NFL notebook: Foster's ex-girlfriend lied about assault charges

Reuben Foster's former girlfriend testified in court Thursday that she lied about the San Francisco 49ers' linebacker hitting her while also admitting it was not the first time she accused an ex-boyfriend of domestic violence, multiple media outlets reported. Elissa Ennis recanted her charges that Foster physically assaulted her on Feb. 11, which led to felony domestic violence and weapons charges filed against the second-year linebacker. Breaking down in tears during the preliminary trial in a San Jose, Calif., courtroom, Ennis revealed her motivation for lying to police: to destroy his career after Foster wanted to break up with her. "I wanted to be extra. I wanted him to go down. I was pissed," said Ennis under questioning from Foster's attorney, Joshua Bentley. Last week, Foster pleaded not guilty to charges of domestic violence, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime and possessing an assault weapon. In her initial statement to police, Ennis accused Foster of dragging her by the hair, punching her in the head eight to 10 times and physically removing her from the house. During Thursday's testimony, she admitted that her injuries -- including scratches and a ruptured eardrum -- were sustained during a fight with another woman in a road-rage incident. --The Seattle Seahawks signed four players, including inspirational fifth-round draft pick Shaquem Griffin, the team announced. Griffin, a star linebacker at Central Florida despite having his left hand amputated as a child, joins his twin brother, Shaquill, on Seattle's roster. Shaquill Griffin was a third-round pick of the Seahawks a year ago. Seattle also signed cornerback Tre Flowers, another fifth-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, and a pair of free agents in linebacker Dadi Nicolas and wide receiver/kick returner Keenan Reynolds. The 6-foot, 227-pound Griffin was named the American Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. He notched 18.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Central Florida. --San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman ran on the field Wednesday for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles in November. Sherman, who was signed by the 49ers in March following his release from the Seattle Seahawks, posted a video of him running on his Instagram account, writing simply: "Getting there ..." The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback told ESPN's Josina Anderson that he had been running on the treadmill prior to working out on the field Wednesday, adding that his Achilles "felt great" afterward. "I'll be ready for training camp, but (the team) is going to be overly cautious either way," Sherman said, per Anderson. --Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy said offseason acquisition Allen Robinson is progressing well in his recovery from a torn ACL sustained during the season opener in September. While Robinson isn't participating in organized team activities this week at Halas Hall, Nagy said he's pleased to see the wide receiver getting back up to speed. "He's ahead of the game. He's looking good," Nagy said, via the team's website. "We're feeling really good about his prognosis as far as getting started. There's no need to rush it. He's been doing great in meetings. He's answering every question in meetings. He's out here, focused, doing everything we want him to do." Robinson signed a three-year, $42 million deal -- with $25 million guaranteed -- with the Bears in March. He is expected to provide a boost to a team that did not produce a 700-yard receiver last season. --The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have accepted an invitation to the White House, according to a published report. Per 6ABC (WPVI-TV in Philadelphia), the Eagles will celebrate their Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots by visiting 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on June 5. The Eagles released a statement last month that the team was in the early stages of planning a visit. "We are honored to receive this invitation and view this not only as an opportunity to be recognized for our on-field accomplishments, but also as an opportunity to engage in productive dialogue with the leaders of our country," the statement read, via NJ Advance Media. --The Cleveland Browns will appear on HBO's "Hard Knocks" training camp documentary series for the 2018 season, the network announced in conjunction with NFL Films. The appearance on the show will be the first for the Browns, who finished 0-16 last season under coach Hue Jackson and haven't been to the playoffs since 2002. "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns" kicks off its five-episode season in the summer in Berea, Ohio. "'Hard Knocks' returns with 91 football players determined to fulfill their NFL dreams, yet only 53 will succeed," says Peter Nelson, executive vice president of HBO Sports. "The standard set by this landmark program is for fans to witness the truth as it unfolds: no staging, no second takes, no varnish. We are grateful to the Browns organization for allowing us to spend the summer with the team in what promises to be an intriguing training camp experience." --Terrell Owens wore out his welcome with a number of his employers during his Hall of Fame career. That included personality clashes during Owens' tenure in Dallas, but the former wide receiver's main beef with the Cowboys these days is why they are sticking with Jason Garrett as their head coach. During an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Wednesday night, Owens said it was "mind-boggling" that Dallas opted to bring Garrett back after the team has made only two postseason appearances in his 7 1/2 seasons as head coach. "At the end at the day, how can you keep allowing the players to be the scapegoat for what's not happening, especially when you have a head coach that's supposed to be offensive-minded?" said Owens, per the Dallas Morning News. "They're supposed to direct and lead the team to where it hasn't gotten in a number of years, and they've pretty much been in a standstill under coach Jason Garrett." --Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly faces another surgical procedure next month as he continues to recover from his latest bout with cancer. Kelly's wife, Jill, updated her husband's condition via an Instagram posting Thursday. Jim Kelly was in New York City on Wednesday for a checkup. "The doctors were very impressed with how much Jim has healed since he's been home," wrote Jill Kelly. "The plan at this point is that he will have surgery in mid-June." The 58-year-old Kelly was discharged from a New York hospital on April 14 after undergoing a 12-hour procedure on March 28 to remove oral cancer and reconstruct his upper jaw. --The NFL's oldest active player is a proponent of the planned changes in the kickoff rules for next season. With league owners expected to approve the modifications at next week's NFL meetings, Indianapolis Colts veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri voiced support for the proposed changes. "I think these changes are probably going to be for the better," said Vinatieri during an appearance Thursday on NFL Network host Rich Eisen's radio show. "It's really going to be interesting how special teams coaches try to find a way gain an advantage. Are they going to kick it short and make teams return it or are they going to go ahead and try to kick it deep to get a touchback?" The NFL's Competition Committee announced the changes earlier this month as part of a continued effort to ensure player safety. --The Denver Broncos didn't have to look too far to find another quarterback. The Broncos signed former Colorado State quarterback Nick Stevens to a contract, the team announced. Stevens joins fellow quarterbacks Case Keenum, Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly on the Broncos' 90-man roster. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stevens, who went undrafted last month, has tried out during rookie camps in Green Bay and Washington. Stevens threw for 8,554 yards and a school-record 70 touchdowns during his time in college. --The Green Bay Packers signed second-round cornerback Josh Jackson to a four-year rookie contract, the team announced. The Packers also signed third--round linebacker Oren Burks, giving them all 11 of their 11 draft picks under contract. Jackson was a wide receiver when he arrived at Iowa before shuffling to the defensive side of the ball. The 45th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft recorded a nation-best eight interceptions -- with two being returned for touchdowns -- for the Hawkeyes last season. Burks played four seasons at Vanderbilt, amassing 228 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, along with 4.5 sacks and five interceptions. --The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed linebacker Shaheed Salmon and wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck, the team announced. Salmon played in 44 games at Samford, totaling 274 tackles (40 for loss), nine passes defensed, 8.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Salmon, who participated in Tampa Bay's minicamp last weekend, Salmon was named first-team All-Southern Conference as a senior. Sperbeck was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent a year ago but was waived in early August. He played in 48 games at Boise State, catching 224 passes for 3,601 yards and 20 touchdowns. --The Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars announced that the teams will hold joint practices at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in August before meeting in a preseason game. The Vikings and Jaguars were oh-so-close to reaching the Super Bowl last season, having fallen short in their respective conference championships. The two teams look to make the next step in their journeys down the road with an early one together on Aug. 15-16 in Eagan, Minn. The clubs will then meet for a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Aug. 18. --Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward thought of a perfect gift for Mother's Day. Ward, who was the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, revealed just how he'd spend his first paycheck. "I'm paying for her mortgage on her house," the 21-year-old Ohio native said on NFL Network's Total Access, per Cleveland.com. "I'm paying her house off so she doesn't have to worry about that anymore." Ward has yet to sign his rookie contract, although he'll receive a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth more than $29 million -- including a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $19 million. --The Oakland Raiders signed free agent guard Cameron Hunt, the team announced. Hunt signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent a year ago. He spent the 2017 preseason with the Broncos before the San Francisco 49ers signed him to their practice squad in November. During his four-year career at Oregon, Hunt appeared in 52 games (43 starts) and saw action at right guard and right tackle. In another roster move, Oakland waived center Alex Officer, who signed with the club as an undrafted free agent in April. --Los Angeles Chargers rookie safety Derwin James better stick to football. James, who was selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, tossed a one-hop ceremonial first pitch at the Los Angeles Angels' home game against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Angels outfielder Chris Young scooped up James' offering, with the latter doing his best to keep a smile on his face. "It was farther than I thought," the 21-year-old James said.