PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : Faulk’s Deal Could Pay $17.2 Million : AROUND THE NFL

Marshall Faulk vaulted to the top of the NFL’s rookie salary list Monday, agreeing to a contract that could be worth $17.2 million over seven years.

“I am a different type of back than they are used to seeing,” Faulk said. “I have enough speed to break a long one. I can catch the ball and run inside or outside with it. I think I can do just about anything that is asked of me.”

He joins a team that averaged a league-low 294.1 yards on offense last season. The Colts (4-12) also had the league’s least productive rushing game (80.5 yards) for the third consecutive year.

“We had to be aggressive to get this done and we had to be creative to comply with the rookie pool ($3.99 million) limit and not create a problem of staying within the hard cap ($34.6 million) this year,” General Manager Jim Irsay said.

Faulk will receive a $5.1 million signing bonus and his total package eclipses the $14.4 million top pick Dan Wilkinson of the Cincinnati Bengals could receive over six years. Almost no NFL contracts are guaranteed for more than one season at a time.

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The New England Patriots said running back Marion Butts will be sidelined for at least two weeks after arthroscopic surgery to repair torn knee cartilage.

Butts, acquired April 25 in a trade with San Diego, was injured during an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday. Patriots coach Bill Parcells said Butts should be back in two or three weeks.

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Linebacker Marvin Jones, in New York Jets’ camp at Hempstead, N.Y., looked like he has bounced back from the fractured left hip socket that ended his season last November.

“I was on crutches for two months,” Jones said. “It was pure hell. I’ve worked so hard to get back to where I was and become better. I plan to be here from the start this season. If I do everything I should do, I have a great chance to start.”

Jones is expected to open the season at middle linebacker Sept. 4 against Buffalo. The former Butkus Award winner from Florida State was considered the best linebacker to come out in the draft since Lawrence Taylor.

“We want to see what he can do and what kind of impact he can have from the start,” coach Pete Carroll said. “It was really good to see Marvin back in uniform. We’re on our way with him.”

Coach June Jones suspended Atlanta Falcons defensive end Chuck Smith for three weeks for fighting with teammates during a weekend practice.

Smith, 24, went after center Roman Fortin with his helmet in the most serious of three skirmishes that interrupted Saturday’s afternoon workout.