Jordan, a defensive end and linebacker from Oregon, signed a multiyear contract Saturday and will take part in the first training camp practice Sunday. He missed all of the Dolphins’ offseason workouts because Oregon is on the quarter system.

Jordan’s deal is worth $20,572,298 in total, including a signing bonus of $13,341,672 and $5,070,626 in guaranteed roster bonuses. The signing bonus will be paid over the next four months.

With his signing, the Dolphins have all nine draft choices under contract. Players reported Saturday.

Jordan has been in South Florida for the past two months working out with teammates, but conceded he had ground to make up because of the practices he missed. He had right shoulder surgery in February and might be limited at the start of camp.

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Jordan was the third player taken in the draft after the Dolphins swung a trade with Oakland to move up nine spots. Miami projects he’ll upgrade a defense that tied for fourth-worst in the league in takeaways last year.

Jordan totaled 14½ career sacks as a speed rusher in college and has drawn comparisons to former Dolphin Jason Taylor. Jordan may initially be a pass-rush specialist with the Dolphins, but they anticipate he’ll eventually become an every-down end in their 4-3 scheme opposite Cameron Wake, who has 43 sacks over the past four seasons.

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This is the second time Hill has been banned by the NFL. Last season, Hill served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. Hill said he took the attention deficit drug Adderall.

Hill, 23, is eligible to return to the active roster on Sept. 30 after the Giants play the Chiefs. The second-year safety is eligible to participate in preseason practices and games.

The Giants are expecting stiff competition at safety in training camp. Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown are going to start but Ryan Mundy, Hill, fifth-round pick Cooper Taylor and Tyler Sash are all competing for roles and roster spots behind the two starters.

Giants backup wide receiver Brandon Collins was also suspended for the first four games of the season last month for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

The Giants have their first camp practice next Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J.

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“Closer than ever — ever being since they left, which has been a long time much to my surprise and anticipation,” said Jones on Saturday, when asked if the NFL was close to returning to Los Angeles. “There are some viable ways for a team or teams to be in Los Angeles. We’ve got some very talented and very qualified people that want to be a part of it that are not a part of the league right now. We, obviously, have people within the league that want this very much.”

Jones spoke before his Cowboys opened up training camp in Oxnard, Calif., a coastal city 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Since 2001, the Cowboys have held at least a portion of their training camp in Oxnard eight times. From 1963-1989, they held their training camp in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which is 45 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Last year, Jones’ son, Stephen, who sits on the NFL’s stadium committee, said getting a team in Los Angeles was a top priority for the NFL and Jones said that has not changed.

“I think we’re closer,” Jones said. “I say that not just wishing. I say that, technically, because I’m aware of some things that make sense.”

Jones was hesitant to put a timeframe on the NFL’s return to Los Angeles but did think progress was being made for it to happen in the near future.

“How long does it take to build a stadium?” Jones said. “I know how long it took to build one. The other thing is that there’s certainly ways to do it without having a stadium ready. Those are some moving parts but you have to have the commitment [from the team], which for the people that make those kinds of commitments it starts that day for them in a serious way. I wouldn’t want to give you a timeframe on it but I do think that the commitment and the substance with that commitment is right around the corner.”

The Los Angeles Raiders and Los Angeles Rams played their last games in Southern California on Christmas Eve 1994 before moving to Oakland and St. Louis, respectively. Almost 20 years later, the Raiders and Rams, along with the San Diego Chargers, are the most viable teams to move to Los Angeles if they can’t get their current stadium issues resolved. The Raiders and Chargers can get out of their current leases after the 2013 season while the Rams can get out of their lease after the 2014 season.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said the NFL is not considering expanding from 32 teams and if Los Angeles were to get a team, it would come via relocation.

Last year Goodell sent a memo to all 32 organizations that said no single team has any “presumptive right” to play in Los Angeles and that only the league can make a decision on relocation. Any franchise interested in relocating to Los Angeles must apply between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15 of that year, and prove it has exhausted all attempts to remain in its current location.

There are currently two proposed stadium sites for a future NFL team in Los Angeles.

Farmers Field, a proposed stadium in downtown Los Angeles by Anschutz Entertainment Group, and a competing stadium proposed by real estate magnate Ed Roski in the City of Industry. Both are “shovel ready” but need a long-term commitment from a team before construction can begin. If construction does begin, it could take up to four years to complete.

In the meantime, the NFL team that relocates to Los Angeles would play in either the L.A. Coliseum or the Rose Bowl.

There had been some speculation that AEG’s Farmers Field was doomed after the company was taken off the sales block earlier this year and former president and CEO Tim Leiweke, who was the driving force behind the project, left the company. AEG owner Philip Anschutz, however, said he is still committed to the project and returning the NFL to L.A. and Jones said he likes the project and Anschutz.

“There are no misgivings at all about it,” Jones said of Farmers Field. “It has outstanding people involved. Phil Anschutz is an outstanding individual and would be an asset in any way for any group to be involved with and he has quite a sports background and quite a background in venues so that project. I’m actually involved in a company that just hired the lead guy that was involved in putting that Farmers Field project together so all those people have a lot of talent. It’s not a negative. It’s a plus.”

Jones, born in El Segundo, Calif., a city in Los Angeles County located on the Santa Monica Bay, spoke about his affinity for Southern California after opening his first training camp in nearby Thousand Oaks nearly 25 years ago and winning his first Super Bowl in Pasadena. He understands many in Los Angeles may be skeptical of the NFL returning to Los Angeles after being away for so long. There is a constant feeling that Los Angeles is simply being used as a threat for current teams to get new stadiums. In fact, since the Raiders and Rams left Los Angeles in 1994, 24 new stadiums have been built for 25 teams. Jones, however, reiterated the league’s commitment to making it happen soon.

“I’ve never, ever been a part of any meeting or committee ever that didn’t want, as quickly as we could, to get a team in L.A.,” Jones said. “I’ve heard that that could be a threat to people moving their teams out but that’s not right. We’ve always preferred to get a team here.”

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Booth suffered a leg injury last Saturday against Detroit and missed the past three games against Minnesota, St. Louis and Phoenix.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told a Vancouver radio station “there’s a chance” Booth could return for the playoffs.

“Hopefully, (the surgery) will accelerate the process some measure and then he’ll have to wait and rehab like anyone else,” Gillis told Team 1040.

The team has not provided details on the exact nature of Booth’s injury. Canucks officials could not be reached for comment on Booth’s procedure Friday.

The setback continues a tough season for Booth. The 28-year-old Detroit native suffered a groin injury on the first day of training camp and missed the first 14 games of the regular season. He also sat out one more game in Detroit.

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The deal includes $19 million guaranteed.

Beatty’s agents, Alan Herman and Jared Fox, declined to confirm the deal and its details when contacted Wednesday. The two sides spent part of the weekend at the combine trying to reach an agreement.

Beatty — who turns 28 on Saturday — took his physical and now will spend the prime of his career with the Giants.

The left tackle has played in 50 games (31 starts) since being drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2009 draft.

Beatty was a major priority for the Giants in free agency. He started 15 games this past season at left tackle despite missing most of the offseason and training camp with a back issue. With Beatty back in the fold, the Giants can focus now on re-signing starting left guard Kevin Boothe to solidify the left side of the offensive line.

Tight end Martellus Bennett is also another free agent the Giants would like to have back. General manager Jerry Reese recently released veterans such as running back Ahmad Bradshaw, defensive tackle Chris Canty and linebacker Michael Boley to clear cap space to keep young free agents like Beatty. Reese may have some more maneuvering to do to keep some of his free agents and restricted free agents like wide receiver Victor Cruz, safety Stevie Brown and running back Andre Brown.

Reese will also try to strengthen the offensive line. The line can use more depth with right guard Chris Snee, center David Baas and tackle David Diehl all undergoing offseason surgery.

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Williams received his first set of cortisone shots prior to the start of the season in late October and received his second set in late December. Williams and the team had previously not disclosed the second set until Friday.

Even though rest is the cure, Williams said he doesn’t want to shut it down.

“I’ve gotten frustrated some nights where I can’t do anything, can’t go anywhere, and it’s frustrating and that’s how you want to think, but I can’t do that,” Williams said.

He said his ankles have been bothering him since before the Olympics, but he injured them significantly during his second day of training camp with the U.S. men’s basketball team, when he was supposedly “out of shape.”

Williams used air quotes when he said “out of shape” during his availability with reporters after Friday’s practice, likely in reference to U.S. men’s basketball president Jerry Colangelo’s comment about him “being a little overweight.”

Asked if he’s in great shape now, Williams responded, “I was in great shape then too. You can ask anybody.”

He said his left ankle is more injured than his right ankle.

Williams got his first cortisone shot to ease the inflammation in his left ankle, which was caused by a bone spur. The next day, he got another cortisone shot in his right ankle.

Williams doesn’t think the bone spur is what’s bothering him now.

“The problem was I haven’t had a break in a long time,” Williams said. “I was doing plyometrics, box jumps this summer for the first time. I lifted heavier than I’ve ever lifted, and so I think all the wear and tear is what’s caused the inflammation, and I haven’t had a break to get it out. It’s just gotten worse and worse. It didn’t feel as bad because I wasn’t playing back-to-backs and four in five nights, then we got to the season. It just kept getting worse and worse because you have less and less rest.”

Williams said playing in back-to-backs “has been really hard for me this year.”

Despite being hampered by his ankles due to constant inflammation, Williams missed just the two games prior to the All-Star break as a result. He missed a third game Dec. 26 due to a bruised right wrist. He has also been bothered by quadriceps and shoulder discomfort this season.

Williams underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy Feb. 11 and took a week off to rest. He has since returned and averaged 21.0 points and 8.5 assists in victories over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

He said he might need offseason surgery, “but hopefully not.”

Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, who said Thursday that Williams isn’t going to be 100 percent the rest of the season, said the team will be monitoring its point guard’s minutes closely and resting him more before the postseason.

The 28-year-old’s numbers have been down across the board. He is averaging 16.9 points and 7.6 assists on 41.5 percent shooting. He has attempted just one dunk this season — a miss — because he has no explosion due to his ankle injuries.

“It’s been tough. It’s been a struggle,” Williams said.

Williams is in the first year of a five-year, $98 million contract signed during the offseason.

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The Lions used their franchise tender on the defensive end last offseason but couldn’t agree to a long-term contract, setting up the defensive end to test the free-agent market once again.

“I don’t know. It depends on the situation, honestly,” Avril told the NBC Sports Network in an interview Wednesday. “It depends on why I would be taking less money, first off. I don’t know, but we just have to get the numbers going and we’ll see. I really don’t know if I would take less right now.”

Avril, unhappy he wasn’t able to receive a long-term deal, didn’t sign his one-year, $10.6 million franchise tender until a week after training camp began last season.

He put his chances of remaining with the Lions at 50-50.

“I don’t know right now. We’re waiting to see what’s going to go down. We have a little less than a month to try to figure some things out. Hopefully, we get it done,” he said in the interview.

Avril, who will turn 27 on April 8, finished last season with 9.5 sacks, 35 tackles and two forced fumbles.

He has 39.5 career sacks and 16 forced fumbles since 2008 when Detroit drafted him out of Purdue in the third round.

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“It was really bad,” he said. “It got to the point where there was no way I was going to be able to play, so it makes it frustrating.

“But there wasn’t really an option once we got down to it.”

The 29-year-old says that once the pain started he struggled to find any relief, and things finally culminated in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 27.

“I started to feel it a little bit toward the end of training camp and the start of the season and then it got out of control probably after the second game of the season,” Spezza said.

“It got worse and worse and halfway through the Pittsburgh game, I lost strength in my leg and got real bad numbness and halfway through the game I pretty much knew I’d have to see someone.”

For Spezza, who says he felt almost instant relief following the surgery, back issues are nothing new.

He had surgery after the 2006 season, but continued to miss games the following year because of recurring back pain. He has always had to be cognizant of the issue and undergo ongoing treatment to deal with flare-ups.

“I do play hockey for a living and it’s not easy on the body, but the goal is to strengthen it and have it fixed and not be an issue moving forward,” he said. “If there’s a doctor out there who can give me that guarantee, or I can give you that guarantee I’d love to have it.”

Spezza didn’t want to commit to a return date, but he hopes to return before the end of the season.

“You always aim to push your rehab and you can be a little more aggressive with things, but (Gerry Townend, the head athletic therapist) already talked to me about making sure that we’re doing things right and not getting too carried away,” Spezza said. “The goal is to get back by the end of the season and to hopefully help us to the end of the year and the playoffs.”

The first couple of weeks following surgery are a rest and recovery period and then if things look good, Spezza should be able to start with his rehab late next week.

Despite having two surgeries, Spezza remains hopeful that this won’t be an ongoing problem, and more importantly, a detriment to the longevity of his career.

“Going forward it’s definitely going to be a focus for me. When I plan my summer training, when I do my workouts and when I’m practicing, I have to take it into consideration.

“But there’s been a lot of guys who have played with back problems and gotten over it, so I’m hoping to be one of those guys.”

Game notes
The Senators reassigned D Mark Borowiecki to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. … G Craig Anderson was given the day off to rest, but Senators coach Paul MacLean didn’t rule out giving Ben Bishop the start Saturday afternoon against the visiting Winnipeg Jets. … Anderson has played the past seven straight, while Bishop has made just one start this season, a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The post Jason Spezza: Surgery only option appeared first on IdealCapper.

His agent, Neil Sheehy, said he did not know whether Visnovsky will remain with the KHL’s Slovan Bratislava, where he played during the lockout.

Visnovsky issued a statement through Sheehy last week expressing his desire to remain in Europe. The Islanders can suspend Visnovsky for failing to report.

The KHL and NHL have an agreement that all players with NHL contracts are obligated to return to the NHL once the lockout is lifted.

Visnovsky’s case might be the first legitimate test of the sincerity of the agreement.

“The KHL has repeatedly said that they will not permit him to play, so I guess we will have to see what happens,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly said when reached via email.

According to International Ice Hockey Federation spokesperson Szymon Szemberg, the IIHF has not yet received an official letter of complaint from the NHL on the situation.

Should the league appeal to the IIHF, international hockey’s governing body, that probably would be the next step.

The IIHF’s involvement would likely only come should the NHL and KHL fail to resolve the situation on their own.

“Please keep in mind that even before IIHF regulations come into play, the NHL and the KHL have an independent memorandum of agreement drawn up specifically to avoid cases where each other contracts are not respected,” Szemberg said when reached via email. “Bill Daly has repeatedly stated that he expects the KHL to respect their side of the agreement.”

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“The best thing to do is acknowledge that it was stupid,” Miller said Friday, before turning his attention to Sabres fans. “I appreciate their patience. I know it’s a hard situation. I still don’t even know the right message because it was just a stupid, useless waste of time.”

Miller, who played a role in negotiations, called himself “embarrassed” that it took more than six months of negotiations to reach an agreement. At one point during talks, he gave up on the possibility of having a season.

And he laid the blame on the owners’ side, specifically singling out commissioner Gary Bettman, whom he accused of being the reason why the four-month lockout wasn’t resolved sooner.

“In my mind, it always had to be January in Gary Bettman’s mind,” Miller said. “Obviously, he had something in his head and he was going to see how far he could take it. So there’s really no going up against Gary when he has something in his head.”

For someone who hasn’t played in a competitive game since April 5, the ever-outspoken Miller seems already in midseason form.

“It’s exciting to be back. It’s the way you that you’re supposed to feel,” he said. “It’s not in the board room, so that’s good. It’s getting back on the ice, and that’s the important part.”

Spending much of his offseason in southern California, Miller arrived in Buffalo on Thursday, and was on the ice for what’s expected to be the players’ final informal practice at a suburban arena. Training camp is tentatively set to open Sunday, and a 48-game regular season to start a week later.

A seven-year veteran, Miller is the face of the franchise, and regarded as a team leader. His arrival was welcomed by the Sabres, and also by numerous fans. About 300 onlookers — the largest turnout this week — lined the boards to watch the open practice.

Aside from his frustrations regarding labor talks, Miller was in an upbeat mood. Walking out of the locker room with his mask perched above his head, exposing a familiar patchy beard — “It’s my lockout beard” — he then flashed a big smile and waved his glove hand before taking the ice.

Before taking any questions from reporters afterward, Miller first wanted to find out what’s been happening in Buffalo, and then shook hands with each member of the media.

“There,” he said. “We’re reintroduced again, eight months later.”

Now it’s time to get to work in what will be a shortened season, and for a high-priced Sabres team that was among the NHL’s biggest busts after missing the playoffs last season.

Buffalo (39-32-11) finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and was hampered by a rash of injuries, including Miller missing a nine-game stretch because of concussion-like symptoms. On the bright side, Miller hopes the team can pick up where it left off after closing last season on a 15-5-4 roll.

The challenge for Miller is getting himself ready to carry much of the load during a tightly packed stretch of games.

“Hockey-wise, I’m in a pretty good spot,” he said. “Mentally, I always kind of knew it was going to be a short sprint kind of situation. It’s not a surprise for anyone of us.”

Coach Lindy Ruff already has projected Miller will play 36 to 38 games.

Miller hasn’t given any thought to how many games he’ll play, but has been accustomed to being the Sabres’ workhorse.

He’s appeared in 59 or more games in each of his past six seasons. That includes 2009-10, when he was the NHL’s Vezina Trophy winner after going 41-18-8 in 69 NHL regular-season games. He also played six games at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where he led the United States to a silver medal.

“I just want to be that guy, and we’ll go by that,” Miller said. “I think if I’m playing at a high-enough level, I’d like to be in net.”

Unlike some NHLers who spent part of the lockout playing overseas, Miller elected to stay home. He said the insurance premiums on his contract proved expensive. He also noted that he wanted to make sure there were no lingering effects from the head injury he suffered last season.

Miller spent much of his time working out in California, where he skated three or four times a week. He mostly worked out with members of the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings such as Jarret Stoll, Brad Richardson, Justin Williams and Rob Scuderi. Several other NHLers, including Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, also spent a few months working out with them.

“I’ve been skating pretty consistently since June, but it’s not the same as playing with your teammates,” Miller said. “It’s been missing from my life for the past eight months, that’s a long time.”

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