Tovar signed a four-year, $5.35 million contract with Carolina last spring but was not projected as a starter in 2000 and, at age 30, was deemed expendable. The former Ohio State star played in all 16 games for the Panthers in his only season with the team and had 26 tackles.

He entered the league as Cincinnati's third-round choice in the 1993 draft and played five years for the Bengals. In 1998, he signed with San Diego as an unrestricted free agent, then moved to the Panthers in 1999.

In seven seasons, Tovar has played in 105 games, 65 as a starter, and has 490 tackles, eight sacks, seven interceptions, six forced fumbles and three recoveries.

Pickens to attend mini-camp

Bengals wide receiver Carl Pickens, who hopes to be traded, has told team officials and coaches that he will now attend a three-day mini-camp that begins on Friday morning. That represents a change of heart by Pickens, who had told coaches last week that he would boycott the sessions.

The eight-year veteran has been the subject of trade discussions during the offseason and might still be released by the Bengals. There are some members of management who have tired of his attitude and the team has enough salary cap room to release Pickens and absorb the impact that terminating his contract with four years remaining on it would have.

The club selected former University of Florida wide receivers Peter Warrick and Ron Dugans in the first and third rounds, respectively, two weeks ago. Their arrival could speed the departure of Pickens, but the veteran apparently does not want to incur any fines for missing mini-camp.

Donahoe no longer in Dolphins plans

The Miami Dolphins still figure to have a new personnel director within the next two weeks, but it likely will not be Tom Donahoe. League and team sources told SportsLine.com on Thursday the former Pittsburgh Steelers director of football operations no longer is a candidate for the job.

Donahoe, who lost out to Steelers coach Bill Cowher in a power struggle earlier this spring, is a close friend of Miami coach Dave Wannstedt and served as a consultant to the Dolphins before the draft two weeks ago. One of the league's best talent evaluators, it appears Donahoe will sit out the 2000 season and spend more time with his family.

Clearly he was the favorite for the Miami job, as he was for several other positions since leaving the Steelers. But he has close ties to the Pittsburgh area and remains on the Steelers payroll for one more season, so Donahoe has steadfastly maintained he will be selective about his next move.

It is believed that Wannstedt is now leaning toward elevating a current member of his scouting staff into the top spot. Philadelphia director of football operations Tom Modrak was said to be interested in is still under contract to the Eagles.

Oh, come, Emanuel

Veteran wide receiver Bert Emanuel, released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers only one day after trading for Keyshawn Johnson, is beginning to draw some interest around the league. Several teams have phoned agent Jim Steiner about the classy Emanuel, who suffered through a series of injuries the last two seasons, but Miami appears the frontrunner for his services.

Dolphins coaches are more than a little concerned by the second shoulder surgery performed on wide receiver Tony Martin this spring and miffed by what could be a long holdout by Oronde Gadsden. If he is healthy -- and it appears he has recovered from an ankle injury Tampa Bay doctors diagnosed as a sprain, but which turned out to be a fracture -- then Emanuel could return to the former he exhibited for four seasons in Atlanta.

In related news, SportsLine.com confirmed the Dolphins are offering nine-year veteran guard Kevin Donnalley, a major disappointment in his two seasons with the club, in trade talks around the league.

Personnel carousel

There has been no official announcement yet, but SportsLine.com has learned Seattle Seahawks personnel director John Dorsey has left the team to seek other opportunities. There is a chance Dorsey will join the Philadelphia staff.

The departure of Dorsey has set off a chain reaction. He will be replaced, SportsLine.com has learned, by former Kansas City director of pro personnel John Schneider, who interviewed for the post earlier this week.

And there is a good chance that former New Orleans general manager Bill Kuharich, dismissed by Saints owner Tom Benson in the team's postseason purge, will step into Schneider's job with the Chiefs. Kuharich will interview for the job on Friday with Chiefs president Carl Peterson and is really the only viable candidate at this time.

In another personnel move, the Washington Redskins have hired former NFL wide receiver Charlie Brown as a regional scout.

Saints add veteran receiver

SportsLine.com learned late Thursday night that the ever-active New Orleans Saints have reached agreement with unrestricted free agent wide receiver Willie Jackson on a one-year contract at the league veteran minimum of $440,000.

A six-year veteran, Jackson played in 16 games last year with the Cincinnati Bengals, started two of them, and had 31 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns. A tough possession-type wideout with good size, Jackson joins Jake Reed (Minnesota) and Joe Horn (Kansas City) as unrestricted free agent wideouts added by the Saints this spring.

Jackson, 28, entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1994 and then the former University of Florida star was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars the following year in the expansion stocking draft. After three seasons in Jacksonville, he signed with the Bengals as a free agent in 1998.

For his career, Jackson has appeared in 71 games with 15 starts and has 141 receptions for 1,815 yards and 12 touchdowns. His best season came in 1995 when he started 10 games for the Jaguars and had 53 catches for 589 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs.