NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NOTES
Jordan Reed starts camp on PUP list
Jay Gruden welcomed everyone back to training camp, cracked jokes and was just a little vague about who might join injured safety DeAngelo Hall on the Washington Redskins' injured list.
"Probably a couple more," Gruden said.
One of those "couple more" is tight end Jordan Reed, a surprise inclusion on the physically unable to perform list with a toe injury.
A team spokesman said Wednesday that Reed, the former New London High School star, was dealing with significant toe soreness and is undergoing further evaluation before being cleared to play as the Redskins hope to avoid any long-term issues.
Reed's status is suddenly one of the biggest questions at Redskins camp, where Gruden is assuming the play-calling and Kirk Cousins is going into his second consecutive season on the franchise tag .
As Cousins' most reliable target, Reed finished third on the team with 66 catches last season despite missing four games with a concussion and a shoulder injury. The 27-year-old skipped voluntary offseason workouts after a 686-yard, six-touchdown season but looked good during minicamp practices. On the field in June, Gruden exclaimed after a catch by Reed: "Welcome back, 86! Good to have you back, man." Cousins ran down the field yelling: "He's back! He's back! Woo hoo!" Reed is on the shelf for now, but unlike the PUP list at the start of the season that forces a player to miss the first six games, he could be activated at any time. The same goes for Hall and linebacker Bates, who are recovering from knee surgeries, and receiver Kendal Thompson, who has an undisclosed injury. With the regular-season opener against Philadelphia more than six weeks away, Reed has time to get healthy. Fortunately for the Redskins, they won't have to wait to see two players finally healthy after Achilles tendon injuries in receiver Josh Doctson and linebacker Junior Galette.
Raiders sign Melifonwu
The Oakland Raiders have signed second-round pick safety Obi Melifonwu, the former UConn star, to a four-year contract. Melifonwu signed the deal Wednesday, two days after Oakland's rookies reported to training camp in Napa. The team does not hold its first full training camp practice until Saturday. Melifonwu was picked 56th overall in April's draft. He is expected to bolster a suspect secondary and help solve Oakland's issues with covering tight ends. The Raiders still have not signed their first-round pick, cornerback Gareon Conley.
Divers search lake for NFL star's earring
An NFL star's diamond earring valued at more than $100,000 is now presumed lost on the murky bottom of a Georgia lake. WXIA-TV reported Tuesday that Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones lost it when he hit a boat wake and took a spill while jet skiing in Lake Lanier, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside Atlanta. He resurfaced but his pricey earring didn't. SCUBA divers have been searching the lake bottom, hoping to capture a flashlight's reflection off the jewelry amid old trees that have been submerged since the man-made lake's creation in the 1950s.
So far, no luck.
Jets claim WR-KR Whitehead
The New York Jets claimed wide receiver-kick returner Lucky Whitehead on Wednesday, two days after the Cowboys cut him following a shoplifting charge in what turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.
A man used Whitehead's identity to steal $40 worth of food and drink from a Virginia convenience store in June. Dallas released him Monday after reports that Whitehead was arrested and subsequently cited for missing a court hearing.
The Jets, desperate for help at receiver, claimed the three-year veteran and waived receiver Devin Street.
Whitehead appeared in 30 games the past two seasons with the Cowboys. He averaged 25.6 yards on 33 kick returns and 6.9 yards on 44 punt returns, and had nine receptions as a reserve receiver.