Falcons Expecting Johnson

Nose tackle Ellis Johnson has told the Atlanta Falcons that he will report to training camp Friday after abruptly leaving a mandatory mini-camp 12 days ago to return to his family.

Training camp begins Friday in Greenville, S.C., and players have until midnight Thursday to check in. Ray Anderson, the Falcons’ chief administrator, said Monday: “I have spoken with his agent, and it appears Ellis has reconsidered.”

Johnson, whose contract runs through 2005, returned to his farm outside Indianapolis before workouts began at team headquarters July 10. Neither he nor his agent, David Levine, have returned phone calls by Associated Press.

“It’s been an organizational effort to assure him that we would like him to be a Falcon and that he would be welcome back on Thursday,” Anderson said.

Johnson, 29, was a first-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1995 but was released at his own request last Aug. 28 after his style appeared ill-suited to the defenses of new Coach Tony Dungy. He has said being away from his wife and two children was one of the hardest things he had to do.

Atlanta signed Johnson to a three-year, $4.3-million contract three days later. When Johnson told Coach Dan Reeves he wanted to retire after Atlanta was eliminated from last season’s playoffs, the Falcons extended his contract another year.

He started two of 13 games last season, finishing with 51 tackles and seven sacks.

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Pittsburgh Steeler punter Josh Miller will sit out the start of training camp after having arthroscopic knee surgery.

Miller damaged knee cartilage during an off-season workout, but Coach Bill Cowher said that he would likely sit out only a week or two of camp.

“He has progressed very well and he should be back kicking before we get out of camp,” Cowher said.

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Kansas City Chief wide receiver Sylvester Morris will sit out the rest of training camp because of torn tissue in the back of his hip and defensive end Eddie Freeman dislocated his elbow in Monday’s practice and will be out up to four weeks.

Morris was hurt during the team’s first practice on Sunday afternoon, but the severity of the injury was not known until an MRI exam on Monday.

Chief Coach Dick Vermeil said Morris is expected to be out at least six weeks.

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Defensive tackle Ty Warren, New England’s top draft pick, signed with the Patriots along with seven other rookies.

The signing assures that Warren, who played at Texas A&M;, will be in training camp when it begins Wednesday. He was the 13th overall pick in last April’s draft.

Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech, a sixth-round pick, was among the other players signed.

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The Tennessee Titans signed second-round draft pick Tyrone Calico and third-round selection Chris Brown to multiyear deals.

Calico, a wide receiver, caught 194 passes for 2,636 yards and 17 touchdowns at Middle Tennessee State.

Brown was third in the nation in rushing with 1,841 yards in 303 carries, and scored 19 touchdowns last season for Colorado.

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The New York Jets put center Dennis O’Sullivan and cornerback Will Hunter on the physically unable to perform list.

O’Sullivan, a third-year player from Tulane, injured his biceps during off-season drills. Hunter, a rookie free agent from Syracuse, has an injured ankle.