PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Patriots Lose Dykes for the Season

Hart Lee Dykes, the New England Patriots’ No. 1 draft pick in 1989, is expected to sit out the season after surgery on a broken right kneecap. The wide receiver was injured in Saturday night’s 46-0 exhibition loss to the Phoenix Cardinals.

Dykes, from Oklahoma State, caught 83 passes for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns in 26 games for the Patriots. He started all 16 games as a rookie and played in 10 games last season, spending six weeks on injured reserve because of an eye problem.

Scott Norwood, who missed what would have been a game-winning field goal in last season’s Super Bowl, won the battle for his kicking spot when the Buffalo Bills cut Bjorn Nittmo.

Nittmo, a former New York Giant, also played in the World League of American Football.

The Indianapolis Colts waived Rusty Hilger, who was the Raiders’ starting quarterback for a short time in 1987.

Hilger was a sixth-round choice of the Raiders from Oklahoma State in 1985 and also played for the Detroit Lions.

The Phoenix Cardinals traded starting guard Derek Kennard to the New Orleans Saints for holdout cornerback Robert Massey.

Kennard, who is in his sixth season, started 40 consecutive games for the Cardinals and 67 overall.

Wide receiver Reggie Langhorne, the Cleveland Browns’ leading receiver the past three seasons, ended his 37-day holdout by signing a two-year contract, his agent said.

Financial terms of Langhorne’s deal were not disclosed.