Michael Vick signs one-year deal with Eagles estimated at $20 million

Michael Vick signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Pro Bowl quarterback was designated as the team’s franchise player Feb. 15. He signed the franchise tender Wednesday.

Under rules of the collective bargaining agreement that expires at midnight Thursday, a team must pay a franchise player the average of the top five salaries at his position. Vick would make an estimated $20 million under this tag.

Vick led the Eagles to a 10-6 record and the NFC East title after replacing an injured Kevin Kolb in Week 1. Despite sitting out three games because of an injury, Vick had his best season.

The agent for Haloti Ngata said the Baltimore Ravens’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle signed his $12.5-million, one-year franchise tender. The Ravens designated Ngata as their franchise player last month but want to sign him to a long-term deal.

Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk was released one day before his $10-million guaranteed salary was due to hit the books. The Packers had been negotiating with Hawk for several days, but the sides could not reach an agreement on a contract. To keep from having to pay him $10 million for the upcoming season, the Packers released him.

A person familiar with the move said the sides will continue talking up to the deadline for free agency Thursday night and that the release was strictly procedural. There will be no free agency if the owners and players do not reach an agreement on a collective bargaining agreement, and the Packers won’t be in danger of losing Hawk.

PRO BASKETBALL

Mike Bibby signs with Miami Heat

Mike Bibby signed with the Miami Heat in a deal that was finalized quickly after the 13-year veteran point guard cleared waivers and became a free agent.

Bibby is expected to be with the Heat when they host Orlando on Thursday. Heat President Pat Riley said the signing moves Miami “into the direction of our championship dreams.”

Bibby was traded by Atlanta to Washington last week, and there was immediate speculation that he would seek a buyout from the Wizards.

Miami quickly vaulted to the top of Bibby’s wish list, especially after he agreed to give up $6 million that was guaranteed to him next season to get out of his deal with Washington and have the ability to join a championship contender.

The Boston Celtics signed free-agent forward Troy Murphy.

ETC.

Santa Anita races fewer days

Santa Anita has switched to four-day racing, Thursday through Sunday, for three weeks this month as a result of a declining horse population that has created smaller fields. The California Horse Racing Board approved the request.

The Arcadia track did not have live racing Wednesday and also will be closed March 9 and March 16. The track will return to racing on a Wednesday-through-Sunday schedule March 22. The current meet concludes April 17.

— Eric Sondheimer

A judge said he wants jury selection in Elgin Baylor’s lawsuit against the Clippers and the NBA to begin Friday or Monday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kenneth Freeman has yet to rule on motions by the Clippers and the NBA asking that Baylor’s race- and age-discrimination case be dismissed. But he did begin hearing pretrial motions in the case, which began in February 2009.

Team officials say Baylor, the Clippers’ former general manager, resigned in October 2008 after 22 years with the team. But Baylor, who is African American, claims in his 2009 lawsuit that he was “discriminated against and unceremoniously released from his position with the team on account of his age and his race.” Baylor, 76, claims he was “grossly underpaid during his tenure with the Clippers.”

The team and the league have denied any wrongdoing.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia defeated American Melanie Oudin, 6-2, 7-6 (6), to reach the quarterfinals of the Monterrey Open hard-court tournament in Mexico. Polona Hercog of Slovenia also reached the final eight, defeating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2.

Amy Rodriguez and Megan Rapinoe scored first-half goals and Abby Wambach returned from a heel injury as the United States defeated Japan, 2-1, in its opener at the Algarve Cup in Vila Real de San Antonio, Portugal.

Wambach, sidelined because of a heel injury since the Nov. 27 World Cup qualifier against Italy, entered at the start of the second half — just her sixth appearance as a substitute since the 2004 Olympics.

The Americans play Norway on Friday in their second Group A game, then face Finland on Monday. The championship is March 9.

Brigham Young University officials confirmed that starting forward Brandon Davies wasn’t involved in anything criminal that resulted in his dismissal from the team.

University spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said an honor code review is under way to determine if the BYU sophomore will be allowed to remain in school, as well as his status with the team next season.

BYU’s honor code requires students to live a chaste and virtuous life, be honest, abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse, and attend church regularly.

The school announced the dismissal Tuesday night after being made aware of the alleged violation Monday — the same day that BYU vaulted to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll.