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Around the NFC

BEARS: The team signed guard Rex Tucker to a seven-year contract and reserve defensive tackle Alfonso Boone to a five-year deal on Monday. Tucker started all 16 games for a line that allowed a league-low 17 sacks. Boone played in 11 games last season as a substitute for starters Ted Washington and Keith Traylor.

COWBOYS: Wide receiver Richmond Flowers, defensive end Dwayne Missouri, safety Travis Ortega, cornerback Shad Criss and wide receiver Bashir Yamini were cut. The team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Paris Johnson (broken right hand).

EAGLES: Randall Cunningham will retire as an Eagle after signing a ceremonial contract Friday. The team will honor the former franchise quarterback before that night's preseason game at Veterans Stadium against the Ravens. Cunningham finished his 16-year career with Baltimore last season. "That means a lot," Donovan McNabb said. "It will be wonderful to have two Eagles quarterbacks, the past and the present, together. I'm excited. My family's excited. I can tell my kids about that. He's a role model coming back."

49ERS: Defensive end John Engelberger will miss at least two weeks of training camp after an appendectomy. Engelberger complained of abdominal pain after practice Saturday, and his appendix was removed early Sunday morning. He didn't make the trip to Denver for the game Monday night. Engelberger, the team's second-round draft choice in 2000, started 14 games last season and had a career-high 36 tackles and four sacks. San Francisco bolstered its defensive line in the offseason by signing free agents Jim Flanigan and Sean Moran.

GIANTS: New York signed veteran center and long-snapper Morris Unutoa, who played for the Bucs in 1999 and 2000. Unutoa, who played at BYU, appeared in 48 games with the Eagles between 1996-98. He also played eight games last season for Buffalo. Jason Whittle handled the long-snapping for the team the past three seasons. He is starting at right guard this year and coach Jim Fassel does not want him to handle two jobs. Linebacker Jody Littleton has done the long-snapping in the preseason.

LIONS: The team is eager to see Ford Field, the new stadium that is about to become its home in downtown Detroit. It will open the stadium with a game Saturday against the Steelers, though the first Ford Field game that counts won't be until Sept. 22, when the Packers come in for the home opener. "I'm extremely excited about the fact that we're playing in the city," defensive end Robert Porcher said. "That means a whole lot because of the team playing there before, in Tiger Stadium. The team did really well back in those days. I mean the Silverdome was great, too, but we are the Detroit Lions. We play in Detroit, I think it'll be cool."

PACKERS: Receivers Terry Glenn and Robert Ferguson returned to practice and both might play against Cleveland Monday. Glenn, fighting a sprained left knee, worked only in individual drills. "He did a couple nice things," coach Mike Sherman said. "He might be further ahead than we anticipated."

PANTHERS: Carolina has given the league a tape of the hit that broke kick returner Michael Bates' ankle. The team doesn't think the tackle by Dallas' Robert Thomas was malicious, but coach John Fox wants it reviewed. "It was something that should have been a penalty, at least in my eyes," Fox said.

RAMS: Defensive tackle Damione Lewis practiced, and it was a big deal for last year's top draft pick, who was out since November with a broken right foot. "It is an eternity, it feels like," Lewis said. "It's been a real long time. I'm just ready to get out there and contribute." It'll be slow going for Lewis, the 12th overall pick in 2001. He won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Chargers, but expects to be ready for the season opener Sept. 8 at Denver. "That's a realistic goal," Lewis said. "It was my goal from the jump, so we're going to try to make it." Coach Mike Martz is confident Lewis will be available. "No question, he'll be ready," he said.

REDSKINS: The team had six turnovers Sunday in a 35-34 win against the Steelers, and the first-team offense had just 123 yards. Washington finally won with second-stringers, third-stringers and players who won't be in the league in a few weeks. "They could have booed our butts right out of the tunnel in the first half," coach Steve Spurrier said. "You can find a lot of things to criticize, but that's okay. We weren't very good overall, but somehow or another those guys made enough plays to get one more point tonight -- for whatever it's worth."

SAINTS: The team cut quarterback Jeff Lewis and tight end Johnny Mitchell. The rest of the team practiced in a gym because of lightning. ... Kendyl Jacox, part of an offseason influx of offensive linemen, replaced Wally Williams at left guard in Thursday's game at Miami and will start at least the last two preseason games. Williams has started 31 of the past 32 games, but he had minor arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday. Coach Jim Haslett said the surgery went well and revealed less damage than feared.

SEAHAWKS: The team signed veteran quarterback Mark Rypien, 39, to help fill in for the injured Trent Dilfer. Rypien's agent, Ken Staninger, confirmed the deal, which is for $750,000. The contract includes incentives for playing time, Staninger said. "I never thought coming into the season we'd be signing Mark Rypien," coach and general manager Mike Holmgren said. "But you do what you have to do."

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