Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is prepared to let quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton compete for the team’s starting spot until the fourth and last game of the preseason, though he’s hoping it doesn’t come to that. “Ideally you would like to have someone in place going into that last week of the preseason,” Smith said Saturday, following the second practice of a three-day minicamp at Halas… Read Original Post Here
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. Read Original Post Here
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. Read Original Post Here
A letter purportedly written by a gang member says he fired shots into a limousine where the Denver Broncos’ Darrent Williams was killed on New Year’s Day of 2007. The Rocky Mountain News said Friday it obtained the letter, which carries the signature of Willie D. Clark. Denver police have called him a person of interest in Williams’ slaying. Read Original Post Here
The Philadelphia Eagles extended the contract of general manager Tom Heckert through 2011 on Friday and replaced vice president of player personnel Jason Licht. Howie Roseman, formerly its vice president of football administration, will replace Licht, the team said. Heckert was named general manager in 2006 after originally joining the team as the director of player personnel in 2001. Read Original Post Here
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. Read Original Post Here
Aaron Kampman was back at work Thursday, but his mind was back in Iowa. The Green Bay Packers’ two-time Pro Bowl defensive end spent Monday and part of Tuesday in Iowa, surveying the devastation from the tornado that struck the region Sunday, killing seven and injuring more than 50, including Kampman’s paternal grandfather, Claas. Read Original Post Here
Defensive end Paul Spicer rejoined the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday after missing the team’s first eight voluntary workouts of the offseason. Spicer, who led the Jaguars with 7 1/2 sacks last season, skipped the past two-plus weeks of workouts because he wants a new contract. “I didn’t want to be lagging behind, so I said, ‘Let’s just go on out there and get a little bit of work in,”‘ Spicer… Read Original Post Here
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. Read Original Post Here
Five months before the Saints and Chargers kick off at Wembley Stadium, tickets already are going fast. The first 40,000 tickets made available for the NFL’s second overseas regular-season game were sold in 90 minutes Thursday. The game will be Oct. 26, a Saints home game. Because of the demand, the NFL released an additional 5,000 to go on sale immediately. Read Original Post Here
