GLENDALE – One of the biggest signings of this NFL free agency period has recently been met with major concerns. The Arizona Cardinals were the favorites to land Pro Bowl edge rusher Josh Sweat in the offseason. The Super Bowl champion was coming off the best start in his career in the big game and was due for a massive payday. He received that in a 4-year $76.4 million contract, $41 million guaranteed.
The signing was initially met with praise from different media outlets but has taken a slight dip recently. The Athletic’s Mike Sando talked to multiple NFL executives, and some had strong words against the Newest Cardinals edge rusher.
The Cardinals had one of the worst pass rush in the league last season, and executives don’t believe the Sweat addition will magically fix it overnight. General Manager Monti Ossenfort did make other key signings in the trenches, with Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, that’ll aid Arizona’s pressure.
While NFL executives have pointed out health concerns with Sweat, the 28-year-old is in the prime of his career and is coming off arguably his best season. The Cardinals needed to make the signing, and the only thing left is for Sweat to prove he’s worth the money.
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Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Ichiro Suzuki delivered an amazing speech as he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and it even included a surprising swipe at one of his own former teams. During the iconic speech, Ichiro took the time to thank each of of the three MLB teams that he played for across his 19 MLB seasons. When he arrived at the Miami Marlins, he made a hilarious wisecrack about how he had never heard of the team before they offered him a contract in 2015. “And to the Miami Marlins: I appreciate David Samson and Mike Hill for coming today. Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team,” Ichiro joked. Many were surprised to hear Ichiro deliver his speech in English, as he almost always used an interpreter in interviews during and after his playing career. The fact that the 51-year-old was able to entertain the crowd while not speaking in his native language made the speech even more iconic. While thanking the New York Yankees, Ichiro had a funny comment about how his former teammates were only there to support CC Sabathia, who was also being inducted into Cooperstown. Ichiro is one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, and fans have enjoyed seeing the less serious side of him in recent months. Earlier this year, he also took a hilarious shot at the lone Hall of Fame voter who snubbed him. Ichiro called out the voter again during his speech on Sunday.
Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
The Boston Red Sox won their series against the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, but fans are crossing their fingers that the impressive victory did not come at a cost. The Red Sox took two out of three games from the Dodgers with their 4-3 win at Fenway Park on Sunday. Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Boston's bullpen was lights out after starting pitcher Walker Buehler allowed three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. Not everything went the Red Sox's way, however. Closer Aroldis Chapman came on to pitch in the eighth, and he issued back-to-back walks to Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts. Chapman then got Shohei Ohtani to fly out before the left-hander was removed from the game. Chapman was accompanied by a trainer as he walked gingerly off the field. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game that Chapman experienced tightness in his back. Cora said he is hopeful Chapman will not have to go on the injured list. Chapman also downplayed the issue and said he was dealing with back spasms. He does not expect to miss significant time. Even if Chapman winds up being fine, the ailment is a reminder that the Red Sox need to bolster their bullpen ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Chapman has been Boston's best reliever this season. He has a 1.30 ERA across 45 appearances and has struck out 61 batters across 41 2/3 innings. His 0.82 WHIP is the lowest mark of his career since 2012. The Red Sox are fighting for an AL wild-card spot, and Chapman is the most important piece of their bullpen. If they intend to make a postseason run, they should focus on adding another arm in the coming days, regardless of the extent of Chapman's injury.
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