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2023 four-star interior offensive line prospect Amir Herring has committed to Michigan.
Herring is the 13th-best interior offensive lineman in the 2023 class per 247 Sports.
Nebraska was one of the finalists for Herring along with Boston College and Missouri. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gave the Cornhuskers the third-best odds to land Herring.
Nebraska appeared to be a real contender for Herring. On June 5, Herring tweeted that he had a “great visit” at Nebraska.
Herring is from West Bloomfield, Michigan, so it is not a surprise that he chose to stay in his home state.
Michigan’s offensive line coach Sherrone Moore also played a significant role in Herring’s decision. Herring raved about Moore per 247 Sports.
“Just in a short time with him as offensive line coach, they won the Joe Moore Award and the way the offensive line played was a deciding factor in their season,” Herring said. “I got to see their dominant performance throughout the season, even against Ohio State. Coach Moore is a really good coach. He’s about the details and he’s just a great overall coach.”
Sure, losing out on Herring is disappointing, but Nebraska has already landed two interior offensive linemen in the 2023 class in Riley Van Poppel (No. 14 IOL) and Sam Sledge (No. 60 IOL).
The sophomore at Northside High is a dual sport athlete for the Grizzlies but already has his college plans made.
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2022-07-08T02:32:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4-Star Nebraska IOL Target Commits to Michigan
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-star-nebraska-iol-target-005027161.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-star-nebraska-iol-target-005027161.html?src=rss
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The Sixers' signing of James Harden is a matter of when, not if.
The only reason Harden hasn't signed with the Sixers since the opening of free agency and his decision to decline his player option is that President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey is busy perusing the open market and the trade routes to see if there are other ways to improve this team before locking Harden in to a commitment.
While Eric Gordon has been the primary name bandied about as a Sixers target (via trade), it doesn't look terribly promising at the moment.
So let's look elsewhere - to perhaps another veteran who spent last season playing for the Miami Heat, a la new Sixers member P.J. Tucker?
Enter Philadelphia native, 11-year veteran, and current free agent Markieff Morris. Morris confirmed in a social media conversation with a fan on Thursday night that he'd love to return home for a season and play for the Sixers:
Morris also said he's currently a free agent "by choice" rather than because of a lack of interest, and that he's going to "sign soon."
It obviously takes two sides to get a deal done, but it's noteworthy that Morris would like to play for the Sixers. He's done basically everything he set out to do as a pro - he's made over $50 million, he's spent a decade in the league, and he's won a championship. Pretty good!
And he can still ball, so now it's about fit and a mutually beneficial relationship.
So... does Morris make sense for the Sixers as they fill out the roster?
Coming off a prolonged injury he suffered last season, Morris' value might not be terribly high. I'd imagine he could be had for the veteran minimum, which for his service time will be just a bit under $3 million.
We'll see what Morey prioritizes and whether any sort of market materializes around Morris, but if he's willing to play for cheap we might have something here.
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2022-07-08T02:33:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NBA rumors: Markieff Morris says he has sights set on Sixers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rumors-markieff-morris-says-002354509.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rumors-markieff-morris-says-002354509.html?src=rss
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When Michael Myers returns to the big screen this fall, don't expect the same old slasher fest as the previous two installments in the rebooted Halloween trilogy directed and co-written by David Gordon Green. SYFY WIRE recently caught up with John Carpenter over the phone to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Thing, and we just couldn't resist asking the celebrated filmmaker/musician about Halloween Ends, which he's scoring alongside his son, Cody Carpenter, and godson, Daniel Davies. "Well,
Actor James Caan from Chicago Bears movie 'Brian's Song' dies at 82
James Caan, the actor who plays Brian Piccolo in the Chicago Bears film 'Brian's Song' dies at 82.
Ballots have been turned in, and the TV Academy is tabulating votes. On July 12, the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced, with many surprises expected across all categories. Below are my final Emmy predictions in all 101 categories (including creative arts). Last year’s Emmys saw Netflix’s “The Crown” and Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” […]
The Seattle Kraken were able to select the top center in the 2022 NHL Draft when they selected Shane Wright with the No. 4 overall pick on Thursday night.
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2022-07-08T02:36:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NaLyssa Smith with a First Basket of The Game vs. Chicago Sky
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nalyssa-smith-first-basket-game-011412800.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nalyssa-smith-first-basket-game-011412800.html?src=rss
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Von Miller had no shortage of suitors in free agency this offseason before signing with the Buffalo Bills, but there was one team he was willing to take a discount to join: the Dallas Cowboys, his hometown team.
Miller, who ended up with the Bills on a mammoth six-year, $120 million with over $51 million guaranteed, told The Athletic's Dan Pompei he was ready to join the Cowboys, but turned the team down when it only offered him what it previously offered Randy Gregory, a five-year, $70 million deal with two years guaranteed.
Funnily enough, Gregory signed with Miller's old team, the Denver Broncos, after a surprise about-face.
Von Miller also interested in re-joining Broncos, Rams
Miller told The Athletic he had actually reached out to the Broncos to let them know he would be on board to re-join the team if they traded for Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, but he never heard from them when free agency began.
With no offer from the Broncos, a relatively paltry offer from the Cowboys and a big-time offer from the Bills, the other major contender for Miller's services was apparently the Los Angeles Rams, with whom Miller won his second Super Bowl title last season.
Miller reportedly said he was "90 percent certain" he would stay with the Rams. The team reportedly offered him more per year than the Bills, but only one a three-year deal with two years guaranteed. The difference between two and three guaranteed years, as the Bills offered, was apparently the difference for the 33-year-old.
Miller joined a Bills team with clear Super Bowl aspirations, and he figures to offer them a pass-rushing presence they simply didn't have last season. He is the active NFL leader in career sacks with 115.5 and is coming off a season in which 50 combined tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 15 games between the Broncos and Rams.
Von Miller was a major free agent this offseason. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
In a career with so many accomplishments, Justin Verlander's success this season after missing almost two years with an elbow injury has been particularly sweet. “Of course," the Houston Astros right-hander said when asked if his stellar start means a lot to him. Verlander got his MLB-leading 11th win, Yordan Alvarez hit his 26th homer and the Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Thursday to take the series 3-1.
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2022-07-08T03:45:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bills' Von Miller says he would have taken less money to sign with Cowboys
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-von-miller-says-he-would-have-taken-less-money-to-sign-with-cowboys-032548016.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-von-miller-says-he-would-have-taken-less-money-to-sign-with-cowboys-032548016.html?src=rss
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The Baltimore Ravens had a need at the outside linebacker position heading into the 2022 offseason. They tried to address it in free agency by agreeing to terms with Za’Darius Smith, but the deal ended up falling through. They drafted Michigan star David Ojabo in the second round of the 2022 draft, but the torn achilles injury he suffered at his Pro Day complicates when he’ll return to the field, not to mention Tyus Bowser is also working his way back from the same injury
Baltimore needed more depth at outside linebacker, and on Thursday they announced that veteran Justin Houston agreed to terms with the team on a one-year deal. The 33-year-old returns to the Ravens after spending the 2021 season with the organization.
Houston’s presence on the field and in the locker room will be helpful to all the young players on the defense. He will continue to be a mentor to players like Odafe Oweh, Daelin Hayes, and rookie David Ojabo.
Houston played in 15 games last season, racking up 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He has a total of 485 tackles and 102 sacks over the course of his 11-year career. His box score stats might not have popped off of the page in 2021, but his impact went far beyond the stats sheet, and he should be an important member of the Baltimore defense in 2022.
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2022-07-08T03:45:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ravens re-sign OLB Justin Houston
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-sign-olb-justin-houston-024848102.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-sign-olb-justin-houston-024848102.html?src=rss
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Even without his best stuff, Tony Gonsolin solidified his case to start for the National League on his home mound in the All-Star Game later this month. Gonsolin pitched seven strong innings for his 11th win, and Mookie Betts hit a pair of leadoff homers in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the series opener on Thursday night. Gonsolin is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 11-0 since Alex Wood in 2017.
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2022-07-08T07:52:33Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tour de France 2022 route map, start times for each stage and how to watch on TV
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https://sports.yahoo.com/tour-france-2022-route-map-125228228.html?src=rss
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The news was first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. Rothstein also reported that Missouri will take on UCF in game one of the 2022 Orange Bowl Classic. The second game of that double header will feature Florida State taking on St. John’s. This marks the first time since 2005 that the Florida Gators will not take part in the annual basketball tournament held in South Florida.
In addition to playing Ohio in Tampa, Florida’s non-conference schedule is beginning to fill up. Currently, the Gators are scheduled to participate in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland, Oregon (November 24-27) and the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, North Carolina (December 20-21). The Gators will also host Uconn on December 7th and will travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to play Kansas State on January 28th as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Marcus Stokes completed 58.9% of his attempts, throwing for 2,672 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a junior at Nease High.
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2022-07-08T08:39:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Gators non-conference basketball schedule continues to take shape
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https://sports.yahoo.com/gators-non-conference-basketball-schedule-222332194.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/gators-non-conference-basketball-schedule-222332194.html?src=rss
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Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s updated preseason FPI?
Oklahoma was No. 2 in the Big 12 preseason poll, second to Baylor. While it’s unfamiliar, it’s also a bit unsurprising. Given the turnover with the coaching staff, at the quarterback position, and on defense, it’s fair to wonder if this Oklahoma Sooners squad can contend for the Big 12 title. There’s certainly a boatload of optimism surrounding Brent Venables and the Sooners in 2022, it’s time to see it play out on the field.
While the Big 12 voters may have their doubts about the Oklahoma Sooners, the ESPN FPI still feels pretty good about OU heading into the 2022 season. In the updated Football Power Index rankings, Oklahoma comes in at No. 8. Alabama is No. 1 followed by Ohio State at No. 2 and Georgia at No. 3.
Nov 20, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks with offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins (76) during the first half against the South Alabama Jaguars at Neyland Stadium. Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2021; Memphis, TN, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers (2) passes the ball during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Liberty Bowl Stadium. Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Baylor Bears running back Abram Smith (7) hurdles Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive tackle Israel Antwine (95) during the first half of the Big 12 Conference championship game at AT&T Stadium. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) scores against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) signals the score during the second half in the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Javonte Williams (25) with the ball in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops poses with players for photos around the GovernorÕs Cup after defeating the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium. Kentucky defeated Louisville 52-21. Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Luke Altmyer (7) warms up before the 2022 Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Jahan Dotson (5) gives a thumbs up before a play during the second quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Justice Hill (27) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at Alamodome. Oklahoma State defeated Colorado 38-8. Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Blake Bost (14) calls the play during the fourth quarter against the Prairie View Am Panthers at Kyle Field. Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2021; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers cheerleaders let the flags wave after a score against Houston Cougars during the second half of the 2021 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2021; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Tony Grimes (20) breaks up a pass in the end zone intended for Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Charleston Rambo (11) in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
April 23, 2022; Austin, TX, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass during Texas’s annual spring football game at Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on April 23, 2022. Aaron E. Martinez-USA TODAY NETWORK
Apr 23, 2022; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman watches warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney hugs wide receiver Justyn Ross during spring practice in 2020.
Clemson Football Spring Practice
Apr 17, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud (7) during the annual spring game at Ohio Stadium. Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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2022-07-08T11:25:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s updated preseason FPI?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/where-oklahoma-sooners-land-espn-100013352.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/where-oklahoma-sooners-land-espn-100013352.html?src=rss
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Drew Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He might be a little underrated historically.
Sean Payton might be underrated too. He has a resume that could land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
When Payton and Brees came to the New Orleans Saints, the franchise was a joke. Those two were the key components in turning New Orleans into a champion. For 15 years together, the Saints fielded a fun, efficient offense. When the defense was also good, the Saints were Super Bowl contenders. Some incredibly bad playoff luck kept them to just one Super Bowl berth, but it was a great run.
That era is over. Brees retired after the 2020 season. Payton joined him after 2021, though it seems like him stepping away from coaching is temporary.
“Retirement, I don’t think is the right word today,” Payton said when he stepped down, according to WWL in New Orleans. “I don’t know what’s next and it kind of feels good.”
Nevertheless, the greatest run in Saints history is over. Perhaps it won't take a long time to start a new run.
It seemed like the Saints might be in for a rough 2022 season. They entered the offseason almost $75 million over the salary cap. Dennis Allen, 8-28 as an NFL head coach, was hired to replace Payton. The Saints were in the Deshaun Watson conversation for a bit but settled on a return for Jameis Winston, who is coming off ACL surgery. Running back Alvin Kamara seems set for a long suspension after he was arrested on battery charges following the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. It seemed like this might be the offseason New Orleans blew everything up, and looked forward to building back up in 2023.
That didn't happen. The Saints lost key free agents like left tackle Terron Armstead and safety Marcus Williams in their cap chaos, but they also cleared $110 million in cap space and managed to have a decent offseason. (How does a team clear nine figures in cap space? Cap nerds can read the breakdown from ESPN's Mike Triplett, but the short answer is by pushing big cap hits to future years.)
This won't be the Saints team you're used to. We saw a preview of that last season. They're going to play slow, make sure Winston doesn't take many chances and lean heavily on defense. And their defense is good enough to play that way. Not many teams can say they shut out Tom Brady, like the Saints did last December. And the Saints were pretty good last season, even with plenty going wrong. They went 9-8 and if not for a loss to the Miami Dolphins in which they lost multiple quarterbacks due to COVID-19 before the game, they might have been a playoff team. They were going to be in the playoffs had the San Francisco 49ers not come back and beat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime of Week 18.
New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen takes over for Sean Payton, (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
For a few years, the Saints squandered Brees' prime with bad defenses. He'd throw for 5,000 yards and New Orleans would miss the playoffs. That script has been flipped. This Saints team might win 17-14 games with their quarterback throwing it 22 times. Those who have enjoyed watching the Saints since the mid-2000s won't recognize them.
Allen will lead it all. Pinning him with a 8-28 record as a head coach isn't fair because that came with a fully dysfunctional Oakland Raiders franchise. Allen has revived his career since then. He did well as the Saints defensive coordinator. It's not easy to replace someone like Payton, but it should be a fairly seamless transition. It was a solid hire.
This is a brand new era for the Saints. It started last season when Brees was gone. It continued with Payton stepping away. Saints football will look different than we're used to. That doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I assumed the Saints would have an offseason similar to what the Falcons went through, tearing it all down for a year to get the salary cap in order. That's not how the Saints operate, however. They got out the credit card and pushed a ton of big cap hits to the future. That meant their offseason was fairly normal, in terms of roster building. Losing left tackle Terron Armstead and safety Marcus Williams hurts. But the Saints signed former LSU stars in safety Tyrann Mathieu and receiver Jarvis Landry, added safety Marcus Maye and retained Jameis Winston. We can argue if pushing cap hits to the future is prudent, but in terms of constructing the 2022 Saints roster it worked. The draft was another example of the Saints not being afraid to overspend for what they want. They moved up to draft Ohio State receiver Chris Olave with the 11th overall pick, and the final cost for him was staggering.
The New Orleans Saints essentially traded picks No. 98, No. 101, No. 120, a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second-rounder for Chris Olave.
Mickey Loomis is a mad man.
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) May 2, 2022
That shouldn't surprise anyone by now. The Saints are impulsive and that's not changing. The Saints also got offensive tackle Trevor Penning with their other first-round pick, and he should replace Armstead. The offseason could have been much worse.
GRADE: B-minus
Jameis Winston became a safe game manager last season. Didn't see that coming, did you? Not counting his final game last season in which he tore his ACL, he was averaging 25.2 passes per game. He averaged 35.4 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also threw 88 interceptions in 72 games with the Bucs, and just three interceptions in seven games for the Saints. Maybe Winston opens it up more this season with Michael Thomas back and the offense adding Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry, but it seems the Saints like the new, conservative Winston. It was working. The Saints went 4-2 in games Winston started and finished. Winston's recovery from a torn ACL is worth watching through August, but assuming he's healthy he can be an effective quarterback for a defense-first team. And he won't need to worry about Taysom Hill, who will be at tight end this season.
The Saints' win total at BetMGM is 8.5. When the offseason started, I'd have taken the under without a second thought. But New Orleans juggled their salary cap mess and came out looking OK. I'd even say that their +135 odds to make the playoffs aren't bad at all. They're practically locked into finishing second in the NFC South — you probably won't regret betting the Bucs and Saints to finish 1-2 in the division at even money odds — and the NFC wild-card race will be a lot weaker than the AFC's race this season.
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "It’s a common refrain in fantasy — focus on the price more than the player. Well, I don’t understand the current Alvin Kamara price at all. And I have some player concerns as well.
"Kamara wasn’t bad in 2021, but his efficiency hit a new low. His yards per carry dipped by 1.3 yards, and he lost 36 catches from the previous season. No one expected him to repeat the 21-touchdown explosion of 2020, but he dropped to nine scores as well.
"It’s a reminder that running-back windows rarely stay open as long as we expect; perhaps Kamara has some attrition in his game after spending five years in the league. (Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when young backs like David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell ruled fantasy football. Heard anything from them lately?)
"Kamara seemed to miss Drew Brees, and now he’s without Sean Payton, too. And the current Saints probably have the weakest offensive line since Kamara joined the team in 2017.
"And perhaps we’re burying the lede — Kamara could be facing a league suspension, perhaps up to six games, for his role in an alleged assault at February’s Pro Bowl. Maybe you can understand why most draft rooms consider Kamara in the Top 20-25 range; I will ignore him at that ADP."
In 2019, receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL record with 149 receptions. He led the NFL with 1,725 yards and scored nine touchdowns. It was one of the greatest receiver seasons in NFL history. In two seasons since then Thomas has 40 receptions, 438 yards and no touchdowns. Injuries and endless controversies have dominated the conversation surrounding Thomas since then. He missed all of last season. It might not be over either; Thomas didn't participate in minicamp, though Dennis Allen said he expects Thomas to be ready for training camp. After the past two seasons, it's fair to be skeptical. If Thomas plays and is anywhere near his 2019 form, that's a huge boost for the Saints. It has just been so long since we've seen Thomas play that it's hard to project what he'll be if and when he returns.
Can the Saints have the NFL's best defense?
The Saints ranked in the NFL's top 10 in just about every meaningful defensive stat last season, including third in Football Outsiders' DVOA. There's no reason to believe the Saints will take a big step back. They lost safety Marcus Williams, but that spot should be fine with the additions of Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye. New Orleans has established standouts on defense like defensive linemen Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata, cornerback Marshon Lattimore and linebacker Demario Davis. Cornerback Paulson Adebo and linebacker Pete Werner are set up for big second seasons. Defensive end Payton Turner, a 2021 first-round pick who had a rough rookie season, could also emerge. If the Saints don't finish with a top-five defense it would be a surprise, and the top spot is within the range of potential outcomes.
If you have the best defense in the NFL, you can go a long way. The Saints have the talent to be the best defense in the league, or at least the NFC. The offense might not be that bad either if Alvin Kamara doesn't get a long suspension for a battery charge and Michael Thomas actually plays. Tampa Bay is the clear favorite in the division but the Saints could easily slide into a wild-card spot. That wouldn't be too bad for their first season after Sean Payton.
It's hard to see the defense falling too far, but the offense might be bad. Sean Payton, an outstanding play-caller, is gone. Jameis Winston is coming off a torn ACL and his career history is spotty. Michael Thomas hasn't been a reliable player for two seasons. Alvin Kamara could get suspended, and that would put a lot of the offensive load on 32-year-old Mark Ingram. And there are plenty of studies that show defensive excellence is far less predictable from year to year than offensive production, so maybe we can't depend on New Orleans' defense being elite. The fact that Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis, two blue-chip defenders, will both be 33 years old this season is a concern as well. The Saints defense could take a step back and the offense might be in the bottom 10 of the league if a few things go awry. That could lead to a sub-.500 record and all the short-term gambles in regards to the salary cap won't seem worthwhile.
When Sean Payton stepped down, I wondered if the Saints could end up being one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Saints lost a great quarterback, then a great coach, and were about $75 million over the cap. Nobody would have been surprised if they punted the 2022 season to get things in order. Instead, the Saints went about their business like they have for a decade or more and pushed forward, spending on credit and worrying about the bills later. Maybe they will have to tear down at some point, but it's not now. I have a few questions about the Saints but think they'll be a playoff contender, and a few breaks (Michael Thomas being great again being the biggest one) could boost them into the postseason.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is here just in time for summer, and theGrio has some surprises from what may be […] The post 3 biggest surprises from ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ appeared first on TheGrio.
A USWNT in transition qualifies for the 2023 World Cup. Now comes the tricky part
Unlike four years ago, personnel questions loom for the USWNT entering the World Cup.
(Bloomberg) -- The voting-machine company falsely accused of rigging the 2020 election against Donald Trump is seeking to question two former administration officials and Georgia’s elections chief as part of its $1.6 billion defamation suit against Fox News.Most Read from BloombergUS Futures Swing, Treasuries Rise Before Jobs Data: Markets WrapChina Considers $220 Billion Stimulus With Unprecedented Bond SalesNetflix to Stream Johnny Depp’s Return to Film in FranceUS Mortgage Rates Plunge to 5.3
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2022-07-08T12:45:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NFL Preview: Saints mov to new era without Sean Payton
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-saints-offseason-wasnt-nearly-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been-120024637.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-saints-offseason-wasnt-nearly-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been-120024637.html?src=rss
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Eagles 2022 season: Josh Sweat on list of most important players
Sweat lands on most important Eagles list after breakout season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Josh Sweat’s first Pro Bowl season didn’t have the ending he wanted. After a career year, Sweat was forced to sit out the playoff loss in Tampa after a life threatening condition earlier in that week.
Sweat, 25, during the week had internal bleeding in one of his arteries that presented as abdominal pressure. He had to got to the hospital, where doctors cauterized the leaky artery.
“Yeah, it was serious. Just had like a little bit of internal bleeding. Not a little bit … a lot,” Sweat said this spring. “It was enough to pretty much keep me out. Find now, took care of the issue and back to 100 (percent), ready to start working again. No more issues.”
Would the Eagles have won in the wild card round if Sweat played? Probably not. That game against the Bucs wasn’t exactly close. But they clearly missed him because Sweat has become a big part of the Eagles’ defense.
In 2021, Sweat didn’t get off to the fastest start but in his first year as a full-time starter finished with 7 1/2 sacks, 45 tackles, 13 QB hits and 7 tackles for loss. He was named an alternate for the Pro Bowl and was later added to the Pro Bowl roster for the first time in his career.
Sweat’s next goal is to make the Pro Bowl team outright. Some more consistency would help. Sweat had just 1 1/2 sacks through his first seven games, but finished the year strong. During the Eagles’ four-game winning streak in December to punch their ticket into the playoffs, Sweat had four sacks in four games.
The former fourth-round pick from Florida State has been in the NFL for four seasons and has shown improvement in each of those seasons. He went from a near-redshirt as a rookie, to a small part of the rotation in Year 2, to a bigger part of the rotation in Year 3, to a starter in Year 4.
In his four-year NFL career, Sweat has 17 1/2 sacks and all of them have come in the last three years. That’s the highest sack total for an Eagles player drafted in the fourth round or later since Trent Cole piled up 85 1/2 from 2005-14 as a fifth-round pick.
Sweat was also rewarded in September with a three-year extension worth $40 million. That APY of $13.3 million ranks Sweat as the 25th highest-paid edge player in the NFL. If he keeps improving, he can make that look like a bargain by the end of the contract in 2024.
With an aging Brandon Graham and an average Derek Barnett as their other top defensive ends, the Eagles will be relying heavily on Sweat in 2022. And because of his versatility, Sweat can be utilized as a 4-3 defensive end but can also be deployed as a standup edge rusher when the Eagles use an odd-man front, something we think they’re going to do more of this upcoming season.
No matter what the defense looks like, Sweat is going to be a big part of it.
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2022-07-08T12:45:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles 2022 season: Josh Sweat on list of most important players
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https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-2022-season-josh-sweat-110000383.html?src=rss
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ESPN ranks Darius Leonard as the NFL’s top LB
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard has been impressing everyone since he first stepped onto the field as a second-round pick during the 2018 season.
Now, The Maniac has three All-Pro First Team and three Pro Bowl selections under his belt while racking up the numbers in several categories. He’s been the heart of the Colts defense and earned himself a payday that made him the highest-paid player at the position.
Entering the 2022 season, ESPN ranked Leonard as the best off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
Leonard remains a splash-play generator. His combination of eight forced fumbles and four interceptions in 2021 led this group by a wide margin. The Colts gave Leonard a $99.2 million extension before last season because of his ability to get the ball back to his offense with length and explosion.
“He can flip the game at any moment,” a high-ranking AFC executive said. “That worries you more as an opponent than a traditional linebacker because he gets his hands on the ball all of the time.”
Through four seasons, Leonard has 11 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 15 sacks. As a rookie in 2018, the Colts used him in a role that allowed for more blitzes, resulting in seven sacks. His sacks have decreased every year since then, due in large part to how Indianapolis uses him in space and coverage more often.
Leonard sometimes can struggle with sturdiness and tackling in the box, one exec told me, and he also started 2021 slowly because of an ankle injury. His elite instincts easily make up for that, however.
“He’s already the most disruptive linebacker, and he can do things to clean up his technique and get even better,” a veteran NFL defensive player said. “Sometimes you’ll see him standing straight up before the ball is snapped instead of in a linebacker position and you’re like, ‘What?’ But then he takes the ball away and you’re like, ‘Oh, OK.'”
One thing to keep an eye on: Leonard had back surgery in July and will miss part of training camp recovering.
Leonard was dealing with an ankle injury throughout the majority of the 2021 season. He still put up gaudy numbers en route to his third All-Pro nod. His eight forced fumbles led the NFL.
The Colts are expecting Leonard to be ready for the start of the regular season, but even if he misses some time during training camp, he’ll remain the heart of the defense upon his return.
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2022-07-08T12:45:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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ESPN ranks Darius Leonard as the NFL’s top LB
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https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-ranks-darius-leonard-nfl-113004424.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-ranks-darius-leonard-nfl-113004424.html?src=rss
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Former American football cornerback
Dallas Cowboys owner, Clint Murchinson, left, general manager Tex Schramm, center and Irving, Texas Mayor R. Dan Matkin, take a look at the Cowboys new playing field, Texas Stadium, in Irving, Texas, May 14, 1971. The stadium is to be ready for play Aug. 14, 1971. The $25 million arena will seat 65,000, with all seats under roof. The playing field is under open sky. (AP Photo)
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2022-07-08T12:45:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Everson Walls one of 4 Cowboys among 54 senior, contributor semifinalists for 2023 Hall of Fame
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https://sports.yahoo.com/everson-walls-one-4-cowboys-121545779.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/everson-walls-one-4-cowboys-121545779.html?src=rss
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Giants’ Leonard Williams an honorable mention in ESPN’s DT rankings
New York Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams wasn’t ranked among the top-10 players at his position by ESPN, but they did give him recognition as an honorable mention.
Williams, who enters his fourth season with Big Blue, is highly regarded among evaluators given his skill set even if the Giants will need more from him in 2022.
Here’s what ESPN had to say:
After racking up 11.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hits in 2020, Williams received a three-year, $63 million deal. However, those numbers plummeted to 6.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 2021.
With two years left on his deal, Williams will need to step up in the middle of the Giants defense. The arrival of new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale should benefit Williams given the former’s defenses always rank among the best in pressure rate.
But getting paid $21 million per year means Williams has to step up and be the leader of the defensive front and produce more than he did in 2021.
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2022-07-08T12:45:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Giants’ Leonard Williams an honorable mention in ESPN’s DT rankings
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https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-leonard-williams-honorable-mention-114259721.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-leonard-williams-honorable-mention-114259721.html?src=rss
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Jalen Ramsey voted best CB in NFL, but one AFC exec says ‘he’s falling off and a little overrated’
ESPN had NFL players, coaches, executives and scouts vote on the best cornerbacks in football and Ramsey once again earned the No. 1 spot. He came in ahead of Marshon Lattimore and Jaire Alexander, who were second and third, respectively, in the rankings.
As deserving as Ramsey is of his No. 1 ranking, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that a few evaluators didn’t put him among the five best cornerbacks in the league. And one AFC executive even sees Ramsey as overrated.
“I think he’s falling off and a little overrated at this point,” an AFC exec said. “Super Bowl, to me, is an indication of what it’s going to look like moving forward.”
Ramsey didn’t have his best in the Super Bowl, getting beat for a long touchdown by Tee Higgins, but there was clear offensive pass interference on the play that wasn’t called. Ramsey also said he played half the season with two AC joint sprains in his shoulders, having one of them cleaned up this offseason.
And what are the chances that executive works for the Jaguars, who traded Ramsey to the Rams in 2019 for a package of picks that turned into K’Lavon Chaisson, Travis Etienne and Jordan Smith? Maybe there’s some regret about the trade.
Another NFL personnel director said Ramsey isn’t in the class of Darrelle Revis or Charles Woodson, but “he’s the best in this era” and “he does everything well.” A coach also said “he’s still the best right now,” highlighting his tackling and blitzing ability.
Put simply, there isn’t a cornerback in the NFL right now who can do everything Ramsey can, from playing man-to-man outside, matching up in the slot, blitzing off the edge and stopping the run. He’s been the best for years now and should continue to improve in Year 2 of being in Raheem Morris’ defense.
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2022-07-08T12:46:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jalen Ramsey voted best CB in NFL, but one AFC exec says ‘he’s falling off and a little overrated’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jalen-ramsey-voted-best-cb-122325165.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jalen-ramsey-voted-best-cb-122325165.html?src=rss
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1 Colts player from each position on the roster bubble
The Indianapolis Colts are set to return for training camp in just a few weeks where the team will begin competing heavily to trim the roster down to 53 players.
While the foundation of the spring workouts has been laid out, the real work comes during training camp and the preseason. This is typically the time when jobs and roster spots are won.
Each position will have wild cards and players on the roster bubble entering training camp.
Here’s a look at one player from each position on the roster bubble entering Colts’ training camp:
QB Sam Ehlinger
Ehlinger is on the roster bubble and likely to be waived when the final cuts are made. With Matt Ryan leading the way as the starter and Nick Foles now working as the backup, there’s no real reason to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
RB Deon Jackson
Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are locks to make the roster as one of the league’s best 1-2 punches. Entering training camp, Phillip Lindsay appears to be leading the way for the RB3 spot. Gunning for that fourth spot, Jackson is going to have to prove the Colts need to keep four running backs on the roster even if it means mostly special teams work.
Ultimately, my prediction will be that Strachan makes the roster. But he’s not guaranteed a spot. The upside is alluring considering what we saw during the preseason last year, but after missing much of the spring, Strachan is going to have to show he’s worthy of that final wide receiver spot in the room.
The sixth-round pick has impressive athleticism and catch radius. However, it may just come down to a numbers game. The Colts already have three tight ends locked to make the roster. It’s all a matter of whether Ogletree forces them to keep four.
The Colts gave Van Demark a hefty signing bonus following the 2022 NFL draft, but he still has to prove he’s worthy of a roster spot. With Matt Pryor, Bernhard Raimann and Dennis Kelly all likely to make the roster, Van Demark needs a strong showing during the preseason.
The biggest name on the roster bubble is Banogu. The former second-round pick hasn’t done much through the first three years of his career and now faces a pivotal point entering the final year of his rookie contract. Banogu needs another strong showing in the preseason to keep that final roster spot in the defensive end room.
The fifth-round pick has intriguing upside but may be more of a project. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he hits the practice squad during final roster cuts. With that said, there are plenty of roles up for grabs that he could compete for in the defensive tackle room.
The Colts signed the special teamer King this offseason and even though he seems to have the fast track to the fifth spot in the linebacker room, he’s going to have to fend off undrafted rookies Jojo Domann and Sterling Weatherford, both of which offer more upside on defense.
The seventh-round pick out of Yale has intriguing upside, and he’ll have a chance to earn the final spot in the cornerback room. But there are a lot of players vying for those final two roles behind the four that are already locked in.
Following the retirement of Khari Willis, the Colts have only five safeties on the roster entering training camp. Four of them are essentially locked to make the roster, which means Denbow is likely to be the odd man out.
Is the most likely outcome that Blankenship makes the roster? Yes. But it’s clear the Colts still see the need to bring in competition because Blankenship hasn’t yet proved to be the long-term answer.
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2022-07-08T15:51:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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1 Colts player from each position on the roster bubble
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https://sports.yahoo.com/1-colts-player-position-roster-123709937.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/1-colts-player-position-roster-123709937.html?src=rss
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It has been a busy last year for the New England Patriots organization as they look to continue building for the future. After a playoff appearance in January, New England shifts its focus to the 2022 campaign.
New England will have a familiar group of players to help lead the charge, such as Mac Jones, Damien Harris, Hunter Henry, and Jakobi Meyers.
Beyond that, the organization has depth at several positions. Some of that depth got tested last season while others have been waiting in the wings for their opportunity to take the field. Now, 2022 could be their chance to shine.
Today, we take a look at four potential breakout candidates for the organization.
Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson feels like a strange name to put on this list. After all, he put up solid numbers last season. However, he should have the opportunity to really explode in his second year.
Stevenson carried the football 133 times for 606 yards and five touchdowns last season. He played well in the complementary role, as he backed up Damien Harris. He was able to get more reps towards the end of last season, and he was able to make his mark. His 107-yard performance, two touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars was memorable.
Now, he will have the chance to reach his full potential with a year of professional football under his belt. He should be able to at least maintain if not exceed his production from last season. He is undoubtedly a candidate to have a breakout year.
Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Mack Wilson is another candidate who could really shine for the Patriots. He was acquired by New England in the Chase Winovich trade. Now, Wilson gets a chance to be a focal point of a New England linebacker group that is coming into next season with a lot of unknowns.
Wilson spent the first three years of his career with the Cleveland Browns. He has 163 tackles in four years of football. The most he ever recorded in a season was 82 in 2019. He also recorded his only sack that year.
His numbers have tailed off a bit since that 2019 season. He has had 39 combined tackles in each of the last two seasons.
With a lot of questions surrounding New England’s linebacker group, Wilson could break out and be a key part of this group. He is a veteran who has experience, and that should help him stand out at a position the Patriots need production from.
DT Christian Barmore
Christian Barmore was perhaps one of the Patriots’ most impressive picks from the 2021 draft. The Alabama product put the league on notice with his stellar play in 2021. It’s up to him to follow that up in 2022.
Barmore recorded 46 combined tackles last season to go along with a sack and a half. He was able to provide a major presence on the interior of the defense. Teams started double-teaming him once they saw his tendencies on film. He was a disruptive presence on a defense that desperately needed his athleticism and instincts on the inside.
Barmore could have the opportunity to really break out in the 2022 season. He already had a strong rookie campaign, and with a full offseason under his belt, he may be able to put up even better numbers in the fall.
LB Ronnie Perkins
Ronnie Perkins was drafted by the Patriots in 2021. He was inactive for the first 13 games, before being placed on injured reserve in December. To put it plainly, he did not see the field much. That could change this year.
Many Patriots fans were upset that the team did not select linebackers in this past April’s draft. The truth is that Patriots have linebackers — they just haven’t been game-tested. Perkins is one of those players. There is no doubt he has talent. He recorded 98 tackles in three years at Oklahoma.
In his case, a breakout season may be as simple as him just seeing the field. Perkins seeing the field is going to be important for New England’s defense. Bill Belichick seems to be betting on certain players to make an impact. Perkins is one of those guys. This year could be his chance to really breakout, and become a defensive staple for the organization.
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2022-07-08T15:51:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4 Patriots breakout candidates for the 2022 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-patriots-breakout-candidates-2022-124616412.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-patriots-breakout-candidates-2022-124616412.html?src=rss
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Bud Adams, Billy ‘White Shoes’ Johnson semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Former professional American football running back
Long-time Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams and long-time scout C.O. Brocato are two of 54 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Coach/Contributor category.
In addition to Adams and Brocato, former Oilers wide receiver and returner Billy “White Shoes” Johnson is one of 25 former players who are semifinalists in the Seniors category.
Adams, who was the founder and owner of the Oilers/Titans for over 53 years, played a role in the formation of the AFL, which rivaled the NFL before the two leagues merged in 1966.
Under Adams, the franchise won a pair of AFL Championships and appeared in four AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.
“Besides the playoffs, one thing I would like to accomplish is to be considered in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Adams said before his passing in 2013. “I realize there may be some hard feelings about me moving the team to Nashville, but I truly feel my body of work… I don’t like tooting my own horn. But at my age, and now being the senior NFL owner, there is no one from back in those days than can really speak up for me now.”
Brocato spent 45 years as a scout for the franchise and had a hand in scouting franchise greats like Earl Campbell, Bruce Matthews and Steve McNair.
Johnson spent seven years with the Oilers, six with the Atlanta Falcons and one with Washington. He was perennially one of the best returners in the NFL and was voted to three Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro.
Selection committees for both the Seniors and coach/contributor categories will choose 12 finalists each, to be announced on July 27.
From there, the Seniors committee will meet August 16 to select up to three for final consideration, while the Coach/Contributor Committee will meet August 23 to choose one for final consideration.
Titans GM Jon Robinson admits he isn't a big fan of analytics
Watch: WWE's Drew McIntyre trains with Titans ahead of SummerSlam
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2022-07-08T15:51:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bud Adams, Billy ‘White Shoes’ Johnson semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bud-adams-billy-white-shoes-124827408.html?src=rss
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Daniel Jones’ potentially big pay day on the line in 2022
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has a lot on the line in 2022. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and is basically entering a showcase season.
Play well and he’ll be a wanted commodity by teams seeking a franchise quarterback (including the Giants). Continue on an average-to-below-average path and end up a reclamation project somewhere.
“With a strong 2022 campaign, he will find himself in position to get paid in a big way if he ends up hitting the open market,” wrote The 33rd team’s Tom Rudawsky, a former Giants’ scout. “The demand for productive quarterbacks in this league has never been higher, thus explaining why Jones will accrue life-changing money if he shows up big this season.”
Rudawsky points out that the oft-injured Jones must prove two things to future suitors. He not only must produce but has to prove his durability. Jones has missed multiple games in each of his first three seasons due to injuries.
“Right now, the opinion on Jones across the league is wide-ranging. However, with a season where he both produces consistently AND stays healthy, that would greatly change how some teams view him, allowing his demand on the market to be at an all-time high.”
Depending on how Jones’ 2022 season pans out is how he’ll get paid in 2023 and beyond. It’s s big league and there is always a team or two that will roll the dice on players if the price is right.
“There are a lot of different ways this whole situation could play out, ranging to a long-term, $30 million-dollar-a-year extension with the Giants, to Jones collecting a fraction of that as a backup in the league moving forward,” writes Rudawsky.
“For Jones, given the demand for starting QBs across the league, his age, and overall pedigree, this season presents a massive opportunity to cash out in 2023.”
The Giants would love nothing more than to have Jones take the next step up the NFL quarterback ladder and be that team who writes the former first-rounder that big check.
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2022-07-08T15:52:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Daniel Jones’ potentially big pay day on the line in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/daniel-jones-potentially-big-pay-124535160.html?src=rss
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Dick Vermeil on today's NFL practices: 'I'd be cheating my players'
American football player, coach, executive, announcer
Why Vermeil says today's NFL practices are 'cheating' players originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Dick Vermeil stood on the sidelines watching one of the Eagles’ recent OTA practices, and it was hard not to wonder what he was thinking.
Here’s a coach known for running some of the toughest, longest, most grueling practices in NFL history watching a team that holds some of the shortest, lightest, least physical practices in NFL history.
“First off, the things I don’t agree with, I don’t say I’m right and they’re wrong,” Vermeil said. “It’s the evolution of the game and what they’re doing. I don’t particularly care for it, but that doesn’t make me right.”
MORE: Sweat lands on most important Eagles list after breakout season
Vermeil coached the Eagles from 1976 through 1982, reaching the playoffs four times and the Super Bowl in 1980. After a 14-year hiatus, he spent three years with the Rams, winning a Super Bowl in 1999 with the Greatest Show on Turf. He finished his coaching career with the Chiefs, retiring for good after the 2005 season, and he’ll go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this month.
Especially during his days with the Eagles and Rams, Vermeil was notorious for his ferocious practices. Training camp was particularly brutal, with double sessions lasting three hours each and non-stop full-contact. But even when the season began, things didn't get a whole lot easier.
A lot of what Vermeil did is no longer permitted according to the CBA, but even within the current rules, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has taken things about as far as possible in the opposite direction.
Practices are short and there’s no hitting, even in training camp. Time in the classroom and meeting room is valued as much as time on the field. Older players get even more time off. Mandatory minicamp wasn’t even held this year.
You can’t have two bigger opposites than Vermeil and Sirianni.
And while Vermeil made it clear how much he respects Sirianni and his coaching ability, he allowed that he wouldn’t be comfortable coaching in today’s game.
“They do have serious injury problems today,” he said, then nodding toward long-time Eagles linebacker Frank LeMaster a few feet away, he added: “This guy never missed a game. So it’s a little different. The big thing is protecting the head and that’s a good move, so anything you can do to help a player lengthen his career and prevent CTE issues and these kinds of things, I think that’s a move in the right direction.
“But I would not be very confident coaching in today’s world the way they have to coach. It would bother me. I think I would be cheating my players. I could do it because everyone else does it. No one has an advantage. But it would bother me.”
Vermeil quickly identified one thing that he believes current NFL practices lack the most.
“I think contact,” he said. “I think part of the reason there’s more injuries – and you’ll never get true documentation of that – is that they’re not prepared for the intensity of Sunday.
RELATED: Meet the all-time Philadelphia Eagles baseball team
“If (non-contact) was the best way to do it, we’d train the Navy Seals a little differently. Football’s not a contact sport, it’s a combat sport. That offensive center on that nose tackle, they’re in combat. Dancing is a contact sport. And I worry about preparing them for the intense situations in a game on a consistent basis.”
The NFL began regulating training camp practices in 2002, a year after Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer died after suffering from heat stroke on the second day of 2001 training camp in Mankato, Minn.
Starting in 2002, training camp two-a-days were limited to one full practice and one walkthrough or special teams practice. Rules governing practices have gradually grown stricter in the years since, but Sirianni might have held the first training camp in history in which the players never tackled to the ground. But despite the unique summer, the Eagles did win nine games and reach the playoffs.
Vermeil said looking back now, he would make some adjustments. But not a lot.
“I’d do some things different,” he said. “I would taper the second half of the season. I would gradually taper practice. Because of my own lack of confidence being over-concerned about having them ready to play, I might have worn them out and drained them.
“You only have so many days before you play again and we’d play and then Wednesday would come back and we’d go to work. We’d go to work. Wednesday and Thursday were tough football practices.
“I started to taper the last year with the Rams and with the Chiefs. With the Rams the first two years was like I did it here. Can’t do that today.”
What’s the biggest difference in the game as practices have grown shorter and less physical?
“I can see fundamentals lacking,” Vermeil said. “But I think it’s a more exciting game because it’s more wide open. I can’t remember seeing as many great football games as I saw last season.”
Vermeil, now 85, still lives in Chester County and continues to operate Vermeil Wines in Napa County in Northern California.
But he’s first and foremost a football coach and he’ll remain an Eagles fan. Even if he thinks their practices should be longer and tougher.
“I respect what they’re doing,” he said. “You have to work within the rules. And you have to make sure you’re working within the rules better than than anybody else.”
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2022-07-08T15:52:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Dick Vermeil on today's NFL practices: 'I'd be cheating my players'
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https://sports.yahoo.com/dick-vermeil-todays-nfl-practices-130935427.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/dick-vermeil-todays-nfl-practices-130935427.html?src=rss
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The New England Patriots are looking at fierce competition in both the running back and wide receiver departments.
Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and Tre Nixon are some of the top names competing for a roster spot at receiver. Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James White and Pierre Strong Jr. are all strong candidates at the running back spot.
This group of talented players makes it difficult for the 29-year-old Ty Montgomery to find his place on the 53-man roster. Montgomery spent the last two seasons with the New Orleans Saints and he’s now on a two-year deal with the Patriots.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss took a look at the roster and wrote in a column that Montgomery might be one of the players who doesn’t make the cut.
Signed as a free agent this offseason after spending two seasons with the Saints, he finds himself part of a deep wide receiver corps, so his best chance to stick projects as a returner or part of the running back group in a third-down-type role. Thus, Montgomery’s staying power seems tied to James White’s progress in returning from a right hip injury, whether Rhamondre Stevenson can meet his goal of becoming more of a factor on third down, and the growth of 2022 draft picks Pierre Strong Jr. (fourth round) and Kevin Harris (sixth round).
Montgomery’s best chance to make the roster will be as a returner.
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2022-07-08T15:52:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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ESPN chooses Patriots RB/WR Ty Montgomery as a potential cut candidate
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https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-chooses-patriots-rb-wr-152752720.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-chooses-patriots-rb-wr-152752720.html?src=rss
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Former Browns owner Art Modell once again a semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
It is rare that any post elicits the same, general reaction from the readers. Unity is a rarity, especially for Cleveland Browns fans but when former owner and traitor Art Modell is brought up the sentiment runs from anger to loathing and more.
Modell owned the Browns from 1961 to 1995 before stealing the team from the fans that supported it wholeheartedly. All of the sudden, Cleveland was not going to have an NFL franchise and the city of Baltimore was celebrating their new team.
The city and the fans fought back and retained the team’s name and history while Modell went on to start the Baltimore Ravens franchise.
Despite that treacherous behavior, Modell is once again one of the semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His biggest contribution to the NFL was his role in getting big television deals for the league. Modell’s experience in that industry helped him when he became an owner and spearheaded the big network deals.
Modell passed away in 2012.
In Cleveland and most of the country, Modell will be remembered as the man who stabbed a passionate fanbase in the back. In the NFL offices, especially those related to finances, and in Baltimore, Modell will be forever loved.
Only time will tell if he’ll be forever remembered with a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame less than an hour from the city he betrayed.
Isaiah Joe with a last basket of the period vs the Oklahoma City Thunder
Isaiah Joe (Philadelphia 76ers) with a last basket of the period vs the Oklahoma City Thunder, 07/07/2022
Sixers observations: Isaiah Joe makes game-winning three-pointer in summer league
Isaiah Joe's clutch jumper lifted the Sixers to an 80-79 win in summer league play Thursday night over the Thunder. By Noah Levick
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2022-07-08T15:52:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Browns owner Art Modell once again a semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-browns-owner-art-modell-123419463.html?src=rss
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Former Rams CB Eddie Meador, LB Maxie Baughan among Hall of Fame senior semifinalists
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the semifinalists for the Class of 2023 in the senior and coach/contributor categories, and a total of four former Rams were among them.
In the senior category, which is any player who did not play later than 1996, linebacker Maxie Baughan and Eddie Meador were voted semifinalists. Baughan played five years with the Rams from 1966-1970. He was named a Pro Bowler in four of those seasons and a total of nine times in his career, picking off 18 passes in 12 NFL seasons.
Meador played his entire 12-year career with the Rams, making the Pro Bowl six times and being named a first-team All-Pro twice. He had at least one interception in each season and finished his career with 46 interceptions – including a total of 24 from 1966-1968.
In the coach/contributor category, former Rams scout Eddie Kotal and former head coach Clark Shaughnessy were selected as semifinalists. Kotal was a scout in Los Angeles from 1947-1961 and was one of the first to scout HBCUs.
Shaughnessy was only the Rams’ head coach from 1948-1949, going 14-7-3 in those two seasons and making the playoffs once.
Up to three seniors will be selected from this group for consideration for the Class of 2023, and only one coach/contributor will be selected in the next round of voting in August.
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2022-07-08T15:52:55Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Rams CB Eddie Meador, LB Maxie Baughan among Hall of Fame senior semifinalists
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-rams-cb-eddie-meador-124524443.html?src=rss
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Fourth-rounder Max Mitchell officially signed his rookie contract, the team announced, a four-year deal for the offensive tackle out of Louisiana.
Mitchell was taken No. 111 overall and stands 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds. He was a starter at right tackle, left tackle and left guard in college, showing excellent versatility across the line.
He’ll compete for a roster spot this season, though a path to a starting spot could prove difficult.
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2022-07-08T15:53:14Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jets officially sign 4th-round rookie Max Mitchell
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-officially-sign-4th-round-130821133.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-officially-sign-4th-round-130821133.html?src=rss
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Positional value.
In addition to running backs, perhaps no position has seen its value altered in the modern NFL than linebackers. The days of serving as a between-the-tackles thumper are in the rear-view mirror, as today’s second-level defenders have to play more like safeties, and match the athleticism of tight ends, running backs and even receivers in coverage.
With that emphasis on mind, what these players do against the pass stands out. Here are the NFL’s top 11 linebackers — another one of our positional lists on the way to our countdown of the NFL’s top 101 players.
11. Alexander Johnson, Denver Broncos
The 2019 season was a breakout campaign for Alexander Johnson, as he posted 93 total tackles — including five for a loss — along with 1.5 sacks for the Denver Broncos. He built on that performance during 2020, tallying 124 total tackles, which remains a career-high number.
Unfortunately, Johnson played in just six games last year, as he suffered a torn pectoral muscle which put him on the shelf in mid-October. Prior to the injury, however, Johnson recorded 32 total tackles, and a pair of sacks, which to date remains his career-high for a season.
An area of his game that stands out? What he does in coverage underneath. When matched up against running backs and tight ends, Johnson can handle his man coverage responsibilities at a high level. Take this play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he matches the option route from rookie running back Najee Harris:
While Johnson’s injury led many analysts to believe that Denver would address linebacker in the 2022 draft, the Broncos’ decision to pass on available LBs now has analysts anticipating a return to form from Johnson in the season ahead.
10. Matt Milano, Buffalo Bills
A theme of this list is “what can you do in coverage?” After all, with the NFL trending heavily towards the passing game over recent years, what defenders can do when the quarterback drops to throw is of paramount importance.
In coverage last season, Matt Milano was targeted 59 times according to Pro Football Focus, allowing 36 receptions for 310 yards and a touchdown, along with four pass breakups. Those four PBUs match previous career-high marks set in both 2019 and 2018.
Milano has the athleticism to handle the man coverage responsibilities he faces against running backs and tight ends, and a perfect example is this tackle for a loss on a quick flat route to Myles Gaskin of the Miami Dolphins:
On this play against the Dolphins, watch as Milano stays home against a Mesh concept, then rallies downhill to make the stop on Jaylen Waddle to force fourth down:
Expectations were high in the Chicago area when the Bears drafted linebacker Roquan Smith eighth-overall in the 2018 NFL draft. While it took a while for Smith to start living up to those expectations, the past two seasons in particular have seen Smith grow into his own as a second-level defender in the NFL.
During the 2020 campaign, Smith posted 139 total tackles — including a career-high 18 tackles for a loss — along with four sacks and a pair of interceptions. As an encore in 2021, Smith recorded a career-high 163 total tackles, including 12 for a loss, along with three sacks and another interception, which he returned for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals:
Smith’s ability to sniff out screens and stop them before they get going is another strength to his game. Here is that trait in action against the New York Giants, as he gets to the back after fighting through the blockers up front:
8. De'Vondre Campbell, Green Bay Packers
After four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, and another with the Arizona Cardinals, De’Vondre Campbell made the move to the frozen tundra to play for the Green Bay Packers last season.
The move paid off in a huge way for both player and team.
Campbell enjoyed a career season during his first campaign in the NFC North, posting a career-high 146 total tackles, with 102 of those being solo stops, also a career-high number. That earned Campbell his first career All-Pro Selection.
A perfect play to summarize his season might be this snap against the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. First Campbell “collides” with Kyle Juszczyk off the line, taking away the quick throw on the seam route, but then he works downhill to the flat, breaking up a throw intended for the tight end:
Campbell made the decision to stay in Green Bay, and his $50 million extension is reflective of what he meant to the Packers last season. Another year like this past campaign, and you can imagine Campbell climbing up lists like this one.
7. Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft, Lavonte David has been a mainstay on lists like this one each off-season. Despite playing in 12 games due to a foot injury that cut his regular season short, David managed to record 97 tackles. It was the first year since 2016 that David did not record triple-digit tackles on a season.
Keeping with the underlying theme of this list, David’s ability to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense when the opposing quarterback drops to pass is one of the reasons for his success in the NFL. His ability in both man and zone coverage remains a strength. On this play against the Indianapolis Colts, David sticks on the out route from the tight end, switching directions and flipping his hips to prevent the completion:
In addition, David remains a force working downhill. Against the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, David chopped down this slip screen before Sony Michel could get turned upfield:
With White at the center of their defense, the Buccaneers look poised to make another deep run in the season ahead.
Last season, Bobby Wagner topped this list. But a change in scenery as well as another year put on those tires sees him slide down the board a bit.
Still, Wagner has a lot to offer his new team, the Los Angeles Rams. Both in terms of stopping the run, and helping in coverage. Even at this point in his career, Wagner still has a nose for the football and remains adept at picking his way through traffic in front of him to get to the ball-carrier, stopping running plays before they get going.
On this play against Washington, a 3rd and 1 situation for the offense, watch as Wagner picks his way down the line of scrimmage as the Commanders try and run a zone design away from him. Wagner tracks this play down, picking and darting through traffic, to stop it for no gain:
The all-too-common refrain about the modern NFL — and the modern game of football for that matter — is that passing is king.
As such, how you impact the passing game as a player, whether on offense or on defense, matters in terms of your value to an NFL organization. Thankfully for Wagner, even at this point in his career he is still an asset on passing downs, whether in man or zone coverage.
Last season, the Seahawks were primarily a zone coverage team, according to charting data from Sports Info Solutions. Seattle faced just 93 passing attempts in man coverage — defined as Cover 0, Cover 1 and Cover 2 Man Under — so there are not a ton of opportunities to evaluate where Wagner is in man coverage at this point in his career. Still, plays like this against the Arizona Cardinals offer a glimpse:
While many teams rely more on pattern match zone coverages, this is an example of how, in the right hands, spot-dropping is still effective at the NFL level. You can see Wagner’s experience on this snap, as he has a feel for this route combination and takes away each of Jimmy Garoppolo’s initial reads. San Francisco is hoping that Wagner either stays low — opening up the vertical early in the down — or bails completely, opening up the dig. The linebacker does not bite. Then, when Garoppolo is forced to take the checkdown, Wagner explodes downhill and stops that option from picking up any yardage after the catch.
This play, on 3rd and 7 against the Rams, is an example of how quarterbacks, as hard as they might try, can find it difficult to move Wagner with his eyes thanks to his discipline and experience:
On this third-down snap, Matthew Stafford tries to influence Wagner with a no-look throw, but the linebacker does not take the bait. The Rams have three receivers on the right side and that is where Stafford is looking to throw. The middle receiver, Cooper Kupp, releases vertically. Van Jefferson, the outside receiver, runs a sit route working towards the inside, as does Ben Skowronek. Stafford wants to hit Skowronek on his sit route, but as he lets the pass go — which you get a good view of on the end zone angle — he is looking at Jefferson.
Stafford is hoping that Wagner breaks towards Jefferson, which will free up Skowronek for yardage after the catch. But the veteran LB is not buying, and breaks on the inside receiver. He cannot prevent the completion, but Wagner stops him right at the catch point, short of the sticks.
Fourth down.
A thought occurred to me putting together this list.
Perhaps Micah Parsons needs his own list.
After all, this is not the only place you will see him land as we assemble the top players in the NFL. In the dawn of the “positionless player” era of the NFL, Parsons is perhaps our latest example. He shined both on the edge for the Dallas Cowboys last season — notching 13 sacks a year ago — but also showed what he can do on the second level of the Dallas defense.
That saw Parsons rack up a number of post-season awards, including Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Focusing on what he did as a linebacker, we can with plays like these. First, a tackle for a loss against an outside toss play from the San Francisco 49ers:
But perhaps my favorite play of his from last season — despite it going for a four-yard gain on the play — was this run stop against the New England Patriots:
Parsons sniffs out the counter design, using good footwork to get himself into the hole, fights through the lead blocker, and gets to Rhamondre Stevenson to stop this run before it really gets going.
When you combine these traits with what he offers off the edge, perhaps he truly does need a list of his own.
*Waves awkwardly to editors.*
2021 marked the third-straight All-Pro season from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis, who has grown into one of the league’s premier linebackers during his time in the NFC South. A season ago, Davis notched 105 total tackles — 70 of them solo — along with three sacks and seven pass breakups, his highest mark in that statistic since 2019.
Davis is a solid contributor in all facets of the game, but his work in coverage truly stands out, along with his awareness. On this play against the New England Patriots, watch as Davis quickly diagnoses the play-action design, changes directions to match the shallow crosser from Jonnu Smith, and gets to the catch point:
Davis reworked his contract with the Saints this off-season, keeping him in New Orleans through the 2024 campaign. Given what he has meant to this defense since coming to the NFC South, you can see why.
3. Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings
Eric Kendricks posted yet another season of elite production for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, keeping him atop many a countdown of the league’s top linebackers.
In many ways, it might have been his best year in the league.
A year ago, Kendricks recorded 143 total tackles — a career high — along with 81 solo tackles, another career-best effort. He also notched five sacks, yet another career-high mark.
Kendricks is among the game’s elite coverage linebackers, and this play against the Los Angeles Chargers has everything you want to see from an LB:
In recent weeks, rumors of a Kendricks trade have floated across the internet. This has to be due to the dead period before training camp, as Kendricks combines elite production at the position with a team-friendly contract. From where I sit, Minnesota would be wise to keep him in the fold.
Darius Leonard has been a force at the heart of the Indianapolis Colts defense since putting on their uniform. As a rookie in 2018, Leonard posted a whopping 163 total tackles, with 111 of those registered as solo stops. Every season in the NFL, Leonard has recorded over 100 tackles, as he registered 122 stops last year.
It was also his fourth-straight All-Pro selection, as he was named a First-Team All-Pro for the third time in his career. He was a Second-Team All-Pro back in 2019.
Leonard is also a very opportunistic defender, as he notched four interceptions and eight forced fumbles a season ago.
Studying him in preparation for this piece, this play stood out to me. We often talk about “looking for work” with respect to offensive linemen. Well, here is an example of that idea from a linebacker in underneath zone coverage:
Leonard’s ability as a disruptive force stands out among a talented group of linebackers.
The player who checks in as the top linebacker in the NFL also accomplished something else this past calendar year.
He touched off one of the aforementioned debates regarding positional value.
When the San Francisco 49ers signed Fred Warner to a five-year extension, it revived the debate over the modern linebacker, and the value of the position. But with Warner, as we have seen with other defenders on this list, his value can be found in what he offers in the passing game, and how the 49ers construct their coverages around his skill-set.
Take this play against the Los Angeles Rams, that finds Warner dropping into zone coverage:
One of his best traits is his athleticism, which enables him to match wide receivers as they try and work deep across the middle. Warner has the ability to carry those receivers, erasing mismatches that offensive coordinators are trying to create. On this play against the Detroit Lions, he does just that:
His ability to erase mismatches is what makes him valuable, and the top linebacker in the game today.
There are a few talented linebackers who just missed out on this list, but might find a way into next year’s edition. Ten years ago, a player like Zach Cunningham might have found his name atop this list, given what he does against the run. His inconsistency in coverage hurts him in today’s game, but what he does against the run is still quite impressive. On the other end of the spectrum, Shaq Thompson is a solid coverage linebacker, with the ability to handle both man and zone coverage responsibilities at a high level.
Then there is pre-draft favorite Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He appeared in 14 games last year with ten starts, managing 76 total tackles along with four pass breakups and 1.5 sacks. As a rookie he flashed athleticism and a nose for the football, and if he builds on that debut during his sophomore campaign, look for him to crack this list next summer.
Finally there is Logan Wilson of the Cincinnati Bengals, who was part of the team that nearly pulled out Super Bowl LVI. Wilson put up impressive numbers, with four interceptions along with 100 total tackles in just 13 games.
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2022-07-08T15:53:39Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The NFL’s top 11 linebackers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-top-11-linebackers-123402629.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-top-11-linebackers-123402629.html?src=rss
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 54 semifinalists in the “Seniors, Coaches and Contributors” categories for the Class of 2023. The seniors committee is set to elect one non-player or a player who hasn’t played after the 1996 season.
Kraft was among 29 non-players who moved on as a semifinalist for 2023, along with former New England Patriots front office member Frank “Bucko” Kilroy. There were 25 players who were named semifinalists, one of which is the Patriots’ all-time receiving leader, Stanley Morgan.
Robert Kraft nominated as a contributor for the @ProFootballHOF Class of 2023.
Full list of semifinalists: https://t.co/yr3qoxVbhI
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 8, 2022
Kraft, 81, has led the Patriots down a path of success during his 28 years as the owner — with only three losing seasons. He will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the end of the day, but it’s just a matter of when he will make it.
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2022-07-08T15:53:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Patriots owner Robert Kraft named semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
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https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-owner-robert-kraft-named-143228987.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-owner-robert-kraft-named-143228987.html?src=rss
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PFF says the signing of Arden Key was the Jags’ best offseason move
The Jacksonville Jaguars were quite busy in free agency and ended up handing out the most guaranteed money in NFL history. However, their spending spree wasn’t just full of expensive long-term deals but one with value signings, too.
On defense, the most notable value signing was the addition of edge rusher Arden Key, who previously played with the San Francisco 49ers and will be a key part of the defensive rotation. The Jags were able to sign him to a one-year deal worth $4 million, with $3 million guaranteed.
The best part about the signing is that the Jags are getting key after his best season as he had a career-high of 6.5 sacks. He also had a career year in quarterback pressures, which helped him to register a 79.4 pass-rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s why they listed Key’s addition as the Jags’ best offseason move when looking at all 16 teams in the AFC.
Here is what analyst Brad Spielberger specifically had to say about Key’s addition:
Part of the reason the Jags had interest in Key is that the assistant who worked with him as a rookie in Oakland, Brentson Buckner, is now their defensive line coach. With the veteran player making significant progress since he was last with Buckner, their reunion could lead to Key surpassing last season’s performance. When considering the Jags’ struggles to rush the passer, that would be huge.
Key’s contract cost the Jags very little when looking at what they came into this offseason with in terms of the salary cap. If he can continue to grow as a pass-rusher, that sets him up to not only be a gem for the team, but one of the best 2022 free-agent additions in the whole league.
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2022-07-08T15:54:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF says the signing of Arden Key was the Jags’ best offseason move
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-says-signing-arden-key-144228647.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-says-signing-arden-key-144228647.html?src=rss
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On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 54 semifinalists for the 203 class of the HOF from the Senior and Coach/Contributor categories. The two former Steelers are Art Rooney Jr. and Buddy Parker.
Rooney was the team’s personnel director from 1965-1986. Rooney was one of the architects of the great Steelers dynasty of the 1970s. Those teams won four Super Bowls and during his tenure added 10 Hall of Fame players. Rooney is currently a team vice president.
Most young fans probably don’t know who Parker was but he was the team’s head coach from 1957 to 1964 and amassed a 51-47-6 record with the Steelers. Parker also coached the Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions.
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2022-07-08T15:54:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers get 2 finalists for HOF for Coach/Contributor category
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-2-finalists-hof-coach-134658027.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-2-finalists-hof-coach-134658027.html?src=rss
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L. C. Greenwood
American football player (1946-2013)
Every franchise has a player or two who they consider worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame but continue to be snubbed. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the guy at the top of that list is former defensive end L.C. Greenwood.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 54 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the Senior and Coach/Contributor categories and once again snubbed as a semifinalist.
Greenwood spent his entire 13-year career with the Steelers. He was the starting defensive end on four Super Bowl winning teams. Greenwood was named to the Pro Bowl six times and was named an All-Pro twice. Greenwood had 78 career sacks which was good enough for second in franchise history even though the NFL didn’t track that data when he played.
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2022-07-08T15:54:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood snubbed yet again for HOF consideration
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-defensive-end-l-c-143232792.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-defensive-end-l-c-143232792.html?src=rss
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Titans training camp preview: The battle for No. 2 TE
In our latest training camp preview for the Tennessee Titans, we take a closer look at tight end, a position the team has made some changes to this offseason after not having a true No. 1 in 2021.
Tennessee failed to adequately address tight end in 2021, instead opting for a rotation that didn’t exactly pan out.
Anthony Firkser was a major disappointment in what was supposed to be a breakout year for him, and Geoff Swaim and MyCole Pruitt were OK, but neither is a starting tight end.
Firkser is now in Atlanta, and Pruitt, who suffered a brutal injury late in the season, remains unsigned. Swaim is one of two tight ends who saw playing time last season returning in 2022, along with Tommy Hudson.
In place of Firkser and Pruitt, Tennessee signed Austin Hooper in free agency and drafted Chigoziem Okonkwo.
Now, let’s see which players are either roster locks or on the bubble, and we’ll examine the competition to watch in training camp before making a prediction for who will ultimately make the 53-man roster.
Roster locks: Austin Hooper, Geoff Swaim, Chigoziem Okonkwo
Hooper was signed earlier this offseason to assume the No. 1 tight end role in Tennessee. Swaim is returning to Nashville for his third season with the Titans, while Okonkwo was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, hopefully to be the long-term solution at the position.
On the bubble: Tommy Hudson, Briley Moore, Thomas Odukoya
An undrafted free agent signing in 2020, Hudson was one of the tight ends the Titans kept on their initial 53-man roster last season. He bounced around between Tennessee’s roster and practice squad during the campaign, appearing in five games before his season ended early due to injury.
Moore was inked as an undrafted free agent in 2021, but suffered a season-ending torn ACL in training camp. Odukoya was signed this offseason as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. Odukoya will be carried on Tennessee’s roster through the end of training camp and won’t count towards the team’s practice squad limit if kept there.
With Hooper locked in as the No. 1 tight end, the only things he needs to worry about aside from staying healthy are continuing to learn the playbook and building chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Behind Hooper, there will be a competition for the No. 2 role between Okonkwo and Swaim.
Okonkwo has been sensational thus far and is considered one of the team’s biggest standouts from the offseason program. Chig really shined during mandatory minicamp, when he grabbed four touchdown receptions over Tennessee’s two open practices.
Swaim hasn’t made much noise this offseason, but you wouldn’t expect him to. The veteran is known more for his blocking than pass-catching, but he is serviceable in the latter area.
It’s clear Okonkwo has the higher ceiling, at least in terms of being a pass-catcher, but Swaim has the edge in blocking right now. That could change when the pads come on at training camp.
If Okonkwo wants to secure as big a role as possible, he’ll have to show out as a blocker in camp. If not, he’ll be limited to just a pass-catcher role, which, of course, would limit his snaps and keep Swaim relevant.
Beyond the Chig versus Swaim Train battle, there could be a competition for a No. 4 role should the Titans choose to keep a fourth tight end on the initial 53.
Hudson is the favorite, but he suffered an undisclosed injury during OTAs and his status is uncertain at the moment. Hudson’s biggest competition for the role would be Moore, who is a great athlete but must show he can contribute as an effective blocker at the next level.
Odukoya is the longshot of the group and will likely land on the practice squad.
53-man prediction: Austin Hooper, Geoff Swaim, Chigoziem Okonkwo
In our last 53-man roster projection after mandatory minicamp, we had the Titans keeping four tight ends, but we’re thinking the better of it this time around and sticking with three.
Hooper will be the top dog, and Swaim and Okonkwo will split duties behind him, with Swaim handling a blocking role and Okonkwo being the secondary receiving option at the position. Look for Tennessee to move Chig all over the formation as a receiver.
If we were to choose a fourth, it would have been Hudson. We expect at least one of the three who loses out on a roster spot to be kept on the practice squad, but it’s very possible you’ll see two since Odukoya won’t count towards the limit.
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2022-07-08T15:54:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Titans training camp preview: The battle for No. 2 TE
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https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-training-camp-preview-battle-135528533.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-training-camp-preview-battle-135528533.html?src=rss
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Touchdown Wire ranks Dolphins Xavien Howard as fifth-best outside CB
Before the 2022 NFL season begins, this is the time of year when fans and media alike argue over player rankings, and who’s better than who.
This week, Touchdown Wire released their list of the top 12 outside cornerbacks in the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins were represented by Xavien Howard appearing at No. 5 on the list.
Here’s what Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield had to say about Howard:
Being called the fifth-best outside cornerback in the league is definitely a compliment, but who’s ahead of him? A.J. Terrell of the Atlanta Falcons was No. 4, J.C. Jackson of the Los Angeles Chargers was No. 3, Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers was No. 2 and their top outside cornerback was Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams.
All of these players are extremely talented and deserve to be considered among the best in the league, but there could be some real questions about if they’re truly better than Howard.
Since entering the league in 2016, no one has had more interceptions than Howard. However, interceptions aren’t always the best indication of coverage skill because quarterbacks will often shy away from throwing at some of the more elite cornerbacks.
According to Pro Football Reference, of these players, Howard has a career passer rating against of 74.8. The only player on this list who is lower is Jackson at 46.6. With Jackson being behind Stephon Gilmore in New England for the majority of his career, he didn’t always see the top receiver on the other team like Howard has.
Still, it’s hard to be mad at a top-five ranking.
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2022-07-08T15:54:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Touchdown Wire ranks Dolphins Xavien Howard as fifth-best outside CB
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https://sports.yahoo.com/touchdown-wire-ranks-dolphins-xavien-124524988.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/touchdown-wire-ranks-dolphins-xavien-124524988.html?src=rss
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Typically, “Game 7” is used in reference to a do-or-die contest in a sports league‘s postseason already in progress.
But for a handful of drivers heading to Sunday‘s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the phrase should be in the minds of those needing a win to clinch a playoff berth.
RELATED: 2022 Cup runners-up | 2022 Cup postseason picture
No driver is arguably more in need to turn his season around than Bubba Wallace.
To say the least, it‘s not the year the 28-year-old or 23XI Racing expected from the second-year No. 23 Toyota team.
Halfway through the 2022 season, Wallace has only compiled two top-10 finishes with his lone top-five result coming at the season-opening Daytona 500. In 10 of the 18 races this year, he‘s finished outside the top 20.
Wallace‘s average finish of 22.0 ranks 27th among full-timers, below that of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (21.4), Ty Dillon (21.2) and Justin Haley (18.9). Dillon returned to the Cup Series full-time with the newly-merged Petty GMS Racing while Haley is running his first full Cup season with Kaulig Racing.
The results trend is still going in the wrong direction for Wallace, as he‘s DNF‘d in four of the last seven races.
Combined with the poor finishes, there have been some hiccups with his pit crew.
Slow stops, tire issues and penalties have thwarted great runs for the No. 23 team at times and while Wallace recovered with a top 10 at Kansas Speedway and a 12th-place run at Nashville Superspeedway, it didn‘t stop him from lashing out at the team over his radio after in-race mistakes.
RELATED: Wallace’s emotions | Kurt Busch on Wallace
The recent pit-crew criticisms have led to a swap of crew members between Wallace and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell.
This is Wallace‘s fifth full year in the Cup Series and he‘s yet to break through into the postseason. However, with his track record at superspeedways, Sunday provides Wallace with a golden opportunity to turn a so-far frustrating season into a fresh slate for the second half and playoff push.
It‘s no secret that Wallace has a knack for running well on superspeedways.
Below is a breakdown of his superspeedway history.
Atlanta (reconfigured)
Wallace owns two runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 and was second to Ryan Blaney in last year’s regular-season finale at Daytona. Atlanta’s re-profiled 1.54-mile layout will use the same superspeedway rules configuration as the larger ovals at Daytona and Talladega.
While there’s not a large sample size on the reconfigured Atlanta oval, Wallace should be aggressive in working his way to the front of the pack as he spent more than two-thirds of the spring race inside the top 15, according to NASCAR’s loop data.
The reason why Wallace should view Sunday as a “do-or-die” for his playoff hopes is that the stretch of tracks coming up before the regular-season finale at Daytona don’t favor him, to put it kindly.
Two road courses are among the next six races after Atlanta — a style of track where Wallace has yet to find comfort.
Here is a breakdown of Wallace’s history at the six races following Atlanta.
Indy Road Course
Of the eight races Wallace has participated in at Richmond, he’s only finished on the lead lap once and that came in the fall of 2019 where he scored his best finish at the 0.75-mile oval of 12th.
A winless Sunday wouldn’t be a complete loss of hope for the No. 23 team with several races still before Daytona closes out the regular season, but time is running out for Wallace if he and his team have a goal of reaching the playoffs. Now might be his best time to strike.
According to BetMGM, Wallace is a popular pick to win Atlanta with 6.8% of the handle, which is fourth-highest among all drivers.
Wallace enters Sunday 25th in the points standings — 177 points below the playoff cutline.
The Cheesecake Factory will soon debut this new cheesecake; would you try it?
In celebration of National Cheesecake Day on July 30, The Cheesecake Factory is debuting a new cheesecake.
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2022-07-08T16:52:14Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Analysis: Atlanta needs to be Bubba Wallace's 'Game 7' to make playoffs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/analysis-atlanta-needs-bubba-wallaces-121010375.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/analysis-atlanta-needs-bubba-wallaces-121010375.html?src=rss
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Myron Rolle
American football defensive back and physician
It’s been nearly 14 years since Dr. Myron Rolle — then merely Myron Rolle, All-American safety at Florida State — spent a Saturday morning interviewing for a Rhodes Scholarship before jetting to play for the Seminoles against Maryland that afternoon. He arrived just before halftime and recorded two tackles.
Florida State won that day. Rolle did too, selected for the scholarship, which led him to skip his senior season (and thus push his NFL draft process back a year) so he could study at the University of Oxford in England.
Rolle spent a couple years on NFL rosters (he was drafted in 2010 by Tennessee) before returning to FSU for medical school. He is now a resident neurosurgeon with Harvard at Massachusetts General Hospital.
His time as the ultimate student-athlete was, of course, celebrated. This was an example of what the entire pursuit was supposed to be. The NCAA even waived one of its onerous rules and permitted a private jet to ferry Rolle from the Rhodes Scholar interview to the FSU game.
A lot has changed in college football. Through the years, of course, but even the last week.
The Big Ten now stretches from Maryland to Malibu. No one can say for sure if the Pac 12, which dates back to 1915, will exist in 2024.
Rivalries are ending. Tradition is disposable. Alliances are getting shanked like all of college sports is a prison yard. Trust no one and pursue billions (in media rights) is the industry ethos.
Coaches are making eight figures, top recruits seven. Collectives. NIL. The transfer portal. Head coaches switching jobs while their old teams still had a chance at a playoff berth?
Rolle, now 35, looks on from his demanding job and family life in Boston and is as surprised as everyone else. The ultimate old-school student-athlete, however, is supportive of how money — especially for the players — and the power dynamics that come with it can be a good thing.
At least if the players are focused on more than just making money.
“You have an opportunity to change your life and change your family’s life,” Rolle said.
That means using what the sport now offers — bigger platforms, bigger followings, immediate income that alleviates immediate pressures — to demand the most out of their schools.
If it sounds too high-minded, well, this is Myron Rolle remember. No, he acknowledges, not everyone can become a neurosurgeon (although he believes far more, especially African Americans and women, can) just as not everyone can patrol the FSU secondary.
Still, there is no greater authority on turning football talent into even bigger dreams.
Myron Rolle is currently a neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
In 2005, Rolle was the No. 1 rated recruit in America per ESPN.com, a bruising, 6-foot-2 safety out of New Jersey. Just about every college program recruited him, only to find some unique demands.
Rolle made it clear that he wanted to win a national championship and hopefully get to the NFL — where two of his cousins, Antrel and Samari, would be All-Pro players.
Just as important however, or perhaps even more important, was winning a Rhodes Scholarship, graduating as a pre-med major and eventually becoming a neurosurgeon.
Inspired by Bill Bradley, who was a Rhodes Scholar out of Princeton before becoming an All-NBA player and U.S. Senator, Rolle decided he wouldn’t compromise.
He would be an elite athlete … and an elite student. He’d pursue medicine … and the NFL. He was upfront about his intentions. He demanded that anyone interested in him be as passionate in his total success as he was.
“I thought, ‘Why can’t I do it all?'” Rolle said. “'Why can’t I balance both and surround myself with people who will help me in the challenge?'”
As such, recruiting visits included touring the weight room and meeting with the head of the medical school or a former Rhodes Scholar on campus. He repeatedly made it clear that his academic load would not be curbed by practice.
And while some thought he’d go to the highest-rated academic school with major college football — say Stanford or Notre Dame — he was purposeful in seeking a program that also had a medical school on campus and a university that would accept all his AP classes so he could graduate quickly. This would be a partnership.
“Everyone was great about it, everyone wanted to support me,” Rolle said.
He chose Florida State and legendary head coach Bobby Bowden. He then attacked each day, with the full blessing and support of the university. It included learning from defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews a simple concept that has guided his life ever since.
“Get 2 percent better,” Andrews would implore his players at practice every day.
Not 100 percent better. Not better than the best player. Just 2 percent. Day after day.
“Just trying to get 2 percent better every day is a real, tangible goal,” Rolle said. “It’s small increments of growth. I put this mindset to my life and it’s how I’ve overcome the challenges I’ve faced.”
He even released a book this year on the system — “The 2% Way” — which details how the son of immigrants could rise so high and so fast while blasting through barriers and doubts brought on by his background, his race and even his athletic ability.
In 2008, Myron Rolle (No. 3) interviewed for a Rhodes Scholarship in the morning, then flew to Maryland to help Florida State defeat the Terrapins. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Society says Rolle isn’t supposed to be who he is. Even to this day he says he walks into a patient's room and it's assumed he’s a food service worker or an orderly, not the skilled doctor in charge.
That was always true though. He willed it to happen anyway.
“I hope it will inspire everyone, especially young people,” Rolle said. “Nothing is preordained.”
And that is what he hopes this modern era of college football can do for the players, namely allow them to get the most they can out of the sport on and off the field.
Players have more power now, Rolle said. Money brings that; both the billions the schools need them to earn, and the money they can earn from themselves. Everything is bigger. The leagues. The spotlight. The platform.
Players can actively partner with businesses and boosters, they can be mini corporations, not just a name on the depth chart. They can learn from alumni. They can set up companies or set aside future graduate school costs.
The ability to promote themselves even means less traditional paths are increasingly viable.
He points to Travis Hunter, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2022, who signed with HBCU Jackson State, which doesn’t even play at the highest level of college football. This is a new day, so the old way isn’t always the best way.
“Choose an institution that believes in you and will help your growth and maturity,” Rolle said. “You have the ability to promote yourself now, so NFL teams will come find you.”
Namely, take the developments that have come to the industry and make them work for you. These are powerful leagues and institutions. Seize that power, he says. It’s more available than ever.
“Sometimes as a player, when you get to your school and you feel you are indebted to the institution,” Rolle said. “They found you and pulled you out and put you on a campus. You feel you are there for them.
“To me, it was just confidence,” he continued. “I fully felt like I belonged and I demanded that from the start and went where they agreed. These institutions have a machinery to move you where you need to be. If you stick in a bubble of just football or basketball, you miss out on it.”
So as college sports seemingly spins off its axis, or at least progresses at a rate more rapid than anyone could have expected, one its most famous examples of the student-athlete ideal sees not a regression, but a push forward.
“Opportunity,” Rolle calls it.
It’s there for the taking, now more than ever.
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2022-07-08T17:10:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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What does Myron Rolle see when he looks at the current college sports landscape? Opportunity
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College/Country
WNBA years experience
All-Star Pick No. (*denotes trade)
co-captain*
2022 3PM
2022 3PA
2022 3PP
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2022 WNBA All-Star Game: How to watch, team rosters, top storylines in Chicago originally appeared on NBCSports.com
The Las Vegas Raiders have named president, making her the first Black woman to hold that role in the National Football League. Ms. Morgan previously worked as North Las Vegas’s city attorney and was also the first person of color to be the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s chair, according to the Raiders. In a video released with her new role, Ms. Morgan said she wants to get to a point where there aren’t any more firsts.
Ciara Shares Heartfelt Message to Russell Wilson on Anniversary: 'Year 6. Forever to Go'
Ciara took to social media to share a video of her and husband Russell Wilson, along with a heartfelt message celebrating their six years of marriage.
The WNBAs best players are set to play in the 2022 All-Star Game. Heres everything you need to know about the event.
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2022-07-08T18:08:39Z
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2022 WNBA All-Star Game: How to watch, team rosters, top storylines in Chicago
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-wnba-star-game-watch-161838817.html?src=rss
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For now, it’s time to assess the roster and see where the team stands at each and every position.
After looking at quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers earlier this week, we’ll discuss the tight end group that hasn’t had many changes to it from the end of last season.
Entering this offseason, Gesicki’s future with the Dolphins was up in the air, as he was set to become an unrestricted free agent. However, Miami opted to place the franchise tag on the Penn State product and keep him around for another year.
As the team’s top tight end, Gesicki will likely be asked to do a bit more for the offense this year from a blocking perspective with McDaniel installing his offense. If he can show he can at least be a competent blocker, the Dolphins may be willing to keep him beyond 2022 on a long-term contract.
Smythe is more of the blocker in Miami’s offense, giving him a bit of a head-up in adapting to the system. In 2021, he had his best season yet, producing 357 yards on 34 receptions – both career-highs.
Last year, the Dolphins ran at least two tight ends on 70% of their plays last season, while the 49ers did so just 17% of the time. While this would lead one to believe that Smythe may not get the playing time he did last year, his blocking acumen may make him more useful.
In two years, Shaheen has recorded just 24 receptions for 260 yards and three touchdowns with the Dolphins. He also doesn’t bring much as a blocker despite his size.
While Shaheen has been the third option in Miami for two seasons, but his time in that role could be coming to an end. They could save $1.8 million by releasing him, and they already have a young tight end that they used a third-round pick on to replace him.
Here’s that third-round pick.
Fans were disappointed that they didn’t get to see more of the former Boston College Eagle in his rookie season, as he recorded just one reception for eight yards in his seven games played.
If all goes to plan, Long should be ready to slide into that third tight end role, provide some solid depth and make a couple of plays.
Arriving in Miami last season, Carter was essentially the special teams tight end, playing 61% of the snaps in that phase of the game while playing just 5% of the offensive plays.
His spot on the roster will more likely be decided by the special teams strength and depth rather than that of the tight end position.
As an undrafted free agent, it will be tough for Conner to make this roster. He has a better shot of showing that he could be a developmental piece that the Dolphins should keep on the practice squad.
AFC East preview: Is the Dolphins’ star-studded secondary the best in the division?
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2022-07-08T18:37:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 Dolphins positional preview: No big changes at TE this year
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When you’re a first-round pick, you’re always going to be compared to the other guys who were selected in your draft. For Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa, that includes guys like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, who were both first-round selections with him.
However, this also includes a guy that was taken in the second round of the 2020 draft and also shared a locker room with Tagovailoa at Alabama in Jalen Hurts.
The juxtapositions won’t be stopping any time soon, and this week was no different, as former NFL defensive back Darius Butler joined “The Pat McAfee Show.” He was asked who would have the better season between the two former Crimson Tide signal-callers.
Butler ultimately decided to pick Hurts, but he gave his thoughts on Tagovailoa and his situation in South Florida.
“Unfortunately, it may be a make or break year for him,” Butler said. “He’s got a first-year head coach, I think a first-year play-caller too with Mike McDaniel. With (Jaylen) Waddle and (Tyreek) Hill, like over in Philly, you have A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith. Those are two completely different wide receivers who are gonna give you different things, and you have Hurts and his legs. With Tua, I’m interested to see how they make that offense make mix. There’s a ton of speed, but we need third-and-seven or two-minute drive. Are you gonna be able to move that ball down the field? We got to see it. I’m not fully as confident in Tua right now as I am in Jalen Hurts.
“I like Tua. It’s set up for him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a little struggle this year to get going early. If you give Tua, I’ll say, two years with Mike McDaniel as well, this is his first year, it’s a lot to take on for a new head coach.”
Despite being selected a full round after the Dolphins quarterback, Hurts has played in more games than him to this point, however, Tagovailoa has started more. In 23 games, Tagovailoa has amassed 4,704 total yards, 33 total touchdowns and 15 interceptions while completing 66.2% of his passes. For Hurts, in 30 games, he’s totaled 5,343 total yards, 35 total touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just 59% of his attempts.
While it would be nice to allow Tagovailoa the time to learn under an offensive-minded head coach and be in the same system for some time, it’s unrealistic to think that he’ll be allowed to lead the team in two seasons if there’s not a jump that’s taken between now and then.
PFF: Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater haven’t been the NFL’s best decision-makers
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are at the top.
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2022-07-08T18:38:26Z
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Darius Butler: ‘I’m not fully as confident in Tua Tagovailoa as I am in Jalen Hurts”
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Drew Lock: Seattle’s offense will show off Noah Fant’s feel for football originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Sophia DiGenova of Wilmington pitches for the Philadelphia Liberty, which will be playing in a tournament in Sussex County, Delaware, this month.
E. Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant on “Transparent” and the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show,” died on Monday from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was 39. Mortensen was a member of Local 600 for 13 years. In that capacity, he served on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographer’s Guild since […]
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2022-07-08T18:38:39Z
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Drew Lock: Seattle’s offense will show off Noah Fant’s feel for football
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the Bucs are “hopeful” Godwin will be ready for Week 1, noting that it’s “not out of the question” that he’s back in the lineup to start the year (via JoeBucsFan):
“They are hopeful that he’ll be ready for opening day,” Schefter said of Bucs officials.
“So that’s encouraging. They’ll chart him, monitor him, track him during the summer, see how he’s coming along. Obviously [they’re] not going to rush him back. Probably would be surprised if we saw him in any preseason games, and I think the goal will be to see if he’s ready for opening day, which I don’t think is out of the question right now.”
Godwin led the Bucs in targets and receptions last year, and has established himself as one of the most complete pass-catchers in the entire NFL. Despite the injury, Tampa Bay acknowledged Godwin’s importance to their roster with a new three-year contract extension back in March.
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2022-07-08T18:38:51Z
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Good news on Chris Godwin’s timetable for return?
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“Anytime you have your players in the building, I think it’s a good opportunity for us to grow as a team and continue to improve, and every player has to make the decision they feel is best for them,” general manager Nick Caserio told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] on June 16. “We’re glad Laremy is here, getting a couple of days of work in, and everybody is looking forward to training camp and what’s in front of us there.”
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2022-07-08T18:39:04Z
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LT Laremy Tunsil predicted to be Texans’ non-QB MVP
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Over the past two seasons, McLaurin's route running has improved dramatically. His breaks have become a lot crisper.
A man was shot and killed after a confrontation with squeegee workers in downtown Baltimore, city police said. Baltimore police said officers responded around 4:30 p.m. Thursday and found a 48-year-old man shot at the intersection of Light and Conway streets. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the man, identified Friday as Timothy Reynolds, of Baltimore, was driving through the intersection and had some interaction with some squeegee workers, which got heated. Harrison said at some point, the man drove his vehicle through the intersection and parked it on the other side of Light Street, exited with a bat and walked back to the area where the squeegee workers were and swung the bat at one or more of the workers.
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2022-07-08T18:39:11Z
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One specific thing Washington's Terry McLaurin credits for his career ascension
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Everything you need to know for the second round of the Scottish Open.
There have been so many Roku deals so far this year, we almost lost count of them. Then, sadly, all the hottest sales disappeared last month. But thankfully, we have some good news. Roku’s best deals of 2022 are back again ahead of Prime Day 2022. And to be perfectly frank, you’d have to be … The post Roku deals start at $17.99 in this huge early Prime Day 2022 sale appeared first on BGR.
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2022-07-08T18:39:17Z
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What was the Rams’ best move of the offseason?
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TD’s Doug Farrar named Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman to his rankings at No. 11 overall.
“Coleman was a rising star with the Patriots (2015-2016) and Seahawks (2017-2018) before he signed a four-year, $36 million contract with the Lions in 2019 with $16 million guaranteed,” Farrar writes. “Things did not go well for him under Matt Patricia — this was the case for most of Detroit’s defenders under Patricia — and Coleman was released in March, 2021. The Dolphins signed him to a one-year deal a week later, and Coleman found a renaissance under Brian Flores, which proves that it’s very important to choose the right ex-Bill Belichick defensive assistant to be your head coach.”
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar continues our NFL position lists with the league’s best slot defenders. https://t.co/2v0WtUQQyI
Coleman signed a new one-year deal with Seattle this offseason.
Flag football will be played at an international, multi-sport event for the first time next week during the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The NFL may be the sport’s biggest cheerleader. “When we talk about the future of the game of football, it is, no question, flag,” NFL executive Troy Vincent told The Associated Press.
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2022-07-08T18:39:42Z
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Seahawks CB Justin Coleman named among NFL’s top slot defenders for 2022
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Michigan football strikes again in the recruiting department just one day after it landed four-star interior offensive lineman, Amir Herring.
On Friday, the Wolverines got a much-needed boost to the 2023 recruiting class after four-star Collins Acheampong announced his commitment to the maize and blue. He picked Michigan over LSU, Miami (FL), and UCLA among plenty of others. Acheampong, who goes to Santa Margarita Catholic (California), is listed as an athlete on 247Sports. He is also a dual-sport athlete who excels at basketball.
The California product is projected to play the edge position at the collegiate level and his size tells the story. Acheampong is listed at 6-foot-7 and weighs 254-pounds. According to the 247Sports composite, he is the 298th-ranked player for the class of 2023 and the 17-ranked prospect from California.
What’s unique about Acheampong is he hasn’t played football since his freshman year at Fairmont Prep. Academy — his football program was disbanded after COVID-19 — which is why he is now at Santa Margarita Catholic for his senior season. In his freshman year of football, he tallied 51 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, and nine sacks.
You can watch highlights from Acheampong’s freshman year at Fairmont Prep. below.
Freshman year Varsity football highlights🏈 pic.twitter.com/iHjhSyexOz
— Collins Acheampong (@collins_xi) December 20, 2021
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2022-07-08T19:41:42Z
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Michigan football gets a commitment from four-star athlete
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Is most of the challenge in conference play?
12. New Mexico State – Diego Pavia or Dino Maldonado
Last year’s starter, Jonah Johnson, departed the program through the transfer portal, so new head coach Jerry Kill has some work to do to identify his new starting quarterback. Maldonado is a holdover from 2021 who flopped against rival New Mexico but performed better against FCS South Carolina State, but Pavia seems to have the upper hand after leading New Mexico Military Institute to the National Junior College Athletic Association title last season and impressing in spring.
11. Incarnate Word – Kevin Yeager or Lindsey Scott
The Cardinals offense erupted last year under Cameron Ward and rode that all the way to the FCS playoffs, but Ward is at Washington State now and the race to replace him is far from settled. Yeager ended 2021 as Ward’s backup and appeared in four games, but Scott’s edge is that he started for Nichols State last year and proved to be uniquely dangerous for the Colonels. He threw for 2,083 yards and six touchdowns with eleven interceptions, but he also led the team in rushing with 1,074 yards and scored nine times on the ground.
10. UNLV – Cameron Friel or Doug Brumfield or Harrison Bailey
The Wolf Pack have certainly benefited from UNLV’s quarterback chaos more often than not over the years and 2021 was no exception. Friel played perhaps his worst game of the year against Nevada, so while he might be the reigning conference freshman of the year, he’ll have to earn the QB1 job again against a healthy Brumfield and Tennessee transfer Bailey.
9. Texas State – Layne Hatcher
In terms of passer rating, the Bobcats haven’t ranked in the top half of the Sun Belt since finishing first back in 2014, but Hatcher’s arrival from Arkansas State might just turn that around. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because he split time with current Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner in 2019 and 2020, but his numbers were decidedly more mixed after he beat James Blackman for the job last season: A 58.1% completion rate, 7.1 yards per attempt, and 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions on 341 attempts.
Schager saw the field ahead of schedule when Chevan Cordeiro got hurt, but he had his moments in three weeks as the starter. He helped rally the Warriors against Fresno State before a rough game against Nevada, but then he picked himself up and had his best overall game against New Mexico State.
Is that enough to earn the job again in a new offense? That will probably depend on beating out Cooper, who saw limited playing time at Washington State in a similarly wide-open passing attack.
Talk about a sore subject. Millen almost certainly would’ve been the front-runner to start for the Wolf Pack had he not chosen to follow Jay Norvell to Fort Collins instead. The hype surrounding the redshirt freshman is real, but it’s been a decade since the Rams have turned to a quarterback like him, when injuries forced Conner Smith into action.
6. San Diego State – Braxton Burmeister
Aztec quarterbacks don’t typically go off but the tandem of Lucas Johnson and Jordon Brookshire improved down the stretch last season, so the bar isn’t under ground like you might expect. There are some expectations for Burmeister, then, which start with improving a completion rate that has actually decreased with the more action he’s seen since 2018.
Cordeiro had some ups and downs in his years at Hawaii, but he was mostly sharp whenever he set foot on the field against the Wolf Pack. He missed last year’s game with injury but played one of the best games of his career in the Warriors’ win two years ago, so with a fully stocked offense now at his disposal in the South Bay he could make a lot more noise.
4. Iowa – Spencer Petras
Petras is the exemplar of Iowa quarterbacking in that he’ll give you exactly what you need and nothing more. In two years as the Hawkeyes starter, he’s only been asked to throw the ball 26.7 times per game and, in so doing, essentially carbon-copied his 2020 campaign in 2021. One potential hangup: His interception rate rose from 2% to 3.1% last year, something about which head coach Kirk Ferentz is certainly aware.
Daniels didn’t have to personally do too much in the Falcons’ victory over Nevada last year, but that’s because his decision-making enabled Brad Roberts and DeAndre Hughes to run wild instead. He hasn’t received as much attention as some of his peers in the conference over the last two seasons, but he improved his yards per attempt and accounted for 18 total touchdowns while engineering the nation’s most dangerous running game. He’s very good.
The Broncos lost their matchup with Nevada last year, but you can’t really pin that on Bachmeier. He did everything he could to try and bring Boise State back, taking a lot of punishment in the process, and he still established single-game career highs in completions (34) and passing touchdowns (four) while throwing for 388 yards. That he continued to improve across the board last year despite battling through injury means that the Wolf Pack could have their hands full once again trying to stop him.
If there’s one team against whom Haener has been lights out in his collegiate career, it’s the Wolf Pack. Between the two contests in 2020 and 2021, the Bulldogs quarterback threw for 741 yards, the most he’s had against any one team, with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in 103 attempts. Now that the Nevada defense is reloading, it may be even tougher to stop Haener the third time around.
Nevada Football: 2022 Breakout Candidates
Air Force Football: 2022 Quarterback Depth
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2022-07-08T19:41:56Z
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Nevada Football: Ranking 2022’s Opposing Quarterbacks
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Michael Finewax
Kasper left his native Austria to play in the Swedish Hockey League for Rogle. He had seven goals and 11 points in 46 games during the 2021-22 season. He also added six points in 13 playoff matches. Kasper has good skills in all aspects of his offensive game including his skating, shooting and passing. He also has very good hockey smarts and a bit of a mean streak. Kasper’s grittiness and skill should serve him well with the Red Wings. He shouldn't be expected to play in Detroit next season, but he's a well-rounded player with middle-six forward upside.
The Arizona Coyotes clearly wanted Geekie given that they dealt the 27th, 34th, and 45th overall picks to the San Jose Sharks to move up to the 11th selection. It's understandable though given Geekie's upside. At one point he was considered a top-three player at one point this past season before he dropped down in the eyes of many. At six-foot, four-inches and 200 pounds, he would have been a top pick 10 years ago, but his skill and pace (what most teams now look for in a player) curb his potential in the current NHL. What Geekie does do well is go to the net and play a strong two-way game. His physicality could be the best among all draft eligible forwards, certainly those going in the first round, and while his point production was only 24 goals and 70 points in 63 games, he was only 17 during the season. Geekie has a very good shot and is a good playmaker with plenty of hockey smarts. He lacks footspeed which could hold him back in the NHL. Look for Geekie to be a top-two center for the Coyotes someday and definitely a top pivot if he improves his skating.
16. Buffalo (via Vegas) - Noah Ostlund – Center
25. Chicago (via Toronto) – Sam Rinzel - Defenseman
30. Winnipeg – (via New York Rangers) – Brad Lambert - Center
This pick is something of a surprise, but Schaefer was strong in the 2022 WHL playoffs, scoring six goals and 21 points in 25 contests for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Schaefer's strength is that he's big and tough. He stands at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds and has the potential to develop into a middle-six power forward. He's willing to use that size to help him force his way to the net and he'll also make his presence known defensively. After trading away Zack Kassian, the Oilers might have gotten a future player of that mold in Schaefer.
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2022-07-08T21:03:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NHL First Round Draft Results
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nhl-first-round-draft-032601564.html?src=rss
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Even before Wednesday’s trade, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was pretty familiar with Baker Mayfield. In fact, he once got himself the full Baker Mayfield experience.
That came in the collegiate ranks, where Rhule’s Baylor Bears clashed with Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners on Sept. 23, 2017. And, as the legend of Baker has often gone, it started with some fun (and kinda naughty) pregame trash talk.
Mayfield ended up delivering on that lesson plan he promised Rhule’s squad. In the fourth game of what would be his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, the Sooner boomed the Bears for 313 total yards and three touchdowns in a 49-41 victory.
In addition to earning college football’s top individual honor, Mayfield also led Oklahoma to a Big 12 title and a date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Rose Bowl—one they’d fall short in on a 54-48 defeat.
As for Rhule, Baylor went on to chalk up seven losses over their next eight games en route to a dreadful 1-11 record. He would, of course, bounce the program back—guiding the way for seven wins 2018 and then 11 in 2019.
But now, it must be nice for Rhule to have such a loving and caring father figure in his NFL locker room.
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2022-07-08T21:05:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Panthers HC Matt Rhule is already, um, acquainted with Baker Mayfield
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https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-hc-matt-rhule-already-185030925.html?src=rss
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LAS VEGAS — It had been eight months and 20 days since Shaedon Sharpe played in a competitive basketball game. Sharpe was the No. 1 player coming out high school, joined Kentucky for the second semester and didn't play a single game. He was the biggest mystery in the 2022 NBA draft and despite his long hiatus from the court, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Sharpe with the seventh overall pick.
"After not playing for so long, I'm just looking forward to playing and competing at the highest level," Sharpe told Yahoo Sports on draft night. "I've put in the work, and I'm just going to come in with confidence and get better each and every day."
Sharpe took the court at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday night for warmups before the second of two games to open NBA Summer League; the Trail Blazers faced the Detroit Pistons for the late-night tip-off that didn't start until 12:15 a.m. ET. Sharpe looked loose and comfortable. He had a few bouncy dunks and knocked down some outside jumpers before his first NBA game.
First game for Shaedon Sharpe in over 8 months pic.twitter.com/IU5AI3Akwg
Sharpe was announced as one of the five starters for Portland and was the facing the No. 5 pick, Jaden Ivey. Ivey played two full seasons at Purdue and is arguably the best shooting guard in the 2022 draft class.
Sharpe wasn't afraid to take shots early on. He attempted two 3-pointers in the same possession three minutes into the game. Both shots were short but not off too far. His first basket came with 4:35 left in the first quarter, a midrange jumper from the right wing. Sharpe left the game shortly after in what appeared to be a routine substitution. He remained on the bench with a warmup shirt on the entire second quarter and at halftime, the team announced he had a shoulder injury and wouldn't return.
Trail Blazers head coach Steve Hetzel said he didn't see when the injury occurred and thought Sharpe was fine when he subbed him out.
"I didn't see the injury exactly, I think he hit it on the floor," Hetzel said after the Blazers' 81-78 loss. "Walking off the court at halftime, he said he felt good, but we want to be cautious with all our players so we're going to do our due diligence and figure it out."
Yahoo Sports' Senior NBA Insider, Chris Haynes, reported immediately after the game that Sharpe would undergo an MRI on his left shoulder.
The mystery surrounding Sharpe as an NBA player continues.
Detroit's Jaden Ivy drives against Portland's Shaedon Sharpe during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on July 7, 2022. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Trail Blazers still have three more games in the next week, and the best-case scenario is the medical staff is taking all precautionary measures to rule out anything serious and we'll see Sharpe back on the court for another game.
Sharpe has participated in all practices leading up to Summer League, and the coaching staff is encouraged by what they're seeing early.
"He's been impressive in practice," Hetzel said. "He has a ton of talent and an easy, smooth way about him. He defends, he listens, he's coachable and he tries to apply the coaching we've given him so I've been impressed."
It was supposed to be a night that showcased why Sharpe is a top-10 talent. Instead, Sharpe played only five minutes and scored two points on three shot attempts. The waiting game will continue and hopefully the injury isn't too serious so we can see Sharpe's athleticism in the open court on full display, his deep range from the 3-point line and the way he plays above the rim with his insane vertical and power — all things that made him the No. 1 player coming out of high school.
The Trail Blazers' next game is Saturday at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2) against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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2022-07-08T21:05:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Shaedon Sharpe suffers injury in NBA debut, remains the biggest mystery among rookies
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Lacob: Warriors in 'no rush' to extend Wiggins, Poole originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Poole, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension. If the two parties don't agree on a new deal by Oct. 17, Poole will become a restricted free agent next summer.
"We have time to do those things," Warriors owner Joe Lacob said in an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. "There’s no rush on all that. I’m sure there will be some discussions this summer. But we haven’t talked to them."
Both Poole and Wiggins played crucial roles in Golden State's journey to its fourth championship in the last eight years. Poole went from playing in the G League in 2020-21 to at times carrying the Warriors offense during the regular season, averaging 18.5 points and leading the NBA in free-throw percentage.
Wiggins was arguably the Warriors' second-best player in the NBA Finals, logging 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds over the six-game series while playing lockdown defense against the Boston Celtics.
"They are two great players in their 20s," Lacob said. "We’d love to retain them. But this becomes the problem going forward when you have a team like ours where you’ve got three guys that have been with us for a long time, make a lot of money, huge salaries -- Steph, Klay and Draymond. You’ve got these two guys who will be getting into – well, [Wiggins] already is in big salary mode and wants to stay there. And [Poole] is going to be clearly making a lot more money.
Keeping both Wiggins and Poole in the Bay will be a challenge for the Warriors, who owned the league's most expensive roster last season and are living in the luxury tax. It was the reason Golden State couldn't match the Portland Trail Blazers' offer for Gary Payton II or bring back Otto Porter Jr.
"Next summer, we’re going to be faced with more issues with respect to the cap and luxury tax and all that," Lacob continued. "We’ll just to have to see how this goes. It’s sort of a year-to-year thing. Let’s see how everybody plays. Let’s see if we are contending again, which we think we will. Let’s see if we’re going to win again. That certainly extends what we’re able to do. If we don’t, we have to sort of rethink things a little bit."
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2022-07-08T21:06:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Warriors in 'no rush' to extend Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Joe Lacob says
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https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-no-rush-extend-andrew-174848233.html?src=rss
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Former Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Samori Toure was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Following the departure of Davante Adams, the Packers aggressively targeted the wide receiver position in the draft. In addition to Toure, they traded up in the second round to select North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, and they drafted Nevada’s Romeo Doubs in the fourth round.
On July 6, quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke about the three rookie wide receivers on The Pat McAfee Show, and he complimented Toure.
“Physically, they definitely look the part,” Rodgers said. “All three of the guys we drafted obviously have the physical gifts. Obviously, the top two picks are bigger, Doubs and Watson, but the seventh-round pick’s got a lot of stuff to him. So, I think it’s going to be great.”
Toure began his college career at Montana, where he became a first-team All-Big Sky selection. After a successful tenure at Montana, Toure transferred to Nebraska for his senior season.
In 2021, Toure recorded 46 receptions for 898 yards and five touchdowns across 12 games.
With Adams gone, the Packers’ wide receiver depth chart is up in the air, as veterans Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, and Randall Cobb will compete with the three rookies and second-year receiver Amari Rodgers for snaps.
If Toure has a strong training camp, he could play a significant role this season.
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2022-07-08T21:12:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Aaron Rodgers Compliments Former Nebraska WR Samori Toure
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https://sports.yahoo.com/aaron-rodgers-compliments-former-nebraska-175812073.html?src=rss
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Goodell: NFL Sunday Ticket heading to streaming service originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
NFL’s Sunday Ticket is going to get a new home this year, and there are plenty of suitors lining up.
In an exclusive interview with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league plans to choose a streaming service as its partner for Sunday Ticket. Goodell also said that the league expects to announce the new provider by the fall.
“I clearly believe we'll be moving to a streaming service,” Goodell told Boorstin in an interview at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley conference in Idaho. “I think that's best for consumers at this stage.”
Sunday Ticket allows fans to watch Sunday afternoon NFL games outside of their local markets. DirecTV has been the NFL’s partner for the service and its contract with the league is over at the end of the upcoming season.
Apple, Amazon and Disney have all submitted bids to become the NFL’s Sunday Ticket provider, according to CNBC. Amazon took over as the exclusive home for Thursday Night Football beginning with the 2022 season. Disney, which owns ESPN, is the home of Monday Night Football.
“We really believe these new platforms give us an ability to innovate where we are today,” Goodell said. "It obviously makes it more available to our consumers, particularly the younger demographic, which is one that we really want to get to. I think this will make it more accessible for fans. I think it will be a better experience for fans.”
The NFL is seeking more than $2 billion annually from its new Sunday Ticket partner, according to CNBC. By comparison, DirecTV paid $1.5 billion per year.
Due to agreements between NFL, CBS and FOX, the two networks with broadcast rights for Sunday afternoon games, the league’s new partner will not be able to drive the $300 Sunday Ticket price down by a significant margin.
In addition to a new Sunday Ticket partner, Goodell also told Boorstin that the league will launch its own streaming service, NFL+, before the start of the season. He did not offer any details on pricing or what the service’s content library will include.
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2022-07-08T21:12:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL Sunday Ticket heading to streaming service, new partner to be named by fall
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-sunday-ticket-heading-streaming-190200537.html?src=rss
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A taxing first season in the NFL eventually gave way to a long-awaited offseason, and now Green Bay Packers receiver Amari Rodgers is feeling recharged and ready to take on Year 2 in 2022.
“I’ve had an offseason to actually take care of my body, get my body right. So I feel like I’m back to myself,” Rodgers told Alberto Camargo of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Rodgers said he felt his final season at Clemson and the pre-draft process affected his rookie season, which took a toll on him “mentally and physically.”
The Packers’ third-round pick finished the 2021 season with four catches for 45 yards, one carry for 11 yards and 20 kickoff returns for 166 yards and 11 punt returns for 199 yards.
Overall, Rodgers played only 103 snaps on offense and another 116 on special teams during an underwhelming first season.
Earlier this offseason, Rodgers explained how he shifted his focus to getting his body back where he wants it entering Year 2.
“This offseason, I locked in on getting my body right,” Rodgers said last month. “I lost like six pounds, I lost four percent body fat. Lost all of it my torso, so I feel like I’m getting in that area where I was in college as far as where I want to be to move how I want to, and play receiver the way I should.”
Rodgers said he’s better acclimated to the speed of the game and playing in an multi-layered offense led by Aaron Rodgers, the four-time NFL MVP. He also said he’s dipped into “meditation and mental training” to help create the second-year leap everyone is expecting.
The Packers believe Rodgers’ confidence has skyrocketed this offseason.
“Biggest thing we worked on, I talked to him in the offseason, how do you get your confidence? Well, you work and train harder than you ever did,” receivers coach Jason Vrable said. “So if you were to see him right now, he already looks faster and stronger than he ever did. He’s in the best shape of his life. His mindset is, ‘I’m going to be the No. 1 guy at all three positions.’ He has that going for him. His route-running is already cleaner and crisper. He’s trained an entire offseason.”
Rodgers has an opportunity to carve out an important role on offense after the Packers lost Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling at receiver this offseason, but he must improve drastically over his rookie season to make it happen. A chance to recharge the batteries after running on empty as a rookie might help.
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2022-07-08T21:13:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Packers WR Amari Rodgers feeling recharged entering Year 2: ‘I feel like I’m back to myself’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-wr-amari-rodgers-feeling-190018415.html?src=rss
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 54 semifinalists in the “Seniors” and “Coaches/Contributors” categories for the 2023 Hall of Fame Class on Thursday. Among them are former Green Bay Packers receiver Sterling Sharpe and former Packers coach Mike Holmgren.
Sharpe, now a member of the “Seniors” category, was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. He led the NFL in receptions three times (1989, 1992, 1993), led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice (1992, 1994) and led the NFL in receiving yards once (1992). In 1992, he completed the receiving triple crown by leading the NFL in all three categories. Sharpe’s career was cut short by a neck injury. Over seven seasons, he averaged 85 catches, 1,162 yards and 9.3 touchdowns per year.
From the PFHOF: “Sharpe made five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro teams during his seven-year career with the Green Bay Packers. His 18 touchdown receptions in his final season is still good for third best all-time.”
Holmgren won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach before winning three NFC titles and a Super Bowl (XXXI) as a head coach. Overall, he won 174 games as a head coach, including 13 playoff games. Holmgren was the Packers’ coach from 1992-98 and led the team to back-to-back Super Bowls. He helped develop future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and turn around the franchise overall. The Packers won 67 percent of games during Holmgren’s tenure. His teams captured eight total division crowns and made the playoffs 12 times.
By July 27, the committee will reduce the field to 12 “Seniors” and 12 “Coaches/Contributors.” Three finalists from “Seniors” and one “Coach/Contributor) will eventually be selected for final review.
Who is the better candidate for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sharpe or Holmgren? Vote in our polls below!
Better Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate, Sterling Sharpe or Mike Holmgren?
The album Young said was too sad to put out has finally gotten a proper release, 21 years later. Neil Young Finally Unveils Elusive 2001 Album Toast: Stream Abby Jones
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2022-07-08T21:13:06Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Poll: Better Hall of Fame candidate, Sterling Sharpe or Mike Holmgren?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/poll-better-hall-fame-candidate-193626656.html?src=rss
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Ranking the No. 1 TEs on Titans’ 2022 schedule
In our latest installment of Tennessee Titans 2022 opponent rankings, we take a look at the slate of the No. 1 tight ends the team will face in 2022.
With teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills on their schedule, the Titans will face some of league’s best tight ends in 2022.
Unfortunately for Tennessee, their No. 1 option to match up with tight ends in 2021, defensive back Dane Cruikshank, is no longer with the team after signing with the Chicago Bears in free agency this offseason.
Filling Cruikshank’s role will be especially important because of the slate of tight ends Tennessee will face. As of right now it’s unclear who will step into those fairly big shoes.
Putting that aside for now, let’s take a look at the 14 tight ends on the Titans’ 2022 schedule who are expected to be at the top of their team’s depth chart, and we’ll rank them from best to worst.
14. Brevin Jordan, Houston Texans
A 2021 fifth-round pick of the Texans, Jordan appeared in just nine games (two starts) for Houston in his rookie season. He’ll get his first crack at a full-time starting role in 2022.
13. Ricky Seals-Jones, New York Giants
Seals-Jones has been a backup for most of his career but saw extended action as a starter in 2021 thanks to Logan Thomas’ injury issues. The jury is very much out on Seals-Jones’ ability to be a full-time starter, though.
12. Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos
Okwuegbunam saw a career-high six starts over 14 games in 2021. With Noah Fant gone as part of the Russell Wilson trade, Albert O. has a chance to seize the No. 1 role, but will have rookie Greg Dulcich nipping at his heels.
In 2021, Hurst missed four games due to injury and tallied less than half the yards he had in what was a career year in 2020. As far as pass-catching goes, Hurst is a downgrade from C.J. Uzomah, who signed with the New York Jets.
After a career year in 2020, Tonyan missed the final nine games last season due to a torn ACL. He remains one of the few projected starters on Green Bay’s roster who has familiarity with Aaron Rodgers.
9. Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts
After spending the first four years behind Jack Doyle, Alie-Cox gets a shot to show what he can do as a full-time starter. However, the Colts have drafted a tight end in each of the past two years (Kylen Granson and Jelani Woods), so his spot isn’t exactly secure, even after inking an extension in 2022.
8. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
Everett is on his third team in as many seasons. He posted career-bests in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2021 despite the Seattle Seahawks struggling overall.
7. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Injuries, drops and suspect blocking have plagued Engram’s career, but he still has the tools to be one of the most dangerous playmakers at the position in the NFL thanks to his skill set that more closely mirrors a wide receiver.
6. Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Thomas has the goods to be one of the better tight ends in the NFL, but injury slowed his momentum. After a career year in 2020, Thomas was limited to just six games in 2021.
The Tennessee native was bordering on bust status going into 2021, but he rebounded in a big way to have his best campaign yet. Knox was a touchdown machine, scoring nine in 15 games played.
Goedert began taking over the No. 1 tight end role in Philly even before Zach Ertz was traded. He thrived in that role during the 2021 season, finishing fifth in receiving yards among tight ends.
Schultz has ascended to the status of one of the better tight ends in the NFL the past two years, a status that was cemented after totaling a career-high 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. The Cowboys slapped the franchise tag on him this offseason.
When you talk about of the best tight ends in the sport, Waller’s name most certainly comes up. He’s a freak athlete and dynamic playmaker who can easily take a game over with his receiving prowess.
No surprise here, Kelce remains the league’s top tight end, with only Waller, San Francisco’s George Kittle and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews worthy of being called competition for that spot. The future Hall of Famer could soak up even more production in 2022 now that Tyreek Hill is gone.
More opponent positional rankings
Ranking the WRs Titans will face
NFL.com predicts left tackle Laremy Tunsil will be the Houston Texans' non-QB MVP in 2022.
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2022-07-08T21:13:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ranking the No. 1 TEs on Titans’ 2022 schedule
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-no-1-tes-titans-160013171.html?src=rss
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The Oregon Ducks are in the running to land yet another 5-star player this summer, with Samuel M’Pemba, one of the top-ranked athletes in the 2023 class, announcing his top-7 on Friday.
M’Pemba, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 EDGE and No. 26 player overall in the 2023 class. He recently took an official visit to Eugene in the month of June, and seems to have enjoyed his time.
Currently, there is a prediction on On3 that M’Pemba will end up committing to the Georgia Bulldogs, but as his recruitment goes on this summer, we will see how teams position themselves. Could the Ducks sneak in there and get a look from the elite pass-rusher as a finalist? Time will tell.
Samuel M’Pemba’s Recruiting Profile
Wide Receiver/Edge
Seattle named in Top 10 list of places to move to for love
Seattle has been named in a Top 10 list of the best cities for singles to move to for love, according to an analysis by Zillow. The ranking of the 100 largest U.S. cities was based on factors that included the population singles, available rental units and rent affordability. Wichita, Kansas, was ranked number one despite not having one of the largest singles populations.
FSU true freshman and four-star offensive line signee Qae'shon Sapp talks first month officially as a Seminole.
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2022-07-08T21:58:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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5-star EDGE Samuel M’Pemba lists Ducks in newly-released top-7
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https://sports.yahoo.com/5-star-edge-samuel-m-194404055.html?src=rss
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On Friday afternoon, Alabama lost a commitment from 2023 safety Elliot Washington II.
He flipped his commitment from the Crimson Tide to Penn State. The news of him flipping doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Many experts had Washington II flipping his commitment to Michigan State after having taken two official visits to East Lansing.
Washington II had been committed to the Tide since January 31, 2022. His father, Elliot Washington Sr., played basketball for Alabama’s men’s basketball team just a few decades ago.
Washington II is regarded as a four-star by 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. He plays football while also competing in track at Venice High School in Venice, Florida.
The Tide’s 2023 recruiting class now consists of ten hard commits. There are still three defensive backs in the class with five-star prospects Tony Mitchell and Jahlil Hurley, as well as three-star Brayson Hubbard on board.
Alabama is still in pursuit of several other cornerbacks like Cormani McClain, Makari Vickers and Caleb Downs. Washington’s flip to Penn State hurts temporarily, but Alabama will be able to land several other defensive backs in the future.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Alabama football and the Crimson Tide’s recruiting news.
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2022-07-08T21:58:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Alabama commit, Elliot Washington II flips commitment to Penn State
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https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-commit-elliot-washington-ii-213054581.html?src=rss
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Fresh off the heels of two high-profile Thursday commitments, the Florida Gators have risen in 247Sports’ 2023 team recruiting rankings.
After waking up ranked 43rd in the country, the Gators went to bed Thursday night with the 26th overall recruiting class. It started with Napier flipping four-star quarterback recruit Markus Stokes from Penn State. The 6-foot-2-inch, 185-pound signal-caller out of Nease High School (same high school that Tim Tebow played at) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was a morale boost for the Florida fanbase after missing out on blue-chip QB Jaden Rashada just one week ago. Flipping a quarterback prospect just up the road from Gainesville from a top-tier program like the Nittany Lions’ did a lot for the perception of the program.
The Gators also landed the services of four-star running back Treyaun Webb. The Jacksonville native plays his high school football at Trinity Christian Academy and committed to the Gators shortly after Stokes announced he had flipped programs. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound ball-carrier chose the Gators over Penn State and South Carolina, where he was being recruited by former Florida coaches Ja’Juan Seider (Penn State) and Torrian Gray (South Carolina).
These rankings came out before four-star athlete Eugene Wilson III chose to commit to the Gators over Texas A&M on Friday afternoon. The Gators are expected to rise in the rankings even more after Wilson III’s commitment, with the potential to secure more commitments over the weekend.
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2022-07-08T21:58:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Gators jump in recruiting rankings after recent commitments
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Four employees from U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been referred for disciplinary review over their treatment of Haitian migrants who they sought to push back across the Rio Grande using horses last September, officials said on Friday as the agency released a more than 500-page report on the widely filmed and photographed incident. CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus in a press conference stressed the disciplinary process related to the Sept. 19 incident was ongoing, and he did not identify the employees. Reuters witnesses at the time saw mounted officers wearing cowboy hats blocking the paths of migrants, and one officer unfurling horse reins resembling a lariat, which he swung near a man's face as he carried a bag of food across the Rio Grande river to a makeshift encampment in the United States.
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2022-07-08T21:59:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where did Greg Schiano lands in the CBS Sports Big Ten head coaching rankings?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/where-did-greg-schiano-lands-164352116.html?src=rss
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Sweet Home Carolina
The Carolina Panthers sent medium-level shockwaves through the NFL world this week when they traded for former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Browns received a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick and will pay around $10.5 million of his salary. For the Panthers, they’ll pick up the remaining $8 million of Mayfield’s salary this season. He has also agreed to take a $3.5 million pay cut which he can earn back due to incentives. With their backs up against the wall, this exchange is more than what the Browns could’ve asked for. It was clear that no team was going to trade for Mayfield, give up a ton of capital AND pay him $18.5 million. Considering the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and signed him to a long-term deal, the move was inevitable. There was a small glimmer of hope however when last week Mayfield implied that the door wasn't completely shut on playing for the Browns in 2022. That is all out of the window now as Mayfield will team up (for the time being) with his 2018 draft classmate Sam Darnold. Yes, the top two quarterbacks selected from the 2018 NFL Draft will now reside on the same team, different than the one who drafted them.
There are reports that, due to good spring practices from Darnold, a training camp battle will ensue. You could argue this to be the case since the Panthers will only pay Mayfield backup-quarterback money. What also makes this realistic is the fact that the Panthers gave up crumbs to acquire him. On the other hand, if it were all good in Carolina, the team wouldn't be searching for another quarterback at all, especially after drafting Matt Corral in the third round. I liken this “camp battle” to the one between Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham entering the 2020 season. In my opinion, the coaching staff has to put this out in the media as a true battle to keep from pissing off the other guy. Based on what we've seen, there's no question that Mayfield will give the Panthers offense a better chance to thrive. Let's quickly pour one out for fan-favorite and former XFL stud P.J. Walker.
The main difference for Mayfield coming into this season will be his offensive line. According to PFF, the Browns had the eighth-best line in 2022. The Panthers are coming into the season having been ranked the second-worst line in football. The Panthers made moves like drafting Ikem Ekwonu and completely renovating the rest of the unit. Currently the lone returning starter will be Taylor Moton, who was the only Panthers lineman to grade out over 67 (77.8) at the right tackle position. The receiving corps will be solid, led by D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson. While Anderson is coming off of a down year in which he had a career-low 519 receiving yards, Moore has a more solid floor and higher ceiling. Coming off three straight seasons in which he’s gained at least 1,150 receiving yards, this could be his most stable quarterback situation yet. Mayfield hopes to help Moore improve upon his three straight years of only scoring four touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey will serve as Mayfield’s outlet pretty much like he's done for every signal-caller he’s played with. Mayfield had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum on his non-throwing arm. With a clean bill of health, he’ll have a chance to show and prove that he’s still a franchise quarterback. After finishing no better than QB16 in fantasy entering year five, Mayfield can only be seen as a mid to low-end QB2 at this point.
Winston on the rise
Jameis Winston is feeling good again. The Saints’ starting quarterback posted a video on his Instagram page this week of him throwing without a knee brace. This is good news for the quarterback who tore his ACL in Week 8 of last season. Up until that point, Winston was having his most efficient season to date as he’d had a 14:3 TD:INT ratio and the Saints held a 5-2 record. While he wasn’t great from a fantasy perspective, Alvin Kamara was still a top-seven fantasy back with Winston under center. Things will change a lot for Winston this season. In 2021, his top three wideouts were Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harty and Tre’Quan Smith. Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry and a presumed healthy Michael Thomas will be huge upgrades at Winston’s disposal. The team has also finally realized Taysom Hill isn’t even worthy of dressing up as a quarterback for Halloween and will play more of a tight end/H-Back role like he’s accustomed to. Another big difference, however, will be the loss of Sean Payton, who retired (for now) from coaching. Long-time Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was retained by new head coach Dennis Allen. This will give Winston and the Saints' offensive players continuity in the system. With a healthy Winston and all of his weapons, the Saints could continue to be a thorn in the Buccaneers' side in a race for the NFC South title. Expect Winston to make a leap in fantasy as well.
The speedy penguin speaks
It’s not out of the norm for players (especially wide receivers) to speak highly of their quarterbacks. Since being traded to the Dolphins, Tyreek Hill has gone on a praise-Tua Tagovailoa tour. Hill is very confident in Tua, his skills and especially his accuracy. Add Jaylen Waddle mix as he went on the ‘It needed to be said’ Podcast to gush about his quarterback. He let people know that Tua has “been that guy” since his days at Alabama. Seeing how Waddle said these things on Hill’s podcast, it shows the two have already bonded nicely in the wide receiver room. Waddle ended the 2021 season with an NFL-record 104 receptions for a rookie. He coupled that with 1,015 yards and six touchdowns, finishing just outside of WR1 range in fantasy. This season he and Hill will pose massive problems for defenders as they look to help take Tua to the next level.
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2022-07-08T23:32:09Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Weekly Wrap Up: Baker the new QB in Carolina
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LSU received its biggest commit of the cycle on Friday.
Five-star receiver Jalen Brown announced he would be committing to LSU, making him the first consensus five-star to join the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class. Brown chose LSU over Florida State, Michigan, Texas A&M and Miami.
Leading up to his commitment, Brown received a flood of 247Sports Crystal Balls pegging him to LSU and was tabbed as the favorite by On3’s prediction machine as well.
According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Brown is the 29th best player in the class and the fourth-best wide receiver. He’s a top-10 player in the state of Florida.
The 247Sports scouting report described Brown as an elite deep threat with top-level speed. Along with football, Brown is a track star.
There’s a chance for LSU’s 2023 wide receiver class to really stand out if fellow five-star and Baton Rouge prospect Shelton Sampson Jr. — for whom the Tigers are the favorite — joins the group.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves said on Friday he has ordered his ministers to launch talks to join the Pacific Alliance, a multinational pact focused on boosting trade, part of the new pro-business leader's push for faster economic growth. The Central American country has been analyzing its inclusion in the group for over a decade, though some former governments have rejected it. The Pacific Alliance seeks stronger economic and commercial ties, based on principles of free movement of goods, services and capital while targeting nations clustered around Asia's Pacific coast, home to some of the fastest-growing economies.
Arrest made in caught-on-camera pickaxe attacks on Malibu homes, cars
Residents along the Pacific Coast Highway said a man had been seen swinging the axe on at least three separate nights in the last week. The 55-year-old was arrested Friday in Santa Monica.
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2022-07-09T00:06:38Z
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BREAKING: 5-star receiver Jalen Brown commits to LSU
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What a difference a day can make in the world of college football recruiting. A day after Penn State was on the wrong end of a handful of recruiting headlines, the Nittany Lions are riding into the weekend feeling a bit more optimistic on the recruiting trail. Elliot Washington, a four-star safety from Florida, announced he has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Penn State, marking a major recruiting victory for Penn State head coach James Franklin.
Washington had been committed to Alabama even though he announced he was reopening his recruiting to explore a few more options. He never officially announced a decommitment from the Crimson Tide until announcing his new commitment to the Nittany Lions on his Twitter account on Friday afternoon.
Washington is the fourth highest-rated player in Penn State’s current Class of 2023 lineup according to 247Sports. The 5′-11″ safety is a speedster too with a successful background in track and field.
Last season for Venice High School, Washington had 58 tackles and four interceptions in 15 games as a key player for Venice’s run to a state championship.
Washignton made two official visits in the month of June. The first was to Penn State on June 10. Two weeks later, Washington visited Michigan State, and the Spartans began to trend as the favorite to secure his commitment. But as Penn State fans know all too well, sometimes the recruiting experts can be caught off guard as well.
Washington is the fourth safety on the board for Penn State in the Class of 2023. He joins a safety-heavy class that already includes King Mack, DaKaari Nelson, and Conrad Hussey. All three of those players are also four-star players according to the 247Sports composite player rankings. Penn State has also added to its defensive secondary with cornerback Lamont Payne, one of its top in-state targets.
1982: Lafayette Road Outdoor Theater razed
Crews demolished the Lafayette Road Outdoor Theater in July 1982.
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2022-07-09T00:06:50Z
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Penn State flips four-star safety Elliot Washington from Alabama
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But four and a half months after she was first detained, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris promise to do everything they can to bring her home, Griner’s wife and friends want you to know she is more than a WNBA player or a Russian prisoner.
“What America needs to understand is that (Griner) is you, too,” Nneka Ogwumike said Friday afternoon. “She is the fun aunt. She is the wife who encourages her spouse to thrive. She’s the daughter who celebrates her dad’s service on the Fourth. She’s the kid who was bullied and a role model who stands up for those kids now.
“She’s my fellow Houston native and thus, my Dad’s favorite player. He can tell you that,” Ogwumike said. “We’re so lucky to know BG. If you don’t know her, you need to.”
Griner’s presence, or lack of it, will loom large over the WNBA’s All-Star festivities here this weekend. She has already been named an honorary starter for Sunday’s game, and the league is planning a special recognition of her wife, Cherelle, and Griner’s family.
But that is Griner the basketball player. As her fellow WNBA players try and marshal support beyond the league for her release, there was a concerted effort Friday to personalize Griner and her case. To make people realize that while Griner might be an extraordinary basketball player, she is also an ordinary American.
At a news conference organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton, Cherelle Griner spoke of the “gut-wrenching time for my entire family,” but also her joy at seeing the outpouring of love for them and her wife. Ogwumike described the Griner she knows, a woman who is “kind and resilient.”
The plight of a WNBA player might not be enough to stir outrage with the general public. But maybe the illegal detainment of a wife, daughter and friend who is missed by so many will.
“Thank you for your love, thank you for your support and thank you for keeping my wife’s name and legacy visible while she’s not here on U.S. soil,” Cherelle Griner said, flanked by Ogwumike and Sue Bird.
Cherelle Griner, Ogwumike and Bird were also quick to praise the Biden administration, expressing appreciation for what might seem like slow-moving efforts to bring Griner home. Griner has been imprisoned since Feb. 17 after Russian authorities claimed they found vape cartridges in her luggage, and she said in a handwritten letter to Biden earlier this week that she was “terrified I might be here forever.”
“I understand that what they are doing is very challenging due to the circumstances with Russia and the United States right now,” Cherelle Griner said. “I want to make sure the administration understands they have our full support in doing anything and everything necessary to bring BG home, as well as every other wrongfully detained American.”
MORE: 'I might be here forever': What we know as Brittney Griner enters guilty plea in 'mind-numbing' trial
Griner is seen by many as a pawn, a bargaining chip to exact concessions from the United States at a time when tensions are heightened because of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Her guilty plea to drug charges Thursday was considered a strategic move to help negotiations for her release.
After that hearing, U.S. embassy officials gave Griner a letter from Biden. Cherelle Griner has also read the letter and said it brought “so much joy” to both her and her wife.
“I believe every word she said to (Biden), he understood. He sees her as a person and he has not forgotten her, which was her biggest cry in her letter,” Cherelle Griner said. “So I’m grateful and I’m thankful the administration, which was the first one BG ever voted for, took time to see her as a person.”
If others can see the same, maybe it will help bring Brittney Griner home. Where she belongs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brittney Griner's family, friends want others to know the real 'BG'
The Colorado Rockies arrive at Chase Field on Thursday for the start of a four-game series.
The side-by-side vehicle was found at a home in Apple Valley, but no other details were released.
A Top Trainer Explains How to Tell If You’re Lifting Too Heavy
Strength coach Jeff Cavaliere demonstrates a simple way to tell if you're lifting too heavy so you can avoid injury and ensure you're building strength safely.
Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles vetoed the county commission's June vote, approving a 31-cent property tax increase and its general budget.
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2022-07-09T00:56:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Don't forget Brittney Griner, the WNBA star and Russian prisoner, is a person, too | Opinion
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Four-star defensive line prospect Champ Thompson has named his top 10 schools. Thompson is a member of the class of 2024.
Champ Thompson ranks Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Arkansas as his top schools for the time being.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive line recruit plays for Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia. Thompson is ranked the No. 209 rising junior in the country and the No. 21 defensive line prospect per 247Sports. Additionally, Thompson is the No. 33 recruit in Georgia.
Top college football programs Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan and more have offered Thompson a scholarship.
Thompson has good speed for a defensive line prospect and was named 7A All-Region last season. Thompson does a good job of shedding blocks and is a stout run defender. He holds up well at the point of attack and primarily plays defensive tackle.
The Meadowcreek star announced his top schools via his Twitter account:
Former UGA coach Mark Richt returning to a sideline once again in 2023
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2022-07-09T02:05:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4-star DL Champ Thompson names top schools
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Clemson just added a huge piece to its 2023 recruiting class.
In a much-anticipated decision, five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods announced on Friday evening at Thompson High School (Alabaster, Ala.) that he is committing to Clemson, choosing the Tigers over Alabama, Florida and Jackson State.
Woods is the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 23 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and is the second five-star to commit to Clemson, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder finished his junior season with 92 tackles (26 for loss), 11 sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
The Crimson Tide had long been the favorite to land the Alabama native, but since he took an official visit on June 3, the narrative began to play in Clemson’s favor. Hours before Woods’ decision, three 247Sports recruiting insiders crystal balled him to Clemson.
With Woods’ pledge to defensive line coach Nick Eason and the Tigers, Clemson now has a loaded defensive line group in its 2023 class. Along with Woods, the Tigers’ have verbal commitments from four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley, four-star defensive lineman Stephiylan Green, four-star edge David Ojiegbe and four-star defensive lineman AJ Hoffler.
Four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green committed to Oklahoma on Friday. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound lineman from Lee's Summit, Missouri, chose the Sooners over LSU, Missouri and Nebraska.
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2022-07-09T02:05:23Z
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Clemson lands massive five-star commitment from Peter Woods
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When it comes to playing football in the SEC, every week is a grind.
A win or loss at a crucial point of the season could be the difference between a team winning their division, earning a bowl bid, or even a coach keeping their job.
Brad Crawford of 247sports recently listed his top 12 “swing games” for the SEC, and then ranked them according to importance. Auburn is only featured once on the list, with the Iron Bowl checking in at No. 11 in the rankings.
Crawford says that this game is important solely because Auburn could be fighting for that much-needed sixth win in order to become bowl eligible. Another tight game with Alabama could make the difference in head coach Bryan Harsin’s future as well.
“The Iron Bowl is this far back on the list following last season’s unexpected four-overtime classic? This is more of a projection than anything, but Auburn could be fighting for bowl eligibility against the Crimson Tide during the final weekend of November. Bryan Harsin is on the SEC’s hottest seat and his future on the Plains will likely be determined by what happens before the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa this fall and take on Alabama.”
Most of the national media is giving Harsin a snowball’s chance to keep his job by the time December rolls around. But, as we have seen many times in Auburn football history, it seems that the teams with the least amount of expectations are the ones that are the most surprising.
Sure, Crawford’s projection could be correct, but there is also a chance that Harsin finds success on the field and recruiting trail, meaning that his seat is a little cooler by the time the game in Tuscaloosa comes around.
For the complete list of 247sports’ 12 biggest swing games in 2022, see below:
12. Tennessee at LSU, Oct. 8
CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 01: A detailed view of a helmet worn by the Tennessee Volunteers before their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
11. Auburn at Alabama, Nov. 26
Dec 28, 2021; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin during the first half of the 2021 Birmingham Bowl against Houston at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
10. South Carolina at Arkansas, Sept. 10
South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer speaks to the media during SEC Media Days at the Hyatt Regency in Hoover, Ala., Monday, July 19, 2021. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Sec Media Days Ed Orgeron
9. Georgia at Kentucky, Nov. 19
Sep 4, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart talks with an official during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
8. Ole Miss at Texas A&M, Oct. 29
Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher speaks in the main media room in the Hyatt Regency during SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 21, 2021. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Sec Media Days Texas A&M
7. Alabama at Tennessee, Oct. 15
AUBURN, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during pregame warmups prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
6. Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville), Oct. 29
Nov 20, 2021; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Florida Gators helmet against the Missouri Tigers during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
5. Alabama at LSU, Nov. 5
4. Florida at Tennessee, Sept. 24
3. Alabama at Arkansas, Oct. 1
Nov 26, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) runs with the ball during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
1. Texas A&M at Alabama, Oct. 8
Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher andAlabama head coach Nick Saban chat at midfield before the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 22, 2018.
Kai Jones with an alley oop vs the Indiana Pacers
Kai Jones (Charlotte Hornets) with an alley oop vs the Indiana Pacers, 07/08/2022
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2022-07-09T02:05:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The Iron Bowl is listed among the SEC’s 12 biggest swing games
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From the moment the 2021 NFL schedule was released, one game was already highlighted for every fan: A Week 4 road trip to New England for Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a reunion for the GOAT against his old team.
The game was a rainy slugfest between the defending Super Bowl champions and the team Brady led to six Lombardi Trophies, but the result was a familiar one for the legendary quarterback.
While Brady’s stats didn’t set the world on fire that Sunday night, he did just enough to help the Bucs leave Foxboro Stadium with a 19-17 victory in front of a national audience.
Relive all the action from that memorable game:
Check out all the best highlights from cornerback Pat Surtain II's impressive rookie campaign for the Denver Broncos
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2022-07-09T05:37:39Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bucs Rewind: Tom Brady’s triumphant return to New England
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The son of a Pro Bowl corner by the same name, Surtain made an immediate impact for the Broncos, proving himself to be every bit the playmaker he was at Alabama. Surtain picked off four passes, returning one 70 yards for a touchdown, and registered 14 pass breakups.
Relive Surtain’s impressive rookie season with all of his best plays from 2021:
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2022-07-09T05:37:58Z
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WATCH: Top plays from Pat Surtain II’s rookie season
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Bengals, Jessie Bates aren’t expected to work out a long-term deal before July 15 originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Former Houston Oilers running back Ira Valentine died of a heart attack Wednesday night, Texas A&M announced. Valentine was a four-year letterwinner under coach Jackie Sherrill, playing on the 1985 and 1986 SWC championship teams. He had 101 touches for 486 yards and six touchdowns during his career in College Station. The Oilers made Valentine [more]
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2022-07-09T07:27:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bengals, Jessie Bates aren’t expected to work out a long-term deal before July 15
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2022 NHL Draft: Key takeaways from Bruins' picks, trades around league originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Bruins clearly were intent on drafting prospects who play with offensive skill, skate well and push the pace. This is an encouraging strategy given the league's shift over the last decade into a game where speed and skill are king.
The Bruins are not prepared at all for the eventual departure of captain Patrice Bergeron, whenever that time comes. Boston's top center prospect -- 2019 first-rounder John Beecher -- had an underwhelming career at the University of Michigan and will play for the Providence Bruins next season. He projects to be a third-line center at best in the NHL.
After Bergeron, the best centers on the NHL roster are Erik Haula and Charlie Coyle, and neither is the ideal No. 2 center on a Stanley Cup contender. To put the Bruins' center depth into perspective, they are unlikely to contend in the Eastern Conference next season unless a 36-year-old (Bergeron) and 37-year-old (David Krejci) come back.
Second round, 54th overall: Matthew Poitras, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)
Fourth round, 117th overall (via Kraken): Cole Spicer, C, Minnesota-Duluth
Fourth round, 119th overall: Dans Locmelis, C, Lulea HF (Swedish Hockey League)
The addition of Poitras, Spicer and Locmelis provide the B's with much-needed playmaking skill, speed and grit down the middle of the ice.
"We’re happy we attacked the middle of the ice, not necessarily by design, but that’s how it played out and we like all three players that play that position because of their creativity and offensive abilities and their growth," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters. "There’s a development upside to all three of them on that, in the middle of the ice, with the creativity and the offensive production."
Sweeney later added: "The centers are definitely an area that we needed to target, and I can’t tell you that all three of those guys are going to play in the National Hockey League — I certainly hope so, because I think they’re all very talented and have special skills offensively."
Reid Dyck's stats from the 2021-22 WHL season don't look very good. He posted a 6-12-1 record with a .884 save percentage and a 4.26 GAA in 23 games for the Swift Current Broncos. But the Broncos were among the WHL's worst teams last season.
Dyck's athleticism, size (6-foot-3) and instincts are impressive enough to gamble on his potential. He does a good job locating the puck through traffic and is pretty good at stopping breakaways.
Despite a tough season for the Broncos, Dyck was invited to the CHL's Top Prospects Game in March, where he stopped all 23 shots sent his way.
The Bruins came into Friday having drafted only one goalie -- Sweden's Philip Svedeback (fourth round, 2021) -- over the previous four drafts. In that time, Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar graduated from prospect to NHL players. Vladar was traded to the Calgary Flames last year.
The Bruins don't often draft players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
In fact, entering the 2022 draft, they hadn't selected a QMJHL player since Cedric Pare in the sixth round in 2017. Pare, who played for the Saint John Sea Dogs, never appeared in a game for the Bruins.
The QMJHL drought was ended Friday when the B's picked left-shot defenseman Frederic Brunet from Rimouski Oceanic with the No. 132 overall selection (fifth round). Like many defensemen in the QMJHL, Brunet is a gifted offensive player and a quality skater. He tallied 12 goals and 34 assists in 63 games for Rimouski last season.
Brunet can run the PP through the point, first-pass out of the zone with the best of them or carry the puck on his stick. Solid skater and makes up for his shortcomings with his poise, natural talent with the puck. Definitely got good value here. 12G-34A-46PTS in 63GP (QMJHL).
— Bruins Network (@BruinsNetwork) July 8, 2022
Brunet also told reporters that his offseason workout partner in Quebec City is actually Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, so the team can be confident he's getting the proper teaching.
The league's best division last season was the Atlantic. Four of the top 10 teams in the overall standings were in the Atlantic, including the Presidents' Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. The other three teams in the top 10 were the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Bruins.
These improvements made by the Canadiens, Senators and Red Wings will make the Bruins' challenge of reaching the playoffs even tougher next season, especially early on when Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy are out of the lineup as they recover from offseason surgeries.
2022 NHL Draft results: Bruins pick center Matthew Poitras in second round
The Bruins have finally made a pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and it's Guelph Storm center Matthew Poitras in the second round.
Day 2 of NBA Summer League has key figures relate Phoenix Suns free agency.
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2022-07-09T07:46:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NHL Draft: Key takeaways from Bruins' picks, trades around league
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Christine Mui
Russian authorities detained Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star for the Phoenix Mercury and an NCAA champion at Baylor University, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February after claiming to find two vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her carry-on luggage. Griner’s complicated detention has prompted worries that her high-profile status as an American athlete has made her a political pawn as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Russia.
“BG would wholeheartedly love to not go overseas,” Cherelle Griner told ABC News in late May. “She has only had one Thanksgiving in the states in nine years since she's been pro, and she misses all that stuff. Just because, you know, she can't make enough money in the WNBA, like, to sustain her life."
Griner reportedly makes $1 million a year overseas playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Premier League. For the Mercury, her salary was $221,450 for the 2021-22 season, making her one of the WNBA's highest-paid players. The league’s average salary this season is $120,600 and the top WNBA salary is $228,000, while the average salary in the NBA exceeds $7 million.
When 60 Minutes asked Bird about Russian billionaire Shabtai Kalmanovich recruiting her for Spartak Moscow, she replied, “I'm a millionaire because of it.”
And Kalmanovich, the man who helped Sue Bird attain millionaire status? He was shot dead in a contract killing in 2009. That's the environment where the basketball great Brittney Griner could make millions, until she found herself facing a prison sentence.
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Barristers from a British law firm who are representing jailed Hong Kong tycoon and democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai said on Thursday they had received anonymous e-mails warning them against travelling to the city to defend him. Lai is among the most prominent people in Hong Kong to be charged under a national security law that Beijing imposed in June 2020 to punish terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession with possible life imprisonment. Critics of the 2020 law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent, a charge officials in Hong Kong and Beijing reject.
DUBAI (Reuters) -The Taliban and the United Arab Emirates are poised to strike a deal for the Gulf nation to run Kabul airport and several others in Afghanistan that could be announced within weeks, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The Taliban, whose government remains an international pariah without formal recognition, have courted regional powers, including Qatar and Turkey, to operate Kabul airport, landlocked Afghanistan's main air link with the world, and others.
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2022-07-09T07:46:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brittney Griner’s complicated detention, guilty plea and the dark, dirty money history of pro women’s basketball in Russia
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https://sports.yahoo.com/brittney-griner-complicated-detention-guilty-223158062.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/brittney-griner-complicated-detention-guilty-223158062.html?src=rss
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The New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry has seen some of baseball's best moments ... and whatever happened on Friday at Fenway Park.
With two runners on and one out in the third inning, Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo hit a fly ball to right field. It was not a very good fly ball. It should have been well within range for any right fielder worth his salt; MLB's Statcast gave it an xBA of .010. Basically, a one percent chance of being a hit.
That routine fly ball turned into an adventure, however, when Red Sox right fielder Christian Arroyo showed the body language you never want to see if you're the home team. He clearly lost the ball in the lights, and could only sprint backwards once it landed behind him.
You may not be surprised to learn this is Arroyo's first season playing any kind of outfield in his professional career. After playing mostly third base and second base since being drafted, he has been worth -3 outs above average in 104 innings played in right field entering Friday, per Statcast.
New York ended up winning 12-5 and moving 15.5 games ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The Red Sox are 16 games back.
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2022-07-09T07:46:44Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chaos reigns after Red Sox OF Christian Arroyo loses ball in lights vs. Yankees
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chaos-reigns-after-red-sox-of-christian-arroyo-loses-ball-in-lights-vs-yankees-005836589.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chaos-reigns-after-red-sox-of-christian-arroyo-loses-ball-in-lights-vs-yankees-005836589.html?src=rss
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Lacob admits Dubs' spending not sitting well with other teams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors haven't been shy about spending money in order to maintain the roster that has won four NBA titles in the last eight seasons.
Lacob made an appearance on The Athletic's "TK Show" with Tim Kawakami on Thursday and got into a back-and-forth about how much the team could end up spending in the years to come, while also acknowledging that other teams and the NBA aren't thrilled with the Warriors right now.
Kawakami: "Is there a number that you put up there for Bob? Or do you guys have a number, like 'We can't go over $420 [million], you know, total commitment, $450 [million]?"
Lacob: "You're really good at reporting. You're one of the smarter reporters out there but I'm going to tell you, you're numbers are kind of messed up. I will just say that. You were throwing numbers out there like $400 and $500 [million]."
Kawakami: "The multiples go crazy."
Lacob: "Those numbers are not even remotely possible. They're just not. I'm already in trouble with the rest of the league. We are in trouble for being where we are. In fact, Vegas, I'll be at the NBA Board of Governors meeting Tuesday, let me tell you. They're not happy. It's not just us. Other teams are going into the luxury tax now as well. We kind of blew a hole in the system and it's not a good look from the league's perspective. They don't want to see it happen. And there are limits. I'm not going to say what they are but there are limits to what you can do. You've said we bring in a lot of revenue. We are very successful at generating revenue, Brandon Schneider and his group and you are correct. We had a terrific year, revenue wise. We went to the Finals. That's obvious. But I can also tell you the expenses are incredible, all-time record. Not just player salaries but everything else. So it all adds up. We spend everything we make. We don't take any distribution [money]. Never taken a dollar. None of our partners have taken a dollar. We just pile it back into building an arena, which we did for five years. We were making a lot of money in Oakland the last few years. We piled it into this arena without public help. And now when we're in a stage where our players have gotten ... been with us longer and they make more money and we want to retain them, we want to continue going for championships, it's piling all that money into player salaries. And that's what we've done here last year and the last few years and we'll again do this year."
The Warriors' tax bill might not be as high for the upcoming 2022-23 season, depending on how they fill out the roster. But in the coming years, with looming extensions for Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, the bill could go through the roof.
For now though, Lacob and the Warriors' ownership are willing to foot the bill in order to win as much as possible while Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are in their primes.
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2022-07-09T07:46:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Joe Lacob admits Warriors' spending not sitting well with NBA teams
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https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-lacob-admits-warriors-spending-000914359.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-lacob-admits-warriors-spending-000914359.html?src=rss
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''Depressing is the first word that comes to mind,'' said Kallander, who now leads the Big South Conference, an FCS league based in North Carolina.
With Southern Cal and UCLA bolting for the Big Ten - and every indication that more jarring changes are coming - the Pac-12 could very well join the Southwest Conference in the dustbin of history.
He knew what he was signing up for, but it was still a bit jarring to deal with the reality of a historic conference - which had been around since 1914, producing some of the greatest teams, rivalries and players in college football history - going out of business.
''That last year was a great in a lot of ways. We had a great celebration of the history of the conference. We had a lot of success athletically that year,'' Kallander recalled in a phone call Friday.
''But then,'' he added, ''we got to March and April. It was like overseeing a funeral, and holding an estate sale, and giving last rites. It got a little bizarre at the end.''
The downfall of the Southwest Conference proceeded in much the same fashion, pushed along largely by the same issue - college football television revenues - that's driving the current state of affairs.
''All of us still felt there was no way the conference was going away,'' he said. ''There was too much history.''
But none of that mattered when the Big Eight, which had been in talks with the Southwest over a joint media venture, decided instead to just pluck off the four most lucrative SWC members - Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor - and carry on as the Big 12.
''We had the rug pulled out from under us by the announcement of the Big 12,'' Kallander conceded. ''It was shocking to everybody, including some league ADs who didn't see it coming.''
The ACC might have enough schools - and potential new members - to carry on in some format, but the league would be a hollow shell of where it stands today.
''I think of all the great history, the rivalries and traditions of USC,'' Kallander said. ''They were a huge rival of ours in football when I was back in Washington in the 1980s and early '90s. To see that fracture is real unfortunate.''
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2022-07-09T11:03:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Column: Colleges pursue almighty dollar, but at what cost?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/column-colleges-pursue-almighty-dollar-191516219.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/column-colleges-pursue-almighty-dollar-191516219.html?src=rss
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Penn State is looking forward to the potential of its wide receiver group in 2022, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be a part of that mix. Alongside Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley, Lambert-Smith has big-play potential as he has shown during his first couple of seasons with the Nittany Lions.
After getting some good opportunities to get right into the mix as a starter in his true freshman season in 2020, KeAndre Lambert-Smith started all 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2021. Playing as a third option in the pass offense behind [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] and the rising Parker Washington, Lambert-Smith managed to haul in 34 receptions for 521 yards and five touchdowns, including an 83-yard touchdown against Villanova for the seventh-longest pass play in school history.
Lambert-Smith started the season off with 71 yards on four catches in a hard-fought win at Wisconsin. His big-play ability came through in a big way for the Nittany Lions with a 52-yard catch in the third quarter to help ignite the offense in a defensive battle. He also ended the season with 74 receiving yards on three receptions in the Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas, including a 42-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the game.
Lambert-Smith’s production does at times feel inflated by big play results, but that is part of the game as a player that isn’t necessarily the go-to receiver on most designed plays. But Lambert-Smith had ways of getting into open space, and once he has field to work with, big plays happened.
Will there be more production from Lambert-Smith in 2022, or will it be more of the same? Penn State loses Jahan Dotson to the NFL this season, which leads many to believe Parker Washignton will be the leading receiver for the team. Penn State also added Mitchell Tinsley through the transfer portal from Western Kentucky, and he is coming off a big yardage season and should fit in nicely with the Penn State offense.
So where does that leave Lambert-Smith? It may be a similar role as he has seen in the last two seasons. Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich will be able to have some fun working with his new receiver trio including Tinsley as a nice option, and Lambert-Smith should still be in position to make some big plays happen. But it would be good to see a little more consistency with the production as the offense looks to take its next step in 2022.
Given the passing game situation for Penn State in 2022, there may not be a whole ton more to ask out of Lambert-Smith. But it would be encouraging to see more receptions leading to more yards and touchdowns in 2022.
Lambert-Smith had 34 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. Bumping up the reception total to four per game and getting the yardage over 650 yards would be a step in the right direction. And with that will likely see an uptick in the touchdown department. He had three touchdowns last season. Doubling that total would be great to see.
Penn State’s passing game could have an assortment of options to consider. Getting lost in the shuffle could be a mild concern going into the new season with so much focus on Parker Washignton and the addition of Mitchell Tinsley. Penn State is also hoping to get more out of the tight end position this fall, which could impact Lambert-Smith’s production goals on an individual level.
While a repeat performance of his 2021 production wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing in the world for Penn State, it would be considered a step back and thus a disappointment.
Penn State’s passing game has some good potential to do some big things this year as long as the offensive line can protect starting quarterback Sean Clifford. Clifford knows he can count on Lambert-Smith getting open if he has to extend a play, and that will once again be the case in 2022. Lambert-Smith will have his hand in a number of explosive plays for the Nittany Lions, but he could be used a little bit more as a secondary option this season, which will be good to see.
Nobody should be expecting Lambert-Smith to go off for a 1,000-yard season, but there should be an expectation his production goes up somewhat significantly. Penn State’s leading receiver last season was Dotson with 1,182 yards, and Washington was the team’s second-leading receiver with 820 yards. Penn State does add Mitchell Tinsley to the mix this season as a nice option to slide into the leading receiver category, but Lambert-Smith should be able to flirt with 700 receiving yards if all goes well in 2022.
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2022-07-09T11:03:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Penn State Top 25 Players for 2022: KeAndre Lambert-Smith
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https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-top-25-players-102634416.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-top-25-players-102634416.html?src=rss
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And yet, the focus isn't on the fortunes spent to acquire Hill and offensive tackle Terron Armstead, or the handful of other signings to help them get back to the playoffs. The conversation always comes back to Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins have a lot to feel good about. They improved an offensive line that needed it badly. Hill is one of the best receivers in the NFL. The defense is pretty good. It all seems set up for success. However, the Dolphins don't know how good their quarterback is.
Tagovailoa has been injured a lot and not great when he has played. He hasn't been bad either. But he mostly has been a safe, conservative game manager — with a horrible offensive line last season that shares some blame — who hasn't shown many signs of being special. That might be fine for a mid-round pick, but Tagovailoa was the fifth overall pick, taken ahead of Justin Herbert in what looks like a generational draft mistake through two seasons.
Offseason memes are mostly nonsense, and for the most part the instantly viral clip of Tagovailoa underthrowing Hill was overblown.
.@Tua 🚀 @Cheetah pic.twitter.com/HGALhokvkc
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 11, 2022
Even if too much was made of that clip, it spoke to the Dolphins' issue. They just traded a lot for Hill, signed him to a four-year, $120 million contract, and they are pairing him with a quarterback who probably can't take advantage of him as a deep threat. Perhaps Hill could be like Deebo Samuel was for Mike McDaniel in San Francisco, a yards-after-catch beast who just needs to get the ball from his quarterback in space and make plays. Hill is an amazing talent who was a dominant force with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's one of the fastest players in NFL history and he'll likely find a way to put up good numbers. But it's also possible the Dolphins just invested heavily in a receiver when they don't have a quarterback who truly matches his skill set.
McDaniel, who replaces Flores as the Dolphins new head coach, will be a big key to Tagovailoa's development. McDaniel is considered a creative, young offensive mind. Coming from the Kyle Shanahan tree, he'll have a running game that will take pressure off his quarterback. McDaniel will give weapons like Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki chances to make plays. The team invested in the offensive line to protect Tagovailoa. The defense, led by an elite secondary, will be good enough that the offense won't be under undue pressure.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) and Tyreek Hill (10) will be teaming up this season. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
That means there aren't many excuses left for Tagovailoa. It's a critical season, especially with a decision on his fifth-year option coming next offseason.
The Dolphins have had a strange past year. They became the first team ever to have a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak in the same season. The winning streak came second and got the Dolphins briefly back into playoff contention, so that seemed like a positive way to enter the offseason. Then came the Flores controversy, which is still hanging over the franchise.
The Dolphins would love something to be excited about, aside from another big offseason signing. They haven't won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000. Controversy seems to follow the team around. It probably won't start to turn until they figure out the quarterback position, something they've been trying to solve since Dan Marino retired. Maybe Tagovailoa will show this season that he's the answer. It's probably now or never for him.
Tyreek Hill didn't come cheap. The Dolphins traded five picks to the Chiefs: first-, second- and fourth-round picks in 2022 and a fourth- and sixth-round pick in 2023. Then they signed Hill to a four-year, $120 million deal, the largest per-year deal for a receiver in NFL history. The trade was a reason Miami didn't have a selection in the first 100 picks of this year's draft, and that hurt. But Hill is a rare talent and worth the picks. The Dolphins spent to fix what might have been the worst offensive line in the NFL last season. Left tackle Terron Armstead got a five-year, $75 million deal to leave the New Orleans Saints. Former Dallas Cowboys guard Conner Williams got a two-year, $14 million deal. It looks like he'll play center in Miami. The Dolphins also signed receiver Cedrick Wilson from the Cowboys, pass rusher Melvin Ingram and added running backs Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel. The Dolphins have never been shy about spending money in the offseason. They also retained pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah and tight end Mike Gesicki, the latter on a franchise tag, which were important moves. The Dolphins didn't get much in the draft, though Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall might contribute right away. It wasn't a cheap offseason but the Dolphins added some impact players.
Signing Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year, $6.5 million contract appears to be more than a typical backup deal. With Tua Tagovailoa not yet establishing himself as a top-end starter and the Dolphins spending again in the offseason, signing Bridgewater seemed like a clear insurance policy against Tagovailoa struggling early in the season. It's also an acknowledgement that Tagovailoa hasn't been durable. Tagovailoa could still emerge as a good quarterback. He has just 21 NFL starts and has not been that bad (27 TDs, 15 INTs, 88.8 passer rating). He just hasn't yet been worth the fifth pick of the draft and he'll always be compared to Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, the two star quarterbacks taken around him in the 2020 draft. Tagovailoa and Brian Flores reportedly didn't have a great relationship, which was one reason Flores was fired. The Dolphins being constantly linked to Deshaun Watson couldn't have helped him either. A coaching change and some support for Tagovailoa could be a big plus.
"We're going to have an extensive professional relationship, my man," new coach Mike McDaniel told Tagovailoa on FaceTime in a discussion that the Dolphins posted on Twitter. "One thing I know about you is you have the ambition to be great. My job is to coach you to get all of that greatness out of you. It's going to be fun, man."
The BetMGM odds for the Dolphins have them at 8.5 wins. That seems fair but I'd lean to the under. The Dolphins have a new coach, I'm not sure about Tua Tagovailoa or if he and Tyreek Hill will be a good fit, and I prefer two other teams in their division. Miami not making the playoffs is -165 odds. That's a steep number but I don't mind laying it. I highly doubt the Dolphins are winning the division, and AFC wild-card spots will be tough to come by.
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "In most cases, you never want to say never in the fantasy game. It usually comes down to acquisition cost, not the players themselves. That said, I'm going to take a hard pass on Tyreek Hill this year.
"Hill could be on the back nine of his career and he's going to miss Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid in about 10 minutes. We still have no proof that Tua Tagovailoa is even an average quarterback. This is also not an offense built to throw proactively. And even when the Dolphins do throw, they have Jaylen Waddle ready to catch another hundred or so passes. There will be competition for the ball here among the wideouts; that was rarely the case in Kansas City.
"Receivers changing teams are generally dicey propositions, especially when the ADP remains optimistic. Count me out on Hill."
Mike McDaniel was the 49ers' running game coordinator for four seasons and the offensive coordinator for one, and here are San Francisco's ranks in rushing yards those five seasons: 21st, 13th, second, 15th, seventh. Last season Miami was 30th in rushing yards and 31st in yards per rush. They need a boost in the running game and McDaniel should provide it. McDaniel is well-versed in the Kyle Shanahan rushing scheme, which borrows heavily from Mike Shanahan's scheme, and it is a proven success. Miami took a page from the Shanahans and brought in a lot of backs, but didn't invest a ton in any of them. Chase Edmonds is the breadwinner, on a two-year, $12.1 million deal. He's joined by Sony Michel (one year, $1.75 million), Raheem Mostert (one year, $2.125 million) and holdovers Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. That's a crowded backfield. Who leads the backfield could change from week to week — sorry, fantasy drafters — but every back who makes the roster should have some success. Miami's run game is going to get better right away, and that should help the entire offense.
What should we expect from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle?
Waddle, somehow, is the second-fasted receiver on his team. That's what happens when you're teamed up with Hill, perhaps the fastest receiver in NFL history.
All the attention will be on Hill, who developed into one of the league's best receivers playing with Patrick Mahomes. He'll have a lot of pressure as the first $30 million per year receiver in NFL history, though he denied there's any pressure on him.
"I don’t blink, dawg. I don’t believe in pressure, dawg," Hill told the Miami media, according to the team's transcripts. "I make the pressure."
Hill's game will probably have to change, because Tua Tagovailoa isn't a great deep passer and there's a fair question about how he'll match up with Hill's talent. However, Hill was used more as an underneath receiver last season (15.4 percent of his targets were 20 yards or more, way down from 23.5 percent in 2020 according to PFF), and he's quite capable of thriving on yards after catch. That's mostly what Waddle did last season. Only 12 of his 138 targets (8.7 percent) was more than 20 yards last season according to PFF, which was tied for the fifth-lowest percentage among all receivers with 100 targets. Waddle made it work, setting an NFL rookie record with 104 receptions. He averaged just 9.8 yards per catch, which was surprisingly low for an explosive athlete like Waddle, but he'll have to thrive on underneath routes unless Tagovailoa improves as a deep passer. The same goes for Hill.
"Tua is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, so just his ball placement, getting us the ball in space, perfect placement and us just utilizing our speed, utilizing our best asset," Hill said. "And that’s just being dangerous."
Mike McDaniel seems like a sharp offensive mind who will relate well to his players. If he's an instant hit at coach, maybe the Dolphins take off. Tua Tagovailoa has a new coach who has embraced him, a much better offensive line and Tyreek Hill. Maybe Tagovailoa will never be a star, but there's a path for him to become a much better quarterback than most expect from him at this point. The other pieces are in place. There are some offensive weapons. The running game will be better. The defense was already pretty good. It's hard to see Miami beating Buffalo for a division title, but a second-place finish, a wild-card spot and good feelings about the direction of the franchise going forward? That's possible.
When you lose seven games in a row in the NFL, there are some issues. Yes, the Dolphins rebounded last season, but we're not too far removed from Miami being 1-7 and looking like one of the worst teams in football. If Tua Tagovailoa is just an injury-prone quarterback who can't push the ball downfield and will never be more than a below-average quarterback, the Dolphins will be held back. The defense is good but not good enough to carry the Dolphins to the playoffs if the offense struggles. It's already a bit disappointing for Dolphins fans to have missed out on a huge opportunity to get a franchise quarterback, and it would be awful to reach the end of 2022 and realize the team needs to start all over at the position. And that's possible too.
There are things to like about the Dolphins. Adding Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill to the offense might have a bigger impact than I'm giving credit for. Those are two blue-chip players. There are other talented players on both sides of the ball. I just don't feel comfortable putting Miami in the top half of the league with all their uncertainty. I like the Mike McDaniel hire, but who knows how that will go. I think Tua Tagovailoa has been buried prematurely, but he also hasn't done much to get anyone excited. There are still potential non-Tua issues like the right side of the offensive line. Maybe the Dolphins take a huge step forward, but I need to see it first. I think it'll be a mediocre season without a playoff berth.
Rafael Devers exits Fridays game vs. Yankees with low back pain
Rafael Devers aggravated his back injury during Friday night's Red Sox-Yankees game.
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2022-07-09T13:32:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NFL Preview: Dolphins face crucial year with Tua Tagovailoa
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-dolphins-add-tyreek-hill-and-its-all-on-tua-tagovailoa-now-120722061.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-dolphins-add-tyreek-hill-and-its-all-on-tua-tagovailoa-now-120722061.html?src=rss
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A new season is about to be upon us, which means the Indianapolis Colts will be featuring a new starting quarterback.
Such has been the theme since Frank Reich was hired as the head coach of the team in 2018. With a new quarterback in town, the offense is hoping to be more stable than it was in 2021.
In March, the Colts parted ways with 2021 starter Carson Wentz, sending him to the Washington Commanders for a handful of draft picks.
They also brought in a new backup quarterback who has plenty of experience in that role, which means the Colts are likely going back to carrying just two quarterbacks on the active roster.
With training camp arriving on July 26, here’s our preview for the quarterback position:
The 37-year-old veteran joined the Colts this offseason after being traded for a third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons—the only team he’s ever played for in his 14-year career.
The Colts sent Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders after his one-year experiment failed and even though Ryan wasn’t available at the time of that trade, general manager Chris Ballard got pretty lucky that Ryan wound up entering the trade market.
Coming off of a down year, Ryan will be out to prove he’s still got something left in the tank. The numbers weren’t pretty, though.
Ryan’s 3,968 passing yards were his fewest since the 2010 season while his 20 touchdown passes were tied for his fewest since his rookie season. It was the first time since 2010 that Ryan failed to hit the 4,000-yard mark.
Now, he joins a Colts offense that’s ready for his kind of play. Ryan’s fit with the offense has been seamless thus far. The Colts have been extremely impressed by his accuracy, poise and leadership in the few months he’s been leading the team.
We’ll see just how far Ryan can take the Colts, but the offense should be a bit more stable with him under center.
Frank Reich finally got his wish of bringing Foles in after the latter was released by the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason. Without a true backup quarterback behind Ryan, the Colts needed to add someone with experience. Thus, they signed Foles to a two-year deal.
The relationship between Foles and Reich has been well documented. Reich went so far as to say that Foles is the perfect backup quarterback and someone he’s wanted on the roster since he arrived in 2018.
The hope is that Foles doesn’t have to see too much playing time. It’s harsh to say, but that would mean something happened to Ryan as the starter.
Having Foles in the mix should benefit the quarterback room while helping the younger players develop their games.
After spending the majority of his rookie season as the backup to Carson Wentz, the former sixth-round pick in Ehlinger will get somewhat of a demotion. The Colts aren’t ready to make him the backup quarterback just yet with Foles now on the roster.
Ehlinger provides an intriguing skill set in the sense that he’s a dual-threat quarterback. But there are still some major concerns about his accuracy and arm strength being able to lead an offense.
Ehlinger is likely headed toward the practice squad seeing as the Colts don’t need to carry three quarterbacks on the active roster, which is where the former Longhorn can continue to develop his game.
An undrafted rookie free agent out of Notre Dame, Coan is more of a camp body at this point. He’s not expected to make the roster, and he’s not expected to take Ehlinger’s spot as the third quarterback in the room. He may give the second-year quarterback a run for his money, but it’s likely that Coan is among the players waived during the final roster cuts.
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2022-07-09T13:33:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Quarterbacks
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-124217206.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-124217206.html?src=rss
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Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren is one step closer to enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On Thursday, the 12-person Coach/Contributor Committee announced the list of 29 Semifinalists in the category for the Class of 2023, of which Holmgren was among. The 29 will now advance to the next round of consideration.
Holmgren’s career is impressive, having coached the Packers from 1992-98 and then the Seahawks from 1999-2008. During his time in Seattle, Holmgren led the Seahawks to five division titles and six playoff appearances, including their first in a Super Bowl. He spent 2010-2012 as the Browns’ team president before retiring from football.
Holmgren joins the following other Semifinalists in the Coach/Contributor category: K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr., Roone Arledge, C.O. Brocato, Don Coryell, Otho Davis, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, Rich McKay, John McVay, Art Modell, Clint Murchison Jr., Buddy Parker, Carl Peterson, Dan Reeves, Lee Remmel, Art Rooney Jr., Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Seeman, Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff, Amy Trask, Jim Tunney, Jack Vainisi, Lloyd Wells and John Wooten.
More information on the Semifinalists for the Class of 2023 can be found here.
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2022-07-09T13:33:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mike Holmgren named as Semifinalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-holmgren-named-semifinalist-pro-130036511.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-holmgren-named-semifinalist-pro-130036511.html?src=rss
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Less than four minutes were left on the scoreboard inside the Thomas & Mack Center when Bryce McGowens took a seat on the bench, only to be summoned by Charlotte Hornets assistant summer league coach Nick Friedman.
Friedman wanted the Hornets’ rookie to slide back over to the other end of the bench, all so he could raise his right arm and aim a finger at certain positions on the floor. He was instructing the Hornets’ second-round pick, focusing on minor details McGowens needed to fine-tune during a 94-86 loss to Indiana in their Las Vegas Summer League opener on Friday.
“I feel like they are doing everything in their will to help me be the best player I can be,” McGowens said. “When I’m not on the floor, coach will call me. ‘Come here, let me talk to you real quick. Sit right beside me.’ And he points things out.
“And me going out on the court and executing, telling teammates what’s going on, I feel like that’s helping me be a leader and hopefully step into a big role one day.”
In his initial dip into the professional basketball pool, McGowens held his own and flashed some promising potential. Starting at shooting guard but switching between both backcourt positions throughout the game, McGowens logged more on-court time than anyone for the Hornets except his fellow starter in the backcourt, Jalen Crutcher. McGowens showed plenty of promise with a nifty performance, totaling 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes.
The 19-year-old was ready from the opening tip.
“It was crazy,” McGowens said. “Being able to step on the NBA court, in front of a lot of fans, a great group of fans, a lot of talent, we all had one dream and that’s to make it to the NBA. And we made it. So it was amazing, man, just being able to step on the court. It’s a lifelong dream to be here.”
McGowens’ talents intrigued the Hornets enough to make them trade up to select him in the draft. He led Nebraska in points in 2021-22, averaging 16.8 as a freshman to go with 5.2 rebounds, was named Big Ten newcomer of the year while garnering third-team All-Big Ten honors.
He established the Cornhuskers’ single-season freshman records for total points and made threes. The 17.3 points per game he poured in during Big Ten play was the highest scoring average in conference games by a freshman since D’Angelo Russell’s run at Ohio State in 2014-15.
Against the Pacers on Friday, McGowens showcased a variety of those same skills, including an ability to finish off the dribble and get to the rim, finishing it with a nice dunk.
“I think we had a pretty good idea of what he could do,” Hornets summer league coach Jordan Surenkamp said. “He did it obviously in college and he’s got a really high ceiling and a really bright future if he plays the way he did tonight.
“I think it’s just a testament to his mentality the last couple of weeks he’s come in. He’s bought into the role of kind of what we want him to be and play. Whether it’s scoring the ball for us, off the ball or being able to handle and make the correct reads on the ball.”
McGowens credits the growing relationship he’s developed with Surenkamp, the coach of the G League’s Greensboro Swarm last season. McGowens, who has signed a two-way contract and is going to be spending a lot of time in Greensboro, thinks that led to a smoother transition in his first game.
“I feel like over these past weeks, me and coach have definitely grown,” McGowens said. “He’s definitely been on me, been in my ear. But at the same time, being able to push me and be the best player I can be. So just having a coach like that get on me, and he’s going to be happy for me, it’s great. I just continue to build. I hope that translates to the next game and we get a win.”
He insists he’ll do his part on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers — and beyond.
“I want to make winning plays and whatever we can do to win,” McGowens said. “I know we didn’t do that today. But just to make winning plays is the biggest thing. I feel like I want to do everything on the court. I don’t want to be one-dimensional. I want to be able to do it all, so I work on my game. And I’ve got a lot of help from the coaching staff and players to push me to do all of it.”
Fanbo Zeng with an and one vs the Charlotte Hornets
Fanbo Zeng (Indiana Pacers) with an and one vs the Charlotte Hornets, 07/08/2022
Pacers assistant Ronald Nored discusses Summer League win over Hornets
The Pacers rolled to a 96-84 win over the Hornets.
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2022-07-09T14:11:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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One Hornets player stood out in his summer league opener. Here’s what set him apart
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https://sports.yahoo.com/one-hornets-player-stood-summer-131648707.html?src=rss
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Montgomery, a three-star running back from Scranton Preparatory School, announced in a video on his Twitter account he will be making his college decision live on Monday, July 11 at 5 p.m. He also confirmed his final top three schools with Penn State up against a pair of ACC schools, Boston College and Virginia Tech.
Montgomery made official visits to all three of his final schools in the month of June. Virginia Tech had the first visit, followed by Penn State. Boston College got the third and final visit of the month.
According to the most recent updates to the 247Sports crystal ball, the predictions are all in favor of Penn State at this point. The On3 prediction machine has Penn State in a landslide with a 95.3% chance of receiving Montgomery’s commitment on Monday.
I had a great time down at Penn State for my official visit ! 🔥@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/Tv33R3WvIB
— London Montgomery (@LondonMontgom11) June 21, 2022
Penn State added two great running backs in the Class of 2022 but missed out on Treyaun Webb last week to the Florida Gators. Adding the top running back from Pennsylvania would be a nice addition to the Class of 2023 as head coach James Franklin does like to keep the best talent in the state close to home. Locking down the state’s top running back in back-to-back seasons would be nice as well (Nick Singleton in 2022).
Penn State Top 25 Players in 2022: Mitchell Tinsley, wide receiver
Pennsylvania High School Girl's Basketball: Top Power Forwards in 2023
Who are the top girls' basketball players within the Class of 2023? PaPreps resolves that question now!
Voters in Pennsylvania may be making a decision about abortion rights this fall.
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2022-07-09T14:39:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Decision date set for top running back in Pennsylvania, Penn State in the mix
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The Aggies’ conference title defense will depend a lot on how they slow down the quarterbacks they’ll face this fall.
A few big asks on the schedule.
12. UConn – Ta’Quan Roberson or Tyler Phommachanh
Phommachanh is the lone holdover among the trio of Huskies QBs who saw extended action in last year’s mess, but things are far from settled on this front with Roberson, a Penn State transfer, now in the mix. He wasn’t great in spot duty last season with the Nittany Lions, most notably in a close loss to Iowa, but both will get every chance to win the job outright in fall camp.
After Terry Wilson got hurt last season, the Lobos passing game totally fell apart. Chavez and Montes combined to average a meager 3.5 yards per attempt on 200 throws, but both will get another chance to claim the starting job with a more experienced offense around them. They’ll have to contend with Kendrick, a transfer from Kansas, but it wouldn’t be a shock if this competition extended into the season.
10. Weber State – Bronson Barron
Barron’s first two years with the Wildcats have had their share of ups and downs: After being named a 2021 finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the FCS’s top freshman, and pushing Weber State to a Big Sky title, Barron only played in eight games last fall as he was slowed by injury. In the end, he completed 61% of his passes for 1,515 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
9. Wyoming – Andrew Peasley
The former Aggie quarterback ended up in Laramie thanks to the transfer portal, but Utah State may not miss him much after exchanging him for Levi Williams. If he can maintain the level of big plays he generated last year — six of his 28 completions went for 20 or more yards — Cowboys fans should be happy with that.
Schager improved from week to week in his time as a starter last season, but he also doesn’t have the physical stature that Cooper brings to the table. The latter has seen the field less overall, but if the Warriors want someone who can stand in and take hits while getting the ball downfield, Cooper might be the better fit. Either way, the quarterback depth here is fine.
The Rebels have a different kind of quarterback quandry for a change. Each of Friel, Brumfield, and Bailey have flashed potential in limited stints on the field, but none have fully established themselves as full-time starters just yet. Whichever choice is made could have a substantial impact on the entire conference, but you’d also be forgiven for not buying in given the program’s overall history.
Millen comes into 2022 with very high expectations, but it’s worth remembering that Todd Centeio had a decent game against the Aggies defense (18-of-29, 282 yards, one touchdown and one interception) that no one remembers because of the ending. Chances are the redshirt freshman will be asked to do more, but the bar isn’t on the floor here.
After battling through injuries last season, will Cordeiro be able to take a step forward after transferring from Hawaii? Through the course of his career with the Warriors, his completion rate rose and fell from year to year but his yards per attempt has remained more or less constant. With a number of weapons at his disposal in San Jose, there won’t be a lot of excuses for him to be unable to make hay.
Daniels has only gotten better in his two years operating the Falcons offense and, arguably, no one would know this better than the Aggies. Between 2020 and 2021, he ran for 7.5 yards per carry and threw for 309 yards, accounting for four total touchdowns while helping Air Force score 80 combined points in all.
Hall actually missed last year’s game against Utah State, but the rest of his season provided a lot of proof that he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the Group of 5. In ten games, he threw for 2,583 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions on 296 attempts. He also chipped in to the Cougars ground game, too, with 307 rushing yards and three touchdowns; if he can stay healthy, watch out.
Bachmeier has bedeviled the Aggies in his career, throwing for more yards (554) and touchdowns (five) against USU than anyone else. While it remains to be seen how the Broncos will create big passing plays with Khalil Shakir now in the NFL, but “Hurricane Hank” will be ready one way or another.
1. Alabama – Bryce Young
Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner earned the honor with some clutch performances down the stretch, but there’s little doubt he was one of the country’s top signal-callers after posting a 66.9% completion rate, 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Slowing him and the Tide offense down might be the single most difficult task any Mountain West team will have to do this year.
Mountain West Football: First Look At The UConn Huskies
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2022-07-09T14:39:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Utah State Football: Ranking 2022’s Opposing Quarterbacks
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https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-state-football-ranking-2022-123017520.html?src=rss
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If there is one thing us sports fans love to do, it is rank things. We here at Rutgers Wire have ranked everything from Rutgers football recruiting classes of the past ten years, to Big Ten mascots.
It may still be mid-summer, but it is never too early to talk college football – and never a bad time to talk rankings. On3.com is ranking things as well. Their experts are doing a series ranking schools in each of the Power Five conferences. They recently released their power ranking of the Big Ten football programs.
Rutgers did not fare well at all. They came in dead last in the ranking, despite finishing the regular season at 5-7, finishing tied for No. 10 in the conference, and being named a replacement for a bowl game. There is a slight surprise at the top of the list as well.
On3 is clear that these rankings do not take into account 2022 schedules, and is their view of the current talent and potential of each team at this point in time. Let’s take a look at the entire list, starting with the Scarlet Knights.
No. 14: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
On3 was blunt when it came to the Scarlet Knights. “Greg Schiano has done an admirable job breathing some life into the program, but the Scarlet Knights still aren’t very talented.” That’s harsh, but Rutgers doesn’t have a ton of experience coming back this season.
With Gavin Wimsatt likely slowly taking over the helm at quarterback, there could be growing pains. I don’t know if I agree, sound off in the comments Scarlet Knight fans.
No. 13: Illinois Fighting Illini
Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY SportsIllinois is the program that tied with Rutgers at No. 10 in the regular season. They finished their year with a 5-7 record. On3 credits their strong offensive line, the return of 1,000-yard rusher Chase Brown, and returning experience on defense.
Indiana were the basement dwellers of the Big Ten last season. They have an experienced, strong secondary but question marks across the rest of the defense. They under performed last season and will have to rely on transfers at quarterback and running back if they want to out perform their ranking.
No. 11: Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern football hosts Rutgers this Saturday on the Big Ten Network.
The Wildcat defense is not great, but the offensive line and running game are still strong. Northwestern finished last season at 3-9 but should be a tough matchup in 2022.
No. 10: Maryland Terrapins
Taulia Tagovailoa is going to be quite the challenge for Rutgers football.
Maryland should have a strong offense in 2022. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and their strong receiving core are returning and their defense can do enough to keep the offense in games. The Terps finished with a winning record (7-6) and a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl.
No. 9: Nebraska Cornhuskers
(AP Photo / Rebecca S. Gratz)
Nebraska cracked the single digits even after they finished with only three victories a year ago – albeit they were expected to be better than that. The Cornhuskers have some veterans returning on defense, but there are some holes to fill on offense.
No. 8: Iowa Hawkeyes
(Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)
Lower than I expected for a team that finished 10-4 last season. On3 relied on the defense as a strength for Iowa in 2022:
The Hawkeyes always seem to be able to rely on their defense, and that shouldn’t change in 2022 with a slew of veterans back in the front seven”
Their offense has questions, but being as strong as they have been on defense should go a long way to them having another strong showing.
No. 7: Purdue Boilermakers
The Boilermakers were one of four Big Ten squads to finish at 9-4. They were victorious in the Music City Bowl in a shootout, 48-45. Purdue’s quarterback and receivers are a strong unit. Their defense last season can be defined as ‘fine,’ the same should be true in 2022.
Minnesota offensive lineman Curtis Dunlap.
The Golden Gophers also finished 9-4 including a win in the Guaranteed Rate bowl over West Virginia. They will have returning starters at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver but just like last season their line will be a question. Minnesota’s strength last year was their defense, however, and that should continue into 2022.
Penn State is a confusing case. Based on On3’s notes about these rankings, their placement makes sense. They continue to have great recruiting classes year after year, and on paper should be one of the best teams in the country each season. And despite that, they have been just barely above .500 over the last two years.
Wisconsin handled opponents on defense with ease throughout the 2021 season. The Badgers need some replacements in the secondary, but have been known for their defensive prowess for a few years now. Their starting quarterback and running back are both returning and should continue to bring consistency to the offense.
No. 3: Michigan State Spartans
(Lansing State Journal photo / USA TODAY Network)
It is no surprise the Spartans were ranked this high after finishing No. 10 in the final USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll in 2021. Michigan State is relying on the transfer portal to address holes once again. Replacing Kenneth Walker is near impossible, but with the way this staff has developed talent they could get close and continue to make noise both in the Big Ten and nationally.
No. 2: Michigan Wolverines
Michigan surprised everyone when they went 12-2 and despite starting the year unranked, finished No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll. They made the college football playoff and lost to eventual champion, Georgia, in the Orange Bowl.
Sat., Jan. 1, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Teammates celebrate with Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) after he scored a touchdown during the second quarter of the 108th Rose Bowl Game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl.
What else can be said about the Buckeyes? No one else in the Big Ten – possibly the country – can match the Buckeyes on sheer talent or star power. The offensive line has two of the best tackles in the country. The defense has the talent to continue to improve. They finished 2021 with a record of 10-2.
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2022-07-09T14:39:55Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where did Rutgers land in On3.com Big Ten Preseason Power Rankings?
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Four former members of the Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts franchises were selected among the 29 semifinalists for the coaching/contributor category of the 2023 class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced this week.
The list of former Colts includes two offensive linemen, a wide receiver who only spent one season with the Colts and a former trainer who worked with the team in Baltimore.
Each semifinalist played no later than the 1996 season.
Here are the former Colts who made the list:
OL Chris Hinton
Hinton spent seven years with the Colts while earning a Pro Bowl selection in all but one of those seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in 1983 and then in each season from 1985-1989.
OL George Kunz
AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman
The No. 2 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 1969, Kunz wound up playing six seasons with the Colts from 1975-1980. He was a three-time All-Pro First-Team selection, one of which came with the Colts in 1975.
WR Stanley Morgan
AP Photo/Joe Giza
Morgan spent 13 seasons with the New England Patriots before joining the Colts in 1990 for his final campaign. During that season, he recorded 23 receptions for 364 yards and five touchdowns.
Davis was an associate athletic trainer for the Baltimore Colts in 1971. He went on to be the head athletic trainer for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973-1995.
Last July, former Bengals teammates Ken Riley and Ken Anderson were added to the team's inaugural Ring of Honor class.
I visited the state during its coldest season. I'm glad I had nonperishable food and traction cleats but there are things I wish I'd brought with me.
Wong, Adames, Ashby lead Brewers over Pirates, 4-3
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2022-07-09T15:51:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4 ex-Colts among 2023 coach/contributor Hall of Fame semifinalists
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-ex-colts-among-2023-133838595.html?src=rss
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This offseason, the Miami Dolphins were faced with the difficult decision of what to do with Mike Gesicki.
The Penn State product was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the league year, and the Dolphins would’ve lost him to another team for nothing. Instead, general manager Chris Grier placed the franchise tag on Gesicki, which meant he was given a one-year deal that was fully guaranteed at $10.9 million.
However, with franchise tags, the two sides can still work out a long-term deal until July 15. For Gesicki and the Dolphins, it doesn’t appear like that’s going to happen.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, they “have not really engaged in contract negotiations.”
While this would generally be a bad sign for their future together, this scenario seems to make a bit more sense.
The Dolphins have a new head coach in Mike McDaniel entering the organization with his own offensive system. That system has been known to rely heavily on the tight end playing in-line, which is not exactly Gesicki’s forte.
It’s understandable for the team to want to see what the player can do in the system before they offer him a long-term deal.
From Gesicki’s standpoint, he obviously wants that security, but he hasn’t said anything that seems like he’s upset.
Earlier in the offseason, he was asked about negotiations, and he was very cordial.
“I am absolutely open to negotiation, but not really up to me, as a lot of this is not,” he said. “I just kind of go with the flow if they reach out, my agent will be listening… I have a good relationship with Chris [Grier] and Brandon [Shore], and this new coaching staff – maybe that has something to do with it… I’m just going to go back out there and continue to do what I do, continue to improve and make plays and help this team win football games and eventually get compensated for it.”
If Gesicki plays well in McDaniel’s system, there should be nothing stopping the team from giving him that long-term deal that pays him close to the top of the market.
Sandra Douglass Morgan is set to become the new president of the Las Vegas Raiders, making her the first Black woman in NFL history to be named a team president. Morgan, a Las Vegas native who's previously held positions in the gaming industry, said the gravity of what it means to make league history isn't lost on her.
The Memphis Grizzlies are showing that they believe John Konchar will be a pivotal part of the rotation going forward.
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2022-07-09T15:51:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Report: Dolphins, Mike Gesicki ‘not really engaged in contract negotiations’
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Our friends over at Touchdown Wire put together their ranking of the top 13 safeties in the NFL for the 2022 season. Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made the cut. At No. 11.
The Steelers gave Fitzpatrick a new contract this offseason making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Nevertheless, the guys at TD Wire didn’t include him in their Top 10.
Here’s what they had to say about their ranking of Fitzpatrick:
After two seasons in Pittsburgh where Fitzpatrick was a ballhawk in the seconday, he saw his role change drastically in 2021. Thanks to porous run defense, Fitzpatrick ended up spending an inordinate amount of time chasing and tackling to the tune of 124 total tackles. This led the team.
Hopefully if the front seven can play better this season, it will get Fitzpatrick back to his All-Pro form and prove he is the best all-around safety in the NFL.
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2022-07-09T15:51:55Z
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Touchdown Wire ranks 10 safeties ahead of Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick
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Giants' midseason review: What's gone right, wrong in bumpy season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants never expected to win 107 games last season or even approach that number, which set a franchise record. It was the result of literally just about everything going right over six months, and as this season has shown, that's incredibly rare.
A roster that is largely the same got off to a hot start but has been under .500 since the end of April. As the issues have piled up, manager Gabe Kapler has tried to put some distance between 2021 and 2022.
"It's not always the best thing to look back to last year and compare yourself to a 107-win team that had a lot of things go right," he said recently.
That's fair, but even the most modest of expectations for 2022 had the Giants playing better than ... well, whatever this is right now.
With Thursday's 2-1 loss at Petco Park, they've dropped 13 of their last 17 games. About three weeks ago, they were 10 games over .500, but then they got walked off on back-to-back days in Pittsburgh and Atlanta and just about nothing has gone right since. The Giants hit the midway point of their season at 41-40.
It has been a disappointing first half overall, and there are a lot of reasons for concern going forward. There have also been some bright spots, though. As the Giants get ready to start the second half of their season, here are five things that have gone wrong through half the season and five that have gone right:
Gone Wrong: Running It Back
After setting a franchise record for homers and ranking second in the NL in runs, the Giants decided to essentially run it back with the exact same group, with Joc Pederson added but Buster Posey retired. It was a bold strategy given that they had the oldest roster in the big leagues last season. It has, uhh, not worked out very well offensively.
Betting on a group of mid-thirties hitters to repeat last year's success turned out to be pretty risky, and while the Giants are still fifth in the NL in runs per game, the offense doesn't have nearly as much consistency or punch as it did last season, in large part because nearly every key player has taken a step back.
Brandon Crawford was fourth in MVP voting last year but currently has a .669 OPS, a drop of more than 200 points. After hitting 29 homers last year, Brandon Belt is slugging .338. Joey Bart wasn't able to replace much of Posey's production and was sent down to Triple-A before Curt Casali's injury brought him back. Darin Ruf's OPS is down from .904 last year to .698. Mike Yastrzemski has dropped to .729 after a recent slump, and Tommy La Stella is at .656.
Up and down the roster, production has dropped. And most of the fill-ins have struggled, except ...
Gone Right: Another Find
In 2020, Yastrzemski emerged as a down-ballot MVP candidate. A year later it was LaMonte Wade Jr. who was the breakout star, getting so many clutch hits that he received one of the coolest nicknames in the game and a bobblehead day. The Giants appear to have done it again with Luis Gonzalez.
Acquired last year in a slick move, Gonzalez has a .301/.361/.447 slash line with three homers and seven stolen bases. He was the NL Rookie of the Month in May and took over an everyday job before a back strain landed him on the IL. Gonzalez will be back soon -- if the Giants open up a roster spot -- and they certainly could use his energy and old-school ability to manufacture runs out of thin air.
"It's fun to kind of get lost in those thoughts for a little bit and think about what might be, if we have a regular Major League outfielder on our hands in Luis Gonzalez," Kapler said earlier this season.
It appears they do.
Gone Wrong: The Defense
There are a lot of ways to sum up how bad the defense has been, but perhaps the easiest is to point out that earlier this week the Giants allowed a runner to score from first on a sacrifice bunt and it simply fit right in with the type of defense they've played for most of the season.
They rank 29th in Defensive Runs Saved and dead last in Outs Above Average, and there are no obvious solutions. Cleaning it up even a little bit would go a long way in the second half.
Gone Right: Expanded Postseason
Rob Manfred has taken a lot of heat during his tenure for throwing a bunch of baseball traditions aside, and rightfully so. But the Giants certainly aren't complaining right now about the change in the new CBA that added an extra Wild Card team in each league.
After a horrible homestand and a six-game losing streak, they came from behind Wednesday to get a win that got them back to within one game of the third Wild Card spot. At the halfway point of their season, they're currently only two games out.
Gone Wrong: The Offseason Pitching Plan
The Giants have had a lot of success in signing veterans to one-year contracts and helping them turn their careers around, but the turnstile stopped last offseason. After backing out of the bidding for Kevin Gausman, they brought Anthony DeSclafani back on a three-year deal and gave Alex Wood two years. Alex Cobb, who fit the profile of previous additions, also signed for two years.
It was a plan that made sense in a lot of ways, but it's hard not to wonder where they would be right now had they re-signed Gausman (who leads the Majors with a 1.67 FIP) to pair with Rodón and Logan Webb and continued to fill the back end of the rotation with flyers on one-year deals. Some in the organization might argue that Rodón filled Gausman's salary slot, but this is a team with enough money to have both.
DeSclafani made just five starts and posted a 9.95 ERA before having season-ending ankle surgery. Wood and Cobb have had a lot of bad luck, but both have admitted they need to find a way to get better results, too. The rotation was supposed to be the strength of the roster, but there's been too much inconsistency through 81 games.
Gone Right: The "Big" Additions
Since Farhan Zaidi took over, the Giants have just about entirely avoided the more expensive aisles in free agency, but they did sign a couple of former All-Stars this offseason at much more palatable prices and both moves have looked brilliant. Both players likely will suit up for the All-Star game in a couple weeks.
Joc Pederson got just $6 million on a one-year deal and has 17 homers and the highest OPS+ (144) of his career. He's likely to be voted in as an All-Star starter. Rodón signed a two-year, $44 million deal and has a 2.87 ERA and 2.24 FIP. He ranks seventh in the Majors in strikeouts and is a legitimate Cy Young candidate.
The Giants nailed both signings, although now comes the hard part: re-signing them. Pederson seems like a candidate for an in-season extension, but Rodón almost certainly will opt out and chase a $100 million deal.
Gone Wrong: No Help In A Pinch
Twice in the last week, Kapler sent Austin Slater and Darin Ruf up to pinch-hit against a lefty in the late innings with the Giants trailing. On Wednesday, Ruf's two-run homer tied the game, but his double play last Friday was much more in line with what Giants pinch-hitters have done this year.
A year after setting an MLB record with 18 pinch-hit homers, the Giants are once again leading the Majors in substitutions, but they're batting just .217 with two extra-base hits. In 92 pinch-hit at-bats, the Giants have 31 strikeouts, one homer and one double. A year after getting 51 RBI from pinch-hitters, they're on pace for 28.
Gone Right: He's For Real
Logan Webb was brilliant for the final five months of the 2021 season and burst onto the national scene with two dominant NLDS starts. There was no reason to doubt him going forward, but just in case anyone wanted to see more, Webb has continued to pitch like a homegrown ace.
With eight strong innings in San Diego on Thursday, his ERA is down to 2.98. He's sixth in the NL in innings and on pace to pass 200 for the first time. Webb's strikeout rate is down from last year, but in just about every other way he's the exact same pitcher who earned a Game 1 start last October and an Opening Day assignment. The Giants can continue to build around the 25-year-old, who may make his first All-Star team.
Gone Wrong: Pen Problems
Sam Long got the save Wednesday in Phoenix. Mauricio Llovera pitched the bottom of the ninth on Thursday night with the Giants hoping to extend the game against the heart of San Diego’s lineup. Both pitchers excelled, but this is not exactly what the Giants had in mind when they ran it back with a group that led the NL in ERA last year and was getting a full season of Camilo Doval.
Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee were supposed to team with Doval to form a lockdown trio, but Rogers has allowed 42 hits in 38 innings and McGee has a 6.64 ERA. Jose Alvarez and Zack Littell, so good in the middle innings last year, have both struggled, with Alvarez hitting the IL twice and Littell getting sent to Triple-A last month. Even Doval has had some issues closing out games.
The relievers have combined for a 4.29 ERA, which ranks in the bottom third of the league, and the group likely will need reinforcements. John Brebbia, who has been very good in his first full year back from Tommy John, leads the NL in appearances and Rogers and Doval are also in the top six.
Yes, we are doubling up here, which is in part because of how the Giants have played baseball the last two weeks and in part because this truly is the best thing they have going for them right now.
For the vast majority of the season, the Giants have looked like a .500 baseball team, and they've been much worse in recent weeks. You could make the case that their best route at the Aug. 2 deadline would be to sell Rodón, Pederson, Dom Leone and other potential free agents and add some athleticism to the roster.
RELATED: What we learned as Webb gets no support in another Giants' loss
But, you could also very easily make the case that there's still a huge opportunity here.
This is a flawed team and there will be no NL West repeat, not when the Giants are 11 1/2 games behind a loaded Dodgers club. Things would look even darker right now if they were trying to chase down the Braves and the Padres in a traditional postseason format, but the extra postseason spot is huge.
As it stands right now, the Giants are two games behind the Phillies and Cardinals, who are on pace for about 86 wins. They're not the 107-win team, or anywhere close, but even getting somewhere in the upper 80s should give them a strong shot at making the postseason, and once there, they'll throw Webb and Rodón at an opponent in a short series. At a time like this, that's a big reason for optimism.
Buddy Kennedy astonished his teammates with two hits against a new pitcher. But he'd seen the pitch before: in a baseball video game.
Kris Bryant's solo home run
Kris Bryant drills a solo home run to left field for his second homer of the season, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning
The Nashville Predators had six picks on Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft, starting with two in the third round. Here's who the franchise ended up selecting.
How an exit from Russia will impact Yum Brands financially
Yum Brands Inc. intends to completely exit Russia amid the country's war with Ukraine, selling its Pizza Hut and KFC businesses. Earlier this year, Louisville-based Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) announced it was pausing its investment and restaurant development efforts in Russia — a market which led the company to achieve record development last year, according to a report from Reuters. It later suspended operations of all company-owned restaurants.
Will Smith walks it off in extras
Will Smith walks it off for the Dodgers with an RBI base hit to left field in the 10th inning
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2022-07-09T16:56:24Z
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Giants' midseason review: What's gone right, wrong in bumpy 2022 MLB season
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Can confirm Chicago, Patrick Kane and his agent will discuss Kane’s future with the organization, again, in the very near future.
DeBrincat joins a team that's filled with rising stars and will help improve their 26th-ranked offense. He has another year left on his contract and the Senators will still hold his rights as a restricted free agent. They still need more improvements, but they have $20 million in cap space heading into free agency.
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2022-07-09T16:56:58Z
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NHL draft winners, losers: All goes 'Wright' for Kraken; Blackhawks will struggle to score
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Phillies ride Wheeler's arm and Bohm's bat to season-best six games over .500 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ST. LOUIS -- Alec Bohm hadn't had a game like this his entire big-league career.
"Wow," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "They were the two guys."
Bohm accounted for the Phillies' offense with a pair of solo home runs against the estimable Adam Wainwright and Wheeler made it all stand up with seven shutout innings before handing off to relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand, both of whom did a fine job.
The multi-homer game was the first of Bohm's big-league career.
"You don't see that too often," Thomson said of Wheeler's back-to-back gems against the same club. "He was dynamite."
"We're right with these guys in the wild card," Bohm said. "If we can put together a good series and just keep slowly gaining ground, we'll look up toward the end and be right where we want to be."
Facing the same team -- and a lineup that includes MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt and the ever-dangerous Nolan Arenado -- for the second time in five days, Wheeler knew he was in for a test.
"It's a tough challenge," he said. "That's a good lineup and a good team. You definitely think about it coming in, 'Do I change anything? Do I do the same thing?' We talked about it and decided to stay with the same plan for the most part. We changed up on a couple of hitters, how we attacked and tried to finish them, but for the most part, stayed the same."
Wheeler's ERA in 95 innings is 2.46. He might be busy over the All-Star break.
"Any time he's got the ball, we know we have a good chance to win," Bohm said. "We just want to get him some runs and watch him work. It's really a treat watching him."
"I've been working on trying to get my body in position to get the swing off on time, a little earlier, because sometimes it's just a tick late, just missing balls. I'm trying to get in a strong position and be on time. It sounds simple, but it's important."
"It's really cool," Bohm said. "It's what you put all this work in the cage for. To go out there and see it happen, it's fun."
"Being from the Midwest, he was pitching World Series games when I was growing up, and here we are," Bohm said. "Pretty cool."
Harris II records four hits in 12-2 win vs. Nationals
The good news for the Mets? Jacob deGrom is inching one step closer. The bad news? So are the Atlanta Braves.
MLB All-Star Game: Bryce Harper voted in as DH
Bryce Harper expressed disappointment that he wont be able to play in the All-Star Gameat Dodger Stadium after being voted in as the starting DH.
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2022-07-09T16:57:04Z
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Phillies ride Zack Wheeler and Alec Bohm to season-best record
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Why Joc didn't start on day he was named All-Star starter originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Around 4:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Joc Pederson found out he would be heading to Dodger Stadium later this month to start in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.
Roughly an hour later, Pederson wasn't part of the Giants' announced starting lineup against left-handed pitcher Blake Snell and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
It seems odd that arguably the best player for the Giants this season wouldn't start on a day he received such a huge career honor. But that's the way manager Gabe Kapler has used the roster since he was hired prior to the 2020 season.
Pederson and Snell never have faced each other, so it's not clear if the Giants outfielder would have had any success against the former AL Cy Young award winner. But San Francisco might have been able to use his pop as they lost 6-3 to the Padres.
After the loss that dropped the Giants to 41-41 this season, The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea asked Kapler about Pederson not starting against Snell.
"Joc and I talked about this series," Kapler told reporters in San Diego. "He was going to get one of the starts, either against [MacKenzie] Gore or [Blake] Snell ... off and decided to give it to him against Snell, start against Gore [on Sunday]. We talked about this prior to the game. He's going to start against some left-handed pitchers, he'll get some at-bats against lefties. I mean, obviously [Padres left-handed reliever Taylor] Rogers might have come into that game at some point and Joc was going to face [Taylor] Rogers. I'm not trying to avoid having Joc start against lefties. We think he can do a fine job. But I don't think Joc thinks, I don't think, that Joc is built to play every game of the season. And I think we're going to have to find him places where he can be off his feet. And every bit of volume we can save some of our players that have to get up for every game because even on days when they aren't starting, they're still trying to get ready for the game."
Pederson eventually was used by Kapler in the eighth inning as he pinch-hit for Austin Slater against Nick Martinez. The All-Star outfielder earned a walk but was erased on a double play by Wilmer Flores.
"By way of example, even though [Mike Yastrzemski] didn't start today and [Brandon] Belt didn't start today, they both had to prepare for that game, and Joc as well," Kapler said. "So, knowing that's how we use our roster, knowing that's the way we intend to score runs, we also have to be cognizant of limiting their volume."
Once Snell was out of the game and Martinez entered in the seventh, Kapler was able to get all his lefty bats into the lineup. In the ninth, Yastrzemski struck out while Belt crushed a two-run homer that cut the Giants' deficit to three runs.
"It's not an indictment on the guys who aren't playing," Kapler said. "Our roster is built to have our right-handed bats face left-handed pitchers and our left-handed bats face right-handed pitchers. We're not dogmatic about it. Nothing is set in stone. I think we've demonstrated that, too."
RELATED: Giants' 2022 midseason review
The Giants will face right-handed starter Yu Darvish on Saturday, so Pederson likely will be back in the starting lineup. And as Kapler already indicated, Pederson will start against Gore on Sunday.
The first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has ended, and its final episode delivered a big swing that will give fans of the show much to talk about while we wait for Season 2. SYFY WIRE had the chance to talk with Strange New Worlds co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers about the details of the finale as well as what’s in store for the upcoming season, including whether a well-known Original Series crew member will beam aboard Pike’s Enterprise. *Warning! Spoilers for the entire first season
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2022-07-09T16:57:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why Joc Pederson didn't start vs. Padres on day he was named All-Star starter
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After spending five years on the run, a 63-year-old Thai YouTuber was arrested on Thursday for the attempted murder of a truck driver in 2017. The Royal Thai police announced that Jantaphan “Taek” Worrachate was arrested at his home in Nontha Buri province of central Thailand for attempted murder and violation of the Firearm Act.
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2022-07-09T16:57:31Z
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Woj: Nets want to trade Kevin Durant before trading Kyrie Irving
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Pre-qualifying inspection in the garage is complete before Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with the No. 15 Ford of Garrett Smithley and No. 78 Ford of BJ McLeod being the only two-time failures.
Each team will lose a crew member and pit-stall selection for the race (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports Live, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). There were no three-time failures.
RELATED: Atlanta weekend schedule | Entry list for Atlanta
With no practice, Saturday’s qualifying session is scheduled to be the series’ first on-track activity of the weekend. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 11:35 p.m. ET (NBC Sports App, PRN) with coverage beginning on USA at noon.
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2022-07-09T17:38:52Z
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Smithley, McLeod lose crew member and pit-stall selection at Atlanta
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College football season is less than two months away, and while the mercury continues to rise as we reach the summer doldrums, fanbases around the country are champing at the bit for the return of their gridiron heroes.
One area of the nation where things have been cooking — both on the thermometer and on the field — is in the Southeastern Conference, which took home the national championship last season courtesy of a Georgia Bulldogs win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the title game. While the conference appears to be rather top-heavy at times, the 14-school league is home to some of the best talent in the nation, including the most important position on the field at quarterback.
Heading into the fall, the Gators have anointed Anthony Richardson as the starting signal-caller for the Orange and Blue after splitting time with Emory Jones under center in 2021. Many project the Gainesville native as a first-round pick — even possibly. top-10 selection. There is a lot of football to be played before that is decided, but where does AR-15 stand in comparison to his fellow SEC peers as of now?
The USA TODAY Sports Network is counting down to SEC Media Days, scheduled for July 18-21 in Atlanta, by revealing its top players at each position grouping. Take a look below at who it ranked as the 10 best quarterbacks in the SEC heading into the 2022 season, with blurbs on each player included.
A 56.3% passer last season, Calzada is already popular at Auburn after leading Texas A&M‘s upset of Alabama last season.
Garrett Cooper hit a two-run homer off the right field foul pole and Bryan De La Cruz doubled three times as the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets 5-2 Friday night for their seventh win in nine games. Pablo López (6-4) allowed one run and four hits in five innings for the Marlins, who had lost two straight after a six-game winning streak. “Very good lineup, very deep,” López said of the Mets.
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2022-07-09T17:57:58Z
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Where Anthony Richardson stands among top 10 SEC QBs in 2022
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The Seattle Seahawks are mourning the passing of a former teammate, Jimmy Williams. The team issued the following statement via Twitter on Friday. Williams was just 43.
“The Seahawks are devastated by the loss of former Special Teams Captain Jimmy Williams,” the statement read. “Williams played two seasons for the Seahawks and was a member of Seattle’s Super Bowl XL team. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Williams family.”
Williams originally was drafted by the Bills in the 2001 NFL draft but ended up signing with the 49ers instead. After four years in San Francisco, he spent the next two in Seattle with the Seahawks, making his Super Bowl appearance as a team captain. He spent one season in Houston before retiring from the NFL.
Seahawks Wire sends our condolences to Williams’ family and friends.
Former Vanderbilt football cornerback Jimmy Williams, voted an SEC Legend, died on Friday.
Wimbledon 2022: Reid hungry for success after SW19 defeat
Gordon Reid believes his loss in the wheelchair doubles final at Wimbledon will fuel desire for further success.
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2022-07-09T17:59:09Z
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Seahawks mourn loss of former Special Teams Captain Jimmy Williams
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“Going into Game 6, this is what I wanted to ask you about,” Iguodala told Wiggins. “We’re in practice before Game 6, and I asked you -- because I’m taking the temperature. The reason why I talk so much and I’m so around in the locker room, I’m just trying to check temperatures, and it has to be organic and it has to be authentic. So I’ve got to really care about you to ask you a question, so I got to get to know my guys.
The team had fought back from an earlier two-games-to-one deficit in the best-of-seven series, and Wiggins explained their mentality -- and his -- to Iguodala on the podcast.
RELATED: Wiggins' perfect joke about why rebounding increased in playoffs
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2022-07-09T20:02:42Z
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How Andrew Wiggins moment showed Andre Iguodala Warriors would win NBA Finals
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A's trade Bethancourt to Rays for two minor league prospects originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
One of the Athletics’ best bats is headed to the Tampa Bay Rays in the team's first big trade of the summer.
RELATED: Chapman wants A's to stay put, build a new stadium in Oakland
Gavin Sheets' three-run home run
Gavin Sheets rockets a three-run home run to left-center field, his sixth home run of the season, to give the Sox a 3-0 lead
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2022-07-09T20:02:48Z
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Athletics trade Christian Bethancourt to Rays for two minor league prospects
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Josh Giddey with AUTHORITY ‼️
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/2gl4Cx5Fcg
This is all very promising for a young team that won only a combined 46 games in the last two seasons. Holmgren was the prized pick in the 2022 NBA draft, but don't overlook the other players they picked up — No. 11 pick Ousmane Dieng (6-foot-10, 7-foot wingspan), No. 12 pick Williams (6-6, 7-2 wingspan), and No. 34 pick Jaylin Williams (6-10, 7-1 wingspan). All four are long, athletic playmakers who can slide between multiple positions.
"It might not be this year, because this group has to figure out how to play together, but the Thunder are going to be one of the best defensive teams in the league," one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. "While everyone was distracted with where other guys fell, Sam Presti drafted a group of players who are 6-foot-6-plus, can pass and have a ton of athleticism. Every single one of them. And you're going to put them alongside Giddey, [Shai] Gilgeous-Alexander and [Lu] Dort? Ridiculous."
Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey during a Salt Lake City Summer League game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on July 5, 2022. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
"It felt good to get back on the court and play with these new guys on the team," Giddey said after his first game. "This is our first game together and we found little things and the more we play, it's going to grow and grow and anything we're figuring out now in this short time is just a bonus."
"The way Giddey commands so much space with the ball in his hands, frees up everyone else on the court," another NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. "It's going to be hard for these Summer League teams to stop the ball movement with these guys that can see over the defense and the way Giddey gets into the paint."
In the first three games in Salt Lake City, it wasn't the incredible passes or flashy finishes at the rim that were most impressive, it was the impact on defense. The Thunder wreaked havoc while shooting the gaps, switching on everything and blocking shots all over the place with Holmgren and 7-foot-1 Aleksej Pokusevski in the paint.
"I'm very excited and this is a special group of guys and I'm looking forward to what we can build," Giddey said. "I can't wait for training camp when we're ramping up things to get started for the season."
"We just want to be better than last year," Giddey said. "As long as we keep improving and get better and better, I think, whether it's the playoffs or not, we're going to be good. We have a really hard-working group of guys and I can't wait to see where everyone's at and get the season started."
Many teams are already making moves a year out to put the franchise in a favorable position for next year's draft.
The Jazz traded Rudy Gobert and Royce O'Neale and picked up five first-round picks and a pick swap in the process. The San Antonio Spurs had three first-round picks and drafted young, skilled players to potentially stash in the G League and develop. When talking to scouts around the league in Las Vegas, many believe the Spurs are positioning themselves to tank next season for a top-five pick. The Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets are two other teams still in the rebuild phase.
That leaves the Thunder. With all the draft picks they have (including one first-round pick and two second-round picks next year), the Thunder don't necessarily need to tank for another key player to add to this young, talented team. Only one team is going to land Wembanyama, the touted prospect who could be a generational-type talent. Just one. It might not be worth the effort to sit players and disrupt the growth and chemistry this current group could be building.
"He hit me up right away and wanted to get in the gym when he got into town, and from that point on, I knew we were going to have a special talent," Giddey told Yahoo Sports. "We started playing one-on-one, and I knew he was going to be a handful for guys to guard him. He might appear skinny, but he's strong, and strong with the ball in his hands. You think in any mismatch with a guard and big, the guard has the advantage, but he can sit down and defend, and yeah, he won that first one-on-one game.
"I can't wait to continue to play with him, and we're both team-first players and want to win. What we're building here is going to be special."
With Giddey already opening the spacing on the floor at Summer League and finding Holmgren, Pokusevski, Williams or anyone in the pick-and-pop, it's hard to imagine the front office shutting things down to disrupt the development of this dangerous, young team. The Thunder quietly drafted the future of the franchise right under everyone's noses and it's only a matter of time before everything starts to come together on the court.
Stranger Things season 4 has now fully deployed itself on Netflix, helping to re-establish the nostalgic sci-fi series as one of the closest things to a communal experience that still exists in our increasingly fractured media landscape. The show’s most recent run of episodes has generated a whole new set of touchstones for fans to perform connection over, including a shared realization that, yes, Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets” (currently enjoying a Kate Bush-esque Hawkins Bump after being feat
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2022-07-09T20:03:00Z
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In just three short years, Sam Presti and the Thunder are bulding something special
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Lamar Jackson has a social-media message for the world (or at least the Ravens): “I need $” originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Christian Street From Broad To 20th Streets Designated Black Doctors Row Historic District
The city has its first historic district based mainly on the history of Black Philadelphians.
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2022-07-09T20:03:13Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Lamar Jackson has a social-media message for the world (or at least the Ravens): “I need $”
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Updated list of Bruins' 2023 NHL Draft picks after trade with Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins are all done making picks in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The B's last pick was No. 215 overall (seventh round) but they traded the selection to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2023 seventh-round pick.
The Bruins ended up making six picks Friday, including center Matthew Poitras at No. 54 overall in the second round. Boston didn't have a 2022 first-round pick because it was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Hampus Lindholm trade in March.
The Bruins have not made a first-round selection in three of the last five drafts, but barring another trade, they will be back in Round 1 in 2023.
Here's an updated look at Boston's 2023 draft picks following Friday's trade with the Kings. The Bruins' second-round pick also was included in the Lindholm deal earlier this year.
Seventh round (via Kings)
Josh Donaldson's 3-run homer
Josh Donaldson crushes a 3-run homer to left field, adding to the Yankees' early 1st-inning lead
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2022-07-09T20:03:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Updated list of Bruins' 2023 NHL Draft picks after trade with Kings
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Training camp opens in just three weeks for the Chicago Bears, meaning roster spots will soon be up for grabs at nearly every position on the roster. Younger players and undrafted free agents will look to steal a spot from vested veterans and vice versa throughout the month of camp, leading to plenty of competition for fans to watch.
Here are five players currently on the team roster who already appear on the bubble heading into camp.
Last season as a rookie, Dazz Newsome was billed as a sixth-round steal who had potential to become a solid return specialist and consistent contributor on offense. But he spent most of the year on the practice squad and only played a handful of snaps in three games, catching two passes for 23 yards.
Though his special teams prowess did show up in his limited playing time, the Bears have revamped their return specialists this season, drafting players such as Velus Jones Jr. and Trestan Ebner, potentially leaving Newsome on the outside looking in. The Bears have also brought in a number of receivers to compete for roster spots this offseason, making things even harder for the former North Carolina Tar Heel. Newsome will need to impress early and often to stick around.
OT Lachavious Simmons
Another late-round draft pick from former general manager Ryan Pace, Lachavious “Pig” Simmons found himself playing in meaningful games last season due to injuries and COVID-19 concerns, including one start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Things didn’t go great for Simmons in that matchup as he was beaten on pretty much every play and benched before halftime.
Simmons has always been one of the final reserves on the roster since coming into the league in 2020. But with a new regime and a general manager who is more focused on the play up front, those days could be coming to a close. What Simmons has going for him, however, is that injuries are already impacting the line with guard Dakota Dozier on injured reserve. There’s a chance for him to make his case to stay on the team, but he’ll have plenty of competition as well.
TE Rysen John
Outside of starter Cole Kmet, the Bears completely revamped their tight end room this offseason. The team brought in veterans such as Ryan Griffin, James O’Shaughnessy, and Rysen John to compete for backup positions. It stands to reason Griffin and O’Shaughnessy have the upper hand for the reserve spots, making things difficult for John.
The former New York Giant was released by the team and claimed off waivers by the Bears. He’s had trouble staying healthy since coming into the league in 2020, not even making it into a single regular season game yet. John already has the chips stacked against him coming into training camp, but perhaps he can make some plays in the preseason to warrant a roster spot.
DE Charles Snowden
Every year after the NFL Draft, there’s a handful of players that analysts and experts are shocked they didn’t get drafted. Charles Snowden was one of those players following the 2021 NFL Draft and he happened to sign with the Bears. Snowden only played in two games last season, though, and primarily spent the season on the practice squad. Now heading into his second season, things aren’t getting any easier.
Snowden’s skillset favors playing in a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker. He’s tall and athletic, able to maneuver past blockers coming off the edge. Now in a 4-3, playing as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt may not be the best position for him. Snowden will have to prove he can play within this defense when camp begins.
Duke Shelley has the most experience of all of these players listed combined, but that won’t save him from potentially ending up on the chopping block. Shelley was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has appeared in at least nine games in each of his three seasons in the league. He’s started a handful of games and played the most snaps in his career last season in a battered Bears secondary, but failed to take his career to the next level as the team’s starting nickel corner. Now, he’s hoping to stick around as a reserve.
Shelley has much more competition now than he did in previous seasons and will battle with players such as Thomas Graham Jr., Tavon Young, Jayson Stanley, and Kindle Vildor. The cornerback room suddenly became crowded this offseason, potentially leaving Shelley on the outside looking in.
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2022-07-09T20:07:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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5 Bears players battling for a roster spot going into training camp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/5-bears-players-battling-roster-170002258.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/5-bears-players-battling-roster-170002258.html?src=rss
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ST. LOUIS -- The Phillies pushed across a run in the top of the ninth inning to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 1-0, at Busch Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was the Phillies' second shutout win over the Cards in less than 24 hours and third in a week.
Bohm has driven in all the runs in the first two games of the four-game series. He homered twice in Friday night's 2-0 win. Zack Wheeler pitched seven shutout innings in that game.
Kyle Gibson followed Wheeler's lead Saturday afternoon. He rebounded from two poor starts and pitched seven shutout innings. He gave up just two hits. One week earlier, Gibson gave up four first-inning homers to the Cardinals.
Jose Alvarado and Corey Knebel followed Gibson with scoreless work to wrap up the shutout. Manager Rob Thomson was clearly staying away from Seranthony Dominguez and Brad Hand after they'd pitched the previous two days. Knebel survived an error by Bohm and pitched out of trouble to earn the save. He got the final three outs with a man on third and the final two with men on second and third.
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2022-07-09T21:50:44Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Phillies vs. Cardinals: Corey Knebel survives Alec Bohm's error as Phils win again
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https://sports.yahoo.com/phillies-vs-cardinals-corey-knebel-212300747.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/phillies-vs-cardinals-corey-knebel-212300747.html?src=rss
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Tom Kidd won the first Open held on the Old Course with the highest 36-hole score ever, 179, for a one-shot victory over Jamie Anderson. The Fifeshire Journal report said of Kidd, “As a player, he is likely to improve.” In one of the most bizarre endings, Bob Martin and David Strath finished at 176.
What’s this upcoming season going to look like for Cam Martin? What about Kyle Cuffe Jr. and a couple of the incoming freshmen?
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2022-07-09T21:50:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Two-time Open champion Norman unwanted guest at St Andrews
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https://sports.yahoo.com/two-time-open-champion-norman-122033459.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/two-time-open-champion-norman-122033459.html?src=rss
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In LSU legend Sylvia Fowles' last WNBA All-Star game, she'll be teammates with longtime rival, friend and Tennessee great Candace Parker.
Without forward Queen Egbo, the Fever had few options against the Sky's frontcourt.
Tringale stayed on track after making four straight bogeys around the turn and finished with three pars for a 2-over 72. The Scottish Open is the first time the PGA Tour is co-sanctioning a European tour event, and it led to the strongest field in tournament history, featuring 14 of the top 15 players in the world ranking.
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2022-07-09T21:51:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Allie Quigley edges Ariel Atkins for fourth WNBA 3-Point Contest victory
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https://sports.yahoo.com/allie-quigley-edges-ariel-atkins-201500709.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/allie-quigley-edges-ariel-atkins-201500709.html?src=rss
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Noah Gragson and Sage Karam said that they met with NASCAR officials Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in an effort to put their on-track incident in last weekend’s Xfinity Series race behind them.
The two drivers indicated that they’d shaken hands and come to an understanding in separate interviews with NBC Sports during Saturday’s pre-race coverage at Atlanta. Gragson started sixth with Karam 25th in the Alsco Uniforms 250.
RELATED: Gragson penalized | Weekend schedule
The pair tangled last Saturday at Road America, with Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet making a retaliatory move toward Karam’s Alpha Prime Racing No. 45 Chevy shortly past the midway point of the Henry 180. That ignited a severe multicar crash on the 4.048-mile road course, snaring several drivers in its wake.
Gragson was penalized Wednesday, hit with a $35,000 fine and a 30-point deduction for rough driving that violated the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. Saturday at Atlanta, the two met and were seen casually chatting during driver introductions.
“It’s good. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the rest of the guys in the series just being able to talk to him, and I really didn’t know him that much,” Gragson told NBC Sports. “So just getting to understand where he was coming from and kind of the way he was racing and kind of give him my side of the story. But you know, we shook hands and we’re gonna go race hard today and put on a show in the Xfinity Series. … I think last week is behind us and ready to go race hard this weekend.”
“We met this morning and it was actually nice just to get in a room and talk with Noah,” Karam said, who makes his eighth career start Saturday at Atlanta. “You know, I didn’t know him on a personal level, I’ve only known him from on track, but I think it went really well. I think we’ve buried the hatchet and can move forward.
“I think for me, it’s like I’m racing up there up front and getting to race a guy like Noah, who’s very fast. He’s won a lot of races, he’s with a very good team, so you know, I race him hard out of respect. I think that’s a respect thing. I want to beat him and he wants to beat me, but he apologized for the contact on the straightaway. I apologized for maybe rubbing into the door a little bit too much and yeah, it’s all learning experiences for sure.”
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2022-07-09T21:59:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Noah Gragson, Sage Karam make peace after meeting with NASCAR officials
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https://sports.yahoo.com/noah-gragson-sage-karam-peace-173539053.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/noah-gragson-sage-karam-peace-173539053.html?src=rss
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