Packers sign Brookins to two-year deal

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Friday, May 31, 2002

• Green Bay signed RB Jason Brookins to back up starter Ahman Green on Thursday. Brookins, 26, has battled weight problems and was cut by the Ravens after showing up at their first minicamp out of shape. He worked out for Green Bay Wednesday and the Packers were impressed enough to offer him a two-year contract. He will earn base salaries of $300,000 in 2002 and $375,000 in ’03.

• The Redskins are preparing to make a strong push to sign free-agent DT Sam Adams. The ex-Ravens Pro Bowler played for Washington defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis in Baltimore. The Bengals, Raiders and Eagles also seem interested in Adams. The ’Skins also plan to sign an offensive lineman with Matt Campbell, Glenn Parker and Ray Brown as their likely top targets.

• Ex-Eagles SS Damon Moore is attracting a lot of attention on the free-agent market despite suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the NFC championship game. Moore, 25, has visited Buffalo, New England and Chicago in the past week and expects contract offers from one or more of those teams. The Eagles were convinced he would not play in the 2002 season and decided not to make a qualifying offer to him. Now, it looks like he will play this season.

Thursday, May 30, 2002

• The Bears added depth to the DE position by agreeing to terms with ex-Browns DE Keith McKenzie. McKenzie, 28, will sign a two-year, $2.85 million contract that includes a $100,000 signing bonus. He is known as an excellent pass rusher, having registered eight sacks in three consecutive seasons for Green Bay and Cleveland. This was a key signing for the Bears since starting DE Bryan Robinson is recovering from two broken wrists suffered in a fall at home this spring. Also, rookie DE Alex Brown can now be brought along slowly rather than being thrown into the fire.

• The Super Bowl champion Patriots signed OL Rich Tylski to a one-year, $650,000 deal. Tylski was the starting right guard for the Steelers in January’s AFC championship game against New England. He started 10 games for Pittsburgh last season but was released this offseason. The 6-foot-4, 306-pounder is expected to compete with Mike Compton and Joe Andruzzi for a starting position.

• Nine-year veteran CB Phillippi Sparks hopes to make a comeback in the NFL after he retired following the 2000 season. The nine-year veteran played eight seasons with the New York Giants and one with Dallas before calling it quits. He has made 27 interceptions with 89 passes defensed in 115 career games. A resident of the Phoenix area, his preference would be to sign with the Cardinals, whose defensive coordinator, Larry Marmie, coached Sparks in college at Arizona State.

• RB Jason Brookins, who was cut by the Ravens earlier this month, had a positive visit with the Packers and hopes to sign with Green Bay to serve as Ahman Green’s backup. Brookins, 26, gained 551 yards for Baltimore last season while splitting time with Terry Allen. He was cut by the Ravens after reporting for minicamp overweight.

• The Lions are working hard to significantly reduce RB James Stewart’s $5.3 million salary-cap number for the 2002 season. If things aren’t worked out in the next couple of days, Stewart could find himself cut loose after June 1.

• Detroit is also close to re-signing LB Brian Williams to a one-year contract. Williams played well late in the 2001 season and will be a candidate for a starting OLB position this fall.

• Ex-Packers DT Jim Flanigan worked out for the 49ers Wednesday.

• San Francisco has cooled on signing free-agent OT Blake Brockermeyer. In fact, 49ers general manager Terry Donahue puts the chances of his club signing Brockermeyer at less than 50 percent.

• The Redskins have informed Pro Bowl DE Marco Coleman that he will be cut this weekend for salary-cap reasons. Coleman was reportedly willing to take a pay cut to stay in Washington, but the sides weren’t close on how much of a cut he should take on his $3.5 million salary. Coleman, 32, had 10 sacks in his Pro Bowl season of 2000 and then struggled last season after suffering a dislocated elbow in Week Two.

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

• New Orleans signed former Chargers C Kendyl Jacox to a five-year contract Tuesday. Terms were not released, although the contract can be voided after the second year. Jacox, 26, is a versatile 6-foot-2, 330-pounder who can play center or guard. He is the second interior lineman signed by the Saints in the last two weeks. New Orleans signed ex-Eagles C Bubba Miller on May 14. The Saints also signed OTs Victor Riley and Spencer Folau and drafted OG-C LeCharles Bentley this offseason.

• Versatile OL Matt Campbell was released by Houston on Tuesday. Campbell, 29, was selected by the Texans in the expansion draft after playing with the Redskins last year. He is an eight-year NFL veteran. Washington is interested in bringing Campbell back to improve its OL depth.

• QB Charlie Batch and WR Herman Moore will most likely be June 1 cuts by the Lions. Both players have been excused from team meetings as they enter their final days with the Lions. Batch, 27, has started 46 games in his four-year career with 9,016 passing yards 49 TD passes and 40 interceptions. Moore, 32, has started 123 of 147 games in his 11-year career, making 670 receptions for 9,174 yards and 62 touchdowns. Jacksonville is reported to be interested in signing Batch to back up QB Mark Brunell.

• The Titans are trying to sign former Raiders C Aaron Graham, a 6-foot-4, 301-pounder. Tennessee is interested in him as a long snapper, and he would add depth to the offensive line. Graham has played in 76 NFL games, starting 40 of them. Prior to his one season with the Raiders, he played four seasons with Arizona.

• It appears as if the Steelers will release veteran LB Mike Jones on Friday to make more room under their salary cap. Jones, 33, was signed last year from the Rams after he won a Super Bowl title in St. Louis in 2000. He was beaten out by Kendrell Bell for the starting job last season. If he’s cut, he will count $83,333 against Pittsburgh’s salary cap this season, but the team will save his $750,000 salary by cutting him.

• Tennessee is still pursuing RB Skip Hicks as insurance at running back, despite already having starter Eddie George and backup Robert Holcombe under contract. Hicks, who rushed for 341 yards on 56 carries for the Titans last year, is still deciding whether he wants to play for a team with so much RB depth.

• The Vikings have singled out Kansas City WR Derrick Alexander as their top priority when the next phase of free agency starts this weekend. The Chiefs are expected to release Alexander, a nine-year veteran, but the Vikings will be competing with Tampa Bay, San Diego and Atlanta for his services.

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2001 - 2002 Season