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Published: June 18, 2008
Falcons cut Williams, former 2nd-round pick
■ The Atlanta Falcons released disgruntled safety Jimmy Williams yesterday, two years after trading up 10 spots to pick him in the second round of the NFL Draft.
"It's a football decision," Coach Mike Smith said. "It's a decision we made, and one that we've been evaluating."
With only seven career starts in 27 games, Williams made a poor impression on Smith, who demoted Williams to third string after he reported to a voluntary mini-camp nearly 20 pounds overweight.
Williams, a former Virginia Tech standout, skipped the next two days of the voluntary camp.
"I knew it could get to this point, but I wasn't sure it would," Williams told the Daily Press of Newport News, Va. "They've been upset with my weight, but I didn't think the weight thing was a big issue."
■ The agent for All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth doesn't think that a long-term deal with the Tennessee Titans will be reached before the July 15 deadline.
"There has been no significant movement from the Titans on a long term deal since prior to the Combine in February and I don't think this will change before July 15th," Chad Speck said in his e-mail.
Speck said that recent talks have involved what he proposed in March: Haynesworth signs the tender if the Titans promise not to use the franchise tag on Haynesworth again in 2009. Speck said that such deals were used on other franchised players like Shaun Alexander, defensive backs Nate Clements and Asante Samuel, and linebacker Lance Briggs.
If no deal is reached by July 15, the team can only sign their franchise player to a one-year deal and could not sign a long-term contract then until after the conclusion of the regular season.
Speck declined to comment further.
■ Sen. Arlen Specter said he won't call for congressional hearings on the NFL's investigation of the Spygate scandal after previously threatening to do so.
Specter's office confirmed yesterday his comments Monday to the Philadelphia Daily News editorial board. Specter, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, had written in a Senate floor statement earlier this month that "I believe the NFL should step forward and embrace an independent inquiry."
"If the NFL continues to leave a vacuum," he added, "Congress may be tempted to fill it."
No independent inquiry has been announced, and Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL has indicated that he considers the investigation closed.
■ Wide receiver Javon Walker of the Oakland Raiders was beaten, robbed and left unconscious on a Las Vegas street after a night of partying and suffered "significant injuries," police said. A large amount of cash and some jewelry also were taken from Walker.
Police Lt. Clinton Nichols said that detectives were retracing Walker's activities in the hours before he was found injured Monday morning on a street off the Las Vegas Strip. Nichols said he believed that Walker would be released from the hospital yesterday, after a 24-hour stay.
A Raiders spokesman said that the team was in the process of gathering information and had no further comment. Walker, 29, signed a six-year, $55-million deal with the Raiders after being released by the Denver Broncos in February.
■ The Carolina Panthers have claimed center Pat Ross off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts and have waived Eric Tunney, an undrafted rookie tackle, to free a spot on the roster.
Ross (6-5, 305) was undrafted out of Boston College in 2006 and has had stints on practice squads with New England, Seattle and Indianapolis.
■ Terrell Owens wasn't on the field for the start of the Dallas Cowboys' mandatory minicamp yesterday and might not be around the rest of the week. Coach Wade Phillips said that Owens was excused from the three-day minicamp to attend to a personal family matter out of town.
"He didn't want to go into it, and I really don't want to either," Phillips said. "It's a family matter and just leave it at that. It's not anything more than that."
Owens was at the Cowboys' practice complex yesterday morning, then left before the first of two practice sessions to catch a flight. Phillips said that Owens talked to him Monday, but he wouldn't elaborate on that conversation or where Owens was going.
■ Linebacker Lofa Tatupu of the Seattle Seahawks entered a plea of not guilty yesterday to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Tatupu appeared in Kirkland, Wash., before Municipal Court Judge Michael J. Lambo but did not speak. His attorney, Jon Fox, told the judge that Tatupu would plead not guilty. After the hearing, Fox told reporters that Tatupu would not make a statement or answer questions. Lambo set a tentative court date for July 7.
Tatupu was stopped at 2 a.m. on May 10 for traveling more than 15 mph above the posted 35-mph limit. An arrest report said that, two hours later at the Kirkland police station, Tatupu registered 0.155 and 0.158 in breath-test readings, nearly twice the state limit of 0.08.
■ Jay Cross resigned as president of the New York Jets yesterday after eight years with the team to accept a position as president of Related Hudson Yards.
The Jets also named Mike Tannenbaum executive vice president-general manager, Matt Higgins executive vice president of business operations and Thad Sheely executive vice president of stadium development and finance. All three will report directly to Woody Johnson, the Jets' chairman and CEO.
Cross replaced Steve Gutman as team president in 2001, and his top priority was helping the Jets create a new stadium. After a plan to build a stadium on Manhattan's West Side fell through, the Jets agreed with the Giants on a co-ownership deal to create a $1.3 billion, 82,500-seat stadium that's scheduled to open in 2010.
The new stadium is being built next to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. As part of the deal, the Jets are moving their training complex from Hempstead to Florham Park, N.J., sometime after training camp.
"I appreciate all of Jay's contributions for the past eight years, particularly his efforts to build a new stadium for the New York Jets and a new home in Florham Park," Johnson said.
Tannenbaum, in his 12th season with the Jets and the GM since 2006, will continue to manage all football operations.
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