The Giants made adjustments to their defensive backfield with CB Paulson Adebo and S Jevon Holland. Giants GM Joe Schoen considers both players to be ballhawk defenders, while second-year CB Tyler Nubin is also showing potential.
“Both of them, instincts and ball skills. The ability to take the ball away is something we struggled with last year in terms of creating turnovers. Both of those guys have a history of taking the ball away, and they both have instincts,” Schoen said, via GiantsWire. “Obviously, [Tyler] Nubin had 13 interceptions at Minnesota. You’ve got guys back there now who have really good ball skills. I have a lot of faith in our defensive line that if we can create some leads during the season, those guys can pin their ears back.”
Schoen also points out that cornerbacks like Deonte Banks and Andru Phillips are also under contract, giving their defense potential stability for multiple years.
“Then have guys on the back end that can take the ball away, are instinctive, route-savvy, and also good tacklers. The other part of that is Adebo and Holland, Tae Banks, Dru Phillips, Nubin, all those guys are under contract. They will be with each other for the next three years. Tae, as well, if we do his fifth-year option.”
Giants HC Brian Daboll praised CBs coach Jeff Burris and secondary coach Marquand Manuel.
“I think Marquand (Manuel) has done a nice job,” Daboll said. “Jeff Burris is a former first-round pick who I think can help in certain areas with some of the players. Tae Banks was a first-round pick. It’ll be a good experience.”
The Panthers released former first overall pick from 2014, LB Jadeveon Clowney, who, after a career played with the Texans, Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens, and now Panthers, intends to resume playing.
“I’m definitely gonna play well,” Clowney told Joseph Person of TheAthletic.com. “You can mark my word on that. I don’t care where I end up playing at, I’m gonna play extremely well. I think I played well for Carolina [last] year, considering the circumstances that unfolded for me. I played with a bunch of guys that was hurt this past year. And I ended up playing extremely well for them. So it is what it is. I can play the game. I can play football. There are 31 other teams. I just hope another team gives me that opportunity so I can prove myself again. I feel like I can do that.”
“I got a sense that they wanted me out of the building,” Clowney added. “I was just like, ‘Y’all could’ve told me this back when I was coming in here during the offseason.’ I kind of had a sense, though. I’ve been around the game long enough to know, so I was OK. [W]e was behind the 8-ball a lot, getting scored on and couldn’t score. It was like, you can’t rush, you can’t stop the run, you’re in a bad situation. That’s just football. I got more in the tank than people think. I just keep bringing it, and they’re gonna keep counting me out.”
Panthers GM Dan Morgan admitted that the team was still scouring free agency for reinforcements, particularly in the defensive backfield.
“Yeah, we’re definitely gonna explore some guys that are still out there,” he said, via Panthers Wire. “But drafting a guy like Lathan, I just think he brings that demeanor and that mentality that we’re looking for—that physical presence out there, that tone-setter-type mentality. And I think a lot of people think that Tre’von [Moehrig] is just really a box guy. But he actually is a really good deep player too and a guy that we feel like can play center field, half field and do a lot of things from the backend as well. So, I think that we have a lot of versatility back there, a lot of guys that are smart and can do a lot of things. But that won’t exclude us from trying to add somebody else.“
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The ongoing saga with the NFL Players Association has taken another turn, as the organization is also reportedly the subject of a federal investigation. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler reported on Friday that there is an ongoing criminal investigation involving the NFLPA regarding potential misuse of funds and self-enrichment of union officials. A senior union attorney sent a memo to NFLPA officials this week informing them of the federal probe. The document states that the NFLPA is "now on notice of financial actions that may be criminal" and that the union faces "immediate threats requiring prompt actions," according to ESPN. While the document did not specify which individuals are part of the criminal investigation, the notice was sent days after executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. and director of strategy J.C. Tretter resigned from their positions with the NFLPA. Howell was accused of misusing union funds and faced other troubling allegations. Tretter resigned because he felt like he was left to take the heat for the scandal that has been unfolding, though he has denied any wrongdoing. The NFLPA is searching for an interim executive director. ESPN reports that the memo sent to union officials this week warns that potentially hiring an outside executive director might not be a wise move without knowing exactly how deep "the problems may be." Howell was the executive director of the NFLPA for two years.
The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.
Top NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army' believes the Canucks could definitely offer sheet Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi, but they likely won't. Offer sheets remain one of the less common NHL deals, so a midsummer offer sheet from the Vancouver Canucks would remain highly unlikely. The player must be a restricted free agent (RFA) to be offer-sheet eligible, and come mid-July, there are not many remaining who are. Two of them are strong possibilities for whom the Canucks would consider making an offer sheet: Anaheim Ducks' Mason McTavish and Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi. And offer sheets are a two-part process. Your team has to first make an offer. And then there has to be acceptance of a player before his current team is in a position to counter. That is uncertainty enough. Any offer sheet from the Canucks would have to be at least $11.7 million per year The Canucks would only be able to give Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi at the absolute highest compensation level, above $11.7 million annually. That would cost four protected first-rounders across five drafts to the Canucks. While both Rossi and McTavish would certainly appreciate an offer of this nature, whether either is truly worth this kind of investment of this size, especially for Vancouver, a club not comfortably in a playoff position, is questionable. 'As it stands, the Canucks are still eligible to make offer sheets to McTavish and Rossi - but only certain offer sheets. 'Whether it's realistic to expect a mid-summer offer sheet from the Canucks, is no'. - Stephan Roget Bottom line: While theoretically, a Canucks summer offer sheet is conceivable, too high a price, in cap space and future equity, makes it extremely unlikely, per NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army.'
The Chicago Bears have a rookie wide receiver turning heads at training camp. It’s not Luther Burden III, as the No. 39 pick in April’s draft has missed the first three practices of training camp for a soft tissue injury that had him out of practice since rookie minicamp in May. Burden was expected to fight for the WR3 job this summer. The Chicago Bears have a rookie WR turning heads Undrafted rookie free agent JP Richardson could be making his case for a 53-man roster spot. Per multiple beat reporters, the TCU standout has impressed through the first three days of camp. “Undrafted free agent wide receiver JP Richardson has put together three solid days of camp,” wrote Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “The TCU product hauled in two catches with the third-team offense on Friday after making a one-handed catch down the sideline on the first day of practice.” Richardson caught 175 passes for 1,940 yards and 11 touchdowns during his four years in college. He spent two seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to TCU. Richardson has yet to work with Caleb Williams Per Zack Pearson of Bear Report, the six-foot, 180-pound receiver has been a top target of backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. Richardson has yet to show what he can do with Caleb Williams. “A player I keep finding myself noting in my notebook is undrafted wide receiver JP Richardson,” Pearson wrote. “He’s been getting open frequently and quarterback Tyson Bagent continues to find him on the field. Richardson hasn’t gotten any reps with the first or second team yet, but that could change.” Richardson will be a player of interest to watch when the Bears play in the preseason. Chicago will host the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 10 to kick off the preseason.