MILWAUKEE -- A.J. Hawks absence from the Green Bay Packers didnt last long. Hawks agent, Mike McCartney, said Thursday that the linebacker signed a five-year deal with the Packers just one day after he was released in a cost-cutting move. "Hes thrilled to be back with his Super Bowl-winning teammates and a first-class organization," McCartney said in an email to The Associated Press. Hawk, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, was scheduled to earn US$10 million in 2011. When the Packers released him Wednesday, they did so with the hope that they could bring him back at a reduced salary. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said the business side of the game drove the decision to release Hawk and he was hopeful Hawk would return. Hawk was free to negotiate with other teams after his release, but clearly focused on the Packers. Multiple media outlets reported that a new deal was imminent after his release, and McCartney told AP on Thursday morning that the two sides were putting the finishing touches on a contract. The new deal came on a day the collective bargaining agreement between NFL owners and the NFL Players Association was set to expire. Teams cannot sign players without an agreement in place. Despite his lofty draft status and hardworking reputation, Hawk began the 2010 season as a role player. He ended it as a leader of a Super Bowl-champion defence. After season-ending injuries to inside linebackers Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar, Hawk once again became a starter and played a critical role in the Packers push to their Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was chosen as one of the teams captains throughout the playoffs. The Packers now have a potential logjam at inside linebacker. Desmond Bishop earned a new deal during his breakout 2010 season, and Chillar and Barnett remain under contract. The Packers released two other players Wednesday, tight end Donald Lee and safety Derrick Martin. wholesale nfl jerseys . Even this week, with 15 games on the schedule (enjoy your byes Indy and Pittsburgh), eight games have a spread of four points or less, so it figures to be competitive in many locations. cheap nfl jerseys . -- A week after his team lost by 45 points, Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman showed hes still very much a player to watch. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinapla... . Huberdeau, the third-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, will not be eligible to play in the NHL this season except on an emergency recall, according to TSNs Bob McKenzie. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinaplay.com/]cheap jerseys from china . -- Rory McIlroy was six holes away from winning the Honda Classic and going to No. cheap jerseys . Consensus among Canadian players is that they enter Tuesdays first-place showdown with the Americans as the clear underdogs following a shootout loss to the Czech Republic on Saturday and a white-knuckle, come-from-behind win against Slovakia on Monday.ANAHEIM, Calif. - Joe Smith and the Los Angeles Angels have completed a $15.75 million, three-year contract. The team announced the move Wednesday after Smith took his physical. The sides agreed to terms last weekend on a deal that should boost the Angels bullpen. The 29-year-old Smith was 6-2 with a 2.29 ERA and three saves in 70 appearances covering 63 innings this year for Cleveland. He has 13 wins over the passt two seasons.dddddddddddd The submarining right-hander spent the past five years with the Indians after pitching for the New York Mets in his first two major league seasons. He is 27-16 with a 2.97 ERA in 439 career games, all in relief. Smiths contract includes $500,000 annually in potential bonuses. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Angels designated right-hander Juan Gutierrez for assignment. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '