AROUND THE NFL : AWOL Tackle Gets 2-Game Suspension

Atlanta Falcons Coach Jerry Glanville today suspended nose tackle Tony Casillas for two games without pay for missing Sunday’s game in Los Angeles against the Rams.

Glanville, who met with Casillas this morning at the Falcons’ training complex, also said Casillas will not receive a game check for the Rams game.

In a letter to Casillas, Glanville said the five-year veteran will be suspended for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati and the game Nov. 4 against Pittsburgh. He said the suspension will end Nov. 7, when Casillas is expected to report for practice.

Casillas, who skipped training camp because of a contract dispute, missed Sunday’s 44-24 loss to the Rams after failing to catch the team flight. He also did not show up Monday for the club meetings, although he showed up later in the day and spoke with Glanville.

Casillas’ agent, John Maloney, said the player missed the team’s charter flight to Los Angeles on Saturday after he became ill on his way to the airport.

Casillas, who will be 27 Friday, led the NFL in tackles by an interior lineman last season with 152.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pounder held out until Sept. 12, then signed a two-year contract for $1.1 million. Playing mostly as a backup in two games since being activated, Casillas had 16 tackles in two games.

Casillas was a first-round draft choice in 1986, the second overall pick behind Oakland’s Bo Jackson.

A magnetic resonance imaging test on the injured right knee of running back Thurman Thomas revealed no serious damage, the Buffalo Bills announced today.

Thomas’ knee slammed into the turf while he was making a tackle following an interception in the first quarter of Buffalo’s 30-27 victory Sunday over the New York Jets. He played briefly following the injury, but sat out most of the game.

There will be a new starting fullback when the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in Texas Stadium.

Alonzo Highsmith, obtained from the Houston Oilers in an early September trade, was demoted, and Tommy Agee was named his replacement.

“It was too much for Alonzo to come here and have a feel for our offense right away,” said Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson. “He still needs to get a feel for our passing game.”

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue wants an interim general manager for the Minnesota Vikings to be named quickly to replace Mike Lynn, a newspaper reported today.

When Lynn accepted the position as president of the World League of American Football last week, he said he would probably be with the team through its game against Green Bay on Sunday.

The Star Tribune, quoting “an NFL source,” reported today that Tagliabue is worried that a lack of leadership during the interim period could cause lasting damage to the franchise.