Jets ink McCown to one-year dealThe New York Jets signed journeyman quarterback Josh McCown to a one-year contract on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, but the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the deal was worth $6 million. McCown, who turns 38 in July, met with the team over the weekend. He also visited with the Dallas Cowboys, but Kellen Moore was re-signed to serve as Dak Prescott’s likely backup.McCown’s immediate role with the Jets is in question with last year’s starter Ryan Fitzpatrick unsigned. Backup Geno Smith, however, signed with the New York Giants on Monday while third-year quarterback Bryce Petty struggled in four starts in 2016, throwing seven interceptions before a torn labrum ended his season.Falcons ink McKay to extensionThe Atlanta Falcons announced a five-year contract extension through June 2022 for team president and CEO Rich McKay on Tuesday. McKay, 58, joined the Falcons as the team’s general manager in 2004. He was promoted to president in 2008 after the Falcons hired Thomas Dimitroff.”Rich has been so important to our businesses and Atlanta’s growth for many years. We are thrilled to extend his contract with the Falcons and AMB Sports & Entertainment,” Steve Cannon, chief executive officer of AMB Group, LLC, said in a statement.McKay, who has spent the last 23 years on the NFL’s Competition Committee, is also president of AMB Sports & Entertainment Group and played a key role in the development of the Falcons’ new stadium, Mercedez-Benz Stadium. He is also credited with bringing new Major League Soccer expansion team Atlanta United to the city.Saints, Patriots working on Butler dealThe New Orleans Saints are close to a deal to acquire New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler. The one stumbling block for a trade, according to Mike Giardi of CSN New England, is “some quibbling” over guaranteed money for Butler, a restricted free agent cornerback. Otherwise, according to the report, the parameters for a deal between the teams are “mostly” in place. Butler, 27, visited the Saints last week. He reportedly was irked by New England’s signing of free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year deal worth $65 million.HOF RB Sayers diagnosed with dementiaFormer Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, who became the youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 40 years ago, was diagnosed with dementia four years ago, according to a story in Sunday’s Kansas City Star. Sayers, 73, barely spoke during a seven-hour visit by The Star last week. However, his wife, Ardie Sayers, says he can hold conversations at other times. Ardie Sayers told the Star she believes the dementia began as far back as 2009, but she said Gale remains fine physically. She has been moving him home from a facility where he stayed the last few months.Former 49ers WR Clark has ALSDwight Clark, a former San Francisco 49ers receiver whose touchdown reception in the 1982 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys is known as “The Catch” in the Bay Area, announced on his blog that he has ALS.”I have ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease,” the 60-year-old Clark wrote. “Those words are still very hard for me to say.”Clark wrote that he was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in late 2015 after visits to six neurologists and three ALS specialists.”The one piece of good news is that the disease seems to be progressing more slowly than in some patients,” Clark wrote. “While I’m still trying to wrap my head around the challenge I will face with this disease over the coming years, the only thing I know is that I’m going to fight like hell and live every day to the fullest.”Cowboys bring back QB MooreThe Dallas Cowboys re-signed Kellen Moore on Monday to address the team’s backup quarterback situation for the 2017 season. The deal is for one year, ESPN reported. Moore was expected to be Tony Romo’s backup last season before fracturing his fibula in the first week of training camp. Moore, 27, was put on season-ending injured reserve and Romo injured his back three weeks later in the third preseason game, paving the way for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to become the starter and lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 season.Raiders ink ex-FSU star Manuel as backup QBThe Oakland Raiders added depth behind starting quarterback Derek Carr, signing former first-round pick EJ Manuel on Monday. The Raiders also announced the signing of free agent linebacker Jelani Jenkins and re-signed veteran long snapper Jon Condo. Manuel, the No. 16 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 draft, is expected to compete with Connor Cook as the primary backup for Oakland. An unrestricted free agent, Manuel brings ample experience to the West Coast, making 29 appearances and 17 starts during his tenure with Buffalo. He owns a 6-11 record as a starter. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound Manuel saw his most extensive action during his rookie campaign, making 10 starts and throwing for 1,972 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
