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Seymour returns, cleared to play
By Times staff writers
Published February 3, 2005
JACKSONVILLE - The Patriots have a Super Bowl injury comeback story of their own.
Defensive end Richard Seymour completed his first full practice in nearly six weeks Wednesday and has been cleared to play Sunday against the Eagles.
Seymour missed the final regular-season game and two playoff games with an injured right knee.
"He did everything we asked him to do, so he's good to go," coach Bill Belichick said.
A three-time Pro Bowl player, Seymour gives the Patriots flexibility on defense for his ability to play defensive end or tackle.
"I didn't feel (tentative) or anything, and I'm not holding back, not in the Super Bowl," Seymour said.
NOT ABOUT THE MONEY: Trust Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to make the right call when it comes to his financial future.
The two-time Super Bowl MVP, preparing for his third title game in four seasons, is in the middle of a four-year, $30-million deal he signed in the summer of 2002.
His contract seems modest compared with the $90-million-plus megadeals signed by other quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre.
None has had his success.
Yet Brady said bargaining for bigger paydays isn't his style nor the style of his team.
"With the grand structure of things and what the team is trying to accomplish, you realize that the team has goals," Brady said. "Just as any individual goal might be important to a player, the greater team goal of winning the Super Bowl is just as important. Anybody who chooses to play on the Patriots realizes that that goal supersedes what any player goal might be."
Brady said he is happy with his contract and hopes to be a Patriot for many more years. He doesn't plan to worry about the money.
HE'S BACK: Defensive end Hugh Douglas will end the 2004 season where he began it, in Jacksonville.
But Douglas, who played one season with the Jaguars and was released after training camp, never figured he'd be back with the Eagles, whom he played for from 1998-2002.
"It just didn't work out," said Douglas, who signed a five-year, $27-million contract with the Jags that included a $6-million signing bonus. He managed three sacks.
"But that's nobody's fault. That's not the coach's fault, it's not the city's fault. It just didn't work out."
TIMING CRASH COURSE: He might have missed the last month or so, but the Eagles aren't worried about rust on the hands and legs of receiver Terrell Owens, who appears set to play.
It seems Owens and McNabb have been working at getting the receiver's competitive juices flowing. "We spent a lot of time in the parking lot these last couple of days running routes and catching a little," McNabb said."We went out to dinner conversing, playing some chess and dominoes. That competitive nature is coming back. PlayStation and Xbox have really been big for us."
NOT SO GOOD FOOTING: While the field conditions at Bartram Trail High, where New England is been practicing, seemed better Wednesday, there wasn't a resounding endorsement from the Pats.
"It wasn't ideal," Brady said. "I don't think it's going to be like the game surface and, ultimately, that's how you'd like it to be, exactly like the game field. It was wet out there and just as slippery. I wore different cleats out there."
The Patriots complained about the newly resurfaced field Monday and chose to let some players sit out practice. But Belichick said there was some improvement.
"It was drier (Wednesday)," Belichick said. "We had about as normal a practice as you could have."
The Eagles have had no problems with the field conditions at the University of North Florida.
HERE'S JOHNNY: Former Bucs safety John Lynch is working as a reporter for the NFL Network.
Lynch, who completed his first season in Denver, is headed to the Pro Bowl after Sunday's game.
"It was a great year, except for what happened in the playoffs," Lynch said. "People don't realize we were about five plays from being 13-3. Some really strange things happened in a few games. But I really like it (in Denver)."
WRITER BOOTED: The Patriots beat writer for a newspaper was sent home after he was accused of plagiarizing parts of his column from Sports Illustrated. The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, the third-largest daily in New England, published a correction Wednesday about the column written by Ken Powers. The newspaper also said that it was conducting an investigation. Questions arose about the Sunday column after a reader tipped off the paper to similarities between columns written by Powers and SI's Peter King. The Telegram & Gazette was purchased by the New York Times Co. in 2000.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Seventy-seven catches, 1,200 yards, 14 touchdowns." - Owens on what he likes most about McNabb.
Times staff writers Rick Stroud and Roger Mills compiled this report. Information from the Associated Press was also used.
[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]
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