Raiders sign receiver Houshmandzadeh
The Oakland Raiders signed wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a contract on Tuesday, reuniting him with his former quarterback Carson Palmer.
Palmer and Houshmandzadeh were teammates in Cincinnati for six seasons and both had their greatest NFL success when they were together.
Houshmandzadeh, 34, had been out of the league since playing with Baltimore last season but had been working out in Southern California with Palmer before the Raiders (4-3) acquired the quarterback last month.
Houshmandzadeh is also familiar with Raiders coach Hue Jackson, who was the receivers coach in Cincinnati for three years during Houshmandzadeh’s tenure there.
Houshmandzadeh averaged 89 catches over a five-year span in Cincinnati. His best season came in 2007, when he caught a career-high 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns.
But he struggled after leaving the Bengals. He had 79 catches for 911 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle in 2009 before bottoming out last season with the Ravens when he had only 30 catches for 398 yards and three touchdowns. His tenure in Baltimore ended with a key fourth-down drop in a playoff loss to Pittsburgh last January.
Suh OK with rules
Ndamukong Suh got his wish.
Detroit’s star defensive tackle met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to clarify questions about his play and the game.
“I have gained a better understanding how I need to continue to play the game to help my team win,” Suh said.
Suh requested the bye-week session in New York at NFL headquarters to talk about the flags and fines he has received. He was joined by Lions coach Jim Schwartz and team president Tom Lewand, according to Goodell.
Suh’s rough play has led to $42,500 in fines since Detroit drafted him No. 2 overall out of Nebraska in 2009.
In August, he was fined a third time for roughing up a third quarterback in less than a year after grabbing Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton and throwing him to the turf after he had thrown the ball. Suh vowed back then he wouldn’t “by any means” change his game. He was fined twice last year for hits on Chicago’s Jay Cutler during the regular season and Cleveland’s Jake Delhomme in a preseason game. He shoved Cutler hard and high in the back and twisted Delhomme’s face mask and slammed him to the ground.
Suh has been able to absorb the financial hits, making $40 million guaranteed in his five-year contract.
Browns, Skins sign backs
The Cleveland Browns signed free-agent running back Thomas Clayton, who played in two games for them last season and was with Seattle in the preseason before being released.
The team was in dire need for a back with Montario Hardesty expected to miss games with a torn calf muscle and Peyton Hillis slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out of Cleveland’s past two games.
• The Washington Redskins claimed former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice off waivers.