Williams agreed to a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday. The two-year starter received a three-year contract extension through 2012 worth $14.5 million, according the NFL Network.
Analysis: The Bills confirmed the contract extension but did not release the terms. Williams' agent, Albert Elias, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press. Williams had two years left on his existing contract and was scheduled to make a base salary of $445,000 this season. The Bills' fifth-round pick in the 2006 draft out of Louisiana State has two sacks, both coming last season, in 32 career games.
Favre dismissed an ESPN report that he's considering coming out of retirement as "all rumor." He responded Wednesday to the report by telling his hometown newspaper Web site, SunHerald.com in Gulfport, Miss., that "it's all rumor."
Analysis: ESPN reported that an unidentified Packers source said the 38-year-old Favre told coach Mike McCarthy in the past two weeks that he has the itch to play. "The Packers have no reaction," team spokesman Jeff Blumb told The Associated Press. Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, didn't return a message seeking comment. Packers general manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy were on vacation. Favre retired March 6 after a 17-year career.
The Chicago Bears agreed to a four-year deal with second-round draft pick Matt Forte, the former Tulane running back expected to replace Cedric Benson in the lineup.
Analysis: Chicago took Forte with the 44th overall pick and thrust him into a competition with Benson that never materialized. The Bears waived Benson in June after three ineffective, injury-plagued years following his second alcohol-related rest in a month. He finished second on Tulane's career list with 4,265 yards rushing and 5,261 all-purpose yards while setting school records in rushing touchdowns (39), total touchdowns (44) and yards rushing per game (99.2).
Analysis: Selected 219th overall out of Louisiana's Northwestern State in the draft in April, Bell started 22 consecutive games over his final two college seasons. He is considered a work-in-progress with the Bills after he got a late start in football. Bell, listed at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds, first played basketball at Northwestern before switching to football in August 2005. The Bills drafted him on the belief that Bell can gradually develop at the NFL level.
A judge has declared a mistrial in Henry's assault case.
Analysis: An eight-person jury in Cincinnati told the judge Tuesday they were unable to agree on a verdict. Hamilton County Municipal Judge Richard Bernat then dismissed the jury and set a hearing for July 8. Eighteen-year-old Gregory Meyer accused Henry of punching him in the face in March. The 25-year-old Henry said he was acting in self-defense. The Bengals released Henry on April 3 after his fifth arrest since 2005, and last month he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Jurevicius had his second knee surgery since January on Monday, a procedure that could prevent him from reporting to training camp on time. Jurevicius had swelling and discomfort in his knee related to his first operation, and the club said in a statement released Tuesday that he had a further "clean out" on Monday to help him recover.
Analysis: The team said no determination has been made on Jurevicius' status for training camp, which opens July 23. The 33-year-old had 50 catches for 614 yards and three touchdowns last season.
The Patriots released Andrews on Tuesday, one day after he was arrested for allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend's head. The 24-year-old Andrews, primarily a special teams player, was being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday following his second arrest this year.
Analysis: In two seasons since the Patriots drafted him in the seventh round out of Baylor, Andrews returned four kickoffs for 149 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown last season, and had 24 tackles, all but one on special teams.
The Bears agreed to a four-year deal with Bowman on Tuesday. Chicago has now signed or agreed to terms with a league-high 10 of its 12 picks
Analysis: Bowman, a fifth-rounder, had 56 tackles and three interceptions in 22 games with Nebraska after starting his collegiate career at New Mexico Military Institute.
The Bears signed Harrison to a four-year contract Tuesday .
Analysis: Harrison, taken in the third round with the 90th overall pick, finished with 186 tackles - 110 solo - and four sacks while breaking up 12 passes in four years at Arkansas.
Andrews is being held without bail after allegedly pointing a handgun at his girlfriend's head.
Analysis: A spokesman for the Bristol County district attorney said Andrews was arrested Monday morning after the alleged incident. Gregg Miliote said Andrews, a backup since being drafted by the Patriots in 2006, was charged with illegal possession of a large capacity firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. The Patriots said they were aware of the report but would have no further comment.
The Titans signed Stewart to a multiyear contract extension Monday. Details were not released.
Analysis: Stewart has started 30 games at tackle during his three-year career, including all 16 games last season. He had signed a one-year tender earlier this offseason as a restricted free agent. Stewart is the Titans' second starting offensive lineman to sign since April. Left tackle Michael Roos agreed to a multiyear deal earlier.
Authorities say a man with the same name and date of birth as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin was cited for drug abuse after he was found in possession of suspected marijuana at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Analysis: Cleveland police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said screeners discovered three bags of suspected marijuana while searching the man at a security checkpoint Saturday night. Stacho said police are testing the substance to determine whether it is marijuana. He said the citation is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $100 fine. Martin was a sixth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Wyoming.
A man charged with kidnapping, beating and robbing Walker this month after the Oakland wide receiver spent a night club-hopping was held Friday on bail totaling $86,000.
Analysis: Arfat Fadel's lawyer, public defender Shane Emerick, said outside court he doubted Fadel could make bail. Emerick said Fadel intended to plead not guilty to charges that he and an unidentified second man followed Walker from club to club before enticing him into their vehicle and robbing him.
A foreclosure sale on the home of Jones has been postponed until next month. Attorney J. Phillip Jones has been appointed trustee of the property. His office says the sale originally scheduled for Friday on the steps of the old Williamson County Courthouse is set for July 28.
Analysis: The office declined to say why the sale of the home on 30 acres, located in a Nashville suburb, was postponed. Jones has defaulted on the terms and conditions of a mortgage, according to a notice of foreclosure sale published earlier this month.
Lynch had his driver's license revoked in traffic court on Friday after saying he didn't know he hit someone while driving on a Buffalo street last month. Administrative Law Judge Thomas Gagola found Lynch's behavior on May 31 ``constituted a reckless disregard of human life or property.'' He also imposed the maximum $100 fine and $50 surcharge after Lynch pleaded guilty to failure to exercise due care toward a pedestrian.
Analysis: Lynch, the Bills' first-round draft pick in 2007 out of California, was driving his 2008 Porsche Cayenne SUV in the city's bar district at 3:30 a.m. when he struck a 27-year-old Ontario woman and kept going.
Henry's trial will continue Monday, but the wide receiver will be facing one less charge. Henry, who had been accused of punching a man in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle, had been charged with assault and criminal damaging. On Friday, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Richard Bernat dismissed the criminal damaging charge. Henry testified Friday that he swung at his accuser in self-defense.
Analysis: Henry testified Friday that he swung at his accuser in self-defense. Henry pleaded not guilty at his initial appearance April 3, when a Municipal Court judge ordered Henry to wear an electronic ankle monitor and remain in his home. That order was rescinded in May when Henry's lawyer told the judge that Henry, cut by the Bengals after his last arrest, had an offer to try out for an unidentified team. Earlier this month, Henry was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Spicer signed a two-year, $8 million contract extension with the Jaguars on Friday, giving him a chance to end his career with the team.
Analysis: Spicer, who led the Jaguars with 7 1/2 sacks last season, skipped Jacksonville's first eight voluntary workouts last month in hopes of getting a new deal. Spicer was in the final year of a contract that would have paid him about $2.5 million this season.
Sims signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, crossing the bay after nine years with the Oakland Raiders.
Analysis: Sims, who joined the league as an undrafted free agent in 1999, started all 16 games at left tackle for the Raiders last season as their longest-tenured player. He played both guard and tackle for Oakland, including 68 straight starts at left tackle, but was released Feb. 29 in a cost-cutting move.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Richardson to a three-year contract on Wednesday.
Analysis: The Chiefs selected Richardson with the first of two sixth-round picks in this year's NFL draft. Terms of the deal were not released. Richardson, a 6-foot-6, 319-pound lineman, played in 49 games at Clemson, including 45 starts in four years. He earned first-team All-ACC honors the last two seasons.
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