Pro Football Hall of Famer and former television actor Merlin Olsen has died. He was 69. Utah State University assistant athletic media relations director Zach Fisher says Olsen died Wednesday night at a Los Angeles hospital. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year. Olsen was an All-American at Utah State and a first-round draft pick of the Los Angles Rams in 1962.
Defensive tackle Tank Johnson has signed a four-year deal to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson started 13 games last season despite a case of plantar faciitis in his right foot that limited his mobility and caused a lot of pain. He felt better as the season went along, and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in a playoff loss to the Jets.
Two off-duty Pennsylvania law enforcement officers were with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the Georgia nightclub where a woman accused him of sexual assault, and the two men didn't see anything inappropriate, an attorney for one of them said Wednesday. Anthony Barravecchio, an officer on the force in the Pittsburgh suburb of Coraopolis, and Pennsylvania Trooper Ed...
Free agent quarterback Jake Delhomme, released last week by Carolina, is visiting the Cleveland Browns. Agent Rick Smith said Thursday that Delhomme is at Cleveland's team headquarters in Berea, Ohio. The Browns have been shopping for a quarterback, and earlier this week acquired backup Seneca Wallace in a trade and released Derek Anderson.
LaDainian Tomlinson is in Minnesota meeting with the Vikings about joining Adrian Peterson in what would be a big-name backfield. Tomlinson arrived in the Twin Cities on Wednesday night and dined with Vikings officials. He had more meetings scheduled for Thursday to talk about how he would fit in with the Vikings.
The Detroit Lions have added depth on both sides of the ball. Detroit re-signed offensive tackle Jon Jansen and linebacker Vinny Ciurciu to one-year contracts Thursday. Jansen started twice and played in 11 games last season for the Lions. Ciurciu helped out on special teams in nine games last season for them.
After twice reaching outside the organization to enhance their wide receiving corps, the Baltimore Ravens secured one of their own Wednesday night: two-time Pro Bowl player Derrick Mason. Mason, an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a two-year deal with the team he joined in 2005. Mason's future with the Ravens appeared unclear after the Ravens obtained free agent wideout Donte' Stallworth...
Like one of his errant passes, quarterback Derek Anderson sent a rocket at Browns fans he wishes he could take back. Anderson apologized to Cleveland fans Wednesday after calling them "ruthless" and adding they "don't deserve a winner" following his release by the team. Anderson was let go by the Browns on Tuesday, ending an uneven five-year stint.
Marlin Jackson's surgically repaired knees didn't scare off the Philadelphia Eagles. Still looking to replace Brian Dawkins, the Eagles are taking a chance on Jackson. They signed the free agent defensive back to a two-year contract on Wednesday. A 2005 first-round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts, Jackson is coming off a pair of season-ending knee injuries.
Will Witherspoon says Tennessee Titans fans need not worry about his age or his production. Witherspoon, who turns 30 in August, said he still has plenty of skills left as he joins his third team in the past year, agreeing to a three-year, $11 million contract with the Titans that was finalized Tuesday night.
