Sports: Around the NFL

Around the NFL

By RICK STROUD

TAMPA -- Bucs tackle Jerry Wunsch visited Cincinnati on Monday and told team officials he plans to decide between the Bengals and the Bucs this week.

Wunsch is an unrestricted free agent. Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay and Wunsch's agent, Ralph Cindrich, met at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Desert, Calif., last week to negotiate.

"Jerry had a good visit," Cindrich said of Wunsch's trip to Cincinnati. "They're very interested. Of course, they have some other guys to sign, starting with (running back) Corey Dillon."

Despite signing quarterbacks Brad Johnson, Ryan Leaf and defensive end Simeon Rice to long-term deals, the Bucs say they have enough room under the $67.4-million salary cap to sign both Wunsch and free agent cornerback Ronde Barber.

BEARS: Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Kevin Hardy has let it be known he would like to be traded to Chicago. He has refused to restructure the final contract year from $4.6-million and the Jags initially were willing to take as little as a third-round pick for Hardy, whose 101/2 sacks in 1999 earned him All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

COWBOYS: When Tony Banks was developing as a quarterback, Troy Aikman was one of his models. Now he's about to succeed the three-time Super Bowl winner.

Dallas introduced Banks as its new starter, the latest in a line that runs back from Aikman through Roger Staubach and Don Meredith. "I still haven't even thought about it as replacing Troy Aikman," Banks said. "Once I started knowing what position I wanted to play and how I was going to play, he's one of the guys I looked up to." The Cowboys signed Banks last week to a one-year, $500,000 deal.

DOLPHINS: Wide receiver Lamar Thomas, who has missed the past two seasons with injuries, worked out with Miami.

PATRIOTS: New England signed free-agent quarterback Damon Huard, offensive lineman Mike Compton and receiver David Patten.

REDSKINS: Washington signed CFL standout Winston October and re-signed three reserves: guard Derrick Fletcher, defensive end Derrick Ham and cornerback David Terrell.

STEELERS: Jon Witman, the starting fullback for most of the last three seasons, re-signed with the team Monday after being cut March 1 in a salary cap move.

RAIDERS TRIAL: Broncos owner Pat Bowlen testified that he would have sued the NFL if the league had tried to put a second team into the new stadium being built in Denver. The Raiders claim in their $1-billion suit against the NFL that the league interfered with their 1995 plans to move to a proposed stadium at Hollywood Park, including attempting to put a second team there. The NFL contends that it actually tried to help the Raiders move to Hollywood Park, which is in suburban Inglewood.

Later in the day, the Broncos owner said that when it was uncertain whether the Broncos would get a new stadium in Denver, he had considered selling the team and using that money to try to get a team in Los Angeles.

As the Superior Court trial entered its fourth week, Raiders attorney Joseph Alioto asked Bowlen if the NFL might have considered requiring a second team to play in the new Denver stadium.

"Not in Denver," Bowlen replied.

"You would probably have sued them if they tried to do that, wouldn't you?" Alioto asked.

"Yes," Bowlen said.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.