Porter Sits Out Practice

The Art Shell era has just begun and Oakland Raiders receiver Jerry Porter is already having problems with his new coach.

A day after publicly demanding a trade, Porter sat out practice Wednesday because of a calf injury. While other injured players such as receiver Ronald Curry were on the field with their teammates for part of practice, Porter was nowhere to be seen during workouts.

Porter declined to talk, but Shell said the trade request was a “non-issue” and the team is unlikely to grant his request.

Porter is in the second year of a five-year deal worth $20 million.

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Cincinnati Bengals middle linebacker Odell Thurman was suspended for the first four games of the season because he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The suspension will cost the Bengals one of their top playmakers on defense. Thurman, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia last year, led the team in tackles as a rookie.

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Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher is optimistic that Vince Young will be signed within the next few days. “There isn’t anyone wanting this to spill out to Friday or Saturday.... If it does spill over, it’s because the contract is pending league approval. I spoke with Vince this morning, and he really wants to be there and is excited about it.”

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Daunte Culpepper will take part in the Miami Dolphins’ first training camp workout Saturday even though he has yet to fully recover from knee surgery in November.

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The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a three-year contract with seventh-round draft pick Jarrad Page. A four-year starter at UCLA, Page had 249 tackles and nine interceptions. He is projected as a safety with the Chiefs.

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Offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, signed with the New York Jets.