Detroit acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson on Saturday from the Seattle Seahawks for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a fifth-round pick in next month's NFL draft. Both players must pass physicals to complete the trade.

The Seahawks gave Peterson a seven-year, $54 million contract three years ago after their Super Bowl appearance in Detroit. Peterson became an expensive asset because linebacker Leroy Hill got $8.4 million guaranteed this year with a franchise tag and Lofa Tatupu signed a $42 million contract a year ago.
Peterson then became expendable in Seattle a few days ago when the Seahawks asked him to reduce his $6.5 million salary for 2009 and he refused.

"The entire Seahawks organization greatly appreciates the contribution that Julian has made to our football team and to this community," Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said.

During its winless season, the lack of talent at linebacker was one of Detroit's glaring problems.

Help filling out your bracket
RJ Bell, of the gambling site pregame.com, estimates that over $12 billion will be bet on the 2009 NCAA men's basketball tournament and, in an assault on the U.S. workplace, 40 million brackets will be filled out and entered in a pool.

So he is offering some free tips. Click here for the entire list, but here is a peek.

Keep advancing the No. 12 and No. 10 seeds you picked to win in Round One. These teams win over half the time in Round Two.

Seeds lower than No. 12 DO NOT win in the 2nd round. Only 6 of 368 teams that have advanced past Round 2 were seeded lower than No. 12.

Final Four round rules: Advance NO team below a 6th seed to the Championship game. Not a single one has made it in the last 23 years.

Attorney Smith elected NFLPA executive director

DeMaurice Smith, a trial lawyer and partner for the Washington, D.C. firm Patton Boggs, emerged among four finalists as the successor to late NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw during Sunday voting by union player representatives from 32 teams conducted at the oceanfront Fairmont Kea Lani hotel on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
Tropical paradise seems an incongruous setting for the daunting business awaiting the new union chief.

There are metaphorical dark clouds at a critical time in the union's history, given looming negotiations that figure to be contentious with owners on a new collective bargaining agreement amid a grim economic downturn.

Smith, 45, recommended by a search committee, beat out sports attorney David Cornwell, 48 and two former NFLPA presidents Troy Vincent, 38, a former cornerback/safety with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins and former NFLPA president and former Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders defensive end Trace Armstrong, 43. Cornwell was a former assistant general counsel to the NFL who received the necessary three votes from player representatives to be included in the process recently.

"We congratulate DeMaurice Smith and look forward to working with him and the NFLPA board to ensure the continued health and growth of our game," the NFL said in a statement.