NAPA, Calif. — Tom Cable went on the defensive Tuesday, and the NFL said it would investigate reports that the Raiders coach got into a fight that sent one of his assistants to a hospital.
A day after calling it “an internal issue that we are dealing with,” Cable denied anything transpired at all with defensive assistant Randy Hanson this month. Cable allegedly punched Hanson in the jaw.
“Nothing happened,” Cable said Tuesday. “Listen, you want to talk about this football team and the players on this football team, I’ll talk all day. Otherwise, I’m not getting into it.”
A report filed with the Napa Police Department describes an unnamed 41-year-old Raiders assistant coach being treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a jaw injury, which the victim alleges was caused by an unidentified member of the Raiders coaching staff Aug. 5.
AOL Fanhouse reported Cable caused the injury.
“It’s just another day around here,” running back Justin Fargas said. “Things wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t some controversy.”
• Chaz Schilens, projected to be one of the Raiders’ top two receivers this season, broke a bone in his left foot while running a route during a joint practice with the 49ers.
Cable didn’t provide a timeline for when Schilens might return, but such an injury would likely sideline Schilens at least a month. He has been a major bright spot in the receiving corps this camp.
Javon Walker hasn’t practiced at all this camp while recovering from offseason knee surgery. Cable said he expects Walker to join Oakland’s workouts Monday but declined to say when or if Walker would be able to play this preseason.
Fourth-round draft pick Louis Murphy has been sidelined in recent days with a hip injury, putting his status for Saturday night’s game with the 49ers in doubt.
In addition, first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey continues to have problems catching the ball. He had three drops during the joint workout.
Owens misses practice
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Bills receiver Terrell Owens missed practice a day after testing his sprained toe during a 20-minute workout.
Coach Dick Jauron said Owens required more treatment and was told to stay off his feet after the receiver complained of soreness. Owens also experienced discomfort standing after taking part in stretches and individual drills during practice Monday night, Jauron said.
“It was just kind of a test,” Jauron said, declining to call it a setback. “We were hoping he could maybe do the same thing today, but we didn’t have any preconceived notions.”
Meanwhile, contract talks between the Bills and first-round draft pick Aaron Maybin are stalled, and neither side is offering positive signs a deal is close.
Neither the team nor Maybin’s camp will offer specifics on how far apart they are, but the Bills are becoming concerned that the defensive end, selected 11th overall out of Penn State, will not report soon enough to be ready for the regular season in less than four weeks.
Bucs safety Jackson suspended
TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson received a four- game suspension for violating the NFL’s substances-abuse policy.
“I can’t really go into the details of the situation, but I can let people know that I’m obviously disappointed in decisions that I made that got me in this situation,” Jackson said. “I’m definitely disappointed in myself.”
Footnotes.
Titans rookie cornerback Ryan Mouton sprained his left ankle and had to be carted off the practice field. Coach Jeff Fisher called it a “significant sprain” but said it should not keep Mouton out for the rest of the preseason.
• Offensive lineman Louis Vas- quez (foot) and linebacker Larry English (hamstring) — top draft picks of San Diego who have been sidelined nearly two weeks — returned to training camp, though English did not participate in practice. Both said they were optimistic about playing in Saturday’s exhibition game at Arizona.
• Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden is expected to miss three to four weeks because of a hamstring injury. The Associated Press
