The Oakland Raiders signed free agent center John Wade on Monday to fill a potential hole on their offensive line. Wade has started 106 of his 126 career games since entering the NFL in 1998 as a fifth-round draft choice by Jacksonville. Wade started every game the past three seasons for Tampa Bay. Jeremy Newberry started at center last season for Oakland but is a free agent and remains unsigned.
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Two AFC North also-rans, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, were awarded the most compensatory picks in this year’s draft. The Ravens (5-11) and Bengals (7-9) each received four picks, beginning in the third round of the April 26-27 draft. Those picks are slotted at the end of each of the last five rounds.
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Safety Chris Crocker signed a $1.15 million, one-year contract Monday with the Miami Dolphins and is expected to compete for a starting job. The Dolphins also were awarded sixth-round and seventh-round compensatory draft picks by the NFL. Crocker’s deal includes $300,000 guaranteed. He started 14 games and had three interceptions for Atlanta last year, and he has 52 starts in five NFL seasons.
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The Arizona Cardinals signed quarterback Brian St. Pierre to a one-year contract and re-signed safety Matt Ware on Monday. St. Pierre was the third-string quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He was a fifth-round draft pick by Pittsburgh out of Boston College in 2003. He was with the Steelers for two seasons and appeared in one game before going to Baltimore in 2005.
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The NFL is almost as busy during this early spring week as it is staging a Super Bowl. The league’s agenda for the owners meetings includes discussing concerns about the collective bargaining agreement in light of the slumping economy. And a series of rules changes, including allowing helmet communications on defense.
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Less than two months after their stunning Super Bowl victory, the New York Giants were back at work on Monday. A “sizable” number of players returned to Giants Stadium for the beginning of the team’s offseason conditioning program, the team said. The media were not allowed to attend the workouts, and the Giants refused to say how many players took part.
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The Indianapolis Colts will open Lucas Oil Stadium with a prime-time game against the Chicago Bears on the NFL’s opening weekend. The Sept. 7 rematch of the 2007 Super Bowl won by the Colts will be played Sunday night in the new $700 million stadium in Indianapolis. NBC will televise the game. The Colts plans to play preseason games in the 63,000-seat ballpark in August.
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NFL owners unanimously approved Wayne Huizenga’s sale of 50 percent of the Miami Dolphins to New York real estate billionaire Stephen Ross on Monday at the league meetings. Huizenga will remain as managing partner of the club for the near future, setting no timetable for when Ross will take command. Ross is spending about $550 million for his share of the team and will have options to buy up to 95…
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Mike Nolan thinks there are reasons beyond safety for the proposal that could lead to an NFL ban on hair hanging from the back of helmets. “The nameplate is on his back; the number is on his back,” the San Francisco 49ers coach said Sunday, the day before the NFL’s meetings officially begin. “That’s what we want the fans to see.
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Restricted free agent cornerback/kick returner Chris Carr has signed an offer sheet from the Tennessee Titans. The Oakland Raiders will have seven days to match the contract once they receive the sheet. If Oakland chooses not to match, Carr will join the Titans without Tennessee having to give up a draft pick.
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