NFL Capsules: Saints celebrate title again with ring ceremony

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Apparently, a diamond encrusted fleur-de-lis is a Saints player’s best friend.

“It’s pretty incredible,” Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees said of his new championship ring, which team members received at a ceremony on Wednesday night. “In fact, I think it’s absolutely perfect because nothing was left out on that ring as far as the symbols of our season.”

The yellow-gold ring features a felur-de-lis — the symbol of both the team and New Orleans — on the top, and the ring holds a total of 44 diamonds to commemorate the 44th Super Bowl, which New Orleans won over Indianapolis in Miami on Feb. 7.

On one side of the ring is a carved image of the triple-spired St. Louis Cathedral, the Louisiana Superdome, a scene from the Saints’ championship parade and the first few musical notes of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

On the other side is the final score of the title game (Saints 31, Colts 17) along with the date and location of the first Super Bowl in which the now 44-year-old franchise played.

Players, coaches, executives and other staff entered the historic downtown Roosevelt Hotel on a red carpet while fans cheered and called out players’ names from behind a barricade.

Several players who were released or signed elsewhere after last season such as Philadelphia running back Mike Bell and free agent defensive end Charles Grant, returned to New Orleans for the ceremony. Scott Fujita, who left as a free agent for Cleveland, also returned. Deuce McAllister, who was released after the 2008 season but brought back in a ceremonial role just before New Orleans’ first playoff game last January, was there as well.

Arriving with McAllister was Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who has skipped a recent minicamp and offseason training sessions over a contract dispute.

Even the scene of the ceremony was symbolic. The ornate hotel, where the New England Patriots stayed during their first Super Bowl triumph in 2002, closed after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. It reopened after an extensive multi-million-dollar renovation in 2009, the same season the Saints won their first title. Across the street is the still-dormant New Orleans Orpheum Theater, a nearly century-old triple-deck musical hall that once housed the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The boarded-up entrance and faded posters from the symphony’s 2004-05 performance schedule were a reminder of that not all of New Orleans is back, and that more work remains, just as a new season approaches for the defending champions.

Brees said the ring’s design “symbolizes not just this year but the culmination of four years of ups and downs and a lot of hard work and a lot of struggle.”

After the private ceremony, several players approached the barricades and held out their hands so fans — many wearing Saints jerseys and screaming, “Who Dat!” — could take photos.

“We found a way to become world champions. It was never about one person. It was never even just about our team,” Brees said. “It was about a city and a community and the way we were all able to band together and this (ring) is, I guess, the fruit of our labor. We’ll always have those memories with us, but the ring is the tangible symbol that says it all.”

Bush pledges to help USC fight NCAA sanctions

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Though Reggie Bush admitted no wrongdoing he did express regret on Wednesday over his involvement in an NCAA probe that resulted in major sanctions for Southern California’s football program.

“This thing, regarding USC and the NCAA, is the closest thing to death without dying because I have such a great love and respect for the university,” Bush said. “This has been one the toughest things I’ve had to deal with in my life.”

Speaking publicly about the NCAA report for the first time since its release last week, Bush would not address the specific allegations of wrongdoing. Rather, he pledged to support USC however he could in an appeal of the sanctions.

“I believe that there’s a lot of untold truth to this matter, there’s a lot of fabricated lies to this matter, but it is what it is and I can’t sit here and cry about it. I can’t sit here and make up excuses,” Bush said. “Ultimately, it’s a responsibility that’s placed on USC and my shoulders. It’s because of me. So all I can do is continue to try to help them and move forward with the situation.

“God works in mysterious ways and at the end of the day I think this, too, shall pass and hopefully we can grow stronger from this.”

The NCAA report, released June 10, concluded that Bush and his family accepted improper benefits from marketing agents while he was playing for USC. The NCAA ruled that USC would have to vacate victories from late 2004 through the 2005 season, a period that included the Trojans’ national title win over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in January 2005.

USC also was penalized with a two-year bowl ban and a loss of 30 scholarships over a three-year period.

It is not yet clear whether Bush will lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy. Bush said he’s not worried about what further punishment or embarrassment may await him, but he is concerned about current USC players who may be deprived of scholarships or miss out on postseason play.

“Obviously, with the current penalty, it sucks because the kids there now have to deal with that and you never want to be in the position where you’ve affected a kid’s career or the future of a high school player who has a dream to go to USC,” Bush said. “That’s not a good feeling. Obviously, like I said earlier, we’re going to do everything we can with the appeal and we feel strongly about winning the appeal.”

The report has no bearing on the 25-year-old Bush’s pro career with the Super Bowl champion Saints.

While Bush spoke, his former marketing agent, Mike Ornstein, stood nearby, listening intently. Ornstein, who is now a Saints consultant, said afterward he had “absolutely no comment about any of this.”

While the probe resulted in large part from a lawsuit filed by would-be marking agents who were upset that they never wound up representing Bush, Ornstein, who did succeed in landing Bush as a client during the football star’s first couple pro seasons, also had been accused of providing improper benefits to Bush while he was still at USC.

Bush said he regretted “that this situation has occurred and was brought on USC because of me ... and my name is dragged through this, their name is dragged through this, my family’s name is dragged through this and it’s really unfortunate.”

Bush said Saints teammates have been supportive, as have his old USC teammates, even though the record may no longer show that the Trojans were national champions at the end of the 2004 season.

“My teammates have been none other than extremely supportive of me and even my teammates when I was there at USC, sending me text messages and just supporting me and having my back in this matter and that means a lot,” Bush said. “That goes a long way, because once you go through those things that we went through together, once we built the relationships and the foundation that we built together, those are things you can never take away. That’s what I look forward to the most, is just having that relationship forever with my USC family and with my current Saints family.”

When the NCAA findings were released, Bush said he had feelings similar to bringing shame on one’s father or family. Bush said he always wanted to represent his school with pride and hopes to strengthen his relationship with his former school whether the punishment stands or not.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make this right, some way, somehow, some shape or form, if its the last thing I do.”

-- Brett Martel

Payton’s books highlights Saints’ bond with fans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For Sean Payton, writing a book gave him a chance to “come clean.”

The truth is, the New Orleans Saints’ head coaching job was not the one Payton really wanted back in 2006, and he had reservations about moving his family to a city that months earlier had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“I was really trying to paint an honest picture of my first day here, rather than say when I got off the plane I fell in love with it,” Payton said Wednesday at an event to promote his first book, “Home Team.”

Having gone to high school and college in the midwest, he was a longtime admirer of the Green Bay Packers, and their opening was the one he coveted. When he was passed over by the Packers, only then did he begin to envision himself coming to New Orleans.

Slated for release to the public on June 29, the book, co-written by Ellis Henican, describes how Payton ultimately realized that being part of a rebuilding effort in a city where passion for football runs as high as anywhere gave him a sense of purpose he could not have gotten elsewhere.

“The lesson is really looking for where the opportunity is and where that opportunity finds you — and sometimes it’s not always where you think you want it to be,” Payton said. “It might not be how you planned it, but it might be a better fit because truly there’s maybe more of a need for you there.”

Payton said his book is primarily about the Saints’ unique bond with their fans, and how it has been strengthened in the four seasons since Katrina, culminating with the club’s first ever Super Bowl title last February.

Along the way, Payton recounts how he got into coaching after a playing career that was solid in college at Eastern Illinois but which floundered when he turned pro.

Payton rehashes his time with the New York Giants, where made his reputation as a top offensive assistant and went to his first Super Bowl before his relationship with then-head coach Jim Fassel soured.

Payton writes that he lost respect for Fassel when Fassel did not take the blame for ordering Payton to send in a risky pass play that resulted in an interception for a touchdown late in the first half of a game against Arizona; Payton wanted the Giants to take a knee.

“I tried to really look at that in a very honest way because that step that I took there was the most important part of my career in that it provided me a city like New York to be an offensive coordinator,” Payton said. “Jim provided all those avenues for me. ... I was just trying to delicately think about, where’s the exact truth here as I see it.”

Payton also describes his interviews with Al Davis when he was up for the Oakland Raiders’ head coaching job after the 2003 season, and what led him to turn that opportunity down and remain an assistant in Dallas under Bill Parcells for two more seasons.

The book is written in a conversational style; Payton said he wanted readers to feel “like they had five hours with me in an airport bar when our planes got delayed.”

Payton also writes about how he came to appreciate not just how much fans loved the team, but how they viewed the team’s return — and its success — as a symbol of hope.

When he recounts the boisterous crowd packing the parade route the Saints took through downtown New Orleans after winning the Super Bowl, he writes, “They were cheering for their team. They were cheering for their city. They were cheering for themselves. And we were cheering right back at them.”

-- Brett Martel

NFL, union officials meet, discuss longer season

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL and union officials discussed adding two games to the regular season when they met Wednesday for their first negotiating session since February.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Albert Haynesworth didn’t show. Teammates called him selfish. Now the Washington Redskins want their money back.

The Redskins are going to see if they can recoup all or part of a $21 million bonus from the disgruntled two-time All Pro defensive tackle, an official within the league with knowledge of the deliberations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The team decided to take the action after Haynesworth failed to report for a mandatory two-day minicamp.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because coach Mike Shanahan declined to make the team’s plans public. But the coach and players had plenty else to say about a player who has collected huge sums of money from the Redskins but has decided he doesn’t want to play for them because he doesn’t like the new defense.

“Albert made a very selfish decision,” said linebacker London Fletcher, the team’s most respected veteran. “When you decide to play a team sport, you have to look at it and think about everybody involved in the situation. This is not golf, tennis, things like that, where it’s an all-about-you sport. What he’s decided to do is make a decision based on all-about-him.”

Fletcher and others went further, painting a portrait of a player who has been self-centered since the day he joined the Redskins.

“It’s no different than his attitude and approach to last year’s defense,” Fletcher said, “about wanting everything to revolve around him and him making plays. And if it didn’t benefit him, he wasn’t really willing to do it.”

Shanahan also revealed that Haynesworth earlier this year was given the option of freedom or money — and chose money. The coach said he told Haynesworth in February that the Redskins would agree to release him and let him go to another team — in exchange for not paying him the $21 million bonus due April 1.

“Obviously, he took the check,” Shanahan said, “so I was surprised he wasn’t here today. ... Don’t take our check and then say that, hey, you don’t want to be part of our organization.”

The Redskins can fine Haynesworth up to $9,442 for missing the minicamp practice, hardly a dent in the money he’s collected from the team for one season’s worth of work. He been paid $32 million of the $41 million guaranteed in the seven-year, $100 million contract he signed as a free agent last year.

Coincidentally, Haynesworth missed a practice that lasted all of 15 minutes, with the players stretching and running 10 100-yard dashes before a thunderstorm cut the session short. The minicamp wraps up Thursday.

Shanahan’s options are limited. He could release Haynesworth, try to trade him, look through the nooks and crannies of contract legalese to see if there’s a way to get some of the bonus money back, or keep him on the roster and force another showdown when training camp opens July 29.

A full-fledged attempt to recoup the bonus would likely turn into a drawn-out process that would certainly be challenged by the NFL players’ union. The Redskins will look for certain language in Haynesworth’s contract to make their case.

“We’ll make some decisions here shortly,” Shanahan said, without being specific.

Having pocketed his money, Haynesworth simply wants out of Washington. He is unhappy that the Redskins are switching to a 3-4 defense and prefers a scheme that would allow him the type of freedom he had during his seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Hoping for a trade, he did not participate in the team’s offseason conditioning program and skipped two voluntary minicamps.

Haynesworth’s agent, Chad Speck, declined comment.

Meanwhile, Haynesworth’s teammates made it clear that if he does show up for training camp, there will be fences to mend.

Defensive end Phillip Daniels: “I think I speak for every guy on this team: We all feel like he turned his back on us.”

Center Casey Rabach: “It’s getting to be selfish. He’s hurting the team. It doesn’t sit well with the players. ... You can’t really count on him right now.”

Fletcher: “There’s ways he cannot be a Redskin: Give the money back. We’ll move on without him. I want teammates who I can depend on, who I can count on, who in the fourth quarter I know is going to be there to make a play or do his job that the defense calls (for). We need people that we can depend on. And at the end of the day, right now, he’s showing that he can’t be depended upon. ... Last year we had a lot of selfishness that took place, and we got 4-12 out of that. This year, we can’t have that.”

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who spoke with Haynesworth for about an hour on the phone Tuesday night, was one of the few willing to publicly empathize with the disgruntled player, saying that “promises were made” about the way Haynesworth would be used when the contract was signed.

Still, even Hall conceded that Haynesworth is all about Haynesworth.

“We know Albert’s going to do what he wants to do,” Hall said, “whether it’s going to benefit him, benefit the team, or if it’s a stupid idea or a good idea, he’s going to do what he’s going to do. It’s kind of hard to change his mind.”

-- Joseph White

Giants WR Hixon out for year after tearing ACL

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants' kick return game took a huge hit Wednesday when wide receiver and returner Domenik Hixon was diagnosed with a season-ending knee injury, one day after getting hurt during the team's first practice at its new billion-dollar stadium.

Hixon's injury was originally thought to be a simple hyper-extension of the right knee, but an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the knee. The injury occurred Tuesday during the Giants' first workout inside the New Meadowlands Stadium when Hixon caught his foot in the new FieldTurf surface while attempting to cut during a punt return. He left the field under his own power.

"He got his foot stuck in there," head coach Tom Coughlin said. "You can see it on the tape; he's turning a little bit."

A team spokesman said Hixon will undergo surgery in two to three weeks and will miss the 2010 season. The general rehabilitation time from such surgery is one year.

The injury is unsettling because it happened during the team's first appearance in their new $1.6 billion stadium. It has also triggered questions about the condition of the FieldTurf. Several players commented Tuesday that the surface was soft, a function of its newness. Others noted the crushed rubber base was clumped in some spots, creating an uneven feeling.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese said he has been in touch with the manufacturers of FieldTurf and has asked them to consider altering the several seams that could create problems, including the one around the removable midfield team logo.

Reese also said Hixon's injury had nothing to do with the seams.

"It could have happened right out here, on the grass," Reese said as the Giants worked out on their natural grass practice field Wednesday. "Where Domenik went down, that had nothing to do with seams. Where he went down, there were no seams over there. It was just a freak thing to happen, and we'll just have to deal with it."

Although Hixon signed a $1.684 million, non-guaranteed tender as a restricted free agent, the Giants must honor the contract because he was injured.

Hixon's injury hurts the Giants in three spots — wide receiver, kickoff return, and punt return.

Ever since arriving in the Meadowlands in 2007, Hixon has built a reputation as a returner who is not afraid to fly into the teeth of the kick coverage. His 22.6-yard average on 57 kickoff returns last year included several he nearly broke for touchdowns. And, his 15.1 yard average on 17 punt returns included a 79-yard touchdown return Dec. 6 against Dallas.

Unless the Giants go outside the organization for help, Hixon's likely successor is either wide receiver Sinorice Moss or wide receiver Mario Manningham.

Moss, a fifth-year veteran, returned punts for the first time last season, averaging a 6.7-yard return on 11 punts.. He also returned six kickoffs for an 18.2-yard average. Manningham, in his third season, has never returned a punt or a kickoff in the NFL.

Reese said the Giants' punt return game is the biggest concern. Moss was criticized last season for a lack of ball security and his penchant for going side to side instead of straight ahead.

Reese said he would also explore trade possibilities to shore up that area.

Notes: DE Justin Tuck left the afternoon practice early because of a sore foot. ... Safety Michael Johnson went down in the afternoon session with a leg cramp, but popped right up and resumed practice. ... CB Corey Webster left the morning practice after jamming his left middle finger while breaking up Eli Manning's pass to Steve Smith. ... Retired punter Jeff Feagles appeared on the practice field helping out rookie punters Matt Dodge and Jy Bond. ... Tight end Kevin Boss, midway through his rehabilitation on ankle surgery, said he expects to be 100 percent by training camp. He will not participate in minicamp.

Unhappy Johnson has no comment on contract status

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Chris Johnson has returned to Tennessee for football, just not with the Titans. The running back coming off a historic season still wants a pay raise and isn’t happy with his contract status.

He just wouldn’t comment about it Wednesday.

The Associated Press’ 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year held his second annual camp for children Wednesday and refused to comment when asked about a contract paying him $550,000 for 2010. Johnson lives in Orlando, and the camp is his first visit to Tennessee since the season ended with him becoming only the sixth person in NFL history to run for at least 2,000 yards.

“We are out here just to talk about the camp today. No contract talks or anything like that,” Johnson told reporters.

Johnson is expressing his frustrations on Twitter. He tweeted Tuesday that he had talked to his agent and it wasn’t “good news.” Asked about those tweets Wednesday, Johnson repeated, “No contract talks.”

The two-time Pro Bowler said early this offseason he wants to be the highest-paid offensive player in the NFL, a bold goal for a running back. The Titans maintain Johnson remains under contract for three more seasons thanks to the five-year, $12 million deal he signed after being drafted 24th overall out of East Carolina.

His agent, Joel Segal, declined to comment at Johnson’s camp. Segal updated Johnson Tuesday in a phone call on the apparent lack of progress in talks with the Titans, according to the running back’s tweets.

“I’m feeling lk (at)Revis24 rt now at least dey offering him something dey not offering me nothing,” Johnson tweeted, mentioning Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Johnson wasn’t done tweeting.

“How do u wnt player 2 honor their contract but the team dont have 2 honor it. If u dont wnt 2 pay a player early dont cut a player early.

And he went on.

“Its like how u expect ur players to give they all and put their bodies on the line when you not willing to give them what they deserve,” Johnson finished up.

Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt was out of town Wednesday and not immediately available for comment. Coach Jeff Fisher had been invited by Johnson to make an appearance at his camp.

“And my invitation is still open to him for our camp,” Fisher said Tuesday.

The Titans wrap up their offseason program June 25 with four on-field practices remaining. They report for training camp July 30 with the first practice July 31. Will Johnson report on time or continue his holdout?

“I don’t know,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s popularity was obvious with approximately 500 children taking part in his second annual camp Wednesday at the private Battle Ground Academy just south of Nashville. He also had help from sponsors and ProCamps, which plans and runs camps for NFL players like Adrian Peterson, Philip Rivers, Reggie Bush and Chad Ochocinco.

More than 110 of the campers took part with help from the YMCA, and Johnson had about 30 children in the camp whose homes were damaged in the May 1-2 floods that hit nearly two-thirds of Tennessee. Johnson, with sponsors Nike and Powerade, made an undisclosed donation Tuesday to the American Red Cross for flood relief.

“I actually didn’t see the damage that it did,” Johnson said. “I heard a lot about it, and a place that showed me a lot of love I just wanted to show some love back and give a donation back toward the city.”

Fisher runs a voluntary offseason program with no mandatory minicamps. That means Johnson hasn’t missed anything that could result in a fine. He didn’t take part in the team’s offseason program last year but attended most of the Titans’ on-field practices.

Johnson planned to return to Florida once the camp concluded to resume his personal training program. He said his workouts include football drills, and he also talks regularly with offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger so he doesn’t anticipate his absence hurting him once he rejoins the Titans.

“We got a long camp. We got a whole month of camp before the first game. We got a whole preseason so that should help,” Johnson said of learning any tweaks to the offense.

-- Teresa M. Walker

Fans praise screens, seating at new Jets stadium

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan took the field Wednesday for the team’s first practice at the New Meadowlands Stadium, the usually talkative coach was at a loss for words.

“The stadium, I mean, that’s ... wow,” he said.

Ryan wasn’t the only one who was impressed with the new space. Both fans and players complimented the four scoreboards, expanded seating and closed-in atmosphere of the new $1.6 million facility.

A favorite feature was the scoreboards, positioned at each corner. That means that anyone, no matter if it’s Ryan on the sideline or a fan in the upper deck, can see the score.

Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said the entire team will now be able to watch the game.

“Last year, you had to tell guys to move, if you were trying to watch the game,” he said.

While the stadium was on display for everyone to see and judge, so were the players.

The day didn’t end in a win or loss, but the 12,000 fans who showed up to get a glimpse of the new facility and see the Jets practice acted as if they were attending a regular-season game.

They groaned as receivers dropped passes and cheered for touchdowns. They clapped, took photos and stood up in their seats. Little kids asked for player autographs while older fans shouted “Flight Crew!” at the Jets cheerleaders.

Most were dressed in Jets jerseys or forest green shirts. Their jerseys ranged from old school Joe Namath to recent draft pick Mark Sanchez.

Brian Hoffman of Long Island sat in both upper and lower decks. He said he had the same view no matter where he was seated.

“There isn’t a bad seat in the house,” he said.

Hoffman’s friend Theo Karalis also said the new space doesn’t have a bad seat, unlike some of the newer New York stadiums.

“If you go to Citi Field or Yankee Stadium, you constantly have an obstructed view,” Karalis said. “There are no obstructions here except the guy in front of you.”

Even though fans only half-filled the lower decks, Cotchery said he couldn’t tell that there were so many empty seats.

“I thought the stadium was packed with how loud it was,” he said.

Defensive end Shaun Ellis said he hopes the stadium’s set up will give them an edge against their rivals.

“Coming in as an opposing team I think you’ll feel kind of smothered,” Ellis said.

None of the Jets seemed to have an issue with the playing surface. A day earlier, the stadium’s co-inhabitants, the Giants, practiced on the field for the first time and lost wide receiver and punt returner Domenik Hixon for the season after he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament when he caught his foot in the new FieldTurf surface.

“The turf is great,” Sanchez said of the turf. “I didn’t have any slippage. (Antonio) Cromartie did, but he’s so athletic that he’s like when a dog falls, they get up so quick, you almost don’t see it.”

Ryan said the stadium could be the turning point for his team during the fourth quarter of a close game.

“For anybody that says there’s no such thing as home field advantage, that’s ridiculous,” he said. “This is going to be an amazing stadium for us.”

-- Zina Kumok

Jets coach Ryan, DB Revis clear air over protest

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Rex Ryan and Darrelle Revis have cleared the air.

The New York Jets coach and All-Pro cornerback spoke for about an hour Tuesday afternoon in an effort to "get on the same page" before his contract situation gets out of hand.

"It was a normal talk," Revis said Wednesday after the team practiced at the New Meadowlands Stadium. "He just wanted to make sure I felt OK with everything that was going on and we could move on from here."

Revis sat out a few plays in Monday's first practice because he was lightheaded, but added that the contract negotiations played a part in him sitting. Ryan was unaware of the mini-protest until the media informed him, which upset the coach.

"We didn't even talk about that," Revis said. "We talked about more how I feel about this whole situation, to make sure I was comfortable with everything that's going on."

Ryan was clearly annoyed by the idea that Revis might have been fooling his coaches to make a point in his negotiations.

"We just wanted to see eye-to-eye and get on the same page," Revis said. "We got a little off the page. I skipped a couple chapters in the book. We talked and got back on the same page to understand each other in this whole situation."

Revis is due to make $1 million in the fourth year of his six-year rookie deal, but wants to be the league's highest-paid cornerback. Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha holds that distinction after signing a three-year, $45.3 million extension last offseason.

"Just so you know, he's committed to being here," Ryan said. "He wants to be here. Now, whether he's here for training camp and all that, I don't know what that answer is. That will be a personal decision, obviously, with Darrelle."

Revis has said he is uncertain whether he will be with the team when it reports for training camp on Aug. 1.

"If I'm at training camp, I'm at training camp, and I'm going to work," Revis said. "And if I'm not, I don't know. I don't know that answer yet."

Revis said everything between himself and the coach was "back to normal."

"That talk was just him letting me know I'm still a leader on this team and I've got to watch how I carry myself on and off the field," Revis said.

Ryan is certain Revis' situation will not be a distraction for the team.

"Anything associated with Darrelle Revis should be positive and not negative," Ryan said. "For him, that's out of character. We spoke about those things. We're on a mission to win a Super Bowl. We know we have to be pulling in the same direction. I believe Darrelle and I are."

The team is taking about six weeks off before beginning training camp on Aug. 1, but Revis' contract negotiations will continue to be a leading story line. So will the status of center Nick Mangold, who is looking for an extension in the last year of his rookie deal.

Mangold has not ruled out holding out of training camp if he doesn't get a new deal.

"It's way too early to make any decisions," Mangold said. "It's one of those things where I think upstairs knows how I feel, and I don't think there's much else I need to do."

The continued development of second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez will also be a major focus, especially with him coming off offseason knee surgery. He fully practiced for the third time in minicamp, looking healthy and unhindered.

"I feel good," he said. "Physically, I feel great. Mentally, I wanted to attack this minicamp and apply a lot of the things I learned from last season and try to take care of the ball as best I can."

Sanchez also left quite an impression on Ryan, calling him "basically an assistant coach" this offseason.

"No player I've ever been around worked as hard as Sanchez did in the offseason," Ryan said. "No player. And I think you're going to see it."

NOTES: Jason Taylor received a warm welcome after the former Dolphins star had a contentious relationship with Jets fans during his years in Miami. He shook hands with several of them and signed a banner. ... Ryan said he's taking vacation by cruising the Baltic Sea with his family and in-laws. ... After making personal seat licenses available at a reduced rate to the general public Wednesday, Matt Higgins, the Jets' executive vice president for business operations, said the team had its largest sales day ever — over 1,000 sold. "We landed on the right price," Higgins said. "Judging by the tremendous response in the last four days, it has been consistently overwhelming."

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Cheers! Jets unveil commemorative cabernet

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cheers, Jets fans! You can toast your team in a new way this season.

The team announced Wednesday it has started taking advance orders for its new, limited release commemorative wine, called Jets Uncorked. The 2008 cabernet sauvignon was created to help the team celebrate the opening of the New Meadowlands Stadium.

“We didn’t want to simply slap our logo on a wine,” said Matt Higgins, the team’s executive vice president for business operations. “We wanted to make one from scratch.”

Higgins said the Jets went to Napa Valley in California and scouted eight wineries before selecting veteran winemaker Marco DiGiulio and lifestyle marketing agency, Wine By Design.

The wine was made solely for the Jets, and will be available for $27.99 on the team’s website. DiGiulio said about 8,000 cases were made, and several Manhattan restaurants, such as Nobu, will also carry it.

“We wanted a 100 percent cabernet, that seemed appropriate for football,” Higgins said. “And we wanted it to be so good even a Pats fan would drink it after tearing off the label.”

The label itself is black and understated with Jets Uncorked in white and gray block letters, above a drawing of an actual play run by the Jets in a game.

“We’re not saying what the play is,” Higgins said. “We’ll leave it to our fans to figure it out.”

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said teams are allowed to work with a wine manufacturer to produce limited edition promotional packaging to commemorate significant events — in this case the opening of a stadium.

McCarthy added that there have been similar ventures by teams in the past, including the San Francisco 49ers. The league also had Gallo Wines as a sponsor for several years, and it produced limited edition commemorative bottles with the Super Bowl logo.

Higgins said the Jets do several surveys about their fans’ likes and dislikes, and found that many of them are wine drinkers.

“It’s rich, it’s ripe, but it has a classic character,” DiGiulio said. “It’s not overdone and goes well with a lot of different foods.”

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Rookie Burnett could be Packers’ Plan B at safety

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers rookie safety Morgan Burnett didn't look lost running plays with the No. 1 defense during the team's optional workouts Wednesday.

And if incumbent starter Atari Bigby sits out next week's mandatory minicamp because of a contract impasse, Burnett will get an even bigger chance to impress everyone.

Bigby is a restricted free agent, and there are no indications that he has signed his tender offer from the team. Bigby wasn't present Wednesday, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy says there is "nothing new to report" on the status of his contract.

Should Bigby stay away next week, it will be another opportunity for Burnett, a third-round pick out of Georgia Tech who already has McCarthy's attention.

"I see Burnett as a very natural, instinctive football player," McCarthy said. "Things come very easy for him. He's a good communicator. He's a very fluid player in space. His athletic ability and the instincts, he picks up coaching very well."

Burnett's progress is a bright spot amid confusion and speculation about the Packers' three restricted free agents.

Speaking after Wednesday's practice, McCarthy confirmed that defensive lineman Johnny Jolly has signed his tender offer from the team. A person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that cornerback Tramon Williams verbally agreed to his tender offer this week. The person, who requested anonymity because the deal has not been announced, said the paperwork has yet to be completed.

That leaves Bigby, a situation with no resolution in sight.

Packers safety Nick Collins, who spent last year angling for a contract extension before receiving a three-year, $23.4 million deal in the offseason, said Bigby is in a difficult spot.

"It's a tough situation to be in when you think you're one of those guys that have (outplayed) your contract and you feel like you deserve a new one," Collins said. "It's just a decision you have to come to grips with: Do I really want to play football or do I really want to worry about, I need this for my family or whatever. All us men in here, we want what's right for our family, and at the end of the day, we're all here to play football."

While Jolly has signed, his availability remains in doubt.

He is facing drug charges in Houston after his July 2008 arrest outside a club allegedly for illegally possessing at least 200 grams of codeine. If convicted, Jolly faces up to 20 years in prison.

McCarthy said Jolly will be excused for next week's minicamp.

"There's a lot going on, and he needs to focus and make sure he has everything in line," McCarthy said. "These decisions that are going to be made legally will affect every aspect of his life, most importantly his personal life and then his professional life."

Fellow defensive lineman Ryan Pickett is close to Jolly, and expects him to learn from the experience.

"If this stuff doesn't cause you to change, what will?" Pickett said. "All this stuff he's going through — you're missing practice, you can't be around your teammates, that'll make you feel isolated from the team. So if this stuff doesn't change, then that's an issue. I'm expecting him to be changed by this experience, definitely."

And while the future of Jolly, Bigby and Williams remains unclear, McCarthy insists he is happy with the team's depth — especially at safety, where the coach says he sees more depth than he has had at any point since taking over in 2006.

Backup safety and special teams ace Derrick Martin raved about Burnett.

"He's nice, man," Martin said. "He's been flying around and makes a lot of plays — a ball hawk."

Burnett says his transition to the NFL is a lot to take in, but feels he has made significant progress.

"I'm starting to get a little comfortable back there," Burnett said. "I'm starting to pick up the defense a little more, but I'm still learning and trying my best to learn as quickly as I can."

And while Burnett is just trying to master the playbook at this point, he admits he's already daydreaming about playing in his first game.

"Just being in the NFL, period, has been a dream," Burnett said. "So just at times, you just sit back and just imagine or see yourself making plays out there. But the main focus is starting at square one, learning your position. But at times at night, I might daydream about running out on the tunnel with a Green Bay Packer jersey on."

-- Chris Jenkins

Carroll: Houshmandzadeh, Branch will be at camp

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch ran sprints up a grass hill and weaved through cones.

That final stage of recuperation — plus the words of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll — point to Seattle’s top veteran receivers being ready for the 2010 season.

“Certainly they’re going to be ready to go for (training) camp,” in late July, Carroll said this week at his latest organized team activity.

Houshmandzadeh says he is about 85 percent recovered from offseason hernia surgery. Seattle’s leading receiver with 79 receptions last season caught passes during position drills that were open to the media on Tuesday.

He said he was playing through the hernia at the end of last season, his first with Seattle. He led the NFL in receptions over the previous three seasons while with Cincinnati, then signed a $40 million, five-year contract with the Seahawks last spring.

Branch is running routes again following his third knee surgery in two years, in late April.

“It was a great sign,” Carroll said. “It’s been a long time those guys have been out. Of course (there’s) the rehab concern — are they going to make it?”

Carroll had said Branch’s arthroscopic surgery almost two months ago in Philadelphia was a “very minor” cleanup.

The 30-year-old former Super Bowl MVP injured his left knee on a snowy field in a playoff game at Green Bay in January 2008. He had reconstructive surgery a month later.

He had a follow-up procedure in March 2009 but downplayed that as a minor clean-out that he said is common following knee reconstruction.

Branch has had seasons with 53, 49, 30 and 45 catches for the Seahawks since they acquired him 2006 from New England — and then gave him a $39 million contract with $13 million guaranteed.

Seattle drafted former Notre Dame star receiver Golden Tate in April’s second round because of its need for a playmaker outside. Yet Carroll said last month he saw enough from Branch in a minicamp before his latest surgery to carve out a role for the oft-injured veteran.

The Seahawks made one roster move on Wednesday, claiming cornerback Cord Parks off waivers from St. Louis.

Parks signed with the Rams as an undrafted rookie free agent last April and spent the first 15 weeks of the season on the practice squad. He played in the Rams’ final two games and recorded one tackle.

-- Gregg Bell

No problems with Favre’s surgery; future uncertain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brett Favre’s doctor indicated Wednesday that his recent ankle surgery went well and the quarterback has a few more weeks of rehabilitation before he’ll decide if he’ll return for a 20th NFL season.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews said there were no problems with last month’s arthroscopic procedure, which removed scar tissue and bone spurs from Favre’s left ankle.

“It went fine,” Andrews said after speaking at the Charlotte Touchdown Club luncheon. “He’s rehabbing and trying to decide what he’s going to do. I talked to him yesterday.”

Favre turns 41 in October. He has a contract with Minnesota that will pay him $13 million if he plays in the 2010 season. He has given few hints in the offseason, other than the surgery, which has led many in the Vikings organization to predict that he’ll be back.

“We’ve got a few more weeks of rehabbing,” Andrews said. “I think he hasn’t decided yet what he wants to do.”

Favre is coming off one of the best seasons of his celebrated career. He threw 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in guiding the Vikings to a 12-4 record and NFC North title.

The season ended on a sour note, however, when Favre threw a forced interception in the fourth quarter of Minnesota’s loss to New Orleans in the NFC championship game.

The Vikings have said they will give Favre all the time he needs to make a decision about whether to return for another run at the Super Bowl.

On the final day of minicamp Sunday, Minnesota coach Brad Childress reiterated that he would be fine with Favre skipping training camp in Mankato, Minn., just as he did last season.

Andrews, who has operated on numerous sports stars ranging from Jack Nicklaus to Roger Clemens to Drew Brees, said it was the third time he operated on Favre. It included last year’s shoulder surgery and a procedure on his elbow when Favre was in college at Southern Mississippi.

“The elbow was,” Andrews said, pausing briefly if to make sure he had the math right, “20 years ago.”

-- Mike Cranston

Bills coach Gailey welcomes RB Lynch to practice

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Having running back Marshawn Lynch finally attending practice is a start for Chan Gailey. The Buffalo Bills coach will worry later about where Lynch will fit in what's become a crowded backfield.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have signed rookie fourth-round draft pick, receiver Marcus Easley.

Selected 107th overall out of Connecticut, Easley led the Huskies last season with 48 catches for 893 yards and eight touchdowns.

A late-bloomer at college, Easley has looked solid so far during spring minicamps and is in contention for a backup spot behind starter Lee Evans.

Signed Wednesday, he becomes the sixth of Buffalo’s nine draft picks to sign with the team. The Bills have yet to sign their top three picks, including running back C.J. Spiller, who was selected ninth overall.

To make room on their roster for Easley, the Bills waived linebacker Mike Wright, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Utah.

Steelers sign 2 more picks, only 2 unsigned

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed fifth-round draft choices Chris Scott and Crezdon Butler, giving them eight of their 10 picks under contract.

The only unsigned picks are first-round selection Maurkice Pouncey, a Florida offensive lineman, and second-round selection Jason Worilds, an outside linebacker from Virginia Tech.

Scott, an offensive tackle from Tennessee, was the first of the Steelers’ three picks in the fifth round. Butler, a cornerback from Clemson, was the second of those picks.

To create roster room, the Steelers released rookie free agent safety Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith of UTEP.

The Steelers open training camp July 30.

Former Giants WR Toomer to run first marathon

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer will run his first marathon in New York this fall to raise money for charity.

Timex will donate $1 to New York Road Runners youth programs for each runner he beats when he runs the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7. Toomer is believed to be the first former NFL player to enter the race since Lynn Swann finished it in 1993.

Toomer played for the Giants from 1996-2008. He ended his career with 668 catches for 9,497 yards and 54 touchdowns.

Rookie punter Brent Bowden signs with Buccaneers

Redskins sign 7th-rd draft pick Terrence Austin