Greene Most Notable Of Cuts As Nfl Teams Rosters To 53 Holdout Costly To Sack Leader; Packers, Dolphins Make Deal

The Carolina Panthers finally gave up on trying to meet Kevin Greene’s contract demands, cutting the man who led the NFL in sacks last year and replacing him with one-time Pro Bowler Renaldo Turnbull.

It was a bitter end to a bitter holdout and the highlight of cutdown day in the NFL as teams pared down to the 53-man limit.

In other major moves, the Green Bay Packers shipped Qadry Ismail, signed to replace Desmond Howard as a kick returner, to Miami, and Rickey Jackson aborted his comeback attempt with the Saints.

The biggest impact may have been Carolina’s farewell to Greene, whose 14.5 sacks helped the Panthers reach the NFC championship game in their second season. In Turnbull, they acquired a similar-style player whose production had fallen off with New Orleans. The Saints released him last week.

“In Renaldo, we have acquired a player who has prior experience in our defensive system and could have an immediate impact,” said Carolina coach Dom Capers, who coached Turnbull as an assistant in New Orleans.

“With Kevin, we are releasing a player who felt like he could not be happy under his current contractual obligation.”

Greene, who turned 35 last month, stayed out of training camp to protest the Panthers’ failure to rework the second season of his two-year contract. He was scheduled to make between $1 million and $1.6 million from Carolina this season, depending on how many incentives clauses he satisfied.

Not all the cuts are permanent. Many teams readjust their rosters for the entire week leading up to the opener and many of the players cut Sunday may be back where they started after waivers expire today.

There were few surprises.

The 39-year-old Jackson walked into coach Mike Ditka’s office and said he would retire. He returned to the team’s front office, where he worked last year.

“He gave it a good go, but it’s not the same defense. That’s the biggest thing, it’s not the same defense that features outside linebackers on the line, coming,” said Ditka, who, in his first season, has back only 28 of the 53 Saints who went 3-13 last year.

Washington released offensive lineman Andre Johnson, its first-round draft pick a year ago.

The most active teams were some of the best. The Packers, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, which re-signed kicker Norm Johnson after discovering that Chris Jacke, the ex-Packer, will be out 4-6 weeks with a hip injury.

Like Greene’s, some cuts involved money.

Pittsburgh, for example, released quarterback Jim Miller, the opening-day starter last year. He would have made nearly $1.9 million as a third-stringer behind Kordell Stewart and Mike Tomczak.

“It used to be the game was 80 percent football and 20 percent business, and now it seems like it’s 80 percent business and 20 percent football,” Miller said. “But that’s the way the game has gone. I won’t hold any grudges.”

The trade of Ismail was about a different sort of number - Green Bay’s glut of talented wide receivers. They include starters Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman, plus Derrick Mayes, Don Beebe, Terry Mickens and Bill Schroeder, a star in the World League who had been impressive in exhibitions.

Miami has been looking for speed since the first day of training camp, when first-round draft pick Yatil Green, who was supposed to provide it, injured a knee and was lost for the season.

The release of Johnson, taken 30th overall last season, continued a tradition of failed No. 1s with Washington. He was inactive for 15 games and didn’t play a down.

“It’s disappointing,” coach Norv Turner said. “You’d like to think he’s going to play. You can’t let his draft position be the issue. You have to keep the best guys that give your team a chance to win.”

Jacksonville traded DE Paul Frase to Green Bay and offensive tackle Jimmy Herndon to Chicago for a seventh-round draft pick.

In Miami, safety Sean Hill, receiver Scott Miller and defensive lineman Norman Hand were cut, leaving just 14 from the team Don Shula handed over to Johnson after the 1995 season. The Dolphins also released quarterback Damon Huard, but the former University of Washington Husky said he was told he would be re-signed to the practice squad.

Another ex-Husky, cornerback Ink Aleaga, was cut by the Saints.

The Chargers reached an injury settlement with former Washington State Cougar Don Sasa, who has been hobbled by a knee injury, in getting down to 53.

And in Cincinnati, offensive lineman Kevin Sargent, a former Eastern Washington standout, who was coming back from a neck injury that cost him last season, was placed on the physically unable to perform list.

The Oilers cut five rookies and two second-year players, but kept kick returner Mel Gray, a 12-year veteran, who has $450,000 of his salary guaranteed, and third-down specialist Ronnie Harmon among their four running backs.

Bam Morris, who will serve a four-game substance abuse suspension, was inactivated by the Baltimore Ravens.

San Diego lost half of the “Two Tons of Fun” for the season when 320-pound defensive tacke Reuben Davis was placed on injured reserve with a torn right Achilles’ tenton.

MEMO: Cut in the Spokane edition. This sidebar appeared with the story (Spokane edition only): AREA MOVES Defensive tackle Steve Emtman, waived by San Francisco, was one three former University of Washington players let go Sunday as NFL teams cut down to 53 players. Miami released quarterback Damon Huard, who said he was told he would be re-signed to the practice squad, and cornerback Ink Aleaga was cut by New Orleans. San Diego reached an injury settlement with former Washington State Cougar Don Sasa, who has been hobbled by a knee injury. And offensive lineman Kevin Sargent, a former Eastern Washington standout, who was coming back from a neck injury that cost him last season, was placed on the physically unable to perform list by Cincinnati.