Month: July 2023

Two Ravens players return to practice on Monday, one leaves with injury

Two Ravens players returned to practice on Monday, while one left with an injury

The Baltimore Ravens put on pads for the first time on Monday during 2023 training camp, adding extra elements of physicality and intensity to their practices. The team will get to see what their players are made of over the next few weeks, and will also hopefully get through the rest of the offseason with little to no injuries.

On Monday, two Ravens players returned to practice in wide receiver Zay Flowers and cornerback Pepe Williams. Flowers missed the previous two days of practice with an illness, while Williams was on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury.

While two Ravens returned, one left with an injury, as safety Geno Stone departed practice early after being caught up in a pile.

Full details of contract for Ravens RB Melvin Gordon released

Details of the contract between the Ravens and running back Melvin Gordon were released

The Baltimore Ravens signed Melvin Gordon to a one-year deal worth up to $3.1 million in hopes that the veteran can aid their running back room at least through training camp and the preseason. Early reports indicated that the contract was worth up to $3.1, but the rest of the details were unknown at the time.

Earlier in the week, Brian McFarland of Russell Street Report broke down Gordon’s contract, saying that the base salary of the deal is $1.165 million. He later clarified that there is no guaranteed money in the deal, but $2 million in incentives that cover a wide range of outcomes.

Jeanie Buss recalls the impact Pau Gasol had on the Lakers

Jeanie Buss talked about how Pau Gasol changed the Lakers’ fortunes in 2008 and resurrected their dormant dynasty.

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The late Kobe Bryant had such an incredible career with the Los Angeles Lakers that it’s easy to forget both parties were in a very difficult situation in the mid-2000s.

After Shaquille O’Neal demanded a trade and was granted his wish in 2004, the Lakers instantly fell into mediocrity. They missed the playoffs the following season and lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2006 and 2007 playoffs. It looked like it would be a long time before they would be contenders again.

But Feb. 1, 2008 was the day everything changed. That afternoon, Los Angeles announced it had landed All-Star big man Pau Gasol in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. He not only made it an instant championship contender, but he was also a perfect fit.

During an exclusive interview with Mark Medina, owner Jeanie Buss reflected on what Gasol meant to the organization.

Via Sportskeeda:

“Pau came into the team that was running the triangle offense. He picked up the offense in three days. He didn’t miss a beat. He was the perfect player. As Phil (Jackson) explained to me, as an organization you decide what style of play you want to play and what team you want to be. Then you hire a coach that runs that style. Then you draft a team or sign players that fit that style.

“Here was the ultimate player that fit so perfectly in what we were doing. He fit with Kobe and what Kobe wanted to accomplish. Then the team just took off on a run all the way to the NBA Finals only to lose to our No. 1 rival, the Boston Celtics. That was a heartbreaker. But to come back to win the next two was really special.”

Gasol had his No. 16 jersey retired by the Lakers in an emotional ceremony in March. He is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame days from now.

Former NFL WR texted Joe Burrow for injury update

One former player says he got an update from Joe Burrow himself.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow came up hopping on one leg in training camp which would eventually be reported as a strained calf after he showed up to practice with a black sleeve on his leg.

There has been a lot of speculation on how much time Burrow is going to need to miss with his injury, but former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said he texted Burrow to get his own update on Speak on Fox Sports.

“Yeah, I’m cool,” Burrow texted back according to Houshmandzadeh. “I’ll be out a little bit but I’m good to go.”

That’s very encouraging news for the Bengals directly from Burrow himself, who was spotted at camp today with a sleeve on his leg and he wasn’t limping.

It’s likely Burrow will be out for several weeks of the preseason, but reports are currently that his status won’t be in question for the regular season opener.

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Lakers feel Jaxson Hayes can start alongside Anthony Davis

The Lakers reportedly feel like they can replicate the big starting lineup they had in 2020 with Jaxson Hayes at the 5.

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This past season, Anthony Davis played all of his minutes at the center position. Although he had arguably his best season, there have been calls for him to start at the 4, as he did during the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship season in 2020.

The team may have given a hint it wants to do just that by signing free agent center Jaxson Hayes. Hayes is a springy 6-foot-11, 23-year-old big man who can run the floor, jump high, finish strongly and block shots, which is similar to the profile of JaVale McGee, who started at the 5 during the 2019-20 campaign.

Jovan Buha wrote the Lakers are confident Hayes can start alongside Davis this season.

Via The Athletic:

“That’s before mentioning Jaxson Hayes, who the team is confident can start and play a prominent role with Davis in two-big lineups.”

However, Buha also noted that such a lineup could be problematic.

“For the record, the Lakers’ theoretical two-big plan, which general manager Rob Pelinka has repeatedly raised as a possible look for next season, doesn’t make sense — at least not with this roster.

“Playing Davis next to Hayes and/or another center would force (LeBron) James, (Rui) Hachimura and/or (Jarred) Vanderbilt to play more small forward than ideal. Asking James, in particular, to defend high-usage wings is too taxing of a physical burden. It also would set up too many scenarios in which the Lakers likely have three non-shooters in their frontcourt. (Remember: Teams gradually helped off James when he didn’t have the ball last season and largely ignored Davis from the perimeter.)”

The thinking is a big lineup with Davis at the 4 and a true center at the 5 would make Los Angeles better defensively and on the boards. It would also relieve Davis of the need to eat up lots of minutes guarding someone such as the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

Bengals giving Trey Hendrickson rest days due to lower body issue

The Bengals will hold DE Trey Hendrickson out for a day or two.

Fresh on the heels of doing a small contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals, star defensive end Trey Hendrickson watched practice from the sidelines on Monday.

After practice, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Hendrickson’s status was a mixture of typical veteran rest day stuff, albeit added it was due to something with the lower body.

“Just limited today and tomorrow. We’ll just ease him through the week…lower body,” Taylor said, according to CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia.

Bengals fans, understandably, are pretty tense when it comes to lower body issues right now due to the plight of quarterback Joe Burrow.

But this situation with Hendrickson doesn’t sound too out of the ordinary for all parties. The team had a string of four straight practices to start camp that saw some big names take days off or reduced workloads near the end out of an abundance of caution.

This likely isn’t any different and aligns with how Taylor and Co. continue to work rotations along the offensive line and even at quarterback.

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Lakers are confident Max Christie will crack their rotation this coming season

The Lakers reportedly feel good about how guard Max Christie will do in his second NBA season.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have what appears to be a championship-caliber roster for the 2023-24 NBA season. A couple of trades before this past season’s trade deadline along with a few additions this summer and internal improvement have made them a contender for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June 2024.

Still, there are some questions about how their rotation will shake out.

Incoming second-year guard Max Christie had a fantastic summer league, although that doesn’t necessarily mean his play will carry into the NBA season. Still, Jovan Buha wrote the Lakers are confident Christie will get significant playing time (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“His ascension is an X factor in the rotation,” wrote Buha. “If he can continue to develop as a shot creator and playmaker, he has a chance to carve out a significant role given his 3-point shooting and defensive ability. The Lakers are confident he can grow into being the team’s eighth or ninth man next season.”

Buha also noted the backup shooting guard spot is up for grabs, and it may be between Christie or Cam Reddish.

“Christie’s spot in the rotation likely comes down to him versus Cam Reddish. Based on their current strengths and skill sets, Christie makes more sense. The Lakers are higher on him. He’s the better shooter and defender, with more upside.”

The Lakers took a flyer on Reddish, who has largely been regarded as a bust in his four pro seasons, by signing him as a free agent a few weeks ago. Reddish has played mostly small forward since entering the NBA as the No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft.

Joe Burrow one of 5 QBs in The Athletic’s Tier 1 ranking

Another big honor for Joe Burrow.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is one of five quarterbacks ranked in The Athletic’s tier listings as the calendar turns to August.

The rankings, which update weekly, have become a staple of quarterbacking discourse.

In the latest effort, Burrow slots behind only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Other Tier 1 quarterbacks include Josh Allen of the Bills, Aaron Rodgers of the Jets and Justin Herbert of the Chargers.

This is the description of the category: “A Tier 1 quarterback can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure passing situations. He has no real holes in his game.”

Most would likely agree Burrow has worked himself up into such a tier. Adding on to that, most would probably agree he’s going to be there for a while.

While the current conversation centers on Burrow’s injured leg, it’s important to keep in mind he’s yet to have a normal offseason as a pro and it hasn’t stopped him from catapulting into such a category.

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Bengals haven’t approached DJ Reader about contract extension yet

So far, the Bengals haven’t approached DJ Reader like they did Trey Hendrickson.

The Cincinnati Bengals hit on a modern, savvy move with the recent short extension for defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

In one swoop, the Bengals updated Hendrickon’s pay to reflect his production, added another year to his contract and managed to reduce this year’s cap hit.

Rightfully, fans have started to wonder if a similar thing might happen for nose tackle DJ Reader.

Reader, 29, is a top-three player at his position and only has one year left on his current deal. A similar style of extension could, in theory, add more cap space while also keeping him in town beyond 2023.

But as Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer pointed out, the Bengals have yet to approach Reader about an extension:

These sorts of things can change in a hurry of course, but a ton of factors impact it, including Reader’s potential desire to hit an open market, the team’s non-rush to get something done while they focus on extensions for Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson, etc.

What won’t change is Reader’s impact on the overall scheme and if he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think the two sides won’t link up and converse before he ever hits the open market next offseason.

For now, though, Hendrickson might’ve been a one-off before long-term extensions for younger players.

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Patriots dodge disaster in latest Cole Strange injury update

The Patriots got some good news on Cole Strange’s leg injury

The New England Patriots can breathe a sigh of relief, following Cole Strange’s leg injury at Monday’s training camp practice.

It was the first practice for the Patriots in pads, and Strange went down in one-on-one reps, when working with veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy. Per NESN’s Zack Cox, Strange immediately grabbed his knee after the play and was taken to the athletic training shed.

However, Strange’s injury is “not serious,” according to a report from The Boston Globe’s Christopher Price.

The Patriots should be counting their blessings after avoiding a surefire disaster with their 2022 first-round draft pick. Right guard Michael Onwenu is already sidelined with an ankle injury, and backup guard Chasen Hines was banged up at Monday’s practice as well.

Rookie fifth-round draft pick Atonio Mafi could be the next man up if Strange misses time. He stepped up to join an offensive unit that was barely recognizable with so many absences.

Staying healthy and finding some blocking consistency up front will be equally as important as Mac Jones and the skilled players hitting their stride. Strange, who played in 94 percent of the offensive snaps last season, will continue to play a big role in that.

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