RAVENS KEEP SHARPER: Linebacker Jamie Sharper, a key figure in the Baltimore Ravens' record-setting defense, agreed to terms Tuesday on a five-year deal.
Sharper, an unrestricted free agent, interviewed with several teams before deciding to return to the club that drafted him out of Virginia in the second round of the 1997 draft.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound outside linebacker had 102 tackles last season, third most on a defense that set an NFL record by allowing only 165 points over a 16-game schedule.
CANDID COWBOY: New Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Banks was candid in his explanation for why he signed a one-year contract for a $500,000 base salary — barely the NFL veterans minimum — with no signing bonus, no incentive clauses.
"I'm betting on myself. I'm gambling on myself," Banks said after a Valley Ranch news conference.
REPORTER INJURED: A reporter was injured on Tuesday when he was hit by a 2-by-4 wooden board that fell from a crane during a ceremony at the New England Patriots new stadium.
Bryan Morry, the editor of the team-owned Patriots Football Weekly, was knocked to the ground when he was hit in the right leg by the 8-foot board after it fell from a height of about 75 feet. He stayed for the conclusion of the ceremony, then was taken to get medical treatment.