Cherilus, Lions agree on five-year deal

July 24, 2008

Former Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus, the 17th pick in the April draft, agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the Detroit Lions. Final details were not set, but Greg Diulus, Cherilus's agent, said the agreement could be finalized today . . . Wide receiver Devin Hester, who has electrified the NFL with 11 punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns in his first two seasons, skipped the Chicago Bears' first training camp practice in a holdout. Hester, a two-time Pro Bowler, was placed on the Bears' reserve/did not report list. "I'm not coming," Hester told the Chicago Tribune. "I have to make a statement. I can't go out and play this year making $445,000. Come on, man." Hester has two years remaining on his contract. The Bears also announced they had reached agreement on a five-year contract reportedly worth $16 million with first-round pick Chris Williams, an offensive tackle from Vanderbilt . . . Receiver Marques Colston, whose 168 catches are more than any NFL receiver through his first two seasons, agreed to a three-year extension that could keep him in New Orleans through the 2011 . . . St. Louis Rams defensive end Claude Wroten was suspended without pay for the season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Josh Childress is leaving the Atlanta Hawks for Greek club Olympiakos, reversing the course of the many international stars who have signed with the NBA. Heading overseas allows Childress to make more money than he could have as a restricted free agent in the United States. Agent Jim Tanner said the three-year deal was worth about $20 million after taxes . . . Team USA forward LeBron James was held out of a scrimmage because of a right ankle sprain, but a team spokesman said it is responding well to treatment . . . The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Jason Hart from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Brevin Knight in a swap of point guards . . . A day after the Detroit Shock - and assistant coach Rick Mahorn - were involved in a skirmish with the Los Angeles Sparks, the WNBA said punishments would be handed down today. Detroit's Plenette Pierson and Mahorn were ejected, along with Sparks players Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones, after the bench-clearing brawl broke out with five seconds left in the game.

Massachusetts is the heavy favorite to win the Colonial Athletic Association championship. The Minutemen received 17 of a possible 19 first-place votes to win the North Division in a poll of the league's coaches and media members. New Hampshire was picked second in the North, with Maine fourth, Northeastern fifth, and Rhode Island sixth. UMass returns 12 starters from last year's league championship team, including quarterback Liam Coen, the preseason offensive player of the year. Maine defensive lineman Jovan Belcher was the preseason defensive player of the year . . . Three Boston College players were seleected preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference: tight end Ryan Purvis, defensive tackle Ron Brace, and linebacker Brian Toal.

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada wants to put off surgery on his right shoulder even if it means sacrificing the start of next season. On the disabled list for the second time in 2008, Posada said an MRI showed fraying in the tendons around the labrum, but not a rotator cuff tear . . . The Brewers have purchased former major leaguer Jay Gibbons's contract from the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks and will assign him to their Double A affiliate in Huntsville, Ala. Gibbons, 31, was released by the Orioles in March after being suspended for 15 days on Dec. 6 by commissioner Bud Selig following a media report that he had received a shipment of the human growth hormone.

American swimmer Jessica Hardy's trip to the Beijing Olympics could be in jeopardy after she tested positive for a banned substance, according to a person familiar with the test results. Hardy, 21, earned spots on her first Olympic team in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 50 freestyle and 400 free relay. Hardy has departed the team's training camp at Palo Alto, Calif., and returned home to Southern California, the swimmer's agent said. The website nbcolympics.com reported Hardy's backup "B" sample also tested positive . . . Eric Shanteau, who decided to put off surgery for testicular cancer until after the Olympics, has been cleared to head to Beijing with the US swim team. Shanteau will compete in the 200-meter breaststroke . . . Top-ranked Roger Federer was knocked out of the Rogers Cup in Toronto with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 loss to Gilles Simon in a second-round match. Federer was playing his first match since losing the Wimbledon final in five sets to Rafael Nadal. Nadal advanced to the third round in Toronto with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jesse Levine . . . Unbeaten middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has finalized a deal to fight longtime titlist Bernard Hopkins Oct. 18 in Atlantic City, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said . . . In MLS action, Brian Mullan and Brian Ching scored goals as visiting Houston (5-4-8) beat D.C. United (7-8-1), 2-0, in a match that was delayed nearly three hours by a power outage and thunderstorms.