NFL training camp notes

Kansas City Chiefs running back De’Anthony Thomas (1), shown in an exhibition game last Thursday, missed practice Wednesday with spasms in his hamstring.
Kansas City Chiefs running back De’Anthony Thomas (1), shown in an exhibition game last Thursday, missed practice Wednesday with spasms in his hamstring.

NFL

Cowboys most valuable

NEW YORK -- Forbes says Dallas Cowboys are the first U.S. sports franchise to top $3 billion in value.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Cowboys are worth the most of all 32 NFL franchises, valued at $3.2 billion. Only Real Madrid at $3.4 billion is worth more among global franchises.

The average NFL franchise value for 2014 is $1.43 billion, the highest in the 17 years the business magazine has tracked professional football. That shows a 23 percent increase, the largest in one year since 1999.

New England is second in value at $2.6 billion, followed by Washington ($2.4 billion) and the New York Giants ($2.1 billion).

At the bottom are Buffalo, worth $935 million and currently for sale after owner Ralph Wilson's death, and St. Louis at $930 million.

8 longer kicks missed

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Eight extra point kicks from the longer distance -- usually 33 yards -- were missed during the NFL's experiment in the first two weeks of the preseason.

The 94.3 percent success rate (133 of 141) was below the regular season rate (99.6 percent) from 2013 when the ball was snapped from the 2-yard line instead of the 15. Only five of 1,267 short kicks were missed in 2013.

All of this summer's misses came with the ball snapped from the 15.

The longer extra point might have affected teams' willingness to try a 2-point conversion from the 2-yard line. This year, 16 were tried, with four successful. In 2013, nine were attempted in the first two weeks of the preseason, with four successful.

NFL officiating director Dean Blandino says he believes longer PAT kicks are "in the league's near future."

COWBOYS

LB McClain on, off

IRVING, Texas -- Rolando McClain practices one day and doesn't the next for the Dallas Cowboys.

The former top 10 pick at linebacker has a recent history of walking away from the game, and came out of retirement to try to help Dallas replace Sean Lee after a season-ending knee injury.

Skipping workouts with leg cramps has raised more questions about his desire, but the Cowboys aren't in a rush to judge McClain heading into a preseason game Saturday night at Miami.

Justin Durant is caught in the middle of the shuffle but isn't giving up on McClain either. And owner Jerry Jones keeps offering hopeful plugs that the Cowboys have found a starter in the middle.

CHIEFS

Thomas joins injured

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Add rookie running back De'Anthony Thomas to a lengthy list of Chiefs players who are missing practice as the team prepares for its preseason game Saturday night against Minnesota.

The electrifying Thomas missed Wednesday's workout with spasms in his hamstring.

Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles remained out with his foot injury. Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry is out with a heel injury and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is dealing with a quad injury.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid declined to say after practice whether any of them will be available for the Vikings game, when the starters are expected to play into the third quarter.

TEXANS-BRONCOS

Teams jaw in practice

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos right tackle Chris Clark took exception when J.J. Watt pushed him around in a 1-on-1 pass-rushing drill and kept right on motoring toward the imaginary quarterback.

Clark finally broke free with a swipe at the Houston Texans star that sent the pass-rusher's helmet bouncing on the ground.

"Don't get mad when you get beat," Watt hollered at Clark.

That turned into the theme of Wednesday's joint workout in full pads, one which ended with a lot of jawing and posturing after Texans safety D.J. Swearinger loudly celebrated his interception of Peyton Manning in an 11-on-11 drill.

RAIDERS

Reece's foot not bad

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reece escaped a scare when an injury to his right foot was not as significant as initially feared and he expects to be at full strength when the season opens next month.

Reece was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, two days after undergoing an MRI on the foot he injured during last week's preseason game against Detroit. Reece would not disclose the official diagnosis of the injury, calling it only a "foot issue."

Reece has missed just four games because of injury since becoming Oakland's regular fullback in 2010 and said he never wants to be off the field. He admitted to some concern that he may need to miss some time before getting the encouraging news earlier this week.

BILLS

Sylvester's season over

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills linebacker Stevenson Sylvester has been placed on the season-ending injured reserve list.

Sylvester missed the past two practices at training camp because of a knee injury.

The Bills signed the fifth-year player just before the start of camp in mid-July. The signing was made a few weeks after starter Kiko Alonso was lost for the season with a torn left knee ligament.

Sylvester was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. He split time at linebacker and special teams in appearing in 50 games over the past four seasons with the Steelers.

EAGLES

Kicker acquired in swap

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired rookie kicker Cody Parkey from the Indianapolis Colts for running back David Fluellen.

The Eagles initially announced they had released Fluellen on Wednesday before trading him to the Colts. The undrafted rookie from Toledo had six carries for 25 yards and caught one touchdown pass in the first preseason game.

He rushed for 3,336 yards and 28 touchdowns in four college seasons.

Parkey made 14 of 19 field goals, 62 of 63 extra points and ranked first in the nation with 69 touchbacks as a senior at Auburn. He made both of his field goals in the preseason. Alex Henery is Philadelphia's No. 1 kicker.

SAINTS

Byrd tries out back

MANDEVILLE, La. -- Saints safety Jairus Byrd has rarely been so eager to hit and be hit, if only to reassure himself that his surgically repaired back has healed as doctors believe.

Byrd, the top free agent acquisition by New Orleans this offseason, has been cleared for contact this week, allowing him to practice with no limitations for the first time since he signed a six-year, $56 million contract in March.

Byrd says he plans to play his first preseason game Saturday night in Indianapolis, and that he'll spend the next couple weeks working to get in sync with the secondary he'll be expected to help lead.

The Saints hope Byrd will help them produce more turnovers. The three-time Pro Bowl safety has 22 interceptions in his first five NFL seasons.

JETS

Rookie WR puzzled

LORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets rookie wide receiver Jalen Saunders says he's still uncertain what happened to him last Friday when he drove his car off the road after a "medical event."

Saunders, speaking publicly Wednesday about the incident for the first time, declined to go into detail about his "shocking situation" as he drove to the team's practice facility that morning. He is awaiting results from doctors, but says his condition was not pre-existing.

Saunders also says he never lost consciousness. He was taken to a hospital and treated for two days before being released Sunday.

Saunders, a fourth-round pick from Oklahoma, re-joined the team earlier this week but has not practiced. Doctors have not provided a timetable for when Saunders might be able to return to the field.

Sports on 08/21/2014

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