NFL-National Football League roundup

Aug 6 (The Sports Xchange) - Detroit Lions starting tight end Eric Ebron sustained what a teammate called a "devastating" injury on Saturday during the team's annual mock game. Ebron had to be carted off the field after suffering an injury to his lower right leg, the Detroit Free Press reported. The third-year tight end was injured on a running play and appeared to grab the back of his ankle before he was attended to by team trainers. The NFL Network reported that Ebron hurt his Achilles, but Lions coach Jim Caldwell declined to comment on the nature of the injury later Saturday. However, Matthew Mulligan, a backup tight end to Ebron, painted a gloomy picture of the injury after practice. "It's devastating," Mulligan told the Free Press. Ebron, 23, appeared in 14 games last season, hauling in 47 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns. The former North Carolina product had a rather nondescript rookie campaign with only 25 catches and one TD in 12 games. - - - Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum has been named the starter over rookie Jared Goff in the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Coliseum next Saturday. Head coach Jeff Fisher said Friday that Keenum will get the start but Goff will play as much as a full half against the Cowboys. At least for one week, the 28-year-old Keenum has held off Goff in practice. Goff, 21, was selected by the Rams as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft with anticipation that he will earn the starting quarterback job and become the face of the franchise in its new location. He played collegiately at Cal. - - - Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell says he is ready to assume a full workload. Bell told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that his surgically repaired right knee feels "crazy strong" and is not hindering him in any manner. "I feel like I am ready," Bell said. "I feel like I can go out there and get tackled or whatever it may be." Bell tore the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 1 last season, curtailing his season after six games. The 24-year-old Bell had a monster second season with the Steelers in 2014, amassing 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns rushing while hauling in 83 catches for 854 yards and three more scores. - - - Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett said Saturday he understands why Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll dismissed him from practice two days earlier. Bennett got into scuffles with several offensive linemen during Thursday's practice before Carroll had seen enough and threw him out of practice. "He said he just wants to show the team if he kicked me out as one of the best players on the team, then he'll do it to anybody," Bennett told reporters. Bennett arrived at training camp with an edge after the Seahawks refused to renegotiate his contract during the offseason. The 30-year-old Bennett is entering the third season for a four-year, $28.5 million deal. - - - Tight end Cooper Helfet was among five injured players waived by the Seahawks. Helfet, who appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons, is facing surgery to repair a cracked bone in his foot. He has 25 receptions and two touchdowns in his tenure with the Seahawks. Fullback/tight end Brandon Cottom and tight end Ronnie Shields, who both sustained injuries to their Achilles during Thursday's practice, also were waived along with running back Tre Madden and defensive end David Perkins. All five players will go on injured reserve if they are not claimed on waivers. The Seahawks filled the roster spots by signing running backs Jonathan Amosa (Washington) and Troymaine Pope (Jackson State), linebacker Kache Palacio (Washington State), wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu (Texas A&M) and tight end Joe Sommers (Wisconsin-Oshkosh). - - - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann. Hauptmann, 25, was signed by the Bucs on Wednesday to add some depth to the offensive line. - - - The Indianapolis Colts signed free agent punter Michael Palardy to give them an extra kicker in training camp. (Editing by Andrew Both)