McDougle Is Shot in Robbery

Defensive end Jerome McDougle of the Philadelphia Eagles was shot in the stomach by armed robbers in Miami, police said Friday.

The team said it was optimistic the injury is not career-threatening

“We’re told it [the bullet] didn’t hit any major organs, and that’s a plus,” Eagle Coach Andy Reid said.

McDougle, who played college football at Miami and is a South Florida native, had been scheduled to be in the Eagles’ camp Monday, the reporting date for veterans.

Police said the confrontation started when three armed robbers approached the 27-year-old McDougle in his silver Mercedes coupe late Thursday in southwest Miami.

With their faces covered, the suspects demanded that he hand over his property, then one of them shot McDougle in the stomach, police said.

McDougle opened the door and tried to get out of the car, but another robber fired two shots, which police said missed him and hit the inside of the door. The robbers, who police said were probably teenagers, fled on foot and remain at large.

McDougle was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery.

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San Diego quarterback Drew Brees disclosed that he separated his left shoulder in the fourth game last season and played the rest of the year with the injury. He said he had arthroscopic surgery during the off-season to repair the problem with his non-throwing shoulder.

Meanwhile, All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates, who became a star in his second NFL season, and first-round draft pick Shawne Merriman, an outside linebacker from Miami, were no-shows for the Chargers’ first full-squad practice of training camp.

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Louisiana State’s Ben Wilkerson, considered one of the nation’s premier college centers before suffering a knee injury in October, failed his NFL physical and was put on the Cincinnati Bengals’ active/non-football injury list.

Wilkerson’s injury is considered to be “non-football” because it did not occur in an NFL game. He was undrafted. and signed as a free agent on April 28.

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Running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams made good on a promise to get into training camp for Tampa Bay’s first practice, signing a multiyear contract with the Buccaneers. The former Auburn star was the fifth player selected in the draft.

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The Detroit Lions signed second-round draft pick Shaun Cody to a four-year contract. Cody, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle from USC, was the 37th overall pick.... Offensive tackle Jammal Brown of Oklahoma, the New Orleans Saints’ top draft pick, agreed to terms on a five-year contract. He was the 13th overall pick and the first offensive lineman taken.... Safety Donovin Darius, designated as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ franchise player, signed a three-year contract extension.