Little was not drunk, jury says
St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little was found innocent of drunken driving Friday by a St. Louis County Circuit jury in Clayton, Mo.
Jurors ruled that Little was speeding at the time of his arrest April 24 on Interstate 64 in a St. Louis suburb. He will be sentenced on that charge May 6.
“We’re absolutely thrilled,” Little’s lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, said. “Couldn’t be happier.”
Little will not be considered a persistent offender, which had been a possibility under the charges because he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a 1998 drunken-driving accident in downtown St. Louis that killed 47-year-old Susan Gutweiler.
Little served three months in jail, completed 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation for the earlier crime. He was also suspended without pay for the first half of the 1999 season.
Rosenblum said during the trial that Little had consumed two beers and was not intoxicated when stopped by police, who reportedly found Little driving 78 mph in a 55-mph zone.
Little had 46 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and recovered four fumbles last season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2003.
Seahawks sign cornerback Lowe
The Seattle Seahawks have signed unrestricted free agent Omare Lowe, a cornerback who played with University of Washington from 1998-2001.
Lowe has played in six career games and has one special teams tackle since being drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins in the 2002 NFL draft. He was the 161st overall selection.
Lowe was signed by the New England Patriots in December and played in three games last season after beginning the season as a member of the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. After being released by Miami in 2003, he was on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad before being picked up by the New York Jets in October 2003.
Sharper released by Texans
The Houston Texans released veteran linebacker Jamie Sharper, continuing an off-season makeover of a defense that ranked in the bottom third of the NFL for the second straight season.
Sharper, entering his ninth year, had started all 48 games the past three seasons at middle linebacker for the Texans since coming to the club in the 2002 expansion draft.
Sharper led Houston with 137 tackles in 2004 and also led the team in that category in 2002, but became expendable during an off-season in which the Texans are trying to add more speed to their 3-4 defense. Sharper had asked the team for his release three weeks ago.
Bloom may make run at NFL
World Cup freestyle skiing champion Jeremy Bloom, who gave up college football so he could keep his ski sponsors, is considering a career in the NFL.
“I think it’s a definite possibility for me; the dream’s still alive,” Bloom said.
Bloom played two seasons as a kick-return specialist at Colorado but lost a long legal battle with the NCAA over ski sponsors.
He did not play last season but said he might work out for NFL scouts after the 2006 Olympics in Turin next February.
Around the league
The Falcons released linebacker Chris Draft, another in a series of moves to change the face of their defense. Draft started 31 of 33 games the last two seasons. … The Broncos signed former Giants running back Ron Dayne and re-signed defensive tackles Luther Ellis and Monsanto Pope. The Broncos also re-signed unrestricted free agent tight end Patrick Hape. … Running back Najeh Davenport re-signed with the Packers. … Antowain Smith, who has rushed for more than 6,000 yards in the past eight years, agreed to a one-year contract with the Saints. … The Bengals re-signed cornerback Reggie Myles, one of their top special-teams players, to a one-year contract. … The Browns released safety Earl Little. … The Lions signed free-agent running back Jamel White.