BROWNS
Manziel fined for finger
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel has been fined $12,000 by the NFL for directing a middle-finger salute at the Washington Redskins' bench Monday night in an exhibition game, a source familiar with the situation confirmed for the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal on Friday.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the NFL has yet to announce the fine. ESPN and the NFL Network first reported the fine Friday morning.
Manziel, the No. 22 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, is still contemplating whether he will appeal the fine, according to the NFL Network's report. The fine, which is more than the league's $11,025 minimum for the offense, could be reduced to 25 percent of Manziel's weekly check, or about $6,000, if he were to win an appeal.
"I get words exchanged with me throughout the entirety of the game, every game, week after week," Manziel said Monday night. "I should've been smarter. It was a Monday Night Football game. The cameras were probably solidly on me, so I just need to be smarter about that.
"I just need to let it slide off my back and go to the next play. I felt like I did a good job of holding my composure throughout the night and you have a lapse of judgment and slip up."
Browns Coach Mike Pettine also expressed his disappointment when speaking to media after the game.
"It does not sit well," Pettine said Monday. "I was informed of it after the game. It's disappointing because what we talk about is being poised and being focused, that you have to be able to maintain your poise. That's a big part of all football players, especially the quarterback. We have to keep our composure. That's something we'll obviously address."
CHIEFS
Stephenson suspended
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Donald Stephenson has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Stephenson was a fill-in starter last season but was expected to anchor the right side of the line this year. He remains eligible to participate in all preseason practices and exhibition games, including tonight's game against Minnesota.
Stephenson will miss games against Tennessee, Denver, Miami and New England, and be eligible to return to the active roster Sept. 30. The Chiefs play San Francisco the following Sunday.
The Chiefs were already without wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for the season opener after he was suspended by the league for an incident involving marijuana last November.
BRONCOS
Punt returner sought
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Jordan Norwood's season-ending knee injury jumbled the Denver Broncos' search for Trindon Holliday's replacement on punt returns and dented the team's depth at wide receiver.
The replacement could be undrafted rookie Isaiah Burse, who was listed behind Wes Welker and Norwood on the first depth chart of the preseason.
Given his concussion history, Welker was expected to field punts whenever the Broncos were backed up deep or the game was close with Norwood taking the field whenever there was a chance to have a big return.
With Welker missing two days of joint practices with the Houston Texans this week for personal reasons, there's a strong possibility Burse will get a long look tonight when the teams face each other in an exhibition game.
DOLPHINS
TE Egnew released
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins cut tight end Michael Egnew, their 2012 third-round pick, on Friday, ending what turned out to be a bad experiment.
The Dolphins also cut defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds and waived/injured cornerback Jalil Brown on Friday.
Egnew, who attended Missouri, ends his Dolphins career with seven receptions for 69 yards and no touchdowns. Most likely the Dolphins will likely only keep three tight ends -- Charles Clay (Little Rock Central) and Dion Sims are locks -- and Egnew didn't have a unique skill such as blocking or receiving that required the Dolphins to keep him on the roster.
Egnew, speaking after Thursday's practice, was businesslike about his chances of making the roster over fellow tight ends Arthur Lynch, Gator Hoskins, Brett Brackett and Evan Wilson.
"We're all competing for a spot, and that's how it is every year," Egnew said. "Hopefully I fit into the right spot. I can't exactly tell you where I fit in just yet, but whatever I need to do to win is how I see myself fitting in."
Egnew becomes the highest draft pick the Dolphins have cut since they released quarterback Pat White, the 2009 second-round pick out of West Virginia, in September 2010.
Egnew never seemed comfortable as a blocker or receiver during his brief time with the Dolphins and didn't record a reception as a rookie.
Unfortunately for Egnew his biggest claim to fame might have been during a 2012 episode of the HBO show Hard Knocks. In that show Mike Sherman, the Dolphins' former offensive coordinator, angrily told Egnew, a rookie, his practice performance was "terrible."
"I would cut you today if I was the general manager," Sherman said. "I would cut you."
The Dolphins host Dallas at 7:30 p.m. today in their third preseason game.
49ERS
New field resodded
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers re-sodded the field at Levi's Stadium from goal line to goal line and sideline to sideline with longer grass Friday, and they expect no problems for Sunday's preseason game against the San Diego Chargers.
Two high school games that had been scheduled for next Friday night in the $1.2 billion venue will instead be played in October or early November, giving the field plenty of time to be prepared for a Sept. 6 soccer match between Chile and Mexico.
49ers Chief Operating Officer Al Guido says the team, league officials and other experts and consultants are working to determine why the initial sod laid in April failed to hold up at least well into the regular season as was expected. There had been plans to re-sod at some point this season when it was deemed necessary.
Sports on 08/23/2014