Cowboys’ Swinton Goes to the Packers in a Trade

The Dallas Cowboys traded receiver-kick returner Reggie Swinton to the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday for a conditional draft pick.

Swinton returned kicks in the first game, but rookie Zuriel Smith did the job the last two weeks. Swinton averaged 21.7 yards on three kicks this season.

Swinton, who played at Murray State, joined the Cowboys as a free agent in 2001. He set team records that year for kickoff returns (56) and yards (1,327) and combined kickoff and punt return yards (1,741).

Last season, he averaged 24.9 yards a return. He had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Philadelphia last season and a 65-yard punt return for a score against Denver in 2001. He had 14 career catches with Dallas for 180 yards and a touchdown but none this year

The Cowboys replaced Swinton on the roster with offensive lineman Torrin Tucker, who was on the team’s practice squad.

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All-pro tackle Kris Jenkins signed a five-year, $31-million contract extension with Carolina, a deal that locks up the Panthers’ starting defensive line through at least 2007.

Jenkins received a $9.175-million signing bonus in the deal that keeps him in Carolina through 2009.

He is considered one of the cornerstones of Carolina’s defense, which ranked second in the NFL last season. End Julius Peppers, the other cornerstone, is signed through 2008, and end Mike Rucker and tackle Brentson Buckner are signed through 2007.

“I’m happy to be staying here; I wanted to stick by my guys,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to be here together for a long time and that’s a good thing.

“As a defensive line, we have a lot of chemistry. We work hard and we work real well together. I think that helps strengthen us and will lead to good things in the coming years.”

Jenkins, a second-round draft pick from Maryland in 2001, ranked third among NFC tackles last season with a career-high seven sacks. He had 60 tackles.

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A woman filed suit in Mobile, Ala., against tackle Leonardo Carson of the San Diego Chargers, accusing the former Auburn standout of breaking into her home, assaulting and kidnapping her.

The lawsuit filed Monday by Tasha Locke, 22, seeks financial damages. It follows criminal charges filed Aug. 21 against Carson, 26, once a prep standout in Mobile.

When Carson was arrested Aug. 21, investigators said Carson broke out a window to enter Locke’s apartment and forcibly removed Locke, dragging her to his car. They said Carson was pursued by relatives that Locke had called, and his car apparently ran over a curb and came to a stop, with Locke escaping and flagging down a patrol officer.

Carson was released on $57,500 bond on the kidnapping and burglary charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Oct. 8 in the criminal case.