Price returns to Bills with 4-year pact

April 11, 2006

Peerless Price signed a four-year contract with the Buffalo Bills yesterday, rejoining the team with which he's enjoyed the most success. A seven-year veteran, the wide receiver returns to the Bills after failed stints with Atlanta and Dallas -- moves that came after he forced a trade from Buffalo to the Falcons three years ago. His new contract is worth more than $10 million and includes additional incentives should he take over as the Bills' No. 1 receiver.. Price enjoyed his best season in 2002 with 94 catches for 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns . . . The New York Jets signed free agent linebacker Brad Kassell, who spent the last four seasons with the Tennessee Titans . . . Running back Kenny Watson agreed to a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ricky Williams and his lawyer met with NFL counsel Jeff Pash in New York, seeking to have the league overturn a positive drug test that could cost him the entire 2006 season. The league had no comment on the appeal. Williams's lawyer, David Cornwell, acknowledged that the hearing was taking place, but had no further comment . . . The NFL Players Association filed a grievance against the Titans on behalf of Steve McNair, accusing the team of breaching the quarterback's contract when it barred him from working out at its facility last week . . . The Seattle Seahawks re-signed restricted free agent kicker Josh Brown . . . Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw donated his four Super Bowl rings, his College Football Hall of Fame ring, his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, his Hall of Fame bust, four miniature replica Super Bowl trophies, and a helmet and jersey from one of his Super Bowl victories to his alma mater, Louisiana Tech. ''I don't need these things to remind me of anything," he said. ''I played in those games, and that's all the memories I need."

National League batting champion Derrek Lee and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $65 million, five-year contract, a deal expected to be announced today. ''It's fairly likely something will be worked out," agent Casey Close said.Lee is making $8 million in the final season of a $22.5 million, three-year deal. His new contract calls for a $13 million annual salary from 2006-10 and contains a no-trade clause, a person familiar with the agreement said . . . Washington Nationals reliever Felix Rodriguez was suspended three games and manager Frank Robinson one game for their roles in last week's game against the New York Mets in which five batters were hit by pitches. Robinson, who served his suspension yesterday, and Rodriguez were both ejected at Shea Stadium Thursday after Rodriguez hit Paul Lo Duca with a pitch in the eighth inning. Rodriguez and Robinson also were fined, as was outfielder Jose Guillen, who pointed his bat at Pedro Martínez and approached the mound after Martínez nailed him for the second time. Plate umpire Ted Barrett and Lo Duca held back Guillen as the benches emptied. Both dugouts were warned before Rodriguez plunked Lo Duca with first base open. . . Tampa Bay placed lefthander Mark Hendrickson, originally scheduled to start tonight against the Orioles, on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder tightness . . . Billy Hitchcock, a major league infielder during the 1940s and '50s who went on to manage the Tigers, Orioles, and Braves in the 1960s, died Sunday at Opelika, Ala. He was 89.

Goaltender Tomas Vokoun, who led Nashville into the playoffs with a 36-18-7 record while playing in 61 of the first 74 games, will miss the final four games of the regular season and the entire postseason because of pelvic thrombophlebitis, a blood condition. An MRI Friday found blood clots throughout his abdomen and pelvic area. Vokoun was hospitalized immediately and put on blood thinning shots and pills to reduce the life-threatening clots. General manager David Poile said a full recovery is expected . . . Luc Robitaille, 40, the highest-scoring left wing in history, will retire at the end of the season, the Los Angeles Kings announced. Robitaille has 15 goals and 9 assists in 62 games this season, his 19th in the league. He has 668 goals and 726 points for 1,394 points in 1,428 regular-season games with the Kings, Pittsburgh, the Rangers, and Detroit . . . Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau, sidelined since Oct. 30 with post-concussion symptoms, practiced with the team yesterday but downplayed speculation that he might return for the playoffs . . . Flyers defenseman Denis Gauthier was suspended two games for his check from behind on Toronto's Kyle Wellwood Saturday

Basketball coach John Calipari, who has been negotiating with Memphis to improve his current contract, was to visit North Carolina State yesterday, a source close to Calipari told ESPN.com . . . Wichita State basketball coach Mark Turgeon agreed to a long-term contract extension, ending speculation he would leave for a bigger program . . . Stanford assistant Eric Reveno was named basketball coach at the University of Portland . . . Texas sophomore forward LaMarcus Aldridge said he will enter the NBA draft . . . Maya Moore, a 6-foot junior forward who won the Naismith Trophy as the girls' high school player of the year while leading Collins Hill High of Atlanta to the Georgia state championship, is headed to the University of Connecticut, announcing her early decision . . . Tennessee's Candace Parker scored 17 points and Houston Comets star Tina Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the US women's basketball team beat China, 87-53, in the Opals World Challenge at Canberra, Australia . . . CBS's coverage of the Masters Sunday, in which Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket in three years, earned an average rating/share of 9.0/19, up 23 percent from 2004 when Mickelson won, and down 13 percent from last year when Tiger Woods won in a playoff over Chris DiMarco.