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year ago under Mularkey
The team announced his contract termination Saturday. He had been the Giants punter the last three seasons.
His 36.7-yard net average last season ranked last in the NFL among punters eligible for the final statistics. Short punts in games against Philadelphia and Tampa Bay proved costly in losses. He also had two punts blocked for the first time in his career.
Wing's best season was in 2016. His 40.9-yard net average ranked 10th in the league and was a team record for a season.
Wing was traded to the Giants in 2015 after punting for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014.
Mike Vrabel wanted his debut as Tennessee's head coach to start on offense.
It was an impressive beginning in the Titans' preseason opener.
Marcus Mariota and the Titans wasted no time providing a glimpse of what they can do in this new offense, driving 71 yards for a touchdown on the first series even with four starters sidelined. Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker was a healthy scratch, starting wide receivers Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews were out with undisclosed injuries and right tackle Jack Conklin is recovering from a torn ACL.
"It was an efficient drive, it was a good drive and it was good to see that group go down there and kind of do what they did in an in the scrimmage, the one Friday night scrimmage that we had and then be able to carry that over know into this week [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-ian-thomas-jersey]Cheap Ian Thomas Jersey[/url] ," Vrabel said Friday.
The Titans wound up losing 31-17 in Green Bay with the second-team offense settling for a field goal after Vrabel let new backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert throw on fourth-and-4 at the Packers 12.
But all the attention is on Mariota and the offense being installed by offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. Putting the No. 2 overall pick in 2015 in a better scheme is why the Titans fired Mike Mularkey in January and replaced him with Vrabel.
Mariota looked sharp, even though he was caught running at the line for a sack. The quarterback who has been healthy all offseason for the first time since his rookie season later scrambled for 7 yards. He was 2 of 3 for 42 yards passing despite not having Davis or Matthews.
Davis dressed and warmed up but did not play. The No. 5 wide receiver overall last year has not practiced since leaving a session early last weekend with an undisclosed issue. Matthews is the lone veteran of the receiving corps, and he remains on the physically unable to perform list.
That left Mariota with Taywan Taylor, a third-round pick overall in 2017, and Darius Jennings [url=http://www.anaheimducksteamshop.com/authentic-corey-perry-jersey]Authentic Corey Perry Jersey[/url] , as his starting receivers. Jennings originally signed with Cleveland in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia and started one of the four games he played that season with the Browns. The Titans released Jennings last November before bringing him back again.
"Overall, it is a young group, so it is exciting to see those guys get a chance to play," Mariota said. "With that being said, these guys have an opportunity and they need to make the most of it. We are really going to have to count on some of those guys throughout the year and that is good to see that in live game action."
Jennings capped that opening drive with a 4-yard TD catch as he tries to earn a roster spot.
Derrick Henry also had an 8-yard run on an outside zone play that will be a feature of this offense.
The Titans still have plenty to work on offensively before hosting Tampa Bay for two joint practices before their preseason game Aug. 18. Running back Dalyn Dawkins was flagged for one of three lowering the helmet penalties on the Titans [url=http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Indianapolis Colts Jerseys[/url] , and they lost time of possession in the final three quarters with their worst the third holding the ball for only 2 minutes, 10 seconds.
"Always room for improvement," Vrabel said.
NOTES: The Titans agreed to terms Friday with S Steven Terrell and waived as injured OLB Gimel President and DL Johnny Maxey. Terrell has played 42 career games in stops with Jacksonville, Houston, Seattle and Kansas City. ... The Titans went 1-3 in the preseason a year ago under Mularkey. Whether it was Vrabel's debut or the Titans playing their first game in their new uniforms [url=http://www.jetscheapstore.com/sam-darnold-jersey-cheap]Sam Darnold Jersey[/url] , TV ratings in Nashville jumped 39 percent over the opener a year ago from 11.9 rating to 16.6.
Follow Teresa M. Walker at teresamwalker.
their 50th career playoff
They picked up Mark Walton from Miami with the 112th overall pick. He missed most of last season with an injured right ankle.
Although the Bengals’ main focus on offense has been fixing the line, they also needed a running back. Jeremy Hill signed with New England after the season, leaving Joe Mixon as the featured back. Giovani Bernard returns for his sixth season. Walton is 5-foot-10 and reminds the Bengals of Bernard.
One big attraction: Walton played on Miami’s kickoff and punt coverage teams, so he can fit on special teams immediately.
—
With the New Jersey Devils‘ first playoff appearance since 2012 starting to look like an early exit, Taylor Hall came up big – just like he has done all season.
Hall had a goal and two assists, setting up Stefan Noesen’s game-winner with 7:05 play, and Cory Schneider made 34 saves in shoring up the goaltending and leading the Devils to a 5-2 victory over the penalty-prone Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night in Game 3 of their best-of-7 first-round series.
The Devils scored four third-period goals in cutting Tampa Bay’s series lead to 2-1. Game 4 will also be played at the Prudential Center on Wednesday.
Hall [url=http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/chad-thomas-jersey]Authentic Chad Thomas Jersey[/url] , appearing in the playoffs for the first time since being the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, downplayed his role.
”It’s not my first playoff win, it’s ours as a group,” said Hall, who had a career year in goals, assists and points. ”We had some confidence coming back on home ice with how we played to finish the regular season. It’s a great feeling. We’re still down 2-1. We still have a lot of room to go but it’s a nice start.”
The Devils had a lot of contributors.
Rookie Will Butcher had a power-play goal earlier in the third to tie the score 2-all. Blake Coleman and Ben Lovejoy added empty net goals late. Schneider only gave up two power-play goals in taking over for Keith Kinkaid and giving the Devils a chance in this series.
”It’s huge. You could see there at the end it getting a little nasty similar to the last game,” Schneider said of the win. ”We’ve got the emotional involvement now. We’re on each other’s nerves. It’s going to a series.”
Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos each had a power-play goal and an assist for the Lightning [url=http://www.pittsburghsteelersteamstore.com/customized]Customized Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys[/url] , who allowed the Devils to go on seven power plays. Nikita Kucherov added two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves in the game that had a major scrum with 23 seconds to go.
”At the end of the day you give them that many power play chances and then you give them a 5-on-3, it’s a good chance they are eventually going to get one,” Stamkos said. ”They got one and then they got momentum.”
Hall was the Devils’ MVP during their stunning run from the worst team in the Eastern Conference to the postseason in a year, and he didn’t disappoint in their biggest game of the season.
Hall skated down the right boards, avoided a check by Tyler Johnson in center ice and found Noesen in the left circle with a cross-ice pass that the forward one-timed past Vasilevskiy.
”He’s a good player and good players are going to make plays,” Lightning center Brayden Point said. ”He had a good night tonight. He is a guy we have to watch [url=http://www.billsfootballauthentics.com/trent-murphy-jersey-authentic]Youth Trent Murphy Jersey[/url] , know when he is out there and take away his space.”
Butcher had tied it at 4:03 of the period, just 24 seconds after the Lightning were penalized for having too many men on the ice during a penalty kill.
”We were our own worst nightmare tonight,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.
The Lightning, who scored on 3 of 4 power plays in the first two games, converted on two more in Game 3.
Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead just 38 seconds into the third with a shot from the left circle that squeezed between Schneider’s arm and body and dribbled into the net. It was his first goal of the series.
Tampa Bay, which never trailed in winning the first two games, took the lead again 42 seconds into the second period on Killorn’s third power-play goal of the series and fourth overall. Kucherov sent a pass from behind the goal line that Killorn redirected into the net before Schneider could move.
Hall tied the game 1-all with an unassisted goal at 12:24. Vasilevskiy made an excellent stop on a shot from near the blue line by Kyle Palmieri. The puck was misplayed by the Lightning and went to Hall between the circles and he ripped a shot past Vasilevskiy.
Hall could have had more. He hit the crossbar on a first-period breakaway.
NOTES: Center J.T. Miller of the Lightning had to leave the ice late in the second period after sustaining a facial cut. He returned for the third period. … Devils captain Andy Greene had assists on goals by Noesen and Lovejoy. … Killorn and Johnson each skated in their 50th career playoff game. … C Cory Conacher replaced the injured Ryan Callahan (upper body) in the Lightning lineup. … Devils F Michael Grabner [url=http://www.dolphinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-kalen-ballage-jersey]Cheap Kalen Ballage Jersey[/url] , who was acquired from the Rangers in February, was a healthy scratch after playing in the first two games. Mirco Mueller also sat as New Jersey dressed six defensemen instead of seven used in Game 2.
—
.
Puig, who is hitting
”It’s an incredibly disturbing image,” Bakay said of wasting away Sundays witnessing his hometown team sleepwalk through one loss after another during a 17-season playoff drought that ended last year.
”I never missed a Bills game. But I was always slumped on my couch. I was never sitting forward. I was never jumping to my feet,” said Bakay, who wrote ”Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and its sequel, and produced and appeared on the TV sitcom ”King of Queens.” ”You sit on your couch, and your couch slowly eats you.”
No different for fans of Buffalo’s other pro sports franchise, the NHL’s Sabres, who finished last for the third time in five years and extended their franchise-worst playoff drought to a seventh season.
In a shot-and-a-beer town where the winters are interminably long, Buffalo sports fans ride things out on the notion of renewal always being just around the corner.
And there’s a new, palpable optimism for this hearty fan base, thanks to a three-day stretch which showed potential to alter the trajectory of both teams.
First, the Bills made a pair of splashes in the first round of the NFL draft on April 26 by trading up to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen and Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Two days later, the Sabres won the NHL draft lottery – something Buffalo lost the previous two times it finished last – and the opportunity to select projected No. 1 pick, Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
During the NFL draft, CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor got dirty looks from his wife during a rare dinner date sneaking peeks at the Bills’ picks. He then yelped with excitement upon learning the Sabres won the lottery while attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
”I had just resigned myself to never winning it,” Glor said. ”But listen, I always have hope.”
In Buffalo, there’s a fine line between affection and affliction for hope.
”I always try to keep it in check a little bit,” said Glor [url=http://www.philadelphiaflyersteamshop.com/authentic-nolan-patrick-jersey]Authentic Nolan Patrick Jersey[/url] , who grew up in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda.
”Unfortunately, you get conditioned to where there are times you can be defeatist. And you try not to be. But you just don’t give up.”
Fans have little choice but to persevere in a place where nickname-worthy moments are tied to losses.
For the Bills, it’s ”Wide Right,” after kicker Scott Norwood missed a last-second field-goal attempt in a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants in the 1991 Super Bowl – the first of four consecutive Super Bowl losses.
For the Sabres, it’s ”No Goal,” following a 2-1, triple-overtime loss to Dallas in Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final. Brett Hull’s Cup-clinching goal stood even though replays showed his skate in the crease.
Those were the so-called glory days.
The Bills and Sabres have won five playoff games combined since 2008. By comparison, the NHL’s expansion Vegas Golden Knights have already won eight in their first year of existence.
Buffalo joins Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina, as the only North American markets with two or more major pro teams to not have won a title.
”I think it builds character in a way. I joke with my friends that one day my kids will have to go through therapy because we are Sabres, Bills and Mets fans,” said former VH1-cable TV chief Tom Calderone, who’s from Long Island, New York, but got his broadcasting start in Buffalo and maintains a home in the city. ”It’s easy to be a Cowboys fan or a Patriots fan. But it takes true dedication to be a Bills or Sabres fan.”
Calderone sees more hope reflected in signs of resurgence for the city itself.
The former site of the Erie Canal has been transformed from vacant gravel lots to parkland, a water park that doubles as an ice rink in winter, and an entertainment/hockey complex built by Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula.
Housing prices have tripled and a medical corridor is newly bustling along Main Street [url=http://www.brownscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-chad-thomas-jersey]Authentic Chad Thomas Jersey[/url] , where shuttered and boarded-up buildings have been renovated or replaced by new steel and glass structures.
Buffalo still has its rust-belt blemishes as one of the nation’s poorest cities. Racial inequities, failing schools and a crumbling infrastructure remain issues.
The Bills and Sabres aren’t immune to troubling headlines. Last week, the two teams’ president Russ Brandon resigned amid allegations of having inappropriate relationships with female employees.
Buffalo might never regain the industrial-age prominence it held in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the city became a Great Lakes shipping hub as the gateway to the Erie Canal.
Nor, however, should it become the punchline comedian Jon Stewart once delivered during a stop in Buffalo, calling the city the gateway to the Ontario border town of Fort Erie just across the Niagara River – population 30,000.
Watching a documentary on former Bills running back O.J. Simpson, Bakay was reminded of the gloomy times in the 1970s when the steel mills began closing and legions of people left to find jobs.
”It depressed me so much,” he said. ”Every shot of Buffalo looked like a moose that farted into the sky.”
The decline led to Buffalo investing its psyche into its sports teams as a way of remaining part of the national conversation.
”Our teams were the only way we could punch back and say, `Yeah, we It’s official. LeBron is a Laker.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of LeBron James as a free agent, confirming the seismic shift created by the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player’s decision to leave Cleveland for the 16-time champion franchise on the West Coast.
James’ representatives at Klutch Sports Group tweeted a photo of James signing his contract with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. James’ agency already announced last week that the superstar had agreed to a four-year deal worth $153.3 million with Los Angeles.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, called James ”the best player in the world” in a news release.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free-agent guard Elfrid Payton and re-signed guard Ian Clark.
New Orleans announced the roster moves along with the formal signing of former Lakers forward Julius Randle, who agreed last week to a two-year contract worth about $18 million. Payton and Clark each have signed for one year.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Kyle Anderson’s move to Memphis is official.
San Antonio had until midnight Sunday to match the Grizzlies‘ four-year, $37.2 million offer to Anderson, and declined. That means Anderson is now a member of the Grizzlies [url=http://www.chiefsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dorian-o_daniel-jersey]Chiefs Dorian O'Daniel Jersey[/url] , and their likely starting small forward.
Anderson averaged 7.9 points for the Spurs last season, in his first year as a full-time starting forward.
DALLAS (AP) – Luka Doncic has signed his rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks that will pay the third overall pick $5.5 million next season.
Dallas moved up two spots in the NBA draft last month to get the versatile Slovenian guard, who was selected by Atlanta at No. 3. The Mavericks picked former Oklahoma scoring sensation Trae Young for the Hawks at No. 5 as part of the deal that includes a protected 2019 first-round draft pick going to Atlanta.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Doncic is set to make $6.4 million in his second season with the Mavericks.
TENNIS
LONDON (AP) – Serena Williams reached her 13th Wimbledon quarterfinal by beating Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-2, and never looked likely to join the parade of favorites who have been eliminated.
No. 7 Karolina Pliskova became the last of the top-10 seeds to be knocked out, losing to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. Since seeds were introduced in the 1920s, it’s the first time none of the top 10 women have reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. It’s also a first for any Grand Slam tournament in the 50-year professional era.
In the men’s tournament, Roger Federer advanced to a record-extending 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Adrian Mannarino of France.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal also moved on to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011. The Spaniard beat Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court. Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, has yet to drop a set in this tournament.
As play was being suspended on other courts, Novak Djokovic broke Russia’s Karen Khachanov for the seventh time to finish off a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win on No. 1 Court.
Ninth-seeded Amerian John Isner, No. 13 Milos Raonic of Canada and No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan also advanced.
NFL
CHARLOTTE [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-michael-gallup-jersey]Authentic Michael Gallup Jersey[/url] , N.C. (AP) – The Carolina Panthers announced the sale of the franchise to David Tepper has closed.
Tepper becomes only the second owner in team history.
The founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, L.P., bought the team from founder Jerry Richardson for $2.2 billion – the most ever paid for an NFL franchise. Richardson put the team up for sale in December after reports of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace, which the league later confirmed.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian has lost a $30 million lawsuit that claimed he was improperly fired by the school instead of being allowed to seek treatment for alcoholism.
An arbitrator last week ruled in favor of the University of Southern California, saying Sarkisian concealed his condition from the school. In a statement Monday, Sarkisian said he was ”disappointed in the decision, but we will respect it and move on.”
Sarkisian was fired in October 2015, two months after he slurred his words and swore during USC’s annual ”Salute to Troy” preseason pep rally.
Sarkisian blamed his behavior on mixing alcohol with medication before the event. However, Sarkisian also reportedly showed signs of being intoxicated during a game and at a team meeting.
He was replaced by current head coach Clay Helton.
BASEBALL
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Giants catcher Buster Posey will miss the All-Star Game because of a lingering right hip issue that needs an injection to calm the inflammation.
The hip has bothered him both hitting and catching off and on all season, so Posey is hopeful the time off will allow him to heal.
Manager Bruce Bochy made the announcement before the start of the Giants’ three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The Giants had been discussing the possibility for about a month, Bochy said, and Posey is scheduled to have the injection after Sunday’s
”It’s an incredibly disturbing image,” Bakay said of wasting away Sundays witnessing his hometown team sleepwalk through one loss after another during a 17-season playoff drought that ended last year.
”I never missed a Bills game. But I was always slumped on my couch. I was never sitting forward. I was never jumping to my feet,” said Bakay, who wrote ”Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and its sequel, and produced and appeared on the TV sitcom ”King of Queens.” ”You sit on your couch, and your couch slowly eats you.”
No different for fans of Buffalo’s other pro sports franchise, the NHL’s Sabres, who finished last for the third time in five years and extended their franchise-worst playoff drought to a seventh season.
In a shot-and-a-beer town where the winters are interminably long, Buffalo sports fans ride things out on the notion of renewal always being just around the corner.
And there’s a new, palpable optimism for this hearty fan base, thanks to a three-day stretch which showed potential to alter the trajectory of both teams.
First, the Bills made a pair of splashes in the first round of the NFL draft on April 26 by trading up to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen and Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Two days later, the Sabres won the NHL draft lottery – something Buffalo lost the previous two times it finished last – and the opportunity to select projected No. 1 pick, Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
During the NFL draft, CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor got dirty looks from his wife during a rare dinner date sneaking peeks at the Bills’ picks. He then yelped with excitement upon learning the Sabres won the lottery while attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
”I had just resigned myself to never winning it,” Glor said. ”But listen, I always have hope.”
In Buffalo, there’s a fine line between affection and affliction for hope.
”I always try to keep it in check a little bit,” said Glor [url=http://www.philadelphiaflyersteamshop.com/authentic-nolan-patrick-jersey]Authentic Nolan Patrick Jersey[/url] , who grew up in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda.
”Unfortunately, you get conditioned to where there are times you can be defeatist. And you try not to be. But you just don’t give up.”
Fans have little choice but to persevere in a place where nickname-worthy moments are tied to losses.
For the Bills, it’s ”Wide Right,” after kicker Scott Norwood missed a last-second field-goal attempt in a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants in the 1991 Super Bowl – the first of four consecutive Super Bowl losses.
For the Sabres, it’s ”No Goal,” following a 2-1, triple-overtime loss to Dallas in Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final. Brett Hull’s Cup-clinching goal stood even though replays showed his skate in the crease.
Those were the so-called glory days.
The Bills and Sabres have won five playoff games combined since 2008. By comparison, the NHL’s expansion Vegas Golden Knights have already won eight in their first year of existence.
Buffalo joins Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina, as the only North American markets with two or more major pro teams to not have won a title.
”I think it builds character in a way. I joke with my friends that one day my kids will have to go through therapy because we are Sabres, Bills and Mets fans,” said former VH1-cable TV chief Tom Calderone, who’s from Long Island, New York, but got his broadcasting start in Buffalo and maintains a home in the city. ”It’s easy to be a Cowboys fan or a Patriots fan. But it takes true dedication to be a Bills or Sabres fan.”
Calderone sees more hope reflected in signs of resurgence for the city itself.
The former site of the Erie Canal has been transformed from vacant gravel lots to parkland, a water park that doubles as an ice rink in winter, and an entertainment/hockey complex built by Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula.
Housing prices have tripled and a medical corridor is newly bustling along Main Street [url=http://www.brownscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-chad-thomas-jersey]Authentic Chad Thomas Jersey[/url] , where shuttered and boarded-up buildings have been renovated or replaced by new steel and glass structures.
Buffalo still has its rust-belt blemishes as one of the nation’s poorest cities. Racial inequities, failing schools and a crumbling infrastructure remain issues.
The Bills and Sabres aren’t immune to troubling headlines. Last week, the two teams’ president Russ Brandon resigned amid allegations of having inappropriate relationships with female employees.
Buffalo might never regain the industrial-age prominence it held in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the city became a Great Lakes shipping hub as the gateway to the Erie Canal.
Nor, however, should it become the punchline comedian Jon Stewart once delivered during a stop in Buffalo, calling the city the gateway to the Ontario border town of Fort Erie just across the Niagara River – population 30,000.
Watching a documentary on former Bills running back O.J. Simpson, Bakay was reminded of the gloomy times in the 1970s when the steel mills began closing and legions of people left to find jobs.
”It depressed me so much,” he said. ”Every shot of Buffalo looked like a moose that farted into the sky.”
The decline led to Buffalo investing its psyche into its sports teams as a way of remaining part of the national conversation.
”Our teams were the only way we could punch back and say, `Yeah, we It’s official. LeBron is a Laker.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of LeBron James as a free agent, confirming the seismic shift created by the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player’s decision to leave Cleveland for the 16-time champion franchise on the West Coast.
James’ representatives at Klutch Sports Group tweeted a photo of James signing his contract with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. James’ agency already announced last week that the superstar had agreed to a four-year deal worth $153.3 million with Los Angeles.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, called James ”the best player in the world” in a news release.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free-agent guard Elfrid Payton and re-signed guard Ian Clark.
New Orleans announced the roster moves along with the formal signing of former Lakers forward Julius Randle, who agreed last week to a two-year contract worth about $18 million. Payton and Clark each have signed for one year.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Kyle Anderson’s move to Memphis is official.
San Antonio had until midnight Sunday to match the Grizzlies‘ four-year, $37.2 million offer to Anderson, and declined. That means Anderson is now a member of the Grizzlies [url=http://www.chiefsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dorian-o_daniel-jersey]Chiefs Dorian O'Daniel Jersey[/url] , and their likely starting small forward.
Anderson averaged 7.9 points for the Spurs last season, in his first year as a full-time starting forward.
DALLAS (AP) – Luka Doncic has signed his rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks that will pay the third overall pick $5.5 million next season.
Dallas moved up two spots in the NBA draft last month to get the versatile Slovenian guard, who was selected by Atlanta at No. 3. The Mavericks picked former Oklahoma scoring sensation Trae Young for the Hawks at No. 5 as part of the deal that includes a protected 2019 first-round draft pick going to Atlanta.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Doncic is set to make $6.4 million in his second season with the Mavericks.
TENNIS
LONDON (AP) – Serena Williams reached her 13th Wimbledon quarterfinal by beating Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-2, and never looked likely to join the parade of favorites who have been eliminated.
No. 7 Karolina Pliskova became the last of the top-10 seeds to be knocked out, losing to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. Since seeds were introduced in the 1920s, it’s the first time none of the top 10 women have reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. It’s also a first for any Grand Slam tournament in the 50-year professional era.
In the men’s tournament, Roger Federer advanced to a record-extending 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Adrian Mannarino of France.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal also moved on to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011. The Spaniard beat Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court. Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, has yet to drop a set in this tournament.
As play was being suspended on other courts, Novak Djokovic broke Russia’s Karen Khachanov for the seventh time to finish off a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win on No. 1 Court.
Ninth-seeded Amerian John Isner, No. 13 Milos Raonic of Canada and No. 24 Kei Nishikori of Japan also advanced.
NFL
CHARLOTTE [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-michael-gallup-jersey]Authentic Michael Gallup Jersey[/url] , N.C. (AP) – The Carolina Panthers announced the sale of the franchise to David Tepper has closed.
Tepper becomes only the second owner in team history.
The founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, L.P., bought the team from founder Jerry Richardson for $2.2 billion – the most ever paid for an NFL franchise. Richardson put the team up for sale in December after reports of sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace, which the league later confirmed.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Former USC head football coach Steve Sarkisian has lost a $30 million lawsuit that claimed he was improperly fired by the school instead of being allowed to seek treatment for alcoholism.
An arbitrator last week ruled in favor of the University of Southern California, saying Sarkisian concealed his condition from the school. In a statement Monday, Sarkisian said he was ”disappointed in the decision, but we will respect it and move on.”
Sarkisian was fired in October 2015, two months after he slurred his words and swore during USC’s annual ”Salute to Troy” preseason pep rally.
Sarkisian blamed his behavior on mixing alcohol with medication before the event. However, Sarkisian also reportedly showed signs of being intoxicated during a game and at a team meeting.
He was replaced by current head coach Clay Helton.
BASEBALL
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Giants catcher Buster Posey will miss the All-Star Game because of a lingering right hip issue that needs an injection to calm the inflammation.
The hip has bothered him both hitting and catching off and on all season, so Posey is hopeful the time off will allow him to heal.
Manager Bruce Bochy made the announcement before the start of the Giants’ three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The Giants had been discussing the possibility for about a month, Bochy said, and Posey is scheduled to have the injection after Sunday’s Bay Bridge Series game against Oakland.
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Dodgers placed right fielder Yasiel Puig on the 10-day disabled list with a right oblique sprain.
Puig, who is hitting .265 with 11 home runs, was removed from Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels during a fifth-inning at-bat. Earlier, Puig had homered for the second consecutive game.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Pui.
against Oakland.
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Dodgers placed right fielder Yasiel Puig on the 10-day disabled list with a right oblique sprain.
Puig, who is hitting .265 with 11 home runs, was removed from Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels during a fifth-inning at-bat. Earlier, Puig had homered for the second consecutive game.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Pui.
Dorsey revamped his
Mayfield passed all the tests.
As far as the Browns are concerned, he's nothing like Johnny Manziel 鈥?except for his Heisman Trophy.
After months of dissection and debate, the Browns selected Mayfield, Oklahoma's cocky and charismatic quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday, a somewhat surprising selection by a team that figured to play it safe with such an important decision.
But coming off a 0-16 season, the Browns are betting that Mayfield is a better player than USC's Sam Darnold, Wyoming's Josh Allen or UCLA's Josh Rosen, a talented group regarded as the top QB class in years.
They're also confident he won't be a headache like Manziel, who fizzled out in two party-filled seasons with Cleveland.
"In doing all of our research with Baker Mayfield, he has earned it [url=http://www.authenticsbuffalobills.com/cheap-josh-allen-jersey]Josh Allen Jersey Elite[/url] , from high school, to college, he has earned it," Browns general manager John Dorsey said. "I have no qualms whatsoever about him as a man or as a football player."
The Browns followed Mayfield's selection with another surprise, using the No. 4 pick on Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. Cleveland was thought to be high on North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb or Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, but they instead opted for the speedy Ward, who skipped his senior season with the Buckeyes to turn pro.
Mayfield understands the Manziel comparisons, and the 23-year-old knows there are Cleveland fans who see him as Johnny Football 2.0.
However, Mayfield insists he's his own man.
"Johnny and I are two completely different people," Mayfield said on a conference call from his home in Austin, Texas. "That's nothing against him, but what I've been able to do is be upfront and honest about who I am during these meetings. I'm confident that I showed that with this coaching staff and with the management throughout this process.
"But for me moving forward it's just being myself. I'm not going to go out and try and prove I'm not Johnny, I'm going to be myself and in the end that's going to take care of the rest."
When Dorsey called Mayfield and asked him, "Let me ask you a question [url=http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/denzel-ward-jersey]Denzel Ward Jersey[/url] , you want to be the first pick in the draft?" Mayfield broke down and cried.
Mayfield said he became emotional after looking around at people who stuck with him through good and bad.
"It just kind of brought out all of the emotions of the tough times that we went through and the good ones," he said. "To think about it all there in that moment, it was going to be a fresh start, and it was a whole lot of emotion packed into one phone call."
At Oklahoma, he was college football's top player last season, passing for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns and winning the Heisman last season. But his size (he's just over 6-foot), and the questions about his character following a 2017 arrest in Arkansas and some on-field antics 鈥?a flag planting at Ohio State and lewd gesture at Kansas 鈥?seemed to eliminate him from being picked first.
But as Dorsey, coach Hue Jackson and others in Cleveland's organization spent more time with him, the Browns became convinced that he's the one who can finally end their long search for a franchise quarterback. Cleveland has started 28 QBs since 1999.
"My faith says every man deserves a second chance," Dorsey said. "Young men do certain things. We all learn from our mistakes. I like the guy. I have no problems with a young man making mistakes and moving forward."
Mayfield, who went 33-6 in games he started (he sat out the first quarter of his final game with a suspension) is the fifth quarterback taken in the first round by the Browns in their expansion era 鈥?and first since Manziel.
And although he may be Cleveland's quarterback of the future, the present belongs to Tyrod Taylor [url=http://www.seahawkscheapstore.com/ed-dickson-jersey-cheap]Ed Dickson Jersey Seahawks[/url] , who was acquired during the offseason in a trade from Buffalo. Jackson has already named Taylor as his starter in 2018, and the plan is for Mayfield to develop as a backup.
For now, Mayfield is going along with it.
"That's a veteran that's been in the league," he said. "He's a guy that I could sit behind and learn from. For me, when I say those type of things, it's because I'm competitive. If I came in with the mindset of just being happy I got drafted and just to settle for a backup job, that wouldn't be myself."
This is the second straight year the Browns have picked first. Cleveland addressed a major defensive need and selected defensive end Myles Garrett with the first overall pick in 2017.
Dorsey revamped his secondary with a trade and three free-agent signings. But he was missing a shutdown cornerback and believes he's got one now in Ward, a Cleveland kid who feels he's ready to help his hometown team win.
"I'm very confident in my ability and I look forward to that pressure," Ward said. "Being at Ohio State, there was pressure all the time there. Everybody was on edge there. It's kind of nothing new having the pressure on me."
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Instead, long-term prospects are what dominants their 2018 draft class, players who spent four years in college and enter the NFL with degrees in hand.
Picking higher than they're accustomed to also allowed the Broncos to land players that initially seemed out of reach. They were thrilled when North Carolina State pass rusher Bradley Chubb, the draft's top-ranked defender, fell to them at No. 5 , and again when SMU receiver Courtland Sutton was there at 40 .
Starting with those two surprising selections, nine of Elway's 10 picks spent four years in college. Almost all were captains and all bring a shot of maturity to a team that was besieged by a generational divide last year when several exasperated veterans charged the 2017 draft class with wanting playing time based not on merit but on draft status.
Elway said Saturday he needed to inject a shot of maturity into a team that's coming off a five-win season just two years after a Super Bowl parade.
"One thing we learned last year when you're 5-11 and you're in a losing streak, you need that maturity and that leadership to get things turned around," Elway said. "So [url=http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com]Bears Authentic Jerseys[/url] , these players have that ability.
"That's why we decided to go more in that direction."
Elway copied his cornerstone selection of Chubb on Days 2 and 3, beginning with Sutton, who took a medical redshirt his first year at SMU and graduated after his junior season.
"I stayed another year and I worked on those things that some people saw as my weaknesses," said Sutton, suggesting that decision did wonders for his maturity and his game.
It wasn't until the sixth round and their seventh pick 鈥?Arizona State guard/center Sam Jones 鈥?that the Broncos selected a player who left school before his eligibility expired.
Jones declared for the draft after Sun Devils coach Todd Graham was fired.
After Sutton, Elway's next five picks 鈥?Oregon running back Royce Freeman, Boston College cornerback Isaac Yiadom, Iowa linebacker Josey Jewell, Penn State wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton and Wisconsin tight end Troy Fumagalli 鈥?all stayed through their senior seasons.
So did Denver's last two picks [url=http://www.authenticsnewenglandpatriots.com/cheap-troy-niklas-jersey]Troy Niklas Color Rush Jersey[/url] , Washington linebacker Keishawn Bierra and Arkansas running back David Williams, who transferred with his degree in hand after three seasons at South Carolina.
Aside from Jones, the Broncos' other nine draft picks have a combined 412 games of FBS experience.
So, unlike last year's class, which has yet to pay dividends , this group is expected to make more of an immediate impact as the Broncos try to leave behind two disappointing seasons and return to the playoff picture for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50.
SNEAK PEAK: Fumagalli, Yiadom and Hamilton all caught the Broncos' eye at the Senior Bowl, which was one bright spot from coach Vance Joseph's dreadful debut season.
"It was huge for us," Joseph said. "Coaching that game is a clear advantage going into the draft. We drafted three guys from Senior Bowl game. To have a chance to work with those guys for a week in meetings and on the practice field is huge. Taking three guys from that game proves it."
Not that they want to go back to Mobile [url=http://www.patriotscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-danny-shelton-jersey]Cheap Danny Shelton Jersey[/url] , Alabama, for the annual all-star game again any time soon.
"You don't want to coach that for a long time," Elway said. "We had a great time at the Senior Bowl, but we are good not coaching it for a while."
KEEPING THE FAITH: The Broncos' decision to bypass a deep class of quarterbacks shows how much faith Elway maintains in Paxton Lynch, whom he moved up to grab in the first round out of Memphis two years ago.
Lynch has only started four games in two years, but Elway keeps insisting he still believes in the raw quarterback even after signing Case Keenum in free agency and declaring him the starter in 2018.
"We are not kicking him to the curb," Elway said of Lynch. "Paxton is going to compete with Chad (Kelly) for that backup spot."
That marked the first time Elway has thrown Kelly into the mix publicly in the year since he drafted him out of Mississippi with the final pick in 2017.
HOMETOWN HERO: Among the Broncos' undrafted signees is Colorado running back Phillip Lindsay, a Denver native who will compete in the backfield with Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson to back up Freeman.
By: JOE KAYCopyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast [url=http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-denzel-ward-jersey]http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-denzel-ward-jersey[/url] , rewritten or redistributed.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson gets some free pizza, but it needs to be gluten-free.
Jefferson was the 78th overall pick in the draft, one of the Cincinnati Bengals鈥?two third-round choices. Pizza Hut decided to give free pizza for a year to the 14th pick in the third round.
Pizza Hut became the NFL鈥檚 official pizza this season. The promotion was labeled the Pi Pick: third round, 14th pick, or 3.14.
Jefferson learned about the pizza promotion after he was picked.
鈥淗ow did that happen?鈥?he said, during a conference call. 鈥淚鈥檓 actually gluten-free, but I like sausage.鈥?/p>.
At the Los Angeles Kings
PHILADELPHIA — The top-seeded Eagles are in search of their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 2004 season when they host the second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles (14-3) posted a 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round last Saturday and will participate in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2008 season. They dropped a 32-25 decision to the Arizona Cardinals in that contest.
Philadelphia hasn’t hosted an NFC Championship Game since recording a 27-10 win over the Falcons following the 2004 season.
The Vikings (14-3) advanced following a thrilling 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Stefon Diggs hauled in a 61-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Case Keenum on the final play of the game Sunday.
Like the Eagles [url=http://www.ramscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-joseph-noteboom-jersey]Cheap Joseph Noteboom Jersey[/url] , Minnesota has yet to win a Super Bowl. The Vikings have dropped five consecutive NFC Championship games.
Philadelphia will enter Sunday’s game as an underdog, especially with quarterback Carson Wentz out with a torn ACL.
“It’s about those players in that dressing room, whether we’re three-point underdogs or three-point favorites. They really don’t listen to that stuff,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “Of course, they have been sort of force-fed for about two weeks now, three weeks now, the information, and they just stick together. They just stick together and find a way and it’s been that way all season.”
Backup quarterback Nick Foles did an admirable job against the Falcons, completing 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards and a 100.1 passer rating. In two career playoff games with the Eagles — the other coming in a 26-24 loss to the Saints in 2014 — Foles is 46 of 63 for 441 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 102.7 passer rating.
“I am very humbled to win this game and to be a part of this team,” Foles said. “That’s what it’s always been about. I know there was a lot of people against us this last week. Just answering questions, and just hearing about it.
“… The biggest thing in our locker room is we believe in one another. Everyone believes [url=http://www.brownscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-denzel-ward-jersey]Cheap Denzel Ward Jersey[/url] , and that was shown on display. The city of Philadelphia obviously believes because they were here and loud. So we are grateful for that. Honestly, it’s unbelievable to win this game and we are not finished.”
The Vikings are in search of their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1976 season — Super Bowl XI.
During the regular season, the Vikings’ defense ranked first in points allowed per game (15.8) and yards given up per game (275.9). Defensive end Everson Griffen was tied for fourth in the league with a career-best 13 sacks this season.
While the Vikings likely have seen video of Diggs’ amazing catch a million times, another game awaits in the NFC Championship.
“We should celebrate this and enjoy this,” tight end Kyle Rudolph told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s hard to win playoff games. There’s a lot of guys in this locker room, including myself, this is our first playoff win. But it’s just the beginning. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.
“It’d be a shame to let something like that go to waste by us not showing up.”
The incredible final play will be etched in viewers’ minds forever.
“I don’t think it’s still really sunk in as far as like what something like that’s going to be,” guard Jeremiah Sirles told ESPN.com. “That’s the stuff that in 20 years, you turn on NFL Films and it’s going to be the 2018 NFL Classic. Something like that that you can’t take away from any player that’s in this room right now. We’ll always be a part of something that happened that was super special like that.”
A win over the Eagles would not only clinch a trip to the Super Bowl, but it would also be the Vikings’ first playoff victory against Philadelphia in four tries. The last time the teams met was in the 2008 wild-card round.
The Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl. In order to get a fifth shot, they’ll have to travel to a hostile environment and knock out the No. 1 seed.
“They’re a pretty resilient bunch,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told ESPN.com. “They’re pretty determined in what they’re always trying to get done. They’re always trying to get better. They’re a good group of guys that work really hard.”
Deep into their 80th game in a season riddled with injuries and setbacks, the Anaheim Ducks still weren’t certain they were heading back to the playoffs.
So the Ducks dug down deep and came out with the ticket to the Stanley Cup tournament. And now that they’re in [url=http://www.patriotscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-danny-shelton-jersey]Authentic Danny Shelton Jersey[/url] , their hard-earned resilience could be a nightmare for anybody in their path.
Ondrej Kase scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 3:56 to play, and the Ducks clinched their sixth consecutive postseason berth with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.
Kase secured his first 20-goal season by jumping on a long rebound of Josh Manson’s shot, and Andrew Cogliano added an empty-net goal. Nick Ritchie also scored, while Manson and Francois Beauchemin had two assists apiece as the Ducks officially extended the NHL’s second-longest streak of consecutive postseason berths – a streak they share with Minnesota.
”It’s very satisfying,” goalie Ryan Miller said. ”The guys certainly turned a corner. We were grinding from the start.”
Miller made 26 saves in his first start since March 9 for the Ducks, who have won eight of 10 in their usual late-season surge.
Anaheim also leapfrogged archrival Los Angeles into third place in the Pacific Division, leading by one point with two games to play for both clubs.
The Ducks’ streak of five consecutive Pacific Division titles was ended by Vegas this season, but Anaheim’s veteran lineup remains a foreboding matchup for any playoff opponent. The Ducks still have most of the core that reached the Western Conference finals twice in the past three seasons.
”This whole year has been a bit of a struggle,” captain Ryan Getzlaf said. ”With the start we had, and the players we had out of the lineup, it was tough to see the big picture at that point. Our guys did a good job battling throughout the whole year. We accomplished one goal we wanted.”
Matt Dumba scored a power-play goal and Devan Dubnyk stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who took their fifth loss in seven games during what turned out to be a meaningless contest for them.
When the St. Louis Blues’ loss to Chicago ended during the first period in Anaheim, Minnesota was locked into third place in the Central Division [url=http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marshall-newhouse-jersey]http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marshall-newhouse-jersey[/url] , ensuring a first-round matchup with Winnipeg or Nashville.
”Both of those teams have had pretty fantastic seasons, and (neither is) really a great option,” Dubnyk said. ”But I think us, as a group, have shown that we can play and beat anybody in the league, including both those teams. I think it will be exciting for us.”
The Blues’ result also clinched a playoff berth for the Kings, and it meant the Ducks would be able to clinch as well. Coach Randy Carlyle’s team didn’t miss the chance, even while playing without several injured regulars – a theme of the Ducks’ entire season.
”You can’t hide the fact that it’s been a different type of year for our hockey club,” Carlyle said. ”But every time people were ready to count them out, they were able to stand up and say, `That’s not happening.”’
Ducks goalie John Gibson sat out with an upper-body injury that doesn’t appear to be serious, and Miller coolly picked up his second straight victory after coming on in relief for Gibson on Sunday.
Both teams were without their top defensemen. Minnesota’s Ryan Suter is done for the year with a broken ankle, while Anaheim’s Cam Fowler missed his first game since Nov. 19 with a shoulder injury that could require six weeks of recovery.
Dumba’s goal in the second period was his second of the season at Honda Center [url=http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-antonio-callaway-jersey]Browns Antonio Callaway Jersey[/url] , where he scored the overtime winner for Minnesota on Dec. 8.
Nearly seven minutes later, the Ducks evened it by crowding Dubnyk. With Adam Henrique’s help, Ritchie got credit for his 10th goal of the season.
”They got a fluke goal to tie it up, I thought, but (in) the third period, they definitely outworked us,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. ”It was a great test. We talked about how this is what playoff hockey is going to be like. Maybe it’s a cheap lesson learned.”
NOTES: With Fowler out and Kevin Bieksa still recovering from surgery on his left hand, D Andy Welinski appeared in his fifth career NHL game for Anaheim. Welinski had been down in the AHL since Dec. 19. … Minnesota F Luke Kunin had surgery Tuesday repairing a torn ligament in his left knee. He will need 6-7 months of recovery time. … Boudreau lost at Honda Center for the first time in three visits since the Ducks fired him in 2016 after a first-round exit from the playoffs. … Mike Trout attended the game with his family after playing in the Angels’ 13-inning victory over Cleveland earlier in the day across Katella Avenue.
UP NEXT
Wild: At the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Ducks: Host the Dallas Stars on Friday.
—
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While the Super Bowl is the end goal [url=http://www.thedolphinsfootballauthentic.com/daniel-kilgore-jersey-authentic]Youth Daniel Kilgore Jersey[/url] , of course, new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks had a different kind of message for his players after they arrived at the team facility Tuesday for the first day of the offseason conditioning program.
"He always speaks about 'Let's not talk about the Super Bowl,' and that's one thing that I admire," veteran linebacker Chandler Jones said of Wilks. "You can get sidetracked looking at the Super Bowl. You kind of have to look at the steps leading to there."
The Cardinals have plenty of steps ahead of them. After an 8-8 season lowlighted by injuries, coach Bruce Arians retired [url=http://www.officialsharks.com/authentic-adidas-brent-burns-jersey]Adidas Brent Burns Jersey[/url] , as did quarterback Carson Palmer. Wilks was hired and a new coaching staff, along with several new players, have begun preparations for this season.
One big task at the outset of workouts is getting to know new teammates and new coaches. It's a work in progress, but Wilks' message and theme of "win the day" seemed to strike a chord with veterans who remain from the Arians regime.
"Everybody is excited to build a strong foundation for what we're trying to do here. Everything is focused on the details," said offensive lineman D.J. Humphries [url=http://www.chargerscheapstore.com/derwin-james-jersey-cheap]Cheap Derwin James Jersey[/url] , who battled knee injuries and was limited to five games last season. "Everybody's trying to get to the Super Bowl, but you can't get there looking into the stars that day. All the small things have to add up."
Tuesday was for weight room work and running on the practice field as players get back into shape. Strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris said while it was a good day he didn't like everything he saw from the players.
"I saw some great things. I saw some things that make me want to go home and drink heavily," Morris said. "We've got a lot of work to do, obviously ... fatigue is always going to be a factor in everything."
The Cardinals have a number of players on the mend looking for bounce-back seasons. Star running back David Johnson, who severely injured his wrist in Week 1 and didn't play again [url=http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-customized]Authentic Customized Rams Jerseys[/url] , appears to be back to full range of motion.
"He's a freak," Morris said. "I have to protect David from David, because he always wants to load the bar with more and more weight."
New quarterback Sam Bradford participated in Tuesday's workout and is coming back from a knee injury that cost him most of last season with Minnesota. Bradford has a history of knee surgeries.
"We'll identify what Sam needs to do and put him on a program that's based on him the individual," Morris said.
NOTES: Humphries, who plays left tackle [url=http://www.pantherscheapstore.com/marquis-haynes-jersey-cheap]Marquis Haynes Jersey Panthers[/url] , said he'd be ready to start the season. ... The Cardinals announced that the team's four exclusive rights free agents 鈥?CB C.J. Goodwin, RB Elijhaa Penny, DL Olsen Pierre and OL John Wetzel 鈥?have all signed their one-year contracts for the 2018 season. Wetzel started 11 games and Pierre seven last season.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is being held out of practice after straining his left leg a day earlier.
The star rookie was in uniform and watching as teammates went through drills Tuesday at the Detroit Lions' training facility.
On Monday, the No. 2 overall draft pick caught a swing pass out of the backfield and was injured either stretching to make the catch or running down the sideline after the catch.
Barkley seemed to be favoring his left leg as he walked back up the field. He put his hands on his knees and then went to the turf and lay on his back while the head trainer examined him. An ice pack was put on his leg.
.happy in the end
Done in again by small mistakes that get magnified in a stretch such as this, the preseason NL East favorites lost for the 17th time in 22 games Wednesday to fall below .500 for the first time this late in the year since being 60-61 on Aug. 21, 2015.
This time, it was a throwing error by Adam Eaton on a sacrifice fly in foul territory and a wild pitch by Ryan Madson (2-4) in a disastrous seventh inning that dropped the Nationals to 42-43 and kept them from making up ground on the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
”We’re a good team and we’re going to go out there and compete with anybody,” said Bryce Harper, who went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
”We just have to keep grinding and keep doing our thing and good things will happen. We’ve never been in this position before, and I think it’s an exciting time for us. In years past, we’ve won the division by a lot of games. We’re able to be behind right now and I’m excited to get there and test it.”
Powered by struggling outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.’s two RBIs on the sac fly and a ninth-inning double and a strong start by Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3), the Red Sox moved 30 games over .500 under rookie manager Alex Cora.
”We know where we’re at [url=http://www.buffalobillsteamonline.com/lesean-mccoy-jersey]LeSean McCoy Jersey Youth[/url] , but we still have a long ways to go,” Cora said. ”(The Nationals) have a good team. They’ll figure it out. I’ve seen that before from them. They struggle a little bit and they’ll pick it up. They’ll be in the hunt.”
Bradley, who came into the game hitting .201, worked full counts on each of his at-bats that produced a run. He was hoping the ball Eaton caught deep in foul territory down the third-base line would go out of play so he could see another pitch but will gladly take the RBIs – the second time this season he has had two in a game without a home run.
”Just had to continue to battle and finally get a pitch I could handle,” Bradley said. ”Any time you can help the team win, it’s a positive. It’s good, any way you can do it.”
Rodriguez struck out six in six scoreless innings, mixing his change-up and slider in more often to keep Nationals hitters off-balance.
The Red Sox now have the first pair of 10-game winners in the majors with Rodriguez and Rick Porcello, whose double off Max Scherzer helped win them the first game of this series.
The Nationals have lost four series in a row. This freefall led to the postgame meeting Wednesday afternoon.
”It’s `Let’s get this thing going,”’ Nationals infielder Trea Turner said. ”We all know we’re capable of playing better baseball. It’s time we do it. It’s do or die now.”
FEDDE HURT
Nationals starter Erick Fedde left the game one batter into the second inning with right shoulder stiffness and gave way to left-hander Matt Grace [url=http://www.clevelandindiansteamshops.com/authentic-omar-vizquel-jersey]Authentic Omar Vizquel Jersey[/url] , who allowed just one hit and struck out four in four innings of relief. Manager Davey Martinez said Fedde was scheduled to have an MRI.
”We watched him throw and his (velocity) was down,” Martinez said. ”He was out there and wanted to keep pitching. I went out there and they told me he was stiff and I said `No, we’re not going to do that to you.”’
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora said LHP Drew Pomeranz (biceps tendinitis) would most likely make a second rehab start early next week. … RHP Tyler Thornburg was activated from the disabled list after rehabbing from shoulder surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last June.
Nationals: 1B Matt Adams was activated after missing 16 games with a broken left index finger. To clear room, LHP Tim Collins was designated for assignment. … C Matt Wieters (left hamstring strain) is doing some catching, but still hasn’t done enough running to be ready to return.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: After a day off, LHP Chris Sale (8-4, 2.41 ERA) brings a 15-inning scoreless streak into his Friday start at Kansas City, which is expected to start Jason Hammel (2-10, 5.56).
Nationals: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63) will look to last at least six innings to spare a heavily used bullpen when Washington faces RHP Pablo Lopez (1-0 [url=http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com]Bills Game Jerseys[/url] , 3.00) to open a four-game series against the Miami Marlins.
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鈥?The Patriots’ loss in the Super Bowl likely will be the last game for New England’s two coordinators, both almost certain to be named head coaches elsewhere in the next few days.Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels led a typical Patriots offensive showcase Sunday night, as New England gained 613 yards against Philadelphia. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was left answering questions on why his unit couldn’t stop Eagles, who gained 538 in the 41-33 victory.McDaniels is believed to be the Indianapolis Colts preferred candidate for their head coaching opening, while Patricia is expected to be take over the Detroit Lions.They have already interviewed for the vacancies and spent the week leading to the Super Bowl shrugging off questions about the future.They did the same again Sunday night, though each was noticeably subdued after coming up short in their bid to win back-to-back rings with the Patriots.“I’m not talking about that tonight,” said McDaniels, who has served a total of nine seasons as Patriots offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick. “I feel terrible for the guys in the locker room because they’re the ones that put in all that work.”It would be McDaniels’ second head coaching job. He previously served as the Denver Broncos’ coach during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Following a stop in St. Louis as the Rams coordinator in 2011, he returned to New England in 2012.Patricia’s star has been on the rise since he became New England’s defensive coordinator prior to the 2012 season. He has been with the Patriots since 2004, when he was hired as an offensive assistant.This would be his first head coaching job.“Right now it’s all about the game and Philly and my disappointment in the outcome of the game tonight [url=http://www.redskinsfootballauthentics.com/geron-christian-jersey-authentic]Youth Geron Christian Jersey[/url] ,” Patricia said when asked about the Lions’ job. “This is really a difficult game where you are kind of all in. We didn’t do a great job of trying to execute. There is only going to be one team that is happy in the end.”He said he hasn’t begun to reflect on what he’s accomplished in New England, having been a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams.“Not at this current moment. I just feel very bad for our guys,” he said. “I really wanted them to be put in a situation that allowed them to be successful in the game. Obviously we can go back and reflect at a later time.”That time just may not be as a member of the Patriots’ staff.Regardless of his future, McDaniels said Sunday’s loss was one of the worst he’s ever been through.“You realize when you’re at this stage, there’s a lot of great players and coaches, and you never know when you’re going to get another opportunity. So it’s tough.”.
him to slide down draft
He wiggled his fingers and toes and had feeling in his arms and legs, giving the big offensive lineman some reassurance that he wasn’t paralyzed.
James was the starting right tackle for Auburn when his football career — and possibly much more — flashed before his eyes. It was Sept. 16, 2017, and the crowd of more than 80,000 packed into Jordan-Hare Stadium to watch the Tigers take on Mercer was silent.
“I actually was pretty scared out there because I couldn’t move my neck,” recalled James, who’s in camp this summer with the New York Jets. “When they rolled me over, I was good again.”
While blocking on a short run by Kamryn Pettway in the second quarter, James fell and teammate Mike Horton landed on James’ head. Doctors and trainers rushed out to treat James, who showed no movement initially. His neck was stabilized before he was flipped onto a backboard, strapped down and lifted onto a stretcher.
“They were like, ‘Just in case. It’s all precautionary. Don’t be scared,'” James said. “So, I wasn’t as scared when they came out there and talked to me. But it was a scary moment when it happened because nothing like that ever happened to me.”
It turned out to be a severe spasm in James’ neck, and it was relieved through treatment and massages. He was taken to a hospital and released after an evaluation.
James was back on the field for Auburn a week later for the Tigers’ game at Missouri.
“I feel like injuries, obstacles, anything like that helps you be a better player because once something happens to you, people think it’s the end,” James said. “But, nah [url=http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-jihad-ward-jersey]Cheap Jihad Ward Jersey[/url] , you can still come back from all that stuff.
“I like to think of myself as somebody who comes back, know what I mean?”
James proved his resilience just over a month later when he went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury at Arkansas. Again, he was surrounded by doctors and trainers — and carted off the field in front of nervous teammates.
“I was just like, ‘Ahh, it keeps happening again, man. Just something else to bounce back from.’ And I always bounce back.”
Sure enough, X-rays were negative and James returned in time to play in Auburn’s next game at Texas A&M two weeks later.
“Darius has had a rough ride,” said offensive lineman Austin Golson, who was James’ teammate at Auburn and is now his roommate during camp with the Jets. “Every time he got hurt, he’d get back up and fought to get better. He’s just worked his tail off to get where he is today.”
James grew up in Killeen, Texas, and was considered one of the top high school offensive linemen in the country despite only playing in two games as a senior because of injuries.
He flashed remarkable versatility as a five-star prospect — playing center, offensive tackle, guard, defensive tackle and defensive end. Several scouting services rated him the No. 1 center in the country, while he was ranked as the top guard by another.
James ended up going to Texas and played in six games for the Longhorns during the 2014 season, including starts at right tackle against Baylor and Oklahoma. But he struggled and was pulled by coach Charlie Strong, and then James suffered a season-ending knee injury.
“I tore my ACL right before the OSU game and (Strong) was trying to bring some of his young people in and he said, ‘You can stay here and go to school or you can leave and play football,'” James recalled. “I thought it was the best opportunity for me to leave and play football.”
James transferred to Auburn and sat out a season [url=http://www.chiefscheapstore.com/breeland-speaks-jersey-cheap]Breeland Speaks Jersey Chiefs[/url] , but then played in every game as a junior and senior — despite those two scary moments in his final year.
“The injuries I had, they weren’t that bad,” he said. “I came right back from them. I’m just ready to start this new journey.”
The 6-foot-4, 324-pound James signed with the Jets in May as an undrafted free agent. With New York, James faces a difficult path to stick on the active roster. There’s lots of competition for depth spots, and both he and Golson will need to have some standout performances in the preseason to impress coach Todd Bowles.
“We’ve been playing together for three years,” Golson said, “and hopefully we can keep it going, playing for the Jets.”
James has been used primarily at right tackle by the Jets during practice, but his versatility could help him. Bowles has typically kept backups who can be plugged in at various spots.
“It’s still early and I’m still feeling out the ropes,” James said, “figuring out where I fit in, figuring out how I’m supposed to play, figuring out the speed, the playbook. Everything’s going so fast and nobody’s waiting for you.
“To me, it’s fun because nobody else really gets this opportunity. You can’t take anything for granted.”
鈥?All that’s left of the 2018 NFL scouting combine is for the deepest class of defensive backs ever to attend the annual assembly of college prospects to wrap up their testing and timing Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.Then, they’ll join the other hopefuls in returning home to prepare for their pro days, team visits and the NFL draft in Arlington, Texas, next month.Here’s a look at some of the highlights and lowlights of this year’s combine: BARKLEY BLOWS IT UP : Penn State running back Saquon Barkley exceeded lofty expectations in Indianapolis. His 29 reps on the bench press bested Luke Kuechly’s 27. His 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash was better than Ezekiel Elliott’s 4.47 and his 41-inch vertical jump was higher than Odell Beckham Jr.’s 38陆.“Oh no [url=http://www.authenticsindianapoliscolts.com/cheap-braden-smith-jersey]Braden Smith Jersey Elite[/url] , I’m not surprised,” said Nittany Lions linebacker Jason Cabinda, saying he’s seen that kind of dogged determination every day out of Barkley, who could go anywhere in the top five picks depending on the run on quarterbacks.“I’m competitive,” Barkley said, “but I don’t care if I’m drafted 1, 5 or 72 or the last pick, I’m going to come in with my head low ready to work.” GREAT GRIFFIN : Shaquem Griffin did 20 reps on the bench press with a prosthetic left hand in what was by far the best feel-good story of the combine.“My goal was six,” acknowledged Griffin, who almost doubled his previous high of 11 reps and surpassed the 17 his twin brother, Shaquille, managed at last year’s combine before the Seattle Seahawks selected the speedy cornerback in the third round.Griffin is expected to be a mid-rounder like his brother.“This is a legitimate football player,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’s an energy giver.”One who, conversely, fed off the hoots and hollers during his bench press.“Everybody in the stands was hyping me up. I got the guys I’m here with hyping me up. It felt amazing,” Griffin said. JACK OF ONE TRADE : Louisville QB Lamar Jackson showed off a strong arm and excellent footwork but also some inconsistency while throwing to receivers Saturday. What he didn’t do was run routes.Many wonder if the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner might be best suited as an NFL receiver, but he insists he’s “strictly a quarterback.”Mayock called Jackson the best and most fascinating athlete in this year’s draft, noting that while his passing game needs plenty of polish, he’s going to have an immediate impact running the football.“He’s Michael Vick,” Mayock said. “He has as good a pair of legs as anybody in the history of the game. And he’s going to win games with his legs.” DARNOLD’S DODGE : USC quarterback Sam Darnold refused to throw at the combine [url=http://www.authenticswashingtonredskins.com/cheap-da_ron-payne-jersey]Da'Ron Payne Color Rush Jersey[/url] , preferring to show off his arm at his upcoming pro day with receivers he’s used to playing with.“I was a little disappointed Darnold didn’t throw,” Mayock said. “You get a chance to show off a little bit here. This is all about competition. I wonder in his heart of hearts if he missed competing (Saturday). Because the other guys went out and ripped it pretty good.“I thought Josh Allen put on a show.” HURST GOES HOME : Michigan defensive lineman Maurice Hurst Jr., a possible first-rounder, was kept out of drills at the combine after doctors reportedly red-flagged a heart condition. Hurst told Utah defensive lineman Lowell Lotulelei that he had been diagnosed with the same heart condition as Lotulelei’s older brother, Star.Hurst, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle, had 59 tackles and 5陆 sacks last season. He also had 13 tackles for loss and has been considered one component of a deep class of defensive tackles in this year’s draft. BAD, BAD ORLANDO BROWN JR. : The only thing that went well for Oklahoma’s massive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was the vote of confidence from his Heisman Trophy-winning teammate.“When are you ever going to watch Orlando Brown run 40 yards down the field?” quarterback Baker Mayfield asked. “You can watch last year’s tape and see he allowed zero sacks. I’d say that’s pretty important for a left tackle.”It sure is.But measures matter, too, and Brown’s wretched week will surely cause him to slide down draft boards: He managed just 14 reps on the bench press, lumbered though the 40-yard dash in 5.85 seconds and put up historically poor numbers in the broad and vertical jumps. THIN AT TACKLE : Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey is projected as a late first-rounder, but if he falls to the second round, this year’s NFL draft would be the first one in more than a half century without an offensive tackle taken in the first round.The last time that happened was in 1965, and there were only 11 first-round picks that year. The last time a tackle wasn’t selected in the top 32 picks was in 1960, when Len Rohde of Utah State went to the San Francisco 49ers with the 38th overall selection in the fifth round..Championship Game
The move reunites Thomas with Lou Anarumo, his position coach with the Dolphins. Anarumo joined coach Pat Shurmur's staff as the defensive backs coach.
Thomas is the seventh defensive player added by New York in the last two weeks, joining linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin, defensive backs Teddy Williams [url=http://www.coltscheapstore.com/quenton-nelson-jersey-cheap]Quenton Nelson Jersey Colts[/url] , Curtis Riley and B.W. Webb; and defensive tackle Josh Mauro.
Thomas played in 13 games last season with two starts. He had 16 tackles, plus seven special teams tackles.
Thomas entered the NFL with San Francisco in 2012 as a free agent out of Stanford. He spent that season and most of 2013 on the practice squad.
All eyes are on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who's dealing with a hand injury he sustained in practice on Wednesday after colliding with an unnamed teammate. The injury took place just four days before their upcoming AFC Championship appearance against the Jacksonville Jaguars.According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Brady suffered a cut on his thumb that caused blood to gash out [url=http://www.miamimarlinsteamshop.com/authentic-starlin-castro-jersey]Authentic Starlin Castro Jersey[/url] , and stitches were required to close the wound. Brady had a very brief session with media members, and refused to speak about his hand and details of the injury.But according to R.J. Bell - the founder of the Pregame.com sports betting website - Brady's hand injury may be worse, and the line could drop considerably:Multiple private sources telling me ...Tom Brady's hand injury is WORSE than the mainstream thinks.(I would not be surprised if #Patriots drop to -7 in the near-term.)— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) January 19, 2018Brady has been officially listed as questionable for the AFC Championship Game [url=http://www.thechiefsfootballauthentic.com/derrick-nnadi-jersey-authentic]Youth Derrick Nnadi Jersey[/url] , and said "We'll see," when asked if he could play Sunday. The five-time Super Bowl champion is also dealing with a shoulder and achilles injury, so it's unknown if he'll be at full strength and health on Sunday.The Patriots are going to need their star quarterback to be at his best in the AFC Championship. The Jaguars own arguably the NFL's best defense. They finished second in yards allowed per game, scoring defence and sacks (55). The cornerback duo of A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey was by far the best in 2017..