Morgan, who signed with the Saints on March 11, played in the NFL for seven seasons, all with the Carolina Panthers. The injury-plagued veteran was drafted in the first round out of the University of Miami.

Morgan, who never missed a game in high school or college, sat out five games as a rookie with a broken leg. He missed eight games a season later with groin and shoulder injuries. He hurt a hamstring in 2003 and later sustained the first of at least five concussions.

OWNERS COULD OPT OUT OF CONTRACT: The NFL's labor situation could get more complicated this week.

The league's owners meet today and could vote to opt out of the labor contract. Such a move could signal a protracted period of labor tension and lead to a 2010 season without a salary cap and a potential work stoppage the next year.

The owners have until Nov. 8 to terminate the deal. Some would prefer to do so now and hasten the way for talks toward a new contract to replace the 2-year-old deal that most owners feel has tilted too far toward the players, who get 60 percent of total revenues.

That the owners will opt out is basically a foregone conclusion.

Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, has been predicting a lockout.

MCKINNEY JOINS DOLPHINS: Offensive lineman Steve McKinney, 32, coming back from a knee injury that forced him to miss most of the 2007 season, signed a contract Monday to join the Miami Dolphins.

PANTHERS SIGN QB: The Carolina Panthers have signed free-agent quarterback Lester Ricard, giving the team an extra arm a week before the beginning of optional workouts.The 24-year-old Ricard spent his rookie season in 2007 on the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad. He went undrafted after being a three-year starter at Tulane.

JOHNSON TO MISS WORKOUTS: Andre Johnson recently had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee that will keep him from practicing with the Houston Texans until training camp in July.

ELLER GETS TRIAL DATE: Minnesota Vikings great Carl Eller appeared in court Monday on charges stemming from an alleged scuffle with police last month.

Eller agreed to appear at a pretrial hearing July 29, and a trial date was set for Nov. 4. He hasn't entered a plea.

The charges against Eller include assault on a police officer and making terroristic threats. He was arrested at his home April 9 for alleged drunken driving.

Eller had another run-in with the Minneapolis police last week. Police say he didn't have special license plates on his motorcycle that indicate he had past alcohol-related driving offenses.

BENGALS RELEASE THURMAN: Less than a month after the NFL reinstated Odell Thurman from his two-year suspension, the troubled linebacker is out of a job.

The Cincinnati Bengals supported Thurman during his suspension for violating the league's substance abuse and conduct policies. When he didn't show up for voluntary workouts, they decided they had had enough. Thurman was waived on Monday.