GIANTS
Glove helps Pierre-Paul
Jason Pierre-Paul's first tastes of full contact without using the club to protect his mangled right hand have been a success.
"I'm out there running and banging people, so I feel good," the defensive end said. "My (right) hand feels like my left hand, just missing a couple fingers."
Oh, just that?
Pierre-Paul seems determined to make it that simple. He had offseason surgery that allows him to ditch the club and use a custom-made glove. The procedure also allows him to grab better with his remaining fingers. And, apparently, he can also pick up a football pretty easily with the new handwear.
In practice on Saturday he scooped up a fumble by Eli Manning and ran about 60 yards for a touchdown. Olivier Vernon pushed Ereck Flowers into Manning to force the loose ball.
"I'm just playing football," he shrugged. "Just made a touchdown, that's it. I was tired as hell, but I was OK."
Giants coaches have been raving about Pierre-Paul's energy and speed in this camp. None of that was ever a question, though. It's his hand and his ability to use it that will determine whether or not he has a successful season.
Pierre-Paul said he doesn't know what his schedule will be for the preseason and which games he will appear in. "I don't care," he said. "Whatever they have for me, I'll just bring it."
BEARS
Grasu injures knee
Hroniss Grasu's strong preseason tumbled into uncertainty Saturday afternoon when the Bears second-year center suffered a right knee injury that required him to leave the Soldier Field sideline on a cart.
Grasu went down without being contacted, and he did so right in front of Coach John Fox.
"I don't know the extent of it," Fox said. "It looked fairly serious."
Grasu will undergo testing to determine the severity of the injury. Quarterback Jay Cutler and right guard Kyle Long were among those who spoke to Grasu and expressed concern as he left the field, first with the help of trainers, then the cart.
Grasu was impressing coaches in training camp, building on an uneven rookie year by sharpening his footwork, hand techniques and tenacity finishing plays.
He was hurt Saturday on the 11th snap taken by the first-string offense in its live-tackling scrimmage against the second-string defense. Grasu was running downfield near the right sideline blocking for running back Jacquizz Rodgers on a screen pass.
As Rodgers was tackled for a gain of 12 yards, Grasu went down in a heap. It was clear he had not been hit or tangled up in other players.
After practice, several Bears officials inspected the turf where Grasu fell. There were noticeable seams in the sod in spots around the playing surface. Some of the grass was brown.
Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks, who signed with the team this year but previously played at Soldier Field with the New Orleans Saints, said the field condition was "fine."
LIONS
Ebron carted off
The Detroit Lions suffered a "devastating" injury in their annual mock game Saturday when third-year tight end Eric Ebron had to be carted off the field with a lower right leg injury.
Ebron spent several minutes on the ground clutching the back of his right leg in the ankle/Achilles area before a cart came to take him to the locker room.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell, who talked to reporters before the game, declined comment about Ebron's injury after practice.
NFL Network reported that the "early word" on Ebron was that he suffered an Achilles injury.
Ebron was blocking on a red-zone running play when he was hurt midway through the fourth quarter of a simulated scrimmage that did not include tackling.
The Lions, who played their first-team offense against their second- and third-team defensive units most of the day, moved the drive to the other side of Ford Field while trainers tended to Ebron.
Ebron finished fourth for the Lions with 47 catches for 537 yards and four touchdowns last year, and was expected to play an even bigger role this year as the team's No. 1 tight end.
The Lions, who held Ebron out of practice Friday with an undisclosed injury, are extremely thin at tight end with a just over a month left in the preseason.
SEAHAWKS
Former Saint signed
RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks signed former New Orleans Saints All-Pro guard Jahri Evans following practice on Saturday.
Evans, who turns 33 on Aug. 22, was released by the Saints in February. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time first-team All-Pro during his 10 years in New Orleans.
The Seahawks are hoping Evans can add some veteran leadership to an offensive line that is relatively thin on experience. Evans has 153 starts. The rest of the Seahawks' offensive line has just 136 combined.
To clear room on the roster, the Seahawks released guard Kona Schwenke.
In addition, the team waived/injured tight end Cooper Helfet (broken foot), tight end Ronnie Shields (Achilles), fullback Brandon Cottom (Achilles), fullback Tre Madden (shoulder) and defensive end David Perkins (ankle). They signed fullback Jonathan Amosa, wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu, running back Troymaine Pope, tight end Joe Sommers and linebacker Kache Palacio.
Sports on 08/07/2016