Tag: social media

Alontae Taylor says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor moved to the slot in 2023, but says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety in 2024:

The New Orleans Saints secondary will look different this season with the team intending on releasing starting free safety Marcus Maye when free agency begins in a few weeks. Could another position switch be on the way for cornerback Alontae Taylor, who moved to the slot for the first time in 2023?

Don’t bet on it. Taylor shot down the idea of learning another new position in 2024 in response to fans on social media, who were discussing the notion of playing him at free safety in the wake of Maye’s departure. Whether he primarily covers the slot or moves back outside, he wants to be listed at cornerback.

While the Saints do have an intriguing internal candidate to replace Maye in second-year pro Jordan Howden, they’re going to need more players in the group with Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson, and Ugo Amadi all headed for free agency. And we can’t ignore that Abram finished the season ahead of Howden on the depth chart. He may not be as ready for a full-time starting role as we think.

But as for Taylor: hopefully this experiment in the slot was just a one-year plan. No player was targeted more often or gave up more catches and yards than he did when guarding the slot last season, and he allowed the second-most touchdown passes in the league in that role. He’s a dynamic player on the outside, where he’s played since high school, but he was miscast in the interior over the slot. One benefit to the Saints possibly trading Marshon Lattimore this summer is that it would open a path to keep Taylor in the starting lineup where he’s played his best football.

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Social media has mixed reviews on Anthony Kim’s 76 at LIV Golf Jeddah in professional return

The reviews are mixed.

The Band-Aid has been ripped off.

Anthony Kim made his return to the professional golf world Friday, firing a 6-over 76 in the first round of LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia. Kim carded only one birdie during the first round and had seven bogeys, and he sits dead last in the 54-man field.

But, is that even a bad score? Kim hasn’t played a competitive round, let alone been seen in the public eye, in nearly 12 years. There was always going to be some competitive rust (see his shank on the fifth hole) and first-tee jitters he had to get over before we saw what he really had left in the tank.

Photos: Anthony Kim at LIV Golf Jeddah

However, as social media often does, there was no shortage of reactions to his debut Friday morning. Here’s what folks had to say about Kim’s return, and there were mixed reviews:

Twitter reacts to UCLA hiring former Commanders/Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy

Social media reacts to Bieniemy heading back to the college game.

Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has landed a new job. On Saturday, the UCLA Bruins hired Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator/associate head coach. It’s a similar title to what he held during his lone season in Washington in 2023.

The Bruins were looking for a new offensive coordinator after former head coach Chip Kelly departed to take over as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. The Bruins promoted UCLA alum and former NFL running back DeShaun Foster to head coach.

Bieniemy’s gamble in Washington didn’t work out well for him or the team. After the season, the Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera, leaving Bieniemy free to pursue his options.

Bieniemys’ one season in Washington was polarizing. Some fans believed he could do no wrong, blaming everything on Rivera, the offensive line, Sam Howell, Dan Snyder, and virtually everyone else — except Bieniemy. Others, though, were ready for a change by midseason.

How did the social media world react to Bieniemy’s new job? We look at some of the top reactions from X — formerly Twitter.

Twitter reacts to the Saints restructuring Derek Carr’s contract

Fans and analysts on Twitter had mixed reactions to the Saints restructuring Derek Carr’s contract, locking him in as their starter for the foreseeable future:

We all saw this coming: the New Orleans Saints restructured their contract with Derek Carr on Friday, locking him in as their starter for the foreseeable future. And that led to a range of mixed reactions from fans and analysts on social media. Here’s what was being said on Twitter about the Saints’ latest salary cap gymnastics:

LOOK: Fans react to former Alabama forward Herb Jones’ posterizing dunk over former Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr.

On Thursday night, former Alabama forward Herb Jones made a dunk over former Auburn forward Jabari Smith. Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how some of the fans reacted on social media.

It did not take long for former Alabama forward Herb Jones to meet former Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. at the rim on Thursday night. Jones and Smith Jr. guarded one another the majority of the night.

With just under five minutes remaining in the first half, Jones glided in for what appeared to be an easy slam dunk. At the last moment, Smith Jr. jumped up to try and swat the ball out of Jones’ hands. However, he was unsuccessful and subsequently fouled Jones in the act. Jones would also convert on the dunk attempt.

The dunk stirred up a lot of reactions on social media. Roll Tide Wire takes closer look at how fans reacted to Jones’ dunk over Smith Jr. in Thursday night’s contest.

LOOK: Fans react to Alabama’s overtime win over Florida

Alabama fans errupted on social media following the Crimson Tide’s win over the Florida Gators in overtime. Roll Tide Wire takes a look at some of the reactions over social media.

The Alabama men’s basketball team prevailed in overtime to knock off the No. 24-ranked Florida Gators. The Crimson Tide won the game 98-93.

It was not easy for Alabama. Nate Oats’ squad had to come from behind on multiple occasions. The Gators made things very difficult for the SEC leaders.

Alabama was without arguably its best three-point shooter in shooting guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. The three ball was not hitting early on, but that would change toward the end of the game.

Overall, it was a huge win for Alabama as far as team morale as well as for the SEC standings.

Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how Alabama fans reacted to the overtime win on social media.

Broncos pending free agent P.J. Locke excited for ‘the next move’

“Man, I can’t wait to see what GOD has in store for me with the next move!” Broncos safety P.J. Locke wrote on his Twitter/X page.

It’s that time of year again.

With NFL free agency now less than a month away, fans can’t help but read into the social media messages of players with uncertain futures.

Last month, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton shared a message on Instagram that certainly sounded like a goodbye. “I trust my Gods plans over everything including whatever is next for me,” was part of Sutton’s caption. “Just know I gave everything to this team and organization every time I stepped on that field!”

Sutton is under contract for the 2024 season, but the team has listened to trade offers for the receiver over the last two years. Sutton isn’t the only player with an uncertain future in Denver.

Last week, safety P.J. Locke took to Twitter/X to share this message: “Man, I can’t wait to see what GOD has in store for me with the next move! More goals, more achievements, more life! 🙏 #Undeniable #Completion”

Again, it’s hard to not read into the message. The fact that Locke said his next “move” may or may not imply that he expects to move on to another team. Perhaps that’s reading too far into it. Maybe the safety merely meant he’s eager to see whatever happens next, including the possibility of re-signing with the Broncos.

Locke is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Denver’s safety depth chart would take a huge hit if he leaves the team.

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Wisconsin basketball social media angry after crushing overtime loss to Iowa

What’s your reaction to Wisconsin basketball’s crushing loss to Iowa?

Wisconsin basketball just dropped another gut-wrenching game, this one on the road at Iowa.

The loss drops the Badgers to 17-9 on the season and 9-6 in Big Ten play. Not only is the Big Ten title out of the equation, but the team’s NCAA Tournament seed is slipping by the day.

Related: Which Big Ten football team has the toughest conference schedule in 2024?

The loss is crushing for several reasons. First, it seemed as if the Badgers had turned a corner with the win over Ohio State. Second, it came on a last-second basket in overtime. Wisconsin had numerous chances to escape Iowa City with a win, and the team couldn’t get it done.

It’s safe to say Wisconsin basketball social media is unhappy after the team’s latest loss:

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Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

Saints should inquire about Brandon Aiyuk after social media posts

The price may be too high for Brandon Aiyuk. Maybe he’s not even on the table. Regardless, the Saints should inquire on his availability:

The marriage between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers could be in a rough patch. Jauan Jennings has been viewed as a wide receiver who could follow now-Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak from San Francisco, but what about Aiyuk? Recent social media posts from people close to the fourth-year pro suggest he might have played his last game as a 49er. Aiyuk’s best friend and girlfriend both voiced complaints about his role in San Francisco’s offense and desire to join a new team.

To be abundantly clear, social media activity like this should be taken with a grain of salt. We’ve seen relatives and spouses vent frustrations and nothing come from it before. It’s often viewed by the public as them speaking out for the player, but that isn’t always the case. Loved ones get emotional about these games as well. Aiyuk didn’t help by being noncommittal to San Francisco after their Super Bowl loss.

Aiyuk is not a free agent and would require a trade. New Orleans doesn’t have a surplus of picks in the upcoming draft, but they should at least inquire on his availability. Aiyuk is coming off of a career season in which he was a second team All-Pro. He would provide a three level receiving threat who is a phenomenal downfield blocker. With Kubiak installing a new offense in New Orleans, adding a proven commodity with experience in the system like Aiyuk could pay big dividends.

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Derek Carr had the perfect response to Mardi Gras float call-out

Derek Carr had the perfect response to a satirical call-out from the Knights of Chaos Mardi Gras parade, joining the laughter and pointing to his much-needed improvement:

Shouts out to Derek Carr for taking it on the chin: the New Orleans Saints quarterback was the subject of satire at the Knights of Chaos Mardi Gras parade during Carnival season, which featured a float depicting a reanimated Carr as a “Red Zone Zombie” to big reactions from the crowd.

“Can’t lie,” Carr wrote in response on social media, “this depicts exactly what I felt like the first half of the season so I understand.”

That’s exactly how Carr needed to approach this situation — joining the laughter, sharing with some self-deprecation, and pointing to the work he put in to improve. His arrival to New Orleans last year was a tough sell. With a big contract restructure in the works keeping him in town for at least the next two years, it’s vital that he win over the fanbase and build those connections with the community.

And Carr is right to point out that his struggles in the red zone were an early-season problem. The Saints doubled their practice reps in that phase and he ended the year as one of the league’s best quarterbacks in scoring position. Through their first 11 games, Carr went 21-of-47 (44.7%) inside the 20-yard line and scored 8 touchdown passes with an interception, posting a quarterback rating of 84. The Saints offense ended just 15 of their 40 drives with touchdowns (37.5%).

In their final six games Carr went 14-of-21 (66.7%) and threw 9 touchdown passes without turning the ball over, posting a passer rating at 114.1. The Saints scored 15 touchdowns on just 20 drives inside the red zone (75.0%). How’s that for a “Red Zone Zombie?” After seeing that reversal of fortune, Carr’s teammate Demario Davis called him the hottest red zone quarterback in the league.

It’s critical that Carr and the Saints carry that success over into 2024. With a new play caller and new coaching staff on the way, they can’t afford to start slow and make big changes at midseason again in the fall. If Carr can do that and continue doing a better job connecting with fans and teammates, maybe the city will warm up to him after all.

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