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Filed under: Atlanta Falcons

Sean Weatherspoon, the Atlanta Falcons first-round draft pick, came to terms with his new team on Thursday. He signed a five-year deal worth $17.5 million with $10.5 million guaranteed.

The No. 19 overall pick in the draft was expected to have the deal signed before a Falcons team meeting on Thursday evening.

Weatherspoon arrived in Flowery Branch on Thursday to check in for training camp — which starts on Friday. He, along with every other draft pick from the 2010 draft, will be signed and in attendance. This is the third year in a row that every Falcons draft pick has been signed prior to the first day of camp.

The linebacker from the University of Missouri played outside linebacker in college and will compete for a starting job on the outside for Atlanta. Whether he’ll eventually win a job over Stephen Nichols or Mike Peterson — if he wins a starting job at all — remains to be seen.

Weatherspoon comes to Atlanta as one of three players in school history to lead the team in tackles for three seasons. This is paramount because it will be Weatherspoon’s ability to tackle at the NFL level which will go a long way in determining whether or not he starts as a rookie.

The Falcons struggled in pass coverage last season and coverage is one of Weatherspoon’s strong suits. If his success at tackling translates well in to the professional level, it will be hard to keep him off of the field, since the team could really use a linebacker with his coverage skills.

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Filed under: Eagles

Slowly but surely, the first-round dominoes are falling. The latest: No. 13 overall pick Brandon Graham, who signed a five-year deal with the Eagles on Thursday, according to multiple reports. Graham followed No. 8 pick Rolando McClain (Oakland), No. 19 pick Sean Witherspoon (Atlanta) and No. 25 pick Tim Tebow (Denver), all of whom agreed to their rookie contracts within a 24-hour span.

Philadelphia traded the No. 24 pick and two third-round selections in April’s draft to jump up and pick Graham, a standout rush lineman at Michigan.

“I put a lot of value in guys that love to play the game and play relentless football and that have the character,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said after the pick was made. “I thought [Graham] kind of filled all those spots.”

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Filed under: Bengals, AFC North

Terrell Owens missed his flight but got his number.

When he finally makes it to town – a little late – he’ll be wearing his familiar 81.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ latest addition missed his overnight flight from the West Coast and had to take a later one on Thursday, delaying his debut at training camp.

The Bengals had planned on him arriving early in the day, taking his physical and signing his one-year contract while the rest of the team held its first workout. They scheduled an introductory news conference after the morning practice.

The news conference had to be rescheduled for after the evening session. Coach Marvin Lewis wasn’t sure whether the 36-year-old receiver would arrive in time to work out.

On his Twitter account, Owens posted a note Wednesday night saying he was headed to see a movie. He didn’t explain why he missed his flight on Thursday, but confirmed that his news conference had to be rescheduled.

“My Press conf about my “Decision” 2 take my talents 2 Cincy will b held 2nite after 7pm practice!!” he tweeted, playing off LeBron James’ one-hour television show announcing his decision to leave Cleveland.

Owens also misspelled Cincinnati in one of his tweets and was quickly corrected by a follower.

“Okayyyyyy I got it now, 2 n’s & 1 t! CINCINNATI!! LOL!” he tweeted.

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Filed under: Broncos, AFC West, NFL Training Camp, NFL Quarterbacks

The Denver Broncos announced that they had agreed to a five-year deal with quarterback Tim Tebow, the 25th pick in April’s draft, continuing a recent run of first-round draft pick signings.

NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi first reported the deal was done.

Lombardi reports Tebow’s deal is worth a max $33 million over five years, and the rookie QB will get $8.7 million guaranteed. It’s a bigger deal than the player picked before him — Dallas receiver Dez Bryant — received, but that isn’t a huge surprise, as there were reports Tebow wanted more money than Bryant because he is a quarterback.

The Broncos traded up into the end of the first round, dealing with Baltimore to acquire the pick they used on Tebow, a four-year star at Florida and one of the draft’s most interesting stories.

With so many questions about his ability to play the quarterback position on an every-down basis in the NFL, it was a surprise to some that Tebow was selected in the first round.

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Filed under: Steelers, NFL Free Agency

The season-ending injury to right tackle Willie Colon was a serious blow to an already weak offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers, seeing as how he was arguably the best player on the unit during the 2009 season. On Thursday, the Steelers attempted to address the opening by agreeing to a contract with veteran offensive tackle Flozell Adams, according to NFL Networks Jason LaConfora.

Adam Schefter reports that it’s a two-year deal.

Adams, 35, spent his entire career to this point with the Dallas Cowboys after being the 38th overall selection in the 1998 draft. It’s likely that he’ll take over as the starting right tackle in Pittsburgh, assuming he’s able to beat out Trai Essex and the other backups that were set to fight for Colon’s vacant spot.

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Filed under: NFL Training Camp

ASHBURN, Va. — Unlike every other team workout this offseason, which a disgruntled Albert Haynesworth skipped in protest of Washington’s new 3-4 defense, the veteran lineman joined his teammates at Redskins Park on Thursday. Just like those previous workouts, though, Haynesworth wasn’t in action.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan confirmed reports that Haynesworth had failed his pre-camp conditioning test, so he will sit out until he can pass. His next shot will come Friday.

“We don’t want to put a guy out there that’s not ready to go, then something happens and he’s out two weeks,” Shanahan told reporters. Haynesworth did work out briefly with new Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett once practice had wrapped. He then hurried to the locker room, offering only a “no comment” on his status.

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Filed under: Giants, NFC East, NFL Injuries

The Giants waived rookie safety Chad Jones on Thursday, a little more than a month after the horrific car accident that threatens his chances of playing in the NFL.

The move is largely a procedural one as NFL rules mandate that teams place any player with less than four years experience on waivers before they can place him on a reserve list. Assuming Jones passes through waivers, a pretty safe assumption, the Giants will place him on the reserve/non-football injury list, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

Jones is likely to pass through waivers untouched because any team that claims him would have to pick up the four-year contract he signed shortly before his accident. How much he’ll make from the Giants is still unclear, however.

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Filed under: Redskins

The Washington Redskins have opened their 2010 training camp. Under new coach Mike Shanahan, the culture is expected to change around the team, as the veteran tries to turn this franchise into a consistent winner.

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been causing trouble virtually the entire offseason. The team never did find a place to trade him, so Haynesworth is at training camp.

Of course, he can’t practice until he passes a conditioning test, and that is proving easier said than done.

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Filed under: Saints, Super Bowl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Saints will go marching in to the White House next month.

President Barack Obama will welcome the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Aug. 9.

The Saints electrified their city and fans by beating the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, in February.

Obama is an avid sports fan who invites most major professional and college championship teams to the White House. The administration said Wednesday the Saints will incorporate community service activities into their trip, as do most visiting teams.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Filed under: Raiders, NFL Training Camp

The Oakland Raiders, no doubt, were pleased to get first-round pick Rolando McClain signed in time for their first training camp practice Thursday.

Just as pleased, though, had to be the principle players — as in front-office executives and agents — negotiating deals for others taken near the top of the 2010 draft. The top 10 is particularly tough, with few teams or reps wanting to be the first to come to terms, instead preferring to wait and see what other deals look like.

But McClain’s reported five-year, $40 million deal — including $23 million in guarantees, should help slot up the top of the draft, where four of the top five selections, including St. Louis quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, are represented by the team of Tom Condon and Ben Dogra of CAA Football.

McClain was the No. 8 overall pick, but just the third 2010 first-round choice to sign his contract. Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant, taken 24th, and New England cornerback Devin McCourty, taken 27th, preceded McClain.

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