NFL roundup: Falcons' Turner charged with DUI

Falcons running back Michael Turner was charged with DUI in early Tuesday, hours after helping Atlanta to a victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

Turner, 30, was stopped after Gwinnett police registered him driving nearly 100 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 85 North at just after 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Turner was booked around 5 a.m. and released just before 7. The Falcons released the following statement Tuesday morning: "We are aware of the situation involving Michael and are in the process of gathering more information. Because this is now a legal matter, the club will have no further comment at this time."

Turner was charged with DUI after police smelled "an odor of alcoholic beverage" coming from his Audi R8, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

--- NFL Films president Steve Sabol died Tuesday after an 18-month battle with brain cancer.

Sabol would have turned 70 in a few weeks.

"Steve was the creative genius behind NFL Films' remarkable work," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Steve's passion for football was matched only by his talent and energy. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we looked at football and sports, and a great friend. His legacy is assured."

Sabol took over as president of NFL Films in 1985 from his father Ed, who started the company. In August 2011, when Ed Sabol was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his son presented him with an emotional speech.

Five months earlier, Sabol had learned he had an inoperable brain tumor.

---Quarterback Blaine Gabbert is expected to be ready to play for the Jaguars in Indianapolis on Sunday after being injured in the Houston game.

Gabbert suffered an injury to his gluteus maximus muscle Sunday and will be limited in practice Wednesday, coach Mike Mularkey said. Mularkey said he anticipates Gabbert being able to play in Indianapolis, but the Jaguars will have to wait and see how he reacts to being back on the field before they'll know for sure if he will be ready.

An MRI revealed the injury to the glute according to Mularkey, who speculated Sunday it might be a hamstring injury.

---Two days before he started and played every snap against the Detroit Lions, 49ers Lions, 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was involved in a single-car accident in which the driver was hospitalized with a "broken back."

The Sacramento Bee reported the accident took place Friday at 11:45 p.m. The California Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved.

Smith suffered a cut above his eye and was treated at the 49ers' team facility. He had seven tackles and a sack in the 49ers' win less than 48 hours later against the Detroit Lions.

---Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland was in a verbal exchange with a fan during halftime of Sunday's victory over the Raiders.

The Miami Herald spoke to Ireland on Tuesday to confirm the incident in which a fan, who told his side of the story to the Miami radio station The Ticket, asked Ireland to "fire himself."

The Dolphins said there was no argument but will review the incident and consider a course of action. The fan, who identified himself only as Sean, approached Ireland on the stadium concourse as Ireland was returning to his seat from the suite area where he visited his family. Ireland alleged responded by saying "Good one" and called the fan an epithet.

---Eagles center Jason Kelce is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in Sunday's win over the Ravens.

Kelce was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list and replaced on the roster by center Steve Vallos, who was in training camp with the Eagles and has played in 40 games in his career. He was a seventh-round pick of the Seahawks in 2007 and also played for the Browns in 2010-11.

---Scott Fujita's scheduled meeting in New York at the NFL office of commissioner Roger Goodell has been postponed.

NFL Network reported Fujita planned to participate in the meeting via video conference from the Browns' facility in Berea, Ohio. The NFL insisted on a face-to-face meeting and will attempt to reschedule.

With Saints defensive coordinator Will Smith and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove meeting with Goodell on Tuesday, one day after linebacker Jonathan Vilma had his sitdown with Goodell, it's possible Fujita's reconsidered suspension could be ruled upon in a different timeframe than the other players involved.

---Jonathan Vilma continues to deny he offered a $10,000 reward to teammates to knock Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship game and claims signed affidavits from former Saints coaches are false and motive-driven.

Suspended defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former defensive assistant Mike Cerullo were served subpoenas by Vilma's representatives last week, ESPN.com reported.

Vilma met with Goodell on Monday and was presented affidavits signed by Williams and Cerullo claiming Vilma helped fund the pay-for-performance program in New Orleans.

---The Patriots signed tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. to a one-year deal.

ESPN first reported Winslow's signing, which was expected with Aaron Hernandez likely to miss at least four weeks with an ankle injury.

Winslow reportedly failed a physical with the Patriots two weeks ago after a workout. He was traded from the Buccaneers to the Seahawks in May but released him on Aug. 31 when the roster had to be trimmed to 53 players.

The Patriots hosted Winslow and Michael Hoomanawanui on Sept. 4 and signed Hoomanawanui. They also signed Visanthe Shiancoe, but he's on injured reserve (designated to return).

---Wide receiver Deion Branch has re-signed with the New England Patriots, the Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Branch was one of the Patriots' final cuts during the preseason, but his name was never removed from his Patriots' locker, which is right next to Tom Brady's.

Branch, 33, had 51 receptions for the Patriots last season, when he started 15 games.

The Patriots released wide receiver Greg Salas earlier Tuesday.

---If replacement officials needed additional suggestive negative publicity, the claim from Eagles running back LeSean McCoy in a radio interview should do the trick.

Appearing on 94 WIP with Anthony Gargano and Ike Reese, McCoy questioned whether players respected officials. And if the statement McCoy claimed he heard in-game during Sunday's victory over Baltimore is accurate, there's reason to wonder.

"They're like fans, kind of though," McCoy said with a laugh. "I'll be honest, they're like fans. One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, like 'McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy,' ahhh, what?"

The context of that comment -- and whether the referee was making an attempt at lightheartedness -- wasn't clear.

---Tampa Bay has re-signed wide receiver Jordan Shipley, the team announced Tuesday.

Shipley returns after the Buccaneers waived him Aug. 31. He was among the team's final cuts in training camp.

To clear a roster spot, the Bucs released offensive lineman Derek Hardman.

---Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler admits that he made a mistake in bumping left tackle J'Marcus Webb on the sideline during last Thursday's loss to Green Bay, but he doesn't plan to stop yelling at teammates anytime soon.

"I probably shouldn't have bumped him, I'll go with that," Cutler told ESPN 1000 in Chicago during a weekly appearance. "As far as me yelling at him and trying to get him going in the game, I don't regret that."

Cutler has received criticism from opponents and teammates, including Chicago cornerback D.J. Moore, since the incident. Moore said he doesn't believe a quarterback can act the way Cutler acted.

---First, the agent for Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley took a shot at Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler after his performance in the Bears' loss last Thursday night.

But Blake Baratz didn't stop there. He also threw a backhanded verbal jab at Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Baratz took to Twitter last Friday to call out Cutler for his leadership ability and went on to name some of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL who display those skills. Rodgers wasn't among them.

---The Washington Redskins placed defensive end Adam Carriker and two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo on injured reserve Tuesday.

To replace them on the roster, the Redskins signed defensive end Doug Worthington from their practice squad and linebacker Markus White from Tampa Bay's practice squad.

Carriker and Orakpo suffered season-ending injuries in Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Rams.

---New York defensive end Justin Tuck has joined the chorus of coaches and players who took exception to Tampa Bay's aggressive play during the Giants' victory-formation kneel-down at the end of Sunday's game.

"I am trying to be politically (correct)," ESPN.com reported Tuck as saying Tuesday. "I thought it was a classless play. That is how you get guys hurt. I have been in this league for eight years and that is the first time that I've ever seen that. There have been guys that's been in here a lot longer than I have and that is the first time they have seen it."

---The Bengals signed defensive end Wallace Gilberry and placed Jamaal Anderson on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury.

Anderson, a former first-round pick of the Falcons, suffered a torn quadriceps tendon Sunday against the Browns.

---Atlanta's victory over Denver earned ESPN an 11.3 overnight Nielsen rating, up 28 percent from the "Monday Night Football" game between the Rams and Giants in Week 2 last season, according to the Sports Business Daily.

The Falcons game marked the return to MNF for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, and it earned an 18.9 local rating on ESPN in Denver and 21.4 in Atlanta.

---The Detroit Lions could have multiple reinforcements for their beleaguered secondary this week against the Titans.

The Lions expect third-round pick Bill Bentley to practice this week and also claimed Jerome Murphy on waivers from the Saints. To make room on the roster, the Lions waived cornerback Kevin Barnes. Detroit traded a seventh-round pick for Barnes in August.