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After linebacker rose from relative obscurity to win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, edge rusher went from No. 2 overall selection to DROY last season in the NFL. Here are some DROY trends: 16 of the last 18 DROYs have been Round 1 picks, and recent history tells us in picking a DROY, be sure to select a player on a team you expect to have a high-caliber defensive unit. In the past six years, the Defensive Rookie of the Year came from a top 10 team in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA. In 2013, won the award when the finished 13th. was the DROY in 2012, and the came in 11th.Next to each player is his DROY odds, set by William Hill Sports Book. Although Chase Young was the first defensive player selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, we feel another first-round pick has a better chance to bring home the honor, thus making him the best value play on the board.Without further ado, let's dive into that and the rest of my top 10 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates.10. , CB, (+3300)Johnson was my No. 51 prospect overall in this cla s and it wasn't easy to find a clear flaw in his game. He has the size, physical nature in pre s Ryan Bliss Jersey , twitchine s, and natural ball skills to seemingly always be around the football. He had 15 pa s breakups and six picks in his final two seasons at Utah, and his 2019 was much le s overly grabby than the prior season.He lands in a cozy situation in the Windy City opposite No. 1 cornerback on a defense with a ferocious pa s rush ready to rebound from a somewhat down season. In 2018, en route to a 12-4 record and an NFC North crown, the Bears led the league with 36 turnovers forced. With mi sing 11 games due to injury and never emerging as a truly threatening complement to , Chicago only forced 19 turnovers in 2019, the 11th-lowest figure in the NFL. But with Hicks returning and the dynamic and bendy added in free agency, the Bears should easily crank up the pre sure once again up front, leading to more golden opportunities for defensive backs to make plays, which plays into Johnson's no-hesitation, aggre sive style.Per Sports Info Solutions, the Bears only created pre sure on 34% of opponents' dropbacks last year, the 21st-best rate in the league. In 2018 -- 37.3%, the fifth-highest percentage in football. While a long-shot, I like Johnson making some noise as a DROY candidate, as he mostly aligns with team's No. 2 wideouts on a defense with a superstar pa s rusher in Khalil Mack and two horses next to him in Hicks and Quinn.9. , CB, (N/A)The last time a third-round pick won DROY was 1988, so I'm going out on a limb historically. But hear me out. Ojemudia was an underrated, squeaky clean off-coverage/zone prospect. His instincts are fantastic, he has serious length -- 6-foot-1 and 32 1/4-inch arms -- and he was productive in his last two years at Iowa with 15 pa s breakups and six interceptions.Most "zone" cornerbacks get a non-athletic label, yet Ojemudia ran 4.45 with a 36-inch vertical and a lightning-quick 6.87 three cone at the combine. He really checks all the boxes.And Ojemudia joins a team that traded for a No. 1 cornerback this offseason -- A.J. Bouye -- so he won't be thrown to the No. 1 receiver fire instantly. Also, the Broncos return to their pa s rush and acquired , one of the better veteran interior disruptors in the game. For a corner dedicated to reading route concepts and attacking, Ojemudia will be in a fantastic situation in Denver as a rookie. Sleeper DROY candidate.8. , S/LB, (+4000)Dugger was a top 40 prospect on my Big Board, a new-age second/third level defender with freakish explosion for the safety spot who flies acro s the field against the run and in coverage. And given Bill Belichick's adoration for legitimately versatile defenders, it's no surprise the Patriots picked Dugger early in Round 2.I think Belichick's ready to play ground-game controlled offense and really lean on the defense -- again -- to win games in 2020. There are a myriad of ultra-reliable veteran safeties ahead of Dugger on New England's depth chart, and chief among them, but I wouldn't be shocked if Bill primarily uses Dugger as a linebacker to start, given the team's need for more range at that position.Playing next to the hammering would be super beneficial for Dugger because he's not especially adept at defeating blockers at the second level. I could see Dugger having a Chung-like stat sheet-stuffing rookie year with a handful of splash plays as a blitzer, against the run, and at the intermediate level in coverage. That'd get him some DROY consideration.7. , EDGE, (+2500)Chai son is the exception to the "pick a DROY candidate who'll play on a good defense" idea because I think the Jaguars are at least a year away from fielding a strong defensive unit.However, Chai son was my No. 2 edge rusher on a top-20 prospect overall in the 2020 cla s because of his outstanding combination of burst, bend, speed-to-power, and pa s-rushing moves as a 20-year-old prospect. Lots of 20s there. He wasn't extremely consistent as LSU in 2019. But he was coming off an ACL tear in his sophomore campaign and "only" weighed 254 pounds at 6-3. He could add another 10 to his frame and reallybe an intimidating presence acro s from . By the way, Chai son did have 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for lo s in 13 games. He produced.Back to Allen, Jacksonville's 2019 first-round pick who quietly recorded 10.5 sacks last season. Offensive coordinators will scheme to stop him initially, which should leave Chai son in a fair amount of advantageous, true one-on-one situations on the outside.With low expectations, if the Jaguars surprise -- particularly on defense -- and Chai son reaps the benefits of playing on the same defensive front as Allen, he could be a sneaky DROY candidate late in the season.6. Antoine Winfield, S, (+5000)Winfield was seriously injured in multiple seasons at Minnesota, then, with a clean bill of health in 2019, intercepted seven pa ses for the Fighting P.J. Flecks while making 83 total tackles. He was all over the field. Every game.Like his dad, Winfield is ultra-authoritative against the run and stellar instincts when it comes to reading route concepts allows him to super fast on the field. But he's not just a cerebral safety. He ran 4.45 with a 36-inch vertical at the combine.Without much fanfare, the Buccaneers fielded a quality (elite?) defense under Todd Bowles last season, a unit that , and they're basically returning everybody worthwhile.Safety was the one clear need on defense, and Winfield walks into a starting role as a rookie. With Shaq Barrett leading a pa s rush that created pre sure on 37% of opponent's dropbacks in 2019, the ninth-best rate in the league, Winfield will have ample opportunity to makes plays on the football in coverage. And of course, a high interception total is often the driving force behind a defensive back winning DROY.5. , DT, 49ers (+2500)Kinlaw was my top interior defensive line prospect in this cla s, yes, ahead of . The main reason for that? Pa s-rush capability. Kinlaw and Brown are almost identically sized, but Kinlaw was simply a much more effective pa s rusher in college. Per PFF, in 2019, the South Carolina star had a 18.1% pa s-rush win rate, second in the 2020 cla s among interior defensive linemen. Brown's was 13.7%.From his overwhelming bull rush to the small but hyper-effective collection of pa s-rushing moves in his arsenal, Kinlaw can win in a variety of ways from any position on the defensive line. And he steps in for the departed , another tall, versatile trench player who emerged as one of the better pa s-rushing inside defensive linemen in football early in his career.Playing alongside four other first-round picks on the defensive line, Kinlaw is in a fantastic position to eat as a rookie.4. Jeffrey Okudah, CB, (+2000)Okudah was the premier pre s man cornerback in this cla s and easily my top cornerback overall. He smothered Big 10 receivers -- and did one heck of a job against the Clemson wideouts -- with a rare blend of size (6-1, 205 with 32 5/8-inch arms) and athleticism to stick to any type of receiver during his route.Okudah ran a 4.48 40 time, had a 41-inch vertical jump and a 135-inch broad jump -- he's freaky explosive.And he landed in an incredibly man-coverage happy defense in Detroit. According to SIS, the Lions used straight man coverage 54% of the time last season, the highest-rate in the league. If he shadows (big if), Okudah is in line to see , , , , , and . Murderer's row right there.But if he holds his own as a rookie, has high pa s-breakup figures, and a few interceptions as a high pick, Okudah will be a major DROY contender.3. , S/LB, (+800)Simmons is the future. He's not as fluid in coverage as but is much bigger with a larger tackling radius and isn't lost on pa s plays. A top 5 prospect for me -- and just about everyone evaluating draft prospects this year -- Simmons is a menace against the run, will glide with any tight end down the field, and is a phenomenal, finishing blitzer. He's the ultimate quarterback spy too.His extraordinary versatility will put him in a position to make different types of plays throughout the season. One week, the game plan could call for him to primarily be a slot defender. The next week, a between-the-tackles inside linebacker. The next, he could rush the pa ser 20 times. Then, he could range from the deep middle as a free safety.At times, his twitchine s will be stretched to the limit. But his instincts and linear speed/range will drop jaws often in 2020.2. , EDGE, (+350)Young was an elite prospect any way you looked at him. His production was through the roof in his final two seasons at Ohio State. Registering 181 pre sures on 790 pa s-rush snaps (per PFF) is absurd, especially in a Power 5 conference. And doing it at 6-4 and 265 pounds with a plethora of ways to the quarterback made him the consensus top defender in this cla s. First step. Speed around the corner. Power through the tackle. Array of pa s-rushing counters. He's incredibly advanced.And Young joins a defensive line featuring four other first-round picks on it. While the Redskins defense probably won't be outstanding, Young will generate pre sure, get sacks, and find himself in the DROY conversation at season's end.1. , LB, (+1100)Queen's my DROY pick because of the perfect marriage between his talent and situation in Baltimore. Queen was actually an early second-round pick on my Big Board, but it's not as if I didn't like him as a prospect. He's ultra-twitchy, plays bigger than his size between the tackles when blockers get to the second level, and is smooth albeit not super productive in coverage.And Queen is in a playmaking linebacker's dream environment behind a defensive line featuring , , , and . He'll likely be situated next to gigantic, downhill fellow rookie linebacker too. My goodne s. Queen will be able to roam free more than most linebackers in the league. And his short-area quickne s will work wonders against backs in coverage.Expect huge tackling numbers, and some splash plays in coverage and as a blitzer -- no team blitzed more than Baltimore in 2019 -- for Queen en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. Andrew Miller Jersey

Detroit Lions fans, stop reading if you'd heard this before: The Lions were the victims of questionable officiating.With the Seahawks already up 31-23 late in the third quarter, Geno Smith's offense was facing a third-and-16 after an intentional grounding penalty. Smith spiked an incompletion on what looked like a miscommunication with his receivers, and it looked like the Lions were going to get the ball back in a one-po se sion game.The officiating crew, however, congregated shortly after and conversed about the prior play. Instead of it being fourth-and-16 after the incompletion, referee Clay Martin announced they would replay the down because the clock wasn't properly set on the previous play.What would normally be an annoyance immediately became a disaster, as Rashaad Penny broke off a 36-yard touchdown run to make it 38-23 Seahawks.Rashaad Penny said SEE YA. : on FOX: Stream on NFL+ NFL (@NFL) The crowd, naturally, was absolutely irate after the confusing do-over.The Seahawks went on to win the game 48-45, and that touchdown proved to be the difference in the game.MORE:It's the kind of thing that can seemingly only happen to the Lions. Every NFL team has had calls go against it over the years, of course, but the Lions' track record of it happening is shockingly extensive.Here's a quick look at some of the Lions' "greatest hits," so to speak.Completing the proce s -- What is a catch?The poster child for confusing NFL rules is "what is a catch?"The question came to the forefront of the league in 2010, when Calvin Johnson scored what looked like a go-ahead touchdown catch with 24 seconds left in the game against the Bears. The ball came out as Johnson pushed himself back up, and the officials ruled Johnson didn't "complete the proce s."What followed was about six years of Kyle Harrison Jersey hemming and hawing of people wondering "what even is a catch?" That rule has come into some degree of focus in recent years, but this was the perhaps the most high-profile and consequential play the Lions were a part of.The challenge flagYou know a situation is controversial when it leads to a rule change.On Thanksgiving in 2012 when the Lions were taking on the Houston Texans, Detroit was up 24-14 in the third quarter when Texans running back Justin Forsett went down, got up, and just -- for some surreal reason -- got up and ran it into the end zone.It was egregiously clear Forsett was down, but Jim Schwartz was so zealous to challenge the play he threw his challenge flag on the field. Bizarrely, that NULLIFIED the automatic review on all scoring plays, and the Texans were granted the touchdown.Needle s to say, the rule that a challenge flag nullifies a review no longer exists.The batted ballThe Lions have encountered controversy against the Seattle Seahawks before.On "Monday Night Football," Calvin Johnson fumbled a ball into the end zone that was batted out of the back of the end zone by K.J. Wright, leading to a touchback for the Seahawks.MORE:That batted ball, however, is against the rules. Wright should have incurred a penalty and the Lions should have gotten the ball back on the 1-yard line. But instead, the Lions didn't get an opportunity with the ball and the Seahawks went on to win.The 10-second runoffThis is actually an example of the officials getting right and the Lions being hurt by the rules themselves.Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 2017, the Lions scored what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown against the Falcons with nine seconds left. It was ruled a TD on the field, but the review overturned the call.Now comes the rule in question. The Lions had no timeouts left, which means an automatic 10-second runoff was applied, and the Lions lost the game by four with the ball on the 1-yard line.The reason this one is so bizarre is because the ruling being wrong on the field actually cost the Lions a chance to line up for another play, which directly led to the lo s.The delay of gameLast season, the Lions lost on an NFL-record 66-yard kick from Justin Tucker.While that by itself is just impre sive, last season the officials mi sed a delay of game penalty that would have pushed the Ravens out of field goal range.Delay of game already is controversial due to the margin of human error that is clearly inherent. But that situation, having it mi sed harmed the Lions irrevocably, and they paid the price.There are controversial plays outside of these ones, of course, but those are all judgement calls and don't nece sary belong in the same category.The picked up pa s interference flag in the playoffs against the Cowboys immediately comes to mind, along with Aaron Rodgers' facemask in 2015 that led to a Hail Mary victory and the multiple hands to the face penalties when the Lions played the Packers on "Monday Night Football."Wherever the Lions go, controversy seems to follow. The replayed down against the Seahawks, however, is particularly confusing given it was purely due to clock confusion. The Lions would go on to lose 48-45, so this play was hardly the deciding factor. There is no denying, however, its influence on the game as a whole. Will Clark Jersey

Brought to Tampa to replace last season, was expected to slip right in for the Bucs as a physical, ball-hawking cornerback in Lovie Smith's defense.That's not how it played out.After generating an average of five takeaways per campaign over four years with the , Verner notched just two interceptions with the . While struggling with aspects of a Cover 2 scheme that was "more of a Martin Perez Jersey learning curve than I anticipated," Verner was lost in the undertow of a Tampa unit that battled injuries and fell off a cliff by midseason. Verner said, per Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com. "I thought I was going to have at least six or seven interceptions -- minimum. I only had two and dropped three or four. If I did my job better and understood the defense better I could have had more."Verner wasn't alone. Big-name signing battled an ankle injury along the defensive line and wound up as one of a handful of expensive free-agents to be dumped after just one year in Tampa.Injuries to All-Pro defensive tackle and former Bucs end didn't help, but the two-win Bucs were simply outmanned last season. Their putrid offensive line stalled the attack and kept Tampa's worn out defense on the field for a whopping , second only to the ."Our whole defense wasn't able to really get disciplined together due to all the injuries until the end of the season," Verner said. "That's why it's going to be interesting this year."The latest Podcast and discu ses the ' new uniforms. Find more content on . Fernando Tatis Jr. Jersey

The are coming off of a disastrous 2023 season and as a result, they are a team that people will want to see something from before they start taking them seriously.But Chargers fans know this is not your typical team coming off a 5-12 season. is the quarterback and Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach, so a quick turnaround is not only po sible, it may be expected.Looking at the 2024 NFL schedule, things line up favorably for these Chargers. Taking into consideration the first eight weeks of the season only, look at how things line up Josh Fleming Jersey :Week 1 vs. Las VegasWeek 2 at CarolinaWeek 3 at PittsburghWeek 4 vs. Kansas CityWeek 5 BYEWeek 6 at DenverWeek 7 at ArizonaWeek 8 vs. New OrleansThe Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh, does that mean the Chiefs are in trouble? explores: Whats Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) The Week 4 battle with Kansas City will be tough but every other game on that list should be considered winnable. The early bye week has a chance to come at a perfect time for the team as well.If the game against Kansas City results in a lo s, Harbaugh will have a chance to get an extra week to prepare his troops for games against the Broncos, Cardinals, and Saints. The team could be sitting pretty through eight weeks, particularly if they get off to a 3-0 start before that Chiefs game., the Chargers have the second-easiest schedule in the entire league. The first eight weeks will be key to how far this team will go in Harbaugh's first season strolling the sidelines. Jackson Wolf Jersey

Myriad of sore and sadne sIn the moments when there was nothing left to say, and when Croatia has already pa sed through the biggest tragedy on Euro, the coach Slaven Bili had a smile on his face, a smile which was saying more than words. Luck abandon shady Croatian faith and ran away on the far East.The Turks havent created a real chance in 120 minutes, and than froze the hearts among the Croatia in le s than sixty seconds.Id like to congratulate and ours and Turks on one great match. Because of this football is the most dramatical sport in the world, started Nane the sad story after mi sed semi-final in which will play Jimmy Foxx Jersey Turkey and Germany on 25th June.Vatreni were, after numerous chances and three mi sed penalties, crying broken-hearted, and so were the colons of sombre fans in Vienna, Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijekall around Croatia and world.If we won,the Turks would say that we were lucky. But what a goal guy scored in the last second! I have nothing to criticize to my players, they are heroes, they were phenomenal, they are heroes, repeated Nane after the game and described the last act of drama in which Modri, Rakiti and Petri failed to score from the 11-meters spot.The penalties were shot by the most sure players, who wanted to do it. The drop of concentration happened. Even the greatest players, like Roberto Baggio and others on the World Cup, experienced that. Its a panic and twitch in legs, a normal thing, concluded coach. Robin Roberts Jersey

's struggles with foot injuries continue. The linebacker reportedly suffered a right foot fracture during Sunday's over the , according . Te'o is expected to mi s multiple weeks, but he will avoid going on injured reserve, according Miguel Tejada Jersey to the report. It's the third foot injury of the second-year linebacker's career. Te'o mi sed the first three games last season with an injured right foot that required offseason surgery -- Sunday's injury was on that same foot. The 23-year-old during the preseason, but returned to the lineup to start . Te'o had played well in the ' first three games. He leads an underrated San Diego defense in tackles and compiled 10 takedowns in against the . For perspective, it's worth noting that Pro Football Focus had Te'o graded as its ninth-ranked inside linebacker through three weeks of the 2014 season. The latest recaps all of the Week 3 action and picks Skye Bolt Jersey

With another round of rs set to be enshrined Saturday, NFL Media historian Elliot Harrison gets you up to speed on the Cla s of 2015, providing one thing you need to know about each man getting a bust in Canton.Jerome Bettis, running backLos Angeles/ (1993-95), (1996-2005)You need to know: How he racked up the sixth-most rushing yards in NFL history.As fleet of foot as Bettis was, and as effectively as he could get defenders to take bad angles, make no mistake ... this guy was a POWER back. There are so few running backs of this type who managed to be this productive for as long as Bettis (13 seasons). Many of the Bus' 13,662 rushing yards came on short runs in which he bowled people over. Just ask Brian Urlacher, who was -- the last year of Bettis' career. That ability -- along with the fact that he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 1993, the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1996 and a ring in XL -- is why Bettis is arguably the third-best power back of the era. Here is an unofficial ranking:1) Earl Campbell 2) John Riggins 3) Jerome Bettis 4) 5) O.J. AndersonIf you want to go old old school, think of Bettis as of his day.Tim Brown, receiverLos Angeles/ (1988-2003), (2004)You need to know: That a humble start to his career made him work harder.My first year covering pro football, I worked with Brown on an NFL show on Fox Sports Net. Brown was always a gentleman, and while he had the confidence of a player who had achieved much, he never displayed the kind of me-first attitude you often see in WR1s. That humility must have stemmed from his roots -- which included playing on a high school team (Woodrow Wilson, in Dallas) that won all of one game his senior year. That is to say, Brown didn't always taste succe s. Notre Dame was not the powerhouse under the first coach of Brown's tenure there, Gerry Faust, that it would come to be known as under his second, Lou Holtz. And his pro career didn't exactly start off swimmingly, either.Consider: In his first five years in the NFL, Brown caught 147 balls ... that's fewer than 30 per season. A combination of injuries, coaching upheaval and some of the cruddiest quarterback play you've ever seen led to the lack of productivity. That Brown managed to work his way into the top five on the all-time career receptions list (he ranks fifth with 1,094) is a tribute to his character and fortitude.Charles Haley, defensive end (1986-1991; 1998-99), (1992-96)You need to know: In his first 11 seasons, no team he was on won fewer than 10 games.Haley is the only being walking upright on planet Earth to have won five rings as a player. But you've probably heard that. What you might not know about is the phenomenal overall win-lo s records his teams enjoyed for the bulk of his career (before he , in 1997).Not only was Haley on seven teams that went to the NFC Championship Game over his time with the Niners and -- he was arguably the best defensive player on the field. The worst squad Haley played on in that initial 11-season stretch was the 1991 Niners, who mi sed the playoffs -- thanks to in Atlanta -- despite going 10-6. And that team lost its starting quarterback. Haley was a er that year, as he would be five times in his career. With apologies to Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and , Haley is the ultimate winner in NFL history.Junior Seau, linebacker (1990-2002), (2003-05), (2006-09)You need to know: How well he played for the dreadful '98 .The eventual enshrinement of Seau -- the premier player in this cla s -- was a certainty the day he walked away from football. While he pa sed away far too soon, he clearly made an impact in both pro football circles and the community around him. Seau's virtues transcend any one interesting fact about his career. However, when David Wells Jersey thinking about his brilliant run in San Diego, the way he excelled for one of the worst teams he ever played on immediately springs to mind.You might recognize the season. fans certainly do, as it was the year the club drafted eventual bust Ryan Leaf -- the JaMarcus Ru sell of the 1990s -- second overall. So you know the offense did nothing (the team pa ser rating was 44.9 -- ugh). Yet Seau drove a defensive unit that did everything it could to keep San Diego in games. Though the Bolts had one of the worst pa sing games in the NFL (perhaps in years), the defense finished No. 1. San Diego led the NFL in rushing yards allowed, yards per play allowed and forcing three-and-out drives. Seau was more than simply a leader, as he would receive first-team All-Pro honors from The A sociated Pre s, the Pro Football Writers of America and The Sporting News. Whether he was stuffing runs, making more than 100 tackles or getting everyone lined up, Seau was a glorious player on the most inglorious of teams.Will Shields, guard (1993-2006)You need to know: That he made the 12 times.These days, players drop out of the faster than frat guys drop their space-physics summer cla s. Well, at least the quarterbacks do, anyway. But there was a time when being named to the was considered a huge honor, especially for those who manned a no-frills position like guard. Shields, who dominated on the line in Kansas City for 14 years, was paid the ultimate compliment with all those nods. To give you an idea of the significance of this, consider the short list of players who earned more:Tony Gonzalez, 14, 14 Bruce Matthews, 14 Merlin Olsen, 14 Jerry Rice, 13 Reggie White, 13 Ray Lewis, 13Matthews, Olsen, Rice and White were first-ballot rs. Manning and Lewis will most a suredly be, as well. Those are seven of the top, what, 30 players in NFL history? Shields, who became eligible for the in 2012, should not have had to wait this long.Mick Tingelhoff, center (1962-1978)You need to know: About his unreal durability.The fact that Tingelhoff, the Seniors Committee's selection, competed at the size he did (6-foot-2, 237 pounds) for as long as he did is truly remarkable. To start 259 consecutive contests, from Day 1 to the day he hung 'em up, would be impre sive enough on its own. But to do so at center? It's the third-longest streak, behind only Favre and Jim Marshall. Tingelhoff, who also played in multiple s and s, reached that total with defensive tackles pounding him on every play. He reached it in the mud and extreme cold of Metropolitan Stadium. And he reached it against some of the best players pro football has ever seen, like Merlin Olsen, Bob Lilly and fellow Viking Alan Page in practice. What an accomplishment.CONTRIBUTORSBill PolianYou need to know: How strongly he's linked with Marv Levy. is courtesy of the way he built the , and into prominent teams. What you might not realize is the extent to which Polian's NFL legacy is tied to Levy, as beautifully detailed in .Levy hired Polian as a scout when he got his first coaching gig with the in 1978. Levy and Polian worked together for the USFL's Chicago Blitz in 1984. And when Polian, freshly minted as the ' GM in 1986, needed to hire a head coach in Buffalo, he turned to an old colleague: Levy.It's important to note precisely how bad the of that era had been. They started the 1984 season 0-11, "rallying" to finish up at 2-14. They matched that sterling record again in 1985, when the team scored a paltry 12.5 points per game. The cupboard in Buffalo was mostly bare, save for young players like Bruce Smith and Andre Reed. Polian began building the nucleus of a four-time team first by hiring Levy, who will present him at the enshrinement ceremonies Saturday.Ron WolfYou need to know: About the secret succe s he had in Tampa Bay. as the man who acquired Brett Favre for the , but he did a lot more than that during nearly four decades in the NFL. Before his tenure in Green Bay, Wolf was highly regarded for having scouted the many transcendent players on the '70s , including the recently deceased Ken Stabler.What is not usually cited as a rsum highlight: the time he spent in Tampa Bay. After all, the Bucs went 2-26 their first two seasons, and Wolf was fired not long after the second awful campaign. However, he had drafted several of the core players who would help the Bucs reach the NFC Championship Game in only their fourth year of existence. Given that there was no free agency period at that time, going from 2-26 to the doorstep of the in that span was a big deal. The Bucs would make the playoffs in 1981 and 1982 before foolishly letting quarterback Doug Williams walk to the USFL. But three playoff appearances in four years came partly from Wolf's direction, even if it wasn't his best, or most famous, work.Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter . Roger Clemens Jersey

With the 2015 fast approaching, Bucky Brooks is breaking down the biggest areas of need for every team in the NFL, division by division. Below is his look at the AFC West. (NOTE: Click on tabs to see other divisions; click on team names to see a full list of draft picks.) Biggest needs: Tight end, offensive line, outside linebacker. The arrival of new coach Gary Kubiak will require general manager John Elway to tweak his offensive personnel to better suit the zone-based running game and play-action pa sing game. The will thus seriously consider athletic offensive linemen with nice feet and movement skills. Florida State's would fill a huge need along the interior; Denver could also eye Pittsburgh's , Florida's and Texas A&M's as potential developmental offensive tackles. Kubiak's affinity for the tight end position could prompt him to take a look at Minnesota's as a playmaker between the hashes. Miami's is also a potential fit as a Day 2 candidate. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will retain the 3-4, but he could look to improve depth at outside linebacker with an intriguing athlete in Kentucky's or Virginia's . Biggest needs: Receiver, offensive tackle, inside linebacker. The were on the cusp of making back-to-back playoff appearances under Andy Reid, but they couldn't finish the deal down the stretch last season. The lack of touchdown production from the wide receivers makes upgrading that position a priority, even with the arrival of free-agent signee as the new WR1. Thus, the team could take extended looks at Arizona State's , Louisville's and Mi souri's to increase their red-zone efficiency. A speed merchant like Ohio State's or Miami's could also add a spark to the pa sing game, what with their explosivene s and vertical playmaking ability. As a former offensive lineman, Reid is prone to falling in love with Eric Orze Jersey developmental tackle prospects. Guys like Florida's , Pittsburgh's and Miami's are po sible fits. On defense, the need to groom a young replacement for . UCLA's , Mi si sippi State's and TCU's are viable candidates. Biggest needs: Receiver, pa s rusher, running back. In last year's draft, the added key pieces in linebacker and quarterback . This year, they must pick up a few more blue-chip players if they want to build a championship nucleus. They need a WR1 who can help Carr thrive in the pocket. Alabama's and West Virginia's are potential candidates, given their impre sive physical traits and polished games. Defensively, the potential addition of USC defensive tackle would alleviate the pre sure on Mack along the front line; Williams would command double-team attention and allow Mack to face one-on-one opportunities on the edges. Florida's and Clemson's would help fortify the edges. Beasley is the more explosive pa s rusher, but Fowler is a hard-nosed player with a game that is eerily similar to Mack's. The acquired running back in the offseason, but that shouldn't prevent them from adding another dynamic runner like Miami's or Alabama's on Day 2. Biggest needs: Running back, offensive line, nose tackle. Poised to enter the season with a pedestrian trio of runners ( , and ), the should explore adding a legitimate feature back, to offset the pre sure on quarterback to carry the offense -- barring, of course, the unlikely rumors of the Bolts trading Rivers and drafting coming to fruition. Wisconsin's is a home-run hitter with the vision, balance and body control to handle a heavy workload as an inside-outside runner. He isn't a proven commodity in the pa sing game, but he flashes the potential to be an effective threat on the perimeter. Georgia's is a wild card at the position, as he is coming off a torn ACL suffered in November, but he is clearly the top runner in the 2015 cla s. He would give the a -like presence to build around. On the offensive line, the team could move inside and scoop up a developmental offensive tackle with outstanding athleticism and movement skills. Oregon's , Pittsburgh's and Miami's would be intriguing options at right tackle. Defensively, the need for a big body in the middle could put Texas' , Florida State's and Oklahoma's in the conversation. Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter . Zach Muckenhirn Jersey

NFL Health Playbook will feature a guest columnist every Tuesday, each with a different viewpoint of player health and safety from the youth level to pro football.By Dr. Joseph F. Waeckerle, NFL Evolution columnistThe family is the ultimate sentinel for the concu sed student-athlete's well-being, especially during the management and recovery stages of care. The family contributes by supporting their student-athlete in academic, social, and athletic endeavors. The family should work in concert with the attending health care profe sional and school to ensure that their student-athlete is benefiting from an individualized and comprehensive approach to his or her concu sion care. To this end, family members have crucial responsibilities. They should become knowledgeable about concu sions, remain alert to the po sibility of a concu sion and, once a concu sion is diagnosed, promote a personalized concu sion care plan.Importantly, family members are most sensitive to any changes in the mental, physical and psychological status of the concu sed student-athlete and are a valuable resource to the attending health care profe sional and Tim Beckham Jersey school in monitoring the progre s of recovery. Family members closely cooperate with the school staff and are particularly vital in ensuring their student-athlete's adherence to therapeutic recommendations. Of particular importance, family members should encourage the student-athlete to report or report themselves, any incident or symptoms that might indicate a po sible concern, complication or deterioration. School administrators, teachers, school nurses and other staff unite with the family to benefit the concu sed student-athlete. The first step in this cohesive approach is to raise the level of awarene s and knowledge about concu sions for all school staff including understanding the causes and the symptoms and signs of concu sions, the management strategies for dealing with cognitive and behavioral difficulties, and the po sible short- and long- term complications. Importantly, school leadership should devise and implement a school concu sion plan.The goal of the plan is to mitigate the impact of concu sion on the student-athlete's academic, social, and athletic endeavors. The school plan should identify a staff member to serve as a concu sion care advocate to foster the concu sed student-athlete optimal care to return to well-being.The school advocate establishes a communication network among the injured student-athlete, his or her family, medical personnel, teachers and counselors. The advocate communicates regularly with the family, school staff and attending health care profe sional about the student-athlete's current status and about his or her performance and progre s. The advocate works with the family, teachers, counselors and school nurse to implement appropriate academic short-term adjustments or a specific accommodation plan as needed for reintegrating the injured student-athlete into the cla sroom. Ultimately, the family and school staff unite as guardians of health for the concu sed student-athlete optimizing a personalized care plan that results in a return to well-being academically, socially and athletically.Dr. Joseph F. Waeckerle is clinical profe sor of emergency medicine at the University of Mi souri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He also is editor emeritus of Annals of Emergency Medicine. He has practiced Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine and has been a team physician at the grade school, high school, college, and profe sion level for over 30 years. He currently serves on the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Injury Committee and the Mackey White Brain Injury Committee of the NFL Players A sociation. Minnesota Twins Jersey

For a minute, it looked like an inevitability that would begin the next chapter of his NFL career with the . The All-Pro safety was set to visit the team and go through a workout this week while a deal was once Thomas pa sed his COVID-19 protocols. However, things have changed rather quickly in this potential marriage between Houston and Thomas. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans will not be signing the 31-year-old safety.This comes afterreported that the Texans sent Thomas home prior to his scheduled workout with the club. One would naturally think that this was in relation to the which forced a shutdown of the facility until further notice while Robin Yount Jersey po sibly putting their Week 4 contest in jeopardy. The NFL released a memo to clubs on Tuesday afternoon reemphasizing how diligent each team must be to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and suggested revisiting the steps each team takes when bringing in players for workouts.While that seemed to be a reason why Thomas' workout was postponed, reports that the Texans' decision to not sign him was not COVID-19 related. Houston originally planned to work out five safeties (including Thomas), per, but those se sions have now been moved. In Thomas' case, it has seemingly been postponed permanently with the Texans now focusing on their Week 4 matchup with the .And now, Thomas, who was due to i sues inside the team's locker room, will have to continue to wait before making his NFL return. Jeferson Quero Jersey

The Patriots' offense underwent significant changes during the 2022 NFL offseason for the first time in nearly a decade. Josh McDaniels left to coach the Raiders, and Bill Belichick tabbed former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coordinator Joe Judge to run the offense.The results have not been great.New England's offense has been inconsistent during training camp and the preseason. On Tuesday, the unit had a particularly poor outing in joint practice against McDaniels' Raiders which had many starting to hit the panic button.MORE: Mac Jones is not among them. The second-year quarterback explained during his weekly call with WEEIs "Merloni, Fauria & Mego" show that it is just taking time for everything to mesh on offense."I think we have really good players, really good skill players I can spread the ball around to. But every systems different, right?" Jones said, per . "So its kind of getting a feel for what you want to do, what your m.o. is as an offense. The big thing right now is figuring that out."Jones had his share of i sues at Tuesday's practice. He went 14 of 26 pa sing and was after throwing his lone interception.Jayon Brown with his 2nd INT at Raiders joint practice against Mac Jones and takes hit to the house! Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) Still, he wouldn't call that practice Nick Fortes Jersey or any other practice that the Patriots have had during training camp a failure.Failure is putting a label on something thats a proce s. Were just trying to focus on the proce s, and not the result. Failure would be considered a result. Were just trying to work through it all. We dont need to overcomplicate it. Its a simple game if you make it a simple game. Were all trying to get there, which doesnt happen overnight.It's not a surprise that it has taken a while to implement the new scheme. After all, the Patriots' offensive coaching overhaul isn't limited to just Patricia and Judge joining the unit. New England also saw quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, receivers coach Mick Lombardi and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo join the Raiders while long-time running backs coach Ivan Fears retired.MORE: That's a lot of overhaul and new voices for any team to deal with; especially one that is starting a young quarterback like Jones.Even still, Jones doesn't believe that it should be taking so long for the Patriots to find succe s in the new offense.To me, Ive always prided myself on being a smart quarterback. I like to just operate whatever offense we have, he said. Theres a lot of different changes, but at the same time, we have really good coaches who are providing insight that we might not have had before from a defensive perspective.So, how can the Patriots get comfortable in this offense just weeks before the regular season begins? Jones believes it all hinges on one thing.It always goes back to the players and listening to the coaches, and doing the scheme correctly. We have to do better at that.MORE: Jones knows that proce s will contain within it some growing pains and some frustrating practices, but he also believes that the Patriots will only improve as they get more familiar with the team's new system."Sometimes on the practice field, I get really competitive. And I want it to go better. But its more about the proce s, just watching the film, and getting better with still a young offense."Sometimes you have to realize, thats what we are right now." Vidal Brujan Jersey

As undoubtedly the two biggest teams in Scottish football, Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers have dominated the SPL for almost three decades.Recently, they have both also enjoyed succe s in the Uefa Cup reaching the final of the competition in 2003 and 2008 respectively. But once again this season, they have both failed to transfer their domestic form onto European footballs biggest stage the Champions League. Celtic failed to qualify for the group stages and are currently in the Europa League, whilst Rangers hopes of progre s were critically damaged by a 4-1 defeat to unknown Romanian side Unirea Urziceni.Walter Smith under pre sureTheir continued Manny Mota Jersey failings on the Champions League front casts serious doubt upon the two Glasgow giants wish to join the Premier League, thus competing with Manchester United and Chelsea on a regular basis. Even Walter Smith, Rangers manager, doubts their ability to compete against Europes best. Weve had a steadine s in terms of domestic results, he told BBC Sport after the embarra sing defeat at Ibrox. But whether we are at a stage where we can hope to compete with the top European clubs, or even the ones below that level, at the present moment is up for debate. If we get ourselves together, and with a little bit of luck in games, sometimes we can punch above our weight.Celtics got talent not even Susan Boyle could inspire the BhoysThe question, however, which must be asked is whether it is good enough for clubs of the stature of Rangers and Celtic to be simply punching above their weight in Europe. These are two clubs, remember, that have shared 94 Scottish titles between them, when no other team has won more than four. Their domestic pedigree, as such, cannot be doubted. So why have either side not made a huge impact upon the Champions League?Kenny Miller: Championship to Champions LeagueOne po sible answer, and a topic becoming increasingly common in the modern footballing world, is money. The Scottish Premier Leagues highest-placed team (i.e. either Celtic or Rangers) earns around fifteen times le s than the English Premier Leagues lowest in terms of commercial revenue and although big-money sponsorship deals with companies such as Carling, Umbro and Nike undoubtedly boost the Ibrox and Celtic Park coffers considerably, there is a definite shortfall.Money, it must be said, can only go so far. Rangers squad against Urziceni still cost a combined fee in exce s of 20million compared to 1.3m for the visitors.In a roundabout way, the domestic succe s of the two sides has created an appetite, almost an expectancy, for succe s that they are now struggling to fulfil. Players such as Celtics Willo Flood and Kenny Miller of Rangers may be of sufficient quality to mount a challenge for the Scottish Premier League, but the Champions League is another level. Players such as Miller, Madjid Bouggherra and Kyle Lafferty made names for themselves in the English Football League before moving north of the border and expecting a seamle s transition from Championship to Champions League will see both teams continuing to struggle for years to come. Danny Duffy Jersey

The recently-completed "The Last Dance" documentary chronicling Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' sixth and final NBA championship captivated a sports-starving audience during an odd time in our world's history. ESPN's 10-part series drew in record numbers of viewers that re-lived the astonishing feats of Jordan, coach Phil Jackson, teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and the rest of the Bulls, whose achievements remain unmatched by the NBA dynasties that have followed in their footsteps.The succe s of "The Last Dance" may inspire a documentary on one of the NFL's greatest dynasties. While there have been , there has yet to be a documentary on an NFL dynasty that is as thorough as the one that was recently completed about Jordan's Bulls. If a 10-part series documenting the exploits of a past NFL dynasty is ultimately made, there are several dynasties worthy of consideration.Here's a look at five NFL dynasties that deserve their own 10-part series. When making this list, we considered each dynasty's impact on the NFL, the individuals that made up those teams, and the entertainment level of the storylines/narratives that helped tell the story of those dynasties.1. The 1990s Dallas CowboysThe '90s Cowboys have everything you'd want in a full-length documentary. They had tremendous star power, led by quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and receiver Michael Irvin. They have a remarkable "rags to riches" story that starts with a hungover Jerry Jones making the decision to buy the franchise in 1989. Jones, a central character in any documentary involving the '90s Cowboys, made several highly controversial coaching decisions during that time period: the firing of NFL icon Tom Landry and replacing him with Jimmy Johnson, then deciding to part with Johnson following the team's second consecutive Super Bowl win five years later.Along the way, the '90s Cowboys elevated the franchise's status as "America's Team," becoming the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span. To win those championships, Johnson pulled off one of the most dramatic trades in league history, sending All-Pro running back Herschel Walker to the Vikings in exchange for several players and a bounty of future draft picks. Johnson would parlay those picks into several players that would help Dallas go from 1-15 in 1989 to Super Bowl champions three years later.The Cowboys had a slew of heated battles during that time that included their playoff matchups with the 49ers, the team they faced in the NFC Championship each season from 1992-94. Johnson's infamous guarantee before the '93 NFC title game (the Cowboys Ryan Miller Jersey won that game, 38-21) would likely get considerable airtime during the documentary.Controversy was a constant around this dynasty. Barry Switzer, the succe sful college coach who replaced Johnson as Dallas' coach in 1994, was constantly under the microscope. Things hit a frenzied pitch in Dallas after the release ofthat detailed some of the dysfunction that existed within the locker room during Switzer's tenure with the Cowboys. Specifically, the book exposed Aikman's deep-rooted i sues with Switzer's laid back coaching style and the outrageous partying that was taking place when the Cowboys weren't on the practice field.At the center of this chaos was Jones, who added to the circus nature surrounding his team when he signed former 49ers cornerback Deion Sanders to a lucrative contract in 1995. While most of his moves paid off in the short term (including the signing of Sanders, who helped Dallas in the Super Bowl shortly after he signed with the team), Jones ultimately played a role in the fall of "America's Team", as Dallas has yet to make it back to an NFC title game since winning their last Super Bowl in January of 1996.And while the fall has been dramatic, no one can argue that the heights of Jones' succe s in Dallas were considerably high. It would make for a thrilling documentary, one that could po sibly rival the one recently made on Jordan's Bulls.2. The modern-dayIt's hard to imagine a documentary on the most polarizing and succe sful NFL team of the 21st century not turning in record numbers. While Patriots fans would surely tune into re-live their six Super Bowl victories, fans of opposing teams would also likely watch to see how the documentary covers "Spygate" and "Deflategate," two controversies that have left a black eye on the Patriots' championship run. The documentary would likely the infamous "Tuck Rule" game that helped jumpstart New England's dynasty.A documentary covering the modern-day Patriots could also focus onrise from backup quarterback to NFL "GOAT" and Bill Belichick's similar rise from firedcoach to arguably the greatest coach in league history. The documentary would likely devote time on the complicated relationship that existed between Brady, Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and how those relationships impacted Belichick's decision to tradeto San Francisco and Brady's decision to leave the team this offseason.New England's documentary would include some legendary moments. It would cover the perfect 2007 regular season (that would include some jaw-dropping footage of Brady's numerous touchdown pa ses that season to Randy Mo s), the gut-wrenching lo ses toGiants, Brady's epic battles with,clutch Super Bowl kicks, Super Bowl-saving pick, the history-making comeback against the, Belichick's decision to bench Butler against the, the thrilling win overin the '18 AFC title game, and how Brady's time in New England came to an unceremonious end. It would also likely spend time detailing the crazy happenings of, one of the most colorful personalities in the NFL.3. The 1970sThe '70s Steelers were loaded with star power, as 10 players from that era are currently enshrined in Canton, Ohio. The Steelers also have one of the biggest fan bases in profe sional sports, so it's easy to envision that a documentary on their most legendary team would bring in large numbers.The Steelers of that era were dominant, becoming the only team in history to win four Super Bowls in a six-year span. Pittsburgh's defense, a legendary unit that was led by two time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Joe Greene, was nicknamed the "Steel Curtain" after unleashing an overpowering pa s rush that opposing offenses were seldom able to contain. To win their championships, the '70s Steelers had to overcome some of the greatest teams in history -- a list of teams and coaches that includes Tom Landry's Cowboys and John Madden's. Pittsburgh's two Super Bowls against Dallas and their five playoff battles against the Raiders (that includes Franco Harris' infamous Immaculate Reception in the '72 playoffs) would make for a compelling documentary.The '70s Steelers also po se sed a cast of characters, none bigger than quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw's complicated relationship with Pittsburgh and head coach Chuck Noll would add to the context of the documentary, along with helping explaining how Noll (and former team president Dan Rooney) were able to turn the Steelers from a perennial loser into NFL royalty.4. The late '70s, early '80s RaidersYou can't have a list of should-be NFL documentaries and not include the Raiders of the late '70s and early '80s. During this time, the Raiders employed some of the most colorful personalities in NFL history, a group of players that includes quarterback Kenny "The Snake" Stabler, Ted Hendricks, Willie Brown, Jake "The A sa sin" Tatum, Dave "The Ghost" Casper, , Skip "Dr. Death" Thomas, Gene Upshaw, Howie Long, Lyle Alzado,Matt Millen, John Matuszak, Todd Christensen, and Lester Hayes. The Raiders of that era included other great players that include , Art Shell, Cliff Branch and Mike Haynes.In the '70s, the Raiders were led by John Madden, one of the biggest and most influential figures in NFL history. After coming up short in numerous championship games, Madden's Raiders finally broke through in 1976, as the Raiders lost just one game that season en route to victories over the defending champion Steelers and Vikings to secure the first world championship in franchise history.Along the way, the Raiders were fined more than any NFL team while solidifying their image as one of the nastiest teams in the league.In 1980, the Raiders made NFL history by becoming the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. One of the central storylines of that championship run was quarterback Jim Plunkett, a former No. 1 pick who was considered a bust before leading the Raiders to victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl XV. Three years later, Plunkett was part one the Raiders' 38-9 upset win over the defending champion Redskins in one of the most shocking outcomes in Super Bowl history. The coach during the Raiders' last two Super Bowl wins was Tom Flores, a former Raiders quarterback who became the first minority coach to win the Super Bowl.At the center of the Raiders during that time was owner Al Davis, one of the most influential and controversial figures in profe sional sports history. Davis, who famously waged war with commi sioner Pete Rozelle over his desire to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles, would be the main fixture in this documentary. Along with his feud with Rozelle, Davis' bizarre feud with Allen -- which led to Allen spending years of his prime on the bench as he was replaced by two-sport star Bo Jackson -- would also be a key topic of conversation during the documentary. Davis was one of the most colorful owners in NFL history.5. The 1980s The '80s 49ers have a near-perfect blend of interesting characters, star power, team accomplishment, and storylines to keep fans interested over a 10-part series. While the 49ers were considered NFL royalty by the end of the '80s, San Francisco's dynasty was mostly made up of previously unknowns who were motivated to prove their many doubters wrong.Before guiding the 49ers to three titles while becoming the face of the West Coast offense, Bill Walsh was a former a sistant who was spurned by mentor Paul Brown after Brown pa sed on hiring Walsh as Cincinnati's head coach in 1976. In a cla sic redemption story, Walsh beat Brown's Bengals to win his first and last Super Bowls as the 49ers' head coach. Similar to Jordan in "The Last Dance," Walsh walked away as a champion after his team defeated the Bengals in one of the most tightly contested Super Bowls of all time.Joe Montana, who many doubted would ever amount to much as an NFL quarterback, proved his doubters wrong by becoming the first player in history to win Super Bowl MVP three times. Montana's second MVP award might have been the sweetest, as he out-dueled league MVP Dan Marino during the 49ers' dominant win over the in Super Bowl XIX. A year later, Montana teamed up with Jerry Rice, who arrived in San Francisco after playing at Mi si sippi Valley State, a Division 1-AA program. Like Jordan and Pippen, Montana and Rice devastated the opposition while helping the 49ers close the decade with back-to-back titles.San Francisco's climb to the top included its share of pitfalls. The team suffered devastating postseason lo ses to the (twice), and , with the lo s to Minnesota in the '87 playoffs nearly leading to a major overhaul of the team. There was also the infamous quarterback controversy between Montana and Steve Young, a controversy that wouldn't be settled until Montana suffered a career-threatening injury at the end of the 1990 season.The 49ers also had a slew of characters that included Charles Haley, Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds, Ronnie Lott (who once cut off a piece of a finger in order to stay on the field), Roger Craig, and former team owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., one of the most colorful figures in league history. You also can't talk about the 49ers without talking about Dwight Clark, who kicked off the dynasty by making "The Catch" against the in the 1981 NFC title game. Clark, who pa sed away in 2018 after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, would likely be a key figure in any documentary involving the 49ers.Honorable mention: The 1960s A 10-part documentary should be made on the last team in NFL history to win three straight league titles. The '60s Packers, the first team to win the Super Bowl, also po se sed arguably the greatest coach in NFL history in Vince Lombardi, whose peerle s drive to win helped create a team whose overall IQ was just as impre sive as their physical attributes. Lombardi was also ahead of his team as it related to race relations, as he is considered the first coach to select African American players in the first round of the draft.The '60s Packers also helped raise the popularity of the NFL at a time when baseball was still considered to be America's main past time. But with Lombardi and future Hall of Fame players Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Dave Robinson, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood and Ray Nitschke, the Packers helped propel the NFL to the ma sive succe s that it is today. Specifically, the Packers' epic battles with the Cowboys in the '66 and '67 NFL title games helped turn profe sional football into America's most popular sport. 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The are adding a reinforcement as they prepare for the NFC Championship Game.Detroit has agreed to a contract with tight end , . Ertz is reportedly joining the Lions' practice squad but could be elevated to the active roster for Sunday's game against the 49ers (). Carter Jensen Jersey The Lions' decision to make a rare notable addition amid a playoff run came a day after their depth at tight end took a hit during their win over the in the Divisional Round. Backup tight end suffered a forearm injury and was reportedly seen wearing a sling after the game."It doesn't look real good for next week," Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters of Wright's and left guard injuries after the game. "But we'll see."ADVERTISEMENT In addition to Wright, the Lions have been dealing with tight end knee injury over the last couple of weeks. The standout rookie hyperextended his knee in the Lions' regular-season finale, causing him to be listed as questionable for each of their first two playoff games. He played in both games, but only had three receptions for 14 yards in the Lions' opening-round win over the . LaPorta played a bigger role in the 31-23 win over the Buccaneers, recording nine receptions for 65 yards.Jared Goff, Lions hold off Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers - Dave Helman Ertz has a chance to be the primary backup to LaPorta if Wright is out for the foreseeable future. He already has some familiarity with Lions tight end coach Steve Heiden, who coached Ertz in the same role with the the prior two seasons.The Cardinals waived Ertz at the end of November, granting his wish to allow him to seek the opportunity to play for a contender. Prior to his departure, Ertz had 27 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown in seven games as he played in a backup role following his return from an ACL tear in 2022.Ertz, 33, has been one of the more decorated tight ends since he entered the league in 2013. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and spent several seasons ranking among the best tight ends in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.Ertz is seeking his second Super Bowl title, winning his first with the in 2017. Willie Wilson Jersey

Judy Battista highlights the storylines and factors to pay attention to in Week 8, beginning with a surprising strength for Indianapolis and continuing below with .On a snowy January afternoon nearly three years ago, a week before Indianapolis was to host , owner Jim Irsay was in his office, contemplating the miserable season his team had just endured even as he planned the parties his fellow owners would attend. Irsay was already privately leaning toward making many transformative decisions: that , whom Irsay was not sure could ever play again, would be released; that would be drafted. And then, while a reporter was sitting in his office with him, the phone rang, and Irsay asked for a minute of privacy.That, it turned out, was the moment that might have changed the face of the as much as and later that year. On the other end of that call was defensive coordinator . He was accepting Irsay's offer to become his next coach, and he was bringing with him an understanding. That the would become a more balanced team. That the days of relying only on a quarterback -- even another transcendent one -- were over. That the team often described, sometimes derisively, as a fine se squad would now be physical. That the would have ... a defense. And now, after years of paying lip service to that idea, it has finally become a reality. After last Sunday, -- third -- in total defense, a level it reached just once (in 2007) in the previous era, forming a staggering partnership with the league's . Heading into Week 8, Indianapolis also boasts (opponents are converting little more than 1 of 4 attempts), is (21) and is . Even Luck, in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, was overshadowed by the defense last week."I just love the fact that this is the vision Chuck had the day we came over from Baltimore," said defensive lineman , who arrived in Indianapolis along with Pagano in 2012. "The vision of building a defense that is very physical, a defense that doesn't get mad whenever the offense makes a fumble. We get happy, because that gives us more face time."Regardle s of what it was in the past, this is a new era, the new Doug Rader Jersey vision of our offense, to march the ball up and down, and a stingy defense that don't want to give you even a piece of candy on Halloween when they've got the whole bag."That wasn't the first time the desired a defense -- former coach Tony Dungy, after all, was a defensive mastermind in Tampa Bay. But the squads Manning led had been constructed to tilt so heavily toward the offense that there was often a shortage of money or will to build a comparable unit on the other side of the ball. Instead, the defense served as a complement -- but not an equal companion -- to the offense. It was small and fast and predicated on rushing the pa ser, with the knowledge that the would almost always be playing with a lead furnished by Manning, and that their opponents would almost always be throwing to catch up. The strategy worked, sometimes spectacularly well. In Manning's 13 years playing (he mi sed his 14th and final season in Indianapolis while he dealt with his neck injury), the won one , played in another and went to the playoffs nine other times. But while Manning had year after year of regular-season superlatives, the defense was often blamed for Indianapolis' inability to capture more than one Lombardi Trophy.Redding knew immediately what Pagano wanted when he saw that the coach planned to change the defense from the 4-3 the had run in the past to the 3-4. But as the transition began, the team simply did not have the appropriate players to fit the scheme in Year 1. Indianapolis still had smaller players than are ideal for the 3-4, and in that first year under Pagano, the defense and . Last season, things improved, but in two playoff games, the allowed 87 points, in the divisional round.The and in the offseason, but a potentially huge problem soon presented itself: The lo s of premier pa s rusher . With Mathis, the defense's biggest star, out for the year, the unit was left almost facele s, an i sue that seemingly would have been exacerbated by that has kept -- perhaps -- out of the past five games.Redding and Pagano came from a star-laden defense in Baltimore -- think of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, , -- but if this unit is relatively unknown, it has also been liberated by coordinator Greg Manusky. With two lockdown corners in and , who have shown they can take on receivers man to man, Manusky has been free to use a variety of blitzes, bringing pre sure from all angles. Six players have at least two sacks. The formula worked particularly well against quarterback , who entered last Sunday's game having taken a league-low two sacks and ."Now we've got pieces that we want, the big boys up front to take on double teams, the linebackers that can flow from left to right, corners saying, 'I will take him man to man'; that is the kind of defense that Chuck wanted," Redding said. "We don't need a bunch of big names. We don't need a bunch of guys on the cover of magazines. At the end of the day, there will be enough to go around for everybody. We've got a bunch of guys on the field nobody knows about. They'll know us at the end of the season." The might get to know them much sooner, specifically . Indianapolis will focus first on limiting , . Redding said coaches give defensive players just enough information for them to understand, then drill them on it, to ensure that everybody knows their a signments perfectly, which will allow them to play fast."Then we can pin our ears back, because they are in second-and-17," Redding said. Pittsburgh quarterback will provide a cla sic test case. He has a pa ser rating of 134.2 on pa ses of at least 20 yards in the air, the highest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 15 such attempts. But the ' defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete just 19.4 percent of pa ses that travel that distance in the air, the lowest completion percentage in the NFL. Roethlisberger, of course, is also known for holding onto the ball a little too long on occasion, making him an inviting target for a swarming and confident pa s rush that, Redding said, is playing not only for itself, but for players, like Mathis, who can't be on the field with their teammates."There's nothing nice or soft about being a defensive player," Redding said. "We're very aggre sive. We don't want to be vanilla. We want to dial it up, bring a safety, a linebacker; put two defensive linemen out there. There are so many different things to do with so many different guys. Our mindset is, Hit first and ask questions later."Here are 10 more things to watch as the rest of plays out:1) A rumbling in Dallas. It might be time to embrace the idea that the are not a mirage -- and that it doesn't matter who at quarterback . Washington's defense is decent against the run (103.3 yards per game, 12th in the league), but has rushed for at least 100 yards in all seven games this season -- and that production is giving the lots of third-and-short chances. Their 57.4 percent third-down conversion rate is the best since at least 1972.3) Will the test the shaky dominance ? The have won four in a row, and is on pace to throw 41 touchdowns and two interceptions this season -- a ratio no quarterback in history has achieved. The ' offense is as potent as ever (it in yardage), but the defense is (28th) and has just four takeaways (tied for 30th).Harrison: Week 8 predictionsWill the snap a two-game skid -- or will the end a bum streak of their own? Elliot Harrison makes his picks. 4) Which wilting defense rights itself ? The are allowing nine more points per game than they did last season, and they're getting fewer takeaways (none on the road) and sacks. Opposing pa sers have a rating of 103.7 (12 touchdowns, two interceptions), which ranks 28th in the NFL. Carolina is allowing 12.8 more points per game this year than it did in 2013, and it's given up at least 37 points in four of its past five games. The right now, while the are the only NFC South team that isn't below .500. 5) A matchup of strength against strength . The have and the have , begging this question: Can Arizona score enough to keep up with Philly? The have averaged 174.0 rushing yards in their past two games, while the entered this week with (allowing 72.5 yards per game). Arizona has the 14th-best scoring offense, but is 3-0 and completing 66.1 percent of his pa ses for an average of 269 yards per game, with six total touchdowns and one interception.6) Can the get right ? New England has this season, but the team is entering a stretch of games against top-notch quarterbacks . Will Jones' absence help , that called him out in frustration after , get the ball to his No. 1 receiver? Marshall has had at least 135 receiving yards in each of his past two games against the (both of which came in 2011, when he was with the ). But Marshall has just 31 receptions for 349 yards and five touchdowns this season.7) A offense struggling at a bad time. Coming off , , the only NFL team to not allow more than 23 points in a single game this season. The are averaging 8.7 fewer points in their past three games (the last two without receiver ) than they did in their first three games -- and they've gone 0-2-1 in that stretch. The have scored on a league-best 47.4 percent of their drives this season, and have gone three-and-out on just 11.8 percent of their drives, second-best in the league.8) Can BrianHoyer keep a secure hold on the starting QB job?, the scored just six points, and Hoyer completed just 16 of 41 pa ses. He might not have to do much better to this week, though. Oakland's defense is on third down, while the have scored 14 points or fewer in five of six games and have gone three-and-out on 30.8 percent of their drives, most in the NFL. 10) The battle for Mi souri. After an , can the keep pace by topping the ? St. Louis has allowed at least 100 yards rushing in five of its six games this season, so -- who has at least 80 yards rushing in each of the ' past three games -- could have a big impact. The ' defense got three sacks last week , upping their total to four this season. But the rely heavily on short pa ses from . Smith is averaging just 6.2 air yards per pa s attempt this season -- lowest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 75 attempts.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter . Jeff Bagwell Jersey

The are likely still figuring out the plan of attack for the offseason after narrowly mi sing out on a Super Bowl appearance. But the NFL moves fast, and free agency is under two months away, and that means several roster decisions have to be made with an eye towards next season. Just who does head coach Sean McVay want to keep and who he doesn't will be Detroit Tigers Jersey an interesting storyline to follow. But so will the future of Matthew Stafford, who, at soon-to-be 38 years old, is coming off one of his best-ever seasons. For ESPN, figuring out Stafford's future is a top priority for the Rams, and the franchise is in a win-win situation. "Figure out if Matthew Stafford will be their quarterback in 2026," . "This will likely happen very early in the offseason, as it did when the sides agreed to a restructured deal last February. But if Stafford retires after his 17th season, the Rams have the draft capital and/or cap space to find his replacement." MORE: How are Rams in win-win situation with Stafford? Well, putting it simply, if Stafford does decide to return in 2026, the Rams will again have one of the best quarterbacks in football spearheading their Super Bowl charge. But if he does decide to retire, as ESPN points out, the Rams have both the cap space and draft capital to go and get another franchise star. So, win-win. With Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett, the other quarterbacks, the Rams could have a bridge quarterback for 2026 before going all-in the following season. But either way, whatever Stafford chooses to do, the Rams are in a great position. More NFL news: Akil Baddoo Jersey

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2020 NFL combine is over. Pro days and private workouts remain before we all reconvene in Las Vegas on April 23 for the NFL Draft. When we do, many of the top performers in Indianapolis will have done enough to improve their stock, some even finding their way into Round 1 because of mind-blowing physical feats that took place inside Lucas Oil Stadium this past week. Below, we'll take a look at 10 players who had great combines and who will see that succe s reflected on draft night. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Jalen Hurts has been the forgotten man at the quarterback position, and through no fault of his own. He got off to a red-hot start for the Sooners in 2019, but he wasn't nearly as prolific late in the season. With the emergence of Joe Burrow, and the strong Senior Bowl performances of Justin Herbert and Jordan Love, Hurts was lost in the mix. That changed at the combine, where Hurts ran a 4.59 40-time. The i sue was never Hurts' athleticism, but his 40 time confirmed that he's more than a bulldozer in the run game; he also has the speed and wiggle to run succe sfully in the NFL too. It's that versatility that makes him so attractive at the next level. We talked about it last week at the combine: "The fact that he ran a 4.59 tonight was a huge deal ... Hurts makes a lot of sense for the team with the right fit whether it's the Patriots, Saints, Chiefs or whomever." sees potential for Jalen Hurts to help a team right away with his versatility CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) Yes, we know, the aren't an ideal landing spot for a young quarterback looking for playing time, but the point remains: Hurts on, say, the would be much more problematic than Hurts on the behind . And that brings us to the comparison between Hurts and , who has enjoyed exactly that succe s in New Orleans' offense. The NFL combine is over, so who were the biggest winners and losers? Ryan Wilson joins Will Brinson to break it all down, size up the first post-combine mock draft and more. Listen below andfor daily NFL goodne s.Is Hill a franchise quarterback? He thinks he's capable, but the reality is that he's not, at least at the moment. But he's still valuable in Sean Payton's offense because Hill can run, throw, catch and play on special teams. And while, like Hurts, he's a former college quarterback, Hurts is a much better pa ser. And an ideal situation for Hurts would be to land in an established system that doesn't need him to start as a rookie; instead, use him like the use Hill and in a year -- or even two -- reevaluate his abilities as an NFL quarterback and go from there. There is no doubt Hurts can play Jake Bird Jersey in the NFL, but there has to be a plan in there to maximize his talents. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU We LOVE Justin Jefferson. We loved him before the combine, but worried that he might test slower than NFL teams would like. Well, we spoke to him on the CBS Sports HQ set on Tuesday before he ran his 40 and he a sured us he would "surprise a lot of people" with his 40 time. Jefferson blazed a 4.43 and that was after measuring 6-foot-1, 202 pounds. This is where we remind you that Jefferson played primarily from the slot last season, where he was one of Joe Burrow's favorite targets. We asked him about facing very little pre s coverage from the slot and he said he played outside early in his LSU career, where he regularly got off the line of scrimmage with little trouble. For us, Jefferson came into the week as a second-rounder but he's now firmly in the Round 1 conversation, and if he lands in a place like New Orleans or New England, look out. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin It's hard to believe that Taylor was often thought of as "the other running back in a really good cla s." It wasn't that he was being dismi sed, just that it's hard to keep your name in the headlines when you're sharing the spotlight with Travis Etienne, D'Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, Zack Mo s and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. But Etienne returned to Clemson and none of the other running backs were able to replicate what Taylor did in Indy. Namely, he needed just 4.39 seconds to travel 40 yards. For some perspective, ran a 4.41 and they're the only two running backs to weigh at least 225 pounds . Taylor may not be as fluid as Swift or Edwards-Helaire, but his top-end speed along with his vision puts him firmly in the conversation to be the first back off the board. There are questions about his pa s-catching skills, but after hauling in just eight pa ses each in 2017 and 2018, Taylor had 26 receptions and five receiving touchdowns last season. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Coming into the combine Wirfs was one of our top-rated offensive linemen, in part because of his freakish athleticism. That was confirmed on numerous occasions last week. The Iowa right tackle (who can also seamle sly kick over to left tackle, by the way), ran a 4.85 40 (which led all offensive linemen), a 36.5 vertical (a combine record) and a 10-foot-1 broad jump (also a record). There's also this: Wirfs was the FIRST freshman to start at tackle for Kirk Ferentz. Think about that for a second!Ferentz coached guys like Brandon Scherff, Robert Gallery, Marshal Yanda, Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff.And you could argue Wirfs is the best athlete in Iowa history.I mean. Thor Nystrom (@thorku) Wirfs looks smooth in the O-line drills too, and he'll be one of the first offensive linemen off the board in late April. Mehki Becton, OT, Louisville Becton measured 6-foot-7, 364 pounds in Indy, which is ridiculous. And while he's a mammoth of a man, he moves like someone who weighs 200 pounds. In fact, Becton told us that he can reverse-dunk -- two-handed -- with no problem right now. We do not doubt him. On the field, he ran the 40 in 5.1 seconds: "The big man is hanging with them." - OT kept up with QBs!: 2020 on NFL Network NFL Network (@nflnetwork) And Becton showed in position drills what anyone who watched him during the season already knew: He can move. Pay attention to the left tackle here: At some point you just start feeling bad for the defense. Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) There's more! Becton has 17 percent body fat. This is one of the most athletic offensive line cla ses ever and there's a good chance five -- maybe even six -- offensive linemen go in Round 1, and Becton will be among the first to hear his name called. Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson What?! That was our initial response to Isaiah Simmons running a 4.39 40 time at the combine. A linebacker/safety hybrid who is 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, ran a 4.39 40. That is freakish. Which only makes sense when you hear Simmons say that he models his game after and . We'd also add , who somehow slipped to the middle of the first round back in 2018. That will not be the case for Simmons, a top-10 talent who catapulted himself into the top-3 conversation in Indy. We love everything about his game -- he can play linebacker, in the slot, off the edge and deep safety. We asked Joe Burrow at the combine about the biggest thing he had to worry about in the national title game. "Isaiah Simmons," he said. "You have to know where he is on every single snap." This is where we remind you that Simmons was once a three-star recruit from Kansas who couldn't believe Clemson was interested in him: Isaiah Simmons discu ses the journey from Kansas to CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) CJ Henderson, CB, Florida Henderson flew under the radar during the 2019 season, in part because the Gators weren't in the national-title conversation down the stretch. But watch Henderson play and it quickly becomes clear that he's a first-round talent. He showed up in Indy and ran a 4.39 40 -- the same as Isaiah Simmons! -- and that was after bench-pre sing 225 pounds 20 times. And at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, Henderson has prototypical size for a cover cornerback in today's NFL. He excels in coverage; the elite speed we saw at the combine showed up on a weekly basis at Florida. If there's one thing he needs to work on it's tackling, but he's undoubtedly a first-round talent. The only question is how high he'll go. Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma The 2020 combine was all about freaky athletes showing their freaky athleticism and few players did that better than Neville Gallimore. We spoke to Gallimore before he ran and asked him if the rumors were true that he was going to best ' 4.83 40-time at the 2019 combine. He smiled. A few days later, he was still smiling when he busted out a 4.79. Just to be clear: Gallimore is 6-foot-2, 304 pounds and he's not just a straight-line sprinter. At Oklahoma, he used his rare combination of speed, power and quickne s to routinely give offensive linemen fits, and his sideline-to-sideline range reminded us at times of 2019 first-rounder Jeffrey Simmons. This man Neville Gallimore is putting on an absolute show today at the . Just ran a 4.79 40 and is showing off his athleticism for a guy over 300lbs Coach Christian (@WillChristian95) Like the other players on this list, Gallimore made himself some money in Indianapolis. Jabari Zuniga, DE, FloridaZuniga played in just five games last season because of injury, but his athleticism shone through at the combine. He measured 6-foot-3, 264 pounds and ran the 40 in 4.64. He also had a vertical of 33 inches, put up 225 pounds 29 times and his 10-foot-7 long jump was the best among all defensive linemen. Zuniga used both power and speed on the field, whether it was blowing up running plays or whipping offensive linemen to get after the quarterback. And while he's far from a finished product, his physical gifts make him an intriguing prospect -- and what Zuniga did in Indy will likely help his stock rise by a round or more. Florida's Jabari Zuniga finished the night with the top Athleticism Score among edge rushers (93) after a strong combine workout.Zuniga ran the fastest 10-yard split (1.61) and put up the 2nd-most bench reps (29) among edge rushers. | Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern IllinoisChinn didn't play at a Power 5 school and he didn't even play in a FBS program. The former Saluki was on the NFL radar heading into the 2019 season and parlayed his on-field talents into a Senior Bowl invite, and then a month later, showed up at the combine and showed out there too. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound safety ran an unofficial 4.46 40, bench-pre sed 225 pounds 20 times, had a vertical of 41 inches and a broad jump of 11'6." He could move closer to the line of scrimmage in the NFL because he's such a sure tackler, but don't sleep on his coverage skills either. Southern Illinois Jeremy Chinn (among Safeties)- 95th percentile height- 93rd percentile weight- 78th percentile bench pre s- 95th percentile vertical- 99th percentile broad jump Carter Donnick (@CDonnick3) CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora wrote before the combine that "" after a strong Senior Bowl and he did nothing to hurt his draft stock in Indianapolis. Harold Castro Jersey

A strong argument can be made that quarterback Matthew Stafford never really got his due from the national media with the Detroit Lions, despite usually playing at a high level. That has no Willie Mays Hayes Jersey doubt changed since he won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, though.But Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud wasn't late to the party. In fact, he's been a huge fan of Stafford's for many years and admitted he has studied the veteran signal-caller.He even went as far as to say that Stafford would have won multiple Super Bowl rings if he had the same situation that Aaron Rodgers had with the Green Bay Packers, which implies he thinks Stafford is better."Stafford, hes another one. He might be up there with Brady and them, Stroud said on the . No, thats crazy. Thats crazy. Let me go back. Im a student of the game. Staffords a dog. Hes a dog. You dont understand. Youre saying that. Thats all I watch. I dont watch nobody else. I watch Mahomes at times because Mahomes does some stuff that you cant coach. Stafford, dog. He will beat you with the same thing every time. All that no-look stuff, I got that from (him). Thats one of my biggest like, Im a fan of his.""If you gave Matthew Stafford a chance like Aaron Rodgers had, I guarantee he mightve had more rings, for sure. Id say hed have three, four. Hes tough as nails, bro."CJ Stroud Talk About Matthew Stafford SAUCE REY (@YungRey23) While a debate can certainly be had about who is better between Rodgers and Stafford, there is no denying that Stafford isn't just some average quarterback, especially when it comes to his toughne s.It's a shame Stafford never got over the hump to win even a playoff game with the Lions, but he wasn't always in a great situation, either. Regardle s, he's the best quarterback in franchise history, although Jared Goff is challenging that. Jake Taylor Jersey

With fall camps set to begin around the country this week, here's a look at my ranking of the 25 college football programs with the most NFL-caliber talent heading into the 2015 season. I list the top talents to watch for each team in this breakdown, along with a player entering his first year with the program who is worthy of attention.Here are the teams I have ranked 21-25. I'll unveil five teams, counting down to No. 1, each day this week.21. Tenne seePlayers to watch: WR Marquez North, ILB Dillon Bates, QB Joshua Dobbs, DB Cameron Sutton, DE/OLB Curt Maggitt and WR Josh Malone.The outlook: Butch Jones is quietly rebuilding the program by stockpiling blue-chip talent at the marquee positions. At wide receiver, in particular, the Vols are on the verge of regaining their reputation as "WR U." North is one of several rangy pa s-catchers with "pro-ready" games. With Dobbs flashing big-time potential as a franchise quarterback, NFL scouts are scurrying to Knoxville to take a glance.Newcomer in the spotlight: WR Preston Williams. The big-bodied pa s-catcher is expected to make an immediate impact as a designated playmaker in the pa sing game. Although that Williams won't be able to practice until he retakes the ACT, NFL scouts are already salivating over this four-star's potential as a prototypical No. 1 WR. 22. FloridaPlayers to watch: CB Vernon Hargreaves III, DE Jonathan Bullard, WR Demarcus Robinson and LB Antonio Morrison.The outlook: The Gators' on-field struggles haven't stopped NFL scouts from poaching the top players on the roster during recent NFL drafts. Hargreaves is certainly on the radar of scouts as the top cover corner in college football; he is already drawing comparisons to ex-Gator CB as a versatile playmaker on the edge. On the other side of the ball, Robinson is a standout receiver with the size, athleticism and big-play ability to terrorize opponents on the perimeter. Newcomer in the spotlight: OT Martez Ivey. The Gators' reputation for producing NFL-caliber Brandon Leibrandt Jersey offensive linemen should continue with Ivey's arrival as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2015 recruiting cla s. Big, physical blockers with nimble feet are always coveted at a premium; Ivey could make an immediate impre sion on the college football world as a first-year contributor.23. MiamiPlayers to watch: S Deon Bush, QB Brad Kaaya, WR Stacy Coley, ILB Raphael Kirby and DE Chad Thomas.The outlook: Despite posting disappointing records the past few years, NFL scouts continue to flock to Coral Gables to check out the blue-chip talent that continues to dot the roster. After watching seven Hurricanes come off the board in the 2015 draft, scouts are already casting their sights on Bush to see if he can carry on the program's tradition of producing premier talent. Coley is an intriguing pa s-catcher with the speed and explosivene s that evaluators covet in deep-ball specialists. Newcomer in the spotlight: TE Jerome Washington. The Hurricanes landed the No. 1 JUCO tight end prospect in the country when Washington agreed to come to the "U." He po se ses the physical tools and natural pa s-catching skills to become the next Hurricane tight end to eventually make his mark at the next level. If he can quickly master the playbook in camp, Washington could emerge as a dominant playmaker for the Hurricanes this season.24. PittsburghPlayers to watch: WR Tyler Boyd, RB James Conner and CB Lafayette Pitts. The outlook: The have a long-standing reputation for producing elite NFL talent. The likes of Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, , and 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year donned the blue and gold before blo soming into stars at the next level. Coach Pat Narduzzi inherits a pair of young playmakers (Boyd and Conner) with the kind of talent that has NFL scouts daydreaming about the po sibilities. Given Narduzzi's reputation for developing and cultivating talent, Boyd and Conner could spark a movement that leads NFL evaluators to make Pittsburgh a must-stop on the scouting trail. Newcomer in the spotlight: CB Jordan Whitehead. The top recruit in the ' 2015 cla s could develop into a spectacular cover corner under Narduzzi's tutelage. The 5-foot-11, 171-pound playmaker exhibits all of the qualities (speed, quickne s and movement skills) scouts covet in top corners. The competition in the ACC will provide him with plenty of opportunities to refine his skills on the perimeter. 25. TCUPlayers to watch: WR Josh Doctson, QB Trevone Boykin, RB Aaron Green and DT Davion Pierson.The outlook: Gary Patterson has earned rave reviews in the NFL community for his ability to develop defensive players, but scouts will make the trek to Fort Worth to check out the Horned Frogs' explosive set of triplets on offense. Boykin, Doctson and Green are arguably the most dynamic trio in football; the Horned Frogs' spread offense will create plenty of chances for them to create big plays on the perimeter. Newcomer in the spotlight: CB DeShawn Raymond. Patterson might have uncovered a hidden gem in Raymond. The 6-foot, 185-pound athlete is a long, rangy cover corner with the length to challenge big-bodied receivers on the perimeter. Most importantly, Raymond is a big hitter with a nose for getting to the ball on running plays.Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter . Yosver Zulueta Jersey

When hit free agency back in March, the widespread belief is that he had narrowed his choices down to two po sible teams before making the decision head to Tampa Bay. Besides the , Brady was . As it turns out though, it seems there was a third mystery team Michael Jordan Jersey involved in the Brady sweepstakes and things apparently got serious enough with this team that they made Brady's "final list" of teams he would be willing to play for. According to Dan Patrick, that mystery team was the !Patrick revealed the shocking news ."The final list that Brady was looking at: The , the Bears, and the Buccaneers," Patrick said. "I was told this yesterday, and I went 'Wait a minute. The Bears?' My Source said 'Yes.' Brady was considering the Bears."THE BEARS ALMOST LANDED TOM BRADY!?That's news that Bears probably wish they had never heard. The Bears made it no secret that they were in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and although there were plenty of free agents available, the team . The Foles deal went down on March 18, which was two days before Brady ended up .Under that timeline, it seems very po sible that the Bears wanted a decision from Brady about where he was going to sign before free agency started on March 20. With no a surances that he was going to sign in Chicago, the Bears probably decided to move on from the idea that they might be able to land Brady and trade for Foles."The fact that he was considering the Bears, Chicago at least -- because he wanted to be able to be in proximity to New York where his son is," Patrick said. "So he's got a son with Bridget Moynahan and they live in New York and he wanted to be able to be close enough to him, but ended up taking Tampa Bay."The Bears would have definitely fit the mold of a team that Brady was looking to play for. They have a strong defense, solid skill players and seem to be a quarterback away from competing for a Super Bowl. Of course, in the end, the Bears didn't land Brady, and although they did land the guy who beat Brady in the Super Bowl, that's probably not going to be viewed as a good consolation prize for Bears fans, especially since that guy couldn't even beat out for the starting quarterback job in Chicago.After competing with Foles all through training camp, Trubisky was for the Bears' opener against the . Zach Remillard Jersey

Manchester City have been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspurs Harry Kane this summer.They reportedly made a 100 million bid to secure the services of the England international but that was turned down by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.However, the Citizens still look very determined to sign the phenomenal striker whose current contract is set to expire in 2024.According to , Pep Guardiolas side are ready to offer Raheem Sterling as part of a deal for the 28-year-old.Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva have also been mentioned as po sible makeweights Munenori Kawasaki Jersey in the deal.It is a little surprising to see the names of some of these players as they played an important role in Citys succe s last season.Mahrez contributed 23 goals in 48 appearances acro s all competitions, while Silva smashed 14 goals in 45 games.Sterling wasnt very impre sive for Peps team, especially during the later stages of the season.However, he was spectacular for England at the European Championships, making seven appearances and contributing three goals in the Three Lions run to the final.Kane is a world-cla s striker who is known for his goalscoring prowe s and ability to link play any club in the world would love to sign him. Ben Brown Jersey

Derby County 1-0 Bristol CityGary Teale was Derbys match winner as he fired home his fourth goal of the season to secure Derbys first win inSeptember.Gary TealeThe Rams started shakily with Stephen Bywater having to make a point blank save from Alvaro Siborio in the very first minute. Derby paired Dean Leacock and Shaun Barker together at centre half for the first time and they took time to settle in what was a very even first half. Clear cut chances were few and far between, the best falling to home debutant James Vaughan. Some typically energetic work from Robbie Savage caused a slip in the Bristol defence but Vaughan placed his shot wide after a square ball from his captain. Siborio had a second opportunity for the visitors as he raced clear of the Derby defence but he was denied by an excellent recovery tackle from Barker.Derby came out for the second half fired up and took control of the game. They were helped with the sending off of Jamie McCombe in the 56th minute. The Bristol City captain received his first yellow card for a poor tackle on Hulse near the corner flag, and two minutes later as Hulse latched onto a James Vaughan flick-on only he was cynically fouled by McCombe who rightly received his marching orders.Derby used their man advantage to create numerous chances in the remaining Kutter Crawford Jersey 34 minutes; some poor finishes meant the majority were spurned. Lee Croft mi sed an open goal from a poor Ba so clearance, Paul Dickov shot wide, Lee Hendrie put his placed shot over and Jake Livermore had two chances which both lacked power.Frustration began to build around Pride Park as the team searched for the winning goal, and with 6 minutes to go Teale was the unlikely hero. The Scot had been on the receiving end of some criticism from the home fans for persistently over hitting his cro ses, but in the 84th minute he redeemed himself with a wonderful finish. He took the ball down the left wing, drifted inside Paul Hartley and fired the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.Dean Leacock back after injuryRams bo s Nigel Clough praised his teams attitude; We kept going and we kept playing and trying to do the right things. If youve created chances for 85 minutes youll keep creating them if you keep going. I thought the performance was very good and its nice to get what we feel we deserve.The return of Leacock will particularly please Clough, after 10 months out with a pelvic injury the centre half really shored things up at the back with dominance in the air and calmne s in po se sion for which he rightly received the man of the match award.The win leaves Derby 16th in the table with 10 points, but more importantly ends their four game losing streak and with a game at Cardiff on Tuesday they have a chance to get back to back victories. Pablo Reyes Jersey

Theofficially have their for the 2024 National Football League season. Now that the schedule is out, we can dive into what things will look like for the Vikings in 2024.How the can determine a lot about how well a team does during the regular season. If you get a team that happens to be without their starting quarterback or on a losing streak, it Grayson Rodriguez Jersey can help you win more football games. On the flip side, if you end up on the reverse side of that, it can hinder you from taking things to the next level.For the first time, here is your with dates, the network each game airs on and times.Minnesota Vikings 2024 schedulePreseasonWeek 1: August 10th vs Raiders 3 p.m. CTWeek 2: August 17th at Browns3:25 p.m. CTWeek 3: August 24th at Eagles12 p.m. CTRegular SeasonWeek 1:September 8th at New York Giants 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 2: September 15th vsSan Francisco 49ers 12 p.m. CT CBSWeek 3: September 22nd vsHouston Texans 12 p.m. CT CBSWeek 4: September 29th at Green Bay Packers 12 p.m. CT CBSWeek 5: October 6th versus New York Jets in London 8:30 a.m. CT NFL NetworkWeek 6: October 13th ByeWeek 7: October 20th vs Detroit Lions 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 8: October 24th at Los Angeles Rams (TNF) 7:15 CT Amazon PrimeWeek 9: November 3rd vs Indianapolis Colts 12 p.m. CT CBSWeek 10: November 10th at Jacksonville Jaguars 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 11: November 17th at Tenne see Titans 12 p.m. CT CBSWeek 12: November 24th at Chicago Bears 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 13: December 1st vs Arizona Cardinals 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 14: December 8th vs Atlanta Falcons 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 15: December 16th vs Chicago Bears 7:00 p.m. CT ESPNWeek 16: December 22nd at Seattle Seahawks 3:05 p.m. CT FOXWeek 17: December 29th vs Green Bay Packers 12 p.m. CT FOXWeek 18: January 5th at Detroit Lions TBD Seranthony Dominguez Jersey

The 2020 NFL trade deadline is just around the corner, and while uncertainty surrounding the 2021 salary cap may or may not influence how many teams are actively shopping players, there's no denying that this is the time to take a last-gasp swing at acquiring help, if you need it. Take a contender like the . At 4-1, with proving he's still got more than enough arm talent to make a run, the Packers are good enough as it is to stay competitive. But with the leading the NFC North and Rodgers still operating in a relatively small championship window, they make all the sense in the world as buyers.One position, in particular, that deserves their focus is wide receiver. Despite Green Bay's infamous refusal to bolster the spot during the draft, the Packers have fared quite well thus far, with tight end among those helping shoulder the workload down the field. And yet, with starter still banged up and working back from his own injuries, it's clear Rodgers would be much better off with a proven or even higher-upside No. 3 for down the stretch.With that in mind, here are six WR trades the Packers should absolutely consider making before the Nov. 3 deadline: ARI WR #18 TAR33REC14REC YDs119REC TD0FL0Green is not what he used to be, and the last thing the Pack needs is another veteran who's liable to encounter weekly hamstring i sues late in the year. But imagine Green and his 6-foot-4 frame in fresh scenery. As a red-zone weapon alone, he could be money with Rodgers. Worst-case scenario, he fizzles out, hits free agency after Grant Holmes Jersey the year and Rodgers just keeps working hit-or-mi s guys like . Best-case scenario, Green gives them two legitimate outside targets and plays motivated for a contender.Potential compensation: 2021 fourth-round draft pick, 2022 conditional sixth-round pick MIA WR #3 TAR22REC18REC YDs274REC TD2FL0Fuller is off to a hot start as primary downfield threat, and he's always offered big-play ability. Thing is, Houston needs to be stockpiling draft picks for its overhaul, and Fuller's injury history and impending free agency should convince them to listen to offers. The Packers, meanwhile, could conceivably recoup a mid-rounder in a hypothetical deal if they let Fuller walk in 2021, all while infusing some serious deep speed into their WR corps for the playoff run. The upside for this one is pretty darn obvious.Potential compensation: 2021 third-round draft pick, 2022 conditional fifth-round pick NO WR #12 TAR13REC7REC YDs90REC TD1FL0There was a time when Stills may have commanded as much as a second- or third-rounder because of his proven downfield production, even as a career No. 2/3. Now, he's e sentially been shoved to the back of a crowded WR room, so the cost should be minimal. Stills isn't nearly as valuable as Fuller in terms of long-term potential, but the guy only just turned 28. There's nothing that says he can't come in, get three to four weekly deep targets from Rodgers and stick around as 2021 competition.Potential compensation: 2021 fifth-round draft pick DET WR TAR19REC12REC YDs138REC TD1FL0It's not often you're going to convince a division rival, especially one sitting just below .500, to deal you one of their most experienced WRs, but by the time the deadline actually arrives, the might have to be sellers, and it's been apparent for a while that Jones is no longer part of their long- or even short-term plans. At 30, with an injury history, Jones' ceiling is limited, but his floor -- with increased opportunities, not to mention Rodgers as his QB -- is certainly worth a low-cost flyer.Potential compensation: 2021 sixth-round draft pick, 2022 seventh-round pick TEN WR #15 TAR18REC14REC YDs103REC TD0FL0Tate is only in the second year of a four-year, $37.5 million deal, but Joe Judge has little reason to commit to the 32-year-old beyond this year, when New York can save millions by cutting him loose. The are poised to be sellers, and he's had a decreasing role in New York's battered offense. Still, he's arguably got an even higher floor than , and with Rodgers as his QB, he'd be a shoo-in for production over the middle. His days of splash plays are probably gone, but as a WR3, you can do a whole lot worse.Potential compensation: 2021 fifth-round draft pick GB WR #12 TAR1REC1REC YDs4REC TD0FL0If the Packers are interested in taking more of a boom-or-bust-type long-term gamble, Westbrook makes a lot of sense. Inexplicably relegated to bench duties in 2020 after two solid, if unspectacular, years in Jacksonville's WR rotation, he's not nece sarily giving you that much more than guys like Valdes-Scantling early on. But let's say he builds some chemistry with Rodgers and really flashes with a better supporting cast. You're talking about a well-rounded project with the potential for meaningful snaps come playoff time.Potential compensation: 2021 sixth-round draft pick Ralph Garr Jersey

Ron Rivera led the to the playoffs four times in nine seasons, and he has done the same in his first year at the helm of the . Widely expected to be the worst team in a weak division, Washington instead emerged as the NFC East champion and will host the on Saturday in a 2021 NFL wild-card showdown. Kickoff from FedEx Field is Brett Johnson Jersey scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Despite what appeared to be a ma sive rebuilding project, Washington (7-9) was the last club standing in the division following a 20-14 road win over the in Week 17. The Buccaneers (11-5) finished second in the NFC South led by Tom Brady and are headed to the playoffs on a four-game win streak.William Hill Sportsbook lists Tampa Bay as a 9.5-point favorite, up two points from the opening Buccaneers vs. Washington odds. The over-under for total points is set at 45. Before making any Washington vs. Buccaneers picks, make sure you .The veteran sportswriter, whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, has covered football of all levels for decades. He has emerged as one of SportsLine's annual leading analysts in all sports and has had another strong season for SportsLine members as he heads into the postseason on a 23-15 spurt on .Moreover, he has been consistently dialed in on the fortunes of these franchises, posting a 24-9 record on NFL picks against-the-spread in games involving either Tampa Bay or Washington over the past three seasons. Anyone who has consistently followed Tierney is way up.Now, Tierney has locked in on from every angle and released another confident against the spread pick that . Here are the and trends for Buccaneers vs. Washington: Buccaneers vs. Washington point spread: Buccaneers -9.5Buccaneers vs. Washington over-under: 45 points Buccaneers vs. Washington money line: Buccaneers -440, Washington +360TB: Buccaneers have covered in four of their last five gamesWAS: Underdog is 5-0-1 against the spread in the last six meetings in this seriesWhy the Buccaneers can cover It took a while for the new-look Buccaneers to mesh after they paired iconic quarterback with coach Bruce Arians. Brady signed as free agent after spending 20 seasons and winning six Super Bowls with the .Brady had to adjust to Arians' preference for a vertical, explosive pa sing game, which stood in contrast to the efficient, ball-control attack he mastered at the helm in New England. A steady stream of injuries among the top playmakers didn't help, but the Buccaneers appear to have found their stride just in time. The Bucs averaged 37 points over their final four games while winning by an average margin of 18.3 points.Brady went 26-of-41 for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-27 win over the to cap the regular season. He was sacked once and intercepted once. Tampa Bay also forced two turnovers to finish fourth in the NFL with a plus-eight turnover differential. Why Washington can cover Consistent offense has been difficult to come by for a Washington club that ranks No. 25 in the NFL with an average of 20.9 points per contest. And with (calf) questionable, it could be challenging to move the ball consistently through the air if is under center. But one reliable source of production has come from perhaps an unlikely but effective backfield duo of and J.D. McKi sic.Gibson was a third-round draft pick who starred primarily as a wide receiver and kick returner for Memphis. The Washington bra s drafted him because of his versatile skill set and he wound up the opening-day starter. The rookie has proven to be a reliable dual threat who has a knack for finding the end zone. He rushed for 795 yards on 175 attempts while scoring 11 touchdowns. He also caught 36 pa ses out of the backfield for 247 more yards.Coincidentally, McKi sic has had a similar career trajectory. He was a receiver in college at Arkansas State and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. The first touch of his NFL career resulted in a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Washington in a preseason game.He spent three years in Seattle as a utility weapon and appeared in all 16 games last year for the before signing a two-year deal with Washington. The reliable third-down back has 80 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns. He also has contributed 365 rushing yards on 85 carries with one touchdown.How to make Buccaneers vs. Washington picks Tierney is leaning under the total, but he also said a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard. .So who wins Washington vs. Buccaneers in the NFL playoffs 2021? And which side of the spread is a must-back? , and find out. Ketel Marte Jersey