Suche - Wieslocher Bürger sanieren den kommunalen Haushalt - Eine Initiative der FDP Wiesloch

The Chicago Cubs will try to extend their season-best winning streak to seven games when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday afternoon to open a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Chicago (49-35) has outscored opponents 56-35 during its six-game winning streak http://www.thepackersfootballauthentic.com/darnell-savage-jr.-jersey-authentic , which has pushed the team 14 games above .500 for the first time this season. The Cubs have scored at least five runs in eight straight games.

Through 84 games, the Cubs’ plus-104 run differential is by far the best in the National League.

“We’re all just trying to pass it along to the next guy,” Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber said recently to The Athletic. “We obviously want to have our at-bat and help out the team in some way. Get on base somehow, drive in guys, get the guy over. Whatever it is, we want to do that. And then it’s up to the guy behind us.

“We have full faith in everyone on this team. That’s the bottom line, we want to pass it on to the next guy.”

Cincinnati (38-49) has enjoyed the same type of positive momentum in recent weeks and is playing its best baseball of the season as it arrives to Chicago’s North Side. The Reds have won four of their past five games and 13 of 17 after concluding a three-game series with the Chicago White

During the past 17 games, the Reds have scored at least five runs 14 times.

“It’s our offense, we’re never down,” Reds pitcher Sal Romano said to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Doesn’t matter how many runs we’re down, they’re able to come back and swing it.”

The rejuvenated Reds have won or tied each of their past five series.

“I think that it’s getting to the point now where teams Elgton Jenkins Jersey , when they come to play us or when we come to play them, there’s a little bit of, ‘Oh, shoot, we’ve got the Reds,'” Reds pitcher Jared Hughes told the Enquirer. “That’s what we want.”

Cincinnati has won six of nine games against Chicago this season, including a four-game sweep in June.

Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery (3-2, 3.55 ERA) is slated to make his eighth start. The 29-year-old has provided much needed stability in the rotation after highly touted free-agent signing Yu Darvish went to the disabled list.

In 14 career appearances (four starts) against the Reds, Montgomery is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA. He has walked 11 and struck out 29 in 37 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati will turn to right-hander Tyler Mahle (6-6, 3.83), who is set to make his 18th start of the season and the 22nd start of his career. The 23-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his past six outings.

This will be Mahle’s third career start against the Cubs. In his first two meetings http://www.thepackersfootballauthentic.com/jace-sternberger-jersey-authentic , both of which took place this year, he went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Cubs hitters Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez and Schwarber each have gone deep against Mahle this season. Baez has been almost perfect against the pitcher, going 4-for-5 with a triple to go along with the homer.

However, the Cubs are focused on making hard contact rather than blasting long home runs.

“We’re not trying to hit home runs,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said to The Athletic. “We’re moving the baseball. We’re hitting it to all fields.”

In line for his first win in more than two months, Zack Wheeler had to watch as the New York Mets bullpen turned a five-run lead into a two-run deficit.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the struggling Mets 8-6 on Tuesday night.

”Wheeler threw a gem,” said Mets reliever Anthony Swarzak, who allowed three runs. ”We should have won this game.”

Yangervis Solarte hit a game-tying three-run home run off Robert Gsellman in the seventh before Gurriel Jr. went deep off Tim Peterson (1-1) in the eighth as the Blue Jays won for the 11th time in 14 home games.

”A couple of pitches that we didn’t quite execute, and they put them out of the park,” New York manager Mickey Callaway said.

The Mets have lost 11 of 13.

John Axford (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings to earn the win. Tyler Clippard got the final out for his sixth save in 10 opportunities Dexter Williams Jersey , stranding runners at first and second.

Wheeler allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings but was denied his first victory since April 29 at San Diego.

”He did great job tonight,” Callaway said. ”Obviously deserved a better fate than he got.”

Wheeler pitched seven scoreless innings against Pittsburgh in his previous start but the Mets lost 5-3.

”This is a good little stretch right now and hopefully I can keep it going,” Wheeler said.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Devin Mesoraco each hit two-run home runs for the Mets. Wilmer Flores added a solo shot.

Cabrera connected against Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada in the first and Mesoraco homered off Jake Petricka in the second.

Estrada was removed after 12 pitches because of a sore left hip. He faced three batters and got one out. Estrada allowed two runs and one hit.

”His left hip has been bothering him a little bit,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ”It was bothering him in his last start but it was worse tonight.”

X-rays were negative. Estrada was undergoing an MRI following the game.

Petricka replaced Estrada and pitched 2 2/3 innings.

Mets outfielder Jose Bautista went 1 for 2 with a single and three walks in his first game in Toronto since leaving the Blue Jays at the end of last season, ending a 10-year run north of the border.

The crowd of 24,010 gave Bautista a standing ovation before his first at bat. The two-time home run champion took off his batting helmet and acknowledged both the fans and the Blue Jays dugout before drawing a five-pitch walk and scoring on Cabrera’s 15th homer.

”Great to be recognized, great to acknowledge the fans and great to know they feel good I’m back and wanted to recognize me,” Bautista said.

Bautista made a diving catch to retire Russell Martin for the final out of the second but was charged with a two-base error in the seventh when Randal Grichuk’s single skipped past him and rolled to the wall.

”I was actually going to try to make a play at first,” Bautista said. ”It was a good one to make an attempt, but the ball bounced a little higher than expected.”

Kevin Plawecki replaced Mesoraco at catcher in the seventh. Mesoraco was struck on the helmet by the carom when Travis was hit by a pitch in the fifth. Mesoraco was hit again by a swing in the sixth.

Callaway said Mesoraco passed concussion tests but would be monitored overnight.

TUNED IN

The Blue Jays played Bautista’s old walk-up music, Usher’s ”OMG Tytus Howard Jersey ,” before his first at bat. ”That caught me by surprise,” Bautista said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes (right hip) felt fine after running a series of sprints Monday, manager Mickey Callaway said. It was the first time Cespedes had run since leaving a minor league rehab game June 9. … RHP Noah Syndergaard (right index finger) and LHP Jason Vargas (right calf) faced each other in a simulated game at the Mets’ spring training facility in Florida Tuesday. Syndergaard threw 50 pitches and Vargas threw 65.

Blue Jays: RHP Seunghawn Oh (flu-like symptoms) was not available. … Minor league 3B prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (left knee) has resumed batting practice and is expected to participate in infield drills this weekend. Guerrero Jr. is working out at Toronto’s spring training facility in Florida.

UP NEXT

Mets RHP Corey Oswalt (0-1, 9.82) faces Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (1-5, 6.02) in Wednesday’s series finale. Oswalt made his major league debut against Miami on June 29, allowing six runs in 2 2/3 innings. Stroman won for the first time this season in his previous outing, pitching seven innings against Detroit.

—

Funchess awaits a new beginning in Indianapolis."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomNFL Free AgencyCarolina Panthers free agency 2019Colts expected to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess to a one-year dealNew Youth Terry Godwin Jersey ,66commentsFunchess awaits a new beginning in Indianapolis.EDTShareTweetShareShareColts expected to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess to a one-year dealKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsAccording to reports, free agent wide receiver Devin Funchess is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.Funchess revealed that his time was up in when he posted the video below, announcing that he was going to be playing in a different uniform next season.Your browser does not support HTML5 video.In his four years in Carolina, Funchess produced a total of 161 receptions with 2233 yards and 21 touchdowns. He showed promise at times, and he has also struggled at times. The struggles were simply too great for Carolina to spend big money on him.With Funchess leaving Blue Michael Palardy Jersey , Cam Newton currently has one less weapon to rely on. That’s just for now though. Hopefully, the Panthers have big free agency and draft plans moving forward. After all, it’s still only day one of free agency. Re-signing Funchess would have been too expensive for Carolina to do, especially with all the holes they have yet to fill. It is exciting to see Funchess get a fresh start on a new team. We’ll see if he develops faster in a new environment with Andrew Luck throwing the football to him. For the Panthers, more money is saved for bigger offseason moves in the near future. CHARLOTTE Michael Palardy Jersey 2019 , N.C. (AP) — Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has opted for surgery to repair his ailing right throwing shoulder.The team announced Newton had an “arthroscopic procedure” on Thursday and that he will begin the rehabilitation process immediately. There is no timetable listed for when he can begin throwing again.The Panthers also said the procedure was successfully performed by team physician Pat Connor.Carolina still has not disclosed the exact nature of Newton’s shoulder injury. The quarterback also had surgery in March of 2017 to repair a partially torn rotator cuff.Newton struggled all season with right shoulder problems that limited his ability to throw the ball downfield. On several occasions the Panthers substituted backup Taylor Heinicke to throw Hail Mary passes because of Newton’s lack of arm strength.Panthers coach Ron Rivera decided to hold Newton out of the final two games of the 2018 regular season with what the team deemed “shoulder soreness.”After Carolina’s 12-9 loss to the Saints on Dec. 17, Newton expressed frustration over not knowing what it would take to fix the shoulder.“When you talk to different people who can help you with it, there’s not any magical surgery or whatever. It’s just time,” Newton said at the time. “I’ve tried and done everything.”Newton said at the time he had taken anti-inflammatories, got massages and tried acupuncture.At that time he said doctors couldn’t say if he needed surgery.“I’ve been eager to go to (head trainer Ryan Vermillion’s) office Daryl Williams Jersey 2019 , weeks and weeks and weeks and kind of find out what it is. ‘Did you find something? What am I supposed to do? What do we have to do?'” Newton said. “… It is what it was, just a lot of soreness and tension in the joints.”The decision to have surgery was made earlier this week by the team and Newton’s camp.The Panthers finished 7-9 in 2018 and out of playoff contention after starting the season 6-2.The 29-year-old Newton threw for 3,385 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but struggled mightily down the stretch and was a mere shell of his former self in the final few games he played. He barely practiced at all during the second half of the season, which appeared to throw off his timing with his receivers.Panthers owner David Tepper said last week that he wasn’t sure when Newton would be back on the field Blue Daryl Williams Jersey , but was hoping for the best.He also said the team was going to “keep its options open” at quarterback and have a backup plan in place in case Newton isn’t able to return to full strength next season.Tepper wouldn’t be opposed to a situation like Colts quarterback Andrew Luck went through. Luck sat out a season because of a shoulder injury and returned to lead the Colts to the playoffs this season.“If you told me that (Newton) took a year off and could be fully recovered and everything else and that’s what it took, an extra year, why wouldn’t you do that?” Tepper said. “Now, we would have to do other things and we’d have to go out and get another quarterback, which Mario Addison Jersey 2019 , if you could find me some more cap space, I’d appreciate that.”Newton has two years left on a five-year, $103.7 million contract.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bill Fralic Stitched Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey , the burly, bruising and athletic offensive lineman who starred for the Atlanta Falcons and was a three-time All-American at Pittsburgh, has died. He was 56.He had cancer and died Thursday at his home in suburban Atlanta, the university said.Fralic was the first offensive lineman to finish in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy balloting — finishing eighth in 1983 and sixth in 1984. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. The school retired his No. 79 at halftime of his final home game in 1984.Pitt made Fralic part of its inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, a class that included former teammate and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.“Bill Fralic is the best,” Joe Moore, who worked as Pitt’s offensive line coach during Fralic’s career, once said. “If you can find somebody better, bring him to me. I’ve been privileged to coach some good ones here, but none better than Bill Fralic. Those kind only pass through once.”Atlanta selected Fralic with the second overall pick in the 1985 draft. He spent nine seasons in the league, including eight as one of the few bright spots during a difficult period for the Falcons. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and earned All-Pro honors in 1986 and 1987. The NFL placed him on its All-Decade Team for the 1980s even though Atlanta struggled during much of his career. The Falcons went 27-67-1 during Fralic’s first six seasons before finally reaching the playoffs in 1991.Current Atlanta owner Arthur Blank called Fralic a “cornerstone” of the franchise, adding “he was a beloved Falcon Youth Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey , and we will always be grateful for the impact he made here in Atlanta.”Fralic attempted to serve as a whistleblower against what he considered rampant steroid use in the NFL. In 1989 he told the U.S. Senate Judiciary committee that “steroid use in football represents a vicious cycle” and estimated that 75 percent of offensive and defensive linemen and tight ends used the performance-enhancing drug. Former Vice President Joe Biden, then chairman of the committee, lauded Fralic’s candor.It was just another area of Fralic’s life where he stood out.“Our football fraternity lost a great one,” tweeted former NFL defensive lineman Tony Casillas, a teammate of Fralic’s from 1986-89 before later facing Fralic while playing for Dallas. “I had so much respect for this man.”Fralic grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, starring at Penn Hill High School before joining the hometown Panthers. Fralic never forgot his roots, footing the hotel bill for the Penn Hills football team last week when the Indians traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to play in the Class 5 A state title game, which they won.“Bill Fralic was not only an all-time player at the University of Pittsburgh, but also an all-time human being,” Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi said. “His generosity Stitched Austin Hooper Jersey , support and concern for others was unmatched. For as hulking a figure as he was, Billy was even larger in his kindness and passion for others.”FOX Fantasy AutoForm a Racing Team, Compete for PrizesPlay Now!Falcons vs. Bengals: Final score predictions for Week 4 DWFalcons 24 - Bengals 21The Bengals defensive front could cause problems during the day. Geno Atkins in particular terrifies me. That said, the past two offensive performances makes me think that Steve Sarkisian is gaining confidence as a play caller and is already anticipating their defensive front. I think the Bengals will slow our offense more than the Saints and Panthers, but I also believe we have some good matchups against their offense. Getting Takk McKinley back will be the difference here, as I think he’ll keep Andy Dalton from getting too comfortable in the pocket and limit their offense just enough to get the win.Kevin KnightFalcons 31 - Bengals 24The Falcons offense will once again have to carry the team in this one. Cincinnati’s defense is better than New Orleans’, particularly in the pass rushing department, but not by much. They’ve also struggled against the run far more than the Saints, which could make the Falcons’ play-action offense even more dangerous and help keep Andy Dalton and the Bengals’ offense on the sidelines. That’s really the best hope for this Falcons defense in keeping Cincy under 30 points, although the return of Takk McKinley should help Atlanta get some pressure up front. It’ll probably be uncomfortable, but the Falcons should get back to .500 on Sunday.Adnan IkicFalcons 34 - Bengals 24I have full faith in the offense to keep humming against a team that couldn’t even begin to penetrate Carolina’s injury plagued offensive line this past Sunday. Tevin Coleman should find some more running lanes to work with this week than he saw against New Orleans, and Matt Ryan should find himself operating within a clean pocket. You just expect the offense to score every time they touch the ball at this point. On defense Youth Austin Hooper Jersey , the pass rush should make more of an impact than we saw last Sunday with the return of Takk McKinley. Get some pressure on Andy Dalton’s and make him play catch up and he’ll make some mistakes (four interceptions thrown last game). The Bengals’ offense won’t get shut down but they won’t keep up.Cory WoodroofFalcons 30 - Bengals 28 This game has me more conflicted than any in the immediate future for the Falcons. The Bengals offense are going to be able to do a lot of things effectively against Atlanta’s defense; this is not a good matchup in the slightest. If they can put A.J. Green in the slot and get Gio Bernard active in the passing game, this could be an ugly afternoon for the defenders. They’re already fighting an uphill climb with losing Ricardo Allen from a communication standpoint. Atlanta is going to have to score 30 once again to get out of Dodge on this, though the Bengals defense has talent. Expect this one to be a “to the last whistle” affair once more, with home field and a field goal the difference to get Atlanta to 2-2. It’s time for Atlanta’s defensive coaching staff to step up and fill in the gaps where the talent cannot.Dave ChoateFalcons 31 - Bengals 27A hard-fought, frustrating game that is in doubt until the end? Very little defense and plenty of offense? That sounds like a 2018 Falcons game, doesn’t it? Enough questions. Atlanta can win this game if the offense keeps humming and the defense gets its act together even a little, and I think they will. A loss here puts the Falcons in a rough spot, and they shouldn’t lack for motivation. Allen StrkFalcons 30 - Bengals 28Expect this to be the third consecutive topsy-turvy game inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With all the problems surrounding Atlanta’s defense, it’s hard to expect any straightforward games against half-decent opposition. The Bengals could be viewed as even better than half-decent. A rapidly improving offense featured a revamped coaching staff and plethora of playmakers will give Dan Quinn’s decimated defense serious problems. For all the defensive shortcomings, the offense appears to be ready for any challenge. Picking apart a subpar Bengals’ secondary shouldn’t be too difficult for Matt Ryan. As long as the protection holds up, the Falcons should win another high-scoring affair. Don’t be surprised to see Matt Bryant hit a game-winning field goal.

Todd McShay went through all 32 teams and pointed out their best value pick. His selection for the Titans was first round pick Jeffery Simmons. It was probably a pretty easy pick for McShay with..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Tennessee Titans PodcastTodd McShay calls Jeffery Simmons the Titans best 2019 NFL Draft value pickNew Jack Conklin Jersey ,35commentsCDTShareTweetShareShareTodd McShay calls Jeffery Simmons the Titans best 2019 NFL Draft value pickDouglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsTodd McShay went through all 32 teams and pointed out their best value pick. His selection for the Titans was first round pick Jeffery Simmons. It was probably a pretty easy pick for McShay with Simmons having top 5 talent and falling all the way to #19.Of course it isn’t THAT easy. There are a lot of other factors in play with Simmons including the assault while in high school and the torn ACL this winter. On the assault, I thought the introductory press conference the Titans did with Simmons that also included Amy Adams Strunk, Jon Robinson and Mike Vrabel gave pretty good insight into Simmons the person. You can listen to some of my thoughts on that on the latest Locked on Titans here.Here were McShay’s thoughts on the Simmons pick: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have lost their three-time Pro Bowl tight end at least for a big chunk of the season.Quarterback Marcus Mariota is being evaluated after hurting his throwing arm, and two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan is in the concussion protocol.And that’s just the latest injuries for the Titans.Now Tennessee has to see who’s healthy enough for the home opener Sunday against AFC South rival Houston (0-1) and adapt accordingly.“What we’re going to do every week is try to figure out what gives us the best chance to win, personnel wise, who we have available, maybe who we’re playing obviously,” rookie coach Mike Vrabel said Monday.“We’ll be flexible enough to use any personnel that we think will help us win. I don’t think we can commit to anything right now.”The Titans already are down starting right tackle Jack Conklin, who was inactive against Miami as he recovers from a torn left ACL repaired in January.On defense, starting linebacker Derrick Morgan played only 14 snaps in the Titans’ 27-20 loss in Miami as the Titans work the veteran back in after a preseason injury.Tennessee’s top two draft picks also are linebackers, and Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry both missed the opener with injuries.Add to that the Titans are recovering from the league’s longest game since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 because of two lightning delays that made the matchup in Miami last 7 hours, 8 minutes from the opening kickoff to the final second ticked off.Morgan said it wasn’t easy warming up, cooling down again and again Delanie Walker Jersey , but thinks the Titans learned some mental toughness from the day that wouldn’t end.“Hopefully it never happens again and we never have to play football for eight hours straight,” Morgan said.Mariota is being evaluated after he lost sensation in his right hand after the game from his injured right elbow. He was intercepted twice — both after taking a hit from Dolphins defensive lineman William Hayes following a handoff. Vrabel said they’re hopeful of getting a good report back on Mariota’s arm needing everybody that’s healthy and available.Blaine Gabbert, signed this offseason, replaced Mariota and threw for 117 yards with an interception. The Titans do have rookie Logan Woodside on the practice squad, but will wait for a report on Mariota before deciding whether to add another quarterback.Vrabel did say he told defensive coordinator Dean Pees to take note of how officials are handling quarterbacks carrying out a fake on a run-pass option.“If that’s legal, then we have to do it the same exact way,” Vrabel said.Lewan was resting Monday. Asked about Dolphins lineman Andre Branch’s hit, Vrabel said it probably wasn’t dirty even if the coach thinks his left tackle “absolutely” was targeted.The Titans put tight end Delanie Walker on injured reserve Monday and the tight end will have surgery on his right ankle in the next few days. Walker came into the season with the most catches in the NFL by a tight end between 2013 and 2017. He also has been Mariota’s favorite target, leading the team in receptions in two of the past three years.Vrabel said the Titans will evaluate Walker’s potential to return this season after surgery. Jonnu Smith, a third-round pick out of Florida International in 2017, has 19 receptions and will be the first expected to fill in for Walker. Smith had talked to Walker and said the veteran was in good spirits.“It is some big shoes to fill,” Smith said.

This year’s crop of free agents will be joined by veterans deemed too costly by their current teams in the coming days and weeks. Which pass rushers expected to be released could Seattle target?"With free agency opening on March 14 Cheap Ugochukwu Amadi Jersey , the group of pending free agents will begin to inflate in the coming days and weeks. A wave of players will soon flood the market, deemed too expensive by their current teams to stick around. At some positions, it will be a welcome influx of talent. Count EDGE among those positions which will need a boost, with the majority of the top end talent certain to be retained by their current clubs. Luckily for pass rush needy teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, more talent should soon be made available. Here are the EDGEs at risk of getting cut (or already have been) who could be a fit in Seattle. Olivier VernonAmong all players listed here, Vernon is the most talented and would be the most impactful addition; not a coincidence, he’s also the most likely to remain with his current team. The Giants signed Vernon to a massive, five year, $85M deal with $40M fully guaranteed in 2016. Since then, Vernon’s been a solid, if not great player in New York, with 22 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in three seasons.The Giants can save $11.5M towards the cap if they release Vernon, though they would incur a dead money charge of $8M. With approximately $28M in cap space currently available, and just Landon Collins needing to be re-signed among their premier talent, New York could wait until next offseason when the dead money is much more palatable ($4M). However, Vernon’s been floated by Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald and NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal as a potential cut. If Vernon were to hit the open market, the Seahawks would surely be interested. He’s a true three down lineman capable of playing the run and pass, and would make a terrific partner for Frank Clark. Though Vernon had just seven sacks in 2018, his pressure rate of 11.1 reflects the type of disruptive presence he is, and the type of rusher Pete Carroll desires—someone who affects the quarterback. Robert QuinnA footnote in the Rams’ busy 2018 offseason was a trade that sent Quinn to the Dolphins, ridding themselves of the $22M remaining on his contract at the time. Now, Miami themselves are likely to get rid of Quinn Ugochukwu Amadi Seattle Seahawks Jersey , saving just under $13M in the process. The Dolphins pending release of Quinn is a reflection of the realities of the NFL rather than Quinn’s play last season. In just his second season as a stand up rusher, Quinn registered 6.5 sacks, 35 pressures and nine tackles for loss. More impressive was his NFL-leading pass rush win rate of 40 percent, a staggering number and five percent higher than the next closest rusher (Jadeveon Clowney). Quinn will be in his age-29 season in 2019 and can certainly still help a team. Landing in Seattle would allow Quinn to avoid double teams, like he enjoyed when playing with Aaron Donald, as well as giving him a chance to play his former team in L.A. twice a season. Vinny CurryThe Eagles’ depth inevitably had to take a hit following their Super Bowl victory in 2018, and their inability to retain Curry was a part of that. As a free agent, Curry signed a three year, $23M deal with the Buccaneers, only to be cut after one season. On an entirely terrible defense last season, Curry was a disappointment for Tampa Bay: 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and a pressure rate of 9.4. Similar to his former teammate Brandon Graham, a deal between the Seahawks and Curry would likely be one of two EDGE additions this spring, as Curry is much more of a depth addition than difference maker like a Vernon or Ezekiel Ansah. Curry has been a starter in just one season of his career (2017); the most productive season of his career came in a year in which he played 32 percent of the defense’s snaps. Depth in a pass rushing group is a must in the modern NFL, and it’s something Seattle currently lacks. The signing of Curry would be unlikely to inject double-digit sacks into the group, but it would absolutely provide depth. Adrian ClaybornIn writing about free agent pass rushers the Seahawks could target, I likened Graham’s production and situation to Clayborn, who signed a two year, $10M deal with the Patriots last spring. Clayborn plummeted back to Earth after a 9.5-sack 2017, producing just 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in 2018. Now, New England can release Clayborn and save $3.9M, while incurring a cap hit of $2M. The Patriots have $15.7M in cap space currently Shaquem Griffin Jersey , and need to sign Trey Flowers, their best defensive player, to a new deal. Clayborn is a reliable edge defender who can play against the run and pass, but could be released to make the room needed to round out a roster expected to make another Super Bowl charge.Clayborn isn’t a flashy player by any stretch, nor would he particularly move the needle. However, in the name of restoring the depth that left Seattle, he would be a solid addition to the Seahawks rotation. Vic BeasleyThrough four seasons in the NFL, Beasley has remained an entirely puzzling player. Though he wasn’t aided by Dan Quinn and the Falcons repeatedly switching his position, from defensive end to linebacker and back again, Beasley has thoroughly disappointed in three of his four seasons. The one season he didn’t disappoint, however, Beasley led the league in sacks with 15.5 and was named a first-team All-Pro.Now set to play 2019 under his fifth-year option worth $12.8M, it’s expected Atlanta will cut ties with the former first round selection. If Beasley does indeed hit the open market, he could be a highly intriguing option for Seattle. He has familiarity with Carroll’s defense, having played his entire career in Quinn’s system. Additionally, he clears all of the Seahawks’ athletic thresholds at the position—with the lone exception being arm length, where he falls 1/2” short—and is a 99th percentile athlete. Above all else, Seattle prioritizes the three cone drill with their EDGEs. Three times in the Carroll era, the Seahawks have taken the pass rusher who posted the best three cone in their class. Frank Clark was one of those three, but only because Beasley and his three cone of 6.91 seconds was grouped in with the linebackers, as opposed to defensive linemen. The fit is obvious, as is the need for Seattle. Beasley has an element of risk to him Tre Flowers Jersey , but the upside is extremely high. It’s worth noting another big name pass rusher likely to be cut, Justin Houston, would be extremely unlikely to land with the Seahawks. The reason for Houston’s expected release—besides his $21.1M cap hit—is his fit in new Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense. If Seattle’s going to give a free agent pass rusher a sizable deal, regardless of length, it isn’t going to be for one who’s a questionable fit within the scheme. Despite the likelihood of the top pass rushers being re-signed by their current teams, the Seahawks and their $51.9M in cap space should have an impressive group of EDGEs to target next month. Retaining Clark is the top priority, and once that’s accomplished, Seattle can begin to bring in some help for him.Amara Darboh will get second chance with Seahawks in 2019 As a rookie, Amara Darboh couldn’t win a significant role on the offense for the Seattle Seahawks. Going into year two, Darboh wasn’t healthy enough to compete in a group that is currently six-deep after promoting Keenany Reynolds, so he barely even had his chance at redemption. By next year, he could get a second opportunity to make a difference on the Seahawks.On Friday, Darboh failed a physical with the New England Patriots and reverted back to Seattle’s injured reserve. He is not eligible to play this season.That should give the Seahawks to keep Darboh in the fold for the next offseason. He’ll cost $400,000 against the cap this season, per a tweet I read by our own John Gilbert.Darboh was a third round pick in 2017 out of Michigan. He played sparingly last year and failed to catch up this offseason as the team became more and more aware of the talent of David Moore, also a member of the 2017 draft class. The Seahawks currently have Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin, and Moore all under contract for the next few seasons, with Jaron Brown signed through 2019 and Brandon Marshall potentially retiring next year, as he’s mentioned as a possibility.

The 2018 Titans are entering Week 2 at 0-1 Womens Will Compton Jersey , and nothing can change this fact. Injuries to Marcus Mariota, Delanie Walker, Adoree Jackson and Taylor Lewan certainly affected the final outcome of the 27-20 road loss to the Dolphins, and that’s not even mentioning the injuries to Rishard Matthews, Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry. And that’s not going to make fans happy.However, there were a few bright spots from the Week 1 game, including new offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. LaFleur was brought in to bring life to a passing game that had been entirely predictable under the previous Mike Mularkey/Terry Robiskie regime, and despite the loss, I think the design of this offense will be better than the one that preceded it.So to illustrate why I think LaFleur is putting the Titans offense in the right direction, let’s take a look at a few of his play calls from Sunday.gamepass.nfl.comUnder Mike Mularkey the Titans’ receivers ran isolated routes that attacked the same level of the field, so the receivers often failed to create separation and Marcus Mariota more often than not was required to be perfect.From the start of this game, however, things were different. Mularkey wasn't offering this route combination here; Tajae Sharpe’s route is designed to clear up space for Delanie Walker, successfully I might add. Mariota sees this and has an easy throw to Walker, who takes the pass and converts a first down.Now, as some of you know, I spend a lot of time covering Marcus Mariota’s ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes. It’s a special talent that went under the radar during his first three seasons, but with LaFleur’s scheme spreading the field, Mariota appears to have found a perfect match.gamepass.nfl.comAgain, LaFleur has his receivers attacking different levels of the field, and it looks like another easy pass to Corey Davis for the first down conversion.Upon closer inspection, however, we can see that Mariota cleared the way for the open middle of the field with his eyes.gamepass.nfl.comDolphins linebacker Raekwon McMillan (no, not the guy from Wu-Tang Clan) is looking at Mariota the entire time, which is exactly what the quarterback wants him to do. As Mariota’s about to release the ball, McMillan goes to what he thinks is the destination of the pass, when in actuality Mariota is clearing space for Corey Davis to convert another first down. A brilliant play with the help of LaFleur.Another staple of the Kyle Shanahan offense that LaFleur took with him is the quick screen pass, which was most notably used by Shanahan and LaFleur with the 2016 Atlanta Falcons. If executed correctly, it can catch the front seven off guard and lead to lots of open space for the receiver.gamepass.nfl.comOn this play, LaFleur’s design makes the play look like a run to the right or a play action fake.But the play as it turns out is a quick screen pass to Corey Davis, who takes the pass from Mariota and has a lot of open space ahead of him. Davis gets blockers ahead and converts the first down on an impressive play call.Finally, let’s take a look at yet another Kyle Shanahan staple: The tight end throwback.HELL YESgamepass.nfl.comThe tight end throwback is designed to have the quarterback deploy a play action fake on a zone blocking scheme, allowing the quarterback to rollout to the opposite area of the zone blocking, as shown here. The receiver on this play, tight end Luke Stocker, sells his block incredibly well, and races completely uncovered.Now, this should be a touchdown with a better throw, but Mariota under throws Stocker. Nevertheless Steve McNair Jersey White , it’s a big completion that shows off how effective LaFleur’s play calling can become.Simply put, anyone suggesting that Matt LaFleur is a downgrade from Mike Mularkey and Terry Robiskie is living in a distorted reality. This offense is tailor made to fit Mariota’s quick style of passing and ability to move defenders with his eyes, and like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay’s offenses it’s helped put less pressure on the receivers to create separation. This is a more versatile offense that is actually consistent with the decade of football we watch.With that in mind, Titans fans need to consider this: Be patient with Matt LaFleur, because he’s going to be good for the Titans. The NFL's revision of the catch rule figured to grab the spotlight this season.Then the league altered the regulations on using the helmet when making contact on both sides of the ball, basically making it a 15-yard penalty no matter where on the helmet strikes an opponent. Even players on offense and linemen in the trenches are subject to being flagged, with potential fines and ejections for particularly flagrant hits by lowering the helmet.Players are upset. Officials are deeper under the microscope. Fans are wondering why replay review isn't part of the entire process.Suddenly, the Dez Bryant and Jesse James non-catches are non-issues. It's all about the helmet hits, which unquestionably need to be removed from the game in a similar way that tacklers launching to make hits pretty much has been eliminated in the pros.Here's where things stand from a variety of constituencies as we head toward the kickoff of the 2018 schedule:THE LEAGUENFL executives were encouraged that the flags thrown for helmet-initiated hits dropped from 51 through the opening two weeks of the preseason to nine for Week 3 鈥?when many regulars get on the field, though in a limited capacity. Officials have been instructed not to flag incidental or inadvertent contacts with the helmet or facemask by defensive or offensive players. The deeper we get into games that count, the better those with the whistle or ball in their hands or the guys attempting tackles will have a handle on what's legal."These are necessary changes where the rules come in," says Troy Vincent, the NFL's football operations chief and one of the hardest hitters in the league when he played defensive back from 1992-2006. "As stewards for the long term, the well-being of the players comes first."Adds Giants owner John Mara, a long-time member of the competition committee that advises rules changes for teams to vote on:"I think officials and players will adapt to the rule, that is what happens every time we have a change based on player safety. There's an outcry at the beginning that it will change the game, and it never works out that way; statistics don't bear that out at all. Players should not lower their heads is what it is all about, and we should not have some of the injuries we have seen."THE OFFICIALSThe rule change has placed the men in stripes in even sharper focus. Simply put, at the current speed of play and with the size and power of players, any call is difficult. Now, a bit more judgment has been added, with decisions made in split seconds."It's still a work in progress because officials need to learn to instinctively read and react to this type of hit that they've never looked at before as a foul," says recently retired referee Terry McAulay, now an analyst for NBC. "So there is going to be some learning curve yet to come, but I think they're in a much better place than they were a week ago."One somewhat puzzling question remains: Why isn't video replay involved when some of these calls, especially if they lead to ejections, can be game changers?Well, it actually is, on a limited basis. Should a player be ejected for initiating helmet contact, Al Riveron and his staff at New York headquarters can affirm or overrule the ejection."Our charge is, No. 1 player safety: Make it safer in all ways," Riveron says. "No. 2, make sure we still have a product that is entertaining. And No. 3, find a happy balance with replay and how much it gets involved. We always stop the game to get it right."Mara believes replay could play a further role if officiating the rule becomes too problematic."I certainly think are a lot of people who would support adding those calls to instant replay and making them reviewable," he says, "and I think that's another discussion we could have in the offseason if it is warranted."THE DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERSThousands of hours and millions of dollars of data gathering, research, technological innovations and testing helped lead to the new rule. Every penny will have been well spent if usage of the helmet as a weapon disappears."It's an offshoot of all that work," says Jeff Miller http://www.thetitanslockerroom.com/authentic-derrick-henry-jersey , the league's executive vice president of health and safety initiatives, whose department works with medical professionals, researchers and equipment manufacturers. "An identification of what causes concussions and why there was a troubling increase in them."We see patterns, the increased velocity of the hits, the positioning of the head and neck ... that increase in force and magnitude of a hit, and not just with the crown of the helmet."Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's medical director, believes all the data helped construct a comprehensive story that required immediate action."Everything we saw said we must act on this," Sills says of the injury rate for helmet-first hits. "There was a sense of urgency when the data was so compelling to do something now on this."THE COACHESFor decades, the head was taught to be part of the tackling process. That has changed 180 degrees 鈥?at least in the NFL 鈥?as the consequences of that technique became so clearly grim and far-reaching.NFL coaches 鈥?yes, even those who don't win with regularity 鈥?are the elite of the profession. Still, changing a culture that was part of football for so long, and might still be at lower levels of the sport, is challenging.Throw in that some coaches were caught by surprise by the wide-ranging change, and others aren't truly certain when flags will fly, and there's concern on every NFL sideline.New Titans coach Mike Vrabel, a Super Bowl-winning linebacker, narrated a league-distributed video on tackles that are kosher and which are outlawed. Yet his team was among the most penalized early in the preseason."It's frustrating because I'm not doing a good enough job explaining to them what they're calling," Vrabel said during training camp. "I think they look at me like I'm nuts when I say, 'This is what they're looking for. This is what they're calling.'"We just really have to start watching. The helmet thing extends drives. Penalties are going to lead to scoring opportunities; 15 yards is an explosive gain. ... To continue to give them the 15-yard penalties is frustrating because I have to do a better job of making sure these guys aren't using the top of the helmet."Another worry among coaches is whether the calls on offensive players will be equitable to those on defenders. Former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, now a CBS analyst, recalled seeing three flags thrown on the defense for helmet-first hits when it was obvious to him that the ball carrier initiated the contact."It's a great rule," he says. "They just have to not over-officiate it. They shouldn't use the posture of getting in a protective position by the running back before he gets tackled, yet he's the one making contact with the helmet."THE PLAYERSUltimately, as anyone involved in any sport will say, the players have to make the plays. And make sure they are permissible plays.It's not going to be easy at first. According to 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, it won't be easy ever.Or fair."It's an idiotic rule, so there's no need to go down that road," Sherman says. "There's no way you can tackle and play football. I could tackle like that if I was standing still, got on my knees, no one was moving and I was tackling bags or something. But to ask you to do that at full speed?"Adds Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu: "It's going to be extremely difficult. Obviously, guys are trying to take the initiative to really go about it the right way, but sometimes it's like, what do you expect a guy to do? Hopefully, we'll get it corrected and like I said, hopefully it doesn't take too much money from the guys."I just don't know when it's a foul, when it's clean. I have no idea."

The Seattle Seahawks (4-3) finally return home to CenturyLink Field for a major inter-conference showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers (5-2) Womens Richard Sherman Jersey , who figure to be a playoff contender in the AFC. Seattle has won four of its last five, with that one defeat coming by two points against the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. As for the Chargers, their only losses have been to the Rams and AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs. A little fun fact for Seahawks fans to note is that Russell Wilson has never lost at home to any AFC opponent, although the Seahawks did lose at the Chargers in 2014, so Russ has a chance to make this the 29th team he’s prevailed against. On the other side is the great Phillip Rivers, perhaps making his final appearance in Seattle, with a record of 1-1 at CLink and 2-1 overall.It should be a high-energy, emotional day in Seattle, as this is the Seahawks’ first home game since the deaths of owner Paul Allen and former head coach Jack Patera. It’d be great to honor them both with a vital win towards a playoff push. Here are the details you need to watch this Sunday’s game Germain Ifedi Jersey Green , including broadcast information, live streaming options, radio commentary, and more:TV ScheduleDate: Sunday, November 4th, 2018Time: 4:05 PM ET/1:05 PM PTChannel: CBS (check NFL coverage map)Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Rich GannonLocation: CenturyLink Field | Seattle, WashingtonRadio: 710 ESPN Seattle/97.3 KIRO FM (click here for additional TV and radio affiliates outside of the Seattle area)Radio Announcers: Steve Raible, Dave Wyman (Reporters: Jen Mueller and John Clayton)Online Streaming: NFL Game Pass (Free 7-Day Trial) | Sling TV | PlayStation Vue | CBS All Access |YoutubeTV Current 53-man roster: Click hereOpponent Blog: Bolts From The BlueFollow Field Gulls on social media!Twitter - @FieldGullsFacebook - Field Gulls: For Seattle Seahawks News and AnalysisSeahawks regular season schedule 2018September9/9: L 27-24 at Denver Broncos 9/17: L 24-17 at Chicago Bears 9/23: W 24-13 vs. Dallas Cowboys9/30: W 20-17 at Arizona CardinalsOctober10/7: L 33-31 Los Angeles Rams 10/14: W 27-3 “at” Oakland Raiders in London10/21: BYE10/28: W 28-14 at Detroit Lions November11/4: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (1:05 PM PT, CBS)11/11: at Los Angeles Rams (1:25 PM PT Patrick Kerney Jersey , CBS)11/15 (Thu): vs. Green Bay Packers (5:20 PM PT, FOX/NFL Network)11/25: at Carolina Panthers (10 AM PT, FOX)December12/2: vs. San Francisco 49ers (5:20 PM PT, NBC)12/10 (Mon): vs. Minnesota Vikings (5:15 PM PT, ESPN)12/16: at San Francisco 49ers (1:05 PM PT, FOX)12/23: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (5:20 PM PT, NBC)12/30: vs. Arizona Cardinals (1:25 PM PT, FOX) Frank Clark says he played whole season at 60 percent due to elbow injuries – ProFootballTalkSeahawks defensive end Frank Clark had one of the best pass rushing seasons by a Seattle defensive player in franchise history in 2018. He says he managed to accomplish that feat while dealing with a pair of elbow injuries that left him at "60 percent" of his peak ability.2019 Important NFL DatesA look at some of the key dates on the NFL calendar for 2019.Tuesday Round-Up: Blitz and Tyler Lockett Surprise 2019 NFL Kid Correspondent On 'Good Morning America'Blitz the Seahawk and Tyler Lockett surprise 8-year-old Camdyn Clancy, this year's NFL Kid Correspondent Tre Madden Jersey Green , on 'Good Morning America'.Bobby Wagner & Michael Dickson Named To PFWA All-NFL TeamSeahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner and punter Michael Dickson earned more postseason honors on Tuesday.Seahawks: Brian Schottenheimer is still trying to establish the runThe Seahawks offensive coordinator hasn't learned.O'Neil: There's no easy way to fix Seahawks' problem at kickerIf the Seahawks don't re-sign Sebastian Janikowski, they'll have their third kicker in three years in 2019. But allocating resources, whether in the draft or with payroll, doesn’t mean the problem will be fixed.Seattle Seahawks should steer clear of wide receiver Antonio BrownWide receiver Antonio Brown is an enticing player to trade for, but the Seattle Seahawks should look elsewhere for receiver depth.Jaguars Sign Ex-Seahawks QB Alex McGough to Future/Reserves Contract - SeahawkMaven.ioMcGough will now have a chance to compete for a roster spot in quarterback-needy Jacksonville.Former Seahawks linebacker Heath Farwell hired by BillsFormer Seattle Seahawks special teams player Heath Farwell landed a job as Buffalo's new special teams coordinator.Broncos hire Bears DBs coach Ed Donatell as DC - NFL.comVic Fangio has recruited a trusted assistant from Chicago to run his defense in Denver. The Broncos hired Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell as their defensive coordinator.Panthers owner unsure if Cam Newton needs surgery - NFL.comCam Newton's 2018 season was cut short due to a lingering shoulder injury. Will the Panthers quarterback undergo offseason shoulder surgery. Team owner David Tepper doesn't know.NFL announces Super Bowl LIII officiating crew - NFL.comReferee John Parry will make his third Super Bowl appearance and lead the officiating crew for the big game on Feb. 3 at the Mercedes -Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Andrew Luck will replace Philip Rivers in Pro Bowl - NFL.comColts quarterback Andrew Luck's season has been elongated as he was named to his fourth Pro Bowl on Tuesday to replace Chargers signal-caller Philip Rivers.Saints signing Tyrunn Walker to help replace Rankins - NFL.comThe New Orleans Saints are signing free-agent DT Tyrunn Walker ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game. Walker will help replace Sheldon Rankins, who suffered a torn Achilles against the Eagles.Pederson: Carson Wentz is Eagles' QB going forward - NFL.comAt the top of Tuesday's press conference, Eagles coach Doug Pederson matter-of-factly stated "Carson [Wentz] is the quarterback going forward" for the franchise.Bruce Arians: Antonio Brown has been too much of a diva, needs to make better decisions – ProFootballTalkBruce Arians coached Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown for two seasons when he was Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator and got to see the player Brown was during the early stages of his career.Panthers owner still waiting for word on Cam Newton’s shoulder – ProFootballTalkAll David Tepper knows for sure about Cam Newton's shoulder is they both need it to be right. The Panthers owner said multiple times during an interview Tuesday that he didn't know any of the specific details of Newton's progress from the shoulder injury which torpedoed the 2018 season.Will 49ers make a play for Antonio Brown? – ProFootballTalk49ers players are flirting openly with Antonio Brown. One of the best players in franchise (and league) history has said that Brown wants to play for the 49ers. So what does 49ers' management want? There's a belief in league circles that the 49ers have real interest in Brown.

To say it was a tumultuous year for the Bengals’ defense in 2018 would be a massive understatement. Teryl Austin had his unit making flashy plays early in the season http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-kevin-huber-jersey , but a record-setting streak of the worst kind in the middle of the year led to his firing. Still, some of those plays early in the year ended up being crucial to some very important wins. Cast your vote and sound off on your winner for the Bengals’ 2018 Defensive Play of the Year.Clayton Fejedelem’s forced fumble, recovery and return for touchdown against the Colts: Cincinnati desperately needed to start the 2018 season off with a win, and they were engaged in a back-and-forth affair in Indianapolis. As Andrew Luck was driving the Colts down the field for the go-ahead score http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-randy-bullock-jersey , Fejedelem knocked the ball loose from Jack Doyle and took it the other way to seal the win. He was in the game because Shawn Williams had been ejected in the first quarter. Shawn Williams’ sack and forced fumble versus the Ravens: Cincinnati shot out to a big lead against their division rivals on Thursday Night Football, but a slow second half kept the door cracked open for a Baltimore comeback. Joe Flacco attempted to tie the game with less than three minutes to play, but Williams showed great hustle to knock the ball away from behind. It set up a game-clinching field goal by Randy Bullock. Michael Johnson’sinterception return for a touchdown against the Dolphins: After a 3-1 start, it appeared as if the magic was running out for the Bengals in their hosting of Miami in Week 5. Needing a big play because of a pretty anemic performance by the offense Womens Nick Vigil Jersey , Johnson came up with a Johnny-on-the-spot turnover and touchdown to totally change the tide of the contest. Sam Hubbard’s fumble recovery for a touchdown versus Miami: If the Johnson play against Miami didn’t do it for you, perhaps Hubbard’s scoop-and-score will be more up your alley. The momentum was totally shifting to Cincinnati, but the Dolphins were trying to tie the game with under three minutes to play. Carlos Dunlap grabbed Ryan Tannehill and swatted the ball out of his hands and the rookie did the rest. Jessie Bates’s pick-six against the Buccaneers: Cincinnati began to pull away from Tampa Bay in the second half, thanks to a rough outing by Jameis Winston. His fourth interception of the day resulted in the rookie safety taking it to the house John Miller Jersey White , as well as his being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Shawn Williams’ pick-six against the Steelers: The Bengals were out of playoff contention in the final week of the season and had many of their star players out of the lineup from injury, but that didn’t stop them from putting forth one of their best efforts of the year. Cincinnati’s defense was very stout against the explosive Pittsburgh offense, and Williams’ big play put the team in a position to nearly pull out an unlikely victory. Cincy Jungle’s Orange and Black Insider Bengals podcastBengals newsNo More One-Size-Fits-All For Bengals’ HelmetsMore and more Bengals players are moving toward Riddell’s Precision-Fit helmet, a customized piece of equipment introducing 3-D modeling technology to the game of football.5 questions with Bengals’ Duke TobinThe Cincinnati Enquirer staff catches up with the team’s Director of Player Personnel.Rams coach Sean McVay among local connections to Super Bowl LIIIRams coach Sean McVay was born at Kettering Medical CenterBengals say Senior Bowl isn’t “dramatically different” without coach in place – ProFootballTalkThe Bengals parted ways with Marvin Lewis after 16 years Geno Atkins Jersey , but they don’t have a new head coach in place yet. Random newsRooney talks Ben, NFL Draft & moreTeam President Art Rooney II held his annual season-wrap up edition of “The Huddle” with Steelers Nation Unite members on WednesdayDaniel Jones claims MVP as North wins Senior Bowl - NFL.comDuke’s Daniel Jones threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score in the third quarter to lead the North to a 34-24 victory over the South on Saturday in the Senior Bowl. Jones was named MVP.Jerome Bettis worries about Antonio Brown’s legacy - NFL.comIn Atlanta to deliver the Super Bowl trophy, Jerome Bettis gave his thoughts on the Antonio Brown-Steelers situations and worries A.B. is damaging his legacy.Super Bowl LIII - How the New England Patriots became Super Bowl favorites in minutes on Sunday nightProminent offshore and Las Vegas sportsbooks opened the Los Angeles Rams as slight Super Bowl LIII favorites on Sunday night. Then the flood of New England money began.How we at Pro Football Focus grade quarterbacks at the NFL and FBS level | NFL Draft news and analysis | Pro Football FocusPro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson detail how the grading process and key advanced stats behind how we evaluate NFL and FBS quarterbacks.

Who saw this coming? The Packers were expected to roll the 49ers Elgton Jenkins Jersey 2019 , and when they went up 17-7, they appeared on their way. But C.J. Beathard has had something to say.Beathard had an almost perfect passer rating in the first half, leading the 49ers to a surprising 24-20 halftime advantage over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.The teams have combined for 547 yards, with San Francisco gaining 290 with only one punt. If not for two turnovers, the 49ers might have an even bigger lead.Beathard went 9-of-12 for 182 yards, two touchdowns and a 156.2 passer rating. Marquise Goodwin has caught three passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. His scores covered 67 and 30 yards.Raheem Mostert has five carries for 52 yards, and Matt Breida has 37 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.Rodgers went 11-for-20 for 222 yards and a touchdown.Although the Packers have only two punts and no turnovers, they are 0-for-5 on third down. Why get a slight upgrade at one position when you can improve much more with multiple upgrades for the same amount of money?"Packers Free Agency 2019The Packers absolutely should not sign free agent RB Le’Veon Bell in 2019Why get a slight upgrade at one position when you can improve much more with multiple upgrades for the same amount of money?CSTShareTweetShareShareThe Packers absolutely should not sign free agent RB Le’Veon Bell in 2019The Green Bay Packers continue to see speculation about the team signing free agent running back Le’Veon Bell, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most recently, beat writer Pete Dougherty said that Bell should be one of the team’s targets in free agency.Bell sat out the 2018 season because of his demands for a new contract, and he will be a free agent again in 2019. Is he one of the best running backs in the NFL? Yes. Would he make a team better? Almost certainly. But how much would he really improve a team? And would that improvement match up with the amount of money it would cost to get him in the door? Those are the critical questions when looking at signing him, and the answer is simple: he’s not worth the money.ContractBell is on the record saying he wants to be paid like a top wide receiver. He refused to play a second straight year on the franchise tag in 2018, a contract that would have paid him $14.544 million, all of it fully guaranteed.Currently, the biggest long-term contract for a running back belongs to Todd Gurley, who signed an extension before the 2018 season. That deal takes him through 2024, and it went down as a four-year, $57.5 million extension. That equates to $14.375M per year, just under Bell’s tag value. Presumably, Bell would want more in annual compensation than Gurley received, so we’re looking at something around $15M per year for Bell.In addition, he would almost certainly want a four-year deal at minimum, which brings the total to $60M. Let’s say he gets around $20M in a signing bonus; if for some reason he disappointed massively and the Packers needed to move on after two years, they would take a $10M dead hit on their salary cap in 2021.Marginal ContributionsAs with any signing, it’s not the total production a player brings that determines whether he’s worth his contract to that team. Any team in a salary cap league must evaluate how best to spend its money Color Rush Elgton Jenkins Jersey , prioritizing return on investment. Therefore, given the Packers’ success with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams the past two years, the marginal upgrade Bell would likely provide at running back is not remotely worth the $15M/year investment.Think about it: if you’re Brian Gutekunst, you can get some potential upgrade to the running back position for that amount of money, or you can use that $15M to upgrade multiple other positions. We’ll examine some better uses of that money shortly; first, let’s examine the upgrade that Bell would provide over Jones and Williams.Upgrade at Running Back?Zach Kruse of Packers Wire has been beating this drum for a while now. He did it last season, when Bell was reportedly seeking a trade, by looking at the Packers’ three running backs in 2017: Jones, Williams, and Ty Montgomery. Kruse refenced a tweet by NFL analyst Marcus Mosher, which observed that that trio had the exact same yards per touch average (when combining their numbers) as Bell did that year:On Monday, he did it again by comparing the two second-year Packers in 2018 to that 2017 season from Bell:Hey, look at that! Jones and Williams actually performed better on a per-touch basis in 2018 than Bell did in his most recent season. Their yards per carry was almost seven-tenths of a yard higher than Bell’s, thanks in large part to Aaron Jones’ stellar 5.5 mark, which led the NFL. Football Outsiders’ DVOA stat tells a similar story — the Packers’ rushing attack ranked third in that per-play efficiency stat in both 2017 (+10.6%) and in 2018 (+12.4%), while the 2017 Steelers were sixth with a much less-impressive +3.0% value.Now let’s look a bit closer at the individual players’ advanced numbers, both DVOA and DYAR (which is the total production corollary to DVOA). Note that DYAR fluctuates based on usage, so the fact that the Packers ran the ball fewer than any other team in the NFL will depress their running backs’ rushing DYAR numbers.2018 Jones: 16.9% rushing DVOA, 145 rushing DYAR; 2.2% receiving DVOA, 33 receiving DYAR2018 Williams: 1.7% rushing DVOA, 51 rushing DYAR; -9.3% receiving DVOA, 11 receiving DYAR2018 Total: 196 rushing DYAR, 44 receiving DYAR, 240 total DYAR2017 Bell: 7.9% rushing DVOA, 214 rushing DYAR; 2.5% receiving DVOA Cheap Elgton Jenkins Jersey , 101 receiving DYAR; 315 total DYARNow, a 75 DYAR difference is notable, but that comes on 99 fewer touches than Bell had. Also note that the biggest difference comes in receiving production. How about addinga proven receiving back like Tevin Coleman for around $5M per year? That number is Spotrac’s estimate of his market value, and signing him could give the Packers tons of flexibility in the backfield, allowing them to roll out a three-headed monster to play the matchups and saving the team $10M annually compared to signing Bell. As an added bonus here: Coleman and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur are plenty familiar with one another, since they were together for two years with the Falcons.Plus, when looking at per-play efficiency, Jones was better in ‘18 — admittedly on a smaller sample size — than Bell was the year before. Can we find improvements of 75 DYAR for cheaper than $15M? Most definitely, and we’ll do so shortly.Steelers’ RBsLet’s take the Bell analysis even farther and look at the dropoff (or lack thereof) from Bell to the Steelers’ 2018 running backs, James Conner and Jaylen Samuels. There is a common refrain among a certain sect of NFL analysts, that running backs are fungible assets, and that is borne out by several situations in 2018. Take the Los Angeles Rams, for example. When Todd Gurley was injured late in the season, they plucked C.J. Anderson off the street and had essentially no drop in production from the position. The dropoff from Bell to the tandem of Conner and Samuels — a 2017 third-round draft pick and a 2018 fifth-rounder, respectively — was also minimal:Conner/Samuels271 carries, 1,229 yards (4.53 YPC), 12 TDs; 81 receptions, 696 yards (8.59 YPR), 4 TDsTotal yards per touch: 5.46The Steelers got better per-carry averages (4.53 to 4.02) and better per-reception averages (8.59 to 7.71) with Conner and Samuels in 2018 than Bell had in 2017, demonstrating that they were in all likelihood better off with Bell refusing to play. The advanced stats are a little different, but they make the two options seem nicely comparable, regardless of whether you’re looking at per-play efficiency (DVOA) or total cumulative production (DYAR):2018 Conner: 2.4% rushing DVOA, 100 rushing DYAR; 15.2% receiving DVOA, 112 receiving DYAR2018 Samuels: -1.2% DVOA Elgton Jenkins Jersey Womens , 17 rushing DYAR; 36.4% receiving DVOA, 79 receiving DYAR2018 Total: 117 rushing, 191 receiving (308 total DYAR)2017 Bell: 7.9% rushing DVOA, 214 rushing DYAR; 2.5% receiving DVOA, 101 receiving DYAR; 315 total DYARThat’s almost the exact same total production from the Steelers’ two running backs in 2018 as Bell had the year before, with those backs providing much more as receivers — which is typically one of the hallmarks of the arguments in Bell’s favor.Other InvestmentsIt’s too early to tell exactly who will be available on the free agent market this season, but it’s a good bet that a team could get a much better bang for their buck at other positions.Take slot receiver, for example. In 2018, Randall Cobb was bad — he had had negative-45 DYAR on 61 targets. Now, I don’t mean to throw more gasoline on the Cole Beasley fire that has been raging recently, but he would have been a huge upgrade over Cobb last season. Beasley had a round 100 DYAR on 87 targets, and adjusting that total down for the difference in targets puts him at an even 70. Swapping him in for Cobb would represent a net gain of 115 DYAR, and he could come with a price tag around $5 million/year. The difference in production between Bell and the Packers’ current running backs is more than accounted for at a third of the price.This is just an example, of course, and it relies on projecting DYAR values from prior seasons forward. However, it does help illustrate just see how small of an upgrade Bell would likely provide over the Packers’ runners.It’s not as easy to quantify the impact of adding an offensive lineman or a pass-rusher, since there is no DYAR or DVOA for those positions, but those spots would almost assuredly provide a better bang for the buck than signing Bell. Even the top free agent guards will likely max out around $8 million per year. How about using $15 million to try to sign a pass-rusher like Dee Ford instead? That number would put him right around the top ten highest-paid edge rushers, a good spot for him. Is there any argument that the marginal upgrade from Jones/Williams to Bell would be greater than going from Clay Matthews/Reggie Gilbert to Ford? Going after a second-tier player like Dante Fowler or Preston Smith could be an excellent alternative as well, and they would take up less cap space.Gutekunst could alternately use this cap space on a safety. Landon Collins ($9.3M/year market value, per Spotrac) or Earl Thomas (likely to get around the same) would provide instant playmaking ability in the Packers’ secondary. Tyrann Mathieu could do the same if he sees the Packers as an immediate contender. If you’re intent on signing a free agent running back, pair Tevin Coleman with one of these safeties to upgrade two positions for the price of one.There are numerous ways that the Packers could use the money that Le’Veon Bell would demand to improve their team. It’s easy to imagine any number of scenarios which would cost the same or less than Bell and should lead to a much bigger marginal impact than what Bell would provide on his own.

TAMPA Markus Granlund Jersey , Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward J.T. Miller to a five-year contract worth $26.25 million.Miller will count $5.5 million against the salary cap through 2022-23. General manager Steve Yzerman announced the deal with the pending restricted free agent on Tuesday.Acquired from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, Miller put up 18 points in 19 regular-season games with Tampa Bay and then eight more in 17 playoff games. The 25-year-old Miller has 82 goals and 108 assist in 360 NHL games.Miller’s contract puts cap-strapped Tampa Bay closer to the $79.5 million ceiling, with new contracts still needed for restricted free agent defenseman Slater Koekkoek and forward Cedric Paquette.The Lightning are one of a handful of teams set to meet with New York Islanders star John Tavares in Los Angeles to try to persuade the pending free agent to join them.— SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Only 25 seconds after nearly ending the game Michael Del Zotto Jersey , Mike Hoffman made sure it was over.Hoffman hit the post at 1:03 of overtime and then scored at 1:28 to give the Florida Panthers a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.The initial shot by Hoffman was originally ruled a goal before it was quickly overturned after a replay review. Hoffman came back just seconds later with a drive from the right circle that beat Keith Kinkaid, giving him 23 points in his last 20 games.“I didn’t see (the first shot) at all if it went in or not. I shot it kind of through the goalie and heard it hit the post and then that’s all I saw,” Hoffman said. “All I really had to do (on the second shot) was hit the net. It was a good comeback win for us, good character win. This group has been searching for that for a little bit now and it’s nice to see.”With their goalie pulled for an extra skater Sam Gagner Jersey , the Panthers tied it 3-all on Jonathan Huberdeau’s 100th career goal with 1:29 left in the third period. Huberdeau also had two assists.Aleksander Barkov added a goal and an assist, and Jared McCann also scored to help Florida halt a three-game losing streak. James Reimer stopped 29 shots.“We’re a team that battles every night. I don’t think we have the record that we want right now, but we battle most nights,” Huberdeau said. “Right now we needed the two points.”Jesper Bratt Womens Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey , Blake Coleman and Miles Wood scored for the Devils. Kinkaid made 30 saves, and Sami Vatanen had two assists.New Jersey lost its third straight game and is 0-4 in overtime this season.“We’ve got to keep working at it. It’s been different situations, different guys, different things http://www.officialcanucks.com/authentic-adidas-sven-baertschi-jersey ,” coach John Hynes said. “When you look at it, there’s not one particular trend. We’ll continue to work at it. You’ve got to be able to find a way to get two points out of it.”Bratt gave the Devils a 3-2 lead when he tipped in a shot by Vatanen with 8:33 remaining in the third. The goal was Bratt’s second in two games.With the Panthers’ net empty, Huberdeau grabbed a loose puck in front and pushed it past Kinkaid for his 100th NHL goal.Florida closed to 2-1 on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by Barkov, who one-timed the puck past Kinkaid at 7:31 of the second.The Panthers tied it at 2 on McCann’s goal. McCann’s shot from the slot got past Kinkaid and went high into the net with 8:17 left in the second.The Devils took a 1-0 lead on Wood’s goal at 1:23 of the second. Vatanen took a shot from the point and Wood tipped it past Reimer.New Jersey stretched its lead to 2-0 on a short-handed goal by Coleman. Barkov lost control of the puck in the neutral zone and Coleman scored on a breakaway when he put the puck into the corner of the net at 6:01.NOTES: Panthers D Mark Pysyk played in his 300th NHL game. … Florida G Roberto Luongo Alex Tuch Jersey Kids , who injured his knee in a loss to Carolina last Friday, skated before practice and remains day to day.UP NEXTDevils: At Washington on Friday.Panthers: Host Anaheim on Wednesday.