Ravens Cut Rison; Steelers Release Morris

The Baltimore Ravens released veteran receiver Andre Rison and linebacker Pepper Johnson on Tuesday, saying they could not afford to keep them under the salary cap.

Raven owner Art Modell said the team could not find a way to retain the two players as well as sign rookies and add veterans under the cap. The moves saved the Ravens somewhere around $3 million in salary cap room.

“The door remains open to them to come back and talk to us if they test the market and do not find the market open to them,” Modell said. “They have to come back on a new basis, obviously.”

Rison, one of the team’s marquee players, signed a five-year, $17 million contract with the Cleveland Browns before the 1994 season, including a $5 million signing bonus, that made him the highest-paid receiver.

He rejected the team’s request to lower his salary by $1 million and add incentive clauses, according to his agent, Charles Tucker. The receiver had a career-low 47 catches for 701 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Johnson led the team in tackles last season with 195.

Meanwhile, the team came to terms with receiver Floyd Turner, who started 12 games for Indianapolis last season.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers released running back Bam Morris, nearly two weeks after he struck a plea bargain with Texas prosecutors on drug possession charges.

“We felt releasing Bam Morris was in the best interest of both parties,” Coach Bill Cowher said. “It gives the Steelers and Morris an opportunity to move forward and focus on the 1996 season.”

Morris, 24, pleaded guilty June 26 to a felony marijuana charge. In return, prosecutors will recommend that he not be imprisoned and will not pursue a felony cocaine possession charge.

Morris was the Steelers’ third-round pick in 1994. After gaining 836 yards in a promising rookie year, he arrived at camp overweight in 1995 and wound up splitting his job with Erric Pegram, who rushed for 813 yards last season. Morris led the Steelers with nine touchdowns in 1995.

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Eric Green, a former Pro Bowl tight end whose work habits and weight problem annoyed Coach Jimmy Johnson, was released by the Miami Dolphins.

Johnson terminated the six-year, $12-million contract Green signed before last season, when he was among the most widely sought free agents.

Green will try to collect his $1.5-million salary for this year in a grievance to be filed by the NFL Players Assn.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May and was expected to miss the first month of the regular season.

Green and the Dolphins disagreed about how his knee injury occurred. He claimed it happened during mini-camp; the team said he hurt himself jogging at home.

“An arbitrator will decide whether we’re right,” said Green’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus. “If the Dolphins win, Eric doesn’t get squat and he doesn’t count against their salary cap.”

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Jim Kelly thinks he belongs in the elite quarterback category with Dan Marino and John Elway. Now he wants to be paid like them.

Kelly, who has one year left on his three-year contract, hopes to meet soon with Buffalo Bill General Manager John Butler and owner Ralph Wilson to begin working out a new deal. Wilson typically gets involved with negotiations for big contracts.

Kelly, 36, is scheduled to earn about $4 million in 1996. He is seeking a three- to four-year extension worth more than $5 million a season, including a large signing bonus.