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9. OAKLAND RAIDERS (6-10)

LAST SEASON: Raiders entered 2017 full of optimism following 12-win season and first playoff berth in 14 years in 2016. Little went right for Oakland as QB Derek Carr regressed Bengals Billy Price Jersey , defense struggled and coach Jack Del Rio was fired following third season. Jon Gruden returns to Raiders in charge of team that had plenty of holes. Defense struggled to generate pass rush or strong coverage in secondary as opponents easily picked apart unit. Offensive line that was so stout in 2016 showed some holes, contributing to Carr's struggles. WR Amari Cooper plagued by drops and had major dropoff following two straight 1,000-yard seasons. RB Marshawn Lynch provided boost in second half of season in return from retirement but Beast Mode wasn't enough to carry team to success.

THEY NEED: LB, CB, DT, T, RB, WR.

THEY DON'T NEED: QB, G, C.

POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: LB Roquan Smith, Georgia; CB Denzel Ward Chukwuma Okorafor Color Rush Jersey , Ohio State; LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech; DT Vita Vea, Washington.

OUTLOOK: Team is being remade in Gruden's vision with significant changes made in free agency. Gone are stalwarts WR Michael Crabtree; CBs David Amerson, Sean Smith and TJ Carrie; and specialists Marquette King, Sebastian Janikowski, Jon Condo and Cordarrelle Patterson. Most of newcomers added so far are either in their 30s or role players, making draft key for finding more foundation pieces to team with Carr, Cooper and Khalil Mack. Linebacker and cornerback have been positions of need for years and still need help. Tackle also could be important with potential hole on right side and LT Donald Penn nearing end of career.

It’s not uncommon for Colorado Rockies pitchers to have better statistics on the road than at mile-high Coors Field.

But right-hander German Marquez, who is scheduled to start his team’s series opener Friday night in Seattle, is taking it to the extreme.

Marquez (6-8, 5.14 ERA) is 4-3 with a 2.76 ERA on the road Richard Rodgers Jersey Elite , which ranks fourth in the National League. Opponents are batting .194 against him on the road, with a .600 on-base plus slugging percentage.

At home? Marquez is 2-5 with a 7.93 ERA, a .345 batting average against and a .991 OPS.

In his last start, the 23-year-old Venezuelan pitched a career-high-tying eight innings in a 3-1 road victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine.

Marquez threw a 99.9 mph fastball in his final inning, the hardest by a starter in the eighth inning or later this season.

“I work hard between starts, and my goal is to maintain my stamina throughout the game, deep in games,” Marquez told MLB.com after that game.

Rockies manager Bud Black, a former major league pitcher, certainly seemed impressed with Marquez’s four-pitch mix Quenton Nelson Jersey Colts , that includes the fastball, curve, slider and changeup.

“He’s capable because we’ve seen moments and innings and certain stretches of games where he’s pitched like that through three, four, five innings,” Black said. “But to do it eight innings on the road against a good team, it’s not surprising, but it’s a big step for a young pitcher.”

Marquez, who was born in San Felix, will likely get a chance to face King Felix as he takes on the Mariners for the first time.

Fellow Venezuelan Felix Hernandez (8-6, 5.11 ERA) has struggled this season http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-taron-johnson-jersey , but has won his past two starts. He’s 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in one career start against the Rockies.

Hernandez allowed three first-inning runs against Kansas City in his last start while dealing with a stiff back, but followed that with four scoreless frames in a 6-4 Seattle victory.

Hernandez hurt his back lifting weights in Baltimore on the Mariners’ last road trip. He threw a short bullpen session Tuesday.

“I’m better,” Hernandez told MLB.com before playing catch in the outfield Thursday. “(Wednesday) was much better and I’m more loose today, so I’ll be fine.”

Said Mariners manager Scott Servais: “I think he’ll be OK. He’s getting treatment on it and trying to get it loosened up. I don’t think it’s anything structurally wrong, it’s just tight. We need him to go. Hopefully he’ll give us a good effort.”

The Mariners placed catcher Mike Zunino on the 10-day disabled list (bruised left ankle) Thursday and recalled David Freitas from Triple-A Tacoma.

Chris Herrmann, who has made six starts since being called up May 27, will likely get the bulk of the time behind the plate. Herrmann has mostly caught Mike Leake, but also caught Hernandez’s June 25 start in Baltimore.

Hermann homered Thursday in Seattle’s 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

“Thankfully with all the video and information we have here, it makes it a lot easier to get to know the pitchers a lot better,” Herrmann told MLB.com. “And I sit in here and talk with these guys and get an idea of how they want to get hitters out.”

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Dwane Casey looks at the roster of the Detroit Pistons and sees a core of players capable of a lot more than the team accomplished last season.

”Our time is now Authentic Jeremiah Attaochu Jersey ,” Casey said.

The Pistons introduced Casey as their new coach Wednesday, over a week after hiring him to replace Stan Van Gundy. Casey inherits a team built around Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, but the roster has little flexibility and the team gave up its first-round draft pick this year to acquire Griffin.

In other words, Detroit’s performance in 2018-19 may depend largely on what Casey can get out of a group that fell short under Van Gundy.

”I’m telling the guys now: We’re not developing, we’re not two or three years away,” Casey said. ”We want to win right now.”

Casey took the Detroit job after being fired by the Toronto Raptors. He’s a finalist for NBA coach of the year after leading the Raptors to a team-record 59 wins this past season, but he lost his job after Toronto was swept in the playoffs by Cleveland.

”I can hold my head high for what we built in Toronto,” Casey said. ”That’s part of the journey. This is a new chapter.”

The Pistons made the playoffs only once in four seasons under Van Gundy, who was also president of basketball operations. Detroit hired Casey to replace Van Gundy as coach Dolphins Authentic Jerseys , but it’s still unclear what the front office will look like going forward. Ed Stefanski was brought in as a senior executive reporting to owner Tom Gores. His job was to help with both the coaching search and the effort to reshape the team’s basketball operations.

”We’re going through a process here. We’re thinking about, do we want to go a GM route? Do we want to get some younger guys in there and I can mentor them kind of thing? It’s fluid,” Stefanski said. ”I’m going to be very influential in the front office.”

The Pistons went 39-43 last season. They got off to a promising start before Jackson, their point guard, went down with an injury in late December. About a month later, Detroit acquired Griffin in a blockbuster trade, giving up the first-round pick and taking on the star forward’s big contract. That wasn’t enough to push the team into the postseason, and it seems unlikely the Pistons will be able to make any major changes to their roster in the short term.

”I don’t see us making a huge deal right now,” Stefanski said.

If the personnel stays mostly the same, the Pistons will have to hope for better health – and Casey will have to look for areas for improvement. The Pistons were fifth in the league in 3-point percentage last season Cheap Jason McCourty Jersey , but they were only 16th in attempts from beyond the arc.

”We have to get up more 3s. We’ve got to play more of an analytical game,” Casey said. ”Tom teases me all the time about being a modern man. No, it’s about wanting to win, more than anything else, and you have to adapt.”

NOTES: Gores just finished his seventh season as owner. He was asked how long he is committed to the team. ”Forever,” he responded. ”This is not an equity deal.” … Stefanski talked a bit about Michigan coach John Beilein, who emerged as a candidate for the Pistons’ job but is remaining with the Wolverines . ”Coach Beilein is an offensive genius in my mind,” Stefanski said. ”I was mesmerized, because I’m a basketball guy, how good he is on the offensive end. … He has a pretty good job at Michigan with Josh Allen Youth Jersey , what he’s telling me, a very good team coming back.”

Infielder Tim Beckham has been activated from the disabled list by the last-place Baltimore Orioles, who finally have the starting lineup they anticipated when spring training started.

Beckham batted .179 with one homer and four RBIs in 23 games before going on the DL with a groin strain in April. After undergoing core surgery, he missed two months.

”I don’t want to think about what was going on before the injury,” Beckham said Monday. ”I’m here now, I’m healthy and I’m ready to play some ball.”

Beckham said he had been playing with pain long before he was traded from Tampa Bay to Baltimore last July.

”It’s something I battled through for years,” he said. ”You have to play through injuries sometimes. That’s the situation I was in at Tampa.”

With Beckham back, the Orioles started all their front-line players for the first time Monday night against Seattle. The lineup included Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo and Colby Rasmus, all of whom have spent extensive time on the disabled list.

Baltimore began the day with a 23-53 record.

”It’s been a long (76) games http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-chukwuma-okorafor-jersey , but I’m glad to see everybody back,” said first baseman Chris Davis, who recently sat out eight games in an effort to shake a lengthy slump. ”I’m glad to see everyone back.”

Beckham returns after playing in seven minor league games on his rehabilitation assignment.

”Our record doesn’t look good right now, but we have a really good ball club,” Beckham insisted. ”For everyone to be healthy and in the lineup tonight. It’s a good feeling.”

To make room for Beckham, the Orioles optioned reliever Donnie Hart to Triple-A Norfolk and moved infielder Luis Sardinas (back strain) to the 60-day disabled list.

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A crowd of reporters around his locker Thomas Rawls Color Rush Jersey , Robert Nkemdiche was asked what he learned the first two years in the NFL.

"I learned I was terrible," he said.

He was joking. Everyone laughed.

But, with a new coaching staff giving the big defensive tackle a clean slate, this is a big season for the former first-round draft pick to prove to the Cardinals that they were right to select him 29th overall out of Mississippi in 2017.

There have been no breakout performances, just a big play here and there 鈥?he returned an Eli Manning fumble for a TD last season 鈥?and there have been too many mistakes, including way too many offside penalties. In 17 career games, he has 12 tackles, four of them solo, and zero sacks.

He knows it is time to show he's better than that or risk forever being saddled as a "draft bust."

If the mammoth player 鈥?6-foot-4, 296 pounds 鈥?harnesses his raw skills and attends to the little things, maybe he'll even find himself starting up front.

"I try to stay away from the analogies of guys who are busts because everybody has their own projection of how they see guys," Cardinals first-year head coach Steve Wilks said after Monday's practice Quenton Nelson Color Rush Jersey , the team's first in pads. "In a short period of time of being around Robert, I think he's a tremendous player. I think he's locked in, he's focused. I think he's doing well and I think he's going to be a good player for us this year."

Nkemdiche won't call this a make-or-break season, but he has learned a lot about what it takes to succeed in the trenches at the game's highest level.

"It's a big step," he said of this coming season. "It's not really technically pressure. It's just me wanting to be good, me wanting to give back to these guys, and all the guys who put in work for me, and give back to the coaches, people who believe in me and really just resting that case and being the player I know I can be.

"There's really no pressure, just 'come on, take a step forward.'"

Nkemdiche has his quirks, including colorfully braided hair and a nose ring. He likes shopping at Goodwill.

Nkemdiche is not that stereotypical growling monster of a human that people believe play defensive tackle in this violent game. But he wants to be good and insists he is a severe critic of himself.

He blames his two unproductive seasons on injuries and "some things I could have did better."

"Just being a more polished player 49ers Dante Pettis Jersey , as in the whole perspective and really just growing as a dude, as a person," he said. "It's cool. Things have slowed down a little bit and it's fun. I can actually see what's going on. It's not like a blur."

He should take some solace in the case of Arizona teammate D.J. Humphries. The Cardinals drafted the big tackle out of Florida in the first round (24th overall) in 2015 but he didn't even suit up for a game as a rookie鈥?the Cardinals coaches were convinced he didn't have the maturity yet to play in the league. But the next season he was the starter at right tackle and eventually was moved to the left side. Injuries limited him to five games last year, but he has evolved into the Cardinals' best offensive lineman and anchors that unit at left tackle this year.

Wilks has said he doesn't mind players with a few quirks, that he would "let Robert be Robert" as long as he continues to work hard to get better. So far, so good.

The coach said after Monday's workout that he's encouraged.

"His commitment," Wilks said. "He's trying to do it our way. Change sometimes is hard for everyone and I think he's embraced that. He meets a lot with coach (Don) Johnson. His energy on the football field is phenomenal and he's trying to pay attention to details. You just got to make sure he's consistent and concentrates and doesn't jump offside. That's one of the concerns."

So it's details, details, details for Nkemdiche, and, most importantly, some production when he's on the field.

"Do it on Sunday Authentic B.J. Upton Jersey ," he said. "When it's game time, show up and play ball. It's a very simple concept, just go out there and be a dog, be a disruptive force, play every play at extreme capacity."

And don't jump offside.

Tom Brady calls it "ridiculous" to suggest the suspension of Patriots receiver Julian Edelman is tied to the quarterback's personal health coach.

The questions about Alex Guerrero on Saturday prompted Brady to abruptly end his first media availability of training camp.

"I have no comments, just ridiculous. I'm out," Brady said before walking away.

Edelman brushed aside a similar question in his first comments since receiving his four-game ban for a drug-policy violation.

"What's in the past is in the past. I love Alex and ultimately I'm worried about just going out here and playing football," Edelman said. "I'm not here to talk about or make a headline or something."

Edelman, tight end Rob Gronkowski and former Patriots receiver Danny Amendola are among several Patriots who have also worked or consulted with Guerrero.

Edelman will begin serving his suspension at the start of the regular season. He can practice with the team and play in preseason games.

Brady provided another short response when asked if there was tension between him and coach Bill Belichick this summer.

"I have no thoughts," Brady said.

Brady has relied on a fitness and nutrition program developed by Guerrero since 2004. The pair also partnered in opening Brady's TB12 Sports Therapy Center, which is adjacent to the Patriots' Gillette Stadium facility.

In January, Patriots CEO Robert Kraft Youth Isaac Yiadom Jersey , Belichick and Brady released a statement calling an ESPN report "flat-out inaccurate" that said there had been disputes between team officials and Guerrero regarding player-medical affairs.

Brady will turn 41 next week and has credited Guerrero's program with helping to extend his NFL career, which is entering its 19th season. As part of the strict regimen devised by Guerrero, Brady eats a mostly plant-based diet during the season.

Despite skipping the voluntary portion of spring workouts, Brady said his focus and commitment to football remain high.

"Football is very, very important to me. It always has been, and I love being out here with my teammates. So, it's great," Brady said. "As you get older you have different responsibilities, and I think that's just part of life. Everyone's got to deal with those responsibilities differently and what works for them.

"Football is a huge part of my life. I love being here with my teammates and playing, and hopefully we can have a great season."

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A crowd of reporters around his locker Thomas Rawls Color Rush Jersey , Robert Nkemdiche was asked what he learned the first two years in the NFL.

"I learned I was terrible," he said.

He was joking. Everyone laughed.

But, with a new coaching staff giving the big defensive tackle a clean slate, this is a big season for the former first-round draft pick to prove to the Cardinals that they were right to select him 29th overall out of Mississippi in 2017.

There have been no breakout performances, just a big play here and there 鈥?he returned an Eli Manning fumble for a TD last season 鈥?and there have been too many mistakes, including way too many offside penalties. In 17 career games, he has 12 tackles, four of them solo, and zero sacks.

He knows it is time to show he's better than that or risk forever being saddled as a "draft bust."

If the mammoth player 鈥?6-foot-4, 296 pounds 鈥?harnesses his raw skills and attends to the little things, maybe he'll even find himself starting up front.

"I try to stay away from the analogies of guys who are busts because everybody has their own projection of how they see guys," Cardinals first-year head coach Steve Wilks said after Monday's practice Quenton Nelson Color Rush Jersey , the team's first in pads. "In a short period of time of being around Robert, I think he's a tremendous player. I think he's locked in, he's focused. I think he's doing well and I think he's going to be a good player for us this year."

Nkemdiche won't call this a make-or-break season, but he has learned a lot about what it takes to succeed in the trenches at the game's highest level.

"It's a big step," he said of this coming season. "It's not really technically pressure. It's just me wanting to be good, me wanting to give back to these guys, and all the guys who put in work for me, and give back to the coaches, people who believe in me and really just resting that case and being the player I know I can be.

"There's really no pressure, just 'come on, take a step forward.'"

Nkemdiche has his quirks, including colorfully braided hair and a nose ring. He likes shopping at Goodwill.

Nkemdiche is not that stereotypical growling monster of a human that people believe play defensive tackle in this violent game. But he wants to be good and insists he is a severe critic of himself.

He blames his two unproductive seasons on injuries and "some things I could have did better."

"Just being a more polished player 49ers Dante Pettis Jersey , as in the whole perspective and really just growing as a dude, as a person," he said. "It's cool. Things have slowed down a little bit and it's fun. I can actually see what's going on. It's not like a blur."

He should take some solace in the case of Arizona teammate D.J. Humphries. The Cardinals drafted the big tackle out of Florida in the first round (24th overall) in 2015 but he didn't even suit up for a game as a rookie鈥?the Cardinals coaches were convinced he didn't have the maturity yet to play in the league. But the next season he was the starter at right tackle and eventually was moved to the left side. Injuries limited him to five games last year, but he has evolved into the Cardinals' best offensive lineman and anchors that unit at left tackle this year.

Wilks has said he doesn't mind players with a few quirks, that he would "let Robert be Robert" as long as he continues to work hard to get better. So far, so good.

The coach said after Monday's workout that he's encouraged.

"His commitment," Wilks said. "He's trying to do it our way. Change sometimes is hard for everyone and I think he's embraced that. He meets a lot with coach (Don) Johnson. His energy on the football field is phenomenal and he's trying to pay attention to details. You just got to make sure he's consistent and concentrates and doesn't jump offside. That's one of the concerns."

So it's details, details, details for Nkemdiche, and, most importantly, some production when he's on the field.

"Do it on Sunday Authentic B.J. Upton Jersey ," he said. "When it's game time, show up and play ball. It's a very simple concept, just go out there and be a dog, be a disruptive force, play every play at extreme capacity."

And don't jump offside.

Tom Brady calls it "ridiculous" to suggest the suspension of Patriots receiver Julian Edelman is tied to the quarterback's personal health coach.

The questions about Alex Guerrero on Saturday prompted Brady to abruptly end his first media availability of training camp.

"I have no comments, just ridiculous. I'm out," Brady said before walking away.

Edelman brushed aside a similar question in his first comments since receiving his four-game ban for a drug-policy violation.

"What's in the past is in the past. I love Alex and ultimately I'm worried about just going out here and playing football," Edelman said. "I'm not here to talk about or make a headline or something."

Edelman, tight end Rob Gronkowski and former Patriots receiver Danny Amendola are among several Patriots who have also worked or consulted with Guerrero.

Edelman will begin serving his suspension at the start of the regular season. He can practice with the team and play in preseason games.

Brady provided another short response when asked if there was tension between him and coach Bill Belichick this summer.

"I have no thoughts," Brady said.

Brady has relied on a fitness and nutrition program developed by Guerrero since 2004. The pair also partnered in opening Brady's TB12 Sports Therapy Center, which is adjacent to the Patriots' Gillette Stadium facility.

In January, Patriots CEO Robert Kraft Youth Isaac Yiadom Jersey , Belichick and Brady released a statement calling an ESPN report "flat-out inaccurate" that said there had been disputes between team officials and Guerrero regarding player-medical affairs.

Brady will turn 41 next week and has credited Guerrero's program with helping to extend his NFL career, which is entering its 19th season. As part of the strict regimen devised by Guerrero, Brady eats a mostly plant-based diet during the season.

Despite skipping the voluntary portion of spring workouts, Brady said his focus and commitment to football remain high.

"Football is very, very important to me. It always has been, and I love being out here with my teammates. So, it's great," Brady said. "As you get older you have different responsibilities, and I think that's just part of life. Everyone's got to deal with those responsibilities differently and what works for them.

"Football is a huge part of my life. I love being here with my teammates and playing, and hopefully we can have a great season."

__

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Former Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi has divulged that he lost most of his left hand in an all-terrain vehicle crash last April.

Massaquoi Redskins Jonathan Allen Jersey , who starred at Georgia before he was drafted by Cleveland in the second round in 2009, revealed his prosthetic and details of his misfortune in a video posted Monday on The Players Tribune.

Massaquoi was riding ATVs with friends when he said he took a turn too sharply and crashed. The 31-year-old said it felt as if an explosion had gone off in his hand, and he was initially unaware of the severity of his injury.

"What I'm seeing and what my friends are seeing are completely different," he said, giving the first public description of his life-changing ordeal. "They're seeing what actually happened. I'm seeing what I think happened. I'm thinking that I just broke my hand. My friend, on the other hand http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trenton-cannon-jersey , thinks my hand just went through a meat grinder or something like that. Meanwhile you can see the panic and the fear in everybody."

Massaquoi said he was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where doctors initially tried to save his hand. However, after it didn't heal as hoped, four fingers were amputated. His thumb was spared.

He has battled denial and fear during his recovery.

"It gives you a perspective of how precious life is," he said. "How fast things can change. You go from joy-riding to getting in a helicopter to find out that your hand's going to be amputated."

Massaquoi, who spent four years with the Browns and has been out of football since Authentic Rasheem Green Jersey , credited his family and friends for helping him come to terms with the injury.

The Miami Dolphins have made another splash in free agency, signing 34-year-old veteran running back Frank Gore, according to Craig Mish of SiriusXM.The Miami Dolphins have signed RB Frank Gore.— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) March 22, 2018Gore (who turns 35 in May), is a five-time Pro Bowler and likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he retires. The ageless Gore completed a successful three-year tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for a total of 2 Cheap Connor Williams Jersey ,593 yards and 13 touchdowns. Gore also had 789 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions.The Dolphins needed a running back after trading Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles at the 2017 trade deadline, where he'd go on to win a Super Bowl. The team also employs Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams in the backfield.Though Gore is now in his mid-30s, he's shown zero signs of slowing down. He rushed for 961 yards and a trio of touchdowns in 2017, even though the Colts finished the season with just three wins.Besides his consistently strong power game, Gore will be useful as a leader in the Dolphins locker room. The organization opted for a major culture change, releasing Pro Bowler Ndamukong Suh and trading away star wide receiver Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns for draft picks.On top of Gore Youth Justin Jones Jersey , veteran wide receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson have signed with Miami - giving quarterback Ryan Tannehill new weapons to work with after missing all of 2017 with a torn ACL.Miami made the playoffs in 2016 with a 10-6 record, though Tannehill had to miss the final games and postseason contest (a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round) due to injuries.The Dolphins struggled without Tannehill in 2017, posting a 6-10 record as Jay Cutler and Matt Moore couldn't find much consistency. But with Gore and new pieces on offense, Tannehill should rebound nicely in 2018 - and the Dolphins just may punch another ticket to the postseason..
鈥?Zach Ertz went out wide in the formation in yet another play-calling twist by Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson Adidas Anze Kopitar Jersey , facing one-on-one coverage from New England safety Devin McCourty with the Patriots leading the Eagles by one point late in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.Ertz cut inside on a slant pattern, causing McCourty to stumble and trail the route, and moved into perfect position to catch the pass from Nick Foles and launch his body across the goal line with 2:21 left .The NFL’s frequently contested and often confusing process-of-the-catch rule left some doubt for the Eagles, with a nerve-wracking wait for the replay review to confirm the touchdown before the Eagles were officially in the lead.There’s no mystery about this, though: Ertz has turned himself into one of the league’s elite tight ends.“He just really had a solid year, all the way around,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “He really improved on his blocking this offseason, took a lot of things to heart. Just became a better football player, man, and caught that touchdown there at the end. I just couldn’t be happier for him. He works his tail off.”Ertz had seven catches for 67 yards to help Foles and the Eagles outlast the Patriots 41-33 in a Super Bowl that featured the most combined yardage gained in the history of the NFL in the modern era.The most important of the nine times Foles threw his way was that play that culminated with the ball popping up in the air after Ertz landed on the green Eagles paint in the end zone.Ertz caught it on the ricochet Customized Jacksonville Jaguars Jerseys , but the key for the legality of the play was going to be whether he turned himself into a runner before crossing the plane or if he was still in the process of making the catch. The former was the ruling.“That seemed like an eternity over there. I mean, if they overturn that, I don’t even know what’s a catch anymore,” Ertz said.“I had three steps in the ground. I extended for it. My back leg dragged on the ground. The city of Philly would’ve been hot if they’d have overturned that. Luckily for our city they did not.”With a career-high eight touchdown catches with 824 receiving yards in 14 games during the regular season, Ertz came through with the kind of performance that he needed after a trying year for both him and the team in 2016.During a December defeat that season in Cincinnati, Pederson said afterward that not all of his players gave maximum effort. Ertz was caught on camera sliding through a pair of Bengals defenders , including hard-hitting linebacker Vontaze Burfict, during one play while quarterback Carson Wentz scrambled out of bounds.“I never really shied away from that situation I had to endure. There were some people that would say it was definitely just. It was tough. I love that the fans never gave up on me,” Ertz said. “I told them at the time that they would never question my effort again, and I’m lucky to be in this situation playing for this city Authentic Blake McLaughlin Jersey , and I never take it for granted.”With Rob Gronkowski on the other side, Ertz was automatically going to be the bridesmaid tight end in this game , despite his emergence as one of the NFL’s best.Now Ertz will not only have the Super Bowl ring that Gronkowski already possessed in double, but he’ll be able to catch up in the trophy case at home. His wife, Julie Ertz, has a World Cup championship from 2015 for the U.S. national soccer team . They were married last March.“She’s just so happy for me,” Ertz said, adding: “Our marriage is extremely strong even though we’re pulled in 1,000 different directions.” Filip Forsberg came up big for the Nashville Predators in his return after sitting out a game.

Forsberg had two goals and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night. He was held out of the previous night’s lopsided loss to Buffalo for maintenance purposes.

”It’s a big win and a good test for us going up against one of the best teams in the league,” Forsberg said. ”This is the way it’s going to be in the playoffs Titans Game Jerseys , especially on the road, so it was good.”

Craig Smith and Ryan Johansen also scored to help Nashville move closer to securing the first division title in franchise history, with the Predators’ magic number to clinch the Central at two points.

”I think the guys played smart and that’s all on them,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. ”They had a meeting. They weren’t happy with (Saturday’s loss) and they straightened it out. They played a smart, hard game, especially with the turnaround.”

Tampa Bay, which went 0 for 5 on the power play, played the final two periods without captain Steven Stamkos, who left the game with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Coach Jon Cooper did not have an update on Stamkos after the game.

Ondrej Palat scored while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 21 shots for the Lightning, who have lost four of five to fall two points behind the Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

”We don’t like to lose games Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey Elite , that’s bottom line,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said. ”We want to win every game. But we are looking at the big picture and hopefully there is two or three months left in the season, we want to play the right way.”

Nashville opened up the scoring as Johansen led a 2-on-1 rush and pulled the puck back before beating Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot 7:50 into the game.

The Predators doubled their lead early in the second with one second remaining on a power paly as Forsberg’s shot deflected off the stick of Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman and trickled through Vasilevskiy’s pads at 2:46.

Palat pulled the Lightning within a goal at 7:32 as he was open in the slot to take a pass from Stralman and fired a shot from between the circles for his 10th.

Forsberg scored his second of the night, skating around Dan Girardi to get to the top of the crease and sip the puck under Vasilevskiy at 6:24 to make it 3-1.

Smith put the game away, taking a long pass from Mattias Ekholm and skating in alone to put a shot off the inside of the far post at 9:29.

”We just give up too many easy ones, they are too easy,” Cooper said. ”It’s not like they are spending an ounce of time in our zone, they just go down and find open space.”

NOTES: Tampa Bay RW Ryan Callahan returned to the lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury. … Nashville leading goal-scorer LW Viktor Arvidsson missed the game with an undisclosed lower-body injury. … The Lightning have allowed the opening goal in five consecutive games. … Forsberg is the second player in franchise history to reach 60 points three different times, joining J.P. Dumont. … Saros improved to 8-0-2 this season when starting on the second night of a back-to-back games for the Predators

UP NEXT

Lightning: Host Boston on Tuesday night.

Predators: At Florida on Tuesday night.

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>Time for the fantasy championship Cheap Mike Gesicki Jersey , the culmination of 15 grueling weeks to get to the final game.Does the waiver wire matter this week? Probably not as much as most other weeks. It comes down to team needs.Obviously, depth is no longer important with only one game left. So if you are claiming someone, it is likely because you either have a lineup decision to make that will involve one of the player(s) that you are trying to acquire, or you want to keep someone away from an opponent.Yes, you should be looking closely at your opponent’s lineup this week. You need to figure out if they have a weakness anywhere. Perhaps they have Antonio Brown and don’t have much depth at wide receiver. If that’s the case, then you may want to claim the best WR on your waiver wire. You may even want to claim more than one, if you have the room on your roster. Just make sure the players you give up won’t help your opponent or hurt your chances of winning. There is nothing wrong with being proactive.One last note, if you play in a dynasty or keeper league, then this may very well be the last week in which you can acquire a player. Even if you’re not a team in contention, you should scan waivers for players that can help you next season. You never know who a playoff team might have had to drop in order to try to win, and so many teams just hang it up once they’re eliminated rather than trying to get better for next season. If your league does extend to Week 17, we also offer some fliers.NICK FOLES, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (39 percent): With his performance against the Giants, Foles erased any doubts about whether he could handle the starting job in the wake of the season-ending injury to Carson Wentz. Foles used all the weapons around him to throw for 237 yards and four touchdowns. He also gets the Raiders at home this week Cheap Adrian Clayborn Jersey , one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.KERWYNN WILLIAMS, RB, Arizona Cardinals (39 percent): It’s not that Williams is a great back, but the Cardinals believe in a one-back system and pretty much running that back into the ground. He doesn’t have to be great to have a good fantasy game. The volume will be there and so will the fantasy points.JAVORIUS ALLEN, RB, Baltimore Ravens (37 percent): Just about any running back with a pulse in the NFL has value. Yes, the Ravens have so many cooks in the kitchen with Danny Woodhead, Alex Collins, and Allen looking for touches, but it is the Colts they are playing this week Indianapolis made C.J. Anderson look like a must-play in Week 15.AARON JONES, RB, Green Bay Packers (48 percent): The Packers may have been waiting for a bad game from Jamaal Williams to get Jones more touches. Williams didn’t play well versus Carolina on Sunday but even if you believe Jones will get the starting job back, the Vikings are on next on the schedule and it’s hard to see either back having much success in Week 16.WAYNE GALLMAN, RB, New York Giants (10 percent): It’s hard to tell what the Giants might do as coach Steve Spagnuolo seems more inclined to try and win games rather than see what kind of players he has for next season. Gallman should see increased touches but that’s not written in stone.CHRIS IVORY Kerryon Johnson Color Rush Jersey , RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (29 percent): He would only come into play if you believe that Leonard Fournette will miss another game and Ivory would get the start over T.J. Yeldon.BRANDEN OLIVER, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 percent): With Austin Ekeler lost for the season with a broken hand, Oliver is next in line to give Melvin Gordon a breather here and there.KENNY BRITT, WR, New England Patriots (9 percent): You would have to be extremely desperate to trust Britt but maybe you’re a Chris Hogan owner or play in 16-plus team league.KEELAN COLE, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2 percent): Marquise Lee had to leave the game Sunday with a sprained ankle and will be extremely questionable to play in Week 16. Cole was the biggest beneficiary of Lee’s injury Sunday as he had seven receptions for 186 yards and a score.ELI ROGERS, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 percent): He is another deep play as even with Brown out for the rest of the regular season, he will still not be any better than fourth or fifth on the depth chart behind Martavis Bryant, Juju Smith-Schuster, Le’Veon Bell, and possibly Jesse James (who is also a possible pick up if you need help at TE as he is only owned in 20 percent of CBS Sports leagues).This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network Cheap Robert Griffin III Jersey ,

DeMarco Murray is retiring from the NFL.

The 2014 Offensive Player of the Year made the announcement on ESPN on Friday, four months after being released by the Tennessee Titans.

Murray, 30, lost his job to Derrick Henry last season and was due to make $6.25 million in 2018 when the Titans let him go. He ran for 659 yards and six touchdowns last season, dealt with a knee injury late in the year, and missed the Titans' final regular-season game and two playoff contests.

"I think you just wake up," Murray said. "I've always heard the saying when you know, you know, and one day that day will come, and for me it was the last year or two. ... I've been constantly thinking about this. Working out still, in great shape, feel great and it's time.

"I just woke up a couple weeks ago and it started to burn and burn and trigger and it got deeper, so this morning I decided to call it a career."

The Titans acquired Murray in a March 2016 trade with the Eagles. Murray had spent one year with Philadelphia after playing four seasons with the Cowboys. Murray was playing for Dallas in 2014 when he won the NFL rushing title and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

He was a dominant force that season for the Cowboys, who went 12-4 to win the NFC East. Murray ran for a league-best 1,845 yards Adidas Mark Stone Jersey , then signed a five-year, $40 million deal as a free agent with Philadelphia in 2015.

With the Eagles, Murray started eight of 15 games played and ran 193 times for a team-best 702 yards. Once coach Chip Kelly was fired, Murray's contract was one of those Philadelphia unloaded.

The Titans couldn't wait to add Murray as a running threat to help protect quarterback Marcus Mariota. Behind a revamped offensive line, Murray proved very durable, playing through a torn plantar plate in his right foot. Murray led the AFC and was third in the NFL with 1,287 yards rushing on 293 carries. It was second-most carries of his career and his second-best rushing season.

But last year was problematic and ended in injury. And now, without a team or a job, Murray is leaving football.

"I'm very blessed to have had the coaching staff and the players and teammates that I've been fortunate to play with the last seven years of my career," Murray said. "It's been a long time thinking the last year or two physically, mentally, emotionally. I think it's time for me to hang it out there. As hard as it is ... the fans have been great. I had a lot of great games and a lot of great teammates. It's bittersweet, but I think for me it's the right timing for myself and my family moving forward."

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“PodcastOne Sports Now” co-hosts Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg examine instant replay through the lens of the most controversial goal in World Cup history – the 1966 “Wembley Goal!” – and suggest the NFL and Major League Baseball should take note of how well the system works in soccer.

More than a half-century later Keke Coutee Jersey Texans , the words “Wembley Goal” still trigger strong memories in both England and Germany, including ZDF match commentator Oliver Schmidt’s recollections of how sad his grandparents became at the mention. London-based Associated Press soccer writer Rob Harris and deputy international sports editor Chris Lehourites join Litke to help recap and preview the big games at the World Cup.

Also on the show: a recap with Dahlberg and Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson of how Brooks Koepka outlasted the filed over a very tough Shinnecock layout to defend his U.S. Open golf title. On the menu: When in doubt, order French fries.

The New England Patriots bolstered their pass rush and backfield depth with the free agent signings of defensive end Adrian Clayborn and running back Jeremy Hill on Saturday.

The Patriots also announced the signing of veteran offensive tackle Matt Tobin.

Clayborn, 29 Authentic Braden Smith Jersey , played the past three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and is coming off a career-high 9陆-sack season in 2017. The seven-year veteran has 30 sacks over 81 games with Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

New England had 42 sacks in 2017, tied for seventh-most in the NFL.

Hill, 25, is entering his fifth NFL season after spending his first four with the Cincinnati Bengals. A former second-round draft pick out of LSU Andy Dalton Jersey , Hill played in only seven games in 2017 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

Over his first three seasons, Hill had 2,757 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns in 47 games.

Hill joins a Patriots backfield that includes James White, Mike Gillislee and the recently re-signed Rex Burkhead Minkah Fitzpatrick Color Rush Jersey , who was Hill's teammate for three seasons in Cincinnati.

New England lost last season's leading rusher Dion Lewis to Tennessee in free agency.

Tobin, 27, spent last year with the Seattle Seahawks after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Iowa standout entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

The addition of Tobin adds depth to a Patriots offensive line that lost long-time starting left tackle Nate Solder to the New York Giants in free agency.

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NEW YORK JETS (5-11)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: QB Josh McCown; CB Morris Claiborne; C Wesley Johnson Justin Bethel Jersey Falcons , TEs Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Chris Gragg; LBs Demario Davis, Bruce Carter, Julian Stanford, and David Bass; S Terrence Brooks; PK Chandler Catanzaro; DLs Kony Ealy and Ed Stinson; DT Mike Pennel; OLs Jonotthan Harrison, Ben Ijalana and Dakota Dozier.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: WR Quincy Enunwa; S Rontez Miles; OL Brent Qvale; TE Neal Sterling; DL Xavier Cooper.

NEEDS: It’s all about finding quarterback, running theme for this franchise for, well, decades. New York will be in Kirk Cousins sweepstakes and has money it would take to land him. But will the former Washington QB want team that has failed to make playoffs for seven straight seasons and underwent massive rebuild last year? Jets have new offensive coordinator in former QBs coach Jeremy Bates, who runs Mike and Kyle Shanahan-style system Cousins learned during his first two seasons in league. If Jets whiff on Cousins Saquon Barkley Color Rush Jersey , there’s good chance McCown will be back to mentor whomever New York takes with its first draft pick at No. 6 overall. Plenty of holes elsewhere, although Jets are interested in re-signing Claiborne, Seferian-Jenkins and Davis as core players. Help on offensive line, namely at center, proven pass rusher and cornerback will also be high priorities for GM Mike Maccagnan. Running back Matt Forte is retired, so Jets might look for some depth in backfield, as well as on defensive line after releasing disappointing Muhammad Wilkerson.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $90 million.

The New Orleans Saints finally reached a contract extension with star quarterback Drew Brees, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $50 million.ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news:Drew Brees and Saints reached agreement on a two-year, $50 million Dolphins Durham Smythe Jersey , team-friendly deal that includes $27 million guaranteed, as @SlaterNFL and @RapSheet reported. Brees going nowhere, as expected.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2018Brees and the Saints failed to reach an extension by Monday, which gave other teams permission to speak to the future Hall of Famer. But at the end of the day, there was no doubting that No. 9 would stay in New Orleans.With Brees off the market, Case Keenum and Kirk Cousins became the top quarterbacks available on the market. But Schefter also reported that Keenum and Cousins will join the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.Brees turned 39 in January, but has shown zero signs of slowing down. The Super Bowl 44 champion eclipsed 4 Kenny Young Jersey Elite ,000 passing yards for the 12th-straight year, and聽helped the Saints win the NFC South.Of course, Brees also put up a historic performance against the Minnesota Vikings defense in the NFC Divisional Round, but a breakdown by the secondary in the waning seconds cost New Orleans the game.Brees is in excellent position to break Peyton Manning's record of most passing yards (71,940, Brees has 70,445). He's also just 51 touchdowns behind The Sheriff for most all-time. If he can play through the full two-year contract, Brees should be the leader in many big quarterback stats.The Saints enter 2018 as one of the top teams in the NFC. Brees leads a potent offense that also includes running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, plus receiving talents in Willie Snead and Michael Thomas. On the defensive side Martin Fehervary Capitals Jersey , shutdown corner Marshon Lattimore, safety Marcus Williams and pass-rusher Cameron Jordan anchor a potent unit.Brees had every incentive to finish his career with New Orleans, given the terrific relationship with the organization and the major success he's had. Given the team's status as a contender on the rise, it had to be a no-brainer for Brees to re-up..

A Mickey Mantle baseball card from 1952 was sold at auction for $2.88 million Adrian Clayborn Color Rush Jersey , falling just short of setting a record.

The card, sold by former NFL lineman Evan Mathis through Heritage Auctions, earned the second-highest figure for a card at an auction, trailing only the $3.12 million paid for a 1909 Honus Wagner card two years ago.

Issued as part of its first full set of baseball cards by Topps, the Mantle card is one of six versions to have been rated a Mint 9 by PSA, one of the leading sports memorabilia authenticators, with three others having earned a Mint 10 rating.

Mathis decided to sell the card, which was estimated to be valued at $3.5 million by Heritage, to free up money so he could move his wife and daughters to Tennessee to be closer to where he grew up in Alabama.

A third-round pick by Carolina in the 2005 NFL draft, Mathis retired in January 2017 after 12 seasons as an offensive guard with the Panthers, Miami Cheap Customized New England Patriots Jerseys , Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Denver and Arizona. He was on the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50.

Mathis got into card collecting as a kid growing up a fan of Bo Jackson in Birmingham, Alabama, in the late 1980s. He said he traded the "vast majority" of his collection about two years ago to get the card he just sold, and hopes to own one of the Mint 10 versions someday.

Christian Scotland-Williamson looks the part.

Standing on the practice field with the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rookie tight end blends in seamlessly. The 25-year-old is tall (6-foot-9), big (275 pounds) and athletic.

Then Scotland-Williamson opens his mouth. A polite British accent comes out, the kind that would go unnoticed on a soccer pitch, but on a field crammed with dozens of players practically weaned on America's Game, it raises eyebrows. Lots of eyebrows.

Scotland-Williamson gets it. The former rugby player who was raised in the London suburbs understands he's a bit of a curiosity as a member of the second graduating class of the NFL's International Player Pathway program. At the heart of it all Evan Bouchard Oilers Jersey , however, Scotland-Williamson figures the only thing separating him from his teammates is experience. Not passion. Not athleticism. And certainly not drive.

"It's one of those things where when I was younger, if I'd been exposed to American football I probably would have played it at an earlier age," Scotland-Williamson said. "But being a British kid, it's not at your doorstep, so it's quite hard."

So Scotland-Williamson opted for rugby. He turned professional at 20 and spent four seasons with the Worcester Warriors of the English Premiership, the top rugby division in the United Kingdom. Then cameras caught him making a monster tackle in a game last spring and his phone rang, with folks wondering if he'd like to come to the U.S. and join the IPP.

Started in 2017, the IPP selects a handful of athletes from other countries to come to the U.S. to learn the finer points of pro football. If they make it through a four-month boot camp at IMG Academy in Florida, they can be assigned to an NFL club, where they will spend a season on the practice squad to prove themselves in what amounts to one of the most unusual internships on the planet.

Though Scotland-Williamson's rugby career appeared on the rise Cheap Josh Allen Jersey , the prospect of heading overseas was simply too tantalizing to pass up.

"It's kind of like that movie 'Inception,' once one plants that seed, that's it," he said. "I'm very much someone who doesn't want to live with any regrets and look back at 50 or 60 years old at a bar with your mates and think, 'Oh no, what if I could have done this but didn't.' So that's why I'm here really."

The initial IPP graduation class last spring included three athletes from the United Kingdom and another from Germany. The current group includes Scotland-Williamson and Australian rugby player Jordan Mailata, who impressed the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles so much they used a seventh-round draft pick on him to make sure he didn't end up somewhere else.

Scotland-Williamson is not quite as polished. He understood little about the game outside of what he occasionally saw on TV when he arrived in Florida in January. The highly regimented day started with a 6 a.m. walkthrough and often lasted until a film session at a coach's house that wouldn't wrap up until around 9:30 p.m.

"We learned a hell of a lot in a short amount of time," Scotland-Williamson said.

Just not everything. Though he's studied up on the 100-plus page NFL rule book, he admits he's still a little fuzzy on details in some spots. And while the film work certainly helps, it's quite a bit different when you have your helmet on standing in an offensive huddle listening to a quarterback bark out a play that has very specific instructions. Compared to rugby's more free-flowing style, it's a lot to take in.

The evidence can be found on the practice field. While Scotland-Williamson thinks he's handling his business just fine as a blocker Roquan Smith Bears Jersey , route running is another matter. The player who never donned so much as a football helmet until rookie minicamp earlier this month practically staples himself to tight ends coach James Daniel, hoping to soak up as much as he can as fast as he can.

Yet Scotland-Williamson understands he can't rush things. That's why he's grateful the opportunity didn't arise until his mid-20s. Spending four years as a professional rugby player taught him how to deal with bumps in the road.

"I have a better perspective," he said. "Especially with this where you're going to get your butt kicked every day for a while until things start clicking. You have to have quite thick skin, so that's helped."

So does a bit of a thick head. When he told his parents he was putting his rugby career on hold to give football a try, his father balked.

"I had to give him a massive sales pitch," Scotland-Williamson said.

That included one very important point: This wasn't a lark or a publicity stunt or fulfilling some bit of wanderlust. This was real.

"I don't think you go into this half-hearted," he said. "You want it all. You want to make the 53 (man roster). You want to go to Super Bowls. You want to end up being the first international player to make it big. That's the biggest thing, not only to represent myself, but it means a lot for the international players who were born outside of America who don't think they have a chance."

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