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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nick Foles rejuvenated his career in Philadelphia. Now he wants to turn his success into an NFL starting job — and the Eagles intend to give him that chance.General manager Howie Roseman told reporters Wednesday that the franchise will not use the franchise tag on Foles Jace Sternberger Jersey , making him a free agent.“It’s hard when you have someone who is incredibly valuable to your organization, the most important position in sports,” Roseman said during the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis. “But at the same time, he deserves an opportunity to lead a team. It’s a goal of his to lead another team and lead another locker room, and we feel at this point it’s the right decision.””Roseman said the Eagles agreed to make the move after Foles expressed his desire during a recent meeting.And with Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2016 the established starter in Philadelphia, Foles understood it meant he would have to find a new team.Over the last two seasons, Foles became one of the most precious commodities in sports — a backup quarterback with championship-caliber talent.When Wentz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December 2017, Foles stepped in, led the Eagles to their first NFL title since 1960 and was the Super Bowl MVP.Last season, when Wentz suffered a back injury, Foles again stepped forward and led the Eagles back to the playoffs. Foles helped Philadelphia to a 16-15 wild-card victory at Chicago before losing 20-14 at New Orleans in the divisional round.But in those two seasons he won four playoff games — more than he did in his previous five in the league combined — and turned himself into a hot commodity at the most prized position in the league.“We’ve been so fortunate over the last couple of years to have two top-15 quarterbacks in Carson and Nick http://www.packerscheapstore.com/dexter-williams-jersey-cheap , and we spent a lot of time discussing this internally and with him,” Roseman said. “We feel very comfortable about it. Again, hard decision because of someone who means a lot to us, professionally and personally, but at that end of the day as an organization, we felt it was the right thing to do.”When Foles signs elsewhere, Nate Sudfeld will move into the No. 2 spot.The 30-year-old Foles comes with a solid resume.He was Philadelphia’s third-round pick in 2012, starting six games as a rookie and 18 more before signing with the Rams in 2015. After one season as the starter in St. Louis, he moved to Kansas City, where he rejoined former Eagles coach Andy Reid to serve as the backup to Alex Smith. In 2016, Foles returned to Philadelphia to mentor Wentz and wound up becoming a fan favorite and a Super Bowl champ.And he hits free agency with a chance to cash in.“Nick and I have a lot of history together, all the way back to when we drafted him and I was on coach Reid’s staff here in Philly Josh Allen Jersey ,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “We had conversations, obviously, at the end of the season and he knew where I stood and how I felt about him, but at the same time, he was a huge part of our success the last two years. It’s an opportunity now, as Howie mentioned, to be a starter in this league. And he’s very capable of doing that.” LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears rode a dominant defense to the NFC North championship in a breakout season. They hope to keep it going with a new coordinator.The Bears hired former Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano to replace Vic Fangio on Friday, hoping he can help them build on what they accomplished this season.Pagano inherits one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses after Fangio left to take the Denver Broncos‘ head coaching job. He will get to work with one of the league’s best pass rushers in Khalil Mack as well as two other All-Pros in cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson.Pagano led Indianapolis to a 53-43 record and two AFC South championships from 2012 to 2017. He was forced to take a leave of absence early in his first season to get treated for leukemia. With offensive coordinator Bruce Arians serving as interim head coach, the Colts went 9-3 in his absence after a 1-2 start.They won 11 games and made the playoffs in each of Pagano’s first three seasons before injuries to quarterback Andrew Luck took a toll. Before taking the Indianapolis job, he spent four seasons under John Harbaugh in Baltimore — as secondary coach from 2008 to 2010 and defensive coordinator in 2011, when the Ravens went 12-4 and ranked third in total defense.Pagano was a consultant for the NFL last season.“He is a great teacher with an aggressive mentality that fits our style of football http://www.jaguarscheapstore.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey-cheap ,” coach Matt Nagy said. “He is a man of high character and has a passion for the game that will no doubt add to the culture we have already started building at Halas Hall.”The Bears went 12-4 in their first season under Nagy after four straight last-place finishes and made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They finished with their best record since the 2006 team went 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl.The season ended on a gut-wrenching note when Cody Parkey’s potential winning field goal hit the left upright and crossbar in the closing seconds of a 16-15 wild-card loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.In four seasons, Fangio helped transform a defense that ranked among the worst in franchise history. Now, he finally has a head coaching job after 32 years as an assistant in the NFL.Like Fangio, Pagano has experience running 3-4 defenses. He also figures to have plenty of autonomy, with Nagy focused on the development of the offense and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.Chicago already had a top-10 defense when general manager Ryan Pace swung a blockbuster trade for Mack just before the start of the season. That move showed just how serious the Bears were about making a jump after going 14-34 in three seasons under former coach John Fox.The defense jumped to a different level with Mack drawing double teams, Fuller and Jackson emerging, and Pro Bowl defensive end Akiem Hicks wreaking havoc. Linebacker Roquan Smith showed star potential after being drafted with the No. 8 overall pick. Linebacker Leonard Floyd and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman had solid seasons, and it all added up to this.Chicago led the NFL with 36 takeaways and 27 interceptions, a huge change after three straight years with a franchise-worst eight interceptions. The Bears gave up a league-low 17.7 points per game and 1,280 yards rushing — a franchise-low for a 16-game season. They also ranked third in total defense and tied for third with 50 sacks.Mack led the team with 12 1/2 sacks and tied for third in NFL with six forced fumbles. And Fuller tied for the league lead with seven sacks.

For every NFL season http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , each team has the same goal of reaching the Super Bowl and getting a shot at winning the illustrious Vince Lombardi trophy. If there is ever any team that says this is not their goal for the year, they are really bad at lying.Throughout the history of the league, there have been a number of teams that seemed all but guaranteed to make it to that season’s Super Bowl based on the year they had. But for some strange reason, the team’s dreams of a championship are ruined and they are unable to make it to the NFL’s big game.Then there have been a bunch of teams that appeared in a Super Bowl despite not being among the league’s best for that particular season. Most of those teams eventually learned that they may have been a bit in over their heads about the possibility of winning a championship.Below Ugo Amadi Jersey , we take a closer look at some of the best team’s in the NFL’s history that were unable to get to the Super Bowl, as well as some of the teams that appeared in the league’s championship game and never had a chance to win as soon as they set foot on the field. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have a new head coach for the first time since 2006 this year, and some have questioned whether Rodgers is coachable. Packers running back Aaron Jones has no questions.Jones said on NFL Network that he has no doubts about Rodgers’ ability to work with new head coach Matt LaFleur.“I don’t think Aaron will have a problem,” Jones said. “He’ll pick it up very quickly. He’s coachable http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/sione-takitaki-jersey , and he wants to win, and he’s a team player, and he’s a leader, so we’re all going to get behind our leader and we’re going to be ready to go this year.”That Jones specifically began his defense of Rodgers by calling him “coachable” suggests that he’s well aware of the former Packers who say Rodgers is not. Jones likely won’t be the last Packer to stand up for Rodgers along those lines this offseason Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , but the proof will be in Rodgers’ play when the season starts.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans have matched a franchise record for most consecutive wins and are the first team since the 1925 New York Giants to win seven straight games after opening a season 0-3.Despite this impressive streak Ryquell Armstead Jersey , they’re far from satisfied and know they’ll have to continue to improve to get their eighth win in a row when they host the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.“We understand that it’s going to be tough each and every week, and we understand that all 31 other teams don’t really care what we’ve done in the past,” Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “It’s about what we do this week. We don’t believe in the hype. We just grind and go out there and prepare and try to play our hardest to get a win.”Coach Bill O’Brien agreed with Watson and said he stresses to his players that things could go downhill quickly if they focus on what they’ve already done instead of worrying about their next opponent.“You’re always looking to improve. No doubt about it,” he said. “I think that’s what the league’s all about. Who can get better the fastest, who can be the team that improves the fastest as the year goes on? I think every game there’s going to be chances for improvement, and we definitely have to improve.”The Texans, who lost to Tennessee in Week 2, have a two-game lead in the AFC South over the Titans and Colts http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , who are both 5-5.Houston beat the Redskins 23-21 last week for its second straight two-point win after downing the Broncos 19-17 on Nov. 4 before its bye. The Titans have had an up-and-down two weeks after beating New England 34-10 on Nov. 11 before Indianapolis routed them 38-10 last week.“The Houston Texans are a true example of handling adversity and moving forward. They lost 3 in a row early on, everybody thought their season was over and all of a sudden they’re on top of the division and might be fighting for a bye depending on where they’re going,” Tennessee linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “They’re on our schedule now. We lost one, chance to redeem ourselves.”Some things to know about Tennessee’s Monday night visit to Houston:PROTECT THE QBMarcus Mariota was sacked four times in the first half alone before being knocked out of the game last week just before halftime with a stinger. Now the Titans face the Texans with Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney healthy instead of watching from the sideline as Clowney did in Week 2 when these teams met.Mariota and the Titans hope the quarterback will be available Monday night, though he’s waiting for a nerve in his throwing arm to settle down.If Mariota doesn’t start, that would mean Blaine Gabbert gets his third start this season and second against the Texans.GETTING INVOLEDWide receiver Demaryius Thomas hasn’t made much of an impact since being traded to the Texans from Denver on Oct. 30 after Will Fuller suffered a season-ending knee injury. The nine-year veteran had three receptions for 61 yards in his debut, but didn’t have a catch on two targets on Sunday. O’Brien took the blame for his limited work.“It’s not Demaryius,” O’Brien said. “I have to do a better job of getting him more involved. He’s working hard Christian Wilkins Jersey , he’s a good pro and we need to do a better job of getting him the ball a little more.”PEES BACKTitans defensive coordinator Dean Pees rejoined the team Tuesday after leaving the team’s last game with a medical issue. Coach Mike Vrabel is trying to limit the 69-year-old coach’s hours at the team headquarters in Pees’ return to work.Having Pees available and calling blitzes and coverages from the coach’s box in Houston could provide a nice boost to a defense that was dissected by Andrew Luck last week. The Titans allowed a season-high 38 points, dropping from the NFL’s top scoring defense to second overall.Orakpo said hearing Pees had been taken to a hospital shook the Titans.“Man, that was definitely a scary scene to be a part of,” Orakpo said.WATT AND CLOWNEYClowney and J.J. Watt have combined to be one of the league’s most feared defensive duos this season. Clowney has 12 tackles for losses, 14 quarterback hits, 6 1/2 sacks and two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown. Watt has 10 sacks, 12 tackles for losses http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-deiter-jersey , 17 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and has swatted down two passes.Vrabel is very familiar with Clowney and Watt after working as an assistant with the Texans from 2014-17. But he rarely had both players on the field at the same time when he coached in Houston because of various injuries to the two players. He was asked if he’s happy to see that they’re finally both healthy and playing so well this season.“I think 14 games out of the year, I’d probably feel pretty good for them, but there will be two of them when I don’t,” Vrabel said. “They’re good people. I thought I had a good relationship with both of those guys.” The first few weeks of the 2016 NFL season are in the books, and every football fan everywhere is breathing a sigh of relief, even the ones whose teams played terribly. At least the game is back on. Despite our collective loyalty and passion for the game of football, there are over 150 million fans in the U.S. Garrett Bradbury Jersey , and nearly all of us are doing something wrong. Many infractions are widespread and relatively harmless, like thinking that other people want to hear about your fantasy squad. Other crimes are downright shameful, such as wearing a personalized jersey or spilling someone else’s beer… on them (unless they are wearing a personalized jersey). But there are some wrongdoings in the practice of rooting for a team that are so despicable, so deplorable, that those who commit them can truly and certifiably be branded BAD FANS. And some cities, sadly, are chock full of these awful people.Here we examine the seven deadly sins of NFL fandom, and the fanbases that are the worst practitioners of each of these terrible behaviors. Some of them might surprise you! But probably not. Whether it was the result of too much winning http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-irv-smith-jr.-jersey , too much losing, too much drinking, or some combination of the three, these jerks should just STFU and GTFO. Real fans are trying to enjoy the game.

KANSAS CITY Josh Allen Jersey , Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs acquired pass rusher Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks for a package of picks Tuesday, then quickly agreed with him on a $105 million, five-year contract, as they continue to overhaul their much-maligned defense.The Chiefs sent the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft and a second-round pick in 2020 to Seattle, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke about the trade terms and contract details on condition of anonymity because they were pending a physical.Clark planned to head to Kansas City to complete that in the next 48 hours.The trade, first reported by the NFL Network, also includes a swap of third-round picks in this year’s draft. That means the Chiefs will move up eight spots on Friday night.Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week that he was aggressively trying to upgrade the defense, and he acknowledge the window for winning a Super Bowl title began last season. That’s when Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback and had an MVP season as a first-time starter, leading Kansas City to a third straight AFC West title and the conference championship game.“We want to take the next step Jawaan Taylor Jersey ,” Veach said. “Certainly, it goes without saying our offense we pretty efficient last year and I think we are always looking to improve and get better.”Seattle already had the 21st pick overall pick Thursday night, and now general manager John Schneider has an additional first-day selection as he begins rebuilding his own defense.Clark was chosen by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2015 draft, though most agreed he was a first-round talent docked by off-the-field concerns. But he quickly became a dependable edge rusher, piling up 36 sacks over his first four seasons with a team-best 14 this past season.The Seahawks placed the franchise tag on him after the season, but Clark had yet to sign the $17.128 million deal as rumors of a trade swirled. Several other teams also inquired about landing him ahead of the draft as Seattle tried to accumulate additional picks.“This time, and the trade deadline, there’s some speculation about a lot of players,” Schneider said on Monday. “We’re involved in a lot of deals. We take a lot of pride in that. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we weren’t listening to everybody.”Kansas City ultimately won the bidding for him.Veach has spent most of the offseason rebuilding one of the league’s worst defenses Josh Oliver Jersey , one that played a key role in their AFC title game collapse. They lost in overtime to New England when the Patriots won the coin toss, marched downfield and scored the winning touchdown in a 37-31 victory — never giving Mahomes and one of the NFL’s most potent offenses a chance with the ball.In a matter of days, the Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, hired new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and began sifting through their personnel as they switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 system.They got rid of longtime safety Eric Berry and high-priced linebackers Justin Houston and Dee Ford, sending the latter to San Francisco for a second-round pick next year, and carved out enough cap space to find replacements. They signed safety Tyrann Mathieu, cornerback Bashaud Breeland, linebacker Damien Wilson and defensive end Alex Okafor in free agency, then traded safety Eric Murray to former GM John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.All told http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-quincy-williams-ii-jersey , the Chiefs have signed or traded for five new defensive starters.“We didn’t win the Super Bowl,” Veach said, “so we can get better. I think all across the board, there is talent that we can acquire, and we can get more depth on both sides of the football. I think that’s what makes it fun and exciting. There’s certainly some specific areas that may be more apparent. But I think the things you do in free agency protect yourself in the draft, so you don’t have to take a player that you feel is a second- or third-round value in the first round.”The Seahawks have also been busy retooling their defense this offseason, adding defensive ends Cassius Marsh and Nate Orchard as they shopped Clark. They are expected to continue to target help in the pass rush and the defensive backfield in the first couple of rounds of the draft.The additional first-round pick Thursday night also gives Seattle some flexibility.Schneider has a tendency to move around in drafts, and it’s possible the Seahawks could trade down and acquire additional picks. They still only have five selections overall, and in nine previous drafts in charge Ryquell Armstead Jersey , Schneider has never made fewer than eight selections. Lucas Giolito was rolling, feeling as comfortable as he has all season. It was just what the White Sox needed.

Giolito pitched into the eighth inning before Xavier Cedeno worked out of a jam, and Chicago snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Oakland Athletics 6-4 Friday night to salvage a doubleheader split.

The White Sox bounced back after getting pounded 11-2 behind a pair of three-run homers by Franklin Barreto. They stopped their worst skid since a nine-game rut last July and ended Oakland’s season-high win streak at five.

”Definitely the best I felt out there this year, for sure,” Giolito said. ”I think velocity was up a tick. Just felt right, felt in sync and just competed from there.”

Chicago was sailing along with a 5-2 lead when Giolito gave up back-to-back singles to Dustin Fowler and Marcus Semien to start the eighth. Jace Fry came in and walked pinch-hitter Stephen Piscotty to load the bases before Chris Volstad gave up a two-run single to Khris Davis, cutting it to 5-4.

Cedeno then got Matt Olson to line to shortstop Tim Anderson and struck out Mark Canha before Chad Pinder grounded into a force.

”We just came up one at-bat short in terms of at least tying the game that inning,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.

Anderson led off the bottom half with his 12th homer to make it a two-run game. Omar Narvaez chipped in with three hits and two RBIs for Chicago. Adam Engel hit a two-run single and played a sparkling center field. He made a diving catch on Pinder’s liner in the second and fired a strike to nail Pinder trying to take third on Barreto’s fly in the seventh.

Joakim Soria retired all three batters in the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities.

Giolito (5-7) allowed four runs and seven hits in a rare home win. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out eight and walked two after going 1-4 with an 11.05 ERA in his first seven starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.

”A lot more conviction in his pitches,” manager Rick Renteria said.

Olson went deep for Oakland http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , giving the Athletics home runs in 23 consecutive road games – one shy of the modern day record set by Baltimore in 1996. But Chris Bassitt (0-3) got tagged for five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

FOR STARTERS

Barreto’s big performance in the opener came after he hit a three-run drive in Wednesday’s romp at San Diego.

He connected against James Shields to cap a four-run second inning and off Luis Avilan in the eighth . Barreto’s first career multihomer game gave him a personal-best six RBIs.

It was quite a display for a player who had just two home runs prior to this run. Both came against the White Sox in 2017, including a drive against Shields (2-9) at Guaranteed Rate Field in his first major league game.

”We all know he’s got that in him,” Melvin said. ”It’s just about getting him some consistent at-bats. When he’s swinging the bat well, he’s definitely capable of doing that.”

Sean Manaea (7-6) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. The 26-year-old left-hander struck out seven without a walk in winning his second straight start.

Shields has dropped back-to-back outings after beating Cleveland for his first victory since opening day. The right-hander gave up eight runs – two earned – and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: The Athletics activated LF Matt Joyce (strained lower back) from the 10-day disabled list and optioned OF Jake Smolinski to Triple-A Nashville. Joyce started the second game after being held out of the opener. … 3B Matt Chapman (bruised right thumb) received a cortisone injection Tuesday. Manager Bob Melvin said the earliest he will be activated is Monday, when the Athletics open a four-game series at Detroit. … Melvin also expects LHP Ryan Buchter (strained left shoulder) to be activated during the Detroit series. … LHP Brett Anderson (strained left shoulder) is scheduled to throw about four innings and 60 pitches in a rehab outing for Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.

White Sox: The White Sox activated RF Avisail Garcia (strained right hamstring) and LF Leury Garcia (sprained left knee). Both players started Game 1 but were not in the lineup for the nightcap.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (6-6, 4.06 ERA) looks to break out of a slump after going 0-2 with a 10.05 ERA in his first three starts this month.

White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (3-2, 2.90) will try to rebound from a loss at Cleveland on Monday.


And then there were 12. The regular season has ended Devin Singletary Jersey , and wild card weekend is upon as the final dozen teams seek a chance at the Super Bowl and NFL glory. The familiar teams are all there, as Green Bay, Seattle, New England, and Denver are tending to their byes atop the conferences.What of this weekend, though? Years past has seen wild card teams get hot and make deep playoff pushes. The future Super Bowl champion could very well take the field on Saturday or Sunday. So why not the Steelers? A rocky start to the year saw them lose to the Cleveland Browns and inexplicably to the two-win Tampa Bay Buccaneers, dropping three of their first six. Since then, however Kyler Murray Jersey , the Steelers have rebounded.After besting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night to close out the year, the Steelers have been crowned champions of one of the toughest division in the league, as both AFC wild card teams came from the North. It seems that the chaos of the division, with focus on the once optimistic Browns and the continued analysis and confusion concerning Andy Dalton, has made the Steelers an afterthought. They aren’t a particularly sexy team after all, but they weren’t when they won the Super Bowl in the recent past either.So the Steelers will host hated rival Baltimore this weekend with a chance to visit Denver and Peyton Manning the following week. Any AFC champion will have to go through New England as well (this makes the Steelers a 14-1 bet to win it all).Pittsburgh has as good a shot as any to take out the powerhouses of the AFC and return to the Super Bowl. These playoffs boast teams with championships already to their credit, as Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin won together in 2008, with Big Ben winning another with Bill Cowher in 2005. With that http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dawson-knox-jersey , we take a look at the ten reasons why the Pittsburgh Steelers can go four in a row to win the Super Bowl. COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Easton Stick has drawn comparisons to Carson Wentz and Taysom Hill since being drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round two weeks ago. There’s nothing wrong with comparisons, but the first task for the fifth-round pick is learning the playbook.He’s also taking a key piece of advice that Wentz gave him to heart, which is to continue doing what got him drafted. That process started over the weekend when the Chargers held their rookie minicamp.“You can’t come out and try to reinvent yourself or be somebody that you’re not. People see through that stuff and it won’t allow you to be successful,” Stick said.Stick succeeded Wentz at North Dakota State after Wentz was the second overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016. All Stick did was become the winningest quarterback in FCS history (49-3) while leading the Bison to three national championships.Wentz has continued to mentor Stick throughout his career as the two continue to be in regular contact with each other.Stick displayed plenty of athleticism at North Dakota State.He passed for 8,693 yards and 88 touchdowns butt also rushed for 2,523 yards and 41 TDs. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said the Bison’s offense was more conventional compared to other colleges and that his presence in the pocket along with throwing on the run stood out. Whisenhunt and coach Anthony Lynn also noted that Stick lined up under center more compared to other college quarterbacks, which should also put him slightly ahead.What also stood out was Stick’s ability to retain information. Whisenhunt said they quizzed Stick on three plays they sent him and that the level of recall was above average compared to other college players.“It’s still on the board in there (the quarterback room) http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dexter-lawrence-jersey ,” Whisenhunt said. “For a college football player having to learn something that’s a little bit different than what he’s done, put the time in and come back without any notice and be able to put it back up on the board was really impressive.”It is the fourth time since 2006 that the Chargers have drafted a quarterback with the hope that he would develop into a solid backup to Philip Rivers. The only time though that has been the case was in 2006, when they selected Charlie Whitehurst in the third round. Whitehurst spent six seasons with the Chargers in two stints (2006-09 and 2012-13).The plans for this season though are that Stick will vie with Cardale Jones for the third quarterback spot after the Chargers signed Tyrod Taylor to be Rivers’ backup. Stick said that Rivers has texted him but that the two have not met yet.There is the possibility that Stick could see the field if the Chargers use him like the Saints have done with Hill. New Orleans’ third-string quarterback lined up as a running back, tight end, wide receiver and was used on special teams last season. At 6-foot-1, 224-pounds, Stick has the bulk and has shown the durability to take hard hits.Whisenhunt said Hill’s first task though is learning how to play quarterback in their system.“It’s hard to think that you’re just going to plug somebody into that role and think he can do it without really learning the basics of having to play quarterback,” Whisenhunt said. “He’s an athlete. He does a lot of good things athletically on the field http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/zach-allen-jersey , which you can see him do, but we are excited to see him play the quarterback position and see how he can develop at that.”While Stick was taking snaps on the practice field, first-round pick Jerry Tillery continues to rehab from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The defensive tackle remains on track to be cleared for contact by the start of training camp in late July.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Adding proven veterans in trades and free agency has allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to stick to their philosophy of selecting talent over need in the NFL draft.“We want to retool. We don’t want to rebuild when we have this amount of talent on our team Garrett Bradbury Jersey ,” said Howie Roseman, the team’s executive vice president of football operations. “We don’t know what we’re going to need a year from now, two years from now, and we’re trying to get long-term players on our team.”Focusing on filling a hole at a specific position hasn’t worked out well for Philadelphia. Two examples this decade were linebacker Marcus Smith (No. 26, 2014) and guard Danny Watkins (No. 23, 2011). Smith never started a game in three seasons and Watkins was gone after two.“I’ve been humbled by some mistakes I made in terms of valuing a position over the best particular player,” Roseman said. “That’s one of the things that’s exciting where we are right now. We can go play right now. We think we’re a pretty good team. So we can go into the draft knowing we don’t have anything we have to do or we have to fill at any position, and we can base it on what’s best long term.”The Eagles acquired speedy receiver DeSean Jackson from Tampa Bay and running back Jordan Howard from Chicago, filling two needs last month. They also signed defensive tackle Malik Jackson.They enter the draft with seven picks Noah Fant Jersey , including No. 25 in the first round and Nos. 53 and 57 in the second. Roseman and Joe Douglas, vice president of player personnel, can go in several directions. Trading down to stockpile more picks this year or for the future is always an option. They also have enough assets to move up if they wanted.“The higher you are in the draft the better your success rate,” Roseman said. “We look at the 15-year history of our draft, and there is a break-off on the talent level where you can get a difference maker in the first round. There’s very few drafts where there are 32 legitimate first-round grades on guys. And so for us, we just look at that opportunity in the draft to get a difference maker each year — your homegrown difference maker, which is hard to find.”Here are some other things to watch in the draft:THE PRIORITIESThe Eagles value depth on the offensive and defensive lines. They could take a left tackle to eventually replace Jason Peters, a run stuffer in the middle of the D-line or an edge rusher. Among the players who made pre-draft visits were: Boston College OL Chris Lindstrom, Oklahoma OL Cody Ford http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , Louisiana Tech DE Jaylon Ferguson, Clemson DTs Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence, and Notre Dame DT Jerry Tillery.RUNNING BACKAcquiring Howard won’t preclude the Eagles from drafting a running back. Several mock drafts have Alabama’s Josh Jacobs going at No. 25, but that would be a departure from an organizational philosophy. The team hasn’t selected a back in the first round since Buddy Ryan chose Keith Byars at No. 10 in 1986. LeSean McCoy was the last back the Eagles drafted in the second round. McCoy, chosen No. 53 overall in 2009, became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher before Chip Kelly traded him to Buffalo.ADDING VERSATILITYThe Eagles prefer players who can play several positions, especially in the secondary and on the offensive line. Avonte Maddox started nine games at cornerback and safety as a rookie last season. Isaac Seumalo, a third-round pick in 2016, played everywhere upfront before settling in at left guard.“We talk about position-less players Drew Lock Jersey ,” Roseman said. “That’s a huge value in a league where you are going to have injuries. Those are traits that add to the value of the player.”WHEELING AND DEALINGUnder Roseman, the Eagles have always been active during the draft. Besides three picks in the top-60, the team has two picks in the fourth round, one in the fifth and one in the sixth.“Try to accumulate a lot of good players,” Roseman said. “There are a lot of good players on both sides of the ball.”HOWIE’S HITSTrading up to No. 2 to take Carson Wentz in 2016 remains Roseman’s best move. Other first-round hits were RT Lane Johnson (No. 4, 2013) and DT Fletcher Cox (No. 12, 2012). TE Zach Ertz, a second-round pick in 2013, also was an excellent pick.

The NFL has named five sites as finalists to host the NFL draft in either 2019 or 2020.

Finalists to host either the 2019 or 2020 draft include Denver; Kansas City http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-cheap , Missouri; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; as well as a combined entry of Cleveland and Canton, Ohio. Canton is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Representatives for each site will offer presentations before the final selections are made in May at the NFL spring meetings in Atlanta.

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The draft historically had taken place in New York each year, but the league plans to move it around since it went to Chicago in 2015 and 2016 before moving to Philadelphia last year.

This year’s draft is taking place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.


Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday because of a strained right hip.

Torres was removed after striking out in his second at-bat in the fourth inning before the Yankees went on to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2.

Before the series finale against the National League East leaders Noah Fant Jersey , Yankees manager Aaron Boone was upbeat about the status of his prized rookie.

Torres did not start in Tuesday night’s win, but entered the game late as a defensive replacement.

”We’re hoping it’s a short stint. But we think we’ve got to deal with it this time because there is a small strain there,” Boone said outside the home clubhouse after the game.

”Hopefully it won’t be something that it’s too long. Probably take us up to the All-Star break.”

Boone said the club would assess the situation with a day off Thursday before heading to Toronto for the start of an 11-game, three-city road trip leading into the All-Star Game in Washington.

Torres is hitting .294 with 15 home runs and 42 RBIs in his first 63 major league games.

He had an MRI and was not available to talk to reporters after the game.

Neil Walker, who went over from third base to second at the start of the fifth inning, could get most of the work in Torres’ absence.

Another option could be Ronald Torreyes Dalton Risner Jersey , but he’s been on the temporary inactive list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for more than a week to deal with a personal issue. Brandon Drury, who started 114 games at second for Arizona last season, could also figure into the mix.

Boone wasn’t sure how the injury initially occurred, pointing out that Torres had made some ”good base running plays a couple of nights ago when he moved up on some wild pitches.”

The Yankees manager also added that if the injury had occurred late in the season, it would’ve been ”possible” for the phenom to be back on the field shortly.

But the team with the second-best record in baseball took the safe route.

”Anytime you’re talking about groin, hamstring Drew Lock Jersey , quads, once you have a strain in there, you push through it you can make it a worse strain,” Boone said.

”And now you’re talking weeks and months. Stuff like that. So I think the wise thing is to do this now. Gleyber wants to take a couple of days, work through it. But I think he also understands this is the best thing for him and for us.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets have claimed linebacker James Burgess off waivers from the Miami Dolphins.The team also announced Tuesday it placed running back Jalin Moore on the reserve/non-football injury list.Burgess has 55 career tackles Andy Isabella Jersey , four sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defensed in 17 games. The 25-year-old linebacker was signed by Miami and current Jets coach Adam Gase as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville in 2016. Burgess was among the Dolphins’ final cuts that summer, and later had stints with San Diego, Baltimore and Jacksonville before signing with Cleveland.He spent most of the past two seasons with Cleveland, where he was coached by current Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in 2017 and ’18. Burgess played in just three games last season before being placed on injured reserve and later released. He was signed again by Gase to Miami’s practice squad last December.Moore was recently signed as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State. He missed most of his senior season with an ankle injury, but finished his college career with 2 Jamel Dean Jersey ,439 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns.

A person familiar with the decision says the Miami Dolphins will hire former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as their offensive coordinator.

The person confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the Dolphins had not announced it. The person said current offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen will likely remain with the team in another role.

Coach Adam Gase will continue to call plays. He and Loggains were on the Bears’ staff together in 2015. Loggains was their offensive coordinator the past two years.

The Dolphins went 6-10 this season and finished 28th in scoring. The Bears finished 29th and went 5-11 Andy Isabella Jersey , and they fired coach John Fox on Monday.

Attorneys for Eric Reid dispute a joint statement by the NFL and NFL Players Association that says the Carolina Panthers safety was not singled out with excessive drug tests and they’re demanding the league and the players’ union “immediately issue a retraction,” according to a letter sent to all parties that was obtained by The Associated Press.The letter obtained Thursday says Reid was indeed tested at least seven times and requests the independent administrator provide all information used to produce the report.Reid said in December he had been tested seven times by the NFL. He claimed the league was targeting him because of the ongoing collusion case against the NFL in which he alleged team owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his decision to kneel alongside former 49ers teammate Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustice.The joint statement released Wednesday said an independent administrator found Reid received the “normal” number of drug tests this season. The statement said Brian Burns Jersey , “there is no evidence of targeting or any other impropriety with respect to his selection for testing.”Reid’s legal team says it rejects “the notion that this report was independent” and claims the report is filled with incorrect dates.Reid signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on Sept. 27 and took two drug tests that day.Reid claimed he was tested an additional six times over the next 11 weeks, which would be high above the league norm. Most players say they are subject to testing about two or three times per year over the course of a 17-week regular season.Reid continued to protest with the Panthers by kneeling during the national anthem this season.He was also fined four times by the NFL for illegal hits http://www.panthersfootballauthentic.com/greg-little-jersey-authentic , costing him more than $50,000. He appealed all of the hits and one of them was overturned.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — After a couple of scoring droughts this season Womens Sean Couturier Jersey , Tyler Seguin has hit his stride.Seguin scored twice and Ben Bishop made several key saves to lead the Dallas Stars to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.“I didn’t want to talk about it, pucks hitting crossbars and all that stuff,” said Seguin, who has 17 goals. “It’s part of the game and I knew things were going to start going in. I didn’t know when and I just wanted to keep shooting and right now they’re going in.”Seguin has six goals and seven points in his last four games. John Klingberg also scored for the Stars, who won despite generating only 17 shots on net.Bishop, a St. Louis native, stopped 26 shots against his former team and improved to 5-5-1 versus the Blues.David Perron scored for the Blues, who lost for the first time in eight games against the Stars at the Enterprise Center. St. Louis is 11-5-1 in its last 17 games against Dallas.The Blues had two power-play chances in the first period but were unable to convert on either one.“That kind of killed us http://www.officialflyersproshop.com/authentic-adidas-shayne-gostisbehere-jersey ,” defenseman Joel Edmundson said.The Stars capitalized on their second shot of the game when Seguin scored at 11:27 of the first period. An unguarded Seguin knocked in a loose rebound that eluded defenseman Carl Gunnarsson just outside the crease.Dallas added two goals in the second for a 3-0 lead.Dallas had a 5-on-3 opportunity for 1:35 early in the period and made the Blues pay. Klingberg drilled a slap shot from the slot at 1:43 to make it 2-0. The shot went between goalie Jake Allen’s pads for Klingberg’s first goal in 18 games since Oct. 23.It marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Stars scored a power-play goal.“Undisciplined start to the period,” Blues interim coach Craig Berube said. “I didn’t like that.”The crowd booed after Seguin scored his second of the night when he beat Allen badly at 6:12 for a 3-0 cushion. It marked the seventh goal Allen had allowed on the last 19 shots he faced.St. Louis took a timeout after the goal, and it worked. Perron scored on a backhand from the right faceoff circle past a screened Bishop at 6:25.Perron’s 15th of the season gave him a career-best eight-game point streak (four goals, seven assists).St. Louis had 12 shots on goal in the third period but couldn’t score.“I just thought in the third we didn’t push hard enough,” Perron said. “Doesn’t matter what happened. We’ve got to go and put everything out there.”Stars coach Jim Montgomery credited Bishop with keeping the Blues off the scoreboard in the final period.“Well, he got it for us, too, in the third period Travis Konecny Jersey ,” Montgomery said. “Our goaltenders have been superb and Bish is our No. 1 and he’s done a tremendous job for us all year long.”St. Louis has lost five of seven at home.“I go back to the last five games at home and I’ve thought we played well, but obviously this is a results business,” Berube said.NOTES: Blues forward Alexander Steen was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He played less than three minutes in the first period Monday at Philadelphia. … Blues C Tyler Bozak, who missed Monday’s game with the flu, was scratched. … Dallas forward Valeri Nichushkin played in his 200th NHL game. … The Stars’ first shot on goal came at 10:25 of the first period. … The Blues fell to 25-11-2 in their last 38 games on zero days’ rest.UP NEXTStars: Play at Philadelphia on Thursday.Blues: Host Montreal on Thursday. WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Winnipeg Jets are hoping to welcome back a pair of defensemen in time for Friday night’s tilt against the St. Louis Blues at Bell MTS Place.Dustin Byfuglien has missed three games after suffering a concussion following a hard hit against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jamie Oleksiak on Nov. 29, while Dmitry Kulikov has been out for a month since being hurt against the Colorado Avalanche.Nothing has been confirmed by the Jets coaching staff but the team sent call-up Nelson Nogier back to the Manitoba Moose Thursday morning, all but indicating that one or both of them will return to the line-up on Friday.Article continues below ...They both wore full-contact jerseys at practice on Thursday. Byfuglien’s long-time partner Adam Cracknell Jersey Womens , Ben Chiarot, was glad to see the 265-pounder back on the ice taking part in line rushes.“He’s a big part of our team, a big part of the locker room and one of the best players in the league,” he said in a post-practice scrum. “Any time you add him back, it’s a welcome sight.”Another pillar on the Jets blueline, Josh Morrissey, has also missed one game with a lower-body injury. Neither he, nor forward Andrew Copp or defenseman Joe Morrow practiced on Thursday.Nobody on the Jets is going to complain too loudly about getting hit by the injury bug as the team has lost among the fewest player-games in the entire league. Sami Niku Wayne Simmonds Jersey , Cam Schilling and Nogier have all filled in well for the most part, with just a few hiccups.Despite the sudden rash of injuries, the Jets are riding a four-game winning streak and sit in third place in the Central Division with 36 points.Friday’s game will be the first meeting between the two teams since sniper Patrik Laine lit up St. Louis for five goals in an 8-4 road victory on Nov. 24. The Blues come to town having lost four of their previous five games and sit second-last in the Western Conference with nine wins in 26 games and 22 points.The most recent defeat, a 3-2 shootout loss in Edmonton, came after the Blues took a 2-0 lead in the first period and gave up a last-minute goal to send it to the extra period.Interim coach Craig Berube, who took over behind the bench after Mike Yeo was fired last month, told The St. Louis Dispatch that his team is “fragile.”“Guys are trying to hang on to a lead instead of making it 3-0. That’s gotta be more of our mindset. We should’ve come out in the second period and pushed the pace right away on them,” he said.Including the Blues Womens Bryan Rust Jersey , every team on the Jets four-game homestand has undergone some kind of upheaval lately — Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday (fired their general manager Ron Hextall two weeks ago), Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday (fired coach Joel Quenneville on Nov. 6) and Edmonton Oilers (fired coach Todd McLellan on Nov. 20).

BOSTON (AP) — Boston’s defense provided all the offense the Bruins needed Anders Lee Jersey , and then some.Zdeno Chara scored twice, Jaroslav Halak stopped 26 shots and the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.“If I can contribute to the offense, it’s always nice, but I think that we are more proud of keeping our net clean from the pucks going in,” said Chara, who gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the second period and added an empty-netter with 23 seconds left.Fittingly, Halak got the only assist on Chara’s second goal as he capped off his second shutout as a Bruin and 44th of his career.“Every time you start a game or play a game, you’re hoping to get a win,” Halak said. “If you can get a shutout, that’s always more special.”Brian Elliott kept Philadelphia close with 22 saves, but the punchless Flyers couldn’t capitalize on the few chances they had to beat Halak. Philadelphia’s frustration boiled over in the third period, when the Flyers hurt their own chances to rally with six penalties.“We have to push it in the right direction a little bit harder. That takes mental toughness right now because obviously we’re going through a tough stretch here and this was a tough loss tonight Andrew Ladd Jersey ,” Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol said.Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 6-0-2 in their last eight against Philadelphia and 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings in Boston.Chara’s goal 13 minutes into the second period put Boston up 1-0, and DeBrusk scored a power-play goal on a tip-in with 2:32 left in the second.“Any time you can give yourself a cushion with the way Jiro has been playing, it’s always nice,” DeBrusk said. “We were just playing smart.”The Flyers have lost two straight — getting outscored by a 7-1 margin — and three of four.“We’ve got to find a way to score some goals,” Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier said. “We’re trying to put pucks in the net. We’re just not jumping on loose pucks and capitalizing on our chances.”The Bruins improved to 4-0 at home, where they last played Oct. 13 in an 8-2 rout of the Detroit Red Wings.Halak was in position the few times he was tested, stopping a one-timer by Claude Giroux from the right circle with about eight minutes left in the second period. The Bruins got it going the other way and took a 1-0 lead on Chara’s slap shot from the blue line through traffic. It was the 197th goal of Chara’s career and first since the second game of the season.Notes: Gritty, the Flyers’ new mascot, was officially welcomed to Philadelphia on Thursday in a resolution by the City Council for “honoring the spirit and passion that Gritty has brought to the City of Philadelphia and to the entire country, both on and off the ice.” … Flyers F Michael Raffl was out of the lineup with an unspecified lower-body injury. … Flyers LW Scott Laughton played in his 200th NHL game. … RW David Backes and D Charlie McAvoy were scratches for the Bruins. … D Jeremy Lauzon made his NHL debut after being called up earlier Thursday from Providence of the AHL.UP NEXTFlyers: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday.Bruins: Host Montreal on Saturday night. SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Zdeno Chara picked a great time to score a milestone goal.Chara scored his 200th NHL goal and added an assist to help the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Saturday night and clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs.Earlier in the day Anthony Beauvillier Jersey , the Bruins announced the 42-year-old Chara signed a one-year, $2 million contract extension.The goal was his first since Feb. 18th at San Jose.“Anytime you reach a milestone it’s special,” Chara said. “I’m not one of those guys that’s going to score another 100. It’s a pretty decent number for a guy who wasn’t supposed to play the game. It’s a big win for us to clinch the playoffs.”Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand also had a goal and an assist, and Steve Kampfer, Karson Kuhlman and Noel Acciari had the other goals for Boston. Danton Heinen had two assists and Jaroslav Halak stopped 31 shots and also had an assist as the Bruins won their fourth straight.Chara is in his 13th season with Boston and 21st in the NHL. He is the second-oldest active NHL player, behind Pittsburgh’s Matt Cullen.“I don’t care how long you played. It feels good to score a goal,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We’re all happy for Z.”Vincent Trocheck, Mike Hoffman and Jayce Hawryluk scored for the Panthers, and Sam Montembeault finished with 32 saves.The Bruins took control with five goals in the second period.With Boston leading 2-1, Chara’s shot from the high slot beat Montembeault at 5:05. Kuhlman made it 4-1 as he grabbed the puck at the red line, skated in Authentic Brock Nelson Jersey , and fired a shot in at 6:38 for his second career goal.Hoffman grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in and fired the puck past Halak at 10:04 to pull Florida to 4-2.Kampfer and Pastrnak scored 48 seconds apart to stretch the Bruins’ lead to 6-2 with 3:24 to go in the middle period.“We beat ourselves, 24 turnovers, and their first four goals came off our sticks on turnovers,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. “It was stupidity and bad turnovers that ended up in the back of our net.”Trocheck scored a power-play goal at 3:57 of the third to get the Panthers within three.Bergeron’s empty-netter with 26.8 left capped the scoring.“It’s one of those things where we know we have to be better and we know that’s not good enough especially against good teams,” Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle said.Florida’s Aleksander Barkov landed face down on the ice after a collision with Chara with 3:04 left in the game but left under his own power.Acciari gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 2:23 in. David Backes passed from behind the net to Acciari, who was alone in front and his shot got past Montembeault.Marchand doubled the lead when he took a feed from Bergeron from behind the net and shot the puck in from the low slot at 28 seconds of the second period.The Panthers answered 24 seconds later as Hawryluk one-timed the puck in from in front.NOTES: Chara is the 22nd defenseman in NHL history to score 200 goals. … Bruins D Connor Clifton recorded his first NHL point on Acciari’s goal. … Marchand has 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in his past 13 games. … The Bruins reached 100 points for the second straight season. … Yandle played his 900th NHL game.UP NEXTBruins: At Tampa Bay on Monday night.Panthers: At Toronto on Monday night.

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