REDSKINS: Free agent wide receiver D.J. Hackett, a four-year veteran who caught 32 passes last season for Seattle, arrived in Washington Wednesday afternoon. He was to have dinner with executive vice president Vinny Cerrato, spend the night in the area and get the full Redskins Park tour on Thursday. Hackett has post-Washington visits planned with Tampa Bay and Carolina.
TAYLOR MURDER CASE: The alleged shooter in the murder of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor told police he and the other suspects burned their clothes in an attempt to cover up the crime. The statement by 17-year-old Eric Rivera Jr. and those by two other suspects were released Wednesday by state prosecutors at the request of The Associated Press and other news outlets. All three statements are heavily redacted on a judge’s orders, and do not contain outright confessions to the crime. But there are hints throughout of what happened and what led up to the Nov. 26 shooting, which authorities say took place in a botched robbery attempt at Taylor’s Miami home. Taylor, an All-Pro safety for the Redskins, died the next day from heavy blood loss.
FALCONS: Atlanta re-signed quarterback Joey Harrington only one week after cutting the six-year veteran. Terms of his new two-year deal were not released. Harrington had signed a two-year, $6 million deal last year. The 29-year-old started 10 games last season, but returns as the possible backup to Chris Redman, who ended the season as the starter and also recently signed a two-year contract. D.J. Shockley is the third quarterback, leaving the Falcons’ options at quarterback the same as when they began the post-Michael Vick era last season.
BRONCOS: Ted Sundquist is no longer the Denver’s general manager. Details of Sundquist’s departure were not immediately released. In a brief statement Wednesday, head coach Mike Shanahan said it was time for the organization to move forward and look at new directions.
DOLPHINS: Kicker Dave Rayner signed a one-year contract with Miami on Wednesday. Rayner, a three-year veteran, made 15 of 22 field goals for the Kansas City Chiefs last year. He is 41-for-58 in his career. The Dolphins already have kicker Jay Feely, who was third in the NFL in field-goal accuracy last year, making 21 of 23. Rayner could make the team as a kickoff specialist, his role with Indianapolis as a rookie in 2005.
LIONS: Detroit re-signed unrestricted free-agent cornerback Travis Fisher to a three-year contract Wednesday and released guard-center Blaine Saipaia. The 5-foot-10-inch, 189-pound Fisher is entering his seventh NFL season and his second with the Lions. Last season, he had a career-high 85 tackles, 66 of them solo. He also made two interceptions. The 6-3, 315-pound Saipaia is a five-year NFL veteran. He served as a backup center, guard and tackle in two seasons with Detroit.
NFL: Olympic sprint champion Justin Gatlin showed off his skills to NFL scouts Wednesday during Tennessee’s pro timing day. He was among 14 former Volunteer players to participate. The NFL draft is April 26-27. Gatlin is the reigning Olympic 100-meter gold medalist. He received a potential eight-year ban for doping violations, but that ban was reduced to four years.
PACKERS: Linebacker Nick Barnett has reached a plea bargain related to a disturbance at an Appleton bar last June. Barnett’s attorney Avi Berk says Barnett has pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct in a deferred prosecution agreement. Berk says Barnett must be on good behavior until July 1 for a judge to accept the deal.
STEELERS: Pittsburgh signed free agent linebacker Keyaron Fox to a one-year contract. Fox played the past four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs after being drafted in the third round in 2004. He’s expected to be a backup linebacker and play on special teams, the same role he filled for the Chiefs.
TITANS: Tennessee agreed to terms with receiver Justin McCareins on Wednesday, bringing him back to the team that drafted him. The Titans drafted McCareins in the fourth-round in 2001 and traded him to the New York Jets in 2004 for a second-round draft pick that year. McCareins started each game his first two seasons with New York but totaled only 13 starts over the past two seasons with 42 combined catches in that time.
Associated Press
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