Notes: Amid many moves, McNair stays

As many NFL franchises scrambled to trim their payrolls Thursday in anticipation of getting under the $94.5 million salary cap by the new Sunday deadline, a few teams managed to keep some players.

The biggest keeper was quarterback Steve McNair, whom the Tennessee Titans retained for one more season by paying a $1 million fee rather than the monstrous $50 million option bonus that would have extended McNair's contract through 2009.

Titans general manager Floyd Reese said they will keep trying to negotiate a new deal with McNair that gives them more room under the salary cap. McNair's cap charge in 2006 sits at $23.4 million, almost a quarter of the team's cap room, his agent said.

"The cap number is much bigger than we'd like to live with," Reese said. "It would help if we extend his contract, and it also helps us get more players. He will for sure be a Titan for another year, and then hopefully more after that."

The Titans came into the week an estimated $18.7 million over the salary cap but got under by cutting longtime left tackle Brad Hopkins and declining to exercise option bonuses for McNair, backup quarterback Billy Volek and others.

The Indianapolis Colts continued to try to keep their Super Bowl contender intact, offering Pro Bowl linebacker Cato June and sack leader Robert Mathis one-year tenders.

Both players are restricted free agents, meaning the Colts can match any offer or receive draft-pick compensation from any team that signs one of them.

Mathis, who led the Colts with 11 ½ sacks last season, was offered $2.07 million, a tender that would bring first- and third-round picks. June was given a first-round tender worth $1.55 million.

The Colts, who are about $7 million over the salary cap, also lost an arbitration ruling that would have helped them save money by converting roster bonuses totaling about $19 million into signing bonuses for quarterback Peyton Manning and receiver Marvin Harrison.

In other moves:

• The Kansas City Chiefs cut cornerbacks Eric Warfield and Dexter McCleon and linebackers Shawn Barber and Gary Stills. The moves saved about $6 million for Kansas City, which was around $20 million over the cap.

The NFL's extension for the start of free agency spared longtime guard Will Shields for a few days anyway. Shields is due $5.5 million and could be released Sunday.

• The Oakland Raiders cut defensive lineman Ted Washington, offensive lineman Ron Stone and defensive back Denard Walker, saving the team more than $12 million in salary-cap room.

The Raiders still have to cut about $12 million by Sunday. One option is to release quarterback Kerry Collins, who will count $12.9 million.

• Buffalo receiver Eric Moulds rejected the team's second request this week to take a pay cut.

Moulds is scheduled to count $10.86 million against the salary cap, and releasing him would save the team $5.5 million.

The Bills are about $11 million under the cap after cutting safety Lawyer Milloy, defensive tackle Sam Adams and tight end Mark Campbell on Wednesday.

Other moves

• The Carolina Panthers got close to the cap when they released LB Brandon Short (saving $2 million) and restructured S Mike Minter's deal (saving $1.7 million).

• The Green Bay Packers released LB Na'il Diggs (saving $2.9 million) and P Ryan Dutton.

• Left tackle Matt Lepsis signed a new four-year contract with the Denver Broncos.

• The San Francisco 49ers tendered offers to WR Brandon Lloyd and QB Ken Dorsey, who are restricted free agents.

• The Jacksonville Jaguars tendered contract offers to four restricted free agents: OG Vince Manuwai, WR Cortez Hankton, RB LaBrandon Toefield and TE George Wrighster.

Notes

• In Minneapolis, lawyers for Minnesota QB Daunte Culpepper and RB Moe Williams accused a prosecutor of racial discrimination, saying he charged black men but ignored possible crimes by two white men in the team's boat party scandal.

Culpepper, Williams and two other players face trial on charges of indecent conduct and lewdness for their alleged behavior on two cruise boats last October on Lake Minnetonka. They have pleaded not guilty.

Defense attorneys allege that a boat captain and another man — both white — engaged in indecent conduct but were not charged.

• Michigan State assistant coach Jim McElwain is leaving to become quarterbacks coach for the Raiders. McElwain joins the staff of Art Shell, who recently was named the Raiders' coach.

• Former NFL RB Lawrence Phillips was ordered to stand trial on assault charges for allegedly driving a car into three teenagers who argued with him after a pickup football game in Los Angeles last August.