NFL

Jets let Coles move on to Redskins

WASHINGTON -- The Jets say the Redskins overpaid for Laveranues Coles. The Redskins say they were just doing good business.

The Jets reluctantly let their top receiver go Wednesday, declining to match the Redskins' seven-year, $35-million offer -- including a $13-million bonus -- for a restricted free agent coming off a breakout season.

"It is extremely rare for a team to pay more than a player asks," Jets general manager Terry Bradway said. "In this case, it did happen. We did not expect that to happen."

The Jets will receive Washington's first-round draft pick -- No.13 overall -- as compensation.

"We feel this is the best decision for our football team, in the short term and the long term," Bradway said.

Spokesman Karl Swanson said Redskins owner Dan Snyder was not available to comment. Vice president of football operations Joe Mendes defended the offer to Coles.

"The one thing that is historically true is that you have to pay more for a player to leave," Mendes said.

The Redskins have spent more than $27-million in signing bonuses on 11 free agents, nine unrestricted and two restricted, and traded for running back Trung Canidate.

Coles became the third Jets player to wind up in Washington this winter, joining guard Randy Thomas and kicker John Hall. The Redskins also tried to get kick returner Chad Morton, but New York matched Washington's five-year, $8-million offer for the restricted free agent last week.

Change will be looked at

NEW YORK -- The league has chosen one proposal for changing its overtime rule: allowing each team at least one possession if a game is tied after regulation.

Whether the league adopts the change at its annual meeting in Phoenix next week remains a big question.

"I can't make a prediction on that. It'll be close," Bucs general manager Rich McKay said on a conference call after presiding over two weeks of competition committee meetings that ended with members split on the issue.

The pressure to change overtime, which has been in effect since 1974, accelerated last season after teams that had the ball first won 10 of the record 25 overtime games played -- or 40 percent.

McKay said the committee received dozens of proposals from fans, teams and the media. But he said it quickly threw out all but the two-possession rule as impractical or too complicated.

That rule would give each team at least one possession. If the game is still tied after each team has the ball once, then the game will revert to the sudden-death rule.

FALCONS: Bobby Beathard will serve as a consultant for another season. The former Redskins and Chargers general manager has worked as a consultant since last April. Owner Arthur Blank said that Beathard will stay with the Falcons through May 2004.

PANTHERS: Free-agent wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who spent five seasons with the Titans, agreed to a one-year contract and joins Ricky Proehl in a revamped receiving corps. Already this offseason, the Panthers have signed running back Stephen Davis, quarterback Jake Delhomme and offensive lineman Doug Brzezinski.

STEELERS: Concerned by injuries to starting tight end Mark Bruener, Pittsburgh signed free agent Jay Riemersma to a three-year deal. A six-year veteran, Riemersma was released three weeks ago by Buffalo for salary cap reasons. After setting career highs with 53 catches and 590 yards in 2001, Riemersma had 32 catches for 350 yards last season.

VIKINGS: Quarterback Gus Frerotte agreed to terms, ending the team's search for a veteran backup to Daunte Culpepper. Frerotte joins his fifth team and enters his 10th season. He spent last season with the Bengals, completing 44 of 85 passes (51.8 percent) for 437 yards, a touchdown and five interceptions in four games.

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