Quarterback Garcia Gets New Home in Cleveland

Jeff Garcia’s wish list as a free-agent quarterback was a short one: a starting job, a fair contract and a team with a chance to win.

He thinks he found all three with the Cleveland Browns.

Soon, Tim Couch may be searching for the same things.

Garcia signed a four-year, $25-million contract Tuesday to become Cleveland’s starter, a spot Couch held for most of the last five seasons.

“I think it’s going to be a perfect fit,” said Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who was released last week after five seasons in San Francisco. “The Browns showed a real desire to have me here, a real want and a real belief that if I came here I would make a difference.”

Garcia’s deal will pay him $5.5 million in 2004, $4.5 million in 2005 and includes two voidable years at the back end in case he or the team wants out of it.

Couch, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1999, probably will be traded or released. Last week, the Browns asked him to restructure his $15.6-million contract for the next two years.

But when the club sent Couch a proposal slashing his salary by nearly 60%, the 26-year-old and his agent, Tom Condon, rejected it.

Garcia passed for 2,704 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, but sat out three games because of injuries.

The NFL players’ union asked an arbitrator to make Terrell Owens a free agent, claiming San Francisco didn’t have the rights to trade the receiver to Baltimore.

The case will go to Steven Burbank of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, who was selected jointly by the league and the NFL Players’ Assn. last year to arbitrate such contract disputes.

Should Burbank rule in Owens’ favor, the trade to Baltimore would be overturned and he would become a free agent. He could command a signing bonus of $10 million to $15 million.

If the league ruling were upheld, Owens would be due $5.3 million in salary next season, although the Ravens said they would be willing to renegotiate the contract.

Tampa Bay signed running back Charlie Garner, reuniting him with Jon Gruden, his former coach at Oakland. Garner spent the last three seasons with the Raiders, rushing for 2,354 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Tampa Bay also signed linebacker Keith Burns and guard Matt O’Dwyer to free-agent contracts.

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who is awaiting an offer from the Buccaneers, is ready to begin talking to other clubs. “There are 31 other teams in the NFL,” said Drew Rosenhaus, Sapp’s agent. “The likelihood is that he will be playing for one of them next season.”

Pittsburgh signed running back Duce Staley to a five-year, $14-million contract.

Staley, who will receive a $4-million signing bonus, spent his first seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles but became a free agent this off-season when his contract expired. He held out for 26 days during training camp last season while seeking a long-term deal.

Pittsburgh probably will release part-time starter Amos Zereoue, who rushed for 433 yards and two scores last season.

San Diego gave receiver David Boston, who clashed with coaches and teammates last season, permission to seek a trade to another team, Charger spokesman David Neville said. Boston signed a seven-year, $47-million contract with the Chargers last year.

San Diego also signed linebacker Randall Godfrey to a three-year contract. Godfrey, entering his ninth NFL season, had 59 tackles for Seattle last season.

Seattle agreed to terms with receiver Darrell Jackson on a reported six-year, $25-million contract that includes an $8-million bonus.

The Seahawks also re-signed defensive tackle Cedric Woodard.

Baltimore re-signed kicker Matt Stover, the only player left who moved with the old Cleveland Browns to Baltimore after the 1995 season.

Linebacker Dhani Jones, who had 120 tackles and three sacks for the New York Giants last season, signed with Philadelphia.

Jacksonville signed guard Mike Compton, who spent all but two games last season on injured reserve with New England. The Jaguars also signed two cornerbacks, former Steeler Dewayne Washington and former Brown Lewis Sanders.

Washington signed 15-year veteran punter Tom Tupa, who spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay.

Pro Bowl cornerback Sam Madison has restructured his contract to save Miami about $3 million against the salary cap.

Agent Gene Burrough said Madison reduced his $8-million cap figure to about $5.1 million. Madison will now make $6.5 million.

Madison, who turns 30 next month, has started for six seasons.

Former Denver general manager John Beake is retiring as the NFL’s vice president of operations. Beake has held the job since 2002. The league also announced that Hall of Fame offensive tackle Art Shell will join the NFL on a full-time basis with expanded responsibilities for football activities.

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Miscellany

Kjetil Backen took the lead in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. Backen, racing in his second Iditarod, arrived first at the Nikolai checkpoint about one-third of the way into the 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.

Gustavo Kuerten quit Brazil’s Davis Cup team, angered by a captaincy change and the national tennis federation’s lack of player development. The three-time French Open champion started playing for Brazil in 1996 and has a 29-14 Davis Cup record. Brazil meets Paraguay next month in an Americas Zone Group I match.

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Passings

Auto racing photographer Art Flores died at his home in Alameda. Flores was the photo steward for the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Assn.