LOTT RETIRES: Ronnie Lott, one of the NFL's greatest defensive backs, chose to quit the game he loves rather than hang on indefinitely.
Lott says he no longer has the ability he had when he began his NFL career 15 years ago.Lott, 36, went to four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and was voted to the Pro Bowl a record-tying 10 times. Selected for the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team, it's only a matter of time before he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Lott also played for the Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was on the Chiefs' injured list last year after breaking his left leg in an exhibition game.
PATS SIGN PAIR: The New England Patriots made their first big moves of the offseason, signing free agents Shawn Jefferson and Willie Clay.
Jefferson, 27, a speedy receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers, and Clay, 25, a safety from the Detroit Lions, agreed to terms Tuesday
Jefferson, originally drafted by Houston, agreed to a four-year, $6.4 million deal that includes a $1.4 million bonus, according to the Boston Herald. Clay, an eighth-round draft pick out of Georgia Tech in 1992, has a four-year, $6 million contract that includes a $1.5 million signing bonus.
ARGONAUTS AWAIT FLUTIE: The Toronto Argonauts want an answer from Doug Flutie on their contract offer. And they want it yesterday.
The Toronto Sun said today the CFL team gave the quarterback's agent, Jack Mula, a Tuesday deadline to accept the offer, believed to be a two-year deal for $2.2 million with an option for a third year.