NFL notes

CARDINALS: Kurt Warner will be Arizona’s starting quarterback for the season opener at San Francisco. Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Saturday that he chose Warner over Matt Leinart because the former MVP “gives us the best chance to win.”

JAGUARS: Jacksonville’s career rushing and receiving leaders were arrested in a span of about five hours. Running back Fred Taylor was arrested outside a Miami Beach nightclub early Saturday and charged with disorderly conduct. Former receiver Jimmy Smith was arrested Friday night on a drunken driving charge in Jacksonville. Taylor was released on his own recognizance and agreed to appear in court at a future date, according to Miami Beach Police Department spokesman Juan Sanchez. Taylor was not taken to jail. Smith was arrested after he tried to drive around a DUI checkpoint about 10:45 p.m. Friday. Jacksonville sheriffs officers said there was a “strong odor of marijuana” coming from Smith’s car and marijuana butts in the console. They searched the car and found marijuana and an open container of beer. Smith failed a field sobriety test and was charged with open container and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, both misdemeanors.

BENGALS: Offensive tackle Willie Anderson and running back Rudi Johnson lost their starting jobs with the Cincinnati Bengals during training camp. Now they’ve lost their roster spots, too. The Bengals released Anderson and Johnson on Saturday as part of their moves to get to the 53-man roster limit. The 33-year-old Anderson was the most tenured Bengal at 12 seasons. Injuries limited him to seven games last season, ending his streak of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He became a backup to Stacy Andrews in training camp, and declined to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

BUCCANEERS: Tampa Bay cut Chris Simms, their former starting quarterback, who missed all of last season after a serious spleen injury and asked to be released. They also cut Ryan Nece, a former starter at linebacker. Nece and Simms are the sons of former NFL stars — Nece of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott and Simms of former Super Bowl MVP and current broadcaster Phil Simms.

FALCONS: Atlanta released quarterback Joey Harrington, the third overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Lions and a starter in 10 games for the Falcons last season. Harrington had been third on the depth chart behind rookie Matt Ryan, the third overall choice this year, and Chris Redman.

PATRIOTS: Kevin Faulk, the veteran third-down back for the Patriots, was suspended for one game and will forfeit two paychecks, the result of a no contest plea in July to misdemeanor marijuana charges in Lafayette, La. Faulk had been issued a summons for possession of marijuana at a Li’l Wayne concert in February. New England released quarterback Matt Gutierrez and kept Matt Cassel as Tom Brady’s backup for a fourth season. Cassel’s roster spot appeared to be in jeopardy after he failed to lead the Patriots to a touchdown in 17 series during their winless exhibition season. Other noteworthy Patriots cuts were veterans Fernando Bryant, their starting cornerback for most of the exhibition season, and Victor Hobson, a linebacker who spent all five of his NFL seasons with the New York Jets.

RAVENS: Baltimore cornerback Derrick Martin was suspended for one game and will forfeit two paychecks. According to a police report, Martin was cited and charged in July with possession of three small bags of marijuana at the Cleveland airport during a random TSA screening while attempting to board a flight.

JETS: Veteran running back Jesse Chatman was suspended for four games for violating the league’s steroid policy.

GIANTS: New York signed 44-year-old John Carney while Lawrence Tynes recovers from a knee injury, meaning they will have two kickers on the roster. They also kept just two quarterbacks, Eli Manning and David Carr, placing Anthony Wright on injured reserve with a back injury and cutting rookie Andre Woodson.

STEELERS: Pittsburgh placed backup quarterback Charlie Batch on injured reserve. He broke his collarbone in the exhibition opener, and the Steelers signed veteran Byron Leftwich to take his place.

TITANS: Tennessee cut wide receiver Roydell Williams, the Titans’ co-leader in receptions last year, after he struggled to recover from breaking an ankle days before a playoff game in January. He had 55 catches last year along with Justin Gage, who signed a contract extension in February.

EAGLES: Philadelphia released defensive end Jerome McDougle, a one-time first-rounder plagued by injuries on and off the field. The Eagles also released veteran defensive tackle Montae Reagor and tight end Kris Wilson.

REDSKINS: Washington cut punter Derrick Frost, choosing to keep sixth-round draft choice Durant Brooks. Frost has a tryout scheduled with the Seahawks on Tuesday, according to the Washington Post. Among the other veterans let go by Washington were wide receiver Billy McMullen and offensive tackle Todd Wade.

TEXANS: Houston, which made most of its cuts on Friday, placed running back Chris Brown on injured reserve with back problems. That leaves the Texans with Ahman Green, Chris Taylor and rookie Steve Slaton.

VIKINGS: Minnesota placed safety Michael Boulware on injured reserve. Boulware apparently injured a wrist Thursday night in the final exhibition game.

49ERS: San Francisco released underachieving receiver Ashley Lelie, who was going into the second year of a two-year, $4.3 million deal that included a $2 million signing bonus. He had just 10 receptions for 115 yards last season while struggling with injuries. The 49ers also waived fullback Moran Norris, a two-year starter who lost his job to Zak Keasey.

PANTHERS: Carolina placed star receiver Steve Smith on the reserve-suspended list while he serves a two-game ban for punching cornerback Ken Lucas during training camp. The Panthers’ veteran cuts included safety Terrence Holt and defensive end Stanley McClover, while cornerback-kick returner Ricardo Colclough was let go hours after he was arrested and charged with driving while impaired.

Associated Press