Tag: reaction

Johni Broome, Wendell Green Jr. earn all-SEC honors

Auburn’s leading scorers have been recognized by the SEC.

Two key components to Auburn basketball’s success have been honored by the Southeastern Conference.

The SEC announced their all-conference selections on Monday and included guard [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] to their list. Both players graced the all-SEC second team, joining the likes of Alabama‘s Mark Sears, Arkansas’ Anthony Black, and Tennessee‘s Zakai Ziegler.

Broome has made the most of his first season on the Plains. In 30 games, Broome has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He has 25 games of scoring 10 or more points and has recorded nine double-doubles.

Green is second in points, averaging 13.9 points per game.  He has reached double-figures in 21 games this season and has scored 20 or more in four of his last eight games.

Broome and Green will continue their season on Thursday evening when the Auburn Tigers face the Arkansas Razorbacks in the opening round of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, the game will be broadcasted live on SEC Network.

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Pollard’s tag gives Cowboys unenviable record as next decisions loom

The Cowboys have the most expensive RB room in NFL history, at least for now. But some kind of change is coming for Ezekiel Elliott. | From @ToddBrock24f7

With Monday’s franchise tag placement on running back Tony Pollard, the Cowboys nudged the first of what will be several dominoes regarding their 2023 roster.

The short-term fates of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalton Schultz are likely tied to the $10.1 million Pollard decision; the outcomes of those conversations within the front office will be revealed in the coming days, weeks, and months.

But for now, at this moment in time anyway, the team holds a unique record in the annals of NFL history.

The Cowboys currently have the most expensive running back corps the league has ever seen.

That, of course, is practically guaranteed to change soon as the club shifts its focus to Elliott’s contract.

Owner Jerry Jones has plainly stated he’d like to have the two-time rushing champ back in Dallas next season, but it won’t be at the aforementioned $16.7 million cap hit. Or even the $10.9 base salary he’s owed under his exiting pact.

Elliott has said he’d like to return, too, and even be willing to take a pay cut to do so. It will, therefore, be a matter of finding a number that’s palatable for all parties.

The list of veteran running backs who could be had this offseason is a long one, populated with names like Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, David Montgomery, Miles Sanders, Kareem Hunt, Jamaal Williams, Devin Singletary, and Rashaad Penny. Joe Mixon, Leonard Fournette, and even Derrick Henry could be on the move, too.

And every one of them who actually hits the open market only waters down the chances of Elliott landing a big-fish deal anywhere else.

The ripple effects of restructuring or even cutting Elliott will have a trickle-down cap effect that possibly impacts a player like Tyron Smith or a free agent at another position, like Odell Beckham Jr.

Then there’s always the draft to consider. After a lot of apparent interest on both sides, the Cowboys elected not to use one of their 45 formal combine meetings with Texas rusher Bijan Robinson.

Now with Pollard locked up via the tag, the odds of Dallas using this year’s first-round pick on Robinson would seem to have dropped significantly, although it’s wise to never say never when it comes to forecasting what the Joneses will do.

It’s clear, though, that they’ll need to do something, with Monday’s tagging of Pollard just the first step.

The Cowboys ownership love to sit atop leaguewide lists, but being the biggest overspenders on running backs probably isn’t a record they want to hang onto for long.

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Eagles draft prospects: 10 players that impressed at the NFL scouting combine

We’re looking at 10 potential Philadelphia Eagles NFL draft targets that impressed the most at the 2023 scouting combine

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is a wrap, and while players improved their stock greatly, we’re looking at ten potential Eagles fits that impressed the most.

With Philadelphia potentially targeting a running back in April’s draft, names like Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Zach Charbonnet were on display.

On the defensive side of the football, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, James Bradberry, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Marcus Epps are all slated for free agency. It won’t be possible for the Eagles to bring them all back, especially once Jalen Hurts signs his new deal.

Philadelphia could look to draft a cornerback and safety with multiple free agents in the secondary.

How Derek Carr’s new 4-year, $150M deal with Saints impacts Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts

With NFL quarterback salaries soaring, here’s a breakdown of how Derek Carr’s new 4-year, $150M deal impacts Eagles All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts

As Fat Joe likes to say, “yesterdays price is not today’s price”, and for the Eagles, that means backing up a brinks truck for their franchise signal caller.

Derek Carr has a new home, agreeing to a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints that includes $100 million in guaranteed money.

The $37.5 million a year keeps Carr among the top ten highest-paid quarterbacks and he’s No. 8 on the list behind Dak Prescott’s $40 million per season.

Jalen Hurts is a Pro Bowl quarterback, All-Pro and 2022 MVP runner up.

The NFL is all about loading up on young, dynamic talent, and as Philadelphia continues to reload at key positions, Hurts is the one player in the NFL to watch.

A 2020 second-round pick, Hurts won’t have to worry about a fifth-year option before he can cash out and 2023 will be the final year of his rookie contract.

Howie Roseman is all about striking first and since the Eagles’ third-year quarterback’s trajectory has risen to elite status, Philadelphia could be on the hook for even more than was initially guaranteed when they signed Carson Wentz to a new deal.

After leading the Eagles to the playoffs in back-to-back years, while also vastly improving under center, Hurts will soon be one of the top 10 highest-paid signal-callers.

Here’s an early projection of what a new deal for Hurts would look like.

Moving on from Leonard Floyd and Allen Robinson doesn’t mean the Rams are rebuilding

The Rams are preparing to move on from Leonard Floyd and Allen Robinson, but that doesn’t mean they’re rebuilding

On the surface, it seems like the Los Angeles Rams are headed toward a rebuild. They’re parting ways with Bobby Wagner and weighing their options with Jalen Ramsey, while they’re also likely to move on from two other veterans: Leonard Floyd and Allen Robinson.

It was reported on Monday that Robinson has been shopped by the Rams and granted permission to seek a trade. Hours later, news dropped that they’re expected to cut Floyd if they’re unable to trade him first.

Altogether, the Rams could be moving on from four key starters from last season. All four players have one thing in common, however. They’re all expensive, and the Rams are looking for ways to free up money.

The Floyd and Robinson moves are different than the Wagner and Ramsey decisions. Wagner was a mutual agreement to part ways, with the star linebacker seeking a new opportunity elsewhere. The possibility of trading Ramsey is about recouping high-end draft picks and creating cap space, something the Rams can’t really get with any other player on their roster.

With Floyd, it’s simply about freeing up money. The same goes for Robinson. No team is going to give up valuable draft capital for a pass rusher with cap hits of $22-plus million in each of the next two years, or a 300-yard receiver who’s getting $18-plus million in each of the next two seasons, too.

And what separates Floyd and Robinson from Wagner and Ramsey is production. Sure, Floyd has been the Rams’ top edge rusher for the last three years, but he’s also had cold stretches where his impact is minimal. For example, he had no sacks in the first six weeks of last season.

Robinson contributed even less in 2022. He had 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games, which is only 41 more yards than Tutu Atwell had in 258 fewer snaps than Robinson. That’s not to say Atwell is a one-for-one replacement, but he did more with worse quarterback play and less playing time than Robinson did with Matthew Stafford.

It comes down to cost production. The Rams clearly don’t feel Floyd is worth the price of his contract, and the same goes for Robinson. If either player performed better in 2022, they’d likely still be part of the future plans.

Swapping out underperforming, high-cost veterans for cheaper, younger players isn’t a sign of a rebuild.

The strongest indication of that would be if they trade Ramsey. It would leave them dangerously thin at cornerback and give them draft picks to use on unproven rookies. By trading Ramsey, the Rams would be shifting their focus more toward 2024 than the upcoming season. Moving Floyd and Robinson doesn’t indicate that in the same way.

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How the Cowboys placing franchise tag on RB Tony Pollard impacts Eagles’ Miles Sanders

We’re looking at how the Dallas Cowboys placing the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard will impact Eagles’ Miles Sanders

The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on talented running back Tony Pollard Monday, ensuring that he’ll be on the roster even if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before the Tuesday deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

The one-year tag will cost $10.091 million for next season.

For division rival, Philadelphia, the NFL’s new league year is fast approaching, and one major domino will center around Miles Sanders, and how much the running back can land on the open market.

That decision for Howie Roseman just got even more difficult thanks to Jerry Jones.

Sanders made his first Pro Bowl, amassed 1,200+ rushing yards and 10+ touchdowns this season, and will look to land among the top-paid players at his position.

How does the tag impact Pollard, the Cowboys, and more importantly, Miles Sanders going forward?

Derek Carr shows love to the Saints in Twitter announcement

Derek Carr shows love to the #Saints, new teammate Tyrann Mathieu and fans in social media announcement, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

It didn’t take long for the New Orleans Saints new starting quarterback Derek Carr to show love to his new destination. The 9-year NFL veteran posted a video of Saints players and Louisiana legends Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry leading the Who Dat Chant at the Saints’ 2022 home opener.

It’s a fitting tribute to the city of New Orleans being that both Mathieu and Landry are home-grown players leading the chant for their hometown fans. A pretty meaningful showing by the team’s new signal caller. Carr and the Saints are headed towards a new deal as of Monday morning, full details on the deal are still being ironed out. But the Saints have their guy, and Carr is clearly ready to get started in the Big Easy.

Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says Sunday’s win over Hornets was a ‘character’ test

Jacque Vaughn gives his players credit for passing the character test of beating the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has had to alter how he approaches this current group for the Nets given how much has changed after the traded deadline. Even though Brooklyn has been disappointing in their losses, the past couple of games have been good sights to see for anyone invested in the Nets.

“Yeah, just a character test for us,” Vaughn said after Sunday’s 102-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Brooklyn led by as many as 37 points in the contest, but had played well enough in the first half to still come away with a double-digit win. “As easily a game where you come off a big win versus Boston, and you come home, Are you going to relax? Are you going to be detailed into joining responsibility and taking care of our jobs tonight?”

The Nets lost the second half to the Hornets 45-32 as Charlotte stepped up its defensive pressure. However, Brooklyn did enough in the second half to keep the Hornets at bay and still win by double-digits despite taking their foot off the gas. “Give our guys credit, we were locked in from the beginning. Our approach was great, our attention to detail was great. And, we definitely got rewarded for by playing pretty well.”

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Rams grant Allen Robinson permission to seek trade after shopping him

The Rams and Allen Robinson appear headed for a split after just one season

The Los Angeles Rams are already moving on from Bobby Wagner, and they could also part ways with their other big free-agent signing from 2022. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Rams have given Allen Robinson permission to seek a trade.

The team is also willing to pay a portion of his $15.25 million guaranteed salary to make a deal happen because his contract would be tough for any team to absorb after such a disappointing 2022 season.

Ian Rapoport added that the Rams shopped Robinson before the trade deadline last year and did so again in recent weeks, so they’re looking to part ways with the veteran receiver, and Robinson himself seems to want a fresh start, too.

Last season, Robinson caught just 33 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns, missing the final seven games due to a foot injury. He underwent surgery on his foot, which could impact his trade market, too.

The Rams gave Robinson a three-year deal worth $46.5 million last offseason but it clearly didn’t work out the way they hoped. He has cap hits of $18 million and $18.5 million in the next two years, an expensive price to pay for a receiver who has had back-to-back poor seasons.

If the Rams trade him and don’t have to eat any of his salary, they’ll save $6.85 million in cap space this year.

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Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie says Nets are smiling a lot after Sunday’s win over the Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie applauds the Nets for sticking to what works for them and acknowledged that everyone is happy with the progress at the moment.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie usually has a lot to say whether his team wins or loses. Being one of the more thoughtful players in the NBA, Dinwiddie has no issue with giving detailed answers about what he sees on the floor or what his team has to work on.

“I think the vibes are good, I think everybody is kind of starting to settle in, you’re seeing a lot of smiles out there, which is good,” Dinwiddie said after scoring 24 points in Sunday’s 102-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Dinwiddie, who also had eight rebounds and eight assists, was very complimentary of his teammates despite the second half being a bit of a let down. “We’re kind of knowing Hey, okay, you know, calcium score, spin is gonna get in the lane. And then plan advantage basketball, right?”

Sunday’s game against the Hornets was one of the easiest games that this Nets group has had given how much Charlotte struggles on the defensive end. Even though Brooklyn scored just 102 points, they still held the Hornets to 86 points on 37.5% shooting from the field. It’s clear that Brooklyn is starting to settle into what works for them and the players are starting to understand and embrace their roles.

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