NFL notebook: Another new league to start in 2019

For those starved for football once the NFL season ends, The Alliance for American Football is poised to fill the void. Beating the return of the XFL to the punch by a year, the new league plans to begin play on Feb. 9, 2019, six days after the Super Bowl LIII is played in Atlanta. Notably, The Alliance has big names and funding behind it. Former NFL general manager and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Polian is a founder of the eight-team league with television and film producer Charlie Ebersol, while former NFL players Jared Allen, Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward and Justin Tuck are also involved. The opening game will be televised in prime time on CBS as will the championship game during the weekend of April 26-28, while other games during the season will be telecast on CBS Sports Network. Over the next 12 weeks, cities and coaches will be announced. --The NFL's competition committee is planning to modify the league's controversial catch rule, the Washington Post reported. Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations, told the newspaper that two changes would be recommended -- nixing the going-to-the-ground provision and bolstering the standard for overturning a ruling on the field. --The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to release wide receiver Allen Hurns and tight end Marcedes Lewis, multiple media outlets reported. Hurns, 26, enjoyed a career season in 2015, reeling in 64 receptions for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns in 15 games. Lewis' expected departure comes on the heels of the Jaguars signing fellow tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to a contract. --Unrestricted free-agent safety Morgan Burnett signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced. Burnett posted 698 tackles, nine interceptions and 7.5 sacks in 102 career games over eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He collected 68 tackles and a forced fumble in 12 contests in 2017. --The Chicago Bears signed cornerback Kyle Fuller to a four-year contract, the team announced. The move comes four days after the Bears matched the Green Bay Packers' offer sheet to Fuller, whose new deal with Chicago is worth $56 million, including $18 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. --Wide receiver Ryan Grant, whose deal with the Baltimore Ravens was voided last week after a failed physical, signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts, the team announced. Indianapolis also signed veteran offensive lineman Matt Slauson. Terms of Grant's deal were not disclosed by the Colts, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the one-year pact is worth $5 million. No terms of Slauson's contract were available. --The Kansas City Chiefs signed nose tackle Xavier Williams, the Kansas City Star reported. Williams, 26, is headed to Kansas City after the Arizona Cardinals declined to match the Chiefs' contract offer, according to the newspaper, which cited a source. --The New York Jets signed linebacker Brandon Copeland and defensive end Xavier Cooper, the team announced. Cooper collected 16 tackles and one sack in eight games last season for the Jets. --The Buffalo Bills agreed to terms on a one-year deal with linebacker Ramon Humber, the team announced. Humber recorded a career-high 89 tackles and had a forced fumble in 13 games last season for the Bills. --Former NFL offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is facing five criminal charges in connection to a threatening Instagram post from his account last month. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office filed four counts of making criminal threats and one count of carrying a loaded firearm in public on March 13, per online records. Martin had posted an image of a shotgun and shotgun shells on his personal Instagram account last month. The message included in the post read: "When you're a bully victim & a coward, your options are suicide, or revenge." --The Dallas Cowboys acquired fullback Jamize Olawale in a trade with the Oakland Raiders, the teams announced. The Cowboys sent their fifth-round pick (No. 173 overall) to the Raiders, who in turn shuffled their sixth-round selection (No. 192) to Dallas. --Kicker Kai Forbath is expected to re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported. Forbath, who became a free agent last week, connected on a career-high 32 field-goal attempts last season -- including six from at least 50 yards. --The Indianapolis Colts re-signed cornerback Pierre Desir, according to the Indianapolis Star. Desir, 27, agreed to a one-year deal, the newspaper reported, citing a league source. Desir started six games in 2017 and had 32 tackles, one interception and seven passes defensed. --The Washington Redskins named Phil Rauscher as their assistant offensive line coach, the team announced. Rauscher spent the past three seasons with the Denver Broncos, including serving as an assistant to head coach Vance Joseph in 2017. --The Carolina Panthers signed free-agent wide receiver Jarius Wright to a three-year contract, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed by the Panthers for Wright, who was released by the Minnesota Vikings last week. --San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman provided a timeline for his return at his introductory press conference. "I'll be back on the field May, June," Sherman said. "I look forward to being better than ever." Sherman agreed to a three-year, $39.15 million contract to join the 49ers after being released by the Seattle Seahawks. --The Seattle Seahawks have reached agreement with offensive lineman D.J. Fluker on a contract, multiple media outlets reported. Fluker, 27, started six games for the New York Giants last season, and he played in three other games in 2017 before a toe injury put him on injured reserve. --The San Francisco 49ers signed guard Jonathan Cooper to a one-year deal, the team announced. The 28-year-old Cooper will be joining his fourth team in five years. He spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys, starting the final 13 games. --Brian Dawkins has tabbed a former teammate to be his presenter at this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies. Dawkins selected Troy Vincent, who played in the same secondary for eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, to introduce him during for the enshrinement of the Class of 2018 on Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio. Vincent is currently the NFL's executive vice president of football operations. --Peyton Manning already has turned down ESPN but has another decision to make on whether to join FOX Sports. The five-time NFL Most Valuable Player is expected to decide this week on an offer to become the lead analyst on "Thursday Night Football" for the 2018 season, Sports Illustrated reported, citing sources. --Special teams standout Matthew Slater is staying with the New England Patriots, multiple media outlets reported. Slater signed a two-year contract to remain with the club, according to the Boston Herald.