KANSAS CITY, Mo. Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys . -- Two Pro Bowl players were missing at the start of the Chiefs mandatory minicamp, one of them hoping to land a new contract and the other let go so that the team might be able to afford it. Justin Houston, their talented young pass rusher, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Hes due to make only $1.4 million, a bargain for a linebacker who has piled up 26 1/2 sacks in three seasons. And in whats believed to be a negotiating ploy, Houston not only skipped three weeks of voluntary workouts, but hes also skipping this weeks three-day minicamp. The Chiefs practiced Tuesday for the first time since releasing cornerback Brandon Flowers. The move last Friday saves the Chiefs about $7.25 million against the salary cap this season and $7.5 million next season, money that could be used in a deal for Houston. Of course, the Chiefs have two other pending free agents in quarterback Alex Smith and centre Rodney Hudson. That means they might have to get creative if they want to keep all of them. In the meantime, first-round pick Dee Ford got first-team reps in place of Houston during Tuesdays practice. Marcus Cooper and Ron Parker split time at cornerback in place of Flowers and fellow starter Sean Smith, who was excused from the workout with an illness. "Every day I go out there as if Im the starter, so I cant say its any different if (Flowers) is here or isnt here," Cooper said. "Just keep grinding, getting better every day." Cooper was a revelation early last season, a seventh-round pick claimed off waivers from San Francisco who wound up starting six games and picking off three passes. He went through a rookie lull midseason, but came on toward the end, giving the Chiefs front office a sense of confidence that they would be able to withstand Flowers release. Still, the change brings even more instability to the defensive backfield. The Chiefs already had allowed starting free safety Kendrick Lewis and backup defensive back Quintin Demps to sign elsewhere, opening a couple of holes they are hoping to fill internally. Husain Abdullah and Sanders Commings appear to be the first in line. "We have guys who can step up," Commings said. Tight end Travis Kelce, wide receiver Kyle Williams and cornerback David Van Dyke did individual workouts and the install period, but were otherwise limited. Kelce is coming off knee surgery, Williams a torn ACL and Van Dyke a hamstring injury. Rookie running back DeAnthony Thomas appeared to be overcome by the heat and humidity on a warm afternoon. He chugged water on a knee after one series of plays, then took a swing pass to the end zone, where he collapsed. He wound up walking to the shade and spent several minutes with a trainer before heading to the locker room. He did not return to the field. Thomas, a fourth-round pick out of Oregon, has been unable to join the Chiefs for workouts since rookie minicamp because of an NFL rule that prohibited him from working out until his school graduates. Oregon is on the quarter system, so that didnt happen until this past weekend. The Chiefs also had four players in for tryouts on Tuesday: former Rutgers wide receiver Mark Harrison, Cal Poly wide receiver Cole Stanford, Utah State cornerback Quinton Byrd and Missouri cornerback Kip Edwards. Saints Jerseys 2021 . CSKA received the heavier punishment of playing its next European home game behind closed doors, after its supporters displayed racist and far-right symbols in the Czech Republic during a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen on Dec. Wholesale Saints Jerseys .com) - Carmelo Anthony tallied 31 points to help the New York Knicks continue their improved play of late with a 100-92 victory over a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder squad. https://www.saintsjerseyssale.com/ . Ribery terrorized the Schalke defence throughout and put the home side ahead in the 36th minute when he chipped the goalkeeper before stroking the ball into the empty net. The French winger struck again after the interval, combining with Thomas Mueller on the left before firing a deflected shot beyond the helpless Timo Hildebrand in the 55th, as Bayern bounced back from Wednesdays 1-0 loss at FC Basel in the Champions League. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Karri Ramo made 26 saves for the Flames, who have won their last three road games. Matt Moulson scored for the Sabres, while Jhonas Enroth made 24 saves in the loss. Stajans overtime winner came just 42 seconds into the period, as his wrist shot beat Enroth to the goalies left. Byron had two points against the team that drafted him in 2007. The teams were scoreless in the third period when Zemgus Girgensons made a strong rush down the right side of the Flames zone before sliding a backhand pass into the slot. Moulson shot it by Ramo at the 5:40 mark for his 11th goal of the season and his first in six games. The Flames tied the game less than 3 minutes later when defenceman Chris Butler picked up the puck behind the Buffalo net and passed to Byron in front, who scored his first goal of the season. Butler and Byron were traded from the Buffalo to Calgary at the 2011 NHL Draft for Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik and a draft pick. The Sabres came close to opening the scoring nearly 11 minutes into the game, when Ramo lost sight of the puck in his crease. Matt Stajan knocked the net off its moorings before Ville& Leino could score. New Orleans Saints Pro Shop. Calgary scored in the final minute of the first period, but the goal was disallowed and the Flames were assessed a penalty for too many men. Girgensons and Tyler Myers both put shots off the goal post in the second period as both teams struggled to find quality scoring chances. Enroth was at his best during the second period, stopping 13 Flames shots, but his finest moment came with a glove stop of Joe Colborne shortly after Buffalo took the lead. Matt DAgostini had a chance to put the Sabres up with under four minutes to play before shooting the puck into the glove of a prone Ramo. The Sabres earned five power plays, but their 26th-ranked power play could not produce a goal. Calgary also struggled with the man advantage, as Buffalo killed off all four of its penalties. Marcus Foligno took three minor penalties in the game. A first round pick of the Sabres in 2012, Girgensons now has five points in his last seven games. NOTES: The Sabres recalled LW Matt Ellis from their American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester before the game as Cody Hodgson missed his second game with a lower body injury ... Flames RW David Jones played his 300th career game ... Buffalo also scratched healthy defenceman Mark Pysyk and centre Luke Adam. ' ' '