AFC

The field of candidates to buy the expansion Cleveland Browns has narrowed, with three of seven bidders dropping out.

Thomas Murdough Jr., founder and president of the Step2 Co. in Streetsboro, confirmed Tuesday he is out of the running for the new Browns, who will begin play in 1999.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer, citing sources familiar with the bidding process, reported that Cleveland Indians’ owner Richard Jacobs and Boston Bruins’ owner Jeremy Jacobs--no relation to the Indians owner--also had pulled out.

The remaining bidders are banker and suburban Cleveland resident Alfred Lerner, partnered with Carmen Policy, former San Francisco 49er president; New York real estate and banking magnate Howard Milstein; Cleveland-area lawyer Lawrence Dolan and suburban Cleveland real-estate developer Bart Wolstein. Goldman, Sachs & Co., the firm advising the NFL through the bidding process, was expected to receive a second round of offers from the remaining candidates today.

The NFL’s seven-member expansion committee will meet Thursday in New York to discuss the bids.

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Tennessee shuffled its linebacking corps, trading Lemanski Hall to the Chicago Bears for an undisclosed draft pick and signing former Oiler Eddie Robinson. He played in Jacksonville last year.

Those weren’t the only moves the Oilers made as they also added experience to their offensive line by signing five-year veteran Jason Matthews.

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The San Diego Chargers signed former Cincinnati Bengal cornerback Jimmy Spencer and released cornerback Mark Montreuil and tight end Brian Roche.

NFC / Mirer Set to Join Packers

Quarterback Rick Mirer agreed to contract terms with the Green Bay Packers and was scheduled to join the team at practice today.

The Packers said Mirer would be a backup to starter Brett Favre. The other backup is Doug Pedersen. Mirer, the second overall pick in the 1993 draft, was released Sunday by the Chicago Bears.

The Packers also said center Mike Flanagan would be returning because his trade to the Carolina Panthers was canceled after he failed a team physical.

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Defensive end Andre Wadsworth, the Arizona Cardinals’ first-round draft pick and the only holdout from the 1998 draft, remained unsigned, but the team saw some promising signs.

“If we keep talking, there could be a resolution,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president of player personnel. He declined to comment on the proposed terms and on whether Wadsworth could be signed in time for Sunday’s season opener in Dallas.

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Wide receiver Stepfret Williams, Dallas’ go-to guy on third down last season, was released by the Cowboys. Dallas also signed running back Sherman Williams, who was cut during the summer. . . . Cornerback Ryan McNeil ended his holdout with the St. Louis Rams and signed a one-year contract worth about $3 million.