NFL Capsules: McNabb likes new Eagles faces as camp opens
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — One day into his 11th NFL training camp, Donovan McNabb is sounding like a coach.
After Philadelphia reached its fifth NFC championship game in eight years last season, the Eagles added several players to boost an offense that seems to perpetually rely on McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook.
The Eagles drafted receiver Jeremy Maclin, running back LeSean McCoy and tight end Cornelius Ingram. Maclin scored 33 touchdowns in a two-year career at Missouri, McCoy rushed for almost 1,500 yards last season at Pitt, while Ingram was Florida's top tight end before missing last season with a knee injury.
All three are talented, explosive — and young. McNabb knows.
"We've got a lot of 20- and 21-year-old kids on this team," McNabb said as the Eagles hit the practice field Monday at Lehigh University. "I'm 32 years old. I've seen a lot of what they've done in college, but again, it goes back to, 'Can you do the same things in college on the pro level?' And some have, some haven't."
"We have a lot of young faces. We have a lot of new faces. For me to sit here and say, 'Hey, we're a Super Bowl team and we're going to win the Super Bowl,' I don't believe in all that. I think that's something that at the end of the year, we'll find out who wins and who doesn't."
Coach Andy Reid couldn't have said it better himself.
The Eagles didn't go with a total youth movement, opting for experience to protect McNabb. They acquired two veteran offensive linemen, trading with Buffalo for two-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters and signing free agent Stacy Andrews away from the Bengals.
Philadelphia fell to Arizona in last year's NFC title game, 32-25, but the Eagles expect to again contend in the formidable NFC East.
"I think we have a great team. We have some great athletes here, but we have to put the pieces of the puzzle together. And if we can do that, hopefully we can ride on and take it and be able to finish this thing off in Miami," McNabb said.
Maclin remains unsigned and has yet to report to camp. But McNabb worked out with Maclin during the quarterback's annual camp in Arizona and said he is not concerned.
"I wasn't (in camp on time) for my rookie year. It's part of the business," McNabb said. "For the days that he's missed, I've had an opportunity to work with him, so when he comes in, we can just feed on that."
Maclin joins a deep group of receivers led by veterans Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant and Reggie Brown, along with second-year speedster DeSean Jackson.
Westbrook is still rehabilitating his ankle after offseason surgery, but is on schedule to return to practice in mid-August.
McNabb also commented on Michael Vick, who was reinstated with conditions by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday afternoon.
Asked whether he thought Vick should be suspended, McNabb said: "No, not at all. ... I'm looking forward to him being reinstated and being able to have an opportunity to get back on his feet and play football again."
McNabb also took a playful jab at Terrell Owens' two-week-old reality series, "The T.O. Show."
After first joking that he would make an appearance on the show, McNabb was asked how he would improve it.
He joked, "By not having it."
Report: DA wants jail time for Burress
NEW YORK — Manhattan's district attorney says he wants former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress to serve time in prison, the New York Post reported.
Robert Morgenthau told the newspaper that Burress, who shot himself with an unlicensed gun in November, was willing to agree to spend a year in jail, but prosecutors insisted on two.
"We've always taken the position that he's going to have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea," Morgenthau told the Post for a story in Monday's edition.
A spokeswoman for Morgenthau, Alica Maxey Greene, declined to comment on the Post story or to confirm that the district attorney made the comments.
Burress shot himself in the thigh at a nightclub early on the morning of Nov. 29. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison. Burress has pleaded not guilty and is free on $100,000 bail. The Giants released Burress in April.
His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said he was "disappointed and surprised" that Morgenthau spoke publicly while a grand jury decision on indicting Burress is pending.
"My concern is that the comments by the district attorney's office may have irreparably prejudiced those proceedings," Brafman said Monday. "I am now considering the legal options available to respond."
Brafman had previously said he no longer thought the matter would be resolved through a plea agreement and that prosecutors would take the case to a grand jury. He also said Burress would plead not guilty if the case went to trial.
Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the final minute for the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, also could face disciplinary action by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell under the league's personal conduct policy. Burress has yet to sign with another team and Goodell's office announced in June that the league already had started its examination of the incident.
Report: DA wants jail time for Burress
KAREN MATTHEWS,Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan's district attorney says he wants former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress to serve time in prison, the New York Post reported.
Robert Morgenthau told the newspaper that Burress, who shot himself with an unlicensed gun in November, was willing to agree to spend a year in jail, but prosecutors insisted on two.
"We've always taken the position that he's going to have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea," Morgenthau told the Post for a story in Monday's edition.
A spokeswoman for Morgenthau, Alica Maxey Greene, declined to comment on the Post story or to confirm that the district attorney made the comments.
Burress shot himself in the thigh at a nightclub early on the morning of Nov. 29. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison. Burress has pleaded not guilty and is free on $100,000 bail. The Giants released Burress in April.
His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said he was "disappointed and surprised" that Morgenthau spoke publicly while a grand jury decision on indicting Burress is pending.
"My concern is that the comments by the district attorney's office may have irreparably prejudiced those proceedings," Brafman said Monday. "I am now considering the legal options available to respond."
Brafman had previously said he no longer thought the matter would be resolved through a plea agreement and that prosecutors would take the case to a grand jury. He also said Burress would plead not guilty if the case went to trial.
Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the final minute for the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl, also could face disciplinary action by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell under the league's personal conduct policy. Burress has yet to sign with another team and Goodell's office announced in June that the league already had started its examination of the incident.
-- Karen Matthews
Ferguson feeling good after battles with cancer
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dressed in a collared shirt and shorts, Joe Ferguson walked easily across the room without a hint of illness, then treated himself to a bite to eat before a celebrity golf event.
Forget golf. Right now, the former quarterback looks strong enough to step on the football field and throw a few long passes.
It's hard to believe this is the same person who was fighting for his life early last year. After bouts with lymphoma and leukemia, generating support from fans all over the world, Ferguson is feeling good these days and is almost casual when discussing his health.
"It was kind of strange, because I never thought I was as sick as I was," Ferguson said Monday. "They kept saying it was pretty bad and pretty serious, but I never felt like it myself. I never got as worried as some other people did."
Ferguson was a third-round draft pick in 1973 out of Arkansas and went on to play 12 years with the Buffalo Bills. In 2005, he was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer.
Ferguson underwent chemotherapy, and he says that treatment led to another problem: leukemia. He was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia about a year and a half ago and was treated at the intensive care unit at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
With a weakened immune system, Ferguson also fought pneumonia, but all the while, he expected to pull through.
"I didn't feel great, don't get me wrong, but I never thought I was close to not being around," Ferguson said.
Eventually, Ferguson started regaining strength. He says the biggest breakthrough came when his appetite returned and he could start eating better. Now 59, he says the leukemia is in remission. He and his wife, Sandy, live in northwest Arkansas, not far from where he played college football for the Razorbacks.
Frank Broyles, who coached Ferguson at Arkansas, was also on hand Monday at the Pat Summerall Celebrity Classic in western Little Rock. Broyles is impressed with his former quarterback's progress.
"He has done the things you need to do when you have an illness," Broyles said. "He's gone to doctors, he's taken the treatment, and he's done everything they've asked him to do and he's improved dramatically. We're excited and pleased about that."
Along the way, Ferguson heard from well wishers all over the world, including many Bills and Razorbacks fans.
"A kid in Iraq saying, 'You were my hero.' I mean, how do you take that?" wondered Sandy Ferguson. "He had a lot of people praying for him. It was overwhelming. ... We're very thankful."
Now Ferguson is looking forward to watching the Razorbacks this season — and trying to maintain his improved health.
"I've been getting checkups every three months, and my blood count's staying good and all that," he said. "Trying to eat better and exercise and do the right things. We're doing fine.
-- Noah Trister
Harvin, agent form bond as negotiations begin
MINNEAPOLIS — When Percy Harvin failed a drug test at the scouting combine in February, he wasn't sure where to turn.
His NFL stock had just taken a serious hit and Harvin, the ultra-talented, do-everything athlete out of Florida was wondering just how to get himself out of this mess.
Harvin first turned to his family for support as questions about his character and his long-term viability in the league persisted. Then he looked to the man representing him, Joel Segal, who has experience handling difficult situations.
Segal helped Harvin attack the adversity head-on, and the receiver's ability to bluntly, and convincingly, accept responsibility for the positive marijuana test while also promising that his troubles were behind him ultimately kept him in the first round.
"That's going to be a tough situation for anybody," Segal told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "Especially for a young man who is in a situation where this is his dream. Now there's a speed bump."
Thanks in large part to the way Harvin handled the test, it proved to be just that — a speed bump rather than a stop sign. The Minnesota Vikings were comfortable enough to select him with the 22nd pick in the first round, putting Harvin in position to sign a multimillion-dollar contract that Segal is expected to begin negotiating with the Vikings in earnest this week.
"I had a lot of support throughout the situation," Harvin said at his introductory press conference in April. "I want to thank my agent Joel Segal. He was a big part of this whole process, and he was with me. I feel like (he) became not only my agent, but became a good friend and we had a bond."
Harvin offered that endorsement unsolicited, and thanked Segal several more times that day.
"One of the most rewarding times I've had as an agent was on draft day when Percy came up and hugged me and said, 'Thanks a lot for everything,'" Segal said. "That was one of my highest moments as an agent."
The super agent who also represents Michael Vick, Santonio Holmes and Reggie Bush said Harvin "is a special guy you just want to be around."
"I've become Percy's friend and his agent," Segal said. "And along the entire draft process, there were good things and bad things and things to handle. I'm there as an experienced adviser. Percy rose to the occasion, and on draft day, the results of that hard work were there."
Segal knows what it's like to represent a client who runs into trouble off the field. Vick recently was released from prison after serving 19 months for charges related to dogfighting and is still waiting to hear from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on whether he will face a suspension should he sign with a team this season.
Segal said it took only a few minutes in his first meeting with Harvin on the Florida campus for the two to make a connection. With a bright smile a gift for gab, Harvin won Segal over much the same way he did Vikings coach Brad Childress during a pre-draft visit.
"Percy's a special guy," Segal said. "He stands out because he's a sincere guy. He's a guy so loyal to his friends and family. Juxtapose that to a great sense of humor and a really cool demeanor. That's Percy."
And that's just off the field. When Harvin is on it, look out.
His combination of speed, elusiveness and vision made him a touchdown-scoring machine in college for the Gators. The Vikings will have all kinds of options on offense with Harvin and Adrian Peterson on the field together.
Harvin can lineup at receiver, running back, take the direct snap and also return punts and kicks. The variety of duties Harvin will have in the NFL, Childress said, makes it all the more important to get him into training camp on time.
Childress compared the responsibilities and learning that Harvin will do at training camp to that of a quarterback, just because of the sheer volume of information he will have to absorb in a relatively short amount of time.
"There are so many little nuances, route conversions, them getting used to the bump and run because it is more physical right now and different than it was when you can't bump and run in your OTAs and minicamps," Childress said. "It's voluminous."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Marshall reports to Broncos camp but isn't happy
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Brandon Marshall is one unhappy camper.
The recalcitrant Pro Bowl receiver reported to the first day of the Denver Broncos' training camp on Monday after skipping all offseason workouts while rehabbing from a hip operation and protesting his contract and what he feels was a misdiagnosis of his injury by the team's medical staff.
After catching several passes in the light afternoon workout, Marshall made it clear by his body language and evasiveness during a terse five-minute news conference that he remains dissatisfied in Denver.
He said the only reason he reported to Dove Valley after skipping the team's voluntary workout program and its mandatory minicamp was to avoid the $15,888 daily fines he could have been assessed otherwise.
The Broncos' first full squad workout isn't until Friday but Marshall was told to report Monday with the quarterbacks, other veterans coming off injuries and the rookies — although first-round draft picks Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers remained unsigned.
Also noticeably absent was Marshall's usual million-dollar smile.
Marshall's agent, Kennard McGuire, and general manger Brian Xanders were seen walking into the team's headquarters together Monday afternoon, but McGuire declined to reveal what was discussed, and Xanders didn't return a message.
"He said he was coming and he showed up," was about all McGuire had to say for the record about his client, who wants to renegotiate the $2.2 million left on his contract this year.
Asked if he was happy to be here, Marshall retorted: "I'm happy to play football. That's what I've been doing since I was a little boy and hopefully that's what I can continue to do. I'm going to take advantage of any opportunity I have to play football."
Last month, Marshall posted a farewell to Denver fans on his blog and McGuire said team owner Pat Bowlen had told his client during a private meeting that he would try to accommodate his trade request.
Bowlen hasn't spoken publicly about the matter.
Asked if he could be his usual stellar self while in a sour mood, Marshall said: "Well, I mean, I have faith in conversations that I've had with ownership and my agent, and I'm just going to put my faith and belief in things that I've heard and all I can do is just, like I said, prepare myself for a season."
Was he referring to conversations regarding the promise of a trade or a re-negotiated contract?
"I'm just excited about the season, man," Marshall replied. "It's just an opportunity for me once again to play football and put everything else behind me."
New coach Josh McDaniels said Marshall isn't on the trading block, suggested his star player's unhappiness won't hinder the team's preparations and proclaimed he's eager to see Marshall perform in this offense.
Marshall has no leverage to force his way out of town like quarterback Jay Cutler did this spring when he had a fallout with McDaniels and was dealt to Chicago.
Despite coming off consecutive 100-catch seasons and his first Pro Bowl appearance, Marshall faces legal, health and contractual issues that would seem to prevent him from cashing in anytime soon.
He underwent hip surgery on April 1 and is still working his way back into shape. He's facing an Aug. 13 trial in Atlanta on a misdemeanor battery charge, where a conviction could lead to his second suspension from the NFL, which banned him from last year's opener over a series of domestic disputes.
And with next season being an uncapped year, Marshall is set to be a restricted free agent in 2010 rather than an unrestricted free agent, after which the Broncos could slap the franchise tag on him to keep him in Denver for years to come.
"I just want to be happy," Marshall said. "At the end of the day I just want to be happy. There's a lot of things going on off the field and I want to be able to put that stuff behind me. I want to go out there and catch some balls, score touchdowns and just grow."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Broncos Notebook: Moreno, Ayers no shows at training camp workout
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — First-round picks Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers were no-shows Monday when the Denver Broncos gathered for their first training camp workout.
Not that they missed all that much — just some basic drills and a conditioning test that had most of their fellow rookies sweating.
Should the holdout become more prolonged, though, it could be problematic in the eyes of coach Josh McDaniels. The Broncos are getting the rookies and rehabbers up to speed before the veterans join the team Thursday. The official beginning of training camp is Friday.
That's when the pads go on and the real work begins.
"Once we install something on Friday, we're not going to install it again on Saturday," McDaniels warned. "As you start putting things in and start putting responsibilities on players, if they miss those meetings, those sessions and those practices, they're going to have some work to catch up. We're no different than any other team, we'd like to have our players here at the beginning and hopefully they will be."
The agents for Moreno and Ayers didn't return e-mails on Monday.
Moreno, a running back out of Georgia, and Ayers, a pass rusher from Tennessee, remain the only members of McDaniels' first draft class not to agree to deals in time for the first workout. The other eight were all signed by Sunday night.
That included second-round pick Alphonso Smith, who made it a priority to get a deal done and not miss time. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, worked out a four-year deal.
"It was the only thing I asked Drew to guarantee: I was going to be in camp on time," Smith said.
Smith has some friendly words of advice for Moreno and Ayers: The conditioning test is a doozy. The Broncos implemented an interval run to evaluate the shape of players showing up for camp.
So far, everyone's passed.
"That was good to see," McDaniels said.
As for his two first-round picks, McDaniels remains optimistic they'll be in camp soon. He said it's just a matter of other first-round picks falling in line across the league.
The Broncos haven't had a rookie hold out since Tatum Bell in 2004.
"Everything is working in a positive direction, and we'll hopefully have them here as soon as we possibly can," McDaniels said. "I know that most of the league is going through the same thing."
The Broncos used their 12th pick in the draft to take Moreno despite bringing in free agent tailbacks LaMont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter in the offseason to compete with holdovers Ryan Torain and Peyton Hillis.
Ayers was selected at No. 18 to help revamp a dismal defense that allowed 448 points last season. With the Broncos implementing a 3-4 scheme, Ayers will play more of a hybrid role as he alternates between the line and linebacker.
He was primarily a defensive end at Tennessee.
INTENSIVE TORAIN-ING
Torain doesn't mind the cumbersome brace on his left knee.
It sure beats the alternative — watching.
Touted as the next Terrell Davis by former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan a year ago, Torain had an injury-riddled rookie season. He fractured his left elbow in training camp, missing the first seven games, and then tore his left ACL at Cleveland in his first start. He missed the rest of the season.
Now, he has to prove his worth to a new regime.
"You've got to work hard, and showcase your talents and wish for the best," Torain said. "This is the best thing I learned (when I was hurt) — football is the only thing I want to do. I wasn't going to give up on it."
Torain has seen the replays of his knee injury, grimacing as he recalled the leg being bent backward as he struggled for extra yardage near the goal line.
He learned an important lesson from the footage.
"You've just got to go down sometimes," he said, smiling.
It's been an arduous road back, but he said the reward was being on the field again. He has plenty of competition in the backfield, with the Broncos bringing in Jordan and Buckhalter, not to mention drafting Moreno. There's also Hillis, who sat out the last three games with a right hamstring injury.
"They're great athletes that I can learn from," he said. "It just feels great to be out here. I've missed it a lot."
McDaniels said Torain has no restrictions and is "full-go."
FIRST DOWNS
LBs Wesley Woodyard and D.J. Williams missed practice because of the flu. ... Unlike his predecessor, McDaniels plans on putting his team through the paces in full pads for most of training camp. "If that's what you want your identity to be, and that's what we want our identity to be, then you've got to go out and do it," McDaniels said. "It's not just going to show up in September if you haven't done it."
-- Pat Graham
Merriman eager to return to field for Chargers
SAN DIEGO — Shawne Merriman was back at work at Chargers Park on Monday with an eye on the future.
The imposing linebacker, who missed all but one game last season because of an injury to his left knee, wants to be able to make a contribution this year.
"I just want to help the team get back what we lacked last year — nastiness and intensity and being physical," Merriman said. "I think that's where you notice it, being away from the game. Some of the things that I was really good at doing, that is motivating everybody else, getting everybody else to take their game to another level."
Merriman reported to training camp Monday along with the quarterbacks, rookies and other players coming off injuries. The balance of the squad checks in Thursday, with a full-team workout on Friday.
The medical staff kept Merriman from team drills.
"I think that will come later on, don't know the timeline for that," Merriman said. "But hopefully I'm not out much longer."
The Chargers are hoping Merriman's knack for pestering quarterbacks — he had 39 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons — will spill over to the secondary. If Merriman can wreck his usual havoc in opposing backfields, that could mean more interception opportunities for cornerbacks Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie.
They combined for just four last year.
"I'm looking to see those guys' numbers to go back up and us being one of the best defenses in the NFL," Merriman said. "And it's going to take a lot of work and for me, my work starts today."
Quarterback Philip Rivers was upbeat after seeing Merriman race around the field.
"He looks ready," Rivers said. "Everyone can see how he looks physically. He looks as good as he's looked since he's been here. I know he's champing at the bit to get out there. I'm sure (they'll) ease back in, but he was out there today doing some different things. He's excited and I know we're excited to have him back out there with us."
Coach Norv Turner said Merriman has been moving great. "His workouts have been outstanding," Turner said. "His strength is good. He's ready to get going."
But Turner said the team will be prudent in handling Merriman.
"We're going to monitor where Shawne is and if he needs some rest, we'll give it to him," he said. "We have time, and we'll be smart about how we get him ready."
He hinted Merriman will likely see action in the preseason.
"I'd expect him to play early," Turner said. "We don't have to make those decisions for a couple weeks, but when he's ready to go and we're comfortable with his health, then he'll play."
Merriman is eager to show he's still got it.
"I better get one play, man," Merriman said. "I will be furious if I don't get one play. I might not make (the tackle) but I just want to hit somebody and go to the sidelines. I expect to play a little bit. Hopefully I will be allowed to get on the field."
Bills G Levitre eager to make up for lost time
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Missing four training camp practices didn't seem like much for Andy Levitre — until the Buffalo Bills rookie guard made his debut Monday.
After holding his own in individual blocking drills against rookie defensive tackle David Lindquist, Levitre had far more difficulty handling Kyle Williams and Spencer Johnson as the two Bills veterans blew right past him.
"It wasn't the greatest day for me, but I'm planning on doing a better job tomorrow," Levitre said a day after signing a four-year contract. "Going full speed in pads was a little different for me, but I'm kind of picking up on it."
The Bills hope that happens quickly, because they're counting on the second-round draft pick out of Oregon State to start at left guard as part of a completely retooled offensive line. And with Levitre in camp, the new-look line is now missing only one piece, unsigned first-round pick Eric Wood, who's projected to start at right guard.
The Bills had no update on contract talks with Wood, who was selected 28th overall out of Louisville, or their two other unsigned rookies, defensive end Aaron Maybin (the No. 11 pick) and safety Jairus Byrd (No. 42).
Levitre said he was working out with Wood in Buffalo last week while waiting for his own contract talks to be completed.
Coach Dick Jauron hoped the remaining rookies will be signed soon, while noting it was "critically important," to have his offensive linemen in place to continue building chemistry, especially in time for Buffalo's preseason-opener against Tennessee in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 9.
"It's a very good year for us to have the extra game and extra time in training camp," Jauron said, referring to Buffalo playing an extra preseason game and opening camp a week earlier than most teams. "We can use that extra time."
The line is in flux after the Bills traded Jason Peters to Philadelphia after the two-time Pro Bowl left tackle threatened Buffalo with another offseason-long holdout. Buffalo also cut left guard Derrick Dockery, and elected not to re-sign its top two centers this offseason.
Geoff Hangartner was signed in free agency to take over at center. Langston Walker will switch from right tackle to left, and Brad Butler is moving from right guard to right tackle. Levitre and Wood are competing with veterans Kirk Chambers and Seth McKinney for the guard spots.
Levitre understood how important it was to get to training camp as soon as possible.
"To a certain point, there's probably a deadline where you've got to say, 'You know what, if I'm going to play this year, I've got to be here,'" he said. "I don't think those two days I missed will affect me too much."
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 297 pounds, he primarily played tackle in college, but saw some time at the guard position.
Hangartner said the quicker the line's working together, the better.
"It would be different if all of us had played together for three years," said Hangartner, noting he's been in regular contact with Wood. "But all of us being new around here and learning a new system and (Wood) being a rookie, ti's going to be vital to get him in as quick as possible."
Notes: Bills owner Ralph Wilson arrived at camp and addressed the team after practice. Wilson will be formally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8. ... Terrell Owens had a chance to meet Wilson for the first time, though the two spoke briefly by phone after the Bills signed the receiver in March. "It was definitely a pleasure meeting him. He's a nice guy," Owens said. "I'm looking forward to this opportunity that he's given me, and I'm just going to give it my best shot." ... The Bills practiced in full pads for the first time Monday, and hold their first of seven night practices Tuesday.
-- John Wawrow
Ravens await Mason decision and Oher's arrival
WESTMINSTER, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens started training camp Monday without their most productive wide receiver and their first-round draft pick.
Two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Derrick Mason is still contemplating whether to follow through on his plans to retire, and offensive tackle Michael Oher has yet to agree to terms on his first NFL contract.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he hasn't spoken with Mason since last week.
"I'm sure it's pretty much the same, and we'll be seeing what happens in the next few days," Harbaugh said.
The Ravens could use Mason, especially after veteran wide receiver Drew Bennett announced his retirement Sunday night. Bennett signed a one-year contract Friday, but decided to quit after his arthritic knee flared up during his tryout.
"His knee just didn't calm down, and he felt like this is going to be a problem now, and forever really, because it's arthritic," Harbaugh said. "He didn't feel like he could get through a practice, let alone a season at this level."
The Ravens plan to sign a wide receiver, perhaps as soon as this week, Harbaugh said.
As for Oher, the Ravens remain in negotiations with his agent, Jimmy Sexton. Team officials don't seem particularly concerned about the pace or tenor of the talks.
"Not too many first-round picks have signed yet, so a lot of that hinges on how that all slots out," Harbaugh said. "The agent wants to make sure he does the right thing by Michael, and we want to make sure we do the right thing by Michael, too. We want to get the best contract we can for him as soon as we can. It should happen pretty soon."
In other news, the Ravens cut tight end Quinn Sypniewski with a waived-injury designation. Sypniewski suffered a major knee injury a year ago, experienced complications from his initial surgery and underwent a follow-up procedure.
The Ravens also cut offensive guard Brian Johnson, who was on their practice squad last season.
Patriots sign second-round pick S Patrick Chung
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots signed safety Patrick Chung, their top draft pick, leaving two of their 12 choices without agreements.
Chung, out of Oregon, was one of four players drafted in the second round by the Patriots, who traded their first-round pick. He was taken with the 34th pick overall, obtained from the Kansas City Chiefs for quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel.
Details of the contract were not disclosed. The Patriots other three second-round picks signed four-year deals. They are nose tackle Ron Brace of Boston College, cornerback Darius Butler of Connecticut and offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer of Houston.
The Patriots released safety Antwain Spann, a three-year veteran.
Their only draft picks without agreements are third-rounder Tyrone McKenzie, a linebacker from South Florida, and sixth-rounder Jake Ingram, a long snapper from Hawaii. McKenzie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in rookie minicamp in May and is out for the season.
Chung started the most games of any defensive player in his school's history. His 51 consecutive starts are tied for the Oregon record for players at any position.
The Patriots hold their first full-squad training camp practices Thursday. Rookies reported Sunday.
Spann played in 19 regular-season and three postseason games for the Patriots the past three seasons.
Panthers reach terms with picks Brown, Irvin
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have reached terms with second-round pick Everette Brown and third-round choice Corvey Irvin.
The deals left the Panthers on Monday with only one unsigned rookie: second-rounder Sherrod Martin. The team reports to training camp Sunday.
Carolina created roster space by waiving defensive tackle Justin Kershaw and safety Anthony Scirrotto.
Brown agreed to a four-year, $4.3 million deal that includes nearly $2.7 million in guaranteed money. The ex-Florida State defensive end is expected to provide an immediate boost to Carolina's pass rush.
Irvin signed a four-year, $2.42 million deal that includes a $670,000 signing bonus. The Georgia product is expected to back up starting defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis.
Bills WR Johnson out indefinitely with rib injury
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson is out indefinitely with an injury to his rib cartilage.
Coach Dick Jauron said Monday that Johnson's ribs are very sore a day after the player was hurt in practice during training camp.
The injury is a setback to the second-year player, who was expected to compete for the team's fifth receiver spot. Johnson showed promise at the end of his rookie season, in which the seventh-round draft pick out of Kentucky finished with 10 catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games, including one start.
Reserve defensive end Copeland Bryan limped off the field during practice with a left hamstring injury. Jauron said it was too early to determine the severity of the injury.
No indictment for father of Donald Driver
HOUSTON — A Harris County grand jury has declined to indict the father of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, who said three Houston police officers beat him during a traffic stop.
Marvin Driver Jr. had faced being indicted for filing a false report. He said the police officers beat him while arresting him outside his mother's home in November.
The Houston Chronicle reports Assistant District Attorney Clint Greenwood said the grand jury also considered, but on Monday voted against indicting the officers for official oppression.
The three officers filed a lawsuit against Driver and community organizer Quanell X in February for defamation. Quanell X then filed a federal lawsuit accusing the officers of trying to silence criticism of police and violating his right to free speech.
A Houston Police Department investigation later cleared the officers of wrongdoing.
Court hearings on tap for former Jag Jimmy Smith
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jimmy Smith's smile, athleticism and circus catches made him a crowd favorite when he wore the teal of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Toward the end of his NFL career however, a darker picture emerged, one clouded with legal trouble stemming from drugs and alcohol. The latest chapter was an April arrest on felony drug charges.
The 40-old Smith has appearances on two court dockets this week. On Tuesday, attorneys have scheduled a hearing to dispose of 2008 misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and transportation of an open container. On Wednesday, he has a pretrial hearing on 2009 felony charges of possession of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia and driving with suspended license.
"Drugs have never been my problem; rather they were always my solution," Smith wrote on his MySpace page after his arrest. Smith noted he had entered a 90-day drug rehabilitation center in Houston.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Attempts to reach Smith through his attorney and by e-mail were unsuccessful.
Smith was arrested in late April and was freed on $11,500 bail. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped his 2009 Mercedes to check his window tint.
Troopers found six grams of crack cocaine and two grams of marijuana, a half-smoked joint and rolling papers in Smith's car.
Smith issued a statement saying he was "ashamed and humiliated."
"I realize I cannot be the husband, father, son and citizen I want to be until I overcome my addiction," he said.
Smith was also arrested in August and charged with DUI, having an open container of alcohol and possession of marijuana, all misdemeanors.
Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver and former teammates are concerned with Smith's troubles.
"This saddens me. I'm concerned about Jimmy, his family, and his welfare," Weaver said in April.
Former Jaguars linebacker and now a Jacksonville sports radio talk host Tom McManus said Smith is "a class act, who always treated me and my teammates with respect." He hopes Smith can overcome his problems.
"I feel bad. I've known people who have battled addiction before. It's so tough," McManus said.
Quarterback Mark Brunell, now with the New Orleans Saints, said he never saw any sign of drug use by Smith when they were Jacksonville teammates.
"Clearly Jimmy's made some poor decisions," said Brunell. "He's got a wonderful family, but it's a critical time where he needs to get help and I think he's recognized that he needs help and hopefully he'll make the right decisions from the point on and do things that are going to help not only him but his family."
The man called "J-Smooth" has had his share of adversity.
The former Jackson State star he broke his leg in his rookie NFL season and had an appendectomy with complications the next year.
Smith was out of football in 1994 before the expansion Jaguars signed him in 1995.
After a traffic stop in November 2002, tests showed he had cocaine in his system. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2003 season, although criminal charges were dropped.
The popular receiver retired in 2005. He ranks among the NFL's all-time leading receivers with 862 catches for 12,287. Since retiring, Smith has run Jimmy Smith Athletics to mentor young athletes and teach them the fundamentals of football and basketball.
-- Ron Word
