LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As promised, Keenan McCardell was a no-show when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reported for training camp Friday.
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Coach Jon Gruden reacted the way he said he would, too.
"This is not a surprise," Gruden said, noting the wide receiver also skipped all voluntary, as well as mandatory, workouts this summer. "We'll move on if we have to."
McCardell is scheduled to earn $2.5 million this year and $2.75 million in 2005. But after making 84 catches for 1,174 yards and eight touchdowns last season, the two-time Pro Bowl selection wants to be paid closer to the average salary for No. 1 receivers in the NFL.
A year ago, that was about $4.4 million. Full story
Burress, Ward report to Steelers' camp
LATROBE, Pa. -- Wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward reported to the Pittsburgh Steelers' training camp on time Friday, ending speculation that either or both might hold out over contract issues.
Ward, signed for two more seasons at below-market value for a three-time Pro Bowl player, considered sitting out this season but couldn't make himself do it. He did extract a promise from team president Art Rooney II that he will be the team's chief signing priority next year
Burress insisted there wasn't any doubt he would show up, even though he skipped all the voluntary spring workouts and was fined for missing minicamp in early May. Unlike Ward, he is unsigned past this season and has yet to be told if the Steelers want him back.
"Everybody says voluntary but, when you miss it, everybody's eyebrows go up," Burress said. "I guess voluntary means mandatory now."
Burress said the team's refusal to discuss a contract had nothing to do with his prolonged absence. He said he stayed away from minicamp to be with his two brothers on Mother's Day weekend - their mother died two years ago - and he missed the coaching sessions to work out on his own.
Denver CB Walls out with foot injury
DENVER -- The Denver Broncos will be without cornerback Lenny Walls when the team undergoes its first practice in pads on Friday.
Walls injured his right foot on Wednesday while covering wide receiver Darius Watts and will have surgery Friday.
"We're glad we had the MRI done quickly," said head coach Mike Shanahan. "We could wait a couple of days, but talking to the doctor, he says, 'It has to be done, or it would be a nagging injury throughout the season.'"
The MRI on Walls' right foot revealed torn cartilage, which will sideline the third-year pro from Boston College for about three weeks or half the preseason.
Seven players sign with Bengals
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- The Cincinnati Bengals signed seven players Friday, including six from the 2004 draft. Free safety Madieu Williams of Maryland, Cincinnati's second-round pick, highlighted the signings with a four-year pact.
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Williams led the Terrapins to a 21-6 record over his final two seasons with the program.
Joining him on the defensive side of the ball are linebacker Caleb Miller of Arkansas (third round), linebacker Landon Johnson of Purdue (third round), Michigan State tackle Mathias Askew (fourth round) and Georgia end Robert Geathers (fourth round) -- all of whom signed three-year deals.
Offensive tackle Stacy Andrews of Ole Miss also signed a three-year contract.
DE Udeze, Vikings agree on deal
MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings signed first-round draft pick Kenechi Udeze to a five-year contract Friday night, allowing the defensive end from USC to avoid a training-camp holdout.
Udeze, selected with the No. 20 pick, tied for the NCAA lead with 16½ sacks for the co-national champion Trojans last season.
Players were required to report by 5 p.m., and Udeze's agents reached an agreement with the team shortly thereafter. Udeze left the Twin Cities for Mankato after signing the deal and hoped to arrive in time for a Friday night meeting, agent Thomas Barnes said.
The Vikings' first practice is Saturday morning.
Negotiations with second-round pick Dontarrious Thomas -- a linebacker from Auburn -- remained at an "impasse" Friday evening, according to agent Jeff Sperbeck.
"We need to be closer," Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski said.
Free agent Lewis gets multiyear deal from Seahawks
KIRKLAND, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks signed free agent linebacker D.D. Lewis and guard Sean Locklear, a third-round draft choice, to multiyear contracts Friday.
The Seahawks gave Lewis a three-year deal. The team originally signed him as an undrafted free agent from Texas in 2002, and he recorded 73 tackles in 31 games over the past two seasons. He started five games last season while subbing for Chad Brown and Anthony Simmons.
Locklear, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference lineman from North Carolina State, is the sixth of the team's seven draft choices to sign. Terms of his deal were not released.
49ers sign remaining unsigned rookies
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers agreed on contracts Friday with all five of their remaining unsigned rookies, including first-round pick Rashaun Woods.
Woods, a receiver from Oklahoma State selected 31st overall, got a 5-year deal after missing the first session of workouts on the opening day of training camp. Justin Smiley, an offensive lineman from Alabama chosen in the second round, got a 4-year contract.
The 49ers also signed second-round pick Shawntae Spencer, a defensive back from Pitt; third-round choice Derrick Hamilton, a receiver from Clemson; and defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga from Hawaii, a fourth-round selection. Smiley and Hamilton also missed workouts on the opening day.
General manager Terry Donahue broke a stalemate with Woods late in the day. Woods is expected to be a backup for the 49ers this season behind Cedrick Wilson, Brandon Lloyd and Curtis Conway.
Smiley, who impressed his coaches during minicamps, will compete with Kyle Kosier for a starting job at guard, while Spencer could be the 49ers' nickel defensive back.
Bell finally signs with Denver
DENVER -- The Denver Broncos signed running back Tatum Bell, their second-round draft pick, the team announced Friday.
Bell, who played at Oklahoma State and was the 41st overall pick in the draft, had missed three days of training camp and was the remaining unsigned pick.
Terms of his contract were not disclosed.
The Broncos have to replace Clinton Portis, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in his first two seasons with Denver before being traded to the Washington Redskins because his salary demands were too high.
Running backs Quentin Griffin, Garrison Hearst, Santonio Beard, Ahmaad Galloway and Cecil Sapp, are also competing for roster spots.
Carey inks five-year deal with Dolphins
DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins signed first-round draft pick Vernon Carey to a five-year contract Friday night.
Carey, a 6-foot-4, 335-pound offensive lineman from Miami, will be on the field when the Dolphins open training camp Saturday.
Carey was the 19th overall pick. He was the first offensive player taken by the Dolphins in the first round since running back John Avery in 1998.
Carey grew up in Miami, attended high school and college there, and now begins his career close to home. He is expected to compete with free agent acquisition John St. Clair at right tackle as the Dolphins revamp an offensive line that struggled to create holes in the running game last season.
Broncos' Davis out after surgery
DENVER -- Denver Broncos defensive tackle Dorsett Davis will miss the season after having surgery Friday to repair a torn finger tendon.
Davis was injured during practice Wednesday and saw a specialist in Vail on Thursday. Team doctors decided to have surgery right away to keep Davis from losing his finger.
"If you don't get it fixed right away, you lose the finger very quickly because of a lack of blood going to the finger," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "It's really tough on Dorsett because he had a heck of an offseason program. One of the other guys needs to step in and pick it up."
Davis, a third-round pick in 2002, was inactive his first season with the Broncos, but was a regular in the defensive line rotation last year. He played 14 games, finishing with 19 tackles.
Gamble reaches agreement with Panthers
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Carolina Panthers reached agreement on a five-year contract with first-round draft pick Chris Gamble late Friday night, meaning the team will avoid the distractions of any contract holdouts.
Although other details of the contract were unavailable, the cornerback from Ohio State would be expected to earn about $1.5 million per season, based on contracts previously awarded to players selected before and after him.
Gamble was expected to sign the contract Saturday and participate in the team's afternoon practice at Wofford College, general manager Marty Hurney said.
"We're extremely happy that we got this done and that Chris will be in camp on the first day," Hurney said. "Getting him in was very important to us."
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