Raiders and Howard Agree to Deal

The Oakland Raiders apparently believe that if they keep signing the most valuable player in the Super Bowl, they will return there.

Desmond Howard, the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl MVP, has agreed to a four-year, $6 million contract with the Raiders, a year after they signed Super Bowl-MVP cornerback Larry Brown.

The Raiders, who would not confirm or deny the report, have scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference for today.

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Quarterback Peyton Manning will announce at a news conference today whether he intends to return to Tennessee or enter the NFL draft.

While various sources said they believe Manning is likely to stay at Tennessee, The Knoxville-News Sentinel reported in today’s editions that a source close to the New York Jets, who have the No. 1 pick in the draft, said Manning has decided to leave for the NFL.

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The Carolina Panthers landed a pair of unrestricted free agents from the Pittsburgh Steelers, signing defensive end Ray Seals and agreeing to terms with wide receiver Ernie Mills. Seals, 31, signed a two-year deal worth $3.25 million. Mills agreed to $2.4 million over two years.

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The St. Louis Rams agreed to terms with running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward on a four-year, $5.8-million contract. . . . Despite a second-half collapse that cost them a playoff berth, the Washington Redskins have extended the contract of Coach Norv Turner through 2001. . . . Former Minnesota Viking quarterback Warren Moon held talks with San Diego officials about joining the Chargers. . . . Former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Randall Cunningham, who retired last year, worked out at the New Orleans Saints training facility. . . . Green Bay Packer defensive back Tyrone Williams will serve his six-month jail term on an assault charge on a work release program in Lincoln, Neb., helping Nebraska football players jump rope and get their lunch.

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Steve Marshall, offensive line coach at UCLA for one season, has accepted a job as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.; The Bruins will be looking for their sixth line coach in six seasons. . . . Mike Barry, USC’s offensive line coach since 1993, has been promoted to assistant head coach. . . The NCAA will announce today its decision on allegations of recruiting violations by Georgia’s football program.

Tennis

Spaniard Javier Sanchez ousted fifth-seeded Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-3, and Byron Black of Zimbabwe upset top-seeded Marcelo Rios of Chile, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), in the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic at Scottsdale, Ariz.

New Jersey prosecutors have asked Georgia authorities to arrest former tennis star Roscoe Tanner after he failed three times to appear in court on charges he owes $500,000 in child support to a Somerset County woman with whom he fathered a child.

Miscellany

Pete Arbogast, former USC football and basketball play-by-play radio announcer, has been hired by the Cincinnati Bengals. Arbogast, 42, was at KNX from 1983-95. . . . Rhonda Windham, general manager of the Los Angeles Sparks, has obtained permission from California to speak with former USC women’s coach Marianne Stanley about coaching the Women’s NBA team. . . . San Jose Clash star John Doyle, voted the best defender in Major League Soccer last season, was asked to rejoin the U.S. national team in its bid to qualify for World Cup 1998 in France. . . . Roger Reiman, who won the first Daytona 200 motorcycle race, died after crashing during practice for the BMW Battle of the Legends racing series in Daytona Beach. He was 58. . . . Montana musher Doug Swingley held an eight-minute lead over defending champion Jeff King as top mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska.