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With rookie minicamp now in the books, the New England Patriots are adding some competitive depth to their trenches.
The Pats, per multiple reports, have agreed to sign defensive lineman Isaiah Iton and offensive lineman Mehki Butler to their 90-man roster. Both Iton and Butler had been invited for a tryout with the club during the sessions which took place from May 9-11 at Gillette Stadium.
Following brief stops at both Northern Colorado and Hutchinson Community College, Iton joined Ole Miss in 2020. He played as a rotational defensive lineman for his sophomore and junior seasons, making 24 total tackles and three tackles for loss. The 23-year-old transferred to Rutgers as a senior where he started all 13 games at defensive tackle while compiling 38 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
Iton signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The 6’2” 294-pound defender spent his rookie season on the practice squad with the Titans before signing a futures contract with the club this offseason. After being released by Tennessee in April, Iton accepted an invitation to attend Pats rookie camp, during which he wore jersey number 93.
Butler began his football journey at Iowa Western Community College in 2020, where he earned NJCAA first-team All-American honors. The 24-year-old transferred to Arkansas State in 2023. After redshirting his first season, the 6’3” 310-pound lineman became a fixture at left guard, starting 38 games for the Red Wolves. Though he was not selected in April’s draft, Butler was invited to attend Patriots rookie minicamp, where he wore jersey number 63.
Accounting for the signings of both Iton and Butler, the Patriots' roster currently stands at 91 players. New England will need to make a corresponding move before their new additions can become official.
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Browns reporter says rookie is 'not an NFL QB'
As of the first Monday of August, there was no indication that 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel or 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders had any real chance to emerge as the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 starting quarterback. During a Monday morning appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns reporter Daryl Ruiter offered quite a worrisome update regarding how Gabriel has looked during training camp practices. "He's not good," Ruiter said about Gabriel. "He's not an NFL quarterback. Not right now, and the fact that they keep running him out there for first-team reps ... they're cramming this guy down our throats, and it's not good." Numerous NFL analysts viewed Gabriel as a third-day selection before the Browns made him the 94th overall pick of this year's draft. The perception, up until Sanders was held out of Saturday's practice due to arm soreness, was that he has been the team's fourth-choice option at the position behind Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. All signs are reportedly pointing to Flacco getting the start for Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Gabriel is listed at 5-foot-11, but some who cover the team have expressed doubts about that measurement. It seems that a lack of desirable size for playing the position in the pros isn't all that's gone against Gabriel this summer. "It's not a height thing," Ruiter continued. "It's not personal. He's rolling out and can't hit guys who are wide open. He's not all that great, at times, in the warmup periods. ... He's just not a good quarterback." Ruiter said that he feels Gabriel "has no business being in contention to start a football game" for the Browns this season. "It's god awful when he's on the field," Ruiter added. Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed in late July that he could stash all four active quarterbacks on the roster for at least Week 1. For an article published on Sunday night, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that there's "zero chance" either Gabriel or Sanders will be cut this summer. Perhaps Gabriel will look better when he sees some action in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. That said, it sounds like fans should keep their expectations low for Gabriel's unofficial debut this coming Friday.
Kevin Love reportedly has preferred buyout destination
Kevin Love is eyeing a return to his roots. The five-time NBA All-Star big man Love has a preferred destination on the buyout market, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. Love would like to end up in Los Angeles. Now 36 years old, Love spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged just 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 10.9 minutes per game in 2024-25 but still managed to shoot 35.8 percent from three on the year. Earlier this summer however, the Heat traded Love to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team blockbuster deal. Now Love, a 17-year NBA veteran, is pursuing a contract buyout from the rebuilding Jazz. Though he is a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Love played his college ball in Los Angeles at UCLA. He also has ties to both L.A. teams — he won an NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and was also coached on that team by Tyronn Lue, who is now head coach of the L.A. Clippers. Both the Lakers and Clippers are currently sitting at 14 guaranteed contracts each. While they still have spots for two-way and Exhibit 10 players, that means the Lakers and Clippers are both down to their final open roster spot. The ex-rebounding leader Love still has some value, though probably more so as a jokester than as a contributing rotation piece. While Love clearly wants a homecoming to Los Angeles, he may have some convincing to do for either the Lakers or the Clippers to give him that final open roster spot.
One NBA team emerging as favorite to sign Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons may be headed back to the Atlantic Division. The New York Knicks appear to be the favorites to sign the former NBA All-Star forward Simmons in free agency, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported Tuesday. Siegel adds that it is expected to be a veteran’s minimum contract for Simmons if he does end up in New York. Along with the Knicks, the Boston Celtics have also been at the forefront of the Simmons sweepstakes, Siegel adds. However, the Celtics signed fellow veteran frontcourt piece Chris Boucher on Tuesday, seemingly taking them out of the running for Simmons. Simmons, 29, is still unsigned over a month into the free agent period. He finished out last season with the L.A. Clippers, averaging 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 16.4 minutes per game in 18 appearances off the bench. He also previously played in the Knicks’ division, beginning his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and then getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. The Knicks could foreseeably use another big body off the bench. However, a Simmons signing would likely be more of a flier than anything after they signed a former Sixth Man of the Year winner to carry their second unit and also added a versatile bench forward who is capable of playing and defending multiple positions. Simmons is clearly little more than minimum-contract fodder at this point of his NBA career. But as a three-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive selection with some playmaking juice still left in him as well, Simmons appears to be closing in on another chance in the league.
Mets’ Brandon Nimmo makes tough admission after second loss in Guardians series
The New York Mets lost their second straight game to the Cleveland Guardians on the road by a run, and veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo didn’t shy away from owning the team’s struggles. With the Guardians series loss fresh, Nimmo faced the media to reflect on the Mets’ offensive struggles and the uphill battle in the NL East wild-card race. SNYtv took to its X (formerly known as Twitter) page to share Nimmo’s candid postgame thoughts, highlighting his willingness to confront the slump head-on. “This is part of baseball and you just have to grind through it.” Nimmo’s interview came after a tense 3-2 defeat that left the Mets reeling. The club fell to 63-51 overall, dropping to 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the division. The offense managed just two runs despite multiple baserunner opportunities, underscoring persistent scoring woes. Through Tuesday night’s action, the 10-year-veteran owns a .255/.320/.442 slash line with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs, but recent splits tell a different story. Over his last 10 games, his average has dipped to .163, mirroring a 3-7 stretch that threatens the Mets’ hopes of going on a promising October run. Yet as a clubhouse leader, Nimmo’s resolve to “grind through” the downturn sets the tone for a team in dire need of a spark. They’ve stranded 14 runners over the past two games, leaving seven men on base each night. That inefficiency has hampered their rally efforts and highlighted that New York’s situational hitting must improve if they’re going to snap this skid and keep pace in the wild-card race. The Mets now turn their attention to the final two games in Cleveland before returning home for a pivotal series against the Milwaukee Brewers. If New York can halt this slump, they’ll reclaim confidence in their lineup and reassert themselves as contenders. As Nimmo said, this is baseball. The true test lies in the ability to battle through adversity—and for the Mets, the grind is far from over.
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