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Chmura gets okay to return to league

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 24, 2001

NEW YORK -- Mark Chmura, the former Packer acquitted of sexual assault charges, can resume his career, commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled Friday.

Chmura, 32, was found innocent last month of sexually assaulting his teenage former babysitter at a post-prom party at a friend's house in April 2000.

Tagliabue decided punishment was not warranted but said the tight end should be evaluated under the league's substance-abuse policy because of his abuse of alcohol at the party.

"Mark is pleased with the ruling," Chmura's agent, Eric Metz, said. "He felt confident when we went to New York and the commissioner had the opportunity to review all the facts that he would see Chmura had suffered enough and in fact hadn't done anything wrong."

Chmura "clearly used very poor judgment in participating in the high school-related activities" and "should commit himself to disciplined and constructive standards of personal conduct in the future," Tagliabue said.

Green Bay released Chmura last season after he was charged. Chmura is a free agent. He sat out most of 1999 with a neck injury.

BEARS: Free-agent defensive tackle Keith Traylor signed a three-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Traylor spent the past four seasons with Denver and had a career-high 53 tackles last season.

BROWNS: Offensive lineman Ross Verba, considered the best young run blocker in the free-agent class, agreed to a four-year contract. The deal is worth $16-million and includes a $5-million signing bonus, the Web site cbs.sportsline.com reported.

The Packers could not re-sign Verba, 27, because of insufficient salary-cap room.

DOLPHINS: Kick returner Autry Denson signed a one-year contract to remain with the team. Terms were not released.

49ERS: Free-agent linebacker Derek Smith signed a five-year, $10.75-million contract, agent Frank Bauer said.

The team confirmed the signing in a news release but would not release terms of the agreement.

Smith started 61 of 64 games at middle linebacker for the Redskins the past four seasons. He is expected to replace Ken Norton Jr., who was released Feb. 28.

PACKERS: More than 90 percent of season-ticket holders have chosen to keep their tickets despite a steep user fee to help finance Lambeau Field's $295-million renovation and expansion.

The team said about 5,200 tickets were returned by people who decided not to pay the fee, meaning about 1,300 people on a waiting list dating to the late 1960s will have a chance to buy four tickets each, ticket director Mark Wagner said.

The Packers require all holders of the Green Bay ticket package of seven games to pay a one-time fee of $1,400 per ticket to keep their tickets. Holders of the Milwaukee package for three games have to pay $600 per ticket.

The user fees will generate about $106.9-million for Lambeau Field improvements.

Meanwhile, veteran defensive tackle Gilbert Brown, who sat out last season after being released, re-signed. Terms were not available, but the deal was believed to be for around the league minimum, cbs.sportsline.com reported.

Brown, whose playing weight was believed to be between 360-375 pounds in 1999, has lost about 30 pounds and is in the 340s, the Web site said.

Brown declined to discuss his weight when he visited the locker room after the Packers completed a minicamp Friday. But it was obvious he had lost weight, the Associated Press reported.

"I worked hard," said Brown, who had 39 tackles in 1999. "I won't let them down this year, plus myself, too. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me."

PANTHERS: The team signed restricted free-agent punter Kyle Richardson of the Ravens to an offer sheet. Baltimore has until March 30 to match the offer.

PATRIOTS: Former Dolphins quarterback Damon Huard visited Friday, agent Michael Sullivan told CNNSI.com. Miami released Huard on Monday after it signed restricted free-agent quarterback Ray Lucas from the Jets. Lucas is expected to replace Huard as backup to Jay Fiedler.

New England is in the market for a veteran backup behind Drew Bledsoe. It released John Friesz this off-season.

Huard is scheduled to visit Oakland after next week's annual league meeting in Palm Desert, Calif., Sullivan told the Web site.

VIKINGS: Free-agent wide receiver Jake Reed signed a one-year contract worth $600,000 plus incentives. Reed rejoins the Vikings after New Orleans released him last month in a salary-cap move.

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