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We hate to be wrong about this one, but it's really looking like Ben Johnson could be leaving the Detroit Lions and that he could be the Las Vegas Raiders' next head coach.
That means he's going to take some people with him. We already talked about four coaches who could be headed out with him on Thursday, not it seems there's a chance he could be leaving with more than just some coaches.
Sports Illustrated's Raiders beat writer Hondo Carpenter said that the Raiders could look to trade for Hooker if they hire Johnson.
“[Hooker] already knows the Ben Johnson system and what if you get him for a second [round pick], or whatever you get him for," said Carpenter (via RaidersBeat.com). "I think that’s fascinating. I don’t think it’s getting enough attention so I’m throwing it out there… I think that’s a very viable option for the Raiders. I’m not in any way reporting it’s done. Detroit would have to want to do the deal, but I think if the Raiders were to get Ben Johnson and he’s clearly the front runner…I think [Hooker] is a real possibility and I did not come up with that on my own.”
This is a move that makes a lot of sense for the Lions. Hooker has shown some growth, but he may not have fully gained the Lions' trust this year as the team brought Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement a few weeks back and the thought is that if the Lions needed a backup, they'd be going to Bridgewater first.
There was a lot of talk from the Lions this summer that they would carry three quarterbacks in 2024 because Hooker just wasn't ready yet. That might have been the case had Nate Sudeld not played so poorly in the preseason.
Couple that with the fact that Hooker just turned 27-years-old and the team is dedicated to Jared Goff for the foreseeable future and it just doesn't make sense that Hooker is their next step at the position.
If the Lions were able to get a second-round pick for Hooker, they need to absolutely make that move. I wouldn't even let the new Raiders GM finish his sentence before I said "Deal!" Ultimately that seems pretty high and the Lions would probably have a better shot at getting a third-round pick for him. That's still a good deal by the way.
The Lions would be wiser to go with a younger quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft and build that player up for a while. If we had to pick, Ole Miss' Jaxon Dart is the guy we're going with at the bottom of the first round or in a trade-up in the second-round. Dart is currently 21-years-old and could benefit from some developing time. Maybe in 2027 or 2028, he's ready to go and the Lions have that mobile guy with the big arm that the NFL is moving towards.
We'll see what happens, but don't be shocked to see Hooker in black and silver in 2025.
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Carter Hart, others found not guilty in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.
Bucks executive opens up on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
This New York Yankees Prospect is Absolutely Scorching at the Plate
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