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Roquan Smith has high expectations for Ravens' Patrick Queen replacement
Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen switched sides this offseason, signing a three-year deal with AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Queen's departure leaves a big hole to fill on Baltimore's defense after totaling 250 tackles, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 12 passes defensed the past two seasons.
However, All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith believes the Ravens already have Queen's replacement on the roster in Trenton Simpson, their third-round pick from a year ago.
"He has all the potential in the world," Smith told reporters. "It's just gonna be about putting that on the field week in and week out and just trusting his ability. If he does that, I think he'll be the best second-year linebacker in the league."
Saying Simpson will be the best second-year linebacker in the NFL could be a stretch, with Lions first-rounder Jack Campbell, Broncos' Drew Sanders and Chargers' Daiyan Henley among those in last year's draft class set up for bigger roles in 2024.
Simpson will be set up for success next to Smith in Baltimore's defense, which allowed the fewest points per game (16.5) in the league last season.
He flashed his potential in the 2023 regular season finale as the Ravens sat their starters. Simpson took full advantage of the opportunity, registering seven tackles (two for a loss) and a sack.
That performance alone won't win him the starting job next to Smith, but he certainly flashed his potential, which is why many like Smith are excited about what his second season will bring.
Baltimore still has a lot of time to make the decision. So, for now, Smith is solely focused on removing Queen's presence from the Ravens facility.
"Life happens, and he's somewhere else right now. I got to tear his picture down in the linebacker room," Smith added. "I'm happy for him. I'm wishing him all the best, and it'll be good to see him twice a year. He's still my guy, but war is war."
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Browns may not be prepared for one thing with Shedeur Sanders
During a recent edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Cleveland Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may not be prepared for the "potential fan backlash" that could arise regarding the team's handling of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Stefanski seemed to say plenty about the subject when it was learned on Monday that Sanders remains fourth on the club's unofficial depth chart even though he enjoyed a solid NFL debut in the club's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Also on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer made it known that Stefanski won't be in a rush to play Sanders or fellow first-year pro Dillon Gabriel ahead of schedule. "Stefanski and the other offensive coaches have a plan for the rookie QBs, and they’re not about to be swayed by public opinion and the Sanders-mania that’s sweeping the nation," Cabot wrote. "Yes, it was a great debut against the Panthers with two beautiful touchdown passes to first-year receiver Kaden Davis. But Stefanski always keeps things simple for his rookie quarterbacks in preseason games, and most have looked excellent in their outings under him. Therefore, he wasn’t ready Monday to start handing over those precious starting reps to Sanders when he’s unlikely to start Week 1 and doesn’t necessarily need that valuable time with the ones — yet." Neither Gabriel nor presumed backup Kenny Pickett played against the Panthers after they were slowed by hamstring injuries during training camp. Meanwhile, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland's 30-10 victory over Carolina. Gabriel returned to the practice field on Monday, but Pickett reportedly could be sidelined "for a couple more weeks." It's unclear if either signal-caller will play in Cleveland's preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Saturday. "They have had a process with Shedeur all the way through," Cabot added during the latest episode of the podcast. "And even when they were taking heat nationally from all kinds of pundits and experts saying that they were setting Shedeur up to fail, they stuck to their guns. And even after his really, really nice debut, they really haven’t changed the process." As recently as Tuesday morning, Zac Jackson of The Athletic mentioned that veteran Joe Flacco is still "the clear leader" to be Cleveland's Week 1 starter over Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -310 betting favorite to get the nod for the Browns' regular-season opener versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Previous whispers indicated Stefanski will want to name his Week 1 QB1 before Cleveland wraps the preseason up with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23. It certainly sounds like Stefanski won't lose any sleep over disappointing members of a passionate fan base who want to see what Sanders can do against live defenses in meaningful contests.
Mock Trade Sends Suns' Dillon Brooks to Lakers for $66 Million Duo
The Phoenix Suns are set to enter next season with an almost completely different roster than what they had last season after making major changes to it this offseason. Of course, the Suns broke apart their star trio of Devin Booker, Keivn Durant and Bradley Beal as they traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and bought out Beal’s contract, allowing him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now Booker is the only remaining star from their big three and he is set to be the centerpiece of Phoenix’s future after they signed him to a massive contract extension this summer. For the Suns, they have done a solid job of building a younger roster as they landed Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams via trades and also selected Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the 2025 draft. While the Suns have made some major moves this offseason, more could be on the way before the start of next season as multiple players continue to be in trade rumors. Suns predicted to send Dillon Brooks to Lakers With this in mind, SB Nations’ Jacob Rude recently released a mock trade that would see the Suns send Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers for two players. In the trade, the Suns would send Brooks to the Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. This would be an interesting trade for both teams involved and one that does not make a ton of sense for the Suns to make. Of course, the Suns could look to trade Brooks at some point before next season’s trade deadline as they may try to add more young talent to their roster but to swap him for two veterans who struggled last season does not make a ton of sense for Phoenix. For the Lakers, adding Brooks to their roster would be a massive upgrade after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency as the veteran forward would give them a solid scorer and great defender alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Despite this, the Suns would likely want more in return in a potential trade for Brooks that would likely require Los Angeles to include draft capital and a young player. Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the Suns would consider this offer for Brooks, especially before he even suits up for their franchise.
Packers' injury issues go well beyond just QB Jordan Love
The big injury news for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday involved starting quarterback Jordan Love. That is not their only concern. While Love is expected to be sidelined for at least the next week, the Packers are also dealing with a growing list of injuries at wide receiver, and that list added another name on Tuesday. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs left Tuesday's practice after getting tangled up with a defensive back on a deep pass attempt. While he said he should be okay, it is still a big concern because the Packers are already dealing with injuries to fellow wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Watson's injury is, at the moment, the most significant of them as he is likely to begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list. Overall, that is pretty much every one of the Packers' top returning wide receivers on the injured list. The problem is that by missing extended training camp and preseason time, especially when Love is also sidelined, they are missing a lot of key practice reps and preseason work that could be getting them ready for the season, especially when so many of the wide receivers are relatively unproven and still pretty inexperienced NFL players. Given how tough the NFC North is expected to be, the Packers cannot afford to get off to a slow start. Not only are they going to be dealing with an offensive lineup that may not be 100% healthy at the most important positions, they also open the season with two NFC opponents in the first five days of the campaign, with games against the Detroit Lions (Sept. 7) and Washington Commanders (Sept. 11). That is a grueling start to the season under normal conditions. But when you add in the short week, as well as the injury situation, it is clear this is going to be a massive test for the Packers early on.
Sportsnet's new NHL power rankings put the Stars in a surprising spot
Sportsnet has dropped its latest NHL power rankings, and the Dallas Stars are right where every fan wants to see them: first place. The list, compiled by Ryan Dixon, looked at how teams would stack up if the NHL season started tomorrow. It wasn't about off-season grades or Stanley Cup odds, but about which teams look most ready to win right now. Dixon praised Dallas for being just a few wins away from finishing second overall last season and pointed to two major boosts heading into 2025-26: Mikko Rantanen's first full year in Texas and the "new-coach bump" from hiring Glen Gulutzan. "Dallas is a great bet to hit the ground running," This is what Dixon wrote on Sportsnet. Dallas Stars lead Sportsnet's top 10 NHL teams for 2025-26 Right behind Dallas are the Vegas Golden Knights at No. 2, bolstered by the addition of Mitch Marner despite losing Alex Pietrangelo. The Washington Capitals sit third after a surprisingly strong season and a solid roster carryover. The rest of the top 10 includes the Carolina Hurricanes (4), Colorado Avalanche (5), Edmonton Oilers (6), Winnipeg Jets (7), Toronto Maple Leafs (8), Florida Panthers (9), and New Jersey Devils (10). It's clear Sportsnet believes the Stars have the right mix of star power, depth, and momentum. I think starting the year in the top spot puts a target on their backs, and that's not a bad thing. With Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston all in the mix, plus the addition of Gulutzan behind the bench, there's every reason to believe Dallas can live up to this billing. "If they drop the puck tomorrow, Dallas is the team to beat," Dixon concluded.
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