Month: January 2025

Lions assistant Tanner Engstrand heading to the Jets with Aaron Glenn

Lions assistant Tanner Engstrand heading to the Jets with Aaron Glenn

Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is heading to the New York Jets. Engstrand will follow new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who has been Detroit’s defensive coordinator for the last four seasons.

The 42-year-old Engstrand has been with the Lions since 2020, first as an offensive assistant and then working his way up to passing game coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator of the DC Defenders of the XFL prior to joining the Lions.

Engstrand was speculated to be one of the top internal candidates to take over the offensive coordinator duties once Ben Johnson departed to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. The Lions opted to bring in John Morton instead.

Engstrand’s departure has been widely anticipated for several days, especially after Detroit hired David ShawDetroit hired David Shaw into Engstrand’s role.

 

 

Pair of Raiders crack ESPN’s list of top 50 NFL free agents

A pair of Raiders crack ESPN’s list of the top 50 NFL free agents. Will either be back in the silver and black?

As the new era of the Las Vegas Raiders arrives, new general manager John Spytek has a wealth of offseason assets with which to work.

According to Over The Cap, the Raiders are projected to have $85.8 million in effective cap space. That’s the second-most in the NFL and should position Spytek and the Raiders to reconfigure this roster for new head coach Pete Carroll and his staff quickly.

The Raiders hope that part of that money is spent on retaining some of their own talented free agents. Two Raiders were among ESPN’s top 50 NFL free agents according to Matt Bowen.

Las Vegas safety Tre’von Moehrig checked in as the No. 13 free agent and Raiders edge rusher Malcoom Koonce was ranked No. 28. Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs also just missed ESPN’s top 50 NFL free agents.

Here’s what Bowen had to say about Moehrig.

An ascending player, Moehrig notched five interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. He had five tackles for loss in 2024. He has the range to play from depth, and he is a tone-setter on contact when he spins down into the front. – Bowen, ESPN.

ESPN national reporter Jeremy Fowler said multiple personnel evaluators told him that Moehrig’s film was the best of any free agent safety and that it would be hard for the Raiders to retain him.

The Raiders will certainly attempt to do so, though. The 6-foot-2, 202 pound safety has tallied 297 tackles and six interceptions during his four seasons with the Raiders since being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Moehrig racked up 104 tackles last season, which ranked second on the team. The TCU alum added 10 passes defended, five tackles for loss and two interceptions in 2024.

As Bowen noted, Koonce’s 2024 season ended with a knee injury in September. If he’s healthy, the Raiders should think seriously about pairing him back up with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

He posted eight sacks and 29 pressures in 2023. If the knee checks out, Koonce should be viewed as a three-down defensive end with the pass-rush juice to disrupt the pocket. – Bowen, ESPN.

Other key Raiders free agents include defensive tackle Adam Butler, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and linebacker Robert Spillane.

The NFL’s new league year begins on March 12 at 1 p.m. PT and the 2025 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 24 from Green Bay, Wis.

ESPN: Chase Young open to Saints extension, but may ‘opt for stability’

It’s been previously reported that the Saints are open to re-signing Chase Young, and ESPN reports he’s open to it. But he may not accept another prove-it deal:

The New Orleans Saints have some interesting decisions to make when it comes to their 2025 free agency class. With 19 players set to be unrestricted free agents, there are a few near the top who are most definitely worth looking at retaining. One of those players is defensive end Chase Young, who had a solid season with the Saints in 2024, and according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, is open to sticking around:

“Young is open to a return to New Orleans, where he just played out a one-year deal — though a different defense could generate more sack opportunities for him. He might opt for stability over last year’s prove-it-deal status coming off a serious neck injury.”

In this article of the top 50 free agents, ESPN had ranked Young at No. 39 among his pending free agent peers.

Free agent contracts have always been nice to defensive ends, as their production can make or break a defense. In 2024, the top three DE-specific contracts had an average yearly value of $21.5 million (Leonard Williams), $19 million (Jonathan Greenard) and $14.5 million (Arik Armstead).

However 2025 is not as top heavy of a defensive end class, with Spotrac projecting the following yearly values for the top free agent DEs in 2025:

  • DeMarcus Lawrence: $12.0 million
  • Josh Sweat: $18.8 million
  • Chase Young: $17.5 million
  • Calais Campbell: $7.1 million

Re-signing Young will likely be a priority for the Saints, however doing so at a yearly rate of $17.5 million is quite the staggering price. It is doable, and the Saints may get a bit of a lower number if they go for a longer deal, but ultimately it will end up being a large contract whether he remains with the Saints or goes elsewhere.

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Sean Strickland warns ‘good dude’ Islam Makhachev against middleweight move

Sean Strickland’s reaction to Islam Makhachev considering middleweight was surprising.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s reaction to [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] considering middleweight was surprising.

UFC lightweight champion Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) insists on fulfilling his goal of becoming dual-champion before he calls it a career. But with his friend and training partner Belal Muhammad currently holding the UFC welterweight strap, his plans have been momentarily put on hold.

That had Makhachev contemplating jumping up to 185 pounds, which middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis cautioned him about. Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) challenges Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a title-fight rematch, which headlines UFC 312 Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

If Strickland is victorious, would he consider welcoming Makhachev to 185 pounds?

“We fought on the same card once, right? Bro, I actually really like that guy,” Strickland told MMA Junkie of Makhachev. “He’s actually a really f*cking good dude, which is funny because I think a lot of Muslims don’t like me because I talk a lot of sh*t. But he’s a good dude.

“Again, there’s weight classes for a f*cking reason. Stay in your weight class, maybe do 170, but there are weight classes for a f*cking reason, dude. I don’t want to talk too much sh*t on you because I like you, but stay in your weight class.”

Makhachev and Strickland shared the UFC 302 card in June, where Makhachev retained his lightweight title by submitting Dustin Poirier, and Strickland defeated Paulo Costa to earn a rematch against Du Plessis. Makhachev defended his lightweight title for a company record fourth time when he submitted Renato Moicano in Round 1 at UFC 311 earlier this month.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

De’Von Achane disagrees with Tyreek Hill: ‘We got dawgs’

De’Von Achane doesn’t think the Dolphins need to “add some dawgs.” He says the team just needs to get on the same page.

Tyreek Hill says that the Miami Dolphins need to “add some dawgs” to the roster after an 8-9 finish last season. Running back De’Von Achane has a different take, though.

“We got dawgs,” Achane told Kay Adams on Friday in an appearance on FanDuel’s Up and Adams. “We just need more people to bring it out. I wouldn’t say we need more, as in like got to get other people.

“We know what we’re capable of. If we’re all on [the same page], I feel like we’re a hard team to beat.”

Achane, 23, was the Dolphins’ most consistent playmaker on offense, finishing the 2024 season with 1,499 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.

While he told Adams that he felt he “left some big runs on the table” in 2024, it was the Dolphins running out of time to climb back into the playoff mix that he described as frustrating.

“We knew as a team that we dug ourselves in this hole,” Achane said. “It sucks that the season ended when we start getting it together. It’d helped if we figured it out earlier.”

The Dolphins were 2-6 through the first nine weeks of the season before winning six of their last nine. While Miami was still alive in the postseason race heading into Week 18, the Denver Broncos secured the last spot in the playoffs and the Dolphins lost their season finale against the New York Jets.

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ESPN grades Raiders’ head coaching hire of Pete Carroll

ESPN shared its grade for the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching hire of Pete Carroll.

Last week the Las Vegas Raiders tabbed Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll as its next head coach.

After a 4-13 finish in 2024, turning to the winningest coach in Seattle Seahawks history feels like a solid direction for a franchise in transition.

The Raiders need stability and to reestablish a winning culture. Carroll’s track record suggests he’s the perfect candidate to provide that.

It’s easy to see why Raider fans would be excited to welcome Carroll to Las Vegas. But, what do analysts nationally think of the hire?

ESPN analyst Ben Solak shared his grade on the Raiders’ hiring of Carroll.

Grade: B

Carroll might not be a hire with tons of fireworks and joy, but he’s exactly what the Raiders need. They have needed to return to adulthood and culture to lead their organization — a guy with experience, a track record, a formula for winning. That will help yank them up out of the gutter, where they’ve been for the past few seasons, and back to some respectable level of contention.

Even if you think Carroll is washed and lacks schematic innovation — both of which I would argue are untrue, as he did plenty things differently in his past few years in Seattle — this can work. Carroll’s time in Seattle ended because he struggled with shaky personnel and a declining quarterback. Now, how he fills out his staff is a big question. He has a deep Rolodex, but does he know any young innovators? Other than that, this is a solid hire. – Solak, ESPN.

The Raiders get a proven franchise-builder in Carroll, which feels like a must at this juncture.

Carroll brings a 181-131-1 mark to Las Vegas, including a 137-89-1 record in the regular season and 10-9 mark in the postseason during his 14 years with Seattle. The Seahawks advanced to the playoffs 10 times under Carroll’s watch and won Super Bowl XLVIII to cap the 2013 NFL season.

Carroll also won a pair of national championships with USC in the 2003 and 2004 college football seasons.

With the hiring of Carroll, the Raiders have their fifth coach, including interims, since the franchise moved to Las Vegas in 2020. Carroll is also the ninth coach, including interims, since Raiders owner Mark Davis took over in 2011.

The most pressing issue now for Carroll and the Raiders is to finalize filling out the coaching staff and to find their franchise signal-caller. Can the Raiders get that accomplished at No. 6 in the 2025 NFL draft or even at the top of the second round?

If the answer is yes, Carroll has the NFL coaching history to reposition the Raiders’ franchise among the top of the AFC West and perhaps the league.

Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart suspended, ruining Isaiah Stewart bobblehead night

Isaiah Stewart’s suspension from the NBA has thrown a wrench in the Pistons’ plans to hand out his bobblehead, an event that was scheduled back in September.

The NBA has thrown a wrench in the Pistons’ plans for an Isaiah Stewart bobblehead night on Friday.

In an event that was scheduled back in September, Detroit planned to hand out Stewart bobbleheads at the game against the Dallas Mavericks. However, those plans may have to be postponed as Stewart has been suspended by the NBA for the game after he accrued six flagrant foul points.

Stewart already had four flagrant foul points when he was called for a flagrant foul 2 in the Pistons’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. He was ejected from that game, and as a result, it triggered an automatic one-game suspension without pay.

Stewart was also fined $50,000 by the NBA for making “inappropriate and objectionable gestures” following his ejection.

He’ll be allowed to return to the team when it hosts the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, but this is simply unfortunate timing for the Pistons.

Won’t someone think of the bobbleheads?

Kelsey Plum posts touching Instagram tribute video to her former team after Aces departure

Grab the tissues.

Veteran guard Kelsey Plum is no longer with the Aces, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten what they meant to her.

On Friday, the former Las Vegas staple posted a touching Instagram tribute to her Aces teammates, Becky Hammon and the entire organization. After seven seasons with the franchise, Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks earlier in January.

“It’s been an incredible journey to be part of the Aces organization, and Vegas will always hold a special place in my heart,” Plum said. “The friendships I formed here, I’ll hold onto forever. I was blessed to play and learn from star coaches alongside the best possible teammates.”

Here’s Kelsey’s full goodbye message to her former team and a tear-jerking video. Grab the tissues.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFgUMgyStDm/?igsh=MThicjM1eTQzajNuaw==

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Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Friday’s Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Phoenix Suns (24-22) and Golden State Warriors (24-23) meet Friday. Tip-off from Chase Center is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Suns vs. Warriors odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Tied 1-1

The Suns snapped a 3-game win streak with a 121-113 loss vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves in Phoenix Wednesday. The Suns failed to cover as 1-point favorites and the Over (224.5) hit, ending a 4-game run to the Under for Phoenix. F Kevin Durant led the Suns with 33 points.

The Warriors beat the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 116-109 Wednesday, covering as 9-point underdogs with the Over (224.5) cashing. F Andrew Wiggins had 27 points, and G Stephen Curry added 21 points, including a 33-foot 3-pointer with 1:52 remaining to give Golden State a 6-point lead.

The Suns have covered both head-to-head meetings this season, while the Under has gone 2-0. In their last meeting (Dec. 28), Phoenix covered as a 6.5-point underdog in a 109-105 Warriors home win as the Under (220) hit. F Jonathan Kuminga tied a career high with 34 points for Golden State — he’s out Friday with an ankle injury — while Durant led the Suns with 31 points.

Suns at Warriors odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:32 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Suns -120 (bet $120 to win $100) | Warriors +100 (bet $100 to win $100)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Suns -1.5 (-105) | Warriors +1.5 (-115)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 228.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Suns at Warriors key injuries

Suns

  • None

Warriors

  • F Draymond Green (calf) out
  • F Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Suns at Warriors picks and predictions

Prediction

Warriors 121, Suns 114

Moneyline

The Warriors have won back-to-back games and seem to be turning things around after losing 3 of 4 Jan. 20-25.

The Suns have won 8 of their last 11 games, but they’ve been overvalued lately, covering just 8 of their last 26 (8-17-1 ATS). While the ML results have been good, their inability to meet the market’s expectations of them means you’re effectively paying a tax on their number, which is a losing proposition long term.

Don’t let Phoenix’s 8-3 straight-up record over its last 11 games cloud your judgement; the Suns have been underperforming.

BET WARRIORS (+100).

Against the spread

Taking the 1.5 points with Golden State (-115) is fine, too, but with such a tiny spread, the plus odds on the ML are preferred.

PASS. Bet Warriors ML instead.

Over/Under

The Warriors’ team total is 113.5 (O: -125 | U: -102), so for the Over to hit, Golden State will likely need to score 114 or more points Friday. The Warriors have put up 114-plus in 6 of their last 8 games overall, going 6-2 O/U, while Phoenix has allowed 115 or more in 5 of its last 6 on the road.

BET OVER 228.5 (-110).

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Former Packers DB Chris Banjo hired as Jets special teams coordinator

Former Packers DB Chris Banjo was hired by the Jets as the team’s new special teams coordinator.

Long-time special teamer Chris Banjo, who played his first games in the NFL as an undrafted free agent signed by the Green Bay Packers, has been named the special teams coordinator of the New York Jets. The team announced the hiring on Friday.

Banjo spent the last two seasons as the assistant special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos under Sean Payton and Mike Westhoff. Now, Banjo will lead a special teams unit for the first time under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn in New York.

Banjo, now 34, retired from the NFL in 2023. He played in 131 career games (and 10 playoff games) and was on the field for almost 2,500 total special teams snaps while playing for three different franchises — the Packers, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals.

Banjo went undrafted out of SMU. Packers general manager Ted Thompson signed him in late July before the start of training camp in 2013, and Banjo almost immediately became a core special teamer in Green Bay.

As a first-year player, Banjo played over 250 special teams snaps. In 2015, Banjo led the team in special teams tackles and was a playoff captain on special teams. He was waived by the Packers with an injury settlement in 2016.

Banjo played three seasons with the Saints and four seasons with the Cardinals after departing Green Bay.

According to the Jets, Banjo made 58 tackles covering kickoffs in his NFL career.