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During the summer, Bryan Zaragoza returned to La Liga with Osasuna after a difficult first six months at Bayern Munich. He has impressed during his first few months at El Sadar, although he is currently sidelined with a serious foot injury.
Zaragoza has looked much more at home in Spain, and understandably so. He recently spoke about the difficulties that he faced in Bavaria, but despite all of this, he will be heading back there at the end of the season.
As per Diario AS, Osasuna see it as impossible for Zaragoza’s stay in Pamplona to be extended. As expected, finances is the reason for this, as a transfer fee and his wages would be unaffordable.
It means that Osasuna can only look forward to having Zaragoza for the rest of this season. He is expected to be back from injury in the next 4-6 weeks, and when he does, it will be a big boost.
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Colts GM expresses regret on Anthony Richardson decision
The Indianapolis Colts wish they had made a different decision in 2023. The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft after the dual-threat quarterback had an incredible third season at Florida. He threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in his first season as a full-time starter. Given the momentum Richardson had at Florida in 2022 and with Indianapolis during OTAs, then-first-year head coach Shane Steichen named the former Gators quarterback the Colts' starter in the middle of preseason. Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has "regret" in not waiting to start Richardson until he was better adjusted to the league. "The regret is real, from both player and team," Keefer wrote. "Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own." “He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told The Athletic. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.” But, Ballard concedes, “when you take one high, there’s an expectation. The pressure to play the kid is real.” Richardson suffered a couple of injuries in his rookie season before his campaign ended in October when he had to have shoulder surgery. He also dealt with injuries and a brief benching in favor of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in 2024. In his 15 games played in two seasons, Richardson has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 635 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Before training camp this summer, the team declared Richardson and former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would compete for the starting job for 2025. Despite Richardson's status as a starter being unknown this year, Ballard isn't considering releasing or trading the 23-year-old quarterback. He thinks Richardson can be a starter by 2026. The tricky part now for the Colts is that they must unlock Richardson's talent while also encouraging the young quarterback. Frankly, it won't be good for his confidence if he gets beaten out by Jones in training camp. As the No. 4 pick in the draft, 2023 should have been the year for a real quarterback competition. Instead, a difficult situation has been created for the Colts and Richardson, and it serves as a lesson for overeager general managers and coaches.
Latest reporting paints unflattering picture of Shedeur Sanders amid QB competition
The extraordinarily rare four-man quarterback competition unfolding in Cleveland is ongoing, but adjustments are being made. Kenny Pickett is out with a hamstring injury, giving Joe Flacco a wider runway to reacquire the job. While Pickett recovers, Kevin Stefanski said Flacco will take the bulk of the first-team reps, via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi. Flacco did not take as many offseason reps, but because of his 2023 Browns showing, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicates he received what amounted to a first-round bye in this battle ahead of training camp. Flacco proved he remained a capable starter during a serviceable but unremarkable Colts stint, but his elevating a battered Browns offense to a playoff berth in 2023 carries considerable weight. The Browns are obviously evaluating how a 40-year-old Flacco differs from his 38-year-old version, but with Pickett down, the 18th-year veteran has a chance to impress and start a season opener for the first time since filling in for Zach Wilson in 2022. This would be Flacco’s 14th time earning a Week 1 NFL start. As Flacco enjoys a strong opportunity to grab the reins, Shedeur Sanders does not look to have a chance at the Week 1 gig. Sanders entered the Browns’ offseason program “far behind” Flacco, Pickett and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, Breer adds, and is trying to catch up. Sanders received extensive criticism for his strange approach to the pre-draft process, but beyond proving difficult in interviews with teams (as a recruiting-type mentality is believed to have taken place on the QB’s part), Sanders drew attention for being behind from a "football-knowhow standpoint," according to Breer. The two-year Colorado starter being as far behind as he was during predraft meetings surprised some, Breer adds, and he fell into fourth place during the Browns’ offseason workouts due in part to lagging on the football IQ front. To open camp, the first-team reps primarily went to Flacco and Pickett, with Gabriel taking the leftover work. Operating as an inverse option to Sanders thus far, Gabriel has impressed with his football IQ while presenting a less-than-ideal frame (at 5-foot-10) and skillset. The Browns plan to stop sending out two offensive units simultaneously, a tactic deployed due to the unique four-man QB battle, according to Stefanski. This transition will lead to fewer reps, further increasing Sanders’ degree of difficulty as a developmental option. As it stands, Sanders faces a “Super Bowl LI”-like uphill climb to win the job, Breer concludes, adding he has gained ground since workouts started. Although Sanders was a much-rumored first-round candidate, falling to fifth for myriad reasons made it unrealistic he would win the Browns’ Week 1 job. Fifth-round rookies are almost never in QB competitions in the first place, making this training camp more of a developmental stage for the second-generation pro. At the preseason’s conclusion, the Browns will need to decide if they want to carry four quarterbacks — a genuine possibility — on their 53-man roster. Gabriel looks close to a roster lock here, with Sanders the wild card. Pickett’s injury would open a door for the Browns regarding an IR move, as a way to retain both rookies, but it would seem unlikely the team would proceed that way with a player firmly in the mix for the Week 1 job. (The team is not planning to trade one of its rookie arms.) Sanders would need to pass through waivers to reach Cleveland’s practice squad, further complicating the situation. Jimmy Haslam also fielded a question about Arch Manning this week. While the owner cannot realistically comment on the Browns’ path to the soon-to-be Texas starter, he did voice a belief the QB will stay in school for the 2026 season (kicking the can to the 2027 draft), via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Haslam mentioned his relationship with the Manning family in offering that prediction. Even if Manning is unlikely to declare for the 2026 draft, next year is projected to include a much deeper class compared to 2025. The Browns having two first-round picks seemingly came in preparation for that. For now, Gabriel and Sanders continue to make their cases about future duty while the Flacco-Pickett veteran matchup represents the far more likely decider for Week 1 this season.
Red Sox Eyeing White Sox's Aaron Civale to Bolster Thin Starting Rotation: Report
The Boston Red Sox do not have a viable starting pitching rotation. They have three pitchers that can toe the rubber every five days, including Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, and Brayan Bello. They need arms and are desperate to upgrade the backend of their rotation. As a result, Boston is scouring the trade market in hopes of acquiring one of the top pitchers available. However, they are also turning to an unlikely source to fill their needs. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Red Sox have expressed interest in Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Aaron Civale, and prefer to acquire him over teammate Adrian Houser. Cotillo highlights Civale, a native of Connecticut and Northeastern alum, being open about his desire to play for the Red Sox as a reason for a potential link-up. Unfortunately for the right-hander, he does not have control over his destination — as evidenced by his early-season trade from the Milwaukee Brewers to the White Sox. Civale, 30, remains a low-cost, easily attainable rental option for Boston, and even if the Red Sox land one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' starters, he could still be in play. Through 13 starts, the veteran has a 4.38 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 63.2 innings. Ironically, he has seen an improvement after being traded to the White Sox. His ERA, WHIP, hits, and home runs allowed have all decreased. He may not be a preferred deadline addition, but he could offer some valuable innings to Boston’s rotation. Civale will not be the key piece to securing a postseason birth for the Red Sox. But with Crochet’s recent start getting pushed back to reduce his workload and the lack of consistency behind their top three starters, Civale may be an underrated deadline target.
Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb shares Brian Schottenheimer's stern message after another camp incident
It will be even harder for the Dallas Cowboys to rebound from a 7-10 season if they don't stop fighting each other. Last week, there were multiple incidents at training camp in Oxnard, California. On Wednesday, more scuffles broke out, and rookie offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius was ejected after punching a teammate (via ESPN's Todd Archer). Cowboys rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer subsequently stopped practice and made players and members of the coaching staff sprint sideline to sideline. He also sent a clear message to his team. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reiterated it in a news conference. "Do we want to be champions? Because throughout the year of us being here, talent was never the problem for us," Lamb said. "It was always discipline. How do we, like, get ahead but not behind? How do we not shoot ourselves in the foot? Honestly, when that momentum is going our way, we need to continue to keep the foot on the pedal and make the right play and always think about the team." It's good for the Cowboys that Schottenheimer emphasized discipline after practice, but the coach may have inadvertently contributed to the issue. At the start of camp, he indicated he wanted the Cowboys to be more aggressive. "We want to have a very physical training camp," the coach told the media. "That's really important to us both offensively and defensively. How we want to play, be a physical team both offensively and defensively." It appears his team misinterpreted the message. This raises concerns about Schottenheimer's ability to maintain control, especially in a locker room featuring volatile personalities, such as new wide receiver George Pickens. Lamb seems to be listening to Schottenheimer, but the coach must connect with other players. If he doesn't, trouble could be brewing in Dallas.
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