More must-reads:
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
The Dallas Cowboys receiver room right now is giving head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the personnel department a lot of headaches - but in a good way, if there is such a thing. Yes, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are top of the pile, but behind them, it is rather jumbled. KaVontae Turpin could easily be seen as the third receiver, so too Jalen Tolbert. But behind them are Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Traeshon Holden. Will the Cowboys carry five receivers? Or six? Either way, players are going to miss out and might even land on the practice squad. You can see the crowd in the new depth chart released on Tuesday ... And for offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, he is loving the competition. ... at receiver (and beyond) ... “It's been fun to watch that group," Adams said. "That's really what you're trying to build in every room is a lot of really difficult decisions for the personnel guys and the coaching staff and incredible amounts of competition. So that being what we want this team and organization to be 100% about is competition, that's our calling card, is what the receiving room is doing right now, and making it very difficult for people to figure out who's going to be what number, whatever. I love it, I think it's great." For most, it is Turpin and Tolbert occupying the third and fourth receiver spot (in any order), with Mingo and then possibly Brooks making up the group as part of special teams. Still, that will mean Flournoy and Holden will be the ones to miss out, which is why the next two weeks of practice and the preseason games are going to be vital to the final outcome of the room. Who will see their stock rise and who will fall? Schottenheimer wanted competition, and when it comes to the receiver room, boy, he got it.
Dan Quinn said in a press conference recently that the Washington Commanders will always be willing to add to its roster if it helps improve certain positions. That same day, they hosted 14 players for workouts and signed three of them. The Commanders are likely not done moving pieces around and trying out players, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they took a look at a player that just became available. Adam Peters should take a flyer on former third-round pick Brian Asamoah II to improve the depth at linebacker and possibly more. Recent moves showed their opinions on the position The team wasted no time moving on from LB Dominique Hampton, who was a recent fifth-round pick of Peters after just one preseason game. Hampton was a liability at LB, and the team needed more flexibility on special teams as well. The next corresponding move made was the signing of veteran LB Duke Riley, who directly replaces Hampton and can play both sides. Riley is 31 years old, though, and no one is sure if he will actually stick on the roster. It wouldn't surprise me if the team added more options as roster cuts start making players available, like Asamoah II, who was released by the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. Asamoah II was drafted by the Vikings with the 66th overall pick back in 2022, but never could carve out a sustainable role on the defense. He's only played a total of 70 snaps on defense over the last two seasons after falling down the depth chart, but he's still only 25 years old. Maybe learning behind Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner could go a long way in his development. He also fits the mold of what Peters looks for as a freak athlete who had an 8.90 Relative Athletic Score when he was working out for the NFL draft. The potential has always been there for Asamoah II. Jordan Magee is still hurt, and Nick Bellore is 36 years old and only plays on special teams. Riley is the next man up with rookie Kain Medrano, so the depth is a major weak point of the defense right now, and they also need someone who can be versatile on special teams. Asamoah II did have a major role on special teams for the Vikings though, and he logged almost 800 snaps on that side of the ball over the last three seasons. The special teams efforts in the first preseason game showed that they need some backup help as well. The Commanders have a real roster need at backup linebacker as well as special teams tacklers, and Asamoah II could provide both while the young project continues to develop. Keep an eye on the Commanders making more changes before the season starts.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!