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Miami Dolphins Sign WR Willie Snead IV
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins have announced they signed WR Willie Snead IV and waived DT Mario Kendricks.

Snead went undrafted in 2014 and has bounced around the league with many teams, playing for Cleveland, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Carolina again, and San Francisco. In 2015 and 2016 with the Saints, Snead had 69 and 72 receptions, respectively. In 2019, he caught five touchdowns for the Ravens. Last season in San Francisco, he played in four games and had two receptions for 14 yards.

In Miami, Snead will compete with Braxton Berrios, Anthony Swartz, Erik Ezukanma, River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Malik Washington, JaQuon Burton, and Kyric McGowan for a roster spot.

This addition makes me believe Miami may not be happy with their WR room depth, feel the injury to Odell Beckham Jr. is more serious than being let on, or that one of the other wide receivers on the roster may have come down with an injury.

Miami’s 7th-round draft pick Tajh Washington was placed on IR before training camp, and his season is over.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
NFL

Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports

Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.

Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update
NFL

Browns' Shedeur Sanders could be losing valuable opportunity after injury update

Just when it seemed everything was going right for Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns' rookie quarterback caught an unlucky break on Wednesday. The 23-year-old QB was sidelined during Wednesday's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an oblique injury. Per Kelsey Russo of the team website, the 2025 fifth-round pick won't practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. He is deemed unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason game against Philadelphia, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Before Wednesday's practice, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed rookie QB Dillon Gabriel will start against Philadelphia as long as he's healthy enough to play. The 2025 third-rounder missed Cleveland's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue. However, Stefanski previously said Sanders would get more reps this week after a solid preseason debut. The former Colorado Buffaloes star received the start in the 30-10 win over Carolina, going 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. Not playing against Philadelphia could disrupt Sanders' momentum. More importantly, it may eliminate another opportunity for him to overtake Gabriel in Cleveland's four-way QB competition. Sanders is listed as the Browns QB4 behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco on the team's unofficial depth chart. Despite questions about Gabriel's size (5-foot-11, 205 pounds), the coaching staff seems to favor him over Sanders. Earlier this offseason, Gabriel's processing speed reportedly impressed Browns coaches, giving him an edge over Sanders. The former Oregon Ducks star also received reps with the first-team offense during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, while his fellow rookie didn't. If Gabriel plays well against the Eagles, that would continue to affirm the coaching staff's confidence in the 24-year-old QB. Neither Sanders nor Gabriel is expected to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns. It's likely going to be Flacco, who helped Cleveland make the playoffs in 2023 when he went 4-1 during a late-season stretch. Still, another solid preseason showing could help Sanders position himself to replace 40-year-old Flacco in the future. With the setback, it may take more time to climb the depth chart.

PTO Rumors Swirl Around Several NHL Names for the Oilers
NHL

PTO Rumors Swirl Around Several NHL Names for the Oilers

The NHL rumor mill is buzzing again, with fans and insiders sparking conversations about potential professional tryouts (PTOs) involving several notable players and the Edmonton Oilers. It started with a report by the 2 Mutts Podcast that Edmonton was looking into three PTO options — two forwards and a goalie — and it turned into a series of posts speculating who Edmonton was looking at. Social media responses to the post mentioned names like Klim Kostin, Ilya Samsonov, Max Pacioretty, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. Most of the names mentioned in the thread have been loosely linked to the Oilers this summer. Kostin has a history with the Oilers and remains unsigned. He’d be a depth forward option, likely willing to sign a two-way deal. Samsonov is a goaltender who has seen some performance issues over the past couple of seasons. He was waived by the Maple Leafs and wasn’t quite the same afterward. He too is unsigned. Max Pacioretty is a veteran who played last season with Toronto, but injury concerns will follow wherever he goes. Although nothing is confirmed, the flurry of speculation signals that teams might start reaching out to players and their agents. Jack Johnson recently signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild, so it’s certainly not too soon to be making these types of decisions. As the NHL offseason progresses, the big news, outside of some huge extensions being announced for some of the league’s top players, are clubs making official their invites to camp for free agents looking for the right opportunity. When it comes to the Oilers, there aren’t many better destinations for players looking to get lucky and land a spot with some elite players who can help them crack a lineup this season.

Mets manager gives blunt response to blowing six-run lead
MLB

Mets manager gives blunt response to blowing six-run lead

The New York Mets appeared to be on their way to earning a much-needed win by the third inning of Wednesday night's game when they enjoyed a 6-0 lead on the Atlanta Braves. Following a disastrous fourth inning in which the Mets surrendered nine runs, the offense completely collapsed, and New York lost its 12th game in 14 tries in an 11-6 loss in front of 38,647 fans at Citi Field. Following the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that he didn't think Wednesday night's loss was the worst of the season, but said it "sucks" to blow a lead like they had early in the game. "We’ve had some tough ones, but I wouldn’t say worst loss of the season," Mendoza said, via the Mets. "They all count the same, but it sucks to lose a game when you’re up six right away." The Mets scored three runs in each of the first two innings. Starting pitcher David Peterson allowed six earned runs in the fourth inning before he was pulled for right-handed reliever Reed Garrett. Garrett allowed three earned runs before getting out of the disastrous inning. Mendoza then put in Paul Blackburn to complete the game, not even batting an eye when the right-handed reliever surrendered two more runs in the sixth inning. By that point, Mendoza said he was concerned with saving the bullpen for another day. The admission from Mendoza was odd, as he seemed to punt on the Mets' chances for a comeback with three more chances at the plate. He doesn't trust his offense, and he especially doesn't believe in his rotation. Mendoza said the coaching staff will try to figure out how to get more out of the talent that had the Mets playing quality baseball in the first half of the season. "They’re tough losses, but we gotta keep going," Mendoza said. "We have got coaches right now looking at pretty much everything--trying to figure out how we can continue to help these guys, especially the guys from the rotation because we know the talent is there. But we just haven’t been able to get much from them, especially the last time through." Forget the NL East, where they trail the Philadelphia Phillies by five games; the Mets are barely trying to hold onto a wild-card spot. They have a one-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds.

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