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The Cleveland Browns wrapped up mandatory minicamp last week and will have off until the open of training camp on July 27th. Much is still to be determined pertaining to who will lead the 2022 Browns at quarterback, due to the 24 civil suit allegations of sexual misconduct filed against quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns are going to need players to take significant steps forward in their development as NFL players and live up to the flashes of ability and talent they were acquired for.
This is undoubtedly a talented roster, but we know all too well that is not enough. It will take several key players to step forward for the 2022 Browns to accomplish the desired outcome. Although expectations may be modified based on who is under center, there will be expectations. The extent to which QB Jacoby Brissett, if Watson is suspended for a significant amount of time, can take this football team will greatly be determined by the ability of certain individuals to elevate their play.
Role: Wide Receiver 2
Player: Donovan Peoples-Jones
The Browns drafted People-Jones in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, highlighted by his game-winning touchdown catch against the Bengals. Expectations for a sixth-round draft pick probably became too ambitious after he put together a wildly impressive and consistent performance throughout the Browns 2021 Training Camp.
With expectations high for the team and People-Jones, his career-high statistics of 34 receptions, 597 yards and 3 TDs seemed rather pedestrian when factoring in the team’s underwhelming results and his borderline spectacular training camp.
The wide receiver room has changed drastically and if the Browns want to take their passing game to the next level, People-Jones has to fill the role of a legitimate number two wide receiver in the NFL. He has the size and athleticism. We have seen him make big plays. It is time for him to put it all together and be a weapon, a threat, the guy that makes “Cooper and People-Jones” a top tier 1 – 2 tandem among AFC wide receiver groups.
Teams are loaded with elite wide receiver talent all over the league and especially in the AFC. The Browns seem to really like their wide receiver room and it’s easy to see the potential. However, they are banking on multiple unproven players to be good this year including rookie David Bell.
A coming-out party for People-Jones would take a ton of pressure from the rest of the room and help legitimize Cleveland’s vision of an explosive pass game. In his third year in the NFL with the same offensive coaches and with all the athletic tools necessary, look for big things from People-Jones in 2022, because legit “big boy” NFL WR No. 2 things are needed.
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2022-06-20T14:23:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Browns Who Must Step Up Part 1: Donovan People-Jones
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https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-must-step-part-1-121224529.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-must-step-part-1-121224529.html?src=rss
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Some people put a lot of stock in Chris Simms’s QB ranking. If you’re one of those people you might be interested in where he ranked the signal-callers in the AFC West.
First of all, he puts all four starting QBs in the top 11. That tells you just how good the overall talent at quarterback is in the division.
What order is interesting as well. They go as follows:
3. Justin Herbert (LAC)
All told, he actually gave Carr in a pretty good spot. Just below some obvious top quarterbacks and above the likes of Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill, and Kirk Cousins.
You can argue all you want whether Carr should be higher on the list. But it’s a tough case to make. He’s had eight years and the best you can say is he puts up good passing yards numbers.
It’s the high turnovers, low touchdown numbers, and lack of playoff wins that have him looking up at his fellow AFC West QBs and outside the top ten.
That 'Spiderhead' Ending Was Nothing Like the Original Story, and So Much Worse
Netflix's Spiderhead (Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller) adapts the George Saunders short story "Escape from Spiderhead." Here's what happened at the end of both.
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2022-06-20T14:23:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chris Simms ranks Derek Carr as worst starting QB in AFC West
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-simms-ranks-derek-carr-130139249.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-simms-ranks-derek-carr-130139249.html?src=rss
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The 2019 NFL Draft will always be remembered as the draft in which the Raiders had three first-round picks and failed to pick up the fifth-year option on all three selections.
Holding the No. 4 pick, the Raiders “reached” for Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell was a borderline first-round pick, yet Jon Gruden decided to take him inside the top five. But who should have the Raiders selected with that pick in hindsight?
In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he re-drafted the entire first round of the 2019 draft. For the Raiders at pick No. 4, he gave them Maxx Crosby instead of Ferrell. Here was his explanation behind the new selection:
“The Raiders were on the right track with the selection of an edge rusher at No. 4, but of the many incredible players at the position this class produced, it was the one they chose in the fourth round who should have come off the board here.
Crosby’s 193 career pressures are the most of any player in this class, and his 100 pressures in 2021 were the most of any player in the NFL.”
One of the reasons it’s hard to be too upset with the 2019 draft class for the Raiders is due to their selections on Day 3. Crosby and Hunter Renfrow have both made the Pro Bowl and have received huge extensions from the team. Even Foster Moreau has played a ton of snaps for the Raiders over the last few years.
Crosby was the biggest steal of the 2019 draft and certainly makes up for the miss on Ferrell. You can even make a case that he should go higher, just behind Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa.
The first round of the 2019 draft certainly wasn’t a great one for the Raiders. But they ended up getting two franchise-changing players later in the draft. For that reason alone, it’s a win.
Nies won crown on her birthday. A pianist, she took home preliminary talent award Thursday with Chopin's Etude Opus 10 No. 5 "Black Keys Etude."
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2022-06-20T14:24:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders select Maxx Crosby at No. 4 in 2019 NFL re-draft
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-select-maxx-crosby-no-131300707.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-select-maxx-crosby-no-131300707.html?src=rss
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The Raiders recently gave Hunter Renfrow a contract extension as he is coming off the best season of his career. He caught over 100 passes, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards as he’s now widely viewed as one of the NFL’s best slot receivers.
The Raiders were able to snag Renfrow well into Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft and he has certainly outplayed that draft spot. But just how high should he have been selected?
In a recent article by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he re-drafted the entire first round of the 2019 draft. In that redraft, Renfrow was selected at pick No. 28 to the Los Angeles Chargers. Here is what Sikkema had to say about the former Clemson star and now Pro Bowler:
Renfrow really is a valuable weapon in the slot as he is nearly impossible to defend one-on-one. He’s managed to improve his route running over the last few years, but his ability after the catch has steadily gotten better throughout his career.
With Davante Adams now on the outside and a healthy Darren Waller back in the lineup, Renfrow could be in for an even bigger season. He should see far fewer double teams and should remain one of Derek Carr’s favorite options on third down.
A daughter fondly recalls how her father, a World War II veteran, loved to play the piano, and made music for his fellow troops and also at home.
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2022-06-20T14:24:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow goes in the first round of 2019 NFL redraft
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-wr-hunter-renfrow-goes-134248806.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-wr-hunter-renfrow-goes-134248806.html?src=rss
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The front office promoted then-quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey to the team’s offensive coordinator role, where he’ll be tasked with calling plays for QB Josh Allen and company.
The transition from coaching Allen alone to playcalling for him and the rest of the Bills offensive players is significant.
And it’s one in which, thus far, Dorsey has earned praise from key figures in the team’s culture.
Head coach Sean McDermott shared as far as where things stand offensively after promoting from within the Bills organization. “Light years ahead”, McDermott said while addressing the press.
QB Josh Allen, who advocated for Dorsey’s hire to the role, also expressed his support.
“Doesn’t feel like we’ve missed a step. You know, obviously, it’s going to be different, it’s a different voice in the headset, it’s a different mind calling the plays. The verbiage is still the same, the protections are still the same. We’ve switched up a couple plays here and there with concepts and thought processes. But again, being able to call the same play and players know this play like the back of their hand, and it’s just our job to go out there and execute”, Allen said while speaking to the media.
While it remains to be seen how effective the transition to Dorsey calling plays translates on the field, he has a vote of confidence from two of the more important members of the Bills organization in terms of the impact of that playcalling.
NFL Network casually dropped Frank Reich, 'Comeback Game' video & we're here for it
Zach Thomas has made the list of Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists three times. Yet, 14 years after he retired from the NFL, the former linebacker remains wanting. Brian Urlacher wonders how he made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2018 and Thomas doesn’t yet have a [more]
Wendler: Colleges should make sure students learn how world really works
West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler says a prime objective of colleges today should be to teach students how the world really works
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2022-06-20T14:25:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Sean McDermott: Bills offense is ‘light years ahead’ with Ken Dorsey
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcdermott-bills-offense-light-131444433.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcdermott-bills-offense-light-131444433.html?src=rss
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Paris hosts second stop of 2022 Cliff Diving World Series
STORY: In the men’s competition, Preda posted the highest-ever total event score as he saw off nine-time champion Gary Hunt of France with the day’s final dive.It was Preda’s second World Series victory following a similar triumph over Hunt in Saint-Raphael in the 2021 season opener. On the women’s side, having missed out on victory in the season-opener, five-time champion Iffland found her form again to get the better of her Canadian rival Molly Carlson, who won the first event in Boston two weeks ago.Iffland and Carlson sit joint-top of the overall standing with 360 points. The third stop of eight in the season heads to Copenhagen on July 16.
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2022-06-20T14:25:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Winners and losers following the Bears’ offseason program
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https://sports.yahoo.com/winners-losers-following-bears-offseason-121218096.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/winners-losers-following-bears-offseason-121218096.html?src=rss
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Notre Dame and Texas A&M are a couple of universities that pride themselves on quality football but that doesn’t mean the two have met on the gridiron all too often. In fact, the Irish and Aggies didn’t meet for the first time until New Year’s Day 1988 when they sparred in the Cotton Bowl.
The two would met a pair more times in the New Year’s Day bowl game until they finally had a home-and-home series against one-another starting in 2000.
So how have those handful of games between Notre Dame and Texas A&M gone all-time?
Here is a quick look back at the five football meetings Notre Dame and Texas A&M have had.
1988 Cotton Bowl
Ronald Martinez/Allsport
The 1987 season concluded for both Texas A&M and Notre Dame as the two met for the first time ever in the Cotton Bowl. What would be Tim Brown’s final game at Notre Dame started well as he scored on a 17-yard touchdown reception to give the Irish a 7-0 lead but the Aggies rolled to a 35-10 blowout victory from there.
Texas A&M 35, Notre Dame 10
Rick Mirer was named the game’s offensive MVP on New Year’s Day 1993 but it was the Notre Dame running game that handled business in a rout of the Aggies. At one point in the second half, Notre Dame ran the ball on 34-straight plays in cruising to victory.
Notre Dame 28, Texas A&M 3
Notre Dame had national championship hopes as they took on Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl and thanks to a late long punt return by Mike Miller, the Irish bested the Aggies 24-21. The voters however awarded Florida State the national championship despite the Irish having beat them 31-24 earlier in the season.
Notre Dame 24, Texas A&M 21
Mandatory Credit: Tom Hauck /Allsport
Notre Dame welcomed Texas A&M to South Bend to start the 2000 season for what remains the Aggies only trip there to date. Arnaz Battle threw for two touchdowns in Notre Dame’s 24-10 victory that kickstarted their first BCS run.
2001 blowout in College Station
Notre Dame’s offense was non-existent as the Irish fell to 0-3 and Texas A&M improved to 4-0 when the two teams last met in football. The Aggies scored on each of their first three possessions while the Irish were only able to put up a field goal all afternoon
Texas A&M 24, Notre Dame 3
All-time:
Tom Hauck /Allsport
In the five all-time meetings Notre Dame holds a small 3-2 advantage over
Who can David Bell rely on in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen without Alexis Díaz?
The Reds have seven relievers on the injured list and have needed different pitchers to step up into bigger roles recently.
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2022-06-20T15:32:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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College football: Notre Dame all-time versus Texas A&M
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https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-notre-dame-time-145702327.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-notre-dame-time-145702327.html?src=rss
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British sports governing bodies are under mounting pressure to reform their policies after world swimming banned transgender athletes who reached male puberty from elite women’s events.
Juan Soto hit a three-run homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 Sunday to avoid a five-game sweep. Washington ended an eight-game skid and snapped Philadelphia's seven-game road winning streak. The Phillies haven't swept a five-game series since pummeling the Marlins in 2001 at home.
Olena Roshchina - Sunday, 19 June 2022, 09:49 On 18 June, 32 locals were evacuated from the towns of Lysychansk and Privillia, as well as nearby villages. Source: Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration Quote from Haidai: "We were able to save another 32 residents of the Luhansk region - [it was] dangerous, but people want to survive.
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2022-06-20T16:35:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The Yankees need to avoid arbitration with Aaron Judge
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https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-avoid-arbitration-aaron-judge-142700594.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-avoid-arbitration-aaron-judge-142700594.html?src=rss
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Now seems like a good time to take stock and review what’s happened during what was the team’s most tumultuous offseason of the last 12 years, including major changes to the core of their roster as well as the coaching staff. With some musical accompaniment, here are eight things we learned about these Seahawks since last season ended.
If you were to sum up Seattle’s offseason in a single sentence it might go something like this: They came as close to blowing the whole thing up as it gets without going full rebuild. To recap, the team’s front office cut ties with long-time starting quarterback Russell Wilson and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who had served as the franchise cornerstones on offense and defense respectively over the last 10 years.
When that happened we assumed that a total trust-the-process kind of demolition was in the works. However, aside from those two massive shifts the Seahawks tried to keep their 2021 team together as much as possible. With the exception of 36-year old left tackle Duane Brown and underrated cornerback D.J. Reed, Seattle kept just about all of the other major personnel pieces from last season.
While the roster will look largely familiar outside of missing No. 3 and No. 54, the organization also underwent some huge philosophical changes – most notably in their approach to the NFL draft. The early results in the draft during the first three years of the Pete Carroll and John Schneider may never be equalled again even if the NFL lasts another 100 years. However, since the 2013 class this team’s returns in the draft have become a laughingstock. Good news: for whatever reason Carroll and Schneider went into the 2022 draft with a totally different approach.
Instead of reaching for iffy prospects at positions that primarily impact the running game, they doubled down at all the critical spots for the modern game, taking two prospects each at wide receiver, cornerback, offensive tackle and outside linebacker. While it’s way too early to judge the picks themselves, this represents a very promising shift in how this team goes about building its roster…
A possible Succession plan
Odds are we will never find out what actually prompted the organization’s sudden change of heart when it comes to the draft. Credit climate change, edibles or whatever you want – it’s an undeniably positive development for a franchise that has consistently disappointed its draft nerd fans for 10 years.
Ask us and our money is on the influence of the guy who may have been the team’s most important acquisition of the offseason: new associate head coach Sean Desai. For a few weeks in spring Desai was the single most sought after candidate for non-head coaching jobs around the NFL. Even though he had a lot of suitors the Seahawks won the Desai sweepstakes, scoring one of the league’s hottest up-and-coming defensive minds.
For now, Desai will be helping defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt come up with a gameplan every week. It’s hard to believe that Desai would have accepted this position if he also didn’t have some modicum of influence over the roster and maybe a promise for the future. While Pete Carroll’s energy is extremely uncommon for a 70-year old, he won’t be able to continue coaching forever. Right now the favorite to replace Carroll internally has to be Desai. It’s right there in his job title, after all.
Time will tell if Desai is actually next in the line of Succession or if Carroll will cling to power into his 80s ala Logan Roy.
A huge step backwards at quarterback
Assuming that Deshaun Watson was never going to take a snap for the Texans this year, no team took a bigger step backwards at the game’s most important position than these Seahawks. While it sounds like Russell Wilson didn’t give them much of a choice, that doesn’t make us feel any better about the trade or this team’s quarterback situation heading into 2022.
For the last decade Wilson led Seattle’s offense and did a pretty damn good job of it. While his game has flaws like any quarterback, Wilson played his position at a very high level for most of that time. At his best Wilson was a borderline top-five quarterback and it’s a crime that he hasn’t gotten a league MVP vote as of yet in his career. At worst, Wilson is still a top-10 talent and we wouldn’t be surprised if he finally gets some MVP votes his first year in Denver.
In the absence of Mr. Dangeruss, Seattle is holding its first legitimate quarterback competition since Wilson beat out Matt Flynn back in 2012. Drew Lock came over from the Broncos as part of the Wilson trade and he’ll be battling long-time backup Geno Smith for the right to replace No. 3 as the Seahawks’ new QB1.
Throughout this offseason we’ve expected Smith to win that competition. Coach Carroll says he’s still in the lead, so for now we’re still projecting he will start Week 1 against Wilson’s new team.
Defensive philosophy, leadership changes
Sean Desai was the major pickup on defense this year, but the team also made other big changes. At the top of the list was moving on from Bobby Wagner, who was entering the last year of his contract. While it made sense from a salary cap perspective, Wagner has functioned a lot like Wilson the last several seasons: propping up an imbalanced roster through sheer individual brilliance.
With Wagner out of the picture, the Seahawks will look to a pair of young linebackers to fill the void: Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton. Brooks has replaced Wagner as the team’s defensive playcaller, which means he probably has a good chance to also become the new defensive captain. Meanwhile, Barton is taking Wagner’s former position. He performed well in the final two games of 2021 but it was a very small sample size.
Seattle also made a huge move at the top by firing former defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and promoting popular defensive line coach Clint Hurtt to take his place. Like Desai, Hurtt comes from the Vic Fangio coaching tree and will be implementing some serious philosophical changes. We’ll have to wait until September to see the details in action, but as far as broad strokes go fans should expect more two-high safety sets, more man coverage and more blitzing – in general a more aggressive mindset on this side of the ball.
The run will still be established
While the philosophy on defense may have changed dramatically, on offense head coach Pete Carroll appears to be doubling down on his run-first and run-second instincts.
By taking Michigan State stud Ken Walker in the second round of the draft we learned two things. For one, it’s unlikely that former starter Chris Carson will play another snap due to his neck injury. Also, this team is going to continue with a heavy running attack on offense regardless of who starts at quarterback.
For now, Rashaad Penny is the projected starter at this position and his blazing finish to the 2021 season should mean good things for the running game. If he picks up where he left off, Seattle could have the most potent rushing attack in the league outside of Baltimore.
If Penny gets injured again or regresses to his 2018-2020 level of play, then Walker is waiting in the wings to take over. It’s hard to project how any rookie will perform when it first enters the league. However, we expect him to be an awesome three-down running back once he gets up to speed.
The offensive line will be (really) bad
Running backs can only do so much, though. That’s why smarter teams than this one tends to invest in their offensive line first when they’re looking to establish a strong run game. For most of Carroll’s tenure this team has had the same dynamic going on no matter who the offensive line coach is: they tend to excel at run blocking while struggling in pass rotection.
Looking ahead of the 2022 season, it’s tough to say if that theme will continue. However, it is clear what was already one of the weakest units on the team got even more thin this offseason. The loss of left tackle Duane Brown could be a serious blow for an offensive line that can ill afford to lose consistency and veteran leadership.
A great deal will depend on just how fast Charles Cross and Abe Lucas adjust to the speed and the physicality of pro pass rushers. If they hit the ground running it will make a huge difference. That said, for now fans should expect poor offensive line play. In fact Pro Football Focus has them ranked as the worst unit in the NFL.
Pass rush improvement may be the x-factor
The changes the team has made (outside of losing Wagner) have been mostly positive this offseason. What may ultimately decidce just how good this defense is though will be the performance of their pass rush.
Last season, this was easily the team’s greatest weakness on this side of the ball. As a group, the Seahawks were awful in traditional stats like sacks and quarterback hits as well as advanced stats like pass rush win rate and pressure percentage, with most of their team-wide numbers falling somewhere between mediocre and terrible.
Seattle made major changes here, as well. It’s debatable whether they’ll add up to an improvement or not, though. The most-expensive free agent signing the team made in March was adding Uchenna Nwosu, who’s a tremndous all around defender but not really a monster pass rush threat. The Seahawks also drafted two young edge defenders in Boye Mafe and Tyreke Smith. If those two come out swinging the sky is the limit for this group.
However, the real key to growth will be how much third-year edge rushers Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson can improve. Both have shown flashes of potential greatness but the Seahawks need them to become legitimate double-digit sack threats if this defense is going to be dominant in 2022. Either way, it would probably be wise to bring back Carlos Dunlap (ex-factor), who was the team’s best pass rusher the last season and a half. He was officially released on June 1 and recently visited the Panthers.
Legion of Boom: The sequel?
It’s been almost five years since the original Legion of Boom imploded thanks to Kam Chancellor’s career-ending neck injury and Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman both falling out with the front office. Since then the Seahawks have had a difficult time putting together a quality secondary and they’ve fielded some truly terrible back ends the last few years.
However, there appears to be a new and strong foundation in place for this critical unit. Starting safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams are the stars of this defense now. Both are under contract for at least the next three years and going nowhere. Behind them, Marquise Blair and RYan Neal offer quality depth, making this one of the league’s best safety rooms.
The real missing piece of the puzzle has been how to replace Richard Sherman, who was a one in a million talent at his position. It seems the Seahawks may have at least found someone who can match his rare physical gifts. Fifth-round pick Tariq Woolen has all of Sherman’s height, length and power to go with vastly superior speed and explosiveness. Woolen impressed observers throughout the offseason and appears on track for some real playing time.
Woolen may not even be the best cornerback the team picked up this offeason, though. Fourth-round pick Coby Bryant has more than just a competitive name. Bryant played opposite Ahmad Gardner in college and drew a ton of attention from opposite quarterbacks. He rose to the challenge and eventually won the Jim Thorpe award last season. Together, these two give the Seattle a stronger core at cornerback than they’ve had since Sherman’s prime when it almost didn’t matter who played the other side.
Add it all up and this may now be one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL. With some help up front this defense could be heading back towards elite territory sooner rather than later.
Nearly an hour after playing her final regular-season game in New York, Sue Bird was still soaking in the moment. The WNBA's all-time assist leader was on the court signing autographs and taking photos with the 100 or so family and friends who had come to Barclays Center to see her play in her hometown one last time. Bird had announced Thursday in Connecticut that this would be her final season playing in the WNBA.
In the show's return, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are still having a blast. Only Murders In the Building Season 2 Continues the Twisty Mystery Fun: Review Mary Siroky
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2022-06-20T16:46:47Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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8 things we learned about the Seahawks during the 2022 offseason
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https://sports.yahoo.com/8-things-learned-seahawks-during-153050872.html?src=rss
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After Super Bowl LVI, 10 NFL teams were left without head coaches, as some fired their leading men and some had theirs step away from their position.
The Miami Dolphins were one of those organizations, opting to move on from Brian Flores and hiring San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Since that day, Miami has improved, bringing in some assistant coaches whose experience will help the team and talented players who can take them to the next level.
Other teams with new head coaches have gotten better, but who’s looking the best for the upcoming year? NFL analyst Bucky Brooks took it upon himself to rank all 10 new head coach situations in 2022, and Miami was right in the middle at fifth.
Here’s what Brooks wrote about McDaniel and the Dolphins:
Brooks has the Denver Broncos (Nathaniel Hackett), New Orleans Saints (Dennis Allen), Las Vegas Raiders (Josh McDaniels) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Todd Bowles) ahead of Miami. A lot of this can be explained by the quarterback play. Denver has Russell Wilson, New Orleans has Jameis Winston, Las Vegas has Derek Carr and Tampa Bay has Tom Brady.
There’s an argument that could be made for Tua Tagovailoa being on a similar level as Winston in New Orleans now that the former Crimson Tide quarterback has the weapons and an offensive coach to work with, but he just has to prove it.
In a year’s time, the Dolphins could easily be closer to the top of this list if they show that they’re contenders, as Tampa Bay’s future seems to be year-to-year with Brady’s future in the air, and New Orleans could collapse without Sean Payton at the helm.
4 takeaways from Dolphins' offseason practices
Sánchez smashed a long two-run homer that capped a six-run third inning to help the Minnesota Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-1 on Saturday.
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2022-06-20T16:47:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bucky Brooks ranks Dolphins, other teams with new head coaches
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bucky-brooks-ranks-dolphins-other-152434652.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bucky-brooks-ranks-dolphins-other-152434652.html?src=rss
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Prior to the 2021 season, if you were to pick out the Tennessee Titans’ best duo, the pair likely would have come from the offensive side of the ball after the Titans sported one of the best units in the NFL in 2019 and 2020.
We likely would have chosen either quarterback Ryan Tannehill and wide receiver A.J. Brown, or Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry.
However, after Tannehill and the offense struggled with consistency in 2021, and with Brown no longer on the team, choosing a duo from the defense, which experienced a revival last season, makes sense.
And we’re on the same page with CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr, who listed outside linebacker Harold Landry and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons as Tennessee’s best duo.
The Titans defense is anchored by two of the most productive players at their respective positions. A second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection last year, Simmons finished with 52 pressures and 8.5 sacks with 16 quarterback hits. He was just one of three defensive tackles to finish with 50 tackles, eight sacks and 15 quarterback hits last season — joining Aaron Donald and Jonathan Allen.
Landry had a breakout season with the Titans last year as he finished with a career-high 75 tackles, 12 sacks and 22 quarterback hits — earning his first Pro Bowl appearance after four seasons in the league. Landry also recorded a career-high 57 pressures and finished with 41 hurries.
Both Simmons and Landry are 26 or under and should be anchoring the Titans’ pass rush for a long time. The best is yet to come for this duo.
Simmons and Landry made up half of one of the best front fours in the NFL last season, combining for 20.5 sacks between the two of them. Along with defensive lineman Denico Autry, the dynamic trio tallied a combined 29.5 sacks and was largely responsible for the turnaround.
Both Landry and Simmons had career years and received recognition as Pro Bowl replacements, and Landry even netted himself a huge extension worth $87.5 million over five years. Meanwhile, Simmons has emerged as one of the best interior defenders in the NFL.
Outside linebacker Bud Dupree was the weakest link, but he did finish the season strong with three sacks in the final five games (including playoffs). Things figure to be better in his second season removed from a torn ACL.
Overall, the defense is returning all but one starter from last season, so the Titans’ unit should be among the best once again in 2022 — and the aforementioned duo will play a big role in that once again.
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2022-06-20T16:48:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry named Titans’ best duo
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Denver Broncos RB Melvin Gordon re-signed with the team just before this year’s NFL draft in April.
Waiting as long as he did, some pundits pondered why the RB didn’t wait until training camp started to see if injuries opened up opportunities.
Well, Gordon is reuniting with his former college teammate Russell Wilson by re-signing for starters. Also, seeing the Broncos’ Super Bowl odds jump to the seventh-best may have played a part in Gordon’s decision.
During Gordon’s initial two-year contract, the Broncos never had a winning record, let alone a playoff appearance.
“With Russell, that’s a game changer. I’m not really one of the guys that likes to start over,” Gordon said on June 13. “I really don’t like change too much with coming into a new locker room, having to build relationships, finding out who your clique is and finding out who works with you and what you’re able to say until guys get comfortable. It’s a drag — the city, finding a new place to stay. It’s a lot, man.”
Indeed, NFL players are humans, too. While many a fan just look at athletes as performers on a stage, or a source for fantasy points, multiple lives are affected every time a player signs, re-signs or is released. Especially their families. So, it’s understandable Gordon didn’t want to uproot at this point in his career. In other words: imagine you get a job offer for a better salary across the country. But you don’t know anyone where you’re going — in theory. You’d have to pause before accepting, right? The same thing happened to Gordon.
“It’s a lot that goes into it behind closed doors that changes your whole thought [process] behind leaving a place,” Gordon added. “[Nathaniel] Hackett is a cool dude. He has great energy. He’s changed the whole atmosphere around here. You’re excited to come in. Not saying I wasn’t before, but you’re just a little more excited. He does a lot of different things that are fun. It’s a fun environment workplace. It feels really good to be a Bronco. The last couple days and coming in here today and when I was sprinkling in here in and out last week — it’s a different feel. I’m enjoying it.”
Gordon returned to the Broncos’ facility for the first day of mandatory minicamp after skipping most of the team’s voluntary offseason program. Check out Broncos Wire’s Jon Heath’s notes from minicamp as we await training camp to start next month.
Over/Under: 8.5 Melvin Gordon total TDs in '22-23? - Powered By PickUp
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2022-06-20T16:48:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Melvin Gordon explains why he re-signed with Broncos
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Patrick Mahomes: Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s done a great job of learning the offense originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Kansas City Royals can’t complete sweep, lose 4-0 to A’s in series finale at Oakland
Brady Singer gave up three runs in the loss.
MJ Rice arrived in Lawrence as one of the heralded recruits of Kansas’ 2022 class.
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2022-06-20T16:48:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Patrick Mahomes: Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s done a great job of learning the offense
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Seven under-the-radar impact players for 49ers in 2022 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Matt Maiocco and I previously each complied a top 10 list of the most important players on the team. This time we took a look at the less conspicuous choices, choosing seven under-the-radar players who could be key difference makers for the club in 2022.
Here are our choices:
DB Darqueze Dennard
The 30-year-old defensive back only appeared in three NFL games in 2021 — two as a member of the 49ers. Dennard signed a one-year deal with the club during the offseason and could become a key contributor this season.
There is a void in the secondary following K’Waun Williams’ departure to the Denver Broncos, and Dennard is a candidate to step in and take over the nickelback role in the secondary.
Defensive backs coach Cory Undlin spoke glowingly about the veteran defender, noting his dedication once signing with the 49ers for the second time in Week 17 of the 2021 season. Dennard was on the field for 21 defensive snaps and 10 special-teams plays after he spent the week in his coach’s office (including sleeping) learning the scheme.
When healthy, Verrett is an incredibly effective defender. The 31-year old has already bonded with newly signed Charvarius Ward and has been seen coaching up the younger members of the secondary. While he has usually been seen on the outside, Verrett is talented enough to play anywhere on the field, including in the slot.
RB Jeff Wilson
Wilson appeared in 11 games for the 49ers in 2021 after recovering from knee injury he sustained during the offseason. The 26-year-old carried the ball 79 times for 294 yards and two touchdowns but did not seem like the same player he was in 2020 when he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored seven times.
Now further removed the injury, the former undrafted free agent has more spring in his step and was seen with the first team frequently during the offseason program. Wilson was not only taking handoffs out of the backfield from Trey Lance but also catching passes from the young quarterback.
The right tackle was on Matt’s top-10 list of important players for 2021 but most of the attention from everyone outside the building has been on who will play on the interior of the offensive line.
2022 is a huge year for McGlinchey who could set himself for a huge payday in 2023 when he becomes a free agent. Consistent pass protection from the Notre Dame product will be needed as well as leadership for the group that will have quite a few new faces on the starting lineup.
McGlinchey, who has always been a solid run blocker, will also be important in creating lanes for the ball carriers which in turn will take pressure of of Lance in his first full season as a starter.
Like McGlinchey, Moore could set himself up to hit 2023 free agency with a bang if he has a great season. The safety is technically entering his fifth NFL year but sat out 2021 due to an Achilles injury suffered during the offseason.
The new rules in the CBA prevent a season spent on injured reserve to count as an accrued season keeping the third round player on the 49ers roster competing to start along side of Jimmie Ward.
Safeties coach Daniel Bullocks said he likes the level of talent that he has in the group, noting it will be in an open competition for a starting role. Even if Moore does not win the starting role, he could play on a rotational basis as well as on special teams.
RELATED: Aiyuk recalls offseason workouts with 'special quarterback' Lance
The second-year safety was seen in on the field with the first team during organized team activities, but who will start at the position come Week 1 has not been decided. Hufanga has already made drastic improvements in his game -- especially in his on-field communication which Bullocks mentioned was a coaching point.
The USC product continues show improvements from working with Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu while away from the facility. Bullocks believes Hufanga is a step faster, and twitchier since returning to Santa Clara for the offseason.
Both Hufanga and Moore will be competing with George Odum who joined the club after spending four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. All three have a chance to win the starting strong safety role.
If Kinlaw can stay healthy, could be a game changer for the 49ers defense in 2022. After having a second procedure on his knee, the No. 14 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft is set for a comeback season.
The defensive tackle has yet to participate in team drills on the field but all reports from the facility have been encouraging. Both John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have shared that Kinlaw has been more upbeat and working around the clock to make a return now that he is dealing with less knee pain than he has in the past.
The defensive line room is filled with talent with lightens the pressure on Kinlaw to perform on the field. The South Carolina product has remained in Santa Clara working with the team medical staff completely focused on making his way back at a pace that will keep hopefully keep him healthy going forward.
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2022-06-20T16:49:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Kinlaw among 49ers under-the-radar impact players
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The 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class is one of the deepest that exists in recent years with Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's CJ Stroud serving as the headliners. But they're not the only reason why this group has become so heralded.
Even going as far as 1-15 in a lot of the positional rankings that have been released at this point in this offseason, there are several signal-callers who stand to have a meteoric rise and become adequate NFL starters and more that should at least develop into high-end NFL backups with a floor a team can be comfortable with.
Here's a look into five quarterbacks who aren't getting a lot of attention right now but could change that narrative in 2022:
1. Michael Pratt, Tulane.
Pratt put the nation on notice in the 2021 season-opener against the Oklahoma Sooners, vastly outperforming former projected No. 1 overall pick Spencer Rattler. The then-freshman completed 27-of-44 passing attempts (61.4%) for 296 yards with three touchdowns, using his mobility to add another score on the ground.
There may have been no quarterback put at more of a disadvantage by the situation and lack of talent surrounding him in the nation than Pratt was which made it difficult for his individual potential to fully shine through. It's also reasonable to assume Pratt wasn't at full capacity for practically the entire season with the beating he took behind a dismal offensive line that hardly gave him adequate time to throw -- he was sacked 28 times on the season with a high of eight times in a single game and suffering a concussion after taking a fourth-quarter shot from the SMU defense.
The outlook for Tulane is a bit more positive in 2022 after a lowly 2-10 finish last season with new offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda, who has previously worked with head coach Willie Fritz. Pratt is expected to have an upgrade in help around him with the return of running back Tyjae Spears, transfer rusher Ashaad Clayton and a promising wideout in Notre Dame transfer Lawrence Keys, though there's still questions about the protection up front going into this season.
Pratt has shown some upside as a pure passer that may be tapped into more with better protection and a higher quality supporting cast in 2022. But the "it" factor that's caught him so much attention is his gritty type of mobility, poise and level of toughness that can rally a team. Pratt mentioned ahead of the 2021 season that he was seeing the field better and that the game overall was slowing down for him and felt like he had grown on the mental side of things, something that should continue to develop with another year under his belt.
Looking at the film, he's got a bit of Tyler Van Dyke to his game -- a comparison that's certainly a positive one considering the Miami quarterback is largely projected to be a first-rounder in April. Pratt seems to be mentally further along than a lot of other quarterbacks with his same experience level in taking what the defense gives him and delivering an accurate ball at all levels of the field even in the face of pressure (which he was frequently subjected to) and has a good foundation to develop off of as potentially one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football.
2. Will Rogers, Mississippi State.
Rogers took a huge step in 2021, impressing as he broke school and conference records as just a sophomore, finishing out the season with a 73.9% completion rate with 4,739 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Viewing the film especially in the back half of the season, it's clear to see Rogers has quickened his release time, made strides in his decision-making and has improved his ball placement, more consistently putting it in a place that leads the receiver upfield. Rogers has always received praise for the intangibles, but the tangibles seem to finally be coming together for him in a way worth noticing.
And based on Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach's recent comments, it sounds like Rogers could have more responsibility at the line of scrimmage in 2022.
"I think he's more consistent. I think he can kind of aggressively check more of the package on his own," Leach said. "The other thing is – he's been good at this but even better now perhaps – he brings energy to the offensive unit."
Rogers plays in the purest form on the Air Raid offense, which is extremely reliant upon quarterback accuracy, an area Rogers has continuously progressed in and could lead the nation in for 2022. It's obvious the game has slowed down for him, something that naturally comes with experience, and he could very well end up being QB2 in the SEC behind Young this season.
If Rogers is drafted next year, he'll join former WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe as one of the Air Raid quarterbacks to be most recently selected by a pro team.
3. Clayton Tune, Houston.
Tune (6'3/215) showed some flashes in 2021 en route to finishing out the season with a 68.2% completion rate, 3,546 passing yards, 30 touchdowns (all of which were personal bests for him) and 10 interceptions.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder isn't receiving the same type of attention as a lot of other quarterbacks are in what's shaped up to be an incredibly deep class, but he has been pinned by a handful of analysts as a quarterback who would take another step in 2022 and become more of a name to know. He had stretches of the season in which he was strong as a passer, though he sometimes got inconsistent. If he can stay more steady and put together a solid 2022, this could very well be a quarterback few expected to be drafted that ends up being selected by a team.
Tune doesn't lack arm strength and while he's not an uber-athletic quarterback by any means, he does possess the ability to sufficiently evade pressure and has enough mobility to get a few yards for his team to move the chains when the situation calls for it. As the stat sheet would reflect, Tune is a very accurate passer and could perhaps even increase his already-high completion rate and lead this offense to a new level of success with wide receiver Tank Dell and running back Alton McCaskill on the field with him. Expect this team to make a serious run for the AAC Championship Game again in 2022.
4. Aidan O'Connell, Purdue.
O'Connell isn't a household name but stands a chance at becoming one after he completed 71.6% of his passes for 3,712 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2021. He averaged over 355 yards per game over 12 games last season, with eight games in which he threw for two touchdowns or more, with a single-game high of five scoring passes in the 48-45 overtime win in the Music City Bowl over a Tennessee team that's put the nation on notice.
The fifth-year senior also finished the 2021 season with an 85.7 quarterback rating, the fifth-best QBR in the country last year. Consistency is the most important quality in a quarterback, and O’Connell has shown that as a passer. Between the 2019 and 2021 seasons, O’Connell’s passer rating improved an impressive 18.1 points and could grow even more in the upcoming season.
Looking at O'Connell's game, he is more of a pocket passer with a limited ability to scramble but succeeds in a passing offense where his ability to push the ball downfield and have success throwing into tight windows has consistently been on display. He’s far exceeded the expectations as a former walk-on, now with the potential to be drafted.
Strength of schedule and quality of wins obviously play a role in how much hype a quarterback can garner, so a solid performance and an upset victory over Penn State in the season-opener can very much put O’Connell on the radar. And he's in a good position do just that and to succeed with a lot of the talent around him returning after he played a large role in leading Purdue to a 9-4 record last season. The Boilermakers have shown they can put up a fight and top quality teams, getting the aforementioned victory over Tennessee as well as getting wins over including over top-five opponents like Iowa and Michigan State.
5. Jaren Hall, BYU.
BYU's last great quarterback and among it's best players ever was current New York Jets signal-caller Zach Wilson. Now, the Cougars have a passer with some semblance to Wilson in junior Jaren Hall.
Hall completed 63.9% of his passes for 2,583 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2021, and much like Cam Ward of Washington State, has found himself all over the draft projections with some taking the early leap to pin him as early as the first round of the draft while others don't even have him on their top-15 quarterbacks list.
Hall’s decision-making was impressive last season especially for a sophomore without an incredible amount of experience. This is a mechanically sound quarterback who moves well within the pocket and can deliver a throw off of practically any platform. In addition to his talent as a passer, he's also shown he has the type of speed to break away from some of college football's fastest defenders.
The Cougars also check the box on putting Hall in an advantageous situation heading into 2022, with adequate pass protection as BYU has what head coach Kalani Sitake calls “a lot of offensive line presence.” The Cougars have two draft prospects to watch within that unit, with both both interior offensive lineman Clark Barrington and offensive tackle Blake Freeland labeled as prospects to watch ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Though he'll be up against the same "small school stigma" that several other quarterbacks on and off of this list face, expect Hall to break through that and do big things this year.
Peyton Graham ESPN’s No. 2 MLB prospect in the 2022 College World Series
Heading into the College World Series, Peyton Graham was ranked the No. 2 prospect according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
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2022-06-20T17:28:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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5 Under-The-Radar QBs to Watch in 2022
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Pro Football Focus writer Trevor Sikkema recently went back and re-drafted the 2019 NFL draft after three seasons. Given what we know about the players in that draft class right now, things would have turned out much differently across the board.
One of the most significant changes for Kansas City is that they don’t end up trading away their first-round draft pick to acquire DE Frank Clark. PFF instead has the Chiefs keeping pick No. 29 and selecting Delaware S Nasir Adderley (Chargers). Why did they take Adderley, though? Because Juan Thornhill was already made a first-round draft pick by a division rival.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Thornhill at pick No. 27, which is where they actually took Jonathan Abram. Here is what Sikkema had to say about the Raiders scooping Thornhill in Round 1:
During Thornhill’s rookie season, he posted 58 total tackles, three interceptions, five passes defended and a defensive touchdown before suffering a torn ACL in the final game of the regular season. He hasn’t quite had the same success since his injury, but he’s aiming to have a big year in 2022. He was selected in the second round at pick No. 63 overall, so this is a pretty big jump for him in terms of his draft slot.
Adderley, like Thornhill, has also seen his career hampered by injury a bit, so the trade-off here is a bit of a wash. The Raiders definitely are the big winners in getting Thornhill over Abram. The only problem is that this scenario still leaves the Chiefs without a solution at pass-rusher and all of the productive players at EDGE went in the top-15 picks. Such is life in NFL re-draft, though.
What do you think about Thornhill being a first-round pick in this re-draft scenario? Has he performed in such a way that he should have been selected in the first round? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section down below or on Facebook and Twitter.
Chiefs UDFA Spotlight: Western Michigan OL Mike Caliendo
Lorenzo Cain’s playing days may have come to an end Saturday, but he’ll always be remembered fondly by Royals fans.
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2022-06-20T22:58:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs S Juan Thornhill selected in first round of PFF’s 2019 NFL re-draft
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A re-draft of the 2019 NFL draft from Pro Football Focus highlighted how well the Green Bay Packers did with the team’s first three picks three years ago.
A quick recap: Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst drafted edge rusher Rashan Gary at No. 12, safety Darnell Savage at No. 21 and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins at No. 44. In Trevor Sikkema’s re-draft, Gary was selected at No. 8, Jenkins at No. 11 and Savage at No. 30.
In other words, the Packers used three picks in the top 45 to select three first-round players, including two elite players.
Overall, the Packers got 26 spots of value (or almost a full round) when considering actual draft position and PFF’s re-draft position.
Jenkins is the obvious home run here. A second-round pick, Jenkins may now hold the title as the best offensive lineman from the 2019 draft. One of the most versatile players in football, Jenkins even proved tremendous value at left tackle last season, and there’s an increasingly good chance he’ll be the team’s long-term player at right tackle. Jenkins was the top offensive lineman in the re-draft.
Gary is well on his way to super stardom after an incredible third season. Many criticized the Packers for taking Gary at No. 12, but he’s developed into a true game-changer and one of the best young edge rushers in football. Three years later, he’s a top-10 player in the class with an unlimited ceiling as a player. The Packers’ gamble paid off handsomely. Turns out, betting on elite athleticism and effort often wins.
Savage is going into his fourth year as a full-time starter and has shown some flashes of greatness, but inconsistency has kept him from emerging as an elite player. We still picked him as the team’s top breakout candidate in 2022. A combination of elite speed and the comfort of going into Year 2 of a defensive scheme could finally unlock his playmaking potential. In the actual draft, Savage was the first defensive back taken. In the re-draft, he was the fourth safety and sixth defensive back selected, so it’s possible the Packers had better options available.
The rest of the Packers’ 2019 draft class doesn’t hold up as well. Third-round pick Jace Sternberger busted, fifth-round pick Kingsley Keke was released last year, sixth-round pick Ka’dar Hollman was traded away last summer, sixth-round pick Dexter Williams was released last year and seventh-round pick Ty Summers has been nothing more than a fringe roster player.
None of that really matters because the Packers did so well with the team’s first three picks.
Calendar of events for the Tuscarawas Valley.
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2022-06-20T22:58:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Re-draft of 2019 highlights value of Packers’ first three picks
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From the perspective of NFL Network’s Adam Rank, things are expected to get significantly better as he predicted the Jags to accumulate a 7-10 record. And while that wouldn’t get them in the playoffs, it would give them four more wins than they had last season.
The wins Rank gave to the Jags were against Washington, Houston (twice), both New York teams, Detroit, and Dallas (a surprise). The losses came from Indianapolis (twice), Tennessee (twice), Los Angeles (Chargers), Philadelphia, Denver, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Baltimore.
Seven wins would bring optimism to the Jags’ fanbase because the team has only hit that total once in the last 11 seasons. Of course, that one time was in 2017 when the Jags played in the AFC Championship.
When looking at the games that Rank predicted the Jags to lose, an argument could be made for the Jags snagging a few of those, especially the one against Indy at home. As many are aware, the Colts have lost their last seven games in Jacksonville, and even though the team has another quarterback in Matt Ryan, the Jags’ defense got better in the offseason.
It never fails for the Jags to stun a team they have no business beating, but that’s likely because they are often underdogs, which means they aren’t favorites in a lot of matches. Last season, that team was the Buffalo Bills, who the Jags beat 9-6 last season.
As previously mentioned, the team that Rank has the Jags stunning this year are the Cowboys, but they also could surprise the Eagles and Titans (at least once), due to neither having an elite quarterback. Ultimately, time will tell how many wins the Jags get overall, but their chances to at least double their win total are pretty good if they stay healthy.
Is Shopify Stock a Buy Now?
Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) stock fell considerably off its highs in 2021. The company that helps businesses establish an online selling platform thrived at the pandemic's onset in 2020 when non-essential establishments, including many smaller retailers, were temporarily forced to shut their doors to in-person customers. In 2021, the gradual reversal of that trend created difficult year-over-year comparisons for Shopify.
Jaguars returner Jamal Agnew‘s first season with the team ended after 10 games because of a hip injury. He didn’t dislocate the hip but did damage ligaments. Agnew, 27, received clearance to return to football activities before the offseason program ended. “I’m pretty much right on track, way ahead of time,” Agnew said last week, [more]
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2022-06-20T22:58:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL Network’s Adam Rank predicts a 7-10 season for Jags
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The Arizona Cardinals have wrapped up their offseason work and now are off until training camp. Camp will begin sometime at the end of July.
Before it begins, they will have to make some decisions about players coming back from injuries. One such player is tight end Maxx Williams, who tore his ACL in Week 5 and continues to recover and rehab.
He is not likely going to be ready to practice when training camp begins.
“He’s coming along,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said last week during mandatory minicamp. “He’s doing everything he can. I think it will be (the) end of training camp when we kind of see where he stands. We’re not going to rush him.”
With Williams unlikely to be ready at the start of camp, it can be expected that he will start off on PUP (the physically unable to perform list). He will count against the 90-man roster but will not be eligible to practice.
If after all of training camp, he is not ready to play and has not come off PUP, he could bypass the 53-man roster and land on the regular-season PUP, which would keep him at least the first six weeks of the season.
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2022-06-20T22:59:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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TE Maxx Williams likely to start training camp on PUP
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Dalvin Cook is already a three-time Pro Bowler and widely recognized as one of the best running backs in the league. But he could take things up a notch in 2022 with Kevin O’Connell overseeing the offense as the new head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
There has been talk of Cook being utilized more as a receiver in the spring practices. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering he’s one of the most versatile playmakers coming out of the offensive backfield in the NFL.
So it only makes sense for O’Connell to look at creating more opportunities to get the ball in his hands. The Vikings might be deep at the running back, but Cook, 26, still prides himself on being the bell-cow player at that position.
“I could get the ball 30 times, and you could give it to me 30 more times the next game. And then I could go out there and catch five or ten passes,” said Cook, when speaking with FOX 9 Sports’ Hobie Artigue. “…Being a bell-cow running back is what I pride myself on being. One of those old school, Warrick Dunn—just being one of those guys.”
It’s not only Cook’s willingness to be in on every snap, but the ability to be an all-purpose running back is rare at an elite level.
Sure, there’s a lot of versatility in the NFL these days, but there aren’t many players that can impact a game at every job like the Vikings’ starting tailback.
But it’s also good to have options like Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu and even rookie Ty Chandler to help keep Cook healthy down the stretch. There’s obviously a level of toughness and pride that comes with being in on all of the snaps, but the team has to look beyond just one game, too.
It’s good to know Cook is capable of being the marathon-man on the field, but the Vikings desperately need him as healthy as possible if they have any hope of competing in the playoffs.
The program is designed to create a database of Black and diverse businesses that can contribute in what is expected to be a booming industry, especially in North Carolina, which is one of the leading states for clean energy production.
Neil Diamond led a singalong of his hit "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park during a Boston Red Sox during this past weekend.
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2022-06-20T22:59:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Versatile RB Dalvin Cook still prides himself on being ‘bell-cow’
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The Miami Dolphins opted to move on from head coach Brian Flores this offseason, and when Mike McDaniel took over the role, he decided to keep defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on his staff.
There’s been a lot of discussions regarding who was calling the plays down the stretch in 2021 with some crediting Flores and others pointing toward Boyer.
So, with Flores out, there’s, understandably, some skepticism regarding how the defense will look without the experienced Bill Belichick disciple leading the room, even if not calling the defense.
Pro Football Focus seems to believe that the Dolphins are still in good hands. PFF’s Eric Eager recently ranked the top defensive play-callers in the NFL, and Boyer landed fifth on the list.
Here’s what Eager wrote about Boyer and Miami’s defense:
“New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel retained Boyer, and for good reason. Despite an offense that did it no favors in 2021, Miami’s defense helped the team overcome a 1-7 record to finish 9-8 in a campaign that gave way to breakouts players such as interior defender Christian Wilkins, who ranked third in the NFL in WAR at his position, and safety Jevon Holland, the ninth-most valuable rookie in the NFL in 2021.”
The four play-callers ahead of Boyer? Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
Interestingly enough, Quinn and Frazier were candidates for Miami’s head coach job this offseason, and Allen was a candidate back in 2019 before they hired Flores.
The Dolphins are returning most of the same players to this unit in 2022, and that’s really the key here. They should be able to pick up right where they left off last season and allow their offense some time to get used to working together in a new system.
KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Moonlighting in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Todd Gilliland took control of Saturday night‘s Clean Harbors 150 after the sun set on Knoxville Raceway. Gilliland grabbed the lead from John Hunter Nemechek for the final time on Lap 140 of 150 and pulled away after a restart on Lap 147 to […]
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2022-06-20T22:59:16Z
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Where does Josh Boyer land in PFF’s defensive play-caller rankings?
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2022 NBA Draft Reel: Colorado's Jabari Walker
Colorado sophomore forward Jabari Walker declared for the 2022 NBA Draft after earning All-Pac-12 Conference First Team honors by averaging 14.6 points and a league-best 9.4 rebounds per game in 2021-22.
Model Blac Chyna has settled her revenge porn claim against former fiancé Rob Kardashian, prompting a judge Monday to dismiss a panel of prospective jurors who were about to be impaneled to hear the case.
Harden named Lenawee County Girls High School Track and Field Coach of the Year
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2022-06-20T23:17:36Z
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2022 NBA Draft Reel: Colorado's Jabari Walker
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Jay Markle
Interacting in person with the Gators’ linebacking staff and personnel made a big difference for Aguirre. He told 247Sports that the team wasn’t in his top five schools prior to his official visit, but that changed after his time with the folks on Florida’s defensive squad. He called out Ventrell Miller as being the highlight after the veteran took time to be one of Aguirre’s on-campus hosts.
Scouting reports on Aguirre indicate that he’s a well-rounded prospect; carrying hard-hitting physicality on his 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound frame without sacrificing the ability to contribute in coverage as well. He seems to be a good candidate for reps early in his career.
It’s not going to be easy for Florida to beat out their competitors and seal the deal with the young linebacker. He’s a native of Miami according to his Twitter bio, which may give a boost to the ‘Canes who are already enjoying some momentum under Mario Cristobal’s watch. Georgia is a tempting offer for any defensive prospect after seeing what they were able to do last season. And Alabama’s brand is unassailable, a fact that they’ve leveraged with many a recruit in the past.
Gators to get return visit from this in-state 4-star cornerback
Billy Napier and staff are working hard to get the best recruits on campus, including this 4-star who is set to make a return visit.
The Gators are well-positioned to land this four-star defensive lineman following a second visit to the Swamp.
Penn State tight end Brenton Strange looks to make that big leap in 2022, and he has the talent to do so. Snapshot profile:
Who are the top 10 San Diego State players going into the 2022 college football season?
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2022-06-21T00:26:04Z
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This 4-star linebacker placed Florida in his top 6 schools
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Ndamukong Suh would like to continue his NFL career, but it’s not likely to happen with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Appearing on ESPN2’s “NFL Live” on Monday, Suh acknowledged that he appears to be moving on after three seasons in Tampa Bay (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Suh turned 35 in January, and the Bucs spent their top pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall. In addition, the Bucs just spent a decent chunk of their remaining salary cap space on a different veteran defensive lineman, Akiem Hicks.
Those moves were the writing on the wall that Tampa Bay wouldn’t have room for Suh, both financially and on the depth chart.
If this is indeed the end of Suh’s run with the Bucs, he finished with 14.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries and two touchdowns in 49 games.
Milton quarterback Emory Williams announced via his personal Twitter account Monday that he has committed to play football for the University of Miami
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2022-06-21T00:52:15Z
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Ndamukong Suh: ‘It looks like the Bucs are out of the picture’
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Mick Jagger says the Rolling Stones will return from Covid isolation Tuesday, resuming the band’s 60th anniversary European tour in Milan. In an tweeted video, Jagger apologies “for the inconvenience about the shows,” then adds, “We’ll be on stage in Milan on Tuesday so see you there.” The 78-year-old Jagger announced last week that he […]
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2022-06-21T00:52:27Z
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PFN gives Doug Pederson a respectable spot in coach rankings
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Pioli reveals his top choices for Comeback Player of the Year in '22
NFL Network's Scott Pioli reveals his top choices for the Comeback Player of the Year award in the 2022 NFL regular season. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
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2022-06-21T00:52:40Z
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Pioli reveals his top choices for Comeback Player of the Year in '22
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Recruiting. It’s the lifeblood of any college football program and Ohio State does it better than almost everyone. Identifying and luring the best high school talent has always been a strength of a program like OSU, but it’s been even better under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day.
And despite a rather ho-hum start to the 2023 recruiting cycle, the Buckeyes were still hanging around in the top five. And now, after the verbal commitment of 5-star wide receiver Carnell Tate, Ohio State had moved all the way up to No. 2 in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings for 2023.
The Buckeyes now have a total of 11 commitments with an average of 93.39 per player and a total score of 215.82, considerably behind No. Notre Dame, which has a total score of 251.59 with its 15 commitments (92.72 average).
It’s a big one! #GoBucks https://t.co/1OLQtrxLNg
Teams rounding out the top five behind the Irish and Buckeyes are Georgia, Texas Tech, Clemson, Penn State, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Arkansas, and USC.
Care worker Sandrine Marchal began voting for the far-right several years ago, frustrated by the constant struggle to make ends meet. On Sunday, her home town of Meaux, a conservative stronghold east of Paris, made the same political shift. Famous for its brie cheese, it was one of dozens of constituencies to fall to the Rassemblement National party of Marine Le Pen for the first time in a parliamentary election, as disaffected voters expressed their frustration toward President Emmanuel Macron.
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2022-06-21T02:02:41Z
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Ohio State moves near the top of team recruiting rankings after Tate commitment
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One of the positions that the Ravens made sure to address in a big way was offensive tackle. All-Pro Ronnie Stanley has been trying to work his way back from an ankle injury that he suffered in the middle of the 2020 season, and has only played in one game since. When Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was asked about how some of the offensive tackles have looked, he expressed confidence in the position.
“That’s exactly the silver lining. We’ve got two veteran guys; we have a young guy in Daniel [Faalele], who has looked good. He’s a young kid, he’s a big man. I saw some of the stuff about you guys talking about [him] getting in shape, and yes, he’s working his way into kind of NFL-type-conditioning as a tackle. But that’s … Man, he’s almost … What is he? … I don’t know. I do know, but he’s up there, and it’s good weight. So, he’s going to learn how to play at this level, at this speed – I’m certain of it. And then Jaryd Jones-Smith is doing a really nice job. So, we’ve got five good tackles, I feel like, there, and with Ronnie [Stanley] in there.
The Ravens added Morgan Moses on a three-year $15 million deal and also brought in Daniel Faalele with their first of six fourth-round selections in the 2022 NFL draft. They also have Ja’Wuan James coming back from a torn achilles he suffered in 2021, Patrick Mekari as a versatile option who can step in at tackle if needed, and Jaryd Jones-Smith as a quality rotational piece.
Baltimore has clearly built up their depth around Stanley, and are in much better position to be able to get through any time that the former Notre Dame star might miss in 2022. It remains to be seen if Stanley will be ready for Week 1, but if not the team has plenty of options to fill in for him.
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2022-06-21T02:35:35Z
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Ravens HC John Harbaugh expresses confidence in Baltimore’s OT depth
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The best weighted blankets are incredibly popular because they help people fall asleep and stay asleep. Right now, Amazon is running a big sale that slashes the #1 best-selling option to the lowest price we’ve seen. The YnM weighted blanket lineup is beloved by Amazon shoppers, and today, prices start at just $39.80. This top-selling … The post Amazon’s best weighted blanket used to cost $80, but today it’s only $40 appeared first on BGR.
The Detroit Tigers scored 21 runs in their past two games at home. Then, the Tigers traveled to Fenway Park and lost 5-2 to the Boston Red Sox.
Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the right-field wall and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Monday night for their 50th win. New York has won 17 of its last 19 games, and its 50-17 start is the best in the major leagues since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. The Yankees opened a 14-game lead over third-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Brandon Nimmo on taking advantage of offensive opportunities in different ways, David Peterson performance | Mets Post Game
In this Mets post game news conference, Brandon Nimmo feels the Mets 6-0 win over the Marlins on Monday afternoon came from doing whatever the situation dictated.
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2022-06-21T03:11:22Z
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Los Angeles Dodgers acquire OF Trayce Thompson from Detroit Tigers after Mookie Betts injury
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The Jacksonville Jaguars spent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, hoping he could be the franchise passer to turn their fortunes around.
Despite a rocky 2021 season, for many reasons that had nothing to do with Lawrence, the highly touted rookie delivered some flashes of brilliance that should give Jags fans plenty of reasons to be excited for the future.
There’s obviously plenty of room for improvement, as Lawrence experienced his share of rookie struggles, but the future is still extremely bright for this talented field general.
Check out some of Lawrence’s top plays from his rookie season:
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2022-06-21T04:24:05Z
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WATCH: Best highlights from Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season
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The Minnesota Vikings went into the 2022 NFL draft with a need at cornerback, and they managed to land a first-round talent on Day 2 when they traded up to grab Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. with the No. 42 overall pick.
If not for a strained quad muscle that forced him to pull out of drills at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Booth could have easily been a first-round selection, but his fall was the Vikings’ gain, as they grabbed one of the most pro-ready corners in the draft outside of the top 40 picks.
Booth has an NFL-ready combination of physical and mental traits, with the athleticism, instincts, ball skills and awareness to be a quality starter right out of the gate. His polished technique should allow him to challenge NFL receivers right away, and his ability to excel in press man coverage against some of the best pass-catchers in the college ranks should serve him well at the next level.
Cam Dantzler appears to be developing into one of the league’s better young corners, but the Vikings needed another talented prospect to line up on the other side of the field. Booth was a top-20 player on our board, and could prove to be a huge steal at a premium position for Minnesota.
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2022-06-21T04:24:11Z
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Why Vikings fans should be excited about Andrew Booth Jr.
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This was a second consecutive heavy defeat in a final for the Russian who also lost in straight sets to Tim van Rijthoven last Sunday at 's-Hertogenbosch.
"Daniil is the best player in the world so it’s very tricky to play him," said Hurkacz.
Andy Murray still fully intends to play Wimbledon next week but says he faces a race against time to prove his fitness as his abdominal injury continues to hamper his preparations.
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2022-06-21T06:16:57Z
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Medvedev fumes at coach during defeat to Hurkacz in Halle final
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Who is Jabari Smith?
Smith is a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, two assists and 1.1 steals in 29 minutes over 34 games for the Auburn Tigers. Prior to committing to Auburn, Smith was the No. 2 recruit coming out of high school (behind Chet Holmgren) and chose to play for the Tigers over North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, LSU and Alabama.
During the season, Smith showcased an arsenal of skills that included consistent 3-point shooting, defensive versatility and the ability to move and play multiple positions. He played alongside the best shot blocker in the country, Walker Kessler, and still found ways to impact the game defensively while sliding down for double teams off the weakside block and contesting shots with his 7-foot-1 wingspan.
Head coach Bruce Pearl knew Smith was something special before he even got to campus.
“What people do not realize is how long and how disciplined he has worked over the last four or five years to get to this point,” Pearl said on Tiger 95.9 FM in Auburn. “It started in high school, he was a '6:30 in the morning, everyday, get up and get in the gym' guy. Who does that at 14, 15 and 16 years old? This is what an NBA All-Star looks like, and that’s why he’s going to go No. 1.”
Auburn's Jabari Smith is projected as the top overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Jabari Smith's strengths as a pro
The Orlando Magic desperately need help with perimeter shooting, after connecting on only 33% of their 3-point attempts last season. Smith is the best shooting big in this draft class and knocked down 42% of his threes last season, leading the SEC in 3-point field-goal percentage. He's more than just a catch-and-shoot big, taking players off the dribble and shooting over the top of the defense when his man goes under the screen.
Smith is favored to go No. 1 overall and is one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft with his size and the way his skills translate. His mobility on defense, switching between guarding positions one through four, will make him a huge asset at the next level.
Jabari Smith's questions at the next level
The only thing that sets Paolo Banchero and Holmgren apart from Smith is the way they can create for themselves off the dribble.
Smith wasn't the player with the ball in his hands at the end of the shot clock and struggled getting past guards off the switch when he tried to get downhill. This is an area of improvement and something Smith will have to work on to add to his all-around game.
NBA scouts love Smith's size and what he brings in terms of consistent outside shooting. The NBA is now a shooter's game, and Smith is the first prospect to come along in quite some time who has size and long-range shooting.
"Jabari can really stretch the floor with his outside shooting and has made strides on defense improving his rebounding as the season went on," a Western Conference scout told Yahoo Sports. "He's still young and will grow into his body but won't lose any of his mobility."
His ceiling is high as a future star and will be an early favorite for Rookie of the Year next season. His immediate impact makes him the safest pick at No. 1 and a player who can help the Magic get over the hump as they continue to rebuild. If Smith does hear his name called first on June 23, he will be the first No. 1 pick in Auburn program history.
Shaedon Sharpe, the biggest mystery in the draft
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2022-06-21T06:17:04Z
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NBA draft profile: Jabari Smith could be the first No. 1 pick in Auburn history
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U.S. Open: Zalatoris reveals why The Country Club is hardest course he's played originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Will Zalatoris is the co-leader at the U.S. Open with a score of 4-under par entering Sunday's final round, but that doesn't mean the course at The Country Club has been a breeze.
Zalatoris views the historic course in Brookline, Mass., as the hardest he's ever played.
"Literally when people ask me what's the toughest golf course you've ever played, I've said The Country Club since 2013," Zalatoris explained Saturday after shooting a 3-under par third round. "Granted, Gil has made some changes, adding in 11, which is a phenomenal hole. I still haven't hit that green this week. It's the 'easiest shot' on the golf course."
What in particular makes this course so challenging?
"I think it's got a good mixed bag of short holes and longer holes, but the shorter holes you just make one mistake at all, and you're scrambling for par," Zalatoris said.
"You have your fair share at 500-yard Par-4s that are pretty straight, but it's just -- it shows you that the rough this week I think in the four Opens I've played is the shortest that I've ever played, and it's still -- I think I had -- I think I was 1-for-5 being able to go for the green just because of the scenario that's in front of you.
"Like on 10, if you hit one in the rough, you're going to have 210 back up the hill with rough, basically 50 yards of rough in front of you and some bunkers, so you have to lay up. Literally every single shot you're trying to, obviously -- off the tee it's just so crucial out here to just hit as many fairways as you can."
Zalatoris was one of just seven golfers to shoot below par during Saturday's third round. The weather played a factor as temperatures dropped into the low 60 and winds were gusting between 10-20 mph throughout the afternoon.
Winds will be whipping again Sunday and temperatures will drop further into the low-to-mid 50s.
The combination of less-than-ideal weather conditions, the pressure of a final round at a major championship and an unforgiving course will provide the golfers near the top of the leaderboard with a fantastic test over the final 18 holes of the U.S. Open.
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2022-06-21T06:17:10Z
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U.S. Open: Will Zalatoris reveals why The Country Club is hardest course he's played
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Houston Baptist star Darius Lee was shot and killed Monday morning in Harlem, the program announced.
Lee was one of nine people shot during an alleged dispute on the set of a rap video, police said, via CBS News. The eight others who were shot are expected to survive.
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 ...
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ... https://t.co/hT1t81Nekk#DawgsUp#LoveYourBrother pic.twitter.com/JWhPoYs3WN
"We are devastated. Darius was a remarkable young man who loved the Lord, his mom, his family, his teammates, his friends and his entire HBU family,” coach Ron Cottrell said in a statement.
"We are in shock and cannot wrap our heads around this news. My heart breaks for his mom, his sister and his entire family, and for our basketball team. The only thing we find comfort in right now is knowing where Darius is. He is in the arms of Jesus … we know that as fact. And we will see him again some day. As great of a basketball player as he was, he was an even better person. I can't even think of basketball right now. I can only think of what a light Darius was during his short time on earth. He was a joy to coach and we loved him so much.”
Coach Ron Cottrell & the Houston Baptist family mourning the passing of forward Darius Lee, shot & killed last night in Harlem in New York City. Darius had 1 year of eligibility left w/ HBU. Last season he scored 52 points against McNeese,highest scoring game of the year in Div 1 pic.twitter.com/mTolEP0MEf
A gun was recovered at the scene. No arrests have been made.
Witnesses told CBS News that there were “around 40 or 50 shots” in succession, though it's unclear what sparked the dispute.
Lee averaged a team-high 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season with the Huskies, his second with the program. He was a second-team All-Southland Conference selection last season, and was named the university’s student-athlete of the year.
"He was a very fine young man who had a very bright future in front of him both on and off the court,” athletic director Steve Moniaci said in a statement. “This is unfortunately, yet again, another example of the senseless gun violence that seems to be plaguing our country right now and we all pray it will cease."
Darius Lee was one of nine people shot on Monday in Harlem, New York. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today)
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2022-06-21T07:00:45Z
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Houston Baptist's Darius Lee shot and killed in New York
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BROOKLINE, Mass. – It had been 34 years since The Country Club hosted a U.S. Open.
Fingers crossed that we don’t have to wait as long for the next one.
Since Francis Ouimet delivered one of the most iconic major wins in golf history, winning a playoff here in 1913 as an amateur, the Boston-area gem has hosted just three other U.S. Opens. On Sunday, Matt Fitzpatrick, who captured the U.S. Amateur at TCC nine years ago, lifted the latest trophy in the shadow of the club’s historic, light-yellow clubhouse.
“I love playing this golf course,” Fitzpatrick said.
The champion’s sentiments were universal. In what could be considered a breath of fresh air, USGA officials fielded no real complaints about this week’s setup. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“I think unanimously, from what I've heard, the players love this place,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships.
TCC played tough but fair, and it did so without having to be tricked up. The cons were trivial – “A few tee shots I'm happy to not see again for a few years,” Rory McIlroy said – but the pros were plentiful:
• Great character and variety. The par-4 11th hole, used for the first time in this championship since 1913, played just 108 yards on Sunday and for the week yielded more bogeys (79) than birdies (72).
• The ability for any style to play well. Two of the Tour’s top putters, Denny McCarthy and Adam Hadwin, tied for seventh.
• Firm greens that demanded precision. Catch any of those short, too-spinny wedge shots into the eighth green?
• Blind tee shots and an emphasis on shaping drives to find fairways, plus options off the tee.
• Rough that tempted players to take on risks.
• Oh, and a sports-crazed town that was lively over the weekend despite the Red Sox playing at home all week and the Celtics losing the NBA Finals on Thursday. “I think it's one of the best golf courses in the world, and alongside probably the best sports fans in the world,” Keegan Bradley said. “Combine those two, and you get this out here.”
Ouimet once said that it “takes a lot of knowing” to play TCC well. No wonder a past winner here in Fitzpatrick outlasted the field again this week.
“You really have to think about where you want to hit it, where you don't want to hit it,” Fitzpatrick said. “Compared to other golf courses we play on Tour, it certainly gives that to me, and that's why I like it.”
It wasn’t borderline-unfair hard as some have accused other venues like Shinnecock Hills and Oakmont of being. And it didn’t even come close to the edge, despite strong winds, little rain and cool temperatures on the weekend.
No, as one of the USGA’s five founding clubs, The Country Club confirmed that it still stands the test of time.
“It just goes to show that a golf course doesn't need to be overly long to play tough,” McIlroy said. “This thing's 7,200 yards (7,207 to be exact), which is pretty short by today's standards. But just with good architecture and good setup, the winning score is going to be … 6 under par, which I think is a fair reflection of how the course played all week. I thought it's a really good track, and I'd love to see it come back here.”
Added Collin Morikawa: “I thought it was the best place I've played in a while. There's only been a handful of courses where I really step foot on property, and you see it for a short period of time, and then you think you're going to love it, and this was one of them. There's no B.S. around that.”
So, when will the U.S. Open come back to TCC? The next five U.S. Opens have homes, including three of them at recently announced “anchor sites” – Pinehurst (2024), Oakmont (2025) and Pebble Beach (2027), courses that account for 13 future U.S. Opens. And only 11 dates are open through 2051, the first available year being 2028.
After hosting the 1999 Ryder Cup and then losing the 2005 PGA over concerns that the club could handle another big event in this modern age, TCC and its small footprint appeared to be done as a men’s major host. While the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion changed the USGA’s minds, this week was further proof that future U.S. Opens can – and should – come back to Boston.
“We’re also keeping future championships as part of that timeline,” Kristen LaCount, TCC’s general manager, told the Irish Examiner this week. “I think the club, with the 2013 Amateur and now the 2022 Open, is making a statement. In fact, we will be going back to calling our championship course the Open Course. The club is serious about its partnership with the USGA and hopes that that is where we host championships. What those will be, I don't know. Those conversations have not taken place. But we've supported everything from amateur level to women's championships and all the way up to the men’s majors.
“So, I think that makes TCC an option for any of those things in the future and I'm excited about those conversations.”
Perhaps the 2038 U.S. Open, on the 125th anniversary of Ouimet’s victory?
“The ghosts of the past matter,” Bodenhamer said. “You can't buy history. You can only earn it, and The Country Club has it.”
Now, it just needs its next U.S. Open. ASAP.
Matt Fitzpatrick carves out unique piece of USGA history with dramatic 2022 U.S. Open win
Fitzpatrick earned his first major championship with a Sunday 68 to win by one.
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2022-06-21T09:23:39Z
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The Country Club gets rave reviews after hosting first U.S. Open since 1988
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CBS will have a new lead analyst for its golf coverage starting in 2023.
Nick Faldo is stepping down from his post as the network’s top golf analyst and will be replaced by Trevor Immelman. Faldo said in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday morning that he was looking forward to focusing on other ventures.
“The great run includes the fact that I have been on the road since I was 18 years old and am about to be 65 years old this July,” Faldo wrote. “That’s a long run of airports, hotel rooms and restaurant meals.”
The six-time major winner has been alongside Jim Nantz as CBS’ lead analyst since 2006. His contract with the network was up at the end of the 2022 season and he said he told CBS executives at the start of the season that he wouldn’t be looking to extend his deal.
Faldo’s final broadcast with the network will be on Aug. 7 at the Wyndham Championship. He is one of just seven golfers to win three or more Masters tournaments. Faldo went back-to-back in 1989 and 1990 and then won his third and final major title in the spring of 1996. He also won three British Opens and is one of 19 golfers with three or more Open titles.
Nick Faldo's last CBS broadcast will be in August. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
Immelman moves up
CBS didn’t look very far to find Faldo’s replacement. Immelman has been a part of CBS’ coverage for the past four seasons and has also worked as an analyst for the Golf Channel. He’s already become a familiar voice for golf fans in recent years.
“The name that kept coming up all the time was Trevor Immelman,” CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus told the Sports Business Journal. “Trevor is a great team player. The game is becoming increasingly more international, and he’s got international pedigree. Listening to his work on the Masters, he just became the most logical and best choice.”
Immelman, 42, won the 2008 Masters for his only major win. He won two PGA Tour events along with four European Tour events in his professional career and got his start in broadcasting with Turner Sports at the 2017 PGA Championship.
The 27-year-old held off Will Zalatoris and world number one Scottie Scheffler to win by one stroke at Brookline.
Don't have cable? Here's where to catch final round action from the U.S. Open golf tournament online
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2022-06-21T13:38:57Z
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CBS golf analyst Nick Faldo stepping down after 2022 season
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Greg Norman: PGA Tour guilty of ‘deafening hypocrisy’ over LIV and Saudi finances - GETTY IMAGES
Norman, the chief executive of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, revealed that the board of the Official World Golf Rankings would receive LIV’s formal application by Monday evening and insisted that it should be rubber-stamped.
The issue is seen as a key battlefield in the fight between LIV and the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – with the access to ranking points crucial for the rebel players’ hopes of appearing in future majors.
Here at the US Open, Mike Whan, the executive director of the US Golf Association, said last week that he could envision scenarios that would make it much harder for LIV Series players to compete in this major.
Whan is on the OWGR board, as are Monahan and Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, as well as Martin Slumbers, the R&A chief executive, and Norman is keen to put as much pressure as possible on the panel.
“We’re actually applying for OWGR points right now. We’re putting in our application probably over the weekend, if not Monday,” Norman told Fox News. “It’s a very compelling application. We’ve worked very closely with the technical committee understanding all the components of what you need to apply for it.
“It’s going to be interesting because on the board that votes on the OWGR points for anybody new coming in, here’s Jay Monahan. It’ll be interesting to see if Jay Monahan recuses himself from that vote because of what he said on television with Jim Nantz the other day.
“It’s sad to be putting that additional pressure on it because our tour is a good tour. It’s supported, it’s got an incredible field. If we get the OWGR points, then everything else takes care of itself.”
In the interview with broadcaster Nantz on CBS, Monahan called LIV “a series of exhibition matches against the same players over and over”. He also shone a spotlight on the ethical concerns he believed the rebel players should harbour over Saudi “sportswashing”.
“It’s not an issue for me, because I don’t work for the Saudi Arabian government. It probably is an issue for those players that chose to take that money,” Monahan said. “You have to ask the question … why? Why is this group spending so much money recruiting players and chasing a concept with no possibility of a return? How is this good for the game that we love? Tell me, when has a player ever had to apologise for playing on the PGA Tour.”
Inevitably, this raised Norman’s ire. “Look, I’m disappointed people go down that path,” he said, when asked about the charges of LIV being bankrolled by “blood money”.
“If they want to look at it in prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors doing business worth $40-plus billion with Saudi Arabia? Why is it OK for the sponsors? Will Jay Monahan go to each and every one of those CEOs of the 23 companies that are investing into Saudi Arabia and suspend them and ban them? The hypocrisy in all this, it’s so loud. It’s deafening.
“The European Tour had a golf tournament, the Saudi International, that’s still in existence since 2019. During that Saudi International, there were PGA Tour players who were given rights and waivers to play there. So to me, if golf is good for the world, golf is good for Saudi, and you’re seeing that growth internally, it’s extremely impressive.”
The first $25 million (£20 million) no-cut LIV event took place in Hertfordshire this month and next week the series arrives in the United States for its second tournament in Portland, Oregon.
The 48-man field is expected to be announced in the next few days, with major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed two of the confirmed new players.
Monahan issued indefinite bans to the 17 who played in Hemel Hempstead and will also ban anyone else who appears on the LIV roster.
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2022-06-21T13:39:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Greg Norman: PGA Tour guilty of ‘deafening hypocrisy’ over LIV and Saudi finances
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University of Texas assistant baseball coach Sean Allen helps remove head coach David Pierce from the field after being ejected for approaching home plate while Oklahoma State's coach Josh Holliday was challenging a call on the field at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday, March 25, 2018.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas baseball team parts ways with longtime assistant Sean Allen
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2022-06-21T15:10:16Z
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Following the end of its baseball season, Texas moves on from assistant coach Sean Allen
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Joc wears iconic pearl necklace as he receives Braves WS ring originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- When Joc Pederson signed a one-year deal with the Giants in March, there was an important question to answer: Would the pearls be joining him?
Pederson famously wore a pearl necklace as the Atlanta Braves took off late in the year and stormed to a surprising World Series title, but he had not worn them in orange and black -- until Monday when the Giants played the Braves for the first time this season. Pederson had the white pearl necklace on before the game and wore it as he received his World Series ring in a pregame ceremony.
"This is the first day that I'm wearing them since that run," Pederson told reporters at Truist Park. "It just felt right to wear them and I think it goes with the whole story of why I started wearing them, is it just felt right and I wanted to wear them and Atlanta embraced them and took it to another level. I didn't really want to wear them again until we were here."
Pederson was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Braves last July and was instrumental in their run to the title. He hit seven homers after the trade and then three more in the postseason, and he was a key behind-the-scenes figure as the Braves coalesced at the right time.
RELATED: MLB Power Rankings: Giants return to NL West contention
The title was the second in two years for Pederson, who won with the Dodgers the previous year and now is the leading hitter for a Giants team that enters this series three games out of first place. He leads the Giants with 14 homers.
The Giants and Braves currently are two of the three Wild Card teams in the NL, but before what should be a good series, Braves fans took a moment to honor an opponent. Pederson was given his ring and proudly flashed it, the pearls hanging from his neck. It was not the same necklace he wore in October, though. Pederson said that one has been sent to the Hall of Fame and his jeweler made him another set.
Joc Pederson Receives World Series Ring
Pederson received his World Series ring for the Braves' win over the Astros last year.
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2022-06-21T15:10:18Z
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Joc Pederson wears iconic pearl necklace, receives Braves World Series ring
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Florida football’s busy month reached a feverish pitch this past weekend with Billy Napier and Co. rolling out the red carpet for a handful of top recruits from around the state and the nation. The new administration has made a profound impression upon many of those who have passed through Gainesville recently, including four-star offensive tackle Monroe Freeling out of Mount Pleasant (South Carolina) Oceanside Collegiate Academy, who recently wrapped up his official visit to campus.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 283-pound lineman had made a prior stop with the Gators back in March during the spring practice season but got a much closer look at the rebuilding program this time around.
“My first look out here was pretty quick, it was during the spring practice so everyone was doing stuff,” Freeling explained to AllGators’ Zach Goodall. “I got to see practice but all of the players were really new, so it was really just seeing the players kind of adjust, and in a way, kind of struggle with the intensity of practice. I know I really liked the intensity of practice because if you have an intense practice, that means your games are gonna be easy.”
“I think this time around I really got to get a feel of Florida’s campus and more like the football program and where it’s heading,” he told Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. “I think that was my biggest takeaway. I just enjoyed time with the players. The players and coaches [communicated where the program is heading], I think that Coach Napier really has a good outlook on where he wants the program to go. Every coach I talked to said the same thing how Coach Napier wants to take the program somewhere.”
The blue-chip offensive lineman’s recruitment has been spearheaded by offensive line coaches Darnell Stapleton and Rob Sale, with whom he has forged strong relationships according to Swamp247.
“It’s kind of funny because I have relationships with two different coaches, but they are doing the same job really. I really like Coach Sale and his resume and Coach Stapleton too. They are good guys. Over the summer I am going to be growing my relationship with them a lot more because I really do like Florida. I think they are telling me how they have five guys on staff that all work with offensive line. It helps you get ready and efficiency-wise. You get more coaches and you get two perspectives.”
Freeling has already spent two of his five official visits on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who he visited earlier in June, as well as on Florida, with a trip to Coral Gables to see the Miami Hurricanes coming up next weekend. He plans on saving his final two visits for the fall season with the Clemson Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs all possibilities; he also plans on making an unofficial return visit to the Swamp to see a game.
Freeling is currently ranked No. 62 overall and No. 8 nationally at his position according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 63 and 6, respectively. Clemson is currently in the lead for his talents with a 46.3% chance of signing him while Notre Dame sits in second at 38%.
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2022-06-21T15:19:17Z
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This top offensive tackle prospect feeling a lot of love for Florida
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Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson walks on the sideline during a game against Santa Margarita on Sept. 17. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“I know there are a lot of schools out there where that’s the first thing they’ll talk about,” Nelson told The Times recently. “'We’ll give you this much, we’ll do this, whatever, just to get you here.'”
Now he considers himself a diehard fan — one who suddenly has an actual vested interest in the Trojans' future quarterback.
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2022-06-21T15:19:24Z
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USC's top 2023 football recruit, Malachi Nelson, announces his first NIL deal
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Mike Carmin, Lafayette Journal & Courier
Caleb Swanigan dunks against New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2016. (John Terhune, Journal & Courier)
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Caleb Swanigan, former Purdue basketball All-American, dies at 25
"Our mission is to transform the minds and the spirits of youth, especially underserved youth," said Craig B. Lee of Dads on Duty.
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2022-06-21T15:32:07Z
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Former Purdue basketball All-American Caleb Swanigan dies at 25
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Scotty Miller
Miller is a talented player, but his skillset is rather redundant to the wideouts that the Ravens currently have atop their depth chart. A big-bodied pass catcher or a speedy wide receiver are the profiles that the team should be looking for, and Miller, albeit skilled, is neither.
Next, he has the Indianapolis Colts acquiring cornerback Marcus Peters in exchange for a 2023 third-round selection.
While the Ravens certainly have some form of a logjam at tight end, cornerback and safety, they’ve build their depth to be deep at those positions for multiple reasons. Trading Clark, Peters and Boyle likely wouldn’t be worth the assets they’d be receiving back, as each is a key part of the team both on and off of the field.
Ravens pass game coordinator and secondary coach Chris Hewitt discusses what he’s seen from S Tony Jefferson II
Ravens pass game coordinator and secondary coach Chris Hewitt talked about what he's seen from safety Tony Jefferson II
Stallone, Pfeiffer attend Paramount+ UK launch
STORY: Among the Hollywood heavy hitters walking the blue carpet laid out across central London's Denmark Street were Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, Gillian Anderson, Viola Davis and Kevin Costner. "I think it's just incentive to make the best possible show you can make, you know, because it is very competitive right now and people can't afford to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on television, you know. I remember when it used to be free, " said actor Michael Shannon.Talking about the work that goes into a TV series, actor Sylvester Stallone said, "Back in the movie days, you go to your trailer for 5 hours. If you get 5 minutes... I'll put it in perspective: it's equivalent to doing five movies back to back without a break and learning approximately 400 plus pages of dialogue.""For me, I just think it's so wonderful that there are more streaming platforms actually, because there is so much talent out there. And I love the idea of everybody getting an opportunity," said actor Naomie Harris.All of the actors in attendance lead shows streaming on Paramount+, which debuted in the United States, Canada and Latin America in March 2021 and South Korea last Friday. The United Kingdom and Ireland are part of the service's Europe expansion which also includes launches in France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland later in the year.
Chet Holmgren talks about Thunder but refuses to reveal who he’s worked out for in pre-draft interview
"At the end of the day, it's gonna be a complete blessing to have an NBA jersey and put that hat on draft night."
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2022-06-21T15:41:33Z
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Bleacher Report puts together four trades for Ravens ahead of 2022 training camp
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Many pundits believe the Denver Broncos won the offseason.
The team added coach Nathaniel Hackett, quarterback Russell Wilson and (pending) new owner Rob Walton.
But I just checked, games are still played on the field, not on paper. Reality: The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since 2015, enter next season with new a coaching staff (and QB) and a new owner. Lots of moving parts.
Yes, the Broncos have the seventh-best Super Bowl odds. But at the end of the day, football is a game played on the field with a leather-laced object. An object that can be manipulated by air pressure. In other words, weird things will happen.
That said, Hackett is pleased with the progress the team made this spring. The Broncos implemented new offensive and defensive schemes this offseason.
“For us, the guys are having fun, the guys are getting after it and they’re competing, which is the most important thing,” Hackett said last week, via DenverBroncos.com. “When it comes to understanding the systems and understanding the reasons why we’re doing the plays, all those things will always grow every day. They’re all doing a fine job and they’re all working so hard. I appreciate that from all of them.”
The Broncos’ mandatory minicamp wrapped up last week. The team is “on vacation” until training camp next month. But as the football conglomerate knows, moves will still be made between now and the start of camp.
President Joe Biden has signed off on giving federal wildland firefighters a hefty raise for the next two fiscal years, a move that affects more than 16,000 firefighters and comes as much of the West braces for a difficult wildfire season. Pay raises for the federal firefighters had been included in last year’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but they had been held up as Biden administration officials studied recruitment and retention data to decide where to deliver them. The White House said the move announced Tuesday is intended to set “federal agencies on a path to continue working with stakeholders towards an updated, competitive, and equitable pay structure, along with a support system that will address the many challenges that have plagued our wildland firefighter workforce for decades.”
Elvis, the audacious new biopic from Baz Luhrmann, is designed to introduce Elvis Presley to new audiences. Of course, for decades the King of Rock and Roll would’ve needed no introduction. Elvis was indeed everywhere, even after his untimely death, staying in the public eye through imitators, oldies radio, repackages, and rumors of a still-living Presley visiting a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It’s been a while since there’s been that much activity surrounding Elvis. The most recent revi
Stock up, Stock down from Saints’ offseason workouts
Stock up, Stock down from New Orleans Saints’ offseason workouts
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2022-06-21T15:41:39Z
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Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett pleased with the team’s progress entering summer
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With mandatory minicamp officially in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Bears are making a few final tweaks to their roster before the team reconvenes in a month for the start of training camp.
The Bears are reportedly signing free agent cornerback Jayson Stanley to a deal. Stanley posted a photo on his Instagram story on Monday that showed him at Halas Hall with a pen and paper emoji.
His agency later confirmed the news, though no formal announcement has come from the Bears yet. Stanley previously had a tryout with the Bears in early May during the team’s rookie minicamp.
A post shared by Gate City Athletics (@gate_city_athletics)
Stanley entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019, signing with the Atlanta Falcons. A wide receiver in college at the University of Georgia, Stanley played sparingly, but managed to catch one touchdown pass from none other than quarterback Justin Fields during his collegiate career.
He made the switch to cornerback upon entering the pros with the Falcons, but was cut after training camp and bounced around the league. After a couple different stops, he landed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 where he saw meaningful playing time for the first time in his career. Stanley played eight games that season, primarily contributing on special teams. He hasn’t played a game since then.
Stanley is likely just a camp body at this point, but could see some chances to earn playing time on special teams as the Bears look to retool that unit. The team’s training camp schedule will come out sometime in the next couple of weeks, with practices beginning in late July.
Bears' 53-man roster projection after mandatory minicamp
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2022-06-21T15:41:46Z
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CB Jayson Stanley is signing with the Bears
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Former Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey will join the team’s scouting staff during training camp as a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow, the team announced on Tuesday morning.
“The Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, created by the NFL in January 2015, exposes interested and qualified candidates to a career in professional scouting,” the NFL writes on its website. “The program will give participants a unique glimpse into Player Personnel by introducing them to various areas related to college and pro scouting within a club.”
Along with Sankey, the Titans announced that former Auburn volleyball player Chesney McLellan, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Belmont, is this year’s Amy Adams Strunk Women in Football intern.
Tennessee also has five coaches participating as part of the league’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, including Eastern Kentucky’s Jeremy Hawkins, Wisconsin’s Ashley Cornwell, Jackson State’s TC Taylor, U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Derik Abbott, and Virginia Tech’s Justin Hamilton.
Sankey is a former second-round pick of the Titans in 2014. He played in 29 games over two seasons with the Titans, tallying 199 rushes for 762 yards, 32 catches for 272 yards, and four total touchdowns (three rushing).
The Titans waived Sankey prior to the 2016 campaign. In the next year, Sankey landed with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, but never played in a game for any of the three.
Sankey then tried his hand in the Canadian Football League, but that didn’t pan out, either, and he eventually retired in 2021 at the age of 29.
The Titans are set to begin training camp on July 26.
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2022-06-21T15:42:05Z
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Ex-Titans RB Bishop Sankey joins scouting staff for training camp
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The New England Patriots had an intriguing 2022 draft, as several fans and experts had mixed reactions to the team’s selections. However, one particular pick was viewed as a steal by a former NFL scout.
The Patriots selected cornerback Jack Jones in the fourth round with the 121st overall pick. He comes to New England after a successful season at Arizona State in 2021.
Jones tallied 41 combined tackles, three interceptions, and six pass deflections in 11 games for the Sun Devils. He proved to be a ball hawk in other aspects as well, recording three forced fumbles on the season.
Longtime scout and front office executive TJ McCreight offered his thoughts on Jones. Jones’ versatility and instincts are two of the biggest things that could work, as New England tries to remake the secondary.
The Patriots do have options in the secondary. New England added Malcolm Butler and Terrence Mitchell to the cornerback room this offseason. Jalen Mills will look to provide a steadfast presence as he enters his second season with the Patriots. Mills is not a new face, however. His leadership may be important as the Patriots try to incorporate these new pieces at the position.
Jones could be in line for an impactful rookie year, as New England tries to replace J.C. Jackson. Although Jones may end up becoming a slot corner, stability and production will be important. With offensive weapons all over the AFC East, solid secondary play is crucial.
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2022-06-21T15:42:18Z
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Former NFL scout has glowing review of Patriots drafting CB Jack Jones
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A potential free-agent addition for the New York Jets is now set to have another team on his radar.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will have a free-agent visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.
The ex-Bengals defender has had a rocky offseason, but in May he did take a first visit with the Jets.
That came after he inked a deal with the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason. It was a three-year, $40.5 million deal with the Bears that included $26.35 million guaranteed, but the failed physical voided the agreement.
Ogunjobi is more of a pass-rusher than a run-stopper, but he could slide in as a rotational piece alongside Solomon Thomas and Sheldon Rankins with Quinnen Williams as the other starter.
Ogunjobi, 27, spent the 2021 season with the Bengals after playing the previous four with the Cleveland Browns.
He recorded a career-high seven sacks and 16 QB hits last season before suffering a foot injury that required surgery in Cincinnati’s playoff win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Jan. 15.
The NBA draft usually has some hidden gems, and these 10 players could be steals in 2022.
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2022-06-21T15:42:37Z
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Jets free-agent target Larry Ogunjobi visits Steelers
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Kyle Hamilton learning how precise you have to be on defense in NFL originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Arrowhead Stadium is one of 11 NFL stadiums selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It will lead to millions in improvements to the stadium the Chiefs have called home since 1972. Kansas City Mayor Quiton Lucas responded to comments from KCUR reporter Celisa Calacal on Twitter about the costs to the World Cup. [more]
Capt. Brian Ferguson, who said he became a pilot because of "Top Gun" in 1986, served as the Navy’s technical adviser for "Top Gun: Maverick."
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2022-06-21T15:42:43Z
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Kyle Hamilton learning how precise you have to be on defense in NFL
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Mistakes in big games haunt even the oldest of players in the National Football League. Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis said he “had nightmares” after a pivotal first-half fumble during his team’s playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers in January.
With the Packers leading 7-0 and driving for more in the first quarter, Lewis caught a short pass from Aaron Rodgers in the flat but was immediately stripped from behind by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, creating a turnover and robbing the Packers of all of the game’s momentum.
“It’s something that for at least a month and a half, I had nightmares about,” Lewis told Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com. “But I’m able to confront the truth and look in the mirror every day because I know I never leave anything out on the field. I always give what I got.”
The Packers went on to score only three more points in the game and lost 13-10.
The turnover was an uncommon mistake from the 38-year-old tight end. In fact, the lost fumble was his first since the 2013 season and only the fourth lost fumble of his NFL career.
Another scoring drive from the Packers so early in the first half could have put the game on ice, especially considering the way Joe Barry’s defense played throughout the contest.
While the fumble was a crucial play, Lewis was terrific in the run game the rest of the way.
A game-changing turnover and an avalance of special teams mistakes were more than enough to end the Packers’ promising playoff run before it ever got off the ground.
Over 17 games in 2021, Lewis caught 23 passes for 214 yards and continued to be effective as the team’s inline, run-blocking tight end. He’s back in Green Bay for a 17th season, which will tie the NFL record for seasons played by a tight end.
Lewis told Packers.com that his goal is to play two more seasons, finish out of his current contract in Green Bay and break the record for seasons played at his position.
Grace Stanke's year of service as the 2022 Miss Wisconsin will focus on promoting zero-carbon energy sources.
Corbin Burnes dominates on the mound while Tyrone Taylor provides the offense as the Brewers regain first place in NL Central
Right-hander Corbin Burnes matched his season high by going seven innings, while Tyrone Taylor drove in both the game's runs with a homer in the Brewers' 2-0 win over the Cardinals.
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2022-06-21T15:43:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Packers TE Marcedes Lewis had nightmares about pivotal playoff fumble
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https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-te-marcedes-lewis-had-140452369.html?src=rss
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The offense has come under heavy scrutiny this offseason, which has to do with the questions about Justin Fields’ supporting cast, including an unproven group of wide receivers and offensive line.
We’re still some time away before the team releases their first unofficial depth chart. But following mandatory minicamp, it’s clear there could be some shakeup.
Following the conclusion of the offseason program, we’re predicting what Chicago’s starting offense will look like in 2022.
There’s no question about who’s QB1 heading into the 2022 season. Justin Fields gets an entire offseason to prepare as the starting quarterback, where he’ll learn a new offense under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Fields is expected to make a big leap in Year 2.
RB David Montgomery
Running back is one the most consistent groups on offense, which starts with David Montgomery. Montgomery is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and there’s no question he’s the lead back heading into 2022. Montgomery has been one of Chicago’s most consistent players over the last couple of seasons.
Darnell Mooney is coming off his first 1,000-yard receiving season, where he cemented himself as a playmaker for the Bears. Things are looking up for Mooney entering Year 3, where he’ll look to build on his chemistry with Fields and continue to grow as a downfield threat.
The Bears added a speedy weapon in former Chiefs wideout Byron Pringle, who signed a one-year, prove-it deal. Right now, he’s the second wide receiver on the depth chart. Pringle was buried on the Chiefs’ depth chart, and he’s now poised for a breakout season in Chicago.
The Bears drafted a potential playmaker in wideout Velus Jones Jr., who’s projected to start behind Mooney and Pringle. Jones, a third-round selection, is a speedy threat that Luke Getsy will have fun utilizing. He’s made a strong impression this offseason, showing off that 4.31 speed and run-after-the-catch ability.
TE Cole Kmet
Cole Kmet is entering his third season with the Bears, and he’s sure to benefit from a new offense and playcaller in Getsy. Kmet took a step forward in his second year, where he saw a significant uptick in production, more than doubling his production from his rookie season. Kmet could finally have a breakout season in Year 3.
There’s something to be said about Braxton Jones garnering a look at left tackle during the final week of organized team activities and the entirety of minicamp. While the Bears’ starting offensive line is difficult to predict outside of a couple of positions, there’s no denying Jones is emerging as a serious contender for the starting left tackle job.
There’s a lot of uncertainty on the offensive line, but Cody Whitehair’s left guard spot is about the only guaranteed thing at this point. He’s a key veteran on what overall is a relatively inexperienced group. Whitehair is coming off a down year and will have a $12.3 salary cap hit, the third-highest on the team.
Lucas Patrick could wind up being one of the most under-the-radar signings of free agency. Patrick os a versatile interior lineman, where he’s played center, left guard and right guard. But Patrick said he was brought here to serve as the team’s starting center, where communication with his new quarterback Justin Fields will be key. He also has a good understanding of new offensive coordinator Getsy’s scheme.
RG Teven Jenkins
Teven Jenkins was drafted by the previous regime to serve as their left tackle of the future. But that’s not exactly what this new regime has in mind. Jenkins has been moved back to his natural right tackle position, but he’s been notably working with the second-team offense over the last two weeks of the offseason program. Matt Eberflus wouldn’t rule out a potential move to right guard for Jenkins, which seems like a realistic option.
Larry Borom was solid in his rookie season, where he took over for Germain Ifedi at right tackle and held his own against some of the league’s top pass rushers. Borom figures to factor into Chicago’s plans as a starter in 2022, but it’s uncertain where he’s going to land. Borom started the offseason at left tackle, but he spent the final week of OTAs and minicamp at right tackle.
TV channel, radio, time info, live updates and analysis for the Detroit Tigers game vs. the Boston Red Sox on June 21, 2022.
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2022-06-21T15:43:33Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Projecting the Bears’ 2022 starting offense after mandatory minicamp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/projecting-bears-2022-starting-offense-120059694.html?src=rss
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The AFC North is expected to be highly competitive in the 2022 NFL season. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens led much of the year before finally succumbing to injuries. The Cincinnati Bengals took the division and rode the momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers saw Ben Roethlisberger ride off into the sunset with one last playoff appearance.
Fans of the Cleveland Browns watched the drama unfold last year with Baker Mayfield’s injury, the early struggles of the defense and Odell Beckham Jr. forcing himself out of town.
Heading into the 2022 season, the Ravens are healthy again, the Bengals have worked to build their offensive line and the Browns, well, they still have turbulence.
The Steelers have quite a bit of transition on offense with Roethlisberger retired and JuJu Smith-Schuster signing with Kansas City. The loss of Smith-Schuster provides an opportunity for Chase Claypool to fill his role on and off the field.
Off the field, Claypool discussed his use of TikTok and other topics including his place in the NFL:
Setting lofty goals isn’t new for Claypool, last year he predicted he would have 14 touchdowns but finished with just two.
Claypool is unmistakably talented but few would have him in their top five or ten going into this season, much less top three.
That is especially true when you look at his production against Cleveland last season. Combined, the tall receiver had seven receptions for 62 yards and zero touchdowns in two games against the Browns in 2021. He also didn’t produce in the team’s playoff loss with just three receptions for 25 yards.
To be fair, as a rookie Claypool had a good year against Cleveland with nine receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown. That year, he also had five receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to the Browns.
Claypool didn’t come close to his prediction for the 2021 season. It is hard to become a top-three receiver in 2022 unless he has much better games against the Browns, at a minimum.
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2022-06-21T15:43:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers Chase Claypool says he’s a top 3 receiver
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After a busy offseason, the Indianapolis Colts are one of the more intriguing teams coming out of the AFC South.
As it currently stands, they are slight favorites to win the division over the Tennessee Titans. It would be the first time since 2014 that the Colts stand atop the division, and if they’re going to accomplish that goal, the X-factors will have to play a major role.
The term “X-factor” gets thrown around a lot in sports. We’re going to define it as Google does. “A variable in a given situation that could have the most significant impact on the outcome.”
The variables in this situation are players on the Colts roster. Recent history tells us how the majority of the players are likely to perform. However, some of them can be the reason the team exceeds expectations if they themselves exceed expectations. If they don’t, it could be another reason why the Colts don’t make that tier jump.
As the Colts aim to end the drought of division titles, these are the X-factors for the upcoming season:
The quarterback position is a bit unfair to put on this list. It’s the most important position throughout the game. Of course, Ryan’s performance is going to be directly tied to the success (or lack thereof) of the team.
But it’s a bit more than that. Just as Carson Wentz was an X-factor in 2021, the same goes for Ryan. However, it’s slightly different. Where Wentz made his difference by making some shocking, jaw-dropping throws that reminded us all why he continues to get chances, Ryan needs to bring stability.
The peaks and valleys of Wentz’s game ultimately hurt the Colts in the long run. Simply based on his 14-year career, volatility shouldn’t be as big of a concern when it comes to Ryan. Stability is the key here.
With Ryan, the Colts will lean on him to make the layups. Get the ball out quickly, and let the receiving corps work with the ball in their hands. If Ryan can do that while throwing in some big plays here and there, the offense will be much better off for it.
Most Colts fans already know what this will be about. Campbell’s potential continues to be put on display during the offseason. It hasn’t mattered, however, because the freak injuries seem to always come around for the former second-round pick.
After another strong offseason of work for Campbell, who’s healthy at this point, there’s no denying he can add another level to the passing game. His game-breaking speed and underrated vision as a ball carrier can be a massive upgrade for the offense.
We know rookie Alec Pierce can shine, but he’s a rookie. Expectations should be tempered, especially since only four Colts rookies since 1980 have hit at least 750 yards in their initial seasons.
Campbell can be the perfect running mate to Michael Pittman Jr. and if we finally see him stay healthy, his impact on the offense could be bigger than we expect.
OT Matt Pryor/Bernhard Raimann
It doesn’t really matter who wins the job at left tackle as long as the player that does is capable of holding down the blindside. Most would likely prefer it to be the rookie in Raimann simply because he gives the Colts their best shot at having a long-term left tackle—even if he is already turning 25 years old.
Regardless, the Colts need this position to step up in 2022. The retirement of Anthony Castonzo set the offensive line back a few steps from the elite unit it was during the 2018-2020 seasons. Hopefully, Raimann can step in as that eventual replacement where the Colts don’t have to worry about leaving him on an island.
The addition of Matt Ryan should help. His quick release already makes it easier on the offensive line. The same goes for his ability to make checks and protection calls at the line of scrimmage before the snap, which was something that burdened the offense in 2021.
Whether it’s Pryor or Raimann manning the blindside, this position could be the reason the offensive line returns to its elite status, or it could be why the unit continues to be good-not-great.
DE Kwity Paye
Paye found himself on this list last year as a rookie. It’s essentially the same message for him going into Year 2. The only difference now is that he has a full season under his belt as a starter. Even as a first-round pick, the development of edge rushers can take time.
The Colts are expected to let him loose in 2022. He’s likely going to be working mostly as the big end in Gus Bradley’s aggressive front. But his athleticism and burst could be the reason why he becomes the breakout player that a lot of analysts have labeled him as.
The addition of Yannick Ngakoue was a strong move. As long as he stays healthy, we can probably pencil him in for roughly 8.0 sacks. His presence, along with defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, should give Paye plenty of one-on-one looks as offenses are likely to slide protection the other way.
If Paye can break out in the way we believe he can, the Colts defense could certainly make that jump into the next tier.
DL Dayo Odeyingbo
Pass rush. Pass rush. Pass rush. That’s what is likely to make the biggest difference for the Colts defense in 2022.
Finally getting to work in a full offseason after rehabbing his Achilles during his rookie campaign, Odeyingbo could be a significant impact player for the Colts as he enters his second season.
While the Colts certainly need their starters in Paye, Ngakoue and Buckner to be forces when they’re on the field, having additional impact players behind them will be crucial. That’s where Odeyingbo comes in.
With a game that reminds the Colts of Justin Tuck, Odeyingbo can make his presence known both from the edge and the interior. He can work on the left side as the big end or kick inside to the three-technique when the Colts use their NASCAR package.
Odeyingbo only got to be on the field for half of the season in 2021. But now he has the chance to hold a significant role in the rotation of the defensive line, and he can be one of the reasons why the pass rush can make that jump into a higher tier.
Another young Colts player on the verge of a breakout season is Rodgers. He was quietly one of the most impactful players in the secondary during the 2021 season. After the team traded Rock Ya-Sin to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, Rodgers has the chance to take on a whole new role.
While major media outlets look at the cornerback room and assume Rodgers is just another guy, he could be the reason the room takes off in 2022. The addition of Stephon Gilmore will certainly play a role in that, and it’s still unclear what will happen with Kenny Moore’s contract situation. A holdout could be coming if it remains unresolved by training camp time.
But the ascension of Rodgers is a key factor for the Colts defense. We’ll take the optimistic view and assume Moore is on the field come September. If Rodgers breaks out as the No. 3 cornerback and continues to make impact plays on the boundary, the cornerback room suddenly goes from a question mark to a strength.
On top of that, the Colts may need Rodgers even more if Moore’s contract situation does bleed into the regular season.
Regardless, the development of this young cornerback could turn out to be a major factor in the outcome of the 2022 season.
The rookie wouldn’t have found himself on this list had it not been for the surprise retirement of starter Khari Willis. But that’s why the NFL offseason is never dull. Now, Cross is viewed as the starter waiting in the wings, and it could come as early as this season.
Not even 21 years old yet, the Colts may have to rely upon the uber-athletic Cross to be a starter in 2022. It may not happen until halfway through the season, but it’s going to happen. They didn’t trade a future third-round pick to see him sit on the bench the entire campaign.
Cross has all of the tools to be an elite talent at the safety position. Yes, you read that correctly. We shouldn’t expect him to reach that status in Year 1. That would be unrealistic. But he certainly will have his opportunities to make a significant impact in the secondary.
Whether he’s working in coverage as a split-zone safety or playing near the line of scrimmage and attacking the ball carrier, Cross can play in either phase of the game.
How much he contributes will be the question because his impact can be substantial if everything goes right.
Cordero tallied 3 hits, 2 RBIs in Red Sox's 5-2 win
Inside Jake Laravia's Indiana Pacers workout
WRTV's Brad Brown talks with Jake Laravia and Aaron Thompson following their workout with the Indiana Pacers.
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2022-06-21T15:44:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The X-factors of the Colts’ 2022 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/x-factors-colts-2022-season-123530063.html?src=rss
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Hendrick Motorsports has extended its partnership with Valvoline through 2027, the team announced on Tuesday.
The new agreement is for five years and keeps Valvoline as a primary sponsor of 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson (three races) and teammate William Byron (two races), and as major associate sponsor of the team‘s full stable of Chevrolet race cars.
Last year, Valvoline expanded its Hendrick Motorsports program to add primary sponsorship of Larson‘s No. 5 and Byron‘s No. 24. The five annual primary races represented an increase of three over the three previous seasons (2018-2020).
For 2022, the company has also added a sixth primary race and will be featured on the No. 24 Chevrolet for this weekend‘s Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway (5 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“We are tremendously proud of our partnership with Valvoline,” team owner Rick Hendrick said in a release. “Because of Valvoline‘s commitment to quality and innovation, we‘ve enjoyed great success together both at the track and in our dealerships. Extending the relationship will allow us to continue putting the very best products in our race cars and in the vehicles of our customers across the country.”
Since 2014, Hendrick Motorsports has earned a NASCAR-best three Cup Series championships (2016, 2020 and 2021) with Valvoline products in its Chevrolet racing engines.
“The Valvoline team is thrilled to continue our partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Automotive Group,” said Heidi Matheys, senior vice president and chief marketing and transformation officer at Valvoline Inc. “Our decade-long relationship has driven success both on and off the track. We look forward to driving more wins with the amazing Hendrick organization in the future.”
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2022-06-21T16:55:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Hendrick Motorsports, Valvoline extend partnership through 2027
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hendrick-motorsports-valvoline-extend-partnership-110137422.html?src=rss
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Caleb Swanigan, who played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, has died at the age of 25. The Allen County Coroners Office confirmed to local news outlet WANE 15 that Swanigan had died of natural causes. The world lost a gentle soul last night.
Now that the Warriors are NBA champions, its time to look toward the busy offseason. Here's one question surrounding each team entering the 2022 NBA Draft and NBA free agency.
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2022-06-21T17:04:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brad Stevens identifies Celtics' biggest roster needs for 2022 offseason
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson settled with all but four of the 24 women who've filed civil lawsuits against him, according to attorney Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee pointed out in his statement that Ashley Solis – who was the first woman to publically accuse Watson – is one of the four women who has not settled with the Browns quarterback.
"... Ashley Solis is one of the heroes of this story. Her case has not settled and thus her story and that of the other three brave women will continue. I look forward to trying these cases in due course, consistent with other docket obligations."
This signals an important marker in a story that began on March 16, 2021, when one massage therapist accused Watson of sexual misconduct during sessions while he was still a member of the Houston Texans. Over the course of the next year, 22 more women filed civil sexual misconduct lawsuits against Watson. In the middle of it all, the Browns traded for Watson and signed him to a first-of-its-kind five-year, $230-million deal that was fully guaranteed.
Watson never faced criminal charges after two Texas grand juries declined to indict him earlier this year and he maintained his innocence since the allegations first surfaced.
What comes next for Watson
Despite the settlements, this is not the end of the Watson saga.
There are still four civil suits pending against Watson and more could still surface as well after The New York Times reported Watson met with up to 66 massage therapists since 2017. Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, also came under fire recently when he tried to brush off "happy endings" during sessions.
The biggest looming decision, though, comes from the NFL. Watson still faces a possible suspension from the league for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy even if he avoids facing any accusers in court. The NFLPA is reportedly bracing for a significant suspension from the league but reportedly plans to defend Watson by going after three NFL owners who didn't face much punishment for off-field transgressions.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement Tuesday that Watson's settlement news "has no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process."
Deshaun Watson settled most of his civil sexual misconduct suits. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
David Peterson K's seven
David Peterson strikes out seven over 5 1/3 innings, allowing just six hits and no runs against the Marlins
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2022-06-21T17:04:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL: Deshaun Watson settles all but 4 sexual misconduct lawsuits
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Brooks Koepka, one of the first players to denounce a rival league for only 48 players, is the latest PGA Tour player to sign on with Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, The Associated Press has learned. A person briefed on Koepka's decision told the AP said he still would be able to compete on the PGA Tour until he hits a shot on the LIV Golf circuit. The Daily Telegraph in the UK first reported Koepka's decision.
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2022-06-21T17:04:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Gary Player urges Matt Fitzpatrick to avoid ‘poison’ of modern-day coaching
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Every time there is a heat advisory in Gainesville, I count off the days until college football will be played.
As if it gets THAT much cooler in early September (high for opening day against Utah is expected to be 89).
It is in the dog days of summer that we start to think about the upcoming season and it will get here faster than we know it. Heck, SEC Media Days (and your first look at SEC coach Brian Kelly) are a mere 28 days away.
And I think that is one reason that football is so popular here in the South and especially the SEC – we really don’t have much else in July and August. By the time it gets to the first real week of games, we are salivating for a fix.
It’s coming and we think we know what games are must-see. Of course, you never know how things can change. Just ask Dan Mullen.
For this Dooley Dozen, let’s take a look at the 12 SEC games I can’t wait for. These are also the 12 games that will most likely decide which two teams are in Atlanta. So, we’re killing two birds with one ray gun (Mars Attacks reference).
Mickey Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser
Oh, the hype we will have for this one. Grouchy Saban versus the Excitable Boy. When recruiting classes collide. Jimbo-Palooza in Tuscaloosa. OK, we have time to work on a good nickname for this game and we hope it lives up to the publicity it will receive. Or at least Saban and Fisher thumb wrestle for the opening kickoff.
Kentucky at Florida, Sept. 10
AP Photo/Michael Clubb
I don’t want to say this is a loser-leaves-town game, but it could well be. Florida has turned what was once a historic domination into a mess under Dan Mullen. On the other hand, you could say the series has turned because of Mark Stoops. Either way, the winner is going to feel a little like the winner of those ’90s games between Florida and Tennessee.
Arkansas at Texas A&M, Sept. 24 (Arlington, Texas)
We will find out pretty early whether or not Sam Pittman can keep the momentum he has going in Fayetteville. That’s the thing about TAMU’s schedule – by the time they get to that Alabama showdown, it may not be that big a deal. But that’s why we watch.
Alabama at Ole Miss, Nov. 12
Well, we’ve seen this one before back in the Hugh Freeze days. It feels like Lane Kiffin’s work in the transfer portal may pay off into a season where his play-calling gets Ole Miss over the ‘Bama Hump. Of course, that’s a big hump.
LSU at Auburn, Oct. 1
Remember when this game was such a big deal? Nobody is really sure what to expect from Auburn and LSU with Kelly is a mystery as well. All we know is that both teams have players we want to watch play the game.
Florida-Georgia, Oct. 29 (Jacksonville)
Let’s assume [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] gets off to a good start with the Gators. And now he is going to face the one team he looked terrible against a year ago. There, fellas, your advances are written.
LSU at Texas A&M, Nov. 26
We all know how great this game can be because it changed the overtime rules a few years ago. This late in the season, it could be epic. We only know for sure it will be fun to watch.
Alabama at Tennessee, Oct. 15
It feels as if Alabama has a ton of big games this season, in part because we think Tennessee could be a real threat in the SEC East. We will know early if that’s the case or if the Vols are doing their normal slow start, strong finish campaign.
Georgia at Kentucky, Nov. 19
If Kentucky is in position to make this a huge East game and if Will Levis is as good as NFL scouts think he is and if Georgia is a little off from last year, this could be mesmerizing. But those are a lot of ifs.
If Florida’s game against Tennessee is a loser-leaves town, this one could be even more damaging to the team that doesn’t win. Three of Florida’s first four games are brutal for a first-year coach to have to handle.
Texas A&M at South Carolina, Oct. 22
Is South Carolina for real? This is one of the many games where we will find out. It will be interesting to see where both teams are at this point in the season and just how big this one could be.
Kentucky at Tennessee, Oct. 29
Same goes for this one. It might be ginormous. It might be for the Music City Bowl. It probably will be somewhere in the middle. But this is why it’s so tough in America’s Conference. These are two really good teams that may be floundering because of who they play.
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2022-06-21T17:12:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Dooley’s Dozen: 12 best SEC football games on 2022 schedule
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Another successful weekend of hosting high school prospects is in the books for Florida football and among the many who came away feeling good about what the Orange and Blue have to offer was four-star defensive lineman Kamran James out of Olympia High in Orlando, who finished his trek upstate on an official visit to the Swamp.
The 6-foot-6.5-inch, 265-pound trench warrior brought his family along for the ride, and apparently, they enjoyed their time around the players and coaches during his stay.
“It was a great time getting to really see some of the coaches true personalities and getting to hang with some of the players for the weekend,” James told Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. “Getting more time here and not being rushed. The time was unlimited. You could really do what the coaches wanted to do. Sit down and eat with the coaches and eat with the players, so that was something new. They had a lot of icebreakers, like playing games at dinner and stuff. Showing their true characters was something that was really cool.”
His recruitment has been led by co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer, who he credits with helping him keep a level head about his talents. “He said to use football to get where I want to get. Since I want to get to the league, I could use football and appreciate the free college that comes from football versus just playing football to be a football player.”
While Florida was the first official visit James has used so far, he does not have any other schools lined up yet for his other four – though a stop in Athens to visit the Georgia Bulldogs next weekend is not out of the question. However, it seems that Billy Napier and Co. have established a high bar for the young prospect early in his recruitment.
“They really set the tone this official visit with any other official visits that I would be going to. I wouldn’t say I narrowed it down just because I just started getting heavily recruited a few months ago. I am really new to the scene, so I feel like it’s too soon to choose where I want to go now. Just see everything. They have been doing a great job recruiting me and they are a local school. It’s hard to compete with but I am still open with the recruiting process right now.”
James is currently ranked No. 253 overall and No. 37 nationally at his position according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 348 and 44, respectively. The Gators currently hold all three crystal ball projections from 247Sports and dominate the field in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, which gives Florida a 98% chance of landing him.
Not often you see a 2026 offer this early on, but Oregon gave one to 2026 QB Conner Quintero over the weekend.
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2022-06-21T17:12:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Gators set high bar for this blue-chip DL’s recruitment after official visit
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The day that in-state running back Jeremiah Cobb names his college destination could soon be approaching.
Cobb, a four-star running back from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in Alabama’s capital city, has yet to name a date on when he will commit but says that fans should be expecting his announcement soon after he visits Tennessee this upcoming weekend.
The good news for Auburn fans is that he is projected by both 247sports and On3 to commit to Bryan Harsin’s program. Cobb has two Crystal Ball predictions to Auburn from 247, and On3 gives the Tigers a 95.8% chance to land Cobb according to their Recruiting Prediction Machine.
He recently took an official visit to Auburn, where he says that he enjoyed his time on the Plains.
“The visit was great,” Cobb said in an interview with Auburn Live. “I had a real fun weekend with the staff and all the coaches. Just hanging out at dinner with Coach Cadillac (Williams) and Coach Harsin and getting to know them not just as coaches, but as men. It was real cool. Me and Coach Cadillac have a real good relationship, especially after this weekend. He loves music. I learned that this weekend. He loves old music, country, R&B .. he loves it all. He got up and did some karaoke the first night at dinner. it was real fun to watch.”
Cobb has become one of the most dynamic running backs in the state, as he has rushed for over 2,000 yards over the last two seasons. In 2021, Cobb rushed for 2,163 yards on 195 carries with 30 touchdowns. He also reeled in 24 catches for 561 yards for Catholic, who averaged 45.4 points per game.
Cobb is currently rated as the No. 18 overall prospect from the state of Alabama, and the No. 8 running back in the nation.
Jeremiah Cobb's 2023 Auburn recruiting profile
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2022-06-21T17:12:47Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Recruiting: Jeremiah Cobb looks to make college decision soon
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Dan Bylsma played right wing for the Los Angeles Kings for five seasons, from 1995-2000, and then for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim until 2004.
Baby's recent songwriting credits include “On Me,” “Rags2Riches 2,” “Girls Want Girls,” and “Wants and Needs.”
Manny Machado was out of the lineup a day after spraining his left ankle, but Padres acting manager Ryan Flaherty is optimistic the All-Star third baseman won’t need to go on the injured list. “He’s got some purple and blue in there but overall he’s moving around pretty good and feels good,” Flaherty said Monday. Machado, who’s having an MVP-caliber season, was injured Sunday in Colorado while trying to beat out a grounder.
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2022-06-21T18:15:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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In Pittsburgh, Pirates' overhaul gains momentum by the day
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Fourteen of the past 15 NFL Most Valuable Player Award winners, and 10 of the past 15 Super Bowl MVPs, have been quarterbacks. Although the Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford played a great game in Super Bowl LVI and wide receiver Cooper Kupp won MVP, the Rams wouldn’t have won without two massive late plays by defensive tackle Aaron Donald. On 3rd-and-1 with the Cincinnati Bengals at midfield and driving toward what could have been at least a tying field goal with 48 seconds left, Donald stuffed a running play at the line. Then, on 4th-and-1 with 43 seconds remaining, Donald blew past his man to wrap up Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow and force an errant throw to seal the Rams’ 23-20 win.
Earlier this month, the Rams rewarded Donald with a raise on the last three years of his contract, bringing his annual salary to $31.6 million and making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
How the Warriors' Kevin Durant Gift Keeps on Giving in the 2022 Finals
It’s still a quarterbacks league, however. Donald is just the NFL’s 12th highest paid player overall, trailing 11 quarterbacks, including Carson Wentz, who has made just one career Pro Bowl. While more than a third of the league’s starting quarterbacks earn an average annual salary over $30 million, Donald is the only non-quarterback to do so.
A defensive player holding the title of highest-paid non-QB is surprising given that wide receivers have emerged as the position in the highest demand other than signal callers. Six of the 10 highest-paid non-quarterbacks are wide receivers, including Kupp. Donald is also an outlier by being the only player on that list over 30 years old.
Zoom out to the top 50 highest-paid players overall, and the full picture emerges. The league revolves around quarterbacks, but wide receivers claim 13 of the top 50 salaries. Combined, those two positions make up more than half of the league’s most handsomely compensated players. Meanwhile, not a single running back makes the cut.
There are 17 defensive players in the top 50, and that group is almost exactly evenly split between defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.
Donald is an anomaly, though, as he now earns $6.6 million more annually than the next highest paid defensive lineman, which is significantly greater than the corresponding gap at every other position in football. The second most highly paid defensive tackle, DeForest Buckner, earns a whopping $10.6 million less than Donald.
Donald has earned it by separating himself from the pack on the field, though. His 59.0 sacks since 2018 give him a comfortable lead over Myles Garrett’s 51.5 for the most by a lineman. Chris Jones’ 41.0, the next highest by a defensive tackle, is nearly a full record-setting season behind Donald’s four-year total.
Not to mention, he also had the plays that saved the biggest game of the year.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter known as H.E.R., is suing MBK Entertainment, the record label owned by her longtime manager Jeff Robinson, for the rights to her music catalog. H.E.R. signed with Robinson in 2011, when she was 14 years old. According to legal documents cited by the Blast, H.E.R. is suing […]
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2022-06-21T18:38:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aaron Donald’s $31.6M Salary an Outlier in QB-Focused NFL: Data Viz
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Bart Scott remains one of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady’s biggest detractors — even after all these years of success.
The retired New York Jets linebacker and ESPN analyst has always been hesitant to give credit to his longtime rival, the Patriots. And so it should come as little surprise that Scott issued the following take on ESPN Radio on Monday.
Scott explained why he preferred facing Brady over Peyton Manning, the NFL’s other generational talent who entered the NFL at about the same time.
“I’d rather go against Tom Brady every day of the week. I believe that’s how everybody feels,” Scott said. “I lost as a No. 1 seed to Peyton Manning with the Baltimore Ravens. Peyton Manning gives you a different set of anxiety. With Tom Brady, it was more about Bill Belichick and the entire team, the execution and them having a game plan. But something in the first quarter meant something totally different in the second.”
Scott and his teams were 2-8 against the Patriots. He was 2-4 in his appearances against the Indianapolis Colts.
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2022-06-21T18:38:22Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bart Scott shares why he preferred to face Tom Brady over Peyton Manning
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The Buffalo Bills added to their defensive front more than anywhere this offseason. While the marquee addition was signing Von Miller to work the edge, the middle of the line got some attention as well.
But CBS Sports made the case it wasn’t enough.
The outlet named a position of “need” for every team in the NFL as the offseason rolls on. For the Bills, it was the defensive tackle spot.
First, here’s the breakdown:
Buffalo’s roster is rather solid across the board. The argument is more about depth in a variety of places rather than the starting lineup itself. Defensive tackle is one position that appears to be lacking depth for the Bills. Ed Oliver was good last season and DaQuan Jones was respectable in his role, but the team has little behind the front line.
It’s a big call to use defensive tackle as Buffalo’s biggest remaining “need” position. There are few that would look at the unit as the team’s strength, but it’s certainly not the weakest point.
Jones plays a role that isn’t flashy, he stops the run and has done that well. Pro Football Focus graded him a 66.4 overall mark last season, which is a solid , average number according to the outlet’s metrics. Not a weak link by any means.
But Jones, who was signed this offseason, was not the lone addition to the middle of the D-line in Buffalo. Tim Settle has similarly played well in recent years but hasn’t gotten a chance to compete for top snaps, something he will get with the Bills.
Not to mention, Jordan Phillips, who led Buffalo with 9.5 sacks in 2019 playing in this same defensive scheme, was brought back. There’s plenty of reason to “wait and see” with the defensive tackle spot, but another position might’ve been a better pick for “need.”
Other selections could have included cornerback or running back.
Running back James White is trying to come back from a hip injury that ended his 2021 season and he was not a full participant at Patriots workouts this spring. White was strictly in rehab mode as he waits to receive full clearance for a return to football activities. The wait for that clearance could [more]
Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said he enjoys spending time teaching fundamentals to high school athletes at Louisiana Line Camp.
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2022-06-21T18:38:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Do the Bills still have a need at defensive tackle?
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Pro Football Focus is not very high on the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line heading into the 2022 NFL season.
PFF recently ranked every defensive line unit in the NFL, while also assigning them to six different tiers. Not only did the Chiefs’ defensive line group place No. 25 among all 32 NFL teams, but they also landed in the fifth tier which is titled, “Relying on younger players to make a leap.”
Here is what PFF’s Ben Linsey had to say about what ails the Kansas City defensive line in 2022:
Without Chris Jones in the mix, the defensive line group for the Chiefs could easily rank worse here. That’s a scary thought given the fact that injury can strike at any moment in this league. As for the help at the edge rusher position, the analytics pass the eye test. Sans Melvin Ingram, this team will be relying heavily on young players, but also on a resurgence from Frank Clark. Banking on that seems like a big risk for Kansas City.
Fans have been clamoring for improvements along the defensive line all offseason long. While the first-round investment in George Karlaftis is a good start, there is little doubt that this is a spot where the Chiefs need to get better, especially on the top-end of their roster.
PFF: #Bills defensive line ranked 13th best in NFL:
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2022-06-21T18:38:48Z
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Chiefs defensive line ranked in bottom half of NFL by PFF
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Free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is still a free agent after spending the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Suh was an integral part of the team’s success and particularly their Super Bowl run in 2020, but it does not appear he will be returning to South Florida.
The 35-year-old appeared on ESPN Monday morning to discuss his future, where he spoke of his desire to continue playing with someone else.
“It looks like the Bucs are out of the picture,” he said, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cardinals are a team that should be interested in Suh’s services, even at his age. Vance Joseph’s defense has struggled against the run in recent years and Suh could only help. It remains unclear what sort of contract he would demand at this point in his career.
General manager Steve Keim has made a number of late offseason additions that ended up being key contributors. Suh is a player that could add to that list, as he was still impactful with the Bucs last year.
Suh played under Vance Joseph in 2016 when he was the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. There should be a level of familiarity there where Suh can come in and have an immediate impact.
Last season, Suh played in all 17 games for the Bucs and accumulated 6 sacks and 13 QB hits. He also had seven tackles for loss. It’s quite evident he can still play and perhaps the best attribute is his consistent availability, something the Cardinals have struggled with along the defensive line.
Could Ndamukong Suh be another patented “Keim Time” signing?
Is Billy on "Stranger Things" Actually Dead?
Viewers of Netflix's "Stranger Things" went on a bit of an emotional roller coaster when it came to the character Billy Hargrove, played by Dacre Montgomery. The older stepbrother of Max (Sadie Sink) was, to put it lightly, a very bad guy.
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2022-06-21T18:38:58Z
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Free agent DT Ndamukong Suh to continue playing, rules out return to Buccaneers
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There are several players on the New York Giants’ roster who are heading into a ‘make or break’ season.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley and several other young veterans have to show management that they deserve long-term commitments by the team, or the will be their last season in blue.
Another one of those players is wide receiver Darius Slayton, a fifth-round pick out of Auburn back in 2019 that showed flashed of stardom in his first two seasons only to falter in his third season last year.
In his first two years with the Giants, Slayton clicked with Jones, catching 98 passes for 1,491 yards and 11 touchdowns in 24 starts. Last year, Slayton started just five games and caught a career-low 26 passes for 339 yards and just tow scores.
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso lists Slayton as one of his “Nine NFL Players Entering a Make-or-Break 2022 Season.”
Slayton was a super speedy fifth-round pick in 2019 who had an immediate connection with fellow rookie Daniel Jones, catching 48 passes for 740 yards — 15.4 yards per — with eight scores in his debut season with the Giants. He had 12 receptions of 20 or more yards that year.
As an NFL sophomore, Slayton upped his receptions by two and had 11 more receiving yards but scored only three touchdowns, and last season the former Auburn burner was far less productive with only 28 catches for 339 yards with two scores. He became a forgotten weapon in New York’s offense. Slayton is 6-1 and has 4.39 speed. Now on a more complete roster that features a better offensive line, Slayton could be in for a season more similar to his rookie season in 2022. Of course, much of his potential impact will rest on how well his quarterback plays.
The wide receiver room is crowded but not with a lot of ‘slam-dunk’ candidates. Sterling Shepard is coming off an Achilles injury, and Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay both need to show they can be reliable. Rookie Wan’Dale Robinson is a wild card until he proves he can play at this level.
Dave Shovein examines Jack Suwinski's epic three-homer game, the Pirates' impending promotion of Oneil Cruz and so much more in Monday's Daily Dose. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Gerrit Cole makes his Yankees dream come true in 2019 | Time Machine Tuesday
Time Machine Tuesday travels to December 2019, when the New York Yankees held a news conference to introduce Gerrit Cole after the free agent signed with the Bronx Bombers. Cole shared his emotions about joining the Yankees, a team he rooted for as a kid, and owner Hal Steinbrenner also spoke about the reasons the team wanted to bring Cole to New York. Watch more Time Machine Tuesday: https://sny.tv/shows/time-machine-tuesday About Time Machine Tuesday: We’re searching hard for the best of vintage SNY, including interviews, guest appearances, commercials, and, of course, Gary, Keith, & Ron. Good content, like good wine, only gets better with age on Time Machine Tuesdays.
Qatar is working to expand its North Field East project to boost its annual LNG capacity to 110 million tons by 2026.
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2022-06-21T18:39:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Giants’ Darius Slayton entering prove-it year in 2022
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The 2021 NFL season saw tons of players breakout, becoming superstars for their teams. Of all the players to do so, former Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell had arguably the most significant breakout season of any other player.
Playing for one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons, Terrell may have flown under the radar of a lot of people. Though the team wasn’t performing at a high level, Terrell himself was actually performing at the highest level.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats’, Terrell wasn’t just one of the best NFL cover players in 2021, he was the best cover player of 2021.
Here’s what Around the NFL Writer Nick Shook had to say about Terrell:
Rank 1: A.J. Terrell
The expectations for the Falcons might not be high entering 2022, but we should all make it a point to closely watch Terrell this season. While Atlanta fought to be a competitive team in 2021, Terrell blossomed in a significant way. He posted league-best marks in a number of categories, including completion percentage allowed (41.1 percent) and yards allowed per target (4.1). Terrell performed at an elite level in only his second professional season, boasting a coverage success rate (the percentage of targets that result in a successful play for the defense) of 68.5 percent (best among qualifiers). He has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
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2022-06-21T18:39:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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A.J. Terrell listed as the best cover player in the NFL
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The Miami Dolphins are off for the remainder of the month and the first half of July before training camp begins and the team reconvenes in Miami Gardens.
With this time, the players and coaches are getting some much-needed rest while still learning and preparing for the challenges that the 2022 NFL season will present.
For us, this is a time to look over the roster and take stock of just where the team is before they get the opportunity to practice against other teams or their own units in full pads.
With that said, today, we’ll be looking at the Dolphins’ projected starters and ranking them one through 11. For this exercise, we’ll be using 11 personnel, meaning one tight end, one running back and three wide receivers.
(H/T to former Dolphins Wire managing editor Kyle Crabbs at Locked On Dolphins)
11. RT Liam Eichenberg
Eichenberg has only played one season in the NFL, but it was far from adequate. Now, moving to right tackle and playing in a new system, the Dolphins hope that he can live up to his second-round draft status.
10. LG Austin Jackson
Like Eichenberg, Jackson was a high draft pick that hasn’t lived up to his potential. Consistency at left guard and the zone-blocking scheme should help him. He probably won’t ever look like a first-round guard, but he may be able to salvage his career and make it beyond his rookie contract.
9. WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
The Dolphins brought in Wilson Jr. to be the third wide receiver this offseason and paid him well to fill the role. They’re hoping that he can earn that money in the slot and produce in key situations.
8. QB Tua Tagovailoa
(AP Photo/Mary Holt)
It’s not a great sign when your quarterback is this low on the list. However, with the improvements that the group made this offseason, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. If he takes steps forward with his new line and weapons, he’ll likely find himself higher next year.
7. RB Chase Edmonds
Edmonds is expected to lead a trio of veteran running backs that the Dolphins signed this offseason. His 4.7 yards per attempt average in his career should get a bit of a bump in Mike McDaniel’s run-friendly offense.
6. RG Robert Hunt
Hunt was the best part of a struggling offensive line last season. However, he could only do so much. Now, with Eichenberg potentially lining up next to him at right tackle, he’ll still be tasked with being a leader on that side of the line. It would also be nice to see them run some type of eligible play for him, so he can show off that athleticism.
5. C Connor Williams
Miami brought in Williams this offseason on a multi-year deal that everyone assumed would make him the starting left guard for years to come. However, with all of the work he’s seen at center in OTAs and minicamp, that doesn’t feel like the case anymore. He should be able to provide above-average play at the position.
4. TE Mike Gesicki
Gesicki was one of the few bright spots on offense last season, as he set new career-highs in both receptions and yards. However, he struggled to find the end zone, scoring only twice the whole year. With more weapons around him, he should be able to capitalize and get across the goal line.
3. WR Jaylen Waddle
In 2021, Waddle set an NFL rookie record for receptions, and he broke the franchise rookie record for yards. There’s no limit for Waddle’s future at this point, but he’ll likely see fewer targets with more weapons in this offense. However, he could still put up 1,000 yards if he starts earning the yards after catch.
2. LT Terron Armstead
Miami targeted Terron Armstead, the top free agent on the market this offseason, and got him to sign a long-term deal. There are questions about his health, but when he’s on the field, he’s one of the best tackles in the game. And, on top of his play, he’s already showing his leadership qualities with an offensive line that needs it.
1. WR Tyreek Hill
Hill made his way into six Pro Bowls in his career and has staked his claim as one of the most dynamic wideouts in the league. Miami paid a premium for the former Kansas City Chief, giving up five picks and a huge contract. Having someone a receiver of Hill’s caliber should open up plenty of things for this offense and Tagovailoa specifically.
Here are some ideal fits for former LSU basketball players Tari Eason, Darius Days and Shareef O'Neal ahead of 2022 NBA Draft.
Crude Oil Price Update – Despite Recession Worries, Demand Still Solid
Despite concerns over economic growth, the latest data on flight activity and mobility on U.S. roads continues to show solid oil demand – UBS
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2022-06-21T18:39:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ranking the projected Dolphins’ offensive starters for 2022, 1 through 11
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Acquiring quarterback Russell Wilson changed everything for the Denver Broncos.
After years of underwhelming quarterback play, the Broncos now have a star in Wilson, and his mobility makes him one of the hardest QBs to defend in the NFL. That’s great news for Denver’s offense, and it’s good news for the defense, too.
“It’s hard because when you think you have an angle on him, and he might spin out or he might step forward,” outside linebacker Bradley Chubb said of Wilson on June 6. “He has such great pocket awareness for being a guy that moves around a lot. A lot of his money balls come when he is outside the pocket throwing it deep.”
Broncos players are currently on summer break but they’ll return to going up against Wilson every day in practice once training camp begins in late July. Those reps will help prepare Denver’s defense for when they face multiple mobile QBs during the 2022 season.
“It’s been challenging for not only me, but the DBs,” Chubb said of facing Wilson. “They have to play coverage twice on guys and have to stick with them and stay on them. You never know what he’s going to do back there. It’s been a good challenge for us.”
It will be easy to spot improvements on offense this year that are directly related to Wilson’s arrival. And when the Broncos’ defense prevents a quarterback from using his legs to create a big play, Wilson might deserve some credit for that as well after giving the defense reps for such scenarios over the summer.
Across the board, the Wilson trade was a huge win for Denver.
Jennifer Lopez is a talented dancer, singer, actress, but she's also a devoted mom to twins Emme and Max, as well as future step-mom to Ben Affleck's kids.
The Bronx rapper’s ‘Let Me Be…Enchanted’ collection arrived on June 17.
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2022-06-21T18:39:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Russell Wilson is ‘a good challenge’ for Broncos’ defense
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Ryan Fitzpatrick joining Amazon Prime Video as Thursday Night Football analyst
Ryan Fitzpatrick already lined up his post-playing career after officially retiring from the NFL on June 2.
The former 17-year NFL quarterback will become Amazon Prime Video's newest Thursday Night Football analyst, the company announced Tuesday. Fitzpatrick will be a part of the company's pregame, halftime and postgame coverage, per the announcement.
"Although my playing career has come to an end, my love for football has not," Fitzpatrick said in a statement released by Amazon. "I'm excited to start this new charter with Thursday Night Football and looking forward to sharing my unique experiences and perspectives with football fans."
Fitzpatrick is Amazon's most recent broadcast addition after Richard Sherman and Hall-of-Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez joined earlier this year. Sherman hasn't retired from the league despite joining Amazon's cast.
Fox Sport's Charissa Thompson will host Amazon's coverage, while Former Sunday Night Football broadcaster Al Michaels and ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit have already been tapped to call the games from the booth.
Fitzpatrick retired from the NFL earlier this month after a long career that included playing for nine teams since 2005. He opened the 2021 season with the Washington Commanders (then called the Washington Football Team) but suffered a season-ending hip injury in Week 1. Fitzpatrick finished his career with 34,990 passing yards, a 60.7 completion percentage, 223 passing touchdowns,23 rushing touchdowns and 169 interceptions.
Fitzpatrick told the New York Post's Andrew Marchand in an interview on Tuesday he picked the Amazon job because it was "fresh and now" and would give him more time to spend with his family.
“... for me to be able to sit down with my kids and watch some of these games on Sunday,” Fitzpatrick said. “It is something I haven’t had a whole lot of time to do these last 17 years.”
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is headed to Amazon Prime Video. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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2022-06-21T18:39:38Z
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NFL: Ryan Fitzpatrick joining Amazon Prime Video as TNF analyst
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Derek Stingley may not have been out on the practice field much during the Houston Texans’ offseason workouts, but his impact upon the secondary was nevertheless felt.
Inside the facilities at NRG Stadium, the No. 3 overall cornerback was picking the minds of veteran defensive backs to get a better understanding of how the Tampa 2 scheme worked.
“Great ball skills, athletic, smart, and willing to learn, asks a bunch of questions,” safety Jonathan Owens told reporters on June 14 after mandatory minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. “That’s really a thing where you’re a new guy, you’re always going to be a sponge, anything anybody tells you.”
Stingley displayed immense promise in his freshman season with LSU, generating 38 combined tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, six interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery through 15 games. The 6-1, 195-pound cornerback played no more than 10 games over the next two seasons as the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and a Lisfranc injury in his foot in 2021, but Stingley’s potential made him one of the more fascinating defensive back prospects in the 2022 NFL draft.
Owens, who is entering his fifth season with the Texans, is using his past experiences to help young defensive backs flourish immediately.
“I’m relaying my past experiences to them, letting them know, okay, this is what you did, this is probably what you could do better, this is what somebody taught me,” said Owens. “I’m excited.”
Coach Lovie Smith expects Stingley to be a full go for training camp. Across the NFL — save for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars — veterans can report no earlier than July 26, although the Texans have yet to announce official dates for training camp.
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2022-06-21T18:39:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans S Jonathan Owens says CB Derek Stingley ‘asks a bunch of questions’
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The New York Jets spent the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft on BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, hoping to land the franchise quarterback they’ve been desperately seeking for years.
While there were certainly some frustrating growing pains for Wilson in his rookie campaign, there were plenty of bright spots, as he showed off elite arm talent and the ability to make big plays outside of the pocket when things broke down.
There are still some rough edges to be smoothed out in his game, but Wilson has tons of potential, and the Jets appear to be building a strong supporting cast around him.
Check out some of Wilson’s best moments from the 2021 season:
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2022-06-21T18:40:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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WATCH: Best highlights from Zach Wilson’s rookie season
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After trading down multiple times at the top of the second round, the New York Giants spent the No. 43 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on yet another undersized-but-explosive pass-catcher.
Much like Kadarius Toney, their first-round pick in 2021, Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson brings an electrifying skill set to the New York offense. What Robinson lacks in size, he makes up for with elite quickness and big-play ability, both after the catch and when stretching opposing defenses vertically.
Toney is a versatile offensive weapon who can line up anywhere on the field, making him a frustrating challenge for defensive coordinators. Expect a creative play-caller like new Giants head coach Brian Daboll to find plenty of unique ways to get the ball in Robinson’s hands, whether he’s lined up wide or in the backfield.
While there were rumors earlier in the offseason that Toney might be on the trade block, the Giants would be wise to deploy the rare playmaking ability that both he and Robinson bring to the table. If New York can get improved play from quarterback Daniel Jones this season, having another dynamic pass-catcher like Robinson to challenge defenses in various ways should help spark this offense in 2022.
Why Phoenix Suns don't have any picks in 2022 NBA draft
It could be a very quiet night for the Phoenix Suns during the 2022 NBA draft.
The New York Mets have promoted first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith from Triple-A Syracuse, ending the popular 26-year-old's three-week stint in the minor leagues. New York called up Smith and put right-hander Seth Lugo on the paternity list Monday prior to a game against the Miami Marlins.
The Buffs' offense will be relying on a few wide receivers to take the next step
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2022-06-21T18:40:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why Giants fans should be excited about Wan’Dale Robinson
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Caleb Swanigan, who was drafted by the Blazers in 2017 following two standout years at Purdue, has died at age 25. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Caleb Swanigan, the former Purdue standout who played three seasons in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, has died at age 25. According to the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Swanigan died of natural causes. No other details have been released.
Swanigan had a difficult upbringing in Indianapolis. He was one of six kids that his mother, Tanya, was trying to take care of while his father battled an addiction to crack-cocaine. The family spent time in homeless shelters before moving to Utah for a spell, but he returned to attend Homestead High School. As a senior in 2015, Swanigan helped lead the Homestead basketball team to its first state championship in the school's history.
He elected to attend Purdue after decommitting from Michigan State, and was an immediate success. Swanigan started every game as a freshman, set a Purdue record after being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. He also started every game as a sophomore, and excelled across the season. He broke Purdue single-season records for rebounds and double-doubles. He was a unanimous first-team All-American and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the 2017 Wooden Award.
Swanigan made the jump to the NBA after his sophomore season, and was selected 26th overall by the Blazers in the 2017 draft. He played in the Summer League, the G League, and also spent time with the Blazers in 2018. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings in Feb. 2019, and then back to the Blazers 11 months later. In his career, he played in 75 total games, and all but 10 were with the Blazers.
Swanigan's last NBA game was in 2020, when he chose not to join the COVID-19 bubble in Florida due to personal reasons. In late 2020, Swanigan was arrested on a drug charge after police found more than 3 pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop. He pleaded guilty and avoided jail time.
During his court appearances, photos of Swanigan surfaced showing that he had gained weight. In a profile for ESPN in 2017, he admitted that overeating and obesity had always been a problem for him, partially owing to his unstable upbringing when his family couldn't afford healthy options. He ate what was available, and weighed 360 pounds by eighth grade. Genetics were also a factor: Swanigan had always been a naturally big guy, and his father had been over 500 pounds when he died in 2014. Following his father's death, Swanigan lost over 100 pounds in high school and became a powerhouse player for Homestead.
While some on social media were being uncharitable about Swanigan's post-NBA weight gain, his former teammate Damian Lillard asked people to think about the situation and act with kindness and understanding.
"If you gone post this s*** with real concern that's cool. But don't ask 'how does one go from this to that' ... he clearly having real life issues. That's how... you don't know WHAT it is he's going through to cause a drastic change. If you gone be supportive then do that but don't ask no s*** like that like it's not possible when you naturally a big dude and go down a dark road."
NBA, Purdue community mourn Swanigan's death
After news of Swanigan's death broke Tuesday morning, fans and former teammates paid tribute to him on social media.
🙏🏽 https://t.co/z46tDy8OJn
Damn RIP 🙏🏿 https://t.co/ScgauU3L5v
Heartbroken hearing Caleb Swanigan passed away. He gave away so many tickets to local groups in the Sacramento area when he played here and always remember how excited families would be whenever I gave them his cheer cards at the games when I interned for the team. RIP Caleb. pic.twitter.com/dASJYfB2Yp
— Nate Macay (@Nate_A_M) June 21, 2022
So saddened by the loss of Caleb Swanigan at a young age. In my 20 years of observing one of college basketball’s best cultures, nobody outworked “Biggie”. He spent more hours in the weight room & gym than any @BoilerBall athlete in memory. How much fun he brought to our fans.
— Dave Shondell (@DaveShondell) June 21, 2022
Caleb Swanigan cutting down the net in 2017. I’ll never forget this night, the ‘16-‘17 @BoilerBall season or Biggie. Such a sad day pic.twitter.com/VUYrzKRKPO
— Trevor Peters (@TrevorPetersTV) June 21, 2022
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2022-06-21T23:05:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NBA news: Caleb Swanigan, ex-Purdue, NBA player, dies at 25
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Trayce Thompson traded to Dodgers hours after Klay's parade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Klay Thompson has rooted for his brother, Trayce, no matter where he has gone in his MLB journey. Now, his rooting interest just got a little awkward.
Trayce was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a transaction that went official just hours after Klay celebrated his fourth NBA championship during the Golden State Warriors parade on Monday.
Klay has shown off Bay Area baseball allegiances since joining the Dubs, attending Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants games. He even wore a captain hat from Giants first baseman Brandon Belt during the parade after losing his Warriors championship cap while boating to the event.
This isn’t the first time Trayce has switched teams, nor is it the first time he’s worn Dodger blue.
The 31-year-old outfielder made his big league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. He then played 107 games for the Dodgers across the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He played three games with the A’s in 2018 before being dealt to the Chicago White Sox midseason. After a two-year hiatus from the majors, Trayce played 16 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2021.
The Dodgers will be Trayce’s third MLB team this season. He started the year with the San Diego Padres before landing with the Tigers. With Mookie Betts on the injured list with a cracked rib, the Dodgers decided to bring in some outfield insurance.
For his career, Trayce is a .205 hitter with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs in 223 games.
Klay will have a chance to boat over and watch Trayce in the Bay when the Dodgers and Giants begin a four-game set at Oracle Park starting Aug. 1.
Major League Baseball is standardizing procedures for rubbing baseballs and their removal from humidors in an effort to establish more consistency.
Bill Self spoke about how his KU team is shaping up for next season
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2022-06-21T23:11:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Trayce Thompson traded to Los Angeles Dodgers hours after Klay's parade
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https://sports.yahoo.com/trayce-thompson-traded-los-angeles-195500752.html?src=rss
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Why leaving Warriors to coach Kings felt right for Brown originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Fresh off his third NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, new Kings coach Mike Brown was introduced to Sacramento on Tuesday and made it clear he’s there to end the franchise’s 16-year playoff drought.
Brown showed up to his first press conference at Golden 1 Center in a purple shirt, symbolizing a new chapter in his 25-year NBA coaching career. It has been eight years since he served in a head coaching role, however, and on Tuesday he explained to reporters why he decided to leave the Warriors to take the helm in Sacramento.
It turns out it was a little bit of everything.
“The potential here,” Brown said. “I truly believe the potential is off the charts. It gets me excited thinking about it. And trying to contain my composure, excitement while going through what [the Warriors] experienced the last couple of months was tough for me.
“... The players here, I’m excited about. Like I said before, [general manager] Monte [McNair], [assistant GM] Wes [Wilcox], [Chief Operating Officer] Matina [Kolokotronis]. I’m excited about working with those guys and the rest of the organization.
“And then the reality of it is I’m excited about everything that’s going on here, from the building to the facilities. Every time I walk through here, I’m blown away … I’m ready to get out to the public, ready to touch the people here in Sacramento and give back to the people here for being so passionate and loyal to the Kings.”
Brown hopes to bring a winning culture from the Bay to the 916 for the fans in Sacramento, who have endured the longest playoff drought in NBA history over the last 16 seasons. And that record isn’t something Brown will shy away from talking about.
“There ain’t no elephant in the room,” Brown told reporters. “You can speak on it. We’re going to embrace that. I’m not coming here to quote-unquote have fun and be excited and join the area. I’m coming here to win, so we’re going to embrace anything that’s in front of us that talks about winning.
“So we look forward to it.”
Brown won three rings with the Warriors, where he served under Steve Kerr since 2016. Brown earned a ring as part of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff in 2003, too, where Kerr was on the roster.
His head coaching experience came with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12), where he compiled 47-36 record across eight seasons. He also coached in place of Kerr for the Warriors during their most recent playoff run and during the 2017 postseason.
While Golden State was making its way to the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown told reporters that he remained heavily involved with the happenings in Sacramento. After the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals, Brown hopped on a plane to watch De’Aaron Fox work out in San Diego and went to lunch with the Kings star and his family.
Mike Brown and De'Aaron go back to Fox's high school days 😱 pic.twitter.com/DHIXeFTTNg
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) June 21, 2022
He has spoken with every single Kings player on multiple occasions, he added, and remained in constant contact with McNair since being named head coach.
Now that the moment is officially here, Brown said he has plenty to look forward to, like the chemistry between Fox and Domantas Sabonis, who he described as a “top-three combination in the league right now.”
"They are a top-three combination in the league right now"
Mike Brown has high praise for Fox and Sabonis 💪 pic.twitter.com/pd4t7NPRKy
He recalled how the ringing of Cowbell Kingdom used to irk him as a visiting coach during the 2000s, but now would be a welcome sound. Brown wants to bring that excited atmosphere back to Golden 1, and it all starts with soul.
RELATED: Report: Kings high on Murray amid trade talks for No. 4 pick
“I’m excited about this team, but one of the main reasons that I was brought here was to bring some leadership in a lot of different areas,” Brown said. “I’ve been with a lot of teams in my 30 years, and I’ve experienced what I believe is something that can get organizations over the top not just in one year, but year in and year out.
“And that’s having a winning culture. My job is to lead in that area. Every organization out there, in my opinion, has a soul … And the stronger that soul is, the better that organization will be.”
Hundreds of thousands of basketball fans lined the streets of San Francisco on Monday to celebrate the Golden State Warriors taking home another NBA championship. The Warriors beat the Boston Celtics to win their fourth title in the past eight years.
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2022-06-21T23:11:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why Mike Brown left Warriors for Kings to become NBA head coach again
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Rob Gronkowski never caught passes in the NFL from anyone other Tom Brady — with the exception of a few games when Brady served his Deflategate suspension. When Brady defected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gronk came out of retirement to join his quarterback.
They are a dynamic duo — a pair that seemed made for each other. And so that’s what makes Brady’s comments on social media so touching after Gronk announced his retirement on Tuesday.
“Teammate, friend, brother, just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of @gronk. Nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ like Rob has throughout his entire career. Every single snap, I knew that no matter how many people you put in front of him, he was going to get to his spot.
Gronkowski played with the Patriots from 2010 to 2018 when he racked up 521 catches, 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. He spent a year in retirement in 2019 but returned for two more seasons to play with the Buccaneers when he managed another 100 catches for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Rob Gronkowski's agent has eye-opening reaction to TE's second retirement
Rob Gronkowski has retired from the NFL again, but based on his agent's reaction, it wouldn't be surprising if the veteran tight end came back to football during the 2022 season.
The hotel suffered from two other damaging fires in 1913 and 1978.
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2022-06-21T23:43:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tom Brady shares touching reflection upon Rob Gronkowski’s career
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Rob Gronkowski is retiring, which means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are losing an important piece of their offensive attack heading into the 2022 season.
Yes, the Bucs just spent two of their picks in the 2022 NFL draft on tight ends, but that might not stop them from pursuing a veteran free agent at the position who could have a more immediate impact for a team in win-now mode.
While Gronk’s retirement (as well as the loss of O.J. Howard in free agency) should increase the role of veteran incumbent Cameron Brate this season, the Bucs could still be in the market for another experienced player at the position.
If they do go that route, here are some names that could make sense:
Rudolph spent the majority of his productive NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings before leaving last offseason to sign with the New York Jets. His production dipped considerably in the past two seasons (just two combined touchdown catches over that stretch), but he’s still got similar size and a well-rounded skill set.
The youngest of the best veterans still available on the open market, Ebron is a former top-10 pick who is just a few years removed from a Pro Bowl season with the Colts. He spent the past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his 2021 campaign was cut well short due to a knee injury. He may not give the Bucs much as a blocker, but his athleticism could make an impact in the passing game.
Bucs fans know Cook well, considering he’s had plenty of success against Tampa Bay over his few seasons spent with the Saints (though they’ll still thank him for that fumble in the playoffs back in 2020). Cook is 35 years old, so who knows how much he still has left in the tank, but he’s still a size mismatch as a pass-catcher in the red zone.
Schultz is a bit of a wild-card on this list, but worth including. The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on him earlier this offseason, but the two sides have yet to strike a long-term extension. Would the Bucs be willing to trade for an ascending player at the position, even if it would cost a draft pick and a hefty new deal?
Blake Jarwin
Speaking of the Cowboys, Jarwin spent the past five seasons in Dallas. While he showed promise earlier in his career, he’s missed most of the last two seasons due to multiple injuries. If the Bucs are convinced he can get back to full strength soon, the 27-year-old might be an underrated option who still has his best football ahead of him.
Another veteran with whom Bucs fans are well acquainted, Graham has had plenty of success against Tampa Bay over the years while playing for multiple NFC opponents. His production fell off considerably last season while with the Bears, but his massive frame and knack for finding the end zone might still be enough to interest the Bucs.
Twitter reacts to Rob Gronkowski’s retirement
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski is retiring, and Twitter is reacting accordingly
UCF loses second commit this week as TE Jayvontay Conner reopens recruitment
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound pass-catcher holds more than 40 Division I offers.
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2022-06-21T23:43:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Which veteran tight ends could the Bucs target to replace Rob Gronkowski?
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The Miami Dolphins offseason has been action-packed to this point, with the firing and hiring of head coaches, blockbuster trades and impactful free agent signings.
This hasn’t left a lot of time for the players and coaches to sit back and enjoy time away from the game, but they’re getting some rest now with OTAs and minicamp in the rearview and training camp being a month away.
Now is actually a great time to assess the roster before they get a chance to have full, padded practices and work with other teams in July and August.
Are there any Dolphins who may have had their roles taken over with these new moves? These three seem to be the most likely.
The wide receiver position got much deeper this offseason, as the Dolphins added Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Trent Sherfield, River Cracraft and Erik Ezukanma to the room through free agency and the draft. With that said, Williams, who has spent the last three seasons with Miami, may be on the outside looking in if he can’t prove himself valuable in training camp.
Defensive Back Eric Rowe
Rowe’s spot on the roster has been a topic of conversation frequently this offseason. He provides depth at both cornerback and safety, but with Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones stepping up into their roles as the starters, the need for a guy like Rowe has dropped significantly. That’s especially the case when you consider that moving on from him would save $4.55 million.
Center Michael Deiter
Unlike the other two, Deiter probably isn’t going to be cut this offseason because of the lack of depth at the position, but it seems that the Dolphins are leaning toward Connor Williams to start at center. They may just be trying out different combinations to see how they can get their best five on the field together, but if Deiter isn’t starting in the middle, he probably won’t start elsewhere on the line.
Heat extends qualifying offer to Caleb Martin ahead of free agency. What the move means
The Miami Heat is handling its business ahead of free agency.
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2022-06-22T00:41:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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3 Dolphins veterans in danger of losing their jobs in 2022
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Highlights of Georgia football’s newest 4-star LB commit
Georgia football received its third commitment in four days on Monday when four-star linebacker C.J. Allen chose the Bulldogs over Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, LSU and more.
Allen (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) ranks as the nation’s No. 60 overall player and as the No. 3 ranked linebacker in America, per 247Sports. He is a multi-sport athlete who participates in both basketball and track & field on top of playing both offense and defense for the Trojans.
Here are some highlights of the speedy linebacker:
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2022-06-22T01:39:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Highlights of Georgia football’s newest 4-star LB commit
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https://sports.yahoo.com/highlights-georgia-football-newest-4-165425148.html?src=rss
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Some say it takes three years to truly get a grasp of how good a team’s draft class actually turns out to be. By then, players should start to have a sense of what they’re going to be in their career, for the most part.
You may recall that was the year the Cincinnati Bengals selected offensive tackle Jonah Williams from Alabama. But looking back, PFF goes in a different direction with this pick.
Instead of Williams, PFF gives the Bengals Elgton Jenkins, the offensive lineman from Ole Miss who was originally selected at No. 44 by the Green Bay Packers.
PFF notes that the Williams pick was the right call at the time for the Bengals, who badly needed offensive tackle help. But in this revisionist mode, the versatility of Jenkins, a 2020 Pro Bowl selection, who has played all over the line for the Packers and quickly has become a mainstay of the unit, overpowers that of Williams:
At the time, Williams was absolutely the right pick. He’s still a solid starter for the Bengals, but I’d swap this one for Eglton Jenkins, who has shown he’s a little better and a lot more versatile. Jenkins has played snaps at right tackle, left tackle, center and left guard for the Packers, and he’s maintained good PFF grades throughout. This past season, with most of his snaps coming at left tackle, Jenkins recorded a career-best 82.1 overall grade.
Williams has been ok to this point, but this makes you wonder how much more effective the Bengals could have been with Jenkins’ versatility. A coach like Frank Pollack certainly would have helped bring out the best in Jenkins, just as Green Bay has to this point.
PFF has the same two players being selected at the top as the original draft: Kyler Murray to the Cardinals and Nick Bosa to the 49ers. The first big change is the Jets taking WR A.J. Brown over original pick DL Quinnen Williams.
Agilysys (AGYS) saw its shares surge in the last session with trading volume being higher than average. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions could translate into further price increase in the near term.
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2022-06-22T02:01:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bengals go away from Jonah Williams in PFF 2019 redraft
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David Carr on Gronkowski: 'In my opinion, he's the best tight end of all time'
NFL Network's David Carr reflects on tight end Rob Gronkowski's career, saying that 'iIn my opinion, he's the best tight end of all time'. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday. Here's a list of regular season and playoff records set by the former Patriots and Buccaneers tight end during his illustrious career.
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2022-06-22T02:01:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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David Carr on Gronkowski: 'In my opinion, he's the best tight end of all time'
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their third high-profile retirement of the 2022 offseason, as legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski announced Tuesday that he’s hanging up his cleats for the second time, after two seasons with the team.
While Tom Brady returned from his “retirement” after just 41 days (while Ali Marpet did not), and it’s still technically possible that Gronk could pull the same about-face at some point before the seasons starts, the Bucs are currently looking at replacing an important part of their dynamic offense.
While Gronkowski might not be the same player he was in his prime, he’s still been a unicorn of a mismatch for the Bucs over the last two seasons, creating constant problems for opposing defenses with his rare skill set. He’s a red-zone nightmare in coverage, and obviously has a unique connection with Brady that the passing game will sorely miss. He was also an elite blocker who basically gave the Bucs another offensive lineman when he wasn’t running routes.
Replacing that impact will be much easier said than done, even though the Bucs did just spend two picks in the 2022 NFL draft on tight ends.
Cade Otton, a fourth-round pick out of Washington has the kind of well-rounded skill set that makes him the potential long-term replacement for what Gronkowski brought to the offense. That said, he’s a rookie who is still recovering from ankle surgery.
Ko Kieft, a sixth-round pick out of Minnesota, is a blocking specialist who could help alleviate the loss of Gronkowski in the trenches, should he make the final 53-man active roster.
The Bucs do have a reliable veteran still on the roster in Cameron Brate, so Brady will at least have one player at the position with whom he already has some familiarity and chemistry. Brate doesn’t have Gronkowski’s size, athleticism or blocking prowess, but he’s still a trustworthy target Brady knows he can rely on. That will certainly count for something, especially early in the season, while the rookies are still adjusting to the offense and the speed of the NFL game.
It’s possible the Bucs could also look for help from the outside, seeking a veteran addition that might come cheap at this point in the free agency cycle. We’ve outlined some potential fits here, including a wild-card trade target that might be of interest.
Outside of the tight end spot, Gronkowski’s departure could force Brady to rely on his other established playmakers to pick up the slack.
Mike Evans is likely to see an increase in targets, particularly in clutch situations like third downs and in the red zone, while Chris Godwin should once again see the lion’s share of the overall targets after he’s returned to full strength from last year’s season-ending knee injury. Newcomer Russell Gage is sure to have a significant role, while the rest of the depth chart will be filled with returning players with whom Brady already has some kind of rapport from the last two seasons.
Gronk is a one-of-a-kind player who can never truly be replaced, and while Tampa Bay’s offense still has plenty of firepower, it won’t be the same without him. His presence will be missed on the sideline and in the locker room, just as it will on the field.
Long live the Gronk Spike
Rob Gronkowski is retiring (again), but we'll never forget his iconic touchdown celebration
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2022-06-22T02:02:22Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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What Rob Gronkowski’s retirement means for the Bucs in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rob-gronkowski-retirement-means-bucs-001137251.html?src=rss
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Mike Brown, right, the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings answers a queston during a news conference with Kings general manager Monte McNair, left, in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Brown, who this season was an assistant coach with the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, is taking over the franchise with the longest playoff drought in NBA history.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
''I've been heavily involved,'' Brown said of getting going with the Kings as the schedule permitted. ''I've talked to every single player on multiple occasions.''
''First of all, I'd like to start out by thanking everyone in Warrior land,'' Brown said.
''One of the main reasons that I was brought here was to bring some leadership in a lot of different areas,'' he said. ''I've been with a lot of different teams in my 30 years. I've experienced something that I believe can get organizations over the top, not just in one year but year in and year out, and that's having a winning culture. My job is to lead in that area. Every organization out there, in my opinion, has a soul. The stronger that soul is the better that organization will be.''
''We conducted in the front office here a very robust, thorough, comprehensive process,'' Kings general manager Monte McNair said. ''We wanted to ensure that we found the right coach. We did a lot of research and it came down to three key things for us: experience, successful head coaching experience, relationships, the ability to build relationships across the organization, and leadership - leadership as a head coach and leadership for everything that we're trying to do here.''
And when someone congratulated Brown on the Warriors' title, Brown showed off his signature warm smile and cracked: ''Can you say that again?''
''I've got four,'' he added, holding up four fingers and chuckling.
2022 NBA draft is just two days away, though there's still no consensus on who the Detroit Pistons may take with their No. 5 overall pick.
The Huddle featuring C.J. Holmes
Jason Barr and Pat Parris chat with Golden State Warriors writer for the San Francisco Chronicle C.J. Holmes about Arizona Wildcats in the NBA draft.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has reached confidential settlements with all but four women who accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.
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2022-06-22T02:09:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brown introduced as Kings coach after helping Warriors win
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https://sports.yahoo.com/brown-introduced-kings-coach-helping-003715749.html?src=rss
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Roger Crozier
RELATED: Bally Sports Detroit to launch new streaming service for those without cable
Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider looks on during the third period of the Wings' 7-2 loss to the Penguins on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena.
To put into perspective how big a deal this is, Seider accomplished something that eluded three of the biggest stars in franchise history: Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom. All three were runner-ups: Yzerman in 1984 to Tom Barrasso; Fedorov in 1991 to Ed Belfour, and Lidstrom in 1992 to Pavel Bure.
EURO STAR: Why Marco Kasper would be perfect for Detroit Red Wings at No. 8 in draft
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' Moritz Seider: 2022 Calder Trophy winner
Seider beat out finalists Trevor Zegras and Michael Bunting.
New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is the winner of the 2022 Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the league for the 2021-22 NHL season.
TAMPA — Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has impressed those who follow the NHL all season long. Tuesday night at Armature Works, he was rewarded for his regular-season performance with the Norris Trophy, which goes to the league’s top defenseman as determined by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Makar was one of three finalists for the award, along with the Lightning’s ...
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2022-06-22T02:09:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Detroit Red Wings' Moritz Seider wins Calder Trophy as NHL's top rookie for 2021-22
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Vivek Jacob
Image via Getty/Elsa
Smiling, looking proud, perhaps even relieved. As Andrew Wiggins sat at the podium with his championship hat and championship tee and showed off the Canadian flag, it was a crowning dream realized: Maple Jordan having the last laugh.
Impacting the game on all levels, Wiggins finished with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to help Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors clinch yet another title and forever put to bed the notion that he hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being a top draft selection in 2014 or receiving a rookie max contract extension in 2017. In doing so, he has earned the respect of many and turned haters into believers.
“It feels good, it feels amazing,” Wiggins said. “You put in so much work, so much time to make it here at this result of becoming a champion. There’s nothing like it so now I’m gonna celebrate like crazy.”
It will always be easy to remember Wiggins’ dunk on Luka Doncic in the Western Conference Finals. It was a combination of elegance and power as he glided through the air that made it utterly mesmerizing. There are big threes he made, and mid-range bailouts, too. How about the way he marauded the offensive glass in Boston towards the end of Game 4 of the NBA Finals to help clinch a pivotal victory that squared the series 2-2?
What I will also remember is the end of the third quarter of Game 5, when with the Celtics clinging to a two-point lead, Jayson Tatum was matched up with Andrew Wiggins for what was supposed to be the final possession. Grant Williams came over to set a screen to get Tatum switched onto Jordan Poole, but Wiggins wouldn’t have any of it. In the process of being swallowed whole, Tatum evacuated with a pass to Jaylen Brown. When Brown missed his three-point attempt, it was Wiggins who skied highest for the rebound with just under four seconds remaining and made his way down the court. Just when you thought he’d throw up an improbable heave, he found Poole for a better shot from the Finals logo, a bank shot that went in and gave the Warriors the lead heading into the fourth quarter. Golden State didn’t trail again.
Over and over in a Golden State uniform, Wiggins has had sequences like these that spell W-I-N-N-E-R. This isn’t even to say let’s just celebrate these pockets of brilliance because there wasn’t much else to talk about. The native of Thornhill, Ontario was an absolute monster in the Warriors’ final three games—all wins—averaging 20.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks while playing lockdown defence on Jayson Tatum, who shot 36.2 percent for the series.
Wiggins was convincingly the second-best Warriors player in the Finals and arguably their second-most consistent player of the whole playoff run. Imagine that for a second, Wiggins and the word “consistent” together in a sentence. It’s been a minute waiting to see it happen but it’s here and it’s spectacular.
“They challenged me: Draymond, Klay, Steph, Andre, all the vets,” Wiggins said. “They challenged me every day, every time I stepped on the court they challenged me. That’s motivational, those are future Hall of Famers so whenever they tell me to do something or challenges, I just wanna get it done and prove it to them and earn their respect.”
That’s a far cry from the player who was openly mocked for his lack of energy and effort to the point where beloved basketball show Game of Zones dramatized Jimmy Butler’s vengeful practice session in Minnesota by having him slaughter the team. During this battle, a heart emerges only for then coach Tom Thibodeau to quip back to the suggestion it was Wiggins’ with, “It’s too big.”
Image via Getty/Thearon W. Henderson
Through the majority of his career with the Timberwolves, Wiggins was much maligned and there was plenty of blame to be shared. A player with all the potential in the world, he seemingly only flashed it as and when he pleased, which meant either against the Cleveland Cavaliers who traded him or his hometown team the Toronto Raptors. Against those two opponents, he’s averaged over 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists on very good percentages. Why couldn’t he be this guy against the rest of the league? Did he not love the game enough? Was Minnesota just a soul-sucking environment that incubated losing habits?
For whatever reasons it didn’t happen with the Wolves, his trade to Golden State was going to set the record straight for better or worse. Until that point, the majority of it was on Wiggins as far as the public was concerned—a player with plenty of hype who played the game in an inefficient manner and always left you on edge wondering if you’d get your money’s worth.
Even the moments that could have endeared him to Canadians escaped him in the most excruciating fashion. In 2015, he was a member of the squad that was shocked in Mexico City by Venezuela 79-78 in the semifinals, when a win would have sent them to the Rio Olympics. After skipping a last-chance qualifier in 2016, he also opted out of World Cup qualifying games in 2018 and the World Cup itself in 2019.
The 2020-21 NBA season showed an Andrew Wiggins who was learning, growing. Bad habits were being slowly but steadily kicked to the curb and replaced with decisions that suited the best interests of the team. The Warriors knocked on the door of a post-season return, but a swift play-in tournament exit left them licking their wounds. He showed up for Canada’s last-chance Olympic qualifier in Victoria, B.C. and singlehandedly willed them back into the game to force overtime courtesy a fadeaway game-tying three-pointer but the team still fell heartbreakingly short. Another summer with the Dubs’ structure fully instilled and another training camp, Wiggins was ready to make real, winning noise.
With Klay Thompson still recovering from first a torn ACL in his left knee and then a ruptured right Achilles tendon, Wiggins took on the required onus and defended opposing team’s best players to help the Warriors look very, very familiar. When he was named an All-Star starter—amid a degree of controversy—it was a coming of age moment regardless of what onlookers thought. Things tapered off some when Thompson made his return and Draymond Green missed time through injury, but by then Golden State goal posts were always going to be within the prism of the playoffs.
That vision has now crystallized, Wiggins can be a dependable tertiary scorer, sometimes even a secondary one. He can be a terrific primary defender. He can go get it on the glass possession after possession and night after night. He can make reads that make his teammates better. We can all stand and applaud.
It wasn’t all just Wiggins’ fault in Minnesota. The situation matters, and given the right environment, Wiggins has delivered. He has wiped the slate clean. So what if he isn’t the main character? Who didn’t enjoy Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight or Mahershala Ali in Moonlight? Given a role outside the main spotlight, Wiggins showed that he can very much fit within a team with championship aspirations and be every bit as good as Canada needs him to be.
“We would not be here without Wiggs,” Kerr said. “His defence throughout the playoffs has been amazing. The threat he provides offensively gives us another dynamic, it’s just been beautiful to watch him blend in with the core group.”
A legitimate piece of the puzzle that is the dynastic Warriors. This is the beginning of a new window, not just a final feather in the cap for Golden State. Thompson will enter next season looking to play a full year for the first time since 2018-19, Curry and Green will be themselves. Jordan Poole will be better, so will Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. James Wiseman will re-enter the fold.
With the expected physical burden that will come with deep playoff runs, it’s understandable that Wiggins couldn’t commit to the three-year deal Team Canada’s head coach Nick Nurse was looking for to make good on the men’s team’s hoop dreams. When he can commit, he is worthy of being an exception.
At his best, which now comes more often than not, Wiggins has proven he can help bridge the gap between good and great.
NBA Fans React to Warriors Becoming Champions Again After Defeating Celtics in Game 6
The 15 Best Canadian Players in the NBA
Canadian NBA Players, Ranked by Salary
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2022-06-22T03:43:33Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Andrew Wiggins Gets the Last Laugh
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Shane Olivea
New details are still emerging about NFL player Shane Olivea‘s death.
According to documents obtained by E! News on June 21, the 40-year-old San Diego Chargers star died from "hypertensive heart disease," with the contributory cause of death attributed to "obesity." The former athlete's manner of death has been ruled as natural.
Olivea passed away on March 2, with the NFL team confirming his death in a statement the following day.
The team paid tribute to the former lineman by recalling when Olivea was first selected to join the Chargers and sharing the legacy he leaves behind.
"Olivea was selected by the Chargers in the seventh round (No. 209 overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft after a standout collegiate career at Ohio State," the March 3 statement read. "He played four seasons in San Diego, starting in 57 of 60 games played."
The team's message continued, "In 2006, Olivea was an integral piece of an offensive line that helped Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson break the NFL's single-season touchdown record."
After four years with the Chargers, Olivea was discharged due to a painkiller addiction, according to AP News. Once he left rehab, he joined the New York Giants, with a back injury ultimately cutting his time with the team short.
Celebrity Football Fans
Following Olivea's death, many NFL players took to social media and paid tribute to the player.
Bobby Carpenter, former NFL linebacker for teams like the Dallas Cowboys, tweeted on March 3, "Woke to the sobering news that @OhioStateFB lost a great one this morning. Shane Olivea passed last night."
Carpenter added, "I'll never forget the kindness he showed to a young freshman who was clueless and didn't know anything about anything. #RIPShane #Thankyou."
The vice president of the NFL, Roman Oben, shared photos of Olivea on the field in his Chargers uniform, tweeting: "Very sad to hear the news of my former teammate Shane Olivea. Praying for his family today."
Steve Harvey spelled out what makes his relationship work with his wife Marjorie in a letter published by Good Housekeeping.
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2022-06-22T03:43:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former NFL Player Shane Olivea's Cause of Death Revealed
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The Bulls should have the ability to add frontcourt reinforcements, or outside shooting help, with the 18th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
A look at every Indiana Pacers first-round draft pick from Reggie Miller to Scott Haskin. Check out the list.
Paramount’s blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick” is still flying at sky-high altitudes, surpassing $900 million at the global box office. With $901.8 million in the bank, the sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 action flick “Top Gun” stands as the year’s second-highest grossing movie worldwide behind Disney’s Marvel adventure “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($943 […]
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2022-06-22T03:43:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pacers don’t seem interested in Lakers guard Russell Westbrook
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The 49ers have one certainty at the tight end position in the form of George Kittle. Beyond perhaps the best all-around tight end in football, San Francisco has only question marks in that area.
San Francisco knows it will consistently get All-Pro caliber play from Kittle. Judging what they will get from those players behind him on the depth chart is more difficult.
There is no defined second or third tight end on the Niners’ roster, and whether they’ll carry a fourth will be a question throughout camp.
With the identity of Kittle’s backups and the level of tight end depth San Francisco will keep on the 53-man group undecided, the battle for the reserve tight end spots will be an interesting under-the-radar competition to follow. Here’s how the position group looks a month out from training camp:
Kittle took something of a backseat to Deebo Samuel as the focal point of the San Francisco offense last season. However, he still demonstrated the value of his remarkably well-rounded skill set in a Pro Bowl year where he finished with 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 14 games.
The challenge for Kittle will be to remain healthy for a full season. He has not done so since the 2018 campaign and the ceiling of the Niners offense will be higher if he can avoid injury and play a full 17-game slate.
Charlie Woerner
Woerner took over as the 49ers’ second tight end in 2021, playing nearly 23 percent of the offensive snaps while Ross Dwelley played a little under 18 percent, per Pro Football Reference. His impact remains limited predominantly to blocking with just eight catches in his first two seasons.
The former sixth-round pick’s influence in pass protection and run blocking will likely see him retain a place on the roster, though he could see his snaps decrease with several potential third tight ends possessing skill sets more conducive to receiving production.
Dwelley’s versatility has previously added great value to the 49ers offense, particularly in the 2019 season when he filled in for both Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. In 2021, however, his impact was minimal. Dwelley made only four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown while playing fewer snaps than Woerner on offense and special teams.
Kittle and Woerner are superior blockers, which means Dwelley’s case for a place on the 53-man roster is becoming tougher to make, especially considering the competition the Niners have added for the TE3 spot.
Samantha Madar-USA TODAY Sports
A player whose production has been severely hindered by injuries since his career-high 404 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, Kroft should be considered firmly in the mix to unseat Dwelley and claim a place on the roster.
Still only 29, Kroft still has time to revitalize his career and joining the 49ers will give him a chance to do that since he’ll at least be familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s system after playing for Shanahan disciple Mike LaFleur during his sole season with the New York Jets.
Signed by the Niners following a successful tryout during the team’s rookie minicamp, Fumagalli has bounced around the NFL since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2017. He was a productive pass-catcher in college with Wisconsin, but that has not translated to the pros. Fumagalli has only 14 catches in his career and was not renowned for his blocking coming out of college. He will need to impress significantly in one of those areas to have a shot of making the roster.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer spent last season on the Niners’ practice squad and could be a dark horse to claim a roster spot. Hudson has already been on the receiving end of targets from Trey Lance during the offseason program, including one he reeled in with a one-handed catch on a deep post during the offseason program.
A continuation of their rapport in training camp may well be enough for him to seal a place on the 53. If he fails in that quest, Hudson looks likely to be a candidate to provide insurance on the practice squad once again.
Matthews will once more try to crack the Niners’ roster as a wide receiver turned tight end having spent last season on the practice squad in that role. He certainly has the size for the position and his experience as a receiver aids him in terms of route-running. On the other hand, his struggles as a blocker mean a place on the active roster should continue to elude him.
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2022-06-22T03:58:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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49ers offseason roster: Questions abound at TE behind George Kittle
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Trae Waynes is known to many Spartan fans as a lockdown cornerback that helped build the ‘No-fly-zone’ in East Lansing. After his time donning the green and white, Waynes was a first-round NFL draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings.
Waynes has spent the last six seasons playing in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and more recently the Cincinnati Bengals.
On a podcast this week, Waynes stated that in his head, he feels that his NFL career is over and he is ready to move on past football.
If this truly is the end of Waynes career, he will have had a successful run in the league, playing in 79 games while recording 259 tackles, 43 pass defends and 7 interceptions.
More Spartans in the NFL!
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser said on Monday that Ukraine is under threat of a new Russian attack of large proportions. Recap.
More than 675 pounds of dynamite will be used to implode the old Julia Tutwiler Hall, with detonation set for 7 a.m. July 4 in Tuscaloosa.
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2022-06-22T03:58:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Michigan State football CB Trae Waynes NFL career appears to be over
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-michigan-state-football-cb-015539882.html?src=rss
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Gronk is hanging up his helmet…again. After fellow “Bad Boy For Life” Tom Brady announced he would come back for his 23rd NFL season earlier this year, Rob Gronkowski has decided he will not follow suit. Here is the full statement Gronkowski posted today: In college, I was asked to write about a dream job […]
ESPN says the Lakers are hiring former Ohio State player and later assistant coach Chris Jent. As LA's top assistant, he'll reunite with LeBron James.
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2022-06-22T03:58:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey has shoulder surgery
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After Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson chose to forgo his chance at becoming the head coach of the Hornets, Michael Jordan and company are back to the drawing board.
Yet, this drawing board hadn’t been erased yet.
Reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, D’Antoni is meeting with Hornets owner Michael Jordan on Tuesday regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Along with Atkinson, D’Antoni was the other finalist for the Charlotte job before the organization opted for the Warriors assistant.
The former two-time NBA Coach of the Year last was a head coach during the 2019-20 season for the Houston Rockets before serving as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets for the 2020-21 season.
During a break between Golden State's Western Conference finals games against Dallas, then-Warriors top assistant Mike Brown jumped on a plane to San Diego to watch his new star De'Aaron Fox work out and take the Sacramento guard and his family to lunch. Brown got right back on a plane afterward to rejoin Golden State for playoff preparations. At last Tuesday, Brown was formally introduced as the Kings' new coach, just one day after celebrating the Warriors' fourth championship in eight years with a victory parade through San Francisco.
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2022-06-22T04:32:22Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mike D’Antoni set to meet with Michael Jordan again for Hornets’ job
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The UNC football program continues to focus on the 2023 recruiting class, hoping to eventually turn in a top 25 class when it’s all said and done.
Right now, UNC has a total of six commitments that 2023 class but they do have their eyes on several other prospects. That includes three-star defensive back Shelton Lewis who is currently committed to Pitt. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back committed to Pitt in early June but did take a visit to UNC’s campus last weekend.
And UNC is hoping to flip the recruitment.
Following the visit, Lewis talked to Don Callahan of Inside Carolina about the visit and it sounds like it went well as PittsburghSportsNow writes:
In an interview with Don Callahan from Inside Carolina of 247 Sports, Lewis said “It was a great visit. The coaches the atmosphere, the players – everything was more than I expected.
Lewis went on to tell Callahan that he was done with official visits and was then asked if he’s sticking with Pitt or possibly flipping to UNC?
“I’ll say (on making a final decision) maybe in June or July – before the season for sure. I want to feel wanted on campus by everybody.”
The three-star recruit is certainly raising his stock as his recruitment goes on and is drawing serious interest from UNC. The Tar Heels obviously see something in Lewis that makes them want to flip him and now we have to wait and see what happens this Summer.
ESPN expects Iowa to remain one of the nation's top 25 teams in the years to come, ranking the Hawkeyes No. 21 in its future power rankings.
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2022-06-22T04:44:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pitt commit discusses recent visit to UNC
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pitt-commit-discusses-recent-visit-032222324.html?src=rss
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Hansel Chang
Qatar has just announced that it will be enforcing a sex ban ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, meaning one-night stands could face seven years behind bars if convicted.
According to the Daily Star, there have been reports of fans with different surnames being held from booking and sharing the same room. The World Cup is notorious for its drinking and party culture after matches, however, that won't be the case in Qatar. "With very strict and scary consequences if you are caught. There is a feeling this could be a very bad tournament indeed for fans." said a source.
A police source added, "Sex is very much off the menu, unless you are coming as a husband and wife team. There definitely will be no one-night stands at this tournament."
"There will be no partying at all really. Everyone needs to keep their heads about them, unless they want to risk being stuck in prison. There is essentially a sex ban in place at this year's World Cup for the first time ever. Fans need to be prepared."
The country prohibits anyone from having sex outside of marriage, and World Cup fans are by no means exempt from this. Qatar also has a strict no drinking in public law; moreover, the country prohibits anyone from being publicly intoxicated. Public affection between men and women is also a crime, and one is not to wear excessively revealing clothing in public.
FIFA has stated that "all are welcome" at the upcoming tournament, however, there have been growing speculations that might not necessarily be the case with the tough regulations. Nasser al-Khater, the chief executive of the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar, shared, "The safety and security of every fan is of the utmost importance to us."
Elsewhere in sports, HYPEBEAST recently unearthed the history of El Clásico.
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2022-06-22T13:00:07Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Single Football Fans Could Face Seven Years in Jail for Having Sex During the Qatar World Cup
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For the second time this offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are losing a future first-ballot Hall of Famer to retirement.
For the second time this offseason, the Bucs are hoping they get a subsequent comeback.
All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Tuesday after two seasons in Tampa Bay, a tenure that commenced when Tom Brady lured him out of his first retirement after just one season.
Brady himself announced his own retirement back in February, but made an about-face just 41 days later, stating he would return for a third season with the Bucs.
Within minutes of Gronk’s announcement Tuesday, his own agent, Drew Rosenhaus stoked the fires of a similar comeback for the legendary tight end.
This was the GOAT’s hilarious response:
Bucs fans will be hoping that comes to fruition, with Brady eventually convincing his old buddy to rejoin him for perhaps one more ride.
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2022-06-22T13:00:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tom Brady’s hilarious response to Rob Gronkowski’s retirement
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We like to think of the New York Giants as a blue blood NFL franchise. They've been around since the early years. They have four Lombardi Trophies. Some great players are part of Giants lore.
The truth is, it has been a while since the Giants did anything to be proud about.
Since Feb. 5, 2012, they haven't won a playoff game (though that was a pretty big win, in the Super Bowl over Tom Brady's New England Patriots). They've been to the playoffs only once since then, and they got blown out in the wild-card round. In 19 of the past 21 seasons, the Giants didn't win a playoff game. The two Super Bowl runs with Eli Manning have given the Giants a pass that other dysfunctional franchises like the Washington Commanders and New York Jets don't get.
In the 10-plus years that have passed since the Giants' last playoff win, they've made miserable decisions at every turn. Whether it's hiring the wrong coaches, giving Dave Gettleman too long as general manager, botching the benching of Manning and not knowing how to properly regroup from that, screwing up draft picks, overpaying free agent busts or even blowing a goodwill gesture to give a Pepsi to fans, the Giants have been a debacle.
“I kept thinking during the season that we hit rock bottom and then each week it got a little worse,” Giants co-owner John Mara said when asked if the end of last season was the most embarrassing point in his 67 years around the team, via NJ.com. “I’m not proud of saying this, but if I’m going to be 100% honest, I would have to say the answer is yes.”
The only hope is that a new regime figures a way out of the mess. Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was hired to replace Joe Judge, whose second year was punctuated by him curiously running quarterback sneaks and punting in the season finale, a sign he'd quit on the team. The new GM replacing the retired Gettleman is Joe Schoen, who like Daboll comes from a suddenly successful Bills organization.
There's a lot of work to be done. Quarterback Daniel Jones is still a big question mark, and is probably only getting a fourth season as starter because the Giants invested the sixth pick of the draft in him and need to see it through. Saquon Barkley had a troubling, quiet season coming off ACL surgery. Kenny Golladay is coming off a 521-yard, zero-TD season after signing a four-year, $72 million contract a year ago. Kadarius Toney, a 2021 first-round pick, hasn't endeared himself to the organization. The Giants' cap issues were so bad they had to cut cornerback James Bradberry, one of their best players, leaving them perilously thin at the position.
The Giants were 4-13 last season and while a big part of that was a horrendous 0-6 stretch when Jones was sidelined due to injury, it's not like New York is a lot better on paper than a year ago.
Daniel Jones is coming off another rough season for the New York Giants. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Maybe a coaching change will bring about an uptick. Judge quickly proved to be in over his head. The Daboll hire got rave reviews and he brought in a good staff headlined by respected defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale, who was added after Patrick Graham surprisingly left for the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, he's a rookie head coach in a tough market. There's also a fair question about how much Daboll had to do with Bills quarterback Josh Allen's stardom, and how much of Daboll's reputation grew due to being fortunate enough to coach Allen. Plenty of hot assistants through the years suddenly haven't looked like geniuses after they've been detached from a star quarterback.
The Giants have some potential building blocks in pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, once considered a favorite to be the first overall pick of the 2022 class, and offensive tackle Evan Neal. Those players were drafted fifth and seventh overall. The extra top-10 pick was a final gift from Gettleman, who moved down in the 2021 draft when the Chicago Bears wanted Justin Fields and were willing to trade a 2022 first-round pick to do so. There are some other quality players still on the roster, like safety Xavier McKinney, cornerback Adoree' Jackson, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. Not every move Gettleman made was terrible.
Maybe Daboll has some magic from his time in Buffalo and transforms an offense that was miserable under old coordinator Jason Garrett. Martindale has enough pieces to work with on defense to turn that into a respectable unit. In a weak NFC, maybe a playoff berth is possible.
That would be nice for Giants fans. They might not be able to remember what it's like for their team to be good.
The Giants' biggest free-agent addition was guard Mark Glowinski, who might not be a big name but was a smart signing that fills a position of dire need. The addition of quarterback Tyrod Taylor raised eyebrows, with Daniel Jones being in a make-or-break season. The cap-strapped Giants lost players like cornerback James Bradberry, defensive tackle Austin Johnson, tight end Evan Engram, pass rusher Lorenzo Carter, safeties Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers, cornerback Keion Crossen and guard Will Hernandez. Not all of them will be missed, however. The Giants' draft was good, but it's easy to get a good grade when you have two top-seven picks. Some picks after the first round, like undersized receiver Wan'Dale Robinson over some bigger-name prospects, were questionable. The success of this offseason hinges on whether edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and tackle Evan Neal turn into stars.
Theoretically, Brian Daboll could turn Daniel Jones into the next Josh Allen. Realistically, when the Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option they were admitting he likely isn't their long-term answer. Jones has just 21 touchdown passes in 25 starts over his last two seasons. It's not like the Giants haven't put any talent around him. Jones' past two seasons have been cut short due to injuries. Jones is still somewhat intriguing due to his draft pedigree and athleticism, but he hasn't been accurate enough or made enough plays to give New York much reason to believe he can be a high-end starter. If the issues Jones has had were due to bad coaching and a subpar offensive line — "We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here," Giants co-owner John Mara said this offseason, via NJ.com — maybe we'll find out this season.
The Giants' win total is 7.5 at BetMGM and it seems like a pretty easy under. The arguments to take the over are better coaching, a (hopefully) healthy Jones and an easier schedule. But it takes a leap of faith to believe the Giants will double their 2021 win total and get to 8-9 or better.
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Daniel Jones heads into a prove-it season — you can say that for many Giants — and maybe Brian Daboll can help unlock Jones’s upside. Jones did set career bests in many efficiency metrics last year — completion percentage, interception avoidance, YPA, sack avoidance — and he’s always been an athletic and resourceful runner. The Giants had comically bad receiver play last year, but part of that was tied to injury; the receiver room isn’t that bad.
"Jones is an interesting second or third quarterback to consider if you play in Best Ball contests or formats that require more than one starter. Even if Daboll isn’t a true miracle worker, he likely is an improvement over the previous clown show that ran the Giants. Danny Dimes is an interesting penny stock entering 2022."
Last season Saquon Barkley, one of the greatest running back prospects ever coming out of college, had 593 yards and two touchdowns on 162 carries for an average of 3.7 yards per carry. His backup Devontae Booker, a journeyman on his third team in three seasons, had 593 yards and two touchdowns on 145 carries for an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Booker, who was cut by the Giants after the season, had a slightly better yards per catch average than Barkley on one fewer reception, too. Barkley's Pro Football Focus grade ranked him 58th of 62 qualified running backs. It's worth wondering, at age 25, if we'll again see the Barkley that dominated at Penn State and was awesome in winning the 2018 NFL offensive rookie of the year award. Maybe being another year removed from ACL surgery will help. A 102-yard game against the Bears in Week 17 was promising. Barkley said this offseason he feels "a lot different, a lot better, like myself again.”
"It’s a long way until September and the start of the regular season, but to be honest, I’m tired of whatever’s written about me, the BS that is said about me or this team," Barkley said in April, via WFAN. "I want to go out there and prove to this organization that the player they drafted is still there, and I can still do special things with the ball in my hand.”
Is Brian Daboll going to work out?
The biggest reason Daboll was hired by the Giants is the explosion of Josh Allen, and the Bills' offense as a whole, the past couple seasons. Daboll was creative in Buffalo. He embraced the pass-first revolution in the NFL and certainly he played a big role in Buffalo's turnaround. It's also possible that Daboll greatly benefitted from having a phenomenal quarterback who worked hard to develop his immense physical skill. In Daboll's first six seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator, with the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs and first two seasons in Buffalo, his offenses never ranked better than 22nd in yards gained or higher than 20th in points scored. Buffalo's offense spiked to second and fifth in total yards the past two seasons. Allen's surge was obviously the key to that improvement, and how much of that should be credited to Daboll? We'll find out how much Daboll's offensive brilliance translates with the Giants, when he won't have a quarterback anywhere near Allen's talent level.
Maybe the upgrade from Joe Judge and his staff to Brian Daboll is enough to turn the Giants into immediate winners. It's possible. Daboll could turn Daniel Jones into an effective quarterback, which we've seen in brief glimpses. You can tell a story in which Saquon Barkley is healthier and explosive again, Kadarius Toney figures out how to be a pro, the offensive line is helped immensely by rookie Evan Neal and free-agent addition Mark Glowinski, and the defense takes off under new coordinator Don Martindale. Judge was a bad hire, which has been the norm for the Giants over the past decade. Daboll is exciting, and if he's a home-run hire many think he is, perhaps the Giants can rise all the way to playoff contention.
At this point, Giants ownership doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. Sure, the hires of Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll look good, but it has been a long time since the Giants have made great decisions of any importance. Giants co-owner John Mara was blunt when asked why fans should believe he'd get the latest round of hires right.
“Well, I haven’t given them any reason to believe that,’’ Mara said, via the New York Post.
There has been a deep organizational failure for a decade. The Giants were a horrendous four-win team last season and maybe it won't be much better. Perhaps Daniel Jones struggles in a contract year, Saquon Barkley never recaptures his prime form and everything else falls apart around them. The Giants were one of the worst teams in football last season and it's not like they can't repeat that feat.
My ranking on the Giants will probably be lower than most. Maybe a little too low. It's just hard to see a big jump coming. I like the Brian Daboll hire and think it'll work out, but it's always hard to project rookie head coaches. It's especially tough to learn while under the intense scrutiny of the New York media and fans. The Giants were 4-13 last season and while they weren't so bad when Daniel Jones was healthy, I'm not sure a healthy Jones carries the Giants too far. I think it'll be another last-place finish for the Giants and they'll start over at quarterback in 2023. Then we'll get a chance to see what Daboll can do.
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2022-06-22T13:12:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NFL Preview: Giants try to get out of ongoing slump
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-it-has-been-a-long-time-since-the-giants-were-any-good-120053503.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-it-has-been-a-long-time-since-the-giants-were-any-good-120053503.html?src=rss
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The New England Patriots have been known to improve their roster in any way possible. With training camp a little over a month away, certain players from USFL rosters could be fits for the Patriots.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine listed two receivers that could be potential fits for the organization. One of them is Victor Boldin Jr. Boldin Jr. signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He received a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance policy, and then spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions on their practice squads.
Bolden was a key weapon for the Birmingham Stallions during the regular season, catching 42 passes for 415 yards and a touchdown. He also showed his versatility, as he was a dangerous punt and kick returner. He ranked third in the league with 538 kick return yards and second in the league with 175 punt return yards.
The other receiver listed as a fit is KaVontae Turpin. Turpin played with the New Jersey Generals this past season. He recorded 540 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions.
Ballentine’s potential fits do seem logical for the Patriots. However, either wide receiver would have to work hard to make New England’s roster. Depth could make it a long shot for either receiver to latch on with the team.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the USFL playoff semifinal games Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Players who have joined the new Saudi Arabia-funded league will still be allowed to compete at the British Open next month, organizers said on Wednesday. The U.S. Open had allowed players who were banned by the PGA Tour for signing up to the LIV Golf series to play at last week's tournament. “Players who are exempt or have earned a place through qualifying for the 150th Open in accordance with the entry terms and conditions will be able to compete in the Championship at St. Andrews,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement.
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2022-06-22T13:12:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bleacher Report lists two USFL wide receivers as fits for Patriots
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bleacher-report-lists-two-usfl-120713663.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bleacher-report-lists-two-usfl-120713663.html?src=rss
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T.J. Edwards
Eagles’ thumping linebacker lands on list of most important players originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
T.J. Edwards might have saved the Eagles’ season in 2021.
OK, maybe that’s going a little too far. But it’s hard to overstate just how important Edwards was to the Eagles’ second-half turnaround last season, how much he ended up meaning to Jonathan Gannon’s defense down the stretch.
Early in the 2021 season, while Edwards was starting some games, he wasn’t playing all that much. But in the second half of the season, when Edwards barely left the field, the Eagles’ defense looked completely different. Sure, there were other factors involved — most importantly that the schedule got easier — but the other biggest change was Edwards’ presence on the field. It meant a lot to their defense.
In the first eight games of the season, Edwards played 36.8% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. In the next eight games, he played 94.9% of their defensive snaps. The Eagles were 3-5 in their first 8 and 6-2 in their next eight.
Excluding the meaningless regular season finale, in which Edwards was inactive, here’s a look at how the Eagles’ defense fared:
First eight games: Allowed 344.0 yards per game (10th in NFL), 123.5 rushing yards per game (23rd), 220.6 passing yards per game (9th), 23.9 points (16th).
Next eight games: 295.3 yards per game (6th in NFL), 84.4 rushing yards per game (4th), 210.9 passing yards per game (14th), 17.9 points per game (7th).
He ended the season as ProFootballFocus’s 10th-best linebacker in 2021 and was given an extension for the 2022 season.
Edwards added a layer of toughness to the Eagles’ defense they had been missing. Defensive coordinator even handed over the green helmet dot to Edwards.
“I do think that it's a calming effect for the defense to have one signal caller, and when you play a lot of packages, as we do, that can get challenging at times. But he's really settled in,” Gannon said in the second half of last season. “He's the green dot and he makes all the front mechanic calls with the front. I mean, he's making the back end calls with the back end guys, and he's just a really good communicator.
“You hear me talking about being emotionally stable. He's one of those guys that every once in a while I'll juice him in his ear and he just gives me a thumbs up. ‘I got you, Coach.’ Or, ‘TJ, get this done.’ ‘I got you, Coach,’ and then a call comes in. He's been a joy to be around. He's smart, tough, physical. He's what we look for in the MIKE position and he's playing well.”
After all that, why doesn’t Edwards even make the top 20?
Well, the Eagles have made some great strides to improve the position this offseason and now, all of a sudden, Edwards finds himself in a pretty crowded linebacker room. Kyzir White and Nakobe Dean are both going to play an awful lot this year and it’ll be up to Gannon to figure out how to use all three and Davion Taylor too.
Edwards doesn't seem concerned.
“The more depth you have, the more pieces you have, the more you can do," he said this spring. "We’ve brought in some really good additions, guys that have really played football at a high level, so I think it just adds more to what we can do.
“So you look at that and you look at it as competition and everybody’s going to get better from that, really.”
Still, it’s hard to imagine Edwards playing over 90% of the defensive snaps like he did in the second half of last season but he shouldn’t be forgotten either. Edwards might never become a Pro Bowler in the NFL but he’s carved out quite a career as an undrafted rookie from Wisconsin.
And he’s proven himself as a dependable, instinctive linebacker who deserves a role. He will have one again in 2022.
Mets vs Astros Highlights: Pete Alonso and Eduardo Escobar homer but Astros still overpower Mets | Mets Highlights
The Astros struck for three runs in the third and four in the fifth, to defeat the Mets handily, 8-2. Pete Alonso smacked his 20th home run of the season and Eduardo Escobar added a solo shot as well but Astros starter Jose Urquidy pitched six solid innings to get the win.
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2022-06-22T13:12:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles 2022 season: T.J. Edwards on list of most important players
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https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-2022-season-t-j-110000174.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-2022-season-t-j-110000174.html?src=rss
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