No. 2 pick signs
Calvin Johnson ended his eight-day holdout Friday and it wasn’t long before the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft was working with the Detroit Lions’ first team.
The wide receiver from Georgia Tech signed a six-year contract just in time for an 8:30 a.m. practice, the Lions’ first public workout.
“We choreographed that pretty well, didn’t we?” Lions chief operating officer Tom Lewand joked.
The 500 fans in attendance cheered when they realized Johnson was on the field.
Applause followed every catch he made in the two-hour practice.
“I thought today went pretty well,” Johnson said. “I made some mistakes, but I was able to retain a lot of what I picked up in (off-season team activities).”
It made sense he was working with the starters right away.
“I wasn’t surprised. I was expecting to be out there with the first team,” Johnson said. “That’s why they picked me at No. 2.”
Johnson caught 78 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns during his All-America junior season, and he won the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top college receiver.
Johnson is expected to team with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey to give the Lions a triple-threat receiving corps.
•The Lions placed quarterback Drew Stanton, their second-round pick, on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Bronco leaves hospital
Linebacker Warrick Holdman was released from the hospital, 24 hours after being treated for a spinal cord concussion following a collision with a teammate at training camp.
“He did have some numbness this morning but not a lot,” coach Mike Shanahan said.
The Broncos didn’t say when Holdman, who spent the night at Sky Ridge Medical Center, would be able to practice again.
Holdman was injured Thursday when he tried to tackle running back Mike Bell, causing him to temporarily lose feeling in his extremities.
Browns tackle suspended
Cleveland right offensive tackle Ryan Tucker was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances.
Tucker admitted taking a banned substance, saying that he did so while being treated for a mental disorder that limited him to nine games last season.
Strahan still a question
Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan probably will release a statement on his holdout over the weekend, according to his agent. Strahan, 35, failed to report to training camp a week ago, hours after agent Tony Agnone stunned the Giants by telling them that Strahan was considering retirement after 14 NFL seasons.
There has been speculation that Strahan, who was scheduled to earn $4 million this season, is holding out in an effort to renegotiate his contract after losing a bitter divorce case that cost him $15.3 million.
Rice visits Tennessee
Defensive end Simeon Rice’s tour of NFL teams brought him to Tennessee’s headquarters, and he was gone after a few hours.
Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said the team gave Rice a physical exam, and he and coach Jeff Fisher met with the 12-year veteran.
Rice, who also took a physical with the New York Giants on Wednesday, is expected to meet with other teams.
Tampa Bay waived Rice last week because of an injured shoulder.
Ditka takes stand
Mike Ditka won’t be in Canton, Ohio, for today’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony and says he won’t attend another until the NFL and the players’ union improve their treatment of disabled players.
“The system is flawed and when they fix the system I’ll go back,” the former Chicago Bears coach and player said.
Minter may retire
Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter said he might retire before the start of the season because of severe knee pain.