Bills trade WR Evans to Ravens
The Bills traded veteran receiver Lee Evans to the Baltimore Ravens on Friday in a move that frees up salary and allows Buffalo to concentrate on developing its young group of receivers.
In exchange, the Bills received a fourth-round pick, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because neither team disclosed the round of the draft pick sent to Buffalo.
For the Bills, they lose a seven-year veteran who’s been their most productive receiver on what’s been a popgun offense for much of the past decade. He has two years left on his contract and was scheduled to make about $3.25 million this season.
The Ravens immediately improve their receiving attack around established veteran Anquan Boldin. Baltimore cut both receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap last month.
Evans ranks third on the Bills’ career list with 5,934 yards receiving. He’s also fourth with 377 receptions and fifth with 43 touchdowns.
Evans is coming off his worst season. He had just 37 catches for 578 yards and four scores, while also missing the final three games with an ankle injury.
Obama hosts Packers
Welcoming the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers to the White House was no easy task for President Barack Obama.
The president is a die-hard fan of the Packers’ rivals, the Chicago Bears, the team Green Bay beat in last year’s conference championship game to move on to the Super Bowl.
“I’m just gonna come out and say it,” Obama said. “This hurts a little bit. This is a hard thing for a Bears fan to do. It doesn’t hurt as much as the NFC championship game hurt, but it still hurts.”
But in the spirit of sportsmanship, the president welcomed the Packers and some of their fans to the White House.
He praised the team for overcoming a slew of injuries throughout the season as they marched toward their fourth Super Bowl victory. And he recognized their work in the Green Bay community, citing their millions of dollars raised for charity, scholarships given to local students and support of service members and their families.
The Packers visit to the White House had been delayed because of the National Football League lockout, which ended last month.
Around the league
Jets coach Rex Ryan announced that wide receiver Plaxico Burress, recovering from an ankle injury that has hobbled him in training camp, won’t play against the Houston Texans on Monday. Burress was scheduled to have an MRI on his left ankle, which he rolled while running routes last week. … Jimmy Clausen and Cam Newton will share snaps with the Panthers’ first-team offense in the preseason opener, though Clausen will start at quarterback. The Panthers also placed wide receiver David Gettis and defensive tackle Ron Edwards on injured reserve. … Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater is facing a charge of drunken driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. Denver Police Chief John Jackson said Prater was involved in a minor, non-injury accident in a hotel parking lot on Aug. 2. … Defensive end Matt Roth has signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.