NFL-National Football League roundup
April 24 (The Sports Xchange) - The Carolina Panthers exercised their 2015 option on quarterback Cam Newton, according to reports Thursday, Newton is recovering from ankle surgery but is expected back for training camp. The two sides are expected to eventually work on a deal that will keep Newton in Carolina well beyond 2015. - - The New England Patriots exercised a fifth-year contract option on offensive tackle Nate Solder for 2015. A first-round pick in the 2011 draft, Solder has played 47 games (44 starts) since entering the league out of Colorado. - - The Patriots signed linebacker Josh Hull, who was released by the Washington Redskins earlier this month, to a one-year contract, ESPN.com reported. Hull, a special teamer, made 14 tackles in 11 games last season. - - Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant announced his retirement from the NFL. Trufant re-signed with the Seahawks on Wednesday so he could retire as a Seahawk. - - Beloved Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, replaced by Solomon Wilcots as the color analyst on the team's preseason game telecasts, said he lost his job due to slurred speech attributed to concussions sustained playing for the team. Kosar released a statement in response to the demotion calling the role "one of the remaining joys in my life." - - Seahawks personnel executive Scot McCloughan resigned to tend to a personal matter. A top aide to general manager John Schneider since he left the San Francisco 49ers after the 2009 season due to personal issues, CBS Sports reported McCloughan will start an independent scouting service while tending to the family matter. - - TIME Magazine named outspoken Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman one of its 100 Most Influential People, applauding his willingness to speak his mind in an era of microphone dodging in professional sports. Sherman's inclusion in the TIME list puts him in a unique peer group, one that includes stem-cell scientists, world leaders and icons of film and entertainment. (Editing by Frank Pingue)
