Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season for his role in the team's bounty scandal, the most severe of the punishments handed out Wednesday by commissioner Roger Goodell.

  Three other players received suspension for their parts: defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers) will miss eight games, defensive Will Smith four games and linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) received three games apiece.

  None of the players will be paid during their respective suspensions. The players can appeal the decision within three days, and be heard by Goodell.

  An extensive investigation discovered that Saints coaches and players contributed to an elaborate system that paid cash bonuses for hits that injured opposing players, finding as many as 27 participants.

  “The evidence conclusively demonstrated that from 2009-11, Saints players of their own accord pledged significant amounts of their own money toward bounties, that players accepted payments for “cart-offs” and “knockouts” of injured opposing players, and that the payout amounts doubled and tripled for playoff games,” Goodell said in a statement.

  The NFL Players Association released a statement on the suspensions that asks for the evidence used to determine the punishments.

  “After seeing the NFL's decision letters, the NFLPA has still not received any detailed or specific evidence from the league of these specific players' involvement in an alleged pay-to-injure program,” NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said. “We have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair. We have spoken with our players and their representatives and we will vigorously protect and pursue all options on their behalf.”

  For their roles, Saints head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for the 2012 season. General manager Mickey Loomis will miss eight games after the preseason, while interim coach Joe Vitt will begin a six-game ban at the same time.

  Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely.

---Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau, an icon during a 20-year playing career, was found dead in his Oceanside, Calif., home Wednesday, of an apparent suicide.

  A 911 call reporting a possible suicide was made to police at 10 a.m. PT, a dispatcher told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

  “Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now,” the team said in a statement. “We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family.”

  Seau was 43, and leaves behind an ex-wife and three children.

  He spent 13 of his 20 seasons with the Chargers, and was a defensive force on the 1994 team that lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX. A standout at USC, he was the fifth overall pick of the 1990 draft, and carried with pride the long legacy that wearing the No. 55 jersey and playing linebacker means to the team.

  “Junior was an icon not only in San Diego but throughout the nation,” Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell told the Union-Tribune. “Of course this will affect a lot of people, not in the least the children and kids who look up to him. He had a great impact on many lives. He's changed my life in many ways, I'm sure.”

  In 2010, Seau was hospitalized after he drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad, Calif., and plunged 30 feet to a coastal bluff. Hours earlier, police arrested him on suspicions of domestic abuse of his 25-year-old girlfriend.

  Of the auto accident, Seau said he had fallen asleep at the wheel, and wasn't trying to commit suicide.

  A 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker and six-time All-Pro, Seau also played with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He was inducted into the Chargers Ring of Honor in 2011.

  He is the eighth member of the '94 Chargers team to die. The others: Lew Bush (heart attack), Rodney Culver (plane crash), David Griggs (car accident),  Shawn Lee (cardiac arrest), Doug Miller (lightning strike), Chris Mims (enlarged heart) and Curtis Whitley (unknown).

  The Patriots, the team where Seau spent his final four seasons, also issued a statement:

  “We are deeply saddened by the news of his death. We were fortunate to have had Junior join the Patriots in 2006 and are thankful for his many contributions to the team over the next four years. He had a legendary NFL career and his unrivaled passion for the game quickly made him a fan favorite here in New England. This is a sad day for the entire Patriots organization, our coaches and his many Patriots teammates. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his many friends who will mourn this loss.”

  Other team also expressed their condolences:

  “We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Junior Seau. Junior's great passion, intensity and love for the game were evident every time he stepped on the football field. He was a formidable competitor who left an indelible mark on the game of football. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and the Charger organization.”

  Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, who also went to USC, was one of many current and former NFL players saddened by the news.

  “Wow shocked right now, I tapped Juniors picture every single day before heading out to practice at USC,” Cushing wrote on his Facebook page. “R.I.P. to a legend n awesome person.”

---New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who was suspended Wednesday for the 2012 season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for Vilma's reported involvement in the Saints' bounty scandal, vows to clear his name.

  In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon through the offices of his attorney, Mitch Frankel, and agent Tony Fleming, Vilma intends on clearing his name and will seek reinstatement.

  “I am shocked and extremely disappointed by the NFL's decision to suspend me for the 2012 season,” Vilma's statement began. “Commissioner Roger Goodell has refused to share any of the supposed evidence he claims supports this unprecedented punishment. The reason is clear: I never paid, or intended to pay, $10,000, or any amount of money, to any player for knocking Kurt Warner, Brett Favre or any other player out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game, 2010 NFC Championship Game or any other game.

  "I; never set out to intentionally hurt any player and never enticed any teammate to intentionally hurt another player. I also never put any money into a bounty pool or helped to create a bounty pool intended to pay out money for injuring other players. I have always conducted myself in a professional and proud manner.

  "I; intend to fight this injustice, to defend my reputation, to stand up for my team and my profession, and to send a clear signal to the commissioner that the process has failed, to the detriment of me, my teammates, the New Orleans Saints and the game.”

---The New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees have made no progress on a long-term deal, according to an ESPN.com report.

  Brees, who was tagged by the Saints as their franchise player, hasn't signed his one-year tender and has thus far skipped the team's voluntary workouts.

  Brees led the Saints to the franchise's first Super Bowl championship after in 2009. He broke Dan Marino's single-season passing yards record last season, throwing for 5,476 yards and 46 touchdowns.

---Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, the 45th overall pick in the 2012 draft, signed a four-year deal with the Bears. He's expected to compete to be the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver behind Brandon Marshall as a rookie.

  Jeffery started 33 of 40 games in three seasons (2009-11) and established school records with 3,042 receiving yards on 183 receptions (16.6-yard average) with 23 touchdowns. The 6-3, 216-pound receiver tied Sidney Rice for South Carolina's career touchdown reception record and his 183 catches are topped only by Kenny McKinley's 207.

---The Ravens and nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu agreed to a one-year deal.

  Kemoeatu, 33, began his career with the Ravens but did not play in the NFL last season. He first signed as rookie free agent in 2002 and played in 61 games over four seasons in Baltimore.

  He played with Carolina (2006-09) and Washington (2010-11) but has been slowed by Achilles and knee injuries.

  “Maake will be given an opportunity to make our 53-man roster, and if he does, he will provide added depth on our D-line and help our ability to stop the run,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a release Wednesday.

  Kemoeatu started 40 games for the Panthers. He missed the 2009 season because of a ruptured Achilles sustained during training camp. Kemoeatu then signed with the Washington Redskins in 2010 and played in 14 games (12 starts).

  “When we signed Maake as a rookie free agent in 2002, he really rose to the occasion and worked his way into becoming a highly-regarded player in Baltimore and throughout the league,” director of pro personnel Vincent Newsome stated. “He is incredibly strong -- someone who has heavy hands and great punch. For a guy his size, he also moves really well and creates separation.”

---The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted and signed Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand Wednesday, a symbolic gesture for a player whose career was ended by a spinal cord injury.

  New Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano was the Scarlet Knights' coach on Oct. 16, 2010, when LeGrand suffered fractures of two vertebrae and a spinal cord injury in a game against Army.

  Initially told he would be a quadriplegic and have to remain on a ventilator, LeGrand began breathing on his own five weeks later. Later, he was able to stand upright with the help of a metal support frame.

  LeGrand plans to graduate this fall with a degree in labor studies. He led the Scarlet Knights onto the field for an Oct. 29, 2011, game and has remained close with Schiano.

  “Leading up to the draft, I couldn't help but think that this should've been Eric's draft class,” Schiano said. “This small gesture is the least we could do to recognize his character, spirit and perseverance. The way Eric lives his life epitomizes what we are looking for in Buccaneer Men.”

  The Buccaneers chose May 2 as the signing day to represent LeGrand's college number, 52.

  LeGrand posted a photo of a Tampa Bay helmet on his Twitter page, tweeting, “We ready!!!”

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh did his best verbal backpedal Tuesday afternoon, releasing a statement through the team in an attempt to clarify comments he made earlier in the day in which he referred to “stained” championships in New England.

  The reference, of course, was to the Super Bowl wins under the Bill Belichick regime which was caught in 2007 videotaping the New York Jets' sideline.

  Asked during an interview on 98 Rock -- Harbaugh was appearing for an interview to discuss the upcoming run to honor O.J. Brigance and raise funds for ALS research -- about cheating in the NFL, Harbaugh said cheaters lose credit.

  “The funny thing about that is ... in the end, everything is brought before the light of day when it's all said and done. Even the thing in New England -- no matter whether those things had any impact on whether they won any of their championships or not, they've got asterisks now. They've been stained,” Harbaugh said. “So to me, it's never worth it. I mean, you've got to figure out ways to use the rules to your advantage, and figure out ways to make the most of everything. We've got new work rules (CBA) about what he can and can't do with our players, and we're going to make the most of it. What we're finding out is that ... man, we can do something even better than we did before, because these rules make us focus on some things we didn't do before. That's what success is in this world -- you've got to find ways to do things better than somebody else.

  “But if you're cheating? In the end, you're going to get discredited. It's just not worth it.

  The comments, some not in context and parsed without chronology in mind, became hot coals on Twitter and other media and blog sites.

  By 1 p.m. ET, Harbaugh and the Ravens released a statement intended to give his talk radio response proper context.

  “I answered a question about playing within the rules and referred to the perception that the Super Bowl championships won by the Patriots and Saints have a stain. My reference was to the perception out there that came as the result of the league's actions.

  “I could have been more clear that I was referring to those viewpoints. I totally believe that the Patriot and Saint coaches and players earned those championships. Bill (Belichick) and Sean (Payton) both know that.”

  ---Quarterback Matt Leinart signed with the Oakland Raiders. A seventh-year veteran, Leinart spent the past two seasons with the Houston Texans before being released in March.

  In Oakland, he's expected to be Carson Palmer's primary backup - a role he is familiar with. Palmer and Leinart both won the Heisman Trophy at Southern California, with Leinart being one of Palmer's backups in 2002. Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was also Houston's quarterbacks coach the past two years.

  The other quarterbacks on the Raiders' roster are Terrelle Pryor and Rhett Bomar.

  Leinart has started 18 of 31 career games, completing 57.6 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and 20 touchdowns for a 71.6 passer rating.

  ----Vince Young said he still believes he's a starting quarterback. Given the level of inactivity from potential suitors, that's not a unanimous opinion.

  Young, an unrestricted free agent, is scheduled to work out for general manager Buddy Nix and the Bills' brass on Wednesday. Coach Chan Gailey's success with mobile quarterbacks who might lack a complete, prototypical passing quarterback's skill set, is likely to be a factor considered when the Bills weigh offering Young a deal.

  ---Three former NFL players are facing identity theft and tax fraud charges in Florida, according to a Miami Herald report.

  William Joseph, 32, and Michael Bennett, 33, former first-round picks by the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, respectively,

were arrested and questioned Monday by FBI agents in connection with an alleged plot to rob people's identities and file false tax returns.

  Former New England Patriots draft pick Louis Gachelin, 31, was also detained by authorities, along with six other individuals, according to the paper.

  Bennett last played in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders in 2010, while Joseph played for Oakland in the previous season. Gachelin spent time on the Patriots' roster, but never appeared in a game.

  ---Chinese placekicker Long Ding plans to attend the Jaguars' rookie minicamp.

  Ding is from Quing Dao and participated in the New York regional combine prior to the draft. He was a two-time conference special teams player of the year at Norwich University after first playing football in 2007. He attended the Northfield, Vermont, military college. He made a 51-yard field goal and was perfect inside of 40 yards last season.

  Jaguars' kicker Josh Scobee continues to avoid team workouts because he's unhappy Jacksonville designated him a franchise player in free agency.

  ---Case Keenum signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans.

  Keenum set several NCAA, conference and school records and left Houston as the all-time Football Bowl Subdivision leader in passing yards (19,217) and touchdown passes (155).

  The Texans put Keenum through a workout at Reliant Stadium and came away impressed. They'll enter the season with Matt Schaub as their starter, but the Texans won't devalue depth at the position after going through three starters in a span of three quarters at one point in 2011.

  ---The Atlanta Falcons were recently granted $3 million worth of salary-cap credits from the NFL, due to money Michael Vick owed the organization after he declared bankruptcy, according to multiple reports.

  The Falcons signed Vick to a 10-year, $130 million deal in 2005, but Vick eventually filed for bankruptcy after a conviction on dogfighting charges. As part of a $20 million settlement, Vick was ordered to repay part of his signing bonus from that deal to the team.

  Atlanta had been seeking the salary-cap credits shortly after Vick signed a six-year, $100 million deal that included $35 million worth of guaranteed money with the Philadelphia Eagles last summer.

  The NFL granted the credits in March.

  ---Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best, who missed 11 games last year after sustaining his second concussion of the season, is expected to be cleared for football contact in June, according to what Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told a radio station, the Lions' official website reported Tuesday.

  “He's been doing everything in the offseason program and we expect he'll be cleared sometime probably in June,” Mayhew told Mike O'Hara and Ken Brown on WJR radio on Monday night. “We look forward to having him on the field.”

  ---The Jacksonville Jaguars signed running back Jalen Parmalee.

  Parmele was with the Ravens from 2008-10, serving primarily as a return man and on special teams coverage. He had 33 kickoff returns for 845 yards (25.6 avg.) and seven rushes for 44 yards. He totaled 19 special teams tackles including 12 in 2010.

  ---The Washington Redskins announced wide receiver Jabar Gaffney was released Tuesday.

  Gaffney, a 10-year veteran, had 68 receptions for 947 yards and five touchdowns in 2011. The Redskins opted to go smaller and younger in the offseason while retaining No. 1 receiver Santana Moss.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay reportedly said late Saturday the Colts have begun talks with first-round pick Andrew Luck and he expected the contract to be finalized soon.

  “It's something that should be done swiftly,” Irsay told the Indianapolis Star. “There shouldn't be a difficult process with that.”

  The Colts drafted the Stanford quarterback with the first pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday.

  Under the terms of the new rookie wage scale, the Star reported that Luck should get a four-year, $22 million contract.

  The new scale drastically changed the money for rookies. Luck's contract is expected to mirror the deal for Cam Newton, who was taken with the first pick of last year's draft.

  “The sooner the better on all the draft picks,” Irsay said. “We're going to present all the picks (offers) and say, 'Here is the deal. Period.'

“It's not complicated. There's no incentives. ... four years with the fifth year as an option.”

  ---The Oakland Raiders announced Saturday that for a limited time they would donate 10 percent of the proceeds from every season ticket to Oakland public schools.

  The program, which applies to new season tickets, will make the donation from gross-ticket price purchases made in full from Tuesday through June 30.

  “We are thrilled to announce our newest youth and community based initiative and we are delighted to assist the Oakland Unified School District,” team president Amy Trask in a statement.

  Oakland public schools are facing a major funding crisis that could include the layoffs of hundreds of teachers and support workers.

  ---NewYork Giants general manager Jerry Reese told ESPNNewYork.com that the Giants have offered defensive end Osi Umenyiora contract extensions for two consecutive years.

  “Our first choice with respect to Osi is that he will play for the Giants and retire a Giant,” Reese told ESPNNewYork.com. “That is what we would like to happen. Osi has been offered an extension two years in a row now, so we would still like to make it work. Hopefully, it will work out.”

  Umenyiora has said earlier he did not think the Giants could give him the extension he wants with other players expected to receive raises.  He is entering the final year of a contract that pays nearly $4 million.

  ---The Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted punter Bryan Anger in the third round of the NFL Draft on Friday, have released two punters who were on their roster, Nick Harris and Spencer Lanning, according to the Florida Times-Union.

  The Jaguars drafted Anger, who played at Cal, with the 70th pick of the draft. That is the earliest a punter has been drafted since 1995.

  Harris, an 11-year veteran who also went to Cal, did the punting for the Jaguars most of last season, averaging 37.9 yards per kick.  Lanning was an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina in 2011.

New Orleans Saints general manger Mickey Loomis denied Thursday that he listened in on opposing coaches' conversations, and would welcome speaking to investigators on the matter.

  Speaking at a press conference, Loomis was emphatic.

  “In my 28 or 29 years in the NFL I have never listened to an opposing team's communication,” Loomis said. “I have never asked for the capability to listen to an opposing team's communication. I have never inquired as to the possibility of listening in on an opposing team's communications. And I have never been aware of the ability to listen in on an opposing team's communication in the Super Dome or any NFL stadium.”

  State and federal law officials have opened an investigation to determine whether Loomis violated wiretapping laws, multiple outlets reported earlier this week.

  ESPN's “Outside The Lines” further reported Monday, citing an unidentified source, that Loomis ordered a device in his Superdome suite be re-wired so he could listen to opponents' conversations through his own earpiece from 2002-04. The report didn't specify whether he ever used the device.

  Loomis, who will serve an eight-game suspension at the beginning of the season, also spoke on the importance of signing franchise quarterback Drew Brees.

  “I recognize that the most important issue for the New Orleans Saints is getting Drew Brees under contract,” Loomis said. “His contribution to our success has been invaluable. Unfortunately I'm the one with the task of putting a value on it, but my goal and Drew's goals are the same, to get him a contract we feel good about and gives our team the best opportunity to compete for a championship. It will get done.”

  ---In what should come as a surprise to no one, the Washington general manager Bruce Allen confirmed to NFL Network that Robert Griffin III will be the team's choice.

  “The exciting part about what we were able to do was we fell in love with both quarterbacks [Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck],” Allen said, on the network's 2012 NFL Draft Kickoff Show. “We knew we wanted to move up. The Colts didn't want to make a trade and the Rams having a franchise quarterback allowed us to pinpoint the number two spot. But it's not just this year for either one of those quarterbacks; it's the body of work that they accomplished in college football, it's what we found out about them as individuals that really set them apart from everybody that we had graded in this draft.”

  Washington originally held the sixth overall pick, but dealt their second-round pick and two future first-round picks to move up to No. 2 overall. With the Colts already having committed to Luck, the Redskins will get Griffin.

  ---Ryan Leaf could face up to 20 years in jail for violating terms of his probation, after two arrest warrants have been issued for the former NFL quarterback.

  The warrants came from Randall County police. The former No. 2 overall pick in 1998 -- after Peyton Manning -- was first arrested when police found oxycodone pills in his golf bag that an acquaintance claimed were stolen from his home by Leaf. He then was arrested on an allegation he broke into another Montana home a few days later, authorities said.

  Leaf appeared Wednesday on the warrants in District Court via video from the Cascade County Jail in Montana. His total bond is now set at $126,000.

  According to report in the Amarillo Globe-News, police arrested Leaf March 30 and April 2 in Great Falls, Mont., on charges of possessing oxycodone taken from houses. Randall County Criminal District Attorney James Farren filed a motion earlier this month to revoke Leaf's 10-year probationary sentence, which was agreed to in 2010 after Leaf pleaded guilty to eight felony charges.

  ---The NFL Pro Bowl may have seen its final kickoff.

The game, often a low-rated afterthought of an NFL season, is likely to be suspended this season and beyond, league sources told ESPN.com.

  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has previously expressed his displeasure with the game's lack of competitiveness, is considering cancelling this year's game. The next Pro Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 3 in New Orleans, but a game site hasn't been listed because of the uncertainty.

  ---An assault charge against Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga was dismissed by a judge Thursday, though he could still be disciplined by the league for violating its personal conduct policy.

  Maualuga was charged with misdemeanor assault after an employee at a downtown bar told police that he was punched in the face on Feb. 5. The dispute was settled in mediation.

  He could face punished by the NFL for a second offense. He was fine two game checks and forfeit a two-week share of his signing bonus in 2010 after he pleaded guilty to drunken driving.

  ---Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers signed with the Giants. The 12-year veteran played for the Saints last season, appearing in all 16 regular-season games and registering 22 tackles.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated Wednesday that the league is in the final stages of determining player disciplinary action in the Saints' pay-for-hits bounty program, but doesn't expect any punishment to be handed down until next week.

  “We hope to do that very soon and get that behind us,” Goodell told reporters at an NFL draft event.

  Goodell said the league continues to conduct interviews as part of its investigation, but indications are that he wants to delay an announcement until after the NFL draft, which starts Thursday.

  Up to 27 Saints took part of the bounty program. CBSSports.com reported that the players' union expects one or two players to be punished with long suspensions, with Jonathan Vilma expected to be one of those.

  The league's investigation already has determined that Saints players were paid cash bonuses for knocking opposing players out of games with hits from 2009-11. Goodell said earlier this week that he doesn't believe players were merely carrying out coaches' orders.

  “The evidence is quite clear that the players embraced this,” Goodell told NFL Network's Rich Eisen. “They enthusiastically embraced it. They put the vast majority of the money into the program and they actually are the ones playing the game. They are on the field so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that.”

  Saints coach Sean Payton already has been severely punished with a season-long suspension for failing to stop the program. General manager Mickey Loomis received an eight-game ban and interim head coach Joe Vitt was barred for six games.

---The Bengals announced Wednesday that they have signed franchise player Mike Nugent to a one-year tender believed to be worth $2.65 million.

  Nugent, the team's starting kicker, set Bengals team records last season for points (132) and field goals (33) in a season.

  The 5-10, 183 lb. Ohio State product will be entering his eighth season in the NFL in 2012.

  “We're happy Mike has signed in advance of our offseason camps," said head coach Marvin Lewis, "and; this does not preclude our continuing to talk to Mike and his representatives about reaching a longer-term agreement. Mike has been a fine performer for us.”

  Nugent joined the Bengals as a free agent in 2010. He ranked eighth in the NFL in field goal accuracy last season (86.8 percent on 33-of-38). He put 67 of his 80 kickoffs into the end zone, including 36 for touchbacks, and the Bengals finished first in the NFL in opponents' starting field position after kickoffs (20.3-yard line).

  Nugent also was voted by the team as its 2011 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, due in large part to his successful comeback from a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the final seven games of 2010.

--Free agent kicker Neil Rackers signed with the Washington Redskins on Wednesday.

  Rackers has played 12 seasons with Cincinnati, Arizona and Houston. He made 32 of 38 field goal attempts -- including 4 of 5 from 50-plus yards -- last year with the Texans.

  He will compete with Graham Gano to be this season's kicker. Gano went 31 for 41 for the Redskins last season, but he had five attempts blocked.

---The Atlanta Falcons acquired Pro-Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel from the Philadelphia Eagles for a late-round pick, according ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

  Samuel restructured his contract as part of the trade, agreeing to a three-year, $18.5 million contract with Atlanta. His contract with the Eagles would've paid him $9.9 million in 2012 and $11.4 million in 2013.

  The 31-year-old is a four-time Pro Bowler. He gives new Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan a strong trio at cornerback with Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes. He became expendable when the Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha and acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last July. Philadelphia couldn't find a suitable deal then for Samuel, so they kept him and moved Rodgers-Cromartie to the nickel spot.

---The Green Bay Packers released safety Nick Collins on Wednesday.

  Collins sustained a career-threatening neck injury in the Packers' Sept. 18 win at Carolina last season.

  “From the beginning of this process, we have taken our time and sought numerous medical opinions while maintaining consistent dialogue with Nick,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in the statement. “In the end, we were not comfortable clearing him to play again. As with all of our players, Nick is a member of our family and we thought of him that way as we came to this conclusion.

  “Nick is a part of our core, and this is a very difficult day for all Packers. Making this kind of decision is never easy, especially when it involves someone like Nick Collins. He has meant so much to the community, his teammates and the organization. He is a good man and will always be part of the Packers family.”

---New York Giants defensive end Osi Umeyiora will keep a close eye on the NFL draft the next few days.

  If the Giants don't want to give him a contract extension and a raise, they would be better off trading him, Umeyiora told ESPN.com.

  “Would I want to (stay)? I think it would be ideal,” Umenyiora told Wednesday during a promotional tour. “I think I would if things could be worked out. But is that going to happen? I really don't think so.”

  Umenyiora, 30, sat out the first two weeks of training camp last summer while seeking a new contract. He returned to practice, opted for minor knee surgery and played the 2011 season under contract, recording nine sacks in the regular season and 3.5 sacks in the Giants' Super Bowl playoff run.

  “Next year, if I leave (after his contract is up), they won't get anything,” Umenyiora said. “Maybe they will get a compensatory pick. But that's it. So if they are going to do it, now would be the best time to (make a trade).”

  Umenyiora is happy that general manager Jerry Reese remains open to an extension.

  “But is it really going to happen? I don't think so,” Umenyiora said. “I doubt it because of the situation that they have with Jason (Pierre-Paul), Justin (Tuck), Victor (Cruz) and Hakeem (Nicks) coming up (eventually), a bunch of young players they have to take care of.”

  Umenyiora signed him to a six-year extension worth a reported $41 million in 2005.

  “Do I suck it up and come back and put my tail between legs like I've always done for these last couple of years?” Umenyiora said. “Do I do that again this year? Or do I go out there and try to do what's best for me one time? It's unfortunate that it's come to this, but it's the business that we are in.”

Andrew Luck will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson announced Tuesday.

  The redshirt junior from Stanford is considered one of the top quarterback prospects since Eli Manning left Ole Miss in 2004. It's expected Luck will be the team's starter when the season begins in September, filling the void left when Peyton Manning was released in March.

  Grigson said last Wednesday that the team has known “for a long time” and two days later, Luck was informed of the franchise's decision.

  “We've exhausted the process, pretty much made up our mind,” said Grigson, who initially said he would withhold the player's identity until the first round begins Thursday. “We're going to go from there.

  “In fairness to Andrew Luck and in fairness to the whole process and media gauntlet he's going to be enduring over the next couple of days, I thought it was the right thing to do to announce that we're going to take him. I didn't see the point in prolonging what the world already knows. Like I said, it's about Andrew and I wanted to do the right thing by him.”

  Luck and Baylor Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III have been the top two overall rated players by NFLDraftScout.com since before the Scouting Combine in February. Griffin III is expected to be selected second overall by Washington.

  Most projected Luck as the top pick for the past two seasons, but he surprised the NFL and college football alike when he decided in January 2011 that he'd return for a final season at Stanford to earn his architecture degree.

  ---Late April is not the time Andrew Luck wants his name directly linked to Leaf, but the likely No. 1 overall pick in the draft might actually be the one doing the busting in this scenario.

  Leaf Trading Cards LLC -- not Ryan Leaf, the No. 2 overall pick in 1998 and one of the infamous draft misses in the event's history -- responded to a cease-and-desist order from Luck's representatives regarding production and profit from trading cards featuring Luck from the 2008 U.S. Army All-Star Bowl in San Antonio with a suit of its own, filed in Dallas to “preserve its rights to produce and sell” the cards with express license approval from that high school all-star game.

  “Leaf's rights are established and protected by the free speech guarantees of the United States Constitution and Texas Constitution, as well as common law and an express license from the party who produces the U.S. Army All-American Bowl,” the release stated.

  ---An investigation has been opened by state and federal law officials to determine whether New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis violated any laws amid allegations that he set up a device in the Superdome to listen to conversations of opposing coaches during games.

  “The FBI invited us to come into their investigation,” Col. Mike Edmonson, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, told NFL.com on Tuesday. “We assigned a trooper that works with the FBI to follow their investigation. These are allegations at this point. We deal with facts. We'll look at everything to determine if there is anything to follow and see if state laws are violated on our end. The FBI is investigating federal laws.  With all allegations, we'll see if state laws were violated, and if so, we'll visit with the district attorney to see where we proceed.”

  Loomis and the Saints have disputed the accuracy of the report by ESPN's “Outside The Lines” that used anonymous sources who claimed Loomis had an electronic system re-wired so he could listen in on opposing coaches in the press box through his earpiece between 2002 to 2004. Loomis and the Saints claim the report is false.

  ---Players planning to use the defense that former Saints coordinator Gregg Williams ordered them to injure opponents aren't likely to be absolved of guilt based on comments made by commissioner Roger Goodell in an interview with NFL Network on Tuesday.

  Goodell, appearing on the “Rich Eisen Podcast” said that after a lengthy investigation covering parts of two seasons, “evidence was clear that they players embraced it.”

  Goodell said last month that at least 22 players and as many as 27 were involved on some level. The punishment for players was recently discussed with the NFLPA and is expected to be severe given the mutual platform of player safety and particular sensitivity to head injuries.

  ---Cincinnati Bengals free agent wide receiver Jerome Simpson will be suspended for three games under the league's substance abuse policy, according to an ESPN report.

  Simpson has visited the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams.

  He was sentenced in early April to 15 days in jail and three years' probation after he pled guilty to a felony drug charge in Kentucky.

  Simpson was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, undergo drug testing and pay a $7,500 fine plus court costs. He is an unrestricted free agent.

  ---The wife NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has been arrested and charged with assault amid claims that she broke into his room and attacked him in front of their children.

  Pilar Sanders, 38, was booked into Collin County Jail, near Dallas, on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

  Though local police declined to discuss the incident with media outlets, Sanders tweeted Monday that his children “just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room.”

  “She's going to jail (and) I'm pressing charges!” Sanders wrote.

---New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker told ESPN Tuesday that he didn't think he would attend mandatory minicamp unless progress is made toward a long-term deal.

  Welker was tagged as the Patriots' franchise player last month, but hasn't signed his tender or participated in voluntary workouts.

  Welker would earn $9.5 million for 2012 if he signs the tender. As long as he doesn't sign, he isn't under contract and doesn't have to participate in any voluntary or mandatory team events.

  Teams have until mid-July to work out a new deal or franchised players will have to either play 2012 under the tag or sit out.

  ---Cornerback Brent Grimes signed his one-year franchise tender with the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced. Grimes will earn $10.3 million in 2012 if he doesn't agree to a long-term contract before mid-July.

  Grimes, an undrafted free agent in 2006 who was on the team's practice squad for all but the final two games of 2007, went to the Pro Bowl in 2010 and is considered one of the team's defensive leaders.

  ---The Eagles are closer to trading away cornerback Asante Samuel and indications are he'll be on another roster by the time the first round of the draft is completed Thursday, perhaps even earlier.

  Samuel, who is scheduled to earn $21.5 million over the next two seasons, is an expensive luxury for a team with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie expected to start and nickel cornerback Joselio Hanson under contract.

    The Eagles reportedly came close to trading Samuel to the Lions in October and other deals with the Broncos and Titans this offseason never neared completion.