NFL Capsules: Lockout losers: rookies and new coaches
NEW YORK (AP) — Blaine Gabbert shrugs when asked about the good fortune of actually having a Jaguars playbook in his possession.
The first-round draft choice from Missouri took advantage of a one-day, court-ordered window in the NFL's lockout of the players to visit with Jacksonville's coaching staff. He also was given the equivalent of a pro football bible, and immediately began studying the playbook, even if he couldn't put it to use on a field.
"It's great to have it and I've already gotten into it a lot," Gabbert said soon after going 10th overall in the draft. "But I don't have any teammates right now to run through the plays with."
With minicamps and offseason workouts normally occurring in early and mid-May, Gabbert and his fellow rookies are among the most obvious losers as the lockout heads toward a third month.
"If this goes into June," 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon said, "I've had coordinators tell me you could pretty much write off the first year for these rookies.
"The coaches want to install as much as they can in minicamps, see what the new players can retain, then have them come back for other minicamps and offseason workouts, so by the time they get to training camps, they have seen what they need to do a few times.
"If the first time they do any of that is in training camp, that's not going to get it done."
In federal court papers filed Monday, the league argued the situation would be even more damaging and chaotic if the lockout was lifted without a new collective bargaining agreement. NFL attorneys predicted the better-off teams would sign a disproportionate number of the best players, wrecking the league's competitive balance.
All this time off isn't doing much good, either.
Among the teams at the biggest disadvantage are those with new coaching staffs: the 49ers, Panthers and Broncos, although at least Denver's new head coach, John Fox, brings plenty of experience — and victories — from Carolina.
Jim Harbaugh has been coaching, quite successfully, at Stanford and now is in San Francisco, where he's barely gotten to know some of his players. Ron Rivera, a longtime defensive coordinator elsewhere, now is in Charlotte, taking over the NFL's worst team.
Both could use lengthy, in-depth discussions with their players, and long looks on the practice field at them. Not happening.
"This is just a critical time, and the longer this goes on, the more it benefits teams like Green Bay and New England," said Gannon, who hosts a show on Sirius NFL Radio and also is an analyst for CBS. "Those teams with of continuity with the coaching staff and quarterback position and coordinators.
"But teams have to be sweating bullets. This is valuable time. Some of these young teams are going through so much change and they could be utilizing it and they are not allowed."
At least the Vikings (Leslie Frazier) and Cowboys (Jason Garrett) played a few games when their current coaches were serving in an interim capacity last season. Oakland's Hue Jackson was the team's offensive coordinator in 2010, and Mike Munchak has been with the Titans for 14 seasons. While Pat Shurmur is new in Cleveland, Browns president Mike Holmgren took over last year and knows his way around the West Coast offense Shurmur will install — whenever he gets the chance.
Some players have been doing their part to remain familiar with their team's systems, holding informal workouts away from club facilities. But without minicamps and OTAs, they can't emulate the pace of even an NFL practice.
They can only do so much.
"It's a good head start for guys," said Browns tight end Evan Moore, who joined several teammates in Austin, Texas, to work with quarterback Colt McCoy. "Who knows if we will have any kind of offseason at all? If we have to head to training camp, you need to have a good feel for the little things you need to know. And the coaches will appreciate it, too, that guys are prepared."
How prepared, though? Not nearly enough for a Gabbert to have a quick impact in Jacksonville. Or for top overall selection Cam Newton to move smoothly into Carolina's lineup. Or for Jake Locker in Tennessee, Christian Ponder in Minnesota, Andy Dalton in Cincinnati or Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco — all taken in the first 36 picks — to be much of a factor in 2011, Gannon says.
"You've got to say to yourself, these guys have got no chance this season," Gannon said. "I feel bad for Cam Newton, who has a lot to learn as it is, and he does not have the benefit of quarterbacks school or minicamps or OTAs or getting in with his offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, and asking questions.
"It's a really bad environment for those guys. They're really losing in this thing."
Bush stirs up fans with lockout posts on Twitter
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Reggie Bush insists he was only joking when he stirred up fans with posts on his Twitter account about enjoying free time during the NFL lockout.
Bush drew critical responses from a number of his nearly 1.7 million Twitter followers when he posted: "Everybody complaining about the lockout! Shoot I'm making the most of it! Vacation, rest, relaxing, appearances here and there! I'm good!"
Bush then added in a second post moments later: "Right about now we would be slaving in 100 degree heat, practicing twice a day, while putting our bodies at risk for nothing."
The timing of the posts heightened criticism of Bush because the flashy running back has been absent from workouts organized by quarterback Drew Brees, which have drawn several dozen Saints players to Tulane's football facilities.
Brees said he organized the workouts to promote team unity and give the Saints a competitive advantage when NFL labor strife eventually ends, but did not begrudge anyone who chose to continue working out on their own.
After some of Bush's fans were less forgiving, Bush posted another message that read: "FYI last tweet was a joke! Relax people damn it's called sense of humor! Cry me a river why don't you..."
The Twitter exchange marked the second time Bush had made waves with a post since the NFL draft. Shortly after the Saints made a first-round trade to draft Alabama running back and former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, Bush tweeted: "It's been fun New Orleans," before later posting another message welcoming Ingram to the team.
All of the posts have come at a time when Bush's future with the Saints is unclear. Bush is heading into the final season of a contract worth about $11.8 million for 2011, and the Saints expect him to take a pay cut this season.
Bush initially expressed a willingness to negotiate with New Orleans in the days after the Saints were eliminated from last season's playoffs. However, he has not addressed the matter publicly in recent months, other than in his Twitter post during the draft in which he hinted he felt his time in New Orleans was up.
Bush's comments could end up being fodder for the league during the lockout. Attorneys on both sides of the fight have routinely used comments from the other side in their arguments.
On May 2 the NFL cited Pro Bowl players Ray Lewis and Wes Walker in suggesting some players were all too happy to have the extra time off.
Welker said recently at a youth football camp, "Let's do a lockout every year," according to the NFL's filing, a statement he preceded with an in-all-seriousness assessment of the unscheduled respite forced by the lockout.
Said Lewis after an autograph signing, according to the league: "To me, this is probably the greatest window of opportunity I've ever had in my life. It's been 25 years of my life that I've never had a summer to myself."
Mawae still optimistic there will be football
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kevin Mawae believes there will be football in 2011. He just doesn't know when. Speaking in front of nearly 100 Music City business and civic leaders Tuesday, the president of the decertified NFL Players Association and former Tennessee Titans center tried to stay optimistic when talking about the collective bargaining agreement.
"We sit here at a time of uncertainty and say, 'When will football be played?'" Mawae told members of the Exchange Club of Nashville in a rare public appearance since negotiations stalled. "My answer to you as fans is I don't know. My hope to you as the players association president is that I believe that we will play in 2011 but under what system I do not know."
Mawae painted a picture of labor negotiations shut down by the actions of owners, who locked out players and refused to share vital information that could help solve the stalemate. He said initial player proposals on key issues such as a rookie contract structure, health benefits for retired players and discussions on the length of the season "went one way and never came back."
"We had to wait three or four months before we even got a one-page response from the ownership," Mawae said. "Now granted, you are saying, 'You are the NFL players' guy. You are giving me one side of the story.' And I wish that were true. I am telling you exactly how things played out because I sat in those meetings, those negotiations."
A judge briefly lifted the owners' lockout of players two weeks ago, but a federal appeals court issued a temporary stay, again barring players from team facilities and activities. Meanwhile, players on several teams, including the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, are gathering for informal workouts, preparing for a season that may not come.
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear the case on June 3. Mawae believes the NFLPA has a strong argument.
Team News
Twin Cities suburb pitches new Vikings stadium
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (AP) — The owners of the Minnesota Vikings said Tuesday the team's future is in the suburbs, announcing a deal with Ramsey County to collaborate on a $1.1 billion retractable-roof football stadium about 10 miles north of their current home at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.
The deal between the Vikings and Ramsey County, announced to great fanfare at a news conference near the site, appeared to end the debate over the location of the team's long-sought stadium — at least from the Vikings' perspective. But the team and its supporters still face a tough fight for approval in the dwindling days of Minnesota's legislative session.
The Vikings and Ramsey County proposed a stadium at the site of a former Army ammunition plant in the suburban city of Arden Hills. They said they want to build an $884 million stadium, with an additional $173 million for onsite infrastructure, parking and environmental cleanup, for a stadium that would open in spring 2015.
The Vikings would pay $407 million of construction costs, or 39 percent, while Ramsey County would pay $350 million, which is 33 percent. But the necessary third leg of the funding, a proposed $300 million from the state of Minnesota plus an additional $100 million in transportation improvements to the area, was in question after a key state lawmaker called that total tab a "non-starter."
Sen. Julie Rosen, the chief Senate sponsor of the bill, said there was no way she could get colleagues in the Legislature to support a state commitment higher than $300 million. She also pointed out state estimates released earlier Tuesday pegged the transportation upgrades to cost at least $175 million.
"There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out with the Ramsey County site," said Rosen, a Republican from Fairmont. A proposal released a day earlier by Minneapolis city leaders to keep the team downtown is "still definitely on the table," she said.
Still, the tone was triumphant as Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, Ramsey County and Arden Hills officials and Vikings greats, including former coach Bud Grant and retired player Jim Marshall, rolled out the new proposal.
"We're going to create a Vikings destination in Arden Hills," Zygi Wilf said, saying the size of the 2,400-acre site offers plenty of room for tailgating — a longtime fan complaint about the confined Metrodome site — as well as a Vikings museum. He called the envisioned stadium "a daylong experience for Vikings fans, their families and friends."
"It's almost like fate has saved this spot for the Vikings," said Grant, who led the team to four Super Bowls in the 1960s and '70s. "We're going to take advantage of this, and bring on Green Bay."
The added acreage in Arden Hills also offers the Wilfs, who made their fortune in real estate development, the chance to eventually add restaurants, hotels and other amenities.
The proposal would give local leaders the chance to spiff up what Commissioner Rafael Ortega said is currently the largest Superfund site in the nation.
"For Ramsey County, this chance is once in a lifetime," Ortega said. His colleague, Commissioner Tony Bennett, touted what he said would be 7,500 construction jobs during the three-year construction period. The county share would come from a half-cent Ramsey County sales tax increase, and Bennett said he'd already lined up the necessary votes on the county board.
The county commissioners said it was fair for the state to also pay for the nearby road improvements. But state Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel said earlier in the day that his agency doesn't consider fixing those roads a priority for at least the next few years.
The Vikings have been pressing for a new stadium for years, but the team's push took on new urgency after the Metrodome roof collapsed under the weight of a December snowstorm and as the team plays out the final season on its lease. It is one of four NFL franchises thought to be possibilities to relocate to the vacant Los Angeles market.
The stadium discussion had been largely put off at the Capitol as legislators struggle to resolve a $5 billion state deficit. It picked up speed last week, with Dayton saying he had met privately with the Wilfs and that he was ready to sign a stadium bill.
Rosen's bill calls for the state to raise its share with a 10 percent state sales tax on sports memorabilia, a sales tax on luxury seats at the new stadium and on digital video recorders, and proceeds from stadium naming rights and a football-themed state lottery game.
"The vast majority of Ramsey County legislators don't support it," said Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville. "They're smoking up the wrong pipe. The public is not for this if you poll them, and if they are they want it to be as cheap as possible."
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dave Thompson, a Republican from Lakeville, said a stadium that relies on new taxes "in no way" helps average households with their finances.
Dayton has said he would be willing to support either site, but like Rosen he said Tuesday he wouldn't support the state share exceeding $300 million.
-- Patrick Condon
Packers launch tailgate tour despite lockout
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — With the NFL lockout in full swing, three Green Bay Packers players and the team's president will spend the next five days sharing a bus that will cover more than 700 miles as it crisscrosses Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Did somebody say awkward?
Guard Josh Sitton, linebacker Desmond Bishop and backup quarterback Matt Flynn are traveling in close quarters with president and CEO Mark Murphy on the team's sixth annual Tailgate Tour, which left from Lambeau Field on Tuesday morning. All four insisted that the ride won't be a bumpy one because of the labor strife and court fight battle between team owners and the players.
"I don't think it will be awkward at all," said Murphy, who was a union representative as a player with the Washington Redskins and is now a member of the owners' negotiating committee. "I miss the players, and to spend some time with them will be great. I'm sure we'll have some discussions about the current labor situation, but I think everybody realizes it's kind of above us all."
Murphy made no attempt to hide his intention to talk about the labor situation with the players. The lockout has been in place since March 11 except for several confusing days when it was lifted by a federal judge in a decision that has since been put on hold.
"I'm going to interact with the players. We'll have a good, open discussion," Murphy said. "Obviously with my background having been a player, having worked for the union and been a player rep, I can talk a lot about the issues. So I'm looking forward to it."
Added Bishop: "I'm sure it'll come up with Mark Murphy on the bus. We can't talk about too much, but I'm sure it'll come up. Everybody's talking about it — the entire world is talking about it. So I'm sure it'll come up."
Coach Mike McCarthy, general manager Ted Thompson and several other members of the football staff saw the bus off. McCarthy and Thompson shook hands and chatted briefly with the players, with whom they've had virtually no contact since the lockout began.
"That was a little awkward. I haven't seen 'em since the Super Bowl," said Sitton, whose position coach, offensive line coach James Campen, also came out to see the bus off. "We haven't talked for 50-some days now, so I didn't know the protocol. It was a little weird, but it's all good."
While coaches and front-office staff are banned from having contact with players, there is an exception for charitable events such as the tour.
The group planned its initial stop for Marquette, Mich., on Tuesday followed by visits to three Wisconsin cities — Ashland on Wednesday, Eau Claire on Thursday and Wausau on Friday — before returning to Green Bay on Saturday. Community events are planned at each stop, with ticket sales benefiting a previously selected charity.
"It's not going to be weird," Flynn said. "This week is for the right reasons and a good cause. That's why we came up here."
Player News
QB Ryan leads Falcons' workout during lockout
BUFORD, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan says he doesn't mind working as a player and a coach during the NFL lockout. Such is life when players are not allowed to report to work and can't talk to their bosses.
But the lockout hasn't kept Ryan from trying to bring his teammates together. He gathered about 30 players for 7-on-7 drills — offense vs. defense — in a scripted session Tuesday on an immaculate practice field at Buford High School, 15 minutes south of the Falcons' training complex.
"This is just something to keep us sharp," Ryan said. "We've all been doing it long enough to understand what's beneficial. You kind of put on your coaching hat and work on some things you want to work on."
It was the Falcons' first time together on a field since losing to Green Bay in the playoffs.
Atlanta draft pick Julio Jones, taken No. 6 overall, has attended some of the passing sessions Ryan has held with Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White. Neither receiver came Tuesday.
Falcons backup quarterback John Parker Wilson indicated that Jones still isn't running at full speed. The former Alabama standout had a foot stress fracture discovered in February, but he still ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds a couple days later at the NFL combine.
Jones underwent surgery in Tuscaloosa when he returned from the combine.
"He looks skinnier on TV than he is in person," Ryan said of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Jones. "When I first met him, he was enormous. I was like, 'This guy is a monster.' But he's smart, intelligent and we talked about some offensive football.
"I think he'll be really good in our system."
Michael Jenkins, the incumbent starting receiver opposite White, knows he will have to work hard to keep Jones from taking his job.
"You knew at some point we were going to get another receiver with a high pick," Jenkins said. "It's all about the business, and you know how it is. Added competition makes everybody better."
Wilson, who played with Jones at Alabama when the Crimson Tide went 12-2 in 2008, believes Atlanta fans shouldn't worry about Jones' health.
"He's gotten a lot bigger, and it looks like he's gotten a lot stronger," Wilson said. "He was catching balls the other day, and his reach is still so amazing. It's pretty sweet. He couldn't run. He's still working on his foot from when he messed that up, but he looks good. He looks really good."
Without White, Jones or tight end Tony Gonzalez present, Ryan threw passes to Jenkins, Harry Douglas, Brian Finneran and others. Fullback Ovie Mughelli was on the field, too.
Defensively, five starters — cornerback Brent Grimes, safety Thomas DeCoud and linebackers Curtis Lofton, Sean Weatherspoon and Mike Peterson — ran the coverages. Lofton is still half-speed as he recovers from two arthroscopic surgeries on the same knee, but he still made some calls before Ryan took the snap.
Lofton also attends some of the four-day-a-week conditioning sessions hosted by Falcons linebacker Coy Wire in nearby Cumming.
"It's good to have players out here doing this because nobody has to be out here right now," Lofton said. "It says a lot about this team. We've got something special going on here. We've just to keep working hard and hopefully get to a championship some day."
During brief time when the NFL lockout was lifted, Ryan spoke on the phone with coach Mike Smith, coordinator Mike Mularkey and new position coach Bob Bratkowski to help the quarterback map out some practice sessions with no official team supervision.
"We've got the same offense coming back," Ryan said. "We've got a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball out here, so the calls are going to be the same. We just need to polish some things up and get a little bit of work in together. Fortunately enough, we've got a lot of guys who live here during the offseason and that's not the case in every organization, so I think that helps."
-- George Henry
Manning and eight Giants players start Week 2 of passing camp
HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) — Being a free agent, Michael Clayton isn't overly concerned about taking part in Eli Manning's lockout passing camp without a shred of injury insurance.
Quite the contrary. The 28-year-old who spent part of last season in the UFL before joining the New York Giants sees the 90-minute sessions as an opportunity to get a jump on things once the NFL and its players reach agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Call it an edge, something Clayton probably will need to make the Giants (10-6) if there is a season. Clayton has been a constant at the passing camp arranged by Manning at Hoboken High School. Nine players attended Tuesday's workout, the first this week and the fourth overall since the lockout was reinstated by a federal appeals court ruling on April 29.
"I don't take anything for granted," Clayton said. "I just focus on the task at hand. When it (football) comes back, hopefully we'll all be ready for it."
Despite having no defenders to compete against, Clayton said the workouts are valuable. The patterns being run are the same ones the players would use in offseason optional team activity. It also gives him more repetitions than he would get if the entire team was assembled.
Working with Manning is another plus. During a normal camp, Manning would be throwing balls to Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. Clayton would be lucky to get one from the 2008 Super Bowl MVP.
There are frustrations, though, the primary one being the uncertainty about the upcoming season.
"It is a little bit scary," Clayton said. "This is our livelihood. Not just for the players, but for many people. Yeah, football players, but also stadium workers and people who get involved with the games."
Clayton has not taken out any insurance to cover himself in the event he is hurt during the passing camp, noting his insurance is being provided "by the man upstairs." His health insurance and that for his wife and three children comes from a COBRA policy.
The hardest thing now is being patient with the negotiations being handled by the players' legal team.
A first-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2004, Clayton said the owners have an agenda and "they are going for it."
"Everybody is going to suffer," Clayton said. "They have the power. This is a league created by them, so at the end of the day you have to respect what they do, and you have to respect that we are trying to defend ourselves. It's a battle and, unfortunately, a lot of people are affected.
"At the end of the day, I think that the powers that be will never let this game go away," he added. "Whether it's (the season) late or whether it's delayed, it's going to come back, and when it does, the world will be more excited about football than it was before it left."
Clayton and Manning were joined at the passing camp by backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels; tight end Kevin Boss; receivers Darius Reynaud, Duke Calhoun, Samuel Giguere and Victor Cruz; and offensive tackle David Diehl, the 311-pounder who surprised many with his pass-catching ability.
"I'll tell you what, Diehl has some pretty smooth hands," Cruz said. "For a big guy, he has smooth hands and smooth feet. I won't want him to be a tight end. I'll keep him at tackle."
Cruz, who is coming off a hamstring injury, said Manning's tutelage has been huge.
"He let's me know not only where to be on certain routes but where he's looking to put the ball, and the depth of the routes," said Cruz, who lives only 10 minutes from the high school in a trendy town across the Hudson River from New York City. "It's coming along. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the playbook and our offense."
Cruz also isn't worried about being hurt in the passing camp, noting he is young enough to still be covered under his mother's insurance policy. His approach to the lockout is to remain positive.
"The fan in me tells me it's too much money involved for this not to get done," Cruz said. "The athlete in me prays that something gets done because I want to get back out there. I want to test the field. I haven't had a helmet on my head in months. I'm just dying to get that back on. Hopefully this comes to an end and we can get out there and play some football again."
-- Tom Canavan
Eight-time All-Pro OG Faneca announces retirement
PHOENIX (AP) — Alan Faneca made no secret in the final weeks of the 2010 season that it could well be his last in the rugged trenches of the NFL. On Tuesday, the eight-time All-Pro guard announced his retirement after 13 years in the league.
"From the dog days of training camp to winning a Super Bowl the memories are endless," Faneca said in a statement released through his agent Rick Smith. "The greatest memory that I will leave the game with is all of the lifelong friendships I have made."
The former Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets standout played last season with the Arizona Cardinals. Faneca started every game for his last nine seasons and finished with a streak of 144 consecutive games played.
"It's incredible considering the brutality of the position he's played, especially with as much pulling as he's done in his career," said Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was on the Steelers coaching staff for six of Faneca's seasons there.
Faneca was named All-Pro from 2001 through 2008 and was a Pro Bowl starter from 2001 through 2009. Whisenhunt believes it's a no-brainer that Faneca will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"For some time I think he's been recognized as one of the best to play that position — ever," Whisenhunt said.
The coach said he hoped the Cardinals would "get one more year" from Faneca but Whisenhunt respects the decision the player made.
In his statement, Faneca thanked everyone — coaches, front office personnel, even beat writers who covered his teams.
"These guys work hard and always treated me with respect," he said. "I want to also thank the fans. The roar of the crowd kept me going more than the fans will ever know."
The 34-year-old lineman was the Steelers' first-round draft pick out of LSU in 1998. He played 10 seasons with Pittsburgh before signing a five-year, $40 million contract with the Jets in 2008, which would have made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history had he played its entire length.
But New York released him in a salary dump following the 2009 season, and Faneca signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Cardinals, reuniting him with his former Pittsburgh line coach, Hall of Famer Russ Grimm.
Faneca had said late last season that he was seriously contemplating retirement but would take some time before making his decision. In an interview Tuesday on SiriusXM radio, he said he told the Cardinals a month ago he was "pretty much going to retire."
"I really made my mind up about a month ago and was just kind of keeping my mouth shut for the Cardinals organization and giving them a chance," Faneca said.
He was the 26th overall pick in the 1998 draft and started 12 games as a Pittsburgh rookie. By the time he was finished, Faneca appeared in 206 regular-season games, 201 as a starter. In addition, he played in and started 14 playoff games, four in the Steelers' Super Bowl championship season of 2005.
"It is time to move on to the next chapter in my life," Faneca said. "I can't wait to spend more time with my family. Playing in this league for as long as I did takes sacrifice, not only by me, but by each of them."
Faneca may not have been re-signed by Arizona anyway, but now that isn't even an option. His departure leaves a vacancy at left guard. Meanwhile, right guard Deuce Lutui and center Lyle Sendlein have expiring contracts. The Cardinals did not address those positions in the draft but say they plan to do so when the NFL labor dispute is settled and free agent signings are allowed.
-- Bob Baum
Ravens' Kindle pleads guilty to DWI, no jail time
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle pleaded guilty to drunken driving on Tuesday, apologized to a judge and avoided jail time.
Prosecutors recommended that Kindle get 30 days in jail. Instead, Howard County District Court Judge Neil Edward Axel sentenced the 23-year-old Kindle to two years of unsupervised probation, suspended all but five days of a year in jail, and waived a $1,000 fine. He was ordered to abstain from alcohol and attend self-help sessions on a weekly basis.
Kindle was given credit for five days served last week in a Maryland treatment facility, so he won't have to serve jail time. He had entered the treatment facility voluntarily.
Kindle declined interview requests after the hearing, but spoke briefly in court.
"I apologize and am remorseful for my actions," he told the judge.
Axel noted the 2010 second-round draft pick out of Texas had voluntarily sought help at his own expense since his arrest last December.
Defense lawyer Warren Alperstein said Kindle was delighted with the sentence.
"He is eager to put this behind him, but certainly recognizes the need to continue to address the issues that caused him to be here today," Alperstein said.
Kindle missed his entire rookie season with a fractured skull suffered when he fell down two flights of stairs last July, days before training camp.
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome recently expressed optimism Kindle eventually will play football again.
"Well, Sergio has made a lot of progress from the time he fell down the stairs," Newsome said during a conference call with season ticket holders. "Right now, it's still in medical hands. We are very optimistic that there may be an opportunity for him to get back on the field. When will that happen? We're not sure."
State's Attorney Dario Broccolino expressed disappointment with the sentence, noting Kindle's high blood alcohol content of 0.17 and a 2007 drunken driving conviction in Texas. He is classified under the NFL's substance-abuse policy as a Stage II offender.
"A second-time offender should have some more serious sanctions imposed on him," Broccolino said. "I don't care if he's a football player or a Redskin or a Raven. I'm disappointed that the judge's sentence didn't follow our recommendation."
Kindle was pulled over by police in December and issued citations for driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to obey traffic control devices and speeding. Kindle said he was driving a friend to the airport.
In a separate incident, he crashed his car into an apartment building when he was admittedly texting while driving. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Kindle was signed to a one-year, $320,000 contract for the rookie minimum last fall that included no signing bonus. He was retained as an exclusive-rights free agent for next season.
Haynesworth enters not guilty plea to sex abuse
WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth did not grope a waitress at a hotel bar and intends to fight the accusations, his lawyer said Tuesday in entering a not guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of sexual abuse.
Haynesworth, who was not at his arraignment in D.C. Superior Court, is accused of sliding his credit card into the bra of a waitress and touching her breast during a birthday party at a Washington hotel in February. His lawyer said after the hearing that the accusation was false and that Haynesworth would defend himself at a trial set for July 11.
"The government's version of what happened at the W Hotel a few months back is very different from our version — and we've got witnesses," said defense lawyer A. Scott Bolden, who said his client was currently out of town. "The one thing I can tell you is my client didn't do what he's accused of doing."
Bolden said he believed the accusation was trumped up because of Haynesworth's celebrity status and wealth. Prosecutors last month offered a plea deal in which the sexual abuse charge would be dropped in exchange for Haynesworth pleading guilty to simple assault. But Bolden rejected that offer in court Tuesday. The sexual abuse charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Haynesworth, 29, has had a tumultuous recent run with the Redskins.
Haynesworth, who last season was in the second year of a seven-year, $100 million contract, was suspended without pay for the final four games of 2010 for "conduct detrimental to the club" and feuded regularly with coach Mike Shanahan. He also skipped offseason workouts and failed to pass a conditioning test at the start of training camp.
In January, one month before the sexual abuse accusation was made, Haynesworth was accused of road rage in Fairfax County, Va., by a man who claimed he was tailgated and then assaulted by the All-Pro defensive tackle. Haynesworth is awaiting a trial in that case. Haynesworth's agent has said his client is innocent.
-- Eric Tucker
Atlanta's Lofton: Lockout hurts QB Cam Newton
BUFORD, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton says the NFL lockout offers no benefits for Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton, who led Auburn to the 2010 national championship, was the league's No. 1 draft pick last month. The Panthers and Falcons play twice a year as NFC South rivals.
Lofton says the Panthers are "going to have to cut the playbook down" for Newton. Lofton says as a defensive guy, he says the lockout "gives us the advantage, but he's going to bring a lot of athleticism to Carolina's offense."
Atlanta went 13-3 last season and earned the NFC's No. 1 seed before losing to Green Bay in the playoffs. Carolina finished 2-14 and has a new head coach in Ron Rivera, a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski and a new quarterbacks coach in Mike Shula.
-- George Henry
Bengals WR to try bull riding
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Chad Ochocinco now is going to try bull riding. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver who earlier this year had a tryout with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, has accepted a challenge from Professional Bull Riders chief operating officer Sean Gleason to ride a bull at the LucasOil Invitational this weekend in Duluth.
Ochocinco will earn $10,000 if he rides a bull. If he can stay aboard for the required eight seconds, the PBR will give Ochocinco a new Ford F-150, as well as allow him to rename the bull.
Gleason says Ochocinco is "a gifted athlete, but bull riding is a much different sport and climbing on the back of a bull in the chutes takes a little more than Twitter confidence, let alone calling for the gate (to open)."
Other Football News
Two Canadian college players suspended for doping
OTTAWA (AP) — Two players on Canada's college football champion have been suspended two years for doping. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport said Tuesday that Laval University linebacker Michael Abraham and offensive lineman Steve Vachon tested positive for steroids.
Laval beat the Calgary Dinos 29-2 this past season in the Vanier Cup, Canada's college championship. Abraham's violation was found during a doping control test of 33 Laval players on Feb. 7. Vachon's came from a March 6 test of 26 players during spring training in Florida.
They waived their rights to hearings.
Laval head coach Glen Constantin said in a statement that "our football program categorically opposes the use of banned substances by our players."
Elsewhere
Ex-Raiders player Smith pleads not guilty to murder charge
LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) — Former Oakland Raider Anthony Wayne Smith has pleaded not guilty to murder in the 2008 beating and shooting death of a man in northern Los Angeles County.
The 43-year-old Smith, who played defensive end for the Raiders in Los Angeles and Oakland from 1991 to 1998, entered the plea Tuesday. He is one of three men charged in the killing of 31-year-old Maurilio Ponce, who was beaten and shot several times in Lancaster before his body was dumped near a poppy field.
Two defendants who are facing the same charge — 41-year-old Charles Eric Honest and 32-year-old Dewann Wesley White — also pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. All three are due to appear at a May 19 preliminary hearing. Smith was ordered held on $1 million bail.
