NFL notebook
Published 8:02 pm Tuesday, July 22, 2008
RAMS: Seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Pace is close to returning from a shoulder injury, but will not be cleared for full contact at the start of training camp. Rams coach Scott Linehan said Tuesday the team would be conservative with Pace, who tore the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder in the second quarter of the 2007 season-opener against Carolina.
BEARS: Brian Urlacher checked into the Chicago Bears’ training camp Tuesday night with a new contract, declaring he was healthy and ready to play. The six-time Pro Bowl linebacker signed a one-year extension earlier in the day and the deal is reportedly worth $18 million. It includes a $6 million signing bonus, a $1 million raise in base salary from 2008 through 2011 and then $8 million in the final and new year of the deal in 2012.
JETS: The New York Jets signed free-agent defensive back Ahmad Carroll, a former first-round pick of Green Bay who was out of the NFL last season, to a contract Tuesday. The Jets waived defensive back Nate Lyles to make room on their roster for Carroll, the 25th overall pick in 2004.
BENGALS: Coach Marvin Lewis emphatically closed the door Tuesday on the possibility of receiver Chris Henry rejoining the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals released Henry in April after he was arrested for the fifth time, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. His court case ended in a mistrial and prosecutors dropped the charges, prompting Henry to seek reinstatement. Lewis said it won’t be with the Bengals.
CHARGERS: Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo came up with a huge sack on Tuesday — a huge sack of money, that is. Castillo agreed to a five-year contract extension through 2014 valued at about $43 million. The deal will pay Castillo a guaranteed $17.5 million in signing and roster bonuses.
RAIDERS: The Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a one-year contract with former Kansas City Chiefs safety Greg Wesley on Tuesday, adding depth to the position on the eve of training camp.
Associated Press
