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Monday Roundup It's official: Panthers name Weinke starting QB
Updated: Tuesday September 04, 2001 1:02 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers finally made it official on Monday, naming rookie Chris Weinke the starting quarterback for the season opener. Weinke will start Sunday against the Vikings in his home state of Minnesota, head coach George Seifert said. "It's going to be exciting. I grew up a Vikings fan, so it's kind of strange how it's worked out," Weinke said. "I'll have a lot of friends and family and supporters there, so I'm looking forward to it." Seifert delayed naming Weinke the starter because he wasn't sure what direction the Panthers would ultimately go in. They waived Jeff Lewis, tabbed to be the starter during training camp, on Sunday. "I didn't know for sure because there always could be a trade or anything could have happened," Seifert said. "But we watch him in practice, we watch him interact, we watch him in games and you put all that information in and talk about it as an organization and everyone felt the same way and thought it was the right way to go." Dameyune Craig was named the backup and Matt Lytle is next. Weinke, a 29-year-old rookie from Florida State, took over the starting job two weeks ago after leading the Panthers to a comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens. He started their final preseason game Friday against the Cleveland Browns, completing 11 of 18 passes for 109 yards and an interception while playing just the first half. Seifert said starting against the Vikings could be a difficult assignment but he expects the Heisman Trophy winner to handle it. "We're dealing with a pretty mature fellow who has been in big games and dealt with noisy crowds," Seifert said. "So that part of it is not going to be new to him. I sense that that he's up to it."
Agent: Colts to sign free-agent CB SmithINDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Cornerback Thomas Smith, released last week by Chicago, is expected to sign with the Indianapolis Colts. "He's familiar with the conference and he wanted to get back to playing against personnel he knew," said Smith's agent, Brantley Evans. "He liked their defensive philosophy, and he knew they needed some depth in the defensive backfield. It's a good place for him." The Colts said they agreed in principle on a deal. Smith has spent eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Bills before signing with Chicago in 2000, and gives the Colts another veteran presence in a secondary that is dominated by young players. When the Colts trimmed their roster to 53 on Sunday, they kept 11 defensive backs, including four rookies. But only three players in the secondary -- safety Chad Cota and cornerbacks Jeff Burris and Mustafah Muhammad -- have more than one season of NFL experience. Smith, who chose the Colts over seven other teams, started all 16 games for the Bears last season. He had 82 tackles and broke up eight passes. That performance earned him $8.5 million, Evans said, but after some front-office changes, the Bears released Smith. Smith will take a significant pay cut to play with the Colts. Evans said Smith will get a base salary of $500,000, a signing bonus of $500,000 and could earn $250,000 in incentives, but the opportunity to play with a contender was too enticing. Indianapolis also announced that it has signed running back Kevin McDougal, defensive tackle Hans Olsen, offensive lineman Rob Murphy, defensive back Raymond Walls and linebacker Donnel Thompson to the practice squad. Walls was taken by the Colts in the fifth round of April's draft. Thompson spent training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jets sign DT Martin, claim LB GlennHEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- The New York Jets, looking for a nose tackle to replace the injured Jason Ferguson, signed veteran Steve Martin on Monday. Martin, a 6-foot-4, 319-pounder, was cut by Kansas City. He also played with Philadelphia and Indianapolis. He signed a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum of $477,000, with incentives that could increase the salary to $625,000. Martin will be a backup to seventh-round draft choice Reed, who will start Sunday against the Colts. The Jets chose Martin rather than several other veterans, including Tim Morabito, who was cut by Carolina, and former Jet Ernie Logan. Neither Russell Maryland nor Cortez Kennedy was brought in for interviews. Maryland was cut by Green Bay, while Kennedy was a free agent. New York also claimed linebacker Jason Glenn off waivers from Detroit. Glenn is the brother of Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. To make room for Glenn and Martin, the team cut defensive tackle Maurice Anderson and placed Ferguson on injured reserve.
Chiefs acquire QB Germaine from RamsST. LOUIS (AP) -- Joe Germaine, who lost his backup job at quarterback with a poor performance in the final preseason game, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday for a sixth-round draft choice. The Rams also signed quarterback Jamie Martin, who had been cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Martin previously was with the Rams from 1993-96, when head coach Mike Martz was an offensive assistant with the team, and also spent the last month of the 1997 season with Martz in Washington. "This is perfect," Martz said after finalizing his roster Sunday night. "It helps Dick Vermeil, and I know what Jamie is." St. Louis will open the season with untested Marc Bulger as the backup to Kurt Warner, and Martin likely will take over the backup job before long. "The down side to this, what scares me, is for a few weeks it's going to be touch and go," Martz said. "We're living on the edge a little bit." Germaine was 0-for-4 in a quarter in the Rams' final preseason game. He was supposed to have gotten the bulk of the playing time, but Martz yanked him and let Bulger, who was on the practice squad for one week last year, go the rest of the way. Germaine connected on only 12 of his last 40 passes in the preseason. He'll likely be the third-stringer in Kansas City behind Trent Green, who also played in St. Louis last year, and Todd Collins. Martin, 31, was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rams in 1993. He was 20-for-40 in the preseason for the Jaguars before being cut Sunday.
Chiefs release backup QB BristerKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Bubby Brister, at 39 the oldest active quarterback in the NFL, was released Monday by the Kansas City Chiefs. The move was to make room on the roster for Joe Germaine, whom the Chiefs acquired Monday in a trade with the St. Louis Rams. Brister struggled during the Chiefs preseason as the third-stringer, behind starter Trent Green and backup Todd Collins. In last week's game against the Rams, he had wo turnovers that resulted in touchdowns. Brister spent 14 seasons with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, the New York Jets, Denver and Minnesota. In 99 career games, Brister completed 1,207 of 2,212 passes for 14,445 yards with 81 touchdowns and 78 interceptions.
Browns sign former Rams S BushBEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Safety Devin Bush, released Sunday by the St. Louis Rams, signed a two-year contract Monday with the Cleveland Browns. Bush started 12 games for the Rams last season, and didn't expect to be one of the 13 players cut by the club Sunday after agreeing to a pay cut to stay in St. Louis. "I don't know what happened," Bush said. "I was shocked. I haven't been in this kind of situation before. But it's the NFL. Things change fast. I'm very surprised." Bush, 28, can play either free or strong safety and will likely be Percy Ellsworth's backup at free safetyfor now. He has 55 starts and five career interceptions. A first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1995, Bush finished fourth on the Rams with 80 tackles last season. Vikings sign Pro-Bow C Birk to contract extensionEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings signed Pro Bowl center Matt Birk to a seven-year, $31 million contract extension Monday, according to his agent. Agent Joe Linta told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Birk also will receive a $6 million signing bonus. Linta flew into the Twin Cities to meet with Vikings officials Monday afternoon. The two sides started to negotiate heavily late last week. "The Vikings realized Matt's value and really stepped to the plate," Linta told the paper. "Making him the highest-paid center in the league shows that." Birk, a sixth-round draft choice out Harvard, became one of the best stories of 2000 as he was selected for the Pro Bowl in his first season as a starter. Birk replaced longtime veteran Jeff Christy, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent before the season. The 25-year-old Birk could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season. On March 6, he agreed to play this season for a $1.015 million tender for restricted free agents.
San Francisco signs WR SutherlandSAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Wide receiver Vinny Sutherland, cut by Atlanta a week ago, was signed Monday by the 49ers. Sutherland, Drew Brees' favorite receiver at Purdue, had been the Falcons' fifth-round draft pick.
Chargers cut TE Davis, sign C O'SullivanSAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers released tight end Reggie Davis and cornerback Fakhir Brown on Monday. The Chargers filled the spots later in the day by signing center Dennis O'Sullivan, who had been waived by the New York Jets, and cornerback Lloyd Harrison, who was released by Washington. Harrison played in two games last year. One spot had been expected to go to fullback Derrick Harris, who visited the Chargers on Monday. The Chargers likely will sign Harris, but would have to release a player to make room. Harris was in training camp with the Chargers in 2000. The Chargers signed four players to the practice squad -- wide receivers Pat Batteaux and Nate Turner, fullback Terry Witherspoon and defensive tackle Dequincy Scott. All had been released Saturday as the Chargers cut down to the 53-man limit. Bears claim S Merrill, sign three to practice squadLAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- The Chicago Bears claimed safety Than Merrill off waivers Monday and waived cornerback Todd McMillon. Merrill, Tampa Bay's seventh-round pick this year, was waived by the Buccaneers on Sunday. The Bears also signed wide receiver Ahmad Merritt, guard LeShane Grice and linebacker Devin Lemons to their practice squad. The three were the last players cut Sunday as the Bears got down to the 53-player limit.
Patriots release DE SpiresFOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- The New England Patriots released defensive end Greg Spires on Monday. The Patriots drafted Spires, a restricted free agent, in the third round of the 1998 draft and signed him in April. The 26-year-old Spires started two of 16 games for the Patriots last season and had 17 tackles, including six sacks. He has 47 career tackles, including 9 1/2 quarterback sacks, in 42 games in three seasons with the Patriots. The move cuts the Patriots' roster to 52, one less than the maximum number of players allowed.
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