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The Kansas City Chiefs are getting some reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball on Tuesday.
Chiefs CB Rashad Fenton has been recovering from shoulder surgery that took place in the spring. He missed the entirety of the offseason workout program. He was placed on the active/PUP list at the onset of training camp and missed the first 11 practices, but he won’t be missing another day of practice.
Fenton tweeted out about an hour ahead of practice that it was his first day out there with the guys.
He was spotted by reporters in attendance with his pads and his helmet, suggesting he’s been activated from the active/PUP list and will be practicing on Tuesday.
We can expect the team to be cautious and ramp up Fenton’s workload as they have the players who are coming in after not having practiced this offseason (Orlando Brown Jr., Carlos Dunlap). It’s possible that they even hold him out of the upcoming preseason game as he continues to acclimate.
A former sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Fenton was one of the team’s top cornerbacks last season despite playing fewer than 50% of the team’s defensive snaps. He graded out in the top-5 at Pro Football Focus among cornerbacks with at least 500 snaps, boasting an 82.0 overall grade. Fenton appeared in 14 games and started eight for Kansas City, finishing the season with 49 total tackles, seven passes defended and a forced fumble.
Fenton is primed for a bigger role this season, but he’s a bit behind in terms of the competition. We’ll see exactly how he fits as soon as the team gets him back up to speed.
Taylor Swift pushed back against a claim alleging that she stole lyrics for her 2014 hit "Shake It Off" from the 2000 song "Playas Gon' Play," by the group 3LW. | 2022-08-09T16:07:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs activate CB Rashad Fenton from active/PUP list | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-activate-cb-rashad-fenton-145551070.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-activate-cb-rashad-fenton-145551070.html?src=rss |
Former New England Patriots offensive line guru Dante Scarnecchia doesn’t plan on throwing on the Superman cape and flying to the training camp practice fields to help his former team.
But he also didn’t rule it out, either.
When speaking with the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian, Scarnecchia was informed that several reporters had pitched the idea of him returning to the team as a consultant to maybe offer a different perspective on things.
Per Guregian, the former coach “deferred” with the notion that it’s too soon to start casting judgement on the team for their early struggles along the offensive front.
“I would say this, in fairness to everyone, I just think this is the wrong time to evaluate it,” said Scarnecchia. “The pads have come on, but they’re not playing real football yet, Whenever they play the Giants, we’ll have a better idea where this thing is. Even at that point, it’s not totally fair to say they can’t (do it).
Would Scar return to the coaching staff, if asked? I wouldn't rule it out.
But he's still not worried. Regarding today's dreadful practice, he just texted: "Hopefully the next 3 weeks will provide more clarity." https://t.co/x31peUFA2C
— Karen Guregian (@kguregian) August 8, 2022
Scarnecchia makes a great point about allowing the process to play out. The Patriots haven’t even faced an opponent in an actual game or joint practice yet.
It’s probably too soon for all of the doom and gloom talk.
But if the sky really is falling in Foxborough and Scarnecchia is willing to throw on the red cape one more time, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Patriots would say no.
The Emmy-winning actress remains in a coma after colliding with a residential home in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday.
Olivia Newton-John has died. She was 73. The iconic performer's family confirmed her death via her Instagram account, revealing she died at home in Southern California on Monday. Olivia is known best for her role as Sandy in the classic film 'Grease,' as well as her musical endeavors, including hits like 'Physical' and 'I Honestly Love You.' | 2022-08-09T16:07:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dante Scarnecchia didn’t rule out return to struggling Patriots | https://sports.yahoo.com/dante-scarnecchia-didn-t-rule-144511030.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dante-scarnecchia-didn-t-rule-144511030.html?src=rss |
It's easy to fall in love with the Rams. Watching a team of so many high-profile superstars deliver in the most significant postseason moments made us all believers in destiny. Sean McVay became the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl, while Matthew Stafford justified the blockbuster offseason trade that forever changed his legacy.
It doesn't matter if it's Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey or even Odell Beckham Jr. There was something special about seeing this compilation of great players seize the opportunity to rewrite their story. You couldn't script a better ending to Stafford's career after more than a decade of disappointment in Detroit. However, it's not the end. Like so many other Super Bowl winners of the past, the Los Angeles Rams are back this year trying to recreate their magical season.
One lesson we have all learned from Hollywood is that the sequel is never as good as the original movie. The Rams added some big stars in the offseason in Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson. But they also lost edge rusher Von Miller and two critical contributors to their offensive line. Andrew Whitworth was PFF's highest-graded pass-blocking tackle last season, while Austin Corbett only allowed three sacks throughout the year.
Sean McVay talks with QB Matthew Stafford (left) and Allen Robinson II during drills on Day 2 of the 2022 LA Rams mini-camp on June 8. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Getty Images)
Matthew Stafford's health remains a concern
If the Rams take a step back in pass protection, it will impact the offense in multiple ways. Los Angeles had the second-best explosive pass-play rate at 11% last season, and a big part of that was Stafford's ability to punish teams that blitz him. Per Football Outsiders, they averaged 7.6 yards per play, and Stafford racked up 19 touchdowns to only one interception when facing the blitz. But if opposing defenses can generate pressure with their front four, they will see fewer opportunities for those big plays. And more pressure is going to lead to more hits on the quarterback.
The Rams have to protect Matthew Stafford at all costs. Last season, he battled through multiple injuries, including ankle and back sprains. He admirably powered through the season, but the veteran quarterback's injuries continue to pile up. His most recent elbow issue is concerning and raises the question of whether he will miss time at some point.
Los Angeles Rams Under 10.5 wins (-115)
I was worried about whether Stafford could remain healthy before the elbow issue, so this recent development only heightened my skepticism. However, a few other reasons pushed me towards fading the Rams. The schedule always plays a role when evaluating win totals. Despite having some beneficial nuances, the Rams have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. They catch a break by playing a "road" game in their home stadium, but seeing the Chargers on your schedule in any capacity is a far cry from a benefit. The Rams rank fourth best in terms of odds of winning the Super Bowl at +1100. Every other team ranked in the top seven is on the schedule, with five of the six games on the road. Buffalo on opening night is the only team out of that group they play at home.
vs. Buffalo (+600)
at Tampa Bay (+750)
at Kansas City (+1000)
at Green Bay (+1200)
at LA Chargers (+1400)
at San Francisco (+1600)
Last season, the Rams only played three teams that qualified for the playoffs on the road and lost two of those games. The road schedule is much more challenging this season, especially considering every team is circling them on the calendar. Defensive coordinators spent the offseason trying to devise new ways to stop their offense. That comes with the territory when you're the defending Super Bowl champions.
It's hard to stay on top in the NFL for a sustained period, and the Rams' ability to recognize that made their Super Bowl run special. Unfortunately, it's also why I think they have a hard time coming back with that same hunger that fueled last season's run. The Rams defied all the detractors who scoffed at their all-in approach and spent the offseason doubling down on the same philosophy. I am betting this is the season where it doesn't pay off. Rolling the dice with a lack of depth is one thing, but the consequences can be season-altering when it impacts the offensive line. There are enough warning signs for me to bet the Rams' season goes sideways at some point, and it's best to get in now on the under with the odds shaded in that direction.
Stats provided by PFF, Football Outsiders and Clevanalytics.com | 2022-08-09T16:08:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL betting: Why we're fading the Rams this season | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-why-were-fading-the-rams-this-season-153235789.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-why-were-fading-the-rams-this-season-153235789.html?src=rss |
This has not been a great year for the Chicago Bears so far.
The Bears had an offseason that looked a lot like a rebuild. They got very little help for quarterback Justin Fields, passing on adding any impact free agents while seeing some of their own players sign elsewhere. The draft was light due to the trade up to get Fields last year.
Then on Tuesday, linebacker Roquan Smith — arguably the best player on the roster — requested a trade. He was frustrated with negotiations for a new contract.
With or without Smith, a glance at the Bears' depth chart reveals that there's a chance Chicago is the worst team in the NFL this season. The odds of that happening are pretty enticing for bettors.
Odds on the NFL's worst record this season
BetMGM offers odds on the worst record in the NFL. Here are the favorites in that category nobody wants to be favored in:
Atlanta Falcons +350
Carolina Panthers +1000
Seattle Seahawks +1000
Jacksonville Jaguars +1100
The Bears stand out on that list, given their odds. There have been some good vibes about the Texans in training camp. The Jets have some issues but some fun, young players. The Seahawks have quarterback issues but a long track record of winning. The Jaguars should be better without Urban Meyer.
Those teams are on that list for a reason and the bottom can fall out for any of them. But you can make positive arguments for many of them being a little better than the worst team in the NFL. The Bears don't have many of those positive vibes.
Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears aren't expected to have a great 2022 season. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bears haven't added much talent
The Bears haven't been truly awful in a while, so maybe it's too much to figure they end up with the No. 1 pick in next year's draft. But there's not a lot to be excited about.
Fields has a lot of talent, but he also was inconsistent as a rookie and doesn't have a lot of help. His most talented receiver, Allen Robinson II, is off to the Los Angeles Rams. He wasn't really replaced. The offensive line took a step back from last year, and it wasn't good to begin with. The Bears' offensive line ranks at Sharp Football Analysis, Pro Football Focus and Establish The Run: 32nd, 31st, 31st.
Edge defender Khalil Mack was traded. The biggest deal the Bears did for an outside free agent was defensive tackle Justin Jones at $12 million over two years. That's not the type of signing that moves the needle. The Bears have a new regime that doesn't believe in spending a lot in free agency and that's a fine approach, but it might not help a roster that needs an injection of talent. It didn't help that Chicago was without a first-round pick.
And now there's the Smith trade request. It might be prudent for the Bears to not pay top dollar for an off-the-ball linebacker (and it's not like the Bears have to trade him), but it makes them look bad. It's not like they're paying many other stars.
And that brings us back to the odds. Does it feel like the Bears are the worst team in the NFL? Not yet. But it does seem like there's a better than 11-to-1 chance of it happening. It could end up being a really long winter in Chicago.
Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 11,798 new cases. That's down 16.5% from the previous week's tally of 14,123 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-… | 2022-08-09T16:08:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL odds: Chicago Bears aren't a bad bet to have NFL's worst record | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-chicago-bears-arent-a-bad-bet-to-have-nf-ls-worst-record-143648755.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-chicago-bears-arent-a-bad-bet-to-have-nf-ls-worst-record-143648755.html?src=rss |
NFL odds: Will Patriots go over or under latest win total projection? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots exceeded a lot of people's expectations last season by turning the offense over to a rookie quarterback in Mac Jones, winning 10 games and reaching the NFL playoffs after a disappointing 2020 campaign.
What are the chances we see improvement from the Patriots in 2022?
Well, oddsmakers seem bearish on New England's chances of hitting the 10-win mark again. The latest win totals at PointsBet have the Patriots at over/under 8.5 wins.
Here are the latest odds:
OVER 8.5 wins: -115
UNDER 8.5 wins: -105
For context within the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills are favored to win the division and their win total is over/under 11.5, while the Miami Heat are at over/under 8.5 wins and the New York Jets are at over/under 5.5 wins.
The Patriots do not have an easy schedule. For starters, the AFC East is more competitive than it's ever been. The Bills arguably are the best team in the league. The Dolphins made substantial improvements in the offseason, headlined by the trade for star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Even the Jets' roster looks a lot better on paper compared to last year.
The Patriots also have to play the AFC North, which is one of the most competitive divisions in football with three teams that could reach the playoffs -- Steelers, Ravens and defending AFC champion Bengals. They also have tough matchups versus improved teams such as the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders. A Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field looms as well.
The final third of the season is absolutely brutal for the Patriots, too.
In addition to a tough schedule, the Patriots also have to overcome the offensive issues that have plagued them over the first few weeks of training camp. Whether it's poor pass protection, an ineffective run game or a lackluster passing attack -- it's been a while since New England's offense has looked so poor at this stage of the year.
The Patriots could hit the over on 8.5 wins and get back to the playoffs, but after seeing how so many AFC teams improved in the offseason, securing one of the three wild card spots is going to be pretty challenging.
Red Sox ace Chris Sale to miss rest of season after bicycle crash
Red Sox ace pitcher Chris Sale will miss the remainder of the season after getting hurt in a bicycle crash. | 2022-08-09T16:09:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL odds: Will Patriots go over or under latest win total projection? | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-patriots-over-under-152306750.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-patriots-over-under-152306750.html?src=rss |
Between the early report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport and what actually happened on the field right after it, Monday felt like a very big win for Baker Mayfield in the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback competition. But as far as offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is concerned, this competition is far from over.
Prior to Tuesday’s practice, McAdoo hit the podium for the first time in quite some time. So, naturally, he was peppered with questions about the team’s ever popular battle under center.
He began by making one thing clear—that they’re giving every guy, no matter the position, a fair chance to compete.
“Those guys, they’re out there battlin’. They’re out there competin’,” he said in kicking off his media availability. “Right now, the last thing we wanna do is be instant evaluators, right? So we wanna give everybody an opportunity to go out there and put their best football on tape and then we’ll let it play itself out.”
Mayfield put some of his best football, or at least some of his best throws, on tape yesterday. Save for an underwhelming finish in two-minute drills, the fifth-year passer made a few eye-opening plays—specifically ones to wideout Robbie Anderson and tight end Tommy Tremble.
As for Sam Darnold’s day, the 25-year-old had to shrug off erroneous rumors of a potential trade out of town while fighting for his job. And that, in a nutshell, is exactly what McAdoo and the Panthers probably don’t want.
“First of all, what I talked to the offense about when we first got together was I think it’s important we all have respect—because we have position battles everywhere,” he added. “This is normal. It’s just probably abnormal at the quarterback position, right? But we talked about respect is important, empathy is important. You have to be just.”
We’ll soon see how this competition literally plays out, as the Panthers are set to lock up with the Washington Commanders for their first preseason tilt on Saturday.
Channel 9 to air Panthers’, Commanders’ first game of the season | 2022-08-09T16:09:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers OC Ben McAdoo wants QB competition to ‘play itself out’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-wants-145537220.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-wants-145537220.html?src=rss |
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones throws a pass at the Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones faces reporters following training camp at the NFL football team's practice facility, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in Foxborough, Mass.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is sacked by New England Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon (9) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021 in Foxborough, Mass.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: New England Patriots' offense sparks cause for concern with camp woes | 2022-08-09T16:09:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | At what point will the Patriots' offense improve? For now, it's getting worse. | Opinion | https://sports.yahoo.com/point-patriots-offense-improve-now-155219446.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/point-patriots-offense-improve-now-155219446.html?src=rss |
The Bears and linebacker Roquan Smith have reached an impasse amid contract negotiations. Smith has formally requested a trade from the organization citing “the new front office regime doesn’t value me.”
Smith said they’ve been trying to get a deal done since April, but he feels taken advantage of as “they’ve refused to negotiate in good faith” and the entire process has been “take it or leave it.” The offer sent to Smith is one that he feels would be bad not only for him but the linebacker market as a whole.
Smith has expressed throughout the negotiation process that he wants to play his entire career with the Bears. But with the front office leaving him not feeling valued, he was left with no choice but to request a trade.
This certainly feels like a negotiating tactic on Smith’s part, one done on the morning of Family Fest, no doubt (which was a nice touch by Smith). Perhaps the two sides can still find a way to get an extension done.
While Smith currently doesn’t see “a path back to the organization,” it certainly felt like he left the door open for a return with comments about how “maybe (the McCaskey family) can salvage this.”
But what do you think, Bears fans? Will the front office get a new deal done with Smith? | 2022-08-09T16:09:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | POLL: Will Bears get a deal done with Roquan Smith? | https://sports.yahoo.com/poll-bears-deal-done-roquan-144815143.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/poll-bears-deal-done-roquan-144815143.html?src=rss |
MONTREAL, Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Development Corp. (“Osisko Development” or the “Company”) (ODV TSX.V & NYSE) responds to commentary by third parties in relation to its Tintic project. The third parties attended at the Company's premises and interviewed Company personnel. Following the interview, Osisko Development reviewed and authorized for release an abridged version of the interview. Contrary to the Company's guidance, the third parties proceeded to release an unabridged ve | 2022-08-09T16:09:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Rams will sell NFTs of Super Bowl rings in partnership with Dapper Labs | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-sell-nfts-super-bowl-154727482.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-sell-nfts-super-bowl-154727482.html?src=rss |
Former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith has requested to be traded from the Chicago Bears, the team that drafted him eighth overall in the 2018 NFL draft, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Smith (25) is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and has been in contract negotiations with the front office that have reached an impasse. Smith has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since the start of training camp.
Smith wrote a statement in which he made public his desire to be traded. The statement was posted to social media by Rapoport on Tuesday.
The two sides have been attempting to work on an extension since April, but Smith feels that the offer he received is not only bad for himself, but for the linebacker market as a whole.
But for Smith, this is not the first time he has stood up to a front office, or college football program that he feels was trying to take advantage of him.
2018 rookie hold out:
Prior to his rookie season in 2018, Smith held out due to contract negotiations. Those disagreements stemmed from a then-new league policy that would subject defenders to ejection/suspension if they initiate contact with their helmet, a very common tackling technique.
The real issue generated around contract language transcribed by the Bears that cunningly stated that Chicago reserves the right to void any guaranteed money to Smith if he were to miss playing time as a result of this new rule.
Although the Bears finally came around and changed the terms, to Smith, and rightfully so, this showed a clear lack of support for him by his new organization. Rather than standing by Smith if this new rule were to come into play, the team was instead telling him they will take away his money if he is ejected or suspended by it.
UGA/UCLA/National Signing Day:
Dec 2, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Roquan Smith (3) is awarded MVP after defeating the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Ever since his days at Macon County High, Smith has taken the unconventional route in continuing his football career at the next level.
It started with his National Signing Day announcement that saw him don UCLA gloves, signifying a commitment to the Bruins over the home-state Bulldogs in 2015. Only there was one problem, for UCLA.
Shortly after committing to the Bruins, he was informed of the news that UCLA’s defensive coordinator had bolted for the Atlanta Falcons. Smith shortly changed his mind about that decision – making national headlines – and cautiously took his time before eventually choosing Georgia a week later.
But when finally choosing to play for UGA, Smith – showing his smarts here – chose to sign a financial aid agreement rather than a letter of intent. By doing so, he protected himself from being tied to a university if Georgia had any unexpected coaching changes prior to his enrollment. If Smith wanted to change schools yet again, this allowed him to do so.
In doing this, Smith proved to America that he not only was a bright kid, but one who knew how to protect himself and his future, not allowing big businesses (like Georgia and now the NFL) to control him.
Defensive end Isaiah Foskey and his Guardian Cap on his helmet at a recent Notre Dame football practice. Jeff Douglas, Inside ND Sports Notre Dame Football Live Chat with Eric Hansen is back this Wednesday at noon (EDT) at insidendsports. | 2022-08-09T16:09:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Roquan Smith has a history of fighting against unfair contracts — since high school | https://sports.yahoo.com/roquan-smith-history-fighting-against-151059062.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/roquan-smith-history-fighting-against-151059062.html?src=rss |
WATCH: Dolphins share interview with Jevon Holland and his father
Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland has begun to make a name for himself after a fantastic rookie season that saw him take on the starting job in Josh Boyer’s defense.
However, Holland followed in his father’s footsteps with his dream to play professional football, even taking his nickname “Hollywood.” Robert Holland played in both the CFL, winning a Grey Cup, and the World League of Football before finally joining the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
On Monday, the Dolphins released an interview with the Hollands, where the two talked about Jevon’s journey in football and showed their obvious admiration for each other as players and people.
The Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend featured concerts by Journey and Donnie Iris, a comedy show by Dave Chappelle, and VIP parties with enshrinees. | 2022-08-09T16:10:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Dolphins share interview with Jevon Holland and his father | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-dolphins-share-interview-jevon-150004832.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-dolphins-share-interview-jevon-150004832.html?src=rss |
A new season means new faces.
There will be plenty of those for LSU in 2022 after the roster turnover brought on by the coaching change.
ESPN ranked the top 50 newcomers in college football, whether they be transfers or freshmen.
A couple of Tigers appeared on the list.
OT Will Campbell ranked 16th. ESPN has been high on Campbell since he was a recruit, ranking him 14th in the ESPN 300.
“It’s rare to see a true freshman come in and start at left tackle for an SEC program, but Campbell is a 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman who has the talent and strength to play right away.”
DL Mekhi Wingo came in a few spots later at 20. ESPN wrote that Wingo was one of the more coveted defensive linemen in the portal and should be part of an excellent rotation for LSU.
It’s promising to see a pair of guys on this list that will be in the trenches for LSU. Having a strong OL and DL are critical to success in the SEC and Campbell and Wingo should be central pieces for the next two to three years.
When it came to guys leaving LSU, Eli Ricks ranked fifth. Ricks was a big loss for the Tigers only made worse by the fact that he went to Alabama.
Las Vegas, NV, Aug. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Hemp Inc.’s Chief Visionary Consultant, Bruce Perlowin, has brought an exciting opportunity to Hemp, Inc. The opportunity is in the form of a Profit-Sharing Agreement, which gives Hemp Inc. a percentage of the profits generated from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) produced by the Smuggleverse (smuggleverse.com). In return, Hemp Inc. agrees to assist Smuggleverse with its marketing. Smuggleverse’s Smugglebot has joined forces with so | 2022-08-09T16:23:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Will Campbell and Mekhi Wingo ranked among top newcomers in 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/campbell-mekhi-wingo-ranked-among-160037936.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/campbell-mekhi-wingo-ranked-among-160037936.html?src=rss |
The Texas A&M football team opened fall camp last week and it didn’t take long for observers to notice that there had been some shuffling among the Aggies offensive coaches.
Co-offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey, who had worked with the quarterbacks all the way through the spring, was working with the tight ends while co-offensive coordinator James Coley, who had been with the tight ends, was with the receivers. Which means that Dameyune Craig who had been the receivers coach, was working with the quarterbacks (along side Jimbo of course).
Each of these guys have worked with these positions in the past, Dickey coached tight ends at LSU from 1991-1993, Coley coached receivers at Georgia in 2016-2017, and Craig played quarterback at Auburn and in the NFL, and worked with the quarterbacks at Florida State under Jimbo in 2010-2012 and at Tuskegee in 2006-2007.
It’s definitely unusual for a staff to start up the merry-go-round and shuffle assignments between spring ball and the fall season, but each of these guys are high level coaches, with extensive backgrounds in offensive football, and those position groups shouldn’t miss a beat in 2022. | 2022-08-09T16:23:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jimbo Fisher announces coaching staff shuffle | https://sports.yahoo.com/jimbo-fisher-announces-coaching-staff-151010682.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jimbo-fisher-announces-coaching-staff-151010682.html?src=rss |
Emmett Mosley is ranked as the nation’s No. 156 overall player by 247Sports composite. He is ranked as the 23rd-best football athlete in the nation, for players who don’t have a specific positional assignment as a recruiting prospect. Mosley already has offers from USC, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, Arizona and Arizona State. The standout from Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) has many more to come.
The 6-0, 175-pound standout played for Anaheim Servite as a sophomore, but he transferred to Santa Margarita Catholic during the offseason. He expects to be an all-state player this season and one of the best defensive backs in the class of 2024.
USC fans will love the fun fact that Mosley is the son of a pair of former Notre Dame student athletes. His father Emmett played wide receiver for the Irish from 1993-96, with 52 catches for 755 yards and a score during his career. Mosley also rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns.
His mother, Cindy Mosley, was a star soccer player for Notre Dame. She finished her career with 61 career goals, which at the time was a program record.
Mosley seems to have a natural feel for the game and is a great athlete on both sides of the ball. You can tell he will be an excellent zone corner at the next level. I consider Mosley to be an elite prospect by the end of the year who could quite easily become a lockdown corner at the next level. He can excel in both man and zone coverage for the Trojans or whichever team he decides on.
Santa Margarita QB Jaxon Porter to #Rivals250 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Emmett Mosley
Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, and USC are in the mix for Mosley @adamgorney | @RadiNabulsi | @insideNDsports | @USC_Rivals | @EmmettMosley6 | @jaxon2potter pic.twitter.com/7S9fZfG6ZJ | 2022-08-09T16:23:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Keep an eye on 2024 USC target Emmett Mosley | https://sports.yahoo.com/keep-eye-2024-usc-target-150906935.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/keep-eye-2024-usc-target-150906935.html?src=rss |
The start of the college football season is just weeks away. The festivities will start on Aug. 27 for a handful of teams. The LSU Tigers will have to wait until Sept. 5 when they tangle with the Florida State Seminoles in the Big Easy.
The start of the 2022 campaign also rings in a new era of Tigers football with Brian Kelly taking over the program. The former Notre Dame coach became the fourth head coach of the program since 2000. The previous three all won national championships. Can Kelly finally get his hands on the elusive trophy? Only time will tell.
This past offseason was a wild one in terms of the coaching carousel. With that being said, we ranked the new head coaches in the Power Five who face the most pressure to perform in year one.
When it comes to Duke football, there is little to no pressure. While the school would like to see better results, the Blue Devils haven’t had a winning season since 2018. This was the second winning season since 1994. With no expectations, new head coach Mike Elko should have plenty of time to put his program in place.
Last season Jake Dickert took over midway through the season after the Cougars relieved head coach Nick Rolovich of his duties due to the state’s COVID vaccine mandate. Dickert finished the year with a 3-3 record but led Wazzu to the Sun Bowl. He was maintained as the head coach and has already shown what he can do for the program.
Much like their in-state rivals Washington State, the Washington Huskies made a coaching move under abnormal circumstances. Jimmy Lake was relieved of his duties after an altercation with an athlete. In steps Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State. DeBoer will be tasked with rekindling the winning edge that the Huskies enjoyed under Chris Petersen.
The Justin Fuente era in Blacksburg was one that left many of the Hokie faithful disappointed. After two years Virginia Tech finished 19-8 only to win just 25 games over the next four seasons. Brent Pry is now tasked with returning VT to its former glory under legendary coach Frank Beamer. Pry will have some pressure to perform but not among the top coaches in the land.
Texas Tech was once among the most consistent programs in the country. A lot of that was due to Spike Dykes and Mike Leach. Since the firing of Leach in 2009, the program has been mediocre. They have enjoyed just five winning seasons since 2010 and now first-time head coach Joey McGuire must turn it all around. He enjoyed early success on the recruiting trails but can he do the same on the field of play?
It was a strange offseason for the Cavaliers after head coach Bronco Mendenhall abruptly resigned from his post. Virginia countered by bringing long-time Dabo Swinney assistant Tony Elliott north to Charlottesville. After back-to-back .500 seasons, Virginia is hoping to continue their upward ascension that began under Mendenhall in 2016.
The prodigal son returns home in a way. After leaving Norman to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson, Brent Venables returns to Oklahoma after 10 years with the Tigers. Prior to his gig as defensive coordinator and associate head coach, Venables served under Bob Stoops for 13 years with the Sooners. With Lincoln Riley leaving hastily for Southern California, it gave Venables his first opportunity to run his own program. Can he help OU regain their stranglehold on the Big 12?
Sonny Dykes, Texas Christian
Replacing a legend is never easy and Sonny Dykes has that task ahead of him. After Gary Patterson led this program from 2000-21, Dykes has to bring TCU back to where they once were. There is also some added pressure to perform as he did at SMU. Leaving one cross-town rival for another just brings another layer to the amount of pressure to win. They are poised to win but is it going to be enough to compete with Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Baylor?
Mario Cristobal returns to South Beach this season. His presence has already breathed life into the Hurricanes program. The Canes have been looking for a leader that can give Miami their next national championship. With his work on the recruiting trails already, it seems the team is closer than they have been in some time. However, Cristobal needs to show they can win consistently and not just hover around the .500 mark.
With Cristobal now in Miami, the Oregon Ducks had to quickly organize a search for their next head coach. The administration chose to bring Dan Lanning to Eugene during the national championship run at Georgia. Lanning must now continue the winning tradition and even do it better than Cristobal. A tough task for a first-time head coach. Lanning learned from the best in Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. He will get his first shot early on as the Ducks faceoff with Smart and the Bulldogs to open the season.
For a short period, it was thought that Freeman would join Kelly in Baton Rouge but ultimately gets his shot to run a program. He and Tommy Rees were both thought to leave for LSU, now they will continue their hunt for a national championship. Despite Kelly’s exit from the program, the Fighting Irish were still in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. Can Freeman continue their string of double-digit wins in 2022? He will be tested in the opener when he faces off with his alma mater, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Billy Napier was a highly sought-after head coach candidate for a couple of seasons now. The Tennessee Vols and Auburn Tigers were among those that were interested before the Florida Gators ultimately lured him out of the Bayou. Now in the swamp, Napier must turn the Gators program around. After a failed experiment under Dan Mullen, Florida must step up to dethrone their bitter rivals. Mullen started out hot and fell off quickly, can Napier avoid the same fate?
There might not be a more hated man in the Sooner State than Lincoln Riley, not even those wearing burnt orange received the level of vitriol that the former Leach assistant did. However, the pressure to win for Riley doesn’t come because of his time in Norman. The pressure to win here all surrounds the fact that USC football has been a shell of their former selves. Not to mention they will depart the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024. The Trojans need a monster year and Riley, Caleb Williams, and Jordan Addison are poised to give it to them.
It was a moment that we had not seen in a long time. Notre Dame became a stepping stone to another job for Brian Kelly. After over a decade in South Bend and five straight 10+ win seasons, he left for the Bayou. Kelly had come close to the national championship but fell short on multiple occasions. He needed to level the playing field and Kelly gets that opportunity with a talent-rich recruiting landscape without the academic requirements of his former school. The last three head coaches of the LSU Tigers each won a natty, so the pressure is on for Brian Kelly who looks to finally get his hands on the trophy. | 2022-08-09T16:23:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pat’s POV: Ranking first-year head coaches with the most to prove | https://sports.yahoo.com/pat-pov-ranking-first-head-144615398.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pat-pov-ranking-first-head-144615398.html?src=rss |
There’s no question that Texas will have one of the top offensive backfields in the country for the 2022 college football season.
Even aside from talented playmakers Bijan Robinson and Quinn Ewers, the depth Texas has at both running back and quarterback is deep. Just how well do they stack up with other offensive backfields across the country?
Mike Huguenin of On3 Sports recently published his top 10 offensive backfields for 2022. He took into account the expected starters at running back and quarterback for each program as well as key reserves.
Texas landed ahead of programs such as Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma, but did not land in the top spot. Here’s Huguenin’s thoughts on the Longhorns’ potential backfield this season.
While there are at least a few questions about quarterback, there are zero questions about the running backs. The Robinson-Johnson-Robinson trio might be the best in the nation. As good as Bijan is, Johnson is an early-round NFL draft prospect, too, and he needs at least 12 or so touches a game. Ewers has big-time arm talent, but a lack of experience is a concern. He skipped his senior year of high school and didn’t throw a pass last year at Ohio State.
Here’s a full look at Huguenin’s top 10 offensive backfields in the country for the upcoming season. To view an in-depth explanation of his top picks, click here. | 2022-08-09T16:23:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Where Texas lands among On3’s top 10 offensive backfields for the 2022 season | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-texas-lands-among-on3-145851922.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-texas-lands-among-on3-145851922.html?src=rss |
Good news: the New Orleans Saints activated Marcus Davenport from their physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Tuesday, clearing the way for the big defensive end to participate in training camp practices. And it comes at a great time with their preseason exhibition series about to kick off on Saturday with the Houston Texans.
That’s not to say Davenport will get on the field in Houston. He’s got more hurdles to overcome as his conditioning improves, and it’s unclear if the team will give him the greenlight so soon. They’ve been cautious with other injuries and may choose to do the same here, instead giving Davenport another week of practice before putting him up against live opponents. Next week’s join practice sessions with the Green Bay Packers should be a great opportunity to gauge his progress.
Davenport has struggled with injuries throughout his pro career, totaling appearances of 13, 13, 11, and 11 games in each of his first four seasons. He suffered a season-ending foot injury in his rookie year and missed time with elbow and shoulder issues. It’s been a frustrating summer for him, too. Davenport underwent a couple of shoulder surgeries and had to amputate most of his left pinky finger during the offseason, stemming from an old college injury, and learned to live without it. That’s changed his workout routine and how he uses his hand in day-to-day life.
But those challenges are behind him now, and he’s focusing on catching up to his teammates on the practice field. A lot’s on the line for him. Davenport is playing out the final year of his rookie contract. If he meets expectations and reaches the heights we’ve seen before, he’ll be positioned well to cash in with a big contract next March. The question is whether the Saints will pay it or someone else. But that doesn’t happen if Davenport continues to miss time with injuries. We know how productive he can be when he’s on the field. It’s up to him to stay out there. | 2022-08-09T17:57:30Z | sports.yahoo.com | Marcus Davenport returns to practice at Saints training camp | https://sports.yahoo.com/marcus-davenport-returns-practice-saints-161524125.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/marcus-davenport-returns-practice-saints-161524125.html?src=rss |
Williams was ultimately waived very late in training camp last year by the Packers and went on to spend time with the Giants, Browns, and Dolphins last year. He also made a quick stop in the USFL where he totaled 102 yards in one game for the Philadelphia Stars.
Now Williams might be returning to the Packers, who have an interest in adding depth at running back. The following from Aaron Wilson of NFL Network:
Green Bay Packers to work out former Notre Dame running back Dexter Williams, according to a league source @PFN365 He worked out for the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this week.
The Packers have been hit with a handful of injuries to their running backs early in camp and Williams, who has experience with the team, could serve as help. | 2022-08-09T17:57:55Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers to host former Notre Dame star for workout | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-host-former-notre-dame-172417369.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-host-former-notre-dame-172417369.html?src=rss |
Practice No. 12 of Green Bay Packers training camp didn’t include No. 12.
Aaron Rodgers got the day off on Tuesday, leaving Jordan Love and Danny Etling to handle all the reps at quarterback as Matt LaFleur’s team prepares for the preseason opener on Friday night in San Francisco.
Rodgers, who turns 39 in December, is the latest veteran to get a day off from training camp, joining the likes of Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis. LaFleur has provided days off for veterans during camp to help keep older bodies rested and protected from injury.
Rodgers practiced fully during the first 11 practices, including Family Night.
LaFleur said that Tuesday’s practice – which is closed to the public because it was originally planned to be a jog-through – will only be around an hour and a half long. The closed setting provided an opportunity to rest Rodgers without taking away a day of seeing No. 12 from the fans attending training camp.
The added bonus is more first-team reps for Love, who will start at quarterback in San Francisco. Rodgers won’t play in the preseason opener.
On Tuesday, Love made a number of notable throws with the No. 1 offense, including a completion to Allen Lazard under pressure and a touchdown pass to standout rookie Romeo Doubs.
Peter King catches up with a "blissful" Aaron Rodgers as the 2022 NFL Training Camp Tour makes its way to Green Bay. | 2022-08-09T17:58:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | QB Aaron Rodgers gets veteran rest day at Packers training camp | https://sports.yahoo.com/qb-aaron-rodgers-gets-veteran-170320357.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/qb-aaron-rodgers-gets-veteran-170320357.html?src=rss |
Rumors have been swirling all throughout the NFL that former Alabama Crimson Tide running back, Josh Jacobs, may be available for trades for the Raiders. The Raiders declined to pick up Jacobs’s fifth-year option this off-season, making him a free agent after the 2022 season.
NFL Network reporter, Ian Rapoport, doesn’t think that Jacobs’ will be going anywhere anytime soon saying, “The Raiders are not trying to trade Josh Jacobs. He is their best running back and rarely do you see teams trade away their best player at any position.”
Jacobs is only owed a little over two million dollars this season, which isn’t much of a hit at all for the team.
The Raiders used their No. 24 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select Jacobs, and he has been a massive hit so far. Through three seasons in Las Vegas, Jacobs has 732 carries 3087 yards for 4.2 yards per carry and 28 touchdowns.
It will be interesting to see how the Raiders handle Jacobs in the coming months. | 2022-08-09T17:58:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Raiders deny Josh Jacobs trade rumors | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-deny-josh-jacobs-trade-162541173.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-deny-josh-jacobs-trade-162541173.html?src=rss |
Bears linebacker Roquan Smith is at Soldier Field for the team’s Family Fest, which comes hours after he formally requested a trade as contract negotiations have reached an impasse.
In a detailed message shared via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith said he lost trust in the organization in their attempts to take advantage of him during contract negotiations. He also feels like it hasn’t been so much as a negotiation rather than them pressuring him with a “take it or leave it” deal.
Smith has been trying to get a “fair” deal done since April, but he’s at the point where he feels “the new front office regime doesn’t value me here.”
Smith mentioned that he hadn’t spoken to the McCaskey family yet, and it almost sounds like a call to intervene on his behalf.
“Maybe they can salvage this, but as of right now I don’t see a path back to the organization I truly love,” Smith wrote.
For now, here’s a look at Smith — in his practice jersey — on the sidelines at Soldier Field:
Ro in the building! 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/wl8Lac95Px
— Terence M. Young (@Terence_M_Young) August 9, 2022
Smith was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list before the start of training camp, where he’s remained involved during team meetings and taking in practices on the sideline.
While Smith requesting a trade doesn’t signal the end of his time in Chicago, it’s certainly shined a light on a situation that was apparently much worse than anyone expected.
Follow along with updates from the Bears’ Family Fest below: | 2022-08-09T17:58:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Roquan Smith in attendance for Bears Family Fest after requesting trade | https://sports.yahoo.com/roquan-smith-attendance-bears-family-161034400.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/roquan-smith-attendance-bears-family-161034400.html?src=rss |
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard is working his way back from offseason back surgery, and the team has shied away from giving a timetable for his return.
This has been known all along since it was first revealed that Leonard underwent surgery during the spring, and while nothing has changed in terms of setbacks with his recovery, the All-Pro linebacker’s status for Week 1 against the Houston Texans is in question.
In an update from ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Leonard isn’t ruled out for the season opener, but his status is to be determined.
What Holder clarified, according to his report, is that the issue is resolved. It’s just a matter of getting Leonard back to the necessary strength levels.
Some clarity on the status of Colts All-Pro LB Shaquille Leonard: The team isn’t putting a timetable on his return from surgery because, currently, the issue centers on him rebuilding overall strength and strength in his calf, specifically, after an inactive spring and summer. The key thing to know: This is normal based on the team’s expectations. From all indications, the problem is solved, which is what matters most. His status for Week 1 cannot yet be determined, but don’t rule him out.
Leonard wound up having discs in his back impinge on a nerve that cause some ankle and calf issues during the offseason. It’s why he wasn’t a participant for much of the spring, and it was the cause of plenty of discomfort during the 2021 regular season.
The Colts have been rolling with Zaire Franklin as the replacement for Leonard through the first two weeks of training camp next to starter Bobby Okereke.
Leonard might be one of the few players the Colts would feel comfortable going through the preseason without playing a game, but this is still a wait-and-see situation.
Colts' defense building on last year's success
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin discusses the success of the defense. | 2022-08-09T17:58:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Shaquille Leonard’s status for Week 1 still unclear | https://sports.yahoo.com/shaquille-leonard-status-week-1-171757167.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/shaquille-leonard-status-week-1-171757167.html?src=rss |
The Tennessee Titans are set to add a safety to their offseason roster ahead of the first preseason game on Thursday night.
According to his agents (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Titans are signing former Cleveland Browns safety Adrian Colbert to a one-year deal. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
A former seventh-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, Colbert has played in 39 games (22 starts) over five seasons in the NFL with the Niners, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets and the Browns.
He’s also had cups of coffee with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
Colbert played in six games in 2021, including four with the Jets (three starts) and two with the Browns.
It isn’t clear if Colbert’s signing means the Titans have an injury to one of their backup candidates or if they simply aren’t happy with the options they have. Regardless, the 28-year-old will be vying for a reserve role. | 2022-08-09T17:58:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tennessee Titans signing safety Adrian Colbert | https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-titans-signing-safety-adrian-174105328.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-titans-signing-safety-adrian-174105328.html?src=rss |
The Houston Texans are continuing to evaluate free agent talent as they gear up for their preseason opener with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13.
According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans worked out defensive ends Joe Jackson and Bryan Cox along with tight ends Marcus Baugh and David Wells.
Jackson, a Dallas Cowboys 2019 fifth-round pick, also played for the Cleveland Browns from 2020-21. He was signed to their practice squad amid their playoff run earlier this year, but was not retained at the end of the season. The Carolina Panthers signed Jackson to a reserve/future contract but released him midway through organized team activities in late May.
Cox has been with the Buffalo Bills since 2020. An Achilles tear scuttled his 2021 campaign before it could begin, and he signed with the Indianapolis Colts for a month in mid-June this year before being released. Cox has also played for the Panthers from 2017-19 and also the Browns (2019).
Baugh, a former Oakland Raiders 2018 undrafted free agent, has played for NFL and other pro football teams, including Carolina (2019), Washington (2020), and most recently the Michigan Panthers of the USFL.
Wells, a Cowboys 2018 undrafted free agent from San Diego State, has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2018-19), New England Patriots (2020-21), Atlanta Falcons (2021), Colts (2021), and Arizona Cardinals (2021). | 2022-08-09T17:58:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans work out former Cowboys, Browns DE Joe Jackson and 3 others | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-former-cowboys-browns-joe-161607607.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-former-cowboys-browns-joe-161607607.html?src=rss |
As always, there were some surprises in the first edition of the poll this season and we outlined some of the biggest ones below.
Let us know what we missed. You can also view the full top-25 here.
Texas received a first place vote?
Does this mean the Longhorns are back? Despite checking in at No. 18 in the rankings, Texas received one first place vote.
The only other schools to receive a first place vote were Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
The SEC had the most schools, but it should have had more
The SEC leads the way with six schools in the top-25: Alabama, 1; Georgia, 3; Texas A&M, 7; Kentucky, 21; Arkansas, 23; Ole Miss, 24.
But where are Tennessee and LSU? Both, in my opinion, are more deserving than some of the other schools inside the top-25. You could even make the case for Auburn, but I actually like that the Tigers were left out because we all know they’re going 5-7.
Texas A&M at No. 7 is too high
A&M should be good this year and I expect the Aggies to finish second in the SEC West, but they don’t even know who is starting at quarterback this season.
A lot of preseason hype is coming their way and I think that’s likely thanks to their recruiting class, but those new guys still need to play a game.
Utah is better than No. 8
Utah is better than both Texas A&M (No. 7) and Notre Dame (No. 5). People think poorly of the Pac-12, and that made Utah a victim of being underrated in this top-25. Quarterback Cameron Rising and running back Tavion Thomas are two of the best at their position in America.
Where is Iowa? Penn State?
Iowa made it to the Big Ten Championship Game last year where it was destroyed by Michigan. But it made it there behind a great defense. The Hawkeyes received 248 votes, meaning they were the first ones out.
Penn State was the second one out with 246 points. It lost five regular season games last season, but all were within nine points. This one’s a little more understandable though seeing as how the Nittany Lions have had back-to-back bad seasons.
If you still get a kick out of seeing the zombies holding rocks on season one of "TWD," the show will finally reference them in its final episodes. | 2022-08-09T18:03:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Biggest surprises from USA TODAY’s preseason Coaches Poll | https://sports.yahoo.com/biggest-surprises-usa-today-preseason-113051328.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/biggest-surprises-usa-today-preseason-113051328.html?src=rss |
The transfer portal has created a whole different dynamic in college football that allows teams to rebuild their rosters on the fly. That’s how the Oklahoma Sooners mitigated losses to the NFL and the transfer portal themselves.
The most significant addition they made that will have the biggest impact is quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who came over from UCF.
Gabriel’s college experience and production made him a priority target for the Sooners once Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal and appeared destined to leave. Heading into the 2022 season, Dillon Gabriel was ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s top 50 newcomers (ESPN+). Bill Connelly included transfers who are new to their squad or incoming freshman.
Gabriel played for offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby at UCF, and now Lebby is the coordinator at Oklahoma. The two are reuniting at a perfect time after the Sooners lost quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler. In 2019 and 2020, Gabriel threw for a combined 7,223 yards and 61 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He suffered an injury that cut his 2021 season short and now he has an opportunity to lead Oklahoma. – Connelly, ESPN
Gabriel is reconnecting with Lebby for the first time since his freshman year in 2019. That season, Gabriel threw for 3,653 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 60% of his passes.
“Yeah, I think the thing that he’s done has been exactly who he is,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said. “He’s been very intentional on creating relationships and making sure that everybody in the locker room knows who he is as a person. And so he’s done a great job of that. The thing that we’re looking for coming into fall camp is taking care of the football, operating at a really high level. Those are the two things to me that are the most important. The ball is the only thing that matters, so take care of the rock and we’re gonna be in good shape.”
Former Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams came in at No. 1, Spencer Rattler at No. 10, and Mario Williams at No. 11.
Several Oklahoma targets in the 2022 recruiting cycle also made the top 50 newcomers like OL Devon Campbell, who signed with Texas, Luther Burden of Missouri, Raleek Brown of USC, Talyn Shetron of Oklahoma State, and Jordan Hudson of TCU. Connelly believes each of these players has an opportunity to contribute right away to their respective teams.
In Oklahoma’s 2022 recruiting class, guys like Jovantae Barnes and Jayden Gibson showed in the spring game that they’re ready to be involved in the offense early in their Sooners’ careers.
Another newcomer who has a chance to be one of the most impactful newcomers in college football is defensive tackle, Jeffery Johnson. His presence on the interior will set the tone for the Sooners’ defensive front, especially against the running game. | 2022-08-09T18:03:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dillon Gabriel ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s top 50 newcomers for 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/dillon-gabriel-ranked-no-4-174857055.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dillon-gabriel-ranked-no-4-174857055.html?src=rss |
The ESPN FPI top 25 rankings have been released, and USC is nowhere to be found. The Trojans somehow come in at No. 35 overall, and that raises the eyebrows of many. The consensus is that USC will be one of the more improved teams and will have one of the best offenses in the nation.
For those who aren’t in the know, ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI) was developed in 2013 as a way to measure team strength and predict game and season outcomes going forward. Over the years, fans have clamored for ESPN to open the “black box” of FPI and share more information.
Expectations are sky high for the Trojans and first-year head coach Lincoln Riley. Vegas has their betting win total at 9.5. USC is headed to the Big Ten in 2024, but the Men of Troy still have unfinished business in the Pac-12 for the next two years. It starts September 3 at home versus Rice.
With all the firepower that USC has, there are many question marks on defense, so we’ll see how the season goes for the Trojans. The main games to look out for are Utah in mid-October, then UCLA and Notre Dame in November. A sleeper game is early in Week 2 at Stanford, on the road in Palo Alto. | 2022-08-09T18:03:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | ESPN metrics continue to wildly underrate USC football | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-metrics-continue-wildly-underrate-162250347.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-metrics-continue-wildly-underrate-162250347.html?src=rss |
Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 could be something special.
Billy Napier scrambled to put together a transition class in just a few months for 2022, but the upcoming group will be the first to be fully vetted by Napier’s staff. Florida’s top-rated commit, receiver Aidan Mizell, thinks that group will not only be special, but they’ll also be that group that brings a national championship back to the Swamp, according to Swamp247.
“It was a difficult decision and I loved all my options and all the coaches,” Mizell said. “I just felt like for me and my family, this was the best decision. I think I will do great things at Florida and we will win a national championship.”
Mizell said he’s been recruiting other elite players for a while and plans on attending every home game this season to do what he can to help land more talent. He saw first-hand what Florida can do when they want to convince a player that UF is the right school for them. After offering Mizell late, the Gators had to play catchup and wowed him on his visits to get him on board.
“They absolutely had to play from behind,” he said. “When I got the offer I thought nothing of it. They got me on a visit and then got me on an OV and that really changed my perspective.”
If Mizell and the recruiting staff can pull off a few more comebacks, Florida should have a top-10 class in 2023. Whether or not that’s enough to even claim a conference championship in the near future remains to be seen, but the group is hoping to accomplish much more than that.
Mizell is ranked No. 72 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 13 among receivers in the class of 2023. He’s the Gators’ highest-rated recruit and only top-100 commit.
Dolly Parton comes to Ohio to celebrate free book program for kids | 2022-08-09T18:03:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Florida’s top ’23 commit says class will bring national championship to UF | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-top-23-commit-says-161642025.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-top-23-commit-says-161642025.html?src=rss |
Arkansas Football made great strides in 2021, and are poised to make an even bigger leap in growth this season.
Depending on the watchlist, Arkansas is either predicted to finish second or third in the SEC West, and is considered to be a top-five team as a whole in the conference.
Despite all the respect that they have received from local media, the national media has not bought the hype just yet. 247Sports has projected Arkansas to end the season in the Music City Bowl, while College Football News and Sporting News believes that Arkansas will play in the Texas Bowl.
Those projections seem a little disrespectful to Arkansas fans and players, and rightfully so. But, there is one news outlet that believes Sam Pittman’s squad will develop into one of College Football’s best teams.
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports recently wrote a piece titled “22 compelling storylines, teams, coaches, players that will dominate the 2022 college football season”, where he made predictions of who will play in this season’s New Year’s Six bowl games, and Arkansas is included.
In his projection, Dodd has the Razorbacks meeting former Southwest Conference rival Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans.
If the projection comes true, it will be the first Sugar Bowl appearance for Arkansas since the 2010 season, when the Razorbacks faced Ohio State in the prestigious bowl game.
Ryan Mallet threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns while Knile Davis rushed for 139 yards, but it was not enough to slow down Ohio State quarterback Terrell Prior, who compiled 336 all-purpose yards in the Buckeyes’ 31-26 win over Arkansas.
Since arriving at Arkansas in 2019, redshirt junior Malik Chavis has seen his share of ups and downs. While Chavis didn’t see much playing time his first two years with the team, he was a contributor in 2021, appearing at safety in 11 games and starting two, registering 14 tackles and one interception. The Rison native moved from back from safety to cornerback — where he played at his first few seasons — during spring football, and first-year cornerbacks coach Dominique Bowman said on Monday he can see Chavis playing at the next level if he continues to put in the work.
Spend lunchtime with the Razorbacks as they take on Valencia Seleccion at 12:30 CT.
The festival, in its fourth year, will take place in Rotary Park Aug. 14-15. Admission and parking are free.
Check out the Recruiting Hawgs Podcast with Alex Trader and Mason Choate. New episodes including interviews with Arkansas recruits are available every Wednesday on YouTube, Apple and Spotify. Check out film from Arkansas' fourth practice of fall camp.
Arkansas football enters the 2022-23 season with a talented group of running backs, but sophomore Rocket Sanders is leading the pack in the preseason. | 2022-08-09T18:03:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | One projection has Arkansas playing in New Year’s Six bowl game | https://sports.yahoo.com/one-projection-arkansas-playing-six-151534553.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/one-projection-arkansas-playing-six-151534553.html?src=rss |
We have all wondered over the past six weeks if the Pac-12 Conference was going to survive the departures of USC and UCLA.
Tuesday morning, it became clear that the league will indeed live on. There won’t be a death. There won’t be splintering into extinction. There won’t be a raid by the Big 12. The Pac will be back in some form or fashion.
Yes, the Pac-12 won’t be as strong as it was with USC in the fold. The conference won’t make as many dollars or win as many Heisman Trophies with the Trojans in the Big Ten. We can all acknowledge that.
However, the Pac-12 is going to survive. That’s something.
Why is the Pac-12 going to live? ESPN backed out of Big Ten media rights negotiations Tuesday morning. This is precisely what the Pac-12 was hoping for, since ESPN joining Fox in having Big Ten rights would have made the Big Ten a far more desirable landing spot for remaining Pac-12 schools. If Fox and ESPN had shared ownership of Big Ten media rights (Fox as the primary rights holder, ESPN secondary), they would both have wanted the Big Ten to increase in value, which would mean bringing in the San Francisco Bay Area schools and the Oregon-Washington combination.
Now that ESPN is completely removed from the Big Ten media rights picture, the network has every incentive to preserve those Pac-12 late-night games and gain inventory. It is in ESPN’s best interest to preserve the Pac-12, and with Fox now fully invested in the Big Ten, it would seemingly have no reason to throw money at the Pac-12 with USC and UCLA gone. Fox wanted USC and UCLA under the Big Ten umbrella.
ESPN now has more money and more TV slots freed up to give the Pac-12 a reasonable package. It won’t be spectacular, but it will be a lot more than bread crumbs, and that’s a far better outcome for Pac-12 member schools than many had a right to expect on the first weekend of July, when the USC-UCLA news had everyone in a state of panic.
The Pac-12 is going to live. It might not be 100-percent official, but now it’s virtually impossible to imagine a world in which the conference doesn’t survive.
After diving into the Big 12's realignment options a week ago, KSO now turns its sights on what actually happens on the football field this season. Who are the best quarterbacks in the league? Dillon Gabriel Getty 1. | 2022-08-09T18:04:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Pac-12 will survive | https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12-survive-174514432.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12-survive-174514432.html?src=rss |
Mariah Carey joins the massive outpouring of admiration and love for the late Olivia Newton-John, who died on Monday, Aug. 8 at 73 years old. Through a thread of tweets, Carey recalled the moment she “first fell in love with Olivia’s voice” as a little girl listening to Newton-John’s 1974 classic, “I Honestly Love You.” She […]
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that Tunisia's "dream of self-government" was in danger, adding to U.S. criticism of the president's expansion of powers that has already prompted accusations of "unacceptable interference". Tunisia's President Kais Saied last month pushed through a new constitution giving himself nearly unchecked authority in a referendum that the electoral commission said had 30% turnout, though some opposition groups say the figure was inflated. After the referendum, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and incoming U.S. ambassador to Tunis Joey Hood voiced concern for Tunisia's democracy, and Tunisian authorities summoned the acting U.S. charge d'affaires to complain. | 2022-08-09T18:20:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Emma Raducanu vs Camila Giorgi live: Score and latest updates from Canadian Open 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/emma-raducanu-vs-camila-giorgi-172403715.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/emma-raducanu-vs-camila-giorgi-172403715.html?src=rss |
Most of the early projections for the 2023 NFL draft have at least one quarterback cracking the top three selections, with many of them having two of the top three picks coming from the game’s most important position.
That’s not the case in the latest 2023 NFL mock draft from Damian Parson at The Draft Network, who has the first passer coming off the board at No. 4 overall.
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is the consensus preseason favorite to be the first quarterback selected in next year’s draft, and that’s who lands with the Carolina Panthers at No. 4 in this mock.
The next passer off the board is a bit of a surprise, as this projection opts for Florida’s Anthony Richardson at No. 5 overall to the New York Giants over Alabama’s Bryce Young, who goes to Detroit Lions at No. 7 overall.
Kentucky’s Will Levis makes it four quarterbacks in the top 10, heading to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 8 overall. That’s the last of the quarterbacks in the first round, though, as other top prospects like Washington State’s Cam Ward, Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke, BYU’s Jaren Hall and North Carolina State’s Devin Leary are still on the board heading into Day 2. | 2022-08-09T19:43:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | 2023 NFL mock draft: No QBs in the top 3? | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-mock-draft-no-190610795.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-mock-draft-no-190610795.html?src=rss |
Joe Whitt Jr. and Dan Quinn have had their eyes on Jayron Kearse for quite some time.
The year was 2020. The safety, drafted in the seventh round out of Clemson, had started just five games in four seasons with the Vikings and compiled meager stats over 62 game appearances. He had intriguing size at 6-foot-4, but wasn’t being utilized much in Minnesota. So he chose to leave in free agency.
The Falcons’ newly-hired secondary coach and pass game coordinator, in his first season under head coach Dan Quinn, wanted him.
“We tried to get J.K. when we were in Atlanta; we just weren’t successful,” Joe Whitt Jr. said. “We had a plan for him.”
But there’s that old saying about best-laid plans.
Fast forward 12 months. Quinn had been fired by Atlanta and then hired to be the Cowboys defensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy. Quinn had brought Whitt to Dallas with him, once again as secondary coach and pass game coordinator.
And after less than a full season in Detroit and a few weeks on the Ravens practice squad, Kearse was on the market once again.
This time, Whitt got his man.
Kearse flourished in Dallas. Over 15 starts, he snared two interceptions (doubling his career total to that point), was the team leader in tackles (notching almost 30 more than the Defensive Rookie of the Year), and logged more defensive snaps than all but two of his teammates.
It was enough to earn him a $10 million two-year contract extension.
Indications are that the team will look to get their money’s worth out of the 28-year-old this season.
“We ask J.K. to go from one play playing safety, the very next play he’s playing Buffalo nickel, the very next play on third down he’s going to play the dime,” Whitt explained. “Three different plays, he’s playing three different positions. And you’ve got to remember, he has the green dot on his head. What we’re asking him to do is just very, very hard. And he does it a very high level. I don’t think he got the credit for what we asked him to do.”
That green dot is significant. From a nuts-and-bolts standpoint, it means Kearse is calling the plays in the defensive huddle, relaying messages from the coaches.
But beyond that, it speaks to the Florida native’s innate leadership qualities- qualities that Whitt admits he didn’t know about at first.
“I did not,” the assistant confessed. “That’s been a plus. He’s a true leader, he’s an alpha male. I did not know that about him. But he is all of that. And more.”
Whitt is an up-and-coming sideline star in the league and will have a head coaching job before long. And he sees some of the same traits in his free safety, who has- along with fellow veterans like Jourdan Lewis- started riding herd on the Cowboys’ younger players.
“We were just in the meeting room yesterday,” Whitt relayed, “and one of the young guys didn’t answer a question. I didn’t have to say anything. J.K. said, ‘Hey, listen. When we ask you something, you have to to pop it back.’ I don’t have to correct these guys… they’re correcting it before I even get to correcting it. That’s a benefit to us as coaches.”
Whether coaching is in Kearse’s distant future remains to be seen. Right now, he’s looking to build off the best season of his career on the field. And he’s doing it in a way that’s relatively new for safeties in a changing NFL.
“The middle of the field is open now,” Whitt explained. “You go back 10, 12, 15 years ago when I got into the league, the middle of the field was closed, You had more true, traditional Y-tight ends, U-tight ends. Now you have the Kyle Pittses of the world, you have what they do with [Travis] Kelce splitting them out. So you have to have a guy that has enough ability and strength to go out there and cover a Kyle Pitts, cover a [Darren] Waller… but at the same time, fit in the box: when they pull schemes and [have] tackles and guards getting on them, to have enough stoutness to do that, can blitz and play in the middle of the field. J.K. can do all those things.”
That size that once wooed Minnesota and Detroit is finally being put to proper use against some of the biggest and strongest pass-catchers in the game.
“I love it,” Kearse himself said last week. “You have these high-profile tight ends who go for 150-200 yards, and I pride myself on not allowing 100 yards to those guys. That means a lot to me because there’s not a lot of guys who can stop them. There are a couple in the league I can turn on the tape and I can watch and learn from, because right now I feel like I’m the top guy when it comes to taking tight ends out of the game.”
His position coach agrees. And not just when it comes to tight ends.
“I believe J.K. is the best-covering safety in the league. If you go back and look,” Whitt offered, “last year at what he did in man situations, I think the film speaks for itself.”
Whitt- and others in Dallas- believe Kearse should have been named to the Pro Bowl last year.
For now, though, they’ll have to be content with the veteran who’s come into his own serving as the prototype for the new Cowboys safety.
Whitt already compares second-year man Israel Mukuamu to Kearse in his cover skills; he says rookie free agent Markquese Bell is similar in his physicality.
“They all play with a nasty mentality,” Whitt says of his safety group.
And with Kearse as a hybridized Swiss-Army-type player who can do a little bit of a lot of things, it makes the safety position- little more than a collection of warm bodies for so long in Dallas- a suddenly dangerous group for opponents to face.
With Kearse as the multitasking centerpiece.
“Malik Hooker has shown he’s a high-pedigree guy that, if he can stay healthy, can be a phenomenal player,” Whitt said. “And Donovan Wilson encompasses what our defense is about. We’re a run-and-hit physical defense, and he’s a tempo-setter. So when you put all three of those men on the field together at different targeting positions for the quarterback, they have to figure out who’s who and who’s doing what and what that person’s skill set is. And it makes it difficult for the quarterback.”
Forcing a change of plans for opposing offenses is, after all, the name of the game.
And as Kearse’s own trajectory has demonstrated, good things can happen when plans change.
Joe Burrow is getting back to normal at Bengals training camp. | 2022-08-09T19:43:57Z | sports.yahoo.com | ‘He’s an alpha male’: Jayron Kearse looks to build on career year as ‘true leader’ of Cowboys safety group | https://sports.yahoo.com/alpha-male-jayron-kearse-looks-180057070.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/alpha-male-jayron-kearse-looks-180057070.html?src=rss |
Michigan running back Hassan Haskins (25) scores on a 4-yard touchdown run during the second half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
''The conference continues to have productive meetings with both linear and direct-to-consumer media partners,'' the conference said. | 2022-08-09T19:44:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | AP sources: ESPN out of Big Ten TV rights negotiations | https://sports.yahoo.com/ap-sources-espn-big-ten-161521401.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ap-sources-espn-big-ten-161521401.html?src=rss |
As we approach the final stage of the NFL’s personal conduct ramifications for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, there are no shortage of questions and a vast supply of frustration and vague answers. It's partly due to Watson’s case being the first test to an altered disciplinary system and because the first arbitrator to impact the process, Sue L. Robinson, appeared to both align with and against the NFL.
The result has two issues rippling into this week. First, the league’s appeal of Robinson’s six-game suspension to Peter C. Harvey (who was chosen by commissioner Roger Goodell to deliver a final ruling); and second, the question of what options remain for Watson and the Browns once Harvey delivers a final decision.
Yahoo Sports spoke to three sources who have participated in the Watson case up to this stage of the process, asking where the relationship stands between all parties involved and whether there is clarity in the next phase.
Arbitrator Peter C. Harvey is 'really the most important person in this now'
The vantages of opinion all had some undertones that delivered a similar message: Virtually everyone walked away from the Robinson decision and subsequent league appeal upset about how the initial arbitration unfolded. And now there is little clarity about where this will ultimately go. But everyone involved now agrees on one point: Harvey, who is a former New Jersey attorney general with NFL ties, has significant power to end the Watson case with a judgement that creates a more layered compromise than the one Robinson delivered.
Conversely, Harvey could slide the punitive scale entirely into the league’s direction, putting Watson and the NFL Players Association into a fighting stance that leads to another form of litigation.
As one source involved in the Watson case put it, “[Harvey] has the last word, literally, in what has been bargained [between the NFL and NFLPA]. He gets to say, ‘This is what it is’ with no threat of an appeal. So he’s really the most important person in this now. Everything depends on him, but he still has the challenge of finding something that’s not just equitable, but also makes everyone willing to move on. That’s it at this point, just making everyone willing to take a result. … Or you go the other way and it’s going to be — it’s going to be more bare knuckles and pugilistic than it has been, I’ll tell you that. But I still think there’s a zone of compromise. Probably not happy for anyone, but I don’t think any part of this process was about creating happiness.”
Clearly, happiness wasn’t the end result after Robinson’s decision, which was layered in criticism for essentially everyone involved. Robinson essentially told the NFL her hands were tied and the result was a six-game suspension, but added in her footnotes that while the personal conduct policy “is equally applicable to players and team owners and management,” in the past it did not appear to be applied equally across all those parties.
Once Robinson’s decision had been parsed, two polarized camps developed.
In one corner, the league essentially saw the judgement as largely agreeing with everything the NFL asserted, but disagreed with Robinson leaning on past suspension precedents. Instead, in appealing, the NFL continued to hold the stance that Watson was a special case in which unprecedented behavior required an unprecedented suspension.
In the other corner, while the union had some issues with Robinson summarily adopting the league’s viewpoint on Watson’s behavior, it was satisfied with her use of past precedent as guardrails in her decision. This despite even Robinson noting that her suspension ruling was generally going above a normal standard, applying the kind of justice that had been attached to first-time domestic violence violations.
In hindsight, details of settlement talks foreshadowed the NFL’s appeal. The league’s last “spitball” settlement suggestion to Watson and the union was a 12-game suspension and a significant fine (something approaching the $10.5 million he earned from the Houston Texans in 2021). That’s a wide margin higher than a six-game suspension. And in turn, that chasm was ultimately large enough for the league to undermine Robinson’s suspension rationale.
That’s how we got to this week, with Goodell selecting Harvey for the appeal. Here are the basic questions at hand.
Deshaun Watson's NFL punishment fate now ultimately rests with Peter C. Harvey, who is a former New Jersey attorney general with a number of league ties. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
What is happening now with NFL's Deshaun Watson suspension appeal?
Brown owner Jimmy Haslam spoke to Mark Maske of The Washington Post at the league’s owners meetings on Tuesday, saying the team would “respect and honor the process” of the appeal. It’s fair to wonder what that actually means. You can both respect and honor a process while it’s in motion and then also fight it when the process comes to a conclusion. And ultimately, the reality is Watson and the NFLPA are the ones who would be obliged to take up the fight — potentially with or without the Browns.
So what is happening now? Harvey is weighing the briefs from the NFL and NFLPA and then ultimately deciding if he can make an expedited suspension determination without another hearing. Legal opinions are that he can. But he also is in charge of steering this part of the process — not the league or union or the litany of outsiders who are sharing their legal analysis.
As of Monday, there was no suggestion from sources that settlement talks were taking place between the NFL and Watson’s camp or the union. If anything, the relationship was described in more strained terms than ever before in the process. That doesn’t bode well for some kind of breakthrough, particularly when it couldn’t be achieved weeks ago, when the two sides were on better terms.
It’s worth noting that Harvey has the same element of control that Robinson did when she operated along her own timeline. While Harvey has been designated for this task by Goodell, there has been no suggestion that he was ordered to make a decision on a finite timeline. Which means he will get to the decision when he deems fit, and both the NFL and Watson’s camp will be made aware of it when there is a conclusion. This is the essence of each side “respecting and honoring the process.”
What could Harvey do here with his decision?
This is an interesting question, and it has had some varying answers. One source involved in the process suggested that Harvey “in theory” could reduce Watson’s suspension to three games, operating along past precedents that Robinson noted in her decision. That same source said such a scenario was “not realistic.” A second source in the process noted that because Watson didn’t appeal the six-game suspension handed down by Robinson, that becomes a baseline and Harvey’s options would be limited to simply standing on Robinson’s six-games rather than having the ability to reduce it.
“I do not practically think there will be a reduction of the six [game suspension],” the second source said.
From all standpoints, the larger question is how much further Harvey will choose to go beyond the suspension that's already in place. It’s possible he could embrace eight- or 10-game suspensions that were mentioned in Robinson’s decision, although she had framed those as domestic violence suspensions and noted that applying them to Watson’s case would be setting a new standard in what was deemed by the league to be non-violent sexual assault. Harvey could also operate on the knowledge that the NFL had at one point appeared agreeable to a 12-game suspension with a significant fine, establishing that as a middle ground (although Watson and the union were not previously open to those settlement parameters).
Of course, there’s also the possibility that Harvey could review the transcripts, briefs, Robinson’s decision, and the NFL’s 215-page investigative report and ultimately side with the league’s interpretation of special circumstance. In other words, a one-year ban that fits the league’s narrative of unprecedented punishment for an unprecedented situation.
Is there another avenue of litigation, and what would it mean for Watson’s season?
This is by far the most debated and speculated point since the NFL filed its appeal of Robinson’s decision, while Watson and the union chose not to cross-appeal the outcome. Rather than get into the back-and-forth of the granular arguments, it’s simplest to boil it down to this: Nobody is 100 percent certain about what kind of arguments can be mustered following Harvey’s decision. And part of that is because Harvey hasn’t actually made a decision, so there’s nothing to drill down on in an argument.
That said, there seems to be some agreement that it’s going to be hard for Watson and the union to go back and argue over the six-game suspension and win any kind of victory. However, that doesn’t mean such an avenue is closed, either. Just because it sounds like a losing path doesn’t mean it’s a closed path. Especially when the current process features new elements and is still in motion.
Generally, everyone involved appears settled on the six-game suspension being locked in by Robinson and Harvey’s role being one of “modifying” that decision. That’s the language written into the process. But nobody wants to make any definitive statements before the process has finished about whether a future injunction is impossible.
One source familiar with the language governing the process, as well as the arguments being made within it, summed it up with a frustrated retort: “Nothing is automatic. There’s nothing for certain here. There’s no guarantee of anything.”
From a legal sense, that’s a fair statement. The previous system had its day in court with the Ezekiel Elliott and Tom Brady cases. This modified system hasn’t. And there’s no telling whether some kind of misstep in the process (which we can’t yet see) suddenly occurs in this final stage with Harvey.
That alone is enough to make the outcome less than certain. It’s still a process in motion, without a final rendered judgement and plenty of unanswerable questions, all with the underlying reality that Harvey could reach some kind of conclusion that everyone can live with. At which point all of these other questions become nothing more than wasted breath and conjecture. | 2022-08-09T19:44:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | As the NFL’s Deshaun Watson case nears its conclusion, the next step is murky and frustrating | https://sports.yahoo.com/as-the-nf-ls-deshaun-watson-case-nears-its-conclusion-the-next-step-is-murky-and-frustrating-190940927.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/as-the-nf-ls-deshaun-watson-case-nears-its-conclusion-the-next-step-is-murky-and-frustrating-190940927.html?src=rss |
Bears linebacker Roquan Smith formally requested a trade on Tuesday morning, which put his future in Chicago in question.
New Bears general manager Ryan Poles took a moment to address the situation with the media following Tuesday’s Family Fest practice at Soldier Field, where Smith was an observer. Poles expressed his disappointment about where contract negotiations have gone.
“My feeling for Roquan haven’t changed at all,” Poles said. “…Which makes me really disappointed with where we’re at right now.”
Smith has been trying to get a “fair” deal done since April, but he’s at the point where he feels “the new front office regime doesn’t value me,” which led to his trade request.
Just because Smith requested a trade doesn’t mean he couldn’t ultimately wind up re-signing in Chicago. And that’s the plan, according to Poles.
Following practice, head coach Matt Eberflus was asked about his reaction to Smith’s trade request.
“Things in this business happen,” Eberflus said. “…I really didn’t have any reaction. I was disappointed in that. We’re working forward. Ryan is working on it. We’ll see where it goes.” | 2022-08-09T19:44:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears GM Ryan Poles: ‘My intentions are to sign Roquan (Smith)’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-gm-ryan-poles-intentions-180454187.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-gm-ryan-poles-intentions-180454187.html?src=rss |
Following the 2022 NFL draft, the Cowboys attempted to address the kicker position by bringing in undrafted free agent Jonathan Garibay. The Texas Tech product was lights out as a senior, making 49-of-50 on field goal attempts, including a game-winning 62 yarder against Iowa State.
During training camp though, Garibay struggled and Lirim Hajrullahu dominated the competition from the start. Hajrullahu spent time on the roster in 2021 and even went 5-for-5 on extra points in a win over the Falcons. Although Hajrullahu won the battle, he hasn’t won the war and the team auditioned four kickers on Tuesday. They decided to sign one, a familiar name, as Brett Maher is back with the organization.
https://twitter.com/robphillips3/status/1557059561407729665?s=20&t=fVHRsD8-WBkC1whIyXHkWA
Looking towards the new competition, Maher’s history in Dallas was one to be forgotten.
Coming in after the golden years of Dan Bailey, Maher was serviceable in 2018, making 80.6% of his field goal attempts but 2019 was the year to scrap. Maher went 20-for-30 on field goals that season, leading to his exit from Dallas despite booting some of the longest kicks in team history. The former Nebraska kicker made a comeback in 2021 with the Saints and was 88.9% on field goals, leading the Cowboys to call him back to the team.
Heading into the preseason opener on Saturday when the team visits the Denver Broncos, Maher and Hajrullahu will be competing for a job where it wouldn’t be out of the question for Dallas to add another kicker to the mix. | 2022-08-09T19:45:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cowboys waive rookie, bring kicker Brett Maher back into fold | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-waive-rookie-bring-kicker-190653115.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-waive-rookie-bring-kicker-190653115.html?src=rss |
First-year head coach Billy Napier called it the “story of the spring” back in April following the Gators’ orange and blue game. Fifth-year junior Dante Zanders, who had entered camp as a defensive end, led the team in receiving yards (56) and held a share of the team lead with five receptions. That performance solidified him as an impact player on UF’s offense, but how exactly did this come to be?
Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner caught up with Zanders after the first week of fall practices and learned that the move was made out of necessity.
“My first thought about moving back to tight end, I was kind of nervous because I gained so much weight and I thought I lost all the agility that you need at the tight end position and to be able to run routes and everything,” Zanders said. “But also I’m a team guy so when coach Napier asked me like, ‘Hey, these guys are banged up and we need more tight ends in the room, is there any way you can help us?’ I just stepped up.”
Stepped up might be an understatement. Zanders has shown an understanding of the tight end position that only a former defensive end could have. He says his leg up on the competition is knowing what the defense is going to do more often than a pure offensive player might. That understanding should translate into plenty of playing time, especially if Florida runs the 12-personnel look that Napier utilized at Louisiana.
Zanders has grown comfortable running a two-tight-end scheme and can see the offense growing as a group. One relationship that’s blossomed in particular is the one between quarterback Anthony Richardson and Zanders. The first-year starting quarterback recalled a moment between the two after the first practice. He wasn’t sure what to make of Zanders’ switch, but the Boca Raton High alumnus assured Richardson that he had his back.
Since that moment, Zanders has been on the rise, and he now has a solid spot on the team for the upcoming season. Remember, six months ago he was thought to be a depth guy at best. And he was in the transfer portal looking for a new home a few months before that.
All it took was a meeting between Zanders and Napier for the two to put a little faith in each other, and that has paid off handsomely during the offseason. Let’s hope the in-season returns are just good.
Dansby Swanson's 16th home run
Dansby Swanson drills a two-run homer to right-center field for his 16th home run, putting the Braves on the board in the top of the 6th | 2022-08-09T19:45:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | This Gator should make an impact after switching positions | https://sports.yahoo.com/gator-impact-switching-positions-181047785.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/gator-impact-switching-positions-181047785.html?src=rss |
Fans of 31 NFL teams thought they caught a break when Tom Brady announced his retirement in February. Since entering the league in 2000, Brady has seven Super Bowl rings and three NFL MVP awards. It looked like the playing field was about to level out immensely and for the first time since 2000, we'd enter an NFL season without having to worry about Tom Brady's heroics.
However, Brady's retirement lasted just 40 days. Now, he's back and even at the age of 45, expectations are high for Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and last season they almost pulled off an incredible comeback in the divisional round against the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, there are some questions about the Buccaneers. Anytime you enter a season with a 45-year old quarterback, there will be concerns about age. They've suffered some key losses on the offensive line, losing Ryan Jensen to injury and Ali Marpet to retirement. Tampa Bay also has a new head coach in Todd Bowles. Bowles has been a terrific defensive coordinator over his career, but his questionable play-call in the final seconds of the playoff loss to the Rams is fresh on the minds of many. Bowles also didn't fare well in his first opportunity as a head coach with the New York Jets.
Those concerns might be valid, but it also might be nitpicking things a little bit. Until Tom Brady proves otherwise, we should probably stop doubting him or the Buccaneers. Yahoo's Frank Schwab ranked the Buccaneers third in his preseason power rankings. The betting market seems to agree that this team is one of the most likely Super Bowl champions for the upcoming season.
Tampa Bay projected to be one of NFL's best teams
After winning 13 games last season, oddsmakers have set the preseason win total for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 11.5 wins. This win total is the highest in the league, sharing that honor with the Buffalo Bills. Somewhat surprisingly, 60% of bets and 58% of the money is backing Tampa Bay to go under 11.5 wins.
This win total is high enough where the Buccaneers could still have a good season and go under their win total. There are plenty of reasons as to why the Buccaneers could take a step back this season. Brady is 45, and if he shows his age even a bit, it could lead to a few more losses. Bowles very well could be a downgrade from Arians. The offensive line struggling could cost them a game. Chris Godwin might miss the start of the year.
However, any step backwards isn't likely to keep them out of the playoffs. The Buccaneers are -600 favorites to make the playoffs, odds that suggest they make it almost 86% of the time. Those are the best odds to make the playoffs of any team in the NFL, ahead of Buffalo (-550) and Green Bay (-450). Since 2003, Tom Brady has made the playoffs in every season except 2008 where he tore his ACL in Week 1.
Tampa Bay's most likely path to making the playoffs would be to win its division. The Buccaneers are -275 favorites to win the NFC South, making them the biggest favorite to win their division in football. The Buffalo Bills are -225 to win the AFC East, making them the second-largest favorite. The Buccaneers are -10000 favorites to finish in the top two of the division, meaning you'd need to bet $100 to win a dollar.
The New Orleans Saints are the most popular bet to win the division from a number of bets perspective, but 58% of the money is backing Tampa Bay to win it. The Buccaneers and Saints to finish top two in the division has -225 odds, making that the overwhelmingly most likely outcome. Tampa Bay is +225 to win all six divisional games, but before making that bet, realize that Tom Brady is 0-4 against the Saints in the regular season as a member of Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers are +550 to finish the NFL regular season with the most wins. Those odds are second-best behind the Buffalo Bills. Tampa Bay finished last season with 13 wins, tied for the most with the Green Bay Packers. Tampa Bay is +800 to lead the league in points scored during the regular season after finishing second behind Dallas last season. Those odds are tied for second best with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Once again, the Bills have the best odds.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers are expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Can Tom Brady win his eighth ring?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the season with +750 odds to win the Super Bowl in 2022. Those are the second-best odds in football. The Bills are the current Super Bowl favorites at +600. The Buccaneers are currently the third-most popular Super Bowl bet at BetMGM. Only the Bills and Denver Broncos have received more love from the betting market. Tom Brady winning a ring is always an appealing bet.
The Buccaneers are the current betting favorites to win the NFC and represent the conference in the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay has +325 odds to win the NFC. The Los Angeles Rams have the second-best odds at +425. Of course, those are the last two teams to win the conference (and Super Bowl).
The Buccaneers are also the betting favorites to enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Tampa Bay is +300 to earn the first-round bye. Dallas and Green Bay have the second-best odds at +500.
Buccaneers player props and awards
What does the betting market think of some of Tampa Bay's key players?
Tom Brady has won NFL MVP three times in his brilliant career, with his most recent triumph coming in 2017. It looked like he was going to add a fourth MVP to his trophy case last season, but Aaron Rodgers overtook him in the final few weeks of the season. Brady enters the 2022 season with +800 odds to win the MVP. Those odds are tied for second best with Patrick Mahomes, trailing only Josh Allen atop the odds leaderboard. Brady is the third-most popular bet to win the award, with only Allen and Russell Wilson getting more love from bettors.
Brady enters the season with +850 odds to lead the league in passing yards. Those odds are tied with Matthew Stafford for third best, trailing only Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes. Brady is +550 to lead the league in passing touchdowns, making him the co-favorite alongside Herbert. Brady led the league in both categories last season, finishing with over 300 more passing yards than Herbert, who finished second.
Brady posted 5,316 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. Oddsmakers are expecting a bit of a step back from those ridiculous numbers. Brady's season-long props for the upcoming season are set at 4549.5 passing yards, 35.5 passing touchdowns and 11.5 interceptions.
Mike Evans enters the 2022 NFL season as the betting favorite to lead the league in touchdown receptions. Evans is +700 to accomplish that feat. Cooper Kupp has the second-best odds at +750. Evans finished second behind Kupp last season. Evans is 20-to-1 to lead the NFL in receiving yards. Those odds are ninth best, just behind Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Evans finished 23rd in yards last season, but it looks like fellow receiver Chris Godwin might miss some time to start the season. Evans is 30-to-1 to lead the NFL in receptions after finishing tied for 29th last season. At 30-to-1, Evans has the same odds as D.J. Moore, Terry McLaurin and Juju Smith-Schuster.
After finishing last season with 74 receptions, 1035 yards and 14 touchdowns, oddsmakers are expecting a similar season from Evans in 2022. His season-long over/unders are set at 72.5 receptions, 1024.5 receiving yards and 10.5 scores. Evans has gone over 1000 receiving yards in all eight of his NFL seasons, but three of the last five years have been close calls, finishing with 1035 yards or less.
Other Buccaneers players
Leonard Fournette is 30-to-1 to lead the NFL in rushing yards and 18-to-1 to lead the league in rushing scores. He finished 19th and 10th in the two categories last season.
Chris Godwin is 30-to-1 to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year, tying him for the 13th-best odds with J.K. Dobbins. Fellow receiver and newly signed Julio Jones is 50-to-1 to win the award.
Shaquil Barrett is 20-to-1 to lead the league in sacks this upcoming season. Those odds are tied for 11th best with Micah Parsons and Cameron Jordan. Barrett's over/under for sacks this season is set at 10.5. He finished last year with 10 sacks, which was 15th best in the league.
Rookie running back Rachaad White is 40-to-1 to win offensive rookie of the year as he's expected to work behind Fournette in the rushing attack.
Todd Bowles is 30-to-1 to win NFL Coach of the Year. Those odds are 20th best, tied with five other coaches including Sean McVay and Kliff Kingsbury.
Buccaneers open with a test in Week 1
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers open their season on "Sunday Night Football" with one of the marquee games of Week 1. The Buccaneers head to Dallas, where Tampa Bay is currently a two-point road favorite against the Cowboys. The Buccaneers are -130 favorites on the moneyline.
These two teams met to open the season last year, with the Buccaneers pulling out a 31-29 win at home, but failing to cover the 8.5-point spread. This year, the venue is different and oddsmakers are projecting a tight game. I have a hard time going against Tom Brady in basically a pick'em spot here.
The total for the game is set at 52 points. That's the second-highest total for Week 1 behind only the Chiefs-Cardinals matchup. It's safe to expect offensive fireworks in this one. | 2022-08-09T19:45:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL futures, odds: With Tom Brady back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among Super Bowl favorites | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-futures-odds-with-tom-brady-back-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers-are-among-the-super-bowl-favorites-182426111.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-futures-odds-with-tom-brady-back-the-tampa-bay-buccaneers-are-among-the-super-bowl-favorites-182426111.html?src=rss |
As the Carolina Panthers look for their next starting quarterback, their fans might be excused for having a rather low bar when it comes to the qualification for the player who will take the snaps Week 1.
Ben McAdoo, their offensive coordinator, might be of a similar mind.
When meeting with the media following practice on Tuesday, McAdoo provided an update on the battle between Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield and added a rather colorful analogy:
As long as we don’t resort to cannibalism, I think we have a chance to get out of this pretty good. They’re both going to be better players after we come out of camp and playing really good football. We’re just going to let it play itself out. I think the worst thing you can do is rush to a decision. Just have some patience.
McAdoo also talked about how the two quarterbacks are splitting reps in practice, as the coaching staff wants the battle between the pair of former first-round picks to be both “fair” and “just.”
“Up until this point, when you walked in the room, you didn’t know if it was going to be a cold, dark room or what kind of room is going to be,” the offensive coordinator stated. “But it’s certainly not. It’s a room where these guys are open, and they have conversations and help each other out. They encourage each other. It has been really good to see. They’ve been pros. That’s what you want.”
Earlier this week, it was reported that the job was Mayfield’s “to lose.” According to some who cover the team, such as John Ellis of Fox Sports Upstate, Mayfield has been on point during camp:
All the things people are raving about regarding Baker Mayfield (true facts) are the same things I’ve been showing you on tape, and feeding you from practice updates for a week. He was very good today, but he’s been on point since he got here.
No colorful analogies needed there. | 2022-08-09T19:46:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers OC Ben McAdoo provides interesting update on QB battle | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-provides-192217603.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-provides-192217603.html?src=rss |
After standout linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade from the Chicago Bears, new general manager Ryan Poles made sure that his thoughts on the player, and the situation, were made clear.
As it stands, Poles wants to make sure that Smith is a member of the Chicago defense:
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1557063378144821253?s=20&t=qHtErQ9gO_i89sTB-mNj2g
Smith has been “holding in” at Bears camp, as he looks for a new contract from the team. The linebacker is in the final year of his rookie season, with the Bears having exercised the fifth year of his deal. In the above statement released by the linebacker, Smith references the long list of standout defenders in Chicago history. “Walking these hallways the past four years, you can feel the spirit, you feel the pressure to live up to that timeless history, that great legacy. I dreamed of playing like Wilbur Marshall, Singletary, Briggs, Urlacher, Butkus!”
Over his four years in Chicago, Smith has tallied 524 total tackles, along with 14 sacks and five interceptions. He started every game for the Bears the past two seasons, and last year set a career-high mark with 163 total tackles. And, not that it likely matters much, but Smith was named one of the league’s top off-ball linebackers in a survey of league executives, coaches, and players. He also was well inside Touchdown Wire’s list of the top linebackers in the NFL today. | 2022-08-09T19:46:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ryan Poles: “My intentions are to make sure Roquan is on this team” | https://sports.yahoo.com/ryan-poles-intentions-sure-roquan-180409360.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ryan-poles-intentions-sure-roquan-180409360.html?src=rss |
Timing is everything. Just ask Lincoln Riley about choosing this moment in history, this point in time, to change his life by leaving Oklahoma and joining USC.
Timing is so essential to the success of the USC Trojans on the football field this fall. There’s zero doubt that the Trojans will be a better team in November than they are now. There will be a lot of growth and improvement. Players are going to learn a lot from Riley. In 2023, USC should have a lot of seasoned players who are familiar with Riley’s system. The Trojans are definitely going to be a headache for their Pac-12 opponents next year.
This year, it’s still likely that USC will cause problems for Pac-12 foes, but there is this small shred of doubt which exists. It is connected to concerns about the ability of the defense to be good enough to keep USC in games.
What is the timetable for the USC defense this year? It isn’t going to be great, but it needs to attain a certain degree of basic competence by a certain point in time in order for the Trojans to reach their goals.
When does USC’s defense truly have to evolve? When do the Trojans have to get more from their defense? We discussed this with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.
Our weekly USC live show with Mark is on Tuesdays just after 1 p.m. in Los Angeles. | 2022-08-09T19:47:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | The USC timeline: How quickly this defense will need to evolve | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-timeline-quickly-defense-evolve-185936932.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-timeline-quickly-defense-evolve-185936932.html?src=rss |
As practice wrapped up, quarterbacks tend to do little throwing challenges with trash cans and the crossbar. From the 20-yard line (30 yards to the crossbar), Mahomes threw a behind-the-back pass and nailed the crossbar right in the center. It was just about as accurate as you’d expect him to be throwing normally.
That wasn’t the only pass he attempted, though. Mahomes also threw a left-handed pass from the 20-yard-line and reproduced the same results. He nailed the crossbar perfectly in the center and the crowd cheered for their quarterback.
An underrated storyline of training camp so far has been just how accurate Mahomes has been throwing normally. Apparently, it remains the case even with these wildly unorthodox throws. We’ll see if he can actually hit one of the behind-the-back throws in a regular season or preseason game, but we’ve already seen him do a couple of successful left-handed passes. | 2022-08-09T19:47:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes hits crossbar with left-handed and behind-the-back passes | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-185805305.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-185805305.html?src=rss |
Jackie Bradley Jr. is joining the Blue Jays, giving Toronto another left-handed-hitting outfielder. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays are adding an old American League East rival to their outfield mix, agreeing to terms on a contract with Jackie Bradley Jr., according to multiple reports. Bradley was released by the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 4.
The 32-year-old is having a rough season at the plate, slashing just .210/.257/.321 with three home runs in 91 games. He was an All-Star in 2016 and was named MVP of the ALCS in 2018 en route to Boston's World Series title that year.
The last-place Red Sox opted to move on from Bradley to give more of an opportunity to young outfielder Jarren Duran.
Bradley was a crucial member of the Red Sox during his prime, spending the first eight years of his career in Boston before signing a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2021 campaign. The Red Sox re-acquired him last offseason in exchange for Hunter Renfroe.
Toronto was reportedly linked to Bradley last winter, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reporting the Blue Jays and Brewers discussed a Bradley-Randal Grichuk swap. Grichuk ended up being traded to the Colorado Rockies in the deal that sent Raimel Tapia north of the border.
Bradley gives the Blue Jays another left-handed bat in the outfield, to go along with Tapia and Bradley Zimmer. His speed isn't what it used to be, but Bradley is still a strong defender and baserunner, which gives interim manager John Schneider another option late in games as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner.
The move can also be viewed as additional insurance for centre fielder George Springer, who was placed on the injured list over the weekend due to elbow inflammation. Trade deadline acquisition Whit Merrifield has primarily shouldered the centre-field duties in Springer's absence.
RHOP star Dr. Wendy Osefo co-hosts Good Day DC!
Real Housewives of Potomac star Dr. Wendy Osefo joins Good Day DC to co-host! | 2022-08-09T19:52:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | Blue Jays signing veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. | https://sports.yahoo.com/blue-jays-signing-veteran-outfielder-jackie-bradley-jr-185608621.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/blue-jays-signing-veteran-outfielder-jackie-bradley-jr-185608621.html?src=rss |
Lynch retired from the NFL — again — following the 2019 season with the Seahawks. It was his third retirement since 2015: Lynch initially called it quits in 2016, only to return to the NFL with the Oakland Raiders for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, retired again and then signed with the Seahawks before the 2019 season. After 13 seasons, Lynch sits 29th on the NFL's all-time rushing leaderboard with 10,413 rushing yards.
Since leaving the league, Lynch has joined a few ownership groups. He is a minority owner of the NHL's Seattle Kraken and a part owner of the Oakland Roots Sports Club of the USL Championship, which is the second division of U.S. men's soccer.
He was also reportedly being considered for Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" broadcast and was slated to serve as "a special correspondent" for the Seahawks' preseason games this summer.
This is, unfortunately, not Lynch's first vehicle-related arrest. Lynch's license was revoked in 2008 after an alleged hit-and-run accident in Buffalo when he was still a member of the Bills. He was also arrested for DUI in 2012 in California and pleaded guilty to reckless driving in 2014. | 2022-08-09T19:52:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Seahawks, Raiders and Bills RB Marshawn Lynch arrested for DUI in Las Vegas | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-seahawks-raiders-and-bills-rb-marshawn-lynch-arrested-for-dui-in-las-vegas-192216585.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-seahawks-raiders-and-bills-rb-marshawn-lynch-arrested-for-dui-in-las-vegas-192216585.html?src=rss |
In a meeting with Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai, superstar Kevin Durant gave his organization an ultimatum: find a trade or fire embattled head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.
Details of the meeting were reported on Monday, and set off a firestorm of social media activity across the NBA world. In a tweet, Tsai indicated that he’s standing behind his staff, writing that the front office and coaching staff “will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
Should the Nets cave to Durant’s demands? According to ESPN’s Jay Williams, Tsai should stand firm and “call KD’s bluff,” hoping to find some middle ground with his superstar player.
“Just because you make an ultimatum doesn’t mean that I need to abide by it…. If I were Joe Tsai, in my opinion, I would call KD’s bluff. Because at the end of the day, I think KD loves the game of basketball, and I’m curious to see to what extent KD is willing to go to in order to not be on this basketball team. I might find middle ground with Steve Nash, to a degree, I might say ‘hey, let’s find a way to talk this out. Who are the better, other candidates you can bring to the table for Steve Nash?'” | 2022-08-09T19:52:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jay Williams explains how Joe Tsai should respond to Kevin Durant | https://sports.yahoo.com/jay-williams-explains-joe-tsai-180842496.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jay-williams-explains-joe-tsai-180842496.html?src=rss |
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 9, 2022) — Sam Mayer will return to JR Motorsports and race full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023, the team announced Tuesday. The 19-year-old will again pilot the No. 1 Chevrolet in his third consecutive season with JRM.
Mayer, who ran a part-time schedule in 2021, is currently 21 races into his first full-time season with the organization. Ninth in the championship standings with only five races remaining before the playoff cutoff, he’s squarely in the hunt on the strength of eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, including a string of seven top-five efforts in eight races earlier this year.
MORE: Xfinity points standings | Richmond schedule
“It’s a good feeling to get this squared away,” said Mayer, a native of Franklin, Wisconsin. “Now we can focus on locking ourselves into the playoffs and getting that first Xfinity win. JR Motorsports has been a great place for me all the way back to my late model days. We’re expecting big things for this No. 1 team for the remainder of this year and beyond.” | 2022-08-09T20:27:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Sam Mayer to return to JR Motorsports, No. 1 Chevrolet in 2023 | https://sports.yahoo.com/sam-mayer-return-jr-motorsports-101259534.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/sam-mayer-return-jr-motorsports-101259534.html?src=rss |
Another DC Comics property has gotten the ax at HBO Max. Strange Adventures, an anthology series from executive producer Greg Berlanti that was to feature some lesser-known characters from the DC universe, isn’t moving forward at the streamer, HBO Max confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, who was set to direct and co-write […] | 2022-08-09T21:23:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears WR David Moore injured at practice, carted off field. | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-wr-david-moore-injured-193519034.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-wr-david-moore-injured-193519034.html?src=rss |
“As long as we don’t resort to cannibalism, I think we have a chance to get out of this pretty good,” McAdoo said, via Augusta Stone of the team’s website. “They’re both going to be better players after we come out of camp and playing really good football. We’re just going to let it play itself out. I think the worst thing you can do is rush to a decision. Just have some patience.”
Ben McAdoo on QBs: We can get out of this pretty good if we don’t resort to cannibalism originally appeared on Pro Football Talk | 2022-08-09T21:28:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ben McAdoo on QBs: We can get out of this pretty good if we don’t resort to cannibalism | https://sports.yahoo.com/ben-mcadoo-qbs-pretty-good-194141089.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ben-mcadoo-qbs-pretty-good-194141089.html?src=rss |
The Kansas City Chiefs have signed a player who will help them in the defensive trenches.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have agreed to terms with veteran DT Danny Shelton on a one-year deal. The No. 12 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft, Shelton was traded to the New England Patriots in 2018. He spent two seasons there before landing with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and the New York Giants in 2021.
A run-stuffing DT by nature, Shelton (6-2, 340 pounds) has appeared in 100 career NFL regular season games with 72 career starts. The 28-year-old appeared in 13 games with the Giants last season, recording 31 total tackles, a tackle for loss and a half-sack on the year. His last start came in 2021 with the Lions, but he has plenty of experience at the position.
The Chiefs continue to beef up their defensive line later in the free agency period after adding Carlos Dunlap just recently. The addition of Shelton will provide some much-needed depth on the interior with Taylor Stallworth dealing with a knee injury. They also have quite a few developmental players on the interior defensive line lower down the depth chart.
The team will need to make room on the 90-man offseason roster, so expect a corresponding move coming soon. | 2022-08-09T21:28:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs to sign free agent DT Danny Shelton on one-year deal | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-sign-free-agent-dt-201046073.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-sign-free-agent-dt-201046073.html?src=rss |
As the Cowboys prepare to head to Denver for a joint practice and preseason contest with the Broncos, word comes down from the organization that they’ll be without one of their coaches.
Joe Whitt Jr., the team’s secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator, is “addressing a private health matter,” as per the Cowboys in a Tuesday statement. “He has been absent from practice but he has been participating in meetings with coaches and players,” the official statement continued.
He will not make the trip to Denver.
Whitt is in his second year on the job in Dallas, having moved from Atlanta, where he served in the same capacity for Dan Quinn in 2020. He’s a veteran assistant coach who has previously spent time with the Falcons, Packers, and Browns in a long coaching career.
Mike McCarthy on his Cowboys def. pass game coordinator: “Joe Whitt is coordinator-ready. That’s not an if. It’s just a when. …Excellent, excellent football coach, teacher. I love the way he not only coaches in the classroom, but Joe is really good on his feet and on field.”
Whitt interviewed for the defensive coordinator job with several teams this past offseason and is thought to be a rising star in the league’s coaching ranks.
Drake Maye is battling for the starting quarterback job at North Carolina but he's a player to keep an eye on this season. | 2022-08-09T21:28:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. taking personal leave, will miss Denver trip | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-secondary-coach-joe-whitt-201917841.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-secondary-coach-joe-whitt-201917841.html?src=rss |
Palm Beach Post reveals the top 25 Miami Dolphin players for 2022 as ranked by our reporters using this criterion: Who's the better player right now?
Andrew Brisbo, who became the head of the new state agency in 2019, will transition to a new leadership role at LARA later next month. | 2022-08-09T21:29:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former DB Jason McCourty believes Patriots have plan, even without true offensive coordinator | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-db-jason-mccourty-believes-202420756.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-db-jason-mccourty-believes-202420756.html?src=rss |
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be running it back with quarterback EJ Perry. The team announced that they re-signed the undrafted rookie quarterback on Tuesday afternoon after they cut him before training camp due to a hamstring injury.
Perry’s agent, Sean Stellato, initially reported that the move had been made, then the team broke the news afterward. The team also announced that they released Kyle Sloter to make room for Perry.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed QB E.J. Perry , the club announced today. Additionally, the team has released QB Kyle Sloter.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) August 9, 2022
With Perry now healthy, the Jags decided to re-sign him after he spent organized team activities with them and gradually improved in the process.
As for Sloter, he played for the whole second half of the Hall of Fame Game, and while he did register the Jags’ only passing touchdown of the night, it wasn’t enough to keep the Jags from wanting to reunite with Perry. Sloter ultimately finished the night 13-of-25 for 127 passing yards.
Perry started his college career at Boston College, but eventually ended up at Brown University. In 2019 he became the Ivy League Player of the Year, which earned him the Bushnell Cup Award. As a senior, he was 295-of-444 (64.4%) and threw for 3,033 yards while adding 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. That earned him an invite to the East-West Shrine Game where NFL scouts got a better look at him before he entered the draft.
"I Dreamed of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden attended Christman Con where she spoke about her time working with Elvis Presley and "I Love Lucy" comedy queen Lucille Ball. | 2022-08-09T21:29:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jags bring back QB EJ Perry, release Kyle Sloter | https://sports.yahoo.com/jags-bring-back-qb-ej-194210500.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jags-bring-back-qb-ej-194210500.html?src=rss |
The Detroit Lions will kick off their preseason slate this Friday against the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, they will do so without some key defensive members, Levi Onwuzurike and Julian Okwara, as they continue to miss practice.
Onwuzurike has not practiced for nearly two weeks after getting caught in a pile-up that looks to have aggravated the back/hip. The same problem area he dealt with during training camp kept him out for a significant amount of time and continued to linger throughout last season.
“We just got to get it calmed down,” Campbell said. “The kid’s in a good place, and he’s getting back from it; he’s put in a lot of good work and so get him calmed down and get him right, get him realigned, and I think he’ll be fine.”
After being drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft, Onwuzurike has been looked at as a key player for a defensive line that saw major upgrades this season after the drafting of Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal. Unfortunately, with the injury setting him back again, he continues to miss out on valuable reps to get him fully ready for the upcoming season. Still, the coaches believe he is progressing despite not being on the field.
“Certainly, all the reps he can get is good for him,” Campbell said. “He needs ‘em. He needs all of them, just like all these young players do. But at the same token, he’s doing all he can do, and we’re doing all we can do to help him get back out there. He’s getting better every day, he’s progressing. We’ll just take it as it comes.”
With Onwuzurike dealing with the injury, players who might’ve been considered to be on the bubble have taken advantage of the extra reps they might not have gotten and are making some roster noise in the process, in particular, Demetrius Taylor. He continues to impress the coaches, and it will be interesting to see how he progresses throughout training camp and preseason.
As for Julian Okwara, he has missed his fourth straight practice with an undisclosed injury, and with his injury history, it is something not to overlook. However, while Okwara is hampering, a player that is looking quite impressive on the field is Austin Bryant, who has vastly improved and looks to cement his roster spot.
Even though each player has had their share of injury problems, Coach Campbell put minds at ease downgrading the severity of the injuries as the players should be ready for Week 1.
“Both of them have, I would say it’s not serious but yet it’s enough to where I can’t tell you, is it going to be a week? Two weeks?” Campbell said. “But it’s not a serious long-term issue, either one of those guys.”
Beyoncé is dominating the top of the U.S. music charts this week. The 28-time Grammy Award winner’s new album “Renaissance” has debuted in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. “Break My Soul,” the first single from the eagerly anticipated opus, has also ascended to the top spot of the Hot 100. The 16-track project has landed at the top of the charts for the week dated Aug. 13. Following ... | 2022-08-09T21:29:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lions Levi Onwuzurike and Julian Okwara miss practice again, should be ready for Week 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-levi-onwuzurike-julian-okwara-193803458.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-levi-onwuzurike-julian-okwara-193803458.html?src=rss |
The Tennessee Titans announced four roster moves on Tuesday, all of which involved defensive backs.
The team announced it has signed safeties Adrian Colbert and Elijah Benton, while also waiving defensive backs Michael Griffin II and Kenneth George. Griffin was waived with an injury designation.
After being drafted in the seventh round in 2017, Colbert has appeared in 39 games (22 starts) over five seasons, playing snaps with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.
Benton went undrafted out of Liberty and has played in just one NFL game in his career, which came in 2020 with the Browns. He has also spent time on the practice squads of the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Jets.
Griffin was signed by Tennessee shortly after the 2022 NFL draft, while George, a former Volunteer, was inked in May.
We may get our first look at Benton and Colbert when Tennessee travels to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in their preseason opener on Thursday.
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden signed Senate-approved protocols for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, as expansion of the military alliance awaits the required approval of all existing members.Most Read from BloombergTrump Under Intense Legal Scrutiny After FBI Searches Mar-a-LagoTrump Search Was Unprecedented, But Records Case Will Be ToughUK Plans for Blackouts in January in Emergency Energy PlanSan Francisco ‘Froth is Gone’ as Wealth Fades, Housing SlumpsChina Seizes on Pelosi Visit to Set | 2022-08-09T21:30:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Titans agree to terms with 2 DBs among 4 roster moves | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-agree-terms-2-dbs-201402277.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-agree-terms-2-dbs-201402277.html?src=rss |
How to watch 49ers vs. Packers: Live stream, TV channel, start time originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The San Francisco 49ers are opening up their 2022 NFL preseason with a bout against the Green Bay Packers.
While it may be just an exhibition game, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers may be looking for a bit of revenge after being stunned by the Niners in the divisional round last season.
San Francisco has yet to part ways with Jimmy Garoppolo, leaving the 49ers to move forward with Trey Lance.
Lance was officially named as the starter for this season and will be playing in the first preseason start of his career and fans are excited, to say the least.
While the second-year quarterback has had a difficult time during this year’s training camp, he'll get a chance to sharpen his tools against the Packers Friday night.
Here’s all the info you need to know ahead of the Niners’ preseason debut:
What time do the 49ers play the Packers?
The matchup kicks off from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 12, at 5:30 p.m. PT.
The 49ers-Packers game will air live on the NFL Network.
You can also tune to NBC Sports Bay Area's coverage in the MyTeams app.
How to stream 49ers vs. Packers live online
How to listen to 49ers vs. Packers on the radio
Station: KGO (810-AM), The Bone (KSAN 107.7 FM) and the 49ers Radio Network
Are the 49ers favorites against the Packers?
The 49ers are listed as 3-point favorites for their preseason game against the Packers, according to our partner, PointsBet.
What is the weather forecast for 49ers vs. Packers?
Friday’s forecast for the Niners game is expected to be filled with partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. It will drop to cooler temperatures by Friday night, with a low temperature of 58 degrees.
FSU held its 11th practice of the 2022 preseason under very hot and humid conditions on Tuesday morning. | 2022-08-09T21:30:45Z | sports.yahoo.com | How to watch 49ers vs. Packers: Live stream, TV channel, start time | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-49ers-vs-packers-live-200000416.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-49ers-vs-packers-live-200000416.html?src=rss |
The Eagles have avoided appearing on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ series, but a familiar name for the franchise will be making his debut.
The Detroit Lions were tabbed for the training camp portion of the hit series, and former Philadelphia 2nd round pick, Duce Staley, is the star of episode 1.
Staley, Detroit’s assistant head coach/running backs coach, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, have spirited trash-talking sessions back and forth that head coach Dan Campbell openly welcomes.
The five-episode season debuts tonight, Tuesday, August 9 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET), with additional hour-long episodes debuting on subsequent Tuesdays simultaneously, culminating in the September 6 season finale.
Detroit will host Philadelphia on Sunday, September 11, in the season opener for both teams. | 2022-08-09T21:30:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Watch: Former Eagles’ RB coach Duce Staley featured in debut of Hard Knocks | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-eagles-rb-coach-201609369.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-former-eagles-rb-coach-201609369.html?src=rss |
If the Big Ten is going to lose a working relationship with ESPN, it better hope it has support to fall back on. Fortunately, it appears the Big Ten has quite a safety net to fall into after ESPN reportedly opted to back out of the media rights negotiations game.
What once may have felt inconceivable has apparently become a reality. According to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal, via Twitter, ESPN has taken its name out of the Big Ten media rights negotiations. By doing so, the Big Ten will be off ESPN’s air for college football and college basketball for the first time in 40 years.
As reported by Ourand, ESPN turned down a seven-year package worth $380 million per year. That now leaves the door wide open for a new contract that will bring the Big Ten to CBS and NBC, with FOX already on board. What’s more, a formal announcement could come as early as this week as details for the Big Ten’s highly-anticipated new media rights deal settle in.
It is believed CBS will feature a Big Ten game in the 3:30 p.m. ET timeslot currently used to feature the SEC Game of the Week. But with the SEC contract moving to ESPN, CBS could replace the SEC with the Big Ten in the same high-profile slot.
NBC is expected to get primetime with the Big Ten and some exclusive rights for streaming its Peacock streaming platform. All games airing on NBC will also be streamed on Peacock as well, it is safe to assume.
So, how much is at stake?
According to a report from New York Post, CBS is set to pay $350 million per year for its part of the contract. And NBC, according to Sports Business Journal, will pay another $350 million per year for its portion.
That’s a cool $700 million per year on top of whatever FOX will be paying for its rights in the noon timeslot, as well as additional airtime on FS1 and its partnership with the Big Ten Network.
And we haven’t even talked about the competition for the streaming package options. Apple and Amazon are discussing streaming rights with the Big Ten, and the competition has spiked since the news that USC and UCLA will be joining the Big Ten in 2024 as Apple came back to the table as a potential suitor.
There could still be a lot to unpack with this new media rights deal, and the negotiations could still involve ESPN before the ink dries on the new contracts. But regardless of where this all goes from here, the Big Ten is going to be swimming in an ocean of cash. | 2022-08-09T22:54:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | ESPN reportedly walks away from Big Ten as conference nears massive new rights deal | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-reportedly-walks-away-big-223505152.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-reportedly-walks-away-big-223505152.html?src=rss |
If the Dallas Wings want to win a playoff series for the first time since they moved to Texas, they'll have to do it without Arike Ogunbowale.
The Wings All-Star guard will miss the rest of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs after undergoing iliac crescent core muscle aversion repair, basically a surgery on the core muscles around her hip, the team announced on Tuesday.
Ogunbowale last played on Saturday, when she exited a game against the Indiana Fever with what the Wings called a hip injury.
The development is a brutal blow for the Wings, who celebrated their playoff clinching just a day earlier on Thursday with a win over the New York Liberty. Ogunbowale, a two-time All-Star, averaged team highs in points (19.7) and assists (3.6) per game while shooting 40 percent from the field.
Ogunbowale had already been dealing with an ankle injury that caused her to miss team games at the start of August, though the Wings have at least managed to stay afloat without her. The team is on a five-game winning streak, despite missing Ogunbowale for three of those games and part of a fourth.
The Wings currently sit at sixth in the WNBA with a 17-16 record. If the playoffs started today, they would face the third-ranked Connecticut Sun in the first round.
The Wings will be missing their All-Star to open the WNBA playoffs. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The former New York basketball star's education center teaches young children skills from computer coding to robotics to chess, CBS2's Astrid Martinez reports.
Tyson Fury's unretirement raises stakes of Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua 2
If Joshua is able to avenge his loss to Usyk, a Fury-Joshua fight for supremacy at heavyweight would likely turn out to be the second-richest fight in boxing history in terms of gross revenue generated.
Coinbase (ticker: COIN) after the close on Tuesday reported a second-quarter loss of $4.98 per share, compared with the $2.47 loss expected by analysts, according to FactSet. The trading platform reported revenue of $808 million, below analysts’ average estimate of $874 million. Coinbase stock fell more than 4.7% in after hours following a 10.6% plunge during the trading day. | 2022-08-09T22:55:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Wings All-Star Arike Ogunbowale out for regular season, 1st round of playoffs after hip surgery | https://sports.yahoo.com/wings-all-star-arike-ogunbowale-out-for-rest-of-regular-season-after-pelvis-surgery-213753765.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/wings-all-star-arike-ogunbowale-out-for-rest-of-regular-season-after-pelvis-surgery-213753765.html?src=rss |
In his first comments to the media after the NFL’s decision to appeal the proposed six-game suspension for quarterback Deshaun Watson, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell outlined why the league is still seeking a one-year suspension, calling Watson’s behavior “egregious” and “predatory.”
Goodell’s comments came as NFL owners were meeting to ratify the sale of the Denver Broncos to the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group. Commissioner Goodell stated that the league is seeking the one-year suspension on the basis that “there were multiple violations here, and they were egregious and it was predatory behavior:”
Commissioner Goodell also noted that retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson was “very clear about the evidence,” and also noted that the league views Watson’s situation as four distinct violations of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.
When the NFL appealed the decision from Judge Robinson to Commissioner Goodell, he designed former New Jersey Attorney Peter C. Harvey to decide the matter. | 2022-08-09T23:09:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | Commissioner Roger Goodell calls Deshaun Watson’s behavior “predatory” | https://sports.yahoo.com/commissioner-roger-goodell-calls-deshaun-215951380.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/commissioner-roger-goodell-calls-deshaun-215951380.html?src=rss |
After earning first-team All-USFL honors as a member of the New Orleans Breakers, former Vikings quarterback Kyle Sloter found a new home with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This past Thursday, Sloter played with his new team in the Hall of Fame Game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Playing the entire second half, Sloter had some success, completing 13-of-25 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in a 27-11 loss.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long as the Jaguars moved on from the signal-caller on Tuesday afternoon in favor of the rookie quarterback from Brown, E.J. Perry.
We have signed QB E.J. Perry and released QB Kyle Sloter.https://t.co/L9HWpVYt3e
With Sloter having been released from his seventh team in as many years, he is back on the market looking for his next opportunity.
Ben Johnson still has the trophy earned in the early 1990s. It came from the Clyde Turner Basketball Education Development camp that was an annual summer event in south Minneapolis. "I was named as the 'outstanding shooter' in Clyde's camp,'' Johnson said Tuesday. "My jumper must've been falling because there were some outstanding young players that week.'' Turner came from Champaign, Ill. and ... | 2022-08-09T23:09:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Vikings QB Kyle Sloter released by Jaguars | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-vikings-qb-kyle-sloter-211306878.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-vikings-qb-kyle-sloter-211306878.html?src=rss |
New England Patriots training camp is fully upon us, and the competition is heating up.
Center David Andrews and defensive tackle Christian Barmore were kicked out of practice on Tuesday after getting into a fight. The on-field skirmish occurred during an 11-on-11 practice period.
It followed a completed pass from quarterback Mac Jones to tight end Hunter Henry, per Dakota Randall of NESN.com.
Barmore was kicked out of practice, while Andrews stayed on the sideline. He then made his way onto the lower practice field.
It’s been a difficult couple of days for Andrews and the offense. The Patriots center noted that the offense struggled on Monday, with the first preseason game just two days away.
Here’s to hoping for a team effort on Thursday, when the Patriots take on the New York Giants. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
The man suspected of killing his cousin inside the Mirage hotel on the Las Vegas Strip had attempted to kill the same man nearly 20 years ago, court records said and family confirmed. | 2022-08-09T23:10:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots center David Andrews, DT Christian Barmore fight in practice | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-center-david-andrews-dt-212500820.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-center-david-andrews-dt-212500820.html?src=rss |
Add another piece of evidence to the theory that winning a Super Bowl will do wonders for your negotiations leverage.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed on Tuesday that he has signed a contract extension, per the Rams' Stu Jackson. The terms of the deal, including its length and annual salary, remain unclear, but likely number among, if not atop, the NFL's top current head coaching deals.
A deal for Rams general manager Les Snead is also reportedly in the works. Both men had two years left on their previous contracts, signed after the Rams reached Super Bowl LIII in 2019.
McVay is coming off his first Super Bowl championship after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI. In five seasons as Rams head coach, he has made the playoffs four times and never posted a losing season, compiling a 55-26 record.
Sean McVay got paid. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
When did Sean McVay sign his Rams extension?
Despite his recent success, McVay had been unusually cagey about his future with the Rams this offseason.
You would normally assume a Super Bowl-winning coach as young as the 36-year-old McVay would be a lock to return the next season, but then McVay started talking about spending more time with his family and flirting with television networks. Amazon reportedly offered McVay as much as $20 million per year to commentate on its new Thursday Night Football broadcasts, a job that eventually went to Kirk Herbstreit.
McVay was quite cryptic through the whole process, at one point dropping a "We'll see" when asked if he would be coaching the Rams again. Even at the start of training camp, McVay was fielding questions about his extension, only saying he and the Rams were in a good place.
So you can imagine an ESPN profile of McVay published Tuesday raised more than a few questions when he was mentioned as having received a raise earlier this offseason:
That last sentence makes it sound like McVay got his contract extension when he was in talks with Amazon, which was all the way back in February. That would mean McVay and the Rams have been less than truthful since then, but the end result is the same. The Rams have their coach (and likely GM) for the foreseeable future.
Rams have been handing out contracts all offseason
McVay is definitely not the first member of the Rams to get paid since that Super Bowl.
In addition to the coach, the Rams have signed quarterback Matthew Stafford to a four-year, $160 million extension, wide receiver Cooper Kupp to a three-year, $80 million extension, defensive tackle Aaron Donald (who had some retirement talk of his own) to a three-year, $95 million deal and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom to a three-year, $40 million deal.
That's in addition to deals with free agents including wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. The money is certainly flowing in Los Angeles. | 2022-08-09T23:10:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | Rams head coach Sean McVay confirms he signed contract extension | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-head-coach-sean-mc-vay-confirms-he-signed-contract-extension-223707799.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-head-coach-sean-mc-vay-confirms-he-signed-contract-extension-223707799.html?src=rss |
Fans of the Los Angeles Rams can feel confident in Sean McVay sticking around a bit longer moving forward. Following practice on Tuesday, McVay confirmed that he’s already signed an extension with the Rams this offseason.
McVay iterated that the deal was completed earlier this offseason, but the Rams want to wait to announce the details once they agree to a new extension with Les Snead.
While the specifics of McVay’s contract remain to be seen, he and Snead will likely have their contracts be somewhat tied together. McVay and Snead are entering their sixth season as a tandem, with four playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl victory in that span.
When the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl earlier this year, there were rumors that McVay could elect to transition to television instead of returning to coach in Los Angeles. Even with television being the likely career that McVay gravitates toward after his coaching career, he’ll look forward to having more success as the head coach of the Rams for years to come. | 2022-08-09T23:10:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Sean McVay confirms he signed extension with Rams | https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcvay-confirms-signed-extension-220832264.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcvay-confirms-signed-extension-220832264.html?src=rss |
US teen star Coco Gauff, inspired to play tennis by Serena Williams, said Tuesday she was shocked to hear about the impending retirement plans of the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Tennis legend Serena Williams announces she's retiring after U.S. Open
Serena Williams announced on Tuesday that she will be stepping away from professional tennis.
Alex de Minaur of Australia beat Denis Shapovalov of Canada in a first-round match at the at the National Bank Open.
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, said she plans to retire from tennis after the 2022 U.S. Open, which begins later this month. | 2022-08-10T00:26:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | How does Serena Williams compare to other tennis greats? | https://sports.yahoo.com/does-serena-williams-compare-other-210000119.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/does-serena-williams-compare-other-210000119.html?src=rss |
U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman heard arguments from attorneys representing both the PGA Tour and a consortium of eleven LIV-affiliated players on Tuesday afternoon. Three LIV players — Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones — were seeking a temporary restraining order that would permit them to compete in this week's tournament, the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
However, after a two-hour hearing, Judge Freeman ruled that the players had not proven that they would suffer "irreparable harm" if they were not permitted to play. She also indicated that the players were fully aware of the potential consequences of joining LIV when they did earlier this summer, and that they had earned a substantial amount of purse revenue as a result of their decision to play on the LIV tour. Accordingly, the LIV players will not be in the field this week or the rest of the PGA Tour playoffs.
The players' temporary restraining order was only one part of a much larger lawsuit that the LIV players, led by Phil Mickelson, have brought against the Tour on antitrust grounds. That suit charges that the PGA Tour has engaged in anticompetitive behavior and coerced other entities in the golf world — the four majors, various vendors, courses — to shun LIV and its players. The Tour has responded that it is protecting the interests of its members — the players — by keeping walls high against players from competing tours seeking to, in the Tour's oft-repeated words, "have their cake and eat it too."
While Tuesday's hearing focused primarily on the narrow issue of the three players' eligibility to play in the Tour's playoffs — an event for which they'd already qualified prior to leaving for LIV — both the LIV players' attorneys and the Tour's attorneys previewed the arguments that will be at play in the coming months.
Judge Freeman seemed to take issue with the breadth of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan's power to suspend and otherwise control the destiny of players on the Tour. On the other hand, she raised significant doubts about the level of antitrust violation at work here, given how successful LIV has been in attracting and retaining some of the biggest names in the sport. Five of the 10 most popular players on Tour, according to the Tour's own metrics, have now joined forces with LIV.
Some significant revelations also surfaced during the hearing, the most significant of which concerns the way at least some LIV players are paid. According to the players' own attorney, at least some LIV players have their tournament winnings deducted from their upfront payment — which, in effect, works like an advance rather than as an actual, discrete payment. So under that arrangement, a player who hypothetically received $10 million to play for LIV would need to earn $10 million in tournament purses before earning additional money on the LIV tour. That's a significant and substantial difference from the way that PGA Tour players are paid.
The FedEx St. Jude Classic, the first of the three-event FedEx Cup playoffs, starts Thursday. The next LIV Golf event is scheduled for early September in Boston.
Hudson Swafford is one of three LIV Golf players seeking to compete in this week's FedEx Cup playoffs. (Joe Maher/LIV Golf/Getty Images) | 2022-08-10T00:26:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Judge rules LIV players can't join PGA Tour playoffs | https://sports.yahoo.com/judge-rules-three-liv-players-will-not-be-permitted-to-join-fed-ex-cup-playoffs-223247807.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/judge-rules-three-liv-players-will-not-be-permitted-to-join-fed-ex-cup-playoffs-223247807.html?src=rss |
Drew Silva
Welcome to the NBC Sports EDGE MLB Power Rankings, a weekly feature that will run every Tuesday through the end of the 2022 regular season. These rankings are not fantasy-driven in any way, though I do tend to sprinkle in fantasy-relevant nuggets here and there. Who's hot, who's not, who to watch -- that sort of thing. Send any and all complaints to me on Twitter: @drewsilv.
Please believe me when I tell you that I do not hate your team.
Holding down the No. 1 spot for yet another week, the Dodgers ran their winning streak to eight with a three-game weekend sweep of the division-rival Padres and have extended their lead on first place in the National League West to a full 16 games. They are averaging 5.3 runs per game this year and also carry the best combined team ERA in the majors at 2.87. The only team since 1913 to finish a season scoring at least five runs per game with an ERA below 3.00 was the 1942 Yankees.
Having won 11 of their last 13 games, including four of five against the Braves, the Mets are threatening to run away with the NL East crown. The last three days have served as a pitching clinic in Queens, with Max Scherzer tallying 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings on Saturday, Jacob deGrom turning in 12 strikeouts over 5 2/3 frames on Sunday, and Chris Bassitt yielding just one unearned run across eight innings on Monday. Nobody is going to want to face this team come October.
Aaron Judge hit his 44th home run and Andrew Benintendi delivered two doubles as the Yankees earned a 9-4 win in Seattle on Monday to snap a five-game losing streak. But there probably wasn't a whole lot of celebrating in the clubhouse afterward, as Matt Carpenter suffered a left foot fracture when he fouled a Logan Gilbert slider into his cleat in the top of the first inning. Given where we are on the baseball calendar, the veteran slugger could very well be done for the season.
Their bats fell quiet over the final two games of a four-game weekend set in Cleveland, but the Astros remain in comfortable position at 11 1/2 games up over the Mariners for first place in the American League West standings. Trey Mancini has already delivered three home runs with seven RBI in six games played since being acquired from the Orioles ahead of the August 2 trade deadline. He belted his first career grand slam on Friday night against the Guardians, part of a 9-3 victory.
It was a rough weekend for the Braves, who dropped four of five to the division-rival Mets and now sit a full seven games back of New York for first place in the NL East standings. Charlie Morton will try to help turn things around as he toes the slab in Tuesday's series opener at Fenway Park. The veteran right-hander worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts last Wednesday against the Phillies and boasts a 2.40 ERA over his last nine starts (56 1/3 innings) dating back to June 17.
Kevin Gausman just earned AL Player of the Week for the first time in his career after spinning 14 scoreless frames with 15 strikeouts and only one walk between his August 2 start on the road versus the Rays and his August 7 assignment at Target Field in Minnesota. Gausman has been a stabilizing force for the Blue Jays' rotation all season long, boasting an overall 2.91 ERA and 137/20 K/BB ratio in 21 starts covering 117 2/3 innings. Next up for him is a home matchup against the Guardians.
Despite adding Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Brandon Drury, and Josh Hader in the leadup to the August 2 trade deadline, the Padres suddenly find themselves on a season-worst five-game losing streak. They were swept by the Dodgers over the weekend in Los Angeles and got shut out by the visiting Giants on Monday night at Petco Park. The return of Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) can't come soon enough. He is expected to move his rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso sometime this week.
Nolan Arenado was just named NL Player of the Week after going 10-for-21 (.476) with three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, and eight runs scored in a span of six games against the Cubs and Yankees. St. Louis won all six of those games and will bring a season-best seven-game winning streak into Coors Field on Tuesday. Deadline acquisitions Jordan Montgomery and José Quintana have fit right in and the Cards are currently two games up on first place in the NL Central.
After predictably dismantling the Nationals over the weekend, the Phillies have won 10 of their last 11 games and are 12 games above the .500 mark for the first time since August 20, 2018. They are 38-19 since firing Joe Girardi at the beginning of June and installing Rob Thomson as interim manager. And they have accomplished a lot of this without Bryce Harper, who went down with a fractured left thumb on June 25. Harper is said to be aiming to return in the early part of September.
Julio Rodriguez is eligible to come off the injured list on Wednesday, but Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters Monday that the rookie outfielder is still “feeling it a little bit on the vibration” in his injured right wrist when he tries to take live batting practice. Which suggests that this IL stint will carry over into the weekend, and perhaps even through the weekend. Rodriguez, 21, is sitting on an .816 OPS with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases through his first 96 major league games.
Maybe already rethinking the Josh Hader trade, and their overall deadline approach, the Brewers have lost six of their last seven games while getting leapfrogged by the Cardinals in the two-team NL Central race. The new-look bullpen has struggled, and the lineup could still use a little more thump. Also of concern is that Freddy Peralta didn't seem quite right in his first start back from a right shoulder strain. A better showing from him Wednesday versus the Rays would ease some of the pain.
Minnesota's front office did exactly what it needed to do at the trade deadline, plugging a hole in the rotation with Tyler Mahle and shoring up the bullpen mix with the additions of Jorge Lopez and Michael Fulmer. And yet it still feels like the three-time race for the AL Central title might come down to the final week of the regular season. As of Tuesday afternoon, the first-place Twins are only one game up on the second-place Guardians and two games ahead of the third-place White Sox.
Tampa Bay won three of four this past weekend in Detroit, but there has to be at least some measure of concern that Shane McClanahan was on the mound for the lone loss. At one point the betting favorite for the 2022 AL Cy Young Award, McClanahan has allowed nine earned runs over his last 10 2/3 innings, with his season ERA rising from 1.76 to 2.24 in the span of just two outings. Justin Verlander is the current AL Cy Young frontrunner at -154. McClanahan's odds have climbed to +700.
It's mind-boggling that the Guardians opted to mostly sit out of the 2022 trade deadline given where they were -- and still are -- in the AL Central and Wild Card standings. All they really did was trade Sandy Leon to the Twins for minor league reliever Ian Hamilton, and Leon has since gone 3-for-7 with two doubles, three RBI, and two walks in three games played for Minnesota. Franmil Reyes is now on the Cubs, but that was a waiver claim. Cleveland designated him for assignment on Saturday.
Aiming to stage a second-half push with better health up and down the depth chart, the White Sox have not lost a series since the first week of July. Their lineup last Thursday against the A's was the first this year to feature Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, and Yasmani Grandal all active and starting together. Lucas Gilioto and Lance Lynn both appear sharper, and Dylan Cease has worked 13 straight starts with one or zero earned runs allowed.
With a 6-1 record so far in August, the Orioles find themselves five games above the .500 mark and just one game back of the third AL Wild Card spot. New closer Felix Bautista strutted his stuff in Monday night's 7-4 defeat of the division-rival Blue Jays, nailing down a four-out save against the heart of Toronto's order. The hard-throwing 27-year-old righty has registered a brilliant 1.72 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 63/15 K/BB ratio across his first 47 major league innings this season with Baltimore.
That shutout win over the Padres on Monday had to feel pretty good for the Giants, who declined to sell at the trade deadline last week and have begun to get a number of key offensive players off the injured list. But they are still under .500 for the season and currently sit 5 1/2 games back of the crowded hunt for the third NL Wild Card spot. They are a whopping 21 1/2 games behind the arch-rival Dodgers for first place in the National League West. The playoffs are likely out of reach.
At the very bottom of the AL East and still sinking, the Red Sox lost three of four to the Royals this weekend and are just 9-21 over their last 30 games dating back to July 4. They've fallen 4 1/2 games back of the third AL Wild Card spot and may wish they had taken a more focused and aggressive approach to the trade deadline, especially in light of Chris Sale's latest injury. A fascinating offseason awaits, with Xander Bogaerts preparing to opt out and Rafael Devers needing a long-term deal.
Easily-foreseeable offensive struggles continue to plague the Marlins, but Jesus Luzardo should offer a reason to tune in at times down the stretch. After missing nearly three months of action between mid-May and early August due to a left forearm strain, the 24-year-old southpaw yielded just one hit over seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win over the Cubs on Sunday and has worked to an overall 3.29 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 52/17 K/BB ratio in 41 innings (eight starts) when healthy this season.
Adolís Garcia was on the list of potential busts for every fantasy analyst this spring. And while he's still certainly a flawed player in some ways -- see the .287 career OBP -- Garcia has brought the thunder across the areas that matter in five-category leagues. He drove in five runs on Saturday as part of an 8-0 rout of the White Sox and is up to 70 RBI, 18 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 58 runs scored through 104 games played this season. The 29-year-old outfielder looks like a keeper.
Zac Gallen, Joe Mantiply, and Ian Kennedy combined on a three-hit shutout of the Pirates on Monday as the Diamondbacks small-balled their way to a 3-0 victory. Gallen carries an impressive 3.12 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 114/34 K/BB ratio through 118 1/3 innings (21 starts) this season, and he's gone 7-2 for a D-backs team that is 10 games under the .500 mark. The 27-year-old right-hander is on track to set a new career high for innings pitched in a season this weekend at Colorado.
With the Cardinals rolling into town for a three-game series that will get underway on Tuesday, it might be a good time to review the Rockies' return in the Nolan Arenado trade from the winter of 2021. Elehuris Montero is up and just enjoyed a nice week, but Austin Gomber has a 5.64 ERA in a swingman role, Mateo Gil holds a rough .194/.257/.358 batting line in High-A Ball, and Tony Locey and Jake Sommers are both showing ERAs above 5.20 in the lower minor leagues. Review complete.
Featuring a new hybrid changeup, Jose Suarez racked up eight strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in the Angels' 1-0 win over the Athletics on Monday night in Oakland. Suarez has now gone 18 innings without surrendering an earned run, lowering his season ERA from 5.60 to 4.02 in the process. The 24-year-old left-hander is essentially auditioning for a spot in the Opening Day rotation in 2023, and he has nailed the role thus far. He's tallied 61 strikeouts in 62 1/3 total innings on the year.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer announced Monday that Jason Heyward will not back for the 2023 season even though he is owed a $22 million salary in the final year of that eight-year, $184 million free agent contract he signed with Chicago back in December 2015. Heyward is also done for the remainder of 2022 because of a knee injury, so this chapter of his career is fully closed. He ultimately hit just .245/.323/.377 in 744 regular-season games for the Northsiders.
Playing the role of spoiler in the two-team National League Central race, the Pirates began last week's slate with a three-game sweep of the Brewers before dropping two of three to the Orioles and then falling 3-0 on Monday night against the Diamondbacks. They have three more games versus second-place Milwaukee and nine more meetings with the first-place Cardinals. José Quintana could factor into all of this. He was terrific in his debut for St. Louis last Thursday against the Cubs.
Credit where it's due, the Reds have basically played .500 ball since their historically-awful 3-22 start to the season. They took two of three from the Brewers over the weekend and are 6-1-1 across their last eight series. Justin Dunn got roughed up by the Mets in his season debut on Monday, but it's encouraging that he is healthy and back pitching at the MLB level after battling through a serious shoulder injury. Dunn was acquired from the Mariners in March as part of the Jesse Winker trade.
Miguel Cabrera casually hinted last Thursday that he was unsure what his status would be in 2023, but he came back over the top on Sunday -- probably after a chat with his agent -- and fully committed to returning to the Tigers for what is the final guaranteed year of an eight-year, $240 million deal. Cabrera has been in and out of the lineup as of late due to a balky knee and is expected to get regular days off down the stretch, but Miggy milestone watch will continue for at least one more season.
Unthinkable just a few weeks ago, maybe Bobby Witt Jr. really can make a late charge at AL Rookie of the Year. Julio Rodriguez remains on the injured list with lingering discomfort in his right wrist, and Jeremy Pena has hit just .206/.233/.373 over his last 133 plate appearances going back to the end of June. Witt, meanwhile, is batting .333 with an .855 OPS in his last 97 plate appearances and is up to 15 homers, 56 RBI, 21 steals, and 54 runs scored through his first 98 big league games.
They had a little something going toward the end of July, but the Athletics got shut out by the Angels on Monday night and have lost six of their last eight games. As of Tuesday afternoon, they have the worst combined batting average (.215) of all 30 major league teams and rank second-worst in combined team OPS (.622) -- ahead of only the Tigers. This is shaping up as a 100-loss season, after the 2021 club finished with a respectable record of 86-76. Shame on Oakland's ownership.
It's getting to the point where the Nats might have to seriously consider releasing Patrick Corbin and eating the astronomical $35.4 million salary that he is owed in 2023. The 33-year-old left-hander has failed to make it past the first inning in two of his last three starts and he holds a brutal 7.02 ERA and 1.82 WHIP through 110 1/3 total frames (21 starts) this season. He is 15-39 with a 5.89 ERA since the beginning of the 2020 campaign. Thank him for 2019 and send him on his way.
Dynasty Player Debates: Cease vs Strider
In the latest Dynasty Dispatch, Shelly Verougstraete analyzes Dylan Cease and Spencer Strider's seasons and who is the better long-term hold. (James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports)
Cincinnati Reds game vs. New York Mets to begin at 8 p.m. after weather delay
About 40 minutes before first pitch Tuesday, the Mets announced their game against the Reds at Citi Field will begin in a rain delay. | 2022-08-10T00:26:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | MLB Power Rankings: Week 18 | https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-power-rankings-week-18-164432823.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-power-rankings-week-18-164432823.html?src=rss |
On Tuesday, Serena Williams revealed in a first-person essay for Vogue magazine that she is retiring, or “evolving away from the game,” as she called it. The 40-year-old has been chasing her 24th Grand Slam title for years, ever since winning her 23rd while pregnant with her daughter Olympia at the 2017 Australian Open. She'll play her last tournament later this month at the U.S. Open.
Serena Williams announced she'll play the final tournament of her tennis career at the U.S. Open, which begins later this month. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
They faced resistance nearly every step of the way, from opponents, from media, from some fans. The beads on their braids were too much. Richard Williams was too brash. Their fashion choices weren’t proper. Serena in particular was too muscular, too powerful, too loud, too unapologetic, too ... everything. There was the alleged rivalry between Serena and lithe, blonde Russian Maria Sharapova, an utter farce of an idea given Sharapova was never Serena’s peer as a player, only as a pitchwoman.
Allogene Therapeutics (ALLO) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 14.75% and 7.50%, respectively, for the quarter ended June 2022. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock? | 2022-08-10T00:26:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Serena Williams' retirement ends a golden era of legendary great female athletes who refused to stick to sports | https://sports.yahoo.com/serena-williams-retirement-ends-a-golden-era-of-legendary-great-female-athletes-who-refused-to-stick-to-sports-192145041.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/serena-williams-retirement-ends-a-golden-era-of-legendary-great-female-athletes-who-refused-to-stick-to-sports-192145041.html?src=rss |
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback's ability to throw it a long way at all angles is already legendary. Add on being able to spin it downfield left handed, and behind his back too.
The Chiefs posted a video from training camp of Mahomes wowing the crowd with a couple of trick passes. First, he went behind the back and hit the crossbar. It had a lot of velocity and was a pretty good spiral for that kind of pass. Then he went left handed and hit the crossbar again (Mahomes going lefty isn't all that new, he did it on a key play his first year as the Chiefs' starter).
Professional athletes can do things that don't even seem possible. That's how you get to the highest level of sports. But among that group, some of them can pull off party tricks that are truly amazing. | 2022-08-10T00:26:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Watch Patrick Mahomes throw it 30 yards ... behind his back (and left handed, too) | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-patrick-mahomes-throw-it-30-yards-behind-his-back-and-left-handed-too-212348238.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-patrick-mahomes-throw-it-30-yards-behind-his-back-and-left-handed-too-212348238.html?src=rss |
The Arizona Cardinals had six defensive backs in for a workout on Monday. They signed one of those players.
The team announced it signed undrafted rookie cornerback Cortez Davis.
Davis went undrafted this year out of Hawaii. The 5-11, 188-pounder played 35 games over three seasons and had 131 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, 34 pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He played 12 games last year at Hawaii and led the nation with 19 passes defensed and was named second-team All-Mountain West. Davis originally signed with Denver as an undrafted rookie free agent and was released recently.
This move doesn’t likely really address the top of the roster at cornerback but it does give them another player to develop and evaluate.
To make room for Davis, the Cardinals released cornerback Nate Brooks.
The Arizona Cardinals like the competition they are seeing at cornerback, but they don't seem completely satisfied at this point. | 2022-08-10T00:48:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cardinals add young CB to roster | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-add-young-cb-roster-235459116.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-add-young-cb-roster-235459116.html?src=rss |
American football running back and wide receiver
The Green Bay Packers took a closer look at a few free agent running backs on Tuesday, working out five players at the position including 2019 draft pick Dexter Williams.
Matt LaFleur’s roster may need an addition at running back before Friday’s preseason opener.
According to the league’s daily transaction report, the Packers worked out Williams (Notre Dame), Jaylen Samuels (NC State), Kalen Ballage (Arizona State), Stevie Scott (Indiana) and Calvin Turner (Hawaii).
Overall, the Packers worked out 17 players on Tuesday, including the five running backs and eight different specialists.
Williams spent two seasons with the Packers but was released last August. He was last seen producing 102 total yards for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL final.
Samuels was a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. He’s played in 45 career games, including three with the Houston Texans last season. For his career, Samuels has 1,032 total yards and seven touchdowns.
Ballage was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2018. He has 665 career rushing yards on 213 attempts and in 52 career games.
Scott, an undrafted free agent, rushed for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 99 attempts for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. He finished 12th in the league in rushing yards.
Turner went undrafted in the 2022 draft. He also played quarterback and wide receiver at Hawaii.
The Packers are without Kylin Hill, who remains on the PUP list, and Patrick Taylor only just returned to practice after dealing with a groin injury. Undrafted rookies BJ Baylor and Tyler Goodson are the only other running backs on the roster after Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, who won’t play during Friday’s preseason opener against the 49ers.
In addition to the five running backs and eight specialists, the Packers also worked out offensive tackles Drew Himmelman (Illinois State) and Airon Servais (Syracuse) and defensive backs Micah Abernathy (Tennessee) and Brendon White (Rutgers).
Music Scene catches up with Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes ahead of the Aug. 11 show at Roadrunner in Boston.
They add undrafted rookie cornerback Cortez Davis from Hawaii and released Nate Brooks.
The New York Rangers have named defenseman Jacob Trouba captain. Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury announced the selection in a news release Tuesday morning, and the team held a news conference with Drury, Trouba and coach Gerard Gallant at the team's practice facility in Greenburgh, New York, in the afternoon. Trouba, a first-round selection by Winnipeg in the 2012 draft, was acquired from the Jets on June 17, 2019. | 2022-08-10T00:48:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers workout 5 running backs, including Dexter Williams | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-workout-5-running-backs-231412023.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-workout-5-running-backs-231412023.html?src=rss |
Curran agrees the Patriots avoided another disaster on Tuesday.
"This was a critical practice, wasn't it?" Curran said. "I mean, you can't play the way they did yesterday coming off a two-day break, have David Andrews stand there in the middle of a scrum and talk to the team about getting its head out of its collective ass, and then if they come out today and perform poorly, then it would've said well what are we doing? Are we incapable? But they did perform capably." | 2022-08-10T00:48:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots Talk: Did offense improve after Monday's disastrous practice? | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-talk-did-offense-improve-000200104.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-talk-did-offense-improve-000200104.html?src=rss |
The Hornets’ G League affiliate coach is returning. Why that matters for Charlotte
Bahamian college basketball player
Jordan Surenkamp is going to spend plenty of time in the Piedmont again, and he couldn’t be more enthused about it.
Surenkamp is returning for a second season as the head coach of the Greensboro Swarm, which is the Charlotte Hornets’ G League affiliate. The expected move was officially announced Tuesday, mere weeks after Surenkamp completed a stint as the head coach of the Hornets’ summer league team in Las Vegas last month.
The Hornets utilize Greensboro as a teaching ground of sorts, where the likes of Kai Jones, James Bouknight and JT Thor were shuffled back and forth in their rookie years for extra seasoning. Developing younger players remains chief among the franchise’s goals.
Going with Surenkamp, who began his coaching career with the Hornets cutting up videos in 2018, provides some much-needed continuity and allows them to foster the rapport he’s already established during his tenure.
“I think it’s a huge benefit,” Surenkamp said Tuesday. “Obviously, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to get to do it again. But any time you can have some consistency in that position, I think it’s’ always important. From an organizational standpoint, I’m very clear understanding the goals that the organization has for Greensboro. What the expectations are, how they want things done.
“So from that standpoint, I think it’s pretty clear and it’s just a transferable thing from Year 1 to Year 2 that we can continue to build and grow on and help make Greensboro a very productive experience for guys that are not just assigned, but the two-ways and roster guys as well.”
Surenkamp spoke to The Charlotte Observer about a number of topics, including implementing the philosophies of coach Steve Clifford, what he’s seen from rookies Mark Williams and Bryce McGowens, and more.
Roderick Boone: You touched on this briefly, but how will your time as the team’s summer league coach assist you in knowing specifically what the Hornets want from you player development wise this upcoming season?
Jordan Surenkamp: I’ve developed really strong relationships with the front office even going back to my days as video coordinator. So the lines of communication, clarity, all of that is there. The relationships are very strong, so we will always have very engaging and productive conversations on kind of what the expectations are. Not just from the team and an organization as a whole, but also for each individual player.
Guys are there building those development plans, and (it’s) being on the same page with what that looks like and how we can work together in order to achieve those things. I thought we did a really good job last year with the young guys that we had there, and hopefully that continues moving forward.
RB: What’s it like juggling two-way players and a roster than can be in flux seemingly all the time and how much easier is it for you after dealing with it a season ago?
JS: The Vegas thing, as with the G League, your roster changes week to week. I think the important piece to that is just the transparency and communication, helping guys understand that there is a clear plan in place for them for their growth and development and making sure they understand what that looks like. Whether it’s in Charlotte at times or whether it’s in Greensboro at other times. So I think that’s a big piece to helping. But the other side as well is just consistency with what is happening in Charlotte from a basketball standpoint and what is happening in Greensboro.
I tried my best to do that last year with Coach (James) Borrego and that staff and I’m going to do that same exact thing this year with Coach Clifford and the staff here this year – is understanding the style of play, understanding the terminology, understanding the philosophy and how we are going to play on both sides of the ball. All of those things are extremely important so that when opportunities come for guys to get extra development time in Greensboro or it’s their time to come up to Charlotte and eventually get an opportunity here, all of those things are streamlined,
Very easily they can play in Greensboro one night and feel comfortable coming here to Charlotte and playing here the next, just from an understanding standpoint.
RB: How are you picking up on Steve Clifford’s philosophies and what he wants to implement this season?
JS: Going into summer league, it was obviously a quick turnaround. So there was a lot to learn in a short period of time. Coach Clifford has been and continues to be an incredible teacher and someone that I really value in our conversations. He’s very clear on what he wants. The expectations are there. The understanding of what he expects is there and how he wants things done. So to this point, I’ve been extremely grateful for his leadership and the conversations that we’ve had.
We are still a little ways away from the start of training camp. But these days to day conversations that I’m having with him at the arena and the meetings that we are having as a staff will just continue to solidify and clarify the details of what we want to do on both sides of the ball, and what type of team we want to be. His mentorship to me to this point throughout the summer, his support for me on the staff during summer league and now as we get closer training camp, just his clarity, his confidence his energy - all of that stuff has been absolutely fantastic. I’m really looking forward to working with him this season.
RB: You got a chance to see Mark Williams and Bryce McGowens up close at summer league. Now that you can take a step back, what are your thoughts on those two and how they can bring something different to the organization moving forward?
JS: I think Bryce and Mark are both fantastic kids and they are extremely high character. And I think that’s where it starts. If you what to be great, you have to have the willingness to be coached, the willingness to learn. Having an open mind. And those guys exhibit that every day. They’re quick learners. You can throw things at them and they will pick up on it quickly. And I think it was a really good experience for them in summer league to be able to get reps in every game.
Just to get a feel for what the professional game is going to look like, how it’s going to feel. Being able to go back and watch film with them, and help them clean up areas of their game, and continue to show them areas that we want them to grow in, all of those things are happening. They are here working hard everyday and I know they are excited to get going for their rookie seasons. But it just starts with the initial buy-in and trust and relationships you build with those guys, and willingness to learn and be coached.
And the rest kind of takes care of itself as you move forward with their development plans and kind of what the expectation is from them from an organizational standpoint. But they’ve been fantastic to this point and they are a lot of fun to be around. They are good kids. They work hard. Their energy is high and they are excited to be in the gym every day. So you can’t ask for more than that. | 2022-08-10T01:00:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Hornets’ G League affiliate coach is returning. Why that matters for Charlotte | https://sports.yahoo.com/hornets-g-league-affiliate-coach-175008034.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/hornets-g-league-affiliate-coach-175008034.html?src=rss |
Gobert, Williams III early betting favorites to win NBA Defensive Player... PBT Podcast: Talking Bill Russell’s impact. Is Brown for Durant wise? Doncic, Antetokounmpo betting favorites to win 2023 NBA MVP
As expected, Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in her comeback to international basketball. Not so expected were the tears that came when the 41-year-old Jackson was officially informed of her place in the 12-player team by head coach Sandy Brondello. “There were a lot of emotions when Sandy rang me, I had a bit of a cry to be honest,” Jackson said Wednesday.
Sony’s Brad Pitt vehicle “Bullet Train” debuted at the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £2.8 million ($3.4 million) opening weekend, according to numbers released by Comscore. As the school holidays continue, in second place, Warner Bros.’ family friendly “DC League Of Super-Pets” took £1.2 million in its second weekend for […] | 2022-08-10T01:57:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Watch Giannis Antetokounmpo drop 31 and 10 for Greece against Spain | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-giannis-antetokounmpo-drop-31-235601167.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-giannis-antetokounmpo-drop-31-235601167.html?src=rss |
Steve Keim
The Arizona Cardinals have been heavily linked to a Chicago Bears linebacker this offseason, but not the one circling the news this afternoon.
Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade out of the organization Tuesday afternoon. Smith is one of the best at his position and is seeking his first big contract in the NFL. He has been a second-team All-Pro each of the last two seasons.
At just age 25, Smith will likely generate tons of interest from across the NFL. Could the Cardinals be one of those teams to pick up the phone to the Windy City area code?
Similar to the running back position, many teams have become hesitant to allocate premium contracts to inside linebackers. Reports surfaced Tuesday that the Bears gave Smith a ‘disrespectful’ offer.
For the Cardinals, they would have to send over high draft capital or young players (or a combination of the two). They would then have to commit a lucrative contract extension for Smith. A contract to compare could San Francisco’s Fred Warner, who inked a five-year, $95 million contract with $40 million guaranteed.
The Cardinals are currently slated to start former first-round pick Zaven Collins and journeyman Nick Vigil at the two starting inside linebacker spots. There are certainly a ton of question marks there.
Acquiring Roquan Smith would be undoubtedly pricy, but would give the team an elite player on defense for the next half decade. The Cardinals have struggled with run defense and overall physicality at times under Vance Joseph. Smith solves a ton of those problems and gives the team a much more threatening defense in the daunting NFC West.
Perhaps Steve Keim can put together another extraordinary trade for the Cardinals, which he’s proven capable of. In all likelihood, however, this would get very pricy. | 2022-08-10T02:23:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Should the Cardinals Trade for Bears LB Roquan Smith? | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-trade-bears-lb-roquan-003746819.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-trade-bears-lb-roquan-003746819.html?src=rss |
Why Bosa expects 49ers' defense to be No. 1 this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers' defense was one of the best at sacking the quarterback during the 2021 NFL season, led by edge rusher Nick Bosa and his 15.5 sacks. Last season, however, was a struggle for San Francisco on the pass-defending side.
While the pass rush racked up 55 sacks last year, the 49ers' pass defense allowed quarterbacks to complete 68.3 percent of their passes. Furthermore, San Francisco was at the bottom of the pack in interceptions (9) and pass deflections (55).
Nonetheless, speaking with KNBR's "Papa & Lund" on Tuesday, Bosa is ready to put any struggles on defense from 2021 behind them. The 49ers edge rusher revealed he has high expectations for the group heading into the 2022 NFL season.
"I think our goal is always number one defense, and I think this year, more than any year before, we have top-tier players at each level," Bosa said.
"So I think our coverage has been better than it's been. We have three healthy linebackers who I'd put in the top ten of any linebackers in the league, to be honest with you. And then, obviously, it starts with the D-line. So if we keep everybody nice and fresh and healthy and keep stacking days, then watch out."
Whether the 49ers' defense is one of the best in the NFL falls on the shoulders of Bosa, who had a career-high in sacks last season. Now that his offseason wasn't hindered by the ACL injury that ended his 2020 campaign, the 24-year-old could be poised to have his best season yet.
However, Bosa isn't looking too far down the road and intends to lean on a lesson that was learned while recovering from his knee injury.
"I don't like to really look down the road as much. Even though it's hard not to in the NFL, it's so exciting about what's to come," Bosa said.
"But kind of the motto that I tried to stick to when I was rehabbing is one day at a time. And even one moment at a time because if you start looking down the road, that's when you kind of get anxious."
RELATED: Trey Lance reminiscent of Bills' Josh Allen to 49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud
The 49ers, along with Bosa, expect their defense can improve on their performance last season beginning Week 1 when San Francisco travels to Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. PT. | 2022-08-10T02:24:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Why Nick Bosa expects 49ers' defense to be No. 1 in NFL this season | https://sports.yahoo.com/why-nick-bosa-expects-49ers-013846994.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/why-nick-bosa-expects-49ers-013846994.html?src=rss |
Freshman wide receiver Antonio Williams is making waves early on at Clemson camp.
Lining up primarily as a slot receiver, Williams has only had a few practice sessions with the Tigers. Still, the former four-star recruit has caught the eye of head coach Dabo Swinney, who said Williams is instinctive and “as quick as a cat.”
“He’s a very smooth, very knowledgeable young player,” Swinney said on Monday. “He’s got a lot of good experience, and he’s played ball at a high level in this state. He’s had a lot of success.”
Coming out of Dutch Fork High School (Irmo, S.C.), the 6-foot, 180-pound Williams was the No. 9 wide receiver in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. In his high school career, he was credited with 137 receptions for 2,458 yards and 23 touchdowns.
While Williams isn’t the tallest or biggest receiver the Tigers have on their roster, linebacker Barrett Carter, who has been playing some snaps at safety this fall, knows what the freshman is capable of on the field.
“He’s a great route runner,” Carter said. “He’s not the biggest, but he uses his size to his advantage, so he’s very quick, very shifty, he’s fast. You have to be on your A-game when you’re guarding Antonio. He’s really showed me what he can do, and I’m really impressed with him.” | 2022-08-10T02:45:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Antonio Williams impressing early on at Clemson fall camp | https://sports.yahoo.com/antonio-williams-impressing-early-clemson-010246933.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/antonio-williams-impressing-early-clemson-010246933.html?src=rss |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This offseason, all we’ve heard about the Michigan football defense is that it will suffer greatly with Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo no longer there to rush the passer. What’s more, Hutchinson’s leadership will be missed.
Parts of that are certainly true, but what if someone else stepped up this fall?
From one account, enter Mazi Smith. Entering his fourth year with the program, Smith was one of the four players selected to represent the Wolverines in Indianapolis — a sign that he’s established himself as a leader, at least in the eyes of head coach Jim Harbaugh. The interior defensive lineman lost his counterpart in Christopher Hinton to the NFL as well, so, as his fellow defensive lineman Mike Morris tells it, Smith is evangelizing to the rest of the defensive front that Harbaugh’s notion of it being a ‘no-star defense’ can really pay dividends once the season arrives.
“I feel like this is a Mazi Smith — I’m quoting Mazi Smith: Mazi wants us to be a more cohesive unit,” Morris said. “So there’s no defense running through just a couple of guys. It’s 11 men on the field, getting the passer, rushing. It’s 11 people working in a cohesive unit to be the best defense that it can be.”
Jim Harbaugh believes the Michigan wide receiver corps can be 'the best we've ever had'.
As Morris tells it, this isn’t unusual for Smith to be outspoken this offseason. It’s something of a contrast to last year, when he was cited by his teammates as being a less vocal leader and more of a ‘lead-by-example’ type.
However, all of that’s changed, and he’s pushing the players around him, especially those who will be rushing the passer this fall, to really dig in and be their best.
Like Morris said, ‘A more cohesive unit.’
“He’s been very hands-on with the whole unit because we’ve been separated in the past and he wants us to be one unit so we can rush the passer better,” Morris said. “Because he says — and I quote Mazi — he says four pass rushers are better than two pass rushers. So with him, Kris Jenkins, me, (Taylor Upshaw), Braiden, Jaylen Harrell and a couple other guys, we can work together as one unit instead of individuals.”
In terms of how the defensive front is becoming more cohesive, Morris says that it’s not new defensive line coach Mike Elston, it’s not defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, it’s not familiarity with the system. While all of the above might play a part, the true galvanizing force is — you guessed it, Mazi Smith.
“No, it’s Mazi, again,” Morris said. “Like I said, he’s very hands-on with what we’re doing. And I’m all in for with him. So whatever he wants, I’m 10 toes in.”
Michigan kicks off the 2022 season on Sept. 3, when it hosts Colorado State for the season opener at The Big House.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is not shying away from the expectations he has for his wide receiver group. | 2022-08-10T02:45:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Michigan football’s ‘no-star’ defense galvanizing behind Mazi Smith | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-no-star-defense-003243426.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-no-star-defense-003243426.html?src=rss |
It’s early and the season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but we do have postseason bowl predictions already underway! It is never too early to start wondering how much time will be needed to be blocked off over Christmas break to watch or travel south for a winter vacation in order to see the Iowa Hawkeyes’ bowl game.
Sporting News’ Bill Bender recently came out with his preseason bowl predictions and he has Iowa appearing in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on December 30.
This says one of two things. Iowa is going to outperform expectations this year or North Carolina State is going to underperform. I say this because Iowa was not ranked in the top 25 while the Wolfpack came in at No. 13.
The Hawkeyes have never appeared in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl or any of its previous names (Belk Bowl, Meineke Car Care Bowl, or the Continental Tire Bowl). The Wolfpack have appeared in the game three times under the different bowl names and have a 2-1 record.
This wouldn’t be the first matchup of the schools as they have met three previous times, the most recent being in 1992. North Carolina State holds a 3-0 record over the Hawkeyes.
It’s early and Iowa Hawkeyes coaches, players, and fans are all setting their expectations on a higher bowl destination, but should this come to fruition, there is some solace in the possibility of Kirk Ferentz receiving a mayo bath.
Big Ten bowl destinations: College Football News' landing spots for each league member | 2022-08-10T02:45:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Sporting News sends the Iowa Hawkeyes bowling against N.C. State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/sporting-news-sends-iowa-hawkeyes-003003042.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/sporting-news-sends-iowa-hawkeyes-003003042.html?src=rss |
Krejci reveals whether Cassidy firing influenced his decision to return originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Monday was a busy day for the Boston Bruins.
Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci both announced their return and signed contracts with the B's. The center duo is back together for another run at the Stanley Cup.
After the Bruins fired Bruce Cassidy as head coach in June, fans wondered if (and how) it would influence Krejci's decision about returning to Boston. Krejci met with reporters on a Zoom call Tuesday and was asked that question.
"That would be a good story if I said 'yes', but no. My decision was made before they hired the new coach," Krejci explained. "The firing of (Cassidy) had nothing to with my decision to coming back."
Earlier this year, Krejci did express some frustration with Cassidy's decision to seldom play him and David Pastrnak together.
"Coach Cassidy rarely let the two of us play together," Krejci told Czech media in January, per 98.5 The Sports Hub. "After years, I leave Boston and suddenly it is possible. That surprised me. (Cassidy) always told me that he had no reason to take Pasta off the first line and that it would be as short as possible to dismantle the forces."
Krejci might have disagreed with the coaching decision at the time, but, according to Krejci on Tuesday, it wasn't a factor in his return.
The veteran center got a taste of what he was missing while playing with Pastrnak at the IIHF World Championship in May. The rekindling of the two players' mutual chemistry helped convince Krejci to return to the Bruins.
Only time will tell if new head coach Jim Montgomery will put Krejci and Pastrnak on the same line. Either way, Krejci is just excited to wear the Spoked-B once again.
"I feel like I'm back where I belong," Krejci said.
There was an increased physicality and cracking of pads at Oregon's 5th practice on Tuesday. That, and other takeaways from the day... | 2022-08-10T03:28:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | David Krejci reveals whether Bruce Cassidy firing affected decision to return | https://sports.yahoo.com/david-krejci-reveals-whether-bruce-200411431.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/david-krejci-reveals-whether-bruce-200411431.html?src=rss |
Despite the amount of players missing time at the position, Baltimore got good news on Tuesday as Marlon Humphrey returned to practice after missing the two sessions. His return was a welcome sight for the team, although head coach John Harbaugh did mention the star as one of the players who won’t play in their Week 1 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.
Marlon Humphrey back practicing for Ravens.
Humphrey had an up-and-down season in 2021 performance wise and ended up missing the final few weeks of the year after suffering a torn pectoral muscle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. He is looking to bounce back in 2022 and re-establish his reputation around the league as a top-three cornerback in the NFL. | 2022-08-10T03:59:35Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey returns to practice on Tuesday | https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-marlon-humphrey-returns-021041491.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-marlon-humphrey-returns-021041491.html?src=rss |
Banks, Burford have impressed Williams during training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers have veteran tackle Trent Williams anchoring the offensive line. However, there’s young but inexperienced talent on the inside protecting first-year quarterback Trey Lance.
Over the past two drafts, San Francisco spent picks adding to the interior part of their offensive line. In the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Aaron Banks out of Notre Dame in the second round.
Williams spoke with KNBR’s “Papa & Lund” on Tuesday, where he shed some insight into how the second-year offensive lineman is progressing ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
“It’s not a lot that he don’t know,” Williams said. “So I think Aaron is poised to take that big leap as a second-year player. It’s not going to be handed to him. It’s going to be pretty tough, and that’s what we’re here for, to help them through it.”
The other pick that the 49ers spent on improving their guard position was University of Texas at San Antonio product Spencer Burford in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Despite Burford being a rookie, Williams is impressed with the 22-year-old offensive lineman, who didn’t play at a power five conference and is making the jump from Conference USA football to the NFL.
“So we’re asking him to do a lot, and he’s been coming on beautifully,” Williams said. “The confidence he has and the ability to throw his hands and throw caution to the wind.
Although there’s raw talent on the offensive line, Williams sees the potential in some of the young players the 49ers have in the group who will have the task of protecting Lance.
Furthermore, Williams appears to be a fan of the young players on the team. Recently, the 34-year-old praised Lance, as he now has to protect his blind side this season, and stated that the 22-year-old gives the group belief that he’s the right guy under center.
“He’s given everybody confidence,” Williams told NFL Network last week. “He’s giving everybody confidence in his ability and his poise, the way he commands to huddle.”
RELATED: Why Nick Bosa expects 49ers' defense to be No. 1 in NFL this season
The 49ers now expect that their mix of youth and experience can be enough to get them to Super Bowl LVII and, this time, win the game. | 2022-08-10T05:34:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | 49ers' Aaron Banks, Spencer Burford have impressed Trent Williams at guard | https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-aaron-banks-spencer-burford-042907212.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-aaron-banks-spencer-burford-042907212.html?src=rss |
On Tuesday, Chicago Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith requested a trade. Many teams would benefit from adding his services, but when listing out the top landing spots for the star, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports put Baltimore at the top of the list, citing the fact that Smith would be an instant upgrade over anyone on the Ravens’ roster.
“32-year-old Josh Bynes is currently in line to be the team’s starting middle linebacker after starting 12 games for them last year and re-signing with the club this offseason. Smith not only would be an instant upgrade, but he’d be an answer for them for the foreseeable future…As an aside, Smith could also pick up the mantle left by Ray Lewis and be Baltimore’s next great middle linebacker, which is in a similar vein to what he enjoyed about playing in Chicago with their long history of linebackers. Similar to New England, however, the Ravens would need to massage their books to make this work under the salary cap.”
As Sullivan notes, Baltimore would likely have to move money around in order accommodate Smith into their salary cap, as he’s playing on a fifth-year option worth $9.7 million. He’s also in-line for a big contract extension, so if the Ravens were to acquire Smith it would be interesting to see how they would handle that situation.
Despite some of the concerns surrounding money, there’s no doubt about the player that Smith is. He’s a phenomenal talent at the inside linebacker position and would fit into Baltimore’s defense extremely well. Over the course of four seasons in the NFL, the former Georgia star has totaled 524 tackles, 14 sacks and five interceptions, showing he’s a do-it-all player that can play a multitude of different roles.
Attorney General Merrick Garland’s handling of Donald Trump will reflect on Biden and congressional Democrats regardless of what they have to say. | 2022-08-10T05:34:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | CBS Sports names Ravens as top landing spot for star ILB | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-names-ravens-top-035916198.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-names-ravens-top-035916198.html?src=rss |
After a rough 2021 rookie campaign, Trevor Lawrence’s development and performance are going to be very important this upcoming season. That’s why he’s put in the work to make a huge leap while the organization has also improved things around him.
While Lawrence completed under 60% of his passes as a rookie, he still provided various highlight moments that made fans optimistic about his future. Others in the football community jumped on board with those fans after the Jags paired Lawrence with Doug Pederson and paid out the most guaranteed money in NFL history to improve the roster around him.
However, as of last week, Lawrence seems to have gained another believer (potentially) from the national journalism world. That analyst is NBC Sports’ Chris Simms, who got to see Lawrence up close last Thursday in the pregame process of the Hall of Fame Game.
After observing the second-year quarterback for roughly 100 throws, Simms said he was impressed by Lawrence’s improved mechanics. He not only discussed it in the pregame process but also on his podcast.
Last week on the field during Hall of Fame Game warmups, I watched Trevor Lawrence up close in person for the first time. Really changed my outlook for him.
Some thoughts… (1/4)
The most notable part about Simms’ statements is that he’s a former NFL quarterback. He played in the NFL for eight seasons (2003-10), so he’s been around professional quarterbacks for a bit.
However, Simms isn’t the only one to comment on Lawrence’s mechanics. Pederson was asked about them too in camp and said he liked where Lawrence was in that regard of his game, though there were little things to tighten up.
“Mechanically, he’s sound,” Pederson said last month. “I would say sound but a work in progress as well. One of his strengths is his arm and he’s a tall guy. He stands nice and tall in the pocket and keeps his eyes down the field. We just have to continue to work his base and making sure he’s on time and in rhythm on every throw.”
Simms also praised the Jags overall roster in terms of having a physically gifted looking group overall. Only time will tell if they play to their potential, though, as they look to move away from the three-win season they had in 2021. | 2022-08-10T05:34:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chris Simms praises Trevor Lawrence’s mechanics and physique | https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-simms-praises-trevor-lawrence-050047422.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-simms-praises-trevor-lawrence-050047422.html?src=rss |
Why Williams believes Lance gives 49ers more than RG3 comp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Trent Williams doesn't see the Robert Griffin III comparison for Trey Lance. In fact, he believes that the 49ers' second-year quarterback offers coach Kyle Shanahan more than what he had with Griffin in Washington.
Griffin III, who played for the then-Washington Redskins for four seasons, two with Shanahan as the offensive coordinator, burst onto the scene in 2012 as a dual-threat quarterback, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 15 starts, Griffin III completed 258 of 393 passing attempts (65.6 percent) for 3,2000 yards and 20 passing touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 815 yards on 120 attempts (6.8 yards-per-attempt) and seven touchdowns.
Williams joined KNBR 680's "Papa & Lund" on Tuesday after training camp practice, where he was asked if he sees the comparison between Lance and Griffin III.
"No, honestly I don't," Williams said. "RG3 was such a different runner, such a different style. He had track speed, so all the plays were designed to get him on the edge, we never ran a quarterback-power or a quarterback-sweep with (Griffin III). It was all about getting him on the edge, getting him to threaten people with his feet, with his speed, and then hitting the play-actions off of that.
"Trey is much further along as a pocket quarterback. As a runner he doesn't have the track speed that RG has, but he has the size, so we can send him up the middle on QB-powers ... we can do that with Trey it's just a different skill set running the ball. As far as a quarterback, I think he gives us the ability to do more because he's a willing passer."
Williams believes that Lance has the ability to combine both elements from Shanahan's RG3-style scheme and the recent scheme under veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
"I think that's why Kyle [Shanahan] and them took him because of the things he can do because it gives you the RG3-style of offense and the Jimmy Garoppolo-style offense merged into one," Williams added.
It remains to be seen how Lance develops as a passer, but the ability to extend plays with his legs was clear from Day 1.
If Williams' assessment is correct, Shanahan and the 49ers' offense could be in for a fun season with Lance under-center. | 2022-08-10T05:35:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | How Trey Lance exceeds Robert Griffin III comp, Trent Williams believes | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-exceeds-robert-griffin-040136323.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-exceeds-robert-griffin-040136323.html?src=rss |
The Baltimore Ravens are looking to bounce back after a disappointing end to their 2021 season. The team finished with an 8-9 record after enduring a six-game losing streak to end the year, largely in part due to injuries.
Baltimore has experimented with many different things to try to reduce the number of injuries they have in 2022, including moving training camp practices from the morning to the afternoon. However, they have still seen some players pick up both minor and major ailments, and on Tuesday two new faces missed practice for the first time in wide receiver James Proche II and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis.
Ravens who’ve currently missed consecutive days of practice:
C Tyler Linderbaum (foot)
CB Brandon Stephens
Also, WR James Proche and CB Jalyn Armour-Davis aren’t practicing for first time this camp.
Amour-Davis was limited in practice on Monday, so the team is likely being cautious with him and making sure something minor doesn’t turn into a more serious issue. It’s possible the same is being done with Proche, and it’s unclear whether either will play in Thursday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. | 2022-08-10T05:35:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Two notable Ravens players miss practice during 2022 training camp for first time | https://sports.yahoo.com/two-notable-ravens-players-miss-035434476.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/two-notable-ravens-players-miss-035434476.html?src=rss |
Auburn Basketball completed their Israeli Tour on Monday when they faced the Israel National Team, their toughest competition of the slate.
The Tigers played well defensively, forcing 17 turnovers and recording 46 total rebounds, but the Israeli National Team, led by Deni Avdija of the Washington Wizards, were too much to handle. Team Israel shot 9 percent better from the field than Auburn to earn the 95-86 win.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said in a release that Team Israel had a great defensive strategy in the game.
“What (Israel ran) is really hard to guard. We’re built to guard it, but they have great counters to everything that we tried to do,” Pearl said following the game. “It’s an outstanding coach, an outstanding system of play, really good players. They disrupted us. I’m glad we gave them a run. I’m glad that was a good contest for them. They got exposed in some ways, and I know we did as well.”
Now that the tour is over, Pearl has decisions to make about his players, and how many minutes they spend on the floor.
Auburn played well as a team in Israel, which included stellar defensive play and outstanding freshmen production. Pearl has an issue, but it is the best issue that any coach can have.
“The biggest thing is that we’ve got 12 good basketball players, maybe even 13. We’re going to put a good point guard out there. I can’t tell you whether it’s going to be Wendell Green, Chance Westry, Tre Donaldson or Zep Jasper,” Pearl said. “We’re going to put a good 2 guard out there. I can list you four or five guys. I don’t know who is going to start at the 3 or the 4 or the 5 because they all had their moments out there.”
So, how will Pearl decide who the best five will be at any given moment? He says that he will take every second that he has until the team’s first official game to sort that out. But, the players will also have to keep working hard to earn their roles.
“We’re going to go back for the next two months and we’re going to compete, and the guys that want to be out there are the guys that are going to play the most productively,” Pearl said. “We keep things called a plus-minus chart. How did we play when you were on the floor? If we were better when you were on the floor, then you are going to be on the floor. If we didn’t play better when you were on the floor, I’m going to play somebody else.”
Auburn will play a preseason exhibition against Alabama-Huntsville on Wednesday, November 2 at Neville Arena to kick off the season. The Tigers’ first official game will take place at Neville Arena on Monday, November 7 against George Mason.
Auburn Basketball gearing up for final game of Israeli tour
Auburn will face the Israel National Team for their third and final game in Israel Monday at noon.
Auburn would love to land multiple of these players. | 2022-08-10T06:05:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bruce Pearl still has questions about his team, which is a good thing | https://sports.yahoo.com/bruce-pearl-still-questions-team-151805501.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bruce-pearl-still-questions-team-151805501.html?src=rss |
Yaz robs a home run
Mike Yastrzemski races to the wall in center field, robbing Brandon Drury of a home run to end the 4th inning
Denise Dowse, whose numerous television credits include Insecure, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Grey’s Anatomy, remains hospitalized in a coma after contracting meningitis, according to her sister Tracey Dowse. “I am requesting support and prayers be offered me and my sister, and my only immediate family Denise Dowse,” Tracey wrote in a Facebook post dated August 5. […] | 2022-08-10T06:36:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chelsea Gray with an Assist vs. Atlanta Dream | https://sports.yahoo.com/chelsea-gray-assist-vs-atlanta-042000652.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chelsea-gray-assist-vs-atlanta-042000652.html?src=rss |
Sparks guard Brittney Sykes scored 18 points in the team's 97-71 loss to the Connecitcut Sun on Tuesday. (Kamil Krzaczynski / Associated Press)
“These players deserve better,” Trammell wrote on Twitter at 1:45 a.m. in Washington D.C. as half of the Sparks team spent the night in the airport when their travel plans went awry following a 79-76 win against the Washington Mystics on Saturday.
Even before the sleepover saga, Williams said the punishing travel schedule has been one of the biggest frustrations in a disappointing season, along with the constant injuries. The Sparks started the season with nine of their first 12 games on the road, which Williams called “one of the toughest schedules in the history of the WNBA.” Added in were flight delays and cancellations that plagued all travelers this summer.
But the team remained focused on the goal of chasing the playoffs.
“It’s a part of being a Spark right now,” Sparks guard Brittney Sykes said before the game. “We really don’t give a damn. As long as we got back to L.A. safe and sound, then it is what it is.”
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told ESPN in March that chartering flights for the entire league during the regular season would cost $20 million, but at All-Star Weekend in June, celebrated the addition of private flights for this season’s WNBA Finals.
Ogwumike called for quicker action by allowing teams to charter flights during the entire 2022 playoffs and “continuing with a common sense” during the 2023 season. She elaborated after Tuesday’s game by suggesting an allotment of charter flights during the regular season.
The seven-time All-Star, who called upon airlines to partner with WNBA players, noted the changes since the WNBA and players association approved the latest collective bargaining agreement in 2020. The league expanded its regular-season schedule to 36 games this season, the most ever for a WNBA season. But with the extended slate is compressed into a 15-week regular season because of the FIBA Women’s World Cup beginning on Sept. 22 in Australia. | 2022-08-10T06:37:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Travel-weary Sparks' playoff hopes take a hit in blowout loss to Sun | https://sports.yahoo.com/travel-weary-sparks-playoff-hopes-045758747.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/travel-weary-sparks-playoff-hopes-045758747.html?src=rss |
We're in the middle of the NBA's dog days of summer when nothing is really happening on the court. But it's 2022 and the news cycle never ends, especially when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are around. Here's a news roundup of some of the big stories that have happened over the past week in case you've been slacking on your offseason blurb reading.
In a nutshell: 34-year-old Kevin Durant shocks the world and asks for a trade on June 30. The Nets' reported asking price is, like, two superstars and four No. 1 picks, which cracks up the entire internet. The Celtics are rumored to be interested but the Nets balked at something like Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and a bunch of picks. Radio silence & crickets for a few weeks. Then KD doubles down and tells Nets governor Joe Tsai last weekend that he doesn't like the direction the Nets are headed in and that he will only play for them if coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks are fired. Oh, and KD's under contract for four more years, leaving him with almost no leverage, which was backed up by the Athletic's John Hollinger. Joe Tsai tweets later on Monday that “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.” He didn't address KD in the tweet, but he may as well have. And then on Tuesday, the New York Daily News reported that KD is prepared to possibly hold out if his demands (trade me or fire them) are not met. You're all caught up now! Oh, wait…
Kyrie Irving is also not a fan of Nets' leadership?
A report broke Tuesday morning that suggested Kyrie Irving is not a fan of Nash and Marks, either. “Kyrie Irving hates these guys. He feels that Nash is terrible and Marks is bad,” an unnamed source told the New York Post. Side note: that quote cracked me up and reminds me of a scene by the penguins in Madagascar 2 as their plane was in the process of crashing. “Sir, we may be out of fuel,” Kowalski says. “What makes you think that?” asks Skipper. “We've lost engine one, and engine two is no longer on fire.” Of course, hours later Irving's agent (and stepmother), Shetallia Riley Irving, refuted the report. “I am not sure where this narrative is coming from but Kyrie does not hate Steve nor Sean,” she said. Ok, I get it. When I used the word ‘hate' as a kid my mom would yell at me and tell me I shouldn't hate anyone. And she was right. So, this is clearly a case of semantics. Had the source said something like ‘Kyrie is not a fan of Nash or Marks,' it probably would not have been refuted and is likely pretty accurate. “He's about peace, love and acceptance,” Irving went on to say about Kyrie.
So, to sum all of this up, KD only wants to play for the Nets if Nash and Marks are fired, and is now looking at a potential hold out if he doesn't get them fired or himself traded. and Kyrie apparently does not enjoy playing for either one of them. Got it. This story may not end any time soon, but my gut says the Nets are going to give up and start moving guys, even if they can't get all they want in return. These relationships appear to be broken. I recently wrote up the Draft Guide Player Outlooks for the Nets and my guess is that I will be rewriting almost all of them at least one or two more times. But before we're done in Brooklyn…
Shams Charania said Tuesday that the story of Ben Simmons leaving the Nets' group chat after being asked to play in Game 4 is not true. Shams also said that Simmons has been looking good lately and appears to be on track to play at the start of the season. We haven't seen him on the court since he refused to dunk or shoot in a Game 7 playoff loss to the Hawks way back in June of 2021. Simmons' lack of basketball activity over the last year, along with his bad back and well-publicized mental state makes me scared to draft him. I don't care how late he's sitting there, I'm not doing it. On top of everything else, his shot is broken, he can't make a free throw and he refuses to shoot 3-pointers, meaning he's a fantasy liability, even when things are going well. And with all this KD & Kyrie stuff going on, it makes the water even murkier. And can you imagine if Simmons is the lone Net standing and expected to be the alpha dog this season? Watching the Nets this offseason is like watching a bad season of Big Brother or Survivor at this point.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham reportedly said in a meeting with LeBron James, Rich Paul (Bron's agent) and President Rob Pelinka that the offense will run through Anthony Davis. LeBron supposedly concurred with that idea and Chris Haynes suggested that AD will be in “optimum shape” and will be able to “avoid serious injuries and carry a heavier load.” OK, now that you're done snickering, Davis is now 29 years old and has nicknames like “Street Clothes” and “Locker room,” and has played in 40, 36, 62 and 56 games in each of the last four seasons. This sounds more like wishful thinking than some sort of medical evidence and I would put the over/under on games played by AD this season at 45. And that's not good. But the fact that the Lakers are publicly saying that he's going to be healthy all season and the offense will run through him is worth remembering. AD will probably be a boom or bust fantasy player and if he can actually stay healthy for most of the season, he will win you a fantasy championship. But as soon as he takes that first trip to the locker room in Game 2 of the regular season, all bets are off. My guess is I'll be letting someone else draft Davis this season. In 10 seasons he's played at least 70 games just twice, and fewer than 65 games six times.
Kevin Huerter says he's going to help the Kings
Kevin Huerter said in a recent interview that his experience with the Hawks has prepared him to make an impact in Sacramento. “I feel like I've been through a lot there, having that playoff experience,” he said of his time in Atlanta. “It's really the first thing I heard about when I got traded here is how long it's been since they made the playoffs and how hungry everyone is to make it.” Huerter's 3-point shooting will help the Kings, as they were 25th in the league last year, but he'll also have to battle with guys like De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Malik Monk, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis and Richaun Holmes for touches and shots. If Huerter's starting for the Kings, I'll take a late flier on him but Red Velvet is not a guy I'll be reaching for in drafts.
Myles Turner says he's healthy
Myles Turner told Marc Spears he's “in great shape” and has “worked his way back from injuries.” He also said he's ‘numb' to the constant trade rumors. “The [left foot stress reaction] injury … took me out for nearly half of last season,” said Turner. “Whether that's in [Pacers] training camp or whether that's a training camp somewhere else, I'm going to go and be myself.” Turner's ability to hit 3-pointers and block shots leave him as an underrated fantasy player and if he can stay healthy this season, regardless of where he is, he could be setting up for a bounce-back season.
Kyle Lowry says he's still dealing with the personal issue that caused him to miss 13 games down the stretch last season. “It's definitely something that kind of derailed my whole season and kept me derailed for a long time,” he said. “Still to this day, it's still something I deal with every single day.” Lowry should be a fine late pick when you need an extra point guard but he's 36 years old and he's played in 65 or fewer games in four straight seasons.
Luka Dončić started working on his fitness at the end of last season and appears to be serious about coming into this season in better shape. “Shortly after the end of the season, he contacted me and said that he wanted to start fitness training immediately. Together with Goran Dragić, they worked for three weeks,” Anze Macek, his kinesiologist told SportKlub Slovenija. “The national team action followed. When he went on vacation, he asked me for a work plan.” This is pretty exciting news for yours truly as I will continue to draft Luka wherever I can get him and he's already listed as the favorite to win the MVP Award this season. He'll also be wearing Luka 1's this season – his signature Jordan shoe and running pick-and-rolls with Christian Wood. I can't wait.
Unvaccinated players still can't play in Toronto
The key here is that they can play everywhere else. And as far as I know, this won't impact any Raptors this season. | 2022-08-10T08:02:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dysfunction in Brooklyn full steam ahead | https://sports.yahoo.com/dysfunction-brooklyn-full-steam-ahead-060146802.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dysfunction-brooklyn-full-steam-ahead-060146802.html?src=rss |
“Julio was awesome,” Roberts said. “From the outset, he was in complete control. He had a good rhythm. From pitch one, he held his stuff—the breaking ball, the changeup, the fastball at the top of the zone, all over the strike zone. It's a good team over there, and he just kept them at bay all night long.”
"It feels really good," Muncy said. "As I said the other day, it’s a little bit of a relief for me. All the work I’m putting in is finally paying off a little bit. But I’ve got to keep at it. I can’t think that I’m out of it yet. I’ve still got a lot of work to go. As far as tonight, just finally not missing pitches that I’ve been missing all year. That’s been the biggest thing."
"He worked really hard to kind of weather the mindset, the mental grind of where he started the season and the injury part of it, so I think we're on the other side of it," Roberts said. "The consistent at-bat quality we're seeing, he's getting hits, he's driving runs in, and you can just see the confidence starting to ooze from him.
"When he gets going in the middle of our order, it's just tough to navigate, and you know, guys feed off Max. He's been around long enough that when he's going well, guys sort of feed off him."
This Struggling Burger Chain Is Going Seatless To Jumpstart Growth
When it comes to serving up square-shaped sliders that arrive by the "sackful" in the southeastern United States, nobody is bigger than Krystal. Even so, the old-school chain fell on hard times two years ago and has been looking to reinvigorate its brand and trim excess fat.One way the company will try to do that is by creating smaller restaurants that focus on drive-thru sales and have no dining rooms to worry about.RELATED: The #1 Order to Never Make at a Burger Joint, According to ChefsKrysta | 2022-08-10T09:33:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Julio Urías cementing status as staff ace as Dodgers rout Twins | https://sports.yahoo.com/julio-ur-cementing-status-staff-055207939.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/julio-ur-cementing-status-staff-055207939.html?src=rss |
Mullins scores on double play
Ryan Mountcastle grounds into a double play and Cedric Mullins crosses the plate to open the scoring at 1-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning
Austin Riley's RBI triple
Austin Riley drives a triple to right field, plating Ronald Acuña Jr. to put the Braves on the board, 1-0, in the top of the 1st inning
The Cincinnati Reds will face the Chicago Cubs in this year's MLB Field of Dreams game, which is set for August 11 in Dyersville, Iowa. | 2022-08-10T11:05:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Riley's big night lifts Braves over Red Sox 9-7 in 11 | https://sports.yahoo.com/rileys-big-night-lifts-braves-035055478.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/rileys-big-night-lifts-braves-035055478.html?src=rss |
Martin Truex Jr. now needs a win to make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. And there are few tracks better than Richmond for Truex.
Truex enters Sunday’s race at the 0.75-mile oval (3 p.m. ET, USA) as the favorite to get to victory lane. Truex (+600 at BetMGM) is currently fourth in the points standings but is out of the playoffs with three races to go in the regular season because of Kevin Harvick’s win at Michigan.
Harvick became the 15th different driver to win a Cup race in 2022 at Michigan and Truex is second to Ryan Blaney among winless drivers in the points standings. With 16 playoff spots available, Blaney has the edge over Truex for that final playoff spot because he’s higher in the points.
A win for Truex would knock Blaney out of the playoffs and cement Truex as a playoff driver. And Truex has won a lot recently at Richmond. The 2017 Cup Series champion has three wins over the last six races at Richmond. He swept the 2019 races at the track and won the second race at Richmond in 2021.
Just how good has Truex been at Richmond over the last three years? Truex has never finished worse than fifth in his six Richmond races with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Richmond is JGR’s best track in the Cup Series. Truex, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch have won a combined 13 races at the track and all four of the team’s drivers finished in the top 10 in the spring race. If Truex doesn’t head to victory lane, it will be less than stunning if one of his teammates is there celebrating after the race.
Here’s what you need to know to bet Sunday’s race. After Richmond, races at Watkins Glen and Daytona remain before the playoffs begin in Darlington.
Martin Truex Jr. has won three of the last six NASCAR Cup Series races at Richmond. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
All four of JGR’s drivers are the top four favorites entering Sunday’s race. We told you the team was good at the track. Busch has finished in the top 10 in 26 of his 33 Richmond starts while Hamlin has 21 top 10s in 20 starts. Both drivers also finish in the top five more than 50% of the time. Bell has seen a lot of Xfinity Series success at Richmond and has an average finish of seventh in four Cup starts. Elliott has never won at Richmond but his average finish is 11.5 in 13 starts.
Logano has two wins and 12 top-five finishes in 26 starts with an average finish just outside the top 10. Byron was third in the spring in his first top-five finish at Richmond.
Wallace has never finished in the top 10 at Richmond. His odds have been the biggest rollercoaster in the Cup Series so far this season. He’s been good value at extremely long odds and bad value at short odds. This is one of those bad value weeks.
Jones has been good at Richmond, though that success has primarily been with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s finished between 19th and 23rd in his three starts at Richard Petty Motorsports. Maybe he’ll have more speed this weekend.
More often than not, Tennessee coaches have improved in Year Two. Two even made giant leaps. But several also retreated.
The addition of Marko Arnautovic and Adrien Rabiot to the Summer 2022-23 transfer gossip has put a Joker-esque comedic turn on Erik ten Hag's project. | 2022-08-10T11:53:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | NASCAR betting: Martin Truex Jr. badly needs a win and he's the Richmond favorite | https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar-betting-martin-truex-jr-badly-needs-a-win-and-hes-the-richmond-favorite-104013481.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar-betting-martin-truex-jr-badly-needs-a-win-and-hes-the-richmond-favorite-104013481.html?src=rss |
"Even though that video got out, you don't really see Cam Jurgens holding his own during practice and giving me great competition," Davis said to Joe DeCamara and Jody McDonald. "Everything can be deceiving, that's one rep. It's kind of hard to stop a bull rush, especially when you're moving back as an offensive lineman. That's hard for anybody."
“Size, strength, right? Just a big man who is still figuring out the NFL,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “That's an ongoing process.
“You already knew he was a good player, it’s just minor adjustments. The guy’s 6-6, big guy, so working on his pad level is helping out with his push and letting his natural strength take over and do the rest for him." | 2022-08-10T12:36:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles training camp 2022: Jordan Davis wowing coaches and teammates | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-jordan-110000864.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-jordan-110000864.html?src=rss |
A.J. Brown and the art of stacking YAC originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
When A.J. Brown catches the football, he thinks one thing: Keep going.
Through his first nine training camp practices as a member of the Eagles, that’s been pretty clear.
“I think anytime the ball’s in my hands it can be an explosive play,” Brown said on Tuesday. “That’s how I think.”
Since he entered the NFL as a second-round pick back in 2019, Brown is third in the league in catches of 40+ yards with 16 behind just Mike Williams and Stefon Diggs. And it’s not like all of them are deep balls.
An area where Brown has been consistently good is after the ball is in his hands. Yards after the catch have been a big part of his game in the NFL and the Eagles are banking on that in 2022.
“I think that is something that I do, the dog that’s in me,” Brown said. “After the catch, I think that just comes down to having heart. I’m not afraid. I play with no fear on the field.
“And the majority of time, I know guys don’t want to tackle me. I know that so I keep running. I run through the catch. That’s what I try to do.”
We’ve already seen plenty of glimpses of that during training camp. Through nine practices, Jalen Hurts has thrown more passes to Brown than any of his other receivers by a long shot. And many of those passes have been on-time slants and other timing patterns that give Brown an opportunity to run through the catch.
One of the areas where Hurts needs to improve going into Year 3 is his accuracy and his ability to throw with anticipation. If he can, there will be a lot of opportunity for Brown to pick up a ton of YAC.
What makes Brown so good at this particular element of his game?
“He’s like 230 (pounds),” Hurts said. “He’s a big guy and he has very strong hands and he can run. He’s done it for a while now in the league, for three years. Hopefully he’ll continue to do it. I know he will.”
But it’s even more than size and want-to that allows Brown to thrive in YAC situations.
“You can definitely practice it,” Brown said.
The way Brown practices his YAC is by running through every catch and making sure his feet stay on the ground, churning.
“Whenever my feet leave the ground, [the defender] has a step on me now and can come in and tackle. But if I keep both feet on the ground and I’m running. … I’m just giving away all my jewels,” said Brown, briefly interrupting himself. “That’s what I try to practice. Even when I’m out here, just running through the catch, every single catch.”
While Brown’s YAC numbers were down some in 2021, he was 10th in the NFL in that category in 2020 and was 6th in the NFL during his rookie season in 2019, according to ProFootballFocus.
Just take a look at Brown’s career splits based on catch point:
Deep (20+): 16 catches on 42 targets, 657 yards, 5 TD, 142 YAC (8.875)
Medium (10-19): 75 catches on 124 targets, 1,387 yards, 9 TD, 470 YAC (6.27)
Short (0-9): 88 catches on 114 targets, 1,011 yards, 10 TD, 480 YAC (5.45)
Behind LOS: 6 catches on 6 targets, 12 yards, 28 YAC (4.67)
Brown has done a lot of damage in his career taking short and intermediate routes and busting them down the field. That will be a big part of his game in Philly too.
The Eagles last season weren’t awful in YAC. They had 1,741 yards after the catch and averaged 5.7 yards after the catch per reception. But they have room to grow in this area. Nick Sirianni mentions quite often that big plays in the passing game don’t have to come from deep shots.
“We know that's important to create explosive plays,” Sirianni said. “If you're one dimensional on how you create explosive plays, the defense is going to be able to stop that.”
Brown is a unique player because of his blend of size and athleticism. In many ways, he looks like a running back once he secures the catch.
On Tuesday, Brown said he grew up watching Julio Jones and loves the physical style with which Jones plays. In his three years in the NFL, Brown has broken 23 tackles.
“That’s just how I try to play the game,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a stiff-arm. It’s whatever I need to do to get by you. I’m not out here trying to juke the world. I’m trying to score touchdowns every time I get the ball. Whenever I get the ball, my mindset is run. That’s it. Run. Because whenever a guy stops his feel, I got him.”
JUST IN: Crimson Cardinal Classic Back at the Bok Center
Arkansas and Oklahoma will face off in the Crimson Cardinal Classic at the Bok Center, it was announced Monday. The | 2022-08-10T13:07:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles training camp 2022: A.J. Brown and the art of YAC | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-j-110000769.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-j-110000769.html?src=rss |
Why Reddick has never been this excited to play football originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Haason Reddick was an Arizona Cardinal for four years and a Carolina Panther for one year. He’s been an Eagle for 4 ½ months.
Guess where he’s been the happiest.
“It’s turning out to be everything I wanted, and more” Reddick said. “I’m excited.”
Reddick, one of the centerpieces of the Eagles’ offseason, is having the time of his life this summer in his sixth NFL season.
He loves being an Eagle. Even though he hasn’t even played a game yet.
“I just told Wash (assistant coach Jeremiah Washburn) I haven’t been this excited playing football since I’ve been in the NFL,” Reddick said after practice Tuesday. “I’m in a better space mentally, I know what my role is, I know what I’m here to do, and I don’t have to worry about being put in a position that’s not meant for me.”
Reddick, a former Haddon Heights Garnet and Temple Owl, said his defensive coaches here have done something he’s never experienced in his life.
They listen.
“Nine times out of 10, J.G. (Jonathan Gannon) and Wash, they’re always asking me, what do I like? What do I feel like is best for me as far as my skill set? And you love to see that," he said.
“For a guy that had a rocky start to the NFL with position changes and all that stuff, to be in a place where I’m being asked for my insight? That in itself is incredible. And then just the pieces that we have on the d-line, on the back end, is just exciting. I can’t wait for the season to get here.”
The Cards made Reddick the 13th pick in the 2017 draft, but playing out of position as an inside linebacker he had only 7 ½ sacks in his first three seasons and only 12 ½ in his first 60 games before a five-sack game against the Giants late in 2020.
The Cards decided to move on from Reddick, and he spent last year with the Panthers, where he had a career-high 12 ½ sacks.
In March, the Eagles signed Reddick to a three-year, $45 million contract to add juice to a moribund pass rush.
Reddick’s 23 ½ sacks the last two years are 5th-most in the NFL. The Eagles’ 29 sacks last year were 2nd-fewest in the NFL.
When you invest that kind of money, it makes sense to play him the way he can be most productive.
“The coaches really want to put in what we feel comfortable with,” Reddick said. “What we don’t feel comfortable with, they take it out. They want us to be able to play as fast as we can. You want that from your coaching staff – they want you to be able to go out there and not think and play as fast as you can.”
Reddick’s primary role with the Eagles will be as a hybrid edge rusher, lining up as a SAM linebacker in 3-4 fronts or a defensive end in 4-3 looks.
His primary task will be generating pass pressure, although he’ll do it from a number of different places.
He’ll also drop back in coverage at times, and as unusual as that seems, he’s looking forward to it.
“Man, J.G. explained to me why we need it and it always sounds like the best option and I appreciate that and I understand and there’s some things that come off of other things,” he said.
“When I hear him explain it, I’m like, ‘OK, he doesn’t just want me to do this just because, he has a reason for it,’ and I love that the most about it.”
He’s happy. He’s content. He’s energized. He’s hungry. He’s ready.
He’s back at the position he belongs, he's having a terrific training camp, and he’s confident that will all translate into big-time production in the regular season.
“You take the thinking out of it, and the problem with playing inside linebacker, there was just so much thinking that I wasn’t used to that I didn’t have the experience for at the time,” he said.
“Now, I’m at a position where I’m close to where I played in college. It takes off the thinking, which allows my natural talent and my natural ability to take over.”
Watch here as Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni addresses the media before Wednesday's training camp practice.
The Crown, the wildly successful historical drama centering around the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, has tackled several controversial royal scandals over the past four seasons. However, perhaps the most painful of all for the royal family has been the affair between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. And, according to one royal expert, when the show returns for season 5, slated to air in November 2022, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall might experience further trauma. 1 Season 5
Love Island's Maura Higgins recalls sexual assault by taxi driver while sleeping
The reality TV star was asked to share her "worst encounter" with a man. | 2022-08-10T13:07:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles training camp 2022: Why Haason Reddick has never been this excited for football | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-why-110000544.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-training-camp-2022-why-110000544.html?src=rss |
Marcus Mariota: I’ll play as much as Arthur Smith lets me play in preseason originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
Beyoncé's Renaissance marks this year's biggest debut by a woman with No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 and Hot 100
Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase had an outstanding first season in 2021, catching 81 passes for 1,455 yards with 13 touchdowns en route to winning AP offensive rookie of the year. He was also a second-team All-Pro and selected to his first Pro Bowl. But given that it was just Chase’s first season, the Bengals feel [more] | 2022-08-10T13:07:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Marcus Mariota: I’ll play as much as Arthur Smith lets me play in preseason | https://sports.yahoo.com/marcus-mariota-ll-play-much-111331690.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/marcus-mariota-ll-play-much-111331690.html?src=rss |
Legendary head coach Marv Levy is justifiably in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and one primary reason is that, from 1990 through 1993, he led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls. No other coach has ever done that.
The problem, of course, is that the Bills lost all four of those Super Bowls. The Bills capped off the old millennium with a handful of wild-card and divisional round losses under Levy and then Wade Philips, and then entered a postseason drought that started in 2000. and lasted until 2017.
Now, things are different. With perhaps the most stacked roster in the league and a superstar quarterback in Josh Allen, there’s little doubt that the Bills are Super Bowl-ready. They may have been last season were it not for a heartbreaking loss and defensive implosion in the divisional round to the Kansas City Chiefs, but in our preseason power rankings, we have the Bills as the NFL’s best team — and 2022 as the season in which the Bills win their first league championship since 1965, in the old American Football League.
Of course, there are all kinds of teams who could knock them from that dream. On the other side of things, there are NFL teams rebuilding, just trying to tread water, confident but with concerns, and on the precipice of something special.
As the 2022 preseason begins, here are our first power rankings of the new NFL campaign.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Sports Info Solutions, Pro Football Focus, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).
Outside of tight end Kyle Pitts and cornerback A.J. Terrell (here at Touchdown Wire, we refer to him as “The criminally underrated A.J. Terrell“), the Falcons head into the 2022 season with a distinct lack of elite talent on their roster. At quarterback, there will be a battle between veteran Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder. The receiver group, pitted by Calvin Ridley’s season-long suspension, may struggle, and though right guard Chris Lindstrom is also underrated, first-year left guard Jalen Mayfield struggled as few offensive linemen did last season. Expect offensive weapon Cordarrelle Patterson to be the standout player in the run game, though BYU bruiser Tyler Allgeier could add something, especially in power situations.
There are a couple of potential standouts on defense — most notably cornerback Casey Hayward — but in this season, head coach Arthur Smith will have to do the best he can with what he’s got. It’s one of those unfortunate situations in which a team is hamstrung with its talent in the throes of a major rebuild.
(Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports)
If the Falcons have the NFL’s most wince-inducing roster, the Bears aren’t far behind. New general manager Ryan Poles is picking up the slack from former general manager Ryan Pace, and so far… yeesh. At least Justin Fields won’t be thrown off a cliff every week with Matt Nagy’s ridiculous game plans, and there are ways in which new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy can make things better for Fields. But there isn’t much at receiver, though Darnell Mooney has shown potential, and rookie Velus Jones Jr. has impressed in training camp.
On defense, the Bears are dealing with much of the same secondary that got absolutely torched last season against deep passes (11 touchdowns and no interceptions against passes of 20 or more air yards), though rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon and rookie safety Jaquan Brisker should help). Expect new head coach and former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to employ more of his preferred two-high looks to try and stop the damage.
They do have a top-tier linebacker in Roquan Smith… but that’s an issue right now.
The Bears are under construction, and the best thing that can happen for them this season is Fields’ ascent, limited by that receiver group and a questionable offensive line as it may be.
The good news for the Jaguars? Once you’ve survived Urban Meyer, at least you know it can’t get any worse. New head coach Doug Pederson should be able to bring out much more of the best of Trevor Lawrence (which is considerable), and though the cost for former Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk was too steep ($72 million with $37 million guaranteed over four years), Kirk does add his name to a receiver group that could be pretty good. And if fellow free-agency acquisition Brandon Scherff can stay healthy (sadly, it’s a big if), that offensive line can be above-average. And Pederson won’t mangle running back James Robinson’s usage as Meyer did.
On defense, the Jags added first overall pick Travon Walker to the fold, and Walker showed up in the Hall of Fame game to great import. We should not worry about his low pressure numbers at Georgia. Jacksonville also added linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma in the draft, and both project as starters with plus traits over time.
It’s far too soon to project any kind of epic turnaround for this team, but the uptick in coaching is obviously massive, and there are a lot of things to like on the roster. We may look back in time and wonder why we had the Jaguars this low to start.
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
So, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule recently made his team run gassers because he was upset that receiver Rashard Higgins celebrated a big catch from Baker Mayfield by celebrating around and in the end zone. Perhaps Rhule was unsure what a touchdown pass looked like; only the Jaguars had fewer of them (12) than Carolina’s 14. Rhule has not yet decided whether Mayfield or Sam Darnold will be his starting quarterback in 2022; Mayfield should take that battle on pure talent… but with Rhule, you just never know. He has a 10-23 record over his first two NFL seasons, and he’ll have to swim uphill to avoid adding his name to the long list of successful college coaches who should have stayed put in the NCAA.
Generally speaking, the same people responsible for a team’s rebuild aren’t allowed to be the architects of that rebuild. But Seahawks general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll earned enough equity in the first half of the previous decade to put themselves in position to do just that. Trading Russell Wilson for a whole bunch of draft capital was a questionable move, especially considering how badly this team had drafted over the second half of the previous decade.
At least the Seahawks seemed to break that trend with a very solid draft in which they tagged undervalued assets instead of overvalued prospects. Offensive tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, running back Kenneth Walker III, edge-rusher Boye Mafe, and cornerbacks Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen all look to have a lot of potential. And there are a few studs on the current roster, led perhaps by safety Quandre Diggs, one of the NFL’s best.
But of course, where the discussion starts and ends with the 2022 Seahawks is what life will look like without Russell Wilson for the first time since 2011. Wilson covered up a host of offensive sins through his tenure in the Emerald City, and with Geno Smith and Drew Lock battling it out for the starting job, wethinks we’re about to find out just how much that was the case. The 2022 Seahawks are playing, to a large degree, for the 2023 draft.
(Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports)
Speaking of teams with quarterback issues… in 2021, Lions head coach Dan Campbell discovered what Rams head coach Sean McVay had known for a long time: When Jared Goff is your quarterback, you’re going to spend far too much time watching Goff bang his his head on his own low ceiling, and there’s no soundbite that will fix it. 2022 marks the final season in which Goff’s Rams contract isn’t onerous to escape from a dead money perspective, so consider Goff on the hook. In this regard, the 2022 Lions are playing for 2023 to a point.
Outside of that, and if Goff can improve, there are reasons for encouragement regarding Detroit’s ability to transcend last season’s 3-13-1 record. We’ll start with running back Jamaal Williams, who REALLY doesn’t want any more of that.
2021 rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown was among the league’s most productive receivers in the second half of the season, 2022 first-round receiver Jameson Wiliams has a Tyreek Hill-level skill set he’ll be able to show again when healthy, and Goff seems to have developed a nice chemistry with free-agent acquisition DJ Chark (doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo).
Detroit’s offensive line is, believe it or not, one of the NFL’s best. The defense has some nice pieces as well, especially when you factor in first-round edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Charles Harris, Romeo Okwara, and Julian Okwara are pass-rushers with potential, IDL Alim McNeill has shown some things, and cornerback Amani Oruwariye had six interceptions in his third NFL season.
For now, this team will go as far as Goff can take them. In 2023, there may well be a new star under center — and a new hope for the Lions.
(Syndication: The Record)
Give Joe Douglas credit — the Jets’ general manager absolutely nailed free agency and the draft in 2022. The free-agent additions of guard Laken Tomlinson, tight end C.J. Uzomah, edge-rusher Jacob Martin, cornerback D.J. Reed, and safety Jordan Whitehead gave head coach Robert Saleh top-tier players at positions of need. Left tackle Mekhi Becton’s potentially season-ending knee injury is a big hit, though.
And in the draft — well, the Jets had three first-round picks, and it’s impossible to argue with any of them. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson, and edge-rusher Jermaine Johnson could each credibly be thought of as the best players at their positions in this draft class, and Saleh finally has the talent he needs to turn around what was the NFL’s worst pass defense in 2021.
Now, the pressure is on second-year quarterback Zach Wilson to hem in his YOLO tendencies and channel them into more explosive plays for his own team, as opposed to gifts for the Jets’ opponents. Seven of Wilson’s 11 interceptions came in September, while in December and January, he had a 5-1 TD/INT split. So maybe that process has already started.
Now, Washington’s defense did rise from 28th in the first half of the season to 16th in the second half, and DVOA is opponent-adjusted, so there’s some legitimacy to that.
As for Wentz? A recent training camp practice summed it all up.
Which is… pretty much what you get from Wentz. The occasional Hall of Fame throw, and a lot of mystery meat in the middle. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner will be charged with tempering the variance, and we say, best of luck to him.
At the same time the Dolphins are trying to figure out it Tua Tagovailoa is their franchise quarterback, and whether new head coach Mike McDaniel is the guy to get him there (or not), there’s all the off-field stuff to deal with. The franchise was hit hard by the NFL for tampering, got off scot-free for what certainly looks like tanking (“We were just kidding!” defenses aside), and there’s still the lawsuit brought by former head coach Brian Flores for racist hiring (and firing) practices.
Whew. With all that out of the way, what of the Dolphins on the field? The trade for Tyreek Hill obviously gives Tagovailoa an estimable deep weapon, Jaylen Waddle proved in his rookie season to be a truly dynamic yards-after-catch threat, and the addition of left tackle Terron Armstead drastically improves an offensive line that was one of the NFL’s worst in 2021. The draft was pretty limited for the Dolphins this time around, but a defense with some serious talent added Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall, and he could be explosive. The cautious ranking is based on Tagovailoa’s potential, whether McDaniel can take on this kind of role, and the potential for all this off-field stuff to take its toll.
This offseason, Bill Belichick replaced former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders) with former and current assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Fans of the Lions and Giants, respectively, who watched Patricia and Judge run their teams into the ground as head coaches are unimpressed. And so far, New England’s offense looks abysmal in training camp as the team tries to work in all kinds of new wrinkles that may or may not fit the current personnel.
At some point, Belichick will have to turn this car around. Right now, he’s probably just as worried about a defense that is now without cornerback J.C. Jackson (who got paid by the Chargers this offseason) and may not have an actual CB1 on the roster.
How many times over the last two decades have we said that the Patriots are about to run aground, only to be proven wrong at season’s end? Yes, we’ve all learned our collective lessons with Belichick. But right now? It’s pretty dicey. That’s all we’re saying.
Is it a bad sign that the Cardinals tried to get a film study provision in Kyler Murray’s recent contract extension, and then had to rescind it when public reaction was profoundly negative? It wasn’t a great look for Murray or the team. Still, Murray is now in the fold beyond the 2022 season. The question now it, what will head coach Kliff Kingsbury and his staff do to maximize Murray’s potential? Kingsbury has been mostly static with his personnel groupings, and he’s eschewed pre-snap motion even though it’s proven to be of great benefit to his offense. There were times last season when Murray looked like an MVP candidate, and there were times when he looked as if he shouldn’t even be on the field.
No matter what has happened in the past, Kingsbury and Murray must now work together to take this team to the proverbial next level. As we have seen, there’s only so far they can go when working at cross purposes.
In theory, whoever starts for this team should have an impressive group of receivers. Second-round pick George Pickens had first-round talent outside of injury setbacks, fourth-round pick Calvin Austin continues the franchise trend of finding smaller, smaller-school receivers who can ball, and Diontae Johnson has a new “prove it” deal allowing him to do exactly that.
On defense, the hope is that former Bengals and Browns interior defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi can reinforce a line that was great with Stephon Tuitt in 2020, and much less so without him in 2021. Cameron Heyward had to be Superman most of the time without Tuitt, and when Heyward was off the field, Pittsburgh’s run defense fell completely apart.
Mike Tomlin is heading into his 16th season as the Steelers’ head coach, and he’s never had a losing campaign. We’re not estimating that he’ll have one in 2022, but the quarterback thing bears watching.
(Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)
Kevin O’Connell has replaced Mike Zimmer as the Vikings’ head coach, and O’Connell — the former Rams offensive coordinator, and yet another branch of the Sean McVay coaching tree — has already said that he wants a more wide-open, less predictable, more diversified offense. That could be great news for quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook, and receiver Justin Jefferson, who might be the NFL’s most underrated player at his position.
That said, O’Connell isn’t the coach with the uphill battle. That would be defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who has been charged with improving a squad that ranked 17th overall in Defensive DVOA, and plummeted from 10th to 22nd in the second half of the season. That was the primary reason for Minnesota’s 8-9 record, and it will be the primary reason for their third straight season without a playoff game if things don’t improve.
(Syndication: The Indianapolis Star)
(George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports)
On the surface, it looked like the Titans improved a bit in 2021. They had a 12-5 regular-season record compared to 11-5 the year before, and they made it to the divisional round, losing to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. But there were other issues afoot, and they showed up down the road. Derrick Henry missed the second half of the regular season with a foot injury. He returned for Tennessee’s lone playoff game last season, rushing 20 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. Henry was on pace to lead the league in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns for the third year in a row before his injury, and if that workload hasn’t taken something out of him, he will return as the epicenter of the Titans’ offense.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill became the focal point after Henry’s injury, and that didn’t always work out. Tannehill led the league in third-down interceptions in the 2021 season, and his three picks in the playoff loss to the Bengals overshadowed Tennessee’s defense sacking Joe Burrow nine times. So, the defense is pretty much on point. It’s whether Henry can come back at full force, and whether Tannehill can cut down on the key errors — that will decide this team’s 2022 season to a great degree.
The Saints didn’t miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016 because of their defense. New Orleans finished third in Defensive DVOA last season, second the year before, and Football Outsiders projects them to have the NFL’s best defense in 2022. Adding Tyrann Mathieu to that unit makes that a distinct possibility.
What scuttled Sean Payton’s team (now Dennis Allen’s team) in 2021 was a post-Drew Brees quarterback situation that really went downhill once Jameis Winston was lost for the season in Week 8 with a torn ACL. Winston had done a lot to remove the randomness that basically ended his career with the Buccaneers, and made him the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season. Last season, he threw 14 touchdown passes to just three interceptions, was particularly outstanding when given the benefits of play-action and pre-snap motion, and if Winston comes back strong (especially with the re-insertion of receiver Michael Thomas, who missed the entire 2021 season with an ankle injury), the Saints have everything else to be serious contenders.
Why are they ranked so low here? Because if there’s no Winston, there’s not much at quarterback. Andy Dalton, Ian Book, and Taysom Hill ain’t gonna do it.
(Syndication: Akron Beacon Journal)
Right now, Deshaun Watson is facing a six-game suspension for his multiple alleged sexual assaults. That number may or may not increase upon the NFL’s appeal. That, we do not yet know. What we do know is that Watson didn’t play a single down of football in 2021 as these terrible stories came out, and we have no idea what he’ll look like when he does get back on the field. Whenever that is.
We also know that what Watson looks like when he gets back on the field is the secondary story. The Browns are now in a mess of their own making at the game’s most important position. They alienated and then traded Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett is poised to start however many games, and the whole Watson drams has been a catastrophic black eye for the entire organization.
Outside of that particular disaster, the Browns are a deep team with talent all over the roster. But what will that matter as they carry this weight through the season? We can but wait and see.
The time is now for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to succeed, or step aside. His team has done as much as it possibly can to build the right environment around him. Hurts has an estimable group of targets, led by new acquisition A.J. Brown. Philly’s offensive line is the only one in the NFL to place four of its players in our recent list of the top players at their respective positions: Center Jason Kelce, guard Landon Dickerson, and tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. The run game isn’t among the NFL’s best, but to his credit, Hurts has been his own force in that department. He was able run very effectively last season, especially out of 11 personnel.
Before we make too much of running back Josh Jacobs’ playing time during the Hall of Fame game, and whether that means Jacobs and the Raiders are done with each other, remember what new head coach Josh McDaniels had to say about Jacobs at the scouting combine.
Asked McDaniels about Josh Jacobs and picking up the 5th-year option. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/DHddoPCfBM
We had Jacobs as our eighth-best back in the NFL in our recent player rankings, so the thought of the Raiders moving on from Jacobs makes little sense to us.
The Raiders have other things to worry about, anyway. The AFC West is setting up to be a complete bloodbath in 2022, and even with Davante Adams on the roster, they’re coming up short in a few areas. Outside of left tackle Kolton Miller, the offensive line is still recovering from what Tom Cable did to it — 2021 right tackle Brandon Parker, who allowed the fourth-most pressures among all offensive tackles last season, allowed three sacks and a pressure in less than one half of the Hall of Fame game.
On defense, the edge combination of Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, but if said quarterbacks are able to extend the play, who’s defending those opposing receivers? The Raiders lost Casey Hayward, their best defensive back in 2021, to the Falcons in free agency, so shootouts could be the order of the day.
The Cowboys won the NFC East with a 12-5 record in 2021, Dak Prescott recovered nicely from 2020’s horrific injuries, and Micah Parsons was the runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year — I argued that Parsons should have been the Defensive Player of the Year, so there you go. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn did an unbelievable job of turning things around on that side of the ball; in his first season in Dallas, the Cowboys jumped from 23rd in Defensive DVOA in 2020 to second behind the Bills in 2021.
On offense, the Chargers have everything you want. A budding superstar in quarterback Justin Herbert. A deep receiver group. Perhaps the NFL’s most underrated running back in Austin Ekeler. Left tackle Rashawn Slater hit the ground at 1,000 miles per hour in his rookie season and played like an All-Pro from the start, and 2022 first-rounder Zion Johnson could be just as formidable at guard. There is the small matter of right tackle Storm Norton allowing approximately 327 pressures per game (this may be a slight exaggeration), but we’ll err on the positive side when it comes to the Chargers’ offense.
The defense is mostly solid, too. The additions of edge-rusher Khalil Mack and cornerback J.C. Jackson should make Brandon Staley’s defense even more formidable, except for this team’s obvious Achilles heel in 2021 — their run defense. It was one of the NFL’s worst, and it kept this team out of the postseason, as Raiders back Josh Jacobs blew it up for 132 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in the Week 18 all-in game to decide which team would make the postseason. The Chargers allowed 174 rushing yards and 190 passing yards in that game, which neatly encapsulated a season-long struggle. The Chargers will try to solve this by committee as opposed to with one force multiplier, but that might be an uphill battle.
How bad was the Ravens’ injury luck in 2021? How long is a piece of string? Football Outsiders has a metric called Adjusted Games Lost, which tracks the losses of impact players to injury. The metric currently goes back to 2001, and no team had a higher AGL in a season than last year’s Ravens. It wasn’t even close. Their AGL of 191.2 far outpaced the 2016 Chicago Bears, who had ranked first, at 171.6.
The good news for the Ravens is that generally, horrific injury luck tends to return to normal the following year, and it can’t get any worse than it was. That’s one point of optimism. A second point is the idea that Lamar Jackson, fresh off his offseason tour just missing everybody’s top-10 quarterback lists, can find ways to improve as a pure thrower, and can take advantage of a supporting cast that isn’t leaving the field all the time. There’s nothing stopping the Ravens from exploring the postseason for a good long time — except for those two things. Injury luck, and Lamar Jackson playing at his best.
Over the last three seasons, the 49ers have lost a Super Bowl and an NFC Championship game, and in both losses, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s limitations came to the forefront. Garoppolo has come as far as Kyle Shanahan’s genius, and his own skill set, will take him. That’s why the 49ers traded a ton of capital to take North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 draft, and that’s why, after a season of seasoning, Lance will be Shanahan’s starter in 2022 and beyond.
Lance doesn’t yet have Garoppolo’s command of the game, but he isn’t far behind, and it’s easy to see why Shanahan is betting that Lance will catch up sooner than later. He can make every throw, he adds an amazing element of mobility to what is already the NFL’s toughest run game to solve, and he’ll allow Shanahan to break out entire chapters of his playbook he’s had to keep hidden for years.
Beyond that, things look pretty good. Deebo Samuel has a new contract, Trent Williams is the NFL’s best left tackle by an absolutely crushing margin, and first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was already getting some nascent head coach talk after a brilliant 2021 season.
2022 may not be the year in which Trey Lance becomes everything he can be — but this may be the year in which he doesn’t yet have to for the 49ers to retrace their steps to the NFL’s highest altitudes.
The Chiefs will be different this season; that we know for sure. Outside of Patrick Mahomes, the two most important players on the team from recent years may have been receiver Tyreek Hill and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, and both are gone — Hill in a trade to the Dolphins, and Mathieu in free agency to the Saints.
What does that mean? It means that a combination of receivers (likely led by Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and possibly rookie Skyy Moore) will have to replicate Hill’s explosive play potential in a committee, and other DBs (free-agent safety Justin Reid at the top of the list) will have to replicate Mathieu’s versatility and uncanny coverage sense. These changes don’t necessarily punt the Chiefs from the top of the AFC West, which has become the most brutally competitive division in the NFL — but it’ll be interesting to see how those changes manifest themselves in 2022.
Another thing to clock in the new season: Do Mahomes and Andy Reid have an answer for all the two-high coverage Mahomes saw last season? Kansas City’s deep passing game wasn’t quite what it had been in previous years as a result. How the Chiefs adjust to all the adjustments will be a major story.
Tom Brady turned 45 on August 3, which means that he’s about to become the second quarterback in NFL history to take snaps at that age. In 1972, George Blanda completed five of 15 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown at age 45 for the Oakland Raiders. We have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Brady will outstrip those numbers.
Everything seems fine on the offensive side of the ball in Tampa, as long as the receivers can stay healthy and new addition Russell Gage fits in. Where the Bucs need better luck is in the secondary. They put 14 different combinations of their five starting defensive backs on the field last season, and while the results were better than expected (and second-year safety Antoine Winfield Jr. became the alpha of the group), you’d like to see a bit more continuity. So would new head coach and former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, we’re sure.
(Syndication: The Enquirer)
2021’s Cinderella team went from 4-11-1 in 2020 to 10-7 in the 2021 regular season, and a near-Super Bowl win despite an offensive line that was… well, offensive in pass protection. The Bengals did all they could to reinforce that group with the free-agent additions of Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and La’el Collins. If Joe Burrow doesn’t have to run for his life all the time, that can only be good for the offense.
But it’s Cincinnati’s defense that could be the interesting group in 2022. Lou Anarumo’s squad seemed to get the hang of his concepts as the season went along, and there’s a lot of talent there — stars Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jessie Bates, and underrated players Logan Wilson, Mike Hilton, D.J. Reader, and B.J. Hill. That may be the key if the Bengals are to return to the NFL’s biggest game, going through the AFC gauntlet as they’ll need to.
At the end of the 2020 season, the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl after adding Tom Brady to their roster. After all, they were only a quarterback away.
At the end of the 2021 season, the Rams won the Super Bowl after adding Matthew Stafford to their roster. After all, they were only a quarterback away.
The Broncos hope to make that three in a row after the blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson this offseason, and there’s some weight to that idea. Even with receiver Tim Patrick’s unfortunate season-ending ACL injury, Denver is stacked with receivers, Javonte Williams is one of the league’s best running backs, and the offensive line might be the best Wilson’s ever had — admittedly, it’s a low bar after the front fives he had in Seattle.
The defense, led by cornerback Patrick Surtain II and safety Justin Simmons, has the talent to be estimable if new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero can put it all together. Given their place in our power rankings, we’re of the opinion that this will happen, and that the Wilson addition will indeed make all (or at least a lot of) the difference.
Were the Broncos only a quarterback away from winning the Super Bowl? Hard to say, but they are no longer only a quarterback away from anything else.
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have a top group of receivers. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.
This time around, Rodgers may have weight to his complaints. Trading Davante Adams to the Raiders gave general manager Brian Gutekunst extra draft capital, and allowed the Packers to avoid giving Adams the five-year, $140 million contract Las Vegas gave him, but when you lose the NFL’s best receiver, that’s going to be a problem on the field. Green Bay’s offensive splits when Adams was off the field last season went starkly in the wrong direction. Losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Chiefs didn’t really help, either.
So, it’ll have to be a committee. Green Bay does have two fine receiving backs in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, erstwhile Rodgers best buddy Randall Cobb is still around, and fourth-round rookie Romeo Doubs has been blowing it up in training camp.
If the passing game is better than passable, everything should be fine. The aforementioned Jones and Dillon are one of the NFL’s best committees, the offensive line is pretty strong even with David Bakhtiari’s ongoing injury concerns, and the defense Gutekunst and his staff have put together has a Super Bowl look about it. The Packers also hired former Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to oversee their special teams — special teams that got Green Bay booted out of the playoffs in the divisional round
If it all comes together, Rodgers’ 2022 season could be positively… psychedelic.
If the Rams are to become the first team since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they’ll have to overcome what a lot of one-time champs fail to transcend — a seemingly inevitable talent drain. As the good folks at Football Outsiders point out:
Between retirement, trades, and free agency, the Rams lost two of their top three wide receivers, their leading rusher, two starting offensive linemen, their best edge rusher, their finest linebacker, two of their top three cornerbacks, and an All-Pro punter this offseason.
Well, that’s a bummer. The Rams did pick up receiver Allen Robinson, linebacker Bobby Wagner, and cornerback Troy Hill to stop some of that bleeding, and Hill has been part of this defense before.
(Syndication: USA TODAY)
Since we’ve already done the Spoiler Alert thing… yes, we believe that the Bills will win their first Super Bowl. There are several reasons why, and that’s with Josh Allen’s excellence as the given. The Bills ranked first in Defensive DVOA last season, and that defense now has Von Miller and first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam in its ranks. Their offense ranked 10th in DVOA, and they’ve added a couple of potentially explosive rookies in Georgia running back James Cook and Boise State receiver Khalil Shakir. Special teams has been buttressed by sixth-round “Punt God” Matt Araiza from San Diego State.
It’s very tough to poke holes in what general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have put together. Going back to that Chiefs defeat, it’s easy to speculate that if cornerback Tre’Davious White had been healthy and in, there would have been a different result. White, one of the best at his position in the league, was lost for rest of the season in Week 12 to a torn ACL, and if there are any hiccups in his recovery, that’s one potential issue. You would like to see more of a sustaining running game — Cook and the underrated Devin Singletary are more speed/movement guys — and there are a few issues on the offensive line.
But really, we’re splitting hairs here. The Bills have the NFL’s best team overall, and should be accounted for accordingly. | 2022-08-10T13:08:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Preseason power rankings: Is this finally Buffalo’s season to win a Super Bowl? | https://sports.yahoo.com/preseason-power-rankings-finally-buffalo-100129966.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/preseason-power-rankings-finally-buffalo-100129966.html?src=rss |
The Falcons’ top offensive lineman lands a spot on our preseason list of Mountain West football’s best players.
He’ll be happy to run you over.
Seeing what an offensive lineman does well isn’t always easy for the average college football fan. You’re so accustomed to following the ball that the footwork, balance, and power required to play in the trenches often passes us by in the blink of an eye, and if everything goes right you hardly notice.
That makes the contributions of one Everett Smalley, the next player on our annual countdown of the conference’s top performers, particularly important. The Air Force offensive tackle got his first extended audition with 12 starts and, pun intended, ran with it along with the rest of the Falcons’ typically strong option running game.
Not only was he part of a Diesels unit that was nominated for the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best offensive line, he helped Air Force finish 13th among all FBS teams in line yards per carry and 4th in stuff rate allowed by racking up a 87.9 Pro Football Focus overall grade that not only earned him the #1 spot among all Mountain West tackles, but was the 12th-best among all FBS tackles.
Somehow, though, that didn’t merit the Tampa, Florida native even a postseason honorable mention on the all-Mountain West team last December. With another year like the one he just had, however, there won’t be much room for doubt that Smalley is the best offensive tackle anywhere in the conference. | 2022-08-10T14:12:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | 2022 Mountain West Football Top 50: #24, Air Force OT Everett Smalley | https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-mountain-west-football-top-133227852.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-mountain-west-football-top-133227852.html?src=rss |
The Eagles have been looking to add running back depth to the roster, and on Wednesday, the team had former North Texas star DeAndre Torrey in for a workout.
Small in stature (5′ 7” 199 lbs), Torrey makes up for his lack of size with big play abilities as a dual-threat running back.
During his final season with the Mean Green, Torrey logged 1,215 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, and during his career, he racked up 36 total rushing touchdowns, with another four receiving scores.
Philadelphia currently has Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell, Jason Huntley, and Kennedy Brooks on the roster at the position. | 2022-08-10T15:10:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles working out RB DeAndre Torrey | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-working-rb-deandre-torrey-144315005.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-working-rb-deandre-torrey-144315005.html?src=rss |
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