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The Los Angeles Rams have a clear vision and plan for second-round pick Terrance Ferguson as the former Oregon tight end has nicely assimilated into the team. However, if he wishes to take Tyler Higbee's starting role or simply carve out an extended role for himself, Ferguson will have to answer these three questions.
1. Outside of health, what does Ferguson currently offer the Rams that Higbee doesn't?
Higbee is taller, more experienced, and has a bigger build than Ferguson. Higbee can run routes, catch, and block. So what does Ferguson offer?
That's a tough question to put on the shoulders of a rookie but no one cares about experience in the NFL, only winning. Fortunately, Sean McVay and the staff have been praising Ferguson and for good reason.
“Terrance has been good. Really today was the first day that we could do 11-on-11," stated McVay three weeks ago. "These guys got here a couple weeks ago, seen a guy that's been really attentive in meetings, got a really good feel. Really it's routes on air and then what we saw today, which is a limited body of work, but just been really impressed with him and really the rookie class as a whole. Our vets have done a good job welcoming these guys with open arms but looking forward to seeing him just continue to take it a step at a time. (Tight Ends Coach Scott) “Scooter” Huff does a great job with our tight ends. So far so good.”
2. Will Ferguson be able to block at the NFL level?
It's a standard question for any tight end. Especially with Alaric Jackson set to miss an extended amount of time, Matthew Stafford is going to need tight ends to chip EDGE players while setting up holes for the running back. We all know Tyler Higbee can do it, will Ferguson?
Ferguson and Higbee may be the best tight end duo since Higbee and Gerald Everett, and they led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance. Everett is also one of the toughest men in the NFL. What will Ferguson do to prove he's that dude?
3. How effective will Ferguson be in the red zone?
Tight ends are a great commodity to have, but they make their money in the red zone. They're the big target in a small space, they're the extra blocker that gets running backs into the red zone and in some offenses, they're the tip of the spear.
Ferguson hauled in multiple red zone passes against tight coverage, but that was without pads and against friendly competition. Higbee cracks open the red zone for the Rams. If Ferguson wants to do that, what about his skill set does he provide in order to do so?
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Steelers Add Two More Injuries to Start Training Camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off their 2025 training camp at Saint Vincent's College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The team arrived in style and with optimism as this new-look roster aims for a Super Bowl run in 2026. The Steelers began their first training camp on the right foot, except for the absences of two notable players. Newly acquired superstar tight end Jonnu Smith and versatile running back and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson were both non-participants in the first team activities. Following the conclusion of practice, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the players who were missing. He shared that Smith was able to participate in individual drills but missed the team session. He wouldn't go into specifics, but he ruled Smith out day-to-day. Despite the early setback, Tomlin didn't seem too concerned about the severity of the injury. Patterson was also with the team, but did not participate in any activities or individual position drills during the first day of camp. Tomlin also ruled him out day-to-day. The injury to Smith is not the way he wanted to begin his tenure in Pittsburgh. Acquired with Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick, his arrival marked the next offensive weapon for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Smith is coming off the best season in his NFL career. Last year in Miami, he caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. He collected the fourth-most receiving yards among NFL tight ends and tied for the second-most touchdowns last season. He and fellow TE Pat Freiermuth are set to be a dynamic one-two punch for the offense in 2025. This is Patterson's second season with the Steelers. Last season, he played a versatile role in the offense. He toted the ball 32 times for 132 rushing yards and zero touchdowns. He also hauled in 12 receptions on 14 targets for 80 yards and a score. With these injuries, the rest of the depth chart receives an added opportunity. The rest of the skill position groups on offense will have one less body taking reps away in camp for the time being. That will hopefully give one or two players a chance to shine and make a positive impression on the coaching staff while they wait for two impact players to return to the field.
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.
Yankees among teams in talks to acquire Padres starter
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stirred up a whirlwind, looking to fulfill his priority of bringing a frontline starter to New York. In his latest round of relentless phone calls, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that Cashman spoke to San Diego Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, about two-time Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. Cease has been a source of interest for MLB teams since 2022, when he pitched to a spectacular 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, coming second in the Cy Young voting. Landing with the Padres last season, Cease again flashed potential, tossing to a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts through 189.1 innings of work. That year, he placed fourth in Cy Young voting. But as much as Cease is talented, he is also flawed. In 2023, just after his best year, Cease posted a lackluster 4.58 ERA, and this season has been no better. Through 113.2 innings this year, Cease owns a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts. Cease has been quite the strikeout artist since his debut, but the rest of his results haven’t always been that good. His 42 walks and 16 home runs surrendered on the year make him a risky bet. According to Heyman, the Yankees are one of four teams that have “checked in” on Cease. He notes that trading Cease is a long shot since the Padres are in contention, but they still may be inclined to do so as he is in the last year of his contract. One might also add that his performance this year probably won’t help them reach the World Series. For the Yankees, or any other interested team for that matter, dealing prospects or players for a slumping half-year rental might not be the best idea. Still, the Padres might just receive a decent haul for Cease since the market for spotless, front-line aces is non-existent at this trade deadline.
Aaron Rodgers Declares Steelers Are Super Bowl Contenders With Bold Comments
The Pittsburgh Steelers had their first training camp practice ahead of the 2025 season on Thursday, and it was the first time fans got to see newly-acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers participating in team drills. The quarterback seemed to be shaking off some rust as his first pass of the day was intercepted, but that is expected as he is facing one of the best defenses in the NFL on a daily basis. Overall, it is hard to take much from the first practice of training camp, but new acquisitions have Pittsburgh's eyes set on competing within the AFC. There is good reason to be skeptical about the 2025 Steelers due to the sheer amount of roster turnover, but Pittsburgh brought in a ton of talent. Defensively, the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay could be huge in the secondary, as could the young guys up front that were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The offense has been in question over the last several seasons for Pittsburgh, but Rodgers seems to have faith in his unit. He spoke to the media after practice on Thursday, and he shared that he has high hopes for his team going into 2025. The veteran quarterback feels as though the Steelers should be considered contenders for the Super Bowl on paper, but it is all going to come down to coaching and execution. The roster is good, but that doesn't mean anything if the team cannot perform during games, or if Pittsburgh goes through another late-season collapse like it did in 2024. The Steelers definitely have some wild cards when it comes to how the team can succeed in 2025. The offensive line is one of them, as that group is going to have to take a big step forward as a whole in order for the team to reach expectations. Rodgers is going to have to play like he did with the New York Jets at the end of the 2024 season, and the unit is going to have to be consistent. The Steelers have been plagued by slow starts on offense, and that is something that needs to be avoided in 2025.In order for Pittsburgh to set itself up to win the Super Bowl, it is going to have to take care of things within the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens are the favorites to win the division, while the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the most potent offenses in the league. The Steelers will have to be competitive against those two teams in order to keep pace in the North, and in turn, set themselves up for any postseason success. The Steelers have to find a way to avoid the seven-seed in the AFC, which is something they have been stuck with in the past two seasons. Steelers' Rodgers Wants To End His Career On A High Note The past two seasons with New York have been rough for Rodgers. He barely played in 2023 as he suffered a devastating season-ending injury, and he was a bit rusty to begin the 2024 season. He played well down the stretch, but it was far too late for the Jets to salvage their season. He has only ever played in one Super Bowl, when he beat the Steelers as a member of the Green Bay Packers. He has already stated he will probably be retiring after the 2025 season, and ending his career while hoisting the Lombardi Trophy would further cement his Hall Of Fame resume.
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