Hawks, Ravens Talk Of A Swap For No. 4 Pick

By the end of the week, the Seattle Seahawks could have a top-four draft choice and more of a green light to have Paul Allen as their owner.

Will the Seahawks’ triumphant off-season roll continue? Maybe. Ozzie Newsome, vice president of player personnel for the Baltimore Ravens, said Monday the financially strapped team would like to trade the fourth choice in the draft to the Seahawks.

The Ravens want the Seahawks’ 11th pick in the first round as well as second- and fourth-round choices. Seattle then would have the fourth and No. 12, which they acquired from Chicago for Rick Mirer.

The Seahawks’ initial offer was a third-rounder this year and a third-round choice in 1998. Should the Seahawks make the move, they would be in position to replace unsigned starting cornerback Corey Harris with Shawn Springs of Ohio State or Bryant Westbrook of Texas, two of the best cornerbacks available.

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, his staff and a handful of aggressive owners lobbied Monday night for the final votes to allow multiple sports franchise ownership, clearing the path for Allen to buy the Seahawks.

Instant replay appears doomed

Reports of instant replay’s rebirth may be premature: the eight votes to kill it may already be in place.

The NFL meetings opened Monday in Palm Desert, Calif., with instant replay on of the first items discussed.

But the proposal, which would return replay to the league for the first time since 1991, already had four opponents from the seven-member competition committee. Even its supporters conceded its chances of being approved weren’t good.

“There’s a continuing philosophical split,” said commissioner Paul Tagliabue. “It fuels a good debate.”

That debate is likely to come today.

Phillips pleads innocent

St. Louis Rams running back Lawrence Phillips pleaded innocent to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a party at an Omaha hotel that police said got out of hand.

Phillips, 21, did not appear in Douglas County Court but entered the plea to the misdemeanor charge through his attorney.

The former University of Nebraska player was arrested for disorderly conduct last month when police responded to complaints of noise at a party in Phillips’ hotel room. Police said Phillips was upset when officers arrived and had to be restrained by two men at the party.

Henley sentenced to 41 years

Former Rams defensive back Darryl Henley was sentenced to 41 years in prison for drug offenses and trying to hire a hitman to murder a judge and his former girlfriend.

Henley, 30, pleaded guilty in October to soliciting the murder of U.S. District Judge Gary Taylor, who was overseeing his drug-trafficking trial, and Tracy Donaho, an ex-Rams cheerleader who was a key witness in the case.

Bears end arrested

Chicago Bears defensive end Alonzo Spellman spent the night in jail, accused of speeding and unlawful use of a weapon after police stopped him on a Chicago-area tollway.

State police spotted Spellman driving 88 mph in a 55 mph zone. During questioning, police found a loaded .380 semi-automatic weapon in Spellman’s car.