The 27-year-old Boller spent all of last season, his sixth with the Baltimore Ravens, on injured reserve with a shoulder injury sustained in the preseason.

He was Baltimore’s first-round pick in the 2003 draft.

“We are happy to add Kyle to our roster,” new coach Steve Spagnuolo said in a statement. “We feel that he’ll be a valuable addition to our team.”

Boller is 10 years younger than Gus Frerotte, the player the Rams had been negotiating with to return as a backup. Frerotte was released with a year to go on a three-year contract before last season, then went 8-3 as the starter with Minnesota.

Boller started 42 games with the Ravens and holds the franchise record with 7,846 yards with 45 touchdown passes and 44 interceptions. But his inconsistent play led to the Ravens taking Joe Flacco in the first round last year.

Boller’s best season was 2004, when he started every game and passed for 2,559 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Raiders senior executive John Herrera told the Associated Press that the four-time Pro Bowler will join the club’s offseason workout program immediately alongside starter JaMarcus Russell.

Garcia spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting 24 games and leading them to the playoffs, but wasn’t re-signed by the club.

The 39-year-old quarterback enjoyed the best seasons of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers, passing for more than 16,000 yards from 1999-2003.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Palmer chose not to have reconstructive surgery for a partially torn ligament and tendon in his right elbow, which sidelined him for 12 games last season. Instead, he decided to see whether rest would heal the injury.

Before beginning voluntary workouts on Monday, Palmer said he is back to his usual throwing routine because the elbow is fine. The team plans to limit his throwing during preseason workouts as a precaution.

“I was timid at first,” Palmer said of his decision to rest the elbow instead of having so-called “Tommy John” surgery. “I was kind of going against a bunch of doctors and relying on one and what he said, and it turned out he was right.

“It’s 100 percent and I’m healthy and I’m happy. Had I gone the other way, I don’t know when I’d be able to throw again, but it wouldn’t be now.”

Palmer has been throwing three times a week near his home in southern California. Several of the Bengals’ young receivers have joined him for the sessions, including Jerome Simpson, a second-round draft pick last year.

“I saw that old Carson Palmer I used to look at when I was younger,” Simpson said. “He has that strong arm, and he’s just throwing the ball around and having fun. There was some zip on it. He overthrew me one time, and I hadn’t seen that for a long time. I was surprised, but it showed me he’s getting back to the old Carson now.”

Palmer’s younger brother, Jordan, is a backup Bengals quarterback and worked out with him at the sessions in California. Jordan Palmer was reminded of how his brother overcame injuries in the past, including a severe knee injury in the 2005 playoffs that required reconstructive surgery. Palmer left knee was hurt on his first pass in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh, but he didn’t miss any games in 2006.

“It’s in his nature,” Jordan Palmer said. “And that’s why he’s the man. He’s ready to roll, and I think he’ll be back and stronger than ever. I think he’s really excited about this year. It was important for him to come into it healthy, and that’s where he is now.”

Palmer’s next step is to get his timing back with a receiving corps that has undergone change. T.J. Houshmandzadeh left for Seattle as a free agent and was replaced by Laveranues Coles. Receiver Chad Ocho Cinco was the only Bengals receiver who missed the voluntary workout on Monday.

“I’m not worried about him,” Palmer said. “I’m worried about the guys we have here.”

After Palmer talked to reporters, he addressed his teammates. Linebacker Keith Rivers said the quarterback told them to seize their opportunities this season. The Bengals have had only one winning season since 1991, one of the longest streaks of futility in NFL history, and are coming off a 4-11-1 season.

Palmer is entering his seventh season with the Bengals, who made him the first overall pick in 2003 then sat him for a year to learn the league.

“There’s no more, ‘Well, hopefully next year. Next year we’re going to be better,”‘ Palmer said. “It’s going into year seven and I feel like I haven’t really played any football yet. I definitely haven’t played in any significant games.

“I can’t wait. I realize the more years you put in, the more you can’t look to next year at any point in the season. The time is now. You need to seize the moment and the year, and this is our year.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The settlement was reached ahead of Vick’s bankruptcy hearing in Virginia on Thursday. Vick arrived in Virginia Monday afternoon and is being held at Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk, Va.

According to a bankruptcy court filing, Vick and the Falcons have settled the Falcons’ claims that Vick owed them nearly $21.2 million for bonuses he received before his guilty plea to federal dogfighting charges.

Under the settlement, which still must be approved at Thursday’s bankruptcy hearing in Virginia, the team would receive $7.5 million if it wins the appeal or $6.5 million if the lower amount is upheld.

While Vick is still technically part of the team, the Falcons moved on a year ago when they drafted Matt Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick. He had a stellar debut season, leading Atlanta to an 11-5 record and an unexpected spot in the playoffs while earning the Associated Press offensive rookie of the year award.

The team had no comment on the settlement, though everyone in the organization looks forward to dealing with no more questions about Vick.

“I’m pretty much sure it’s behind us now,” running back Michael Turner said. “It’s over.”

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in November, has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, a felony that requires a minimum jail sentence of 3 1/2 years and a maximum of 15 if convicted.

Statistics show that more than eight out of 10 people arrested in New York City in 2008 for the same charge Burress faces received a reduced charge, though some plea deals included jail time.

“This is going to be a close call,” said Randy M. Mastro, a former prosecutor and deputy mayor under Rudy Guiliani. “He’s got a pretty compelling story to tell. … But at the same time, there’s been a tremendous public outcry, particularly by some politicians, about this famous figure having a weapon.”

Rumors have swirled about possible a plea deal. ESPN reported last week that Burress’ attorney had been in contact with prosecutors for months trying to avoid a lengthy trial. On Monday, the New York Times reported a plea deal was being seriously considered and it appeared likely to include Burress serving some jail time. Both reports cited anonymous sources.

A call to Burress’ attorney, Ben Brafman, was not immediately returned Monday. The district attorney’s office declined to comment.

Prosecutors commonly offer reduced charges in gun possession cases, considering past criminal history, arrest circumstances and the reason for having the weapon.

The 31-year-old wide receiver has no criminal record. The gun he was carrying had been licensed in Florida and only recently expired. It was not licensed in New York.

Burress has not spoken publicly about why he was carrying a gun, but some have speculated that he was carrying it for safety reasons after teammate and fellow wide receiver Steve Smith was robbed at gunpoint three days earlier after being driven to his residence in a chauffeur-driven car.

“There’s a pretty compelling story that there were traps in the circle of players which he traveled,” Mastro said. “He has a story to tell the courts that is more sympathetic than the typical gun possession charge.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has waged a long campaign against illegal guns, has publicly castigated Burress for illegally carrying the .40-caliber weapon. And there was talk of a cover-up by the Giants and the NFL after the Nov. 28 incident at the Latin Quarter; it took police nearly 12 hours to figure out Burress had shot himself and was hospitalized, and the player turned himself in three days later.

“He’s a public figure, the case has become a notorious one,” Mastro said. “His fame may not help him in this case.”

Burress is scheduled for trial in the state Supreme Court before Judge Michael Yavinksy, although the judge presiding over the case could change.

Precedence is on Burress’ side. Only about 14 percent of the people charged last year with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree – the same charge that Burress faces, are ultimately convicted of that charge, said John Caher, a spokesman for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Of the 1,248 people in New York City initially arrested on second-degree criminal weapons possession in 2008, 184 were convicted of the charge. About half were convicted of a misdemeanor or violation, and the remaining convictions were usually lesser felonies with some jail time.

Reduced charges in similar cases include attempted possession or third-degree gun possession which result in lesser or no jail time. It’s not clear whether a plea deal will result in Burress serving any jail time.

Burress’ Giants teammates have been supportive about his return, but they’re concerned about the future of the team without him. The Giants lost four of their final five games after Burress was suspended, fined and placed on the non-football injury list, meaning he also could not appear in the playoffs. The Giants finished 12-5, losing at home in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Giants, who signed Burress to a five-year, $35 million contract extension in September, have left the door open for Burress to return once his legal issues are resolved.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats said on ABC’s Good Morning America that he hopes Officer Robert Powell was sincere in his apology.

Powell stopped Moats’ SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano on March 18 after the vehicle rolled through a red light. Moats’ wife, Tamishia, and other relatives were also in the car.

The officer pulled out his gun and threatened Moats with jail as the player pleaded to be allowed to go inside the hospital. Moats’ mother-in-law died before he got there while Powell wrote Moats a ticket and lectured him.

Powell, who has been placed on paid leave pending an investigation, issued a statement Friday through his attorneys.

“I wish to publicly and sincerely apologize to the Moats family, my colleagues in the Dallas Police Department, and to all those who have been rightfully angered by my actions on March 18, 2009. After stopping Mr. Moats’ vehicle, I showed poor judgment and insensitivity to Mr. Moats and his family by my words and actions,” Powell’s statement said.

Tamishia Moats said she’d like to hear the apology personally, but that she, too, would definitely accept it.

According to video from a dashboard camera inside the officer’s vehicle, Tamishia Moats and another woman disregarded Powell’s order to get back inside their vehicle, and they rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.

Powell yelled at Tamishia Moats to stay in the SUV.

“Excuse me, my mom is dying,” Tamishia Moats said. “Do you understand?”

Ryan Moats later said the officer pointed his gun at his wife and then at him.

He explained that he waited until there was no traffic before continuing through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

It will, at least, if Roger Goodell has his way.

Goodell, who will enter his fourth season as NFL Commissioner next season, closed the 2009 annual league meetings with a mid-day press conference Wednesday in Dana Point, Calif., doing so by making the most serious push yet for expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 games.

Goodell had asked the NFL’s Competition Committee this offseason to analyze the possibility of expanding the schedule.

“The big feedback we had is they can do this and do this effectively,” Goodell said. “That’s the core issue, that depending on whether it’s 17 or 18, there are certain things they might want to look into to make sure the quality of the game stays strong, but what we heard very firmly back again is that it can get done and it can continue to build the quality of the game.”

Goodell said any expansion likely would involve taking the existing 20-game regular-season/preseason format and altering it from the existing four-preseason/16 regular-season format to a format of 17 or 18 regular-season games and three or two preseason games.

“It’s a 20-game season,” Goodell said. “What we’re trying to do is improve the quality of what we’re doing. There’s a strongly-held view internally – and I believe with our fans – that they don’t believe preseason games are up to our standards.

“By modifying the 20-game structure and swapping out preseason games for regular-season games, that’s a very positive change for our fans and improves the quality of what we’re doing.”

Goodell said he hopes to present a proposal to the owners in May.

“It’s possible that we could vote in May, but we want to have core discussions on this,” Goodell told the Associated Press Wednesday. “Anytime you have change, there is some reluctance. But it’s clear we don’t need four preseason games anymore.”

The NFL also on Wednesday approved two rules changes:

1) Beginning next off-season, the draft order for the 21st through 32nd teams will be determined based on playoff result rather than regular-season record. The rule will prevent a team that makes the post-season from selecting before No. 21, as will be the case next month when AFC West Champion San Diego will select No. 16 after winning its division with an 8-8 record.

2) Beginning next season, the instant-replay system will be expanded to include quarterback pass/fumbles when the ruling on the field is an incomplete pass. This will allow a play such as the much-discussed fumble/incomplete pass by Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler against San Diego in Week 2 last season to be reviewed. Last year, such a play was not considered reviewable.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

Foundation president Jay Cicero says the bid submitted Friday afternoon deals with technical aspects of hosting the game, such as the availability of hotel rooms and convention facilities.

New Orleans has hosted nine Super Bowls, but none since 2002. The bid marks the city’s first attempt to bring back the NFL’s championship game since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

The state and the Saints are negotiating to extend the team’s Louisiana Superdome lease through 2025. Saints officials are optimistic the new lease will be in place by the time the NFL votes in May on where to award the 2013 Super Bowl.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s investigation also cited carelessness and operator inexperience as contributing factors. The combination of errors came at the time a storm front was moving in, making conditions on the water very rough.

Oakland Raiders’ linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith, and former University of South Florida players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler departed from Clearwater Pass, Fla., early Feb. 28 to go offshore fishing for amberjack.

Schuyler, found clinging to the boat two days later, was the lone survivor. The other three men have not been found.

In an in-depth interview with the agency, Schuyler gave this account of the accident:

Early that morning, the men went more than 50 miles offshore in Cooper’s 21-foot vessel. It was loaded with two large coolers filled with ice, drinks, food and beer. All of the friends were dressed in warm clothes, sweat suits and jackets.

Around 5:30 p.m., they went to pull up the anchor and head back to port, but the anchor was stuck. Bleakley suggested they tie it to the transom and use the boat’s motor to pull it loose.

When Cooper tried to thrust the boat forward, the vessel became submerged and capsized, tossing the men overboard. All four tried uprighting the boat by standing on one side of the overturned vessel. When that didn’t work, Bleakley swam underneath and was able to retrieve three life vests, a large cooler and a portable, cushion-type flotation device.

Bleakley, who Schuyler has credited with saving his life, used the makeshift flotation device, which has been described previously as a cushion. The other three wore the vests.

The men appear to have tried everything in their power to rescue themselves: Schuyler told the agency they tried retrieving and using flares, but they were wet, agency Investigator Jim Manson said. They got their cell phones, which were in plastic baggies, but there was no signal.

They knew how many hours were passing because Schuyler had a watch with a light on and was able to keep track of the time. He said that around 5:30 a.m. the next day, Cooper became unresponsive. Schuyler and Bleakley tried to revive him without success.

Cooper’s flotation device was removed and Bleakley put it on. The Raiders linebacker then became separated from the boat.

About an hour later, Smith started to show “possible extreme symptoms of hypothermia.” He removed his flotation device and also became separated from the boat.

The two college teammates were the only ones left. They hung on together for about 24 hours, until Bleakley grew weak and removed his life vest as well.

Schuyler said that his friend appeared to die as he was holding onto him. He let his friend go and Bleakley drifted away.

Manson said moving the anchor line to the stern, or back of the boat, contributed to the vessel’s instability and flooding when they tried to free it. He described it as a mistake that probably happens every day, but one that a more experienced boater would be aware of and could handle.

Cooper, the boat’s owner, had more than 100 hours of boating experience but no formal education, and had been drinking, according to the report.

“Overall, it’s just a mistake in anchoring,” Manson said.

The Coast Guard released its records on the accident last week. According to the agency, Schuyler told them the boat capsized after their anchor got caught in a reef.

The accuracy of that account was somewhat unclear because Schuyler was suffering from hypothermia and spoke to them shortly after he was pulled from the boat. His doctor said he probably could have only lived another five to 10 hours.

The Coast Guard called off its search after three days of scouring 24,000 miles of ocean.

Hookscenter.com wire report.

The Denver Broncos’ coach and Pro Bowl quarterback, who are involved in a simmering feud over trade talks, met Saturday at the team’s training facility, and both sides agreed to regroup and continue conversations, team spokesman Patrick Smyth told the Associated Press.

It wasn’t clear if the sides planned to meet again Sunday.

On Saturday, Cutler and his agent, Bus Cook, met with McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders in what the Broncos described as mild-mannered conversations at Dove Valley.

Denver station KCNC-TV reported that the meeting didn’t go well, however, and the Denver Post reported that words were exchanged between Cutler and McDaniels.

Cook didn’t return phone messages left by the AP on Sunday.

McDaniels isn’t scheduled to address the media until the annual owners meeting in Dana Point, Calif., March 22-25.

But the Broncos insist they’re not going to trade Cutler, who just played in his first Pro Bowl.

Cutler has deepened the drama by putting his 7,516-square foot home in suburban Parker on the market for $2 million. And a smaller home owned by Cutler and his parents, Jack and Sandra Cutler, two miles away, is for sale for $835,000. Cutler, however, is keeping his downtown Denver penthouse, at least for now.

On Saturday night, Cutler was a no-show at a fundraiser at Invesco Field where he was on the guest list. The Broncos said Cutler didn’t attend because he didn’t want to be a distraction but that he made a donation to the cause, Dani’s Foundation, which raises money for research and treatment for rare forms of cancer in children.

Team owner Pat Bowlen was in attendance, but he wouldn’t answer any questions and waved off a reporter. Bowlen has yet to publicly address the rift between his new coach and his temperamental quarterback.

Cutler’s name was brought up a lot at that event, a roast for longtime Broncos trainer Steve Antonopulos. Former Denver offensive lineman Mark Cooper, who played in the 1980s, cracked: “Times have changed around here. Now players cry when they hear they’re going to be traded.”

Cutler has been unhappy since learning that McDaniels, who was New England’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons, entertained the notion of trading him to Tampa Bay in a three-way swap that would have brought quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots to Denver.

New England instead traded Cassel to Kansas City.

Cutler believes McDaniels, who replaced Mike Shanahan in January, misled him about those trade talks, and he has said he believes he’ll be traded by draft weekend if the Broncos find the right deal.

McDaniels has said all he did was listen to the trade proposals, as he would with any player, as he tries to rebuild a Broncos team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2005.

The Broncos have been the NFL’s most active team in free agency, signing 15 players, including quarterback Chris Simms, a former starter in Tampa Bay who has thrown just two passes since having emergency surgery to remove his spleen after a game in 2006.

Simms signed for two years and $6 million, ostensibly to serve as Cutler’s backup.

With his relationship with his starting quarterback strained, McDaniels wanted a face-to-face meeting once Cutler returned from his offseason home in Nashville, Tenn., so they could clear the air before the team’s offseason training program kicks off Monday with his first team meeting.

All eyes will be on the lookout for Cutler.

If he’s a no-show, it will undermine McDaniels’ authority and deepen the rift between the 25-year-old quarterback and the 32-year-old first-time head coach, perhaps irreparably.

Hookscenter.com wire report.