Here’s a look at what’s happening around the majors today:
SWING OR MISS?
Many hitters got off to a smashing start in July as Cleveland socked 11 doubles Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Womens , Baltimore homered four times and the Cubs combined with Minnesota for 21 runs at Wrigley Field on Sunday. Now, we’ll see if the trend continues as the weather heats up and the balls fly.
June marked the second time in three months that strikeouts exceeded hits in the major leagues, a pattern that had never occurred until this year. About halfway through the season, there had been 21,090 strikeouts and 20,671 hits.
SLAMMIN’
The Reds try to keep socking grand slams when the White Sox come to Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati leads the majors with nine slams and has already tied the single-season franchise record set in 2002.
Jose Peraza hit one Sunday New York Jets Jerseys Womens , and pitchers Mike Lorenzen and Anthony DeSclafani recently connected. Eight different Reds have hit grand slams – Adam Duvall is the only player with two.
James Shields, who twice has led the league in homers allowed, starts for Chicago.
MOTOWN MEMORIES
Washington ace Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.04 ERA) will face ex-Detroit teammate Rick Porcello (9-3, 3.60 ERA) in a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners when the Boston Red Sox visit Nationals Park.
HE’S BACK
Shortstop Jorge Polanco is set to rejoin the Twins after serving an 80-game drug suspension. He went 8 for 19 in six rehab games at Triple-A and Class A, and will report to the big league club for the series opener at Milwaukee. The 24-year-old Polanco was a key contributor last season when the Twins earned an AL wild-card spot.
SEATTLE SLOW
The Mariners plan to monitor Felix Hernandez and his back stiffness over the next few days. Hernandez pitched five innings Saturday night and earned the victory over Kansas City Oakland Raiders Jerseys Womens , but struggled with back pain and wasn’t able to sit down in the dugout between innings. The six-time All-Star is 8-6 with a 5.11 ERA in 18 starts this season.
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The Atlanta Falcons released defensive end Derrick Shelby on Friday and announced plans to release tight end Levine Toilolo.
The moves will save the team a combined $6.75 million in cap space. The cost-cutting moves could help the Falcons reach a new deal with quarterback Matt Ryan, who can be a free agent after the 2018 season.
Shelby, who signed a four-year, $18 million deal in 2016, with $7.5 million guaranteed, was set to earn $4.5 million in each of the next two seasons.
The Falcons will save $3.25 million in cap space with Shelby’s release and $3.5 million with Toilolo’s release. The team will still have a $2.5 million charge in dead money for Shelby and $2 million for Toilolo that will count against the cap.
Shelby Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys Womens , who turns 29 on Sunday, had 30 tackles and one sack in 2017. He started 14 games. An Achilles tendon injury limited him to six games in 2016.
He spent his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
The Falcons said Toilolo will be released at the start of the new league year on March 14 with a post-June 1 designation.
Toilolo, a fourth-round pick in 2013, had 74 receptions for 723 yards and seven touchdowns in five seasons. He had 11 catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns in 2017 while sharing time with Austin Hooper and Eric Saubert.
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”I’m pumped up about it. I’m excited about that challenge Josh Sweat Color Rush Jersey ,” Carroll said Tuesday. ”I’m upset that we have to face it this early. I’d like another six weeks here, that would be nice. But that’s not what this one is. We got to go after it. Nothing’s going to change other than maybe our resolve.”
For just the second time in his eight years in Seattle, Carroll spent Tuesday explaining why the Seahawks were not in the postseason. It’s the first playoff miss for Seattle since the 2011 season and with the rapid rise of division foe Los Angeles indicated – at least for one year – a significant change in the hierarchy of the NFC West.
Injuries played a major role in Seattle’s slide to 9-7. So, too, did inconsistency on offense, continued problems with penalties and salary cap constraints that limited adjustments the Seahawks could make during the season.
It’s likely to be a busy offseason as Seattle attempts to manage its tight cap situation while making key decisions about how to move forward and if it still is a championship contender needing slight tweaks or a major overhaul.
”I think there is a championship team sitting in this meeting room right here,” Carroll said.
Here are some of the issues to know about Seattle’s 2017 season and going into next year:
REDISCOVER THE RUN: Perhaps nothing irritated Carroll more, or had a great impact on the efficiency of the offense, than Seattle’s inability to run. It’s been a staple of Carroll’s program from the day he arrived in Seattle.
This year the Seahawks had one rushing touchdown by a running back. Quarterback Russell Wilson was the leading rusher with 586 yards, 346 more than any other player. Seattle had hopes for promising rookie Chris Carson, but he was sidelined by an ankle injury early in the season and never made it back. The lack of a running game affected Wilson as a passer as well, as defenses didn’t have to commit an extra safety to stopping the run, leading to smaller throwing windows and some tentative decisions by Wilson.
”There are tremendous examples of teams around the league that have turned their fortunes around with a formula that should sound familiar to you: teams running the football, playing good defense and doing the kicking game thing,” Carroll said.
INJURY CONCERNS: Carroll wouldn’t get into specifics, but there is a chance Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor have played their final games. Avril and Chancellor suffered neck injuries during the season. Carroll said on the radio Tuesday that both would have a ”hard time” playing football again. A couple of hours later, he softened his stance, saying each have quality-of-life decisions to address with their football future.
”Both those guys are marvelous people and competitors and all that. We’d love to see them through the rest of their career. I don’t know what’s going to happen there,” Carroll said.
LEGION OF WHOM: If Chancellor does not return, it could be the start of a major makeover for Seattle’s secondary. Richard Sherman is coming off a torn Achilles tendon and was openly shopped by Seattle last offseason. Earl Thomas is entering the last year of his contract and his actions toward the end of the season indicated a desire to be elsewhere for the 2018 season.
A big key will be if Seattle can re-sign versatile safety Bradley McDougald after he played both free and strong safety this season.
HOME-FIELD AVERAGE: Seattle went 4-4 at home, its first .500 record at CenturyLink Field since 2011. The Seahawks have always thrived at home, but some of their uglier performances this year came in front of their own fans.
OFF THE FIELD: Seattle was among the most active teams in the league with a significant number of players participating in national anthem protests. The protests, on top of the incident Michael Bennett had with police in Las Vegas in August, created a number of unexpected issues.
Carroll said he believed that only once this season – Seattle’s loss at Tennessee – did discussions of off-field issues affect the team’s performance. Seattle had long discussions following comments by President Donald Trump about NFL players and opted to remain in the locker room as a team during the anthem before that game.
”That was an extraordinarily heated time,” Carroll said. ”I think that was a different amount of emotional output that occurred before the game and it looked like it the way we played.”
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The Los Angeles Angels lost four more players to the disabled list Friday Mason Rudolph Color Rush Jersey , putting the club’s total at a franchise-record 15 players on the DL at one time.
Infielder Zack Cozart went on the DL with a partially dislocated left shoulder, while right-hander Jim Johnson has a lower back strain; right-hander Garrett Richards is nursing a strained left hamstring; and right-hander Nick Tropeano has inflammation in his pitching shoulder.
Meanwhile, Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani is taking some one-handed swings as the Angels wait out his sprained elbow to be re-evaluated in a few weeks.
The timeline for Richards, plagued by injuries the past two seasons that limited him to 12 total starts over 2016 and `17, to return is unclear, though manager Mike Scioscia said the injury is considered mild. ”Hamstrings,” he said, ”they’re a different animal.”
Richards left his Wednesday start at Seattle after two innings with tightness in the hamstring, then Cozart went down the next inning diving for a ball and irritated the shoulder. He has played with the injury before, but his shoulder needs to calm down.
With Richards, the Angels won’t take any chances.
”Unfortunately right now we’ve got to take a little half-step back and let it heal,” Scioscia said before his team opened a weekend series at Oakland. ”It was definitely affecting how he was trying to execute pitches the other day. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it’s not going to be an extended injury.”
Johnson’s back locked up a couple of days ago.
Scioscia said he would do anything to take on all the injuries of his players because he doesn’t have to be feeling good, with the former catcher noting he already has plenty of aches and pains. While the injuries are mounting and the minor leaguers are arriving at a rapid rate to fill big holes, Scioscia said there have been worse times like in recent years when the entire rotation was hurt in a month’s time – that ”is devastating,” he said.
”I don’t know about four guys in one day,” Scioscia said. ”You can absorb the regular players that are out here and there but when you lose the toughest commodity to find is really good starting pitching, that takes a big dent out of what you’re trying to do. That being said, nobody’s going to feel sorry for yourself. We feel we have the guys that will go in there and contribute and keep us going.
”And if we can pitch and have our bullpen hold leads, then we’re going to be fine.”
The Angels called up four right-handed pitchers from Triple-A Salt Lake: Eduardo Paredes, Akeel Morris, Felix Pena and Jake Jewell. Left-hander John Lamb will be called up to start Saturday, meaning the Angels must make another move by designating someone for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.
The A’s were the last team with 15 players on the DL at once, in 2016. Los Angeles had just 12 players from the opening day roster on Friday’s active roster.
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Jets General Manager Mike Maccagnan’s first draft with the team came in 2015 and he selected six players.
Just one of those players — first-round pick Leonard Williams — will be on the team’s opening day roster this season. According to multiple reports http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-van-riemsdyk-jersey , linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin and defensive lineman Deon Simon are among the team’s Saturday cuts.
Mauldin, a third-round pick, missed all of last season with a back injury and never developed into the pass rushing threat the team hoped he would be off the edge. He had 33 tackles, 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 33 games with the team.
It’s the third time Simon has been cut by the team. He returned to the practice squad in both 2015 and 2017 and played in all 16 games during the 2016 season.
Wide receiver Devin Smith, quarterback Bryce Petty and guard Jarvis Harrison were the other Jets picks in 2015.
Tony Parker went to San Antonio as a teenager nearly two decades ago, quickly became part of the Spurs’ legendary Big Three and celebrated four championships while wearing silver and black.He’s not done playing.
He’s just done in San Antonio.
Parker agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, ending a 17-year run with the Spurs. And he’s not the only veteran on the move, with Oklahoma City and Carmelo Anthony having mutually agreed they will part ways and Dwight Howard set to sign with the Washington Wizards once he clears waivers.
All of those deals were confirmed Friday to The Associated Press by people involved in the negotiations. Each of the people spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the moves were finalized – but the Parker move was confirmed by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who thanked his now-former point guard in a statement released by the team.
”It’s difficult to put into words how important Tony Parker has been to the Spurs franchise over the past two decades T.Y. Hilton Jersey ,” Popovich said. ”From his first game in 2001 at age 19, TP has impressed and inspired us – day-after-day, game-after-game, season-after-season – with his passion, dedication and desire. We are grateful to Tony for 17 years of truly amazing memories.”
The move reunites Parker with new Charlotte coach James Borrego, who most recently was an assistant in San Antonio. And Parker is close friends with Charlotte’s Nicolas Batum, who predictably was thrilled by the news.
”Number 9, I see you soon in Buzz City my big bro,” Batum wrote on Twitter.
Parker averaged career lows of 7.7 points and 19.5 minutes last season, when he lost his starting job. He was part of 137 playoff wins with Popovich http://www.buffalobillsteamonline.com/jason-croom-jersey , the second most by any coach and player in NBA history. Popovich and Spurs star Tim Duncan combined for 157 playoff wins.
Parker told ESPN that it was a difficult decision, ”but I had to move on.”
Parker was part of the Spurs’ Big Three with Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Duncan has retired, Parker is now gone and Ginobili’s status for next season is unknown.
”The biggest joy for me has been to have the pleasure of watching TP grow up before our eyes,” Popovich said. ”All of us in the Spurs organization will miss having Tony in our program and wish him and his family the best as he continues his remarkable career in Charlotte.”
Parker has also appeared in 17 consecutive postseasons; only Karl Malone and John Stockton’s run of 19 straight playoff trips are longer.
He has his rings.
Anthony and Howard will be on the move, seeking theirs.
Anthony has likely played his last game for the Oklahoma City Thunder – with the sides having mutually decided that he will not be on the team next season. It remains unclear how that departure will actually happen, as in whether it will be through a buyout, the Thunder waiving him or a trade.
Anthony is due to make $28 million this season, his last in a five-year, $125 million contract he signed with New York before getting moved to Oklahoma City. He has said he will not accept a reserve role, and by parting with him – somehow – the Thunder could save more than $90 million in luxury tax payments.
Anthony averaged 16.2 points on 40 percent shooting last season Kyle Williams Jersey , both career lows. But there will be suitors for him, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat all believed to have interest.
Howard started Friday on Charlotte’s roster, then was traded to Brooklyn – a deal agreed to days ago, but one that couldn’t be completed until Friday when the league’s offseason moratorium on player movement ended. The Nets will buy him out, which will pave the way for Howard to eventually sign with the Wizards.
A person familiar with the terms told AP that Howard would play on a one-year, $5.3 million deal. Later Friday, ESPN reported that Howard will actually be signing a two-year deal in Washington – with the second year at his option.
Buyout terms with Howard, who was due to make $24 million this season, were progressing Friday and Nets general manager Sean Marks said they should be wrapped up quickly.
”This is something that we mutually want http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/jordan-wilkins-jersey ,” Marks said. ”Neither one of us is trying to have this drawn out. I think we’re going to leave on good terms. It’ll hopefully work out for both sides.”
The lifting of the moratorium meant a slew of moves that have been agreed to in recent days could be finalized, such as Paul George’s four-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Rajon Rondo’s signing to play with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rondo agreed to join the Lakers earlier in the week, but couldn’t sign until Friday.
”I love shake-ups in the summertime, as far guys switching teams or the NBA looking a little bit different,” Rondo said not long after putting his signature on his one-year, $9 million deal to join the Lakers – a team he faced twice in the NBA Finals when he played for Boston. ”It’s going to be very interesting this year and I look forward to a lot of exciting basketball.”
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Walking in the freshly cut, bright green grass on Wednesday while directing the Minnesota Vikings through their first practice of training camp was, naturally, the best place for Mike Zimmer to be.
”It takes a little bit of the sting away,” Zimmer said, pausing to recover from a crack in his voice, ”of losing a great friend, a great coach, a good man.”
The Vikings and the rest of the NFL were stunned on Sunday when Sparano, their tough-loving offensive line coach, died suddenly at age 56 of heart disease .
”It’ll be a hard few days, but we’ll get through it and we’ll get back to work and do the things that we do,” Zimmer said, ”and that’s what he’d want us to do.”
After two days of workouts for rookies and others selected for early duty either due to relative inexperience or a recent injury, the Vikings will take a break Friday to attend Sparano’s funeral in the Twin Cities area. Then the entire team will convene for the first full practice on Saturday.
”The most important thing is when you’re a family, the family is what helps you get through it,” said general manager Rick Spielman, who like Zimmer had to stop for composure several times during an interview session with reporters.
As evidenced by and during the run last season to the NFC championship game Keith Yandle Jersey , the Vikings from the top down have forged an environment as tightly knit as any point in their history. This is an organization that has seen plenty of dysfunction over 57 years. The solidarity comes in handy at a tragic time like the unexpected loss of life, but it can also intensify the grief.
”We had quite a relationship,” said Zimmer, who was on the same staff as Sparano for the last four of his 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. ”His wife, Jeanette, I told her the other day, she reminds me a lot of my wife. She’s the sweetest lady.”
Zimmer’s wife, Vikki, passed away in 2009. His father, Bill, died in 2015. So he’s had unfortunate experience in straddling the fine line between proper mourning and pressing on. What’s clear to the Vikings, at least, is that Sparano would pick the latter.
”If Tony knew we were having this talk about him, I could just hear him in his very endearing way what his opinion on this would be,” Spielman said.
With darkened sunglasses he wore since a teenage accident with hot oil from a deep fryer while working at a restaurant, Sparano had an intimidating presence. A significant portion of the screaming audible during a typical Vikings practice came from Sparano, who as a fellow understudy of former Cowboys head coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Bill Parcells came from the same hard-nosed mold as Zimmer.
”He was a lot like me, probably the only person in the building who was grumpier than I was Youth Sebastian Aho Jersey ,” Zimmer said. ”But he really cared about his players. I’ve sat in with him in offensive line rooms a lot, and he had a way of poking the stick at the guys and then putting his arms around him.”
Sparano’s daughter was married in Texas just 2 weeks ago. He told Zimmer last month he felt his health was the best it’d been. Since Zimmer hired Sparano in 2016 to help instill a tougher mentality in the offensive linemen, the two early-to-arrive-and-late-to-leave coaches spoke often, and not just about football. As a former NFL head coach, Sparano served as a sounding board for Zimmer, as was their shared mentor, Parcells, the source of many of Sparano’s customary colloquialisms.
”Instead of saying, `It’s one or the other,”’ Zimmer recalled, ”he’d say, `It’s a horse apiece.”’
That could’ve been applied, for example, to an assessment of a couple of potential draftees. Spielman fondly remembered Sparano’s thoroughness, taking the time to study video of a tackle prospect when he played guard in a years-old game.
”I’ve never been around a coach who put in so much time and energy into everything he did,” Spielman said.
There was a soft side to Sparano, too, when it came to his family http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/kavon-frazier-jersey , whether immediate or football. Zimmer smiled as he recounted playing in Spielman’s charity golf tournament on the course where Sparano’s house was, not far from the team’s old headquarters.
”We get to whatever hole he was on, and he’d have a big cooler out there with beer and wine,” Zimmer said. ”He gave me a bottle of wine so we could play the rest of the course. That’s Tony. He was a genuine person who cared an awful lot about a lot of people.”
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— DJ LeMahieu and the Colorado Rockies are quite comfortable on the road. Even against baseball’s best teams.
LeMahieu homered, German Marquez pitched seven solid innings and the Rockies closed out their first four-game sweep in Atlanta with a 4-2 victory over the Braves on Sunday.
Colorado improved to 30-16 since June 26, and each of those 46 games came against teams with winning records at the time. The Rockies are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston and Atlanta, facing the Astros and Braves on the road.
“Yeah, it’s tough teams but we’re definitely not nervous or scared to play anyone with our team,” LeMahieu said. “We all know we have a really good team here. It makes it easy to show up at the park.”
LeMahieu put Colorado in front with his third-inning drive to left field . He has hit nine of his 11 homers on the road, including a tiebreaking solo shot in the 10th inning of Saturday night’s 5-3 win.
“No explanation,” LeMahieu said when asked about his road success. “Just kind of random, I guess.”
Rockies manager Bud Black said his team, battling Arizona for the NL West lead, is playing “good, all-around clean baseball,” but still can hit better.
Atlanta’s four straight losses, tied for its longest streak of the season Craig Anderson Jersey , followed a five-game winning streak.
“In this business, every time you think you have something figured out, you get kicked right in the teeth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Marquez (11-9) won his fourth straight road decision. He allowed two runs and five hits, struck out five and walked one.
“Hopefully we can keep this rolling all the way to the World Series,” Marquez said through a translator.
Marquez allowed a run in the first when Freddie Freeman doubled and scored on Johan Camargo’s single. He then threw four straight scoreless innings before Camargo’s single in the sixth drove in Freeman again.
Trevor Story led off the second with a tying homer off Atlanta’s Anibal Sanchez (6-4) into the Colorado bullpen behind the left-field wall.
Following LeMahieu’s homer in the third, David Dahl doubled and scored on Nolan Arenado’s single.
Sanchez struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with three runs and five hits.
Wade Davis gave up a one-out single to Inciarte but had three strikeouts in the ninth for his NL-leading 35th save.
Colorado’s only previous sweep in Atlanta was a three-game series from Sept. 12-14, 1997.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: LHP Mike Dunn (left shoulder inflammation) will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. He has been out since July 7. “It’s going to be a lengthy rehab assignment,” Black said, adding Dunn will need “multiple outings.”
Braves: LHP Sam Freeman (left shoulder inflammation) was activated off the 10-day disabled list. LHP Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
STREAKS END
Braves rookie Ronald Acuna Jr. was 0 for 4, ending his 11-game hitting streak. His team-record streak of reaching safely in nine consecutive plate appearances leading off a game also ended with his fly ball to center in the first.
WEST WOES
The Braves fell to 9-18 against the NL West this season. They are 40-19 against NL East teams.
ROAD KINGS
The Rockies improved to 37-29 away from Coors Field. They have won their last four series in Atlanta; the Braves won two of three in Colorado from April 6-8.
UP NEXT
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (6-5, 4.39 ERA) tries to bounce from a rough outing at Houston when he gets the ball in the opener of a three-game series against visiting San Diego on Tuesday night. The Rockies are 16-5 at home since July 2.
Braves: RHP Kevin Gausman (7-9, 4.22 ERA) starts when Atlanta opens a seven-game road trip at Pittsburgh on Monday night.
Womens New England Patriots JerseysThe Patriots have signed a couple of players before training camp officially gets underway this week.
The NFL’s daily transaction report brings word that the team has signed safety Eddie Pleasant and guard Nate Theaker. The team had one open roster spot and opened another one by waiving wide receiver Cody Hollister with an injured designation.
Pleasant joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and spent the last six seasons with the team. He only made one start in his 78 appearances for Houston and recorded three interceptions Youth John Tavares Jersey , 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble while also making regular appearances on special teams.
Theaker went undrafted out of Wayne State last year and spent time with the Cowboys and Saints before making his way to New England.
Several prominent players across the NFL have skipped mandatory minicamps this week, subjecting themselves to team fines out of concern for their contract status in a league where so little is guaranteed.Everyone is accounted for in Minnesota, where good vibes from the top of the organization to the bottom of the roster can only help the Vikings in their attempt to better their NFC championship game appearance from last season.
"All these guys, they like to be around each other. So I think that's part of it," coach Mike Zimmer said. "We've got a lot of really good guys on this football team who care about not just them, but they care about each other. It's kind of just the way we do things."
Savvy salary cap management steered by executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski has allowed the Vikings to put the majority of their stars in mutually beneficial multi-year deals Ryan Grant Jersey , but outside linebacker Anthony Barr, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Danielle Hunter have all entered 2018 on expiring contracts that must be addressed soon unless the Vikings are willing to let them become free agents and potentially price the club out on the open market.
Still, all three of them have been practicing with the team this week, clearly confident enough in their future earnings to opt for full participation over mild protest. Barr, for his part, missed one week of organized team activities last month Joel Iyiegbuniwe Jersey , an absence he said was to secure an insurance policy in case of a severe injury that would derail the value of his next deal. He said recently his hope was to have a new contract in place by the beginning of on-field workouts in May, but that's the closest anyone has come to even hinting about dissatisfaction.
Barr is among the 2014 first-round draft picks who've reached their first career crossroad, playing the fifth option year that the majority of teams have exercised for cost control. Then there are the post-first round 2015 picks such as Hunter and Diggs who've entered the fourth season of their rookie deals.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones Jeremiah George Jersey , Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan and Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack have created headlines around the league for staying home this week from minicamp.
"My job is to come in to work, just like you come in to work the same way," Hunter said. "My job is to come in and get on this field and play football."
Clearly, he's been listening to the head coach, as have many of his teammates.
"That's one thing Zim has taught us since he's been here: No one player is more important than the team," Hunter said. "So I guess that kind of grew into the program. The team is way bigger than one person. In order to help the team Authentic Adrian Peterson Jersey , you've got to do your job. And we want to be great. We want to be where we need to be. Last year, it wasn't close to that, so we've got to work for that again."
Cheap USA Football JerseysDENVER — When he starts Wednesday against the New York Mets Womens Brayden Point Jersey , Chad Bettis will try to build off his last game for the Colorado Rockies, one that included a deceptively bad pitching line that masked an abrupt turnaround.
On Friday at Texas, Bettis (5-1, 4.65) gave up five runs in the first inning, including two two-run homers on badly located breaking pitches. But Bettis went on to pitch 4 2/3 scoreless innings, a span in which he allowed two singles and retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced with six strikeouts.
The Rockies erupted for six runs in the second and went on to win 9-5 and give Bettis his first victory after six straight no-decisions. He had not won since May 5 at Citi Field when he worked seven scoreless innings against the Mets.
“It didn’t surprise me what he did (against the Rangers) because he’s tenacious,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He doesn’t back down. He doesn’t quit. And I think he knew there was a long way to go. I think it naturally energized him when we got six runs in the top of the next inning.”
Before that uprising, Black said Bettis could have caved in and accepted that it wasn’t his night.
“The good ones don’t let that happen,” Black said. “He knew that there were four or five more innings for him to stay out there, especially in that American League game. That showed me a lot that he put up zeros for 4 2/3 (innings).”
Bettis, who is 1-0, 4.05 in three starts against the Mets, will be trying to finally win at Coors Field this year where he is 0-0 Chris Wormley Jersey , 7.76 in six starts. He will take the mound after the Rockies beat the Mets 10-8 Tuesday night to even the four-game series and break an eight-game losing streak at Coors Field. The win was just the fifth in 18 games for the Rockies, who are 12-20 at Coors Field, where they have typically dominated.
“Overall we haven’t pitched well here for whatever reason,” Black said. “We got to do that. We got to make pitches. It doesn’t matter where we play, we got to pitch well. And what’s happening here at home is the other team is making better pitches than us over the course of 150, 180 pitches.”
Bettis will be opposed by Seth Lugo (2-2, 2.49), who will be making his Coors Field debut and is 1-1, 3.00 in three starts this season with one walk and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings. Lugo is 1-0, 3.55 in three games, including one start, against the Rockies.
The Mets’ three-game winning streak ended Tuesday as they lost for the 13th time in 17 games and fell to 14-30 since May 1.
The Mets put outfielder Jay Bruce on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Monday with right hip soreness after he missed a fourth start in five days and sent him back to New York for an MRI. Dominic Smith, a first baseman by trade Walter Payton Jersey , played left field Tuesday, and Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Smith, who began playing the outfield last month for Triple-A Las Vegas and entered Friday’s game in Arizona as the left fielder, would receive work at that position as the Mets go with four outfielders.
To replace Bruce, they recalled Tim Peterson, wanting an extra reliever with three games left in the series at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Peterson threw 19 pitches in two perfect innings Tuesday. The Mets will re-evaluate their roster before beginning a Friday series at home with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets outfield corps now includes Smith and Jose Bautista along with regulars Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto. Callaway said Wilmer Flores, who has had outfield experience, would stay at first base, leaving Smith and Bautista as the primary options in left field.
“We won’t hesitate to put Dom out there like we did today,” Callaway said, “but Bautista, who has been having great at-bats and playing pretty well in the outfield for us will get some playing time as well.”
For the first time in more than a month, there was music playing in the Baltimore Orioles‘ clubhouse following a game.The team still faces an uphill battle to turn the season around Youth Derek Stepan Jersey , but it was admittedly just nice to get a win.
Jace Peterson and Mark Trumbo homered and the Orioles snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 10-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Baltimore also ended a string of 11 straight losses at home, which tied a club record. The Orioles last win at Camden Yards came May 13 against Tampa Bay.
”We’re doing what we can, constantly trying to get better,” Trumbo said. ”It doesn’t always show up, but that has to be the goal going forward. It’s going to be a long road for the team, but you want to see improvement in some areas. I think if you can target those and actually do it, we’ll be that much better because of that.”
Dylan Bundy (5-7) allowed four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and two walks over six innings. He has accounted for one-quarter of his team’s victories this season.
Peterson got his first homer of the season with a two-run shot off reliever Merandy Gonzalez in the fifth and matched a career-high with four RBIs. Trumbo went 3 for 5 with a home run off Gonzalez in the seventh.
Miami was 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Justin Bour had a pair of homers, including a three-run shot that pulled the Marlins to within 8-4 in the sixth.
”The last couple of days the team has done a good job of picking me up,” Bour said. ”It was nice to contribute today.”
Baltimore entered the game as the lowest-scoring team in the American League, but knocked around Miami rookie Trevor Richards (1-4). Fellow rookie Corban Joseph was the only Baltimore starter not to manage a hit off him.
Trumbo led off the second with a single and Jonathan Schoop followed with a double. Peterson cleared the bases with another double that bounced over the center field fence.
Trumbo hit another towering RBI double before Mancini followed with a single that boosted the lead to 4-0 in the third. Mancini had been 4 for 50 with runners in scoring position entering that at-bat.
”This is the first time he’s gone through something like this,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ”You’re trying to be real supportive with not only him, but everybody. We’re going to keep trying to create some positive vibes.”
Bour led off the fourth with a homer to left, snapping a streak 211/3 scoreless innings by Bundy.
”Once we get behind Tyler Johnson Jersey , Bour gets us one back and then gets us three more,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ”We never really get where we needed to be.”
Baltimore responded in the bottom half on a double by Adam Jones that drove in two more runs and ended the day for Richards, who was charged with a season-high six runs and nine hits.
Manny Machado had two hits, including an RBI single in the eighth that rounded out the scoring for Baltimore.
FISHING
Trumbo has hit safely in 11 of 12 games against the Marlins, batting .370 (17 for 46) over that stretch.
MOVE
The Orioles optioned catcher Chance Cisco to Triple-A Norfolk following the game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: INF Miguel Rojas was held out of the lineup for the second consecutive game after being hit on the left hand by a pitch Friday.
Orioles: RHP Andrew Cashner (back) did not have any setbacks with his bullpen session and will start Wednesday in Washington. He is 2-8 with a 4.98 ERA in 13 starts.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Left-hander Caleb Smith (5-6, 3.75 ERA) will make his second consecutive start against the Giants. On June 13, he allowed three runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings and did not get a decision in the Marlins’ 5-4 victory.
Orioles: Rookie David Hess (2-3, 4.13 ERA) will start the opener Tuesday against the Nationals, who handed him a 2-0 loss May 30.
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Johnson Earl Mitchell Jersey , who led the NFL with 20 touchdowns in a breakout 2016 season before missing all but one game with a wrist injury last year, is scheduled to make $1,882,500 in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.
Cardinals first-year coach Steve Wilks did not address Johnson’s situation specifically on the first day of the three-day minicamp, but teammates were supportive of his stance.
”He wants a new contract,” veteran safety Antoine Bethea said. ”Especially the position he plays . obviously we know running backs, they have a short span here in the league. That’s all. He just wants him and his family to be stable. We get it. I respect it. I support it. I think anybody would.”
Johnson had 2,118 yards of total offense in 2016, behind only Le’Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliott among NFL running backs. He had 1,239 yards rushing and 16 rushing touchdowns that season.
He suffered a dislocated wrist in the 2017 season opener at Detroit that kept him out for the rest of the season, and the Cardinals turned to Adrian Peterson and Kerwynn Williams to pick up the slack on an 8-8 team that also lost quarterback Carson Palmer to a season-ending broken arm in Week 7.
The Cardinals finished 30th in the league in rushing yards last season, coach Bruce Arians’ last. Neither Peterson not Williams is back this season.
”I’m going to keep my focus on the guys who are here,” Wilks said. ”We are going to continue to take that step and get better. David is not here and we have to keep going. This is the National Football League. It doesn’t stop for myself of any other player.”
Bethea said that since the Cardinals are running a new system, ”there are going to be some things that you miss” by not attending.
”But it is not anything that he is not going to be able to pick up Jared Spurgeon Jersey ,” he said. ”He’s a smart guy. He’s been playing running back all his life. He’ll be fine.”
Johnson, a third-round draft pick out of Northern Iowa in 2015, had 15 straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 2016 after opening the season third on the depth chart. That tied Barry Sanders for the longest one-season streak in league history.
Johnson had 90 yards of total offense – 23 rushing, 67 receiving – against Detroit last year before being lost in the third quarter.
Wilks mentioned second-year player D.J. Foster and rookie fourth-round draft pick Chase Edmonds out of Fordham as running backs who caught his eye Tuesday. Foster played on the 2016 New England Super Bowl championship team and saw action in seven games with the Cardinals last year.
”When you look at what we try to do offensively, there is a rotation back there,” Wilks said. ”You want a guy who is going to be able to step up who can give you the same elements from a standpoint of a three-down back.”
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Philadelphia’s six leading average scorers so far in the playoffs, in order are: Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.
Their homelands: Australia, Croatia, Cameroon, the United States Eddie Goldman Jersey , Italy and Turkey.
Philadelphia – a melting pot of humanity for more than 300 years – has a basketball team probably as diverse as the city itself. The 76ers, 19-1 in their last 20 games and suddenly looking very much like an NBA Finals contender, will try to close out the Miami Heat and clinch their Eastern Conference opening series when they play host to Game 5 on Tuesday night.
About a dozen languages and dialects can be spoken in the 76ers locker room at any time, but clearly, winning is a universal language.
”It’s all basketball, but the true side of how people coach, speak, say, play the game is different,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said. ”And that collection now that I have with everybody is like is a melting pot of all peoples experiences. That equals a team. I mean, I love it. I love the geo-political conversations. I love that diversity on the court, off the court. I enjoy it.”
There might be no coach better-suited for this particular gig that Brown, too.
He spent nearly two decades living overseas, spending most of that time coaching in Australia before getting hired by the San Antonio Spurs – another franchise that has found championship ingredients from all over the world – back in 2002. Brown went to Philadelphia in 2013 Andre Burakovsky Jersey , took loss after loss after loss for his first four seasons when The Process was playing itself out, and now is reaping the rewards.
The 76ers are young. They’re brash. They’re fearless. And they’re legit.
”A lot of the guys growing up overseas, we have that European style of play,” Simmons said. ”It’s a lot different than the U.S. style.”
Simmons is still a kid, in the NBA sense. He’s 21. But he’s already seen the world with a basketball in hand: He’s played all over Australia, represented his country in Lithuania at the FIBA World U17 Championships as a 15-year-old, ended up going to high school in Florida and spent his lone year of college at LSU.
”I’ve seen a lot,” Simmons said. ”I’ve played everywhere.”
The poise shows, with the rookie shining in his first playoffs.
Embiid, also in his first playoffs and with a mask protecting his surgically repaired face, has handled playing injured with ease. Belinelli has been a steadying force since he got to Philadelphia two months ago. Saric has been doing things in these playoffs that can draw comparisons to what that countrymen Drazen Petrovic and Peja Stojakovic did before him. Ilyasova has been a key player for Philadelphia since getting rescued from Atlanta in February.
They all think differently, many learned the game differently, and the backgrounds are wildly different.
But it works.
A record 62 players from 33 countries were on playoff rosters across the NBA this season, and no one had more of them than Philadelphia – the 76ers have seven international guys with them for the postseason Taylor Gabriel Jersey , matching Utah for the league lead.
”My English isn’t that good, Dario’s isn’t that good, but we try to be a great group,” Belinelli said. ”And we are. We go to dinner all together, we spend a lot of time together in the locker room after practice. It’s just part of the work, I think. Having all these guys from different parts of the world, it’s a good thing.”
Brown, a coach in three Olympics, couldn’t agree more.
”This global instinct and sort of global feeling that we have in Philadelphia interests me very much,” Brown said. ”I embrace it. For me, it’s another layer of why I enjoy coaching this team.”
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The hirings were announced Thursday, although most had been widely known in recent weeks.
The offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, Shurmur was hired on Jan. 22 to rebuild the Giants after a disastrous 3-13 season. Coach Ben McAdoo fired in early December after less than two years on the job.
Mike Shula will be the offensive coordinator and work with the quarterbacks. James Bettcher is the defensive coordinator, while Thomas McGaughey will lead the special teams.
Shula and McGaughey worked with Gettleman in Carolina. Both were fired after last season, having served the past five and two years, respectively Jacob Markstrom Jersey , as coordinators. Bettcher spent the last five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, the final three as defensive coordinator.
Also on the staff are receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, offensive line coach Hal Hunter, tight ends coach Lunda Wells, assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson, defensive line coach Gary Emanuel, defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo Jason Spriggs Jersey , assistant defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, assistant linebackers coach Rob Leonard and special teams coach Anthony Blevins special teams assistant coach.
Shurmur also retained running back coach Craig Johnson, linebacker coach Bill McGovern, offensive assistant Ryan Roeder and defensive assistant Bobby Blick. They're joined by strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman, strength and conditioning assistant coach Markus Paul, performance manager Joe Danos and director of performance nutrition Pratik Patel.
"Some of the coaches I have a history with, some were on previous staffs here Youth Jamie McGinn Jersey , and other coaches are guys I've known through the profession," Shurmur said. "I took a good look at some of the coaches that were here, and we certainly wanted to make sure that some of the really fine coaches that were in the building a year ago had an opportunity to stay."
The greatest quarterback in Bills history attended the team’s rookie minicamp today.
Jim Kelly, the Hall of Fame quarterback who is battling cancer, was at the team facility and met with rookie quarterback Josh Allen, the first-round draft pick the Bills are hoping can take them to the Super Bowl as Kelly did.
Although Kelly is walking with a cane and having some trouble speaking because of the surgery to remove cancerous tumors from his jaw, he greeted Allen and Bills coach Sean McDermott and answered Jason Zucker Jersey , “I can’t complain” when asked how he’s doing.
After spending time in the hospital the last two months, Kelly is back home in Buffalo, and it’s good to see he’s feeling well enough to visit practice. We continue to wish him well as he recovers.
Cheap Carolina Panthers JerseysAuston Matthews got a taste of playoff hockey last season. Patrik Laine has been waiting two years for this.
The third pick in the 2016 draft? Well Ziggy Hood Jersey , Pierre-Luc Dubois is taking a surprising star turn in the spotlight of the NHL playoffs, too.
Matthews, Laine, Dubois and 2017 top picks Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick look unfazed as they handle significant responsibilities in the postseason. For the first time since 1991, four teenagers have scored a goal in the first round of the playoffs, and all five budding superstars are in top-six forward roles, combining for five goals and six assists.
”These guys are young guys,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said after Matthews’ Game 3 winner against Boston was the 20-year-old center’s first point of the series.
”They’re playing against real players and they’re young guys. You’ve got to go through some of these slappings in your life to kind of respond and learn how to respond and do things right.”
They’ve been doing a lot of things right all season. Matthews’ 34 goals led the Maple Leafs; Laine’s 43 for Winnipeg were second in the NHL; Hischier’s 48 points were second on the Devils; and Patrick’s 30 and gradual improvement earned him a promotion to the Flyers‘ second-line center spot.
Dubois was a bit of a surprise pick by Columbus behind Matthews and Laine at the 2016 draft, and he didn’t break into the NHL right away. Dubois wasn’t expected to mature this quickly and doesn’t get the kind of attention as last season’s top finishers for rookie of the year, but he’s used to that by now.
”I’ve always been the guy kind of under the radar,” said Dubois, whose 48 points were third on the Blue Jackets. ”All my life it’s been pretty much like that. I don’t really look to impress other people. I just want to play well. I’ve never been the guy that everybody talked about Vladislav Namestnikov Jersey , so it never really fazed me.”
Dubois most impressively has earned the trust of old-school coach John Tortorella enough to be the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 center at age 19. Tortorella uses Dubois as an example to show older players how to handle situations, an ultimate sign of respect from a Stanley Cup-winning coach who doesn’t hesitate to put him on the ice against opposing stars.
”He accepted it, he excelled,” Tortorella said. ”He has a mental toughness for a 19-year-old kid, to accept that type of responsibility and want more. It’s a different guy. You’ve got to be careful with young kids, but he has showed me tremendous progress and instant mental toughness as I’ve gotten to know him as the season’s gone on.”
Laine isn’t tracking the stats of the other players in his draft class, but he knows how they are doing. Similarly, Dubois enjoys watching Matthews and Laine while trying not to compare himself to them.
”They’re obviously really great players,” said Dubois, who picked up two assists in his first playoff game and scored a goal in his third. ”I know my game and people that know my game know that we’re all different players. There’s the offensive side of it, there’s the defensive side, there’s everything. Everything’s different about our games.”
Production ties them together with Hischier and Patrick Gustav Forsling Jersey , who also don’t look out of place at all in their first playoffs at 19.
New Jersey coach John Hynes said Hischier has been one of the Devils’ best players, which is the continuation of a season of learning for the first Swiss No. 1 pick.
”I’ve seen every city, every rink and just for me it was a lot of experience this year, and guys helped me a lot,” said Hischier, who scored in Game 2 against Tampa Bay and played more than 17 minutes in the Devils’ Game 3 win. ”Just all around I think I grew as a person and as a hockey player.”
Patrick wasn’t putting up a lot of points in the first half of the season but still felt he was playing well. Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol felt good enough about Patrick’s game that he promoted him and has reaped the benefits for the past couple of months and in the first round against Pittsburgh.
”It’s nice for your confidence,” Patrick said. ”I think I kind of progressed through the year and kept getting better with every role they put me in.”
Big roles aren’t a problem for Matthews and Laine, who are key drivers of play for the Leafs and Jets. Toronto finally got going against the Bruins in large part because of Matthews, who said he felt an earthquake in his feet when he scored in Game 3 and let out a scream to match.
After Laine scored the tying goal in Game 1 against Minnesota in what became the Jets franchise’s first playoff victory, he motioned to fans for cheers before jumping into the glass. The Finnish winger is used to scoring goals – and a lot of them – but in the playoffs it’s even more special.
”It was maybe a little bit nicer,” Laine said. ”I was saving my goals and celebrations for the playoffs. Now I can celly (celebrate) a little bit harder.”
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in St. Paul, Minnesota Jerry Rice Jersey , contributed.
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The Miami Dolphins concede that Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki could block better. They drafted him anyway, which shows how much they like his pass-catching skills.
Gesicki was a second-round selection Friday in the Dolphins' latest attempt to fill a position that has been problematic since Adam Gase became coach two years ago.
The 6-foot-5 Gesicki was the second tight end drafted because his athleticism, including thunderous dunks in basketball and success in volleyball.
There's a reason he lasted until the 42nd overall pick, however.
"The one thing everyone talks about is him not being a great blocker," Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said. "But there are a lot of really good tight ends and pass catchers who are not great blockers. And this kid wants to be a better blocker."
In the third round Miami drafted Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker. He'll be reunited with another former Buckeyes linebacker, Raekwon McMillan, the Dolphins' second-round choice in 2017.
The Dolphins hope Gesicki's deficiencies don't keep him from starting as a rookie. He could give Ryan Tannehill the downfield target in the middle of the field that Miami has lacked in recent years.
"He's a hard matchup for people, being that big and athletic," Grier said. "The speed will open up other stuff."
Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron were disappointments at tight end for Miami the past two years, and they're no longer on the roster. Gesicki joins an offense that averaged 17.6 points last season to rank fifth-worst in the NFL, and he expects to help the Dolphins do better.
"I'm exactly where I belong," he said. "I'm excited to get to work in this offense. It can become very exciting in Miami."
Gesicki had 15 career touchdown catches at Penn State and averaged 11.5 yards per reception. He acknowledged he has room for improvement and expects to benefit from NFL coaching.
"I definitely need to continue to improve my run blocking Authentic Oliver Bjorkstrand Jersey ," he said. "My best attributes are in the passing game, and I need to continue to develop on the other side."
While Gesicki's size made him an appealing choice, the 225-pound Baker is undersized. But he had seven sacks and a hand in six takeaways the past two seasons, and led the Buckeyes last year with 72 tackles.
"He has speed, and we want to get faster on defense," Grier said. "He's sideline to sideline."
Grier said the Dolphins considered using the pick to take a quarterback, but decided Baker was too good to pass up, and McMillan's assessment of his former Ohio State teammate was a factor.
"We had some insider trading with Raekwon," Grier said.
McMillan suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first exhibition game last year but is expected to start in 2018.
The Dolphins took Alabama All-America safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first round with the 11th overall choice. On the final day of the draft they'll be in the market for a defensive tackle and backup quarterback.
Authentic Atlanta Falcons JerseysMaybe even good enough to win a game next season.
On the day one-of-a-kind left tackle Joe Thomas said goodbye after 11 stellar seasons, the Browns took the first steps without their perennial Pro Bowler, a player who might be replaced but never duplicated.
Hours after Thomas announced he’s retiring, the Browns confirmed the acquisition of quarterback Tyrod Taylor, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and cornerback Damarious Randall in three separate deals pulled off last week by new general manager John Dorsey, who also shipped quarterback DeShone Kizer to Green Bay and defensive tackle Danny Shelton to New England.
Dorsey stayed just as aggressive in free agency, reaching contract agreements with seven players, including offensive tackles Chris Hubbard and Donald Stephenson, who can help offset the loss of Thomas. Running back Carlos Hyde also is leaving San Francisco for Cleveland.
The Browns didn’t confirm their haul of free agents, but a person with direct knowledge of the deals told The Associated Press that the team has contract agreements with Hubbard, Stephenson Womens Dak Prescott Jersey , Hyde, tight end Darren Fells, defensive end Chris Smith and cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and T.J. Carrie. Those deals are expected to be finalized Thursday, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contracts are not yet signed.
And while Dorsey acquired needed talent to a team coming off a 0-16 season, he hung on to all five of Cleveland’s picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. The Browns have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks and three in the second round.
”Anytime you can have a chance to acquire three good football players right off the bat in the trades, you’ve got to do it,” said Dorsey, hired in December after five years in Kansas City. ”I give a lot of credit to everyone in football operations because we sat there for two months. We made some plans and laid some plans in regard to free agency and how we were going to attack it. We identified certain players we thought would help this organization moving forward who had the qualities we were looking for with regard to do they love football? Are they leaders at their position? Are they guys that are going to be good in the locker room?
”I thought the three guys in the trades fit everything we were looking for.”
Taylor could be the team’s long-sought answer at quarterback. He led the Buffalo Bills to their first playoff appearance in 17 years last season and has the ability to move the chains through the air or on the ground.
”He’s a great kid. Great leader, smart as a whip,” said Dorsey, who sent the Bills a third-round draft pick for Taylor. ”He has the physical abilities to extend the play. He’s got more than enough arm talent and he doesn’t turn the ball over.”
Kizer led the league with 22 interceptions as a rookie and his turnovers in key situations sabotaged the Browns’ chances to win.
Taylor is expected to start next season as the Browns groom a young quarterback Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey , and the team is doing its diligence to decide which one to take. On Wednesday, Alonzo Highsmith, the team’s vice president of player personnel, attended Baker Mayfield’s pro day at Oklahoma.
”We view Tyrod as a perfect fit to lead our team,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. ”He possesses the qualities we want of a starting quarterback. He’s smart, a leader, and an efficient passer that doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s a winner and has been very productive as a starting quarterback in this league. The expectation is for Tyrod to come in and be our quarterback, get himself acclimated to our offense and help us get to winning as quickly as possible.”
Landry will help that happen.
The three-time Pro Bowler, who has caught 400 passes in his first four seasons, gives the Browns a downfield threat to pair with wide receiver Josh Gordon. Landry had a league-leading 112 receptions last season for the Miami Dolphins, who received a fourth-round pick this year and a seventh-rounder in 2019 from Cleveland.
”It’s really exciting that we had the opportunity to put him on our team Jordan Reed Jersey ,” Jackson said. ”He’s going to bring a fire and competitive energy to our team that will make us better. He’s a playmaker and a difference maker that we expect to make our offense go.”
Landry is set to make $16 million under the franchise tag he signed with Miami – or more than $15 million more than Gordon, who received a qualifying offer for $790,000 in 2018 as an exclusive rights free agent.
The 25-year-old Randall played cornerback for three years with the Packers, but the Browns intend to move him to free safety.
”Demarious is very versatile,” Dorsey said. ”I’ve long admired him when he was playing safety back at Arizona State. He’s a first-round pick a couple of years ago, which shows you what his skill set is. He’s proven his versatility where he can play corner, he can play safety. I’m glad we got all three of those guys.”
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David Humm, a former star quarterback at Nebraska who had a long career as a backup in the NFL, has died. He was 65.
The Raiders announced Humm's death on Wednesday, calling him a true Raider for his seven years with the team.
Humm had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988 and was in a wheelchair for more than 20 years. The Las Vegas Review Journal said he died Tuesday night at a hospital in Las Vegas.
Humm was a starter for three seasons at Nebraska, leading the team to top-10 finishes each season. He was a second-team All-American in 1974 when he finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
"I recall that getting Dave to Nebraska was one of the most intense recruiting battles we ever won Philipp Grubauer Jersey ," retired Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said. "At the time, you could take as many visits as you wanted, and Dave took 12 or 13 visits, including one to Bear Bryant and Alabama."
Humm was a fifth-round draft pick by the Raiders in 1975 and was a backup on Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1976 and 1983 seasons. He played 95 games over 10 seasons with the Raiders, Buffalo and the Colts. He started one game for Baltimore in 1981 and threw for 753 yards in his career.
"Most importantly, Dave was a very good person, and in our conversations he always talked about how great his life was despite the circumstances of battling multiple sclerosis for many years," Osborne said. "He was also a great father to his daughter, Courtney."
Humm also was part of the Raiders' radio broadcasts for several years after his career ended.
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