AROUND THE NFL

Oakland Raider rookie cornerback Charles Woodson bruised his left knee in practice at Napa, Calif., on Tuesday but was expected to play in Monday’s exhibition game against Tampa Bay.

Woodson, the fourth overall NFL draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan, was injured during a pass play and helped off the field before limping off on his own to the trainer’s room.

An MRI on the knee was negative and Woodson was listed as day-to-day.

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Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the NHL’s Boston Bruins, is the latest ownership candidate for the new Cleveland Browns franchise.

Jacobs will be among the candidates making 30-minute sales pitches for the franchise today in Atlanta at an NFL owners meeting.

An owner for the Browns, who begin play next season, likely will be chosen in September. The other ownership candidates are Cleveland Indian owner Richard Jacobs (no relation to Jeremy); New York real estate developer Howard Milstein; suburban Cleveland developer Bart Wolstein; toy manufacturer Thomas Murdough, and Cleveland area lawyer Larry Dolan and his brother Charles Dolan, chairman of Cablevision Systems.

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Offensive lineman Shar Pourdanesh wrestled defensive lineman Jamal Duff to the ground, putting both hands around Duff’s neck in a Washington Redskin practice at Ashburn, Va. Both players were kicked out of practice and had to be separated again by an assistant trainer as they went to the locker room.

Pourdanesh had punched defensive lineman Kenard Lang in the stomach several times in a practice on Monday.

The skirmishes came after Redskin Coach Norv Turner said he is shaking up the offensive line after sub-par performances by several players, including Pourdanesh, in exhibitions.

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An MRI on New York Giant wide receiver Ike Hilliard showed no problems after he felt tingling in his lower back during a practice at Albany, N.Y. Hilliard, who missed most of last season because of a serious neck injury, is expected to play in Thursday’s exhibition against the New York Jets. . . . Baltimore Raven offensive lineman Wally Williams ended a 25-day holdout by signing a one-year, $3 million contract. . . . Arizona Cardinal Coach Vince Tobin named Dave Brown as No. 2 quarterback behind Jake Plummer. Tobin said Brown’s experience (53 NFL starts with the New York Giants) was the main reason he was named over Stoney Case, who has one start.

The San Diego Chargers signed cornerback Nate Odomes to a one-year contract. Odomes has missed three of the last four NFL seasons because of an injury to his right knee that was suffered during a charity basketball game. . . . Running back Curtis Enis went through his first workout with the Chicago Bears, and Coach Dave Wannstedt said the rookie could see action in Friday night’s exhibition game against Buffalo.