NFL Capsules: Cowboys sign 2 draft picks, Bryant among unsigned

IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Sam Young and defensive end Sean Lissemore to four-year contracts.

Terms were not disclosed Tuesday. The Cowboys have not yet announced any deals with four other draft picks: receiver Dez Bryant, linebacker Sean Lee, safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and cornerback Jamar Wall.

Contract negotiations between the Cowboys and Bryant, the receiver drafted 24th overall, began Monday.

Dallas on Tuesday also released undrafted rookie free agent nose tackle Junior Aumavae and linebacker Donovan Woods, who signed to the team’s practice squad last November.

Training camp starts Saturday in San Antonio.

Favre: No deadline for decision

MINNEAPOLIS — Brett Favre shared a laugh with Brad Childress about the two of them butting heads over the direction of the offense during a recent visit the Minnesota Vikings coach made to Hattiesburg, Miss.

What Favre didn’t share with Childress is any decision about his future.

Favre told USA Today on Tuesday that Childress stopped to visit him on his way home from vacation in Florida. The two chatted about a lot of things, but no deadline was imposed for the quarterback to announce a decision about returning for a 20th NFL season.

“Our visit was great,” Favre told the newspaper. “I think the world of him (and) his patience. He and I joked about how there were some rocky times (between them) last year. ... We’re both competitors, that happens.”

Favre and Childress had a very public spat in December last season after the two of them argued over play-calling in a loss at Carolina. They resolved their differences and the Vikings advanced to the NFC title game, where they lost in overtime.

Favre injured his ankle in that game and had surgery on it earlier this summer and has been throwing to receivers at Oak Grove High School near his home while to test it out.

“After almost nine weeks, it’s not where I would like it to be, but I’m working at it,” he said. “Maybe it never gets to where I want it to be. Forty years old ... three surgeries ... that’s all you need to know.”

He will turn 41 in October and is coming off one of the best seasons of his brilliant career. But Childress has repeatedly said he will not put any pressure on Favre to make a decision, saying that he would be fine with a similar scenario to last year. Favre skipped the first two weeks of training camp last year and joined the team after the first preseason game.

“The deadline? I don’t know,” Favre said. “There obviously comes a point where you’ve probably gone too far, where you just have to move on. He hopes I make the right decision for myself, one way or the other.”

Ex-Raider Russell pleads not guilty in Ala. case

MOBILE, Ala. — Former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell pleaded not guilty to a charge of illegal drug possession Tuesday in Alabama.

Russell, 24, is a former LSU star who was released by Oakland after being the No. 1 draft choice in 2007. He entered the plea in court in Mobile. He is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, codeine syrup.

Authorities have said that he did not have a prescription for the drug and that he was arrested July 5 at his home as part of an undercover investigation.

His attorney, Donald Briskman, said in a phone interview that there were about nine or 10 people in the house and that he believes once all the evidence is known, Russell will be exonerated.

Russell, a prep star in Mobile, had no comment after his court appearance. He has been free on $2,500 bond.

Briskman said he asked for an early hearing in order for Russell to get the case behind him and renew his effort to play professional football. A hearing in his case is set for Aug. 11 to determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury.

One of the NFL’s biggest No. 1 draft busts, Russell completed just 52.1 percent of his passes in his career, with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and 15 lost fumbles. He won only seven of 25 starts.

Bucs sign Price to 4-year deal

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed second-round draft pick Brian Price to a four-year contract.

The team announced the deal with the defensive tackle from UCLA on Tuesday.

Price, taken 35th overall, is glad the contract is done so he can “concentrate on having a great training camp.” He was the Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 2009.

Tampa Bay looked to overhaul its defensive line in the 2010 draft. The Buccaneers used their first-round selection, third overall, to take Oklahoma tackle Gerald McCoy.

McCoy has not yet signed.

Also, Tampa Bay released guard Lee Grimes, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in May.

Namath, Martin lead first Jets Ring of Honor class

NEW YORK — Joe Namath and Curtis Martin are among six Jets greats in the first class of the team’s Ring of Honor at its new stadium.

Weeb Ewbank, Winston Hill, Joe Klecko and Don Maynard will also be enshrined Aug. 16 at halftime of the first game at the New Meadowlands Stadium, the preseason opener between the Jets and Giants.

When Namath made his guarantee that the Jets would beat the Colts in the third Super Bowl, Ewbank was his coach, Hill his left tackle and Maynard his top receiver.

Klecko was a dominant defensive lineman in the early 1980s, and Martin won the league rushing title in 2004.

Panthers sign 3rd-round pick WR Brandon LaFell

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have signed wide receiver Brandon LaFell, leaving quarterback Jimmy Clausen as the team’s only unsigned draft pick.

LaFell is a wide receiver chosen 78th overall by the Panthers. He finished his career at LSU ranked third in catches with 175 for 2,517 yards and 25 touchdowns.

The Panthers have signed nine of their 10 draft choices. Clausen of Notre Dame was a second-round pick but the first for Carolina, which did not have first-round selection.

LaFell is expected to compete for the No. 2 receiver spot with fourth-year pro Dwayne Jarrett.

LaFell signed on Tuesday.

Dolphins sign John Jerry to deal

DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins have signed guard John Jerry, their third-round selection in this year’s draft.

The 6-foot-5, 328-pound Jerry played both guard and tackle on the right side of the line at Mississippi during his four years of college.

The Dolphins announced the signing Tuesday. Training camp starts next week.

Jerry was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference player at Ole Miss, where he blocked for three 1,000-yard rushers.