The Chicago Bears could have playmaking cornerback Charles Tillman in their secondary for at least seven more years.

Tillman, a second-round draft choice in 2003, and the Bears agreed Tuesday on a six-year contract extension that could keep him in Chicago through the 2013 season. Tillman, who has started 49 games in four seasons, had five interceptions last year when the Bears advanced to the Super Bowl and has 14 for his career.

"They compromised. We compromised," Tillman said. "They were willing to listen. We were willing to listen. That's how it got done."

Tillman said during a conference call that he spoke recently with disgruntled Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who could sit out the season or part of it after he was designated as a franchise player.

"I'm sure Lance had a lot to do with us being a top defense," Tillman said, adding he didn't talk football specifics with Briggs, who isn't expected to be with the team when training camp opens this week.

"We'll miss him. I really will," Tillman said.

Martin expected to announce retirement Thursday: Curtis Martin, 19 months removed from his final NFL carry, is expected to announce his retirement Thursday, a day before the Jets open their training camp. Martin, who suffers from a bone-on-bone condition in his surgically-repaired knee, finishes his career with 14,101 rushing yards, fourth-most in NFL history and tops among the Jets all-time list.

Martin hasn't played since Dec. 4, 2005, when he ran for an unceremonious 29 yards on 15 carries against the Patriots. He didn't play in the Jets' final four games that season, winding up with 735 yards on the year and coming up short of an NFL record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career. He shares the record of 10 with Barry Sanders. Martin spent all of 2006 on the physically unable to perform list, apparently grappling with the inevitability of retirement.

"I don't want to say dragged out, but it's been a long process," Martin said in November, when it became clear he would not return for the season but refused to acknowledge the end of his career. "The longer something goes and the more you have time to sit with it, the type of person I am is that I naturally begin to think in reverse of what the obvious outcome should be."

Falcons hold off on suspending Vick until NFL completes probe: At Atlanta, the Atlanta Falcons wanted to suspend Michael Vick. And considering the appalling allegations against their star quarterback, they may not want him back at all.

Under an edict from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Vick is barred from taking part in training camp while the league investigates a federal dogfighting indictment against one of its most prominent players.

The Falcons revealed Tuesday they wanted to give Vick a four-game suspension -- the maximum a team can impose -- until Goodell asked them to hold off. He wants to take a further look at the charges issued last week and can dole out stiffer penalties under a new personal conduct policy.

"This sort of behavior is really horrific," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in the team's first public comment since Vick was indicted. "This is certainly not the player or the person that I knew the last six years."

The Falcons said they considered all options -- releasing Vick among them -- and seemed to signal he will miss at least a fourth of the season even if Goodell doesn't impose his own sanctions.

Colts's Glenn to retire: Tarik Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowl tackle for Indianapolis, announced he'll retire from the NFL.

The 31-year-old Glenn, a first-round draft pick out of California in 1997, started 154 regular-season games during his 10-year career. A steady blocker on the left side of the offensive line, he was a main reason quarterback Peyton Manning was sacked just 15 times last season.

"Making this decision, I had to step outside that (team) role and see what was good for myself and my family, and that was hard to do," Glenn said at a news conference at the Colts' headquarters. "Hearing people talk and players asking me to reconsider and reminding me of some of the things and what I mean to this team, it hurts. It really hurts.

"But I'm real convinced this is what I should do."

Also Tuesday, wide receiver Roy Hall agreed to a four-year deal at the league minimum salary, said his agent, Bradley Cicala. The fifth-round pick caught only 13 passes last season, two for touchdowns. He impressed NFL scouts, however, during a campus workout.

Vick is topic of discussion after NFL, union form 'alliance' to help retired players: At Washington, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and players' union head Gene Upshaw met with nearly a dozen former players Tuesday to discuss a new joint effort to look into disability pay and health care for retirees.

Afterward, it was Michael Vick whose current off-field troubles became the focus of Goodell's news conference. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was told to stay away from training camp after being indicted on federal charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.

Curtis Martin story by Tom Rock of Newsday.

Wide receiver Robert Meachem, the 27th pick in the draft, agreed on a five-year contract with New Orleans.

The deal with Meachem means the Saints got all seven of their draft picks in the fold before they were due to report to training camp in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday.

"It has been a priority for us to get all of our picks signed and have them available from day one," general manager Mickey Loomis said. "Robert has worked hard since he joined our team and we expect more of that to come in training camp and beyond."

The team policy is to not disclose financial terms, but a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press the total value of the contract exceeded $11 million with a signing bonus of more than $5.7 million. The person requested anonymity because the contract had not been signed.

The 6-foot-2, 214-pound Meachem is expected to compete for a starting job that opened up when the Saints released veteran Joe Horn, who has since signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Meachem left after his junior season at Tennessee, when he caught 71 passes for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Raiders: Oakland released offensive lineman Adam Treu, cutting ties with the longest-tenured player with the team.

Treu had been with the team since being selected in the third round of the 1997 draft. He played on the offensive line, as well as serving as the team's long snapper.

The Raiders also released fullback Tony Jackson, who was on the practice squad last season.

Rams: St. Louis agreed to terms on a four-year contract with running back Brian Leonard, the Rams' second-round draft pick.

Leonard is expected to compete for the backup spot behind Steven Jackson. He was the feature back at Rutgers before his senior season, when he moved to fullback and helped Ray Rice rush for 1,749 yards.

Leonard made 45 starts in 47 games at Rutgers and holds the Big East record with at least one catch in every game. He amassed a school-record 5,961 all-purpose yards, holds school career records for receptions (207) and points (272), and helped Rutgers win its first bowl game as a senior with a victory over Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.

Ravens: Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith signed a three-year deal with Baltimore.

Smith, the last player drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft, led Ohio State to two Big Ten titles and a berth in the national championship game last season.

The defending AFC North champions also signed offensive tackle Jared Gaither, wide receiver Yamon Figurs and linebacker Prescott Burgess.

Seahawks: Third-round pick Brandon Mebane signed with Seattle, leaving just two of the Seahawks' draft choices unsigned with training camp starting at the end of this week.

Mebane, a defensive tackle from California, was taken with the 85th pick. The 6-foot-1, 314-pound Mebane is expected to join Seattle's rotation on running downs.

Jaguars: Defensive tackle Derek Landri, Jacksonville's fifth-round pick, agreed to terms on a contract.

Landri, a fifth-round pick from Notre Dame, is hoping to earn a roster spot behind starters Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.

As a senior, Landri had 15 1/2 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He also set a school record with four blocked kicks and became just the second player in NCAA history to block two extra-point attempts in a game.

Titans: Seventh-round draft pick Mike Otto agreed to a contract with Tennessee.

Otto anchored the Purdue offensive line for four seasons, and set a school record with 51 career starts, all at left tackle.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C4.