laiyongcai92's blog

Sunday’s awkward and standoffish press conference from Eagles coach Doug Pederson became Authentic Jordan Whitehead Jersey , on Monday, a much more emotionally intelligent disclosure by Pederson to reporters that Nick Foles will start at quarterback on Thursday. In making the announcement, Pederson said he’ll answer questions about the decision on Tuesday.

On Monday, offensive coordinator Mike Groh faced the media for a Q&A session, on the heels of the announcement that Foles will play. Among other things, Groh was asked to share the advice he gave to Foles.

“Just be Nick,” Groh said. “He did a great job of distributing the football throughout the course of the playoffs and getting rid of the football and not holding the ball and putting the ball in our playmakers’ hands and letting those guys do what they do best. He doesn’t have to do anything extraordinary. He just has to continue to play like he did before and be the same guy.”

That may be easier said than done. Especially since Foles has been splitting first-team reps with Wentz.

“We feel comfortable with the reps he’s gotten and his preparation this week,” Groh nevertheless said. “He’ll be ready to go.”

Groh also said that the challenge of creating a game plan and calling plays doesn’t change much if at all between Wentz and Foles.

“This is the Eagles system, and I think that both guys have very similar skill sets,” Groh said. “They both can perform the plays that we want to get called. We got to get guys in the right spots to do what they do best, but I don’t think it impacts it much at all.”

If that were the case, Pederson wouldn’t have been so prickly about naming a starter. Most realize that, indeed, the offenses are very different under Wentz and Foles.

Last year, the Eagles used the playoff bye to carefully concoct a game plan that got the most out of Foles’ skills and that stayed away from his flaws. And it all fell together perfectly, from a close win over the Falcons to a handful of key plays that became a blowout over the Vikings to a harebrained decision to bench Malcolm Butler that became just enough points to win a championship against the Patriots.

So the question becomes whether the wins were a product of Nick being Nick Womens Andrew Cogliano Jersey , or whether it was more like a Slumdog Millionaire-style confluence of circumstances that could never be replicated again. Whether it can be replicated will be determined on Thursday night.

Another slider found too much of the plate and the reigning NL player of the month sent it over the wall in right.

Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer, Zack Greinke pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

”Paul’s gifted,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. ”You can’t make mistakes like that. He’s going to make you pay.”

Greinke (9-5) gave up two runs in the second inning to end his 13-inning scoreless streak but was otherwise sharp in winning his fourth straight game. Yoshihisa Hirano needed one pitch to get a groundout with the bases loaded in the seventh and extend his team record with a 26th straight scoreless appearance.

Brad Boxberger worked around a walk in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.

Goldschmidt had the big blow, following a four-hit night Monday with a three-run homer off Flaherty (3-4) in the fifth inning. The NL player of the month for June, Goldschmidt is hitting .413 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs his past 26 games.

”It wasn’t the best slider I had thrown all night and you get a guy like that, who is red hot like that, he put a good swing on it,” Flaherty said.

Greinke entered Tuesday’s game with the 13-inning scoreless streak after tossing seven scoreless innings against Miami his last start. His streak lasted one more inning; the Cardinals scored two runs in the second inning on Yairo Munoz’s single and Kolten Wong’s sacrifice fly.

Greinke shook off the shaky second by mixing his pitches well, keeping the Cardinals off-balance with low-90s fastballs and looping curves that dipped to 63 mph. He was lifted with two outs in the seventh inning after giving up consecutive hits, allowing two runs on seven hits and four strikeouts.

”I felt good, there was good defense behind me and we scored some runs,” Greinke said.

Flaherty allowed four runs on six hits in six innings in a loss to Cleveland his last start. He was sharp after giving up David Peralta’s run-scoring single in the first inning, retiring 10 straight batters.

Flaherty ran into trouble in the fifth inning, giving up a double and hitting a batter before Goldschmidt lifted a three-run homer just over the wall in right to put Arizona up 4-2.

Flaherty allowed four runs on four hits and struck out seven in six innings.

”He threw the ball well Sylvester Williams Jersey ,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. ”(He) got into a tough situation with a good hitter, got to two strikes, the guy got the best of that matchup, but overall his stuff was very good today.”

TRANLATOR BOOTED

Lovullo brought Hirano’s translator, Kelvin Kondo, with him to the mound after making a pitching change in the seventh inning, just to make sure the Japanese right-hander was clear on what he wanted. The mound meeting turned a bit chaotic when Lovullo left the mound and Kondo was still talking to Hirano.

Under big-league rules, a translator has to stay next to the manager while on the mound, so when Lovullo started to walk away, plate umpire Bill Welke started shouting and told Kondo to leave the field.

”I didn’t even know what was going on up there. It was crazy, chaotic,” Lovullo said. ”There’s a clear rule and it’s so new to us having the interpreter and exchanging information. I just left the mound too soon, the dirt area too soon and that was my responsibility to stay there until all the instructions were made.”

TRAINER’S TABLE

Cardinals: SS Paul DeJong (broken left hand) went 0 for 4 for Triple-A Memphis on Monday night, his third rehab game with the Redbirds.

Diamondbacks: RHP Randall Delgado (strained left oblique) allowed a run on three hits in an inning for Triple-A Reno Monday night in a rehab appearance. … OF Steven Souza Jr. went 1 for 4 with a solo homer for the Aces as he works back from a strained right pectoral.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin has allowed a run in 13 innings his past two starts heading into Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals. St. Louis sends out RHP Miles Mikolas, who lost his last start despite allowing a run in 6 2/3 innings against Atlanta.

—

A person familiar with the move said Melvin got a one-year, $6.5 million contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced. ESPN first reported the signing.

Wright announced his plans to join the Raiders on his Instagram account .

The Raiders also added some depth to the defensive line with former San Francisco 49er Tank Carradine saying he will stay in the Bay Area and join Oakland.

Oakland has lost the three cornerbacks who played the most last season, releasing Sean Smith and David Amerson, and losing TJ Carrie to Cleveland in free agency. The Raiders were looking for proven players to team with last year’s first-round pick Gareon Conley, and they hope Melvin and Wright can fill that role.

”I felt like it was a place I could call home,” Melvin said. ”I can relate to these guys. They have big plans for me, big plans for the organization. I was born to be a part of something special. That’s happening in Oakland.”

The 28-year-old Melvin had three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 10 games last year for Indianapolis. He limited opposing passers to a 67.2 passer rating when getting targeted last season, according to SportRadar, and should immediately step into a starting role for the Raiders.

After spending time with Tampa Bay, Miami, Baltimore and New England, Melvin has thrived the past two seasons with the Colts.

”I’ve been cut four times. I’ve been in four different locker rooms, and I was able to gain my teammates’ trust Adidas Aleksander Barkov Jersey , my coaches’ trust and the organization’s trust as well,” he said. ”My confidence just grows over time. There’s not a lot of players that can say they’ve been cut four times and end up in a situation where I’m at today. Like I said, it’s perfect timing. My work ethic, my style of play and the way I approach the game and the way I approach my job, my business, it speaks for itself.”

Wright, who turns 31 next month, has played seven seasons with the Chargers, Ravens and Bills. He spent last season in Buffalo where he had one interception and five passes defensed in 12 games. Wright has experience playing both outside and in the slot.

Carradine played 44 games over four seasons with the 49ers, recording 5 sacks.

These additions are the latest move to overhaul a defense that struggled mightily during a six-win season in 2017 that led to the midseason firing of coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and cost head coach Jack Del Rio his job after the season.

New coach Jon Gruden and coordinator Paul Guenther are looking to make major improvements on a unit that had holes at all three levels and struggled both against the pass and run despite the presence of star defensive end Khalil Mack.

A year after signing no prominent defensive free agents, the Raiders have already added several new potential starters in free agency, with linebacker Tahir Whitehead and safety Marcus Gilchrist having already signed deals this week.

”You could just feel the energy in the building in what everyone feels like is ahead,” Gilchrist said. ”Obviously Yannick Ngakoue Jersey , you know the offensive weapons that are here. You always start with the quarterback and there’s a great quarterback here. With that in mind. You have the pass rush here and a bunch of young players that have a bunch of upside. It’s exciting to be around and see and be here firsthand.”

The Raiders also signed free-agent long snapper Andrew DePaola – who got a four-year, $4.27 million contract with $875,000 guaranteed – and punter Colby Wadman.

DePaola replaces longtime long snapper Jon Condo, whom the Raiders decided not to bring back for a 12th season.

DePaola spent last season with Chicago after playing his first three years with Tampa Bay. He has played all 64 games the past four years.

Wadman played college ball at UC Davis and had tryouts last season with Oakland and Indianapolis.

—

Count out Devante Smith-Pelly if the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup and are invited to the White House to celebrate with President Donald Trump.

”The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist,” Canada’s Postmedia quoted Smith-Pelly as saying Wednesday as the Capitals prepared for Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. ”Some of the things he’s said are pretty gross. I’m not too into politics, so I don’t know all his other views, but his rhetoric I definitely don’t agree with. It hasn’t come up here, but I think I already have my mind made up.”

Smith-Pelly, one of two black Capitals players, is from the Toronto area. He spoke two days after Trump canceled the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ visit to the White House, and a day after NBA stars LeBron James and Curry both said they wouldn’t visit.

The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, and can hoist the Cup on Thursday night.

The 25-year-old Smith-Pelly has scored in the last two games of the finals and had six goals – two of them winners – and an assist in the playoffs. He had seven goals in 75 games in the regular season.

—

More Stanley Cup coverage:

The Seahawks have now signed six of their nine draft picks. Offensive tackle Jamarco Jones (fifth round) and quarterback Alex McGough (seventh round) signed earlier this week.

Penny was taken with the 27th overall selection. His contract is for four years with a team option for a fifth.

Penny was one of the elite running backs in college football last season as he became a full-time starter for the first time. He led the nation with 2 Jake Muzzin Jersey ,248 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns for San Diego State. Penny rushed for at least 200 yards in each of the final five games to close out the 2017 season and had 13 rushing TDs during the stretch.

CINCINNATI (2-0) at CAROLINA (1-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m., ET, CBS

OPENING LINE — Panthers by 3

RECORD VS SPREAD — Cincinnati 2-0, Carolina 1-1

SERIES RECORD — Tied 2-2-1

LAST MEETING — Bengals and Panthers tied 37-37, Oct. 12, 2014

LAST WEEK — Bengals beat Ravens 34-23; Panthers lost to Falcons 31-24

AP PRO32 RANKING — Bengals No. 10, Panthers No. 12

BENGALS OFFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (17), PASS (17)

BENGALS DEFENSE — OVERALL (27) Eric Staal Jersey , RUSH (3), PASS (30)

PANTHERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (16), RUSH (5), PASS (20)

PANTHERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (25), PASS (7)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES: Bengals trying to start 3-0 for only fifth time in coach Marvin Lewis’ 16 seasons. Last time was 2015, when they won AFC North title. Bengals opened 0-3 last year. … Cincinnati, coming off Thursday night game, won each of first two games (over Colts and Ravens) by scores of 34-23. They’re first Bengals team to score at least 34 in each of first two games and first in NFL since 2013 Broncos Authentic Alexander Radulov Jersey , who reached Super Bowl. … WR A.J. Green has 31 career games with 100 yards receiving, tied with Chad Johnson for franchise record. … Andy Dalton has completed 64 percent of passes for 508 yards, six TDs, one INT and passer rating of 108.5. He topped AFC with 106.3 passer rating in 2015. Dalton has 22 career games with 300 yards passing, one shy of Boomer Esiason’s club record. … Dalton and Green have 21 pass connections of at least 50 yards, most by a QB-WR duo since they entered league in 2011. They have yet to team up for 50-yarder this season. … With RB Joe Mixon sidelined following knee surgery, Giovani Bernard moves into starring role. Bernard has three 100-yard rushing games in six-year career. He has 23 games with at least five catches. … K Randy Bullock got two-year extension through 2020 season this week. He has made all four of his FG attempts and all eight PATs. … Panthers have won six straight at home. … QB Cam Newton completing career-best 69 percent of passes. … Panthers receivers had five drops vs. Falcons. .. RB Christian McCaffrey tied WR Steve Smith’s franchise record with 14 receptions vs. Falcons. … Panthers rookie WR D.J. Moore expected to play more after catching 51-yard TD pass last week. .. Panthers again expected to be without three starting offensive linemen. … Panthers had no sacks against Falcons after getting six against Dallas. … Rookie Rashaan Gaulden expected to make first start with Da’Norris Searcy (concussion) out. … Fantasy tip: A.J. Green had career-high three TD catches vs Ravens. Green has 11 catches for 161 yards and four TDs in first two games

The world of pro sports loves to glamorize the WAGS of star players. The NFL and NBA receive a ton of notoriety and media coverage Youth Sebastian Janikowski Jersey , however, those North of the boarder are well aware that hockey players do it just as well as the other sports and hell, even the ugly players get the smoking chicks. What can we say, hockey dudes are humble guys and chicks like that. As you鈥檒l see in this article, some of the worst looking dudes must have a way with their words, or their contract might be enough to entice their beauties Youth Colin Miller Jersey , either/or (we joke...).

In this article, we鈥檒l examine some of the steamiest WAGS in the entire NHL, however, there鈥檚 a unique twist as the men in their lives aren鈥檛 the best looking. From a frail and bearded Ryan Miller to a gray haired Alex Ovechkin, we鈥檒l highlight the ugliest players that scored the hottest WAGS in the entire league. The battle for number one spot was fierce and that鈥檚 not the due to the ugliness of the players but more so because of the beauty of these WAGS featured on the list.

Enjoy the article folks and like always, be sure to share it with a friend. Without further ado Youth Matt Irwin Jersey , here are 15 ugly hockey stars with beautiful WAGS. We begin with a backup goalie in the twilight of his career.

The one-year offer on the opening day of free agency Wednesday means the Cowboys will get a second-round pick if another team signs Irving. Dallas can also match any offer.

Irving was suspended the first four games last season for violating the NFL's ban on performance enhancers and missed the last four with a concussion. In between, he had seven sacks in eight games, second on the team behind Pro Bowl selection DeMarcus Lawrence.

The Cowboys signed Irving off Kansas City's practice squad in 2015. The 24-year-old has 11 sacks over three seasons in Dallas.

The National Hockey season is coming very quickly John Hayden Jersey , and every team is trying to accomplish a certain goal that they set for themselves going into the season. One player is labeled the captain of the team, and wears the "C" on their jersey. The captain does their best to try and lead a group of guys to accomplish those said goals. Every team has a different motive for their captain to try to accomplish. A big part of being a captain is to make sure that you can get everyone in the locker room all on the same page at all times during the season. Entering this season, 25 of 31聽NHL teams have a captain, and some of them are the right choices, and some of them are not the right choices. (Arizona, Buffalo, Carolina, Nashville http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-leonard-fournette-jersey , Toronto and Vegas have yet to name one).

There is a great history of some of the best players to play the game were captains of a team during their great careers. Some of the players that will be mentioned are very good choices of captains. Each team has a specific reason behind naming the captain of their team. They want to take their team in a certain direction, and some players can do that while others can't.

Some players today are born leaders, while other players like to follow the direction of their captain. Being a captain is not for everybody, that is why there is only 31 specific players that have the opportunity to wear the "C" on their jersey.聽With that being said here are the eight best captains in the NHL today, and the 7 worst captains in the NHL today.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Jerick McKinnon had a steep learning curve when he arrived in San Francisco as the highly paid featured back for the 49ers.

After four seasons as mostly a backup in Minnesota, McKinnon was one of San Francisco’s big-ticket additions in free agency this offseason and took some time to learn coach Kyle Shanahan’s complex new offense.

”When I first got here, I was lost. I was really lost Wayne Gretzky Jersey ,” McKinnon said. ”My head was spinning. It’s different protections I have to learn, different concepts I have to learn and basically I have to take my whole way of thinking for four years and switch it up to a new one. I guess it’s complex when you’re new to it, but once you start studying it, you get it. I’m starting to get it.”

McKinnon has shown just that early in training camp. He broke a long run around the left side on the team’s first 11-on-11 drill of the summer and also has made several catches out of the backfield.

Those skills are why the 49ers gave the career backup a $30 million, four-year contract this offseason. McKinnon will get paid $12 million in 2018. Only Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley have signed contracts that will pay them more this season, according to spotrac.com.

But McKinnon feels no added pressure because of the high price tag.

”I’ve had the same mindset I’ve had since my rookie year, which is coming in and working,” he said. ”A lot of guys get contracts and some of them get content. For me http://www.officialsabres.com/authentic-adidas-jack-eichel-jersey , it’s about staying the same and continuing to work and showing my teammates how I work and what I bring to the table and pushing everybody around me.”

McKinnon spent four years in Minnesota after being drafted in the third round in 2014 out of Georgia Southern. He has rushed for 1,918 yards with an average of 4.0 yards per carry, has 142 catches for 984 yards, and has scored 12 touchdowns.

McKinnon had his most productive season last year, when he ran for a career-high 570 yards while setting personal bests with 51 catches for 421 yards.

McKinnon replaces Carlos Hyde, who left as a free agent for Cleveland.

McKinnon has more speed and is a better receiving threat than Hyde and should fit well into Shanahan’s offense. But Shanahan said McKinnon’s strengths start as a runner.

”You have to be a good running back to truly get the effects of being good in the pass game because if you’re only good in the pass game, then they can just treat you as a receiver and it’s different,” he said. ”So Ryan Johansen Jersey , it starts with being a running back and we really like him as a running back. We studied every run he had in Minnesota. I think he fits in the type of runs we do very well. He’s got the speed. He’s got the cutting ability and he’s got the toughness to run through arm tackles. Then the pass game is the huge bonus. He is a matchup issue. He’s very good in his routes. … Just versatility-wise, he’s going to help us a lot.”

Having a running back who is a threat in the passing game is a crucial part of Shanahan’s offense. The Niners ranked third in the NFL last year with 113 receptions out of the backfield, up from just 67 the previous year under Chip Kelly.

While Hyde had a team-high 59 catches last season, he wasn’t particularly productive. He averaged just 5.9 yards on those catches and turned only 28.8 percent of them into first downs.

Those numbers are significantly below McKinnon’s 8.3 yards per catch and 39.2 percent first downs as his skills make him a better option in the passing game.

”Jerick is a unique talent,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. ”He can do things out of the backfield. You can line him up in the slot. … He can do so many different things that it’s hard for a defense. What do you put on him? A linebacker, a safety, a corner? It’s a pick your poison type of thing so it makes my job a whole lot easier.”

—

 Youth San Francisco 49ers Jerseys

BEREA Gordie Howe Jersey , Ohio (AP) The retirement of Joe Thomas left a gaping hole at left tackle for the Cleveland Browns.

Left guard Joel Bitonio is willing, but not necessarily eager to succeed his close friend at the position.

”If they want me to do that, like, cool, whatever makes the Browns better,” Bitonio said. ”But I think left tackle is the toughest spot on the line, and after playing left guard for four years, going on five now, it would definitely be different.

”I don’t think it’s a thing where I have to volunteer for the spot, but if we get down the line and something needs to happen, we’ll see what happens there.”

Though Bitonio isn’t a household name outside of Cleveland, he is one of a handful of known quantities on a team that went winless in 2017 and is 1-31 in two seasons under coach Hue Jackson.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder was a second alternate for the Pro Bowl and did not miss a play last year, helping the Browns average 4.46 yards per rush to rank sixth in the NFL.

Offensive line coach Bob Wylie acknowledged that bumping Bitonio Jake Ryan Jersey , an All-Mountain West left tackle at Nevada, to the outside is tempting, but not palatable because it would simultaneously create a weakness at guard.

”The state of the left tackle is our state of the union,” Wylie said. ”But (moving Bitonio) is the last option. If you were going to go from A down, that would be Z. That would be Z.”

Thomas was the face of the franchise for 11 seasons, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and playing 10,363 consecutive snaps before suffering a career-ending torn left triceps last Oct. 22 against Tennessee.

Third-year pro Shon Coleman has the first shot to fill his shoes, while second-rounder Austin Corbett and former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson are in the mix. Coleman was pulled off the field Sunday during practice and received an audible scolding by Jackson.

Center JC Tretter, right guard Kevin Zeitler and Bitonio each expressed hope that one of the top three candidates can win the job and keep their three-man interior unit intact.

”I’m excited to work with them again and, hopefully, be a dominant inside group,” said Bitonio, a second-round selection by Cleveland in 2014. ”I’ve become really good friends with JC and Kevin, so we’re kind of bonding and I think the sky is the limit. We’re continuing to grow together.”

Tretter said the uncertainty at left tackle hasn’t affected Bitonio during training camp Matthias Farley Jersey , nor does he expect it to, because he is a ”real pro.”

Jackson wants to make a decision before the Browns’ third preseason game on Aug. 23 against the Eagles, putting Coleman on the hot seat to produce or force the staff to contemplate option Z.

”I know that Joel will do anything for the football team, but hopefully we do not have to go to that,” Jackson said. ”But if we do, we do. Once we get a feel for what we have there, then as a group we’ve got to make a decision on how to continue to move forward.”

Bitonio is hoping for the best, and hoping to stay where he feels most comfortable. All 47 of his NFL games have been played as a starting left guard.

”Right now, I’m really focused on playing left guard and trying to get whoever is playing next to me ready to play left tackle,” he said. ”I think anything else is something that’s pretty far down the line.”

NOTES

Rookie QB Baker Mayfield impressed Jackson with several sharp passes. ”Baker is deadly accurate with the ball,” the coach said. ”He’s an outstanding listener who has been everything a quarterback can be for an organization so far.” . DE Myles Garrett, the top overall pick in 2017, and RB Duke Johnson were given the day off, along with LB Jamie Collins. WR Corey Coleman also was scheduled to rest Gustav Forsling Jersey , but declined the offer. . Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel attended the late afternoon practice.

—

The Browns remain interested in former Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant while managing without Josh Gordon.

Bryant emerged as a possible backup plan for Cleveland after Gordon stepped away from the team to receive treatment to address his health associated with a recovery from drug addiction. The Browns don't know when Gordon will be back, and in the interim they have discussed signing the temperamental Bryant, who spent eight sometimes combustible seasons with the Cowboys.

Following Friday's practice, Browns coach Hue Jackson would not comment on whether Cleveland's interest in Bryant has progressed to contract talks. On Wednesday, general manager John Dorsey said Bryant was under consideration.

"We are always looking for good players," Jackson said. "We can't get enough of those kind of guys, guys that can make plays with the ball. John is going to keep churning this thing as much as he can, keep finding talent and then see if it fits for us."

The 29-year-old Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler, could help the Browns offset a prolonged loss of Gordon. But until they know more about Gordon's situation, the team may not want to make any substantial commitment to Bryant.

And while the Browns discuss adding him, Bryant gave Cleveland and any other suitors more to think about with a Twitter rant aimed at the Cowboys on Friday. The team declined a $5.5 million option on Bryant in April, dropping him for salary-cap considerations.

Earlier this week, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said in a radio interview that quarterback Dak Prescott had it tough last year "with @DezBryant in his ear."

Bryant fired back with several profane tweets.

Bryant's history of being difficult with coaches and teammates could be enough to drive the Browns away. However Youth Fabian Moreau Jersey , the team may be willing to take a chance without knowing Gordon's status and after wide receiver Ricardo Louis was ruled out for the season following neck surgery.

In their search to upgrade their roster further, the Browns hosted former Washington cornerback Bashaud Breeland and former Cincinnati cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones on Friday. Neither player signed, but they are both under consideration.

Jackson has a strong relationship with Jones as the pair worked together with the Bengals.

Jones does have a long list of off-the-field transgressions, but Jackson said he would not have any problem with the team signing him.

"I do know Adam," he said. "I know what kind of player he is and what kind of person he is. If that happens, if he is on our team, I would love to have him on our team, but he is not right now so we will keep off of that."

Browns running back Duke Johnson believes Jones could bring the team a needed toughness.

"The thing I think I like most about Pacman is the chip he plays with," Johnson said. "We need more guys on this football team that plays with a chip and goes out there and fights tooth and nail for the team."

NASHVILLE Womens Melvin Gordon Jersey , Tenn. (AP) — Marcus Mariota has shown flashes of brilliance during his brief NFL career.

He had a perfect passer rating in his NFL debut and led a 19-point comeback for his first playoff victory.

Now Mariota heads into his fourth season with only his fifth-year option on his contract guaranteed.

It’s time for Mariota to consistently show what he can do, especially after the Titans hired a new coach in January to put the quarterback into an offense that better fits both his arm and legs.

“I don’t focus on trying to prove anything,” Mariota said Wednesday. “I’ve just got to go out there and do my job.”

Before the Titans make a long-term commitment with a much larger contract, Mariota starts a window Sunday in the season opener in Miami to show if he really is their franchise quarterback. Even though he has had to learn his third offense in four years, that hurdle may not help get him beyond the $20.9 million he is due in 2019.

Mariota already has won 20 games, most by any quarterback in his first three years with the franchise since George Blanda won 28 in this team’s first three seasons. He also has a chance to become the franchise’s first quarterback to lead the team to the playoffs in back-to-back years since Steve McNair in 2002 and 2003.

But Mariota is coming off a season where he had more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (13) for the first time in his career. He also has yet to play in all 16 games in a regular season.

The Titans hired Mike Vrabel to replace Mike Mularkey in January , and Vrabel hired Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator and Pat O’Hara as quarterbacks coach. They worked with Mariota on widening his stance and tweaking his passing mechanics during the offseason to give him more balance when throwing, hoping that leads to improved accuracy.

“He’s done a good job Ryan Kelly Jersey ,” O’Hara said. “He’s picked up a lot of good traits, and he feels good about it and he believes in it. We’re ready to go.”

Mariota is ready to go. He missed last year’s trip to Miami, a 16-10 loss, with an injury.

“This is what you work hard for,” Mariota said. “Everything that you’ve done this offseason, you have an opportunity to go out there and kind of show what you’ve done. I’m excited. I’m excited for this team and I look forward to the challenge.”

Dolphins coach Adam Gase has the challenge of preparing for Mariota in a new offense with the Titans tipping nothing in the preseason.

“It is difficult because there are a lot of options that can take place to where it could be just normal drop-back pass., it could be zone read, it could be play-action where if we’re not really doing a good job with our rush lanes and something opens up DeShone Kizer Jersey , he takes off,” Mariota said.

Teammates insist Mariota has nothing to prove to them. This is the quarterback who threw a block for Derrick Henry in their comeback victory in Kansas City, a game where he also scored after catching his own pass.

“I think Marcus is always cool and collected,” three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker said. “He’s going to go out there and play his game. Again, we’re paid to make our quarterback look good. He’s going to need our help for that. We just need everybody to make plays, and Marcus will be all right.”

Two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan said Mariota already has shown plenty.

“I think the confidence as never swayed anywhere other than we have full confidence in Marcus,” Lewan said. “He’s our quarterback. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Vrabel takes a slightly different approach. The coach said every player and coach should be trying to prove his value every day.

“That’s just the approach we have to take,” Vrabel said. “Every day we’re trying to prove our value to the team. If Marcus didn’t come to work tomorrow Harrison Smith Jersey Big , everybody would notice. You never want to be a guy that when you didn’t show up for work or you were late, nobody really noticed.”

NOTES: S Kendrick Lewis (foot) was the only player not to practice Wednesday. Even RT Jack Conklin (left knee) was among four Titans limited at practice, including LB Derrick Morgan (knee), LB Rashaan Evans (hamstring) and LB Harold Landry (ankle).

The NFL’s international efforts have been focused on London and Mexico City, but could the league also bring American football to Australia?

It could according to Nine News Queensland, which reports that officials from the Australian state of Queensland have talked to NFL officials about bringing a game to town.

Queensland’s tourism minister, Kate Jones, said that she met with NFL executives and said Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey , “What better way to get Americans here than an NFL game?”

Realistically, however, there’s almost no chance of it happening. Last year the league said the travel distance and time zones would make it incredibly challenging to put a game in Australia, and even a preseason game would be unlikely.

Australian fans have shown interest in American football, and college football games have been played in Australia the last two years. But an NFL game in Australia is a long, long way away.

Ray returned from the disabled list and pitched six scoreless innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Wednesday night.

”That was about as good as it could have been Youth Sebastian Aho Jersey ,” Ray said.

Ray (3-0) allowed two hits and issued two walks.

”I know there was one inning where his pitch count climbed, but aside from that I know it was vintage Robbie Ray,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Ray struck out six while throwing 56 of his 83 pitches for strikes in his first game since April 29. Ray had been on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.

”He turns into a different animal the day that he is starting and I saw it throughout his entire outing so it’s good to have him back,” Lovullo said.

Ray has won a career-long nine consecutive decisions over his last 15 starts since Aug. 24, 2017.

Daniel Descalso homered and Deven Marrero knocked in a run for the Diamondbacks, who have won six of seven.

Brad Boxberger allowed Starlin Castro’s leadoff homer in the ninth and walked the ensuing batter before retiring the next three for his 19th save in 23 chances.

Wei-Yin Chen (2-5) allowed one run and five hits in six innings for the Marlins.

”I pitched well, but the pitcher on the other side pitched better than me,” Chen said through a translator. ”He was successful in putting down our offense.”

Miami was held to just three hits.

The Marlins threatened in the fourth when Ray issued walks to the first two batters, but he calmly retired the next three, including the final two on strikeouts.

”I’m pretty tough on myself so I just took a step off the mound and told myself that, `You’re better than this, you shouldn’t be walking these guys, make them put it in play like you have been Cory Schneider Jersey , get back in the zone, and get your outs,”’ Ray said. ”And I was able to get my focus back and get out of it.”

Ketel Marte doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on Marrero’s base hit.

Descalso hit a pinch-hit home run to lead off the eighth off Adam Conley in a battle of lefties. It was his sixth career pinch-hit homer and his ninth home run of the season.

”I don’t care if it’s righty, lefty, my job is to go up there and get a hit,” Descalso said. ”I feel like I’ve always had a pretty good approach against lefties. Conley is a tough lefty, his numbers are really good, but he fell behind there 2-0 and I was looking for something over the middle and he left a fastball that I could handle pretty easily.”

Castro’s homer was his fifth of the season and second in as many days.

”He always gets his hits,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ”We saw a little bit of power the last two nights. Hopefully, he can keep riding that.”

HIRANO TIES CLUB RECORD

Arizona’s Yoshihisa Hirano pitched one inning of relief and extended his scoreless game streak to 24, tying a club record set by J.J. Putz in 2012 and Brandon Lyon in 2008.

ANDERSON EXTENDS STREAK

Marlins rookie Brian Anderson walked in the fourth to extend his career-best, on-base streak to 24 games. That’s the longest active streak in the National League.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: C Alex Avila (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 24. ”He’s felt it for a while, but it was the game in Pittsburgh where it really jumped up on him and it became uncomfortable Authentic Kirk Cousins Jersey ,” Lovullo said. … OF Steven Souza (pectoral) is 3 for 9 with a double and an RBI in two rehab assignment games with Single-A Visalia.

Marlins: C J.T. Realmuto (wrist) missed his third consecutive game. ”He took some swings, still a little sore,” Mattingly said. ”I talked to him before that if he’s feeling anything in there at all, I don’t want him swinging. That’s the one thing with hands and hitters, you start changing things and the next thing you know we’re going to be in an 0-for-20 (slump) or something, so we need to make sure he’s feeling like he can be himself. He was feeling it still at the finish of his swing. Better today than yesterday, but still not where we’re willing to take a chance.”

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (7-5, 3.66 ERA) will start the fourth and final game of the series on Thursday. Greinke is 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA in five starts at Marlins Park.

Marlins: RHP Trevor Richards (2-4, 4.91) is coming off a win at Colorado in which he tossed six innings and allowed one run with eight strikeouts.

The Knicks lacked talent, and needed a player with the flexibility to play in multiple spots.

Kevin Knox checked off those boxes. And so the decision-makers were comfortable using the ninth pick Thursday night on the 18-year-old forward.

”We were set,” Mills said at the team’s training facility. He called Knox a ”perfect fit for how we want to play.”

Knox played one season at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats in scoring at 15.8 points per game and 3-pointers with 57. Mills said the Knicks held ”two or three different conversations” with John Calipari Phil Kessel Jersey , Knox’s coach at Kentucky.

The Knicks ”did our research,” Mills said. ”(We) did our due diligence.”

Knox shared the SEC’s Freshman of the Year award with Alabama guard Collin Sexton, who was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and was also an AP Honorable Mention on the All-America team.

At 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, Knox shot .445 from the field, and .341 from 3-point range.

”He fits what we’re going to be about,” Knicks GM Scott Perry said. ”He’s long, he’s athletic, he can play multiple positions, we think he has tremendous upside. He’s coming from a program in Kentucky that’s produced a lot of great pros.

”We thought Kevin was an excellent fit for what we’re trying to get done here.”

New York is coming off a 29-53 season as it tries to rebuild. The franchise’s cornerstone piece, Kristaps Porzingis, the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft, suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in February and it isn’t known if he will play this season.

New York has only nine players under contract Youth Alejandro Villanueva Jersey , after reserve center Kyle O’Quinn opted out of the last year of his $4.3 million contract Wednesday, although starting center Enes Kanter could opt out of his $18.6 million contract on June 29. Joakim Noah, who was banished from the team following an incident with then-coach Jeff Hornacek during a practice in Denver, is still under contract and is slated to earn $18.53 million next season.

While it is unlikely that the Knicks will be a playoff team next spring, Perry pushed back against the notion that the selection of Knox over Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. was a symbolic waiving of the white flag on the 2018-19 season.

”There’s a lot of talented young people in this draft,” Perry said of Knox, who is the youngest player the Knicks have drafted since Michael Sweetney in 2003. ”We just thought Kevin separated himself for us.”

The Knicks’ youth movement continued in the second round as the team used the 36th overall pick on Mitchell Robinson. The 20-year old is listed at 6-11 and 225 pounds, but did not play college basketball despite having committed to Western Kentucky University.

As a senior at Chalmette High School in Chalmette, Louisiana, Robinson averaged 19.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and 7.9 blocks. He played in the 2017 McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic games, which are showcases for the pre-eminent high school players in the country.

—

 Cheap Oakland Raiders Jerseys

TEMPE http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/mark-sanchez-jersey , Ariz. (AP) — The first 53-man roster for Steve Wilks as coach of the Arizona Cardinals includes a very young receiving group.

With the exception, of course, of Larry Fitzgerald, who turned 35 over the weekend.

The other four at the position are rookies Christian Kirk and Trent Sherfield, second-year player Chad Williams and fourth-year pro J.J. Nelson.

The team released five-year NFL veteran Brice Butler and Greg Little, who was trying to get back in the NFL after a three-year absence.

“Experience is good when it’s proven, when guys continue to progress and perform,” Wilks said after the team practiced on Monday. “I don’t get caught up — and I told you guys this from day one — I don’t mind playing rookies. That’s my mindset. I’m going to play the guys that deserve the right to play, and most importantly, we kept the guys that I felt deserved the right to be here.”

Butler was signed in the offseason as a free agent after catching 15 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for Dallas last season.

Kirk, a second-round pick from Texas A&M, is a dynamic player who figures to return punts and could be the team’s No. 2 receiver. Williams, after a rough rookie season Christian Dvorak Jersey , looked good in the preseason. Nelson has been inconsistent, but is a legitimate deep threat and caught 29 passes for 508 yards and two touchdowns for Arizona last season.

The only real surprise out of the group would be Sherfield, an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt.

“Trent Sherfield, as I talked about him throughout training camp, continued to progress,” Wilks said. “He showed great things each and every day, made plays in the games, which is so important. I just love his approach and how he comes to work every day. He works hard, he’s smart and dedicated to his craft.”

Sherfield said that, when he heard the news he had made the team, “it wasn’t really shocking but it felt really good.”

He said his confidence stemmed from “the positive feedback I was getting. Just being able to hear those positive things kind of gave me a little bit more motivation to being able to know I could make the roster.”

The youngsters will look to 11-time Pro Bowl selection Fitzgerald, entering his 15th NFL season, for guidance.

“With Larry leading us it’s going to be a fun season Anders Lee Jersey ,” Sherfield said. “We have a lot of young guys, a lot of names a lot of people probably don’t know about. But in that room we have a lot of guys that are going to work hard … We’ve been pushing each other since the spring.”

Sherfield is one of four undrafted rookies to make the Arizona roster, joining linebacker Dennis Gardeck from Sioux Falls, cornerback Deatrick Nichols from South Florida and linebacker Zeke Turner from Washington.

Wilks kept only one fullback, Derrick Coleman, but brought Elijhaa Penny back on the practice squad. Charles Kanoff, the fourth quarterback throughout camp behind Sam Bradford, Josh Rosen and Mike Glennon, also is on the practice squad. Kanoff is an undrafted free agent from Princeton.

On Sunday, the Cardinals made two moves that will alter the makeup of the backup group along the offensive line, The team released Evan Boehm, a 2016 fourth-round draft pick from Missouri who played center and guard/tackle Will Holden, a fifth-round pick last season out of Vanderbilt.

They signed Jeremy Vujnovich http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/mike-glennon-jersey , who started 16 games at right guard for Indianapolis last season, and claimed offensive lineman Blaine Clausell off waivers from Carolina. Clausell, 26, has spent most of his career on practice squads — with Baltimore, New England and Carolina. He appeared in three games for Washington in 2016.

“Every time I stood in front of you guys, you guys kept talking about the backups (on the offensive line),” Wilks deadpanned to reporters. “So, I took your advice, and we tried to look to improve there. We brought in some guys that we felt that had some playing experience, some guys that had started in some games, and I think, again, they fit our mold. They fit our bill.”

Arizona also claimed defensive tackle Garrison Smith off waivers from Atlanta and signed free agent defensive end Zach Moore.

The Cardinals have Tuesday off and return Wednesday to prepare for Sunday’s season opener at home against Washington.

As Raiders pass rusher Khalil Mack stays away from the team’s offseason program Tony Dorsett Jersey , it’s becoming more clear that a connection exists between Mack’s absence from the team arises from the absence of a long-term deal for Mack.

Via Steve Wyche of NFL Media, Mack wants at least $65 million in guarantees as part of a new contract.

Presumably, this means full guarantees at signing. Three years ago, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh received $60 million fully guaranteed at signing as part of the six-year deal with the Dolphins. (He was cut this year, after the guarantees ended.) Two years ago, Broncos linebacker Von Miller received a full guarantee of $70 million — and arguably a practical guarantee of $78.5 million.

Mack is due to make $13.846 million. The Raiders could then tag him twice before letting him hit the open market. The question is whether they’re willing to make a major commitment that would far exceed what Mack would be paid over the next three years.

Presumably, the $65 million would cover the first three years of a new contract. It’s unclear what Mack would want in years four, five, and/or six. It’s possible that Mack would want his contract to expire at that point.

Miguel Cabrera ruptured his left biceps tendon in the third inning of a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins and will have season-ending surgery later this week.

”This is obviously a very sad day for Miggy and for the entire ballclub Kyle Fuller Jersey ,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. ”It is obviously a huge blow to the team, both on and off the field, but we will have to find a way to overcome it.”

Gardenhire said Cabrera’s status for the 2019 season won’t be known until after the operation. He still has $154 million left on a contract that runs through 2023.

Cabrera swung awkwardly at Jake Odorizzi’s slider and immediately walked to the dugout with his arm limply at his side. When he was joined by team trainers, the slugger gestured to his biceps and continued walking into the Detroit clubhouse.

”At that end of that inning, I ran up to check on him in the clubhouse and he said he felt a pop on that swing,” teammate Nicholas Castellanos said. ”I knew that wasn’t good, but we didn’t find out how bad it was until after the game.”

Many of the Tigers had already left the clubhouse before it was opened to the media, more than 20 minutes after the final pitch.

”We’re all kind of stunned,” said JaCoby Jones. ”You don’t think anything like that is going to happen to Miguel Cabrera, especially on a swing.”

Cabrera has played through numerous lower-body injuries in the past few years, even while winning a Triple Crown Nick Kwiatkoski Jersey , two MVP awards and four batting titles, but it started to catch up with him in 2017. He played 130 games, but hit a career-worst .249 with 16 homers.

This year, he missed three games with spasms in the same biceps tendon that ruptured on Tuesday, then was out for 26 games with a hamstring strain and back tightness. He returned on June 1, hitting .244 with no home runs and one RBI in 12 games before the latest injury.

Gardenhire didn’t think the earlier injuries played a role in what happened on Tuesday.

”He took BP before the game and he said he felt great,” Gardenhire said.

John Hicks, normally Detroit’s backup catcher, played first base during Cabrera’s previous absence and will return there for the time being. Gardenhire said the team will discuss long-term plans in the upcoming days.

”We’re all going to have to step up, starting tomorrow, to try to fill Miggy’s shoes Tyson Barrie Jersey ,” Castellanos said. ”That means everyone, beginning with me.”

The mood in the clubhouse wasn’t helped by a late-inning loss. Detroit led 2-1 after six innings before Ehire Adrianza’s first career grand slam rallied the Twins.

Tigers starter Blaine Hardy allowed a leadoff single to Eduardo Escobar to start the seventh and was replaced by Louis Coleman.

”I understand that move completely,” Hardy said. ”I have just as much faith in Lou as I do myself, and that hasn’t changed.”

Coleman (3-1) only threw nine strikes in a 23-pitch outing, walking two batters to load the bases with two out. Gardenhire brought in Warwick Saupold, who went to a 3-1 count on Adrianza before throwing a fastball that ended up in the right-field stands.

”I’m not a home run hitter, so this is very exciting,” Adrianza said. ”It was a hitter’s count, so I was looking for a fastball and I hit it hard. I was emotional.”

The Tigers made it 5-4 with two runs in the seventh. With runners on second and third with two outs, Jones beat out an infield single and Escobar’s throw sailed past first baseman Logan Morrison for Minnesota’s second throwing error of the inning.

Miguel Sano gave the Twins a 6-4 lead with an RBI single in the eighth.

”We walked some people and we just let the game get away from us,” Gardenhire said. ”That was disappointing.”

Ryan Pressly (1-1) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

”I think we’ve played better in games that we’ve lost Womens Allen Robinson Jersey , but winning is the important part,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. ”What Ehire did was obviously huge. We were hoping he’d get something to the outfield, and he puts it in the seats.”

Hardy pitched six-plus innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk. Hardy, who replaced Jordan Zimmermann in the rotation, is expected to make at least one more start before Zimmermann and Francisco Liriano return from the disabled list.

Odorizzi permitted two runs on four hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out four while throwing 102 pitches.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead by manufacturing a run in the third. With one out, Adrianza reached on an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ryan LaMarre’s sacrifice fly.

Jose Iglesias tied the game with a one-out RBI triple in the fourth, and scored on Leonys Martin’s sacrifice fly.

STAYING IN SHAPE

While on third base after his fourth-inning triple, Iglesias had to dive to the ground to avoid being hit by teammate Dixon Machado’s line drive. He broke his fall with his hands and snapped off three quick push-ups before jumping back to his feet.

HEALTHY RESUME

Cabrera made his major league debut for the Florida Marlins on June 20 Mike Ditka Jersey , 2003, and played in 87 of their final 88 games. He averaged 153 games in the next 14 seasons, but will finish 2018 with 38.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: Minnesota signed RHP Matt Belisle to a major league contract and he joined the team in Detro

As the Alliance of American Football systematically unveils the locations and coaches of its initial eight teams (five of each have been disclosed so far), more details about the new professional football league have emerged.

Via azcentralsports.com, Arizona State A.D. Ray Anderson said Friday that the league will be playing games mostly on Saturdays, with some Sundays. Arizona home games will be played at Sun Devil Stadium, which hosted the NFL’s Cardinals from 1988 through 2005.

The AAF will be avoiding weekday games, due to player safety and fan convenience concerns. By putting a team in Arizona, one of the goals will be to lure baseball fans who are visiting the state during spring training.

The AAF version of the pro game also will be faster paced. Co-founder Charlie Ebersol said at the press conference introducing Rick Neuheisel as head coach of the Arizona team that the games will not have TV timeouts, and that the AAF will use a “more interactive” fantasy game.