The Carolina Panthers got an experienced backup for starting quarterback Jake Delhomme on Friday when they acquired veteran Josh McCown from Miami for a 2009 late-round draft pick.
Delhomme, who is returning from ligament-replacement surgery in his right elbow, has recovered well and is scheduled to start the season opener at San Diego on Sept. 7.
The Panthers must clear a roster spot for McCown today, meaning the team will have to trim its roster by 22 players to reach the regular-season limit of 53 plus receiver Steve Smith, who will be placed on the reserve-suspended list.
McCown signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason after starting 31 games in a six years in Arizona, Detroit and Oakland.
VIKINGS: The NFL suspended Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie for four games without pay Friday for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
McKinnie has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a street brawl outside a Miami nightclub in February.
He will be eligible to return to the Vikings’ active roster following the team’s Sept. 28 game against Tennessee. McKinnie will miss games against Green Bay, Indianapolis and Carolina.
PANTHERS: Tests Friday showed no broken bones or damaged ligaments in Carolina backup quarterback Matt Moore’s injured left leg, Moore was taken to the locker room after being hit in the legs and sacked by unblocked safety Anthony Smith in the third quarter of Thursday’s final preseason game in Pittsburgh.
SAINTS: New Orleans placed seventh-round draft choice Adrian Arrington on injured reserve Friday and released seven other players. Arrington, a receiver from Michigan, had impressed coaches throughout the spring and summer, but severely sprained his toe during New Orleans’ opening preseason game at Arizona.The move means Arrington won’t play this season.
New Orleans also terminated the contract of recently acquired veteran safety Lance Schulters and waived defensive end Jeremy Geathers, tight end Ronnie Ghent, defensive end Marcus Pittman, safety David Roach, guard Isaiah Ross and tackle Brian Stamper.
TEXANS: Houston released veteran linebacker Rosevelt Colvin and 20 other players Friday, the day before NFL teams must set their 53-man rosters. The Texans signed Colvin in June after he was released by New England. They had hoped he could be a situational pass rusher, but decided he wasn’t valuable enough to take up a roster spot.
Other players released were fullback Jon Abbate, quarterbacks Shane Boyd and Alex Brink, linebackers Kevis Coley and Ben Moffitt, center Greg Eslinger, cornerbacks Jamar Fletcher, Derrick Roberson and Dexter Wynn, receivers Darnell Jenkins, LeRon McCoy and Mark Simmons, tight end Ryan Krause, defensive linemen Gabe Long and Jesse Nading, running back Marcel Shipp and tackle Torrin Tucker.
PATRIOTS: AFC champion New England released four players a day after wrapping up its first winless preseason since 1990 with a 19-14 loss to the New York Giants. The cuts of tackle Steve Fifita, offensive lineman Jimmy Martin, cornerback Jeff Shoate and tight end Jonathan Stupar leave New England with 71 players before today’s deadline.
COWBOYS: Tony Romo just lost another one of his receiving options for the Dallas Cowboys’ season opener. Sam Hurd, the No. 3 receiver behind Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton, got an MRI exam Friday and was diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain. The team said Hurd, the third Cowboys receiver hurt in the past three preseason games, won’t play Sept. 7 at Cleveland.
Miles Austin (sprained right knee) and former Huskies quarterback Isaiah Stanback (dislocated shoulder) were already out. Austin could be sidelined for another month after getting hurt covering a kickoff two weeks ago in Denver, and Stanback was injured returning a kickoff against Houston.
TITANS: Tennesse quarterback Vince Young had his right hand taped as he left the Titans’ offices Friday. Young bruised his throwing hand in the first half of Thursday night’s 23-21 preseason finale win over Green Bay, and he didn’t return for the first series of the third quarter as originally planned. But Young had thrown 27 passes, completing 13 for 134 yards without an interception.
Asked if the Titans planned to X-ray or run other tests on Young’s right hand, coach Jeff Fisher said only that the quarterback was doing well.
“We’ll have a full injury report for you (next) Friday,” Fisher said. “He’ll be designated as whether he practiced or did not practice. At this point, I would expect he would practice.”
COLTS: Peyton Manning expects to be in the starting lineup when Indianapolis opens the season against the Bears. The Colts quarterback, who underwent knee surgery in July, was activated Tuesday and went through a pregame workout with the team before the final preseason game Thursday night. He and the rest of the team went through a short practice Friday before coach Tony Dungy sent them home for the weekend. Manning said he felt fine after the pregame routine Thursday night.
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