[Jake]

News briefs: Milloy denies tampering report Sept. 7, 2003
SportsLine.com wire reports

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Safety Lawyer Milloy disputed a report that said he was negotiating with other NFL teams before New England released him.

"I wasn't contacted by any other team before the Patriots cut me," Milloy said Sunday after he made his Buffalo Bills debut in a 31-0 victory over New England.

Milloy added that he did not want to discuss anything involving the Patriots.

On Saturday, SI.com quoted Milloy as saying that Washington made him an offer before the Patriots released him for salary cap reasons Tuesday -- a report the Redskins also denied.

Milloy said his agent, Carl Poston, "called some teams to see who would want me" before he was cut, and added: "The Redskins gave us a bigger offer than the Patriots."

That would be a violation of the NFL's tampering rules.

Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson called the report "absurd."

Peter King, who wrote the article and attended Sunday's game, said Milloy made the comments to him, and stood by his story.

Milloy, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a four-year contract with Buffalo worth $15 million, including a $5 million bonus and a $2 million salary for this season.

For salary cap reasons, the Patriots wanted Milloy to take a cut from $4.4 million to $2.5 million. When negotiations broke down, he was released.