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Tampa Bay Bucs: Carnell "Cadillac" Williams practiced Wednesday and remained optimistic that he'll play this week against the Miami Dolphins.

Still, the rookie running back was listed on the injury report as questionable two days after coach Jon Gruden said the fifth pick in the draft was probable for Sunday. Williams sat out last week's 14-12 loss to the New York Jets because of a foot sprain and sore hamstring.

Gruden said he spoke prematurely on Monday.

"He still obviously has some lingering effects from the injury. ... He's not probable, he's questionable. I got a little bit ahead of myself and I apologize. I was hoping he was probable. I said that with wishful thinking."

Williams said his left foot, which is the greatest source of concern, is improving. He planned to test it again on Thursday.

"There's still a little discomfort, but it's football," Williams said. "You're not going to go into every game feeling healthy. I definitely understand that. But overall, it actually did a lot better than I thought it was going to do today."

Running back swap: The Buccaneers signed running back Ian Smart to the practice squad and released fullback Carey Davis.

Smart appeared in four games for the Bucs last season. He carried the ball twice for 26 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards. He also returned eight kickoffs for 167 yards after spending eight weeks on Tampa Bay's practice squad.

Davis had been with the practice squad since Sept. 20.

Seattle Seahawks: Wide receiver Darrell Jackson had surgery to repair cartilage damage in his right knee on Wednesday.

Coach Mike Holmgren said that Jackson will remain in Florida -- where the surgery took place -- for another week and have one more examination before returning to Seattle to rehabilitate the injury.

"I can't tell you how long it's going to be. The cartilage and scopes typically can be two weeks, guys come back in two weeks, sometimes it's longer," Holmgren said. "We just have to see how it is."

Seattle's other starting receiver, Bobby Engram, was listed as out on the injury report with two cracked ribs. Engram was injured two weeks ago against Washington.

Last week, Joe Jurevicius and D.J. Hackett started in Jackson and Engram's place. Jurevicius had a career-high nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, while Hackett had five catches for 43 yards.

Cornerback Andre Dyson and offensive lineman Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack were both listed as doubtful. Dyson has right hamstring pull and Womack has a left quadriceps injury.

Dallas Cowboys: Running back Julius Jones and linebacker Dat Nguyen did not go through team drills Wednesday and the Cowboys aren't sure whether either will play Sunday against the New York Giants.

Both are listed as questionable.

Coach Bill Parcells said he is "kind of hoping" Jones will be able to play despite a sprained left ankle that kept him out of the second half of a victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. Jones had 72 yards in two quarters and was clearly frustrated to be on the sideline.

Rookie Tyson Thompson, who gained 75 yards in Jones' place, or veteran Anthony Thomas likely would start if Jones can't play.

Thomas has been inactive for several games and isn't happy about it. Parcells said he spoke to Thomas this week to clarify his role.

"It wasn't exactly a two-way discussion," Parcells said. "I told him exactly what I thought, where he was in this world, and I'm hopeful he's receptive to it."

The Cowboys also have rookie Marion Barber III and they added Keylon Kincade to the practice squad Tuesday.

Carolina Panthers: Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster were among four injured running backs to miss practice with the Panthers.

Davis and Foster have knee injuries and are questionable for Sunday's game against Detroit. Davis had surgery on his right knee last year and has been on the injury report every week. Foster is an addition and the Panthers did not disclose what is wrong with his knee.

"It's early in the week," Carolina coach John Fox said. "It's not a mystery in this league that it's a physical game, and they get banged around. Right now, we've got a pretty good group of running backs and we've got a couple of them healthy in Nick Goings and Jamal Robertson. We'll see who we've got as we move forward to Sunday."

Goings proved to be a decent backup last season. Originally the sixth-string running back, he became a starter last season because of injuries and filled in with five 100-yard rushing games.

Rod Smart (groin) and fullback Brad Hoover (shoulder) also missed practice. Smart, also Carolina's kick returner, is listed as doubtful while Hoover is questionable.

Minnesota Vikings: Recovering from sprained left knees, Minnesota's top wide receiver Nate Burleson and nickel cornerback Brian Williams will both miss Sunday's game at Chicago.

Burleson was injured in the Vikings' second game, at Cincinnati. Williams was hurt the following week, against New Orleans. They each went through warmups with the team before Wednesday's practice, the first time Burleson has done that since the injury.

Defensive lineman Spencer Johnson (knee) is also doubtful to play against the Bears. That cripples Minnesota's line depth, because starting end Kenechi Udeze had season-ending knee surgery last week.

Running back Moe Williams (knee) is questionable for Sunday after missing the Vikings' last game at Atlanta on Oct. 2, but free safety Darren Sharper (knee) participated in Wednesday's entire practice and should be ready to return from a two-game absence. Defensive end Lance Johnstone (shoulder), who sat out against the Falcons, is also on track to return.

Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner has seen this all before. The unquestioned starter for the Cardinals throughout training camp and the first three games of the season, Warner has missed the last two games with a groin strain.

In his absence, Josh McCown threw for 385 yards in a victory over San Francisco and 398 yards in a close loss to Carolina. Twice before in his career, Warner has lost his job to a younger player. He was back at practice Wednesday trying not to think about whether it is about to happen again.

"I'm fighting that battle not to have that go through my mind," Warner said. "Right now it's just working, rehabbing and getting ready, getting to 100 percent, doing what I do, and letting all the chips fall where they may."

With his 1-4 team off this weekend, coach Dennis Green is in no hurry to announce his choice. He gave no indication on Wednesday when he would choose the starter.

After Thursday's practice, the players are off until Monday, although Warner said he would stick around to continue his rehabilitation.

Moving players around: The Cardinals re-signed guard Jeremy Bridges in one of a series of minor personnel moves.

The team signed fullback Jarrod Baxter and cornerback Dyshod Carter, and promoted safety Aaron Francisco from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

To make room, the Cardinals placed guard Ian Allen, linebacker Eric Johnson and safety Adrian Mayes on injured reserve and released quarterback Rohan Davey. Allen has a back injury. Johnson and Mayes have hurt hamstrings.

In another move, the Cardinals re-signed linebacker Isaac Keys to the practice squad.

New York Jets: If Ty Law could get rid of one pesky rule in the NFL, life would be grand.

Law is still trying to adjust to the measure implemented last season that limits the contact defensive backs can make with receivers. Fair or not, it is known as the "Ty Law Rule" because of his aggressive play against the Indianapolis Colts when he was still with the Patriots.

When asked about the rule Wednesday, Law said the Colts complained so much about him, it should be known as the "Peyton Manning Rule."

"It's like they're bringing the Pro Bowl game to the regular season," Law said. "I understand in the Pro Bowl you've got all these rules, you got to play off, you can't play bump and run, you can't rush the quarterback. Pretty soon every game is going to be the Pro Bowl. That's what I'm afraid of as a player.

"This is still football, this is not track, this is not basketball, shirts and skins. It's not flag football."

New Orleans Saints: The Saints placed running back Deuce McAllister on injured reserve, ending his season after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Sunday's 52-3 loss to Green Bay.

McAllister, 26, received a second opinion from physicians in San Antonio and a third opinion from orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

McAllister, in his fifth season, had rushed for 335 yards on 93 carries before the injury. He had three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and earlier this season became the Saints' career rushing leader with 4,529 yards.

San Francisco 49ers: Linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, the 49ers' second-leading tackler last season, will be placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery Thursday to reattach his biceps muscle to his arm.

Ulbrich, second in the NFC this season with 41 tackles according to league stats, spoke with several medical specialists before reluctantly deciding on surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon on his right arm.

If he had attempted to play through the injury, which occurred while trying to tackle Indianapolis' Edgerrin James last weekend, he would have lost half of the strength in his arm for the rest of his life.

Though coaches, teammates and his wife urged the hard-nosed linebacker to have surgery, Ulbrich waited four days before deciding it was the only rational move. He will need at least four months to recover.

"I was trying to find a doctor that would say we can go in there 10 weeks from now and fix it, and it will be good as new," Ulbrich said. "I was searching for someone, but it's not out there. ... It's tough. You put in an entire offseason, and I love playing with these guys. To be on the sideline is going to be tough."

Philadelphia Eagles: Wide receiver Darnerien McCants returned to the Eagles after he was cut twice by the team in two weeks.

McCants, originally signed by the Eagles on Sept. 3 after he was released by Washington, has one catch for 22 yards in the three games.

He was cut to make room for kicker Todd France on Sept. 30. He re-signed a few days later only to be cut to make room for defensive tackle Keyonta Marshall last week.

Buffalo Bills: Defensive tackle Ron Edwards was placed on injured reserve by the Bills, his season over after shoulder surgery last week.

It's the second time in three years Edwards' season ended early because of a shoulder injury. In 2003, he went on IR after five games.

Edwards was hurt in Buffalo's 19-7 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 2. He's the second Bills defensive starter to be lost for season: Linebacker Takeo Spikes tore his right Achilles' tendon in a loss to Atlanta on Sept. 25.

The Bills filled Edwards' roster spot Wednesday by signing defensive tackle Jason Jefferson off Philadelphia's practice squad. A rookie out of Wisconsin, Jefferson was drafted by New Orleans in the sixth round of the draft in April.

The Bills also signed offensive lineman Marques Ogden to their practice squad Wednesday, replacing cornerback Evan Oglesby, who was released.

Chicago Bears: The Bears have released kicker Doug Brien. Brien missed the Bears' last game with a sore back. Kicker Robbie Gould is now expected to be the team's regular kicker.

The Bears called Gould in for a tryout last week with four other kickers.

"He has a strong leg," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "That's really what got my attention right away."

Gould has gone from working in private industry a week ago to full-time NFL employment in just a few days.

"I was helping a family friend in a construction business," Gould said. "I was out working in the field and in the office a couple days. Now I'm here, so it's kind of crazy."

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons placed linebacker Ed Hartwell and cornerback Chris Cash on the injured reserve list.

Hartwell, a starter and key free-agent offseason pickup, and backup Cash sustained season-ending injuries in Sunday's loss to New England. Hartwell had surgery Monday to repair a torn right Achilles' tendon. Cash broke his right arm.

The Falcons signed free-agent linebacker Martin Patterson to the 53-man roster and moved cornerback Leigh Torrence from the practice squad. Cornerback Amad Treaudo was signed to the practice squad.

Baltimore Ravens: Quarterback Brian St. Pierre has turned down a three-week minimum contract offer from the Steelers to be on their 53-man roster and will remain on the Ravens' practice squad.

His agent says the decision will cost Saint Pierre thousands of dollars, but that Saint Pierre prefers to stay in Baltimore because he believes that's where his long-term future is.

Saint Pierre makes $4,000 per week on the Ravens' practice squad.

Because of the NFL's minimum salary requirements, he would have made more than $62,000 with the Steelers.

Former Cowboy told to begin prison sentence
Former Cowboys defensive back Dwayne Goodrich, who was convicted in the hit-and-run deaths of two good Samaritans in 2003, was ordered to start his 7½-year prison sentence Wednesday.

Goodrich has exhausted his appeals since being convicted in August 2003, seven months after his BMW struck three men trying to free a trapped motorist inside a burning car on Interstate 35E. The third man was seriously injured.

Goodrich, 27, was convicted on two counts of criminally negligent homicide and fined $20,000. His attorney, Larry Mitchell, said in a story in Thursday's editions of The Dallas Morning News that the State Court of Criminal Appeals declined to review the case.

Witnesses said Goodrich, who was driving home from a Dallas topless club, was traveling more than 100 mph before he veered onto the freeway shoulder to avoid the burning car around 2 a.m.

Goodrich is scheduled to stand trial in November on felony charges for fleeing the scene, according to the newspaper.

Goodrich was the Cowboys' top pick in the 2000 draft, taken 49th out of Tennessee in the second round. But he played only sparingly in three seasons.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.