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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-3)

OPEN CAMP: July 25 Quandre Diggs Jersey , NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia

LAST YEAR: Won first Super Bowl title and franchise's first NFL championship since 1960, defeating Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Patriots. Overcame losing several key players to injury, including QB Carson Wentz, LT Jason Peters, LB Jordan Hicks and others. Backup QB Nick Foles led way after Wentz tore ACL in Week 14, earning Super Bowl MVP honors. Coach Doug Pederson's offense was balanced yet aggressive. Players bought into team-first attitudes. Defense thrived under coordinator Jim Schwartz. DT Fletcher Cox anchored deep line that included Super Bowl hero Brandon Graham. Special teams were solid despite losing PR Darren Sproles. Rookie K Jake Elliott showed strong leg.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: DE Michael Bennett, DT Haloti Ngata, WR Mike Wallace, LB Corey Nelson Brian Dawkins Jersey , TE Richard Rodgers, rookie TE Dallas Goedert.

IMPORTANT LOSSES: Offensive coordinator Frank Reich, QB coach John DeFilippo, TE Trey Burton, RB LeGarrette Blount, DE Vinny Curry, CB Patrick Robinson, LB Mychal Kendricks, WR Torrey Smith, DT Beau Allen, TE Brent Celek Sam Mills Jersey , P Donnie Jones.

CAMP NEEDS: Wentz will be closely monitored but there's no urgency to rush him with Foles still on team. His rehab will be biggest story this summer. Other key players returning from injury include Peters, Hicks, Sproles, special teams ace Chris Maragos and DT Tim Jernigan. Defense needs LB to emerge as replacement for Kendricks and CB to replace Robinson at nickel spot. Both QBs need to build chemistry with new Nos. 2-3 TEs.

EXPECTATIONS: Trying to become first Super Bowl champs to repeat since 2003-04 Patriots, and anything less will be considered disappointment. Wentz, Peters and other star players who missed playoffs last year are determined to win it all and won't let teammates get complacent. Overall, team improved on paper but it'll be difficult to match unique bond last year's group had.

Richard Sherman locked down the left cornerback spot in Seattle's defensive backfield from the moment he took over as a starter in the middle of the 2011 season until he went down with a torn Achilles last November.

He made the Pro Bowl four times and was a first-team All-Pro on three occasions over his last six seasons with the Seahawks.

But with Sherman now in San Francisco, the Seahawks are asking Shaquill Griffin to move across to the left side as the team's top cornerback. It's a lot of responsibility for a second-year player.

"It's a little different step for me, but nothing that I can't focus on," Griffin said. "But I'm loving the left side and I'm honored to be on that side now. I'm here to help my team any way I can."

When Sherman was injured last season Jay Novacek Jersey , Griffin remained on the right side of the defense with Jeremy Lane and Byron Maxwell taking over for Sherman on the left side.

With an offseason to adjust, the Seahawks decided to move Griffin to the left side and allow Maxwell to return to the right side where he started 17 games for Seattle over two seasons in 2013 and 2014.

"We think Maxie has done a really nice job on the other side, and we thought if we're going to balance it out and open it up (for competition), let's open it up on the right side and see what happens," coach Pete Carroll said.

Griffin was a third-round pick of the Seahawks last season and managed to work his way into the starting lineup after the first month of the season. He started 11 games and had 59 tackles with an interception and a sack in his rookie season.

The team has since added Shaquill's brother, Shaquem, to the linebacking group, selecting him in the fifth round of this year's draft. While Shaquem has received the headlines for making the NFL despite having his left hand amputated as a child, Shaquill will likely be the more important piece to Seattle's defense in 2018.

"He has been really comfortably involved with everything." Carroll said of Griffin. "He just looks like he's a veteran. He grew a ton out of last season."

Griffin said he's trying to be more of a leader this season with the lingering uncertainty of Kam Chancellor's playing future following a neck injury and Earl Thomas' holdout, plus Sherman's departure to the 49ers.

Add in the departures of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett along the defensive line and that's five former Pro Bowlers not a part of Seattle's defense.

"It's just telling me I've got to play more of a leadership role and I'm looking forward to doing so," he said. "We've got some guys who are willing to step up and pull some of the weight and take care of their part. We're not going to miss a beat. We're not going to miss a step."

Griffin has been on the left side throughout the team's offseason activities and Carroll said he's had no issues making the transition.

"Physically it was no problem Darius Leonard Jersey , he had played back and forth in earlier years," Carroll said. "His mentality about it was fine, he was wide open to it. That's most of it.

"If a guy feels uncomfortable and he's telling you he's feeling uncomfortable, then he is. He never balked at it at all, and there's no signs of any evidence at all that it's going to be a problem."

NOTES: Carroll said all players that were on hand for their three-day minicamp should be ready to go for the start of training camp from a health standpoint. That doesn't include S Kam Chancellor, who is awaiting tests on his neck to see if he can continue his football career, or DT Malik McDowell, who was injured in an incident prior to his rookie season and missed the entire year on the non-football injury list.

Even when the Jazz trailed in the first half Lamar Miller Jersey , Utah coach Quin Snyder reminded Mitchell what he was capable of accomplishing.

”We’re going to win this game and you’re going to go off,” Mitchell said his coach told him. ”When you got a coach telling you that, your mindset changes and maybe you don’t need to be nervous anymore.”

Mitchell scored 38 points and the Jazz held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-91 in Game 6 on Friday night to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Though the game got tight, Mitchell looked like he was having the time of his life.

”I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I smile through everything,” said Mitchell, the third rookie over last 35 years to have multiple 30-point games in a playoff series, joining Alonzo Mourning and Michael Jordan.

At one point, Mitchell made 10 straight shots.

”I was in a different mode. It was crazy,” Mitchell said.

Russell Westbrook had 46 points for the Thunder and Steven Adams added 19 points and 16 rebounds.

After the game, an agitated Westbrook confronted a fan and took a swipe at his arm before security whisked him to the locker room.

”I don’t confront fans. Fans confront me. Here in Utah Shane Lechler Jersey , a lot of disrespectful, vulgar things are said to the players here,” Westbrook said. ”It’s just a disrespect to the game and needs to be brought up. I’m tired of just going out and playing and then fans say what the hell they want to say.”

The rookie and the MVP went back and forth in the second half, with Mitchell and the Jazz moving on to face the top-seeded Houston Rockets in a series that starts Sunday.

”For me, personally, beating a guy I looked up to and I model my game after is special,” Mitchell said of Westbrook.

Derrick Favors scored 13 points and Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost starting point guard Ricky Rubio to a left hamstring injury in the first quarter.

The Jazz took their biggest lead when Gobert hit two free throws to make it 86-73 with 7:04 remaining.

Westbrook’s 3-pointer capped an 18-6 run and drew Oklahoma City to 92-91 with 1:28 to play.

”We got stops and Russ made big play after big play,” Paul George said.

Favors hit a jumper for the Jazz but then the Thunder corralled five offensive rebounds in a frantic possession where Oklahoma City missed five shots. After a review, George faked Gobert into the air behind the 3-point line and leaned in but didn’t get the call and shot an airball.

”I think it could have been called both ways Sean Lee Jersey ,” Gobert acknowledged.

Mitchell scampered down the court as the Thunder yelled at the officials and eventually made two free throws with 6.9 seconds left to clinch the game.

After struggling to score in the first two periods, the Jazz just gave the ball to Mitchell and set screen after screen to allow him to take advantage of Oklahoma City’s switching defense.

In the third quarter, Mitchell scored 22 points to boost the Jazz into a double-digit lead. The rookie scored on electrifying drives to the basket, spinning shots in the lane and rainbow 3-pointers.

”He’s been a team-first guy and sometimes the team needs a guy to take things on his shoulders. In the third quarter, obviously, he was dynamic,” Snyder said.

The arena, awash in gold as the Jazz wore their yellow jerseys and every fan was given a gold T-shirt, roared as Mitchell held his arms aloft and beckoned for more.

Mitchell picked up his fifth foul with 10:01 to play but returned to finish the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Seven minutes into the game, Rubio began limping and left the game.

”This group needed to rally around him. There was just no other way Brad Nortman Jersey ,” Snyder said.

Facing a team without a true point guard, the Thunder extended their defense and disrupted Utah’s sets. The Jazz were shooting from unfamiliar spots and connected on just 39 percent in the first half.

Oklahoma City led by as many as nine before the Jazz tied it at 41 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Thunder: Jerami Grant made his first two 3-pointers of the series, the only Thunder player to make one besides Westbrook. … Other than a technical, the Thunder shot their first free throw with 6:36 left in the half. … George had a playoff-low five points.

Jazz: Gobert got a technical foul in the second quarter for complaining. … Favors went 1 for 7 from the free throw line and the Jazz shot 12 of 23 overall. … Mitchell joined Lew Alcindor as the only rookies to score 20 points in each of their first six career playoff games over the last 50 years. … Coming into the game, Mitchell and LeBron James shared the lead for most fourth-quarter points in the playoffs so far (44) but James had no points and Mitchell had six on Thursday.

RAPID-FIRE RUSS

Westbrook took 43 field goal attempts, with 19 coming from behind the line. Several ended up being airballs. Like Game 5, when Westbrook helped the Thunder overcome a 25-point deficit, the MVP said he wanted to do whatever he could to win the game. ”Every night, I leave it all out on the floor. Sometimes you come up short,” he said. ”I don’t really care what people think (about the number of shots he took).”

STAY READY

Alec Burks Bruce Smith Jersey , who hadn’t played more than three minutes in a game during the series, scored 11 points for the Jazz in 17 minutes. Burks said, ” The New York Jets have re-signed offensive lineman Dakota Dozier.

The Jets also announced Friday that offensive lineman Brent Qvale has signed his restricted free agent tender, worth $1.907 million this year.

Both Dozier and Qvale add depth and versatility to an offensive line that includes newcomers Spencer Long and Travis Swanson.

Dozier was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2014 out of Furman. He set career highs last season with 14 games played with three starts. He has appeared in 32 career games for New York with five starts.

Qvale was signed by New York as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2014. He has started 12 games for the Jets, including seven at right tackle, four as a jumbo tight end and one at right guard.

Earl Thomas is putting the pressure on the Seattle Seahawks for a new contract Briean Boddy-Calhoun Jersey , saying he will not participate in any team activities until his contract situation is resolved.

That includes the upcoming mandatory minicamp.

The three-time All-Pro safety posted a lengthy statement on social media Sunday, saying he wants ”certainty in regards to the upcoming years of my career,” before he takes part in any Seahawks related activities. Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal signed before the 2014 season. He is scheduled to make $8.5 million in base salary in 2018.

Seattle opens its minicamp on Tuesday, and Thomas could face fines of about $84,000 if he skips all three days. Last week, coach Pete Carroll said he expected all players that had been skipping the optional team workouts – most notably Thomas, defensive end Frank Clark and cornerback Byron Maxwell – would be in attendance for the minicamp.

Clearly Thomas has a different idea of where things stand with the team that selected him No. 14 overall in the 2010 draft.

Thomas said after eight seasons he, ”earned the right to have this taken care of as soon as possible.” Thomas has spoken openly of wanting a new deal since the end of last season, when some of his antics gave hints he wanted out of Seattle. In his statement, Thomas said he wants to remain with the Seahawks for the rest of his career.

Toward the end of last season there was some visible dissention. There was a brief rift with linebacker Bobby Wagner Ronnie Harrison Jersey , who has become the vocal leader of Seattle’s defense with the departures of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Richard Sherman this offseason. And Thomas caught everyone’s attention when he chased down Dallas coach Jason Garrett following Seattle’s win in Dallas and told the Cowboys coach, ”If they kick me to the curb, come get me.”

Seattle made the decision before April’s draft it would move forward with Thomas in 2018. Thomas was the one player under contract that could have landed Seattle a bounty of draft picks, but Carroll and general manager John Schneider held on to the star safety despite the contract uncertainty.

Thomas just turned 29 and was an All-Pro between 2012-14. Thomas had his 2016 season cut short by a broken leg, but he returned last year to play in 14 games with 88 total tackles and two interceptions.

”I’m going to continue to work my craft and put in work so that I can add to the team and give us the best chance to win,” Thomas wrote. ”I hope my teammates understand where I’m coming from. I believe this is the right thing to do.”

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26. ATLANTA FALCONS (11-7)

LAST SEASON: After reaching Super Bowl previous year, Falcons finished third in NFC South and were knocked out of playoffs in second round by eventual champion Philadelphia. Offense, which led league in 2017, looked bit out of sync with new coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Falcons are hoping for more productivity now that Sarkisian has year under belt. Young defense continued to improve Abry Jones Jersey , though defensive end Vic Beasley slipped from 15 1-2 sacks to five. Tak McKinley, who had six sacks in rookie season, will have to take on even bigger pass-rushing role after Adrian Clayborn left in free agency.

THEY NEED: DT, WR, FB, LB, OG, DE, TE.

THEY DON'T NEED: QB, RB Captain Munnerlyn Jersey , OT, CB, S, PK, P.

POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan; G Isaiah Wynn, Georgia; DT Taven Bryan, Florida; DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama; WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama; WR D.J. Moore A.J. Green Jersey , Maryland; TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina.

OUTLOOK: Falcons feel good about starting lineup but have some holes to fill, most notably at defensive tackle with Dontari Poe moving to division rival Carolina. Receiver Taylor Gabriel also departed, making it easier for opponents to focus on Julio Jones unless Falcons land another playmaker on outside. Brandon Fusco was signed in free agency to bulk up interior of offensive line, but Falcons could still use another guard to push for playing time. There's no fullback on roster after team decided not to re-sign Derrick Coleman, creating another vacancy that could be filled in later rounds. General manager Thomas Dimitroff is known to wheel and deal on draft day, and bounty of big men on both sides of line could prompt him to trade down for extra picks.

Whether it was breaking basement windows or the garage door playing with his father Keith and older brother Matthew, or heading to the rink to attend Blues practices, the 18-year-old has plenty of childhood memories while growing up in St. Louis.

”We’d go on the ice before they practiced and there were some guys who would come out like David Perron, David Backes, T.J. Oshie,” Tkachuk said at the NHL pre-draft combine on Saturday, referring to his father’s former teammates. ”And those guys would spend their time, while Matthew and I were skating around, passing and shooting and joking around with us. Those were some of my big memories.”

Keith Tkachuk is considered one of the game’s top Americans during a 19-year NHL career that ended in 2010. Matthew, 20 Ziggy Ansah Jersey , is already in the NHL after completing his second season with the Calgary Flames.

At the rate Brady Tkachuk is developing, there’s a very good chance he’ll enjoy more memorable moments in the near future.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds, and still growing, Tkachuk is ranked second among North American draft-eligible prospects by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau. That puts the forward in the mix to be among the top five players – and first American – selected once the draft opens at Dallas on June 22.

Much like his father, Tkachuk has a combination of hard-hitting and play-making components to his game. He had eight goals and 31 points, plus 61 penalty minutes in 40 games in his freshman season at Boston University.

He also has leadership potential after serving as captain of the bronze-medal-winning U.S. team at the World Junior hockey championships last winter.

”He’s a complete package that can be impactful in every situation with and without the puck,” central scouting bureau director Dan Marr said. ”He knows what needs to be done, and he’s not afraid to get dirty to go out and do it. But he also has the skills and finesse to play that type of a game to win you the game.”

The world junior tournament became Tkachuk’s coming out party in finishing tied for fifth among tournament players with nine points. It carried over into the second half of his college season, where he had four goals and 17 points in his final 21 games in helping the Terriers clinch just their eighth Hockey East tournament championship.

Tkachuk credited his improved production to learning how to play against older opponents.

”I was used to winning battles, every battle in the USHL because they’re all my own age. But I found playing against 23-year-olds was different Alfred Blue Jersey ,” he said. ”Instead of just using my body, I had to use my mind, too, a little bit more and try to outsmart them.”

What stands out is Tkachuk’s outgoing personality.

He wasn’t afraid to joke during pre-draft interviews with prospective teams in saying how better looking he was than other players. And then there’s the picture accompanying Tkachuk’s combine profile, which features him with an upturned-lip smirk.

”I like the smirk,” Tkachuk said. ”I’ve done it before and a lot of guys think it’s funny. It’s just my personality.”

It helps not feeling intimidated being around NHLers, given his upbringing. He developed in a youth hockey system in St. Louis that included the sons of former NHL stars such as Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Jeff Brown.

Tkachuk doesn’t feel burdened by having to live up to his last name. Instead, it’s motivation in fueling him to match what his father did in ranking fifth among American-born scorers with 1,065 points Larry Ogunjobi Jersey , and to one day keep pace with his brother, who already has 37 goals and 97 points in 144 games with Calgary.

The competition could begin on draft day, when Tkachuk has a chance to be selected higher than his father (taken 19th in 1990) and brother (No. 6, in 2016).

That would be fine with everyone, Keith Tkachuk said.

”I would love that,” the proud father said, before breaking into a laugh. ”And Matthew would like it because he doesn’t want to sit in the stands too long watching.”

Brady Tkachuk joked, the only concern is if he gets drafted by Edmonton, and the potential of one day pitting the two Tkachuks against each other in the ever-intense Alberta rivalry between the Oilers and Flames.

”It’s definitely been discussed in my family,” Tkachuk said. ”It would be pretty cool Dak Prescott Jersey , but I think it would be pretty stressful for the mom.”

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More NHL hockey: Oscar Robertson commends the off-court activism of today’s NBA players, although the Hall of Famer wonders why more white athletes aren’t speaking out, too.

Robertson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from presenters Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the NBA Awards on Monday night.

Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players, which Robertson said was his most important assist.

The 79-year-old former guard who starred at Crispus Attucks High in Indianapolis and in college at Cincinnati before going to the NBA said it’s time for players to speak out about politics and education, among other issues.

”But the only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said backstage. ”This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It’s all around you.”

Robertson’s high school and college career was plagued by racism.

”But it seems that what we have today is a system where you don’t want players to say anything at all,” he said. ”Because years ago they didn’t say anything because they couldn’t say anything. But now I hope they all, the whites and the blacks get together. Even with the football.”

Robertson was referring to NFL players who have taken a knee or sat in silence during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

”What do you think is going to happen when the union gets involved with the owners?” he said ”You think it’s going to be settled really easily? No, it’s not. It’s going to be nothing but a total mess.”

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The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence on Monday Tarik Cohen Jersey , and the Pro Bowl defensive end quickly signed the one-year contract that guarantees him $17.1 million in 2018.

The Cowboys had until Tuesday to put the tag on Lawrence, who can still sign a long-term deal with the club that traded up him to get him early in the second round in 2014. Lawrence's agent, David Canter, wrote on Twitter that his client signed the deal.

Lawrence tied All-Pro Calais Campbell of Jacksonville for second in the NFL with 14陆 sacks last season. The 25-year-old's breakout year came after he struggled with injuries most of his first three seasons. He had back surgery each of the previous two offseasons.

On the one-year contract, Lawrence's salary would be the average of the NFL's five highest-paid defensive ends.

Lawrence is an important piece with the Cowboys trying to get back to the playoffs after missing at 9-7 a year after they had an NFC-best 13 wins before losing a divisional playoff to Green Bay.

The former Boise State player emerged for a Dallas defense that has lacked star power beyond 2016 All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee. Lawrence surpassed his previous career high of eight sacks in the fifth game.

Pass rushing was a problem for the Cowboys in each of their past two trips to the playoffs. In 2014, they finished 28th in sacks and couldn't get to a hobbled Aaron Rodgers in a divisional loss to the Packers after Lawrence clinched a wild-card win over Detroit with a sack of Matthew Stafford.

In the rematch with Rodgers, Dallas sacked him three times but couldn't get a stop in the final minutes of a 34-31 loss in January 2017.

Lawrence broke a foot in training camp his rookie year, missing half the season. His second year was Lawrence's only full season, when he had 31 QB pressures to go with the eight sacks.

After serving a four-game drug suspension to start 2016, he had three sacks in nine games before missing the final three regular-season games with a back injury. He played in the divisional loss to the Packers.

There Michael Roberts Jersey , he insists, they will find a big man with edge-rushing skills and enough power to stuff the run. Watch enough of footage and it just might convince those NFL executives that Chubb is the best defensive player in this year’s NFL draft.

But this is no typical week for North Carolina State’s star defensive end. He’s participating in the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, answering questions and dropping names.

”I try to take Khalil Mack and Von Miller and put them into one person,” Chubb said Saturday. ”I’m a high-motor, high-energy guy.”

If team executives concur, his name could be one of the first three called in April.

Naturally, Chubb describes himself as the best player in Indy this weekend and who’s going to argue with a 6-foot-4, 269-pound man.

Not the deep, diverse quarterback group, which did its on-the-field workouts Saturday and will likely spend the next few years trying to escape Chubb’s grasp.

Not the highly touted running back class Julius Peppers Jersey , which includes Saquon Barkley and Chubb’s own cousin, Nick, who will be running away from a lineman who posted 25 sacks and 54 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.

Sure, there are questions.

Is he big enough to hold up against the NFL’s massive tackles, does he have enough moves to make an immediate impact, can he make a smooth transition to the more physical pro game?

He might also be asked to explain why he spat upon the Florida State logo following North Carolina State’s upset win or why he decided to skip the Wolfpack’s bowl game.

Those who know Chubb best have no doubt he will succeed.

”He’s so happy, always smiling,” said offensive tackle Will Richardson, a college teammate who routinely squared off with Chubb in practice.

”He’s a goofball. We used to get grapes after a game and he would come over and knock them out of your hands and someone would be like `Why did you do that?’ But he always had a few extra grapes in his other hand to give to you. He’s definitely a goofball, a goofball in a good way.”

Many believe there’s nothing goofy about him being possibly the best pass-rusher in a draft heavy on interior linemen – and thin at one of the NFL’s most coveted positions.

Those challenging Chubb’s title include Marcus Davenport of UTSA Vincent Rey Jersey , Sam Hubbard of Ohio State, Arden Key of LSU and Harold Landry of Boston College.

Each had college careers that ranged from solid to spectacular, and each knows they must answer questions about size, injuries or the competition level they’ve faced.

”Nobody in this draft class has a first step like mine,” Landry said. ”My mindset and my approach to the game, I’m a guy that’s going to do whatever it takes to be the best at my position.”

But those who played alongside Chubb understand his impact cannot be measured in stats alone.

”We got to win more games,” college teammate and combine invitee Justin Jones said. ”Having a guy like Bradley Chubb on the edge, it turns a lot of plays back to us and the rest of the team. They want to take Bradley out of the game, and we have other (defensive) linemen that can make plays.”

Chubb appears to have the size to play right away, room to grow and even bloodlines working in his favor.

His father Zack Martin Jersey , Aaron, played at Georgia. His older brother, Brandon, starred at Wake Forest before being signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spending most of that season on the Detroit Lions‘ practice squad.

So if things fall the right way, Bradley Chubb could become the highest-drafted descendant of the family that established ”Chubbtown” – a rural area in northwestern Georgia, three miles from the Alabama border- in the mid-1800s.

And that’s an honor Chubb would treasure.

”When you’re there, you feel it,” he said. ”My last name is Chubb, and I wear it with pride.”

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13. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-9)

LAST SEASON: Injuries and inconsistent play on both sides of ball kept Redskins from staying competitive in NFC wild-card race. Without consistent running game and behind often patchwork offensive line Tyler Higbee Jersey , quarterback Kirk Cousins still threw for 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Defense was bigger issue against run and pass. Loss of rookie defensive lineman Jonathan Allen hurt pass rush and run defense, so opposing QBs carved up secondary. Cousins is gone, replaced by Alex Smith, and Redskins President Bruce Allen is tweaking defense. Inside linebacker Zach Brown was bright spot and led NFL in tackles before missing final two games and will return. Team is counting on big season from cornerback Josh Norman and growth of Quinton Dunbar after pass defense struggled in 2017.

THEY NEED: RB, WR, LG, DL, LB, S, CB

THEY DON'T NEED: OT, TE, K, P Zach Miller Jersey , LS

POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: DT Vita Vea, Washington; CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State; S Derwin James, Florida State; DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama; ILB Roquan Smith, Georgia; RB Derrius Guice, LSU; DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

OUTLOOK: Running back is top priority, even if not in first round. Redskins have so many holes to fill on defense they should go that side of ball in first round after top three picks last year started building process. Replacing traded linebacker/safety hybrid Su'a Cravens, bolstering defensive line and finding defensive backs will be on docket. First draft without help of former general manager Scot McCloughan, who has fingerprints on 2017 picks despite being fired in March; he helped build list of prospects. Super Bowl MVP-turned-senior VP of player personnel Doug Williams will rely heavily on new director of college scouting Kyle Smith, son of A.J., for insight. With Alex Smith signed for foreseeable future, Redskins are in win-soon mode Clark Harris Jersey , so this crop's success or failure could be make or break.

Their former teammates notice it, too.

Five decades ago, they were the guys running the floor, embracing the 3-pointers and welcoming underclassmen. They understood the entertainment value of high-scoring games, dunk contests and halftime shows. They valued rivalries, camaraderie and the sense everyone in the sport was working toward a single goal.

Today the business model first adopted by the American Basketball Association has largely become the standard operating procedure for the world’s biggest basketball league.

”When the merger happened, we knew the NBA was going to have a strong foundation,” Gervin said Saturday in Indianapolis. ”People talk about how Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird saved the NBA. I think it’s ludicrous because we gave the NBA an infusion of excitement that made the league fun again.”

Just about any player in town for the league’s 50-year reunion knows the truth.

Aside from the league’s trademark red, white and blue basketball that served as a center piece for the dinner, just about everything else the league innovated with has eventually made its way to its rival league.

Some of it was borne out of necessity.

Most ABA teams lacked the size or the star power of the more established NBA, so they relied on tempo, showmanship and pizazz to attract fans. Gervin earned the nickname ”Iceman” in San Antonio. Julius Erving became better known as ”Dr. J.”

Playoff series got nicknames, too, and there were times the backstories seemed as every bit as wild as the social culture of the 1960s and 1970s.

”The league had to have an identity Alfred Blue Jersey ,” Gervin said. ”You call it wild. I call it fun.”

The biggest secret was that amid all the fanfare, there was some darn good basketball being played.

Numerous former ABA stars including Erving, Rick Barry, Moses Malone have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. So has Spencer Haywood, one of the sport’s most important pioneers.

Haywood became the first underclassmen to declare he was leaving school after his sophomore season at the University of Detroit and was shunned by the NBA, prompting a Supreme Court case Haywood would eventually win in 1971.

The NBA still balked.

”It set the tone for a lot of things that are happening today,” said McGinnis, another underclassman who joined the ABA’s Pacers after turning pro. ”Roger Brown and Connie Hawkins weren’t allowed to play in their prime in the NBA because they got blackballed by the NBA. And Roger didn’t get to play at all because he was 28 or 29 when he came to the Pacers. But it was those type of guys who laid the foundation for guys like myself and those who are entering the league today.”

Haywood was back in Indy, too, enjoying he stories and seeing old friends.

He also was here for a purpose. While the Dropping Dimes Foundation, which put on the reunion, is trying to help provide health care for former ABA players, Haywood has taken it a step further.

As the new chairman of the board for the NBA’s Retired Players Association, he is putting on a full-court press to advocate bringing players from the now defunct league into the NBARPA’s health insurance policy. The league’s current players contribute more than $16 million to the fund.

”We have about 100 or 150 players who don’t have much Jason Witten Jersey , so my mission now is to get all of the ABA players covered with health insurance,” he said. ”And I know they (the current) players will take care of it.”

But this night was a celebration.

With highlight reels playing over and over, many old players donning their shiny championship rings and the Pacers bringing out one of their three championship trophies, the talk inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse was more about satisfaction that the league had accomplished something many doubted it could.

”You look at everything, you look at the halftime events, that’s all from us,” Haywood said. ”The 3-point contents, the dunk contests that was all us. It’s all ABA, baby.”

To say Kole Calhoun was struggling would be an understatement.

When the Los Angeles Angels‘ right fielder was placed on the disabled list June 2 with a strained right oblique Micah Hyde Jersey , he was in a 12-for-122 slump (.098), dropping his season average to .145.

“Every day is a new day,” Calhoun told the Orange County Register last week. “You’ve still got to go out and perform. I’m not thinking about it much honestly. I just want to go out and have a good game. Just going out and trying to help the team win.”

He did that Wednesday, going 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs as the Angels snapped the host Seattle Mariners‘ eight-game winning streak with a 7-4 victory. The teams wrap up their three-game series Thursday night at Safeco Field.

Calhoun has hit two home runs in his past three games after hitting just three in his previous 62. Since returning from the DL on June 18, he’s batting .306 (15-for-49) with three doubles, four home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored.

That’s helped Calhoun raise his batting average to .180.

He even returned to the leadoff spot in the batting order last week in Baltimore Markus Wheaton Jersey , a spot he held in previous seasons.

“Kole has made some adjustments and hopefully it will pay off,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told The Register.

Scioscia said one key for Calhoun is he’s been more selective at the plate as of late.

“He’s had a good eye in previous years,” Scioscia said. “It’s been a part of his game, but it’s been elusive this year.”

The Angels will send rookie right-hander Jaime Barria (5-4, 3.40 ERA) to the mound Thursday in place of left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a right adductor strain. Barria suffered a 6-3 loss on June 12 at Seattle, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits in five innings.

The Mariners are scheduled to start left-hander Marco Gonzales (8-5 Mark Sanchez Jersey , 3.77 ERA). Gonzales is 0-0 with a 4.66 ERA in four career starts against the Angels, including two earlier this season.

Gonzales is coming off his first career complete game in a 4-1 victory against Kansas City. Gonzales lost the shutout bid on Mike Moustakas’ two-strike, two-out single in the ninth inning.

“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work this year and having the right guys behind me,” Gonzales said after his last start. “Those guys played incredible defense behind me and when your team gives you a lead in the first half of the game, you inch closer to eyeing the end. From the first inning I just had the mentality that this is my game and I’m going to go as deep as I can.”

Gonzales has been a big part of Seattle’s success this season after earning the No. 5 spot in the rotation this spring.

“He’s matured, there’s no question,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Gonzales. “It always works better when guys earn it. He has a lot of confidence right now because everything that’s happened this year LeGarrette Blount Jersey , he’s earned. From coming into spring training, winning a spot in our rotation, he continues to build throughout the season.”

Saints defensive lineman Mitchell Loewen was just expecting to have lunch with his wife and son in New Orleans on Sunday, but the day took a turn.

Loewen heard what sounded like “a bomb or an earthquake” and discovered it was actually an SUV that fell four stories from a parking garage before landing upside down on the street. Loewen saw that the driver was trapped inside and rallied others to help.

“There were a bunch of people standing around, but not approaching the car and I was like ‘What’s up, let’s help this guy,'” Loewen said Pat McAfee Jersey , via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I mean, obviously there was someone in there, I wasn’t going to just stand by and watch. It was a life or death situation.”

The group was able to get the car upright after realizing the man couldn’t get out and Loewen was able to wrench the door open so that he could reach the injured driver. Loewen said there was a lot of blood and broken glass, but New Orleans police say the driver is expected to survive his injuries.

“It was like a movie. I just did what I had to do, and I wasn’t thinking about anything else,” Loewen said.

Loewen signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and played two games last season before going on injured reserve in September.

On the surface Jim Kelly Jersey , they’re relatively indistinguishable. One was the defensive player of the year in 2016, the other won the award in 2017.

Both arrived via round one of the 2014 draft. Both are entering the fifth year of their rookie contracts.

Neither has gotten the long-term deal he deserves.

But there’s a difference between Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, when it comes to a potential training-camp holdout.

Last year, Mack showed up. Donald didn’t. And Donald’s holdout kept him from getting a fourth year of credit toward free agency. Which means that, if he does it again (specifically Kavon Frazier Jersey , if he holds out and doesn’t show up at least 30 days before the start of the regular season), he’ll still be stuck on three accrued seasons — and he wouldn’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.

That means he wouldn’t necessarily receive the franchise tag in 2019. While the Rams could still use it if they want, the Rams could instead tender him at the highest restricted free agency level, which would give the Rams the right to match an offer sheet from another team and first-round compensation if they don’t.

Donald may welcome that, since someone would surely make a run at him if the compensation is only a first-round pick. And if in the end the Rams realize that the safest course would be application of the exclusive franchise tag despite Donald having only three accrued years (even with the non-exclusive franchise tag DeAndre Hopkins Jersey , another team may happily surrender two first-round picks), Donald would be in the same place he would have been even if he shows up.

The only downside for Donald comes from a possible injury that would impair his market value and potentially prompt the Rams to roll the dice with the RFA tender, securing his rights for 2019 by putting millions less on the table. That dynamic would/could (should) make Donald more likely to carry a holdout deep into the regular season, in order to ensure that, come 2019 Dion Dawkins Jersey , he’ll be getting the exclusive franchise tender.

By rule, he can show up as late as the Tuesday after Week 10 and get credit for the contract year. While few players ever do that, the sheer volume of disgruntled players in 2018 raises the odds that one of them will.

Word that the Saints were signing running back Terrance West came over a week ago, but the deal did not become official until Thursday.

The NFL’s transaction report for Thursday includes West’s arrival in New Orleans as well as the corresponding move the Saints made to clear space on their 90-man roster. They have waived wide receiver Paul Turner.

Turner signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spent most of the season on the practice squad. Turner was promoted to the active roster in November and caught nine passes for 126 yards in four games. He was out of the league last year after being waived by the Eagles in early September.

With Turner gone, the Saints have 12 wide receivers on the roster while West gives them seven running backs.

There’s plenty of uncertainty regarding the new helmet rules. For Washington safety D.J. Swearinger Seth DeValve Jersey , one thing definitely is certain: Head injuries will be traded for leg injuries.

“They want us to, I guess, hit with our shoulder,” Swearinger said, via ESPN.com. “I guess not hit a guy when he ducks. So I guess we just gotta aim for the knees. That’s the only way I know how. If you don’t want me to hit you Cody Kessler Jersey , then I guess it’s the only way, the only way.”

But the new helmet rules have nothing to do with hitting a guy in the head; they prohibit hitting a guy with the helmet, specifically when lowering the helmet and initiating contact. So while Swearinger is right when he says the league wants players to hit with the shoulder, the hit with the shoulder doesn’t have to go low, except when a receiver is still defenseless.

The broader problem is that the officials still don’t seem to know what is and isn’t a violation of either of the two new helmet rules. Which makes it even harder for the players to know what they can and can’t do.

The NFL may not be finished fiddling with kickoffs.

According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com Erik Swoope Jersey , the league said there may be additional changes to this year’s new rules about kickoffs, which they’re trying to make safer.

A league spokesman said any additional changes would be “minor,” but the fact they’re still adjusting just before training camp starts is still a bit startling.

The new rules are a significant change, with former referee Terry McAulay calling them “the biggest change I’ve ever seen.” And if the league’s considering adjusting the rule book now (it was just published on June 28), there figures to be confusion among coaches as they try to figure out what to teach players.

“The NFL officiating and football operations staff Kevin Huber Jersey , with competition committee approval, may make some minor tweaks to the language to further clarify the rule,” league spokesman Michael Signora said. “If so, that information would be circulated to all clubs and the rule book updated accordingly.”

The league took steps to change kickoffs to try to curb injuries, routinely describing it as the most dangerous play in the game. And even in the recently published rulebook Cole Beasley Jersey , there were other changes which hadn’t been previously disclosed, including automatic touchbacks if a ball hits the end zone without being touched by a member of the receiving team.

The lefty slugger promptly laid down a bunt where nobody was on the left side Tony Romo Jersey , sparking a big inning as another of manager Gabe Kapler’s defensive moves backfired.

Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in that five-run fourth, Tyler Anderson pitched seven strong innings and the Colorado Rockies routed the Phillies 7-2 on Wednesday night to end a five-game losing streak.

”We were probably most excited about CarGo’s bunt,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. ”After the Nolan (Arenado) walk and then the bunt, that sort of set everything up. It got us going. And CarGo practices that every day.”

Trevor Story added three hits and drove in two for the Rockies, who had dropped nine of 11 while falling from first place to fourth in the NL West.

Anderson (4-1) allowed one run and six hits while matching his longest outing of the season, set in his last start.

”I think we were feeding off Andy a little there. He pitched great tonight,” Desmond said. ”An electric fastball. He was locating all his pitches. He was working quick. You could tell he was pitching with a purpose tonight. And as an offense, I think we fed off that.”

Jorge Alfaro and Jesmuel Valentin homered for the Phillies La'el Collins Jersey , who were seeking their first three-game winning streak since May 13-17.

Gonzalez’s bunt was another blow to the Phillies’ defensive alignments, which came under criticism from Philadelphia pitcher Jake Arrieta after a loss at San Francisco earlier this month.

”I don’t think it’s something we want to see him do every day,” Desmond said of Gonzalez. ”But that built momentum. It kept it going.”

Nick Pivetta (4-6) struck out five straight batters in the second and third innings. But the bunt was the first of five straight hits allowed before he recorded an out in the fifth. Story had an RBI double off the wall and Gerardo Parra followed with a two-run single.

Desmond, who came in hitting .196, then sent an 0-1 slider into the right-field seats for his 12th homer to make it 6-0.

”I hung a couple breaking balls tonight and they’re a good-hitting club,” Pivetta said.

Story, who had his career-high fifth straight multihit game, had another run-scoring double in the seventh against Mark Leiter Jr. Golden Tate III Jersey , giving him 49 RBIs.

Pivetta, who lost his fourth straight start, was charged with six runs on eight hits with three walks over five innings.

Anderson didn’t allow a walk and struck out six, including Scott Kingery three times. He used his awkward lefty delivery to keep the Phillies off balance, save for an 0-2 fastball that Alfaro hit to right for his fifth homer in the fifth.

Valentin had three hits, including his first major league homer in the ninth off Harrison Musgrave.

”As soon as I hit it, I thought I had a chance,” Valentin said. ”Thank God I got it out of the way.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: Reliever Adam Ottavino (oblique) felt good after throwing Tuesday. ”He’s champing at the bit to get back on the mound Miles Killebrew Jersey ,” Black said. ”We’re really optimistic that this could happen in a couple days.” Ottavino has a team-best 0.95 ERA.

Phillies: Reliever Pat Neshek (shoulder, forearm) will throw all of his pitches in a bullpen Thursday. If it goes well, he’ll head to Florida to throw live batting practice. Neshek, who signed a two-year, $16.5 million deal in December, has yet to throw a pitch this season. ”The greatest acquisition we can make right now is inserting Pat Neshek in our bullpen,” Kapler said.

FRANCO BACK, HERRERA SITS

Slumping 3B Maikel Franco started after being out of the Philadelphia lineup five straight games and went 0 for 4.

CF Odubel Herrera Robert Newhouse Jersey , 0 for 17 in the past four games, didn’t play.

PICK SIGNS

The Rockies signed former Mississippi LHP Ryan Rolison, the 22nd overall pick in last week’s draft.

MUSGRAVE BACK

Musgrave returned from his grandfather’s funeral in West Virginia, was activated off the bereavement list and pitched the ninth. LHP Sam Howard was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

UP NEXT

Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (4-7, 4.95 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday against RHP German Marquez (4-6, 4.79). Velasquez was charged with 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings in his last start.

—

The Tennessee Titans have told defensive lineman Sylvester Williams they are releasing him after one season into a three-year deal signed a year ago.

The Titans announced Saturday they were releasing Williams.

The 28th pick overall in 2013 by Denver, Williams spent his first four seasons with the Broncos where he started 48 games and had 5陆 sacks with 94 tackles. Williams signed with Tennessee in March 2017 and started 11 of 15 games. He finished with four tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures with 26 tackles.

Williams' base salary for this season was $5 million and $5.5 million in 2019.

The Titans also released defensive lineman Karl Klug on Friday with Williams the sixth player released since March 8.