FOOTBALL
No room for Sam
The St. Louis Rams have signed 10 players to their practice squad. As expected, Michael Sam was not among them. The Rams added two players each at linebacker, offensive line, wide receiver and safety Monday, fortifying needy positions. Sam starred at defensive line for Missouri, but Coach Jeff Fisher said the defensive line was the strongest group on the team. Rookie quarterback Garrett Gilbert and seven others were among the cuts that got the roster to 53 players. The group includes linebackers Denicos Allen and Kevin Riddick, wide receivers Emory Blake and Justin Veltung, safeties Christian Bryant and Matt Daniels, plus tackle Sean Hooey and guard Brandon Washington. Defensive tackle Matt Conrath also was added. Allen was cut by Carolina and Reddick had been with New Orleans.
New England tight end Rob Gronkowski announced he will be ready to play in the team’s season opener at Miami on Sunday. Saying he is “super excited,” Gronkowski vowed to be on the field after he didn’t play in any of the four preseason games as he completed his recovery from December right knee surgery.Gronkowski, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament on Dec. 8, is a two-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro in 2011. He has 226 catches with 42 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games. Last season, coming off multiple surgeries and an arm infection, he appeared in seven games, catching 39 passes, four for touchdowns, before being injured by a hit from then Cleveland Browns safety T.J. Ward.
Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, returned to practice Monday wearing a long, bulky flak jacket designed to provide added protection for his healing fractured ribs. Newton smiled and even stopped to pose for a picture before practice with his newly enhanced armor. He went through drills as normal with the first team offense and didn’t appear to have any problems throwing the ball during the 20 minutes practice was open to the media. Coach Ron Rivera reiterated that he expects Newton to play in the season opener Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Oakland rookie Derek Carr will start the season opener against the New York Jets, becoming the first Raiders quarterback to start the first game of his rookie season. Coach Dennis Allen announced Monday that Carr would be the starter for the foreseeable future ahead of Matt Schaub, who struggled in the preseason and has been hampered by a sore elbow.
The New York Jets signed cornerback Phillip Adams, adding depth to their thin secondary, and claimed speedy wide receiver Walter Powell off waivers from Arizona. The Jets also released a pair of draft picks — linebacker Jeremiah George and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa — on Monday to make room on the 53-man roster. They also signed cornerback LeQuan Lewis to the practice squad. Adams, a 2010 seventh-round draft pick by San Francisco out of South Carolina State, spent the summer with Seattle — his second stint with the Seahawks — and was released Saturday. He has 66 total tackles and three interceptions in four seasons with San Francisco, New England, Seattle and Oakland. Powell was a sixth-round pick by Arizona out of Murray State in May and had six catches for 106 yards in the preseason. George was a fifth-round pick from Iowa State, while Enunwa was a sixth-rounder out of Nebraska. Lewis was released Sunday after the Jets claimed cornerback Leon McFadden off waivers from Cleveland.
Running back Marion Grice, a sixth-round pick from Arizona State, was released by the San Diego Chargers on Monday in favor of defensive lineman Ricardo Mathews. Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco is familiar with Mathews. Telesco was in Indianapolis’ front office when Mathews was a seventh-round pick in 2010. Mathews played in 52 games and had 51 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Colts. Mathews was signed in the offseason by the Houston Texans, but then released over the weekend. The Chargers were encouraged that ailing defensive linemen Lawrence Guy and defensive tackle Sean Lissemore practiced. Also, linebacker Manti Te’o was working after missing the final two preseason game with a left foot injury.
Buffalo Bills rookie receiver Sammy Watkins is still experiencing soreness after returning to practice for the first time since aggravating a rib injury last week. The first-round draft pick practiced fully Monday and said he is preparing to play Sunday when Buffalo opens the season at Chicago. Watkins declined to reveal the nature of the injury except to say follow-up tests showed it is something more than bruised ribs. He was initially hurt in the first quarter of a 19-16 preseason loss at Pittsburgh on Aug. 16. After sitting out one game, Watkins was hit in the same spot in the first quarter of a 23-0 preseason-ending loss to Detroit.
Jacques McClendon will start at center for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday’s regular-season opener in Philadelphia. McClendon had battled rookie Luke Bowanko and veteran Mike Brewster throughout training camp. Brewster was waived by the Jaguars last Friday. McClendon is in his fifth NFL season but has played in only nine games. His two starts came at left guard in the final two games of last season. Coach Gus Bradley credited McClendon’s experience as giving him the edge over Bowanko. McClendon started the third preseason game against Detroit, while Bowanko was the starter the final week against Atlanta. Brewster started the first two preseason games.
BASKETBALL
Spain remains unbeaten
Spain beat Brazil in a battle of unbeatens to take the lead in Group A, while Greece also improved to 3-0 in a Group B that Senegal shook up with the big upset Monday at the Basketball World Cup. Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls had 26 points and nine rebounds for the Spanish in their 82-63 victory over Brazil in Granada. The hosts had already routed Iran and Egypt by a combined 67 points but have difficult first-round games remaining against France and Serbia. Greece matched Spain for the overall best record by beating Puerto Rico 90-79 in Seville, and has won all of its game by double digits. The Greeks, who needed a wild card into the tournament, will next face a Croatia team that was stunned 77-75 on Sunday by Senegal. That loss dropped the Croatians (2-1) into a three-way tie for second with Argentina and the Senegalese.
SOCCER
Arsenal signs Welbeck
Arsenal has bolstered its attacking options by signing Danny Welbeck from Premier League rival Manchester United. The England forward joined the London club for a reported 16 million pounds ($27 million) as the summer transfer window was closing on Monday. The need for Arsene Wenger to sign a striker came after Olivier Giroud was ruled out until at least the end of December with a broken left leg. Also, Manchester United has signed Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco in an unexpected move. The Colombia striker’s deal gives United an option to buy him at the end of his season-long loan.
- Valencia has acquired striker Alvaro Negredo on loan from English champion Manchester City moments before the close of the transfer market. Valencia said City has agreed to loan Negredo to the Spanish club for one season, with the deal including an option to buy. Negredo, 29, joined City last summer from Sevilla, but after a promising start appeared to fall out of Coach Manuel Pellegrini’s first-choice squad.