NFL NOTES: AMERICAN BOWL CANCELED; EDWARDS' INJURY COVERED?

          NFL sources said that the American Bowl in Monterrey,
     Mexico, "has been canceled because the league could not
     reach a financial agreement with Mexican officials."  A
     Cardinals-Steelers game was to be played during the first or
     third weekend of the upcoming preseason.  An NFL exec cited
     the "dramatically" changing Mexican economy as a reason for
     the cancellation (AZ REPUBLIC, 2/14)....The $5.75M contract
     of Patriots RB Robert Edwards, who was injured in an NFL-
     sponsored exhibition beach football game, is not covered
     under terms of the league's CBA, which states that a
     player's contract is covered for injury only when it "occurs
     in a game he is playing for the team or while working out
     under team supervision."  But Will McDonough reports that
     NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is "upset" about what
     happened and "wants to be able to get Edwards money in the
     future" if Edwards never plays again (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/16).