All were undrafted free agents.

Brisby among eight players cut by Patriots

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Veteran wide receiver Vincent Brisby was cut Monday by the New England Patriots.

The seven-year veteran was considered a potential key component of the team's passing attack this season.

Brisby, a second-round draft choice in 1993 out of Northeast Louisiana, had been working with the Patriots' first unit throughout training camp.

In his career, he has 235 catches for 3,408 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career. His best season was 1995 when he had 66 catches for 974 yards.

Head coach Bill Belichick's release of Brisby came as somewhat of a surprise since Brisby appeared to be on a path back to productivity after four sub-par seasons.

A hamstring injury during the 1996 training camp sidelined Brisby for practically the entire season. His only two catches that year came in Super Bowl XXXI against Green Bay.

He caught only 48 passes in the next three seasons, but appeared to have worked his way back to the top of the depth chart in the preseason and had started all three preseason games along with Terry Glenn. In those preseason games, he caught four passes for 64 yards and no touchdowns.

His $2 million contract had been negotiated downward to become more salary-cap friendly this year, but he will still cost the Patriots $750,000 against the cap.

His apparent replacement -- 11-year wide receiver Chris Calloway -- was signed by the Patriots on Monday. He was a fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan in 1990 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has caught 381 career passes for 5,402 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Last year with the Atlanta Falcons, Calloway caught 22 passes for 314 yards and one touchdown. His best year came in 1998 with the New York Giants, with whom he played for seven seasons. He had 62 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns, but was waived at the end of that season.

The other players cut were receivers Tony Gaiter, Matt Bumgardner and Aaron Bailey; safeties Cory Gilliard and Rodney Rideau; cornerback Mike Woods; and tight end Dave Spachelski, the team's fifth-round draft pick this year.

Lions sign TE Pupunu; release QB Stenstrom

PONTIAC, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions signed tight end Alfred Pupunu and released quarterback Steve Stenstrom on Monday.

Pupunu played from 1992-96 for Lions coach Bobby Ross while both were with the San Diego Chargers. He had a 43-yard reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 AFC Championship game that helped propel the Chargers into the Super Bowl.

Pupunu played for San Diego from 1992-97 and also has played for the N.Y. Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. He was resigned by the Chargers in 1999 and released in November.

Terms of his contract were not disclosed by the Lions. A message left with his agent was not immediately returned.

Stenstrom signed with the Lions in February after playing the 1999 season with the San Francisco 49ers. He played with the Chicago Bears from 1995-98.

Giants' Monty has surgery on right thumb

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Linebacker Pete Monty had a pin inserted in his broken right thumb during surgery in New York City on Monday.

Monty broke the thumb in the first quarter of Friday night's 16-13 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The four-year veteran is expected to be sidelined up to three weeks, which makes his status for the season-opener against Arizona on Sept. 3 questionable.

Free agent linebacker Vernon Strickland tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the game and will be out for the season. He will undergo surgery at a later date, coach Jim Fassel said.

Defensive tackle Keith Hamilton and receiver Joe Jurevicius returned to practice after missing almost a week with injuries.

Tight ends Dan Campbell (hamstring) and Pete Mitchell (knee), quarterback Jason Garrett (leg laceration), guard Mike Rosenthal (shoulder), halfback Sean Bennett (thigh), cornerbacks Reggie Stephens (foot) and Andre Weathers (knee) and safety Shaun Williams (toe) did not practice Monday.

Stephens, the former Rutgers defensive back, has an injured arch. Fassel said that if Stephens doesn't practice by Wednesday he probably won't play in the preseason game against the Jets on Friday night.

The Giants practiced twice Monday in the rain. The highlight of the day was when Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan wrestled free agent tight end Adam Young to the ground after a play in the afternoon workout.

"We've been pretty good with that," Fassel said of player scuffles. "That's going to happen. I don't get worried about that because I am trying to get them to practice quick, fast and hard. Every once in a while one guy is going to turn the other and they are going to get into it."

Placekicker Brad Daluiso, who had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, was not terribly surprised to hear that Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay broke his left kneecap on Sunday while attempting a field goal in practice.

Kasay was attempting a comeback after being sidelined in 1999 by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Daluiso also tore his ACL last year, but it was not in his kicking leg like Kasay.

"Your kneecap is weak afterward," Daluiso said. "They told me while I was rehabbing to be careful you don't do anything dumb like bumping your knee into anything or falling on your kneecap because your kneecap is weak."

Daluiso is not worried about his kneecap because it's not in his kicking leg and because he has been kicking for two months.

Kasay was just coming back when he was hurt.

"Just that grind of that rehab, it's miserable," Daluiso said. "Then you come back and you're excited and the first day it happens. I really feel bad for him."

Seder gets nod as Cowboys' kicker

DALLAS (AP) -- Tim Seder will be the Dallas Cowboys' opening-day kicker.

Dallas released Rian Lindell, who was also vying for the position, on Monday night when the team returned to training camp in Wichita Falls.

Competition for the spot was close. Both Seder and Lindell had made their first three field goal attempts of the preseason.

Seder fell short on a 58-yard attempt at the end of Sunday's loss to the Oakland Raiders. But the former high school teacher has been more consistent in practice, the team said.

Lindell was signed as a rookie free agent this offseason after a four-year career at Washington State.

Schlereth's latest injury slow to heal

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) -- Three weeks since having arthroscopic knee surgery, Denver Broncos offensive guard Mark Schlereth still isn't back to normal, leaving him to wonder whether his 12-year career might finally be over.

Normally a remarkably fast healer, Schlereth has had to have fluid drained from his left knee three times since the surgery.

It was Schlereth's 27th operation, 13 of which have been on his left knee alone.

"The doctors told me I was old, decrepit, broke down," Schlereth said Monday. "No, they told me they were optimistic. They took some more fluid out of it today, and it was a much better color. Then we did a series of steroid injections to try to get rid of some of the pain and swelling.

"The problem I've been having is where they're taken out that bone in the joint. It's incredibly irritated. It gets feeling better and I go out and work, and it gets irritated again. It's just going to take a little more time."

Schlereth, 34, had a 20-minute conversation with coach Mike Shanahan about his condition on Monday.

He isn't likely to play in Saturday night's preseason game against Dallas, but is targeted to play in the final preseason game against San Francisco.

"I wanted to make sure they knew what my concerns were and that I was doing everything I could to come back," Schlereth said. "I think they realize that. Obviously, you worry about them making different plans without you. I never look at myself like I've got a job locked up.

"I wanted him to know I am planning on playing this season, and I'm planning on being there Monday night against the world champion Rams [in the regular-season opener]."

Schlereth typically returns from one of his operations within a week.

"We figured this would be a week, too," he said. "I talked to the doctors and they said, Hey, it could take six weeks for that bone to heal.

"Even though this knee has been worked on so many times, I've never had the problem of needing it drained. Hopefully, it's just telling me that I need more time. And they're willing to give it to me."

Shanahan said he told Schlereth to "be smart" about the injury. "I told him he didn't have to go crazy pushing himself," Shanahan said. "I know if he could play, he would. He's a warrior. We'll keep our fingers crossed, and hopefully he'll be back."

Second-year guard Lennie Friedman, who missed all of his rookie year with a knee injury, has moved into Schlereth's starting role.

"Lennie has done a pretty good job," Shanahan said. "He's getting better. 'It's a learning experience in the offensive line. It takes a while to feel comfortable with what you're doing. He's very smart and he's handled it quite well."

Huard could be in position to overtake Foley

CHENEY, Wash. (AP) -- Coach Mike Holmgren isn't ready to award Brock Huard the Seahawks' No. 2 quarterback position yet - despite Glenn Foley's six-interception performance in Seattle's 21-3 preseason loss at Arizona.

But Holmgren acknowledged the obvious Monday: Foley must improve if he is to stay in the running to back up starter Jon Kitna.

Holmgren said he won't decide who will get the No. 2 spot -- Foley, in his seventh NFL year, or Huard, the second-year quarterback out of Washington -- until training camp ends Thursday.

"We'll see how Brock handles this week," Holmgren said.

One bad game doesn't necessarily mean Foley can't do the job, the coach and general manager noted.

He cited a similar performance by Foley during a preseason game last year. Afterward, Foley was benched for a game, but returned to play well in the final preseason game.

"Glenn knows what he did," Holmgren said of Foley's performance Saturday. "And it wasn't very good. He's a pro. He's capable of coming back from this."

Foley played the final three quarters and passed for 204 yards, completing 17 of 34 attempts.

Holmgren said miscues by wide receivers also contributed to the team's lack of offense.

Kitna started despite suffering back stiffness, and was removed after the first quarter. He completed four of nine passes for 48 yards.

"He was out there, but he wasn't really doing much," Holmgren said. "I think his back was part of the problem."

Holmgren said there's enough time to get the offense on track before the season opener Sept. 3 at Miami.

"Typically, in the preseasons I've been involved with, there's usually one game like that," said Holmgren, whose team won its preseason opener 28-16 over Indianapolis. "You can't have two games like that."

"Were going to be OK on offense," Holmgren said. "I don't like how we started the games. But we will get there."

Holmgren is confident in the team's revamped offensive line, allowing him to focus on the Seahawks' shaky passing game.

"The offensive line is fine, and that's a big plus," Holmgren said. "As long as they're fine, I'll get the other guys to play."

The defense was solid Saturday -- the Cardinals only scored one offensive touchdown, a 12-yard run by rookie running back Thomas Jones.

"I think we have pretty good [defensive] speed," Holmgren said. "They seem to be understanding the scheme and the adjustments we made."

Wide receiver Sean Dawkins returned to practice Monday after being sidelined more than a week due to turf toe. The injury is still not fully healed.

"It's real tender," Dawkins said. "It's good enough to run on, but not at full speed. If I did I'd probably hurt it again."

Dawkins, who missed both preseason games, is eager to get back on the field.

"It's boring in Cheney," he said. "It ain't New York, that's for sure."

He expects to play in Saturday's preseason game against San Francisco at Husky Stadium.

"I don't know how long I'll go, but I think I'll be out there," he said.

Alstott adjusts to expanded role with Bucs

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Mike Alstott has never played the role of a traditional fullback, so the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have to do much to sell him on the idea of taking on additional duties in a new offense.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection has been itching for a bigger workload ever since he entered the NFL in 1996, and the prospect of playing as many as four positions this season excites him.

"I'm taking a lot of responsibility," he said Monday. "But I can handle it, and I like it. Whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to do it."

For the record, the 6-foot, 250-pounder who led the Bucs in rushing last year is still listed as a fullback. But depending on a particular formation, he also will line up as a running back, H-back and tight end.

"I think it's going to be very interesting. It's just another way to get the ball in your hands and do something. We want to change and mix it up a little bit so we're not so predictable," Alstott said.

"You'll see me spread all the way out. You'll see me in wide receiver sets. In the backfield, you'll see me in a three-point stance next to tackle. You'll see me do a whole bunch of different roles."

It's taken Alstott longer than he would like to get acclimated to the system installed by first-year offensive coordinator Les Steckel because he has been sidelined much of training camp by a sore left hamstring.

He returned to practice Monday, confident it won't take him long to catch up. He spent extra time in the classroom during a two-week layoff, and also learned by watching teammates in practice and preseason games.

"It's been a long process -- a very, very long process -- of learning and understanding what [Steckel] wants. But I think a lot of guys are grasping what it takes to execute it and we're seeing some progress."

Alstott rushed for 949 yards and seven touchdowns last season. The Bucs still want to feature him, along with Warrick Dunn, in the running game, but Steckel also would like to get the ball into his hands more as a receiver.

The fifth-year pro caught 65 passes as a rookie, but had just 72 receptions the past three seasons.

"I think Mike's going to be good in this system," coach Tony Dungy said.

"I think we'll get him the ball in the open field a little bit, and we still want to run him a lot. So, I think it is going to be a good fit for him. It's kind of a combination between maybe his first three years in the league. His first year we used him in a role as a receiver and a lead blocker and rarely gave him the ball if it wasn't short yardage. He evolved more into the running game as time went along. Hopefully this will be a combination of both of those."

Although Alstott has not spent much time on the field this summer, Steckel saw enough during offseason workouts to envision him prospering in an expanded role. The fullback impressed him with his pass-catching, as well as his ability to run good routes.

"I could tell already, just watching him in minicamp," Steckel, who moved to the Bucs after helping the Tennessee Titans reach the Super Bowl with his offense last season. "He has such strong legs and he can change direction real fast. That's going to help us."

Mora feeling more optimistic after first victory

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- With their first exhibition victory, the Indianapolis Colts returned to work Monday feeling a bit better about themselves.

The Colts (1-2) began preparing for the first international game in the franchise's 48-year history after recording a 17-0 win over the New Orleans Saints on Saturday.

Indianapolis will practice at the team's complex this week before traveling to play the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) Saturday night in Mexico City's 102,000 seat Azteca Stadium.

Coach Jim Mora said he had been concerned about the team heading into Saturday night's game against New Orleans.

"I wasn't very happy with how we played our first two games, and yet I felt like we made a lot of improvement from last week to this week," Mora said. "I thought we started to look a little bit like a National Football League team Saturday night. We had a little bit more continuity."

Mora stayed with his starters through the first half on Saturday.

"We didn't intend to play them as long as we did, bit I just felt like we were struggling a little bit early offensively," Mora said. "We decided to keep them in there and let's see if we can get something done by halftime and we did. I feel better about things than I did after the first two games. But we still have a lot of work to do."

On the injury front, defensive tackle Larry Chester will most likely miss the next two exhibition games after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Sunday evening. Chester had complained of severe stomach pains following Saturday night's game.

Other Colts' players missing practice Monday included cornerback Jeff Burris (bruised tailbone), strong safety Chad Cota (knee), running back Kevin McDougal (hamstring), receiver E.G. Green (hamstring/knee), outside linebacker Marcus Washington (hamstring), defensive end Chad Braztke (hamstring) and defensive tackle Mark Thomas (knee).

Mora said that Cota's knee injury was not considered serious. He said that Cota had fluid removed from the knee from a pre-existing injury. Cota could possibly return to practice later this week.

Thomas, meanwhile, was able to do some limited individual drills Monday, but is not expected to resume full work for at least another week. Receivers Jerome Pathon (back) and Terrence Wilkins (concussion) also saw limited practice time Monday. Both are expected to play Saturday against the Steelers.

In other Colts' news, it appears as if third-year offensive lineman Jeff Saturday has supplanted Larry Moore as Indianapolis' starting center. Saturday, who played as a reserve a year ago at offensive guard, saw extensive action at center against the Saints. Moore has moved over the offensive guard position previously held by fourth-year veteran Waverly Jackson.

 

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