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Free Agency Signing Period Begins; 533 Players Become Free Agents

NFL Press Release — Fri, 28 Feb 2003 19:51:44 CST

The National Football League today announced that 533 players are free agents who now can negotiate with all 32 clubs.

The free agents include eight players who this year have been designated by their clubs as "franchise" players, and two who have been named "transition" players. Franchise and transition players are special categories for restricted and unrestricted free agents. The deadline for making these designations for 2003 was February 20.

2003 FRANCHISE & TRANSITION DESIGNATIONS

Franchise Players
S Donovin Darius, Jacksonville
S Tebucky Jones, New England
T Walter Jones, Seattle
TE Jim Kleinsasser, Minnesota
CB Chris McAlister, Baltimore
T Orlando Pace, St. Louis
WR Peerless Price, Buffalo
P Todd Sauerbrun, Carolina

Transition Players
DT Cletidus Hunt, Green Bay
LB Takeo Spikes, Cincinnati

In 2002, eight players were designated as franchise players and none as transit..

Packers Acquire CB Al Harris From Philadelphia, Trade WR Terry Glenn To Dallas In Separate Draft Choice Deals; Also Sign CB Bryant Westbrook

Fri, 28 Feb 2003 16:45:56 CST

Active in the trade market, the Green Bay Packers acquired cornerback Al Harris from the Philadelphia Eagles and dealt wide receiver Terry Glenn to the Dallas Cowboys in two separate draft choice transactions and signed cornerback Bryant Westbrook, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Friday.

The Packers sent their second round choice in the 2003 NFL draft to Philadelphia for the 6-1 185-pound Harris, a five-year veteran, and the Eagles' fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft.

In the other transaction, the Packers received an undisclosed selection from the Cowboys in the 2004 draft in exchange for Glenn.

The 28-year-old Harris, a Texas A&M-Kingsville alumnus was employed extensively as the "nickel" back in the Eagles' defense, which ranked fourth in the NFL. Appearing in all 16 games, with two starts, he closed out the season with 25 tackles, 18 of them solo. He also posted one interception and was credited with 13 passes defensed.

Additionally, ..

Updated NFL Draft Order

NFL Release — Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:09:53 CST

Following is the updated order of the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft reflecting a coin flip between Baltimore and Seattle to determine the 10th and 11th selections in the first round.

The NFL Draft will be held on April 26-27 in New York City.

1. Cincinnati
2. Detroit
3. Houston
4. Chicago
5. Dallas
6. Arizona
7. Minnesota
8. Jacksonville
9. Carolina
10. Baltimore
11. Seattle
12. St. Louis
13. Washington
14. New England (from Buffalo)
15. San Diego
16. Kansas City
17. New Orleans
18. New Orleans (from Miami)
19. New England
20. Denver
21. Cleveland
22. N.Y. Jets
23. Atlanta
24. Indianapolis
25. N.Y. Giants
26. San Francisco
27. Pittsburgh
28. Tennessee
29. Green Bay
30. Philadelphia
31. Oakland
32. Oakland (from Tampa Bay)

2003 NFL Free Agency Questions & Answers

NFL Release — Thu, 27 Feb 2003 10:29:03 CST

Q -- What are the categories of free agency?

A -- Players are either "restricted" or "unrestricted" free agents. Within the categories are also "transition" and "franchise" players.

Q -- What is the time period for free agency signings this year?

A -- For restricted free agents, from February 28 to April 18; for unrestricted free agents and transition players, from February 28 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later); and for franchise players, from February 28 through the 10th week of the season (November 11).

Q -- What is the difference between a restricted free agent and an unrestricted free agent?

A -- Players become restricted free agents when they complete three accrued seasons and their contract expires. Unrestricted free agents have completed four or more accrued seasons with an expired contract.

Q -- What constitutes an "a..

Packers Send QB Craig Nall To NFL Europe To Expedite His Development

Wed, 26 Feb 2003 17:19:49 CST
Convinced that the experience will accelerate Craig Nall's professional development, the Green Bay Packers have assigned the second-year quarterback to the NFL Europe League for its imminent, 10-game spring season, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Wednesday.

Nall, who has been assigned to the Scottish Claymores of NFLE, will report to the league's training camp in Tampa Thursday. The league opened its camp for all players Monday.

"Craig is excited...very excited...about getting the chance to show that he can play," Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel, said after completing arrangements with Nall by phone Wednesday to join the Claymores. "He said he had been hoping that we might have talked to him about going to the NFLEL when we started working on those assignments towards the end of the season."

McKenzie added, "We're looking forward to watching him play. That's the only way to make a fair evaluation of a player's ability. You can'..

Preseason National TV Schedule Showcases Playoff Teams

NFL Release — Wed, 26 Feb 2003 12:06:48 CST
The NFL's 11-game preseason television schedule will feature at least one 2002 playoff team in every contest, the NFL announced Wednesday.

The schedule kicks off with the Super Bowl XXXVII champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the AFC East champion New York Jets in Tokyo, Japan in an American Bowl on Saturday night, August 2 on ESPN.

It will be the first American Bowl appearance for both the Bucs and Jets, and the 11th American Bowl in Tokyo, the most of any city in the NFL's international series that began in 1986.

The American Bowl will be followed two days later by the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Monday night, August 4 on ABC. In the 40th anniversary year of the Hall, the game will match the teams that played in Super Bowl I, the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. The game will cap a Reunion Weekend in Canton which all Hall of Famers will attend.

Two national TV games on the first full preseason weekend will be carried by..

Packers Host NFL Hardlines Retail Summit

Mon, 24 Feb 2003 12:25:25 CST
On the field records are important to every team in the NFL and so are retail sales of team-branded merchandise. Sales of so-called hardline goods (items including housewares, glassware, bedding, jewelry, toys and tailgating items) are vital to teams' year-round revenue streams.

That is why the National Football League, NFL Properties and the Green Bay Packers will host the first ever "NFL Hardlines Retail Expo" in Green Bay, Monday, February 24th through Wednesday, February 26th, 2003.

Representatives from all 32 NFL teams, and key NFL personnel, will be on hand to learn first hand how the Green Bay Packers have become an incredible success in the pro football retail market. The Packers currently rank second in all NFL team sales.

Paul Sparrow, Director of NFL Properties says Green Bay was selected for the expo site because it has a great story to tell. "The Packers organization is recognized as having established a superior model for club retail and m..

Packers Name Hunt As Transition Player

Thu, 20 Feb 2003 16:06:45 CST
The Green Bay Packers have designated defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt as the club's Transition player, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Thursday.

Under NFL guidelines, the Packers had until 3 p.m. CST Thursday to designate a Franchise and/or Transition player.

Hunt, a four-year veteran from Kentucky State, finished his first season as the full-time starter at the 'Eagle' defensive tackle position in 2002. He led all defensive linemen with 48 tackles, including a career-high 5.5 sacks (good for third on the club). He also pitched in with 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defensed and a blocked extra point attempt.

Packers Sign LB Everick Rawls, RS/WR Kenyatte Morgan As Free Agents

Tue, 18 Feb 2003 14:58:14 CST
The Green Bay Packers have signed linebacker Everick Rawls, a three-year starter at the University of Texas, and return specialist/wide receiver Kenyatte Morgan, an Arena Football League veteran, as free agents, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Tuesday.

The 6-1, 235-pound Rawls registered 227 tackles during his three years as a starter for the Longhorns, ranking fourth on the team as a senior in 2001 with 71 stops, 34 of them unassisted. He also posted one interception and forced one fumble in his final collegiate campaign.

Rawls, a standout as a first-year starter at the weakside position, led all UT linebackers in tackles as a sophomore, amassing 80 stops while starting all 14 games and punctuating his personal season with a career-high 14 tackles against Texas A&M.

The 23-year-old Texas City, Texas, native was undrafted in 2002 and out of football.

Morgan, 5-8 and 166 pounds, was a member of the Arena Football League's Grand Rapids Rampage ..

Favre Announces Bergstrom Automotive As Sponsor Of Fourth-Annual Celebrity Softball Game

Mon, 17 Feb 2003 17:00:04 CST
Brett Favre is pleased to announce that Bergstrom Automotive has signed on as presenting sponsor of the Fourth Annual Brett Favre Celebrity Softball Game. Bergstrom Automotive has served as the presenting sponsor since the first event in 2000.

"We are extremely pleased to have Bergstrom Automotive on board for the fourth straight year," said Brett Favre, president of the Brett Favre Forward Foundation and quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. "The Bergstrom Automotive team has shown their dedication to the Foundation and local charities by supporting this event each year."

"The Brett Favre Celebrity Softball Game is an exciting event each year that allows Packers fans the opportunity to see their favorite players while giving back to local charities," said John F. Bergstrom, CEO of Bergstrom Automotive. "Our primary reason for participating is the amount of money that the Brett Favre Forward Foundation contributes to local charities. Over the past four years the..

Packers Sign Return Specialist/Wideout Martin Dossett As Free Agent

Thu, 13 Feb 2003 17:12:18 CST
The Green Bay Packers have signed former Baylor return specialist/wide receiver Martin Dossett as a free agent, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Thursday.

The 5-11, 190-pound Dossett, possessor of 4.35 speed in the '40,' was a four-year letterman at Baylor, where he returned 66 kickoffs for 1,332 yards, a 20.2-yard average, with a long of 58 yards. He also caught 16 passes for 168 yards, a 10.5-yard average and 1 touchdown. Undrafted coming out of the college ranks in 2001, he spent time with the Wichita Stealth of the af2 and for the Louisiana Rangers of the National Indoor Football League.

A 24-year-old native of Gregory, Texas, Dossett was a standout running back at Gregory-Portland High School, rushing for 3,464 yards and averaging 10 yards per carry over his three-year varsity career, one climaxed by a senior season in which he amassed 1,773 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. Along the way, he also won the Texas 4A state championship in the 100-meter hurdles a..

NFL Announces 2003 Preseason Matchups

NFL Release — Tue, 11 Feb 2003 15:32:52 CST
The NFL announced Tuesday its 2003 week-by-week preseason matchups, starting with the first weekend of August when the Super Bowl XXXVII-champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the New York Jets in an American Bowl in Tokyo, Japan, and the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is played in Canton, Ohio.

The dates and times of the entire 66-game schedule will be announced at a later date.

The preseason will kick off on the August 2-4 weekend with the 2003 debut of the Super Bowl-champion Buccaneers as they face the AFC East-champion Jets in the Tokyo Dome on Saturday, August 2 on ESPN. It will be the first American Bowl appearance for each team.

The Hall of Fame Game will be played on Monday night, August 4 on ABC-TV at 8:00 PM ET, when, 36 years after they faced each other in the first Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers play the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2003 NFL preseason matchups:

HALL OF FAME WEEKEND - AUGUST 2-4
New York Jets vs..

Packers' Preseason Opponents Announced

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 11:46:31 CST
The Green Bay Packers' schedule of opponents for the 2003 preseason, highlighted by another encounter with Atlanta's multi-talented Michael Vick, was announced Tuesday by the National Football League.

As previously announced, the Packers will launch their five-game, preseason agenda against the Kansas City Chiefs in the annual Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio, Monday night, Aug. 4, a contest which has been billed as a rematch of the principals in Super Bowl I, staged at Los Angeles (Jan. 15, 1967).

Specific dates have not been set for the other games, which will be played over the four following weekends, traditionally designated as preseason weeks 1 through 4.

The Packers, who will not play at home until late August while the $295 million renovation of Lambeau Field is being completed, will wing to Atlanta to take on Vick and the Falcons in the Georgia Dome the weekend of Aug. 7-11. It will be the third encounter between the Packers and Falcons in a year..

Packers, Green Bay's WFRV/CBS-Viacom And Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV Reach Agreement On Year-Round Broadcast Partnership

Mon, 10 Feb 2003 18:24:45 CST
The Green Bay Packers, Green Bay's WFRV-TV (NewsChannel 5), the CBS station that is part of the Viacom Television Stations Group, have reached agreement on a new and comprehensive three-year broadcasting partnership that will bring year-round Packers programming in addition to preseason games, to fans throughout Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, it was announced today by Craig Benzel, the Packers' director of corporate sponsorships, and R. Perry Kidder, vice president and general manager of WFRV-TV.

Under terms of the far-reaching agreement, which includes a major alliance with WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, the Packers will present the most comprehensive and varied team programming in the club's 74-year broadcasting history, Benzel said.

WFRV-TV and WTMJ-TV will create a television studio in the Lambeau Field Atrium for the origination of regular on-site programming, including news, sports and/or weather, throughout the year.

The new broadcasting package will includ..

Sherman Names Joe Philbin Assistant Offensive Line Coach

Mon, 10 Feb 2003 16:39:16 CST
The Green Bay Packers have named Joe Philbin assistant offensive line coach, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Monday.

Philbin, who has spent 19 years in the coaching ranks, comes to the Packers from the University of Iowa, where he had served as offensive line coach the past four seasons (1999-2002). He replaces Pat Ruel, who resigned Jan. 21 to become the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills.

"Joe has done an outstanding job during his tenure at Iowa of establishing the Hawkeyes' offensive line as one of the best in college football," Sherman said in making the announcement. "He is an excellent teacher and should be a big plus in assisting Larry Beightol."

Under Philbin's stewardship, Iowa fielded one of college football's finest offensive lines in 2002, helping the Hawkeyes finish second in the Big Ten Conference in rushing at 214.2 yards per game. In the process, three of Philbin's pupils - guard Eric Steinbach, tackle Robert Gallery and cen..

Steve Klegon, Veteran Sports/Entertainment Executive, Named Director Of Atrium Business Development For Packers

Sat, 08 Feb 2003 16:05:24 CST
Steve Klegon, the possessor of an extensive background in executive management, food and beverage concept development and marketing at the highest level in the sports, entertainment and convention industries, has been named Director of Atrium Business Development for the Green Bay Packers.

The appointment of Klegon to a new and key position in the Packers' corporate structure was announced today by John Jones, the club's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

"Steve will help us take the next big step in making Lambeau Field Atrium the year-round place to be for Packers fans," Jones said. "Steve brings impressive professional credentials and a deep appreciation for the Packers and Green Bay. We're delighted to have him join us."

In his comprehensive role, Jones said, Klegon (pronounced 'KLEE-gun') will be responsible for developing and maintaining new business ventures in Lambeau Field Atrium, formulating and managing the daily operations p..

Packers Sign Free Agent Quarterback Zak Kustok

Fri, 07 Feb 2003 15:25:50 CST
The Green Bay Packers have signed quarterback Zak Kustok, a former two-year starter at Northwestern University, as a free agent, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced today.

The 6-1, 218-pound Kustok originally signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent April 26, 2002, following completion of a three-year varsity career for the Wildcats, one which saw him complete 507 of 920 passing attempts for 6,822 yards and 42 touchdowns. He later was placed on waivers Aug. 26 in the Dolphins' roster reduction to the 65-player limit and had been out of football since.

A running quarterback, Kustok complemented his aerial contributions at Northwestern by rushing for 1,294 yards and 22 touchdowns on 433 attempts while starting all 23 games in which he played over his final two seasons. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice as a senior in 2001 when he completed 231 of 404 passes for 2,692 yards and 20 touchdowns, with only 10 interceptions. Kustok also was..

Sherman Promotes Bevell To Quarterbacks Coach; Miller Elevated To Assistant Defensive Line Coach

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 17:09:27 CST
Darrell Bevell, an offensive assistant on the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff the past three years, has been promoted to quarterbacks coach, GM-Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Tuesday.

The promotion is the second in as many years for Bevell, an original member of the Sherman staff hired as an offensive assistant/quality control in 2000. Described as an "excellent teacher" by Sherman, he had been advanced to offensive assistant April 27, 2002, when assigned more hands-on duty in coaching the quarterbacks.

"Darrell has developed into an excellent quarterbacks coach," Sherman said in making the announcement. "My original plan three years ago was to elevate him to this position if I felt confident in his abilities, and I do. He has done an outstanding job working with our offense and the quarterbacks since he's been here. I'm confident that will continue."

Sherman also announced that Brad Miller, defensive assistant/quality control, has been promoted to..

Packers Re-Sign DT Terdell Sands

Mon, 03 Feb 2003 17:15:03 CST
The Green Bay Packers have re-signed Terdell Sands, a 6-foot-7, 340-pound defensive tackle previously a member of the team's practice squad, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced Monday.

Sands, a 23-year-old University of Tennessee-Chattanooga alumnus, had been signed to the practice squad Nov. 20, remaining on the organization's overall roster until his contract expired Jan. 13.

Originally a seventh-round draft selection of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001, Sands spent the '01 season on the reserve/non-football injury list with a broken hand. He subsequently was allocated to the NFL Europe League and played for the Berlin Thunder during the NFLE's 2002 spring season. He returned to training camp with the Chiefs in July and was placed on waivers Sept. 7. Signed to the Kansas City practice squad Sept. 9, he was terminated Sept. 19 and out of football until signed to the Packers' practice squad Nov. 20.