Raiders: Veteran defensive end Carter to be active against Falcons

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders defensive end Andre Carter was always taught to do everything on the field at full speed. Recovering from a torn quadriceps injury required a bit more patience.

Nearly 10 months after being carted off the field in Denver, Carter plans to take the restraints off again in his 2012 regular-season debut. Oakland coach Dennis Allen said Friday that Carter will be active for Oakland's game this week against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons.

Carter was signed on Sept. 26 to help a pass rush that has produced just three sacks in four games. The 33-year-old has 76 career sacks, including 10 last year with New England before he suffered the season-ending leg injury.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Redskins GM says team open to re-signing veteran tight end Cooley

WASHINGTON -- Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen said he'll consider re-signing tight end Chris Cooley.

The Redskins released Cooley on Aug. 28 after he spent eight years with the team.

"We've left the door open with Chris and continue to have dialogue," Allen said while speaking at The National Press Club on Friday. "I'm supposed to get together with him again next week just to talk about things. But, absolutely, the door is open."

Cooley has caught 428 passes for 4,703 yards and 33 touchdowns in his career, including eight catches for 65 yards last season. Injuries limited him to five games in 2011 and the Redskins plan to use Fred Davis as their starting tight end.

Allen was asked whether the Redskins have considered changing their nickname.

"No," he said sternly.

Allen framed his team's season opener with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday as a matchup of teams that have had problems with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

"We did have an issue with the commissioner regarding $36 million," Allen said. "But the team we're playing this week has a bigger issue with the commissioner."

The NFL removed $36 million in cap space from the Redskins over two years for overpaying players during the 2010 uncapped season. The league also fined and suspended current and former members of the Saints for their roles in the team's bounty program.

Allen said he believes coaches should get more than three instant-replay challenges per game if their first three are correct, and that the NFL should be open to hiring women on-field officials.

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49ers place starting LB Haralson on injured reserve, sign veteran LB Haggans

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers are down a key member of their talented defense heading into Week 1 after placing outside linebacker Parys Haralson on season-ending injured reserve Monday.

San Francisco also signed linebacker Clark Haggans to a one-year contract to help fill the void as the defending NFC West champions prepare for their season opener Sunday at Green Bay.

The Niners announced the roster moves during an off day Monday without providing details on Haralson's injury, though he is believed to have hurt his left arm during the first half of a preseason victory at Denver on Aug. 26. He didn't play in Thursday night's exhibition finale, a 35-3 victory against the San Diego Chargers at Candlestick Park.

Afterward, all coach Jim Harbaugh would say when asked about Haralson's status was that "he's working through something" -- a common, vague phrase used by the reigning NFL Coach of the Year when it comes to acknowledging injuries.

Haralson had been among the 11 returning starters for 2012 on Vic Fangio's defense that ranked No. 1 at stopping the run during a resurgent 13-3 season. But he was set to begin the season as a backup to Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith, who set a rookie franchise record with 14 sacks last year.

The 28-year-old Haralson, San Francisco's fifth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Tennessee, started all but one game over the past three seasons: 16 last year, 15 in 2010 and 16 in '09. He recorded 30 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks last year as San Francisco snapped an eight-year playoff drought.

Haggans, a 12-year NFL veteran, started every game in 2011 for the Arizona Cardinals, who released him on cutdown day Friday. He had 54 tackles, three sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery last season.

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Redskins cut safety Atogwe, veteran fullback Sellers

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins have released safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, saying an early goodbye to one of their big free agent signings from last year.

The Redskins also cut longtime fullback Mike Sellers on Monday, the eve of the start of the NFL's free agency signing period.

Atogwe signed a five-year, $26 million contract just before the NFL lockout a year ago, but he was hampered by hamstring, toe and knee injuries and finished the season as a backup. He was set to make $3.4 million this year.

Sellers has played 11 seasons with the Redskins, first joining the team in 1998 and returning in 2004. He was used mostly as a backup tight end last season. He was set to make $1.045 million in 2012.

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Texans sign veteran Garcia to back up Yates, Delhomme

HOUSTON -- Jeff Garcia has signed with the Houston Texans on Wednesday, and will be their No. 3 quarterback behind rookie T.J. Yates and Jake Delhomme.

The 41-year-old Garcia had individual workouts in Houston following injuries to both Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart. Houston signed Delhomme last week to back up Yates, who completed 12 of 25 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown in a 17-10 win over Atlanta.

Houston (9-3) plays at Cincinnati (7-5) on Sunday, and can clinch the AFC South with a victory and a Tennessee loss.

The Texans also signed punter Matt Turk, who played for them from 2007-10. The 43-year-old Turk replaces Brett Hartmann, who was placed on injured reserve after tearing a left knee ligament Sunday. Turk was cut by Jacksonville in October.

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