The Panthers will pick at No. 7 in the 2020 NFL draft. However, there is a ton of speculation that the team is looking to trade down in order to add more draft capital. Doing so would help Carolina fill out a roster that’s been decimated by free agency losses, especially on defense. If general manager Marty Hurney really is planning to trade down, who could he be looking to draft? Let’s take a look at 10 potential prospects who should be available in the middle of the first round.
The Panthers will pick at No. 7 in the 2020 NFL draft. However, there is a ton of speculation that the team is looking to trade down in order to add more draft capital. Doing so would help Carolina fill out a roster that’s been decimated by free agency losses, especially on defense. If general manager Marty Hurney really is planning to trade down, who could he be looking to draft? Let’s take a look at 10 potential prospects who should be available in the middle of the first round.
Every year, NFL players face tremendous pressure. Young players are expected to improve. Veterans are expected to defy age.
Every year, NFL players face tremendous pressure. Young players are expected to improve. Veterans are expected to defy age. Those making the most money are expected to avoid injury.
However, that doesn’t mean certain players don’t still face more pressure than others. After the first wave of free agency, the Atlanta Falcons‘ roster is taking shape for next season.
Let’s examine the four Falcons players that will be under the most scrutiny entering 2020.
TE Hayden Hurst
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Hurst is in position to take his game to the next level after a limited role in Baltimore’s offense last season. Austin Hooper may not ultimately be worth the monster contract he received from Cleveland, but he was deserving of the money based on his elite production.
Not only is Hurst a former first-round pick, Atlanta gave up a second-round pick to acquire him and he must replace one of the top five tight ends in the game. Getting traded to the Falcons may be just what Hurst needs to maximize his skill-set, but the pressure is on.
Here are four keys for the Falcons to win what should be a competitive NFC South division in 2020.
The Atlanta Falcons are shaking things up this offseason. After two years of underachievement, the team has moved on from five of last season’s starters.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn were given one more chance to right the ship, and the team’s moves through the first wave of free agency reflect that.
In order for Atlanta to finish atop the NFC South in 2020, though, it will take more than a few roster transactions. Here are four keys for the Falcons to win what should be a competitive division next season.
Offensive line takes a big step forward
Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Kaleb McGary (76) and offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (63). Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta made aggressive changes to its offensive line last offseason by bringing in three new starters — two of them rookies — and the early results were bad. The Falcons rushed for 85.1 yards per game in 2019, the third-lowest average in the league. On top of that, the team allowed 50 sacks as the offense was often stagnant and one-dimensional.
Injuries played a factor, though, and when rookie guard Chris Lindstrom returned late in the year, it seemed to spark the entire unit. Kaleb McGary had ups and downs, but played well down the stretch at right tackle. Entering year two, the rookie linemen must solidify the right side of the line for the team to take that next step. Running back Todd Gurley can only be as effective as this group allows him to be.
We spoke with the owners of some of the dogs competing Tuesday night for the title.
NEW YORK — Imagine if the NFL players competing in the Super Bowl were asked, on the day of the game, to stand in public, chat with fans, surrounded by the media and with cameras constantly in their faces.
That’s the life of a dog that already qualified for the Best in Show judging at the Westminster Dog Show thanks to a win in Best in Group, and it has the potential to be a huge stress on both the canines and handlers.
The show is more than just about handing out hardware to extremely good dogs. It’s also a show of another sort, a chance to help people and potential owners understand the intricacies of each breed by getting up close.
Bono the Havanese won Best of the Toy group, marking a return to the Best in Show ring for the second year in a row after finishing as runner-up in 2019. So while Bono is a pro, it doesn’t make it any easier on owner Taffe McFadden.
“It takes a lot of energy for the dogs and for us,” she says. “There’s a lot of energy here on the pier, and it’s a completely different energy at Madison Square Garden because it’s so packed with people and everybody wants to take a picture of your dog and asks how much they weigh.
“As an ambassador,” she continues, “you have to be there, you have to be civil, you have to answer the questions, because we’re trying to promote purebred dogs. But in the same token, you’re worried your dog will be too tired for the final event.”
But she has some strategies, after Bono’s rested while the crowd at Pier 94 swirled around: pampering. Lots of it.
“I’m going to go out and get him a really yummy steak so that he’s really keyed into it for Best in Show,” she says. “He has a massage booked for later on.”
Bono the Havanese. (AP Photo/Ginger Tidwell-Walker)
If you’re lucky, you’re handler Paul Clas, who stayed with Siba the standard poodle — winner of the Non-Sporting Group — before his wife would take the dog around the ring Tuesday night. His canine was more than happy to sit around.
“Poodles are good at that,” Clas says. “She’ll zonk out on her side and be in a deep sleep while we wait another two hours for Best in Show.”
(AP Photo/Ben Walker)
“You have to have a dog that can relax, they can get rest, they’re not stressed,” he adds, “because then they can go in the ring and give out that energy they need.”
But what about the handlers and owners? It’s a very public way to wait and think about what’s ahead, especially if you’ve never been under the bright lights of The Garden, under the watchful eye of the Best in Show judge.
“Nothing’s like Westminster,” says Tyler Crady, the owner of Conrad the Shetland sheepdog, winner of the Herding group on Monday night. “This is our best event, our Super Bowl.”
So while Conrad was content to sit with Crady and watch well-wishers come say hi, the owner admits his nerves ahead of his first-ever Best in Show, and the advice he got from handlers with more experience.
“Stay calm, breathe and take your time walking in the ring,” he says. “I have no tips other than, ‘please don’t trip.'”
NEW YORK — Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are among the most popular dog breeds to own in the United States.
But when it comes to the Westminster Dog Show, they’re underdogs.
Neither breed has won Best in Show since they were recognized by the American Kennel Club (1917 for the Lab and and 1925 for the Golden), and only twice has a Golden Retriever won Best of the Sporting Group, the last coming in 2006.
What gives?
“Labradors are a working breed and they’re not as flashy as the setters and big heavy-coated breeds,” says Anne Thornbury, an owner of Cooper the Labrador Retriever from Cincinnati. “They’re under the radar, and I think that’s where they miss out.”
“At the end of the day, in that venue,” she adds, referring to the rings where the canines compete, “they’re looking for the one that has a huge ego, and most Labradors are low key.”
It’s not as if these Retrievers aren’t at the top of of their game. The dogs who qualify for Westminster are the best of the best. They’ve won championships and awards at both competitions specific to their breed and Best in Show elsewhere. In the past five year, the same Labrador Retriever — Heart — has won the Westminster Masters Obedience competition, including in 2020.
“They’re very workman-like, it’s not a lot of flash in the ring. They’re supposed to be moderate, dependable and with a wonderful temperament,” says Susan Palius, who is the chair of the Meet the Breeds booth for the Golden Retriever Club of America. “They’re bred to assist people and put food on the table.”
“It’s hard to get the judges’ eyes with the amazing setters flipping their hair,” she adds with a chuckle.
Still, it’s possible that a showier dog — both in personality and look — might stand out more than one that’s “low key.”
“Ultimately, there’s a lot of … I don’t know, showboating that happens after the breed level,” theorizes Kim Downing from South Portland, Maine, whose Golden Retriever, Biscotti, also competes in obedience. “Maybe it’s not in our breed standard to be as showy as other breeds. I’m fine with that in the fact that we’re true to our breed standard.”
To her, winning the breed matters more. That shows the dog-loving world the best version of a Golden Retriever, a top representative of what the breed should be.
“To me, it’s going out in the ring and representing our breed,” says Dianne Mullikin, the owner of Jetson the chocolate Lab from Nipomo, California, who’s happy just to compete and see New York City. “It’s the experience.”
Although Westminster is the top competition, it’s still all about celebrating what matters the most.
“I think it would be really cool (to win Best in Show) because it’s about time,” says Thornbury. “But if it doesn’t happen, I still go home with a great dog.”
