas.

Smith, a third-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2005, caught 21 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns in 2008.

Bengals PK Shayne Graham signed his franchise tender, the club announced Thursday.

Graham, 31, connected on 21-of-24 field goals in 2008 and averaged 63.2 yards on 58 kickoffs. He is the NFL's fourth-most accurate field-goal kicker of all time, hitting 173-of-202 attempts for a success rate of 85.6 percent.

Graham has been very reliable inside of 40 yards throughout his Bengals career. Since 2005, Graham has hit 73-of-77 field goals from 20-39 yards, good for a conversion rate of 94.8 percent.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

For the second day in a row the Saints cut a defensive tackle, parting with Hollis Thomas after releasing Brian Young on Monday.

Thomas, a 13-year veteran, was released after being on injured reserve with a torn triceps last season, but re-signed with the Saints in November. He started 30 games, including the club's two postseason contests in 2007, over the past three years in New Orleans. Thomas was due to earn a salary of $1.4 million next season.

The move is expected to clear salary-cap space so the Saints can sign their draft picks.

Chargers RB Darren Sproles, the club's franchise player, signed his one-year contract tender late Tuesday. He will receive $6.6 million in 2009, all guaranteed.

Sproles, 25, made a huge impact in both the offense and return game last season, his fourth in the league. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry, had five TD receptions, averaged 26.0 yards per kickoff return and took one kick back for a score.

Sproles is expected to play a similar role for San Diego this season. In addition to being the team's primary return man, he will also spell RB LaDainian Tomlinson throughout each contest.

In addition to finally releasing veteran RB Edgerrin James late Tuesday afternoon - a move that had been widely expected - the Cardinals also cut the cord with two other veterans, CB Rod Hood and DE-OLB Travis LaBoy.

James, whose departure clears $5 million in cap money, spent the past three seasons with the Cardinals after joining the team as a free agent in 2006. He started in 39 games during his tenure in Arizona with 794 carries for 2,895 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards in both '06 and '07. Last season he lost the starting job to rookie Tim Hightower, only to regain it down the stretch, when his fresh legs paid handsome dividends.

Hood, originally signed as free agent in 2007, was frequently exposed last season as the starter on the left corner, setting the stage for the free-agent addition of Bryant McFadden this offseason.

LaBoy appeared in 13 games last season after signing as a free agent in '08. He had 38 tackles (solos) and four sacks to go along with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, but he had problems staying healthy.

The Steelers are expected to release LB Larry Foote after the club's weekend minicamp, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and ESPN.com reported Tuesday.

Foote, 28, has started the last 80 regular-season games at inside linebacker for Pittsburgh. He is expected to be replaced in the starting lineup by third-year pro Lawrence Timmons. Foote is scheduled to make close to $2.9 million in salary this season.

Foote, who has notched 431 career tackles, is entering his eighth NFL campaign.

The Bengals released veteran punters Kyle Larson and Ryan Plackemeier on Tuesday, paving the way for rookie Kevin Huber to move into the lineup.

Larson punted an NFL-high 100 times last season, but his net average of 34.1 yards ranked near the bottom of the league. Plackemeier appeared in one game for Seattle and 10 games for Washington last season. He averaged 33.9 net yards with the Redskins.

Huber averaged 45.0 yards on 60 punts with the University of Cincinnati in 2008. Only two of his punts went for touchbacks.

The Lions have waived QB Drew Henson two days after drafting Matthew Stafford with the first pick in the draft.

The Dolphins have cut QB John Beck, a former second-round pick who has been a huge disappointment, and the Lions - if they have put in a claim, as is believed - are likely to add him to the roster.

That would give the Lions four quarterbacks: Stafford, Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton and Beck.

Henson joined the Lions for two games last season, completing 1-of-2 passes for 20 yards with three sacks and two fumbles.

The Saints released DT Brian Young, reports indicate. Young, a nine-year veteran, has been hampered this offseason by a left knee injury that required three different surgical procedures.

Young was nagged by various ailments over the past two seasons and played in just 17 games. He spent the previous five campaigns in New Orleans, making 58 starts for the club. His best season came in 2006 when he made 5½ sacks.

Using money they picked up by removing OLB Leroy Hill's franchise tag, the Seahawks signed a pair of veteran free agents - former Seahawks CB Ken Lucas and former Raiders FB Justin Griffith. Terms of their agreements were not disclosed.

Lucas, who played under Seattle DB coach Tim Lewis in Carolina, gives the Seahawks some badly needed size on the corners. Griffith played for both head coach Jim Mora in Atlanta and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in Oakland.

Meanwhile, there was no update on the status of Hill, who has become an unrestricted free agent, but the more money the team spends in other areas, the less likely the team will be able to sign Hill to a long-term contract.

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Bengals released five players on Monday, including RB Chris Perry, their 2004 first-round pick.

Also released were reserves DE-LB Eric Henderson, TE Nate Lawrie, RB Gary Russell and S Mike Doss.

Perry began last season as the starter, but he racked up only three yards per carry or less in five of his six starts and also lost three fumbles. Cedric Benson replaced Perry as the starter, and Perry's role in the offense dwindled considerably. The selection of Abilene Christian RB Bernard Scott in Round Six of the draft likely effectively ended Perry's time with the club.

Perry, who started collegiately at Michigan, has rushed for 606 yards on 177 carries in five NFL seasons.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

While concentrating on selecting two players in the first two rounds Saturday who figure to make their presence felt quickly - Wake Forest OLB Aaron Curry in the first round and Oregon C Max Unger in the second round - the Seahawks still found time to remove the franchise-tag designation for LB Leroy Hill.

The move does create a bit of uncertainty regarding the status of Hill, who immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent. But team sources indicated that the Seahawks are expected to continue negotiations on a possible long-term agreement.

In the wake of Sheldon Brown's unhappiness, the Eagles have built their CB depth by trading for the Patriots' Ellis Hobbs.

Hobbs became expendable with the Patriots' drafting of Darius Butler in Round Two, plus the expected development of the team's two draft picks from 2008, Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite. Hobbs also can return kickoffs, giving the Eagles great depth on special teams.

Hobbs will be reunited with former Patriots CB Asante Samuel, who signed with Philadelphia before last season and had a great debut with the Eagles.

The Eagles sent two fifth-round choices, Nos. 137 and 141, to New England to complete the deal. The Eagles had owned six fifth-round picks at one point.

Hobbs will get a chance to start - whether Brown is traded or remains on the roster.