Porter, released by Pittsburgh, is headed to Miami

Joey Porter, the linebacker cut last week by Pittsburgh to save salary-cap room, Tuesday agreed to a five-year, $32-million contract with Miami, highlighting a busy day in the NFL.

Porter is guaranteed $20 million in the deal.

In other moves:

* Quarterback Trent Green was seeking a trade that would mark the end of his career in Kansas City. The former Pro Bowl quarterback’s agent, Jim Steiner, said that the team is seeking to restructure Green’s contract, which will pay him $7.2 million next season.

* Carolina released backup quarterback Chris Weinke, a former Heisman Trophy winner.

Weinke, 34, hadn’t been a regular starter since his rookie year in 2001. Weinke struggled when he replaced injured starter Jake Delhomme in three games late last season, throwing two touchdown passes and four passes that were intercepted.

* The Chicago Bears and New York Jets finalized their trade for running back Thomas Jones. He joins the Jets and gives Cedric Benson a clear shot at Chicago’s starting job.

The Jets gave up a second-round draft pick for Jones, who gives New York a No. 1 running back it has been seeking since Curtis Martin -- who’s expected to retire soon -- was sidelined a year ago by knee problems.

* Oakland agreed with two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry on a $1.5-million, one-year contract. Newberry, a Pro Bowl selection in 2001-02 with San Francisco, spent last season on injured reserve with the 49ers because of a damaged left knee. The Raiders also cleared salary-cap room by restructuring the contracts of running back LaMont Jordan and receiver Ronald Curry.

* Linebacker Brian Simmons, released by Cincinnati last month, has agreed to a three-year contract with New Orleans.

* Tampa Bay signed offensive tackle Luke Petitgout, released by the New York Giants after starting 106 games for them since being drafted in the first round in 1999.

* Kansas City signed linebacker Napoleon Harris, who played two years in Minnesota after being traded there by Oakland in the deal for Randy Moss.

BASEBALL

Josh Johnson is expected out for start of season

Florida Marlins right-hander Josh Johnson has a diagnosis for his sore arm -- an irritated ulnar nerve that probably will force him to sit out at least the first two months of the season.

Johnson said his arm first hurt while he was lobbing a ball Jan. 19. The location of the pain has since moved and is now above the elbow.

Johnson was 12-7 with a 3.10 earned-run average as a rookie in 2006.

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Pitcher Javier Vazquez and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a $34.5-million, three-year contract extension through 2010.

Vazquez will get $12.5 million this season, the final year of his current contract, and $11.5 million in each of the following three seasons. The right-hander, who was 11-12 with a 4.84 ERA with the White Sox last season, is 100-105 overall in 10 major league seasons.

SOCCER

Barcelona eliminated in Champions League

Liverpool eliminated defending champion Barcelona from the European Champions League, advancing to the quarterfinals despite a 1-0 loss at Anfield.

Liverpool, the 2005 champion, won the first leg, 2-1, in Spain two weeks ago. With the aggregate score of the total-goals series tied, Liverpool advanced on away goals.

Chelsea advanced by defeating visiting Porto, 2-1, and AS Roma advanced with a 2-0 victory at Lyon. Valencia advanced after tying Inter Milan, 0-0.

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The United States will play Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador in the first round of this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The defending champion Americans play their first two Group B games at the Home Depot Center against Guatemala on June 7 and Trinidad and Tobago on June 9, CONCACAF said.

Chicago will play host to the semifinals June 21, with the final on June 24.

MISCELLANY

Construction to begin on Ontario arena

Officials in Ontario will attend groundbreaking ceremonies today for an 11,000-seat arena scheduled to open by early 2008.

Contract talks are being negotiated to bring the Inland Empire teams in the NBA’s Development League and the East Coast Hockey League, a spokeswoman for the arena’s operator, AEG, said.

The $130-million Citizens Business Bank Arena is being funded by the city. The venue will be leased to AEG, which owns the Kings, Galaxy and Staples Center, and expects to complement the new arena’s sporting events by booking a stream of concerts.

-- Lance Pugmire

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UCLA hired former Crenshaw High standout Eric Scott as receivers coach. Scott, who was a receiver for the Bruins from 1995 to 1997, replaces D.J. McCarthy, who left last month to join the Louisiana State staff.

Scott, 32, who worked as an intern in the football office last season, earned All-City honors at Crenshaw in 1992 and spent a redshirt season at Northwestern before transferring to UCLA in 1994.

-- Lonnie White

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Mick Fanning posted a two-wave score of 16.17 to defeat Bede Durbidge and win the season-opening Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks on Australia’s Gold Coast.

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Frank Carroll, who coached Michelle Kwan and Linda Fratianne and now works with U.S. men’s champion Evan Lysacek, has been elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

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Terry Madden will step down as leader of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, ending a seven-year stint running the country’s main line of defense against doping in sports, sources told the Associated Press.

Madden reportedly will be replaced by USADA general counsel Travis Tygart.

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Lance Mackey, who’s trying to become the third member of his family to win the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, was the first musher to arrive in Nikolai, Alaska, about 770 miles from the finish line in Nome. Paul Gebhardt was second.

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The athlete targeted in an alleged $150,000 shakedown by an unemployed ex-con was former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Ronnie Belliard, a person close to the matter confirmed to the Associated Press.

Federal prosecutors have described the athlete in court only as “the victim.” Court papers referred only to a “John Doe” in accusing George Edwards of extortion for allegedly seeking money for silence about the player supposedly impregnating Edwards’ daughter.

PASSINGS

Greenberg, was former writer for The Times

Alan Greenberg, a former sportswriter for The Times who had been with the Hartford Courant since 1985, died Tuesday at 55. Section B.