Cowboy Rookie Ware Delivers in 18-10 Win

Dallas Cowboy rookie Demarcus Ware looks ready to be an NFL linebacker.

In one half, Ware forced two fumbles and recovered one, and had an interception, a sack and three tackles in Dallas’ 18-10 exhibition victory over the host Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.

Jose Cortez was three for three on field-goal attempts, connecting from 44, 37 and 46 yards for Dallas (1-1).

A defensive end at Troy, Ware was the 11th pick in the draft and is making the switch to outside linebacker with the Cowboys, who are moving from a 4-3 to 3-4 defense.

He had two tackles last week against Arizona but made a difference in only two minutes against Seattle (1-1).

On Seattle’s first possession, Ware beat Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson, stripped quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and fell on the fumble at the Seattle 33. Cortez then made his first field goal.

Dallas quarterback Drew Bledsoe was seven of 11 for 56 yards, playing into the second quarter. Julius Jones had 12 carries for 58 yards.

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Antonio Gates hadn’t even stepped on the field and he already was running some zigzag routes.

Besides contradicting his agent, the record-setting tight end said that travel problems kept him from reporting to training camp by Saturday afternoon, as mandated by the San Diego Chargers.

Missing the deadline had serious consequences. The All-Pro was put on the Roster Exempt List, meaning he’ll have to sit out the last two exhibition games and the opener against Dallas on Sept. 11. He can be added to the active roster on Sept. 12.

“You don’t understand,” Gates said during a nine-minute news conference before he was hustled off to a meeting. “I tried to come in Saturday, but I couldn’t get a flight. So we ended up calling and explaining we weren’t able to make it in Saturday. So it wasn’t my intention to actually miss the deadline.”

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Top draft pick Adam “Pacman” Jones signed his five-year contract and joined the Tennessee Titans in practice after a holdout caused him to miss 31 practices.

Jones had hoped to practice Sunday after agreeing in principle to a deal Wednesday, but the complicated contract had to be approved by the NFL and the players’ association. His agent, Michael Huyghue, arrived Sunday in Nashville to help work through the final details.

Coach Jeff Fisher said he’s glad to have his top pick on the field.

“It’s a unique arrangement, but it’s good,” Fisher said. “It’s best for both sides right now, and the most important thing now is Pac. He’s been ready to return really since camp started.”

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Eli Manning’s elbow is sprained, bruised, sore and nothing serious -- certainly not cause for the New York Giants to worry over who’ll be under center when the regular season begins.

Manning will sit out the Giants’ exhibition game against the New York Jets on Friday. If it were a big game, though, the No. 1 draft pick said he’d play.

“If it was the first game of a long season you wouldn’t want to risk doing anything worse, but if it was an important game then I could still throw the football,” Manning said after the team doctor confirmed he had a sprain and bruise on the inside of his right elbow.

Coach Tom Coughlin said he thought Manning would be ready to play in time for the opener against Arizona.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new deal with one of their key players, and it’s not Hines Ward.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton, a former Pro Bowl player coming off a knee injury that sidelined him for all but six games last season, signed a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2009 season.

“We think his best football is ahead of him,” team President Art Rooney III said.

Hampton is in the final season of a contract that will pay him $989,065 in base salary and counts $1,607,215 against the salary cap this season, including the prorated share of the $3.1-million signing bonus he received as the No. 19 overall pick in the 2001 draft.

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Wide receiver Andre’ Davis, pushed to the bottom of Cleveland’s depth chart, was traded to the New England Patriots by the Browns for an undisclosed draft pick.

Davis, a speedy former second-round selection in 2002, had become a forgotten man with Cleveland.

His departure continues an overhaul of the Brown roster by General Manager Phil Savage, who since taking over in January, has released or traded 21 players who started at least one game last season.