Monthly Archives: August 2017

Don’t be fooled by the Eagles’ middle-of-pack sack total of 34 last season.

Orr wouldn’t be on the free-agent market right now if Baltimore had tendered a restricted free-agent contract in March. The move wasn’t made because the Ravens truly believed Orr was done playing when he announced his retirement in January. Thus, Orr became an unrestricted free agent.

As a restricted free agent, Orr was likely to receive a Cheap Wholesale Jerseys one-year, $2.7 million tender that would have required an interested suitor to surrender a second-round draft pick as compensation. The Ravens also would have been given the chance to match any offer sheet Orr signed.

Orr likely will garner a higher salary now after becoming an unrestricted free agent one year earlier than expected, especially because no compensation is needed to sign him.

Don’t be fooled by the Eagles’ middle-of-pack sack total of 34 last season. They were effective in finding their early pass-rush groove under defensive coordinator and four-man front guru Jim Schwartz. End Brandon Graham and tackle Fletcher Cox responded well to the change in scheme, but it was clear they needed help to get more liberal paths to the quarterback. Enter end Chris Long and his high energy, as well as tackle Timmy Jernigan and his attack mentality.

That should up the production by about eight to 10 sacks, and we haven’t even mentioned rookie first-round pick Derek Barnett. He’ll get plenty of chances rotating with the 32-year-old Long and Vinny Curry opposite Graham. Schwartz will insert Barnett into downs and situations that maximize his massive, pure pass-rush skills first before playing consistently ahead of those veterans. The Eagles got Barnett because he produces, and the Cheap Yankees Jerseys 20-year-old will be in the ideal spot as he works to round out his game.

Breaking down new-look Bills: Simplicity to benefit Tyrod Taylor, evolving roster

So maybe the Bills won’t snap their 17-year playoff drought, the longest of any team in all four major American sports leagues, in 2017. At this point, Buffalo will Cheap Wbc Jerseys take a lack of dysfunction as a step in the right direction.

The same-page relationship between new coach Sean McDermott and new general manager Brandon Beane signals such a step for the first time since Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the team in 2014. And the Bills are not wasting time — the inevitable roster overhaul began well before Beane arrived.

Gone is the Rex Ryan regime, including the former coach’s unrealistic injections of hope. The general manager and scouting staff with which Ryan and, evidently, the owners largely disagreed was milked for all they were worth and shown the door after the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kyle Rudolph put up the best numbers of his career — his 83 catches were third-best in the league for tight ends, and his 840 yards were fourth-best. Yet, again, as is the case with Bradford’s precedent-setting season of safe calls and throws, repeating that isn’t ideal. (He was targeted more than any tight end, and was tops on the Vikings.)

They started in the right direction in last year’s draft by taking Laquon Treadwell in the first round, then this offseason put pressure on him to take a Year 2 leap when the team signed Michael Floyd in free agency.

Stefon Diggs looks to be much healthier, and Adam Thielen looks to match a big season last year. They weren’t lamenting losing Cordarrelle Patterson to Cheap Xavi Jerseys free agency for a reason: As much as they miss him on returns, they have depth at receiver that they can exploit, and that’s what Shurmur does well.

Henke’s life has been about more than baseball.

Iverson has come to grips with that fact, though. He plays in the Big3 to give back to the fans and so that his youngest three children, who were too young to appreciate his NBA career at the time, can see their father on the court.

“Some of these guys (are) still trying to make it back into the NBA and that’s not a goal of mine,” Iverson said. “I already accomplished that goal and I want to move on to bigger and better things in life and I was blessed to be able to play for 14 years and this thing right here is just for me to have fun and enjoy my fans, all of them.”

“They treat you so good, my wife said she has to shrink my head down when I come back home after I’ve been to Canada for awhile,” Henke said.

Over the past 22 years, Henke’s life has been about Cheap Volleyball Jerseys For Women more than baseball. He’s gotten to watch his four children grow up, including a daughter, Amanda, who has Down Syndrome and still lives at home.

Working with Amanda has helped inspire Henke to run a golf tournament every October that has raised more than $1.3 million for charity, much of it for the Special Learning Center, a Jefferson City, Mo.-based school that benefits disabled children.

When he’s not running a 1,000-acre farm in Taos, close to where he grew up, 59-year-old Henke is going to Little League baseball games and other events with his seven grandchildren and spending time with his mother and father. In October, Henke and Kathy will celebrate 37 years of marriage.

“It was a good time to walk away,” Henke said of his Cheap World Baseball Classic Jerseys retirement. “I know people say, ‘I guess you regret it.’ I said, ‘No, I don’t regret having all these years with my parents and seeing my kids grow up.’ I said, ‘How can you regret that?’”

NBA free agency: Doc Rivers, Clippers feeling pressure from Lakers in fight for LA

When he was a player, Doc Rivers was not much of a match for star point guard Magic Johnson. They faced off 13 times, and Johnson won 10 of those games, averaging 20.0 points, 12.7 assists and 7.8 rebounds.

Now the two are rivals of a different Cheap Volleyball Jerseys For Girls sort. And Rivers has come out of a tumultuous couple of weeks — in what has been a tumultuous tenure running and coaching the Clippers — apparently determined not to let Johnson get the better of him all over again. There’s a battle on in Los Angeles between Rivers’ team and the moribund but more popular Lakers, and even with the opportunity to tear down and rebuild, Rivers has decided he won’t give up any progress the Clippers have made on the Lakers in the last five years. In that span, the Clippers averaged 54.6 wins, and the Lakers averaged 27.2.

Finally, the biggest tangible improvement: Two of their top three picks, in the top 42 overall, were spent on defensive backs — and good ones. First-round pick Marshon Lattimore is a Day 1 starter at corner. Safety Marcus Williams is expected to be the guy they thought Jairus Byrd would be.

They’re expecting the same from last year’s highly-touted rookie safety, Vonn Bell, in his second year. Kenny Vacarro is still anchored back there, too. The lowliest unit of a bad defense the last few years now has a chance to be their strength.

Though his accolades don’t show it, Bibby is one the most memorable NBA players of the 2000s. He was a key member of the Kings’ best teams from 2002-08, and probably would have competed for an NBA championship if not for the infamous Game 6 of the Cheap Womens NFL Jerseys 2002 Western Conference finals starring Tim Donaghy.

McCoil will be at fall camp with the Chargers in Los Angeles

McCoil then signed with the Chargers, with whom he finally lived that childhood dream. He played in 16 games last season and started in two late in the 2016 season.

“We had like 21 guys on IR,” McCoil said. “You Cheap Volleyball Jerseys learn you are only one play away from being in your moment, in your time when they need you to step up.”

But change is coming again. McCoil is playing for a new coach in Anthony Lynn and a new defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley. McCoil faces a fight to stay on the depth chart, but that’s what he has been doing since 2014. Bradley is a former safety, and that has helped with the transition.

“It’s a 4-3 instead of 3-4. In that type of defense, we’re running more Seattle-type defense,” McCoil said. “It’s a little bit different, for sure, from what we’ve done last year. It’s going to be good for us.”

It could be good for McCoil, too. Four years after that first tryout with the Kiss, McCoil will be at fall camp with the Chargers in Los Angeles. He’s taking advantage of that blessing.

“It’s amazing how God works, and it’s circular,” McCoil said. “LA is kind of me being at the worst of my worst being cut here, then coming back here and trying to be the best of my best. It’s a great moment. It won’t hit me until I actually get there.”

Even newly minted AL All-Star Dellin Betances is not immune to the ‘pen’s horrific past few weeks.

On Saturday in Houston, Betances melted down on national television against the Astros, allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning to lose the game. That came just four days after allowing two ninth inning runs in Chicago in a loss to the White Sox. On Cheap Womens MLB Jerseys June 27, Betances came in with a 1.08 ERA. Just more than a week later, it’s at 3.00.

Things could not have looked more encouraging …

Another year, more fingers crossed as Sammy Watkins battles injury concerns. The star receiver is expected to be ready for training camp after offseason foot surgery, and, as the case always seems to be, his production will depend on his Cheap Volleyball Jerseys availability. Watkins has left no doubt about his ability when healthy over the last three seasons.

While Buffalo’s draft selection of Zay Jones might seem like Watkins insurance, the second-round pick is an ideal “No. 2” for Dennison’s offense. The shorter routes on which Jones thrived at ECU will be utilized in Buffalo, and the rookie is talented enough all-around to make plays anywhere on the field.

Andre Holmes, Philly Brown, Brandon Tate, Walter Powell and Rod Streater lead a group that will fight for snaps behind the top two receivers, but given Watkins’ injury history, expect the Bills to carry more receivers on their roster than they otherwise would.

Things could not have looked more encouraging … until, out of nowhere, they weren’t. It’s hard to quantify exactly how important center Max Unger is to their line and the offense, and has been since his arrival three years ago. Losing him for however long he will be lost, following foot surgery this month, throws a promising line into some jeopardy — not complete, but not minor.

On paper, they got a lot better with free-agent guard Larry Warford and tackle Ryan Ramczyk (with the pick from the Cooks trade). They already were good with the recent draft picks being blended in gradually. Senio Kelemete had the early lead to replace him; he’s played all over the line in his two years with the Saints, with 15 starts total. Again, it Cheap Womens Baseball Jerseys looks good, but losing Unger for long periods is not ideal.

This selection was mostly about being in the right place at the right time

Jay’s talking about creating generational wealth by investing in artwork that appreciates in value over time and can be passed down as a family heirloom. He’s encouraging his Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys listeners to build their credit as opposed to throwing away money at a strip club and preaches against unneccessarily flashing cash. He even makes a subtle allusion to Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Minas, which teaches the importance of good stewardship. It’s the type of responsible guns-and-butter discourse (Remember that scene from “Baby Boy?”) you’d expect from a married, 47-year-old businessman and father of three.

“Financial freedom my only hope,” he raps.

From 1990 to 1992, Garcia made occasional appearances at the major-league level for the Pirates. He finally put in a full season of work in 1993 when he played in 141 games. That season was a decent one for Garcia (.269/.316/.399), but it didn’t suggest that he was on his way to making an All-Star appearance.

However, in 1994 Garcia did just that. He was the lone Pirates player on the NL roster in front of a home crowd at Three Rivers Stadium. Garcia is one of the more puzzling selections on this list. By FanGraphs wRC+, Garcia wasn’t having a top-10 first half at the position in the NL. He was hitting .267/.307/.332 coming into the break, and he had stolen 13 bases.

This selection was mostly about being in the right place at the right time. The Pirates had a few players who might have been worthier of making the roster, but they played at positions that were loaded on the NL roster. Garcia ended up getting the nod, and he now finds himself on this list as one of Cheap Vintage NBA Jerseys the more unusual All-Star picks of the last 27 years.

The most unlikely MLB All-Stars since 1990

The All-Star Game rosters have been announced, and the next few days will be filled with discussion of the selections.

Fans love to argue which players should have been on each team, and the debate has become a summer tradition. Before the game, it seems as if there’s more attention on which players weren’t picked as All-Stars as opposed to those who were.

Are they contenders? The Rays have been riddled with injuries to key players such as Brad Miller, Matt Duffy and Brad Boxberger, but have still managed to keep their heads above water in the playoff picture. Their offense is averaging 4.9 runs per game, ninth best in all of baseball, and they’re getting unexpected career years from the likes of Logan Morrison and Corey Dickerson. The pitching staff has been solid, led by Chris Archer and Alex Cobb, while Alex Colome has done a nice job filling in for Boxberger at the end of games.

No one is running away with their division just yet, either. The front-running Yankees have lost 11 of their past 14 games, the Red Sox look like a team with more than a few flaws, and the Orioles and Blue Jays can’t seem to get any positive traction. The Rays have arguably the most dangerous lineup in the division and enough pitching to keep up, too. Once they get all of their injured players back to full health, they should be even better.

The Rays will have plenty of calls at the trade deadline with teams looking to add Archer, Colome or any of their affordable, talented players. It’ll be tempting for them to Cheap Vintage Jerseys NBA restock their pipeline with the bounty those players would bring, but this might not be the year to sell. They Cheap USA Hockey Jerseys look as good as any team in their division, and a playoff berth wouldn’t be a surprise.

With two Cy Young seasons already, Max Scherzer has never been better

I want to talk about Max Scherzer.

A couple of days ago, the Nationals right-hander took the mound on ESPN’s Sunday night baseball and absolutely dominated the Cardinals, the hometown ballclub he grew up rooting for as a kid. In the first two innings, Scherzer struck out five of the six batters he faced, with Yadier Molina’s weak ground out to shortstop looking like a mighty win for the Cardinals because at least he made contact and put the ball in play.

“That’s why he’s an All-Star,” Bryce Harper said, matter-of-factly. “That’s why he’s Max Scherzer. He’s one of the best in the league, if not the best.”

However, this season features the Los Angeles Rams. Their 4-12 record Cheap USA Hockey Jerseys aside, the team had plenty of storylines to provide an underlying drama — a move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, a quarterback competition, and the firing of the team’s head coach, career .500-ist Jeff Fisher.

More plots than a group of screenwriters could cram into a clichéd sports movie. And, true to form for a Fisher-led football team, it still comes up short; eight episodes of mostly forgettable television.

The cross-country move is handled via montage. Viewers who may not be familiar with the Rams’ saga — why would anyone really care that much? — are reminded early in the first episode about the move from the Midwest to a hotel in Manhattan Beach to a temporary practice facility in Oxnard, and then back to a three-year temporary practice facility in Thousand Oaks. Oh, and games on Sunday at the Coliseum downtown.

It sounds like a lot. It is a lot, and Fisher was famous Cheap Vintage Jerseys for going back to the team’s move as an excuse throughout the season as the losses piled up.

Justin Smoak won’t talk about his All-Star season, but his Blue Jays teammates will

Sometimes the quietest moments are the most telling.

What truly illustrated that was the way Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak plopped down on the visiting clubhouse couch with an an audible, breathy sigh.

Less than 24 hours after being named an All-Star for the first time in his career, Smoak enjoyed the few minutes of rest, sending out some texts and catching another baseball game on a clubhouse TV before heading back out onto the field for batting practice.

“It’s been exciting. A little overwhelming,” Smoak told Sporting News about his All-Star selection. With a long pause, and a small, tired smile, he continued. “But it’s an exciting time Cheap USA Basketball Jerseys for me and my family.”

That materially weakened the leverage for Kyle Lowry and George Hill with their current teams, as serious offers from those potential suitors would have made it harder to not accept their contract demands since their current franchises would struggle to replace them using cap space. As was the case with centers Timofey Mozgov and Joakim Noah last summer, the point guards who strike early deals could end up with meaningfully better contracts than some of their brethren.

The final major dynamic to watch with this $600 million reduction Cheap US Jerseys in available space is where it could go from here. With the new television deal incorporated, the cap looks to be largely stable for the next few seasons. That means long-term contracts agreed to this summer directly reduce the flexibility many franchises will have in 2018 and beyond. There is also the consideration that most soon-to-expire contracts were signed before the cap spike, and thus will be replaced by more lucrative annual salaries.