NFL notebook: Patricia denies 1996 sexual assault charge

Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia maintained his innocence on Thursday, one day after a story surfaced of an indictment from 1996 on a charge of aggravated sexual assault. The Detroit News reported on Wednesday that a then-21-year-old Patricia and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute teammate Greg Dietrich were indicted 22 years ago by a Texas grand jury on one count each of aggravated sexual assault for an alleged incident involving a 21-year-old woman on South Padre Island (Texas). The indictment never went to trial and the case was dismissed in January 1997, after the woman who made the accusation was "unable to testify and cannot give a date certain when she will be available," according to the dismissal paperwork, per ESPN. "Victim does not feel she can face the pressures or stress of a trial. Victim may request that the case be refiled at a later date." "I'm here to defend my honor and clear my name," Patricia, 43, said on Thursday, reading from a prepared text. --Free agent running back Adrian Peterson said he is fully healthy and ready to play for the 2018 season. Peterson told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network that he has been medically cleared by three different doctors and given the green light to return to the field. The former NFL Most Valuable Player, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals in March, had his 2017 season end due to a neck injury. The 33-year-old Peterson, in what amounted to a promotional ad for potential employers, posted videos on his Twitter account Wednesday detailing his workout routine. Peterson started last season with the New Orleans Saints before he was traded to Arizona in October. He told the NFL Network he'd be interested in a return to the Saints, who have a depth issue after starting running back Mark Ingram was suspended four games on Wednesday. --Carolina Panthers running back Fozzy Whittaker's season is over before it started. The Panthers placed Whittaker on injured reserve after he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee earlier this week, the team announced. The 29-year-old Whittaker was hurt Monday during a non-contact, on-field drill as part of the team's offseason program. Entering his seventh season overall and fifth with the Panthers, Whittaker appeared in 43 games for Carolina, rushing 121 times for 536 yards and catching 47 passes for 397 yards. He scored four touchdowns and also was a valuable contributor on kickoff returns. --The New York Giants waived running back Paul Perkins, the team announced. The move was expected after Perkins underwent surgery for a non-football injury and New York's subsequent decision to draft Penn State's Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in last month's NFL Draft. Perkins suffered a pectoral injury prior to the start of the team's offseason program. A fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA in 2016, Perkins had 112 carries for 456 yards and 15 catches for 162 yards during his rookie season of 2016. Expected to compete for a starting job in 2017, Perkins mustered just 90 rushing yards and eight receptions in 11 games in 2017. He was inactive in four games and did not appear in another. --Defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne became the first of this year's first-round draft class to sign, the Washington Redskins announced Thursday. Payne, drafted No. 13 overall out of Alabama, was among seven draft picks signed by Washington on Thursday that included running back Derrius Guice, the team's second-round selection. The four-year deal for Payne is worth $14.54 million, including a signing bonus of $8.65 million. Payne is the Redskins' second straight first-round pick out of Alabama, joining fellow defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Washington also signed defensive back Troy Apke (fourth round), defensive lineman Tim Settle (fifth round), linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton (sixth) and a pair of seventh-rounders in defensive back Greg Stroman and wide receiver Trey Quinn. --Wide receiver Courtland Sutton was among seven draft picks signed by the Denver Broncos, the team announced. Sutton, a second-round selection (No. 40 overall out of SMU, signed a four-year contract, as did the other six picks: linebacker Josey Jewell, wideout DaeSean Hamilton, tight end Troy Fumagalli, guard Sam Jones, linebacker Keishawn Bierria and running back David Williams. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Sutton went over 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons with the Mustangs. He had 76 receptions and 10 touchdowns as a junior and 68 catches for 12 touchdowns last season. Sutton had 31 scoring receptions over his final three seasons and averaged 16.5 yards per catch for his career. Jewell and Hamilton were both fourth-round picks, Fumagalli went in the fifth round, Jones and Bierria were taken in the sixth and Williams was drafted in the seventh. --The New York Giants signed third-round draft pick Lorenzo Carter to a four-year contract, the team announced. Carter, an outside linebacker out of Georgia, is the first of New York's draft picks to sign. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Carter started 26 games at Georgia, which lost to Alabama in the national championship game last season. As a senior, Carter had a career-high 62 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He recorded 14.5 career sacks and 21.5 tackles for losses in his four seasons. --The Atlanta Falcons signed third-round draft pick Deadrin Senat to a four-year contract, the team announced. The signing of Senat, a defensive tackle out of South Florida, leaves only wide receiver Calvin Ridley, Atlanta's first-round selection, as the team's only unsigned pick. Senat recorded 23.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks for the Bulls. He registered career highs in both categories as a senior with 6.0 sacks and 105 tackles for loss. --The Pittsburgh Steelers signed two more draft picks, the club announced. Pittsburgh signed safety Marcus Allen, a fifth-round selection, and seventh-round defensive tackle Joshua Frazier to four-year deals. Allen played four seasons at Penn State, appearing in 49 games and recording 320 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and an interception. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Frazier was a backup with national champion Alabama. He had 15 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, in 11 games last season. --The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed four draft picks, the team announced. Cornerback M.J. Stewart, the team's second-round selection (No. 53 overall), headed the signees that included safety Jordan Whitehead, wide receiver Justin Watson and linebacker Jack Cichy. Stewart registered 199 tackles (11.5 for loss), 41 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three sacks in his career at North Carolina. He led the ACC with 18 passes defensed as a sophomore. Whitehead, a fourth-round selection out of Pittsburgh, piled up 234 tackles (7.5 for loss), 12 passes defensed, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in three seasons with the Panthers. --New England Patriots left guard Joe Thuney is nursing a foot injury that will require surgery, ESPN reported. Per the report, Thuney is expected to miss Organized Team Activities but be back in time for the start of the regular season. Thuney has started all 32 regular-season games and six playoff contests for the Patriots since they selected him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. In total, the 25-year-old Thuney has missed nine snaps during his NFL career. The team also announced the release of offensive lineman Jason King, who was signed to a future contract on Feb. 6. --The Detroit Lions waived running back Tion Green, the team announced. Green signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent last season and provided a mild spark in December. The 24-year-old rushed 42 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns while adding two catches for 14 yards over the final five games of the season. The Lions bolstered their backfield by signing LeGarrette Blount as a free agent this offseason and adding Kerryon Johnson in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. --Free-agent defensive tackle David Parry is scheduled to visit with the Minnesota Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported. Parry was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz., on February 2017 on a number of charges related to an incident involving a stolen golf cart that was being used as a taxi. He received probation after a guilty plea and was released by the Indianapolis Colts in September. The 26-year-old Parry joined the New Orleans Saints and quickly was elevated from the practice squad on Sept. 20. He played one game before being placed on injured reserve the following week, during which he served a four-game suspension. --Nashville (Tenn.) is the leading contender to host the 2019 draft, ESPN reported. Las Vegas, Denver, Kansas City and the combination bid from Cleveland/Canton, Ohio, are also being considered. It would mark the first time for any of those respective cities to host the draft. A decision is expected to be announced during the league's spring meeting May 22-23 in Atlanta, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed in an email to The Tennessean. Should Nashville lose out on the 2019 NFL Draft, ESPN cited sources as saying that Music City would be in prime position to host the 2020 event. --ESPN announced its new Monday Night Football crew for the 2018 NFL season. Play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore will join analysts Jason Witten and Booger McFarland and reporter Lisa Salters for the broadcast's 49th season. Tessitore and Witten will be in the booth while McFarland will serve as a field-level analyst, the network said. The group will make its regular-season debut on Sept. 10 with a familiar face on the sideline. Jon Gruden, who formerly was in ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast booth, will begin his second stint as head coach of the Oakland Raiders when he leads his team against the Los Angeles Rams in the late game of the season-opening doubleheader at 10:15 p.m. ET. --The Houston Texans signed third-round safety Justin Reid to a four-year $4.063 million contract on Thursday. The deal reportedly includes a $1.039 million signing bonus. Reid, who was the Texans' first pick in the draft, is the brother of former San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid. He played collegiately at Stanford after being an all-state selection from Louisiana. Reid was a second-team All-American at Stanford, where he was also named All-Pac-12. Seventh-round cornerback Jermaine Kelly was also signed by the Texans on Thursday.