ROUNDUP News and notes

Bears: Chad Hutchinson was about to go surfing near his Southern California home two months ago when he got a call from the Chicago Bears. They weren't promising anything, only a roster spot and the possibility of playing for a team that goes through quarterbacks like practice jerseys. But for a guy who went from being the next Troy Aikman to a pre-training camp castoff, it was more than enough. "It's awesome. This is all I can ask for," he said. "Two months ago I was like, 'Man, I just want to get back in the game to just get an opportunity,' and my opportunity is here. For me, I'm just so excited because this is what I love to do and it's another opportunity to do it." Hutchinson, the Bears' fourth quarterback this season, will start against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Hutchinson showed great promise in two seasons at Stanford, throwing for 4,235 yards and 20 touchdowns with a completion rate of 60 percent. The Cowboys signed him to a seven-year deal in January 2002. Hutchinson, though, went 2-7 after taking over as starter midway through his rookie year. He lost his starting job to Quincy Carter last year and then, after an unimpressive showing in NFL Europe, was dumped by the Cowboys in July, a few days before training camp began.
Cowboys: Bill Parcells isn't worried about the long-term future and Dallas is still in playoff contention in the miserable NFC. So the coach's decision was easy and expected. Rookie Drew Henson, whose starting debut lasted only a half, is going back into watch-and-learn mode. And 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde is the starting quarterback again. "He gives us the best chance to win," Parcells said. "That's what I'm interested in doing, if we can." Henson got his long-awaited first start against Chicago last Thursday after a sore Testaverde was limited in practice. But Testaverde returned after halftime in a tie game, and the Cowboys won 21-7.
Bucs: When the telephone rang, Martin Gramatica was prepared for the news. The struggling kicker was released by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, two days after he missed three field goals in a 21-14 loss at Carolina, extending a slump that began after the Bucs won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. "I didn't want to face the reality, but I felt it," the team's career scoring leader said. "They called me to have a meeting with [general manager] Bruce Allen. I go: 'He's not calling me to get me ready for tomorrow's practice.' On the way there, I felt it. That made it a little easier. It wasn't a shock." Feeling they could no longer afford to wait for Gramatica to regain the form that earned him the nickname "Automatica," the Bucs signed Arena Football League kicker Jay Taylor, who will make his NFL debut against Atlanta on Sunday.
Patriots: New England re-signed wide receiver Kevin Kasper and waived defensive back Omar Lowe on Tuesday. Kasper had been released before Sunday's 24-3 victory to make room for Lowe, who the team activated from its practice squad because of injuries to cornerbacks Ty Law, Tyrone Poole and Asante Samuel. Kasper first signed with the Patriots as a free agent on Oct. 6 and played primarily on special teams. Lowe played sparingly last Sunday against the Ravens.
Associated Press