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This has been a busy offseason for the Seattle Seahawks. The moves that have made the most headlines naturally revolve around the quarterback position. The Seahawks sent Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he will reunite with Pete Carroll. They then signed Sam Darnold, who will be their new starting quarterback — for at least one year anyway.
In addition to their move under center, Seattle traded away DK Metcalf and replaced him with veteran Cooper Kupp. If they want Darnold to succeed, however, they need to add even more than Kupp. That's why a new mock draft from Luke Easterling of Athlon Sports has them targeting a new wide receiver.
With the 18th pick, he adds Emeka Egbuka, who will rejoin his former teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Not only does he see Egbuka as a replacement for veteran departure Tyler Lockett, but Easterling believes Egbuka can protect them should Kupp continue to deal with injuries.
"Offensive line has been the popular pick here for a while (and with good reason), but after trading away DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett, the Seahawks need a long-term investment at receiver beyond the aging and banged-up Cooper Kupp. Egbuka is a polished route-runner who would make an immediate and sustained impact." — Easterling, Athlon Sports
Egbuka is one of the top route runners in this class and leaves OSU with 205 receptions for 2,868 yards with 24 touchdowns.
More must-reads:
- Bengals' Zac Taylor explains shocking Joe Flacco move for Packers game
- Lions CB Terrion Arnold to return 'sooner than expected'
- The 'Most NFL QB two-rushing-TD games' quiz
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Steelers Interested In Exciting 2020 Top-10 Draft Pick After Free Agent Visit
The Pittsburgh Steelers are always looking to improve their roster. That was seen throughout the 2025 offseason with the amount of transactions General Manager Omar Khan completed, but it is also something that is a priority during the regular season. When it is in-season most teams are trying to upgrade their depth, which is something Pittsburgh will look to do as attrition continues to set in as the team plays more games. This leads to the team hosting workouts with current free agents, and even signing some, whether that be to the practice squad or to the active roster. Pittsburgh has played four games now and is coming off of its bye week in Week 5. This means the team has some injuries in various areas, and it also gives the coaching staff and Khan a better idea of where some upgrades need to occur. This means more players might be brought in for workouts, and that is exactly what happened on Wednesday as the franchise hosted two linebackers on workouts. Pittsburgh brought in Michael Barrett as well as former top-10 pick Isaiah Simmons. Simmons is a prominent name in the NFL. He was selected with the eighth overall pick back in the 2020 NFL Draft as he was picked by the Arizona Cardinals. He was considered one of the best defenders in the country during his college career at Clemson, where he won the National Championship at the end of the 2018 season. Simmons was lauded as a prospect coming into the NFL. He was seen as a hybrid between an inside linebacker and a safety, and his athleticism was off the charts. It was noted that he needed to be put in the right situation, and the right system, in order to succeed. That never really happened. He spent just three seasons in Arizona before being traded to the New York Giants. He signed for the following season in New York, but he was not brought back after 2024. He signed with the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 offseason but did not make the final roster. The linebacker's best season came in 2022 with the Cardinals. He recorded 99 total tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Despite the successful year he was traded away. In his two seasons with the Giants he played in all 34 games while starting five of them. He tallied 71 total tackles, a pick six, and a sack during that time. Simmons has shown flashes throughout his career, but he has never been able to remain consistent enough to find his footing in the NFL. He is fighting to keep his career alive, and a workout in Pittsburgh could be a step in the right direction. Steelers Could Add Quality Depth By Signing Isaiah Simmons If Simmons were to sign in Pittsburgh, it would probably begin with him on the practice squad. He could get elevated if injuries occur, but there is no reason to believe that he would be a major contributor for the Steelers defense in 2025. He has versatility which is something Pittsburgh always appreciates, and his experience playing both linebacker and safety would make him a prime candidate to be on the field on obvious passing downs. If Pittsburgh can find a way to unlock the first-round talent that Simmons once had, this would be a great move. But it is hard to look at this as anything more than adding some depth to a defense that has been beat up so far during the 2025 season. The Steelers could also continue their research into former first round picks by taking a look at recently-released wide receiver Treylon Burks.
North Carolina reportedly considering nuclear option with Bill Belichick, and that's justified
Former Yankees, Mariners prospect hospitalized following motorcycle crash
Jesús Montero failed to develop into the baseball star that some thought he might, despite repeatedly appearing on preseason top prospect rankings. The former New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners catcher failed to capitalize on that potential and turn it into a long career. Once viewed as New York's "catcher of the future," Montero played in just 226 games during his five-year MLB career. His last professional appearance came during the 2020-21 Venezuelan Winter League, where he went 0-for-17 at the plate with six strikeouts. Montero, according to Spanish-language reports out of Venezuela, has been hospitalized in his home country following a traffic accident. The now 35-year-old was reportedly riding his motorcycle when a suspected drunk driver hit him. Montero is in critical condition after suffering multiple leg fractures, broken ribs and lung damage. Jesus Montero's Yankees stint lasted 18 games New York originally signed Montero as an international amateur free agent in 2006. The power-hitting prospect, one of the best bats available in the free agent class, was given a $2 million signing bonus. By 2009, Montero was appearing on preseason prospect rankings — landing on Baseball America's Top 100 list in four consecutive seasons. The Yankees called Montero up for his MLB debut when rosters expanded in September 2011. He'd appear in 18 games, hitting .328/.406/.590 with four home runs in 69 PA. Jesus Montero traded to Mariners in January 2012 Montero was traded, along with right-hander Héctor Noesí, to the Mariners the following offseason for right-handers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. Over parts of four seasons, he batted .247/.285/.383 over 796 PA with 24 home runs. Seattle ultimately sent him down to Triple-A due to his defensive limitations with the hope that he'd learn to play first base. His Seattle tenure was marred by constant rumblings about his physical shape and attitude, including a 2014 incident where he threw an ice cream sandwich at a scout while on a rehab assignment.
Ex-Cardinals Hurler Cuts Ties With Diamondbacks Following 6th MLB Season
Offseason player movement is starting to pick up, and the St. Louis Cardinals are watching some old friends re-enter the market. Four-year Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford elected free agency from the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. But as it turned out, he wouldn't be the only ex-St. Louis hurler on his way out of the desert. On Monday, Woodford was joined in free agency by a pitcher some may have forgotten made his Major League Baseball debut with the Cardinals, before beginning a journeyman arc. Nabil Crismatt elects free agency On Monday, right-hander Nabil Crismatt elected free agency from the Diamondbacks, according to his official transactions page. The 30-year-old has now played for four teams in his six-year professional career. Crismatt debuted with the Cardinals in 2020, pitching six games and allowing three earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. He elected free agency after that season, too, setting the tone for what was to come over the next several years floating around the National League West. From 2021 to 2023, Crismatt found a gig with the San Diego Padres, pitching 159 2/3 innings in the brown and gold. Then, he was designated for assignment and signed with the D-backs for the first time, and progressed to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2024 season. In total, Crismatt has been released or DFA'd nine times in his professional career, and has now elected free agency eight times. The life of a journeyman is all about persistence. For Arizona this season, Crismatt put up a 3.71 ERA in 34 innings, allowing 40 hits and striking out 25 batters. His best work came out of the bullpen in San Diego, especially in 2022, but he's been more of a swingman/starter of late. Would the Cardinals consider taking a minor-league flier on Crismatt this winter? It's not out of the question, as there will likely be some spot starts and swingman roles available throughout the year as St. Louis tries to integrate some of its younger pitchers into the rotation on a more permanent basis.
Eagles receive good and bad injury news ahead of matchup with Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of their worst losses of the season after the Denver Broncos scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter last Sunday to win 21-17. The Eagles have a short week due to playing their divisional opponent, the New York Giants, on “Thursday Night Football.” They have the opportunity to fix the problems on offense, as the Giants are one of the worst defenses (26th, 377.2 yards) in the NFL. However, the Eagles could struggle on defense, as they may also be down one of their better defensive linemen, Jalen Carter. The Eagles received one positive and one negative piece of injury news for two key players Being a short week, the Eagles have a limited amount of time to practice and formulate a game plan, but also have a limited amount of time for their players to heal after a few came out of the Eagles' loss to the Broncos battered and bruised. Running back Saquon Barkley was one of those players who wasn't 100% healthy following the loss, as he found himself on Monday's injury report and did not practice with the team due to a knee injury. Barkley taking time to rest seems to have paid off, as he was a full participant in practice as of Wednesday’s injury report. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter was a new addition to the report, as he was limited in practice due to a heel injury. Carter is currently listed as "questionable" for Thursday night's game. Eagles need both Saquon Barkley and Jalen Carter to win against the Giants Even without Carter and Barkley, the Eagles have a better roster than the Giants, but having both makes the gap even wider. Saquon is one of the best running backs in the league and has extra motivation to play the Giants, as they're his former team. In one career game against them since signing with the Eagles, Barkley ran for 176 yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown in their matchup last October, per StatMuse. Not having a game with over 100+ yards rushing this season, Saquon could have his first one of the season against his former team, as the Giants have the 26th-ranked defense (140.0 yards) against the rush. Hopefully, Carter is available, as he is the glue that holds the Eagles' defense together. Carter is credited with playing in every game, except he was disqualified from the Eagles' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys after he spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter has three solo tackles, seven assists and has not recorded a sack. If Carter can't play, the Eagles will need to rely on Jordan Davis to step up and fill in for Carter. Davis has 11 solo tackles, eight assists and a sack in five games this season. Davis will also need to pick up the slack for Carter on special teams, as the two have a blocked kick on their stat sheet against the Los Angeles Rams, which Davis ran back for a touchdown.
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