NFL Notebook: Panthers sign Justice, former Deacons center

By: JournalNow Staff | JOURNAL WIRE REPORT
Published: January 06, 2010

■ Panthers: Carolina signed four players yesterday, including Steve Justice, a former Wake Forest center, and Dexter Jackson, a former Appalachian State receiver.

The team also signed defensive back Marcus Walker and defensive end Eric Moore. Jackson, Walker and Moore were on Carolina's practice squad this season. Justice was Indianapolis' sixth-round pick in 2008 but was cut by the Colts before this season.

The Panthers also announced that coaches credited linebacker Jon Beason with 13 tackles in Sunday's season finale against New Orleans. That gives him 169 for the season, breaking his own team record of 160 set in 2007.

■ Bears: Chicago is bringing Coach Lovie Smith back for a seventh season. But he's done calling the defensive plays.

The team also fired offensive coordinator Ron Turner and five other coaches on that side of the ball yesterday after going 7-9 with Jay Cutler at quarterback and missing the playoffs for the third straight year after a Super Bowl run.

The Bears had problems on offense and defense and fell far short of expectations after the blockbuster trade with Denver to get Cutler. But instead of bringing in a big-name coach such as Bill Cowher, the Bears stuck with Smith, who has two years and $11 million left on his contract.

The team will bring in a defensive coordinator, with Smith relinquishing his play-calling duties.

■ NFL awards: Linebacker Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans was a runaway winner yesterday when voting was announced for The Associated Press NFL defensive rookie-of-the-year award.

Cushing, a first-round draft pick out of Southern California last April, received 39 of a possible 50 votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. Safety Jairus Byrd of Buffalo (6), linebacker Clay Matthews of Green Bay (3) and linebacker Brian Orakpo of Washington (2) received the remaining votes.

Cushing had 133 tackles, 86 of them primary, and helped the Texans to a 9-7 season and their first winning record. He also had five sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.

■ Saints: New Orleans put Charles Grant, a starting defensive end, on injured reserve yesterday and will have to make its playoff run without him.

The Saints announced yesterday that Grant, who anchored the left side of the line, has a triceps injury that will end his season. In a related move, the team re-signed Paul Spicer, a veteran end.

Grant, an eight-year veteran, started every game this season and had 53 tackles, 5½ sacks and a forced fumble.

■ Steelers: Ken Anderson, Pittsburgh's quarterbacks coach, is retiring.

Anderson initially contemplated retiring last summer, then told Coach Mike Tomlin after the Steelers' season-ending victory Sunday in Miami that he was leaving. Anderson, 60, was an NFL player or coach for 33 seasons and is one of 25 semifinalists this year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also is the first member of Tomlin's original staff in 2007 to leave.