NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL is investigating the Washington Redskins’ offer sheet to New York Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles, intensifying the competition for free agents between the teams.

Two football sources, both of whom requested anonymity, said the NFL is looking into whether the Redskins broke the rules by failing to promptly notify the league after reaching an agreement with Coles. On Wednesday he signed an offer sheet that would pay him $35 million over seven years, including a $13 million signing bonus.

Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson said: “We’re happy to have the NFL look into it. There is nothing improper.”

Both the NFL and the Jets declined to comment on the investigation, first reported on SportsLine.com.

The Jets have until next Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST to match the Redskins’ offer. If the Jets don’t match, they will receive Washington’s first-round pick in the April draft, No. 13 overall.

The investigation centers on a rule that requires the league to be notified as soon as an agreement is reached. In this case, Coles, a restricted free agent, agreed to the deal with Washington owner Dan Snyder on Sunday night.

Coles was at Redskins headquarters in Ashburn, Va., on Tuesday and was presented a team jersey with No. 80 on it. He said he was taking it home to his mother in Florida.

The Jets contend that by agreeing to the deal several days before signing the offer sheet, the Redskins violated league rules by essentially taking Coles off the market before the deal had officially been concluded.

Swanson said the Redskins and Coles’ agent, Roosevelt Barnes, might have agreed to contract parameters on Sunday night, but that no deal could have been in place until Coles took a physical on Tuesday.

“An agreement was reached between Laveranues, his agent and the Redskins by teleconference on Tuesday,” Swanson said. “His agent missed his flight, and the contract couldn’t be signed until Wednesday – when the agent could look at the written contract and say, ‘We agree.’ “

If the league finds in favor of the Jets, Washington could be fined or penalized with the loss of draft choices.

The Jets and Redskins have been battling each other during the first two weeks of the free-agent signing period. Washington has signed two unrestricted free agents from the Jets: guard Randy Thomas and kicker John Hall. The Redskins also made an offer to another restricted free agent, kick returner Chad Morton, which the Jets matched on Thursday.

In other moves Friday:

• Quarterback Shane Matthews signed with Tampa Bay as the backup to Brad Johnson. Matthews replaces Rob Johnson, who signed with Washington last week, taking Matthews’ old backup spot there.

• Philadelphia signed linebacker Reggie Wayne, who was released last Monday by Green Bay. He will replace Shawn Barber, signed as a free agent by Kansas City.

• Former Eagles linebacker Barry Gardner signed with Cleveland. He was primarily a special teams and nickel player in Philadelphia.

• Pittsburgh re-signed quarterback Charlie Batch, the former starter in Detroit. He will back up Tommy Maddox after being the third-stringer last season behind Maddox and Kordell Stewart, who signed with Chicago on Thursday.

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