#seems like preseason camp/friendlies but who are they playing

[magdasabs]

what is bkh doing in germany and why are they taking a bus to get there 😅

[burning-up-ao3]

From the Point  Nov. 22, 2019

This unrelenting run of injuries this season has provided the Penguins and their fans a couple of things. Well, beyond disbelief and fits of rage. Extended absences for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and several others served as a reminder that the aforementioned Big Three are indeed mortal and on the wrong side of 30. They have also forced us to get a glimpse at the next wave of Penguins. That got me thinking this week about what the roster will look like three years from now. There will be significant turnover. Only seven players who were on the 23-man roster for the 2016-17 opener are still here. I'd say there is a decent likelihood that at least one of Crosby, Malkin and Letang is not on the team at the start of the 2022-23 season. For this projection, I opted to identify only the guys whom I believe have a chance of 80 percent or greater to be on the squad in 2022. These 80-percenters include prospects. I'll also give my rationale for not including some notable players with iffy long-term outooks. FORWARDS: Sidney Crosby: Crosby, who will be 35 when the puck drops on 2022-23, will play for the Pens as long as he wants. He's got a lot of tread on the tires, so you worry about injuries. But if he can stay relatively healthy, he has the smarts and skill to remain highly impactful. Jake Guentzel: Guentzel, who is near a 40-goal pace again this season, signed a team-friendly extension to stick around for several more years. He figures to earn multiple All-Star nods. Brandon Tanev: There was much hand wringing after the Penguins gave a six-year contract to this grinder. But his $3.5 million salary seems appropriate at the moment given the juice he's brought. In three years, if the cap keeps rising, that deal may still be OK. Teddy Blueger: As one of the charter members of #TeamTeddy, I'm projecting a little bit here. Bottom-six centers like Blueger are far from untouchable. But I think his game continues to blossom and he should come cheap. Pencil him in as the third-line center. Sam Lafferty: Like Blueger, the Hollidaysburg native can be locked in at a reasonable salary and may prove to be a useful winger. He's fast, has a little size and is a two-way player. Samuel Poulin: The 2019 first-rounder impressed the Penguins in camp and the preseason. He's been a beast for his junior team – did you see this goal? – and could be ready to seriously challenge for a roster spot next fall. He'll be an established NHLer by 2022. Nathan Legare: The goal-scoring winger, who was childhood friends with Poulin, might have more upside than Legare. He's got that big shot. If he improves his skating and rounds out his game, look out. OK, let's talk about the omissions. The big one is Malkin, whose deal is up after the 2021-22 season. I think he will be back. But it's below 80 pecent. Will Geno want to finish up in sunny Miami or less-sunny Magnitogorsk? Another tough decision was Patric Hornqvist. He'll make $5.3 million in 2022-23 but it's fair to wonder how this warrior's body will hold up. There are high hopes for prospect Filip Hallander but he will have to adjust to North American hockey. DEFENSEMEN: Brian Dumoulin: There is praise for Dumoulin below so I will keep it brief here. He is one of the NHL's most underrated blue-liners and his bargain contract runs through 2022-23. John Marino: The only question I have is whether the Hockey Hall of Fame will make Marino the first active player to be inducted or if he'll have to wait until the second he retires. Marcus Pettersson: The Penguins plan to lock up the lanky Swede long-term after they are allowed to on Jan. 1. Pettersson will be just 26 when the 2022-23 season begins. Calen Addison: Addison, a slick-skating righty with plenty of swagger, might reach the NHL within the next year. He has 21 points in 23 games for his junior team. He needs to get better defensively. But the puck-mover is a perfect fit for the Penguins. You surely noticed that Letang and Justin Schultz did not make this list. Schultz will be a free agent after this season and might not fit into the team's budget. Letang is in the same boat as Malkin. His contract also expires in the summer of 2022. And while there is a decent chance he finishes his career here, the odds might be closer to 50/50. As for the prospects, I thought about including Pierre-Olivier Joseph but he's not a sure thing to make the NHL. GOALIES: Matt Murray: That's it. That's the list. Opinions are split on Murray here in Pittsburgh, but the ones that matter most are in Penguins management, and they'd like to sign Murray to a new deal this summer. Given his unique resume and that he will be an RFA, this negotiation should be fascinating. But it will be surprising if something doesn't get done here.

THREE STARS OF THE PAST WEEK 3. Brandon Tanev. The endearingly obnoxious winger got bumped up to the second line to play with Jared McCann and predictably provided a spark. He also chipped in with some offense, too. He had two assists in the win over Toronto then two goals Tuesday. 2. Bryan Rust. Rust has been unreal since returning from that hand injury, scoring eight goals in 11 games. He had a goal in each of the last three games. The entire top line has been really good. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel have meshed pretty well with Rust's help. 1. Brian Dumoulin. You might be scratching your head at this one, but he has quietly remained excellent without Kris Letang. Playing next to John Marino, Dumoulin had a plus-7 rating the last three games, showing he's more than just Letang's trusty sidekick. 

  EXITING THE ZONE Sign me up for a Pens-Isles rematch in the playoffs. All three meetings this month were wildly entertaining. ... It was a little surprising to see Juuso Riikola get scratched Thursday. He remains inconsistent, but with Letang and Schultz out, you'd figure coach Mike Sullivan would want him in the lineup for power play purposes. Sullivan used Dumoulin instead, but I'd have given Marino a look on the top unit. ... Matt Murray has been better than his average .907 save percentage would indicate, but the Penguins, with Crosby and other key players out, needed him to steal one of those overtimes against the Islanders. Neither of Brock Nelson's game-winners were particularly impressive. ... With Crosby out, faceoffs have been a big problem. The Penguins won just 39.7 percent of them the last three games. ... When the Penguins brought back both Chad Ruhwedel and Zach Trotman with cheap contracts this offseason, I thought it was redundant. In hindsight, I'm a dope. Rutherford learned at some point during his long Hall of Fame career that you can't have too many righties on D.

[premierleaguefootballtickets]

Premier League Football: Virgil van Dijk set to coming back for Liverpool Football after nine months out with hurt

The Dutch captain has been absent after a clash with Jordan Pickford of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in October last year after undergoing surgery on the ACL of his right leg. Van Dijk missed the club’s first three training games at the Austrian training camp, but he will make a brief cameo in Thursday’s game against Hertha Berlin.

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Coach Jurgen Klopp said I hope Virgil will have a chance to play for a few minutes. It looks great in training, maybe we can introduce it. It seems to be ready; we will wait and see. Joe Gómez and his center-back Van Dijk are also absent with a knee injury, and he is likely to return in the friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on 8 August.

If you now consider play as part of your rehab training, it makes sense, Klopp said. Joey was very close. There is no game between the two, they have different injuries and such, but he is very close. If Virgil can play for 20 minutes now, Joey will likely be able to play in the next game. For more to know About Liverpool vs Arsenal Tickets.

Scottish left-back Andy Robertson and Portuguese forward Diogo Jota will join the camp for the first preseason match against Herta. Shaqiri is one of the players that Klopp is willing to leave. The performance in the European Cup aroused the interest of Sevilla and Villarreal, who are now discussing permanent deals with the club.

It is tacit that Lazio and Naples have contacted Shaqiri's representatives to discourse the possibility of the former international returning to Italy. The club is looking for about 15 million pounds because they can choose to extend the 29-year contract for another 12 months. So, he has signed until 2023.

“Ready to meet new challenges. They acknowledged my conclusion and will now consider selling me. Liverpool will not stop me this summer, “Shaqiri told the Italian daily Corriere Dello Sport.

At this point in my career, it is important to be able to play regularly, but it has not always been that way in the last three seasons. Liverpool continues to focus on spending. He has received over £ 27 million from the sale of fringe players and new contracts with some existing players.

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[highbuttonsports]

Friesen: Slow start, penalty trouble cost Sens as skid continues

The Senators were in Edmonton on Sunday night to visit Connor Mcdavid and the 5-6-0 Oilers. Two clubs come together who are both looking to turn things around and get on track to have a successful 2021 campaign. This wasn’t Ottawa’s night. Ottawa fell behind early in bunches causing the game of catch up to start far earlier than normal, all while accumulating five minor penalties – and only successfully killing one of them.

Slow start

“You can’t have a good 60 minutes if you don't have a good start.” Said alternate captain Brady Tkachuk after Sunday’s 8-5 loss in Edmonton. Tkachuk was spot on point with this take as Ottawa gave up 5 first period goals, one of which coming just 8 seconds after puck drop. It goes without saying that this puts the Sens behind the 8 ball early, but it was only downhill from there. The Senators went on to take four minor penalties in the first period and allowed three goals on the power play. Ottawa is a team who ranks fourth last in the NHL in penalty killing at 69% and team with such significant struggles on the PK must have a strong sense of discipline, something that Coach DJ Smith has preached recently. With that being said – This is a young team. With the 6th youngest team in the league, these are the growing pains that Sens fans have become familiar with but also need to understand are a part of the process (that we have no choice but to trust). The Oilers proceeded to chase Matt Murray from the Senators crease in just under 8 minutes. Coach Smith had seen enough and turned to Marcus Hogberg after Murray had yet another shaky outing – giving up 3 goals on 8 shots. Ottawa’s top 6 was completely flat to open this one, so we can’t be too harsh on Murray (although I will add, it’s time for Murray to steal one of these) and Smith may have been trying to light a fire under his team with the early yank of Murray. It didn’t work. Two more quick goals had the Sens trailing 5-1 after 20 minutes. What is strange to me is that the first period has been generally kind to the Senators this year. Rewind less than one week ago to the Sens 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks – Ottawa had a whopping 23 first period shots, and post-game DJ Smith said that was his teams best period of the year up to that point. So, what happened? Ottawa had to sit in Edmonton COVID style for three days waiting for the Oilers to finish up with the Habs, maybe some dead legs. Whatever the case may be, lets hope there is a little more pep in the Senators step for the rematch Tuesday night.

Young guns show scoring touch

In a game where bright spots were hard to come by, one positive that is worth identifying are the goal scorers from Sunday night. The youth movement is very real in Ottawa, and we got a glimpse of that in

Edmonton. Third overall pick Tim Stützle and top prospect Drake Batherson each picked up a powerplay goal while Brady Tkachuk and Colin White found the back of the net. This is promising. Today, the Senators show all of the not-so-great side of their inexperience however score sheets like this have Sens fans licking their lips for what the future holds. Stützle has looked comfortable and confident through his first nine NHL games, earning praise from coach Smith: “Dont think I've ever seen a high-end prospect like Stützle do so well when he didn't have any training camp or preseason to get ready to enter the NHL.” As with any young NHL player – especially a first time North American pro – Stützle has a long way to go to becoming the elite two way forward that he is projected to be. Even with his blazing speed, at times he seems a second behind the play and is chasing the game. With the puck, Stützle shows brilliance and creativity. His ability to create offence and drive the play is elite, however the young forwards play away from the puck will determine how long his leash gets this season. I’m looking for Stützle to continue to use his skating ability to generate offence while remaining responsible and trustworthy in all three zones.

Tkachuk becomes quickest player to 500 Shots and 500 hits since 1997

Another positive. A big one. Brady Tkachuk is top tier power forward in the NHL right now, and this is the tip of the iceberg. On Sunday night in Edmonton, Tkachuk eclipsed the 500 career shots and 500 career hits to make him the fastest player to reach those milestones since 1997. It took him just 149 games to achieve this feat – with the next quickest player to do this being former Senator Dion Phaneuf in 197 games. This achievement speaks to everything that Brady brings to this team. Hard work, grit and zero quit. I challenge anyone out there to find film on Tkachuk not giving his all for a shift, I’m willing to bet that footage is non-existent. Tkachuk is the lead by example type, and is not afraid to take matters into his own hands at a moments notice. The eye test would evaluate Brady Tkachuk has a hard working, play driving power forward who excels in zone entry and getting pucks through. He currents leads the NHL in shots (43) and is tied for fourth in hits (37). It doesn’t stop there. Tkachuk’s underlying possession metrics are top tier with a current CF% of 60.5 %, implying the Senators were driving with clean possession 60.5% of the time that Tkachuk was on the ice. Brady also ranks solidly among top 6 wingers in the NHL with a 65% offensive zone faceoff rate when he is on the ice – the highest among Senators forwards. Tkachuk leads by example on and off the ice and makes sure that opposing teams know that the Senators are not to be short changed. Tkachuk and Connor Mcdavid were seen having what seemed to be a friendly chat in the third period of Sunday nights tilt… perhaps discussing how Brady had just tied Connor for the league lead in shots on goal.

These two clubs meet again for a rematch Tuesday night in Edmonton. DJ Smith – who is normally very tight lipped about his starting goaltender – advised that Marcus Hogberg will get the start between the pipes. I’m looking for the club to rally around Hogberg and get back to that ‘Pesky Sens’ mentality.

Derek Friesen

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/2020-nfl-season-bold-predictions-final-record-for-every-team-playoff-and-super-bowl-picks/

2020 NFL season: Bold predictions, final record for every team, playoff and Super Bowl picks

Guys, I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think the 2020 NFL season is actually going to happen. 

The first game of the year is now just two days away, and unless this country comes under attack by fire-breathing hornets between now and Thursday — which does seem at least somewhat plausible based on how the year has gone so far — I’m thinking we’re going to get football. 

With the start of the NFL season now here, that means it’s time for everyone’s favorite thing: PREDICTIONS. 

I’ll be honest, I have high expectations for my predictions this year and that’s mainly because I’ve been locked in my house for the past five months quarantined with a baby. During that period, the only two things I’ve done are: 1. Change diapers and 2. Try to figure out who’s going to win this year’s Super Bowl. Although I’d like to think I’ll hit the nail on the head with all of my predictions this year, the fact of the matter is that this could end up being one of the most unpredictable years in NFL history. Not only was the preseason eliminated, but NFL teams did their best to shut down the flow of information coming out of their training camps, which means I have no idea which rookies have looked good or if any aging veterans look like they should be thinking about retirement. 

I mean, one team has a 41-year-old player on its practice squad in case you’re wondering how bizarre things have gotten this year. 

Before we get to my predictions, let me explain how things are going to work here: I’m going to go through each division and predict each team’s final record. After that, I’ll be making a bold prediction for each division. Once you roll through the divisional portion of these predictions, you’ll see my playoff picks and eventually, my Super Bowl champion. In two of the past five years, my preseason Super Bowl pick has ended up winning it all, so you might want to scroll down and check out that prediction first to see if I’m picking your favorite team. 

Also, since we all know that making fun of someone’s predictions is half the fun of reading predictions, you can send all your hate tweets to me on Twitter by clicking here, and just so you know, Broncos fans, I’m already mentally preparing for your hate tweets. 

Finally, if you’re wondering how I did last season, I predicted the exact win total of five different teams. I also correctly predicted that the Packers would make it to the NFC title game and that the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl. On the other hand, I completely whiffed on San Francisco. I had the 49ers going 6-10 last season, and they responded to that prediction by laughing in my face all the way to the Super Bowl. Niners fans also laughed in my face.

Alright, that’s enough jibber-jabber about last year, let’s get to the 2020 predictions.

AFC East

1. *Patriots: 10-6 2. *Bills: 9-7 3. Dolphins: 6-10 4. Jets: 4-12

AFC East bold prediction: Cam Newton leads the NFL in total touchdowns

No one knows if the Patriots are going to be any good this year and that’s mainly because no one knows if Cam Newton is going to be any good. The former Panthers quarterback hasn’t been able to stay healthy over the past few seasons, so there’s no guarantee he’s going to be able stay healthy in New England. That being said, I actually think Newton is going to have a monstrous year. For one, the Patriots are going to have the element of surprise on their side in 2020. For the past two decades, every opponent knew what the Patriots offense was going to do (even if they couldn’t stop it). This year, no one has any idea what the Patriots are going to do on offense, and because of that, it could be tough to stop. Also, Newton gives the Patriots something they never had with Tom Brady: A quarterback who is a threat to run the ball. If Newton can throw 30 touchdown passes this year and rush for 10 more, that will likely be enough to lead the NFL in total touchdowns, and that’s exactly what I’m predicting. 

AFC North

1. *Steelers: 11-5 2. *Ravens: 11-5 3. Browns: 8-8 4. Bengals: 7-9

AFC North bold prediction: Joe Burrow sets NFL record for most TD passes by a rookie

This record is currently held by an AFC North rival (Baker Mayfield), which means it will probably feel especially gratifying for Burrow if he’s able to knock the Browns quarterback out of the record book. Back in 2018, Mayfield threw 27 touchdown passes, which broke Peyton Manning’s record of 26 that had stood since 1997. Burrow is going to have a huge advantage over Mayfield, and that’s because the Bengals quarterback is going to be the starter from Day 1, which means he’ll definitely be starting 16 games this season (Mayfield only started 13 games for the Browns in 2018). 

The other upside for Burrow is that he’s going to have a lot of receiving talent to work with in Cincinnati with guys like A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Auden Tate, Alex Erickson and John Ross, plus running backs Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard. Also, there’s a good chance we’ll see Burrow put up big numbers this year no matter how the Bengals play. On one hand, if the Bengals are good, it will likely be because Burrow is having a phenomenal rookie season. On the other hand, if the Bengals are bad, we could see Burrow put up some huge numbers in garbage time, which could help his touchdown total.

AFC South

1. *Colts: 10-6 2. *Titans: 9-7 3. Texans: 7-9 4. Jaguars: 3-13

AFC South bold prediction: Doug Marrone is the first coach fired during the 2020 season

In most cases, when a team makes it to the AFC Championship game, they try to build on that success, but for some reason the Jaguars decided to do the opposite. Since making it to the AFC title game in 2017, all the Jaguars have done is completely dismantle their entire roster. The final two nails in the coffin came last week when the team dumped both Yannick Ngakoue (in a trade) and Leonard Fournette. After two straight last-place finishes over the past two seasons, Marrone is definitely on the hot seat this year and if the Jaguars get off to a slow start, he might not last long in Jacksonville. The Jags have a bye in Week 7 this season and if the team shoots off to a 1-6 or 0-7 start, it won’t be surprising if owner Shad Khan finally pulls the plug on the Marrone era in Jacksonville.  

AFC West

1. *Chiefs: 13-3 2. Chargers: 7-9 3. Raiders: 6-10 4. Broncos: 5-11

AFC West bold prediction: The Broncos are worse than they were in 2019

The Broncos have been a trendy pick this year as a dark horse playoff team and a big reason for that is because of the way they finished the season. Over the final five weeks of 2019, Drew Lock led them to a 4-1 record, which allowed Denver to finish the season 7-9. One of the biggest question marks in Denver is the offensive line, which is a problem, because that’s not an issue you want to be worrying about when you have a second-year quarterback under center. The Broncos might have quite a few weapons, but those weapons don’t really mean anything if Lock never has time to get them the ball. 

NFC East

1. *Cowboys: 11-5 2. Eagles: 9-7 3. Washington: 4-12 4. Giants: 3-13

NFC East bold prediction: Dak Prescott wins MVP

I’m starting to think that Jerry Jones actually had a diabolical plan going into 2020 that involved not giving Dak a long-term deal so that he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder the entire season, and I’m also starting to think that this plan might work. Last year, Dak finished with the second-most passing yards in the NFL and the fourth-most touchdown passes, despite playing in a run-friendly offense. With a more pass-happy coach and even more offensive weapons, we’ll likely see some even bigger numbers from Prescott. Oh, and let’s not forget that he plays for America’s team, which basically means that you’re automatically in the MVP conversation as long as you finish above .500 and I absolutely think the Cowboys are going to finish above .500. 

NFC North

1. *Packers: 9-7 2. Vikings: 9-7 3. Lions: 8-8 4. Bears: 6-10

NFC North bold prediction: No team in the division will hit double-digit wins

If there’s one division where it feels like every team took at least a small step back this year, it’s the NFC North. The Packers added zero receiving weapons for Aaron Rodgers, the Vikings lost half their starters on defense, Bears coach Matt Nagy is being forced to start a quarterback he doesn’t have any confidence in  and the Lions are the Lions. Basically, it’s a recipe for disaster and disaster in this case will be a season where none of the teams in the division hit the 10-win mark. This qualifies as bold, because it’s only happened one time in the 18-year history of the NFC North. Since the division’s first year in 2002, the only time none of the teams hit the double-digit mark came in 2013 when the Packers won the NFC North with just eight wins. 

NFC South

1. *Buccaneers: 11-5 2. *Saints: 10-6 3. Falcons: 8-8 4. Panthers: 4-12

NFC South bold prediction: Buccaneers win the division for the first time in 13 years

With Tom Brady now in Tampa, this might not seem like a bold prediction, but according to our friends at William Hill Sportsbook, it definitely qualifies as bold, and that’s because the Saints are the overwhelming favorite to win the division this year. With just days to go until the start of the season, the Saints’ odds of winning the division are sitting at -120 (bet $100 to win $83.30) while the Bucs have much worse odds at +160 (bet $100, win $160). Not only will I be riding the Brady train this year, but I’ll be riding it all the way to the NFC title game. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers though, I don’t have Tampa Bay winning that game. To find out who I have beating them, you’ll have to keep reading. 

NFC West

1. *Seahawks: 11-5 2. *49ers: 10-6 3. *Rams: 9-7 4. Cardinals: 8-8

NFC West bold prediction: All four teams finish at .500 or above

Most people seem to agree this year that the NFC West is the most stacked division in the NFL, so you might be wondering why this prediction qualifies as a bold prediction and the reason for that is because it’s never happened before. The NFC West has existed since 1970, and in the 50 years since then, there’s never been a single season where every team in the division finished at .500 or above. If it’s ever going to happen, this feels like the year the four teams could get it done. 

NFC Playoffs

Teams: 1. Cowboys 2. Seahawks 3. Buccaneers 4. Packers 5. 49ers 6. Saints 7. Rams

Wild Card

(2) Seahawks 20-16 over (7) Rams

(3) Buccaneers 30-27 over (6) Saints

(5) 49ers 34-20 over  (4) Packers

Divisional

(1) Cowboys 27-23 over (5) 49ers

(3) Buccaneers 31-24 over (2) Seahawks

NFC Championship

(1) Cowboys 34-30 over (3) Buccaneers

AFC Playoffs

Teams: 1. Chiefs 2. Steelers 3. Colts 4. Patriots 5. Ravens 6. Titans 7. Bills

Wild Card

(2) Steelers 23-20 over (7) Bills

(3) Colts 27-24 over (6) Titans

(5) Ravens 31-23 over (4) Patriots

Divisional 

(1) Chiefs 33-30 over (5) Ravens

(3) Colts 34-27 over (2) Steelers

AFC Championship

(1) Chiefs 31-24 over (3) Colts

Super Bowl LV in Tampa (CBS)

Cowboys 34-31 over Chiefs

Playoffs bold prediction: Cowboys end 25-year Super Bowl drought

If you know any Cowboys fans, then you’re probably well aware that at the start of every NFL season, there’s nothing they like to talk about more than why this will finally be the year the Cowboys win the Super Bowl. It’s pretty much happened every year for the past 25 seasons. Although I usually laugh in their face after they make the prediction, this year I won’t be doing that, and that’s because I ACTUALLY AGREE WITH THEM. I think Jerry Jones might have brainwashed me because I think THE DALLAS COWBOYS ARE GOING TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL, and they’re going to do it by knocking off the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

Basically, not only am I predicting that Dak Prescott will win the MVP this year (as you read about earlier), but I’m also predicting that he’ll lead the Cowboys to the Lombardi Trophy. I think what I’m trying to say here is that Jerry Jones better get his check book ready because Dak’s asking price is going to triple if all of this happens. 

The biggest reason I like the Cowboys this year is because they won’t be held back by coaching. Although Mike McCarthy isn’t a Hall of Fame coach by any means, he certainly feels like a step up from Jason Garrett, and let’s not forget, he also has Super Bowl coaching experience because he won a Lombardi Trophy during his time in Green Bay. 

Also, I’m not sure if fans will be allowed to attend, but if they are, this Super Bowl would probably give us some amazing tailgating and that’s because the parking lot at Raymond James would be filled with both Kansas City and Texas barbecue, which is important to note, because we could finally decide which one is actually better. 

Finally, if my predictions all pan out — and I’m sure they will — here’s what the top of the NFL Draft order will look like next April, and based on those first three picks, maybe they should move the event back to New York for the year. 

Order of first five picks for 2021 NFL Draft

1. Jaguars 2. Giants 3. Jets  4. Washington 5. Panthers

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The problems with Italy, Germany’s plans to resume 2019-20 season

We’re no closer to knowing when soccer might return to action given the global reaction to slowing the coronavirus outbreak, but there’s still a lot happening in the broader soccer world. Gab Marcotti reacts to the main talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Modest proposal to subs rule | Italy, Germany plans to resume not feasible? | UEFA’s desire to finish season | Ex-Barca president speaks out

More substitutions, please!

As a response to the coronavirus pandemic, leagues are considering applying for permission to make five substitutions per match rather than the usual three. The motivation behind it is preserving players from injury as they’ll necessarily need to play a very congested schedule when the 2019-20 season resumes, but it’s the sort of change that ought to be considered on a permanent basis for the simple reason that it reduces footballers’ minutes on the pitch.

– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+ – Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

It’s not just about reducing fatigue, either. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if you reduce minutes by, say, 10%, then you reduce the likelihood of injury by 10% too.

We’re not talking about the sort of continuous substitutions you often see in preseason friendlies, either. One obvious rule to put in place would be that you can have your five subs, but you can only sub on three occasions, which means you’d have more double or triple changes. It’s a minor thing perhaps, but a legacy that ought to stick around after this terrible public health crisis is over.

The flaws in Germany, Italy’s plans to restart the season

After the German Bundesliga comes Italy’s plan to restart the football season. We’ll know more after Wednesday’s summit with government officials — obviously, by video conference — but the Italian FA meanwhile unveiled their conditions for a restart. And the more you hear about this, the more skeptical you become.

There are plenty of similarities with the German plan. Players, coaches, staff, kit men, physios and others will be sequestered away at their club’s training grounds. They’ll be heavily screened and tested, both for COVID-19 and for antibodies. Of course, that’s just the protocol for training to resume: there will be a whole new one for actually playing the games.

2 Related

That said, there are myriad issues in simply trying to get the training regimen off the ground. Like the fact that half the Serie A clubs don’t have adequate facilities at their training grounds to accommodate everyone who will need room and board for nearly three months, particularly since they all need to stay in single rooms. Or the fact that while Italy has developed an extensive coronavirus testing program, performing some 60,000 tests per day, using it on footballers may not be a great move in a PR sense. Or that physios giving post-workout massages in full PPE for the first two weeks of training camp — as mandated — seems unnecessary at a time when there are legitimate shortages.

Once you get into games, it only gets more complicated.

Read all the latest news and reaction from ESPN FC Senior Writer, Gabriele Marcotti.

Serie A is hoping to cram 123 games — that’s how many are left in the 2019-20 season — plus the return legs of the Coppa Italia semifinals and the finals into less than two months. Then, there’s the ever-present (and ever-unresolved) June 30 “cliff edge,” when nearly a quarter of Serie A players become free agents or their loan deals expire and they return to their parent clubs. FIFA’s plan is nice and all, but it’s subordinate to national employment law, which basically means nobody knows what will happen.

– Ogden: What does ‘behind closed doors’ mean for a soccer game? – State of play: Where Europe’s top leagues stand in finishing season – Bandini: Lazio’s owner stands alone in finishing Serie A campaign

It’s not surprising that, according to reports, at least six Serie A clubs are against any form of a restart. (Among them, Brescia, who are last in the table, with owner Massimo Cellino saying he’d rather get relegated than participate in what he considers to be a pointless charade.) As for clubs in Serie B and the third division, forget about it: there’s no way they can sustain the expense or meet the logistical requirements. Like an increasing number of clubs in the English lower leagues, they also realize it’s simply not viable.

UEFA’s desires to finish season remain improbable

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1:50

Stewart Robson discusses UEFA’s possible restructuring of this season’s Champions League.

As you’d expect, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin would like play to resume. He told Italian daily Corriere della Sera that while public health remained the priority, he was “an optimist” who believed there were solutions to restart leagues and cups and end the domestic seasons.

“It will probably be without spectators, but the most important thing is playing games,” he said. “In these tough times we could bring some happiness and a sense of normality, even if they are only on TV. It’s too early to say we have to abandon the seasons.”

Ceferin is saying what his constituents — clubs and leagues — want him to say, and fair enough. Those for whom there is money at stake — not just TV money, but sponsor contracts — have a major vested interest to continue. Of course, that applies to UEFA competitions like the Champions League and Europa League too. In fact, were we to make predictions — a hugely risky thing to do, admittedly — you’d bet that the only football we’ll see in the foreseeable future is at the very highest level, where broadcast contracts and those super-clubs with the biggest revenues move the needle. And even that remains a very big question mark.

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1:26

Julien Laurens ponders whether Real Madrid and Barcelona are close to going the way of Man United and Milan.

Ex-Barca president Rosell speaks to media

This weekend, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell gave his first interview since 2014. He spent more than two of the intervening six years in custody awaiting trial after being accused of money laundering and financial irregularities, the same accusation that forced him to leave the club. He was ultimately fully cleared, which may explain why he’d have a legitimate chip on his shoulder about those two years behind bars.

Rosell remains a figure that looms large at Barcelona, so his words matter. After all, Jose Maria Bartomeu, the current president, was his right-hand man. Rosell said he wouldn’t run for president again “as long as my mother is alive, it’s a promise I made her,” but he’s bound to have a strong influence on the club’s presidential elections next summer, and he made it clear he’s ready to take sides.

For now though, he’s urging Barcelona to bring back Neymar, which is understandable given that he signed him in the first place.

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Tags: 201920, blog - marcotti, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Germanys, Italy, Plans, problems, resume, Season

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CANTLON: WOLF PACK TRAINING CAMP ABOUT TO OPEN

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Sunday in Cromwell off-ice training, physicals, and hitting the ice will take place at the XL Center kicking off the Hartford Wolf Pack’s 23rd AHL campaign. The Wolf Pack will have the normal fluid roster for this time of year. Four more players from the team's NHL affiliate, the New York Rangers, will join six others who've already been sent to Hartford. On Friday, the Rangers sent three defensemen, Brandon Crawley, who enters the last season of an entry-level contract, a third-year pro, Darren Raddysh, who was acquired last season from the Rockford Ice Hogs (Chicago Black Hawks) for Peter Holland, who is entering the last season of his original entry-level deal. Also, Vincent LoVerde, who was signed as an off-season free agent who played with Toronto last season as the assistant captain for the Marlies. For two years in Ontario, LoVerde was their captain when they were in the ECHL. He played three years for Manchester, NH and was the captain on their last AHL Monarchs team that won the Calder Cup. The lone forward is Jake Elmer. He played five games at the end of the year last season for the Wolf Pack adding two goals and four points after completing his junior career with Lethbridge (WHL) where he had had 39 goals and 81 points in 68 games. Five other players were sent down at the beginning of the week. Two of the five players were goalies. AHL veteran Tom McCollum was signed in the off-season and was also a Rangers' training camp invitee. Francois Brassard, from Carleton University (OUAA), was the other. The other three reassigned are forwards. They are right-winger, Ville Meskanen, who showed flashes of promise in his rookie camp. Matt Beleskey was one of his linemates for a majority of last season. Second-year pro center, Ty Ronning, was dispatched and split last season between Maine and Hartford. The third is winger is none other than veteran Ryan Gropp, who played better in the second half of last season after being sent to Maine in November last season. Gropp is entering the last season of his entry-level contract and being sent back to Hartford so early is certainly not a good sign. Belesky was the first player reassigned and not invited to Rangers camp. He enters the last season of a four-year, NHL, one-way deal that was originally signed with the Boston Bruins. Beleskey gets $1.9 million with the Bruins picking up half of his salary. His cap-friendly deal gives the Rangers just an $825K cap hit for this season. Beleskey had to go through waivers first on Friday, the day before Wolf Pack camp opens, in order to be formally assigned. Defenseman Sean Day had off-season hip surgery. He will be in residence for a period of time that has yet to be determined. He has been skating, but still is in a no-contact red jersey. New Russian defenseman, Yegor Rykov, had an ankle injury in Traverse City but has healed and is back on skates. Another defenseman from Finland, a fourth-round draft pick, Tarmo Reunanen, who signed an entry-level deal, is going to be returned at the end of training camp to his Finnish club Lukko Rauma (Finland-FEL) for the season. That move will allow him to be with the Wolf Pack at the end of 2019-20 season and hopefully for the post-season as well. The Wolf Pack first preseason game is in Danbury against Springfield this coming Wednesday night. NOTES: Incredible how time flies. On Friday, defenseman, Dan Girardi, 35, announced his retirement from professional hockey. It seems like yesterday he was walking on with an ECHL deal only for the then, Charlotte Checkers in the Coast League. He played about a month before he came to Hartford. Then played a season and a half in Hartford before a recall to the Rangers and never came back. He played 927 NHL games between New York and Tampa Bay with 56 goals 208 assists 264 points and a plus-78 rating. He helped the Rangers to a division title, a President’s Trophy and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014. He has the most block shots since the NHL added the stat in 2005-06 and stopped 1,954. He played in the NHL playoffs in 12-of-his-13 pro seasons and had 788 games with Rangers. “On behalf of the entire Rangers organization, I want to congratulate Dan on an outstanding NHL career,” Rangers Senior Advisor to the Owner and Alternate Governor Glen Sather said. “Dan was the ultimate warrior. From the moment he joined the Rangers, he gave his heart and soul to his teammates, the organization, and the fans. Dan’s relentless effort and dedication to the Rangers was an inspiration to everyone..” Former Hartford Courant writer Bruce Berlet who covered the Wolf Pack for eight years and the NHL Whalers was effusive in his praise. “Amazing this "walk-on" played 13 years in the NHL, but it shows just what a hard-trier and great team player that he was. He is one of my all-time favorite Wolf Pack/Rangers players that I ever dealt with for just that reason and because he was so professional and classy with how he handled himself.” The Rangers finally got ex-Pack, Tony DeAngelo, under contract becoming the last player (RFA) to sign with the Rangers. This will allow promising, but not yet ready righty shooting rookie rearguard Joey Keane to be assigned to Hartford in the very near future. In fact, expect a slew of players to be assigned by Sunday/Monday to Hartford as the Rangers and all of the NHL teams work toward their CBA required 23 players permitted. Good news is neither the NHL or NHLPLA will reopen the CBA, so the current CBA will run its course until 2022. That means the NHL will be sending players to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers open their camp as well-received, ex-Pack, Ryan Bourque, who signed his AHL deal, Colin McDonald (Wethersfield), Connor Doherty (Sacred Heart University-AHA), Parker Wotherspoon, and AHL vets Ben Thomson, and Steve Bernier, Kyle Thomas and among the first signees of the Danbury Hat Tricks (FHL) Dustin Jesseau. Former Wolf Pack defensemen, Hubert Labrie, and Mark Kastelic, and the son of a former Whaler, Ed Kastelic, were assigned to the Belleville Senators camp. Many ex-Pack players were sent to their respective AHL camps from their NHL parent teams; Rob O’Gara (San Antonio), Dustin Tokarski (Wilkes Barre/Scranton), Chris McCarthy and Tommy Hughes (Hershey) while Shawn O’Donnell and Matt Register were both cuts from Minnesota’s camp earlier in the week. Former Sound Tigers include Casey Bailey (Hershey), Dyson Stevenson (Utica), and Eamon MacAdam (Binghamton). Goalie Beau Starrett (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep) was assigned to Bakersfield. Sons of players also were sent to the AHL include Nolan Stevens, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler, John Stevens, is in San Antonio. Brad Malone, the nephew of ex-Whaler Greg Malone and the cousin of former Pack Ryan Malone, is in Bakersfield. Mitch Eliot, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk, Daren Eliot, is in Utica while Luke Esposito (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep), the nephew of Rangers great, Mark Messier, is in Bakersfield. Mason Primeau, the nephew of former Whaler, Keith Primeau, was sent back to North Bay (OHL). In the ECHL, former Wolf Pack, Alex Krushelnyski, the son of former Ranger Mike Krushelnyski, signs with Indy (ECHL). Mitch Jones, the son of former Nighthawk and Ottawa Senator, Brad Jones, signs with Jacksonville (ECHL). River Rymsha, the son of former Nighthawk, Andrew Rymsha, finished his NCAA career with Miami (OH) (NCHC) and earns a degree from Dartmouth, has signed with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL). The team’s former head coach was Robbie Ftorek, a former player and head coach of the Nighthawks, and also a former Norfolk assistant coach in former Whalers goalie, Peter Sidorkiewicz, both of whom were let go this summer. Ex-Pack goalie, Charles Williams, is in Rockford’s camp and has a deal with Indy (ECHL). Peter Quenneville, a former QU Bobcat, is in Tucson’s camp and has an ECHL deal with Rapids City. Jake Marchment, the nephew of ex-Whaler Bryan Marchment, signs with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Billy Exall, of the two-time defending national champions, the University Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) signs with Rockford (AHL). That makes 210 collegians to sign pro deals and 280 collegians overall. Nick Capone (East Haven/Salisbury Prep) will play with the Tri-City Storm (USHL) this season. He also de-committed from the University of Maine Black Bears (HE) and will skate for the UCONN Huskies (HE) in 2020-21. Read the full article

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Zidane, Valverde show Real Madrid and Barcelona players who’s in charge as Neymar links continue

I hope it’s not a revelation to you that when it comes to football managers, the four apocalyptic horsemen are injuries, defeat, the sack and the transfer market.

The first will lead to the second. Injuries provoke an increase in dropped points. Accumulate enough defeats and the clattering hooves of the third will soon be heard. But the fourth, the transfer market, can look deceptively like he’s mounted on a friendly, exquisitely-groomed, well-tamed thoroughbred until the beast rears its forelegs and thumps unsuspecting football managers full in the face. That’s why it has been fascinating and uplifting to see how Zinedine Zidane and Ernesto Valverde trying to turn into horse-whisperers over the past 10 days, each of them actively battling the collateral damage the transfer market is trying to inflict on them.

The main actors in this theatre of defiance and risk, directed and produced by “Zizou” and Valverde, are Ansu Fati, Gareth Bale, Carles Aleña, James Rodriguez, Luka Jovic, Carles Perez, Vinicius Jr., Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto. Neither manager actually needs to lie in bed at night cold-sweating the arrival of the third horseman. They’re not immune to being sacked, but they’re also not currently in danger.

– Ansu Fati becomes Barca’s youngest debutant in 78 years – Lowe: Jose Antonio Reyes’ death casts shadow over new season – Krichko: Inaki Williams blazes a trail at Athletic Club

Valverde has his critics, but he looks safe until his contract ends in June 2020. Zidane? In theory, given his brilliant champions league legacy as a player and coach, he should be the unsackable coach. However, on Tuesday, Marca, a newspaper consistently drip-fed information by Florentino Perez, splashed its front page with the headline “Zidane Loses His Immunity.” Zidane and President Perez are in a battle of wills as to whether it should be Paul Pogba or Neymar shipped in before the transfer market closes next Monday.

If Marca plasters “Zidane Loses His Immunity” across their front page, to be seen or read by several million people around the world, it must be accepted as a rap across the knuckles from a higher office than merely the season ticket-holders. “Get your nose out of the Neymar affair, forget about Pogba and get the team playing better” — that sort of message.

The first two apocalyptic riders, the pale and the red horses of injury and defeat, have visited Zidane and Valverde from almost the minute their summer holidays ended.

Zinedine Zidane has handled his want-away or surplus stars well at Real Madrid since the tumult of preseason, helping reintegrate Gareth Bale to the first team while slowly introducing the players signed by Florentino Perez.

Madrid have been blighted by eight major injuries in 47 days, which crippled their preseason stamina-building, team understanding, sharpness and new-player induction. It was brutal for Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard, new arrivals, while Real also bid goodbye to Marco Asensio for most of the season. Meanwhile, Barcelona lost Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele to a plague of muscle problems that would have sent many managers gibbering to a psychiatrists couch with claims that “life has got it in for me!”

These things, while either improved or worsened by a club’s fitness practices, are largely out of the control of football managers. That particular horseman will visit: it’s inevitable.

What about defeats? Madrid lost 7-3 to Atleti in New Jersey and Barça kicked off the season with a defeat for the first time since 2008. These things do damage managers, all of which means that studying Zidane and Valverde’s decisions of who to pick or drop in their four matches, has been riveting for anyone who likes to people-watch in football and try to get under the skin of the main on-stage actors.

We’ve seen serious, ambitious but overburdened men making it crystal clear that they will embrace risk, that they will enforce principles, that they will stand defiant against certain club wishes… if it helps them deflect the damage the fourth horseman can inflict. The transfer market can become a pestilence for these two elite, seemingly untouchable and vastly successful men because it’s a beast that they cannot outright control. No way. It leaves them fighting to become survivors, not victims.

Zidane wants Pogba this summer, though not only does it seem sure he’s not going to get Manchester United’s marquee player, but Perez doesn’t appear particularly interested in trying to force a deal through. Zidane neither wants nor needs Neymar, sentiments that are of little or no interest to his employer.

Up front, Luka Jovic is far from the finished article as a striker. Zidane’s assessment seems to be that Jovic has little in his locker beyond the fact that the young, burly Serb inarguably tucks away goals. But “suck it up, Zizou!” is the message from the big Bernabeu offices. This is who you’re getting, regarding Jovic, so Zidane drops him.

As for Valverde? He’d love to be able to rely on Ivan Rakitic, one of his “most-used” footballers since the Basque (himself nicknamed “the Worker Ant”) discovered the Croatian’s unselfish, team-oriented relentless “all for one and one for all” playing ethic. But Rakitic is one of the few transfer-market coins that cash-strapped Barca have at their disposal.

Barca coach Valverde has reasserted himself as the man in charge despite complaints from senior players about a lack of minutes.

The likeliest resolution is that Rakitic’s stubborn insistence on staying will win the day when the market shuts on Monday. Meantime, the club’s requirement that Ivan-the-terribly-good doesn’t get injured, thus scuppering any possibility at all of putting him in a deal to secure Neymar, has been dominant.

Of Barcelona’s 180 competitive minutes so far in 2019-20, Rakitic has only been given 45. Those only came while Suarez was already off injured and Messi was absent. In other words, in extremis. Valverde has had no choice. The point is this: when Valverde opted to deploy 16-year-old Ansu on Sunday he did so as if he was saying “I’m taking back control!”

The previous week at San Mames, he’d already ignored Sergio Busquets and Junior Firpo on the bench and given 21-year-old winger Carles Perez only his second-ever senior appearance. Then Valverde started the kid again at the Camp Nou in week 2.

Against Betis, when Ansu was made Barcelona’s second-youngest player in club history, Valverde left on the bench two big-reputation (and big salary) players, Samuel Umtiti and Arthur, on the bench despite each of them crying out for game time.

Ansu may well be an emerging phenomenon and Perez a confident, talented young buck. But this was quite clearly a series of very firm messages. To President Bartomeu: “I don’t need Neymar, I’ve got the super-kids and I’ll use them.” To the senior players who have been ignored: “It’s time to sharpen up.” To the unreliable Dembele: “Get professional or get ready to languish on the bench or in the stands.” To the fans, media and to young academy players, including Ricki Puig, who some Barça media personalities and fans think is a mercurial genius already worthy of an automatic first-team place: “Youth will be trusted when I think it’s time.”

Zidane’s decision-making in Madrid can be regarded as a little more pragmatic but like Valverde, it’s still heavily laden with important declarations of self-determination, independence and potential conflict to come.

In order to have any chance of raising the cash to buy Neymar, Madrid’s bean-counters would need to sell or trade James or Gareth Bale. Or both. Zidane may not have been terrifically keen on either man until now but the instant the Premier League market closed, he exercised some good old common sense and extended the olive branch of peace to the Welshman, who has since started both Liga matches and played all but fifteen minutes of the 180 available.

James, ripe to be sold or traded before the other major markets close next Monday, was picked on merit against Valladolid and played well; he wasn’t wrapped in cotton-wool as Valverde has felt forced to do with Rakitic. The result? A good performance, but an injury now removes the Colombian as a trading piece from Florentino Perez’s shopping basket.

Zidane took back control. The club haven’t benefitted, but perhaps the team has. Perhaps he, himself, has. The manager’s authority, his character and how he’s viewed by the rest of the squad: all of those things have been reinforced. More, Zidane’s decision to drop Jovic demonstrated his thoughts on the Serb’s current form and preseason performances.

Cost: €50 million. The amount Zidane cares about that? Zero. It’s a message to the striker, message to those who signed him. Oh, and as for Alvaro Odriozola, signed after Zidane quit Madrid in June 2018? He was dumped out of the squad altogether at the weekend.

Neither manager has won all his bets, and each has faced criticism. But both of them wrenched back the idea that “the buck stops with me and I’m not just flotsam or jetsam to be tossed around by the furies of the transfer market.”

I think each man burnished his reputation, reaffirmed his authority, won back self-respect and faced down the fourth horseman of the apocalypse for football managers. How they must yearn to hear those hooves echoing into the distance next week.

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[dedicationm18]

AFC South Preview

The NFL season is just getting underway and Dedication is gearing up with every team an undefeated hopeful. The copious amount of excitement, trade rumors, and shit talk is enough to make one giddy about the start of the franchise.

The AFC South is full of potential roster wise. It’s no secret that 4 of the youngest QB’s reside in this division along with 4 of the youngest head coaches. John Barkus, Nathan Hand, Jesse Black, and Austen Burns are all 1 year in the league head coaches and have become known as the #Lowellcommittee thanks to Joshua Kimble. 

These 4  coaches will start in the same division for the first time and they are bound to have quite a few quarrels throughout the season. Below are a few questions answered by each of the head coaches about their upcoming season.

John Bartkus - Jacksonville Jaguars 

Bartkus has coached previous seasons as the HC of the Cowboys with whom he won a superbowl. When asked about his expectations for the season and the chance at a repeat for him with the Jaguars he quickly turned the attention to his starting quarterback Blake Bortles. 

“It all comes down to how Blake Bortles plays, if he keeps playing the way he has in the preseason I don’t like our chances. I feel that we have all the pieces in place to make it to the superbowl. It all comes down to Bortles” -  Bartkus

Bartkus also weighed in on who he feels is his biggest competition for the upcoming season. “Team wise, I would have to say the biggest competition would be the Texans with their high powering offense and their front 7 it’s going to be a difficult team to beat. Sorry Nathan, sorry Jesse, but suck a dick” 

Austen Burns - Houston Texans

This is arguably the best front 7 in all of the NFL and easily the best that Burns has ever had the privilege of coaching. He is taking over a team that, to many, is believed to be ready to win the Superbowl. Burns however believes that his team has many holes to fill. He’s going into this season with some middle of the road expectations for his Texans. 

Along with this being the best front 7 Burns has every played with he also is playing with the best defensive player in the game and that is a huge help to his game. “JJ is the best defensive player in the league. Minus a few upstarts like Mack, there is no one else even close. I definitely think he is always in the conversation for DPOY until the year he retires as a Texan.” - Burns

Burns has been known for some salty “shit talking” through his tenure with this league. Most of his shots seem to be aimed at Black specifically. I was curious to see how he felt about Black and his Titans. “ As for Jesse, he is a guy that likes to talk up his game a lot. I'm just giving him friendly (but true) reminders that he is garbage at everything. Always has been always will be. I don’t need to highlight those games. I just use them as extra bye weeks.” 

Uh oh Jesse, looks like you’re gonna need some ice for that “Burns”!

Jesse Black - Tennessee Titans

Black was getting calls from both the Texans and the Titans about the HC position available. When it came down to it, Black had to make a call, his decision was Tennessee. We have to believe that the stout O-line, young QB, and RB have something to do with his decision to take the job in Music City. When asked about his decision Black had this to say: “Mariota has looked great in camp so far and is building great chemistry with the WR core. As for the defense we have some great young guys that we need to step up. If they do we'll be fine.”

Black also took some time to talk about his running back battle for the starting position. “It's always good to have competition, especially when it's because both players are extremely talented. So no I have not made my decision yet.” Sorry for anyone who is wanting to trade for one of these players, looks like it may be a struggle.

And in response to Austen Burns comments? “I'm glad I'm on his mind, but trash talking my abilities won't help his team win games.”

Nathan Hand - Indianapolis Colts

Hand has previously been the HC of the Denver Broncos. He has had a history of running a successful defense but he will have his hands full with this team. The Colts also have a history of durability issues. When asked about the injury rate of his team and the upcoming season he had the following to say.

 “We have a good team of guys, as long as we can stay healthy on the offensive side of the ball and keep Luck upright then I feel like we have a good shot at making the playoffs.” 

When asked about how he feels about the loss of Pat McAfee this season, well...

What bout your defense? Do you feel like like you’ll be able to duplicate previous seasons under your coaching?

“With young talent like Hooker, Wilson, Geathers, Green, Anderson, and Simon to build around I like the way the future of our defense looks. As long as we can go out, make plays, earn some progression and stay healthy. I feel this team will be a scary one to face.”

[torentialtribute]

MANCHESTER UNITED PRE-SEASON REVIEW: Solskjaer looks to wow with a happier camp than under Mourinho

After firing Jose Mourinho in December last year, Manchester United went into the honeymoon period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rich in form, making the triple winning hero permanently on the job.

But from that moment on the results deteriorated and United missed the Champions League football with a margin of five points.

The Red Devils start their Premier League campaign on Sunday afternoon at home at Frank Lampard & # 39; s Chelsea but how did they do it in the past five weeks? Here are 10 things we learned from the preseason of Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for a property-based, high-pressure style of play to implement

Solskjaer finally landed his main goal, Leicester defends Harry Maguire, on Monday

UNBEATEN CALL FOR IT SEASON GOOD

United have redisco checked the winning habit under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after such a disappointing end to the last campaign.

It may only be preseason, but six wins out of six – completed with Saturday's shootout win over AC Milan – will be of great use to them for the new campaign.

MUCH HAPPY CAMP ONE YEAR FROM JOSE

This is a much happier ship under Solskjaer after last year's turbulent tour led by Jose Mourinho when the former United Manager quarreled with just about everyone in the club.

This summer's trip to Perth, Singapore, and Shanghai went by almost without incident, except for the health shock that forced assistant coach Mark Dempsey to fly home from Australia.

DEPARTURE OF LUKAKU BEST FOR ALL PARTIES

Romelu Lukaku must go. United says they don't have to sell the Belgian striker, but it would be in everyone's interest if he left. Lukaku wants to play in Italy and has missed all six games with a mysterious ankle injury that still did not stop him from finishing second in sprint statistics.

Romelu Lukaku missed all six pre-season friendships due to a mysterious ankle injury

FITTER SQUAD MEANS AN INTENSE PHILOSOPHY WITH AND WITHOUT THE BALL

United tries to faint from the end of this season and take on a property-based game. They will also play with more energy in high pressure if they don't have the ball.

Solskjaer wanted to do that when he took over in the second half of last season, but lack of fitness in the team stopped him. The most rigorous fitness camp in Perth, consisting of 14 sessions in nine days, was designed to ensure that its players can handle this task this time.

ALEXIS WHO?

Alexis Sanchez has not been missed. A year after the Chile international was the main act on the United tour through the US because so many players were missing after the World Cup, his absence this summer hardly justified a mention. It summarizes the fall of Sanchez out of mercy in Old Trafford.

Alexis Sanchez is set for another season on the Old Trafford

UNITED & ACADEMY GIVES HOPE FOR PRESENT AS FUTURE

Young homegrown players remain as important as ever for United. Solskjaer wants to build a livelier team based on British talent. If they come from the academy of the club, then even better. Several children seemed on tour.

Mason Greenwood grabbed the headlines with his excellent winner against Inter Milan, but Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Axel Tuanzebe also took their chances.

Mason Greenwood academy made an impression and scored the winner against Inter Milan

LINGARD LEADS AT THE PITCH OFF-FIELD IMMATURITY

Jesse Lingard may have upset his manager by accidentally posting a laddish vacation video on social media, but no one impressed Solskjaer anymore with their training performances. Lingard was one of the leaders in many of the sessions after being hampered by a hamstring problem in the later stages of last season.

McTOMINAY READY TO TAKE PLACE

The maturity of Scott McTominay at United has been evident both on and off the field. The young midfielder was one of the prominent players of United in the games on tour, and he was equally impressive when speaking with the media in Shanghai. Another native player who will give United optimism for the future.

JAMES & TEN 39ITY EVIDENT FROM THE OUT

Dan James is not afraid of a few bumps and bruises. The new £ 15 million signing from Swansea by United required more punishment than most United opponents on tour, culminating in a stamp from Moussa Sissoko in the win over Tottenham. James did not complain and neither did his manager. He will be a difficult man to restrain.

Dan James was signed from Swansea for £ 15 million and takes the Challenge Already To

ASIA REMAINS NECESSARY TO RISK

The fact that United thought it necessary to send a groundman forward to Shanghai to ensure that the field was playable three years later for their game against Tottenham, the Manchester derby was canceled in Beijing and again showed the problems of playing in this part of the world in July.

United got away with it this time – an autograph session with Spurs was the only victim of the weather after a flood – but the rain in the rainy season will not disappear quickly.

LIKE FIRST CHOICE XI

(4-2-3) From Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Pogba; James, Lingard, Rashford; Martial.

MANCHESTER UNITED IN PRE-SEASON

July 13 : Man Utd 2-0 Perth Glory ( Rashford, Garner), Perth

July 17 : Male Utd 4-0 Leeds (Greenwood, Rashford, Jones, Martial pen), Perth

July 20 : Man Utd 1-0 Inter Milan (Greenwood), Singapore

July 25 : Man Utd 2-1 Tottenham (Martial, Gomes), Shanghai

July 30, : Kristiansund 0-1 Male Utd (Mata pen), Oslo

3 August : Male Utd 2-2 AC Milan (Rashford, Lingard) – Utd wins 5-4 on pens, Cardiff

It's never easy predicting these things with almost a week of it the transfer window remaining because United would hope to get at least one, if not two, more deals.

A change may occur in the middle if United Romelu sells and replaces Lukaku before Thursday's deadline, meaning Anthony Martial could return to the left.

But based on pre-Seasonal form and selections, this is roughly the team of Solskjaer in the future – a younger, more energetic side built around British talent.

Harry Maguire only starts training with his new teammates on Monday, so he may not immediately go into the line-up against Chelsea on Sunday, but the most expensive defender in the world will soon become a starter.

And while Nemanja Matic will be another candidate to play against Chelsea, the performances of Scott McTominay in pre-season have indicated that he is likely to be a first choice rather than later.

OUTLOOK FOR THE SEASON

The benchmark for United & s season will be qualifying for the Champions League. Failure to do so cost David Moyes and Louis van Gaal their job, and although the same threat may not apply to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his first full season, it still remains the most important criteria.

If the Norwegian can restore United to the top four, it will be seen as a positive season. Also grab a trophy – Europa League, FA Cup or Carabao Cup – and it will be considered a success.

New signature Harry Maguire gives the famous red shirt on the day he puts pen-on-paper

MAIN FACTORS

Lukaku replaced – with four days to go until the Prime Minister's transfer window League closes, United have £ 75 million striker who wants to leave and as yet nobody has to take his place. The collapse of a deal to sign Paulo Dybala and possibly Mario Mandzukic of Juventus in exchange for Lukaku has faced United with a race against the clock.

Resurrecting Lukaku & # 39; s move to Juve or Inter Milan will be difficult enough in itself, but Solskjaer wants to bring in a replacement target man. As it looks now, an attack consisting of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, whimsical players such as Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez, Dan James and more inexperienced Mason Greenwood looks a bit light.

Paul Pogba Preserve Uside – The Frenchman has made no secret of his desire to leave and is still hoping for a move to Real Madrid before the transfer window closes in Spain at the end of the month.

However, it seems unthinkable that United would sell at this stage, with only a handful of days left to replace him before the Premier League window closes on Thursday.

Keeping Pogba is one thing, but getting the best out of an unfortunate player is something else. It didn't work for Jose Mourinho after Pogba & # 39; s move to Barcelona was blocked last summer, and Solskjaer must work his magic on such an important but inconsistent midfielder.

Rumors that Paul Pogba left Old Trafford continued to swirl this summer

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[beechwrench4-blog]

What the Eagles should do at wide receiver

The 2019 NFL offseason has begun for the Philadelphia Eagles, which means Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson will spend the next couple of weeks evaluating the 2018 roster. It’s time to start figuring out what this team needs to do to get back to the Super Bowl. Today we’ll continue this roster outlook series by looking at the wide receiver position.

NELSON AGHOLOR

Regular season stats: 982 snaps, 97 targets, 64 receptions, 736 yards (11.5 average), 4 TD, 3 rushes for 32 rushing yards, 1 passing attempt for 15 passing yards, 1 fumble

Playoff stats: 9 targets, 4 receptions, 38 yards (9.5 average), 1 rush for 12 rushing yards

Review: Agholor really stood out to me during the offseason. He simply looked faster than I ever remember, routinely burning corners deep during practice. I was thinking he was really going to build off his turnaround 2017 season. That never really happened, though, as he finished the 2018 season with volume numbers similar to last year. He was worse in efficiency, however, with four fewer touchdowns and a decrease in yards per reception.

Outlook: It’ll be really interesting to see how the Eagles handle Agholor this offseason. The 2015 first-round pick is currently under contract at a $9.4 million cap figure for 2019. None of that money is currently guaranteed, though, since it’s a fifth-year team option. I really can’t see the Eagles being fine with keeping Agholor at that number. I would guess they’ll try to sign him to a team-friendly contract extension, citing Agholor’s massive struggles over his first two years as why the team can’t pay market price for him. If the Eagles and Agholor can’t agree to an extension, they might just have to move on. That would stink for the Eagles because he wouldn’t factor in to their compensatory pick formula when he signs elsewhere. Again, this is a tricky spot for the Eagles. It would be nice to not have to add slot receiver to the list of Philly’s needs this offseason but they shouldn’t overpay to keep Agholor around.

Poll

Nelson Agholor: Stay or go?

77%

Stay

(3461 votes)

22%

Go

(1027 votes)

4488 votes total Vote Now

ALSHON JEFFERY

Regular season stats: 770 snaps, 92 targets, 65 receptions, 843 yards (13.0 average), 6 TD, 1 fumble

Playoff stats: 17 targets, 11 receptions, 145 yards (13.2 average)

Review: Due to recovering from a torn rotator cuff, Jeffery didn’t play his first game until Week 4. He started strong out of the gate with 25 receptions for 306 yards and four touchdowns in his first four starts. All of those games were with Carson Wentz starting, by the way. Jeffery’s effectiveness decreased after the Eagles acquired Tate, which probably isn’t just a coincidence. He then saw a boost in productivity with the Eagles getting away from an ineffective 11 personnel package, which also coincided with Nick Foles filling in for an injured Wentz. One key difference with Foles under center is that Jeffery was seeing more shots down the field, as represented by the 16.5 yards per reception he averaged with Foles compared to the 11.1 mark he had with Wentz. Jeffery came up big for the Eagles against his former team in Chicago before ultimately having the season go right through his hands during Philly’s final offensive drive in New Orleans. Just bad luck. Really hard to be super mad at Jeffery for that play considering he was playing through broken ribs and he played through an injured shoulder en route to the Eagles’ Super Bowl win last year.

Outlook: Wentz and Jeffery haven’t ever really had a ton of offseason time to work together. In 2017, Jeffery missed a lot of practice time as he was resting from the shoulder injury he suffered. Last year, neither Jeffery nor Wentz participated in camp. Here’s hoping both players can get on the same page more in 2019. It’d be nice to see Wentz make some more “trust throws” to Jeffery in order to give him some jump ball opportunities.

Poll

Alshon Jeffery: Stay or go?

98%

Stay

(4531 votes)

1%

Go

(79 votes)

4610 votes total Vote Now

JORDAN MATTHEWS

Regular season stats: 346 snaps, 28 targets, 20 receptions, 300 yards (15.0 average), 2 TD

Playoff stats: 2 targets, 1 reception, 37 yards, 1 TD

Review: Matthews signed with the Patriots in the 2018 offseason but they moved on from him after he continued to deal with injury issues. The Eagles then brought JMatt back into the fold when they desperately needed more bodies at receiver. Unlike Matthews’ first stint with Philly, he was an effective role player this time around. That role much better suited him than being a force-fed volume target that the entire offense ran through.

Outlook: The Athletic’s Bo Wulf noted that Matthews seemed to think he’ll command serious attention in free agency now that he’s healthy again. It seems like he’ll be seeking a bigger role/contract than what he’ll be offered from Philly. I wouldn’t mind having him back on a cheap deal if his market isn’t what he expected it to be.

Poll

Jordan Matthews: Stay or go?

43%

Stay

(1911 votes)

56%

Go

(2523 votes)

4434 votes total Vote Now

GOLDEN TATE

Regular season stats (with Eagles): 240 snaps, 44 targets, 30 receptions, 278 yards (9.3 average), 1 TD, 4 rushes for 34 rushing yards, 2 fumbles

Playoff stats: 13 targets, 7 receptions, 64 yards (9.1 average), 1 TD

Review: The Eagles sent their 2019 third-round pick to the Lions in exchange for Tate prior to the 2018 NFL trade deadline. It was a curious addition for Philly considering Tate did not address the team’s lack of vertical speed. Tate’s elite ability to generate yards after the catch seemingly made sense for an Eagles team that needed a play-maker, however. Unfortunately, the Eagles were never really able to smoothly incorporate Tate into the offense. His targets usually felt forced and not at all organic. Tate did have some good moments; his game-winning touchdown against the Bears in the playoffs was obviously big. Of course, he also didn’t even realize he was supposed to be running a route on that play until he turned around and saw it wasn’t a run.

Outlook: Unless the Eagles plan to move on from Agholor, I just can’t see them re-signing Tate. Some free agent rankings have him as the top receiver available. I don’t think the Eagles, who are working with limited cap space, will be rushing to pay him a big contract. Then again, Howie Roseman called the Tate trade a success, so maybe they’re interested in keeping him around? I’d guess Tate won’t be back in 2019. I think he signs elsewhere and the Eagles likely earn a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Poll

Golden Tate: Stay or go?

45%

Stay

(2009 votes)

54%

Go

(2433 votes)

4442 votes total Vote Now

KAMAR AIKEN

Regular season stats: 131 snaps, 7 targets, 6 receptions, 53 yards (8.8 average)

Review: The Eagles signed Aiken right before training camp. Honestly, he was one of the worst players I remember seeing all summer. He dropped a lot of passes and just generally failed to impress. Then he suffered an injury that caused him to miss the final two preseason games. Despite this, the Eagles re-signed him when they found themselves desperately needing receiver bodies. Aiken got a lot more playing time than he should’ve received before ultimately being cut in mid-October.

DEANDRE CARTER

Regular season stats: 83 snaps, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards (10.5 average)

Review: Carter only signed with the Eagles as training camp was already taking place. Those signings are typically just camp bodies but Carter proved to be more than that as he ultimately found a way on the 53-man roster after having a strong preseason. Carter even made a significant impact in Week 4 when he had a 42-yard punt return to set the Eagles up with good field position on a drive that sent the game into overtime. The Eagles waived Carter in early November to make room for defensive tackle “T.Y. McGill.” Philly likely hoped to put Carter back on their practice squad but the Texans claimed Carter on waivers. Losing Carter clearly wasn’t a franchise-altering move but it was annoying to see a fan favorite get cut for some random DT who didn’t even stick with the team.

MIKE WALLACE

Regular season stats: 73 snaps, 3 targets

Review: Wallace seemed like a shrewd free agent signing by Howie Roseman. The Eagles creatively worked his contract so that he wouldn’t count against Philly’s compensatory pick formula. Wallace wasn’t overly impressive in the offseason but he did have moments where he showed he could take the top off a defense. Unfortunately, Wallace suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve. The Eagles activated Wallace off IR leading up to Week 17. He was only a limited participant in practices leading up to the Divisional Round, however, when the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs. Had the Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship Game, Wallace might’ve been able to return.

Outlook: I don’t hate the idea of bringing back Wallace on a one-year, vet minimum type deal. It’s not like he’s injury-prone; Wallace only ever missed two games over nine seasons before missing 14 in 2018.

Poll

Mike Wallace: Stay or go?

46%

Stay

(1865 votes)

53%

Go

(2161 votes)

4026 votes total Vote Now

SHELTON GIBSON

Regular season stats: 64 snaps, 3 targets, 1 reception, 48 yards

Review: Gibson impressed in the preseason as he led Philly with nine receptions for 195 yards (21.7 average) and two touchdowns. That ultimately meant nothing, however, as the coaching staff clearly did not trust him to play even when the Eagles were missing three of their top four receivers early in the season. It was frustrating to see that Gibson couldn’t get on the field over Aiken, who was pretty worthless. Gibson’s sole catch came on an explosive play against the Vikings in Week 5. He was only active for special teams purposes the rest of the season. Even then, he was kept as a healthy scratch in Week 17.

Outlook: Maybe Gibson will have earned more trust from the coaching staff as he enters Year 3? I don’t know. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Poll

Shelton Gibson: Stay or go?

34%

Stay

(1243 votes)

65%

Go

(2322 votes)

3565 votes total Vote Now

MARKUS WHEATON

Regular season stats: 2 snaps

Review: Wheaton missed most of the preseason due to injury. The Eagles inexplicably guaranteed his entire 2018 salary by having him on the roster for Week 1 before ultimately cutting him prior to Week 2. Bizarre.

MACK HOLLINS

Review: With Jeffery recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Hollins received a lot of practice time with the Eagles’ first-team offense. He never really showed signs of making a second-year leap after having some solid flashes as a rookie, however. It was later discovered that Hollins’ lackluster camp might have been due to the fact he was recovering from a sports hernia surgery. Hollins was expecting to play in the Eagles’ season opener but Doug Pederson said he suffered a “minor setback” that wouldn’t allow him to play. Then, just hours before that Thursday night game, the Eagles placed Hollins on injured reserve. At the same time, it was said that there was an expectation that Hollins would eventually be activated from IR ... but that never happened. And so Hollins didn’t play at all in 2018.

Outlook: Hopefully Hollins is healthy enough to have a full offseason to prepare for 2019. Perhaps he can be a solid role player (or even more?) in this offense. He was a very efficient target as a rookie (22 targets for 16 receptions, 226 yards, 1 TD) and as a college athlete (81 receptions, 1667 yards, 20 TD). I don’t know if he’ll ever be a volume target but it seems like he can at least contribute in a rotational role.

Poll

Mack Hollins: Stay or go?

87%

Stay

(3371 votes)

12%

Go

(471 votes)

3842 votes total Vote Now

BRAXTON MILLER

Review: The Eagles signed Miller to their practice squad after Week 1.

Outlook: It’ll be mildly interesting to see if the 2016 third-round pick can play his way onto the Eagles’ 2019 roster.

Poll

Braxton Miller: Stay or go?

51%

Stay

(1554 votes)

48%

Go

(1480 votes)

3034 votes total Vote Now

DORREN MILLER

Review: The Eagles signed Miller to their practice squad after Week 1.

Outlook: The 2018 undrafted free agent is likely a camp body.

Poll

Dorren Miller: Stay or go?

9%

Stay

(218 votes)

90%

Go

(2053 votes)

2271 votes total Vote Now

JOHNNY HOLTON

Review: The Eagles signed Holton to a reserve/future contract after the 2018 season ended.

Outlook: Holton’s career 22.9 yards per reception mark suggest he’s capable of stretching the field. The Eagles will give him a shot to see if he’s worth keeping around.

Poll

Johnny Holton: Stay or go?

30%

Stay

(646 votes)

69%

Go

(1463 votes)

2109 votes total Vote Now

MARKEN MICHEL

Review: The Eagles signed Michel to a reserve/future contract after the 2018 season ended.

Outlook: Michel proved himself to be a deep threat in the CFL. The Eagles will give him a shot in camp.

Poll

Marken Michel: Stay or go?

43%

Stay

(851 votes)

56%

Go

(1105 votes)

1956 votes total Vote Now

CARLTON AGUDOSI

Review: The Eagles signed Agudosi to a reserve/future contract after the 2018 season ended.

Outlook: Agudosi is likely a long shot but the Rutgers alumnus offers intriguing size at 6-6, 205 pounds.

Poll

Carlton Agudosi: Stay or go?

23%

Stay

(405 votes)

76%

Go

(1347 votes)

1752 votes total Vote Now

I don’t think the Eagles will be looking to spend big at the receiver position in free agency. I do think they’ll be looking at guys who can offer speed.

Tyrell Williams of the Chargers fits that profile but the 27-year-old could be out of the Eagles’ price range. John Brown is another burner type coming off a solid season in Baltimore.

The Eagles reportedly showed interest in Breshad Perriman during the 2018 season before signing JMatt instead. Perriman ended up with the Browns, where he had 16 receptions for 340 yards (21.3 average) and two touchdowns. Perriman, a former Ravens first-round draft pick (Joe Douglas connection alert), could be worth taking a risk on as he likely wouldn’t cost much. He’s still only 25 years old.

DeSean Jackson is currently under contract for 2019 but his $10 million salary contains zero guaranteed money. The Eagles have been rumored as a potential landing spot for DJacc if the Bucs look to move on from him. Signing Jackson would give the Eagles a much-needed vertical threat and it wouldn’t count against their compensatory pick formula.

In keeping with the theme of speed, Philadelphia might be enamored by Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown. Eagles senior director of player personnel Tom Donahoe attended the game where Brown had 11 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He could make sense as a Day 2 pick given the Eagles have two second rounders to work with.

Andy Isabella is projected as a slot receiver but he’s very much a vertical threat. According to Pro Football Focus, Isabella had 14 catches for 705 yards and nine touchdowns on plays where he was targeted at least 20 yards down the field. That’s insane. Isabella claims he can run a 4.26 40-yard dash.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/1/24/18196117/philadelphia-eagles-wide-receiver-position-review-free-agency-nfl-draft-trade-rumors-nelson-agholor

[yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog]

2018 NFL Preview: Maybe this time Dolphins coach Adam Gase can finally run his offense

Yahoo Sports is previewing all 32 teams as we get ready for the NFL season, counting down the teams one per weekday in reverse order of our initial 2018 power rankings. No. 1 will be revealed on Aug. 1, the day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason.

(Yahoo Sports graphics by Amber Matsumoto)

When the Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase in 2016 it was supposed to be a new age for the franchise, particularly on offense.

Gase was going to run an exciting, up-tempo offense. The debate wasn’t whether they’d run a no-huddle attack. The talk was about how fast their no-huddle offense was going to be.

Two years later, the Dolphins are as boring as any offense in the NFL. Over the past two seasons only the Chicago Bears, run by outdated coach John Fox, ran fewer plays than the Dolphins. Miami finished 24th in yards in 2016 and 25th in 2017. The Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are the only teams that haven’t finished higher than 24th in total yards either of the past two seasons.

[Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free]

The revolution hasn’t happened. The Dolphins’ offense has been slow and ineffective. There were reasons. The Dolphins slowed to a crawl in 2016 because the faster tempo wasn’t working early in the season. Then the Dolphins got on a roll with a slower offense (albeit against a very friendly schedule) and made the playoffs. Hard to argue.

“When you get into a situation where the quarterback feels comfortable but then you have 10 other guys that it’s hard with, you really have to go away from it,” Gase said in 2017, according to the Sun-Sentinel, explaining why the Dolphins gave up the no-huddle approach the year before. “If you have 50 percent, it’s just not enough. Last year we just got into a situation where we needed to settle everything down and really keep learning what we were doing and get better at that.”

With another offseason to implement the scheme, 2017 was supposed to be the year. Then Ryan Tannehill tore his ACL in training camp and the Dolphins had to drag Jay Cutler out of retirement. They played slow again. The offense was awful most of the season, and Gase knew it.

“I’m tired of watching for two years this garbage,” Gase said after a 20-6 loss to the Jets last September, when the Dolphins were shut out until a meaningless touchdown on the final play. “We’ll make the proper adjustments, probably make some changes. We’ll figure out what we’ve got to do and get that thing rolling. I’ve been watching it for two years and it hasn’t worked.”

You don’t get unlimited time to figure things out as an NFL head coach, unless you’re Marvin Lewis. Gase has been on the job two seasons and hasn’t run his offense yet. It might be now or never.

“Obviously we want to run an up-tempo, no-huddle offense,” new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said this offseason, according to the Dolphins’ transcripts. “That’s what Adam has done in the past and that’s where our vision is and we’re trying to get going that way.”

We’ve heard that before. At least this time the Dolphins should have their quarterback, although perhaps not much else.

Tannehill is back. He is practicing and all signs are that he has recovered from his injury, but there was the same optimism last offseason and it didn’t matter. There should be concern until Tannehill makes it through August looking healthy.

This is a huge season for Tannehill, who will turn 30 on July 27. Tannehill has played well at times. His career 86.5 rating is less than a point behind the career marks of Alex Smith, Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston, and ahead of the career marks of Cam Newton and Eli Manning. However, he hasn’t been overwhelming and he’s expensive. Tannehill’s annual average salary of $19.25 million is 18th highest in the NFL, more than any non-quarterback in the league. It’s hard to justify paying Tannehill more per season than Von Miller or Antonio Brown. Tannehill’s 2019 salary-cap number, as it stands, is $26.6 million, according to Spotrac. It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins paying that if Tannehill doesn’t take a step forward (though, NFL teams often make suboptimal decisions when it comes to average quarterbacks).

If Gase wants to finally run his preferred offense and Tannehill is going to turn into more than a forgettable quarterback, some offensive talent will have to emerge. Jarvis Landry was traded this offseason. Jay Ajayi was traded last season. Former first-round pick DeVante Parker hasn’t panned out, though there’s another offseason of syrupy sweet reports that this looks like his breakout. Sure. The Dolphins will try again at tight end with athletic rookie Mike Gesecki. Miami’s offensive line is in the bottom half of the league. Receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson were added, Kenny Stills is an interesting weapon, Kenyan Drake would probably be a fine running back if the Dolphins would finally trust him, but it’s still a thin offense.

Excuses won’t matter. Gase and Tannehill have to make it work. Gase has good reasons for not yet delivering on his offensive promises, and Tannehill’s development wasn’t helped by mediocre supporting casts, a coaching change and injuries. The NFL generally doesn’t care about anything but the bottom line.

If things don’t look different this season in Miami, they’ll probably look a lot different next year.

Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase enters his third season with the team. (AP)

It’s hard to get too excited when the biggest move of Miami’s offseason was cutting defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. We can argue if Suh was worth what he was getting paid, but the Dolphins can’t replace him. Losing center Mike Pouncey is an underrated blow too. The main free-agent additions of receiver Danny Amendola, guard Josh Sitton and running back Frank Gore are fine, but all are at least 32 years old. Receiver Albert Wilson will be 26 this season and is an intriguing gamble, but he still has just 1,544 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons. The Dolphins spent what amounts to only a fourth-round pick on pass rusher Robert Quinn, which made sense. I like first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, and second-round pick Mike Gesecki has great athleticism for a tight end. But overall, it’s hard to say the Dolphins are better.

GRADE: C-

The Dolphins’ secondary could end up being a strength. Safety Reshad Jones is one of the best in the NFL, and should still have plenty left in the tank at age 30. Cornerback Xavien Howard had a great stretch late last season, and perhaps he’s ready to consistently play at that level. First-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick was a great value pick at No. 12, and his versatility will be a plus for the Dolphins from his first game on. The Dolphins’ secondary wasn’t good last season – a poor pass rush didn’t help – but if Miami can turn that into a strength, it’s a big boost.

I’d like to have more faith in the Dolphins’ receivers. I get why they didn’t want to invest a huge contract in Jarvis Landry. But Albert Wilson is unproven, Danny Amendola is old (for all his playoff success, he has never posted 700 yards in a regular season), Mike Gesecki is a rookie and DeVante Parker is a perennial tease. Kenny Stills is a good deep threat but isn’t a No. 1 receiver. Maybe one or more of these targets has a great season, but you’d like to see more certainty as Ryan Tannehill tries to get back on a positive career track.

The Dolphins are in a tough spot. Ryan Tannehill is slated to get paid like a perennial Pro Bowler next season. Yet, they have no substantial backup plan if they have to move on from Tannehill next year. The other quarterbacks on the roster are Brock Osweiler, Bryce Petty and David Fales, and none of them should be starting for an NFL team. It’s understandable why the Dolphins didn’t move up like the Buffalo Bills or Arizona Cardinals for Josh Allen or Josh Rosen, and it was even reasonable for them to pass on Lamar Jackson. But now Tannehill could have a bad season and still have leverage with his $26.6 million salary-cap hit next season. The Dolphins are walking a tightrope at quarterback.

The Robert Quinn trade was a surprise. The Los Angeles Rams are loading up for a Super Bowl run, and traded away a former All-Pro pass rusher with no clear replacement? The Rams saved more than $11 million on the cap, but it was still startling a contender would trade a 28-year-old with 62.5 career sacks for what amounts to a fourth-round pick (the Dolphins and Rams swapped sixth-round picks too). Why would the Rams dump him? Quinn was a 2013 All-Pro with 19 sacks, but the past three seasons have produced just 17.5 sacks combined. Are the Dolphins getting the guy who had 40 sacks from 2012-14 or the player who has struggled with injuries for three years? Cameron Wake is amazing, but he’s also 36 and won’t post double-digit sacks forever. The Dolphins need Quinn to make an impact.

From Yahoo’s Liz Loza: “In 2016, with Ryan Tannehill under center, Jarvis Landry averaged 8.5 targets per game. With Landry gone, one might assume Danny Amendola would receive a hearty target share. Except … the Dolphins have a plethora of bodies that can man the slot. From Albert Wilson to Jakeem Grant to two pass-catching running backs, the Dolphins have options. At 32 years old, and with a history of durability concerns, Amendola seems much more like insurance than reassurance. Don’t chase the brand name.” 

[Booms/Busts: Fantasy outlook on the Dolphins.]

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If you’ve read these previews over the years, you know I study win-loss records in close games. A great record in close games is often fool’s gold and not repeatable, and a bad record in close games usually means a team was unlucky. Well, the 6-10 Dolphins were 5-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less (and 3-1 in games decided by a field goal or less). That’s right, the Dolphins had one convincing win all season, a 35-9 drubbing of the Denver Broncos in Week 13. As bad as this sounds, the Dolphins were lucky to be 6-10. That’s not good.

WHY DON’T THE DOLPHINS LOVE KENYAN DRAKE?

It’s a red flag when teams can’t see what they have in a player. Case in point: Last season’s Tennessee Titans staff refused to make Derrick Henry their lead back over DeMarco Murray. Murray was finished and everyone could see it … except the Titans’ staff. Then Murray got hurt, the Titans had no choice, and Henry dominated in a playoff win at Kansas City. If last season’s Titans staff couldn’t get that obvious decision right, how many other things was it screwing up? In a similar tale, I wonder why the Dolphins are so lukewarm on Drake. Even when Jay Ajayi was traded during last season, the Dolphins made sure to give pedestrian Damien Williams close to half the snaps. When Williams went down, they had to use Drake. And the multi-talented Drake played very well, gaining 129 yards from scrimmage per game in five games as the unquestioned lead back. The Dolphins should be thrilled by that development, right? They didn’t show it, engaging in trade rumors for some running backs, then signing Frank Gore and drafting Kalen Ballage. Every team needs depth at tailback, and Drake hasn’t shown he can hold up with 250 or more carries over a season, but reports indicated Gore is far more than just a veteran insurance policy. Based on the Dolphins’ weird reluctance to feature Drake, would it surprise anyone if Gore gets way too many carries this season? Probably not. The Dolphins have a young, talented back in Drake. Now let’s see if they give him a real chance to shine, or if they screw it up.

The most optimistic, “everything that could possibly go right goes right” prediction for the Dolphins still puts them in only second place of the AFC East. And that isn’t all that impressive. The AFC isn’t as deep as the NFC, so perhaps the Dolphins can work some 2016 magic and get a wild-card spot. Regardless of record, it would be nice if they finish the season believing Adam Gase and Ryan Tannehill are the answers at the two most important spots for an NFL franchise.

The worst possible outcome might be mediocrity. What if Ryan Tannehill is just good enough that the Dolphins can’t cut him and that enormous 2019 salary? What if Adam Gase still doesn’t field a good offense, but the Dolphins win just enough games that they convince themselves to run it back with Gase for a fourth season? If the Dolphins win two or three games, everything is easily defined: Gase is gone, Tannehill gets cut and the Dolphins draft a quarterback replacement in the top three next year. It seems like the Dolphins aren’t good enough to make the playoffs, yet won’t be bad enough that they’ll hit the reset button. That’s a bad place to be in the NFL.

The Dolphins will be OK, right in that middle ground that will probably paralyze them next offseason. The fact that we’re at No. 24 on the countdown and three AFC East teams have already appeared says there are some winnable division games on Miami’s schedule. Ryan Tannehill may not thrill anyone, but he’s better than Jay Cutler. Adam Gase will finally get his offense going, to some extent. Seven wins sounds about right. And if I’m being too optimistic and the Dolphins finish with double-digit losses again, there’s a good chance we’ll see a new coach and quarterback in Miami next season. Who knows, maybe that would be for the best.

32. Cleveland Browns 31. Indianapolis Colts 30. New York Jets 29. Arizona Cardinals 28. Buffalo Bills 27. Cincinnati Bengals 26. Chicago Bears 25. New York Giants

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

[njawaidofficial]

'Survivor' Season 35 Player Profile: Meet Ben Driebergen

http://styleveryday.com/2017/09/04/survivor-season-35-player-profile-meet-ben-driebergen/

'Survivor' Season 35 Player Profile: Meet Ben Driebergen

Welcome to the Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers preseason! THR’s Josh Wigler reports from his exclusive visit to the show’s shooting location in Fiji, where he interviewed host Jeff Probst, as well as the 18 new castaways battling it out for the million dollar prize.

Click here to make sure you’re all caught up on our stories from the island, including our weekly podcast series “First One Out,” an in-depth look at all of the new players, culminating in an interview with the first person voted out of the season.

Third up on the Levu tribe: Ben Driebergen, employed at a grocery distribution center at the time of our interview, making his home on Heroes beach due to his past as a United States marine. Ben joined the marines in 2003, serving overseas in Iraq. 

“I was in the infantry and went over to Iraq and did what marines do best,” says Ben, his typically booming voice hitting a quieter tone when he talks about his time at war. “I was a good marine. I was good at my job. I was a company honor man out of boot camp and school, and loved what I did. Certain things happen. You lose friends. The marine corps was a good experience, but it was also a bad experience.”

When he returned home, the very word “home” became something of a flexible idea. Ben went around the country working a variety of jobs, from staking out land in Alaska to working as a bouncer to living in North Dakota to building fence in Wyoming and beyond. He eventually moved to Texas where he married his first wife at “a drive-through wedding,” with the best man and maid of honor sitting in the backseat of the car.

“The preacher came out through a Burger King drive-through window with the speakers and players, ‘Here Comes the Bride,'” Ben remembers. “I was like, ‘She’s right here! She’s right next to me!'”

Since then, Ben has remarried. He has two children: Wyatt, five years old, who was literally born to the tune of Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” and Gracie, who will be turning three years old during Ben’s time out on Season 35: “She’s a beautiful, healthy little baby girl, but she’s sassy as all hell, so she’s a Driebergen. We’re in for a world of hurt. The world is in for a world of hurt.”

For Ben, his world has started to heal, thanks to the formation of his family and the years he’s spent processing and living his life since returning from his service overseas: “You have to learn from it. It’s hard. You feel like you’re alone when you come back. Every marine and veteran who comes back from all that stuff has a lot on his or her plate. You have a foot in the grave and you don’t care about nothing. There’s help now that’s out there, but you kind of have to figure things out for yourself. Once you do, life is a lot better. Life is worth living after you get back.”

Listen to the podcast below to hear from Ben and the rest of his competitors in the first episode of our preseason series, “First One Out.”

Right now, Ben’s life has taken him to yet another new spot on the globe: Fiji, where he’s competing against 17 other players determined to become the Sole Survivor. Ben says he and his wife are religious viewers of the show every Wednesday night: “The kids go in our room and have movie night, while we have Survivor night. We break out the wine and we watch it. It’s awesome.” When he watches the show, Ben finds himself shouting at the television screen every time a castaway makes a bad move or gets tricked by another competitor.

“I’ll always be like, ‘I could do that! Oh, hell, don’t do that!’ I’ll coach it,” he says. “My wife said, ‘Make a video,’ just so she would stop hearing about it. She’s regretting it now! She started the ball [rolling]. She knew they would like me. She’s nervous. She’s at home with two kids by herself, and surviving in her own right. She’s kicking herself in the butt for telling me to make a video now.”

Now, it’s Ben’s turn to kick some butt, as he attempts to combine his experiences of surviving in hard conditions with the lessons learned from years of watching Survivor, every move fueled by one simple goal: giving his family a better life.

“Five years ago, six years ago, if you would have asked anyone who knew me if I would have a family, a house, two kids, a good job, and I’d be on Survivor? They would kick you in your shin,” he says. “You’re out of your mind. ‘No, not the Ben that I know.’ But my wife helped me out a lot, and I love her for that. She gave me two kids, and that’s why I’m out here. I’m out here for them. I’m out here for us.”

Watch the video below for more from Ben on why he’s going to win Survivor.

#Survivor profiles continue @THR Monday w/ a double-header. Up first: Ben Driebergen, here for one simple reason… https://t.co/Qcj5WsBpBn pic.twitter.com/4T3DP7kfR3

— Josh Wigler (@roundhoward) September 3, 2017

That’s Ben in his own words. But what does everyone else think? Over the course of these interviews, I showed the castaways pictures of each other from casting, to get their pre-game impressions of their future competitors. Read on for their takes on Ben.

Note: comments from the castaways have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Mike Zahalsky (Urologist, Healers Tribe): Honestly, I think he’s the biggest threat in the game. 

Desiree Williams (Physical Therapist, Healers Tribe): I love that guy. He seems maybe ex-military. He’s fun and has a good energy.

JP Hilsabeck (Firefighter, Heroes Tribe): He’s got a military hat on, so I’m guessing he was in the military or something. I’ll probably get along with him great. 

Ashley Nolan (Lifeguard, Heroes Tribe): I like his hat. (Laughs.) He seems funny. He seems like he might have some kind of military background, and that actually excites me. He reminds me a little bit of a dating phase I went through. He reminds me exactly of the guy I dated, many years back, so that was the first thing that caught my eye from him. Like, I had to do a double take. Like, whoa! Flashback! But the military background, that might be a good person to align with. Because they’re generally used to uncomfortable situations, and inadequate weather, or inadequate just environments in general.

Chrissy Hofbeck (Actuary, Heroes Tribe): Oh, he’s so sweet! I love him. I call him the cowboy. He just looks like he’s joyful and loyal. He’s actually someone I hope is on my tribe.

Katrina Radke (Olympian, Heroes Tribe): He’s cool. You know, there was somebody at casting that looked like him, and I’m wondering if it’s the same guy, but he was sitting so far away I never really saw him close up. I think it’s a different guy. They’re so similar, I’m going, “Wow, they must be casting very close.” I think this might be a different guy.

Cole Medders (Wilderness Therapy Guide, Healers Tribe): He’s hilarious. He’s always like the goofy one in the middle. He strikes me as kind of clumsy sometimes, and just a good old country boy. He already has the cutoff t-shirt and super bad sunburn already, just right out the gate.

Ryan Ulrich (Bellhop, Hustlers Tribe): This man is very badly sunburnt right now, but he still looks great. He just seems like a good guy. He doesn’t seem like he’s from New Jersey! And it attracts me to him because of the difference we have. A lot of people say we could bond over commonalities, but sometimes you just want to find out more about another person’s culture and another’s person’s way of life. He seems pretty friendly. He seems like a guy who’s definitely going to try and build the shelter. And he’s definitely going to not be great at it, but he’s going to want to take charge, and if anybody else wants to take charge? That is fine by me!

Ali Elliott (Celebrity Assistant, Hustlers Tribe): He’s seems funny. I feel like we would get along. He seems very friendly. And he’s always [polite], like, “You go first.” He seems kinda like a gentleman. I think that, you know, because I did go to school in the south, I probably encountered a lot of people like him.

Patrick Bolton (Small Business Owner, Hustlers Tribe): You know, he’s an interesting character. I don’t know exactly what to think. He’s got tattoos all over him, which I don’t like to really judge off of tattoos. He’s got this little pinup doll on his lower calf, and then you can’t count them all — he’s covered in tats. But other than that, he seems like possibly a country guy, hardworking. Seems like a hardworking type of person. So that would probably lend to somebody good at camp. As far as challenges go, I don’t think he would be the most athletic. Doesn’t strike me as an athletic type. 

Devon Pinto (Surf Instructor, Hustlers Tribe): Classic, classic hick, definitely. Classic hick, full handle bar mustache like got all the hick tats, the pinup girl, the fucking Texas bull skull, all of that. It’s totally not my style, but as long as he has a good heart? I’ll get along with him just fine.

Watch the video below for an early look at what Ben’s victory speech might look like.

Mike Zahalsky (Urologist, Healers Tribe): Although he doesn’t look it, he’s very charismatic. He’s very charming. He’s very easy to talk to. People congregate to him. But he also has tattoos all over his body. And I believe that tattoos tell a story, and that his story from his tattoos are not necessarily the same story as the guy [who has] the nice little child on his arm tattoo. 

Joe Mena (Probation Officer, Healers Tribe): He’s the one that’s going to screw himself, I’m telling you. I like him because of his personality, but he’s extremely social and I think that’s going to backfire on him. He’s kind of too social with everyone, and I just feel it’s going to backfire on him a little bit.

Jessica Johnston (Nurse Practitioner, Healers Tribe): Let me tell you about him. If anyone’s going to play like a villain, it’s going to be him. He has tattoos on every extremity and on his wrist. I haven’t stalked him enough to get this, but it [looks like he] has an angel versus demon, or an angel and  a demon. Listen, I have to figure out what side of the fence is he playing on. Are we on the dark side or are we on the light side? I’m playing on the light, and I would hope to align myself with someone who is going to be a little rough.

Josh Wigler (Reporter, THR): You would like to be the angel and you would like to find your demon?

Jessica Johnston (Nurse Practitioner, Healers Tribe): I think every demon needs an angel. I’m going to be his, if he’ll let me.

Simone Nguyen (Diversity Associate, Hustlers Tribe): I love him. I love him. I’m going to try to align with him because he seems big and dopey and kind of doe-eyed. He wants to be a villain, but he doesn’t have it in him, you know what I mean? I think that he wants to think that he’s this badass guy but I think at heart, he’s a big softy. I think that’s why it’s going to be easy to pull at his heart strings.

Lauren Rimmer (Fisherman, Hustlers Tribe): God love him, is all I know. He’s going to be a go getter. I think he’s going to try too hard. I think he’s going to work himself into a hole. And it’s not that he’s going to intentionally do it. I just think looks like he wears his heart on his shoulder, and it might hurt him.

Alan Ball (NFL Player, Heroes Tribe): He’s a character. He’s a character. He kind of reminds me of somebody on The Voice. Do you watch The Voice? 

Josh Wigler (Reporter, THR): I do not.

Alan Ball (NFL Player, Heroes Tribe): Okay, so The Voice is kind of like… I can’t give it an analogy. He’s one of those guys who when you look at him, you’re expecting one thing. The way I watch him, he’s full of personality, a good sense of humor. The Voice is based on you not being able to see somebody, but hearing them. You can see him, but his personality speaks a lot louder than his look.

Roark Luskin (Social Worker, Healers Tribe): For me, I can’t decide. The problem is because we can’t talk, I don’t know if he’s like a Keith Nale, who’s going to get along with everybody, or Mike Holloway, who’s going to get along with everybody. And if it’s Mike Holloway, he’s gotta go. If it’s Keith Nale? He can hang.

Ben Driebergen (Marine, Heroes Tribe): You look around at all of these people, and they’re physical threats. Everybody here is strong, cut, both the men and the women. I used to have a six-pack, but now I have a beer gut. But I can still kick it! It’s going to be amazing. 

Click through the gallery below for photos of Ben and the rest of the Season 35 castaways.

Keep checking THR.com/Survivor for more coverage of the Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers preseason.

  Survivor

#35 #Ben #Driebergen #Meet #Player #Profile #Season #Survivor

[junker-town]

NHL free agents will have to start settling for professional tryouts soon

We’ve reached the point of the summer when players stop getting contracts, and start settling for PTOs. Who will follow that route?

There comes a point in each NHL offseason when the contract offers start drying up. Teams have mostly filled up their rosters for the upcoming season, and the pool of players on the open market looks increasingly like a list of veterans on their last legs, journeymen, and failed prospects searching for one more chance.

Last year, Antoine Vermette, Radim Vrbata, and Matt Cullen were the final three unrestricted free agents to get big league deals before training camps began. They each signed between Aug. 15-17. Recently, we saw Cullen and Francois Beauchemin sign new one-year deals that could be the last of this summer.

There’s usually a rash of signings right before the season as teams look to final their final spots, but between mid-August and late September, NHL teams start using a new tool instead of guaranteed contracts: the professional tryout, or PTO.

PTOs allow teams to bring in veteran players for training camp and preseason without any commitment to them. It’s a good way for teams to get a look at some extra options to fill out roles at the bottom of their rosters. Maybe a team just wants some additional competition in camp to push a younger player. The point is, you can sign someone to a PTO, and get rid of them with no penalty by October if things aren’t working out.

For veteran players, PTOs can represent one last chance at sticking in the NHL. These are players who teams deemed weren’t good enough to receive contract offers with the guaranteed money and risk that comes with them. But if the alternative is a zero-risk PTO that can be turned into a one-year deal if things work out, suddenly a player will garner a lot more interest.

Who got PTOs last year?

A lot of players received professional tryouts last year, but only a few of them actually took advantage to make their respective teams.

Kris Versteeg is one interesting case, as he signed a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers in early September, but never received a contract offer from the team. Instead, the Calgary Flames stepped up with a one-year, $950,000 deal for Versteeg in early October, and he provided them with 15 goals and 37 points in 69 games. This offseason, Versteeg avoided the headaches with a one-year, $1.75 million extension.

Edmonton did sign a different PTO player, defenseman Eric Gryba, to a one-year deal after a successful camp. He ended up recording six points in 40 games with the Oilers last season. Rene Bourque scored 12 goals for the lowly Avalanche after joining the team on a PTO in camp.

Not every PTO works so well. Tomas Fleischmann, Zach Boychuk, Maxim Lapierre, and James Wisniewski are among veterans who didn’t play in the NHL last season despite receiving tryouts in the fall.

Who could get PTOs this year?

There’s a lengthy list of veteran players running out of time to get actual contract offers. In that case, many of these guys will likely entertain the idea of signing PTOs. The most obvious name on the open market is Jaromir Jagr, but it’s hard to see the future Hall of Famer taking that route instead of playing in Europe or retiring.

Let’s break these up by position.

Forwards: Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek, P.A. Pareanteau, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Brian Gionta, Daniel Winnik, Mike Ribeiro, Alex Chiasson, Lauri Korpikoski, Scottie Upshall, Rene Bourque, Ryan White, Jiri Hudler, Chris Kelly, Jack Skille, Jay McClement, Jimmy Hayes, Vernon Fiddler, Teddy Purcell, Milan Michalek, Andrew Desjardins, Tanner Glass, Harry Zolnierczyk, Matt Hendricks, John Mitchell, Spencer Abbott

Nine of these players recorded at least 20 players in the NHL last season, led by Vanek’s 48 points in 68 games between the Red Wings and Panthers. He’s an offensive specialist who needs the perfect fit both on the ice and in the locker room, though, which has limited his opportunities.

There’s a wide variety of player-types in here. Gionta had 35 points last season. Hudler is just two seasons removed from recording 31 goals and 76 points. Winnik is the kind of bottom-six grinder that teams love to have. Stafford could provide goal scoring in the bottom half of a lineup.

But all these players have question marks one way or another, which is why they’re still unsigned in late August. Maybe a guy like Stafford or Vanek convinces a team to give him a one-year deal soon. Otherwise, it’s PTO time for all of these players.

Defensemen: Cody Franson, Dennis Wideman, Fedor Tyutin, Roman Polak, John-Michael Liles, Jyrki Jokipakka, Cody Goloubef, Nick Schultz, Jakub Kindl, Eric Gelinas, Adam Pardy, Simon Despres, Zbynek Michalek, Brady Austin

Not as many available defensemen, which isn’t surprising given fewer guys play the position and there’s usually high demand for experienced blue liners. The name that stands out here is Franson, who has typically put up respectable underlying statistics on terrible teams over the years. A 30-year-old with his size (6’5, 224 pounds) and track record would seem like a lock to get a new deal, yet he’s found himself in no man’s land with September around the corner.

There are also some younger options like Jokipakka (age 26), Goloubef (age 27), and Gelinas (age 26) who could intrigue teams looking to take fliers for depth on the back end. Polak’s agent reportedly said he could sign a deal soon, so that could scratch him off the list.

Goaltenders: A bunch of guys you’ve never heard of

If you’re an even semi-decent goaltender, chances are you’ve been scooped up by a team given the importance of the position. Cap Friendly lists just 10 goalies as current NHL UFAs, and none of them have ever played in an NHL game. If your team is still looking for netminder help in September, it’s basically trade, waivers, or bust to find a meaningful addition.

Will any of those players get contract offers?

Yes, there are players every offseason who turn their professional tryouts into guaranteed contracts. Versteeg, Gryba, Bourque, Korpikoski, Skille, and Devin Setoguchi are among guys who did that last year.

There should be a host of players to do the same this year. The most obvious is Franson, who surprisingly doesn’t have a job at this point. It would be hard to explain how he’d go without a contract offer into the start of the season given the way teams scoop up defensemen for depth.

Among the forwards, Stafford, Winnik, Parenteau, and Vanek are players who still seem to belong in the NHL. Iginla, Doan, and Gionta (not to mention Jagr) could also come back, although retirement remains an option for all of them given their respective ages.

Maybe some of these guys get short-term deals signed soon. David Schlemko waited until Sept. 10 to sign a one-year contract with the Devils in 2015, so it’s not like teams shut off the possibility entirely.

But for all of these guys, the road to the NHL is getting bumpier as the summer goes on. The opportunity to get a contract offer before camp is fading, and that’ll mean settling for a PTO and the chance to compete for a roster spot. Once you get this deep into the offseason, there’s not much more you can ask for.

[torentialtribute]

Premier League’s ‘big six’ have racked up 88,000 air miles in pre-season

Season tours have dramatically changed from an opportunity to build in marketing circuses designed by clubs that want every corner conquer

This summer it has been no different with the & # 39; big six & # 39; from the Premier League to everywhere from Singapore to Indiana and Salzburg to Los Angeles, with an astounding 88,000 air miles between them.

With preseason now coming to an end, Sportsmail looks at the expeditions that the biggest clubs have bid in this summer to break marketing goals and complete their preparations for the new campaign.

The & # 39; big six & # 39; of the Premier League has flown during the astounding 87,946 air miles during preseason

Manchester United

MAN UTD: WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN?

Manchester to Perth – 9,091 miles

Perth to Singapore – 2,434 miles

Singapore to Shanghai – 2,364 miles

Shanghai to Manchester – 5,672 miles miles

Manchester to Oslo – 646 miles

Oslo to Manchester – 646 miles

Manchester to Cardiff – 176 miles

Cardiff to Manchester – 176 miles

Total mileage: 21,205 miles

The men of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been the farthest from their rivals this summer and have no fewer than 21,205 miles traveled on a

Solskjaer's first UK-led tour saw them travel to Australia, Singapore, and China before returning home for a friendly

There were positive signals for the Rode Devils about the summer, winning all five of their friendly games in a relatively comfortable way. That includes victories over Tottenham and Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup.

After beating the Norwegian side Kristiansund in Oslo on Tuesday, United have another friendly match against AC Milan in Cardiff on Sunday (August 4), before their Premier League opener against Chelsea

] They still have many transfer activities that they want to close before the windows close on August 8. Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Paulo Dybala are all goals. They can also be a little fresher if they haven't flown halfway around the world within a few weeks.

<img id = ” i-bbe1365769f14f8b ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16683938-7300567-Manchester_United_have_travelled_the_furthest_in_pre_season_cloc-a-9_1564673864622.jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” 21 the last year of the season5 and 195 air miles collected during their tour ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

] <img id = ” i-bbe1365769f14f8b ” src = ” https: //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/08/01/16/16683938-7300567-Manchester_United_have_travelled_the_furthest_in_pre_season_cloc-a-9_1564673864622.jpgivering19459032] height = ” 642 ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” width = ” alt = ” Manchester United traveled the furthest in the preseason, earned 21,205 air miles during their tour ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Manchester United traveled the furthest in preseason, 21,205 air miles during their tour

<img id = ” i-78115ebfe6dbff56 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2Ym6bp9 ” height = ” 6 =42 width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Marcus Rashford and United have all won their five friendly games so far and look good for the season ahead ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-78115ebfe6dbff56 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YACtI7 16684508-7300567-United_have_won_all_five_of_their_friendlies_so_far_and_look_in_-a-10_1564673864631.jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Rashford and United have all five won their girlfriends so far and look good for the coming season ” class = ” blkBorder img -share ” />

Marcus Rashford and United have so far won all five of their friendly games and look good for the coming season

Manchester City

MAN CITY: WHERE ARE BEING THEM?

Manchester to Nanjing – 5,543 miles

Nanjing to Hong Kong – 732 miles

Hong Kong to Yokohama – 1,781 miles

Yokohama to Manchester – 5,867 miles

Total mileage: 13,923 miles

The ruling Premier League champions had a relatively modest preseason season. They spent about 10 days in Asia, taking Nanjing, Hong Kong and Yokohama before going home.

Because they opted for the International Champions Cup this summer, they played in the Premier League Asia Trophy instead but were defeated on penalties in the final by Wolves.

They bounced back from that disappointment with 6-1 and 3-1 victories at Hong Kong-based Kitchee and Yokohama respectively before returning to Manchester to complete their preparations for the Community Shield by Sunday Liverpool

The city is smart on the transfer market this summer and has resolutely devoted itself to strengthening their team. They left a little more than £ 60 million for Rodri as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho and brought Angelino back from PSV Eindhoven as back left cover.

It remains to be seen whether City will add to their ranks again, but it seems only likely that they will re-enter the market when Leroy Sane completes a move back to Germany with Bayern Munich.

<img id = ” i-c0fdfc15b6c5dbdd ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16683930-7300567-John_Stones_Kevin_De_Bruyne_and_Bernardo_Silva_talk_during_a_rec-a-11_1564673864633.jpg ” height = ” height 642 a recovery session in the swimming pool in Hong Kong ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-c0fdfc15b6c5dbdd ” src = ” https : //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/08/01/16/16683930-7300567-John_Stones_Kevin_De_Bruyne_and_Bernardo_Silva_talk_during_a_rec-a-11_1564673864633.jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width =62 ” alt = ” John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva talk about a recovery session in the swimming pool in Hong Kong ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva talk about a recovery session in the swimming pool in Hong Kong

<img id = ” i-9abfb99da24b6802 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2Ym6dgL ” height = ” 6 = 42 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Raheem Sterling was impressive for the goal during the tour from Manchester City to Asia earlier this summer ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” / >

<img id = ” i-9abfb99da24b6802 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6eHD -Raheem_Sterling_was_impressive_in_front_of_goal_during_their_tou-a-12_1564673864634.jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Raheem Sterling was impressive for the goal during the tour from Manchester City to Asia earlier this summer ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Raheem Sterling was impressive for the goal during the tour through Manchester City to Asia earlier this summer

Liverpool

LIVERPOOL: WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN?

Liverpool to Indiana – 3,821 miles

Indiana to Boston – 805 miles

Boston to New York – 230 miles

New York to Liverpool – 3,268 miles

Liverpool to Edinburgh – 168 miles

Edinburgh to Evian-les-Bains – 773 miles

Evian-les-Bains to Liverpool – 642 miles

Total mileage: 9,707 miles

Travel across the Atlantic seems to be the norm for Liverpool today. Three of Jurgen Klopp & # 39; s four preseason as manager of Liverpool have completed Stateside.

This has probably been the most difficult of them all. By missing a large number of star names due to the America & # 39; s Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, Klopp has hardly been in bed for a while like Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who is still on vacation, for the Community Shield.

They first landed in Indiana and lost to Borussia Dortmund before heading for Boston, the home of the Fenway Sports Group owners. There was no improvement, although they were defeated again, this time by Seville. The action in the US ended with a draw against Sporting Lisbon in New York before they returned home.

The third defeat for the season in four games took place by Napoli in Edinburgh before the club flew to Evian les-Bains in France for an intensive training camp before the season starts. They defeated Lyon in Geneva on Wednesday evening before returning home and drawing attention to Manchester City in Wembley.

<img id = ” i-26150b0e2f431b7 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16683944-7300567-A_fixture_for_Liverpool_at_the_iconic_Yankee_Stadium_brought_the-a-13_1564673864634.jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = [Liverpool9032iniconicstadiumAYankfortheLiverpoolinthestadiumYorkCitybroughttheirAmericantourtoaclose-knit” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-26150b0e2f431b7 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YjF1PS estel19459032] height = ” 642 ” width = ” width = ” width = 962 ” alt = ” A match for Liverpool at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York City brought their American tour to a close-knit ” class = ” blkBord er img-share ” />

A match for Liverpool at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York City ended their American tour

[1945909]

<img id = ” i-ff1660109fc6d634 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YFNGao 14_1564673864635.jpg ” height = ” 718 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Virgil van Dijk and the reds went to Evian-les-Bains in France for an intensive training camp before it season starts ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-ff1660109fc6d634 ” src = ” https: //i.dailymail .co.uk / 1s / 2019/08/01/16 / 16684500-7300567-The_Reds_are_in_Evian_les_Bains_in_France_for_an_intense_trainin-a-14_1564673864635.jpg ” height = ” 718 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Virgil van Dijk and the reds went to Evian-les-Bains in France for an intensive training camp before the season starts ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” / >

Virgil van Dijk and the reds then went to Evian-les-Bains in France for an intensive training camp before the season began

Arsenal

ARSENAL: WHERE HAVE IT BEEN?

London to Colorado – 4,743 miles

Colorado to Los Angeles – 785 miles

Los Angeles to Charlotte – 2,415 miles

Charlotte to Maryland – 344 miles

Maryland to London – 3,649 miles

London to Angers – 279 miles

Angers to Barcelona – 441 miles

Barcelona to London – 707 miles

Total mileage: 13,363 miles

America was also the favorite destination for Arsenal this summer. However, they took some areas that you don't really associate with a Premier League tour, including a first stop in Colorado.

They started their summer schedule on the outskirts of Denver with a 3-0 win over Colorado Rapids. . The Gunners then went to the west coast and established their base in Los Angeles. However, there was no time to pose for the Hollywood sign while Unai Emery shaped his players at Loyola Marymount University.

A 2-1 win over Bayern Munich continued nicely before heading back east to play Fiorentina in Charlotte, North Carolina. Arsenal made it three wins in three with a 3-0 win over the Italians before wrapping things up in the US with a defeat on penalties by Real Madrid in Maryland.

After returning to London, Mesut Özil and Sead Kolasinac were chased through the streets of the capital by an armed moped gang. They missed the 2-1 loss for Lyon at the Emirates Stadium and it remains to be seen when they will come back into action.

They recorded Ligue 1-side Angers in France on Wednesday-evening, drawing 1-1, before flying to Barcelona to compete for the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Nou Camp on Sunday.

<img id = ” i-ae12155857435373 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16684494-7300567-Pierre_Emerick_Aubameyang_and_Alexandre_Lacazette_celebrate_scor-a-15_1564673864635.jpg ” height = ” 704 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = “[194535[35] [35]” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YmmHoY ” height = ” 704 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette celebrate scoring a goal in Maryland during a preseason friendly ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

] <img id = ” i-ae12155857435373 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YygZvG -7300567-Pierre_Emerick_Aubameyang_a nd_Alexandre_Lacazette_celebrate_scor-a-15_1564673864635.jpg ” height = ” 704 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette celebrate scoring a goal in Maryland during a preseason friendly ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette celebrate a goal in Maryland during a pre-season friendly

[1945909]

<img id = ” i-602e8db3beaa8429 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YjF2TW /16683942-7300567-Arsenal_used_facilities_at_Loyola_Marymount_University_in_Los_An-a-16_1564673864635.jpgchonock19459032] height = ” 689 ” width = ” 962 [19459032ataltLosalMaryseninthearsenalMaryseninthearsenalMaryseninthearsenalMaryseninthearsenalgetfitforthecomingseason” class = ” blkBorde r img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-602e8db3beaa8429 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YCMwN8 /01/16/16683942-7300567-Arsenal_used_facilities_at_Loyola_Marymount_University_in_Los_An-a-16_1564673864635.jpg estel19459032] height = ” 689 ” width = ” 962 ” altsena used the University of Arbéalmountmountmount. in Los Angeles to get fit for the coming season ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

]

Arsenal used facilities at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles t the fit for the coming season

Chelsea

CHELSEA: WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN?

London to Dublin – 287 miles

Dublin to London – 287 miles

London to Yokohama – 5,956 miles

Yokohama to London – 5,956 miles

London to Salzburg – 641 miles

Salzburg to Monchengladbach – 378 miles

Monchengladbach to London – 283 miles

Total mileage: 13,788 miles

Frank Lampard's career as Chelsea's manager began in the not so glamorous environment of Dalymount Park in Dublin. The Blues played two games in the Irish capital, won one and pulled one before they left for the other side of the world.

They were greeted by thousands of fans who were looking for signatures in Yokohama, but couldn't match theirs' levels of excitement on the field when they fell for a humble 1-0 defeat by J-League powerhouses Kawasaki Frontal.

Four days later, they made the 47-mile trip to Saitama to face Barcelona, ​​where Antoine Griezmann played for the first time since his move from Atletico Madrid. There were encouraging signs for the Blues when they fought for a 2-1 win over the Spanish giants who ended their Japanese tour.

With a transfer ban imposed by the FIF looming over the club, Lampard has had the luxury of not having to worry about recruitment in his first preseason. After returning to England, the Blues went to Reading and claimed an exciting 4-3 win over the championship side.

They still have two friendly games to play. Chelsea will face Red Bull Salzburg in Austria on Wednesday-evening before traveling to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday for their first competition match in Old Trafford.

<img id = ” i-7c6b14ec267b47db ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16683936-7300567-Players_from_Chelsea_and_Kawasaki_Frontale_pose_for_a_picture_be-a-17_1564673864636.jpg ” height = ” 613 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = [194590ea] front of a Chasaki pose for Kawaki front their game in Yokohama in July ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-7c6b14ec267b47db ” src = ” https: / /i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/08/01/16/16683936-7300567-Players_from_Chelsea_and_Kawasaki_Frontale_pose_for_a_picture_be-a-17_1564673864636.jpgisure19459032] height = ” 613 ” 9 = 1945 ] alt = ” Players from Chelsea and Kawasaki Frontale pose for a photo before their match in Yokohama in July ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Chelsea and Kawasaki Frontale players pose for a photo for their Yokohama match in July

<img id = ” i-97cfc0876b10daa1 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YnDyrK ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Mason Mount and David Luiz work together while the countdown to the new blues continues ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-97cfc0876b10daa1 ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6iHn .jpg ” height = ” 642 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Mason Mount and David Luiz work together in training while the countdown to the new season continues for the Blues ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Mason Mount and David Luiz work together in training while counting down to it new season passes for the Blues

Tottenham

TOTTENHAM: WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN?

London to Singapore – 6,740 miles

Singapore to Shanghai – 2,364 miles

Shanghai to London – 5,716 miles

London to Munich – 570 miles

Munich to London – 570 miles

Total number of kilometers: 15,960

Tottenham flew to Asia to face the disappointment beat in Liverpool's Champions League final last season.

Mauricio Pochettino had almost a full team to work with on the training field and in their four friendly games. Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose did not go to Asia because they were looking to seal movements. The right back has become a member of Atletico Madrid, but Rose is still a very member of the club.

After defeating Juventus 3-2 in Singapore thanks to a staggering mid-line effort by Harry Kane in stopping time, Spurs then moved to the Chinese city of Shanghai for their second match of the International Champions Cup.

There was the second victory in Asia, although Manchester United inflicted a domestic defeat on Spurs thanks to goals from Anthony Martial and Angel Gomes. Spurs returned to Enfield for more intensive training before flying to Munich to participate in the Audi Cup.

Kane again scored the winner, this time against Real Madrid on Tuesday night and they will play again on Wednesday against hosts Bayern Munich. Spurs will complete their preparations in their new £ 1 billion stadium against Inter Milan on Sunday.

<img id = ” i-d27e0d707d0c79cd ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YH6c2t 16 / 16683932-7300567-Harry_Kane_waves_to_fans_in_Singapore_after_scoring_a_halfway_li-a-19_1564673864637.jpg ” height = ” 640 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = [inSingaporehamanKaittofansof1945inKauaKaittoTotiteinSingaporeKurttofans] scoring a winner halfway against Juventus ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-d27e0d707d0c79cd ” src = ” https : //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/08/01/16/16683932-7300567-Harry_Kane_waves_to_fans_in_Singapore_after_scoring_a_halfway_li-a-19_1564673864637.jpg ” height = ” 640 ” width 9 = 1945 ” alt = ” Captain Harry of Tottenham Kane waves to fans in Singapore after scoring a winner halfway against Juventus ” class = ” blkBorder img-s hare ” />

Captain Harry Kane of Tottenham waves to fans in Singapore after a mid-line winner against Juventus

<img id = ” i-5177695da7a7717c ” src = ” https://ift.tt/2YnLlFS ] height = ” 645 ” width = ” 962 ” alt = ” Attack on his duo Alli and Son Heung-min hard at work during a sizzling day in Shanghai, one of their Asian tour stops ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

<img id = ” i-5177695da7a7717c ” src = ” https://i.dailymail.co .uk / 1s / 2019/08/01/16 / 16684484-7300567-Attacking_duo_Dele_Alli_and_Son_Heung_Min_work_hard_during_a_swe-a-20_1564673864637.jpg ” height = ” 645 = 1945 9032] alt = ” Attacks of his duo Alli and Son Heung-min hard at work during a blistering day in Shanghai, one of their Asian tour stops ” class = ” blkBorder img-share ” />

Attack on his duo Alli and Son Heung-min hard at work during a blistering day in Shangh, one of their Asian tours stops there

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[torentialtribute]

Transfer News: Neymar, Mauro Icardi and more of the deals still to happen in Europe

The summer transfer window may end in England, but it is just beginning on the continent.

Neymar and James Rodriguez are both associated with high-profile departments of [Saint-Germain and Real-Madrid and Real [Italy] in Italy the pursuit of Romelu Lukaku by Inter MIlan and Juventus seems to have branches for Edin Dzeko, Gonzalo Higuain and Mauro Icardi.

With another full month of news transmission, Sportsmail advises the chance that 10 of the largest transfers will take place between clubs on the continent in the coming weeks.

Neymar is said to be unhappy with PSG but returns to Barcelona faced with many complications

Neymar – PSG to Barcelona

The neymar exit rum mill is in full swing this summer amid reports that the Brazilian superstar has had enough of Paris, just two years after leaving the Nou Camp for a world record rate of £ 198 million.

Marco Verratti added more fuel to the fire on Monday by saying that Paris Saint-Germain & # 39; should not keep unfortunate players & # 39 ;, after Neymar did not return for it preseason and was subsequently fined by the club.

Last season, the misery for the 27-year-old, who banned for an insulting post on social media, worsened and even hit a fan after the French loss of PSG against Rennes. After two injury campaigns it seems that he wants to go back to the Nou Camp.

Barge has spent £ 108 million for Antoine Griezmann and if an agreement is to be agreed upon, it must be an exchange. Philippe Coutinho is a likely player who could go the other way, as well as reluctant duo Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti.

However, a return home for Neymar is hampered by the bitter relationship between PSG and Barca, according to reports in Spain . A switch to Real Madrid would be more likely if they did not already have a lot of money on Eden Hazard and Co. had splashed.

Neymar seems to be fishing for a return, but whether that can happen will depend on whether a complex deal can be achieved.

But with Kylian Mbappe now the king of Paris, it would not be complete to surprise Parisians to reduce their losses and dump their uncertain star.

Probability rating: 3/5 [1945903]

Philippe Coutinho – Barcelona at PSG

Philippe Coutinho did not fulfill his billing during his first full season in the Nou Camp and struggled with a bad relationship with the supporters of the club.

He was chased away by his own fans in the past term and despite public support from his teammates, he has struggled. I am settled. The arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie by Jong will only make it more difficult for Coutinho to settle next season, thus promoting the prospect of an exit.

However, a move back to Anfield is completely excluded from Jurgen Klopp, who says that Liverpool will not spend much this summer. Paris Saint-Germain seems to be his best bet to end his Catalan misery, but with every deal, Neymar is likely to go the other way because of PSG's ongoing dance with Financial Fair Play.

If Barca can pull the right strings to lure Neymar, Coutinho can go the other way. But it remains unlikely.

Probability rating: 2/5 [1945903]

Philippe Coutinho Won't Come to Liverpool While the PSG Movements Depend on Neymar

James Rodriguez – Real Madrid to Napoli

] James Rodriguez seemed to be ready for a summer move before Real Madrid & # 39; s 7-3 humiliated by rivals Athletic in the preseason.

The Colombian returned to Madrid this month after a successful two-year stint with Bayern Munich on loan, but despite his good form, Zinedine Zidane seemed unwilling to find a place for him next season.

Napoli are the favorites for his signature and, after missing Nicolas Pepe in Arsenal, they would have doubled James.

Carlo Ancelotti has talked a lot about the playmaker, but they were able to face competition from Athletic, after their managing director Gil Marin confirmed their interest last week.

But Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, who had already intervened in the future of Gareth Bale, also reportedly James & Exit also blocked after the shock-friendly defeat of the club .

The intervention could scupper Rodriguez & # 39; s departure plans, but because Atletico and Napoli are both publicly interested and really have to reclaim part of the money they spent this summer, it would be unwise to have a exclude transfer.

Probability: 3/5 [1945903]

James Rodriguez has previously worked with Carlo Ancelotti and they could be reunited with Napoli

Mariano Diaz – Real Madrid to Monaco

While Florentino Perez tried to block the outputs of both James Rodriguez as Gareth Bale, he may be smoother when he encounters the departure of Mariano Diaz. £ 21m, after he sold it £ 7m a year earlier.

He onl and made a handful of performances last season, and after the arrival of Luka Jovic, the 25-year-old fell further into the pecking order.

The 13-time European champions reportedly want £ 18 million for Mariano, with both Monaco and Rome on the hunt . The French side is looking for a long-term replacement for Radamel Falcao, and coach Leonardo Jardim has identified Mariano as his number 1 target – according to L & # 39; Equipe .

Mariano is reluctant to leave but with experience with Ligue 1 already to his name, Monaco could be an ideal destination.

Probability rating: 4/5

Mariano seems to be leaving the Bernabeu and his likely destination is Monaco

Gonzalo Higuain – Juventus to Rome

Gonzalo Higuain probably thought Maurizio Sarri's appointment in Juventus would see that the Turin club would welcome him with open arms despite his overwhelming loan stay in Chelsea.

Higuain worked with Sarri in Napoli for the Blues, but the Italian coach is unlikely to find a place for him this season in the Allianz Stadium and the Argentinian seems to be moving again this summer.

Rome is strongly associated with a move for Higuain, with Italian media reporting That striker Nicolas met the club.

Any transfer to the Italian capital is said to be dependent on Edin Dzeko on his way to Inter, who, however, tries to lure another attacker – Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United – to the San Siro.

Probability Value: 3/5

Gonzalo Higuain is ready to join Rome, but that deal will only continue if Edin Dzeko leaves

Edin Dzeko – Rome to Inter Milan

Inter are stepping their attempts to sign Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku this week. The former Everton man flew to Belgium to meet his agent on Friday and has been left out of United & # 39; s tour team to Norway since .

The Italian club has found United & # 39; s £ 80m asking price a big stumbling block and reports now suggest that Juventus has stolen a march on Antonio Conte & # 39; s side, helped by their ability to include Paulo Dybala or Douglas Costa in every deal.

Ax As a result, Inter has looked at alternatives to the Belgian one and reportedly have set their sights on the former York Dzeko striker Edinburg.

With Juve now at the wheel for Lukaku, the chance that Bosnian attackers trade Rome for Milan seems more likely. Unless, of course, Inter decides to spend a lot.

Probability rating: 3/5

Mauro Icardi – Inter Milan to Juventus

Another player entangled in it web of Lukaku-Dzeko-Higuain is former Inter-captain Mauro Icardi.

The attacker has heard that he has no future with Inter after the arrival of Antonio Tel but He left the preseason training camp of the club by mutual consent earlier this month, and played a role in the pre-season tour of Asia by Inter.

Icardi and Radja Nainggolan were offered to United in exchange for Lukaku, but the Red Devils rejected that offer. Instead, Icardi & # 39; s agent and wife, Wanda Nara, have attempted to move to Juventus.

As revealed by Sportsmail Friday Nara wants to move to Turin because she is pregnant for the sixth time and wants to raise all her children in Italy – an opinion of Icardi.

Juventus has long been associated with the Italian attacker, but if they land Lukaku, it seems unlikely that they would turn to Icardi. An alternative destination could be Rome but for the time being Icardi's future lies with Inter-pursuit of Lukaku.

Probability rating: 2/5

Added to the mix is ​​unwanted Inter forward Mauro Icardi, who moves stallion for Juventus

Malcolm – Barcelona to Zenit St. Petersburg

After splashing out Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie van Jong, Barcelona reportedly hoped to discharge several stars to compensate, including the former Bordeaux winger Malcolm.

The Brazilian only interm ittent after his £ 36.5 million move from France last summer, leaving only 24 appearances for the Catalans, and reports in Spain suggesting that he could be on his way.

Malcolm is associated with PSG as another part of a huge swap deal with Neymar, while Borussia Dortmund reportedly in the mix with the German club is in conversations about a switch. Everton is also interested after their failure to agree to compensation for Wilfried Zaha.

But it is Zenit St. Petersburg who has become the frontrunners for his signature, with the Russian club also in talks with Barcelona about the Brazilian

Zenit & President Alexander Medvedev confirmed that the club is in discussion with Barca, but they hope to lower his £ 36 million asking price.

Dortmund & # 39; s track record of transforming young talent can appeal to the 22-year-old, although Zenit's financial muscle power can be significant.

Probability: 4/5

Malcolm is undesirable in Barcelona and is interested from Borussia Dortmund and Russia

Radamel Falcao – Monaco to Galatasaray

Radamel Falcao has found Monaco as a refuge for rediscovery since he returned to the Principality in 2016.

Two ill-fated loan spells in Chelsea and Manchester United left many wondering if his best days were behind him. But his form helped Monaco reach the semifinals of the Champions League and win the competition in 2017, as he showed that he could still take it to the highest level.

But the 33-year-old now enters the twilight of his career and after the bad time out of Monaco the last time, he is associated with a move.

At the top of the list of suitors who appear to be Turkish champions Galatasaray, who have offered the Colombian a two-year contract worth more than his current £ 7.5ma annual salary, according to L & # 39; Team .

Valencia and Seville would also monitor their situation, but that of Galatasaray it is unlikely that the financial offer will be improved.

Probability rating: 4/5 [1945903]

] Radamel Falcao seems ready to leave Monaco this summer with Galatasaray hot in pursuit

Donny van de Beek – Ajax to Real Madrid

Ajax is completely looted this summer and looting Amsterdam may not be over yet.

Donny van de Beek was an instrumental part of the impressive attacking power of the Dutch side that catapulted the club to the semifinals of the Champions League, and his fine form earned him links to the Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The side of Zinedine Zidane already has this summer but the French coach remains determined to land Paul Pogba, the last part of his multi-million pound Real-renovation.

The interest in Van de Beek subsequently decreased, although he remains a susceptible backup option, with Merk reported last month that negotiations are ongoing & # 39; # 39; were between Real and Ajax to ensure that the 22-year-old was recruited if the pursuit of Los Blancos in Pogba failed.

If Manchester United maintains its high asking price for Pogba, it might be unwise to rule out a late swoop for the Dutch playmaker instead.

Probability rating: 2/5

] Donny van de Beek is said to be a backup option for Real Madrid in his pursuit of Paul Pogba

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