Month: June 2024

Better than average: Tight Ends

Which tight ends were truly the best against specific defenses?

As always, there are so few difference-making tight ends that after the top five of the position, there’s only moderate to mediocre fantasy value in all the rest. But as with the other positions, here are how tight ends fared considering how they stacked up against all other tight ends that faced the same defense.

See Also: Better than average
Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers

Evan Engram has been the No. 2 and No. 4 fantasy tight end for his two seasons in Jacksonville and yet is drafted as the No. 6 or No. 7 tight end in drafts this summer. This despite how good he played in most games. He was the only tight end that turned in over half of his games as a Top-4 tight end.

The position holds so few difference-makers that this listing shows which tight ends receive enough volume to end with Top-8 games. Newcomer Sam LaPorta shattered what we expect from a rookie tight end, and now has to avoid becoming the next Kyle Pitts. That shouldn’t be a problem since he’ll still have Jared Goff throwing the ball instead of Desmond Ridder who limited Pitts.

It was also encouraging to see how highly David Njoku and Cole Kmet rated in this metric. Trey McBride is popular this season, but his stats were boosted by three big games as the No. 1 for that defense.

LaPorta was dazzling as a rookie, and it wasn’t a case of him being the only receiver for the Lions. Travis Kelce dropped from 2023 when he had six No. 1 performances, and all 17 games were Top-8 against that defense. The fall may have seemed Swift, but he still was No. 2 for those big games.

T.J. Hockenson has been a beast for the Lions but blew an ACL and won’t be up to speed to start the year. The biggest surprise in the No. 1 performances was David Njoku, who ended as the No. 5 fantasy tight end in 2023 and has been going as the No. 8 or No. 9 tight end this summer.

What should we be watching for in the 2024 NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks?

There are so many things going on in this series, a little help couldn’t hurt to keep track.

What should we be watching for in the 2024 NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks set to tip off on this coming Thursday (June 6) at TD Garden? We of course will be focused on the star battles between Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen vs. Dallas’ Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

But what about the rest of the players from both ball clubs in the series? The big narratives? The health of the players and the support of each fan base? There are so many things going on in this series, a little help couldn’t hurt to keep track.

On a recent episode of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast cohost Bobby Manning welcomed Kirk Henderson from Mavs Moneyball to provide a preview of Dallas entering the NBA Finals. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Steelers DT Cam Heyward wants to be a ‘one-helmet guy’

Cam Heyward was back to practice on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward returned to practice. This is the first time Heyward has been to OTAs this offseason and it gives cause for encouragement that the Steelers and Heyward are closing in on a contract extension.

After practice, Heyward addressed the contract and while he sounded optimistic he did note that there isn’t a contract as of now but he definitely wants to continue playing and he wants to continue playing for the Steelers.

“There are certain guys who are one-helmet guys,” Heyward said. “I want to be one of those one-helmet guys. There’s a hunger and a desire there, but that doesn’t mean just hanging it up and calling it a career. To me, I have more bullets to fire and I’m excited to do that.”

Heyward struggled through a nasty groin injury in 2023 that forced him to miss six games and play hurt in almost as many. He finished with just two sacks, the worst since his second year in the NFL. Heyward is No. 2 on the Steelers career sack list behind linebacker T.J. Watt but is insistent he has plenty of great football left in him.

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Paul Pierce doesn’t think the Lakers are serious about winning the NBA championship

Former Celtics star Paul Pierce feels the Lakers are focused on “putting on a show” because they want to hire JJ Redick as head coach.

It is starting to look like JJ Redick will be hired by the Los Angeles Lakers to be their next head coach and that it is only a matter of time before his hiring is officially announced.

Multiple prominent insiders, including Anthony Irwin, Dan Woike and Shams Charania, have reported that Redick is indeed, at the very least, a strong frontrunner to win the job.

In addition, there seems to be a real chance the Lakers will end up drafting Bronny James, LeBron James’ son.

The critics say the elder James is behind both rumored moves, and that perhaps he and his camp are even demanding the Lakers make both moves to be able to re-sign him as a free agent this summer.

Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce feels the Lakers are more concerned about “putting on a good show” than winning the NBA championship because it seems poised to add Redick and the younger James.

“I gotta be honest with you I really don’t think this is really about a championship no more,” Pierce said. “This is about putting on a good show. This sounds like a script to me. This really sounds like a script to me. Think about this, they hire JJ Redick, draft Bronny or sign Bronny. Does this sound like something that’s like ‘we’re trying to move in a direction to win a championship?’ Or does it sound like ‘we’re trying to put on a show?'”

Redick has virtually no coaching experience of any kind, so he may not be the best head coach for a Lakers team that will still be in win-now mode assuming the elder James remains on board. However, the elder James and his agency Klutch Sports seem to hold tremendous pull with the Lakers, so perhaps logic won’t prevail here.

On the other hand, there is always the chance that Redick turns out to be a good coach right away and will be able and willing to hold his friend James accountable.

The two currently host the “Mind the Game” podcast, which has made plenty of people skeptical about why Redick is even a head coaching candidate to begin with.

Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle recaps win vs. No. 23 Louisiana to reach Super Regionals

“We had a hitters meeting before BP and I thought, despite some outside factors that were really tough, our guys executed the plan awesome.”

For the second time in three years, coach Jim Schlossnagle has led the Texas A&M baseball team to the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament.

“Congratulations to Louisiana on an awesome season and a great tournament. Coach Deggs has a great program and just honored to be on the same field with those guys and how hard they play,” Schlossnagle said. “I’m really proud of our team, hitters and pitching. I think until the ninth inning we had given up three runs in however many innings that we had played up until that point (28). The ninth inning got a little ugly but I thought we pitched well. We had a hitters meeting before BP today and I thought, despite some outside factors that were really tough, our guys executed the plan awesome. I’m really, really proud of our hitters tonight. I’m excited to win the regional and move on.”

The best of three series versus Oregon begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at Blue Bell Park on ESPN2.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Rutgers baseball Josh Kuroda-Grauer is a 2024 Brooks Wallace Award Finalist

Rutgers baseball Josh Kuroda-Grauer is among the five finalists for the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award as the top shortstop in the country.

The Brooks Wallace Award announced their five finalists for this season, with Rutgers baseball Josh Kuroda-Grauer being among the final five.

The award honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation on June 19. The announcement marks the second time in the last three years that a Rutgers player has been named a finalist for the award.

The five finalists for the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award are Austin Peay junior Jon Jon Gazdar, Ball State senior Michael Hallquist, Rutgers junior Josh Kuroda-Grauer, Mississippi State sophomore David Mershon, and Virginia junior Griff O’Ferrall.

In May, the Rutgers shortstop received a major award when he was named the 2024 Big Ten Player of the Year, and is the first player in program history to receive Big Ten Player of the Year honors.

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Kuroda-Grauer put together an outstanding season for the Scarlet Knight, starting all 53 games at shortstop for Rutgers. He led the country in hits (95) and hits per game (1.79), registering a .428 batting average.

The 2024 USA Baseball Golden Spike Award Semifinalist ranked third in the country in batting average and stolen bases (24). Throughout the season, Kuroda-Grauer had 29 multi-hit games, 10 three-hit games, and logged five consecutive games with three-plus hits.

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BJ Ojulari beefed up, changed some running techniques entering Year 2

Ojulari added muscle, weight and has worked to shorten his running stride.

Second-year outside linebacker BJ Ojulari is a player the Arizona Cardinals hope to count on to improve in 2024 after a slow-progressing rookie season.

He finished 2023 with four sacks, all after Week 7, and saw his role increase by the end of the season.

Entering his second season, he is bigger, stronger and runs a little differently.

He was listed at 248 pounds as a rookie and was challenged by head coach Jonathan Gannon to “get a little stronger and stay healthy.”

He did that.

“I think he’s added a little bit of muscle, a little bit of weight,” Gannon said on Monday. “The strength staff has done a good job with him.

“He’s done a good job of beefing up a little bit. I think that’s helping him at the point of attack. The more force you can apply into the ground or into your opponent, you’re better off and he’s doing a good job of that.”

Ojulari said he “definitely gained more weight,” noting he is in the 250-pound range and even got close to 260, although he is “dialing back a little bit” so he is both more comfortable and can “have that power aspect” of his role as an edge defender.

He said it was probably 8-10 pounds he added.

After dealing with injuries last offseason that kept him off the field mostly during the offseason program, he followed his program in the weight room to stay healthy and has even changed his running style. He was a “long strider” and the staff has worked on him shortening that because long striders tend to be more susceptible to hamstring injuries.

With the growth, Ojulari believes he can be a double-digit sack player.

After the team leader had only six last season and the team only had one total sack over the final six weeks, if Ojulari can make that happen, it will be big for the team.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Zach Edey expects to suit up for Canada in 2024 Paris Olympics

Former Purdue center Zach Edey said he expects to play with the Canadian men’s national team in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Former Purdue center Zach Edey said Tuesday that he expects to play with the Canadian men’s national team in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Edey, who was born in Toronto, competed with the team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was the lone collegiate player on the roster that featured seven NBA players, averaging 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in five appearances as Canada claimed the bronze medal.

The 7-footer said after attending a predraft workout with the Toronto Raptors that he will be with the senior team when training camp begins this month, according to Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star.

Edey is projected to be a first-round pick in the draft after averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and two assists on 62.3% shooting from the field. He became the first player in over 50 years to be named Player of the Year unanimously in consecutive seasons.

The 22-year-old will join his countrymen in training camp after the draft on June 26. The team is expected to soon announce its preliminary roster, which will include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Dwight Powell and Lu Dort, among others.

Canada will open the Olympics in Group A, along with Australia and two teams still to earn berths in qualifying tournaments. The group will play its first game on July 27 and face Australia on July 30 before wrapping up the group phase on Aug. 2.

The team is making its first appearance in the Olympics since 2000.

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Budda Baker glad players can ‘talk freely,’ which is an interesting observation

It makes one wonder when he and other players on the defense were not able to “talk freely.”

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker addressed the media after Monday’s practice of voluntary OTAs and covered a lot of topics, ranging from his personal season in 2023, being in the building this year for the voluntary part of the offseason program and even his desire to remain with the Cardinals beyond this, the final year of his contract.

However, one comment stood out, and it was about being able to speak up in the locker room.

“To not have certain guys with a certain ego to where you can’t communicate a certain way is definitely something you have to watch,” he said.  “Nowadays, you can talk freely, guys give you the respect to talk to them and you have to give them the respect to talk to you as well. It’s different.”

You have to wonder when it wasn’t okay to speak freely. Was it last season with this current coaching staff? Or perhaps he wasn’t sure because he wasn’t in the building last year for the voluntary part of the offseason.

Were there players last year who discouraged comments, questions and crtitcisms?

Was he referring to players on the team prior to 2023 or was it the previous coaching staff of head coach Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph?

If it was Joseph, it is an interesting observation because Baker himself had his greatest on-field success with his performance under Joseph. He was a Pro Bowler all four years Joseph coached him and a first-team All-Pro once, the only time he has been in his career. All seven of his career interceptions came in Joseph’s scheme. Three of his four 100-tackle seasons came in that defense.

Or was it all just an observation about how all players, veterans down to rookies are more comfortable giving defensive coordinator Nick Rallis feedback about their roles?

Whatever the reason for Baker’s comment, it does create an environment where players have more of a feeling of ownership with what they are asked to do and perhaps a greater understanding.

In the second year in this defensive system, hopefully this increased freedom of communication leads to greater on-field performance from everyone.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

MVP Gavin Gallaher leads four Diamond Heels on Regional All-Tournament Team

Which four Diamond Heels made the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team?

With the UNC baseball team facing a shocking upset early in the Chapel Hill Regional on Friday night, starting third baseman Gavin Gallaher stepped up to the plate.

Gallaher and his Diamond Heel teammates trailed the LIU Sharks 8-7, but the bases were loaded with one out. On an 0-1 pitch from Justin DeCastro, Gallager blasted a grand slam over the netting in left field, sending Boshamer Stadium into a frenzy not many home games have rivaled.

Thanks to his overall performance in the Chapel Hill Regional – 5-for-17, seven RBIS and two home runs, Gallaher was named the Regionals’s Most Outstanding Player.

Several North Carolina teammates joined Gallaher on the All-Tournament Team – starting right fielder Anthony Donofrio, designated hitter Alberto Osuna and, to no one’s surprise, star closer Dalton Pence, who dominated on the mound in North Carolina’s come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over reigning national champion LSU on Monday, June 3 that advanced it into the Super Regionals.

Donofrio mashed a red-hot 9-for-17 with four RBIs, plus he scored two runs and made a couple game-saving plays in right field.

Osuna hit 5-for-17 with two RBIs, with his best game coming in the Regional Opener against LIU.

Pence hurled 8 1/3 innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just two runs on three hits. He saved his best game for Monday night, striking out four Tigers and allowing just one hit – through 3 2/3 innings – on a season-high 63 pitches.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.