2020 NFL salary cap: Ravens projected to have over $48 million in cap space

The Baltimore Ravens were already set to have a good deal of cap space in 2020 but with another large projected increase, it could be more

The NFL is set to see yet another massive increase in the salary cap for next season. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL’s 2020 salary cap is projected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million. That would be an increase of at least $8.6 million up to $13 million from the 2019 salary cap.

While projections are far from the final number, it gives the Baltimore Ravens and the rest of the league a good foundation of where to base their offseason strategies.

After transforming their roster over the last few seasons to get younger and cheaper, Baltimore will enter the offseason with a good deal of cap space at this rate. If the upper projection holds true, the Ravens will have an estimated $52.7 million in 2020 salary cap space, according to Over The Cap.

This is a huge positive for general manager Eric DeCosta, who has done great work this season with far less available funds. In spite of entering the season with an estimated $13.3 million in cap space, DeCosta has been able to extend several players (Marshal Yanda, Justin Tucker, Willie Snead and others), sign impact free agents during the season and pull off a trade for cornerback Marcus Peters. The Ravens are doing so well, largely thanks to the work DeCosta has done to bolster the roster without breaking the bank.

However, Baltimore has a handful of key free agents they’ll be attempting to re-sign this offseason. Outside linebacker Matthew Judon, center Matt Skura and Peters will likely all command near top dollar for their respective positions, which will eat into some of the Ravens salary cap space. But with the magic DeCosta has pulled off on a budget, it’ll be interesting to see what he can make work with a fuller wallet.

Celine Dion is the biggest NBA champion and has the ring to prove it

I’m not really sure what’s going on here.

Celine Dion is a chart-topping, grammy-winning recording artist whose resume is pretty impressive on the musical side.

Now, apparently, she has an NBA championship ring to go along with all of that. And it’s not just any NBA championship ring — it’s the BIGGEST NBA championship ring you’ll ever seen.

Dion posted a picture on Twitter with her and the Toronto Raptors’ mascot that included a post with her thanking her fans for coming out to her performance at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night — she’s currently on tour in Toronto.

What was included in the picture that you can absolutely, 1000 percent not miss is the gigantic championship ring wrapped around her hand.

Look, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on here. No idea if that ring is real or not. I doubt it is. But that’s some impressive jewelry, nonetheless. Plus, that Carmen Sandiego fit is absolutely amazing. This picture is the best.

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Boston College RB AJ Dillon declares for 2020 NFL draft

Boston College running back AJ Dillon is leaving school early for the 2020 NFL draft

Boston College running back A.J. Dillon has declared for the 2020 NFL draft.

The prolific rusher announced his decision through Twitter on Tuesday.

Dillon never rushed for less than 1,108 yards in a single season throughout his three years in Chestnut Hill. His collegiate totals of 4,618 yards from scrimmage and 40 touchdowns in three years are truly astounding. His performance saw him named to the preseason Doak Walker, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp watch lists.

“To my coaches, teammates, fans and the B.C. community, the last three years have been unbelievable,” Dillon said in his declaration video. “Junior year, being able to become Boston College’s rushing leader is something I’ll always cherish.”

His decision comes as no surprise, as he has been seen by many as one of the most feared running backs in all of college football for three years now. Dillon is built like a truck at 6-foot-0, 250-pounds and he runs like it. He looks to hand out punishment on every touch of the football.

Dillon’s physicality and proven production should land him a solid role at the next level.

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Defensive changes come down as Raiders cut SS D.J. Swearinger, LB Preston Brown

Defensive changes come down as Raiders cut SS D.J. Swearinger, LB Preston Brown

Monday Jon Gruden said there will be changes on the Raiders defense on the way. Tuesday the team announced three players were out — Safety DJ Swearinger, linebacker Preston Brown, and defensive tackle Terrell McClain.

Four games. That’s how long DJ Swearinger lasted in a Raiders uniform. He was signed to replace the injured Karl Joseph prior to the team’s week 11 win over the Bengals and was one of the primary safeties in the Raiders secondary the past three weeks in which the team has given up 106 points.

You certainly can’t put that at Swearinger’s feet. There is plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders’ blowout losses. But apparently, it’s Swearinger who gets the ax for now.

Preston Brown was also just signed recently and Sunday was his first game that he was active for the team. He saw 17 snaps, so his time with the Raiders was even more short-lived.

Terrell McClain has appeared in three games this season with three combined tackles. The Raiders have yet to announce any additions to replace Swearinger, Brown, and McClain on the roster.

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Saints snap-count analysis vs. 49ers: In-game injuries forced quick fixes

The New Orleans Saints were hammered with injuries against the San Francisco 49ers, losing Jared Cook and cutting into their snap counts.

The New Orleans Saints rode a roller-coaster during their Week 14 game with the San Francisco 49ers, not helped by several injuries hitting the deepest position group on the team: the defensive line. Two defensive ends (Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson) and starting defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins each missed time against San Francisco while dealing with various injuries, creating some atypical snap counts. Here’s our unit-by-unit breakdown.

Offensive backfield

  • QB Drew Brees, 68 (94%)
  • RB Alvin Kamara, 55 (76%)
  • QB Taysom Hill, 28 (39%)
  • RB Latavius Murray, 24 (33%)
  • DT Mario Edwards Jr., 1 (1%)

Short-handed at fullback (starter Zach Line was inactive with a knee injury) the Saints used Edwards in that capacity on one goal-to-go play. Hill got the most run of his NFL career, appearing on a personal-best 28 plays on offense and 31 on special teams. Kamara outsnapped Murray by a wide margin, which is concerning given how much better Murray has played than him in recent weeks.

Skills positions

  • WR Michael Thomas, 70 (97%)
  • TE Josh Hill, 62 (86%)
  • WR Tre’Quan Smith, 56 (78%)
  • WR Ted Ginn Jr., 42 (58%)
  • TE Jared Cook, 8 (11%)
  • WR Deonte Harris, 7 (10%)
  • WR Krishawn Hogan, 5 (7%)

Cook was a big part of the Saints’ game plan in this one (as seen by his two touchdown catches in the opening minutes) but a concussion forced him out of the picture, and that meant a huge snap count for his backup. The Saints got more production out of their receiving corps than has been normal for this season, so hopefully they can continue helping out. Harris deserves more touches on offense.

Offensive line

  • C Erik McCoy, 72 (100%)
  • T Ryan Ramczyk, 72 (100%)
  • G Larry Warford, 72 (100%)
  • G Nick Easton, 72 (100%)
  • T Terron Armstead, 72 (100%)
  • G Patrick Omameh, 6 (8%)

Armstead deserves a ton of credit for playing this game (and playing well) despite dealing with a very painful high-ankle sprain. He held up against a talented 49ers pass rush after missing the last two games. Easton has continued to do his part as a fill-in at left guard and could be playing his way into lead position for the starting job next year. Ramczyk was seriously challenged for the first time this season by Nick Bosa; the rookie defensive end gave the Saints’ All-Pro candidate more than he could handle at times, which is more than can be said by a group that includes Khalil Mack, J.J. Watt, Shaquil Barrett, and Jadeveon Clowney.

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Report: Chris Paul and Steven Adams among players on the trading block

The rebuilding Thunder probably won’t hesitate to trade away some of their veterans. That includes both Chris Paul and Steven Adams, according to The Ringer.

In recent years, December 15 has become regarded as the unofficial beginning to NBA trade season, as that date is when players who signed free agency deals the preceding summer can be traded.

As the date approaches this season, Chris Paul, Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari have been made available, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

The news should come as no surprise, as the three veteran players have remained productive in their own rights. Still, none of the three seem to fit with a rebuilding team, which Oklahoma City appears to be. That designation is a bit interesting, though, as the Thunder enter play on December 10 as the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Not many would consider the club to be a championship contender, though, so it would make sense that Sam Presti would be open to moving the veterans out if he thought it would give him the means to rebuild the team around some of its younger pieces, including, perhaps, 21-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The following comes from O’Connor’s An Early Primer for NBA Trade Season:

The Thunder are just 11-12, but that’s good enough today for the 7-seed in the West. Despite their moderate success, plans haven’t changed; Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams, and other veterans are all available, according to league sources…

The Thunder could be used as a facilitator to take on a salary in a multiple-team trade, or simply take back big salaries in return if it means receiving more assets. Cap space is scarce across the league, and teams are already looking to dump salaries to open space for the loaded 2021 free-agent class, headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Over the years, if there’s one thing Presti has been—aside from stellar—it’s proactive. Although not all of his moves have worked out in his favor, the trades involving James Harden, Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka, Paul George and Russell Westbrook were each done somewhat proactively.

Although Paul is the most accomplished of the mentioned players, he remains the most difficult to move because he stands to earn almost $86 million next season and the following. He could obviously help a team win, but not many clubs are believed to be clamoring to add that kind of salary to their books because Paul will be 37 years old by the time his current deal ends.

As December 15 approaches, however, one should certainly expect that Presti will be working the phones. Traditionally, he hasn’t been afraid to roll the dice, and with O’Connor’s report, it appears that this season will be no exception should the opportunity present itself.

Matt Flinn, Hawks shoot down conspiracies about LaMelo Ball’s injury

While many have hypothesized that LaMelo Ball’s injury could be a way out of the NBL, the Hawks continue to push back on the notion.

Seemingly out of nothing, LaMelo Ball’s future in the National Basketball League (NBL) has been in question from the moment he began to shine. As his draft stock rose, equal amounts of questions have arisen about whether Ball is long for the league with risk of injury being too great.

Ironically so, Ball suffered a foot injury last week that will rule him out for a month. With his return date coming so close to the end of the NBL season, conspiracy theories quickly began to circulate that this would be Ball’s out for the league.

Illawarra head coach Matt Flinn strongly pushed back against the notion that Ball would not suit up again for the Hawks this season.

“I don’t know where that comes from but it’s false. It’s legitimate injury and we’re going to treat it like we would any other player. The medical staff has advised us that it’s a four-week injury so hopefully in four weeks we’ll see him back.

“Those of us on the inside see just how hungry he is to play this sport, he’s your quintessential gym-rat. He doesn’t envisage any day where he’s not playing basketball so hopefully he can continue his development and the path he’s been on because it’s been phenomenal from where he started to where he is now.”

Going hand-in-hand with Flinn’s quote, reports elsewhere have backed up the idea that Ball’s injury is legitimate as noted by Fox Sports’ Olgun Uluc.

Ball himself has never wavered on the idea that he would leave the Hawks early, having gone on record that he would finish the season.

“I don’t know where that rumor came from, but when I decided to come play over here, I committed to the whole season. I’m not leaving early.”

The reoccurring trend is that the idea that he wouldn’t return is not founded on anything. Ball and the Hawks both have benefitted from the partnership and it makes sense for both parties to remain. And with the Illawarra season ending in mid-February, it will be plenty of time for Ball to return to the states ahead of the NBA Draft in June.

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Notre Dame Football: Irish Dominate 2021 Rivals 100

What was viewed as a top class received further validation as the five Notre Dame commitments was the most of any school besides Ohio State who also had five.

Tuesday saw the release of the latest Rivals 100 list, ranking the top 100 prospects in the Class of 2021.

What was already viewed as a top class received further validation as the five Notre Dame commitments was the most of any school besides Ohio State who also had five.

Here’s how a few future members of the Fighting Irish Football team ranked:

Offensive tackle Blake Fisher of Avon, Michigan was the highest ranked Notre Dame commitment, checking in at 18.

The 6’6″, 330 pounder also checks in as the highest rated player from Michigan in 2021.

Lorenzo Styles, Jr. checks in at 34 overall and is the fourth highest rated receiver.

Styles committed to Notre Dame after making an official visit on USC weekend this last October and ranks as the second highest player for 2021 from the state of Ohio.

Quarterback Tyler Buchner of La Jolla, California sky-rocketed in these rankings moving up 23 spots to 42nd overall. Injuries kept Buchner from the field his sophomore but he wasted no time showing off his stardom this fall, leading his team to a state finals appearance.

Buchner had an insane performance in that game despite a loss and remains listed as a “pro style” quarterback – something you may question if you’re to watch any highlights.

Athlete Deion Colzie of Athens, Georgia also soared in these latest rankings, up 23 spots this time to 72.

The 6’4″ Colzie figures to be a favorite target of Buchner’s in the future.

Finally defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio came in at 95, down nine spots from his previous ranking.

Rubio, of St. Peters, Missouri is the only committed defensive player in Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class.

Although early, Notre Dame’s hot start on the recruiting trail has them currently sitting atop the 2021 recruiting rankings.

Sixers star Joel Embiid’s new betting odds to win MVP released

New odds for Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid to win MVP have been released.

The Philadelphia 76ers possess one of the best players in the league regardless of position in big man Joel Embiid. In a season filled with new players and trying to find the right chemistry along with being put on a load management plan, he is still averaging 21.9 points and 12.5 rebounds for the 17-7 Sixers.

Those are the type of numbers that keep him in the MVP conversations and the odds for those chances have been released. BETMGM has released their NBA MVP odds as the season continues to progress forward and Embiid comes in ranked seventh in those odds with a +2200 chance at winning the award for the 2019-20 season and he is tied with Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning league MVP, leads the charge with a +175 chance followed by Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic at +375, and Houston Rockets star James Harden at +450. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is fifth in the odds at +650.

There is still a lot of basketball left to be played as the season isn’t even at Christmas time yet, but these types of odds give people an idea of who is leading the charge as the NBA’s best players continue to fight it out. [lawrence-related id=20994,20987,20980]

Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul honored as ‘Most Animal Friendly Athlete’

With his advocacy for a plant-based diet, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul has been named ‘Most Animal Friendly Athlete’ by PETA.

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Chris Paul is known for being vocal for a lot of things on the court, but has recently earned a new title based off of his advocacy off of it.

The eight-time All-NBA floor general has garnered honors transcending the league, being named the “Most Animal Friendly Athlete” by the animal rights advocates People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

As part of the 14th annual Libby Awards (which PETA holds to honor those who have contributed to their mission to protect animals from abuse and harm), the organization awarded the Thunder star the honor for the work he has done advocating for a plant-based diet, reports the Oklahoman’s Maddie Lee.

Paul, who recently co-produced “The Game Changers”, a film about the benefits of such a diet for professional athletes like himself, is something of an evangelist for the lifestyle, which he believes gives him an edge.

He has appeared in ESPN Magazine’s “Body Issue” in support of the diet, and is a spokesperson for the popular veggie foods company Beyond Meat as well, whose burgers he eats after every game according to USA Today’s Scott Gleeson.

Why a plant-based diet?

According to the North Carolina native in a Beyond meat advertisement, it starts with being a father, and wanting to set an example on how to be better personally in a way that is also better for society.

“I tell [my kids] that my job is to make a difference off the court, to fight for progress, to make those around me better and to look out for the next generation,” offers Paul.

“It starts with taking care of myself, and having the fuel to push harder. What I put in my body matters now more than ever. As a parent I’m always reminded of that and to go beyond in everything that I do.”

“Going beyond” — or at least to a plant based diet — hasn’t seemed to hurt the nine-time All-Star, who is logging better-than-career numbers in efficiency if not scoring in a season he will turn 35 years old.

If the switch is indeed behind his continued efficacy as a high-level distributor, maybe it’s something his younger teammates (besides Andre Roberson, who’s already on board per Lee) ought to consider.