NEW ORLEANS (AP) Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says he isn't taking any of Drew Brees' recent complaints about the slow pace of contract negotiations personally.

''I feel for him. I feel with him. He wants to be here right now. I want him to be here right now and we'll work hard to get that accomplished,'' Loomis said Friday while attending an event at the Saints Hall of Fame. ''It's important to Drew, but it's important to our team. The magnitude of this contract is going to impact our team for a long period of time, so we've got to get it right. It's got to be right for Drew, but it's got to be right for our team as well.''

Loomis, as he typically does when talking about contracts, declined to go into specifics about the sticking points holding up the deal or even to offer a range of financial figures being discussed.

Loomis went to the team's Hall of Fame for the announcement of the 2012 inductees, former running back Deuce McAllister and longtime team owner Tom Benson. Benson said Brees would be in uniform for the Saints this season, but added that the record-setting quarterback and Loomis have to work out some details first.

''There's money involved, you know, and two people have some difference of opinion, but it's going to be worked out,'' Benson said. ''I assure you that Drew Brees will be playing here, OK?''

Brees said earlier this week that he is frustrated by the lack of communication and lack of urgency to get a deal done.

Loomis says he understands Brees' frustration and respects his desire to rejoin his teammates.

''I feel like we have a great relationship and these things sometimes can strain that,'' Loomis said. ''Drew's passionate about being with the Saints and I respect that a lot. I know that he wants to be here and he's frustrated that he's not with the team, and look, I respect that and respect him a lot for that. If he didn't care, he wouldn't say a word, right?

''These contracts are personal issues for players. I recognize that,'' Loomis continued. ''I don't have any hard feelings or anything about it. Drew wants to get signed and I respect that.''

The Saints have placed an exclusive franchise tag on Brees, virtually locking him into New Orleans for this season. However, Brees has said he wants a long-term deal with more security and so far has decided to stay away from team headquarters for voluntary offseason workouts. The Saints begin offseason practices known as organized team activities on Tuesday, and Brees has said he would miss those, as well as minicamp and possibly training camp if two sides fail to come to terms.

Loomis did not offer any hints about how much work remains to be done on the contract or how far apart the two sides are.

''We're not done yet. That's how I would characterize it,'' Loomis said. ''Negotiations are hard sometimes. ... It's a common part of our business.

''Look, we love Drew Brees, every fan of the New Orleans Saints loves Drew Brees. So do I,'' Loomis continued. ''No one wants to get him signed more than I do. ... But we also want to have the best team we can have on the field. ... We've just got to get it right.''

NEW YORK (AP) Lawyers representing Tim Tebow have sent a cease and desist letter to a T-shirt manufacturer they say is illegally using the name of the New York Jets quarterback to sell products.

CubbyTees.com created a green shirt that says ''My Jesus'' in a design that resembles the Jets' logo. Tebow's attorneys threatened to pursue legal action against the company for ''using the name of Mr. Tebow'' on its site ''to promote, advertise and sell numerous T-shirts.''

The cease and desist letter was first reported by TMZ.com.

In an email to The Associated Press, Kevin Doolan of CubbyTees.com said his company was surprised by the legal threats, and it informed Tebow's attorneys that it would not comply with their demands. Doolan also said they gave Tebow's lawyers the chance to retract their allegations against the company, but they did not.

In a statement issued Wednesday, CubbyTees.com said the design is ''positive and innocuous'' and the graphic ''legally sound'' since it doesn't mention or depict Tebow.

A message was left Friday seeking comment from Tebow's attorneys.

Doolan also said his company had no reason to believe Tebow was personally involved in the legal threats, had any awareness of the shirt or any objection to the design - although the quarterback was copied in on the cease and desist letter. Doolan added that he and his company are fans of Tebow.

As of Friday night, no legal action had been taken by either side.

''We are artists and have no desire to trespass on anyone's legitimate intellectual property rights, but we also will not roll over and sacrifice ours,'' CubbyTees.com said in its statement.

It's not the first time Tebow has been the subject of a merchandising spat. Last month, Reebok reached a settlement with Nike in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to remove thousands of jerseys and T-shirts it stamped with the quarterback's name from stores after he was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Jets in March.

Nike Inc. had sued Reebok International Ltd., saying the rival apparel maker was trying to squeeze the most out of the end of its 10-year NFL apparel licensing deal by using Tebow's name on products - even though Nike was about to begin a five-year NFL contract of its own.

NEW YORK (AP) Yeremiah Bell is joining the other side of the Dolphins-Jets rivalry.

A person familiar with the deal said the New York Jets and the veteran safety agreed to terms Friday on a one-year contract worth $1.4 million.

The former Dolphins starter adds depth to the safety position, a spot the Jets have revamped this offseason. Starter Eric Smith remains, but the Jets also signed LaRon Landry a few weeks ago, and drafted Josh Bush in the sixth round and Antonio Allen in the seventh.

Bell's deal includes $1.3 million fully guaranteed, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move.

ProFootballTalk.com first reported the deal.

The 34-year-old Bell spent all nine of his previous NFL seasons with the Dolphins, but was cut in March to create cap space. He was a consistent performer for Miami, starting in every game but one the last four seasons. Bell had a team-leading 107 tackles, two sacks and an interception last season.

While he likely comes in to back up Landry at strong safety, Bell also provides insurance at the position in case the former Washington Redskins star isn't fully healed from an Achilles injury that limited him last season. The Jets have said they believe Landry will be ready to go for training camp, however, although he has not participated in all of the voluntary offseason workouts.

Bell, who played under current Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano in Miami, reportedly worked out for New York, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Kansas City before choosing to play in Rex Ryan's defense. Bell's best season came in 2009, when he had 114 tackles, a career-high three interceptions and 1 1/2 sacks while being selected for the Pro Bowl.

The Jets still might not be done addressing the safety position. Jim Leonhard, a starter the last three years, is a free agent and still recovering from a knee injury that cut short his season. The Jets could still re-sign the popular veteran - whom cornerback Darrelle Revis referred to as the ''quarterback'' of the defense - if Leonhard proves he's healthy.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming the league's top executive made false statements that tarnished Vilma's reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living playing football.

The suit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans claims Goodell, ''relied on, at best, hearsay, circumstantial evidence and lies'' in making comments about Vilma while discussing the NFL's bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints.

Goodell has said Vilma was a leader of the team's bounty program that put up thousands of dollars for hits which took out opposing teams' star players from 2009-11, including $10,000 each on then-Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and then-Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre during the playoffs in 2010.

''Commissioner Goodell opted to make very public and unfortunately erroneous allegations against Jonathan,'' said Vilma's attorney, Peter Ginsberg. ''By making these false and public statements, he has significantly harmed Jonathan's reputation and ability to make a living.

''By suing Commissioner Goodell in court, Jonathan opted to use a fair playing field where he has procedural rights and protections to remedy the harm Commissioner Goodell has done to him.''

Vilma wrote on his Twitter account that, ''As I've said before..I NEVER PAID, NOR INTENDED TO PAY ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY, TO ANY PLAYER FOR INTENTIONALLY HURTING AN OPPONENT.''

Goodell has suspended Vilma, an eight-year veteran and defensive captain, for the entire 2012 season. Vilma and three other current of former Saints who received shorter suspensions - defensive end Will Smith, defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and linebacker Scott Fujita - all have appealed their punishments. Hargrove now plays for Green Bay while Fujita is with Cleveland.

''We have not yet reviewed the filing,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. ''However, our commitment to player safety and the integrity of the game is our main consideration. We recognize that not everyone will agree with decisions that need to be made.''

The NFL also hired former federal prosecutor Mary Jo White in late 2011 to review its evidence in the case, and White has said the NFL's findings are corroborated by multiple independent witnesses as well as documentation.

Vilma's lawsuit, which is expected to be heard by Judge Ginger Berrigan, asks for unspecified monetary damages as well as punitive damage and attorneys fees.

The lawsuit states that Goodell, ''knew and intended that Vilma would suffer severe emotional distress'' when the NFL published its bounty report and handed down punishment for the 30-year-old linebacker.

''Vilma will soon have to leave behind the world of professional football and will likely face difficulties in obtaining other employment and entering into new ventures as a result of Goodell's false and defamatory statements,'' the lawsuit said. ''Media will forever mention his name in the context of the Bounty investigation and fans will forever remember Vilma with ill repute rather than remember his substantial accomplishments on and off the field.''

The players' association has said that the league has refused to turn over what the union would view as hard evidence that Vilma or the other sanctioned players tried to intentionally injure targeted opponents, or sponsored such behavior.

''It is certainly the case that in court, Jonathan will have a right to see whatever it is that Commissioner Goodell has been hiding from us and what Commissioner Goodell contends gave him a basis to make these false allegations,'' Ginsberg said. ''We will have a fair and neutral judge to preside over the dispute rather than contending with the executioner also being the person making the final decision.''

Vilma's lawsuit states that the linebacker ''never 'pledged,' made or received payments of any kind encouraging or resulting from an opposing player being injured.''

The NFL found that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams oversaw a bounty program in New Orleans from 2009 to 2011 which paid off-the-books cash bonuses of $1,500 for ''knockouts,'' or hits which forced a player out of games, and $1,000 for ''cart-offs,'' which left players needing help off the field.

The Saints have been punished harshly as an organization. Head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for all of 2012 for failing to put a stop to the program and attempting to cover it up, while general manager Mickey Loomis has been suspended eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six games. The club also was fined $500,000 and docked two second-round draft picks.

Williams, now with St. Louis, has been suspended indefinitely.

Payton, Loomis and Williams all have issued written public apologies regarding the bounty scandal.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) LeSean McCoy ran his way onto the short list of the best running backs in the NFL. He can now stamp his name among the highest paid.

McCoy and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a five-year contract extension that runs through 2017. The deal is for a reported $45 million, with $20.765 million guaranteed.

McCoy set franchise records in 2011 with 17 touchdowns rushing, and 20 total scores, while earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He also led the NFL with 102 first downs and 48 runs of 10-plus yards, while finishing as the league's fourth-leading rusher with 1,309 yards.

''I love this team, and I'm kind of a hometown kid from Harrisburg which is like an hour and a half away,'' McCoy said Thursday night. ''Nothing could be better than being here for the long term. Once you kind of realize the feeling of wanting to be here for the long term, we contacted the team and it was a mutual feeling. So, it kicked off from there.''

In 2010, McCoy ranked fourth in the NFL with 1,672 yards from scrimmage while leading all running backs with a career-high 78 catches.

Philadelphia had a disappointing 4-8 start last season, before rallying with four straight wins to end the year. The Eagles did not make the playoffs.

Usually called by childhood nickname, Shady, McCoy was Philadelphia's 2009 second-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh. He has played in 46 games, with 32 starts, and has registered 4,241 yards from scrimmage.

''He does it all, so this isn't a one-dimensional running back,'' coach Andy Reid said. ''This is a running back that can not only carry the football for you but can catch the football as well as the wide receivers and he can block and loves playing the game. That brings great energy to this football team.''

He had one year left on his original four-year rookie contract.

The Eagles already this offseason signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson to a five-year contract that runs through 2016 and acquired two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans from the Houston Texans. They signed defensive end Trent Cole to a four-year extension through 2017 and tackle Todd Herremans to a three-year extension through 2016.

The Eagles believe they have the pieces in place to again become contenders in the NFC. McCoy doesn't turn 24 until July, giving the Eagles hope they can get a full five years of use out of McCoy, even at a rugged position like running back.

''It's exciting because we are trying to build for the long term,'' Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. ''We're trying to bring a championship to the city of Philadelphia and we're going to do whatever we can to do that, but on the same token, we're going to try and keep building it and sustain some success. Keeping him here is a big piece of that.''

McCoy now his name up there with Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson and DeAngelo Williams as one of the highest-paid running backs. Minnesota's Peterson signed a $100 million, seven-year contract before last season. Johnson signed a $53.5 million contract extension worth $30 million guaranteed with Tennessee before last season.

''I'm just honored to be in the range financially with those guys,'' McCoy said.

McCoy ran for 2,731 yards in his two seasons, and posted 38 total touchdowns at Pitt.