New York Jets

Jason Witten may have recently retired from the NFL, but he’s still making his presence felt with a juicy prediction of former teammate Dez Bryant’s next landing spot.

“Rodgers, he throws that back-shoulder throw so well and Dez has great chemistry with a good quarterback that can put the ball wherever he wants,” Witten, the new voice of Monday Night Football, said. “Because I still believe Dez can high-point the football as good as any other wide receiver in the National Football League.”

Bryant reportedly turned down a multi-year deal with the Ravens before the Draft, hoping to secure a one-year “prove-it” deal. Should he end up in Green Bay, he may finally get a chance to contend for his first Super Bowl appearance.

“It’s frustrating, especially coming from Nebraska where I was the guy, I knew I was going to get the ball at least 20 times a game,” Abdullah said. “For me, it’s not necessarily getting a certain number of touches. It’s getting meaningful touches…That’s where it gets kind of frustrating.”

Abdullah averaged 3.3 yards per carry in 2017 but scored a career-high four touchdowns. He said it was difficult for him to find a rhythm.

“The coaches, I trust their game plan, they’re much smarter than me,” Abdullah said. “But it’s hard when I come in, I get a carry and break it for about 10 yards, then I come out for about three plays, then I’ve got to come in to pass protect, then I don’t get my next carry until, like, the next quarter.”

Abdullah, who has totaled 1,250 rushing yards in 32 career games, said he has appreciated his time with the Lions.

49ers gambling lines shows a schedule easier on the back end More Earlier this week, CG Technology released their lines for Weeks 1-16, providing us a glimpse at how oddsmakers see the matchups. The San Francisco 49ers are listed as early favorites in ten games, and underdogs in five. Week 17 is not listed because of the eventual impact of playoff implications. Most of these lines will change considerably between now and the game, but for the time being, it gives us a chance to consider the difficulty and ease of different stretches.

That inflexibility is a problem for Grasu, as he looks to compete with the likes of rookie second-round pick James Daniels, veteran Eric Kush and undrafted rookie Dejon Allen for a roster spot.

Grasu has enough talent to provide valuable depth for a team with less talent at the center spot. The Bears, however, have players with more versatility. Cutting Grasu would provide the roster spot to keep one of them and save nearly $800,000 in cap space.

It’s a failure in progress, former Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said of Bethel’s role on defense in December 2016, per NFL.com’s Marc Sessler. 

For Bethel to secure his spot on the Falcons, he’ll have to beat out the likes of Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Leon McFaddon for a spot high on the reserves depth chart.

If an undrafted free agent like Gus Edwards, De’Lance Turner or Mark Thompson flashes during the offseason, Dixon could be a roster casualty given the uncertainty of how he’ll look after his injury and the risk of him being suspended again. Cutting him would save the Ravens $725,000 in cap space.

The Buffalo Bills selected Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington with third-round pick in 2016. While Washington has the physical tools to be a disruptive NFL defender (6’4, 295 lbs, ran a 4.95-second 40 at his pro day), he hasn’t become the dominant force the Bills had envisioned.

In free agency, Buffalo brought in a pair of productive defensive linemen in Star Lotulelei and Trent Murphy. The Bills also drafted former Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips in the third round this year.

Patriots left guard Joe Thuney is dealing with a foot injury that will require surgery.

Mike Reiss of ESPN reports that Thuney has been limited in his participation in offseason work because of the foot injury, and is preparing to have surgery.

The plan is for Thuney to miss Organized Team Activities but be ready in time for the start of the regular season.

The Lions could decide to try to shut off Patricia’s right to a buyout, if they decide that they have no choice but to make a change. It’s possible, for example, that paperwork completed or other information submitted by Patricia when he got the job contemplated full disclosure of the indictment. If he failed to do so, that could be grounds for a so-called termination for cause.

Before it ever gets to that point, the Lions would have to conclude that it’s not practical to proceed with Patricia as the coach. And the league office, which has become ultra-sensitive to the public-relations consequences of allegations of violence against women, surely will take a position on what the Lions should do. That position definitely will be shaped by the extent to which it’s believed that the situation creates a P.R. problem for the league office.

Asked by reporters about the possibility of signing Beckham to a new contract, Mara said (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com), “It’s not the first contract negotiation we’ve ever had. It will get done when it’s supposed to get done.”

While it’s no surprise that Mara would offer up a dismissive answer to an important question, the broader question is whether Beckham (who has been participating in offseason workouts) will take part in OTAs or training-camp practices without the security that comes from a new contract. Clearly, he has earned a second contract. Presumably, he wants more than the Giants will pay.

So where does it go from here? Franchise tag for two years before hitting the market? Or a trade that would send Beckham to a team that would pay him what he wants or something close to it?

Just because there’s currently no active conflict between player and team doesn’t mean that conflict isn’t coming. If the Giants continue to drag their feet when it comes to paying Beckham, maybe he won’t put either of his feet onto a football field.

Kurt Warner chalks up reaction to his possible unretirement as a “REALLY slow news day”

As the 2018 NFL Draft quickly approaches, Josh Allen’s name has been at the center of the quarterback conversations, and with that comes some criticism.

In an appearance on Pro Football Talk, Allen opened up about some of the pre-draft conversations and what he has heard. The biggest piece of criticism that Allen responded to was the negative talk about his accuracy.

It still remains to be seen where Allen will go in the draft, which is scheduled to begin April 26, but he has been projected to go high in the first-round.

Coaching. Both coaches did some heavy lifting in the regular season. Peter DeBoer oversaw a transition year for the Sharks and continues to have a deft understanding of the team’s psychology, keeping the Sharks relaxed but not, like, country club relaxed. All Gerard Gallant did was take a disparate collection of players acquired in an expansion draft and help them mesh into a 109-point division winner. Advantage: Even.

Health. The X factor: Sharks star Joe Thornton, still on the mend from an injury to his right medial collateral ligament, is already ruled out for Game 1. The Golden Knights could get a boost from the return of defenseman Luca Sbisa, who hasn’t dressed for a game since Feb. 27 due to a hand injury. Advantage: Golden Knights.

The first round of the three-day event always draws the strongest TV ratings. Unlike previous NFL Drafts, the top 10 teams didn’t send out any smoke signals on who they were picking until Commissioner Roger Goodell called Baker Mayfield name with the overall No. 1 to the Browns.

With top players such as overall Mayfield, Saquon Barkley (No. 2 to Giants), Sam Darnold (No. 3 to Jets), Bradley Chubb (No. 5 to Broncos) and Josh Allen (No. 7 to Bills) up for grabs, the suspense reached a fever pitch.

Even NFL Network’s draft guru Mike Mayock said he’d never seen anything like the somewhat comical secrecy surrounding the 2018 NFL Draft.

“Why? Why? I just can’t figure out why?” Mayock asked. “Let me tell you something: I know [Browns GM] John Dorsey. He doesn’t even talk to his wife.”

Mayfield led FBS with a 70.5 completion percentage in 2017, and he set a single-season record by averaging 11.5 yards per attempt. He threw for 4,627 yards with 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

President Trump is set to be on in the 7 a.m. hour Friday.

Public service announcement: Wednesday’s Mets-Phillies game will only be broadcast on Facebook. It will not be on SNY. It is part of a new Wednesday afternoon agreement between MLB and the social media company. So tell a friend.

You knew, five to 10 minutes into that game, he was right and feeling good, Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

Scheifele scored with 28 seconds left in the first period, spoiling a fine performance on the other end by Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, and tacked on an empty-netter with 11 seconds remaining.

The Wild, now without star left wing Zach Parise because of a broken sternum suffered late in Game 3, must now win in Winnipeg in Game 5 on Friday night to extend their season.

Certainly can’t fault us in trying. It’s a disappointing finish, said Dubnyk, who stopped 26 shots. It just shows you, too, you never know which plays are going to be the difference in the game.

We were struggling to make shots, struggling to really have any kind of rhythm and James put us on his back, coach Mike D’Antoni said. He’s been doing it for a while now.

Minnesota scored four straight points to get within 3 with about 30 seconds left. Chris Paul added two free throws after that for Houston, but a tip-in by Karl-Anthony Towns got Minnesota back within 3. After a bad pass by Paul gave the Timberwolves a chance to tie it with 1.5 seconds left, Jimmy Butler’s shot was short.

Came up short, Butler said. But I’d shoot it again if I had the opportunity.

The Timberwolves had a one-point lead with about seven minutes left when Houston used a 9-0 run, with the last seven points from Harden, to make it 94-86 with about four minutes to go. Harden, who also had a steal in that span, capped the run with a 3-pointer that prompted Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout.

Jeff Teague ended Minnesota’s scoring drought with two free throws after the timeout and added a 3-point play after a basket by Harden. Harden made another shot to give him 11 straight points for Houston before another basket by Teague.

Odell Beckham Jr. will NEVER leave the NY Giants — so says a world-famous porn star … who’s laying her booty on the line for OBJ!

Richelle Ryan — star of XXX hits like Big Wet Butts and Plump Rumps — is a HUGE Giants fan … so when we got her leaving Vivid’s HQ in L.A., we asked her what to make of the G-Men reportedly trying to deal Odell.

Worley appeared in 31 games for the Panthers the past two seasons, registering 152 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions. He earned a grade of 58.9 from Pro Football Focus for the 2017 season, just 89th amongst cornerbacks.

Harrison’s Steelers tenure ended in underwhelming fashion, but he leaves a large legacy in the Steel City and will unquestionably be remembered alongside some of the franchise’s greatest players.

Sixers center Joel Embiid finished the regular season with the eighth-best-selling jersey, and forward Ben Simmons was 10th.

The 76ers have sold the most gear of any team since March, according to Fanatics, which runs the league’s online and physical store in Manhattan.

“Much like our players, our brand resonates both locally and globally,” said Chris Heck, president of business operations for the 76ers. “We feel like this brand accurately reflects the fun nature of this team.”

For the third straight year, Warriors star Stephen Curry’s jersey was the top seller in the NBA, while LeBron James finished second. Warriors forward Kevin Durant finished third, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was fourth and Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving rounded out the top five.

It was a big jump for Antetokounmpo, who finished ninth last season in the annual jersey-sale rankings.

Among the top 15, only two players came from teams that didn’t make the playoffs: New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (No. 7) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (No. 12).

New York’s Jordan Montgomery allowed one run and two hits in five innings. Archer, pitching in short sleeves and using a turquoise-colored glove, struck out eight in five innings while giving up four runs and six hits.

This was Yankee Stadium’s first game since the installation of expanded netting that extends five sections past the dugout down each foul line, a move made after several fans were hurt by foul balls last year.

For the Rams, Cooks is their Watkins replacement. Cooks won’t be the same sort of red-zone threat the 6-foot-1 Watkins was in Los Angeles, but Cooks is a similarly imposing downfield threat and offers a far higher floor by virtue of his health. While the 24-year-old did leave the Super Bowl after suffering a concussion, Cooks hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year. Watkins hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since his own rookie season and has multiple foot surgeries in his past. Committing to Cooks on a long-term deal is far more comforting than locking Watkins down for multiple seasons.

He’d taken some pretty good swings and hadn’t got (any) hits until he sent out the famous tweet, manager A.J. Hinch said. He’s going to get a hit. He’s going to get a hit. He’s going to get a hit, so that’s what I kept saying on the bench and he came through with a really big swing in a big moment.

The 31-year-old Reddick, who singled in the seventh inning of Monday night’s 6-1 win for his first hit of the year, tied a career high with six RBI. It was his first multihomer game since 2014 and No. 7 overall.

He laughed when the tweet was brought up and smiled about how his fortunes had changed at the plate in such a short time.

I guess when I go 0 for 8 again I’ll do a tweet again, he said.

Reddick and the Astros got their sparkling World Series rings in a pregame ceremony with baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in town for the occasion, and then slugged their way to their fourth straight win in a 5-1 start.

When the Browns announced they were releasing cornerback Jason McCourty on Thursday, plenty of people wondered if he might wind up in New England to alongside his twin brother Devin in the Patriots secondary.

The McCourty brothers will be reunited on the field for the first time since Rutgers, but it won’t be because the Patriots signed Jason following his release. Despite the Browns’ announcement, McCourty remained a member of the team long enough to be traded to the Patriots.

Punch in the four-digit code, cruise into the gated community, reach the end of the cul-de-sac and there awaits the gorgeous home of a Sixty-Two Million Dollar Man. A man who has it all. Tyrann Mathieu greets you with a smile and a dap and trots downstairs to get the base of his signature blond dreads sliced ‘n diced with Picasso precision.?

He spits tobacco into a bottle. His two Yorkshire Terriers bark and bark and bark upstairs.

His daredevil of a 3-year-old son is leaping from three steps up, then four steps, then crashing into a heap from five steps before slingshotting everywhere. It’s no surprise the front bumper on Tyrann Jr.’s “Ferrari” outside is hanging off its hinges. Tyrann Sr. jokes his son “doesn’t have his license yet.” Dad’s a softie, to be sure, but whenever Tyrann Jr. does cry, he looks him in the eyes, holds that stare…and the crying stops. Dad always knows when Son is faking.

The first chance we the US get to Vatanen is on Wednesday at 11am.During’s Redskins days, he was unstoppable.He practiced obsessively, even on Christmas Day, when he would pick up the gym key from coach Wooten’s house.

He went way down hill since the curse.also made a cameo 2012 romantic comedy Think Like A.He gave me a little bit of space.He spent his last hockey days with the New York Rangers.Desharnais gets assist Oiler debut Desharnais had only four goals and 10 points 31 for Montreal this the change of scenery has likely done him some good.

Play 38: Pass to for 9 yards First thing I want you to watch on this play, is the entire offensive line, and how the defensive line collapses the pocket.He probably volunteers his community, is great with little kids, walks old ladies across the street and has a soft spot for stray animals.Ohmer, 54 N.Beckham briefly bobbled the ball before reeling it, and then had the put to him by Cowboys safety J.J.With the pocket-passing Kirk Cousins under center, owners shouldn’t be afraid to fire up and Garcon as a TE1 and WR3 respectively.

Terms were not disclosed but Blount signed a one-year, $4.5-million contract, a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Blount won two consecutive Super Bowl titles over the last two seasons – first with the New England Patriots in 2016, and then with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 against his former club.

The running back also won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2014.

In his lone season with the Eagles, Blount rushed for 766 yards and two touchdowns on 173 carries.

He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during the 2016 campaign.

When he went down in Week 15 — in the game where the Cardinals clinched their most recent NFC West title — he was in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

He was named a first-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl that season.

His 2016 season was cut short by a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve.

The Ravens also added former Cardinals deep threat John Brown and cut Jeremy Maclin. But they didn’t stop there, as they added Michael Crabtree—who the Oakland Raiders cut earlier this week—on a three-year, $21 million deal, per Rapoport.

With one deep threat established for Flacco, Baltimore would be wise to roll the dice on another weapon, or at least a bigger player like a Terrelle Pryor to give Flacco more leeway with his passes. Or since Maxx Williams hasn’t panned out, pursuing Eric Ebron at tight end would make sense.

It’s hard to complain about what the Buffalo Bills have accomplished.

Entering the offseason with big needs along the defensive line and under center, the Bills came away with Star Lotulelei and Trent Murphy along the line and AJ McCarron at quarterback.

Yu Darvish and Brandon Morrow were two of the more polarizing characters for the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series.

Darvish was the losing pitcher in Games 3 and 7 and Morrow gave up some monster shots in the epic Game 5 loss that proved to be a pivotal moment of the series.

Now with the Cubs, Morrow and Darvish are prepared to make a statement. They’re ready to prove they are better than the moments they became infamous for in the epic seven-game showdown with the Astros.

“I’m sure that he’s used that as motivation,” Morrow told the Athletic of Darvish’s bad outings. “Moving on, I’m sure that he’s able to pull from six great years in the major leagues. Just two outings in the World Series isn’t going to change his mentality.”

It’s not too much to hope for. Preseason projections have the Mariners right around .500, so I’d figure them to finish close to 81 wins. But baseball is weird, so it’s also possible the team will outperform expectations and make a playoff run. It’s also possible baseball will show the cruel side of its randomness and they’ll lose 90-plus games.

“We’ve been working on the Jordan-to-Pippen bounce pass,” Lester told reporters (via ESPN).

Lester said he and third base coach Brian Butterfield have been practicing in the backfields throughout the spring. Lester is known for being terrible at making base throws and normally tosses underhand.

“In [Butterfield’s] words, just eliminate all tension and bounce it over there,” Lester said. “We’ve been working on it early in the morning. бн I don’t really care what it looks like. I don’t care if it bounces 72 times over there. An out’s an out.”

Lester tried out the new technique with first baseman Efren Navarro during Sunday’s spring training game against the Diamondbacks.

When you talk about the progress and feedback regarding these players, are you talking about off the field? Are you giving them pointers on their swings? What does that look like?