COMMISSIONER FINDS NO TAMPERING WITH BRETT FAVRE

Commissioner ROGER GOODELL today informed the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings that he had completed his review of tampering charges filed by the Packers against the Vikings and found no violations of league policy.

In his letter to the Packers and Vikings, Commissioner Goodell said that, while those involved acknowledged conversations between BRETT FAVRE and Vikings coaches, “None of those conversations suggest that Favre was soliciting a job or that other teams were soliciting his services.”

NFL PR

Commissioner Goodell — Buffalo Bills Training Camp

BUFFALO BILLS OWNER RALPH WILSON: I had introduced the next gentleman a little while ago to the team, he’s your boss, my boss, everybody. The boss of everybody. The commissioner of the NFL has come in here.  It’s an honor and a privilege for you to say hello to Commissioner Roger Goodell.

NFL COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL: Thank you, Ralph. Good morning. It’s certainly an honor to be here. As you know, I’m from western New York so it’s great to be home again and get a chance to attend my first training camp in the 2008 season. I did have a chance, as Ralph said, to speak with the team as well as Senator Schumer and it’s exciting to have football back and we’re certainly excited about being here to be a part of it.

Q: On status of small market teams and conversation with the Senator:

RG: The nature of the conversation was to find out how the Bills are doing and fortunately that’s good news. The effort here to regionalize the team further into southern Ontario and into Toronto has been a very big success for the team and I think that’s something we’re all proud of, the fact that we can now make the team stronger here in western New York. That’s good for the team and it’s good for the fans.

On Toronto ticket status:

The game hasn’t been played yet so I think at this stage right now this is the way that they’re marketing the games – the whole series and the individual games – and I’m confident that the game’s going to be well received there.

On Brett Favre and his involvement:

I was asked to get involved. We had a charge as it relates to tampering, which is a very important rule from our standpoint. And then I was asked to be involved with some various discussions between the parties, which is an issue that is important for the Green Bay Packers. They have rights here. It’s important for Brett Favre. He has rights also. And I’m glad to see that they’re all productive discussions and they’re talking directly to one another. They’re both important to the league going forward and hopefully they’ll reach a proper resolution.

On having any input in Brett’s decision to hold off for a couple of days:

I didn’t, and from my standpoint these are decisions that the team and Brett are going to have to make individually based on what their desires are. The most important thing is that they’re communicating properly and they both understand what’s important to one another.

On stance of tampering investigation:

We’re in the middle of the investigation. Hopefully we can finish it up quickly, but as soon as we get to a conclusion we’ll announce it.

On the concerns of the allegation:

We take every tampering charge seriously. As you know, we did discipline a club earlier this year for a violation of the tampering policy. It’s been an important policy so we will enforce it.

On importance of Brett Favre if he decides to come back:

Brett Favre’s a great player, a great competitor, and I think it’s been a great reflection on the Packers and the NFL. So if Brett Favre wants to return and play, I think that would be a great thing for the fans and for the league.

On any indication that Favre has made a commitment to coming back:

I’ll let Brett Favre speak for himself. I think Brett is very capable of doing that. He doesn’t need a spokesman.

On Marshawn Lynch and his incident being a league issue:

I spoke to Marshawn this morning. I met with Marshawn and he understands his responsibilities as an NFL player. I think the facts are clear on the case at this point in time and I don’t plan on any discipline.

On Marshawn’s response:

He understands the responsibility. He understands what it means to be an NFL player and how he has to represent himself, his teammates, and the Buffalo Bills, and he knows how important that is.

On talks with the Senator and Mr. Wilson on future with the Bills:

We’re talking about the future of the Bills and what we can continue to do to make sure that the Bills continue to be successful here in Western New York. And we did discuss that. We’ve talked about the initial steps here as far as regionalizing to southern Ontario and the Toronto series. And that has been a very positive step for the Bills in western New York.

On decision for no punishment for Lynch:

Because it was reduced to a traffic violation and I think when you look at the facts and understand exactly what happened after some of the initial reports, I think that it’s not a violation of our personal conduct policy. On the other hand, Marshawn understands that these things are important to the league and that he will avoid those types of situations in the future.

On NFL personal conduct policy:

I think the players are getting enough of a reminder on this issue. I speak about it frequently. We send documentation to the players. I think they understand the responsibility. And I think that of our players in general, I’m very proud of what they do. We have great representatives in our community. In reality, you have a few players that do things that are inconsistent with those policies. Unfortunately, they get a lot of attention but that’s the reality of our world.

On advice to Lynch:

I think you have to balance that with what his legal rights are and what was being done. He was cooperative. The district attorney has indicated that, so I think  you have to balance your legal rights and what you have to do to protect yourself individually. And I want our players to make sure that they do that properly, and they have good counsel and that’s important to have.

On this being his first training camp visit:

I do a series of training camp visits every year; I’ll be doing roughly eight to 10 this season. And I haven’t been here to Rochester and I wanted to be here, and the Senator was available so it was a good opportunity for us all to be here.

On attending Toronto game:

I don’t know yet. Not the preseason game. I know have a conflict on that.

On Toronto series:

I think it’s been very successful in making the Bills stronger in western New York, which is our effort here to make sure the Bills stay here successfully in western New York by expanding the region in which they draw fans. It’s bringing more people down from Toronto. They’re spending more money in western New York. It’s good for western New York; it’s good for the Bills; and so far it’s been a great success.

On Kemp and Cuomo’s interests to buy:

I’m aware they have a special fund that’s created for investments in to NFL and other sports teams. We have a very strong policy that we want a principal owner that speaks for the team, speaks to the community but also is a representative on the league level. They’re aware of those policies if they want to own an NFL team, that those opportunities exist, but it’s very important for us to have a principal owner like Mr. Wilson that will not only represent the team and the community, but also participate in league level matters.

On if he’s heard from Kemp or Cuomo:

I’ve talked to them about their concept many times. We have others that have had very similar concepts and that were interested in ownership throughout the league.

NFL PR

REDSKINS MAKE ROSTER MOVES

ASHBURN, VA - The Washington Redskins announced today that they have signed defensive tackle Zarnell Fitch and guard Fred Matua. In addition, the team waived/injured guard Kerry Brown and defensive end J.T. Mapu.

The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Fitch spent two games on Baltimore’s active roster in 2007, where he was inactive for one contest and did not play in the other. He also spent 13 weeks on the Ravens’ practice squad, where he finished the season. Fitch will wear jersey number 75R.

Fitch originally signed with the New York Jets’ practice squad on December 27, 2006 and was allocated by the club to NFL Europa that spring. Playing for Frankfurt, Fitch participated in all 10 games with five starts, finishing with 23 tackles and aiding the Galaxy to their fifth World Bowl appearance.

The Spencer, Okla., native played two seasons at Texas Christian (2004-05) after transferring from Navarro (Texas) Junior College. The 25-year-old Fitch was born on July 6, 1983.

The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Matua was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2006 draft (217^th overall) by Detroit. After being released prior to the start of the regular season, he was signed to Tennessee’s practice squad on September 3, 2006 and later signed by Cleveland to the active roster on October 28, 2006. Matua spent the final 10 weeks on the Browns’ 53-man roster and was inactive for nine contests and did not play in the other. He will wear jersey number 78W.

The Lakewood, Calif., native was an All-American at USC where he played from 2002-05.

Brown signed with the Redskins as a college free agent out of Appalachian State on April 30, 2008. Mapu re-signed with the Redskins on July 22.

Redskins PR

RECORD CROWD ATTENDS REDSKINS FAN APPRECIATION DAY

ASHBURN, VA – The Washington Redskins announced today that more than 28,000 people converged on Redskins Park on Saturday to attend the team’s Fan Appreciation Day, shattering the previous training camp attendance record of 25,000 fans in 2004.

Parking lots for the event opened at 11:30 a.m., but lines of cars began forming before sunrise and were backed up from Redskins Park to Waxpool Road.

“We appreciate the outstanding support of our loyal fans,” Redskins Chief Operating Officer Mitch Gershman said. “The great number of people who came here to support and cheer on our team shows once again why we have the best fans in the NFL. We are looking forward to an exciting season.”

Prior to an intrasquad scrimmage, festivities included performances by the Redskins Marching Band and Cheerleaders and a welcome from Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn.

REDSKINS PR

LIONS SIGN FIVE 2008 DRAFT PICKS AND RELEASE T JON DUNN

Allen Park, Mich. – The Detroit Lions announced today that they have signed five of their 2008 draft picks: third round picks RB Kevin Smith and DT Andre Fluellen, fifth round picks WR Kenneth Moore and FB Jerome Felton and seventh-round draft choice DT Landon Cohen. All five players agreed to three year deals. Additional contract terms were not disclosed. In other roster moves, the team also announced that they have released T Jon Dunn.

Smith (6-1, 217) was drafted by the Lions with first pick in the third round (64th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft after moving ahead two spots in a trade through Miami. The talented running back out of Central Florida brings speed and durability to the Lions’ running game.

While at Central Florida, Smith became the school’s all-time leading rusher after just three seasons. He started in 34 of 36 games and established new career records with 905 carries for 4,864 yards (5.37 avg) and 45 touchdowns. His 4,864 yards rank second in Conference USA history. Smith also caught 55 passes for 444 yards (8.1 avg) and a score, as he totaled 276 points.

In 2007, Smith set a major college record of 450 rushing attempts, topping the old mark of 405 carries by Marcus Allen (USC) in 1981 and falling just 62 yards shy of setting the NCAA season-rushing record of 2,628 yards set by former Lions great, Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State) in 1988. Smith scored at least one touchdown in twelve of the fourteen games he appeared in and registered 13 100-yard rushing performances, including five games of at least 200 yards and a career-high 320 yards vs. Alabama-Birmingham. His 180 points scored rank fourth on the NCAA season-record chart.

As a sophomore in 2006, Smith earned second-team All-Conference USA honors, despite missing three games. He finished with 206 attempts for 934 yards (4.5 avg) and seven touchdowns, adding 158 yards on 23 catches (6.9 avg).

Smith lettered three times in football at Southridge High School. He was a two-time All-Dade County selection as both a running back and free safety, recording 53 tackles with four interceptions during his senior season. As a junior, he rushed for 1,125 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Fluellen (6-2, 296) was drafted by Detroit with their second selection in the third round (87th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft which was acquired through a trade with Cleveland earlier in the offseason. For the past four seasons, he has helped anchor Florida State’s defense which has been one of the best in college football in recent years. Fluellen closed out his career with the Seminoles with 81 career tackles (38 solo), 5.0 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and five pass defenses.

Prior to his senior season, Fluellen was named to several preseason All-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams, in addition to earning a berth on the Bednarik Award Watch list (nation’s top defensive player). Unfortunately, an elbow injury limited him to five starts and he finished the season with 21 tackles (10 solo), including 2.0 sacks and two pass defenses.

In 2006, Fluellen showed versatility by starting 11-of 13 games at two different positions (nose guard and defensive tackle). He registered a career-high 28 tackles which was tops for Florida State defensive lineman. Eight of Fluellen’s tackles were for negative yardage. After the season, he was the recipient of the Bill McGrotha/Spirit Humanitarian Award.

Fluellen became a regular on the Seminole’s defensive line as a sophomore in 2005 and started 12-of-13 games at defensive tackle. He finished second among team defensive lineman with 26 tackles and was sixth on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss, a category in which the Seminole’s defense led the nation (126).

After spring practice in 2004, Fluellen was named the team’s Most Improved Defensive Lineman and was given his first of two Second Effort Awards (received again in 2005). He went on to appear in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman and notched six tackles, including one for loss and two pass defenses.

At Cartersville H.S. (Georgia), Fluellen was named a three-star player by Rivals.com and the 28th rated defensive tackle in the country after recording 93 tackles and 11.0 sacks as a senior. He finished the previous season with 88 tackles and 10.0 sacks in addition to six forced fumbles – two of which he returned for touchdowns.

Moore (5-11, 195) was drafted by the Lions with their first selection in the fifth round (136th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. In 39 games at Wake Forest, Moore started 27 times. He ranks seventh in school history with 139 receptions for 1,458 yards (10.5 avg) and seven touchdowns. He carried the ball 151 times for 829 yards (5.5 avg) and five scores. He returned 44 punts for 485 yards (11/0 avg), including a touchdown, adding 172 yards on 10 kickoff returns while making two solo tackles. Moore closed out his career with 2,944 all-purpose yards, an average of 75.49 yards per game.

In 2007, Moore had a breakout season which brought him national attention. Moore led the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked ninth in the nation with a school and league single-season record 98 receptions. His 1,011 yards gained marked just the third time in school history that a Wake Forest receiver amassed more than 1,000 yards in a season.

As a junior in 2006, Moore started 13 games, lining up at halfback in five contests and at the “X” receiver position for eight others. He led the team with 507 yards and two touchdowns on 105 carries (4.8 avg) and finished third on the squad with 32 catches for 314 yards (9.8 avg) and a score. He also returned 10 punts for 130 yards (13.0 avg).

During his high school career, Moore tallied 2,639 rushing yards, 1,907 receiving yards, 1,571 return yards and 58 touchdowns. He scored 30 touchdowns his senior year on 48 passes for 827 yards, rushed 78 times for 1,137 yards and had 739 yards on 28 returns. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards as a junior.

Felton (6-0, 246) was drafted by Detroit with their second selection in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. In his four seasons at Furman, Felton started in 43 of 49 games and was tackled behind the line of scrimmage only 15 times for minus-22 yards on 575 rushing attempts for 2,652 yards (4.61 avg) while scoring 63 times on the ground. He added 46 receptions for 334 yards and four scores and is the school’s all-time record holder in scoring with 414 points.

In 2007, Felton was the only Division 1-AA player listed on USA Today/Sports Weekly’s preseason All-American team. He went on to lead the team in rushing with 705 yards and twelve touchdowns on 165 carries (4.2 avg). He also caught eleven passes for 59 yards (5.4 avg) and a touchdown, finishing with 80 points on the season.

As a junior, Felton broke his own school season-record and ranked fourth in the nation in scoring with 140 points, an average of 11.67 points per game. He appeared in 12 games, and finished second on the team with 707 yards on 162 carries (4.4 avg), including 23 touchdowns. He gained 85 yards on 13 catches (6.5 avg) and had one solo tackle. He also averaged 66.0 all-purpose yards per game.

Despite suffering a right index fracture early in the 2005 season, Felton ranked 13th nationally and second in the league in scoring with a school season-record 124 points, an average of 8.86 points per game. He ran for 18 touchdowns and caught two other passes for scores, as he rushed 182 times for 940 yards (5.2 avg). He also recorded 18 catches for 144 yards (8.0 avg) and averaged 77.4 all-purpose yards per game while recovering one fumble.

Born in Duren, West Germany, Felton took the ACT as a seventh grader as part of Duke University’s Talent Search program which allowed him to enroll in summer and night courses at Hiwassee College, where between the seventh and eleventh grades he completed 19 hours of college credit courses. In high school, Felton excelled as a fullback and middle linebacker, earning team Offensive MVP honors three times. He was a three-time All-County and All-Region choice, rushing for over 3,000 yards and recording over 300 tackles in his three-year career. Named an All-American Scholar and and an Outstanding African-American Student of Tennessee, in addition to receiving the 2001-02 United States National Minority Leadership Award.

Cohen (6-3, 274) was drafted by Detroit with their first selection in the seventh round (216th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He started a team-high 37 consecutive games since his sophomore season and amassed 144 career tackles with 39.5 tackles for loss.

As a senior in 2007, Cohen posted a career-high 59 tackles including 12.5 for a loss of 47 yards. He also had 1.5 sacks for 21 yards, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

In high school (Spartanburg, SC), Cohen earned all-state, all-area and all-region honors and was a member of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal Fantastic 50. He finished his senior season with 107 tackles and 6.0 sacks.

Dunn (6-7, 324) was originally selected in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and spent his rookie season on injured/reserve after suffering an ankle injury. After spending camp with the Browns in 2006, he was released September 3, 2006 and was signed to the New York Giants’ practice squad November 15, 2006. Dunn spent the 2007 preseason with the Giants before being waived September 1. He was signed to the Lions’ practice squad September 26.

Lions PR

Chargers release Parker

Veteran wide receiver Eric Parker, who spent the past six seasons with the Chargers, was released Wednesday.

The last two years the Chargers added key depth to the wide receiver position. Last spring the Chargers drafted wide receivers Buster Davis and Legedu Naanee, both of whom are expected to have a bigger role in the offense in 2008, and the team acquired Pro Bowl veteran Chris Chambers in a trade last season.

Veterans Malcom Floyd and Kassim Osgood join starters Vincent Jackson and Chambers to form a wide receiving corps. The club also signed veteran Mark Jones in June.

Parker joined the Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2002. By his third season, Parker became a full-time starter and in 2004 and 2006 he led all Chargers wide receivers in catches.

Following the 2006 season, Parker suffered a foot injury that eventually required surgery. He missed the first six games of the 2007 season and was put on the “Reserve-Injured” list on October 16.

In six seasons with the club, Parker played in 62 games with 40 starts and caught 187 passes for 2,586 yards and 11 touchdowns.

For more information log onto Chargers.com.

Chargers PR

2008 NFL Unrestricted & Restricted Free-Agent Signings As Of 7/22/08

1)       131 UNRESTRICTED free agents have signed with a NEW team:

TEAM	PLAYER	FORMER TEAM	DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals	LB Clark Haggans	Pittsburgh Steelers	3/27/08
	DE Travis LaBoy	Tennessee Titans	3/4/08
	DE Bryan Robinson	Cincinnati Bengals	4/11/08
	QB Brian St. Pierre	Pittsburgh Steelers	3/31/08
	LB Matt Stewart	Cleveland Browns	4/17/08
Atlanta Falcons	S Erik Coleman	N.Y. Jets	3/3/08
	K Jason Elam	Denver Broncos	3/24/08
	TE Ben Hartsock	Tennessee Titans	3/3/08
	CB Von Hutchins	Houston Texans	3/3/08
	DT Kindal Moorehead	Carolina Panthers	3/10/08
	RB Michael Turner	San Diego Chargers	3/3/08
	C Alex Stepanovich	Cincinnati Bengals	3/10/08
Baltimore Ravens	LB Brendon Ayanbadejo	Chicago Bears	3/10/08
	CB Frank Walker	Green Bay Packers	3/14/08
Buffalo Bills	TE Courtney Anderson	Atlanta Falcons	3/10/08
	CB William James	Philadelphia Eagles	3/25/08
	DT Spencer Johnson	Minnesota Vikings	3/1/08
	LB Kawika Mitchell	N.Y. Giants	3/1/08
Carolina Panthers	DT Tyler Brayton	Oakland Raiders	3/7/08
	G Milford Brown	St. Louis Rams	3/28/08
	CB Ricardo Colclough	Cleveland Browns	3/4/08
	WR D.J. Hackett	Seattle Seahawks	3/20/08
	LB Landon Johnson	Cincinnati Bengals	3/10/08
	DT Ian Scott	Philadelphia Eagles	4/29/08
	RB LaBrandon Toefield	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/10/08
	G Keydrick Vincent	Arizona Cardinals	3/4/08
Cincinnati Bengals	DE Antwan Odom	Tennessee Titans	3/4/08
Cleveland Browns	CB Terry Cousin	Jacksonville Jaguars	5/27/08
	G Rex Hadnot	Miami Dolphins	3/11/08
	DE Shantee Orr	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/24/08
	WR Donte’ Stallworth	New England Patriots	3/6/08
Denver Broncos	LB Boss Bailey	Detroit Lions	3/7/08
	WR Keary Colbert	Carolina Panthers	3/3/08
	LB Niko Koutouvides	Seattle Seahawks	3/4/08
	S Marquand Manuel	Carolina Panthers	3/10/08
	WR Samie Parker	Kansas City Chiefs	4/15/08
	RB Michael Pittman	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5/28/08
	C Casey Wiegmann	Kansas City Chiefs	3/24/08
Detroit Lions	DT Chuck Darby	Seattle Seahawks	3/11/08
	TE Michael Gaines	Buffalo Bills	3/3/08
	LB Gilbert Gardner	Tennessee Titans	3/24/08
	CB Brian Kelly	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3/14/08
Green Bay Packers	LB Brandon Chillar	St. Louis Rams	3/24/08
Houston Texans	LB Kevin Bentley	Seattle Seahawks	3/3/08
	RB Chris Brown	Tennessee Titans	3/20/08
	WR Tim Carter	Cleveland Browns	5/22/08
	DB Nick Ferguson	Denver Broncos	3/27/08
	QB Quinn Gray	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/24/08
	TE Ryan Krause	Green Bay Packers	5/19/08
	CB Jacques Reeves	Dallas Cowboys	3/3/08
	LB Chaun Thompson	Cleveland Browns	3/14/08
Jacksonville Jaguars	CB Drayton Florence	San Diego Chargers	3/1/08
	QB Cleo Lemon	Miami Dolphins	3/1/08
	WR Jerry Porter	Oakland Raiders	2/29/08
	S Pierson Prioleau	Washington Redskins	4/30/08
Kansas City Chiefs	WR Devard Darling	Baltimore Ravens	3/12/08
	KR B.J. Sams	Baltimore Ravens	4/13/08
	C Wade Smith	New York Jets	4/21/08
	LB Demorrio Williams	Atlanta Falcons	3/3/08
Miami Dolphins	LB Charlie Anderson	Houston Texans	3/1/08
	S Chris Crocker	Atlanta Falcons	4/2/08
	S Keith Davis	Dallas Cowboys	3/11/08
	CB Nathan Jones	Dallas Cowboys	3/17/08
	QB Josh McCown	Oakland Raiders	3/1/08
	TE Sean Ryan	N.Y. Jets	3/1/08
	G Justin Smiley	San Francisco 49ers	3/1/08
	DT Randy Starks	Tennessee Titans	3/1/08
	LB Reggie Torbor	N.Y. Giants	3/1/08
	WR Ernest Wilford	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/1/08
Minnesota Vikings	WR Bernard Berrian	Chicago Bears	3/3/08
	S Michael Boulware	Houston Texans	3/21/08
	RB Maurice Hicks	San Francisco 49ers	3/5/08
	LB Derrick Pope	Miami Dolphins	3/14/08
	CB Benny Sapp	Kansas City Chiefs	3/25/08
	RB Thomas Tapeh	Philadelphia Eagles	3/1/08
	S Madieu Williams	Cincinnati Bengals	3/1/08
	DT Ellis Wyms	Seattle Seahawks	3/18/08
New England Patriots	WR Sam Aiken	Buffalo Bills	3/3/08
	LB Victor Hobson	New York Jets	4/7/08
	TE Marcus Pollard	Seattle Seahawks	4/23/08
	CB Jason Webster	Buffalo Bills	3/4/08
	S Tank Williams	Minnesota Vikings	3/6/08
New Orleans Saints	QB Mark Brunell	Washington Redskins	3/17/08
	CB Randall Gay	New England Patriots	3/4/08
	CB Aaron Glenn	Jacksonville Jaguars	4/7/08
	C Matt Lehr	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3/24/08
	DE Bobby McCray	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/11/08
New York Giants	LB Danny Clark	Houston Texans	3/13/08
	S Sammy Knight	Jacksonville Jaguars	3/4/08
New York Jets	RB Jesse Chatman	Miami Dolphins	3/11/08
	G Alan Faneca	Pittsburgh Steelers	3/3/08
	LB Calvin Pace	Arizona Cardinals	3/4/08
	RB Tony Richardson	Minnesota Vikings	3/6/08
	RB Musa Smith	Baltimore Ravens	5/27/08
	G Damien Woody	Detroit Lions	3/4/08
Oakland Raiders	WR Drew Carter	Carolina Panthers	3/13/08
	T Kwame Harris	San Francisco 49ers	3/5/08
	NT William Joseph	N.Y. Giants	3/14/08
	QB Marques Tuiasosopo	N.Y. Jets	5/22/08
	C John Wade	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3/31/08
	S Gibril Wilson	N.Y. Giants	3/1/08
Philadelphia Eagles	LB Rocky Boiman	Indianapolis Colts	3/24/08
	DE Chris Clemons	Oakland Raiders	3/1/08
	RB Dan Klecko	Indianapolis Colts	3/17/08
	CB Asante Samuel	New England Patriots	3/1/08
	RB Kris Wilson	Kansas City Chiefs	3/26/08
Pittsburgh Steelers	LB Keyaron Fox	Kansas City Chiefs	3/12/08
	RB Mewelde Moore	Minnesota Vikings	3/4/08
St. Louis Rams	TE Anthony Becht	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3/11/08
	G Jacob Bell	Tennessee Titans	3/4/08
	K Josh Brown	Seattle Seahawks	3/1/08
	WR Reche Caldwell	Washington Redskins	3/27/08
	CB David Macklin	Washington Redskins	3/20/08
San Francisco 49ers	WR Bryant Johnson	Arizona Cardinals	3/17/08
	QB J.T. O’Sullivan	Detroit Lions	3/4/08
	DE Justin Smith	Cincinnati Bengals	3/3/08
	LB Dontarrious Thomas	Minnesota Vikings	3/3/08
Seattle Seahawks	RB T.J. Duckett	Detroit Lions	3/5/08
	RB Julius Jones	Dallas Cowboys	3/10/08
	S Omar Lowe	Atlanta Falcons	4/7/08
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DE Marques Douglas	San Francisco 49ers	3/18/08
	C Jeff Faine	New Orleans Saints	3/1/08
	TE John Gilmore	Chicago Bears	3/1/08
	LB Teddy Lehman	Detroit Lions	3/5/08
	LB Leon Joe	Buffalo Bills	3/3/08
	TE Ben Troupe	Tennessee Titans	3/10/08
	DE Jimmy Wilkerson	Kansas City Chiefs	3/1/08
	S Eugene Wilson	New England Patriots	3/17/08
Tennessee Titans	TE Dwayne Blakley	Atlanta Falcons	3/24/08
	G Jake Scott	Indianapolis Colts	3/10/08
	LB Josh Stamer	Buffalo Bills	3/28/08

2)       79 UNRESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM	PLAYER	DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals	CB Ralph Brown	4/3/08
	S Oliver Celestin	4/9/08
	LS Nathan Hodel	3/13/08
	DE Joe Tafoya	3/26/08
	S Matt Ware	3/31/08
Atlanta Falcons	DT Tim Anderson	3/10/08
	QB Chris Redman	2/29/08
Baltimore Ravens	LB Nick Greisen	3/24/08
Buffalo Bills	TE Matt Murphy	3/4/08
	CB Bryan Scott	3/18/08
	G Jason Whittle	3/7/08
Carolina Panthers	LB Donte’ Curry	3/3/08
	CB Curtis Deloatch	5/28/08
	RB Brad Hoover	2/29/08
	CB Dante Wesley	2/29/08
Chicago Bears	LB Lance Briggs	3/7/08
Cincinnati Bengals	LB Dhani Jones	3/4/08
	P Kyle Larson	3/5/08
Cleveland Browns	CB Gary Baxter	3/13/08
	C Lennie Friedman	3/11/08
	G Seth McKinney	3/28/08
	CB Nick Sorensen	3/4/08
Denver Broncos	DE Ebenezer Ekuban	3/3/08
	DE John Engelberger	3/4/08
	TE Nate Jackson	3/4/08
	RB Cecil Sapp	3/24/08
Detroit Lions	RB Tatum Bell	3/13/08
	RB Aveion Cason	3/5/08
	CB Travis Fisher	3/12/08
	T George Foster	3/10/08
	TE John Owens	3/3/08
	DE Corey Smith	3/17/08
	CB Keith Smith	2/29/08
Green Bay Packers	LB Tracy White	3/25/08
Houston Texans	TE Mark Bruener	3/10/08
	WR Andre Davis	3/1/08
	CB Will Demps	3/20/08
	CB Glenn Earl	3/7/08
	DE Ndukwe Kalu	3/20/08
	P Matt Turk	3/24/08
	G Fred Weary	5/12/08
Indianapolis Colts	DE Josh Thomas	3/18/08
Jacksonville Jaguars	T Maurice Williams	3/6/08
Miami Dolphins	S Yeremiah Bell	3/4/08
	CB Michael Lehan	3/5/08
Minnesota Vikings	WR Robert Ferguson	3/24/08
New England Patriots	LB Tedy Bruschi	2/29/08
	WR Jabar Gaffney	3/5/08
	WR Randy Moss	3/3/08
	LS Lonie Paxson	2/29/08
	WR Kelley Washington	2/29/08
New Orleans Saints	C Jonathan Goodwin	3/1/08
	WR Devery Henderson	3/3/08
	TE Eric Johnson	3/12/08
	TE Billy Miller	3/10/08
	WR David Patten	3/3/08
	LB Mark Simoneau	3/7/08
	RB Aaron Stecker	3/7/08
	DT Brian Young	3/1/08
New York Giants	RB Derrick Ward	3/14/08
New York Jets	CB Hank Poteat	5/6/08
Oakland Raiders	S Jarrod Cooper	4/17/08
	T Cornell Green	3/6/08
Pittsburgh Steelers	DE Nick Eason	3/27/08
St. Louis Rams	G Adam Goldberg	3/10/08
	T Brandon Gorin	3/17/08
	C Brett Romberg	9/26/08
San Francisco 49ers	S Donald Strickland	3/24/08
San Diego Chargers	QB Billy Volek	3/1/08
Seattle Seahawks	T Floyd Womack	5/2/08
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	CB Sammy Davis	3/6/08
	TE Jerramy Stevens	6/2/08
Tennessee Titans	WR Justin Gage	3/3/08
	S Donnie Nickey	3/26/08
Washington Redskins	DT Ryan Boschetti	3/12/08
	RB Rock Cartwright	3/10/08
	QB Todd Collins	3/4/08
	T Jason Fabini	3/25/08
	P Derrick Frost	3/24/08

3)       3 RESTRICTED free agents have signed with NEW teams:

TEAM	PLAYER	FORMER TEAM	DATE REPORTED
Detroit Lions	CB Kalvin Pearson	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3/13/08
Cincinnati Bengals	TE Ben Utecht	Indianapolis Colts	3/24/08
Tennessee Titans	CB Chris Carr	Oakland Raiders	4/7/08

4)       64 RESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM	PLAYER	DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals	G Elton Brown	3/24/08
	CB Eric Green	4/3/08
	DE Antonio Smith	4/3/08
Atlanta Falcons	LB Michael Boley	4/9/08
	DE Chauncey Davis	4/14/08
	P Michael Koenen	4/14/08
	RB Corey McIntyre	4/18/08
Baltimore Ravens	G Jason Brown	4/21/08
	RB Justin Green	3/18/08
	LS Matt Katula	4/17/08
Buffalo Bills	DT Jason Jefferson	3/25/08
Carolina Panthers	G Geoff Hangartner	3/20/08
	G Evan Mathis	3/20/08
	LB Adam Seward	4/29/08
Chicago Bears	WR Rashied Davis	4/21/08
	S Brandon McGowan	4/1/08
Cincinnati Bengals	QB Ryan Fitzpatrick	4/17/08
Cleveland Browns	QB Derek Anderson	3/11/08
	LB Kris Griffin	3/26/08
	CB Daven Holly	5/21/08
Dallas Cowboys	RB Marion Barber	5/20/08
	G Joe Berger	4/18/08
	DE Chris Canty	6/11/08
Denver Broncos	CB Hamza Abdullah	4/17/08
	S Dominique Foxworth	4/21/08
	G Chris Myers (Traded to HOU)	3/17/08
	S Karl Paymah	4/28/08
Detroit Lions	NT Langston Moore	4/18/08
	QB Dan Orlovsky	4/22/08
	G Stephen Peterman	4/17/08
	CB Stanley Wilson	4/8/08
Green Bay Packers	DT Colin Cole	4/17/08
	RB Vernand Morency	4/4/08
Houston Texans	S C.C. Brown	3/28/08
	DT Anthony Maddox	4/2/08
Indianapolis Colts	TE Bryan Fletcher	4/21/08
	G Dylan Gandy	4/18/08
	S Matt Giordano	4/9/08
	DT Darrell Reid	4/18/08
Jacksonville Jaguars	S Gerald Sensabaugh	4/8/08
Kansas City Chiefs	T Will Svitek	4/18/08
Minnesota Vikings	LB Heath Farwell	3/24/04
New England Patriots	DE Mike Wright	3/14/08
New York Giants	S James Butler	5/12/08
	QB Jared Lorenzen	3/31/08
Oakland Raiders	LB Isaiah Ekejiuba	4/15/08
	DT Josh Shaw	3/18/08
Philadelphia Eagles	S Joselio Hanson	4/1/08
Pittsburgh Steelers	T Trai Essex	3/17/08
	G Chris Kemoetu	3/18/08
	LS Greg Warren	3/25/08
	WR Nate Washington	4/16/08
St. Louis Rams	S Oshiomogho Atogwe	4/30/08
San Diego Chargers	LB Marques Harris	4/2/08
San Francisco 49ers	TE Billy Bajema	3/28/08
Seattle Seahawks	RB Leonard Weaver	4/21/08
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DT Jovan Haye	5/8/08
Tennessee Titans	K Rob Bironas	5/8/08
	RB Casey Cramer	3/24/08
	S Vincent Fuller	4/23/08
	CB Reynaldo Hill	4/22/08
	T Daniel Loper	3/19/08
	TE Bo Scaife	4/2/08
	T David Stewart	5/13/08

5)       0 FRANCHISE players have signed with NEW teams:

TEAM	PLAYER	FORMER TEAM	DATE REPORTED

6)       8 FRANCHISE players have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM	PLAYER	DATE REPORTED
Arizona Cardinals	LB Karlos Dansby	4/17/08
Carolina Panthers	T Jordan Gross	3/20/08
Cincinnati Bengals	G Stacey Andrews	3/19/08
Dallas Cowboys	S Ken Hamlin	7/15/08
Kansas City Chiefs	DE Jared Allen	4/23/08 (Traded to Minnesota)
Green Bay Packers	DT Corey Williams	3/1/08 (Traded to Cleveland)
Philadelphia Eagles	TE L.J. Smith	4/2/08
Seattle Seahawks	CB Marcus Trufant	3/27/08

7)       1 TRANSITION players have re-signed with their OLD team:

TEAM	PLAYER	DATE REPORTED
Pittsburgh Steelers	T Max Starks	4/21/08

8)       1 RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL player has signed with a NEW team:

TEAM	PLAYER	DATE REPORTED
Jacksonville Jaguars	DT Jimmy Kennedy	3/4/08

Packers Sign Three Draft Picks

The Green Bay Packers have signed tackle Breno Giacomini, quarterback Matt Flynn and wide receiver Brett Swain. Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations, announced the signings Wednesday.

Giacomini, a 6-foot-7, 311-pound player from Louisville, was a fifth-round selection (No. 150 overall). He started all 12 games at right tackle in 2007 for the nation’s No. 6-ranked offense.

A 6-foot-2, 222-pound signal caller, Flynn was the Packers’ first seventh-round pick (No. 209 overall). He capped his collegiate career by leading LSU to the 2007 BCS National Championship.

Swain, a 6-foot, 203-pound player from San Diego State, was Green Bay’s second selection in the seventh round (No. 217 overall). He earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2007 after leading the team with 58 catches for 973 yards and five touchdowns.

Packers PR

Packers Announce ‘Packers Green Team’ Program

The Green Bay Packers Tuesday launched ‘Packers Green Team,’ a new program the organization will utilize to focus on using renewable resources and other sustainable practices on game day and every day at Lambeau Field.

The chief component of this year’s effort is utilizing Wisconsin Public Service’s NatureWise renewable energy program to power Lambeau Field on game days. Other efforts include increased opportunities for fans to recycle in the stadium and Lambeau Field Atrium, as well as the use of more environmentally friendly foodware, such as plates and napkins, in suites, club seats and at special events.

“The Green Bay Packers are excited to enhance our efforts in the sustainable resources area,” said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. “By adopting NatureWise and increasing our recycling, we hope to have a positive impact on the environment. Many organizations and individuals already are taking these steps – we’re pleased to join them and hopefully encourage a few others to explore their options, too.

“It’s important to note that this will be an ongoing effort. We’ll continually evaluate the process and its results, and then add any measures that will improve the program.”

The Packers will join more than 40 commercial, 1,800 residential and 11 large agricultural operations customers in using NatureWise. Approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity – enough to power 140 average homes for a year – will be purchased through the season, including Family Night, preseason and regular-season games, along with any playoff contests. The green energy in the NatureWise program includes electricity produced from wind and biogas sources.

“We applaud the Green Bay Packers’ initiative and leadership in the use of renewable energy sources for their electricity used for home games,” said WPS President and CEO Charlie Schrock. “WPS is proud to ‘power the Pack’ and we are pleased to support this great organization with our NatureWise program.”

In addition to NatureWise, the Packers are offering more opportunities for fans to recycle in the concourses at Lambeau Field and in the Lambeau Field Atrium. In conjunction with Waste Management, the team’s waste and recycling partner, the Packers will be placing additional recycling containers, shaped like beverage bottles, in several areas around the stadium. The parking lot will continue to feature the large, helmet-shaped recycling containers for use, too.

“We need our fans’ help on recycling,” added Murphy. “We’ve accomplished a lot in recent years around the stadium, but we can do more, and we need our visitors to be cognizant of where to discard their used items. It’s an educational component we’ll be stepping up.”

“We’re pleased to join the Packers’ ‘Green Team’ to increase recycling at Lambeau Field,” said Mike Flemming, Waste Management market area general manager. “We look forward to contributing to sustainable efforts and encouraging fans to do their part. We can’t do it ourselves – we can provide the tools, but they need to take advantage of them.”

These efforts will add to a practice that last season collected an average of 2 tons of recyclable material per game from the stadium bowl, consisting mostly of plastic bottles. Other stadium recycling programs collected an average of 4.6 tons from game operations, roughly half glass and half paper/cardboard. Through recycling at Lambeau, materials are used in the manufacturing of new products, energy and trees are spared, and less landfill space is used. All these benefits will be increased with the new effort.

In Lambeau Field suites and club seats, Levy Restaurants will be replacing plastic plates with more environmentally friendly paper products, made from recycled materials, which will biodegrade much more quickly in landfills. Special events clients also will have the option of using the products.

The Packers’ new endeavor is highlighted by a logo, “Green Team,” with the phrase, “Defending Our Resources.” A new Web page, www.packers.com/community/green_team, has been launched and includes detailed information about the Packers’ everyday sustainable efforts, along with links to resources other organizations and individuals can use to increase their own sustainable practices.

Packers PR

Bills Night practice tickets available July 25

Orchard Park, NY -– The Buffalo Bills announced today that tickets will be available beginning Friday, July 25, at 9:00 a.m. for the Bills Verizon Wireless Training Camp night practice on Monday, August 11 at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. This night practice is sponsored by Allstate Insurance and the tickets are complimentary.

Tickets are available for the August 11 night practice by visiting a participating Allstate Insurance agency location or the ticket office at Ralph Wilson Stadium beginning Friday, July 25. For a list of participating Allstate Insurance agencies, please visit http://buffalobills.com/allstate.

Each ticket will be scanned at the entrance to the camp and no duplicate tickets will be allowed entry. Ticket orders for the night practices are limited to four (4) per person.

Ticket availability for the final two night practices on Sunday, August 17, and Tuesday, August 19, will be announced each Tuesday on July 29 and August 5. Tickets will be made available each Friday following the Tuesday announcement through various Bills partners including Allstate Insurance, Anheuser-Busch, and Tops Friendly Markets.

All of the daytime practices that are open to the public do not require tickets. For a complete listing of the training camp practice schedule and more information, please visit the Buffalo Bills Verizon Wireless Training Camp page on the Bills website at http://www.buffalobills.com/team/camp.html.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan, Allstate helps individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow through approximately 14,900 exclusive agencies and financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through Allstate agencies, or in select states at allstate.com and 1-800-Allstate®. Encompass® and Deerbrook® Insurance brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent agents. The Allstate Financial Group provides life insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.

Founded in 1959, the Buffalo Bills are one of the most storied franchises in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills have won two American Football League (AFL) Championships (1964 – 1965) and won an NFL record four straight AFC Championships (1990 – 1993) that included four trips to the Super Bowl. The Bills are a progressive organization and pride themselves on the regionalization of their team. They hold their training camp in Rochester, NY and will be the first NFL team ever to play a home game in Canada with the Bills Toronto Series that begins this season. As Western New York’s top-rated sports and entertainment choice, the Bills annually entertain nearly one million fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium, produce the region’s number-one rated sports television programming, have one of the NFL’s largest fan clubs with the Bills Backers, and host the most visited team website in Western New York. For more Bills information, please visit buffalobills.com or call (716) 648-1800.