Wednesday, August 20, 2014
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National Football League roundup

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[August 20, 2014]  Aug 19 (The Sports Xchange) - Coach Mike Pettine's goal was to name a starting quarterback entering this week's preseason game, the third for the Cleveland Browns and the typical dress rehearsal in which the first team plays into the second half.

Frustrated by poor results and uneven performance by Brian Hoyer and rookie Johnny Manziel, Pettine changed his mind Tuesday and will take more time to weigh the decision.

"We want to decision right, It's the risk-reward thing," Pettine said. "I don't want to rush it."

However, Pettine didn't rule out naming a starter before Saturday's preseason game against the St. Louis Rams in Cleveland.

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Practice squads will expand from eight to 10 players, effective Aug. 30, as NFL rosters are set at 53 players and practice squads can then be established the next day.

The league and the NFL Players' Association reached agreement on the expanded practice squad roster for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Until 2004, a practice squad was only five players.

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not deny a report that he was physically restrained in the team draft room from turning in Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel as their first-round pick.

Responding Tuesday to a report that Jones was restrained by his son, CEO Stephen Jones, who "snatched the Manziel card straight out of his (Jerry Jones') hand" in May's draft, the longtime Cowboys owner said there was truth to the report by Jim Dent.

"Figuratively speaking, it got close to that," said Jones on 105.3 FM in Dallas. "It certainly was a big debate going on, if no place else other than my mind."

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Former punter Chris Kluwe and the Minnesota Vikings reached a settlement that calls for the team to donate to multiple groups that support gay rights.

Kluwe will drop the threat of a lawsuit against the Vikings' organization. No financial terms of the deal were made public, but the team confirmed the two sides settled in a statement.

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The Honey Badger is out of hibernation in Arizona. Cardinals safety Tryann Mathieu was activated from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, returning from multiple knee ligament tears incurred in December.

Mathieu overtook Rashad Johnson at safety and was a key contributor as the nickel defensive back even before that. He participated in 88 percent of the defensive snaps for the season and in 99 percent of snaps in his final five games before the injury.
 


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The Pittsburgh Steelers signed offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert to a six-year contract through the 2019 season, the team announced.

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The Steelers did not release financial details, but NFL.com reported that the deal is worth $30 million. Gilbert, a fourth-year pro who was selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, has started 34 regular-season games and one postseason game for the Steelers.

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The injuries keep on coming for Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden, who appears headed to the regular-season physically unable to perform list after foot surgery.

Hayden was the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft from Houston, where he overcame a life-threatening injury to return to the field and catch the eye of Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie. But he played in only eight games last season and underwent foot surgery in late July. He has not participated in preseason practice and remains on the physically unable to perform list.

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The Indianapolis Colts signed free agent guard Andre Cureton and waived kicker Cody Parkey on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-5, 332-pound Cureton is an Indianapolis native who was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent on May 12 and then waived on Aug. 12

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken a cautious approach with cornerback Alterraun Verner, who has missed the first two preseason games while recovering from a hamstring injury but did return to the practice field Tuesday.



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The first two weeks of the 2014 preseason has been dominated by penalties. According to Peter King of theMMQB.com, the average regular-season game in 2013 featured 12.2 penalties per game compared with 17.7 per game during the first week of preseason this year and 20.2 in Week 2.

At the heart of the debate is the increased emphasis on defensive holding. According to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, there were 56 illegal contact penalties called during the first two weeks of the preseason. Only 54 were called during the entire 2013 regular season. (Editing by Gene Cherry)

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