NFL notebook: Panthers' Newton not throwing, Olsen healthy

[May 23, 2019]  Cam Newton was not cleared to throw as the Carolina Panthers worked out together Wednesday, four months after the quarterback had shoulder surgery.

Head coach Ron Rivera said the team remains focused on Newton returning at full strength for the start of training camp in July.

"We'll just continue to go through the process," Rivera said after the first day of organized team activities in Charlotte, N.C. "It's really ... not that big a deal."

Tight end Greg Olsen, whose 2018 season ended in December with a foot injury, told reporters he can be a full participant at OTAs. Injuries have limited him to just 16 games combined over the past two seasons.

--NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has not been in touch with Kansas City Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill as authorities continue to investigate allegations of child abuse.

"We will not interfere with that," Goodell said at league meetings in Florida. "The priority is the young child. We will obviously be cooperative with whatever the court wants."

Specifically, Goodell said any disciplinary action from the NFL will wait until the investigation concludes.

--A relative of Tyrann Mathieu has been accused of trying to extort $5 million from the Chiefs safety.

ESPN reported that Geourvon Keinell Sears, 21, allegedly threatened to reveal personal information to TMZ if he didn't receive the money.

Mathieu's lawyer, Denise White of EAG Sports, confirmed to KMBC 9 in Kansas City that Mathieu was the target, saying he is working through a "private and personal family issue."

--Robert Kraft's trial has been suspended indefinitely as prosecutors appeal a judge's ruling over the admissibility of video surveillance footage.

The suppression of the key video evidence could end the case against Kraft, who was charged with a misdemeanor alleging he paid for sex at a massage parlor in Jupiter, Fla.

Judge Leonard Hanser in Palm Beach County postponed the trial indefinitely as prosecutors launched an appeal of Hanser's decision to disallow secretly shot video of Kraft.

--Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph confirmed report that the team has offered him a five-year extension.

Rudolph, 29, told ESPN that Pro Football Talk's report -- which said the team's offer would make Rudolph one of the NFL's highest-paid tight ends -- was accurate.

"That's what they're working at," Rudolph said, per ESPN. "We're in a tough situation. Everybody knows that. That's why we (the Vikings) have the best salary-cap guy in the NFL and I believe I have one of the best agents."

--The NFL awarded the 2021 draft to Cleveland and the 2023 draft to Kansas City.

The event in Cleveland will be centered downtown, around FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and on the shore of Lake Erie.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) stands on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 draft in Kansas City will be centered on the Missouri side of downtown, around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The 2022 draft location has yet to be determined.

--The NFL Scouting Combine will remain in Indianapolis through at least 2021, while on-field workouts will be moved to the afternoon and prime time in 2020.

The agreement to hold the combine in Indianapolis also includes a series of annual options in the future.

--NFL overtime rules will be unchanged for the 2019 season, the competition committee declared at its annual May meeting in Florida, with the proposal to be revisited in 2020.

The NFL also banned teams from using several well-known one-on-one practice drills, including the popular Oklahoma Drill and the Bull in the Ring.

--Recently retired defensive end Chris Long admitted to using marijuana as an NFL player, saying the league should move toward a place where testing positive does not result in a suspension.

"I certainly enjoyed my fair share on a regular basis throughout my career," Long said on The Dan Patrick Show. ."..Listen, if not for that, I'm not as capable of coping with the stressors of day-to-day NFL life. A lot of guys get a lot of pain management out of it."

--The Washington Redskins placed linebacker Reuben Foster on injured reserve with a torn left ACL and signed free agent linebacker Jon Bostic.

Foster, 25, sustained the season-ending injury Monday. Bostic, 28, is on his fifth NFL team after spending last year in Pittsburgh.

--The Oakland Raiders signed tight end Erik Swoope and released quarterback Landry Jones.

--The New Orleans Saints signed offensive linemen Marshall Newhouse and Ryan Groy and released offensive tackle Derek Newton.

--The Arizona Cardinals signed defensive tackle Terrell McClain.

--Free agent wideout Jermaine Kearse visited the Detroit Lions, but the sides were unable to agree on a contract, according to multiple reports.

--Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Alex Redmond was suspended four games for violating the NFL's PED policy, ESPN reported.

--Field Level Media

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