Brees gets nod for Chargers

It's the young over the old in San Diego.

Second-year man Drew Brees was made the Chargers' starting quarterback Monday over Doug Flutie, who will turn 40 in October. That makes him the fourth starting quarterback in four years for San Diego.

Coach Marty Schottenheimer said he made the announcement early so that Brees could start the final two exhibition games.

Flutie threw for a career-best 3,464 yards and 15 touchdowns last year, but also had 18 interceptions.

Brees led the Chargers to two touchdowns in the first two exhibitions while Flutie failed to throw a touchdown pass. In his one appearance last year, he came in after Flutie was knocked out with a concussion and rallied the Chargers from a 19-point deficit against Kansas City in a game the Chargers eventually lost 25-20.

***PANTHERS: Carolina is sending tapes to the NFL of the hit that broke kick returner Michael Bates' ankle.

Bates, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, was hurt in Saturday night's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on a kickoff that went through the end zone for a touchback. He ran downfield and was blocked by Cowboys linebacker Louis Mackey.

As Bates tried to get past Mackey, he was hit on the right side by fullback Robert Thomas. Mackey then came down across the back of Bates' right leg, snapping his ankle.

An angry Bates shouted at the Cowboys sideline as he was carted off the field and several Panthers called the play dirty.

After watching the game tape, Panthers coach John Fox decided the league should review the play.

***BILLS: Veteran defensive end Chidi Ahanotu agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills.

Ahanotu, a nine-year veteran who played for St. Louis last season, will immediately bolster an inexperienced defensive front.

***SEAHAWKS: Seattle signed veteran quarterback Mark Rypien to help fill in for the injured Trent Dilfer.

Rypien, 39, practiced with the Seahawks for the first time Monday morning at the team's training camp in Cheney, near Spokane, where he lives. He was brought in to help fill a void after Dilfer sprained a ligament in his right knee during Seattle's first exhibition game.

***RAIDERS: Defensive lineman Sam Adams signed a multiyear deal with Oakland.

Adams, pursued by several teams after the Baltimore Ravens released him this summer, was on the practice field at the Raiders' training camp Monday.

***RAVENS: After spending the first three weeks of camp nursing a sore ankle, Peter Boulware was dressed in full gear Monday, manning his familiar post at outside linebacker.

Boulware had a career-high 15 sacks last season while alternating between outside linebacker and defensive end.

***COWBOYS: Richmond Flowers, the singing receiver prominently featured on HBO's series about Dallas' training camp, was one of four players cut Monday.

Defensive end Dwayne Missouri, safety Travis Ortega and cornerback Shad Criss also were cut.

Flowers was on the Cowboys practice squad for most of last season. He played in NFL Europe last spring for the Barcelona Dragons, where he had 34 catches for 508 yards and six touchdowns.

During the first three episodes of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys," Flowers was a top story line. His long-shot bid to make the team was featured, as was his passion for singing and his family history.

--From wire reports