NFL: Notebook
Associated Press / Associated Press
Cleveland— The Browns are cleaning house. On Wednesday, team officials terminated the contracts of some big-name players, including their biggest player — enormous nose tackle Shaun Rogers, who also played for the Lions.
In addition, the Browns, who are rebuilding once again under new coach Pat Shurmur, also released veteran linebackers Eric Barton and David Bowens (Michigan), defensive end Kenyon Coleman, tight end Robert Royal and right offensive tackle John St. Clair.
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Rogers, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was due to make $5.5 million in 2011 with a $500,000 roster bonus.
Rogers was on his own practice schedule last season, resting a leg injury so he could play on Sundays.
A Pro Bowler in 2008, Rogers played in 15 games, but made only one start and finished with just 17 tackles.
The Lions traded Rogers to the Browns in 2008 for cornerback Leigh Bodden and a third-round draft pick.
Ticket holders sue NFL
Ticket-holding football fans that ended up with no seats or what they considered bad views of the Super Bowl have filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones .
The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Dallas alleges breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices on behalf of people who ended up watching the game on television at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, or had seats the lawsuit labeled “illegitimate.”
NFL officials had announced just hours before the Packers played the Steelers last weekend about 1,250 temporary seats were deemed unsafe.
Officials scrambled to find new seats for about 850 people. The remaining 400 were forced to watch from standing-room locations around the stadium.
Cowboys and NFL officials had no comment Wednesday.
League, union meet
The NFL and players union representatives met for much of Wednesday afternoon in Washington to discuss a new collective bargaining agreement.
It was the second session in five days. Another session is set for today.
Neither side would comment on what was discussed or how fruitful the talks were.
Team owners opted out of the CBA in 2008 and the current contract expires March 3. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell emphasized the need to get a deal done soon during his Super Bowl news conference last week.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has said he expects the owners to lock out the players after the CBA expires.
Team owners want a bigger cut of the revenues, which are roughly $9 billion, as well as a rookie wage scale and to increase the regular season by two games to 18, dropping two exhibitions.