Testaverde back to back up

In his 21st NFL season, Vinny Testaverde projects to be the Patriots' No. 3 quarterback. (BILL GREENE/GLOBE STAFF)

Vinny Testaverde joined the Patriots last November, but this year he'll be aboard a bit earlier. Currently a free agent, Testaverde told Sporting News Radio yesterday he has an arrangement with the Patriots to return for the 2007 season.

"After two-a-days are over [in training camp], I'll go back and sign my contract," said Testaverde, who turns 44 in November.

Testaverde's locker has remained intact at Gillette Stadium, a sign of his likely return. He also participated in the team's offseason passing camps and a mandatory full-time minicamp in June.

Next season will be Testaverde's 21st in the NFL, and he once again projects to be the third quarterback behind starter Tom Brady and No. 2 man Matt Cassel. The Patriots also have rookie free agent Matt Gutierrez on the roster.

Testaverde appeared in three regular-season games last year, the first two of which he entered to take a knee at the end of decisive victories.

His final appearance came in the season finale at Tennessee, when he entered late in the fourth quarter and connected with receiver Troy Brown on a 6-yard score with 1:45 left. The score meant Testaverde had thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of his 20 seasons and could have been a nice exclamation point to his career. But Testaverde, who ranks sixth on the all-time NFL charts for passing yards (45,281), maintained he always hoped to return for another season.

The Patriots reached a three-year agreement with offensive lineman Corey Hilliard, one of their sixth-round draft choices. The 6-foot-6-inch, 315-pound Hilliard played 40 games in four seasons at Oklahoma State, starting his last 34 games. He played both left and right tackle.

The Indianapolis Colts have signed defensive end Dwight Freeney to a long-term contract that will make him among the NFL's most highly paid defensive players.

Freeney and the Colts agreed to a six-year, $72 million contract that includes a $30 million signing bonus, the player's agent, Gary Wichard, said yesterday. The Colts also issued a statement saying they had reached an agreement with Freeney, but did not elaborate.

The Colts had designated Freeney as their franchise player in February, which would have kept him with the Super Bowl champions for at least one more season. The team and Freeney faced a Monday deadline to sign a long-term deal before this season.

Freeney, a first-round draft pick in 2002, missed the Pro Bowl last season for the first time since his rookie year. He was held to a career-low 5 1/2 sacks while fighting shoulder and leg injuries, the only time he has been under double digits in sacks.

Freeney has 56 1/2 sacks and forced 27 fumbles during his first five seasons with the Colts.

His long-term deal would be the Colts' biggest investment in their defense for what has long been an offensive-oriented team.

Under the franchise tag, Freeney had been guaranteed $8,644,000, the average salary of the top five defensive ends next season.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker David Pollack, who broke a bone in his neck during a game last season, isn't expected to play this year.

"He is working extremely hard and will continue focusing his efforts on rehabilitating with our medical staff," coach Marvin Lewis said.

Pollack broke the bone while tackling Cleveland's Reuben Droughns Sept. 17 and missed the rest of the season.

The club said he is continuing to recover from surgery Jan. 3.

"I'm grateful for my recovery to this point, and I'm working every day to get my full strength back," Pollack said. "Any final decision on football is still down the road for me."

Pollack suffered no paralysis from the injury and has been able to resume normal activities outside football. Pollack was the Bengals' top draft choice in 2005.

St. Louis Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown was suspended for the first four games next season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. The league didn't reveal the specific nature of the violation. Brown's suspension will begin Aug. 31, and he can return to the active roster Oct. 1 following the Rams' game Sept. 30 against the Dallas Cowboys. He is allowed to participate in preseason games and practice. Brown, 29, started 14 games for the Rams last season . . . Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers won't face criminal charges following a review of an exotic dancer's claims that he inappropriately touched her. A 20-year-old woman who dances at a club on Detroit's west side made the complaint last month against the 6-4, 345-pounder . . . The Lions signed quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, linebacker Johnny Baldwin, and cornerback Ramzee Robinson, the last player selected in the NFL draft. The team also released quarterback Phil Horvath . . . Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Khalif Barnes has been sentenced to six months probation after pleading no contest to a drunken driving charge . . . The Oakland Raiders signed their third-round draft pick, offensive lineman Mario Henderson of Florida State.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.