The Dolphins are signing veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The seven-year veteran will add some depth to a thin tight end room behind 2024 breakout Jonnu Smith. The Dolphins moved on from Durham Smythe last month, leaving Julian Hill as the only other tight end on the roster with any NFL experience.
After playing for five different teams in his career, Brown will bring plenty of experience to Miami. He has appeared in 87 games with 54 starts, though he has primarily served as a blocker with a career average of 8.6 receiving yards per game.
Brown began his career as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon and signed with the Raiders after the 2017 draft. He didn’t make the 53-man roster, but still appeared in two games as a rookie. He didn’t play at all in 2018, partially due to a shoulder injury, then carved out a rotational role as a blocker in 2019 with the Browns.
Brown then joined the Texans in 2020 and started 21 games over the next two years. He was then released three games into the 2022 season and returned to Cleveland for the rest of the year.
The 30-year-old signed with the Patriots in 2023, where he caught 13 of 15 targets for a career-high 208 receiving yards and his first touchdown since 2020. He also carved out a role on special teams, which helped him earn a one-year, $3.2M contract with the Seahawks in 2024. Brown picked up a similar role as a blocking tight end and special teams contributor in Seattle, something he will likely continue in Miami.
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The Green Bay Packers are reeling after they blew a 10-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Packers allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 13 unanswered points to win 13-10 in front of 65,470 fans at Huntington Bank Field. Following the game, defensive end Micah Parsons had a crude response to the comeback. "Sometimes, just like today, you s--- the bed," Parsons said via ESPN. "That's just the reality of it. It happens to the best teams. Even the best Super Bowl champs make mistakes, and they pay for it early. You go back to the history of the champions and who've they've played and games they should've won. It's just that competitive. "It's that hard to win. It's hard as hell to win football games. When you win football games, it's a celebration. But when you lose, it sucks." What went wrong for the Packers in loss to Browns Parsons and the Packers had a couple of major blunders in the final minute that they want back. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus had a blocked field goal attempt that allowed the Browns a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Parsons was called for a neutral zone infraction on the first play of the Browns' drive, allowing Cleveland to start the series from the Green Bay 48-yard line with 21 seconds remaining. Parsons apologized for the penalty, calling it "unacceptable." The All-Pro finished with two tackles. Parsons has extra motivation for avenging the loss against the Browns. The Packers are set to travel to play his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4.
The New York Rangers are preparing to start a transitional season, following the arrival of new head coach Mike Sullivan and some important adjustments to the squad. Among the players facing a decisive season is Brennan Othmann, a left winger who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. Othmann, 22, is entering his third and final year of his contract with the Rangers, but his expiring deal is not the only reason why he will have to prove himself this season. The Canadian has had difficulties meeting the high expectations around him and although he may no longer have time to establish himself as a top-six forward, this is the best time to establish himself in a lower role. Othmann's clock is ticking as competition for roster spot grows Last season, he only recorded two assists in 22 games with the Rangers, but tallied 12 goals and eight assists in 27 games with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. In any case, now Othmann is facing heavier competition within the squad. Both Gabe Perreault and Carey Terrance have left good impressions during preseason camps, and with both having multiple years left on their contracts, the possibility that Othmann's days on the team are numbered increases. That said, the New York team needs depth, especially in the bottom-six, and Othmann must react and respond. He has the necessary grit and physicality, and if he manages to establish himself there, he could become a solid player within the bottom lineups.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense has yet to perform up to its expectations. Sunday against the New England Patriots was a start, however, as the team recorded five turnovers and five sacks to go along with a whopping 24 pressures. Well, one of those sacks and three of those pressures came from rookie Derrick Harmon. Starting in his first-ever NFL game, it was impossible to ignore the big man. But here's the thing: he played only 34 snaps, confirming the suspicion that he was on a snap count after the game. Derrick Harmon impresses despite limited snaps during his debut To record a sack in your first game is a great omen for your career. Harmon looked the part in his 34 reps, recording a tackle for loss and a sack despite facing a double team on a play that I broke down below. Now, the next step for Harmon and really, the Steelers' defense as a whole, is to be better against the run. Again, there was improvement there as the Patriots' top rusher was quarterback Drake Maye, but they still let up over 100 yards on the ground despite forcing four fumbles. I mean, take the Cam Heyward plays alone. If he doesn't reach out and swat the football to force an interception and then do it again on the goal line, the Steelers let up 14 points. He single-handedly saved them there, before Aaron Rodgers set up the game-winning TD throw. And the Steelers defense has undoubtedly dealt with attrition. We know they are missing starters, if not critical players like Alex Highsmith, Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott. Obviously, not having Harmon the first two weeks hurt that unit. But there are still too many good players to be making these kinds of mistakes. Too many T.J. Watts and Cam Heywards and Patrick Queens to be letting every team go over the century mark on the ground so far this season. That's what the Steelers are hoping to change the most with the arrival of Harmon.
For the second straight year, first baseman Pete Alonso made what may go down as the final regular-season appearance at Citi Field of his New York Mets career on Sunday as the club suffered a 3-2 loss to the Washington Nationals that left the Amazins no longer in control of their own path to the playoffs. Following that result, Alonso spoke openly about his unsettled future. Pete Alonso confident the "right thing" will happen this offseason "We’ll see what happens, but I am a firm believer that the right thing is going to happen," Alonso said, as shared by Mike Puma of the New York Post. The market for Alonso's services never materialized as he and agent Scott Boras had hoped following the 2024 season. In fact, it seemed in late January of this year that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had little interest in giving Alonso a multi-year deal until Stearns and Mets owner Steve Cohen heard directly from fans who made it known that they wanted the club to hold onto the "Polar Bear." In the end, Cohen and Alonso agreed to a two-year, $54M contract with a player opt-out after this season. The 30-year-old slugger is widely expected to test free agency this coming fall considering what he's achieved this season. According to ESPN stats, Alonso began ranks second in all of MLB with 122 RBI on the season, eighth with 37 home runs and ninth with an .876 OPS. Does Pete Alonso want to stay with Mets? "This place has been really special to me," Alonso said about his only MLB home since his big-league debut in 2019. "The fans are awesome, super passionate and really dedicated to this team." That said, it's unclear how much Cohen will be willing to spend on a right-handed power-hitting first baseman in his 30s after the Mets signed star outfielder Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765M contract that could exceed $800M total last offseason. Alonso could prove his worth to the Mets by carrying the club back to the postseason after it and the Cincinnati Reds ended the weekend tied in the standings for the final National League wild-card spot. The Reds own the tiebreaker over the Mets. "If I had a nickel for how many times everyone in this room has [talked about] that and I received it, I’d be really rich," Alonso added about the chatter regarding his future. "So, again, we’ll see what happens." Alonso and the 80-76 Mets will begin a massive three-game series at the 88-68 Chicago Cubs on Tuesday evening.
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