Seahawks send Jennings to Bengals
The Seattle Seahawks traded former first-round pick Kelly Jennings to Cincinnati for defensive tackle Clinton McDonald on Monday, giving the cornerback a chance to get past his disappointing times in Seattle.
Jennings was the 31st overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Miami, but struggled throughout his career in Seattle dealing with larger receivers. He played in 78 games and started 43 with the Seahawks, but had just two interceptions in his five seasons.
Jennings was deemed expendable with the development of Walter Thurmond and Seattle's offseason acquisition of Brandon Browner.
"We looked at him in the offseason a little bit," Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. "He can run. Now we have to try and get him playing good."
The Bengals have been trying to upgrade their secondary since the NFL lockout ended. Starting cornerback Johnathan Joseph left for Houston as a free agent, deciding he had a better chance to win there. No. 3 cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones is recovering from neck surgery and isn't allowed to participate in contact drills.
The Bengals signed free agent cornerback Nate Clements to take Joseph's spot. Coach Marvin Lewis said the Bengals considered Jennings before signing Clements.
"It seemed like a move that was good for both clubs," Lewis said. "It's sad we had to watch Clinton walk out the door in order for it to happen, but if he comes in like we expect, he can play 500-600 snaps this season, even more. He gives us some more depth."
McDonald was a seventh-round choice of the Bengals in 2009. He played in eight games last season after being signed from the practice squad.
The Seahawks also cut eight players, but still must make two more moves in order to reach the league-mandated roster limit of 80 players.
Seattle made its first cuts on Monday when it released wide receiver Chris Carter, cornerback Jesse Hoffman, linebacker Neal Howey, guard Zach Hurd, wide receiver Brandon Smith, fullback Ryan Travis, defensive tackle Teryl White and receiver Patrick Williams.
Seattle must make two more roster moves by this afternoon.
Colts activate Manning: Peyton Manning is back. Whether he is ready to play is an open question.
The Colts activated Manning from the physically unable to perform list Monday. A few hours later, the four-time MVP pulled on his white No. 18 jersey and a helmet, and jogged onto the practice field, renewing hopes that he might actually play in the season-opener at Houston on Sept. 11 four months after neck surgery.
"That's kind of been my goal all along, trying to get better and I know everybody's into predictions and everybody wants to have the breaking news," an upbeat Manning said. "But I just can't give you any more than what I'm giving you."
What everyone wants to know, of course, is whether Manning will be ready. Nobody, including Manning, will say that yet and he said again that he won't play in Thursday night's preseason finale at Cincinnati.
Clearly, though, Manning is getting closer. He acknowledged that he is healthy enough right now to take a snap or play a series to keep his consecutive-games streak intact but insists he won't.
"Like I said the other night, I have to be able to competitively play," he said. "I have too much respect for football. I've got to be able to compete and to help my team win, and that's what's fair to the team, fair to myself."
Manning has started 227 consecutive games, including the playoffs, the second-longest streak in NFL history for quarterbacks behind Brett Favre. Of all the numbers Manning has put up over the years, the streak is the one he has usually said means the most.
49ers Gore hopeful of progress toward new deal: Frank Gore is encouraged that progress might be made toward the new contract he wants.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was scheduled to meet Monday with the team, though Gore wasn't sure when the process would begin. The two-time Pro Bowl running back has repeatedly said he would like a new, long-term commitment from the team before the Sept. 11 season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
"He's here. I'm happy about that," Gore said about Rosenhaus during an interview with The Associated Press. "It may pick up. That's a positive. I hope I'll get a fair deal. I want to be a 49er for my career. I love it here. I love my teammates. I like the new coaching staff. I can see that we're going to get things together here. Having a football coach like Jim Harbaugh and his style of doing what they're doing and knowing what they want from each and every player, and that's being a football player."
The 28-year-old Gore, who missed the final five games last season with a broken right hip, said it's "a step" in the right direction that Rosenhaus and Niners executives are meeting face to face.
"I just want to get it done, man. Hopefully both sides will come to a fair deal and I can be here and get it out of my head and try to get (going on) these 16 weeks and move on and win the West," Gore said. "It's best for me to let the fans know I want to be here. It's not me. It comes down to the organization and the team."
Both general manager Trent Baalke and team president Jed York have said they would like to make Gore a "49er for life," while Harbaugh has made similar statements.
The 28-year-old Gore, who held out for the first four days of training camp, was sidelined for the last five games of 2010 after sustaining the hip injury in a Monday night game at Arizona on Nov. 29.
Gore would like a contract comparable to the $43 million, five-year deal running back DeAngelo Williams - 20 days older than San Francisco's star - recently received from the Carolina Panthers. That includes $21 million guaranteed. Williams missed the final 10 games last year with a sprained right foot.
Jets 17, Giants 3: At East Rutherford, N.J., Mark Sanchez threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes and the Jets capitalized on two big special teams plays to defeat the Giants on Monday night in a preseason game delayed two days by Tropical Storm Irene's devastating visit to the New York metropolitan area.