AROUND THE NFL : Lions Acquire Hill to Fill Hole Left by Sanders

The Detroit Lions added a running back to help fill the Barry Sanders void Tuesday, acquiring Greg Hill from the St. Louis Rams for two draft picks.

The deal cost the Lions fifth- and seventh-round choices in next year’s draft. The fifth pick is conditional, meaning the Rams could get a higher pick if Hill, a former first-round pick in 1994, is successful in Detroit.

Hill ran for 240 yards and four touchdowns in two games last year before breaking his leg and sustaining season-ending ankle ligament damage in a loss to Buffalo. Hill proclaimed himself fully recovered last November, but missed time in the preseason with a sprained ankle and has four carries for minus-eight yards in his only game action.

Hill fell to second-string when the Rams acquired Marshall Faulk, the best all-purpose back in the NFL last year, two days before this year’s draft.

“He was a little bit despondent and you could see it in his practice,” Coach Dick Vermeil said. “His heart wasn’t really in it. There is too much talent there to not be in the frame of mind to use it all.”

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In his first interview about the traffic stop that led to his brush with the law, Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones said he had no idea police were pursuing him after he left the scene of a traffic stop.

The series of events began Sunday when Jones drove away as a Highland Park police officer was writing a traffic ticket.

In an interview on KLIF Radio in Dallas, Jones said he saw no police car behind his car after he and his family left his security detail to deal with the traffic ticket and headed to his grandson’s baptism.

“The mental picture of me driving through Highland Park with an officer behind me with lights on is not correct. As a matter of fact, there was nobody behind me from the initial stop to the church. I got out, my family got out. Then a police car drove up,” Jones said.

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Indianapolis continued rebuilding its offense with the release of Jay Leeuwenburg, the Colts’ most experienced offensive lineman.

The Colts got down to the league roster limit by terminating the contract of Leeuwenburg, who lost his starting job during training camp.

Leeuwenburg, who started 37 consecutive games for the Colts, was replaced in the starting lineup by Larry Moore, who was moved from guard.

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The Dallas Cowboys know they’ll have Deion Sanders back this season, maybe even in September. They’re not as sure about Kevin Smith.

Smith, who started at cornerback opposite Sanders most of last season, will be out up to six weeks while trying to rehabilitate a lower back injury.

His absence adds a bit of urgency to Sanders’ return from a severe toe problem. Jones said it is possible that Sanders will be ready for the Sept. 12 opener against Washington.

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The Baltimore Ravens released veteran wide receiver Webster Slaughter, getting down to the league-imposed 65-man roster limit.

Meanwhile, Pro Bowl defensive end Michael McCrary remained absent from camp, after leaving before Saturday’s exhibition game over frustration with his efforts to negotiate a contract extension with the Ravens before their exhibition game against Carolina on Saturday in Baltimore.

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The San Diego Chargers found a way to juice up a meaningless exhibition game by letting Junior Seau will make his debut at tight end.

“You’ll know when he’s going in when I turn my back and I turn blue,” first-year coach Mike Riley said after announcing his All-Pro linebacker will become the NFL’s latest two-way player when the Chargers play host to AFC West rival Kansas City.

Seau has been dabbling at tight end since minicamps and told tight ends coach Paul Chryst that he wanted some action before the season starts.

“I just want to get the nerves out,” Seau said. “I want to feel the anticipation of playing both and having the mental outlook of what will be going on and how I will prepare differently, if there will be any difference.”

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Jim Finn, “Mr. Irrelevant” in this year’s draft, was among 14 players released by the Chicago Bears.

Finn, a fullback from Pennsylvania, was the last player chosen in the draft. That player is honored every June at “Irrelevant Week” in Newport Beach.