Dismissal requested

The Washington Redskins are asking a judge to dismiss a former NFL player’s lawsuit that accuses the team and former assistant coach Gregg Williams of running a bounty program that encouraged players to intentionally injure opponents. The former player, linebacker Barrett Green, says he was targeted by the Redskins during a game on Dec. 5, 2004, resulting in a career-ending knee injury. Green was playing for the New York Giants at the time. He played for New York and for the Detroit Lions between 2000 and 2005. He filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the Redskins, Williams and the player who hit him, Robert Royal. The team said in a response filed Friday in federal court in Greenbelt, Md., that Green’s claims are “utterly baseless.” But, even if they were true, his lawsuit is pre-empted by an NFL collective bargaining agreement and was filed too late, lawyers for the team wrote. The team argues that an NFL collective bargaining agreement in place at the time required Green to exhaust grievance and arbitration procedures before filing a lawsuit, which he did not do. The team also says the statute of limitations for all Green’s claims is three years from the time of his injury.

The Green Bay Packers have locked up another defensive starter, signing safety Morgan Burnett to a long-term extension. Burnett’s extension, reported by NFL.com to be worth $24.75 million over four years, follows earlier offseason deals with linebackers Clay Matthews and Brad Jones. Burnett had been due to be a free agent following the 2013 season. With Charles Woodson missing most of last season with a broken collarbone, Burnett took charge of the Packers secondary. He led the team with 123 tackles, and was one of only two defensive players in the NFL to play every snap. Burnett also had 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions — both against the Minnesota Vikings. In three seasons with the Packers, Burnett has 244 tackles and six interceptions.