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Heading into this season, Seattle appears to be about as deep as any team in the league at this position. The group will be led by Rashaad Penny, who closed the 2021 season as the most effective rusher in football. If his Madden rating is any indication Penny is still getting slept on by a lot of folks, but he’s finally getting some due recognition.
Doug Farrar has a new list of the league’s top 11 running backs and Penny came in at No. 10.
“From Week 12 through Week 18, there wasn’t a more productive back in the league. Penny ran 102 times for a league-leading 706 yards, 6.9 yards per carry, six touchdowns, 4.98 yards after contact per attempt, and 12 runs of 15 yards or more. This is the back the Seahawks envisioned when they took Penny that high… Can Penny turn that last few weeks into a full season of excellence? Such a turn would put him in the top five of next year’s list, and take him to a new level, contractually. We can but wait and see.”
Penny should project as Seattle’s starting running back to begin the season. It likely wouldn’t take much for him to get pulled in favor of rookie Ken Walker, though. A minor injury or a small slump might be all it takes for No. 9 to take over.
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2022-07-21T17:53:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rashaad Penny rightfully ranked among NFL’s best running backs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rashaad-penny-rightfully-ranked-among-160053744.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rashaad-penny-rightfully-ranked-among-160053744.html?src=rss
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Last season, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris had a very good rookie season. 1,200 rushing yards, 1,667 total yards and 10 total touchdowns was about as good as you could expect from a rooki behind a shaky offensive line.
But it wasn’t enough to impress the guys over at Touchdown Wire. They ranked their Top 11 running backs for the upcoming season and didn’t feel inclinded to include Harris on the list.
Instead, TD Wire opted for guys like Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny and New England Patriots back Damien Harris among the group. They even gave a tandem of Green Bay Packers backs the nod as a pair.
Let us know in the comments if you think Harris deserves to make the cut or is he still a year away from being included among the top backs in the NFL.
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2022-07-21T17:53:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers RB Najee Harris shut out of Top 11 running backs
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-rb-najee-harris-shut-164859002.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-rb-najee-harris-shut-164859002.html?src=rss
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Amazon Prime Video is filling out its broadcast dance card as it heads toward its first season of NFL “Thursday Night Football” coverage.
On Thursday, fittingly, it was announced Andrew Whitworth and Aqib Talib have signed on as contributors for pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage.
Additionally, Kaylee Hartung has been hired as a sideline reporter.
Prime Video’s regular-season debut as the exclusive home of the primetime package comes on Sept. 15 when Kansas City plays host to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I was really excited when I got a chance to kind of get a little bit of a vision of what they want to do — to be a little innovative and change it up and create a new and exciting experience,” said Whitworth, who retired after winning the Super Bowl with the Rams last season. “It was right there with who I am in creating a culture and an atmosphere and really an experience.”
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2022-07-21T17:54:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Thursday Night Football broadcast adds Andrew Whitworth, Aqib Talib
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https://sports.yahoo.com/thursday-night-football-broadcast-adds-163427077.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/thursday-night-football-broadcast-adds-163427077.html?src=rss
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Below is everything Heupel said on the main stage at media days. A transcript was provided by the SEC.
You enjoyed tremendous success as a player, finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. How has your success as a player helped you in your coaching career?
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel at the 2022 SEC football media days. The Southeastern Conference media days are taking place at the College Football Hall of Fame and The Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire.
“Yeah, for myself embarking on the challenge that we did 18 months ago at Tennessee, rebuilding an iconic, historic program, I was able to look back at my playing career, a program that hadn’t been to a bowl game for five straight years before we got there. Obviously a great amount of success in my first two years there. What were the footprints, the strongholds that you had to have inside of your program to grow? I certainly look back on my playing career from a global view inside of the program, but also personally in the route that I took to get there, the work habits that I had to have to become the player that I became. One of the things for our players that I talk about, and certainly like Cedric and Hendon this year, great numbers a year ago. As they put the challenge in front of themselves for year two, it’s never going to be about the numbers. Numbers in year two as a player weren’t near the numbers I had in year one. It’s going to be about winning football games. Those are things that I talk about inside the quarterback room, I talk about with our staff, but also things that I share with our entire program on a time-to-time basis.”
Obviously it's about the team offensively. Now with some of the guys you lost at wide receiver a year ago, what kind of extra attention do you expect Cedric Tillman to get from defenses this year? What's been your experience counteracting a guy that's a prime target at wide receiver?
“A year ago who thought Ced was going to have the year he had or Velus was going to become a high draft pick like he became, or JaVonta was going to have the impact he had inside of our offense. That’s the great thing about college football, a quarter of your roster is turning over every year. A lot of great players leave. But with that there is great opportunity. Certainly Ced is going to get a ton of attention. It’s our role as offensive staff to put him in a position to create isolations, one on one, find a way to get him the football. It’s imperative for us offensively that the other guys step up and play at a championship level, too. Very proud of Jalin Hyatt and the steps he’s made. I think there’s great competition inside of our program at the slot position. On the outside, this training camp there will be great competition as well. We’re going to need somebody to step forward, multiple guys to step forward, at all those positions.”
You mentioned the improvements to Neyland Stadium. How important are those home SEC recruiting weekends, the ability to show off facilities on campus?
“Absolutely imperative that you use those opportunities. That’s true of official visits, but it’s true of unofficial visits, as well. When we get recruits up to Knoxville, Tennessee, they see the river, they see Vol Walk, they see the game day environment with over 100,000 people there. It gives them a great perspective on this being college football as good as it gets. Then it’s up to the culture piece to find out if it’s the right fit for them. Those are great weekends for us. We got a bunch of home games here against really good opponents inside of this league that will be great recruiting weekends for us.”
Cedric, how much have you seen that maturation process with him? How different is he in where he's at, just understanding the offense, compared to last year?
“Last year this time, a good grasp for having only had 15 days on the practice field. He’s a great example for everybody inside of our program that if you go about your business the right way every day and you compete, you’re going to grow. A year ago I talked about him, the first third of spring ball, second third of spring ball, last third of spring ball, how dramatically different of a player he was. Great work habits during the summer. For him in year two, compared to some of the great guys I’ve had, maybe a Gabe Davis that’s had a huge impact in the NFL with Buffalo, his ability to really sit back, watch cut-ups, digest what we’re doing offensively, but get into the intricacies of what he’s doing, I think it’s going to allow him to play faster, to be more decisive and create more opportunities and bigger windows for himself. Ultimately that should lead to us being successful offensively. But he’s done a great job all off-season. You talk about January, February before we got spring ball, he was in there watching film every single day on his own. He’s got great command of what we’re doing. That allows him to play within himself at a higher level.”
The Tennessee loss in the Swamp was pretty one-sided last year. Somehow you guys flipped the switch and went in a different direction. What changed with your program? Were you surprised after what you saw that day, what happened to Florida?
“Yeah, I just think in late third quarter there’s some things we did, self-inflicted wounds, that changed the way that game was played in the fourth quarter. As a program, a young program, you have an opportunity to learn from it, grow, and push forward and really climb, or it’s something that can be devastating. It’s one of the moments inside our staff and program that changed the trajectory of the program. Sat in the team meeting room, were able to dissect and show them not the entire game, but the key moments of things that we controlled that had nothing to do with anybody that was wearing a different colored jersey that impacted the game and the way it was played. Through that I think they gained confidence in who they were, what we were doing. We were able to compete and grow throughout the course of the season.”
Curious if the head coach in you is ever in conflict with the play-caller in you? Maybe the head coach wants to call something more conservative, but the play-caller wants to do something a little more bold?
“I try to wear the head coach hat in all of those moments. I think you’re always constantly balancing what’s best for the football team in situational football.”
I was actually going to ask you something, a friend of mine from Oklahoma, John Hoover, your former quarterback at UCF, Dillon Gabriel, is at OU now, just wondered what you think about him as player, what he can do for OU, what they're getting in him?
“Great, great leader, great work habits. Going to be so consistent inside the building. Guy that is a true freshman, true sophomore, led the country in passing over those two years. They’re getting a great quarterback, no doubt about it.”
The NIL question. How does your program go about managing that, especially when it comes to possibly interacting with any sort of collective?
“Yeah, for us, I think there’s great opportunity in it. I mentioned Hendon and what he’s been able to do, have an impact on our community, on youth inside of our community in particular. It’s an opportunity to educate and empower our student-athletes, which is what college football and the collegiate experience is all about. I think it’s dramatically changed the way that young people come into your program, how thoughtful they are about every situation that they’re involved in, how they’re portrayed in what’s out there on social media, the decisions they’re making every night of the week. I think in those ways it’s such an empowering tool for our student-athletes. I just go back to myself as a player. Certainly the most powerful thing that I had was my teammates and the logo that I was playing for. At the same time, though, I think I was creating some value there, too. I would have liked to have had an opportunity to have been afforded to take part in NIL. Would have liked to have worn my starting left tackle jersey or worn his shirt. I look at my own kids, Jace and Hannah, that get a chance to run around the house or run with their friends and wear a Cedric Tillman and Hendon Hooker shirt or jersey. I think there’s empowering opportunities through NIL.”
Lane has made a bunch of jokes about having to sign mustard bottles and golf balls after last year's game. Have you had a similar experience in?
July 21, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks to the media on the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
“I didn’t sign any mustard bottles or golf balls. Maybe wish I had had a golf ball that night, you know what I mean? I’m only kidding (smiling). It was a great, competitive atmosphere, man. That’s college sports as good as it gets. Just the energy and electricity inside of that stadium for 59 minutes, man, it was special.”
Hendon is one of the notable examples of transfers between the ACC and SEC this year. How important is that geographical footprint? Is it important to you as you examine potential transfers? Do you expect that to be a continuing thing in the future?
“Him coming into year two — the transfer portal obviously is a part for everybody as they manage their roster. Us at UT, our footprint is going to be extremely critical to us at all times. I think that’s one of the things that’s unique about Knoxville, is being able to get east, west, north and south, touch so many great recruiting areas. At the same time we have a brand and logo that’s going to allow us, with the style of play and the culture that we have, to reach coast to coast as well. Certainly inside of that footprint, that’s going to be important for us.”
What specifically about your communication style has allowed you to find so much success with are players inside your program?
“I think being extremely real with them, being completely transparent. One of the things that I’ve learned sitting in this role is to do less talking and do a lot more listening. There’s a lot of value in that. You gain things from your staff. But you gain them from your players, too. From night one where I was introduced as the head coach, being able to have a real conversation with our players, we were in there for over an hour and a half, I gained some insight into things that were right, things that were broken, how they felt about things. I think being able to attack some of those things early in it, I think they gained confidence and trust in me. Then the ability to be very consistent in what the standards, expectations, who and what we’re going to be about, how I communicate with them every single day, has been vitally important, too. They’re going to see me, they’re going to feel my energy. I’m going to be the first guy they see when they walk up the stairs every single day as we get ready to embark on the competitive journey for that day.”
You talk about value. How much value do you think having your quarterback and your receiver go to Times Square, get NIL education and all that stuff the last couple days provides the future for helping your current student-athletes? What have you noticed about the difference in recruiting when you first got here and a year and a half in?
“What a great opportunity, right? Isn’t that what the collegiate experience is about, is exposing and giving kids opportunities way outside of the realm of what they would normally have to grow professionally and personally. Over the last couple days, Hendon and Cedric had an opportunity to go up to New York City, take part in the Nasdaq, meet with local leaders of the great corporations and form and create relationships that should empower them whenever their playing days are done at UT, maybe currently while they’re there. That’s a great opportunity. Exactly what the collegiate experience should be all about. The landscape of recruiting for UT now, the Power T is so dramatically different. Uncertainty when we first got there. The steady ground that we’re on. The trajectory that our program is currently at. The competitive nature. The energy. The connection that you can see in the way that our players play. Now you’re not talking about what you’re going to do. Recruits have had an opportunity to see it. Now the greatest resource and tool that we have in recruiting is our current student-athletes. We’re able to get recruits on campus. Those guys, having an opportunity to spend time and talk with them is the greatest tool that we have.”
We're still in this infancy of NIL. I'm curious what lessons you've learned in the early stages of dealing with that?
“Yeah, I think it’s extremely important that you have a great culture inside of your locker room, that you have strong leadership, that you’re able to have an open dialogue, be transparent and be honest with them as you see things maybe that are coming up as an issue or things that they’re struggling with, educating and empowering them, giving them an opportunity to have their voice heard, and to be real with them. As long as you do that, I think you’re going to have consistent and constant buy-in from your players, trust from them, which are some of the key ingredients inside your program.”
You've talked about how the biggest improvements come from year one to year two. Defensively, what have you seen that you guys are going to make those needed improvements, specifically on third down?
“It can be the greatest from game one to game two, year one to year two can be the greatest push of growth inside of your program. But it comes down to your work habits every single day. I am proud of what we’ve done up until this point. We have a long ways to go before we kick off on opening night. For us defensively, there’s a lot of things that we did extremely well. You look at our tackles for loss, getting people into third-and-long. We got to be better in third-and-long situations, which you’re playing where you want to defensively when you’re in that position. We got to get better in the red zone, too, forcing field goals and creating negatives there, not giving up seven points. Part of that is being able to affect the quarterback not just with pressures but with a four-man rush. We got to have some competition on the defensive line. I think we’ve certainly gained in the depth that we have inside of our program. A year ago we were with 69 scholarship players as we opened fall training camp. We were the thinnest football team in America, hands down, not even close. You look across America, many were playing with 90 to 95 because of COVID seniors. We’re deeper than we were. We’re not as deep as we need to be. We’ll still be under 85. But I think the depth, the competition, the year inside of our system, inside strength and conditioning, the ability to strain, finish, focus at the end of football games should allow us to take a step defensively for sure.”
With the success you had in year one, expectations are now higher. People want even more. How do you feel about being at a program where there's always a hunger to do better than last year?
“Man, I don’t want to be anywhere where there isn’t hunger to be better. The expectations are never going to be higher outside of the building than they are inside of the building. Getting our kids to understand, not soak in the outside noise… They’re going to hear it, they’re going to see it, but it changes the way you strain, focus, go about your daily habits. A year ago what was being said outside of our program had nothing to do with who and what we were as a program – when I came up here for Media Day a year ago – to who and what we were when we opened up the season last fall and how we competed every single week. The outside noise will have nothing to do with who we are this fall either. We have to do a great job of continuing on this journey, competing, finishing our summer workouts here next week, then having a great training camp doing it one day at a time.”
Just in terms of your offense and the evolution of it, I know tempo is the key, but in terms of growing it into year two, how important is it to have a four-minute type of offense, be able to hold the ball?
“Yeah, tempo is one of the tools that we use to apply pressure to a defense. There’s a lot of things that we use. That’s one of our best and greatest tools, for sure. When we’ve been playing from ahead, that four-minute offense is something that we have used different places that I’ve been. We’ve been extremely successful in it. A lot of that stems from the fact that we’re able to rush the football. Guys get caught up in quarterback numbers and wide receivers numbers. At the end of the day it all starts for us in the ability to run the football, control the line of scrimmage. We need to play from ahead, then be able to do those things that you’re talking about.”
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2022-07-21T18:04:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Everything Josh Heupel said at 2022 SEC media days
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https://sports.yahoo.com/everything-josh-heupel-said-2022-161602518.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/everything-josh-heupel-said-2022-161602518.html?src=rss
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Being an SEC head football coach is good work, if you can get it.
Especially if you’re Kirby Smart, who just led the Georgia Bulldogs to their first national title in 40 years.
Smart has agreed to a new 10-year contract extension to remain in Athens, one that will pay him north of $112 million, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
In six seasons leading the Bulldogs, Smart has a record of 66-15. In addition to last year’s national title, Smart has one SEC title under his belt, as well as four SEC East crowns. He’s been named SEC Coach of the Year twice, after winning four national titles as Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama.
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2022-07-21T18:04:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Georgia, HC Kirby Smart agree to massive 10-year contract extension
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https://sports.yahoo.com/georgia-hc-kirby-smart-agree-173624929.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/georgia-hc-kirby-smart-agree-173624929.html?src=rss
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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Georgia's Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension through the 2031 season, a 10-year agreement worth more than $110 million that makes him the latest coach to land the type of megadeal that is becoming increasingly common in college football.
''Coach Smart's impact on the University of Georgia extends far past his significant accolades as our head football coach,'' athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement. ''He and his wife are Bulldogs through and through, and it is evident that Athens and UGA mean as much to him as he means to us.
''I am excited for our football program's continued success under his direction. The future of Georgia football remains bright with coach Smart as its steadfast leader.''
''This is home for us, our roots run deep here,'' Smart said. ''My commitment to this university and our football program is unwavering. I'm thankful to President Jere Morehead and Josh Brooks for their continued support of Georgia football.''
Smart said he is ''certainly proud of what we've been able to accomplish'' but added ''I'm confident the best is yet to come.''
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2022-07-21T18:05:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Georgia's Smart gets 10-year extension, raise to $10.25M
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https://sports.yahoo.com/georgias-smart-gets-10-extension-163901770.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/georgias-smart-gets-10-extension-163901770.html?src=rss
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Greg Schiano: Rutgers football is focused on Boston College
Despite all the attention being paid to a deep and heavy Big Ten schedule. Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano said that his team is focused only on their season opener at Boston College.
Everything else, will be given attention in due time.
Rutgers is looking to continue its rebuild in what is a third season under Schiano. Last season, Rutgers went 5-8, playing in the Gator Bowl. It was the program’s first postseason appearance since 2014 under Kyle Flood.
That season was the program’s first in the Big Ten.
Boston College is an impressive task for Rutgers football. They are traditionally strong in the trenches and a disciplined program. If Rutgers wants to qualify outright for a bowl game this season, then a win at Boston College is a must.
Schiano made his comments on Monday during an interview with WQAM in south Florida. The show was hosted by Larry Blustein.
“We’re focused on one game and that’s Boston College and it’s another guy who worked for us, Jeff Hafley, was here with me at Rutgers and he was also with me in Tampa Bay,” Schiano said on WQAM.
“Another guy you knew was going to be a head coach. What a great job he did for us at both players and now we’re coaching against him.
“A lot of the guys on his staff are former Rutgers guys. So, it’s going to be a real exciting Labor Day weekend…we open up…on Boston on the road and then we get back here and eventually start our Big Ten season with Iowa at home is huge. Then we go out to Ohio State and then we have a night game with Nebraska. It’s awesome. I think the Big Ten is great football, tradition, excellence. It is something that I’m proud we’re a part of.”
In his previous answer, Schiano talked about his coaching tree that includes Hafley as well as Mario Cristobal (head coach, Miami) and P.J. Fleck (head coach, Minnesota). All three head coaches spent time as assistants under Schiano.
In 2021 in his second season with Boston College, Hafley led the Eagles to a 6-6 record.
Rutgers vs. Boston College: Who wins Week 1? - Powered By PickUp
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2022-07-21T18:05:13Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Greg Schiano: Rutgers football is focused on Boston College
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https://sports.yahoo.com/greg-schiano-rutgers-football-focused-103035226.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/greg-schiano-rutgers-football-focused-103035226.html?src=rss
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One year ago, KJ Jefferson was listed as the 14th best quarterback in the 14-team SEC. This year, he’s found himself outside the top four or five quarterbacks in the conference by various prognosticators and analysts.
Strange to the point of laughable.
Jefferson threw for 2,676 yards in an offense that was No. 1 ranked in the SEC in rushing. Tough to do. His 21-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio was second in the SEC. His quarterback rating was fourth, behind a national championship-winning quarterback and a Heisman Trophy winner.
On top of all that, he ran for another 664 yards with six scores, both the second highest totals in the conference for a quarterback.
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said Jefferson used that 14th out of 14 ranking as motivation last year. He may have more motivation this year with those early slottings, too.
“Coming from where I come from, I’ve always been doubted,” Jefferson said. “Adding it as fuel to the fire and keeping it pushing just knowing that I can’t just keep dwelling on it and looking at it over and over again. The more I look at it my mind is not in the right spot and I need to be out there working.”
The preseason All-SEC teams will be announced at the end of the week at SEC Media Days.
Nine players from Arkansas baseball's 2022 roster, two commits and two signees were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Where does the 2023 roster stand?
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2022-07-21T18:05:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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KJ Jefferson using snubs as motivation: “I’ve always been doubted”
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https://sports.yahoo.com/kj-jefferson-using-snubs-motivation-154754409.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/kj-jefferson-using-snubs-motivation-154754409.html?src=rss
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The Oklahoma Sooners quarterback situation looks drastically different than it did a year ago. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be as good or perhaps better in 2022.
Gone are the highly-regarded five-star quarterback signees of the Lincoln Riley era, Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams. Starting for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022 is Dillon Gabriel, who hopes to have the same impact that previous transfer quarterbacks Josh Heupel, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts did for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Gabriel had a prolific career at UCF, throwing for more than 8,000 yards and 70 touchdowns for the Knights before an injury sidelined him after just three games in 2021. Reuniting with Jeff Lebby, who was the offensive coordinator during his freshman year, Gabriel’s expected to be one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the Big 12 in 2022.
Going position-by-position, Bleacher Reports’ David Kenyon breaks down which team in each FBS conference has the best position group. In the Big 12, Kenyon believes the Sooners have the best quarterback situation in the conference.
Perhaps the most interesting debate in the FBS, the Big 12 has a variety of options to consider. Other schools—Texas in particular, with Quinn Ewers or Hudson Card—have greater upside. Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez might’ve found an ideal match for his skill set at Kansas State, and Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) may finally put it all together in 2022. Dillon Gabriel is the safe choice, yes. He’s easily the most proven, though. Formerly at UCF, the southpaw reunited with former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby in Norman. Gabriel brings 8,037 yards and 70 touchdowns with only 14 interceptions in 913 career attempts to the Big 12. Marvin Mims and Theo Wease, who practically missed all of 2021, should be Gabriel’s key targets. – Kenyon, Bleacher Report
One can understand the intrigue behind Quinn Ewers. A former five-star quarterback himself with a ton of weapons at his disposal with the Texas Longhorns, he could very well be the best quarterback in the conference in 2022. However, questions linger about the Longhorns’ offensive lines, and in his first time out as a starter, will he be able to hit the ground running for a team looking to improve from 5-7 in 2021.
Adrian Martinez comes in with an unwarranted amount of hype. Sure, Chris Kleiman could bring out the best in him, but the former Nebraska quarterback had issues with turnovers last season on a team that went 3-9. He’ll have Deuce Vaughn to get the ball to with the Kansas State Wildcats, but will that be enough for Martinez to raise his game to the level of Ewers or Gabriel?
And then there’s Spencer Sanders, the reigning Big 12 first-team quarterback from 2021, and the preseason first-team All-Conference selection for 2022. Sanders has had an interesting career at Oklahoma State. There are periods where he’s fantastic, like the wins over Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Then there are periods where the turnovers come in droves, like his four-interception game against Baylor in the Big 12 championship game. If the Cowboys get the Spencer Sanders, who performed well against the Sooners and the Fighting Irish week-to-week, Oklahoma State will be difficult to beat. The problem is, Sanders hasn’t shown he can be that guy week-to-week.
Gabriel will be stepping up in competition against the tough defenses of the Big 12, but he’ll also be playing with improved talent as well. The Sooners’ wide receiver corp led by Marvin Mims, Theo Wease, and Drake Stoops have the experience and big-play ability to help make life easier for Gabriel.
The expectations are high for Dillon Gabriel entering the 2022 season. Of course, the expectations are high every year for the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback. Gabriel has the talent and the mentality to rise to those expectations and help lead Oklahoma back to the Big 12 championship in 2022.
Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in Phil Steele's preseason top 25?
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson believes an even better season is in store in 2022.
Jocelyn Alo wins the ESPY for Best Collegiate Athlete, Women’s Sports
Oklahoma's Jocelyn Alo won the ESPY for Best Collegiate Athlete, Women's Sports on Wednesday after her record-setting 2022 season.
"The younger cohorts' deleveraging has advanced by so much that all the previous post pandemic increase has been unwound already," JPMorgan said.
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2022-07-21T18:05:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Oklahoma’s quarterback situation considered the best in the Big 12 heading into 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/oklahoma-quarterback-situation-considered-best-160024653.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/oklahoma-quarterback-situation-considered-best-160024653.html?src=rss
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It turns out not everyone is a fan of new Nebraska offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. On the most recent episode of “Bazzy’s Black & Gold Banter,” Pitt Panthers Head Coach Pat Narduzzi made several comments criticizing his ex-offensive coordinator, Mark Whipple. Narduzzi believed that Whipple was too stubborn to run the football and only wanted to throw, regardless of the situation.
The Wake Forest game he mentions was the ACC championship game, a game that Pittsburgh won 45-21. When you take a closer look at the stats, you also realize that Pat Narduzzi either has a terrible memory or an ax to grind with his former OC. Pitt did not throw the ball every down and actually ran more than they threw, with the Panther offense finishing with 38 rushing attempts to 34 passing attempts. You’ll also notice that Pitt did not average ten yards a rush but 2.9 yards a carry. So he was only off by seven yards a carry.
These comments are a far cry from the statement Narduzzi made when Whipple left.
He doesn’t seem too upset about the playcalling in that statement, so what changed? Who knows, but the fact that Pat Narduzzi has been at Pitt since 2015 and is on his fifth offensive coordinator tells that maybe he has complicated relationships with his offensive coaches, considering he has trouble keeping any around.
The fact remains that Pitt’s offense ranked 8th nationally in total offense with 486.6 yards a game and averaged approximately 6.37 yards per play. The team went 11-3 and won the ACC, its first title under Narduzzi; so there’s no need for shots to taken at someone this many months away from his departure. If he was that unhappy with Whipple, it doesn’t matter. He’s not there anymore. There’s no reason to attack someone’s ability to perform their job properly, especially when you don’t remember any facts correctly.
Pat Narduzzi may not have been happy with Mark Whipple, but if the OC can reproduce those results in Lincoln, his current head coach will be very happy.
Trump called Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos urging him to overturn the 2020 election results after a recent Supreme Court decision.
Clemson and Rittman reach new agreement.
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2022-07-21T18:05:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pitt Head Coach takes shot at Nebraska’s Offensive Coordinator
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pitt-head-coach-takes-shot-151618274.html?src=rss
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It’s almost the time of the year when training camps commence around the NFL, with plenty of players trying to compete for roster spots on their respective teams. Players will be arriving at training camp for the Los Angeles Rams on July 23 as all eyes will be on certain position battles ahead of the upcoming season.
Unfortunately, not every player on the current roster is going to make the active roster for the Rams this year. Before the 2022 season kicks off, Los Angeles will have to trim their roster to 53 players, meaning that there will be quite a few difficult decisions to make.
Some players are going to have a tougher time than others to earn a roster spot and they’ll need strong showings during training camp to prove their worth. With playing in the NFL being a brutal line of work, here are 10 players that are on the roster bubble for the Rams entering training camp.
RB Xavier Jones
The Rams are expected to deploy Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson as their top two running backs in 2022. Los Angeles used a fifth-round pick on Kyren Williams in this year’s draft and Jake Funk figures to carve a role out on special teams in his sophomore campaign.
Taking that into account, Xavier Jones could be on the outside looking in when the Rams have to trim their roster before Week 1. Jones suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021 season after serving as a special teams contributor in 2020.
I expect the Rams to carry four running backs to begin the 2022 season, and while Jones could find a spot on the practice squad, it’s going to be tough for him to secure a spot on the active roster.
RB Raymond Calais
What was said for Jones above can basically be said about Raymond Calais entering training camp. Calais also missed all of last season with a foot fracture, so he’ll need to show that he’s healthy enough to contribute in 2022.
Between Jones and Calais, Calais might have the slight edge due to having more experience in returning kicks. That being said, it’s hard for me to predict Jones or Calais to supplant Funk for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart at the running back position.
WR J.J. Koski
The wide receiver position is unquestionably loaded for the Rams, especially after the team signed Allen Robinson in free agency. Cooper Kupp, Robinson, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and Ben Skowronek are slated to be the team’s top five wideouts.
While I wouldn’t be shocked if Skowronek is released, it will be interesting to see how the backend of the depth chart shakes out at wide receiver. J.J. Koski is among the wideouts who are hoping to prove they are worth keeping around on the active roster.
Koski made some noise in the preseason last year and he had seven total returns (two punt returns, five kick returns) in 2021. Despite his experience returning kicks a season ago, the Rams likely want Atwell returning kicks, and Jacob Harris could be listed as a wide receiver, which would make things even tougher for Koski.
OL Bobby Evans
Trying to trim down the offensive line is always a tough endeavor for teams around the NFL. Having depth in the trenches is crucial, even though the Rams avoided any serious injuries along the offensive line amid their Super Bowl run a season ago.
With Austin Corbett departing in free agency, Los Angeles is expected to hold an open competition between rookie Logan Bruss, Tremayne Anchrum Jr., and Bobby Evans at right guard. Bruss was the team’s first selection in the 2022 NFL draft, so Anchrum and Evans could be vying for a depth spot on the roster.
I’d give the slight edge to Anchrum due to Evans being in the final year of his rookie contract, underperforming as a third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft.
OT A.J. Arcuri
In the seventh round of this year’s draft, one of the selections by the Rams was AJ Arcuri out of Michigan State. Arcuri isn’t a supreme athlete, but with a chance to work with Joseph Noteboom and Rob Havenstein this offseason, he could develop into a swing tackle in the NFL.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Arcuri can show enough during training camp to jump ahead of guys like Chandler Brewer or Alaric Jackson. Despite being on the roster bubble, even if Arcuri doesn’t make the active roster, he’s unquestionably a candidate to be signed to the practice squad if another team doesn’t claim him.
DL Jonah Williams
The defensive line is top-heavy (no pun intended) for the Rams, with Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and A’Shawn Robinson set to start in 2022. But behind their starters, Los Angeles is lacking depth on the defensive front.
Bobby Brown and Michael Hoecht should be in line to secure roster spots despite Brown receiving a six-game suspension to begin the upcoming season. After Brown and Hoecht, Jonah Williams is on the roster bubble as he’ll have an uphill climb to making the roster.
Williams was active for eight games last season for the Rams, but I wouldn’t rule out the team signing a veteran after training camp concludes.
DE Earnest Brown IV
Besides Williams, Earnest Brown could be in danger of missing out on a spot on the 53-man roster. Unlike Williams (who was undrafted), Brown was a fifth-round selection by the Rams in the 2021 NFL draft.
That being said, Brown was the only draft pick made by the Rams a season ago that failed to make the active roster. After not making the active roster last season, Brown signed a reserve/future contract with Los Angeles this offseason, so the team is giving him another chance.
Once again, there’s a chance the Rams search the open market for depth on the defensive line, which could put Brown on the roster bubble for the second straight year.
LB Christian Rozeboom
The inside linebacker position went from being a weakness to an absolute strength for the Rams this offseason. Los Angeles was able to sign Bobby Wagner following his release from the Seattle Seahawks and Ernest Jones flashed plenty of potential as a rookie in 2021.
Also, after being released earlier this offseason, the Rams re-signed Travin Howard. Provided that, Christian Rozeboom is going to have a tough time securing a roster spot for the 2022 season, especially since it’s unlikely the Rams keep four inside linebackers on their active roster.
In recent years, the Rams have continued to prioritize selecting defensive backs that can bring versatility to the defense. During the backend of this year’s draft, Los Angeles took two safeties in Quentin Lake and Russ Yeast that can bring a variety of skills to the defense.
Of the safeties on the current roster, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott, and Terrell Burgess appear to be on track to be on the 53-man roster. While Lake was selected ahead of Yeast in the draft, that doesn’t mean he’ll have the upper hand if it comes to down one of them making the roster.
We’ve seen that the Rams love having players with football pedigrees, and with Lake being the son of Carnell Lake, so if he performs well in training camp and the preseason, he could overcome being on the roster bubble.
S Russ Yeast
Yeast was among three rookies the Rams took in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. Despite his late-round selection, Yeast showed off his ball skills by intercepting four passes in his final collegiate season at Kansas State in 2021.
On top of that, Yeast played cornerback and safety in college, so the Rams could try to find multiple ways to keep him around. Seventh-round picks typically have a harder time making an NFL roster, putting Yeast in a position where he’ll need to flash his versatility in training camp and the preseason to make the roster for Week 1.
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2022-07-21T19:53:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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10 players on the Rams’ roster bubble entering training camp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/10-players-rams-roster-bubble-184641634.html?src=rss
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EA Sports has revealed all of their ratings for the defensive side of the ball for the latest iteration of their Madden video game franchise.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made a lot of moves on defense ahead of the 2022 NFL season. They’ve moved on from veteran players who helped the team secure a Super Bowl title, replacing them with younger and cheaper talent via the draft and free agency. It’s a move that could benefit the team in the long term, but in the interim, there seem to be some skeptics.
One of the team’s longest-tenured veteran defenders is DT Chris Jones, who was a 2016 second-round draft pick. He also happens to be the team’s highest-rated defender in “Madden NFL 23” with a 91 overall rating. Justin Reid comes in second with an 82 overall rating and L’Jarius Sneed comes in third with an 81 overall rating. Those are the only three players on the defensive side of the ball, who are rated higher than 79 overall.
Check out the breakdown of Jones’ rating down below:
Jones also has the fifth-highest overall rating among all defensive tackles in the game. Only Rams DT Aaron Donald (99), Steelers DT Cam Heyward (93), Bucs DT Vita Vea (93) and Commanders DT Jonathan Allen (92) are rated higher. Jones is coming off of a season where he recorded 10 sacks and 65 total pressures on the year (comb. regular season and playoffs).
If Madden ratings are any indication of how the team will actually perform in 2022, the Chiefs could be in trouble on the defensive side of the ball. Thankfully, these ratings are adjusted and improved upon during the course of the season. It’ll provide players the chance to prove these early ratings wrong.
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2022-07-21T19:54:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chris Jones is Chiefs’ highest-rated defender in ‘Madden NFL 23’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-jones-chiefs-highest-rated-175149680.html?src=rss
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns work out QBs AJ McCarron, Josh Rosen
The Ravens have brought back some depth as they gear up for training camp. According to multiple reports, Baltimore is re-signing offensive lineman David Sharpe. Sharpe appeared in three games for the Ravens last year, bouncing between the practice squad and the active roster. He ended up playing 67 offensive snaps and 15 special teams [more]
NFL's highest paid players in 2022: Kyler Murray climbs list ranking players by salary
44 NFL players currently make at least $20 million in average salary per year, with Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson among them.
(Reuters) -Louisiana abortion clinics can remain in operation after a judge on Thursday barred the state from enforcing abortion bans under laws that were designed to take effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to the procedure nationwide. Judge Donald Johnson in Baton Rouge issued a preliminary injunction barring the state from enforcing so-called "trigger" laws designed to ban abortions should the Supreme Court ever overturn the 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade ruling, as it did in June. The ruling came amid a flurry of litigation by abortion rights groups and clinics nationally seeking to halt or stall bans and restrictions from taking effect in mostly Republican-led states following the Supreme Court's decision.
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2022-07-21T19:54:19Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Cleveland Browns work out QBs AJ McCarron, Josh Rosen while awaiting Deshaun Watson ruling
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cleveland-browns-qbs-j-mccarron-181329896.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cleveland-browns-qbs-j-mccarron-181329896.html?src=rss
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Devin McCourty disagrees with Samuel's take on Brady-Belichick debate originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Samuel, who won two Super Bowls as a star cornerback with Patriots from 2003 to 2007, recently resurfaced the hot-button discussion by taking Brady's side on the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast.
"The Patriots were a dynasty because of Tom Brady," Samuel said, insisting that Belichick "got away" with personnel and strategy decisions because of Brady's greatness.
McCourty sees things differently, however. In a conversation with NBC Sports Boston's "The Camera Guys" on Wednesday night, the veteran Patriots safety laid out why Belichick was so crucial to New England's six Super Bowl titles during Brady's two decades with the team.
McCourty explains why he's excited for Mac Jones' Year 2 with Pats
"You can't take away from all the decisions that have to be made for a team to go out and win a Super Bowl," McCourty said. "They even talked about it on the 'I AM ATHLETE' podcast: 'Well, sometimes you played (a) 4-3 (defense). And sometimes you played 3-4.'
"To me, that's the thing. A lot of people say, 'He's a great coach; he put Troy Brown on defense.' And it's like, 'I don't think that's what made him a great coach.' It was what we did in the building."
McCourty cited the specific example of Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. After the Patriots played almost exclusively man-to-man defense against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Belichick had his defense switch to zone coverage in the Super Bowl, a move that flummoxed the Rams' high-powered offense en route to a 13-3 New England win.
"(In) the Kansas City game, I think we played maybe one or two snaps of zone coverage. And to come out and really say, in the biggest game of the year, 'We're going to do something we haven't done all year,' and then we gave up three points to a team that was electric.
"I think those are the things that, no matter how great Tom and the offense were on the other side of the ball, those things that you've seen throughout Bill's coaching career ... that's greatness. You can't teach that.
"Ultimately, putting those teams together, deciding what we were going to do, where this guy was going to play -- all of those things, that was him."
"Don't get me wrong: You do get to do some things when you've got a guy like Tom leading," McCourty said. "But we watch the game. Like, how great is Aaron Rodgers? ... And he has one Super Bowl. That's because it's so hard to win a Super Bowl. Not one quarterback wins all of these Super Bowls. It's just impossible."
Some point to Brady winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as evidence that he can "win without Bill" and therefore deserves more credit for the success of the Patriots dynasty. But the reality is that Brady and Belichick needed each other in New England, and the greatest dynasty in NFL history wouldn't have been possible without both halves of the duo.
"I'll just say both of those guys are great, and the greatest thing to happen to New England football was that those two guys got to be on the Patriots at the same time," McCourty said.
Darren Till announces he won’t corner Chris Curtis at UFC Fight Night 208: ‘I feel it would be disrespectful’
After withdrawing from competition at UFC London, Darren Till has decided against cornering, too, and explains why.
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2022-07-21T19:54:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Devin McCourty responds to Asante Samuel's take on Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick debate
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https://sports.yahoo.com/devin-mccourty-responds-asante-samuels-183000959.html?src=rss
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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walder, and Field Yates collaborated on a future NFL power rankings project forecasting each team’s chances of success over the next three years. And the New Orleans Saints are in a unique spot — Sean Payton isn’t at the helm anymore, but he left them with a lot to work with.
They’ve got the Saints at a crossroads. ESPN’s contributors ranked the Saints at No. 16 across the NFL, with high marks for their strong overall roster (with quarterbacks ranked separately), an impressive track record in the draft, and a forward-thinking front office. But that hinges on both the health and capability of Jameis Winston to lead the way at quarterback, as well as the growth Dennis Allen has made as a coach over the last decade on Payton’s staff.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick made that exact observation, writing:
“It still comes down to the QB position for this team, both in 2022 and beyond. How will Jameis Winston return from the torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2021 season? I would feel better if Payton was still calling the shots, but with Allen now running the show and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael in full control of the offense, the Saints are in unfamiliar territory for the first time in a very long time”
There’s a lot to like about the Saints as things stand: they’ve only got four projected starters on the wrong side of 30 in defensive end Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, safety Tyrann Mathieu, and left tackle James Hurst, and much of their young talent is under contract for the foreseeable future. Having foundational pieces like cornerback Marshon Lattimore and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk signed to long-term deals while entering the prime of their careers is huge.
And the Saints should continue to field competitive teams with general manager Mickey Loomis empowering college scouting chief Jeff Ireland and salary cap pioneer Khai Harley to innovate. There’s a strong possibility one or both of those lieutenants get promoted to G.M. jobs with other teams in the years ahead, but for now they’re very much giving New Orleans a competitive edge. So long as they’re in the front office the Saints will be able to replenish and reload year after year.
So how do the other NFC South teams stack up? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only squad ranked higher than New Orleans, clocking in at No. 8, which feels weird considering this is a three-year outlook and the Bucs’ hopes lie in Tom Brady keeping them relevant (and, yeah, he’s 43 and entering the last year of his contract after briefly retiring once already this offseason). But Tampa Bay G.M. Jason Licht is annoyingly good at his job and first-year head coach Todd Bowles is much more competent than his previous run with the New York Jets would lead you to believe. Odds are they’ll remain a problem post-Brady just like the Saints have been post-Drew Brees.
As for the other two NFC South teams: I’m delighted to report that ESPN ranks the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons all the way down at Nos. 31 and 32 respectively, putting the Saints’ remaining rivals at dead-last around the NFL. Between poor quarterback situations, subpar roster makeup, gnarly draft histories, and a hot seat for at least Carolina’s head coach, there isn’t much for those two franchises to look forward to. If the Saints can get what they expect out of Allen and Winston they should continue to compete with Tampa Bay for the division title not just in 2022, but in the years ahead.
Families mourn nine killed in northern Iraq strike
STORY: Kifah Ali's sister and young niece were among at least nine people killed in a strike on a mountain resort in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk.At least 26 people were injured in the attack on Wednesday (July 20).Turkey has rejected claims by Iraqi officials and state media that it was responsible. Turkey regularly carries out air strikes in northern Iraq as part of a long-running campaign against Kurdish armed groups."We went, sat down, the children were playing in the water. Our families, our people. After half an hour, they struck us, then a minute later. We did not know where to go. Our family dispersed, the women were dispersed, the men were dispersed."Abbas Alaa was on his honeymoon. His new wife was injured, he was killed. His cousin, Mohammed Kadhim, is in shock."He got married five days ago. He was there for his honeymoon. On the second day he was martyred, the strikes happened. Communication was through the head of the group, the tour guide. We got in touch and he said Abbas had died."Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday (July 21) Turkey would never target civilians, and that its military operations are always aimed the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.He blamed the PKK for the attack.The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
The Metal God talks about making Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance," the album that gave the world "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."
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2022-07-21T19:54:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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ESPN’s future power rankings put the Saints at a crossroads
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https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-future-power-rankings-put-175913800.html?src=rss
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The Kansas City Chiefs have lost a member of their Super Bowl IV team.
According to Talk of Fame Network’s Rick Gosselin, former Chiefs LB Jim Lynch has died. He was 76 years old. Lynch was a former second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 1967, where as a senior he was a defensive co-captain on the National Championship-winning team. He also won the Maxwell Award that year, anointing him as the best player in college football.
Lynch (6-1, 235 pounds) was one-third of the Super Bowl IV-winning linebacker corps, playing alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell. Lynch played in 151 career games for the Chiefs from 1967 through 1977, including making appearances in 148 consecutive games. He played his entire 11-year NFL career with the Chiefs, where he recorded 17 interceptions, 18 sacks, and 14 fumble recoveries (tied for sixth-most in franchise history). He was an AFL All-Star and was awarded two second-team All-AFL honors during the course of his career.
In 1990, Lynch was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Honor (aka Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame). In 1992, he was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Condolences to Lynch’s friends and family.
Cole joins the Bucs after three seasons as the pitching coach at the College of Central Florida where he helped the Patriots to a Region VIII Championship.
Severe thunderstorms possible throughout the region
Police said Brittnay Callis car had the green light when a car traveling eastbound on Chestnut Street collided with hers
Beyoncé Reveals Album Track List, And We Want More
The award for most anticipated album of the year goes to Queen Bey, and we love that for her.
Who will replace Tyler Badie? We break down the Missouri running back situation on the eve of fall camp.
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2022-07-21T19:55:09Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Chiefs LB Jim Lynch dies at 76
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-chiefs-lb-jim-lynch-184602902.html?src=rss
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The Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray have agreed to a big five-year contract extension as the team’s rookies and quarterbacks reported to training camp Thursday.
The deal is worth $230.5 million over five seasons, beginning in 2024 and keeping him under contract with the Cardinals through 2028. He gets $160 million in guaranteed money.
The contract does not set any league records, but it is No. 2 in two key contract metrics.
His per-year average over the five years of the extension is $46.1 million, the second-highest average in the league, behind only Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ $50.3 million per-year average.
His $160 million in guaranteed money is second in league history only to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million.
He immediately becomes the highest-paid player in franchise history.
The Cardinals have expected him to be a franchise quarterback ever since they selected him first overall in the 2019 draft. He has performed like it through three seasons and now is paid like one.
This is a momentous moment in the team’s history.
The Oakland Athletics' are paying $48.5 in salary to their entire team. Murray's extension is worth $46.1 million per year.
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2022-07-21T19:55:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Kyler Murray’s extension is No. 2 among QB deals in 2 ways
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https://sports.yahoo.com/kyler-murray-extension-no-2-181433052.html?src=rss
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To be the best, you have to train like the best. Maxx Crosby understands this. And with a few new teammates and coaches who once played with Tom Brady, Crosby set about getting some advice on what TB12 does to prepare himself for each season.
The answer in the simplest terms is a question — what’s an offseason?
“I have a teammate, Duron [Harmon] who was telling me about it and I’m asking him like, how does [Tom] Brady work and what are the things he does that’s been able to do it for so long?” said Crosby. “And he said when he first got to New England, Brady told him, ‘There’s no such thing as an offseason.’
“So, for me, that’s kind of been my approach is just no matter what, even after the Bengals game, still for me it was like, okay, there’s a lot of guys that go on vacation for a month and eat whatever and then you have to cut weight and do that. Like for me, I was still doing my normal routine, still meal prep and still doing that because that’s what the great ones do.
“So, for me, if I do that and show the younger guys that I’m doing this and if I can do it and I’ve had success, I’ve got a second deal and things like that. If I can show a guy who’s in his first or second year like this is what it’s supposed to be like and inspire others to do it, I feel like it’s going to help the team. So, to answer your question, I don’t really think there’s an offseason when you’re trying to be the best at what you do.”
Crosby had success with his previous approach, which is to take a month off after the end of the regular season. But, as you can imagine, he has to keep raising the bar for himself. Now that he’s considered one of the NFL’s top pass rushers and is getting paid like it.
Granted, it’s a lot easier for a QB to have play at a high level the way Tom Brady has than it is for an edge rusher. But even for a QB, Tom Brady has defied all expectations in terms of his longevity and level of play. So, if Crosby could learn from that, he could defy some expectations at his respective position as well.
His head is certainly in the right place.
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2022-07-21T19:56:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby taking Tom Brady approach
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-edge-maxx-crosby-taking-183412730.html?src=rss
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Rapoport: Cardinals, Kyler Murray agree to terms on five-year, $230.5M contract extension
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray have agreed to terms on a five-year, $230.5M contract extension. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
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2022-07-21T19:56:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rapoport: Cardinals, Kyler Murray agree to terms on five-year, $230.5M contract extension
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rapoport-cardinals-kyler-murray-agree-173436237.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rapoport-cardinals-kyler-murray-agree-173436237.html?src=rss
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The Houston Texans’ historical identity is the defensive line. The organization should embrace it after 20 years of existence.
Even if the Texans weren’t a franchise known for its towering defensive line talent throughout the past two decades, the team still has to provide answers long-term. Maliek Collins is 27 years old and signed a two-year deal to remain with Houston. By the time Collins plays out his contract, he will be 30 years old.
Houston has to look at the future of defensive tackle.
According to Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network, a name to watch in the 2022 college season is Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter. The 6-3, 310-pounder provided the Bulldogs with 3.0 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, 37 tackles, and a pass breakup in his 14 games last season for the eventual national champions.
Against the run, Carter is extremely disruptive and has phenomenal lateral range. He has burst when changing directions and his effort is excellent when it comes to chasing down plays. His lateral quickness is exceptional. He can drop his weight and easily anchor single blocks at the point of attack. He generates some “wow” moments in every game with his mix of athleticism and explosiveness.
If the Texans used a top-50 pick on Carter in next year’s draft, they would have him playing with Collins, who would be in the final year of his deal. By 2024, the Texans would have a stellar defensive tackle duo in Carter at the 3-technique and Roy Lopez at the 1-technique — and Carter would already have a full NFL season under his belt along with a full offseason in an NFL strength and conditioning program.
Collins may be the answer for Houston in the present, but Carter could be their dominant 3-technique through the end of the decade.
Is Lovie Smith the biggest long-term worry for the Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans are set for 2022 with Lovie Smith. But is their solution for this season also their biggest worry for the future?
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2022-07-21T19:56:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans need to keep tabs on Georgia DL Jalen Carter in the 2023 NFL draft
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https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-keep-tabs-georgia-dl-185007204.html?src=rss
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The Southeastern Conference media days returned to the College Football Hall of Fame and The Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia July 18-21.
Paul Finebaum and Lane Kiffin discuss future of college football, possible disconnect with fans
SEC head coaches discussed the future of college football during media days.
Below are comments from SEC head coaches on the future of college football.
Brian Kelly on if Notre Dame will join conference or stay independent
“I would say certainly Notre Dame still is a coveted university in terms of what conference would want them. Jack Swarbrick knows what he’s doing. He’s got his ear to the ground. They’re going to land into a good position no matter what they do, whether they stay independent or whether they go into one of the other conferences. Notre Dame can carry itself pretty good.” –Brian Kelly
Lane Kiffin on volatility with realignment in college football
“The SEC is the top of everything, so people are always trying to chase the SEC and figure it out. I don’t know the history behind the moves, but I’m sure it had something to do with the SEC starting the unique moves for that to happen, for traditional teams like USC and UCLA to move like that, so not that my opinion matters on it, but I don’t like that. I think there’s so much tradition. When you go to places, you’ve been to USC, all these different places, you see how passionate fans are about certain things, what matters, rivalries. For those to be dismantled for money is kind of a shame.” –Lane Kiffin
Eliah Drinkwitz on college football changing
“Great to be here in the College Football Hall of Fame. What a great venue to celebrate what’s great about our sport. Just walking around, seeing all the wonderful things that make the memories of college football so special. It’s such an incredible game that we have that’s built on the pride of university communities and passed through generations through storytelling, like this Hall of Fame, through great moments, through tailgates, through bitter rivalry defeats, through incredible rivalry wins. It’s what makes college football so awesome. The passion for college athletics is special. My hope is that we don’t lose sight of that moving forward with college football and college athletics. I know that the college football world and college athletics is changing. For any of you Simpson fans, I’m not the old man yelling at the clouds that we want to go back to the way it was, but I do worry and I do question what are the guiding principles for college football and athletics moving forward. I sure hope it’s not, as Pat Forde wrote, about the almighty dollar. I hope it’s bigger than TV deals being the college football guiding principles because every action we take moving forward, we lose sight of what we love about this game. We’re entering, and rightfully, into a new era of college athletics with student-athlete rights, the ability to transfer through the transfer portal, generating of earnings through NIL, all things that were much needed and need to continue to be embraced, but it’s also time for college athletics to set a course and a vision for the future. Let’s make sure that the core principles and guiding principles that we have reflect the values that we want it to be moving forward. Let’s not hide behind what the Supreme Court struck down last year, which was amateurism. It’s not amateurism anymore, but what is it moving forward? That’s the question. That’s what the leaders of college athletics need to decide.” –Eliah Drinkwitz
Nick Saban on if the SEC will have 18 or 20 teams in the next few years
“I have no idea — you know I don’t like to answer hypothetical questions, which that could be as hypothetical as any I’ve ever been asked,” Saban said. “I do think there is some tendency, as current events sort of indicate, that mega conferences may be something in the future. It’s not my job or my role to understand the dynamics of what’s in the best interest of college football, the SEC, other conferences in terms of how they expand, but this has always been something that has happened. I know one thing for sure, we have a great league. We made two really positive additions (Oklahoma, Texas) to our league that are going to come online in a few years. I think there’s a lot of underlying dynamics from a business standpoint that could impact and affect how this happens, if it does happen in the future, but for right now, we have 14 teams in our league for the next couple years. We have some really, really good teams in our league. It’s a very competitive league. You got to be on task each and every week that you play. That’s kind of what we’re trying to stay focused on. That question’s probably a better question for Greg Sankey or conference commissioners who maybe are looking at what’s in the best interest of their league in the future. I’m sure they would say maybe yes and maybe no. Who knows what those circumstances may have an impact and effect in a positive way on each and every league and on college football in general, but I do think if we move toward the mega conference, again, that whole thing about competitive balance is going to be in question. Look, I’m not here to say we should have it or we shouldn’t have it, but if we have two 20-team leagues, how is that going to impact all the people that are not in those leagues? That’s a question for all of you to speculate and answer on. I really can’t speculate on that.” –Nick Saban
Clark Lea on the changing landscape in college football
“As a program, we’re excited about the changes that are occurring within our sport and feel as though that which makes us distinct at Vanderbilt also strengthens our position in a rapidly changing landscape. It is our distinct qualities as a program and a university that create a strategic market advantage for us through differentiation. We understand what makes us unique, and we’re looking to optimize that to carve out a competitive product in our market. What we offer our team members is still grounded in the fundamentals of the student-athlete experience, with a focus on transformation over transaction, a commitment to substance over surface. These are the defining aspects of a program that I’d want for my own children in which holistic development isn’t compromised for instant gratification, and the prospect of a lifelong journey towards purpose and impact is not sacrificed for the immediacy of result. We approach the era of transfer portal and name, image and likeness by first staying true to our core belief, which is that the best teams are still bound by the joy found in shared suffering and sacrifice and a willingness to funnel individual goals through team success.” –Clark Lea
Mike Leach on losing track of what is a league, conference, division in college football
“At some point, I mean, I’m beginning to lose track of what’s a league and what’s a conference, what’s a division. The more the merrier, I guess. I’m not against any of it. As far as playoffs, there’s a lot of models. My thoughts on the playoffs are well-documented. We have a great committee thinking about it, considering it. I do think it’s steadily improved.” –Mike Leach
Bryan Harsin on having Alabama and Georgia on schedule
“As far as those games, I mean, go back. Georgia and Auburn, right? There’s history. Alabama-Auburn, there’s history. Those teams, I mean, we’re going to play each other. There’s history in those games. I know this, I know our players are excited about having an opportunity to play those teams. One of the things, too, it really fits into our footprint in recruiting. Georgia has great football players in that state. Alabama has great football players, so I think those games, whether it’s the Iron Bowl or having the chance to play against Georgia, those are important games for Auburn, certainly ones that you want to play in and you want to be successful in. Right now, those are the games that you get an opportunity to go in there and play well, win those games, it changes your season, it propels you very quickly to be one of the more successful teams. I’m sure that will continue. Certainly it’s something that in the history of these programs has been really, really important to where we are now.” –Bryan Harsin
Jimbo Fisher on what makes sense for college football
“I think some kind of uniformity. I think that’s what he’s talking about. Change is inevitable. Conferences are going to change a little bit, they’re going to move, the rules. The NIL, the uncertainty of NIL and the difference in the rules per state, what you can do and how you can do it, affects recruiting. Listen, at the end of the day we can coach all we want, you got to have good players. You got to be able to get that uniformity together and create some kind of balance that everybody has the same rules about what you can and cannot do. I think that’s what he’s talking about. Like you say, change is inevitable. Life is always going to change, it’s always going to move. You either have to adapt or get ran over. To me, that’s what he is probably talking about. The transfer portal, I don’t know where that goes either, the situations with that. I think where there’s such chaos. You got conference realignment, you got NIL, then you got NIL on top of transfer portal. I mean, that’s three major, major changes in everything we’ve done for how long? I don’t even know how many years it’s been. What we’re all scared of — what does two man nature make you scared of? The unknown. We have so much unknown. That’s why we’re all on the edge and panicked about what’s going on.” –Jimbo Fisher
Trevon Flowers discusses leadership in Vols’ secondary
Trevon Flowers discusses leadership in Vols' secondary ahead of the 2022 season.
Notre Dame’s first three nonconference dates revealed
Mark your calendars for November.
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2022-07-21T20:06:50Z
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2022 SEC media days: Coaches sound off on future of college football
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Auburn coach Bryan Harsin shown on the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
MINNEAPOLIS, July 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD), the specialist in fiber management and connectivity platforms for communication service providers, will hold a conference call on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (4:00 p.m. Central time) to discuss its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2022. Financial results will be issued in a press release and the company’s FieldReport prior to the call, which will be available in the
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2022-07-21T20:06:56Z
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Bryan Harsin can't talk his way off the Auburn football hot seat | Opinion
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ATLANTA (AP) Auburn coach Bryan Harsin took on what he called ''the gorilla in the room'' when he stood behind the podium at the Southeastern Conference Media Days on Thursday.
Harsin said an inquiry into his program following his 6-7 debut as coach ''was uncomfortable. It was unfounded. It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family, and also our program. And it didn't work.''
''It most definitely brought us closer,'' Hall said Thursday. ''A few of the guys ... talked to the board and talked to the president of the university just to give our respect and our support for coach Harsin. It definitely brought our team closer together after that.''
Auburn lost its final five games last season, leaving Harsin on the hot seat for 2022. He said he enters the season emboldened by what he described as ''a silver lining in all of this.''
''What I saw from our players and our coaches was leadership opportunities for them to step up, which is exactly what they did,'' Harsin said. ''You got a chance to see guys provide leadership. You got a chance to see coaches provide leadership. What it did is it united our football team, our players, our staff, our football team. I'm really proud of our guys.''
Smith had been listed as one of three Texas A&M players scheduled to attend the SEC Media Days. Instead, two Aggies - safety Demani Richardson and left guard Layden Robinson - represented the school.
''We're gathering all the evidence and the things going on,'' Fisher said. ''We have no comment at this time.''
''Ainias Smith, that's my brother,'' Robinson said. ''We grew up together. He's a great leader. He's a great person. He's been very helpful for our team since day one. He's been an impact since day one.''
''I'll reach out to him, like check up on him when we get back,'' Robinson said. ''But he knows since we grew up together, he knows I've always got him, I'm always here for him and I've always got his back and will do whatever.''
''We appreciate his leadership,'' Harsin said. ''We appreciate just his work ethic. He has experience. He's played. The only unfortunate thing is we didn't get a chance to have him in spring because of his shoulder going through all the team periods because we hurt him during the season.
''It's one of those that you go back and look on it, you're like, damn, I wish that hadn't have happened. But he's with us now and he's getting his opportunities in the summer.''
Running back Tank Bigsby said Calzada provides toughness, leadership and ''everything a quarterback is supposed to bring.''
''That dog,'' Bigsby said. ''You want to play with somebody that's got that dog in him, who doesn't back down.''
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2022-07-21T20:07:22Z
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Harsin emboldened by players' support, says Auburn has unity
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Sanders' influence has raised recruiting at Jackson State, across SWAC
(Stats Perform) - There were skeptics voicing concern when Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders first chose to pursue a higher level of recruit than what had become accustomed in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"They didn't recruit me because they didn't think they could get me," he looks back on it today.
Sanders has helped prove higher-level recruits want to play at HBCUs again. On national signing day in early February, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, generally considered the nation's top high school senior prospect, flipped on a verbal commitment to Florida State to join Sanders' reigning SWAC champions.
Sorry, Seminoles. But why not, since his hiring nearly two years, Coach Prime's impact has been as big a story in FCS college football as even North Dakota State's dynasty.
Jackson State (11-2), which went unbeaten in the SWAC last year, drew the largest point total in the conference's preseason poll at media day Thursday in Birmingham, Florida. Sanders' son Shedeur, one of the prize recruits in his first recruiting class, was selected as the SWAC's preseason offensive player of the year.
Coach Prime's impact has been felt across the SWAC, where other coaching staffs have raised their recruiting aspirations. NIL deals (the paid use of name, image or likeness) that last summer became available to students-athletes have leveled the playing field more, making FBS players even more inclined to transfer to the lower half of Division I.
Alabama A&M coach Connell Maynor guided his program to the SWAC title in the shortened 2020 season that was delayed to the spring, and the difference he saw in Jackson State's defense between then and the 2021 season in the fall influenced his program's pursuit of FBS dropdown transfers.
"That defense wasn't very good (in spring 2021)," Maynor said, "and (Sanders) went into the (NCAA transfer) portal. And then the next year, he's got the No. 1 defense (in the SWAC). He didn't do anything illegal, he showed what you have to do. You have to go out to the portal and get some of these players from bigger schools that's proven - that's bigger, faster and stronger - and get them on your team."
The SWAC's 12 programs have attracted over 150 transfers across the 2022 recruiting cycle, and nearly three-quarters of them were once at FBS programs. A HERO Sports report reflected the average number of FBS dropdown signings to be 10 per SWAC school, led by Alabama A&M with 27, Jackson State 18, Alabama State 17 and Florida A&M 13. Grambling State added one of the most coveted in UCLA transfer quarterback Kajiya Hollawayne, a former four-star recruit.
"It's a deal where now you're going to have athletes coming in pretty much ready to go," said Prairie View A&M's Bubba McDowell, the former NFL safety who after 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Panthers was elevated into one of four new head coaches in the SWAC.
"I do see that there's another level of athlete that we're attaining, there's another athlete that we're going after," said Sanders, the 2021 Stats Perform Eddie Robinson Award recipient as FCS national coach of the year.
"Right now, these kids want exposure, they want to play and they want to have fun. If we can speak to at least two out of those three possibilities, it's a win-win. And once we get them on to campus and they come to a game, they understand what we can present for them. It's just after that we have to be consistent with the housing, we have to be consistent with feeding them, we have to be consistent with the facilities, to secure some of those guys as well. That's one we have to step up."
Jackson State had the most selections on the SWAC preseason team with eight, followed by Florida A&M with six, then West preseason favorite Southern, Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff with five each. Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Land was named the conference's defensive player of the year.
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Hey Jimbo... Why do you talk so fast?!
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2022-07-21T20:07:36Z
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Sanders' influence has raised recruiting at Jackson State, across SWAC
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When you're flying down the road at 120 miles an hour, sometimes your wheels get a little loose under you. And when you're speaking at 500 words a minute, sometimes you might just let a bit of previously undisclosed information slip out.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher closed out 2022's version of SEC Media Days by speaking roughly as many words in his allotted half hour as the previous 13 head coaches had during theirs, combined. And among the discussions of Nick Saban and Alabama ("I have great respect for him and their program, like always") and the arrest of wide receiver Ainias Smith ("We have no comment at this time"), Fisher seemed to hint that he's seen some version of a new one-division schedule, one that gives A&M three permanent rivals.
"You want Texas, when Texas comes into the league, when that schedule comes in, definitely because of that rivalry. I think LSU is a great rivalry. But that's probably our two biggest," he said. "I think the third team on our gamut, if I am not mistaken, was Mississippi State. Another West team. I believe that's the way it was. I'm trying to think off the top of my head." Fisher's statement of specific rivalries was apparently the first public indication that the SEC has moved beyond the theoretical stage of one-division scheduling and into actual hypothetical schedules.
Left out of A&M's rivalry slot: Arkansas, which first faced the Aggies all the way back in 1903. Arkansas leads that rivalry, 42-33-3. Texas A&M and Mississippi State first met in 1912, but have played only 14 times, with each school claiming seven wins.
Earlier in the week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey indicated that the league's schedule plans are "still under consideration," but meetings earlier this year ended with "a focus placed on a single division model, with the ability to accommodate either an eight-game or nine-game conference schedule."
"Probably the model of three is much better because it gives you more consistency, helps keep some traditional rivalries," Fisher said. "I think that's the one thing we're trying to do in college football. To me it makes college football special, the rivalries of college football, trying to keep as many traditions as you can with the expanding world."
SEC fans can decide for themselves which teams ought to constitute their big three; Auburn-Alabama, Georgia-Florida and Ole Miss-Mississippi State are obvious, but what about beyond the best-known rivalries? That's where Fisher's question about Mississippi State over Arkansas comes in. How much influence will schools have to declare who their rivals ought to be, and how much matchmaking will be mandated by the SEC? All is up in the air.
A single-division model will also produce competitive imbalances — some schools will play Alabama, Georgia, or both every year, while some will face neither — and questions about tiebreakers. Plus, there's the looming question of how to send as many teams as possible to the playoffs, however many playoff spots there may be.
"We want to understand the impact through the use of analytics on bowl eligibility for our teams who are growing their programs, and College Football Playoff access dependent on the number of teams that might be included," Sankey said.
So as if college football isn't already complicated enough with NIL, the transfer portal, and conference-jumping schools, now schedule and rivalry upheaval enters the mix. Seems about right.
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2022-07-21T20:07:43Z
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SEC Media Days: Jimbo Fisher might have broken some scheduling news
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LOS ANGELES -- The Giants have been a .500 team since the start of May, and at times it has seemed much worse. The defensive lapses piled up and the big hits never did, and for long stretches of the first half, the team played dull and disappointing baseball.
The Giants have had plenty of struggles this season, but they also have played some of their best baseball against the NL's best, the teams they'll see if they reach the postseason. They'll try to keep that going this weekend with a four-game series at Dodger Stadium, and while the NL West title is just about lost -- the Dodgers lead the Padres by 10 games and the Giants by 12 1/2 -- the playoff hopes for last year's division champs are still very much alive.
To reach the postseason that'll need to continue. This team was built around the rotation in the offseason, and even with Anthony DeSclafani out for the year, this group still needs to lead the way. Health will be a key factor, too, as Rodón, Wood and Cobb are all Giants in part because of past injuries. There's not much behind them unless Matthew Boyd can make a quick recovery from his rehab setback.
The 2021 season likely will stand as a career year for Belt, but he started to find his swing the last week before the break and a couple of hot streaks in the second half would go a long way. The key for him, as always, will be staying in the lineup. Belt has had his knee drained so many times since the spring that he's ready for a second punch card, but the Giants desperately need him on the field and in the heart of their lineup.
The path to 107 wins was paved with 17 wins over the Diamondbacks and 15 over the Rockies, but some of this first half's lowest moments came against teams headed for high draft picks. The Giants lost two series to the Reds, dropped a series in Phoenix and got swept by a White Sox team that came in limping but caught fire at the end of the half.
The second half opens against perhaps the best team in the NL, but then the Giants return to Arizona and come home for four against the lowly Cubs. It's a nice way to prove that they're truly contenders worthy of buying at the deadline, and in August they play the A's, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Tigers in a three-week span. The September schedule is brutal at the start, but also includes a two-week stretch of only the Diamondbacks and Rockies.
The Giants are 25-19 against teams under .500 but can certainly play much better when the schedule lightens up. They'll have to pile up wins where they can when they're competing for a postseason spot with two teams -- the Brewers and Cardinals -- who will beat up on the poor NL Central for the next two months.
There's not much the Giants can do about baserunning with this current group. They are old and slow -- it is what it is, and even they admit it. The lack of athleticism will limit the Giants defensively, too, but still, it shouldn't be this bad. All of the metrics, including the one above, line up with the eye test. Outs Above Average has the Giants as the 29th-ranked defense and they're 28th in Defensive Runs Saved.
Getting Brandon Crawford back to 100 percent will help and Evan Longoria always stabilizes things when he's at third. The Giants also need to hope that Belt's knee can handle first base more often in the second half. But some of this simply comes down to focus and making the plays you should make. That would hugely benefit the starting staff and help the bullpen, as well, most notably Tyler Rogers, who is reliant on grounders finding gloves.
"That's been our biggest weakness so far and it's really the lowest-hanging fruit," president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said of the defense. "It's something that's kind of most under your control."
It's Your Time
Bart's return was forced by an injury, but there's no doubt that he's the best catcher in the organization when he's right, and even a modest uptick in production would be huge for a lineup that relies on turning things over at the bottom and getting guys on base for LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Belt, etc. The defense has the potential to be elite down the line, and this older group could certainly use Bart's emotion and competitiveness.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck aren't the only Hollywood couple who has exchanged vows at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Britney Spears, among other celebs, have as well.
Gamer couple's wedding reception shows their 'never seen before' take on the traditional first dance: 'Such a cute, unique idea'
The newlyweds spiced up their reception with their own take on the first dance tradition.
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2022-07-21T20:29:18Z
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Five Giants keys to making second-half push for MLB playoff spot
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With eight races still remaining to set the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Group of 12 playoff contenders, there are certainly several drivers already establishing themselves as front-runners and several others outside the cutoff line looking to make a push in this crucial time of the season.
Entering Saturday‘s Explore The Pocono Mountains 225 (5 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Kaulig Racing driver Landon Cassill holds a 61-point advantage over the field for the 12th and final playoff position — 61 points ahead of Brandon Brown, 63 points ahead of Sheldon Creed and 69 points up on Anthony Alfredo.
RELATED: Complete Pocono at-track schedule | Xfinity Series standings
This weekend could be a good opportunity for a new race winner. There have been six different race winners in the six Pocono races to date, and there is only one former winner on the entry list this weekend — NASCAR Cup Series regular Cole Custer, who won the Xfinity race there in 2019.
A handful of drivers entered have won in other series at Pocono, however. Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Brandon Jones has a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race win in 2020. And Ty Gibbs (2020), Riley Herbst (2017) and Justin Allgaier (2008) all have past ARCA Menards Series victories on the Pocono 2.5-miler.
Allgaier, winner of last weekend‘s thrilling race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, certainly brings momentum with him to Pocono with victories in three of the last eight races. That kind of strong summer showing, plus some misfortune from other season frontrunners, has moved Allgaier now into second place in the series driver standings, just 16 points behind points leader A.J. Allmendinger.
Both Allmendinger and the series‘ winningest driver of 2022, Ty Gibbs, suffered problems at New Hampshire. Allmendinger was 20th and Gibbs, who has four victories this season, was 21st. With a 35th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the previous race, it marks the first time in the 19-year-old Gibbs’ young career he has had two-consecutive finishes of 20th or worse.
Gibbs has fallen to third place in the standings and now trails Allmendinger by 28 points in what looks like a three-driver race for the regular-season title and those prized bonus 15 playoff points that go with it.
Of note, in the five years that the regular-season championship points bonus has been awarded, no driver has won it twice. Allmendinger is the defending regular-season champion, and Allgaier won it in 2018.
Former two-time Xfinity Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joins Custer as the only other full-time Cup Series driver competing in Saturday‘s Xfinity Series race.
Practice at Pocono is set for 9:35 a.m. ET on Saturday followed immediately by qualifying at 10:05 a.m. ET — both sessions will be televised live on the USA Network.
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2022-07-21T20:46:11Z
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Pocono Raceway up next for Xfinity Series, with only one former winner in field
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49ers camp battles: Who starts next to Ward at safety? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers have several options when it comes to who will play in the box in front of Ward at strong safety. During OTAs, safeties coach Daniel Bullocks shared it will be an open competition for the role from a group that has shown promising traits during the offseason.
Talanoa Hufanga stepped into the role as a rookie playing in 15 games, three as a starter. The USC product finished the season with 33 total tackles -- 24 solo, one for a loss. Hufanga also helped send the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game after recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown vs. the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.
Hufanga is a hard hitter and effective tackler similar to the style of Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu. This makes sense, as Hufanga works with the Pittsburgh Steelers alum during the offseason refining his craft as well as mental preparation.
The second-year safety will be in direct competition with Tarvarius Moore, who missed the 2021 season after suffering an Achilles injury during a June offseason practice. Moore is entering his fifth year in the league, but due to an update to the collective bargaining agreement, the versatile safety is technically starting his fourth accrued season after a “red-shirt” injury year.
Moore has appeared in 48 games over three seasons with the club, 13 as a starter. The Southern Miss product has racked up 100 career tackles -- 73 solo and forced two fumbles.
The advantage held by Moore could be his coverage skills, which his experience has helped him develop and sharpen. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans could find that an important factor for the player who will be lined up behind All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.
A dark horse to take over at strong safety next to Ward is veteran George Odum, who the club signed as a free agent during the offseason. The former Colts All-Pro defensive back was brought in primarily as a special teams standout, but could definitely make a run at a starting job on the defense.
Through four seasons, Odum has appeared in 68 games, 10 as a starter and registered 154 tackles --113 solo, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. In 2020, Odum’s First Team All-Pro season, the safety led the league in special teams tackles (20).
The 49ers signed two undrafted free agent safeties to round out the group -- San Diego State’s Tayler Hawkins and Texas A&M's Leon O’Neal.
While it would be long shot for either of the two rookies to win a starting position in a group comprised of veterans, nothing is impossible. Both of the rookie safeties will be seen at camp competing and learning as much as possible as they get acclimated to life in the league.
CHARLOTTE- Georgia Tech running back Dontae Smith spent the last two seasons as the third man in a talented running
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2022-07-21T21:46:55Z
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49ers camp battles: Who will start next to Jimmie Ward at safety?
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As the Bears head into training camp, let’s take a look at some sleepers on the defensive side of the ball you may want to keep an eye out for this summer.
Thomas Graham Jr. was one of the pleasant surprises in the later part of the 2021 season. Graham, who spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad, emerged as a promising cornerback in his short stint in the final few games of the season. Now, Graham has an opportunity to earn a starting job at the nickel cornerback position. But he’ll have to best the likes of veteran Tavon Young, who is the favorite to win the job. Young has been consistent in the slot, when healthy. If Graham is going to overtake him, he’s going to need a strong training camp and preseason. Good news is, Graham should earn a roster spot regardless.
The Bears brought back defensive tackle Mike Pennel for his second stint with the team in as many years. Pennel, who hails from Kansas City, was on the roster last summer before landing on injured reserve and ultimately being cut. Now, Pennel has an opportunity to compete for the starting nose tackle position alongside second-year pro Khyiris Tonga. Pennel’s experience should give him an opportunity to win that job. Matt Eberflus will implement a rotation along the defensive line, so both will see reps regardless. But Pennel has a chance for redemption after last summer’s disappointing end.
The Bears strengthened their secondary this offseason, including with the depth signing of veteran Dane Cruikshank. Cruikshank, known as the tight end eraser during his time in Tennessee, adds depth at the safety position and is a key special teams contributor. While he’s not competing for a starting job — as Eddie Jackson and rookie Jaquan Brisker are expected to start — he has a great chance of landing one of the final roster spots at safety. DeAndre Houston-Carson, another key depth piece and special teamer, should be a lock while Cruikshank should make the roster.
There’s been plenty of discussion at the defensive end position, ranging from Robert Quinn’s future to the starting battle between Trevis Gipson and newcomer Al-Quadin Muhammad. But someone who’s flying under the radar is Dominique Robinson, who has the chance to see some action in his rookie season. Robinson, a converted wide receiver, has impressed this offseason. Gipson said Robinson reminds him of himself — only with better pass rush attributes coming in as a rookie. Robinson won’t be competing for a starting job, but he should lock down a roster spot and see some opportunities while developing as a rookie.
Outside of Roquan Smith and newcomer Nicholas Morrow, there’s not a lot of depth at the linebacker position. So there are roster spots and a starting strong side linebacker job up for grabs heading into training camp. Someone to watch this summer is Jack Sanborn, who was considered one of the best undrafted rookie free agent when joining the Bears. Sanborn has a chance to compete for the backup middle linebacker role behind Morrow. But he’ll have the battle the likes of veterans like Noah Dawkins and Joe Thomas. Still, someone with Sanborn’s talent and run-stopping prowess has a chance to earn one of those final roster spots.
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2022-07-21T21:47:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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5 sleepers to watch on defense in Bears training camp
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Here's where Patriots stand in ESPN's ranking of NFL skill position groups originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots improved their offensive weapons around young quarterback Mac Jones this offseason, but it didn't help them much in ESPN's new ranking of the top skill position groups in the NFL.
After ranking 27th in 2021, the Patriots jumped only one spot to 26th on this year's list.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell, who made the list and did the analysis, cites running back as the Patriots' "best position". This works against the Patriots because, as Barnwell explains, "This analysis rewards receivers over backs and top-end talent over depth. The Patriots' supporting cast would rank much better if those priorities were flipped."
Barnwell's list isn't the only one that is bearish on the Patriots' talent. ESPN also ranked the top 10 players at each position based on input from players, coaches and league executives. Tight end Hunter Henry was the only Patriots player to make any of those lists.
The Patriots do have lots of depth at the skill positions.
Their stable of running backs is quite impressive, headlined by Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and James White. The Pats ranked eighth in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns last season.
Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker are four quality wideouts. The problem is none of them are a true No. 1 wide receiver. It's hard to imagine any of those four making the Pro Bowl, much less one of the All-Pro teams. But, again, really good depth at the position.
The Patriots have two very good tight ends in Henry and Jonnu Smith. Henry tallied nine touchdown receptions last season and was a reliable red zone target for Jones. Smith had a lackluster debut campaign in New England with just one touchdown after tallying eight the previous year.
The Patriots' offensive weapons were horrible in 2020, and in just two offseasons they've made substantial improvements. But is there enough high-end talent at any of these positions to beat the best teams in the AFC during the playoffs? It'll be enough if Jones takes a step (or two) forward in his development in Year 2.
Your ESPN cable network isn’t going anywhere, even if its audience is. The top executive overseeing the Disney-backed sports giant said Thursday that ESPN’s flagship cable network was likely to remain intact, even as more of its audience gravitates to streaming video and direct-to-consumer outlets. There has been a rising tide of speculation that Disney […]
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2022-07-21T21:47:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Here's where Patriots stand in ESPN's ranking of NFL skill position groups
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https://sports.yahoo.com/heres-where-patriots-stand-espns-200948515.html?src=rss
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The Green Bay Packers filled up their 90-man roster by officially signing tight end Sal Cannella on Thursday. The move was first reported by Bill Huber of SI.com.
Cannella, who worked out for the team on Wednesday, will wear No. 80. He is the eighth tight end on the Packers roster.
Here’s a quick introduction to the Packers’ newest player:
Undrafted out of Auburn
Cannella played both wide receiver and tight end at Auburn, where he caught 25 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns over 37 career games. He certainly has a flair for the dramatic in the red zone. In 2018, he scored Auburn’s first touchdown of the season on a leaping play in the end zone against Washington. He also made this tremendous catch for a 14-yard touchdown against Alabama in 2019. Despite the highlights, Cannella went undrafted during the 2020 draft.
Professional football history
The Packers will be Cannella’s second NFL team. He participated as a tryout player for the Chicago Bears in 2020 but didn’t sign, and he spent four days on the roster of the Miami Dolphins in 2021. Cannella has never played a snap during the preseason or regular season in the NFL. He did play extensively with The Spring League, and he became a star in the USFL this past year.
All-USFL team in 2022
Cannella was named to the All-USFL team in the league’s return season in 2022 after catching 34 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. He led all tight ends in receiving yards while also finishing sixth in receptions and 11th in receiving yards among all players. Here is one of Cannella’s touchdowns for the New Orleans Breakers during the 2022 season.
Relative Athletic Score of 7.32
ras.football
Cannella can safely be categorized as a strong athlete overall, as his RAS card shows above. At Auburn’s pro day in 2020, he showed “good” explosiveness, speed and agility at the tight end position. There is no glaring weakness in his athletic profile, save for maybe weight. He can run, jump and change direction at NFL levels for a tight end.
Chance of making roster
Head coach Matt LaFleur is shown during the Green Bay Packers’ organized team activities on May 24.
The Packers have at least five tight ends they really like in Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis and Dominique Dafney, but don’t rule out Cannella’s chances of pushing for a roster spot or at least sticking around on the practice squad. He’s been playing at a high level in other professional football leagues, and now he’ll get a chance to see if he can compete in the NFL. Big-bodied with a receiver background, Cannella’s story is a bit like Tonyan’s. He’s also a willing blocker. Can he follow in Tonyan’s footsteps and make the most of the opportunity in Green Bay this summer?
In a draft that started with a first-round surprise, landing 17-year-old Cam Collier, the Reds received good reviews for their draft haul.
The Houston Texans need to keep in mind Georgia DL Jalen Carter if they are looking for a long-term answer at defensive tackle.
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2022-07-21T21:47:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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What to know about new Packers TE Sal Cannella
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There isn’t a general manager across the NFL who has held that title longer than Mickey Loomis, who was named to that post with the New Orleans Saints way, way back in 2002. Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert retired earlier this offseason having held the job since 2000, so now it’s Loomis’ time at the top. And there’s quite a gap between him and the other G.M.’s in this league.
Eight long years separate Loomis from the next general manager on the list, with the Seattle Seahawks having hired John Schneider in 2010 — the Philadelphia Eagles promoted Howie Roseman to the job at the same time, though he was temporarily elbowed out of the role during Chip Kelly’s run as head coach. So Loomis doesn’t really have a real contemporary following Colbert’s retirement.
It’s important to recognize the variety of power structures inside the NFL, but we aren’t considering New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (the team’s de facto general manager) or owners with personnel control like Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys), instead keeping focus on executives around the league who have held this specific job title since at least the 2019 season.
And Loomis has an impressive resume. Among his peers, only Schneider can claim more playoff wins (10, against Loomis’ 9) while just three of his counterparts have seen the teams they built go to multiple Super Bowls (including Schneider, Los Angeles Rams G.M. Les Snead, and Brett Veach with the Kansas City Chiefs). Much of that credit rightfully goes to Sean Payton, and more is thanks to Drew Brees and the many players to wear black and gold over the last two decades, but Loomis also deserves his due.
Just look at how many other teams are, well, rudderless. At least two general managers hired more recently than Loomis have yet to find their first playoff win, in Chris Grier (hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2016) and Joe Douglas (who took over the New York Jets in 2019), though we’ll give those hired since 2020 a mulligan. Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco (hired in 2013) hasn’t seen his teams win a playoff game since 2018, while Steve Keim (brought on by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, and bizarrely rewarded with an extension through 2027 earlier this year) has just one postseason victory to his name, and that was back in 2013.
It’s reassuring to see the Saints not settling for less like other franchises. They’ve put together a winning culture and have worked hard to maintain it, trusting Loomis and his team in the front office to bring the support Dennis Allen needs. Sure, they went along with Allen’s ill-advised push to recruit Deshaun Watson, but once that was in rearview New Orleans pulled out the stops to surround Jameis Winston with talent. They navigated a fraught salary cap situation to upgrade his receiving corps, reinforce depth in the trenches, and invest in local-hero team leaders. They’re always aggressive under Loomis’ guidance.
So what’s next? Precedent suggests Loomis is nearer to retirement than anything else, but it’ll be his decision to bow out once he’s ready. With Sean Payton stepping down after the 2021 season, it’s possible he wants to buy a couple of years for Allen to find his footing as the team’s new head coach before entering retirement himself. The Saints would likely prefer to promote one of Loomis’ top lieutenants (probably assistant G.M. and college scouting executive Jeff Ireland, or football administration vice president Khai Harley), as the Steelers did by going with an internal hire to replace Colbert with Omar Khan — coincidentally, a New Orleans native who once worked with Loomis in the Saints front office. It’s a good model, but it may be tricky to pull off with Ireland, Harley, and other New Orleans executives drawing attention from other teams.
Still, things are in good shape for the Saints. Loomis is great at his job, with ironclad support from team ownership, and they have an assortment of qualified candidates ready to replace him once he’s prepared to bow out on his own terms. It’s an enviable situation when you look at other setups around the NFL. With things settled in the Saints front office, it’s high time to shift attention towards training camp.
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2022-07-21T21:47:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How Mickey Loomis compares to his peers as NFL’s longest-tenured general manager
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mickey-loomis-compares-peers-nfl-194950896.html?src=rss
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Rookie J.J. Matijevic’s pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader between the American League’s top teams. Alex Bregman led off the Houston ninth with a single against Michael King (6-3). Bregman advanced to third on Aledmys Díaz's double.
'Only Murders in the Building' Is Heading Back to The Arconia for Season 3
Hulu's murder mystery comedy is already renewed. Starring Martin Short, Selena Gomez, and Steve Martin, Season 2 is currently airing.
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2022-07-21T21:47:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Patriots reveal official titles for Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, rest of coaching staff
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With day one of camp in the books, the Raiders made another roster move. They have signed safety Matthias Farley.
The veteran safety is entering his seventh NFL season. He spent last season with the Titans, playing mostly on special teams where he led the team with 11 tackles.
Prior to his season in Tennessee, he spent two season with the Jets and three seasons with the Colts.
The 5-11, 209-pounder’s best season came in 2017 with the Colts when he started 15 games, made 98 tackles, with two interceptions and seven pass breakups. He’s played almost exclusively on special teams in the four seasons since then, starting just three games on defense.
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2022-07-21T21:48:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders sign veteran safety Matthias Farley
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-sign-veteran-safety-matthias-210457199.html?src=rss
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The early synopsis for Auburn Football recruiting for the 2023 cycle is “quality over quantity.”
Auburn is ranked No. 74 in the current 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings with just four commits, but all four commits are four-star rated with an average grade of 91.25.
However, there is more work to do for head coach Bryan Harsin and the Auburn coaching staff.
During his time at the podium at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, Harsin was asked about recruiting, and what his message is to recruits when it comes to choosing Auburn. Harsin responded by saying that an improvement in on-field production will translate to the recruiting trail.
“I think the message is: watch,” Harsin said. “We got to go out there and play. That’s the beauty of what we get a chance to do every Saturday, all right? When you get into the arena, you have the opportunity to go out there and settle the score, all right? You have a chance to compete. That’s really what we do this for. We do it so that we can get into that arena and have that opportunity.”
Harsin followed by saying that Auburn University sells itself with its’ campus, its’ people, and the atmosphere of a fall Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but putting a solid product on the field is what will ultimately be the deciding factor for most top recruits.
Another item that Harsin wants to sell to future recruits is development. Harsin wants to teach his athletes characteristics that they can apply when life as a student-athlete eventually comes to an end.
“We’re trying to develop these guys so that when they leave, they’re ready to go on and be successful and continue what they’ve built in our program,” Harsin said. “I mean, that’s one of the best gifts you can give anybody, and I learned as a young coach and experiencing that as a player, is development. We can’t forget about that.”
Harsin enters his second season at Auburn looking to build on a 6-7 record from last season. Auburn opens the season on Sept. 3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Mercer.
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2022-07-21T22:00:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bryan Harsin on recruiting: ‘we got to go prove it on the field’
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Nick Saban has been able to generate buzz on the field and off the field since joining the Crimson Tide program as head coach in 2007. Both coaches and recruits alike come to Alabama with similar goals: to win and boost their respective careers.
Over the years, I think it is safe to say that Saban has fulfilled those wishes and more. Several of Coach Saban’s assistants have moved elsewhere to take on different roles as coaches. The Alabama football program has become accustomed to rebuilding its staff occasionally because of assistants being hired to larger roles for different collegiate programs across the country.
Today, Roll Tide Wire will look at some of Saban’s former assistant coaches that were on staff at Alabama and are currently head coaches for different collegiate programs across the country. Read along to find out how much success Saban has truly had developing his coaches from coordinators to head coaches of prestigious programs across the college football landscape.
Kirby Smart, Nick Saban
Kirby Smart has always had ties to the University of Georgia. He played for the Bulldogs from 1995 to 1998 as a defensive back. However, his coaching success and recruiting prowess truly evolved in his assistant role under Coach Saban. Smart served as Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2015 and had plenty of success. He was then able to receive an offer to become the head football coach at Georgia, which he accepted. Since then, Smart holds a 66-15 record with one national championship from this past season.
Charles Huff - Marshall
SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network-USA TODAY NETWORK
It took Huff fifteen years in total to become a head coach, but it finally happened. After serving in a variety of different roles at several different programs, Huff was added to the Tide’s coaching staff in 2019 as the team’s running backs coach. In one season, he was able to garner enough attention to become a head coach. Marshall signed Huff to a four-year contract to be the program’s next head coach. Since becoming the head coach for the Thundering Herd this past season, he has attained a 7-6 record.
Alabama fans remember Cristobal for his high level of recruiting and his ability to get the best out of his offensive line group. The Miami alumnus coached with the Tide from 2013 to 2016 as the team’s offensive line coach. Moreover, he served as Alabama’s recruiting coordinator. With his success came an opportunity to be the co-offensive coordinator at Oregon, and would soon become the Ducks’ head coach in 2018. In five seasons, he maintained a 55-13 record. With his abundant success in the PAC-12 came another opportunity and it was one that he couldn’t pass up. In December of 2021, Cristobal signed a 10-year deal to become the Hurricanes’ next head coach.
[Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]
Out of all of the Saban assistants that have taken head coaching opportunities, Napier could be considered one of the best recruiters. The Tennessee native spent four seasons in Tuscaloosa as the team’s wide receiver coach. In that time, he was able to land players like Calvin Ridley, Trevon Diggs and Daylon Charlot. After his time at Alabama, he was hired to be the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. Shortly after, Louisiana-Lafayette hired Napier as their head coach. After serving four years as the Cajuns’ head coach, the Gators signed Napier to a seven-year deal to become the program’s next head coach.
Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK
Tucker has been around the game of football for quite some time now. Since 1997, Tucker has coached in some capacity at the college or professional level. In 2015, he was hired as Alabama’s defensive back(s) coach. After one season in Tuscaloosa, he accepted the defensive coordinator position at Georgia serving under Kirby Smart. Soon after, he was hired to be the head football coach at Colorado. He was quickly targeted to be the head coach at Michigan State after head coach Mark Dantonio decided to retire. Tucker would eventually sign a 10-year deal to become the Spartans’ next head coach. In his time in East Lansing, he has a 13-7 record.
Many of the Alabama faithful have their own opinions as to who was the best offensive coordinator between Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin. Either way, you can’t lose. The two of them were excellent coaches as well as recruiters in their time at Alabama. Sarkisian served two different stints with the Crimson Tide. In 2016, Alabama hired Sarkisian as an analyst. He would serve one season in that role, as well as serving one game as the team’s interim offensive coordinator. After being the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, he returned to Tuscaloosa to be the team’s offensive coordinator for the next two years. His hard work and improvements as a coach landed him a head coaching opportunity at Texas. Since joining the program, Sarkisian has a 5-7 record.
Many remember Mike Locksley for his ability to recruit and land wide receivers like Jaylen Waddle and Slade Bolden. At Alabama, Locksley served in several different capacities. In 2016, he was hired as an offensive analyst. The preceding year he would serve as the co-offensive coordinator as well as becoming the team’s wide receiver(s) coach. Then, in 2018, Locksley became the team’s lone offensive coordinator. He helped evolve the offense with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback. Soon after helping the Tide reach the College Football Playoff, he accepted the head coaching position at Maryland. In three years with the Terrapins, he holds a 13-23 record.
Alabama fans have some pretty memorable moments of Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Tuscaloosa. Amari Cooper reeled in an 80-yard touchdown pass and before the ball was even thrown, Kiffin was signaling touchdown. On the other hand, many will remember when Kiffin departed for Florida Atlantic just a week before the Tide collided with Clemson in the National Championship game. Regardless of what many think about Kiffin, he was an excellent recruiter and coordinator in his time at Alabama. Since leaving Alabama in 2016, Kiffin spent four seasons at Florida Atlantic before heading to Ole Miss to be the Rebels’ head coach. In two seasons in Oxford, he has a 15-8 record.
Butch Jones - Arkansas State
Many remember Butch Jones for his short tenure at Tennessee, but he did revitalize his coaching career with a pit stop in Tuscaloosa. In 2018, Jones was hired to be an offensive analyst at Alabama. After serving as an analyst, he transitioned to being the assistant to the head coach in 2020. After just three years in Tuscaloosa, he was hired as the next head coach at Arkansas State. Last season in Jonesboro, he had a 2-10 record.
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard-USA TODAY NETWORK
Lanning didn’t stay very long at Alabama, but he is still a product of the system. The Missouri native served as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2015. Then, he went on to coach at both Memphis and Georgia in several different roles. After being a part of a national championship at Georgia this past season, Lanning accepted the head coaching position at Oregon. He will open up the 2022 season against Georgia in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jim McElwain - Central Michigan
Alabama fans will remember Jim McElwain for his four-year run as offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa from 2008 to 2011. Since coaching under Saban, McElwain has coached at several different places. He served as the head coach at Colorado State from 2012 to 2014. Then, he became the head coach at Florida from 2015 to 2017. After being fired from Florida, he would spend one season at Michigan as the wide receiver(s) coach. Central Michigan hired McElwain to be the team’s new head coach in 2019. In his time in Mount Pleasant, he holds a 20-13 record.
Curt Cignetti - James Madison
Many Alabama fans may not remember Cignetti, but he did serve as Alabama’s wide receiver(s) coach from 2007 to 2010. Since then, he has been a head coach at three different programs. From 2011 to 2016, he was the head coach at IUP. Then, he agreed to become the head coach at Elon where he spent two years. Cignetti left the Elon program to join the two-time FCS National Champions — James Madison. Since becoming the head coach for the Dukes, he has a 33-5 record. As a head coach, Cignetti has yet to have a losing record.
While I might be able to tune out Josh Heupel easily, I never get the sense he’s trying to convince me of something he doesn’t himself believe.
Texas Men’s Basketball releases full 2022-23 nonconference schedule
Chris Beard and his squad are set to battle it out against some of the nation's best.
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2022-07-21T22:00:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Every former Nick Saban assistant that is a currently CFB head coach
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https://sports.yahoo.com/every-former-nick-saban-assistant-201633327.html?src=rss
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Pittsburgh Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi is raising the bar for the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions.
After saying his team ''is not happy with where we were last year,'' Narduzzi established the team's goals for the 2022 season on Thursday at ACC Media Days.
''We would like to win a national championship,'' Narduzzi said. ''We want to be in the playoffs. We were one game last year away from being in that talk. ... If you go to a 12-team playoff, we're in it. That's where we want to be.''
''I would rather have that challenge (of defending a title) than be sitting at the bottom trying to get my way up the ladder,'' Narduzzi said.
''It's going to come down to who wants it more,'' redshirt senior offensive tackle Carter Warren said. ''Who is going to give it all they've got?''
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke said he's happy the Hurricanes have decided to retire the ''turnover chain.''
''I was never a big fan of it because we'd be (losing) and people would get a pick and throw it on - and we're still down and losing the game,'' Van Dyke said. ''Sometimes it just made no sense. Other times when it was a big turnover, yeah, it was hype and cool and all that. But right now we're really about winning.''
First-year coach Mario Cristobal downplayed the decision to end the tradition by saying, ''I think probably the media has put more thought into this than I have.''
''It's not a shot or form of disrespect to anybody or anyone,'' Cristobal said. ''Certainly history is history, whether it's positive, whether it's inconsequential. ... We're just moving in a direction that right now doesn't involve it.''
Miami defensive end Jahfari Harvey said it was a ''great feeling'' getting to chance to wear the chain last year after intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. But he said he's not upset with the change, adding ''we're just focused on working hard.''
''We're doing a better job with fundamentals,'' Brown said. ''We're doing a better job with tracking and playing with low pads, pursuit angles. I really am excited about what I've seen out of our defense this spring and our team is more competitive.''
When a reporter suggested the Tar Heels appear to be criminally underrated this season, he responded, ''I love it because we were criminally overrated last year.''
''As long as the decisions are being made to benefit the student-athlete, that's what we support in this program,'' Collins said. ''... Whatever is in the best interest of the student-athlete, that's where my opinion lies.''
''We just need some end caps, right?'' Pry said. ''We need some defining - some calendar dates - that make sense so that it gives us a chance to keep the roster in good condition.''
ESPN should have invited Gamecock women’s basketball player Aliyah Boston to the ESPY awards. It’s that simple. | Opinion
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2022-07-21T22:01:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Narduzzi raises bar for defending ACC champion Pitt
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Wisconsin has been one of the nation’s most consistent programs over the past two decades. The Badgers have asserted their dominance over a number of conference foes as well as non-conference opponents in recent years.
There are several teams from each Power 5 conference that Wisconsin has had their way with, as well as teams the Badgers have never met in their over 100-year history.
Despite Wisconsin’s struggles in the pre-Barry Alvarez era, there are still multiple programs the Badgers have succeeded against throughout their history. Here is a look at nine current Power 5 programs that Wisconsin football has never lost to:
Virginia: 1-0 all-time
Dec 30, 2019; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Hasise Dubois (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the first half in the 2019 Orange Bowl game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Wisconsin’s one matchup against the Virginia came in 2001 when the Badgers defeated the Cavaliers 26-17 at Camp Randall Stadium.
North Carolina: 2-0 all-time
Nov 14, 2020; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell (7) runs for a touchdown as Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive linemen Miles Fox (11) and Carlos Basham Jr. (9) defend in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Badgers beat the North Carolina Tar Heels in both 2003 and 2005.
Duke: 1-0 all-time
Jul 21, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Mike Elko talks to the media during the second day of ACC Media Days at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas State: 2-0 all-time
Wisconsin defeated Kansas State in 1964 and in 1982 with a combined score of 31-10.
Iowa State: 7-0 all-time
Dec 28, 2019; Orlando, Florida, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy (15) throws the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Iowa State Cyclones are the program on the list who the Badgers have matched-up with the most without a loss.
Those matchups came in 1895, 1901, 1924, 1925, 1966, 1991 and 1993.
Rutgers: 4-0 all-time
Nov 6, 2021; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Markus Allen (4) gains yards after the catch as Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Joe Lusardi (37) pursues during the second half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Both of the Big Ten teams on this list are new members of the Big Ten and haven’t yet been able to find success against their conference foes.
Maryland: 3-0 all-time
Oct 30, 2020; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. (7) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The same story as the Badgers’ all-time series against Rutgers, Wisconsin’s three matchups against Maryland have come in the last six years with the Badgers defeating the Terrapins 52-7 in 2014, 31-24 in 2015 and 38-13 in 2017.
Arkansas: 2-0 all-time
Wisconsin’s two matchups against the Razorbacks came in 1912 with a 64-7 victory and in 2007 with a 17-14 win.
West Virginia: 4-0 all-time
Dec 28, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Charles Woods (23) reacts after intercepting a pass from the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
Ncaa Football Minnesota At West Virginia
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2022-07-21T22:01:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Wisconsin football has never lost to these Power 5 teams
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https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-football-never-lost-power-210527625.html?src=rss
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The Browns reached a one-year deal with former 2018 top-10 pick Josh Rosen on Thursday night, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The move comes after Rosen and A.J. McCarron worked out for the franchise earlier on Thursday. The team is still unlikely to trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, after the San Francisco 49ers reportedly allowed Garoppolo to seek a trade.
But with Deshaun Watson likely to be suspended for at least part of the 2022 season, the Browns wanted to sign another quarterback to back up Jacoby Brissett when he inevitably starts Week 1. Joshua Dobbs would then be the team's No. 3 quarterback until Watson returned.
McCarron signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 but tore his ACL in the team's second preseason game and missed the whole year. His last passing attempt came in 2019 when he was the backup to Watson with the Houston Texans. McCarron has attempted just 174 passes in 17 games since the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in the fifth round in 2014.
Another name that has been floated as a possible option for Cleveland is Cam Newton. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk mentioned "there’s apparently some chatter about the possibility of the Browns adding Cam Newton." Whether or not that's a legitimate option remains to be seen.
There's at least enough smoke around this idea to suggest two things about the Browns: They expect a Watson suspension sooner rather than later and they want to shore up their quarterback room in the event that he misses significant time without sacrificing a lot of money or assets.
Given how barren the backup quarterback market is at the moment (Mike Glennon or Garrett Gilbert are also available), Rosen looks like the best options for the Browns if they don't want to trade for someone.
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2022-07-21T23:31:47Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Report: Cleveland Browns sign Josh Rosen to 1-year deal after workout
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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-cleveland-browns-work-out-josh-rosen-and-aj-mc-carron-not-expected-to-pursue-jimmy-garoppolo-162008414.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-cleveland-browns-work-out-josh-rosen-and-aj-mc-carron-not-expected-to-pursue-jimmy-garoppolo-162008414.html?src=rss
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Warriors general manager Bob Myers downplayed the possibility of a trade for Durant in a pre-ESPYs interview with NBA.com's Mark Medina on Wednesday:
“I like our team and where it’s at,” Myers told NBA.com. “I want to give the guys a chance to do it again ... It’s a good group. We’re lucky. It’ll be fun to see."
The Warriors' stars had previously been reported to be in contact with Durant and "open" to the possibility of a trade if the stars aligned, but also content to hold onto their young core and go for another title.
You can start with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, two younger players who played major roles in the team's championship run and are due new contracts after next season. Wiggins is set to be an unrestricted free agent, while Poole will be a restricted free agent.
A return to the Warriors doesn't seem to be in the cards for Kevin Durant. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
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2022-07-21T23:31:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Warriors GM downplays possibility of Kevin Durant trade: 'I like our team and where it’s at'
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https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-gm-bob-myers-possibility-kevin-durant-trade-i-like-our-team-220122924.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-gm-bob-myers-possibility-kevin-durant-trade-i-like-our-team-220122924.html?src=rss
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Warriors have reason to believe Green's past self shows up originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Warriors' expected addition of veteran forward JaMychal Green, who reportedly will accept a buyout from the Oklahoma City Thunder and make San Francisco his next home after becoming an unrestricted free agent, doesn't jump off the page at first glance.
He isn't the biggest name. There were others with more known pedigrees on the open market. His stats last season well ... they weren't great. But just as they have done so in the past, and just as they did earlier this offseason with the signing of Donte DiVincenzo, the Warriors are banking on the JaMychal Green of the past to show up, and they have proof to back their thought process up.
Green, 32, has spent his whole eight-year career in the Western Conference between the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets. He has played 23 regular-season games against the Warriors, tied for his third-most against any opponent. In that span, Green has averaged 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Last season, though, he wasn't close to those numbers.
How much reason is there to believe Green's 3-point percentage should climb exponentially as a Warrior? The 2021-22 season sure looks like an anomaly.
In the 2020-21 season, Green shot 39.9 percent on threes for the Nuggets, while averaging 3.4 long-distance attempts per game. He played the Warriors three times and went 4-for-10 on 3-pointers, and stepped up in the Nuggets' lone win over Golden State. In that victory, Green scored 15 points, shot 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 on threes, snatched nine rebounds and was a plus-12.
What should make the Warriors even more excited about bringing in Green is the 2019 NBA playoffs. Specifically, Green's showing against the Warriors in the first round. Over six games, Green averaged 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. More importantly, he shot 53.5 percent from the field and an eye-opening 52.2 percent (12-for-23) on 3-pointers.
Of his 23 3-point attempts in that Warriors-Clippers series, 20 were catch-and-shoot attempts and all were either considered open or wide open. With the talent and scoring threats he'll be surrounded by on the Warriors, Green should be able to find plenty of uncontested shots beyond the arc. He isn't going to create his own shot much from there, if at all, but he can be a knock-down threat as a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter.
All of his 3-pointers were assisted last season. In fact, in the last three years, every one of Green's 204 threes have been assisted. This past season, 95 percent of Otto Porter Jr.'s threes came off assists, and the two have very similar traits.
Green is listed at 6-foot-8 and 227 pounds. Porter is 6-foot-8 and 198 pounds. Green is a career 47.2 percent shooter and 36.6 percent 3-point shooter. Porter has career clips of 47.7 percent overall and 39.8 percent from deep. But Green has averaged 5.7 rebounds per game, compared to Porter's 5.1 and is more athletic with the ability to still get above the rim.
He also should be able to play in back-to-backs, and the Warriors shouldn't have to worry about a long injury history.
Looking at the Warriors' departures, Green is a clear Porter replacement, plus his size and length help make up a bit for the Nemanja Bjelica loss. Add in the fact that Green will be the latest player on what looks like a more athletic Warriors roster -- he had 50 more dunks than Porter last season -- it's clear patience paid off for the reigning champions.
General manager Bob Myers knows how to put the pieces together, creating a perfect puzzle. There's no reason to doubt what looks to be his latest steal.
Layup Lines: Joe Lacob might be on to something about the ‘unfair’ luxury tax penalty
There was some truth in what the Warriors governor had to said.
Taj Gibson sees tons of talent on Wizards, calls them a 'sleeper team'
Veteran big man Taj Gibson says he joined the Wizards in large part because he thinks they are on the cusp of surprising a lot of people.
At ACC Media Days, U of L quarterback Malik Cunningham had the Governor’s Cup rivalry on his mind
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2022-07-21T23:31:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Warriors have reason to believe JaMychal Green's past self shows up
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https://sports.yahoo.com/warriors-reason-believe-jamychal-greens-181124119.html?src=rss
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Total Offense: 6,387 yards (7th)
Offensive Plays: 1,046 (T-25th)
Unaccounted for Carries: 5 (29th)
Kyle Shanahan enters his sixth season as the 49ers’ head coach with a team ready to make another deep playoff run. He’ll have no shortage of playmakers on offense as all of his core players will return. A non-player who won’t return is former offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, now head coach of the Dolphins. McDaniel had served as the run game coordinator since 2017 before he was promoted to OC in 2021. He helped engineer a 49ers’ offense that ranked seventh in the league last season. While the team prefers to run, the offense is pretty balanced from a production standpoint. In 2021 the team ranked seventh in rushing yards (2,166) and 12th in passing yards (4,437). Like always, Shanahan will handle the play-calling duties, but with new wingmen. Bobby Slowik and Chris Foerster will serve as the passing and running coordinators respectively. These two will be vital if the 49ers are to continue being successful on offense.
Since Shanahan has been at the helm, Jimmy Garoppolo has been his guy. When the team traded for him in the middle of the 2017 season, aside from injury, he was their starting quarterback. The offense will have a new offense and a new look in 2022, starting with Trey Lance. His skillet and dual-threat ability will most certainly have Shanahan & company tinkering with the offense a bit. In limited action last season, Lance ran 27 designed runs, and you can expect that to be a part of the 49ers' game plan moving forward. When you put that together with the fact that Shanahan is known as one of the brightest offensive minds, it gives hope that the 49ers’ offense will continue to be a gold mine (no pun intended). The question is, how long will Garoppolo be on the roster? As of today, we know that he has been cleared and has been given permission to seek a trade. There are some who felt like he could enter as the Week 1 starter. Shanahan has made it known that he won’t trade Garoppolo just for the hell of it. The organization’s situation will get interesting soon.
QB: Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, Nate Sudfeld
WR: Deebo Samuel, Danny Gray
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, Marcus Johnson
WR: Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud
TE: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner
Tracking how well Lance could finish from a fantasy perspective in the 49ers offense can be tricky. In Garoppolo’s two best seasons with the team, he finished as QB14 and QB22 (2019 and 2021 respectively). In 2019, it's worth noting Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow were not yet in the NFL. Lance’s rushing abilities are what help bring him much more upside. Having the team’s top-three receivers back in Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk will certainly soften the blow for the young quarterback. Jauan Jennings will enter the season as the team’s WR3 option but only saw 37 targets in 2021. Danny Gray could be a wild-card. The incoming rookie blazed a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine. 26.2% of his 803 yards came on deep routes in his final season at SMU. Provided he does well in camp, he could sneak his way into the rotation, but it’s tough to see him being extremely fantasy relevant in year one unless injuries surface.
Let’s be clear, everything with Samuel isn’t settled just yet. There’s still no timetable on when he will actually sign a contract extension, but it is said to be in the works. Samuel reported to the team's mandatory minicamp but did not participate in drills. It is unclear what his plans are for training camp. Samuel is coming off of a season in which he totaled 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns en route to becoming a first time All-Pro. What’s also clear, he wants to play receiver, not “wide back”. Despite taking on a heavier rushing load in the second half of 2021, Samuel still hauled in 77 receptions and 1,405 receiving yards. Samuel and Kittle received 41.8% of the team's target share in 2021. This is a staggering number considering Kittle played in only 13 games. The 49ers will continue to lean on the all-star duo for success.
Since Shanahan has been head coach, in seasons where the team throws the ball more than 30 times per game, they haven’t won more than six games. In seasons where they’ve thrown 30 per game or less, they’ve made it to at least the NFC championship. While the 49ers will look to run first and pass last, an effective run game is what will make the passing game efficient. With Lance now as the 49ers’ quarterback, it’ll signal a new era of Shanahan’s offense where the ceiling has no actual ceiling.
RB: Elijah Mitchell, Tyrion Davis-Price, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon
OL (L-R): Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Daniel Brunskill, Mike McGlinchey
For a team with a rich history of running backs that includes Frank Gore, Ricky Watters and Roger Craig, none of them had a better rookie season than Elijah Mitchell. The former sixth-round pick ran for a 49ers’ rookie record 963 yards in 2021. Mitchell finished the season as RB26, not bad for a guy who entered the season buried on the depth chart and only played in 11 games. Many see the drafting of Tyrion Davis-Price as a hit to Mitchell’s value. As a third-round pick, he could carve out a role simply due to the injury history of Jeff Wilson and the ineffectiveness of Trey Sermon. Shanahan does have a history of shuffling his running backs and it shouldn’t be ignored, but he’s also never had a back who was head-and-shoulders above the rest like what he has in Mitchell.
Don’t be too quick to count Mitchell out of a 70% snap share. In the Shanahan era, no 49ers’ running back has averaged more than 15 carries per game…until Mitchell averaged 18.8 carries a game in 2021. Furthermore, he carried the ball 80.8% of the time he was on the field (including playoffs). Now, to say there is no floor (about 15 touches per game) would be silly, especially since Lance will be taking a chunk of the carries away. The fact is, people are severely overlooking and underestimating what Mitchell did as a rookie. If he leads the 49ers’ RB room again, he can hover around being a top-10 fantasy back with that same workload. He’s proven he’s worthy.
PFF’s third-ranked offensive line from a year ago lost some key pieces. Alex Mack retired, Tom Compton is now a Bronco and Laken Tomlinson is a Jet. The unit should still prove to be a solid one as it still has Trent Williams, the best tackle in football. Former first-round pick Mike McGlinchey will return from injury to man the other tackle spot. Kittle will chip in his share of blocking as arguably the best all around tight end in football. The unit will continue to make sure that the 49ers’ run game remains one of the best in football.
After starting out 3-5 last season, the 49ers roared back and went all the way to the NFC championship game. Two key overtime wins down the stretch against the Bengals and Rams made their playoff hopes possible. To me, the team overachieved a bit on the backs of its elite players. Speaking of elite players, they have one at almost every position. The team didn’t upgrade as much as the Cardinals and Rams, especially in the defensive backfield. The Rams obviously will be tough and The Niners have had trouble with the Cardinals ever since Kyler Murray entered the league. I can’t say they’ll hit their over at 10.5 wins, but they have too much elite talent at spots to dock them much more. I have them repeating their 10-7 campaign from a year ago.
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2022-07-21T23:39:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 San Fransisco 49ers Fantasy Preview
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-san-fransisco-49ers-fantasy-232144394.html?src=rss
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The Cleveland Browns have made another move at the quarterback position. With Baker Mayfield with the Carolina Panthers and Deshaun Watson facing the possibility of a suspension, Jacoby Brissett and Josh Dobbs were the only certainties at the most important position in the NFL.
With an earlier report that the team may be looking at adding a backup quarterback, we took a look at the limited options still available this close to training camp.
Earlier today, the team had brought in Josh Rosen and A.J. McCarron for a workout as they looked for another arm for camp. Rosen must have performed better than McCarron as the team will be signing him to the roster:
Rosen was drafted in the same first round as Mayfield but has bounced around to a number of teams. He has played in 24 games, 14 as a rookie with the Arizona Cardinals, completing just 54% of his passes. His 12 touchdown to 21 interception ratio is another concerning statistic.
While Rosen is a known name, he has an uphill battle to make the team and turn his career around with the Browns in 2022.
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2022-07-21T23:40:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Browns add QB Josh Rosen before training camp opens
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https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-add-qb-josh-rosen-220814356.html?src=rss
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This isn’t a surprise, but that doesn’t make it good news. Michael Thomas and Marcus Davenport were designated to the New Orleans Saints’ physically unable to perform list to open training camp, the team reported on Thursday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire. Both players were sidelined during minicamp earlier this summer while recovering from injuries, and that’s still the case as their teammates report to the Saints practice facility for training camp.
Thomas has missed most of the last two years with a complicated ankle injury. He suffered a setback from surgery in June of last year that required a follow-up corrective surgery in November, and he’s spent the months since working his way back to shape essentially from a blank slate. It’s far from ideal, but if there is a silver lining here it’s that Thomas has been in New Orleans receiving treatment from team trainers — a far cry from last summer’s radio silence. Having him on hand and on the same page with the coaches is an improvement from last year’s experience.
As for Davenport: he endured a series of offseason surgeries to repair the injured shoulder that limited him last season as well as an unrelated procedure to partially amputate his pinky finger, which he first damaged in his college days. Both Davenport and Thomas will be eligible to practice with their teammates as soon as they are medically cleared, and they aren’t expected to miss much time. It just makes more sense to ease them back rather than rush two key players into things before their bodies are ready for it.
Saints veterans aren’t required to report for camp until next week, so more players could join them on the PUP list (or other injury reserves; undrafted rookie Rashid Shaheed is starting camp on the non-football injury list while recovering from a torn ACL) as they arrive and undergo physicals. We already know that second-year pro Payton Turner has been medically cleared for camp, as has perennial Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz. Stay tuned for more updates.
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2022-07-21T23:40:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Michael Thomas, Marcus Davenport start training camp on Saints PUP list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/michael-thomas-marcus-davenport-start-221005666.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/michael-thomas-marcus-davenport-start-221005666.html?src=rss
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The New England Patriots are officially set to have the NFL's weirdest coaching staff.
The team finally announced the job titles for this season's coaching staff under head coach Bill Belichick on Thursday, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, though it concerned coaches who had already been on the staff for months.
Those job titles are:
Joe Judge as offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach.
Matt Patricia as senior football advisor/offensive line coach.
Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo as joint linebackers coaches.
That group is part of a staff that also includes running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri, wide receivers/kickoff returners coach Troy Brown, tight ends/fullbacks coach Nick Caley, defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, safeties coach Brian Belichick and cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino.
Notice a title missing in there?
Yup, Belichick has apparently decided to go forward with a coaching staff without an official offensive or defensive coordinator, as he indicated a few months ago.
Bill Belichick does what Bill Belichick wants. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The team had already been without a defensive coordinator since 2017, opting to instead use Brian Flores, then Steve Belichick as the team's defensive play-caller without the job title that usually comes with it.
As for who will call players on offense, that's still pretty unclear. The Patriots were left without an offensive coordinator after Josh McDaniels left to take the Las Vegas Raiders job. Patricia was reportedly the favorite to do so as of last month, with Judge also a possibility. This team has never been eager to clear things like that up.
Why would Belichick do this? He might be trying to centralize power and avoid further staff poaching in the future, though the no-defensive coordinator set-up didn't stop the Miami Dolphins from hiring Flores as their head coach after one year of play-calling. In the end, the only reason the Patriots need to do something these days is if Belichick feels like doing it.
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2022-07-21T23:41:07Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The Patriots won't have an offensive or defensive coordinator this season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-bill-belichick-offensive-defensive-coordinator-coaching-stff-223036664.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-bill-belichick-offensive-defensive-coordinator-coaching-stff-223036664.html?src=rss
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Saints place Michael Thomas, Marcus Davenport on PUP originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Rutgers Women’s Lacrosse coach wins Coach of the Year
Rutgers women's lacrosse program announced on Tuesday that head coach Melissa Lehman was named the 2022 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association's Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
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2022-07-21T23:41:19Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Saints place Michael Thomas, Marcus Davenport on PUP
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https://sports.yahoo.com/saints-place-michael-thomas-marcus-220710055.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/saints-place-michael-thomas-marcus-220710055.html?src=rss
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The Madden football franchise has been one of the most popular video games in North America for the last 30 years.
In the last 10-15, as more and more Americans play such games, the annual release of player ratings on each year’s version of the game becomes a hot topic for discussion.
Arkansas fans have reason to check them out this year, too, as the Razorbacks have a highly-touted skill player making his league debut this season in wide receiver Treylon Burks.
Burks, a first-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans, was rated a 73 overall in this year’s Madden 23.
He’s the lowest-rated of the five wideouts taken in the first 30 picks. Lions rookie Jameson Williams is rated highest at 78. The Alabama rookie was the fourth wide receiver taken at No. 12 overall. Drake London, the first wideout taken, is a 75.
Burks had 66 catches for 1,104 yards with 11 touchdowns last year for Arkansas. The Razorbacks open their season September 3 at home against Cincinnati.
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2022-07-21T23:41:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Treylon Burks’ Madden 23 rating is…fair?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/treylon-burks-madden-23-rating-222520725.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/treylon-burks-madden-23-rating-222520725.html?src=rss
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Billy Napier was busy on Wednesday in Atlanta. The former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns coach made his SEC media days debut as head of the Florida Gators football program. While the annual summer event is often lively depending on who is at the podium, it was all business for the latest skipper on UF’s coaching carousel. Here are three things we learned from Napier’s time in the Big Peach.
First off, the new head coach emphasized the importance of a good culture. When talking about Anthony Richardson, Ventrell Miller, and Richard Gouraige (the three players who accompanied Napier to media days) he said the following.
“These players represent our values. They have integrity. They’re great teammates. They have discipline in their approach. They give great effort. They’re tough. They believe. I think that comes from great preparation.
They not only contribute on the field, but they’ve done a great job off the field, as well.”
It’s clear that Napier’s primary objective isn’t in the Xs and Os (although that’s important too) but rather to create an environment that can be self-sustainable and team-oriented.
It is also of significant note that Napier has the support of the higher-ups. A program can only reach the levels the Florida fanbase expects the Gators to reach when there is synergy from top to bottom. Napier famously turned down multiple SEC head coaching jobs because of a lack of institutional structure (a rumored seven of the SEC’s 14 jobs).
The evidence is also in the massive investment made in the off-field section of the program. While in the works before Napier’s arrival in Gainesville, the new football complex shows the eagerness of the Florida higher-ups to do what it takes to win championships in the current college football landscape. Napier said it himself.
“I have been impressed with the leadership at Florida in terms of their awareness, what it’s required to be competitive at this level, their investment in the Heavener Center, the resources it took to build this new facility. I think is going to help us in recruiting, it’s going to help us acquire players, it’s going to help our player experience, our efficiency as an organization.
They were committed to our vision and our plan, right? I think we’re 20% bigger as an organization. We’ve modernized the approach. We have an incredible product.”
Then there is the narrative that Napier owes everything to his dad. He comes from a football family, and his father, William “Bill” Napier, was a legendary high school football coach in Georgia. He was the winningest coach in the history of Murray County High School football. In 2013, William was diagnosed with ALS and passed away in September of 2017. He was a massive presence in Billy’s life, and that has translated to how Billy approaches his teams. Here is Napier’s answer to a question about what he learned from his father.
“You’re trying to get me here today.
Dad showed I think sometimes when adversity strikes, you can choose character or you can choose to compromise, right? Dad did an unbelievable job. Every day he chose character. He relied on his foundation, which was his faith. He was a great example to a lot of people.
Even to this day, it’s impacting me and a lot of other people, too. So thanks for the question.”
While we may not have gotten many “football” questions answered at media days, we did, however, learn a lot about who Billy Napier the person is. And heading into his first season as Gators head coach, with the task of overhauling a program, that’s a pretty good thing to learn.
2022 Best Ball TE Tiers
Kyle Dvorchak breaks down his Best Ball Tight End Tiers ahead of fantasy drafting season. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports)
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2022-07-21T23:48:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Billy Napier shows personal side at SEC media days press conference
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https://sports.yahoo.com/billy-napier-shows-personal-side-221237667.html?src=rss
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Narduzzi, who spent eight seasons as MSU's defensive coordinator before taking the Pitt job, then took a shot at the quality of the Big Ten as a whole.
“You hear all these things during the summer about the Power 2 and all this stuff. You know, we play some darn good football in the ACC, and I think people forget about it,” Narduzzi said. “I've coached in the Big Ten for eight years, so I know it. I don't know the SEC. I've never coached in the SEC, but I do know the Big Ten. I feel very confident. It's not being arrogant. It's just kind of knowing the landscape and knowing what we played against in the Peach Bowl.
“I just would have liked to have our backup quarterback play the whole game. That's just confidence. That's no disrespect to the Big Ten or Michigan State. It's just about Pitt and about the ACC. That's all I can tell you. I think ACC football is really, really good, and that's really the comment there that I was trying to get across.”
"Our old offensive coordinator had no desire to run the ball. Everybody knew. He was stubborn. I mean Wake Forest was 118th in run defense and we threw the ball every down. When we ran it, we ran for 10 yards but that wasn’t good enough. So [Pickett] was banged up, so maybe if he didn’t bang him up all season, maybe he would’ve played [in the bowl game].”
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2022-07-21T23:49:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi takes shots at Big Ten, Michigan State and his former offensive coordinator
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pitt-coach-pat-narduzzi-takes-shots-at-big-ten-michigan-state-and-his-former-offensive-coordinator-222658020.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pitt-coach-pat-narduzzi-takes-shots-at-big-ten-michigan-state-and-his-former-offensive-coordinator-222658020.html?src=rss
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Last season, it was apparent that Auburn Football was going through an identity crisis.
Everything that Gus Malzahn had built in eight years at the helm was crashing down at the hands of new head coach Bryan Harsin, and most of those involved within the program were not buying in to the change.
There were a handful of coaching changes, as well as a mass exodus of players to the transfer portal. One of those that were rumored to be leaving the program was running back Tank Bigsby.
Bigsby was the heart and soul of the Auburn offense, rushing for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Tigers during the 2021 season. Auburn had already suffered a key blow with the departure of quarterback Bo Nix, but losing Bigsby would leave Auburn in a state of disrepair.
Luckily for Auburn, Bigsby pulled his name out of the transfer portal in December, electing to stay loyal to Harsin, and everything he stands for.
“It’s a different program, and you have to be a different man to be in this program,” Bigsby said during SEC Media Days on Thursday. “A lot of people don’t like us, and a lot of people speak bad about us, but at the end of the day we have to come to play, and we have to be ready to play. That’s why I came to Auburn, and that’s why I’m still at Auburn. I feel like we’re doing to do what we have to do this year and handle our business.”
Time will tell, but it appears that Bigsby made the right choice to remain at Auburn. He has recently been added to the watchlists of the Maxwell Award, as well as the Doak Walker award. and is poised to become a top prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft pending another successful season.
Bigsby addressed other topics during his availability with the media on Thursday, here is a recap of Bigsby’s day at SEC Media Days:
On what is so special about the bond that he has with people in the LaGrange/Auburn area:
When my mother got married, we moved to LaGrange [Georgia], and I was able to build relationships with teammates and friends and a couple of those guys who came to Auburn with me. It was great to have experience with them in high school and in college.
On Head Coach Bryan Harsin:
We are playing hard for coach, but we’re playing hard for each other, for the team. The situation that went on brought us closer. It brought us closer as a team and as a family. We go out and play for each other and lay it all on the line and do everything we have to do to get a win.
On running backs that he models his game after:
I look at a lot of guys. I look at Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb. I look at a lot of guys like Dalvin Cook. I look at him a lot. I like his running style, catching out the back field, the way they use him. I like how they do that. I really don’t speak with guys, but I look at them and watch their film a lot.
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2022-07-21T23:49:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tank Bigsby discusses decision to stay at Auburn
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LOS ANGELES -- The last pitch Trevor Rosenthal threw in a regular season MLB game came at Oracle Park and left the Giants hollering at a home plate umpire. Now, Rosenthal will join them.
The Giants have a need at the back end of their bullpen, with Jake McGee having been DFA'd and Tyler Rogers struggling to match previous results. Rosenthal has a 3.36 ERA in his career and has averaged more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings, and his last MLB run was brilliant. Rosenthal threw 10 innings for the San Diego Padres down the stretch in 2020 and struck out 17 while allowing just three hits and one unearned run. He was San Diego's closer the final week and struck out the side on the final day of the season to send the Giants home for the winter.
Rosenthal's contract includes the potential to make an additional $2 million in performance bonuses based on games pitched and games finished, although many of them are unlikely given the hamstring strain. To clear a 40-man roster spot, the Giants put Mauricio Llovera (elbow) on the 60-day IL.
Rangers vs. Marlins highlights
Adolis García tallied three RBIs and Jon Gray tossed six scoreless innings to lead the Rangers over the Marlins, 8-0
Donzetta Nuxhall visited with Reds announcer Tommy Thrall at the 2019 dedication of a mini-golf course at Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields.
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2022-07-22T01:02:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Giants sign reliever Trevor Rosenthal to one-year, $4.5M MLB contract
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UCLA pitcher Jared Karros against USC. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
He’s a bit of an unknown, having missed all of last season and much of 2021 with a back injury, as well most of the 2020 season because it was canceled by the pandemic.
“It’s definitely pretty awesome, just with them being the local team, always grew up watching them, rooting for them, going to games,” Jared said. “But there’s more than that. With their development and their organization, it’s more than just the local team that I rooted for. It’s an organization that’s going to give me the best opportunity to help further my career.”
Had he not been picked by the Dodgers, Jared likely would have returned to UCLA.
He is only a junior and, because of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and his injury this year, would have had three seasons of eligibility left.
A Manhattan Beach Mira Costa High product, Jared concluded a decorated prep career by enrolling at his dad’s alma mater — albeit at a different position.
The next year, he was UCLA’s opening-day starter and had a 3.33 ERA in seven appearances, racking up 32 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Following a start against USC on March 28, 2021, however, Jared “started to feel some back fatigue,” Eric said. He was sidelined the rest of the season, made an unsuccessful comeback attempt for the start of this year and entered the draft with only 11 collegiate appearances.
The injury didn’t stop several MLB clubs from expressing interest in Jared leading up to this week’s draft. But ultimately, he decided if he was going to forgo a chance to return to school and improve his draft stock, it would have to be with the Dodgers.
At the start of the draft’s final day Tuesday, Karros was unsure if the Dodgers would roll the dice. Entering the final handful of rounds, his fate was still undecided.
But in the 16th round Jared’s name popped up on the screen, with the Dodgers listed beside it.
The Cubs' nine-man roster purge last summer began with the trade of Joc Pederson on the Thursday of the All-Star break which we reached this week.
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2022-07-22T01:02:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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UCLA pitcher Jared Karros gets his wish after being drafted by the Dodgers
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Why playing with Steph isn't Seth's 'preferred choice' for future originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Steph and Seth Curry have shared the same NBA uniform before, but the younger of the pair doesn't envision it happening again.
Seth sat down with Warriors insider Monte Poole for the latest episode of "Dubs Talk," where he shared why he enjoys playing against Steph rather than with him.
"I've thought about it as people bring it up, but to me personally, I enjoy kind of being away from him, trying to create my own path and do my own thing," Seth told Poole after he was asked if he considers a reunion with his brother possible.
Seth appeared in six NBA games with Steph as a member of the Warriors in 2013 after going undrafted and signing a non-guaranteed contract with the team. Their run together came to an end when he was waived by Golden State, and Seth went on to bounce around the G League before sticking as a key rotation piece on several NBA franchises before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets at the deadline last season.
After undergoing successful ankle surgery in May, Seth is looking forward to continuing to play a key role on a contending team in Brooklyn. He certainly is doing his own thing and it took a long journey to get there, but he can't entirely rule out playing with Steph ever again -- even if it's not at the top of his priority list.
"You never know what the future holds," Seth told Poole. "I wouldn't be against it, but it's definitely not my preferred choice to be on the same team as him definitely right now. I also like competing against him and trying to beat the best."
And Seth, 31, is used to competing against Steph, 34, dating all the way back to their childhood. In fact, Seth said, he feels like competition with his brother growing up gave him an advantage in becoming the player he is today.
"Being a younger brother gave me another leg up and an edge to get to where I am today," he said. "I always had somebody that I was chasing to be as good as or better than in literally everything, not only just basketball."
He also got to see his brother's NBA journey blossom before his own, and they both were able to see how a true pro handles the limelight thanks to their father Dell Curry's career.
"So I was able to watch Steph learn from his mistakes, just like I did my dad," Seth continued. "He kind of made some of those mistakes for me, so I didn't have to go through them. And that helped my competitive edge as well, just having to fight for everything."
Whether it was fighting his brother for a seat at the dinner table or battling over whose turn it was to play Nintendo 64, Seth's relationship with Steph as children prepared him for the competition on the NBA court.
And from competitive children to teammates and now on-court rivals, one thing is certain: They'll always be brothers.
But if it's up to Seth, they might not share the same jersey again.
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2022-07-22T01:02:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why playing with Steph Curry one day isn't Seth Curry's 'preferred choice'
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https://sports.yahoo.com/why-playing-steph-curry-one-204000775.html?src=rss
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Are NFL’s Sunday Ticket talks not going well? originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
STORY: As of Thursday (July 21) afternoon, nearly 51,892 acres of forest land had been reduced to ashes by the blazes in the Gironde region, aflame since July 12. About 37,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.A total of 34,100 acres have been scorched in Landiras, but the fire is now under control, according to the local prefecture.The second blaze in La Teste-de-Buch, near Europe’s tallest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat, has burned 17,297 acres and is now also contained, although authorities said conditions have yet to become stable enough for all evacuees to move back to their homes.Campsite owners and employees urged French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the sites of the blazes on Wednesday (July 20), to rebuild quickly, which he said he agreed on, adding that there should be more preventive standards for similar disasters.
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2022-07-22T01:24:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Are NFL’s Sunday Ticket talks not going well?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-sunday-ticket-talks-not-231919019.html?src=rss
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Over the next week, we will break down the depth chart for each Chargers position.
Today, the focus is on how the linebacker room will look heading into 2022.
Murray’s sophomore season was not all sunshine and rainbows. Murray dealt with ankle issues since training camp last year, and that stunted his development. He spent six weeks on the injured reserve and some time on the COVID-19/Reserve list. When on the field, Murray struggled with missed tackles, over-pursuing ball carriers, and struggling to shed blocks and work off contact. Murray ended up experiencing a new position as an edge defender late in the season when the team was limited with players at the spot, which was a challenge. Murray had ankle surgery in early April, and Brandon Staley said the hope is the former first-round pick will be ready for training camp.
After a promising rookie season in 2019, expectations were high for Tranquill. Unfortunately, a broken ankle in Week 1 of his sophomore campaign forced him to miss the entire 2020 season. Last year in Staley’s system, Tranquill finished with 79 tackles, five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and a pass defended in 14 games. When healthy, Tranquill is solid against the run and used to rush the passer in pressure packages.
Reeder was signed before the draft. Reeder is familiar with Staley’s defense, having played under him when he was the Rams’ defensive coordinator during the 2020 season. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Rams in 2019, Reeder produced 230 tackles, fives sacks, eight passes defended, and two interceptions over the past three seasons. Last season marked his most productive, as Reeder totaled 91 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.
The Chargers’ middle-of-the-pack special teams did not have a lot of veterans; instead, they rolled with their rookie class as the main core last season. Among the crop, Niemann ended up being a bright spot, finishing with 14 special teams tackles on coverage units, which tied for fourth-most in the NFL. While expected to be a major contributor on special teams, Niemann could earn some snaps on defense if he performs in camp.
Ogbongbemiga was thrust into the action in his rookie season when injuries occurred. In the two games that he started, Ogbongbemiga produced 26 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. Like Niemann, Ogbongbemiga will primarily be a contributor on coverage units, but he could earn snaps if he shows up at camp or players go down with injuries.
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2022-07-22T01:25:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Projecting Chargers’ linebacker depth chart in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/projecting-chargers-linebacker-depth-chart-215950283.html?src=rss
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Ricky Martin will not be facing a restraining order or potential felony charges in Puerto Rico. In a court hearing Thursday on the unincorporated U.S. territory island, a judge dismissed a previously granted TRO against the performer and declined to extend the order. “Just as we had anticipated, the temporary protection order was not extended […]
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2022-07-22T01:25:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where will Jimmy Garoppolo end up?
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Will ESPN’s College GameDay be coming to our city this fall? There’s a good chance at least one Michigan State game this year will feature the iconic pregame show in attendance.
Here are five potential matchups on the Spartans’ 2022 schedule that could be big enough to land College GameDay this year:
Location: Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, Mich.)
Reasoning: This very well could be a battle of two undefeated Big Ten foes to open up conference play. Both the Spartans and Golden Gophers are going to be favored in all three of their matchups prior to this game so this should certainly be a high-level matchup early in the season. I’m not terribly confident it’ll garner enough national attention to land College GameDay, though — especially with some other big-time matchups in place that weekend.
Other notable games that week: Notre Dame-North Carolina, Wisconsin-Ohio State, Texas A&M-Arkansas and Flordia-Tennessee
Oct. 8 - Ohio State
Reasoning: Like this past season, this has the potential to be a top 10 battle and even could feature a pair of unbeaten squads. The Spartans would need to pick up tough road wins over Washington and Maryland, and a home victory over Minnesota to enter this game with an unblemished record. Ohio State also has tough matchups with Wisconsin and Notre Dame prior to this early October game — but many expect the Buckeyes to be undefeated at this point. So if both teams are sitting 5-0 entering this game, it seems like an obvious choice for College GameDay to be in East Lansing this weekend.
Other notable games that week: BYU-Notre Dame, Utah-UCLA, Texas-Oklahoma, North Carolina-Miami (FL), Texas A&M-Alabama and Auburn-Georgia.
Oct. 15 - Wisconsin
Reasoning: Should GameDay skip coming to East Lansing the week before and should Michigan State somehow upset the Buckeyes in said matchup — then this game is a perfect College GameDay selection. In this scenario, the Spartans would be 6-0 and most likely inside the top five with Wisconsin coming to the town at most likely a record no worse than 5-1 and also highly ranked. I’m not confident this will actually happen, but if it were to happen then I don’t see how GameDay passes up Michigan State again this week.
Other notable games that week: Clemson-Florida State, Penn State-Michigan, Arkansas-BYU, Alabama-Tennessee and Nebraska-Purdue.
Oct. 29 - Michigan
Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Reasoning: Could College GameDay return to this iconic rivalry matchup for a second straight season? It’s definitely possible if both teams live up to expectations. There are likely paths for both teams to have only one loss — and maybe no losses — entering this rivalry tilt, and if that’s the case then there will be a strong backing for GameDay to be in attendance. Hopefully, if that happens again, the same result on the field from last year will emerge this fall.
Other notable games that week: Florida-Georgia, Pitt-North Carolina, Ohio State-Penn State and Ole Miss-Texas A&M
Nov. 26 - Penn State
Location: Beaver Stadium (University Park, Penn.)
Reasoning: Could both Michigan State and Penn State have magical seasons and this game decide the Big Ten East Division? It’s not necessarily likely but also is possible, and thus we wrap up our list with the Land Grant Trophy rivalry game. I’d put money on Michigan-Ohio State being the more likely destination for GameDay this week but both Michigan State and Penn State have the talent to contend for the division this year and if bounces go their ways then we could see GameDay end the regular season at this Happy Valley matchup.
Other notable games that week: Michigan-Ohio State, Pitt-Miami (FL), Minnesota-Wisconsin and Notre Dame-USC.
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2022-07-22T01:37:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Five MSU Football games that could land ESPN College GameDay this year
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba named to the 2022 Biletnikoff watch list
We are deep in the throws of watch list season for college football, and the latest one is not going to surprise anyone by what Ohio State player has his name included.
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of 43 names appearing on the preseason 2022 Biletnikoff watch list. The award has been around since 1994 and handed out by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation annually to the best wide receiver in college football.
The award is named for Fred Biletnikoff, who played college football at Florida State University and professionally with the Oakland Raiders.
Smith-Njigba is coming off one of the best years a college wide receiver has ever had, and statistically, the best any Ohio State receiver has had in the history of the program. He had 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns.
That was with the ball being spread around to a couple of NFL first-round draft picks with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave also making game-breaking plays. Smith-Njigba is expected to pick up where he left off with some new, yet still talented faces surrounding him.
Ohio State has had just one Biletnikoff winner in the person of Terry Glenn back in 1995.
Reflecting on all of Ohio State football's Heisman winners through the years
Three Ohio State players appear in BetMGM's early 2021 Heisman odds
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2022-07-22T01:37:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba named to the 2022 Biletnikoff watch list
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Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the better trash talkers in the NBA, as the 32-year-old looks to get under his opponent's skin and throw them off their game.
During the 2022 NBA Finals, Green and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams had their share of back and forths during the matchup. In a recent interview with "The Long Shot with Duncan Robinson and Davis Reid," Williams shared some details of the trash talk between himself and Green.
"... I remember somebody told me a story about how he got into an altercation when he was younger, and he was knocked out," Williams said.
"I literally was doing research, and I was dialed in, trying to just throw him off. And then that's the first time I've ever had Dray like not say something back to me. And I was like, yeah, I got one that time ..."
"... Most times, they only show [Green's] trash talks. I'm just like, I'm over here. Like, dang, nobody here hears what I'm saying. I'm saying some cool stuff," Williams said.
"[Draymond] said, 'You're trying to be like me,'" Williams continued. "I said, 'How am I trying to be like you if I'm better than you already?'"
"So we were just going back and forth. But that's all love."
RELATED: Warriors have reason to believe JaMychal Green's past self shows up
There's no doubt that when these two players are on the floor together for the next Warriors-Celtics matchup, the cameras will be always on them.
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2022-07-22T02:34:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Grant Williams reveals bold Draymond Green trash talk during NBA Finals
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https://sports.yahoo.com/grant-williams-reveals-bold-draymond-233040056.html?src=rss
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2022 Women’s Tour de France: How to watch, schedule, race history and... 2022 U.S. Classic field headlined by Leanne Wong, Kayla DiCello Dani Cameranesi, gold-medal winning U.S. women’s hockey forward, announces...
Annemiek van Vleuten, Demi Vollering chart different paths to first Tour de France Femmes originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Frankie Jonas told the "Chicks in the Office" podcast he "twiddled" his thumbs the entire plane ride with Turner because he didn't know what to say.
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2022-07-22T02:46:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Annemiek van Vleuten, Demi Vollering chart different paths to first Tour de France Femmes
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It was announced earlier this year that Ohio State basketball would take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the annual CBS Sports Classic, but a definitive tip-off time was yet to be determined.
According to a release from the OSU athletic department on Thursday, the Buckeyes and Tar Heels will face each other Friday, December 17, at 3 pm ET in Madison Square Garden. That game will be followed by Kentucky vs. UCLA immediately after.
In addition to that, it was also announced that the CBS Sports Classic, an annual event featuring Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, and UCLA, will be extended for three more years, through 2026. That is welcome news because it was unknown how the announced additions of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten would impact the event. The same four teams have been a part of the format that rotates around the country since 2014.
Buckeyes in The Big Apple 🍎
We're headed to MSG on December 17th to take on the UNC Tar Heels in the CBS Sports Classic!
🔗: https://t.co/8pCd8vH1xk#Team124 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/suQj3rUI7L
— 𝓣𝓱𝓮™ Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) July 21, 2022
If you are looking for a reason to visit the Big Apple, tickets for the CBS Sports Classic will go on sale sometime in August. Fans can register to receive direct email alerts at http://www.cbssportsclassic.com/tickets. Registering ahead of time will allow for a presale event before the rest of the public can purchase.
This year’s event will mark the eighth time Ohio State has taken part. The Buckeyes own a 4-3 record. It’ll be the third matchup with North Carolina in this format, with the Tar Heels winning the first two (in 2014 and 2017). It’ll be the sixteenth overall meeting between the two programs with UNC holding a 12-3 advantage, though OSU won in dominating fashion 74-49 in the Dean Dome back in 2019.
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2022-07-22T03:30:14Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ohio State vs. UNC hoops contest in CBS Sports Classic tipoff time set
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Noah Lyles celebrates winning gold in the men's 200m.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Noah Lyles bests Michael Johnson's record to repeat as 200 world champ
Noah Lyles crouched down, put his hands on his knees and glared at the clock. "I was like ‘Really, you’re going to do me like that?’ Then, that number changed from two to a one and my whole world changed.”
The Dublin Coffman High School and Kentucky graduate Abby Steiner is racing for a world championship tonight in the 200-meter dash in Eugene, Oregon.
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2022-07-22T04:05:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Noah Lyles sets American record to win 200 meter world title, as U.S. sweeps again
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Pablo Sandoval regrets signing with Red Sox in 2014 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
When Boston Red Sox fans think about the worst contracts in franchise history, Pablo Sandoval's immediately comes to mind.
Sandoval, nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda," signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox as a free agent in 2014. The third baseman spent his first seven MLB seasons (2008-14) with the San Francisco Giants, helping them to three World Series titles and earning World Series MVP honors in 2012.
Those accolades helped make Sandoval a fan favorite in San Francisco, but his appeal certainly didn't translate to Boston. He struggled mightily during his Red Sox tenure, slashing .237/.286/.360 with 14 homers in 161 games. His poor performance along with his weight gain made him an easy target in Boston, especially given his lucrative contract.
Despite his big payday, Sandoval regrets signing with Boston over San Francisco in 2014. He opened up about the decision in an interview with GQ's Joseph Bien-Kahn.
“I should have stayed. I know. I learned my lesson,” Sandoval said. “But I’m happy I went through it, man, because I kept my eyes open and learned a lot of things. ...
“We make mistakes. We can make errors. And you know, it’s part of the game,” he added. “But fans don’t realize that we are human beings. We got lifestyle. We have problems, too. We have off-the-field things. And they don’t understand that.”
The Red Sox released Sandoval in the summer of 2017. He rejoined the Giants shortly thereafter but was never able to revitalize his career in San Francisco or with the Atlanta Braves last season.
Today, Sandoval plays for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. The 35-year-old made headlines for running over and injuring a catcher during a game in June.
On Wednesday, Oregon's Mike Moser announced his new position as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics under Ime Udoka.
Which Mountain West Teams Have the Best Championship Odds for the 2022-23 CFB Season?
College football season is months away, but NCAAF betting is already in full swing. Futures markets for the 2022/23 season are open at most top books, and betters are starting to check into the lines. We suggest jumping in on the action early, as ...
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2022-07-22T04:05:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pablo Sandoval regrets signing with Red Sox over Giants in 2014
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Bob Levey/Getty Images North America/TNS
HOUSTON — With just two weeks to go before the trade deadline, the best record in baseball and a huge lead in the division, the Yankees got another reminder that the Astros are going to be a huge obstacle to their World Series hopes. Astros pitchers held the Yankees offense to just two runs over 18 innings and showed the weakness in the team's pitching.
The Astros have been the Yankees' playoff Kryptonite, with the Bombers losing the AL Championship Series to them in both 2017 and 2019 and the wild-card game in 2015.
“We’ll definitely have to get through them, as well as other great teams to get to where we want to,” Stanton said. “Like I said, every game is important ... we’ll roll out of here and then we won’t worry about it until we need to.”
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2022-07-22T04:05:39Z
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Yankees drop both games of doubleheader to Astros
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When listing off “no brainer” NFL moves that should happen right now, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report talked about Baltimore bringing in a veteran receiver in former Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans pass catcher Julio Jones. Ballentine talked about how the group needs a veteran, and Jones has the leadership skills as well as NFL resumé to help the Ravens both on and off of the field.
“What the group needs is a veteran who understands how to succeed in the NFL. Julio Jones isn’t the All-Pro player he once was, but he still fits that bill…Jones is a strong leader who would provide a great presence in the locker room. That alone is a good reason to sign him, but he can also still provide a big-bodied receiver for Lamar Jackson on the field…The 33-year-old has struggled to stay healthy. He’s only made 19 appearances over the past two seasons, but he’s also just one season removed from averaging 11.3 yards per target, which would have been the best mark among all Ravens receivers last season.”
At his peak, Jones was one of the best receivers in the league. The veteran stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs around 220 pounds, the former Alabama star would provide Baltimore with a proven big-bodied receiver that can go up and make contested catches, a skillset that they desperately need. Jones also has 11 years on NFL experience, so he’d be an ideal mentor for a player like Bateman, who is trying to establish himself as a true No. 1 wideout.
For how good Jones has been, injuries have unfortunately been quite common for him throughout his career. However, even if the Ravens were to get 12-13 healthy games from the veteran, the signing could be more than worth it.
In his 11 seasons as a professional, Jones has caught 879 passes for 13,330 yards and 61 touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per catch.
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2022-07-22T04:48:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bleacher Report names ‘no-brainer’ move for Ravens that should happen right now
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The Los Angeles Rams celebrated their Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals one more time on Thursday night, holding their ring ceremony in Los Angeles. Players, coaches and members of the team received their rings, which are stunning and live up to the hype.
Players such as Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald gave their input on the design to Jason of Beverly Hills, and they did well to come up with something that’s amazing.
Take a look at the ring below, which features the LA logo, the Lombardi Trophy and two palm trees on top.
The Rams shared a more detailed video showing all the features of the ring, and the best part: there’s a replica SoFi Stadium from the Super Bowl in the middle.
According to the Rams, this ring has the most carat weight of any championship ring in sports history, totaling about 20 carats in white and yellow gold.
Swipe through some of the photos below.
There are .23 carats in the columns of the ring, which was done to signify the 23 points the Rams scored against the Bengals.
Here are some other awesome features of the ring and the meaning behind them, according to the Rams’ official release.
Overall, the ring has approximately 20 carats of white diamonds set on white and yellow gold. The 20 carats celebrate the official opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020. The ring has 1.12 carats of round diamonds to represent January 12, honoring three key dates in Rams history: on January 12, 2016, the Rams were approved to move back to Los Angeles; on January 12, 2017, the Rams hired Head Coach Sean McVay; and on January 12, 2019, the Rams beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-22 for their first playoff victory after returning to LA.
The Rams wanted to go big for their Super Bowl win in L.A., and this ring certainly met the high expectations. It’s hard to imagine a ring much better with as much meaning as the Rams packed into it.
Utah developer files plans to turn hotel near Seattle Convention Center into apartments
An eight-story hotel near the Seattle Convention Center is set to become a mixed-used housing development, according to city records. Last month, PEG Cos. of Provo, Utah, acquired the Homewood Suites by Hilton for $60 million, King County records show.
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2022-07-22T04:48:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Here’s a look at the Rams’ incredible Super Bowl LVI ring
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A's traveling secretary clarifies Blackburn flying with Astros originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Paul Blackburn's first All-Star Game selection should have been about his breakout 2022 MLB season. But the talk surrounding the Athletics' lone Midsummer Classic representative was how he got to Los Angeles.
Two days after the American League beat the National League 3-2 at Dodger Stadium, there has been some clarification about how Blackburn ended up on the charter flight of the rival Houston Astros, rather than flying first-class on a commercial flight, thanks to The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea.
“This happens all the time,” A's traveling secretary Mickey Morabito told Shea on Thursday. “This has nothing to do with the Oakland A’s. All we do is facilitate the travel. This is in conjunction with Major League Baseball. If you call all 30 major-league teams, you’ll find more examples of this. Other teams have done this in the past.”
On Monday, when Blackburn was talking to reporters at the All-Star Game media day event, he shared that he ended up on the Astros' charter flight after the A's wrapped up their series in Houston on Sunday.
The Astros' coaching staff, led by manager Dusty Baker, was making the trip to Los Angeles since Houston represented the American League in the World Series last year.
Per Shea, Morabito simultaneously did two things: He booked a first-class ticket for Blackburn while also contacting his counterpart with the Astros to see if they had any room on their flight. When Houston's traveling secretary Juan Huitron got approval from Baker and general manager James Click, Blackburn was given a seat on the flight and Morabito canceled the first-class ticket.
As Shea pointed out, there are rules in MLB's Collective Bargaining Agreement that take care of travel for players headed to the All-Star Game, including multiple first-class tickets and hotel rooms. In this case, Blackburn didn't need to use the part of the CBA regarding the plane tickets since the Astros had room and accommodated him on their flight.
RELATED: Grading A's offseason moves after rough first half
After splitting a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers at the Coliseum on Thursday to open the second half, the A's welcome the Texas Rangers to town Friday for a three-game series. Blackburn is scheduled to start the finale on Sunday afternoon.
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2022-07-22T05:36:25Z
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Athletics traveling secretary clarifies Paul Blackburn's All-Star Game travel
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced shortly after the Uvalde school massacre in May that an anonymous donor was paying for the funerals of the 19 children and two teachers. Bo Jackson was the man behind the money, it was revealed this week, flying to Uvalde with a friend to present a check for $170,000 to [more]
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2022-07-22T06:28:34Z
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Rams’ Super Bowl LVI ring gives a subtle, final middle finger to St. Louis
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American League – Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
Judge has finally delivered on his massive potential and is turning in a season for the ages. By shaking the injury-prone label that plagued him earlier in his career, the hulking outfielder leads the Majors in homers and runs scored, while also ranking near the top in RBIs and contributing eight steals. With continued health in the second half, Judge could take a run at an elusive 60-homer campaign.
National League – Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis Cardinals)
Goldschmidt continues to defy the effects of aging, building on an outstanding second half of 2021 by posting the second-best OPS in the Majors (1.004) to this point in the 2022 season. The 34-year-old has thus far been the perfect blend of power (20 HR, 70 RBI) and average (.330), and he even has the potential to contribute more in the steals category down the stretch.
Best Pitcher
American League – Shane McClanahan (Tampa Bay Rays)
McClanahan has been the No. 1 fantasy starter to this point in the season, leading the Majors in ERA and WHIP while sitting in a tie for second in strikeouts. On a per-inning basis, the Rays ace should be as valuable as any pitcher in the second half. The only variable that is somewhat concerning with McClanahan will be his second-half innings total, as he is on pace to blow dangerously far past his previous career high.
National League – Sandy Alcantara (Miami Marlins)
Alcantara has earned this award by being a workhorse on a level that is unmatched by his 2022 competitors. The right-hander has thrown 11.2 more innings than any other starter and could finish the campaign with an innings total we have not seen in more than half a decade. And beyond pitching deep into games, Alcantara and been one of the most effective starters in baseball (1.76 ERA, 0.90 WHIP).
Few pitchers have been as valuable in 2022 fantasy as Sandy Alcantara. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Best Reliever
American League – Clay Holmes (New York Yankees)
Holmes is the most surprising name in this article, as he was a complete mixed-league afterthought at the beginning of the season. The right-hander has terrific ratios (1.31 ERA, 0.87 WHIP), four wins and 16 saves despite having a low strikeout rate (9.6 K/9) for a high-leverage reliever. Having wrestled the closer’s role from Aroldis Chapman, Holmes is now in control of his own destiny for second-half success.
National League – Ryan Helsley (St. Louis Cardinals)
It may be a sign of the times in terms of how bullpens are handled that someone with fewer than 10 saves has been the No. 1 overall reliever thus far. Such is the case with Helsley, who has thus far posted eye-popping ratios (0.69 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) that are well-supported by a ridiculous 31.9 percent K-BB ratio. The Cardinals are unlikely to make Helsley a full-time closer down the stretch, preferring to use him in the highest-leverage role during each of his appearances. Helsley getting 3-4 more wins and 8-10 more saves feels like a fair expectation.
American League – Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners)
Rodriguez is putting together an all-time rookie season, arriving at the All-Star break with 16 homers and 21 steals. And there is little to worry about in terms of sustainability, as the 21-year-old has posted an .886 OPS since the beginning of May. With a strong finish to the season, Rodriguez will receive consideration as the No. 1 overall pick in some 2023 roto drafts.
National League – Spencer Strider (Atlanta Braves)
Strider began turning heads during his initial 2022 appearance when he struck out five batters across two perfect relief innings. And after regularly flashing his dominance during 11 appearances as a reliever, the right-hander has successfully transferred his skills to the rotation. Strider has struck out 77 batters across his 10 starts and could be among the Major League strikeout leaders from this point forward.
Best Waiver Wire Addition
American League – Luis Arraez (Minnesota Twins)
Finding the Major League batting champ on waivers feels like a major coup, but in the case of Arraez, it wasn’t too surprising. After all, the multi-position asset is among the best contact hitters in baseball. Arraez continues to contribute little in the areas of power and speed, which means that he will need to maintain his eye-popping batting mark in order to keep this title until the end of the campaign.
National League – Tony Gonsolin (Los Angeles Dodgers)
I find it somewhat surprising that Gonsolin is the only member of a star-studded Dodgers roster to find his way into this article. The right-hander has thus stabilized a rotation that has dealt with multiple injuries by going 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA. Gonsolin has enjoyed terrific batted-ball luck (.197 BABIP) so a second-half ERA in the mid-3.00s feels like a reasonable expectation.
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2022-07-22T07:07:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Fantasy Baseball: These are 2022's first-half award winners — did your star win hardware?
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The Arizona Cardinals had the first start of training camp on Thursday, as rookies and quarterbacks reported. The full opening of camp will be Tuesday.
On Thursday with rookies in camp, the Cardinals hosted a few players for tryouts. According to the NFL transaction report, they brought in seven players for tryouts.
Who were they?
S Dravon Askew-Henry
Askew-Henry is a 6-foot, 202-lb safety who played collegiately for West Virginia. He most recently played in the USFL for the New Jersey Generals.
He was not drafted but has spent time on the rosters of the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.
(Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
Bolden is a 5-8, 178-lb receiver our of Oregon State. He has not played in the NFL since 2018.
He played a little more than a season with the San Francisco 49ers and then the Buffalo Bills. He was a returner. He was on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad in 2019 and 2020.
Burrell played in college for Sam Houston State and Ohio State. He was drafted into the USFL and played also for the Tucson Sugar Skulls in the Indoor Football League.
Gaither is a 6-1, 182-lb receiver who played collegiately at Boise State through 2020. He went undrafted and signed originally with the Green Bay Packers. He played in the USFL for the Pittsburgh Maulers.
Gordon played quarterback for Washington State through 2019, playing in the Air Raid offense under head coach Mike Leach. He spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs but has never made a roster.
Odom played for Arkansas State in college and most recently played in the USFL for the Houston Gamblers. He had 41 tackles and led the USFL with 12.5 sacks. He is listed at 6-4 and 262 lbs.
He last played in 2019 and had two sacks in four games with the Washington Football Team.
He also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers.
S Bryce Torneden
Torneden is a 5-10, 192-lb safety out of Kansas in 2019. He went undrafted. He most recently played for the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL.
Sixers plan to complete new arena, '76 Place,' by 2031-32 NBA season
The Sixers announced Thursday morning that they plan to complete development of a new arena in Center City by the start of the 2031-32 NBA season. By Noah Levick
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2022-07-22T08:04:06Z
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Cardinals bring in seven players for tryouts as rookies report to training camp
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The Marine Corps announced it is again pausing all water-based activities of its new Amphibious Combat Vehicle, or ACV.
Taurean Blacque, who portrayed the streetwise Det. Neal Washington on all seven seasons of the acclaimed NBC cop show Hill Street Blues, died Thursday in Atlanta following a brief illness, his family announced. He was 82. From 1989-90, Blacque played Henry Marshall opposite Vivica A. Fox and others as an original castmember on the NBC […]
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2022-07-22T08:38:52Z
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Capitals overhaul roster most of any contender in the East
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As Penn State was struggling its way through a mediocre season, the Pitt Panthers were enjoying a run to the school’s first ACC championship. Pitt’s ACC championship season ended in a loss to Michigan State in the Peach Bowl, although the Panthers were playing without star quarterback Kenny Pickett. Had Pickett played against the Spartans, odds are good Pitt would have had stood a better chance of topping Michigan State, which led to a somewhat eye-catching quote from Narduzzi during ACC media days.
“If that’s one of the best Big Ten teams, let’s go to the Big Ten and win it every year,” Narduzzi said, referring to the Spartans. Michigan State was one of the best teams in the Big Ten in 2021, finishing in third place in the Big Ten East behind College Football Playoff-bound Big Ten champion Michigan and Rose Bowl champion Ohio State.
Pat Narduzzi says Michigan State would’ve gotten its "butt kicked in” if Kenny Pickett played.
“If that’s one of the best Big Ten teams, let’s go to the Big Ten and win it every year.” https://t.co/nEGLhxj7E1
Well, that is certainly a bold statement to make for a head coach who owns a career record of 1-6 against Big Ten teams with five straight losses in head-0to-head matchups against the conference. After hanging on to beat Penn State in 2016 in the renewal of the in-state rivalry, Pitt has been outscored by Big Ten opponents 163-75. Penn State did a big chunk of that damage in a 51-6 rout of Narduzzi’s Panthers in Pittsburgh before a national primetime audience in 2018.
While it is fair to suggest Pitt was hurt by not having its Heisman Trophy-finalist quarterback, it should also be noted Michigan State was playing without Doak Walker Award running back Kenneth Walker III either. Both Pickett and Walker opted out of the bowl game.
Considering the kind of season Pickett had for the Panthers, Narduzzi may be right in believing his team would have topped the Spartans in last season’s Peach Bowl. But was Narduzzi subtly stumping for Pitt to make a move to the Big Ten? Nah, probably not.
Having Penn State and Pitt in the same conference would certainly be great for the in-state rivalry, which is now sitting on the shelf for the foreseeable future after the two schools completed the four-year revival of the series in 2018. There are no talks of the series being continued anytime soon and future scheduling and conference realignment changes are making it more and more challenging to see happening.
But if Narduzzi wants that smoke, it sure would be fun to see if he could back it up.
Penn State's top 10 single-game passing performances of all-time
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2022-07-22T09:13:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Pat Narduzzi said something silly about the quality of Big Ten competition
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No surprises here: Hurts is most important Eagle of 2022 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
We’ve reached the end of our countdown and it should be no surprise that quarterback Jalen Hurts takes the top spot.
Hurts, 23, is entering his second full season as the Eagles’ starter and with a good showing has a chance to earn a new contract and the right to be called the next franchise quarterback in Philadelphia.
For that to happen, though, Hurts will need to improve. He knows it, his coaches know it, the front office knows it. It’s evident. But if there’s one thing the Eagles know about Hurts, it’s that he’s going to do everything in his power to maximize his potential in the NFL.
That belief rises to the highest levels within the organization.
“We have a young, 23-year-old playoff quarterback who gets better every year in college and in the pros,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said this offseason. “He’s had really one full year. No one knows where that’s going to end up. What you do know is you have a guy that is incredibly dedicated, excellent leader of men. Players around him gravitate toward him.
“He will do everything and anything to get better and work on every weakness he has and try to maximize every strength he has. That’s why we’re committed to Jalen at age 23. Who knows what the future holds, right?”
So this isn’t about Hurts reaching his ceiling, it’s about how high that ceiling can be. That’s what the Eagles have to figure out in 2022.
In 2021, his first full year as a starter, Hurts had some really good moments and he absolutely improved from what we saw of him as a rookie. In 15 starts, Hurts completed 61.3% of his passes for 3,144 yards with 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also ran for 784 yards and 10 more scores.
He did all that while leading a team that finished with four wins the previous year into the playoffs.
The problem was that the Eagles were crushed by the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in the wild card round and Hurts had one of his worst performances of the season. Right or wrong, that game really altered the perception of Hurts in the city.
By all accounts, Hurts has worked hard this offseason to get better. He’s been attacking the areas where he needed improvement and we saw a sort glimpse of that during OTAs.
“Jalen looks really good,” Dallas Goedert said. “Just him going through his reads, his progressions, I feel like the ball’s got a little more zip on it, he’s getting it out a little bit quicker, you see kind of a 1-2-3 throw. He doesn’t have as many hitches, he’s seeing the game faster, which is really promising.”
Because Hurts is still on his rookie contract as a second-round pick, the Eagles have used the cap space that would normally go toward an expensive quarterback to bolster the roster around him. Think about the Seahawks early in Russell Wilson’s career or even the Eagles in 2017 when Carson Wentz was still on his rookie deal.
This offseason, the Eagles added A.J. Brown to an offense that already included DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Quez Watkins, Miles Sanders, Kenny Gainwell and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Howie Roseman and the front office have seemingly provided Hurts with all the pieces to prove he’s a franchise quarterback and have eliminated any excuses if he isn’t.
If you look at the top 10 of this most important list, the presence of Hurts is felt beyond his spot at No. 1. His center came in at No. 3. His top targets came in at 4, 9 and 10 and his two tackles came in at 5 and 7. The Eagles have serious playoff aspirations in 2022.
They’ll go as far as Hurts takes them.
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2022-07-22T11:15:22Z
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Eagles 2022 season: Jalen Hurts on list of most important players
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10 Eagles on defense to watch in 2022 training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Birds report for camp at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday with the first practice of the summer scheduled for the next day.
Every year, I go into training camp with a list of players I want to watch extra carefully. That doesn’t necessarily mean the best or most important players, but the players with some added intrigue for various reasons. Yesterday, we looked at 10 offensive players.
Now, here are 10 defensive players to watch this summer:
The Eagles failed to address their CB2 spot until May 18, when they agreed to terms with Bradberry on a one-year deal. The Giants cut Bradberry well after free agency began, which meant any big-money deals he might have gotten were already off the table. So he wanted to sign with a team that ran a scheme that would get the most out of him. Bradberry has excelled in zone coverage and Jonathan Gannon runs an awful lot of zone so this is a good fit. While Steven Nelson was solid in 2021, Bradberry should be an upgrade at that spot and he’ll combine with Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox to form a really formidable trio.
Bradberry, who will turn 29 in early August, had somewhat of a down season in 2021 after going to the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Giants. But even in a down year, he still had a career-high four interceptions and added 17 pass breakups. Playing across from CB1 Slay means that teams will probably challenge Bradberry quite a bit in 2022. That’s why the CB2 job is so important in this defense. We won’t know the whole story but we’ll find out pretty soon if Bradberry can get back to his 2020 form.
The Eagles traded up a couple spots to draft Davis out of Georgia in the first round. The enormous nose tackle was one of the key players for the National Championship Bulldogs defense and was considered a unicorn in draft circles. While Davis is massive (the Eagles list him at 6-6, 336), he moves exceptionally well for a guy of his size. Davis’s combine results were eye-popping and that athleticism definitely showed up during the Bulldogs’ championship run.
Davis has been working to cut some weight and get in better shape now that he’s in the NFL. That will be an important element for his success at the next level. But it’ll be a treat to watch him move during training camp.
As excited as everyone is for Davis, don’t lose sight of Dean. I think there’s a good chance that Dean will end up being the Eagles’ top off-ball linebacker this season and that will start with a strong showing in training camp. As great as the other players were around him at Georgia, Dean was the unquestioned leader of one of the greatest defenses in college football history. He’s undersized at 5-11, 231 pounds, but has all the athleticism and instincts to thrive at the next level.
So why did Dean go in the third round? Well, teams were clearly scared off by his injury history but Dean participated in OTAs and is expected to be a full-go at training camp. If he is and if he ends up being the player the Eagles expect, this could end up being an all-time draft steal.
CB Tay Gowan
I really liked Gowan coming out of UCF last season and so did the Eagles, but they didn’t draft him. The Cardinals took him in the sixth round and he didn’t arrive in Philly until the Zach Ertz trade in October. Gowan played minimally during his rookie season but there could be some talent there. He’s 6-1, 186 pounds (the right build for an outside corner) and seems to be a fix in Gannon’s zone schemes.
Because Gowan didn’t join the Eagles until October, this summer will be our first chance to see him in training camp as he fights for a backup corner job with a bunch of other young cornerbacks on the roster. Last year’s fourth-round pick Zech McPhearson likely has one of those jobs but Gowan is the other outside corner I’ll be watching.
DE Brandon Graham
Graham is 34 and coming off a major Achilles injury but I wouldn’t bet against him. There are going to be some obvious questions about just how well Graham will be able to play in his 13th NFL season but he was playing at a really high level in 2020, when he made his only career Pro Bowl team. While it was a decade ago, the last time Graham came off a serious injury he played in all 16 games in 2012. Still, we don’t really know what to expect from Graham in 2022 and that’s why we’ll be watching him so closely this summer.
While the Eagles added Haason Reddick to rush the passer, they didn’t really address the defensive end position. The Eagles have Josh Sweat coming off a Pro Bowl and re-signed Derek Barnett, but they didn’t add anyone else. So it kind of tells you they’ll still be relying on Graham heavily in 2022. Training camp will give us a good indication of whether or not that’s a good idea.
SAM Kyron Johnson
The Eagles didn’t address the defensive end spot but they did improve the SAM linebacker position. We’ll get to the marquee free agent signing soon but Johnson, the sixth-round pick of Kansas should be fun to watch too. Now, it’s only right to temper expectations for Day 3 picks but Johnson will be competing with last year’s seveth-round pick Patrick Johnson for the backup SAM position. And Kyron Johnson has some juice.
We saw that juice down at the Senior Bowl this offseason. Johnson was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster but his performance in Mobile turned some heads. He was really fun to watch in 1-on-1 battles, where he was besting tackles who outweighed him by a great deal. If he can do that in an NFL training camp, he’ll get plenty of buzz over the next few weeks.
SAM Haason Reddick
You can argue that A.J. Brown was the Eagles’ biggest offseason acquisition but Reddick is right there with him. The Eagles finished last season with a paltry 29 sacks. While the Eagles will tell you sacks aren’t everything — and they’re right — that number is far too low. So they brought in Reddick, who is fifth in the NFL in sacks over the last two years with 23 1/2. The Eagles are listing him as a linebacker (he’ll play the SAM) but his job will be to get after the QB.
The presence of Reddick alone suggests a slight shift in defensive scheme in Year 2 under Gannon. While the Eagles won’t simply be switching to a 3-4, their personnel moves this offseason indicate a more hybrid defense than the one we saw in 2021. Reddick is going to be a big part of that shift. It’ll be up to Gannon to maximize the very talented pass rusher.
The Eagles went after some big-name free agent safeties this offseason — Marcus Williams, Justin Reid, Tyrann Mathieu — but didn’t land one. They let Rodney McLeod walk and re-signed Anthony Harris. The Eagles didn’t agree to terms with Tartt until June, so he is a late addition to a group that includes Harris, Marcus Epps, K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere and Jared Mayden. Tartt’s one-year deal is worth $1.12 million with $500,000 guaranteed, according to a league source. So it’s not like the Eagles broke the bank to bring him in.
But Tartt is a 30-year-old eight-year pro with plenty of starting experience in the NFL. He was a pretty good player during his seven seasons with the 49ers and will push for playing time with the Eagles. It’ll be fun to see how those safety spots shake out this summer.
LB Davion Taylor
Because of a couple notable offseason acquisitions, Taylor is the forgotten player in the Eagles’ linebacker room. And that’s a shame because the former third-round pick started to show some promise during his second NFL season before another injury shut him down for the year. Taylor is healthy now and I’m curious to see how he looks at training camp this summer. Will he continue to show the progression we saw during the 2021 season? It was a shame when he got hurt, because he really needed those game reps and now he’s buried on the depth chart.
But Taylor is just one injury away from again having a big role with the Eagles. I saw enough from him last year to be very intrigued so I want to keep an eye on him this summer.
Yes, there are three off-ball linebackers on this list. We talked about Dean earlier but don’t lose sight of White, who signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal as a free agent. White, 26, is a former college safety who converted to linebacker after the Chargers drafted him in the fourth round in 2018. So he has the type of coverage skills the Eagles have been missing from the position. And he’s coming off a career year. White last season started all 17 games and had 144 tackles with 7 TFLs.
But why was he available? And why was he available for so cheap? I think White is a better player than the other failed free agent linebackers the Eagles have brought in over the last several years, but it’s hard to forget about Eric Wilson and Corey Nelson and Zach Brown and others. White can prove he’s not the latest in that line over the next few weeks.
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2022-07-22T11:15:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles training camp 2022: 10 defensive players to watch
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https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-10-110000727.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-10-110000727.html?src=rss
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Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talks to the media during the 2022 NFL Combine.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warmups up during mandatory mini camp at TCO Performance Center.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota Vikings: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah explains unique roster approach
Can you hear that in the distance? A faint flapping of wings? If so, it’s probably because the world of Game Of Thrones is back, baby (or you’re about to be roasted by an impressively rendered dragon, but we sincerely hope it’s the former). The first official trailer for House Of The Dragon, HBO’s Targaryen-centric prequel series, dropped today, and we have some thoughts. (That was only a teaser trailer that came out in May, in case you were thinking, “Wait, didn’t that already happen?”) We’ll b
Indiana entered the game seeking its first win in exactly a month. It did not get it.
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2022-07-22T11:15:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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‘You never want to go full Rams’: How analytics help Vikings' Kwesi Adofo-Mensah embrace uncertainty
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https://sports.yahoo.com/never-want-full-rams-analytics-095713781.html?src=rss
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ATLANTA — As Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin spoke, leading off the final day of SEC Media Days, a grid of the Tigers’ 2022 schedule flashed on the screen above him. Georgia awaits, as do LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and, of course, Alabama. It’s a brutal schedule, and it doesn’t even include Auburn’s toughest opponent.
As always, Auburn’s greatest challenge in 2022 will be Auburn itself.
Sporting a crisp blue and orange tie and a tight haircut, Harsin leaned forward at the podium, his body language as outwardly aggressive as any coach this week. After a few perfunctory remarks, he took a run at the elephant in the room: the multi-pronged February controversy that nearly cost him his job.
“There was an inquiry. It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded. It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family, and also our program,” Harsin said. “And it didn't work.”
Harsin didn’t want to dwell on the events of the offseason, but they will define his tenure at Auburn, whether it’s measured in months, years or decades. He arrived in Auburn a year ago from Boise State, where he’d won nearly 80 percent of his team’s games. In the first few weeks at Auburn, he kept that streak going, leading the Tigers to a 6-2 record.
But then the wheels fell off, the engine dropped out, and the entire frame cracked. Auburn lost its last five games of the season, a staggering face-plant that included a blown 28-3 lead to Mississippi State, a blown two-touchdown lead against South Carolina, a blown double-digit lead against Alabama in the quadruple-overtime Iron Bowl and a blown fourth-quarter lead against Houston in the season-ending Birmingham Bowl.
Auburn squandered opportunity after opportunity in the closing weeks of 2021. With every loss, the foundation beneath Harsin cracked a little more, and the support for him within the Auburn administration shrunk.
In the weeks after the Birmingham Bowl, players and coaches alike ran from the Auburn program like it was the last day of school. Twenty players, including quarterback Bo Nix, and five coaches, including one who’d been on the job for just six weeks, fled the Plains, some with parting shots.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, defensive tackle Lee Hunter, who transferred to UCF, wrote that "Coach Harsin has the true mindset for a winner but has a terrible mindset as a person,” adding “the reason I chose to leave auburn because we got treated like we wasn't good enough and like dogs."
At the same time, ugly rumors about Harsin’s personal life surfaced, further complicating his viability as a coach. Social media lit up with allegations, each wilder than the one before. His wife Kes took to Instagram with a message: “Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.”
Several players also expressed support for Harsin on Twitter. “We didn’t need a best friend we needed a coach,” captain Chandler Wooten wrote. “that’s what we had.”
Questions about Harsin’s personal and professional life alike spurred the Auburn administration into action, starting with a statement indicating that the university was “judiciously collecting information from a variety of perspectives.”
“Decisions regarding the future of Auburn and its Athletics programs, as always, are made in the interests of our great university and in fairness to all concerned,” the school said in a statement. “We do not make institutional decisions based on social media posts or media headlines.”
The university did, however, have to make decisions with an eye on the bottom line. Harsin had an $18 million buyout in his contract, and the university was already paying former coach Gus Malzahn a $21.5 million buyout after firing him in 2020. Paying $40 million to coaches not on staff would be tough for even Auburn to stomach.
All of this unfolded while Harsin was on vacation in Mexico. He returned in mid-February to fight for his job, and met with both outgoing and incoming Auburn presidents, among other university officials. A group of players also campaigned on Harsin’s behalf, talking him up to various administration members.
“We knew we wanted to back him, wanted him to be our head coach,” said senior tight end John Samuel Shenker, one of the players who talked up Harsin to university officials. “That’s something we all bought into, so we did everything we could to ensure he stayed there.”
The gambit worked, at least in the sense that Harsin kept his job. But Harsin’s critics charge that his recruiting abilities remain a question mark at best. Rivals’ 2022 rankings place the Tigers at 18th in the nation, fifth in the SEC West and eighth in the SEC overall, 10th if future members Texas and Oklahoma are included.
Moreover, there’s that late-season collapse. Either one would be enough to raise concerns on the Plains, but together, there’s a sense of urgency around Auburn that’s unlike any other in the SEC right now. The doubters and critics are out there waiting for Harsin's first stumble.
“We've told our recruits: watch,” Harsin said. “I think the ones that have been on our campus, they see the energy and the vibe, what's happening, how the players are responding, coaches are connecting, everything that we're doing. There's a great energy in our program right now. There's alignment in our program right now.”
The offseason controversy “brought us a lot closer,” Shenker said. “I think there was a flip-the-switch after it happened. Everybody was pushing for him to come back, so when he came back, it was, ‘Let’s go. Let’s get to work.’”
“Anytime we're going backwards, talking about the past, we're not moving forward, talking about the future,” Harsin said. “We're focused on bigger and better things … It's made us, in my opinion, a much stronger football team and program. That will continue.”
Auburn will be at the center of the growing SEC-Big Ten rivalry early in the season, squaring off in a proxy battle against Penn State. If the Tigers can win that game, Harsin will get his wish, to focus on what’s ahead. But if Auburn stumbles again, what’s momentarily past will once again become the present.
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin at SEC Media Days. (Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports)
Bigsby has bought in to Bryan Harsin's program and is ready to handle business in 2022.
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2022-07-22T11:28:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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After collapses and offseason chaos, Auburn looks to the future
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https://sports.yahoo.com/after-collapses-and-chaos-auburn-looks-to-the-future-160121002.html?src=rss
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James Harden and the Sixers have agreed to a new two-year contract with a player option in Year 2, a source confirmed Wednesday night to NBC Sports Philadelphia. By Noah Levick
Free agent James Harden has agreed on a two-year, $68.6m contract to return to the Philadelphia 76ers and will make about $14.5m less this coming season than he could have earned under his previous deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Wednesday. The 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player and three-time scoring champion will take less salary this season, having previously declined a $47.3m option to become a free agent, with the aim of helping the team improve and chase the championship he still seeks. ESPN first reported the agreement being finalized between the 76ers and the 10-time All-Star guard.
Capitol attack committee provides detailed account of insurrection and confirms this will not be final hearing
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2022-07-22T11:41:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mets ace Jacob deGrom throws sim game, nearing season debut
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mets-ace-jacob-degrom-throws-042453970.html?src=rss
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The Arizona Cardinals will face a number of very good running backs in the 2022 season. Cardinals fans will remember some of the struggles they had in stopping the run, especially late in the year.
In 2022, based on the rankings put together by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the Cardinals will face six of the league’s top 11 running backs.
See who they are and read Farrar’s full post for a complete breakdown of each player.
No. 3 Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Williams enters his second NFL season. He had 903 rushing yards and more than 1,200 total yards from scrimmage as a rookie. The Cardinals will face him and the Broncos on the road in Week 15.
No. 6 Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
The Cardinals will face Cook and the Vikings for the second season in a row. They face the Vikings on the road in Week 8.
Despite missing four games, he still made his third straight Pro Bowl, 1,159 yards and six touchdowns.
Against the Cardinals last season in Week 2, he rushed for 133 yards.
No. 7 Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
The Cardinals play the Chargers at home in Week 12, which is Thanksgiving weekend.
He had a career-high 911 rushing yards last season but added more than 600 receiving yards on 70 catches. He finished the season with 1,558 total yards from scrimmage and was tied for the most touchdowns scored last year with 20.
No. 8 Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
The Cardinals face the Raiders on the road in Week 2 and we see that three of the top eight backs in the league are in the AFC West.
He had only 872 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, but he also caught 54 passes.
No. 10 Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks
The Cardinals will face Penny and the Seahawks twice, once on the road in Week 6 and then at home in Week 9.
Penny led the NFL with a 6.3-yard per-carry average last season. He only played in 10 games and started only six, but he rushed for 135 or more yards in four of his final five games, including 190 yards and a score in the regular-season finale against Arizona.
No. 11 Damien Harris, New England Patriots
Harris had 929 yards last season 15 rushing touchdowns.
The Cardinals face the Patriots on Monday night at home in Week 14.
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2022-07-22T12:46:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Cardinals set to face 6 of NFL’s top RBs entering 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-set-face-6-nfl-121853822.html?src=rss
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Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson was ranked at No. 11 in Pro Football Focus’ top-50 players list entering the 2022 season.
Nelson is the third and final Colts player to make the list, going ahead of linebacker Darius Leonard (No. 43) and running back Jonathan Taylor (No. 21).
Nelson also is the second-highest ranked guard on the list behind Dallas Cowboys’ Zack Martin.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus had to say about Nelson:
It was a tough year by his standards in 2021. Nelson missed a game for the first time in his career and wound up missing three of them during the season.
The former No. 6 overall pick has been the epitome of consistency throughout his career leading up to last season and even then he wasn’t that bad. He was still an elite guard in the NFL.
We’ll see what kind of bounce-back year is in store for Nelson as he continues on his trajectory of being one of the best guards of all time.
Projecting Quenton Nelson's upcoming contract extension
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2022-07-22T12:46:56Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Quenton Nelson ranked 11th in PFF’s top-50 players
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https://sports.yahoo.com/quenton-nelson-ranked-11th-pff-113400439.html?src=rss
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Can you feel it? No, not the heat wave that is going on across the country. It’s the NFL season that is less than 50 days away and teams are gearing up to get training camp underway. The Indianapolis Colts are set to open up their training camp on July 27.
Head coach Frank Reich is entering his fifth season with the organization and will be looking to set up his team for a successful 2022 campaign. That all starts in the dog days of the summer as players will be competing for a spot on the 53-man roster and of course, for playing time on the field.
If the Colts are going to go on a playoff run this year, they will need role players to step up and be more significant contributors.
Here are some under-the-radar players that will be looking to impress at training camp over the next month:
I debated if I should include Isaiah Rodgers on this list because at this point of the offseason he is most Indianapolis media members and fans’ biggest breakout player to watch from the Colts.
But, on a national level, the Indianapolis secondary tends to get looked down upon, and it seems rare to hear someone outside of the market bring up his name when they talk about the group. The third-year corner has steadily improved as a pro and with his ballhawk ability, he can become more of a household name this season.
Rodgers is set to battle with Brandon Facyson and others for the cornerback spot on the opposite side of Stephon Gilmore. He’s a player to watch to see if he can win a starting gig throughout August.
If you ask most people what the Colts need more than anything, they are likely going to say a receiver.
Chris Ballard continues to shake off the outside noise and is holding to his offseason remarks of wanting to see what they have in the younger receivers on the roster. Strachan is one of those players.
After being a preseason star in his rookie campaign, he went through a redshirt year and had to handle his development behind the scenes. He did miss minicamp because of an undisclosed injury so he doesn’t have a lot of momentum heading into training camp.
But the good news for him is there hasn’t been a veteran brought into the room so he still has a great opportunity to carve out a role in the offense. We will see if Strachan can capitalize on what is in front of him for his sophomore season.
Pass rush woes have been a thorn in the side of the Colts and Gus Bradley will be looking to change that in his first season as the defensive coordinator.
That won’t just be solved through the starters on the defensive front, he will need key players in the rotation to do their part and one of them is Dayo Odeyingbo. The second-year player will be looking to make a larger impact after spending his rookie season rehabbing from a torn Achilles.
His versatility to play on the edge and the inside gives Bradley the creativity on how he can attack passing situations. With Odeyingbo having a healthy offseason, it will be interesting to see the type of shape he is in and his development as a pass rusher.
Mike Strachan isn’t the only receiver that Chris Ballard has some belief in to play a bigger part of the offense. Dezmon Patmon is another player that will be looking to show in training camp that he should have a larger role in 2022.
Similar to Strachan, he has spent his first two seasons in the NFL handling his development behind the curtain. With that being said, he does have a big moment tied to his early career. He was the recipient of a touchdown that gave the Colts enough of a lead to close out the Arizona Cardinals on the road.
Indianapolis played that game without a number of important players due to COVID-19 protocol. Now that he is entering his third season in the league, it is a make-or-break season for Patmon. He will have to earn his spot on the roster and can carve a spot in the game plan with an impressive preseason.
When Khari Willis surprisingly retired earlier this offseason it shifted the importance of early development for Nick Cross. The thought was that their third-round rookie would be more for special teams and more of a contributor in his second season.
Now, he will have an opportunity to find a spot in the rotation and even push for the opening starting safety spot during training camp. One would assume Rodney McLeod is leading the race because the veteran is a trusty option for Gus Bradley.
But if the young athletic safety can flash his abilities and can pick up the system in a timely manner then Cross slide in for Willis come opening day. Regardless of where he ends up on the depth chart, the rookie will be leaned on more than the original thought when he was selected.
LB E.J. Speed
The Colts are set at linebacker with Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke but there is a slight concern about when Leonard will be available in camp.
Earlier this summer, Leonard had back surgery and it was reported that he would miss at least a part of training camp but no expectation that he would miss any games. Having a star player hurt during the summer will definitely remind Indianapolis fans of old nightmares and hope there won’t be any repeat of the past.
The promising thing is that if Leonard had to miss anytime is that Speed has shown he’s capable of playing in the starting lineup if need be. Just like Dezmon Patmon, he got a chance to show his abilities against the Arizona Cardinals.
He filled in as a starter when Leonard was out due to COVID-19 protocol. Speed can help fans breathe easy with a good training camp with the starting unit as Leonard makes sure his body is ready for the opening game.
Day 3 rookies have to put together a solid training camp and get drafted into a good situation for them to lock their spot on the final 53-man roster. Johnson has an opportunity where he can not only get onto the roster but have a small role on the defense.
Taylor Stallworth’s departure in the offseason has left a spot open in the defensive front’s rotation. Plus, another positive is that Chris Ballard prefers to keep a number of trench players on his roster. Johnson brings great athletic traits with him and the versatility of being lined up across the front with him to Gus Bradley’s defense.
Players like Johnson are great to keep an eye on during training camp because not only he’s fighting for a spot on the team but could end up earning himself playing time in his first season as a pro.
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2022-07-22T12:47:06Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Under the radar players to watch at Colts training camp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/under-radar-players-watch-colts-121634000.html?src=rss
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On Wednesday, the 2022 Doak Walker Award Watch List, given annually to the nation’s top running back, included two Wisconsin Badgers Rbs.
Both sophomore Braelon Allen and senior Chez Mellusi were each selected for the prestigious preseason watch list.
Allen, a Fond du Lac, Wisconsin native, was a Freshman All-American and second-team All-Big Ten member after amassing 1,268 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns last season on 6.8 YPC.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound RB became just the fourth UW true freshman RB to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing plateau, joining Ron Dayne, Jonathan Taylor, and James White.
As for Mellusi, In nine games, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound RB carried the ball 173 times for 815 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught an additional seven passes for 66 yards.
He opened 2021 as Wisconsin’s starting RB before suffering a non-contact knee injury in November against Rutgers – forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.
If both players are healthy, UW could realistically have two 1,000-yard rushers in 2022.
Wisconsin-Iowa matchup already sold out ahead of 2022 season
The Badgers and Hawkeyes will meet at Kinnick in November
However, the tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust will be put to the test next week when several big-name companies report earnings.
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2022-07-22T13:38:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Two Badgers RBs Named to the Doak Walker Watch List
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https://sports.yahoo.com/two-badgers-rbs-named-doak-121747342.html?src=rss
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Paul Finebaum thinks that the Big Ten, and not the SEC, is the likely landing spot for Notre Dame should they join a conference.
The college football expansion war is likely to come down to which conference lands Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, because of their national fan base, are a huge draw and bring strong ratings.
(Which is why they want $75 million, reportedly, to stay independent).
The Big Ten and the SEC would be considered the favorites to land Notre Dame but the ACC would also likely be in the mix.
But it is the Big Ten and the SEC that are likely to pull in Notre Dame, given the strength of their media rights package.
An ESPN analyst and the most-connected reporter in the SEC, Finebaum recently joined Greg McElroy to discuss conference expansion. Finebaum went all-in on the rise of the Big Ten and the SEC as superpowers.
But he wasn’t as sold on the future of the ACC.
Check out what Paul Finebaum had to say about the Big Ten, the SEC, Notre Dame and conference expansion in his conversation with Greg McElroy!
Paul Finebaum on where he thinks Notre Dame lands...the Big Ten or the SEC?
“Notre Dame is a little more difficult because you just don’t know what they don’t think the same way we do. I think the SEC is a perfect landing spot for them. But there’s so much history…there’s the turn of the nose toward the academics, several schools down here that the Big Ten is a better marriage if they went somewhere.”
Paul Finebaum on the possibility of Notre Dame getting $75 million in a media rights deal
“They can’t get that in the ACC and…I mean I’m sure I’ve popped off in the past about the ACC but the ACC is in trouble because of the deal. I mean, we all have friends, maybe ourselves where you cut a contract and then you complain about it and ultimately you signed it. They signed that deal.
“And they’re dealing with powerful companies like ESPN and FOX and others and they’re as good as their product. And their product is it’s good football, don’t misunderstand me but outside of a handful of those schools you’re not going to get eyeballs over there versus what you’re about to see in the Big Ten and the SEC.”
Paul Finebaum on what programs hold value for the SEC
“Aside from Notre Dame, I think Clemson today is the most attractive but Greg I was on a show earlier with one of your friends. And he was arguing that SC (USC) because of Lincoln Riley and Miami because of (Mario) Cristobal, are so valuable. Neither one of them may be there in 10 years. You can’t just get a team based on the coach that you have. You have to look a little bit farther down the road and look how difficult has been to digest Oklahoma and Texas over the last 52 weeks – we’re still not even there yet. So you try it in Clemson or North Carolina or someone like that. So what you almost need is a big bang effect where the whole thing just blows up and it’s easier to grab than trying to go through the nuances of tortious interference.”
Paul Finebaum on tension with the Big Ten and the SEC
“Tthere’s a lot of tension and it’s Shakespearean and the history of it – we’ll save that for a book. But ultimately, I think they have to come together. And for the CFP to work, you are probably going to need the Big Ten, the SEC and one other component – Notre Dame to agree on something.
“You know a lot of people said that the SEC is going to play the Big Ten for the national championship. You want Notre Dame involved there. They are important. They’re not as important as they think they are. Nor are they as important as they used to be. But they’re still a major player.
Paul Finebaum on where he thinks Notre Dame will end up
“I think Notre Dame will end up in the Big Ten – if they if they go somewhere because it makes too much sense. And I don’t know what the history is with Knute Rockne and Fielding Yost and things that happened even before I was born. We’re talking 100 years ago, more than 100 years ago, but it is time.
“And I’d love them in the SEC but I don’t think they’re going to be able to convince the people that really matter at Notre Dame- and that’s the administration – that this is where they should be. It just – it would wreak to some people up there as just a pure money grab.
“Notre Dame even though everything it does football-wise is about money doesn’t want anybody else to know that.”
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2022-07-22T13:38:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where will Notre Dame land: Big Ten? SEC?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/where-notre-dame-land-big-094911081.html?src=rss
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They had a really good 2021 season. It didn't end well, with four losses in five games including a wholly uncompetitive blowout against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. But the Patriots took a rookie quarterback, drafted fifth in his class, and were 9-4 going into their bye. They had a top-10 offense and defense. The Patriots have set their own bar so high that a 10-7 record with rookie QB Mac Jones didn't seem too impressive, but it was. Most people are tired of hearing Bill Belichick praise, but it was a fantastic job from the greatest coach in NFL history.
Then again, how much of the success had to do with Josh McDaniels? There should be questions about McDaniels' ability to be a good head coach as he heads to the Las Vegas Raiders, but he has been a great coordinator. In a post-Tom Brady world, he concocted a reasonable offense with a severely limited Cam Newton, then a very good offense with Mac Jones. The Patriots finished ninth in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA last season with Jones, the 15th pick of last year's draft who many dismissed as being too limited to be a top-end NFL quarterback. Jones was easily the best rookie quarterback last season. McDaniels deserves a lot of credit for that.
After McDaniels left, it got weird. Belichick's paranoia took hold and he has refused to say who will be the new offensive coordinator. Most of the speculation has been that it would be one of two failed head coaches: Joe Judge or Matt Patricia. Neither has been an offensive coordinator. Patricia hasn't even worked on the offensive side of the ball since 2005 when he was an assistant offensive line coach. There has been speculation that Belichick, known as a defensive guru, could call plays.
"He’s very hands on," Jones said about Belichick and the offense during offseason practices. "And last year, he was more with the defense and stuff. But now it’s like, ‘OK, let me show you this.’ And he’s kind of coaching us and coaching the running backs in that drill on the way that they need to get through the line of scrimmage. So he’s very hands on and I feel like we’ve made a lot of growth together as an offensive unit with him."
Had it been a normal transition from McDaniels to a predictable replacement, perhaps everyone would be higher on the Patriots. We'd see the most successful franchise in sports this past decade, with a second-year quarterback who was much better than expected last season, and imagine the growth. But we're bogged down with who will be calling offensive plays. Maybe that's a legitimate concern.
It seems lazy to compare last season with the early seasons of the Patriots dynasty, before Brady became a great quarterback. However, seeing New England led by a top defense, relying heavily on the running game and asking their young QB to not turn it over and make a few plays a game seemed very familiar. Jones is unlikely to go on and win seven Super Bowls, but the post-Brady reload didn't take long.
McDaniels is gone but Belichick remains, and that's enough to make the Patriots dangerous. Even their 7-9 finish in 2020 was far better than that roster should have done. Last season, New England probably won more games than it should have. And after that, there's plenty of skepticism about the Patriots heading into a new season. Never underestimate Belichick's value to the Patriots year after year.
This season will be another challenge. It's probably best to assume the Patriots will figure out their offense, regardless of who's calling it.
The Patriots don't panic when it comes to losing good players. Most teams would have franchise tagged cornerback J.C. Jackson, who developed into a very good player after he was undrafted, but the Patriots didn't tag him and he left for the Los Angeles Chargers on a five-year, $82.5 million deal. The Patriots also lost center Ted Karras in free agency and surprisingly traded guard Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fifth-round pick. The Patriots see roster churn differently than any other team. They're willing to move on from good players the moment they believe their play is about to slip or their actual value doesn't align with the contract they have or want. More often than not, it works out. With any other team we'd look at the personnel losses, see no free-agent addition that cost more than $2 million per season (New England did trade with Miami for receiver DeVante Parker) and a draft class that was slammed by every analyst with a Twitter account (the shocking first-round pick of Tennessee-Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange really is hard to understand), and figure they had a bad offseason. This is just the norm for New England, however.
Mac Jones is probably the best example of how important it is for a young quarterback to land in a great environment. A year after the draft, how many people would tab Jones as the most talented quarterback in the 2021 class? Not many, but yet, he was far ahead of any other rookie last season. Jones fit perfectly with the Patriots, who emphasize accuracy and processing speed from their quarterbacks. They put him positions to succeed. We don't know yet what Jones' ceiling is an an NFL quarterback, but he's a great fit for New England. That might be what matters most.
The Patriots' win total is 8.5 at BetMGM, the same as teams like the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders. I'm happy to take the over. The Patriots didn't have the type of offseason that will get anyone excited, so they won't be a buzzy team before the season starts. But betting on the Bill Belichick Patriots has been a winning long-term proposition for years. Take the over on their season wins and for kicks, also take the Patriots +2.5 when they face the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Hunter Henry currently has a Yahoo ADP of 118, which is 28 slots higher than his NFFC ticket. In this instance, I think the NFFC crew has it right. Henry isn't exactly expensive in either platform, but I see a fantasy trap.
"Henry lived on touchdown deodorant last year, scoring nine times on just 50 catches. His previous nine NFL touchdowns came over 115 catches and 26 games; in short, he was fortunate last season. He also averaged a modest 35.5 yards per game in his New England debut, and somehow made it through a full schedule for the first time in six pro seasons.
"There isn't a high ceiling on anyone in this passing game; Mac Jones is a good, not great, quarterback, and the Patriots want to win through defense and a balanced offense. There's also a fair amount of width in the target tree, with several capable players competing for the ball. If you need to roster a Patriots pass-catcher for some reason, I'd focus on Jakobi Meyers or Kendrick Bourne. Henry is likely to be tripped up by touchdown and health regression."
The No. 2 running back in Pro Football Focus' grades last season, right behind Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, was Damien Harris. Harris isn't much of a factor in the passing game but he's an excellent runner who has averaged 4.8 yards per carry over the past two seasons. He had 15 rushing touchdowns last season. Rhamondre Stevenson might be just as good as Harris, or better. He was impressive last preseason and rushed for 606 yards in a limited role as a rookie. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and had some explosive traits. He had 20 10-yard runs on just 133 rushing attempts. He's also more adept in the passing game, which could lead to an expanded role. Both of the Patriots' top backs are very good at causing missed tackles and getting extra yards. New England also drafted Pierre Strong in the fourth round and could get pass-catching dynamo James White back, though he's 30 years old coming off a bad hip injury. The Patriots want to be effective on the ground, and they have the backs to do it.
The last time we saw the Patriots, their defense got destroyed. The Bills became the first team in NFL history, regular season or playoffs, to not attempt a field goal, punt or commit a turnover in a game. Buffalo was also the first team in playoff history, over the Super Bowl era, to score a touchdown on each of its first seven drives. The Patriots defense didn't finish great, but it was very good for a majority of the season. New England was second in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed during the regular season. They were fourth in Football Outsiders' DVOA. They allowed a 73.3 passer rating, second-best in the NFL. The Patriots allowed fewer than 300 yards in seven of their nine regular-season games after October. The Patriots have always been better than the sum of their parts on defense (though linebacker Matt Judon was having an excellent season before fading a bit late), and New England should be good again despite not having a ton of stars. Cornerback is an issue after losing J.C. Jackson, but the foundation of the defense is pretty strong. Not many teams have the Bills' level of personnel that can expose the Patriots and their lack of elite speed on defense. Don't underestimate the Patriots due to the way last season ended.
Maybe Mac Jones is really good. He wouldn't be the first quarterback to completely outplay his perceived physical attributes. New England knows another guy like that. If Jones takes another step forward, the Patriots should be back in playoff contention. It would probably take some Buffalo Bills injuries for them to win the AFC East, but another wild-card berth isn't bad in a tough AFC. That might seem like a low bar for the Patriots to shoot for, but it's a new era for them. Making Super Bowls isn't as easy as New England made it look for two decades.
Maybe the negativity over the Patriots offseason is justified this time. J.C. Jackson is a top cornerback, and the Patriots are suddenly thin at an important position. The Patriots lost two key pieces from an offensive line that is critical to the style they want to play. The draft was odd. Josh McDaniels did have a huge role in New England's success. And the Patriots didn't add much, unless you buy into DeVante Parker finally finding consistency at age 29. Maybe the late-season swoon was a sign the defense was overrated and the league had figured out Mac Jones and the offense. The Patriots could fall behind the Dolphins in the AFC East pecking order after the Bills and miss the playoffs. That would be pretty disappointing after an encouraging first year with Jones at quarterback.
I understand people focusing on the bad vibes with the Patriots. They finished last season poorly and didn't have a good offseason. Plenty of people still don't believe in Mac Jones either. It's still hard to look at a Patriots team that was very good for most of last season, remember Bill Belichick is on the sideline and project them to have a losing record. The defense should be good enough to keep the team in playoff contention, if the loss of J.C. Jackson isn't too big of a blow. The offense is deep and could be very good again, too. I'm fine betting on Belichick to lift this team further than it should go. That has worked out pretty well for a couple decades.
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2022-07-22T14:17:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NFL Preview: Patriots had a good season with a rough end, then a weird offseason
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-patriots-had-a-good-season-with-a-rough-end-and-a-weird-offseason-131148569.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nfl-preview-patriots-had-a-good-season-with-a-rough-end-and-a-weird-offseason-131148569.html?src=rss
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We’re now down to the top five with linebacker Roquan Smith, who is now the unquestioned leader of the defense.
Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith (58) waits on the snap during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith celebrates in the end zone after intercepting Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow’s pass for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Another year, another All-Pro caliber performance from Smith without the recognition. Smith built on his successful 2020 season by setting the team record for tackles in a single season, breaking Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher’s record. He had 163 total tackles, including 95 solo, and 12 for loss. Smith also added three sacks and had an interception that was returned for a touchdown. He even had the lowest missed tackle percentage of his career at 3.6 percent. He was seemingly all over the field last year and would have been the team’s MVP if not for Robert Quinn’s record-breaking season at defensive end.
Smith’s last couple of seasons have been so impressive, he’s in extremely rare company. According to CBS Sports, Smith joins Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis as the two players with at least 300 tackles and 30 tackles for loss in two seasons within the last 30 years. Not bad for someone who has yet to even make a Pro Bowl.
Smith has plenty of accomplishments, but they seem to fly under the radar when it comes to national recognition. He’s been named second-team All-Pro for the last couple of years, but often gets overlooked for players such as Fred Warner and Darius Leonard. Still, Smith’s popularity has risen over the last year or so and there’s no reason to think it’s going to slow down.
Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith (58) warms up with teammates at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Lake Forest, Ill., Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
If anyone is going to thrive under first-year head coach Matt Eberflus, it’s going to be Smith. The fifth-year linebacker is switching schemes for the first time in his professional career, moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. He’ll likely play the weak side position in this year’s defense, just like Leonard did for the Indianapolis Colts when Eberflus was their defensive coordinator.
Not only will Smith be in the prime position to make many plays this season at the new position, he has all the characteristics Eberflus is looking for as a player and a leader. Smith doesn’t quit on plays and the new Bears staff is all about hustle and creating turnovers. He puts in the hard work during practice and with many of the veterans he came into the league such as Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks no longer on the team, he’s now the leader of the defense. At only 24 years old, he’s still just entering his prime and should have another stellar season in 2022.
Big question: When will Smith be extended?
Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith speaks at a news conference in Lake Forest, Ill., Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
It may be a bit presumptuous, but all signs point to Smith getting a long-term extension done with the Bears. Smith has repeatedly said he wants to be a Bear for the long haul and multiple reports have come out this spring indicating talks should be heating up between the two sides. Things can always fall apart but given the mutual interest and the enormous amount of cap space, this feels like a when, not if, situation. But the question is, when will it actually get done?
When Ryan Pace was in charge, many of his deals were completed just prior to the start of the regular season as training camp was ending, though that practice was abandoned in recent years. With Poles, there’s no track record yet so it’s anyone’s guess as to when an extension could happen. But when it does, it won’t be cheap.
With other players such as Leonard and Warner signing deals worth $99 and $95 million in guaranteed money, respectively, Smith stands to become the first inside linebacker to fetch more than $100 million in guaranteed money. We’ll just have to wait and see for when that time comes.
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2022-07-22T14:18:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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30 Most Important Bears of 2022: No. 5 Roquan Smith
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https://sports.yahoo.com/30-most-important-bears-2022-122029346.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/30-most-important-bears-2022-122029346.html?src=rss
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The Los Angeles Rams enjoyed a terrific 2021 season, which ended in a Super Bowl LVI win. Not only did they win their first Super Bowl in Los Angeles, but they did so in their home building, SoFi Stadium.
With all the meaning that the 2021 season carried, the Rams included a ton of hidden details in their Super Bowl rings, which players, coaches and members of the team received on Thursday night. There’s so much to love about these rings, from the tiny SoFi Stadium in the middle to the very specific and planned carat counts throughout the ring.
Here are eight cool facts and details about the Rams’ championship ring.
There’s a mini SoFi Stadium inside
Seriously. They built a tiny version of SoFi Stadium inside the ring, revealing it when you unscrew the removable top.
The main part of the ring shows the field, and the underside of the top shows the infinity screen.
Each ring has pieces of turf from 2020 and 2021, and the Super Bowl game ball
In each ring, there are green remnants of turf from the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including parts from Super Bowl LVI. Additionally, there are pieces of the Super Bowl game ball, which can be seen on the underside of the top portion.
A nice little touch to pay homage to SoFi Stadium.
The 20-carat total weight is most in championship history – and represents opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020
The Rams’ ring has a total diamond weight of 20 carats, which is the most in championship ring history. Did you really expect them to make a ring that had less carat weight than past teams?
The 20 carats wasn’t randomly chosen, either. It represents the opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020.
The ring celebrates Jan. 12, a very important day for the Rams
January 12 is a big day in Rams history. On that date in 2016, the team’s move back to Los Angeles was approved. One year later on Jan. 12, they hired Sean McVay as their head coach. And on Jan. 12, 2019, the Rams won their first playoff game after returning to Los Angeles, beating the Cowboys in the divisional round en route to their Super Bowl appearance.
To recognize those important dates, the ring was designed with exactly 1.12 carats of round diamonds.
12 regular-season wins are represented by .12 carats in the Lombardi
In the Lombardi Trophy on main portion of the ring, there are exactly .12 carats of diamonds. Again, that wasn’t a coincidence. The .12 carats represent the Rams’ 12 regular-season wins last season.
Rams’ 26 postseason wins in franchise history are recognized in the palm trees
In the two palm trees next to the Lombardi, there are .26 carats of diamonds. Those .26 carats match the number of playoff wins the Rams have in franchise history, 26.
The ring is wrapped in replica versions of SoFi Stadium’s iconic columns
You’ll notice from the side that there are columns around the ring. Those mimic the columns that support SoFi Stadium’s roof, pulling from the design of the iconic stadium. The carat total in those columns also carries meaning.
There are .23 carats of diamonds in the columns, representing the Rams’ 23 points scored in the Super Bowl.
The underside shows the scores of each Rams playoff win
On the underside of the ring, players can see the four playoff games won last season, with the scores of each game.
Rams 34, Cardinals 11
Rams 30, Bucs 27
Rams 20, 49ers 17
Rams 23, Bengals 20
Yahoo Finance Live anchors report that the U.S. has charged an ex-Coinbase employee for crypto insider trading.
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2022-07-22T14:18:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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8 hidden facts and details of the Rams’ Super Bowl ring
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https://sports.yahoo.com/8-hidden-facts-details-rams-130532451.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/8-hidden-facts-details-rams-130532451.html?src=rss
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We wrap things up with special teams. There are some familiar faces returning this season in kicker Cairo Santos and long snapper Patrick Scales. But the biggest change comes with the Bears’ new punter. For the first time in almost a decade, Pat O’Donnell will not be punting in Chicago. In his place is seventh-round rookie Trenton Gill.
Let’s take a look at the special teams heading into training camp:
K Cairo Santos
Despite the struggles Chicago has had over the last two seasons, one thing has remained consistent: Cairo Santos. Santos made 40 consecutive field goals from Sept. 27, 2020 to Nov. 8, 2021. The 66-yard missed field goal attempt against the Steelers left him four field goals away from tying the NFL record. Santos has made 56 of his 62 field goal attempts since returning to Chicago. He is yet to miss a kick from under 40-yards. He’ll be an important player this season. Defense and special teams will likely be the reason for most of the Bears’ wins in 2022.
With the loss of Pat O’Donnell, rookie punter Trenton Gill will take over. Gill played three seasons at North Carolina State before being drafted in the seventh round by the Bears. In 2021, Gill led the ACC in most punts, (65), and most punting yards, (2,928). He also averaged the most yards per punt in both 2019, (47.6), and 2021, (45). He ended his college career as the leader in yards per punt in NCAA history with 45.8 yards per punt. Along with being the team’s punter, Gill will hold kicks for Santos.
LS Patrick Scales
(Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports)
The Bears re-signed Patrick Scales on a one-year deal this past offseason. With the loss of O’Donnell, Scales is now the longest-tenured Bear, being with the team since 2015. Scales has missed just one game since becoming the full-time long snapper in Chicago. He’s played in 86 of the team’s last 87 regular season games.
How much will the loss of Pat O'Donnell impact Chicago?
The loss of Pat O’Donnell in free agency looked scary at first. With how successful Trenton Gill was in college, some of that stress goes away. Outside of punting, the real test will be the chemistry he can build with Cairo Santos. Santos has been on fire these last two seasons, with him and O’Donnell being a great duo. That same chemistry and trust needs to be built with Gill. The good news is that these two have the entire offseason to become familiar with each other.
Jonathan Taylor was ranked above all by Touchdown Wire.
In this week's 3-2-1 column, we are discussing all things Pitt football as the season is approaching quickly.
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2022-07-22T14:18:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bears 2022 training camp preview: Special teams
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2022-training-camp-preview-124521945.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2022-training-camp-preview-124521945.html?src=rss
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The Indianapolis Colts are set to report to the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield for the start of training camp in less than a week. Among the many positions to watch, the safety group will have plenty of eyes on them.
It’s been a whirlwind of an offseason when it comes to the safety position. The biggest news came from the surprising announcement of Khari Willis’ retirement at the age of 26. We also saw the return of starting free safety Julian Blackmon during the spring workouts for the first time since tearing his Achilles.
As training camp approaches in less than a week, here’s a preview of the safety position:
The 2020 third-round pick entered his second season with high hopes of making a big impact. Through the first six games, that was coming to fruition. Then, he tore his Achilles during practice and missed the remainder of the campaign.
While there were questions about his timeline, Blackmon returned to practice for the first time this spring. It was a bit surprising considering how far away from surgery he was, but Blackmon has proven to be a quick healer.
The Utah product is likely to have a new running mate (more on him soon), and he will be entering a new defense under Gus Bradley. We’ll see how much work he gets in during training camp, but the hope is that he’s ready to go.
Whether the Colts knew of Willis’ impending retirement or not, they came out looking like geniuses after trading up for Cross during the 2022 NFL draft. Even if they had to send a 2023 third-round pick to the Denver Broncos, that move could pay off big time.
Not even 21 years old yet, Cross has some development ahead. But the elite athletic ability, combined with his versatility and upside, give Cross a chance to be a starter relatively soon during his rookie season. It may take a bit of time, but Cross has the traits and upside to out-produce his draft capital.
Bringing in the veteran McLeod seems like a savvy move on Chris Ballard’s part. Though he’s likely to work more at strong safety until Cross is ready to take over, McLeod has the positional versatility to line up all over the secondary.
The veteran safety should bring plenty of experience to this young room while helping both Cross and Blackmon develop their games further. On top of that, McLeod himself can bring plenty of value and production on the back end of the defense.
It will be interesting to see how the Colts use Watts. Considering they have only five safeties total on the roster, Watts may be entering a bigger role than we expect. When he signed with the Colts in free agency, the assumption was that Watts would be filling the vacant role left by George Odum.
That role consisted solely of leading the special teams unit despite having the ability to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. With only three other safeties—one of which coming off an injury—the Colts may need to add another body to the room if Watts is only going to work on special teams.
Trevor Denbow
Denbow joined the Colts this offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent out of SMU following the 2022 NFL draft. A linebacker/safety hybrid, Denbow is likely to work mostly at the latter position. He has solid athleticism but would probably profile more as a box safety than he would as a rangy free safety. During his 43-game career at SMU, Denbow registered 183 total tackles (122 solo), 13.5, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and eight passes defended.
It’s going to be difficult for Denbow to make the roster even with only four others ahead of him. The Colts need depth at other positions to the point where it wouldn’t make sense to keep five safeties on the roster unless that fifth safety is going to hold a rotational role on the defensive side of the ball. That role isn’t likely to be in the cards for Denbow during his rookie season.
Over the next two weeks, Indy Star is ranking the 10 Colts players most essential to 2022 success. Finishing out the list at No. 1 is Matt Ryan.
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2022-07-22T14:18:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Safety
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-130607403.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-130607403.html?src=rss
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Devin McCourty's great Gronk story perfectly sums up ex-Patriots TE originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
But Gronk also liked to have fun and didn't let football stop him from living life to the fullest.
In a recent conversation with NBC Sports Boston's "The Camera Guys," Patriots safety Devin McCourty recalled a moment during the 2015 preseason that encapsulated Gronk's amazing talent -- and his goofiness.
"We go to Greenbrier, West Virginia to practice against the Saints," McCourty said. "... Gronk gets off the bus, and we're just talking about football, training camp. And he goes, 'Bro -- since I kind of calmed down, I'm not partying as much, not doing as much (off the field) ... Yo, the game seems so much easier. I understand the playbook.' Like his eyes and everything -- he was dead serious.
"And we were sitting there like, 'Hold on, you got drafted in 2010. So, you're telling me, these first four or five years of your career, there's another level that you haven't unlocked yet? Like, you've just been out here winging it to a certain extent?'"
What's remarkable about McCourty's story is that Gronkowski played some of his best football during that five-year span. He earned three Pro Bowl nods in his first five seasons, was a First-Team All-Pro twice (2011 and 2014), won NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2014) and set career highs in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,327) and touchdowns (17) during the 2011 season.
And that was before Gronk had the revelation that the game was easier when he wasn't out partying every night.
Gronkowski's epiphany paid dividends in 2015, when he amassed 1,176 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns to earn First-Team All-Pro honors for the third time.
While injuries and the Patriots' demanding system eventually led Gronkowski to retire for the first time after the 2018 season, McCourty noted that the fun-loving tight end always seemed to have a youthful exuberance.
"He had that joy and love of the game that we all had at five years old, and it never left him," McCourty said.
McCourty also shared his thoughts on Mac Jones' upside, whether he thinks Gronk would stay retired if Tom Brady came calling and much more. Watch the full interview below.
Add someone else to the list of people who don’t necessarily believe Rob Gronkowski is truly done playing football. Though Gronkowski announced his second retirement in June, several people — including his own girlfriend — have publicly said that they think he’ll play again. Defensive back Logan Ryan played with Gronkowski from 2013-2016 on the [more]
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2022-07-22T14:18:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Devin McCourty shares great Rob Gronkowski story from Patriots' 2015 training camp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/devin-mccourty-shares-great-rob-130023570.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/devin-mccourty-shares-great-rob-130023570.html?src=rss
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Former Wolverine defensive lineman Carlo Kemp has reached an agreement to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers according to his agent Mike McCartney.
Kemp went undrafted in the 2021 NFL draft, but he did sign with the Green Bay Packers as a UDFA. He was then cut by the Packers before signing with the Denver Broncos practice squad.
The former Wolverine has never seen NFL game action, so he decided to go play in the USFL this past spring where he played for the Pittsburgh Maulers. Kemp had 51 tackles and five sacks during his 10 games played in the USFL.
During his four years in Ann Arbor, Kemp compiled 83 tackles and five sacks.
Kemp will look to make the Chargers’ 53-man roster this fall and will be competing once camp opens up next week for Los Angeles.
He is now the second former Wolverine to sign with an NFL team after playing in the USFL. Channing Stribling signed with the Washington Commanders.
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2022-07-22T14:18:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Former Michigan football player signs an NFL deal
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-michigan-football-player-signs-135737392.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/former-michigan-football-player-signs-135737392.html?src=rss
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We have reached the final list of positional rankings for the summer.
And perhaps the toughest list to put together.
If I told you that I actually lost sleep putting this list together, would you believe me? Long-time followers of the work probably would. I consulted with others in the media space, watched and rewatched all the quarterbacks from last season, and even consulted with my two cats about the list.
Sunny and Rosie offered absolutely no help.
However, my editors are telling me it is time to push the big blue publish button. So without further ado, here are the NFL’s top 12 quarterbacks.
You will note that Deshaun Watson is not on this list. Watson is coming off a year where he did not play a snap, and we anticipate a suspension will be handed down shortly from retired judge Sue L. Robinson. If Watson plays this season, perhaps he fill find himself on next year’s version of this list.
If you have missed any of our player lists, leading up to our lists of the 101 best players in the NFL today (coming soon!), you can see them all here:
We kick things off with one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL. There seems to be no middle ground with Derek Carr. Either he is one of the game’s elite, or the Las Vegas Raiders would be wise to move on from him sooner rather than later.
As you can see from this ranking, I find myself more aligned with the first camp. 2021 saw Carr and the Raiders manage to secure a playoff berth, despite dealing with a host of off-field issues including the departure of head coach Jon Gruden mid-season. During their run to the postseason, Carr completed 68.4% of his passes for 4,804 yards (a career-high) and 23 touchdowns, along with 14 interceptions.
Cutting that number down is likely to be a focus in the upcoming season.
Where Carr stands out is at the catch point, specifically, with his ball placement. As charted by Pro Football Focus, on throws in the intermediate range of the field (10-19 yards) Carr posted an Adjusted Completion Percentage of 68.8%, fourth-best in the league. On throws in the short area of the field (0-9 yards) Carr’s ACP of 87.5% was second-best in the league.
Those 405 attempts accounted for 65% of his throws last season.
That accuracy enabled completions like this one to Darren Waller in the playoffs, as he splits the safeties while targeting the “Monument Defender:”
The season ahead is full of promise for Carr. He is reunited with Davante Adams, his old Fresno State teammate, and will be playing under Josh McDaniels. Back in 2019, I wrote that a McDaniels system might be ideal for Carr, to unlock his full potential as a quarterback.
We’ll see if that comes true this fall.
As we crack the top ten, we encounter yet another polarizing quarterback. Even within Dallas Cowboys circles, Dak Prescott remains a lightning rod. Some fans wonder if the Cowboys will ever win a Super Bowl with Prescott at the helm, while others maintain he is their best chance at hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.
Count me in the latter camp.
This is not to say that 2021 was a flawless season for Prescott. Coming back from a gruesome leg injury, Prescott started 16 games for Dallas, completing 68.8% of his passes for 4,449 yards and a career-best 37 touchdowns.
However, there was a stretch of games mid-season where Prescott was dealing with calf injury, and during that time you could see Prescott struggle to get velocity on throws. That stretch caused him to not only miss a game, but lose three of the next four contests when he returned.
Two areas where Prescott has improved during his NFL career are with manipulation, and anticipation. To the first point, take this play against the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild-Card round. Dallas dials up “585,” a design that has a comeback route along each sideline, along with a post route in the middle of the field.
The 49ers roll with Cover-3 on this play, dropping one safety down as a robber. Typically, against single-high coverage the quarterback will throw one of the comeback routes. Here, however, Prescott targets the post route:
The NFC East has not seen a repeat division winner since 2004, when the Philadelphia Eagles won their fourth-straight division title. If the Cowboys are going to buck this trend and defend their title, they’ll need Prescott at his best in 2022.
During the summer “list season,” placement of Lamar Jackson — or the lack of placement in some cases — on lists such as this one has fueled many pieces of content.
From where I sit, I think two things are true about Jackson’s 2021 campaign. First, during the first two months of the season, he was playing at a near-MVP level.
Second, the rest of the way was a struggle as he, and the Baltimore Ravens, dealt with mounting injuries.
Now perhaps that second half of the season is what has led some to leave Jackson off similar lists, wonder if regression has set in, and question whether the Ravens would be wise to give him a long-term contract extension.
But in my view, that ignores what we saw from Jackson at the start of the year, which was a complete NFL quarterback who was punishing defenses in a variety of ways. Whether with his arm from the pocket:
Or his legs, when the Ravens dialed up one of their many designs that incorporate his athleticism into their run game schemes:
With the questions looming, 2022 could be a pivotal year for Jackson. But questions are nothing new for the young passer, as he has dealt with them since his draft evaluation process. Given how he responded to those, I would bet on a big year ahead from Jackson.
We are now entering what was the toughest stretch of this list.
In putting this together, I felt pretty comfortable about the four players we just discussed, and their placement on this list. I also felt pretty comfortable about the four names at the top, and their order.
But it is this next four-QB stretch that gives me the least amount of confidence. With any list, you can make a case for almost any order. But with these next four players, that is certainly the case.
We start with Russell Wilson, who has a new home in the AFC having joined the Denver Broncos this off-season via a trade that has the potential to reshape the AFC West. Despite a hand injury that sidelined him for a few weeks, Wilson still put up solid numbers for the Seattle Seahawks a season ago, despite enduring his first losing season in the NFL. Last season, he completed 64.8% of his passes for 3,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, with just six interceptions.
Wilson remains one of the more effective deep-ball passers in the NFL. While his ACP last season on throws over 20 yards was 40.0% — ranking him 24th among qualified passers — he completed 29 of 75 such attempts for 1,090 yards (third-most in the league) and nine touchdowns, along with just a pair of interceptions.
That deep-ball prowess was in display on throws like this one against the Chicago Bears, where he moved the free safety with his eyes and a subtle pump fake before targeting D.K. Metcalf along the right sideline:
Wilson is still one of the game’s best, and his presence in Denver has Broncos fans thinking about the Super Bowl. Others can, and will, argue he should be placed higher on this list, and I more than understand.
Again, this stretch of four is the toughest to stack in my mind.
Long-time followers of my work — likely just my mom and dad, but still — know that I place an emphasis on competitive toughness at the quarterback position. It matters. The ability to fight through adversity, and get the other ten men in the huddle to believe in you, matters a great deal.
The flip side to that? That moment where you step into the huddle and ten sets of eyes refuse to make eye contact with you, because they don’t believe in you? That is a lonely place, my friends.
But enough about me…
Or course, football is a team game and the Bengals defense, as well as those around him, played a big role too. But plays like this one against the Titans certainly stand out, as he beats the Cover-2 rotation with timing and anticipation:
While Burrow might not have the NFL’s best arm, his accuracy is a strength. When you can put throws like this one against the Las Vegas Raiders into the proverbial shoebox, you’re doing something right:
While the Bengals’ season ended with a loss in the Super Bowl, their fans have to be excited about their future, thanks to the presence of young talent like Burrow.
For years, many NFL analysts argued that Matthew Stafford was one of the league’s top quarterbacks, and were it not for the situation in Detroit, he would be universally viewed as such.
For those analysts, 2021 must have delivered a bit of vindication.
In the wake of a blockbuster trade that sent Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, the quarterback delivered in a big way during his first season out west, helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. For his part, Stafford completed 67.2% of his passes — tying his previous career-high mark set in 2015 — for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns.
His presence in Los Angeles helped unlock portions of Sean McVay’s playbook which had previously been closed. Whether it meant attacking downfield out of empty formations, and using his eyes to move defenders in the process:
Or hitting the backside dig route, which was one of the key elements to the Rams’ offense:
Just filthy.
Almost every offseason, members of NFL media talk themselves into the Los Angeles Chargers are a potential Super Bowl team.
With Justin Herbert on the roster, that process is even easier these days.
In just a few short seasons, Herbert has established himself as one of the league’s premier talents at the position. After earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020, Herbert followed that up with a sophomore campaign that saw him complete 65.9% of his passes for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He did this while leading the Chargers on five game-winning drives over the course of the season.
What puts Herbert high on this list? His arm. Herbert’s ability to truly stress a defense from sideline-to-sideline, and from the line of scrimmage deep downfield, makes him so dangerous to defend. This lets the Chargers expand the playbook with designs like this one:
Then there were moments like these, which saw him creating outside of the pocket. Whether it was getting over the top of the New York Giants:
Herbert’s arm talent is special.
Whether that translates into these preseason predictions coming true remains to be seen.
He turns 45 in a few weeks.
Please read that again, as I need a moment to ice my 45-year-old shoulder a bit. Typing for long periods of time causes some discomfort…
Even as 45 beckons, Tom Brady continues to play at an absurdly high level. When Brady announced that he was going to step away from the game this spring, it came as a surprise given just how well he played in 2021. Despite playing at the age of 44, Brady put some of his best work on the field last year, completing 67.5% of his passes for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. His Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt of 7.41 was fifth-best in the NFL, and when we last saw him, it looked like he was going to deliver one of his more impressive comebacks, as he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back against the Los Angeles Rams.
Only a big throw from Matthew Stafford ended what would have been one heck of a story.
Still, even in defeat Brady managed to deliver some vintage moments. Take this completion to Scotty Miller, which finds Brady climbing the pocket and delivering a precision throw with perfect anticipation:
Beyond that game, Brady’s season was filled with masterful moments. Whether it was this game-winner against the New York Jets:
Again, he is about to turn 45. How is this possible?
While you ponder that, I’m off to ice the other shoulder…
Just a simple flick of the wrist.
Every so often, someone writes a piece inspired by Frankenstein, assembling the best quarterback imaginable by taking pieces from some of the game’s best players.
Every time I see one of those pieces, I wonder if the right wrist of Aaron Rodgers is a selection. After all, sometimes the Green Bay Packers quarterback simply flicks his wrist, and fifty yards later the ball has reached its destination.
It amazes me every time.
After winning MVP honors back in 2020, pushing back on the argument that regression had set in, Rodgers earned his fourth NFL MVP award after the 2021 campaign. Last season, he completed 68.9% of his throws for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns, against just four interceptions. He led the league in Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt, posting a mark of 8.00. He also led the NFL with a QBR of 69.1, and for those believers in NFL Passer Rating, his mark of 111.9 led the NFL as well.
While putting up those numbers, sometimes that flick of the wrist was all he needed:
Throws towards the boundary are nice and all, but what about attacking the middle of the field?
Consider that box checked as well:
2022 could look a little different for Rodgers, as Davante Adams is now in Las Vegas with the Raiders. However, as we have seen from the past two seasons in Matt LaFleur’s offense, Rodgers is still among the NFL’s best.
And he still has that right wrist.
The other night I was at Camden Yards with my son, his best buddy and his best buddy’s dad. We were taking in a Baltimore Orioles game and got to see Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani up close.
Somehow the two boys started talking about how cool it would be to know the outcome of sporting events ahead of time, which sent us down the past of a discussion regarding Back to the Future II. It then got me thinking about what I would do armed with the knowledge at our current disposal and the ability to go back in time.
One stop would certainly be the 2018 draft, as like many, there are some rankings that we might want to revisit…
Josh Allen has come a long way since that cycle, growing from a talented but raw prospect into one of the top quarterbacks in the league. We knew about the arm talent, but his improved accuracy — to all levels of the field — has been a key part of his growth in the NFL.
Take this throw from a blustery night that he puts on the money:
Over his NFL career, Allen has also grown the mental side of his game. If you were to go back in time and tell me that he has become an anticipatory thrower, I would have told you that you were crazy.
But here he is, drilling in a dig route on-time and in-rhythm:
It is also important to remember that Allen was also a huge part of Buffalo’s running game. He was second on the team with 122 attempts for 763 yards and six rushing touchdowns, coming in behind Devin Singletary in all three categories.
In almost any other era, that would make him the best quarterback in the game.
However… this is not any other era.
Still, the fact that he is in the conversation must be sweet, sweet solace for Bills fans, after what the 2018 draft season was like for them.
In some ways, Patrick Mahomes has become a victim of his own success.
After all, in a year where he completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,839 yards and 37 touchdowns, and guided the Kansas City Chiefs to a 12-5 record, a division title and the AFC Championship game, Mahomes and the Chiefs faced questions about regression, and whether the NFL had figured him and the Kansas City offense out.
But as I wrote at the time, the Chiefs — and Mahomes — were equipped to figure things out. Which they did, with Mahomes delivering on throws like this one along the way:
Of course, a discussion regarding Mahomes would not be complete without one no-look attempt, so let’s check that box with this throw against the New York Giants:
With Mahomes on the list, astute observers will not that all four AFC West quarterbacks are ranked. Those games are going to be must-watch next season.
Returning to Mahomes and the Chiefs, questions might linger after Kansas City’s loss in the AFC Championship game, which saw them blow a lead and struggle when the Bengals relied on drop-eight coverages in the second half. How Mahomes adjusts to those coverages in 2022, as well as how he adjusts to life without Tyreek Hill, will determine whether he stays atop Quarterback Mountain this season.
If we were to expand the list by two names, the “next two in” would be veterans Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins. Some are expecting a big season from Ryan in 2022, thanks to his fit with Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts. Cousins is perhaps dependent on the system in Minnesota with the Vikings, which relies on play-action designs to create opportunities downfield, but he has put up some elite numbers the past few seasons. In each of the last three years, he has posted an Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt over 7.4, which does stand out.
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2022-07-22T14:19:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The NFL’s top 12 quarterbacks
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Remember when Breanna Stewart put up the best April of any basketball player, Stephen Curry’s historic 3-point barrage included? It was because of the European basketball structure that Stewart, Brittney Griner, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Emma Meesseman of UMMC Ekaterinburg won the EuroLeague championship and 10 days later the domestic Russian Premier League championship. Stewart earned Finals MVP in each, adding to her 2020 WNBA title and Finals MVP.
It feels like ages ago. UMMC Ekaterinburg has since been kicked out of EuroLeague play following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Griner remains detained in Russia after customs officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing less than a gram of hashish oil in her luggage. And Meesseman signed in free agency to play for the Chicago Sky alongside Vandersloot and Quigley.
The Sky players have a similar chance at collecting hardware, though not as condensed as in Europe. When the Commissioner’s Cup details were announced ahead of last season, players equated it to overseas. And the way the contest is designed, it’s a potential preview of the WNBA Finals with the league’s best two teams taking the court in Chicago on Tuesday night. The Sky (20-6) already clinched the first 2022 playoff berth on Wednesday, and the Las Vegas Aces (19-8) trail by 1.5 games.
In the span of 11 months, the Sky could win two WNBA championships and a Commissioner's Cup title. That’s nice hardware and, crucially in the financials of the W, a nice payout. Champions earn $11,356 each and Cup winners take at least $30,000. That $30K is half the minimum for players with up to two years of experience. All included, it's $52,712 and that's no small change.
It’s a shrinking window for the Sky, the second-oldest team in the league at 30.1 years, to take advantage. They trail only the Phoenix Mercury (30.4) and the league average is 27.7. In contrast, the Aces are in the middle at 26.9 and have their core locked up in contracts. Four of Chicago’s five starters, plus a key bench player, are unrestricted free agents in 2023. And they could opt for retirement rather than a contract.
Chicago Sky's Candace Parker, Emma Meesseman, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley talk during a timeout against the Atlanta Dream on July 12, 2022, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Chicago features two of the oldest (sorry Candace; most seasoned?) players in the league behind Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. Retirement is on the table for the 36-year-old Candace Parker, though she hasn’t committed to any details. Quigley, 36, has been in the retirement conversation. Vandersloot is 33.
Head coach and general manager James Wade did incredible work in free agency building out a well-rounded group after the title. No one is at the supermax and they signed Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, Vandersloot and Quigley at less than they could have drawn elsewhere.
Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP with the Washington Mystics, signed in Chicago after national team duties kept her away from the W in 2021. He traded for backup point guard Julie Allemand, who also stayed with Meesseman and their Belgian team last year. And he brought on overseas veteran Rebekah Gardner as a WNBA “rookie.”
Pick your category and this group is probably top-five in it. They lead in both offensive and defensive effective field-goal percentage. They rank second in offensive rating (104) and fourth in defensive rating (94.2), for a league-best net rating of 8.4. The only other team top-five in each is the Connecticut Sun (third at 102/94.2).
The Sky shocked their way to the title last year as No. 6 seed with Parker mincing no words in saying they “sucked” in the front end of the regular season. They know maybe better than anyone it’s a team game. It shows out in the individual stat database as their highest scorer (Copper at 14.7 ppg) ranks 20th in the league. Parker is 25th (13.4) and Meesseman 32nd (12.7). Six players average double digits and a seventh is 1.2 points away.
It’s the assists that Wade said the Sky, who lead the league at 24 apg, are always focused on. Vandersloot, the standard league-leader, is second at 6.2 and Parker is 11th (4.7). Their ability to find the better shot is their best asset.
“A win for one is a win for all with us,” Wade said on the Chicago State of Mind podcast out this week. “That’s how it is. Just like a 20-point game [by one player] is a 20-point game for all. And that’s how we looked at it. I’m telling you, those players deserve a lot of credit because they don’t have to be that way. But they are, because they all want to win so bad and they know that if you’re like that, that helps it.”
Parker lit up Wintrust Arena out of the All-Star break with 31 points leading a packed stat line to beat the Atlanta Dream. In accepting the custom-made WWE belt they were gifted for the 2021 championship, Parker showcased what could lead them to another trophy on Tuesday and maybe even a third in September.
“Our goal is not to lose back-to-back, right? And y’all took the L on Sunday,” Parker said, referencing Team Stewart and the Sky’s coaching staff at All-Star. “So I was like, man we gotta win. We can’t let James and Emma and Kah lose two in a row.”
Commissioner’s Cup breakdown
When: Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
What's at stake: A title, but mostly money. The total prize pool is $500,000. The winning players receive at least $30,000 each, which is half the minimum year-long salary for a player with less than two years of experience. The runner-up player receive at least $10,000 each.
Charity of choice: The WNBA, WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) and teams selected organizations in each market that are tied to voting rights, registrations and advocacy. Those organizations received $2,000 if their team won a Commissioner's Cup game and $500 in loses. For the Cup championship, the organization of the winning team will receive $10,000 and that of the losing team will receive $5,000.
The Sky are playing for "My Block. My Hood. My City." The Aces are playing for the ACLU of Nevada.
Previous Cup winners: The Storm won the first-ever rose gold Commissioner's Cup trophy with a 79-57 win over the Connecticut Sun. The game was the first WNBA game after the five-week Olympic break.
The Atlanta Dream are in a good spot to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018, when Renee Montgomery was on the court instead of the front office. That 92-76 win over the Aces early in the week was their most impressive victory to date.
Tiffany Hayes scored 31, Rhyne Howard added 24 and Aari McDonald had 11 off the bench. They shot 51% as a team and took advantage of a 36.6% clip by the Aces, not to mention a 40-29 edge on the boards.
#DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/tqPqMYWfvn
The Dream's other win against a top-five squad was a 90-76 win against the Storm the week of the All-Star break. But it comes down to beating the teams you're supposed to beat to get into the playoffs and outside of one loss to the Liberty, they've done that.
The Dream have two left against the league's top-half of teams in the Storm (Sunday) and the Aces (Aug. 9). Atlanta concludes the season with two against the Liberty. They also have two left against the Lynx, a much different team than the one they defeated by four on June 1.
The Dream are currently at No. 7 in the standings, tied with the Wings, with the Sparks a half-game ahead, for the final two playoff spots. The Mercury trail Atlanta and Dallas by one game.
Locked-in Aces — Las Vegas signed Kelsey Plum to a two-year extension one week after she won All-Star MVP.
Basketball for breakfast — Why are so many WNBA games so early? The noise is a hint.
The next generation — A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are leading the way as their mentors retire. It's their league now.
Broadcasters and ballers — Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes sat down with Candace Parker and Chiney Ogwumike.
Napheesa Collier and her newborn, Mila, as well as Dearica Hamby and her daughter, Amaya, are featured in WSlam.
Travel woes and league silence — Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, with her team ensnared in a classic W travel nightmare, took issue with the "lack of support that we felt in terms of unresponsive messages to the league.”
WNBA TV schedule
Games on NBA TV are available on League Pass. All times ET. There are no games Monday through Wednesday for Commissioner's Cup scheduling. Here are the current WNBA standings. Game results can be found here.
Friday: Sun at Lynx (8 p.m., NBA TV), Wings at Sky (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network), Storm at Mercury (10 p.m., NBA TV)
Saturday: Sky at Liberty (7 p.m., NBA TV), Sparks at Aces (10 p.m., NBA TV)
Sunday: Wings at Fever (3 p.m., NBA TV), Dream at Storm (6 p.m., NBA TV), Sun at Lynx (7 p.m., Amazon Prime)
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2022-07-22T14:35:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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If Commissioner's Cup is a WNBA Finals preview, how long is the Sky's title window?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/if-commissioners-cup-is-a-wnba-finals-preview-how-long-is-the-skys-title-window-130044751.html?src=rss
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What Are Lipstick Nails? Here’s What You Need To Know
Instagram is a never-ending vending machine when it comes to searching for the newest nail trends....
Taliban responsible for extrajudicial killings: UN
STORY: “UNAMA's report highlights concerns with regard to ongoing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment, denial of women and girl’s rights to participate in many aspects of daily and public life, restrictions on the media and civic space, and the situation on the place of detention,” said Markus Potzel, the Acting head of UNAMA said in a news conference.UNAMA recorded 2,106 civilian casualties - 700 killed, 1,406 wounded - since the Taliban takeover. A majority were attributed to a local affiliate of the Islamic State militant group.Fiona Frazer, the UNAMA Human Rights Chief added that it is particularly concerned about the involvement of two bodies in human rights violations - the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice as well as the General Directorate of Intelligence.Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi said the authorities would respond to the accusations soon.Taliban officials have in the past said retribution attacks were not happening with their leadership's consent and that they had barred fighters from such actions. They also said they had began a process of purging their ranks of elements that did not fully follow instructions.
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2022-07-22T14:35:46Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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All In Orange - Will the Commissioner’s Cup be a WNBA Finals Preview?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/orange-commissioner-cup-wnba-finals-130000405.html?src=rss
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Hideki Matsuyama struggled on Thursday.
On the par-5 18th, his ninth hole of the day, Matsuyama carded a nine after dumping three balls in the water.
After the round, he withdrew from the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities due to wrist soreness.
Matsuyama has been plagued with injuries in 2022. He withdrew from the Valero Texas Open after one round due to a neck injury. Before that, he withdrew from the Players Championship due to a back injury.
Now, add a wrist injury to the list.
With the FedEx Cup playoffs on the horizon, don’t be surprised if the 2021 Masters champion, who ranks eighth in the FedEx Cup standings, sits out until the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first of three playoff events.
Hideki Matsuyama (sore wrist) is a WD after round one of the 3M Open.
So you're telling me it's *not* normal to spend 10–15 minutes choosing a mug?View Entire Post ›
New Duke football coach Mike Elko will be joined by tackle DeWayne Carter, linebacker Shaka Heyward and lineman Jacob Monk at the ACC Kickoff event.
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2022-07-22T14:44:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Hideki Matsuyama withdraws from 3M Open after first-round 77
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John Samuel Shenker has had quite the busy week. On Thursday the veteran tight end represented Auburn at SEC Media Days and on Friday he made the John Mackey Award watch list, which honors the best tight end in college football.
Shenker caught 33 passes for 413 yards last season, setting the program record for both catches and receiving yards by a tight end in a single season.
He is entering his fifth-season with the Tigers and is one of the leaders of the offense. With a lack of proven play makers at the wide receiver position, Auburn is expected to lean on the tight ends heavily in the passing game.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Shenker is the unquestioned leader of that group and is set to have a impressive season.
The John Mackey Award was established in 2000 and Shenker is looking to become the first Auburn player to win the award, here is a look at the full watch list.
Shenker on the offense: ‘I think it’s a little bit easier with Eric Kiesau’
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2022-07-22T15:37:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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John Samuel Shenker named to John Mackey Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/john-samuel-shenker-named-john-150352307.html?src=rss
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Mountain West Football: Two Player Named To John Mackey Award Watch List
Could one of two players from the Mountain West emerge as the country’s top tight end again?
Running it back.
The Mountain West Conference laid claim to a rare major college football award last winter when Colorado State’s Trey McBride took home the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation’s best tight end. Now, a pair of athletes from the conference hope to make it two years in a row.
San Jose State’s Sam Olson and San Diego State’s Mark Redman were named to this year’s Mackey Award preseason watch list this morning. Olson saw time in just two games last year while the Spartans relied mostly on Derrick Deese Jr. at the position, but he’s flashed big-time playmaking potential in his brief stints on the field over the past two seasons with nine catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns between 2020 and 2021. That includes a long touchdown catch in last year’s season opener against Southern Utah, so while it’s likely he’ll share playing time with Dominick Mazotti and others this fall, big things are clearly expected.
That’s also true of Redman, who transferred to the Aztecs after spending two seasons with the Washington Huskies. He was a four-star recruit out of Corona del Mar High School in California, however, and he made 149 catches in high school career before seeing action in 16 games, though he caught just one pass over the last two years. He and Jay Rudolph and Aaron Greene are the likeliest candidates to replace Daniel Bellinger, who was drafted by the New York Giants this spring in the NFL Draft, but the advantage of having good hands could be what separates him from his peers and makes him invaluable to Jeff Hecklinski’s offense.
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2022-07-22T15:37:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mountain West Football: Two Players Named To John Mackey Award Watch List
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The Aztecs center stands alone from the Mountain West in the preseason list of college football’s best at the position.
College football’s watch list season continued this morning thanks in part to the Rimington Trophy Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best center. As with the Biletnikoff Award watch list released earlier this week, only one Mountain West player made the cut.
San Diego State’s Alama Uluave appears here for the first time after anchoring an offensive line that sent two players to the NFL this past spring. He could be next in line for that career path himself, too, after starting all 14 games for the Aztecs at center and grabbing an all-conference honorable mention last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he only allowed six pressures in over 400 dropbacks and earned an overall grade of 73.4 that ranked fourth among Mountain West centers.
Uluave enters 2022 as the seasoned veteran, with a total of 22 career starts, on a unit that could skew younger for a change. He was also named a member of the conference media’s preseason all-conference team yesterday, meaning that he’ll be integral to the team’s division title defense.
Last year’s Rimington Trophy winner was Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum.
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2022-07-22T15:37:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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San Diego State Football: Alama Uluave Named To Rimington Trophy Award Watch List
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https://sports.yahoo.com/san-diego-state-football-alama-133044076.html?src=rss
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The New York Giants’ defense will be under a different direction this season with the arrival of coordinator Wink Martindale, one of the best in the business the past decade.
The unit will be coached by the well-travelled line coach Andre Patterson and former Pro Bowl linebacker-turned-coach Bryan Cox.
The Giants are relying on a mixture of holdovers and newcomers to form a group that hopefully will become the foundation of Martindale’s scheme.
Here is a quick rundown of the defensive line heading into training camp.
Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence
Leonard Williams, the highest paid player on the team with a salary cap hit of $27.3 million, played 75 percent of the defensive snaps last season. The Giants would likely prefer to see him play a few less this season so that he be more effective late in games.
Williams’ sack total dipped to 6.5 last year after an 11.5-sack performance in 2020. He did still have 14 quarterback hits.
Lawrence played 64 percent of the defensive snaps last year and recorded 54 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, five tackles for a loss and 11 quarterback hits.
The two will likely see fewer snaps in the rotation to keep them fresh but should remain the stalwarts up front. David Moa will also return from last year’s team. He played in four games after being signed from the practice squad.
The Giants signed two veteran free agents Justin Ellis and Jalyn Holmes.
Ellis, 31, began his career with the Oakland Raiders as a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana tech in 2014. He started 16 games in three of his five seasons with the Raiders. Ellis played the last three seasons for the Baltimore Ravens, where he was a rotational lineman in Martindale’s defense.
Holmes, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 out of Ohio State. He played three years in Minnesota before getting waived last year and was picked up by the New Orleans Saints.
Ellis will play interior line and will most likely start while Holmes is listed as a defensive end.
The Giants drafted Arizona State’s D.J. Davidson in the fifth round in this year’s NFL draft. They are high on his prospects and he could end up seeing significant playing time.
They also signed Michigan’s Christopher Hinton, Ryder Anderson of Indiana and South Carolina’s Jabari Ellis as UDFAs.
The 38-year-old man was charged with felonious assault with a firearm specification in connection with a July 10 shooting on Steubenville Avenue.
A man brandishing a sharp object who attacked U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin as the Republican candidate for New York governor delivered a speech in western New York has been charged with attempted assault. “I’m OK,” Zeldin said in a statement after the incident Thursday. David Jakubonis, 43, was arraigned and released, a Monroe County sheriff’s spokesperson said.
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2022-07-22T15:49:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 Giants training camp preview: Defensive line
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-giants-training-camp-preview-115507939.html?src=rss
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Former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence, will hold rival campaign events in Arizona on Friday, turning the governor's race into a broader referendum on the Republican Party's future. In the Aug. 2 primary, Trump is backing Kari Lake, a former television anchor who has embraced his lies about the 2020 election along with his combative approach to his political enemies and the media. Trump was scheduled to hold an evening rally in Prescott Valley on behalf of Lake and other candidates he has endorsed.
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2022-07-22T15:49:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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49ers camp battles: Elijah Mitchell no longer alone at running back
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The NFL has no talent shortage, including a budding group of superstars and undervalued players who don’t get the recognition they deserve. But there are also plenty of players who are overvalued.
Our NFL Wire editors identified the most overrated player for each team heading into the 2022 season, explaining why they’re not exactly living up to the hype.
Fuller was brought in by the Ravens on a one-year deal to be cornerback depth, but it’s unclear how impactful he’ll be. He had a rough go during his final year with the Broncos and hasn’t looked like the player he was just a few seasons ago when he was at his best in Chicago with the Bears. Fuller is the No. 3 cornerback in Baltimore’s defense and will be relied upon to play both inside and outside potentially. Hopefully, he’ll be able to do so at a high level and bounce back from his 2021 season. – Kevin Oestreicher, Ravens Wire
Sanders is explosive and has been a productive running back when healthy, missing nine total games over the past two seasons. Sanders averages almost five yards a carry and is a home run hitter when utilized. Still, the Eagles’ offense also doesn’t miss a beat when he’s out of the lineup, and the North-South running style displayed by Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell is more conducive to Philadelphia’s offensive approach. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire
src=”https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/2021/12/Pete-Carroll-121221.jpg” alt=”Pete Carroll” width=”1000″ height=”646″ /> Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Succop appeared to be the long-awaited solution for the Bucs’ kicking woes with a strong 2020 campaign as Tampa Bay marched all the way to the Super Bowl, but there was noticeable regression last season. Succop’s field goal conversion rate dropped from 90 to 83 percent, and he missed four of his 11 attempts from outside of 40 yards. Succop will turn 36 in September, and the younger and cheaper Jose Borregales may beat him out in training camp. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire
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2022-07-22T15:50:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Every NFL team’s most overrated player heading into 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/every-nfl-team-most-overrated-150310797.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/every-nfl-team-most-overrated-150310797.html?src=rss
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Death, taxes and turnover among teams that make the playoffs in the NFL on a year-by-year basis. Those are the only guarantees in life.
Over the last 10 years, we've seen an average of 5.8 teams per year make the playoffs that didn't qualify for the postseason the prior year. Every year during that time, at least four teams made the jump from non-playoff team to playoff team. In years like 2017-18, we've seen that number as high as eight teams. The expanded playoffs implemented two seasons ago haven't changed the calculus either. Both of the last two years have seen seven teams make the playoffs after missing the season prior.
Sure, there are teams that make the playoffs on a consistent basis. New England has made the playoffs in nine of the past 10 seasons. For Green Bay and Kansas City, it's been eight of 10 years. However, for the most part, there's turnover. Since the 2012-13 season, 46.7% of playoff teams missed the season prior. Rosters change, there's plenty of parity in the league, and let's be honest, there's definitely some randomness involved when teams play only 17 games.
Based on history, we can expect at least four, and probably six or seven teams to go from in the playoffs to out of the playoffs and vice versa. Let's take a look at the betting odds at BetMGM to see which teams are most likely to fall out, and which teams are most likely to take their place.
Playoff teams from last year to miss
Which teams that made the playoffs last season are most likely to miss the playoffs this season according to the oddsmakers?
Pittsburgh Steelers (+300 to make playoffs, 25% chance): The Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh is over. The team has been turned over to the combination of Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. We know all about Mike Tomlin's track record and the fact he's never had a losing season, but the betting odds are telling you it might be a down year in the Steel City.
Las Vegas Raiders (+180 to make playoffs, 35.7% chance): The Raiders made the playoffs last season, hired one of the brightest offensive minds in the game in Josh McDaniels as their head coach and traded for arguably the best wide receiver in football in Davante Adams. Despite all of that, they're sizable favorites to miss the playoffs this season. The AFC is loaded, and in particular, the AFC West will be a gauntlet.
New England Patriots (+135 to make playoffs, 42.6% chance): While everyone in the AFC loaded up and stockpiled weapons, the Patriots had a quiet offseason. Is Davante Parker enough for Mac Jones to continue to develop? And just how high is Jones' ceiling? If we've learned anything, it's be careful when betting against Bill Belichick.
Arizona Cardinals (-105 to make playoffs, 51.2% chance): Well, at least the quarterback drama is over with. However, DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for six games and we saw this team struggle down the stretch last season without him. That embarrassing playoff performance against the Rams has people weary of the Cardinals this season.
Tennessee Titans (-115 to make playoffs, 53.5% chance): Speaking of bad playoff performances changing the perception of teams, the Tennessee Titans round out the top five here. Tennessee was the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year, but fell flat on their face against the Bengals in the divisional round. Derrick Henry is another year older, A.J. Brown is gone and Ryan Tannehill is hard to trust.
The rest of the teams: Cincinnati (-140, 58.3% chance), Philadelphia (-160, 61.5% chance), Kansas City (-200, 66.7% chance), San Francisco (-225, 69.2% chance), LA Rams (-250, 71.4% chance), Dallas (-300, 75% chance), Green Bay (-450, 81.8% chance), Buffalo (-550, 84.6% chance), Tampa Bay (-600, 85.7% chance)
Out of all NFL playoff teams from last season, the Steelers have the worst odds to make it back this year. (Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Non-playoff teams to make the jump
If teams are going to fall out of the playoffs, there's going to be teams that take their place. Which teams are most likely to make the jump, according to the betting odds?
NOTE: There are no odds available for the Cleveland Browns due to the uncertainty with Deshaun Watson. If he isn't suspended or gets a light suspension, Cleveland is probably near the top of this list. If he's suspended for a lengthy amount of time, the Browns have little chance. With that much variance, oddsmakers have kept Cleveland off the board for most of the offseason.
Indianapolis Colts (-190 to make playoffs, 65.5% chance): The Titans are on the previous list, and someone has to win the AFC South and therefore automatically qualify for the playoffs. After adding Matt Ryan, the Colts are now favored to win the division. Even if Tennessee holds on to the division crown, the Colts should be in the mix for a wild card spot.
Baltimore Ravens (-165 to make playoffs, 62.3% chance): The Ravens made the playoffs the three prior seasons before last year, and they were 8-3 last year before injuries to Lamar Jackson and others derailed their season down the stretch. The Ravens should be healthier and they are the betting favorites to win the AFC North.
Los Angeles Chargers (-150 to make playoffs, 60% chance): The Chargers let a chance to make the playoffs last season slip away on the final snap of the NFL regular season. Justin Herbert is elite and another year older. With additions like Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson, the defense is much improved. It should be a good year for the Chargers, but let's remember, it's the Chargers.
Denver Broncos (-140 to make playoffs, 58.3% chance): Denver acquired Russell Wilson in the offseason to greatly improve their roster and outlook for the upcoming season. The issue is that the AFC is loaded, and the AFC West in particular stands out. There will be a lot of competition in that division and wild-card race. Does Denver get it done?
Minnesota Vikings (-105 to make playoffs, 51.2% chance): Kevin O'Connell is another branch off the Sean McVay coaching tree, and there's hope that he better utilizes Minnesota's weapons than Mike Zimmer and company did. Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook is one of the better group of weapons in the NFL.
Honorable mentions: Miami (+135, 42.6% chance), New Orleans (+135, 42.6% chance), Washington (+150, 40% chance)
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2022-07-22T15:51:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL betting: Which playoff teams from last year will miss this year?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-which-playoff-teams-from-last-year-will-miss-this-year-152351419.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-which-playoff-teams-from-last-year-will-miss-this-year-152351419.html?src=rss
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