Before Jay Cutler could broadcast the first game of his television career, the allure of the NFL has already drawn him back to the playing field. The Dolphins signed the veteran signal-caller to a one-year, $10 million deal.
Saquon Barkley was already one of the most successful running backs in college football last season, leading Penn State's resurgence. With a more seasoned offensive line ready for a leap forward, Barkley is poised for even bigger things in 2017.
A softball team from Atlee, Va., was disqualified from the Junior League World Series after advancing to the championship game because of a photo posted on Snapchat in which six players extended middle fingers, a gesture intended for their opponent.
This summer, the Patriots have scheduled joint practice sessions with three separate opponents. While joint practices aren't new, the volume and way Bill Belichick will use them could set a new standard for the league.
CC Sabathia's at an age and stage when there are lots of cool notes attached to his numbers, including most recently when he tied Cy Young for 20th on the all-time strikeout list. But all he cares about now is helping the Yankees win.
The English Premier League calendar begins this Friday, and the fun won't stop until a champion is crowned next May. To get ready for the new campaign, let's run down 15 players to watch for the upcoming season.
Seven men were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, but the highlight of the night was a stirring speech given by former San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
In his final individual race, Usain Bolt finished in third place in the 100-meter final, losing to Justin Gatlin at the IAAF World Athletic Championships. A final game rarely defines a career, but sometimes it does. Here are grades for 10 other recent career finales.
Our 2017 college football conference previews continue with the Mid-American Conference. Last year, Western Michigan and Ohio broke the Northern Illinois-Bowling Green hold on the conference. Now, it's time for Toledo and Miami (Ohio) to emerge.
With so many teams having improved their rosters at the non-wavier Trade Deadline, we were wondering who the most improved players have been thus far this season across both leagues. Here's a quick look at five hitters and five pitchers.
Big-picture QB dance continues to be very Browns
Falcons pick McKinley likely to debut Sunday
Browns dig through Duke Johnson's backpack and find a lost treasure
Raiders CB Smith arrested on assault charges
Cutler withstands hit on surgically repaired arm
It's time for Vikings to decide how new pieces fit on offensive line
Seahawks want to see more of Eddie Lacy against Vikings
Sources: Steelers thought Bell deal was done
Bruce Arians feeling 'really good' after doc-ordered vegan stint
Who says player-for-player trades never happen in the NFL? Buffalo shook up Friday afternoon by making a couple deals to revamp their receiving corps and secondary.
First, they dealt WR Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round pick to the LA Rams for CB E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick.
Then, with a new surplus at corner and a deficit at receiver, they traded CB Ronald Darby to Philadelphia for WR Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick.
I'm not even sure where to start with this. I'm all for punishing domestic violence, but players with much stronger evidence against them (i.e. Josh Brown) got much shorter suspensions. Also, we're talking about an incident from before Elliott's rookie year. How on earth did the NFL investigation drag on for over a year? Why is this suspension being announced now? Of course, Elliott can now appeal...
Hey kids, more podcasts! I talk to the Sports-Casters podcast here about Football Outsiders Almanac 2017, Cam Newton's performance, whether the Bills can ever make the playoffs, and why FO has not gone to a subscription content model. Sorry for the poor audio quality, I had to do the interview from the car because my schedule's been a bit packed this week.
A new feature for ESPN Insider, the QB Hope Index. I broke down the last 20 years of franchise quarterbacks to figure out what indicators help us learn when a young quarterback will fully develop, and then we give the chances for every quarterback from the last three drafts. You may be surprised to learn even Dak Prescott doesn't have a 100 percent chance of long-term success, and even Christian Hackenberg is not at zero.
Part II of our route study looks at 2016 quarterbacks. Who threw the deepest digs and the shortest curl routes? Who was crazy enough to throw 42 go routes and 28 fades? We finally have data to answer these questions.
A reminder for those of you who have not seen the announcement on Twitter or Facebook: I'll be appearing tonight (tomorrow morning?) on Late Night with Seth Meyers to discuss Football Outsiders Almanac 2017 and the upcoming NFL season. Seth's an FO reader and a diehard Steelers fan. UPDATE: You can now click here for a video of part of my appearance.
Scramble for the Ball is back, whether you like it or not! This week, Bryan and Andrew return to take on the East divisions, pondering Washington's front office, New England's quest for greatness, and what the heck the Jets think they're doing, anyway.
I did a nice podcast this week with Jaugars fans on the Down by the Bank podcast. It's a good listen for folks who want to know more about me and my thoughts on analytics past just Jacksonville. We talk about why I've opened up my Twitter feed (but not this website) to politics, civil rights issues in the NFL, the current status of analytics in the NFL, how I decide on who gets chapters in FO Almanac, and my past in Daytona Beach.
Rivers McCown and Stephanie Stradley have a long conversation about Football Outsiders Almanac 2017 and our unhappy projection for the Houston Texans. How can special teams be this bad for this long?
Our first part of a study on DVOA by route types focuses on receivers. Which players were the most valuable on digs, slants, curls, and nine other routes? Also: is the WR screen bad for offense? And is Tavon Austin good at anything?
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) If there were any doubts that Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is healthy again, joint practices with the Rams and New Orleans Saints have quashed them.
Doug Gottlieb talks about Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Find out why he thinks they are big winners this preseason.
Baylor Camp Update: The Bears...the Big Apple...and The Tonight Show
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Julian Stanford was stunned by what he saw between him and the quarterback.
A Charger fan gives his viewpoint on still rooting from San Diego.
Some fans in San Diego are still loyal to the Bolts.
The preseason game for the Chargers still had solid ratings.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) The Baltimore Ravens have signed center Jeremy Zuttah, who returns to the team that traded him to San Francisco in March.
CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bears have signed veteran free-agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard.
Rob Parker joins Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe to talk about Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys.
Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown was absent Tuesday as the team prepared to leave for training camp in West Virginia, according to NFL Network's James Palmer.
The Indianapolis Colts announced Tuesday that first-round draft pick Malik Hooker will open training camp on the PUP list. Hooker injured his hamstring during Monday's conditioning test.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead was arrested and charged with misdemeanor petty larceny in June after he was accused of shoplifting in Virginia, according to court and police records.
Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon enters Year 2 facing more adversity. After earning a four-game ban for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing drugs, Dixon is slated for knee surgery Tuesday.
Former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned. For his ex-teammate in San Francisco, Jeremy Kerley, that's a shame. Because for Kerley, Kaepernick "knows how to get" a team back to the Super Bowl.
The Broncos have reached an agreement with general manager John Elway on a new five-year deal through 2021, the team announced Monday.
Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant may have shown up late to training camp, but that didn't stop him from professing his love for the organization that drafted him.
Veteran pass rusher Tamba Hali took to Twitter to vent some frustration he has with fellow Chiefs teammates. Coach Andy Reid said Hali "doesn't need to go there and do all that."
The Colts will open training camp with their franchise quarterback on the sideline. GM Chris Ballard announced Monday that Andrew Luck will be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Watch preseason games of the 10 international teams in 2017 LIVE.
Watch the 2017 series of Hard Knocks on Sky Sports and Game Pass. Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers will have cameras follow them throughout Training Camp.
Pogba, Kane, Aguero meet NFL stars during preseason tours.
Subway stores are proud to announce a groundbreaking new partnership with the NFL London Games having secured the position of Presenting Partner in the UK and Ireland over the next three years. So...
The second season on Amazon's award winning documentary series, 'All or Nothing' features the Los Angeles Rams and is now available to fans in the UK.
Who will be announced as the 10 best players in the NFL?
Ahead of their first London Game in October the Cardinals President Michael Bidwill spoke with British Cardinals fans this week.
Before Jay Cutler could broadcast the first game of his television career, the allure of the NFL has already drawn him back to the playing field. The Dolphins signed the veteran signal-caller to a one-year, $10 million deal.
Saquon Barkley was already one of the most successful running backs in college football last season, leading Penn State's resurgence. With a more seasoned offensive line ready for a leap forward, Barkley is poised for even bigger things in 2017.
A softball team from Atlee, Va., was disqualified from the Junior League World Series after advancing to the championship game because of a photo posted on Snapchat in which six players extended middle fingers, a gesture intended for their opponent.
This summer, the Patriots have scheduled joint practice sessions with three separate opponents. While joint practices aren't new, the volume and way Bill Belichick will use them could set a new standard for the league.
CC Sabathia's at an age and stage when there are lots of cool notes attached to his numbers, including most recently when he tied Cy Young for 20th on the all-time strikeout list. But all he cares about now is helping the Yankees win.
The English Premier League calendar begins this Friday, and the fun won't stop until a champion is crowned next May. To get ready for the new campaign, let's run down 15 players to watch for the upcoming season.
Seven men were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, but the highlight of the night was a stirring speech given by former San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
In his final individual race, Usain Bolt finished in third place in the 100-meter final, losing to Justin Gatlin at the IAAF World Athletic Championships. A final game rarely defines a career, but sometimes it does. Here are grades for 10 other recent career finales.
Our 2017 college football conference previews continue with the Mid-American Conference. Last year, Western Michigan and Ohio broke the Northern Illinois-Bowling Green hold on the conference. Now, it's time for Toledo and Miami (Ohio) to emerge.
With so many teams having improved their rosters at the non-wavier Trade Deadline, we were wondering who the most improved players have been thus far this season across both leagues. Here's a quick look at five hitters and five pitchers.
Adrian Peterson is one the biggest names in the NFL free agency. But so far, the running back has yet to find a team. Peterson is coming off an injury-plagued season wherein he played 3 games. At 32 years old, it seems that teams are reluctant to sign him but according to the player, finding the right team is most important.
The New York Giants reportedly don't have an interest in signing Adrian Peterson mainly because of one specific reason. That specific reason involves the way the New York Giants handled kicker Josh Brown.
Tony Romo claims a 97.1 career passer rating with 248 touchdowns and 117 interceptions over 156 games with the Cowboys.
Darrelle Revis may be looking to reunite with his former team in the New England Patriots if rumors are to be followed. The Patriots have signed Brandin Cooks to a lucrative deal that might lead to the eventual departure of Malcolm Butler. This leaves them with an open roster spot for the CB position to which the veteran Revis could fill in the spot.
Ezekiel Elliott is grabbing the headlines for the wrong reasons this offseason, and Cowboys legend and Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin gave him some advice.
FBI has returned the stolen Super Bowl jersey of New England Patriots' quarter-back Tom Brady on Thursday. This jersey was found out on Monday when the thief Ortega was seen stealing it on a video. The guy is not arrested yet.
The New England Patriots and LeGarrette Blount did discuss a possible deal but both sides couldn't come to an agreement.
The New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers offered more money but ultimately Dont'a Hightower turned both offers down and decided to return to the New England Patriots.
As rumors continue to swirl around the NFL, reports say that the New England Patriots have not yet discussed a deal with Darrelle Revis
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the New Orleans are said to be interested in signing former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel
Rafael Nadal moves into the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals with victory over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka has pulled out of next week's Cincinnati Open because of "a family matter".
Rafael Nadal is beaten by 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov at the Rogers Cup in Montreal but Roger Federer reaches the last eight.
World number four Novak Djovokic will not play tennis again in 2017 and says "professionally this is not an easy decision for me".
Watch the weird and wonderful from this year's Wimbledon, featuring silky skills, roaring lions and we find out who the Wimbledon ghost is.
Roger Federer, now a 19-time Grand Slam champion, says he was inspired by sporting legends such as Usain Bolt, LeBron James and Michael Schumacher
Watch some of the quirkier moments from the final day of Wimbledon as Roger Federer becomes the first man to win eight men's singles titles with victory over Marin Cilic.
Roger Federer beats Marin Cilic in straight sets to win his eighth Wimbledon title, beating the record he had shared with Pete Sampras.
Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker analyses Marin Cilic's performance as he breaks down in tears in Wimbledon final during loss to Roger Federer.
Britain's Jamie Murray and Switzerland's Martina Hingis beat Britain's Heather Watson and Finland's Henri Kontinen in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final.
Jeff Legwold ESPN Senior Writer Close Covered Broncos for nine years for Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Previously covered Steelers, Bills and Titans Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999 Follow on Twitter SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Reading the tea leaves about what the Denver
Quarterback Derek Carr There's one thing I know for sure; it's that the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum will be rocking tomorrow night when the Oakland Raiders take center stage in front of Raider Nation. Behind the roar of the crowd, the Silver and Black will storm the field ready to take on
Mike Rodak ESPN Staff Writer Close Previously covered the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com Providence College graduate Follow on Twitter ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott gave a vote of confidence Friday to Tyrod Taylor after his performance in Thursday's preseason loss to the Philadelphia
OXNARD, Calif. – Training camp is in the books – at least the California portion – as the Cowboys return to Frisco for another six practices indoors. But four weeks in Oxnard was plenty of time for players to stand out. Let's find out the Top 10 training camp standouts, voted on by the staff writers
Top takeaways, developments from 49ers training camp
John Lynch confident that 49ers will be prepared for hectic 53-man roster cuts
Two potential playoff teams will play under the lights Friday night in Washington. The Seattle Seahawks, the defending NFC West champions, will host the Minnesota Vikings at CenturyLink Field in the second preseason game for both teams. Both teams are 1-0 in the preseason, not that it matters, and with
The San Francisco 49ers officially concluded training camp on Thursday which shifts the focus squarely on the final three preseason games. Saturday's contest against the Denver Broncos should provide a more extended look at the starters than we saw last week in Kansas City. Here is this week'
Atlanta Falcons fans have been waiting patiently for first-round pick Takkarist McKinley to make his NFL debut. The wait is finally over. According to a report by D. Orlando Ledbetter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, coach Dan Quinn says his rookie defensive end is ready to go for Sunday's preseason
Geno Smith ran a lap on Tuesday as penance for fumbling twice in practice, but on Friday he was not running from accountability for his turnovers and a preseason-opening performance below his standard. “I could have been better,” Smith told the Daily News of his Giants debut one week ago against the
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked during a Friday press conference if he has any plans to discuss with his players the national anthem protests occurring around the NFL.“I won’t,” Tomlin succinctly stated.Tomlin was later asked for his reaction to the events last weekend in Charlottesville, Va., where a rally led by white nationalists, white supremacists and neo-Nazis devolved into violence.The tense situation turned tragic when one person was killed and 19 others injured when James Alex Fields Jr. plowed through a group of counter-protesters. Two Virginia State Troopers also died in helicopter crash while monitoring the situation.The outbreak of violence and nature of the situation has turned into a new rallying cry for NFL players who are opting to protest the anthem before games.Tomlin made it abundantly clear he wasn’t interested in expressing his personal opinions on the matter.“I have no reaction,” Tomlin said. “You know, a lot of people have personal...
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back James Conner will finally get the chance he’s dreamed about for years when he plays Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.The rookie out of Pitt missed the first game dealing with a shoulder injury. But it looks like the hometown kid is going to get as many chances as possible to show off his stuff this weekend. One of the most popular players in the entire NFL, based on jersey sales, this native of Pittsburgh was a third-round pick this past April. During his career at the University of Pittsburgh, the former Panthers star was highly productive, piling up 4,145 total yards and 56 touchdowns in 39 games.Incredibly, he overcame cancer to become one of college football’s biggest stars last year. Even though he was nowhere near 100-percent healthy at the beginning of the year, Conner tallied 1,394 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final campaign at Pitt.Obviously, Le’Veon Bell is the top running back in Pittsburgh. But he’s nowhere to be found right...
Things are getting more interesting and heating up by the moment when it comes to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell’s relationship with his team.This latest piece of news from Bell’s agent suggests that there was never an agreement originally offered by the Steelers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This flies in the face of a report that indicated Bell was offered and then turned down a five-year deal that would have paid him slightly more than $12 million per season.Further news emerged on Friday that indicates Bell wants a deal that pays him $15 million per season.The July 17th deadline to come to terms on a new deal for Bell has long since passed. Bell’s only choices are to sign his franchise tender that would pay him $12 million this year, or not play at all.Since Bell’s holdout, the Steelers have been pressing him to come back. This latest news coming from Bell’s agent, however, is bound to prompt a reaction from the Steelers, at least internally if not out...
Cam Newton is not expected to play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, but that does not mean Carolina Panthers fans need to hit the panic button.While ESPN’s Dianna Russini said the Panthers decided to hold Newton out after evaluating his shoulder, it sounds like the decision is more precautionary. Tom Pellisero of NFL Network reports that Newton has been throwing more and more each day, and the quarterback’s shoulder “feels fine.” Newton played through the shoulder injury for a good portion of the 2016 season, so any soreness he is experiencing is a concern. However, that is likely just part of the recovery process after he underwent surgery. The Panthers are not going to take any risks in the preseason.There has been talk that the Panthers want Newton to change his style of play so he can avoid injuries, but he does not sound open to making any big adjustments.
Over the next few weeks as part of our NFL preview series, we’ll be taking a good look at each division in the league. We started with the AFC East, then moved on to the AFC North. Now? Here’s a look at the AFC South.The AFC South has been one of the weaker divisions in football this decade. The Texans have taken the division title each of the past two seasons despite going only 9-7 each time. In fact, Houston and Indianapolis are the only teams to win it in the past eight seasons. Now they’ve both been very successful in the first round of the playoffs, but only the 2014 Colts reached the AFC title game.The AFC South has also had just seven wild card qualifiers since 2002. None of them have won a playoff game.This season, there’s an argument for any of the four teams in the division to come away on top. How will things play out? 1. Tennessee Titans There’s a lot of hype behind the Titans as a sleeper team this year. Their potential to be a dominant grind-it-out team is through the...
The Jacksonville Jaguars used the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 to draft Blake Bortles, but it’s clear now he’s not a franchise quarterback. Quite the opposite, in fact. The former UCF star broke out in 2015 only to take a significant step back last season. Now he’s a broken thing if Thursday night’s preseason game is any indication.Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone made it clear following the team’s Week 2 game that the quarterback competition was wide open.But as noted by Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, there really is no competition at this point. Henne is quite obviously the team’s best option right now, unless the Jags bring in a guy like Colin Kaepernick, as we’ve proposed in the past.On that note, O’Halloran believes the Jaguars must not play Bortles any more this preseason. If he gets injured the team could be on the hook for $19 million, which is guaranteed for injury next year.But could the team take it a step further?It should.“They can’t take the risk of Bortles...
As the Pittsburgh Steelers await the return of holdout running back Le’Veon Bell, new information has emerged about why no long-term deal occurred this summer.According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers and Bell’s agent agreed on a deal before the July 17 deadline.“The five-year deal, according to sources, averaged more than $12 million annually. While it could not be determined how much signing bonus or guaranteed money was included in that, the sources said it would have paid more than $30 million in the first two years.”But Bell nixed the deal. Why would he shoot down an offer that would have made him (by far) the richest running back in the NFL?“The sources told the Post-Gazette that Bell wants an average of $15 million. One year ago, he recorded a rap song titled ‘Focus’ which included the lyrics, ‘I’m at the top, and if not, I’m the closest. I’m a need 15 a year and they know this.’”This falls in line with a report we covered leading up to the...
One of the reasons the Cleveland Browns are known as the Factory of Sadness is that the franchise has been unable to get the quarterback position right. All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas has been around for 18 starting quarterbacks in his 10-year career. And wouldn’t you know it, he can list them all.Though, it took some doing. That’s pretty amazing, folks. To be put on the spot like that and have the wherewithal to come through in the clutch, not leaving a single guy unaccounted for, is something most people would struggle with.What’s even more remarkable to this scribe is that Joe Thomas has, quite recently, admitted he suffers from some memory loss that may or may not be related to playing football.On a different note, Browns fans might be reluctant to hope for it, but DeShone Kizer looks like he might finally break through as a long-term answer for the embattled franchise.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who’s recovering from shoulder surgery, is being held out of Saturday’s Week 2 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.After getting his shoulder evaluated, the team has opted to play it safe with Newton, per Dianna Russini of ESPN. The Panthers are coming off a Super Bowl hangover 2016 campaign in which they won just six games. They feature a roster capable of getting back to the Super Bowl, if things break the right way.But everything rests on Newton staying healthy and fresh.Quite honestly, it would have been dumb to let Newton play this week. He’s coming off an extended period of time in which he had to abstain from throwing, as it is.Sure, it would be nice to get some reps in with the first-team offense against another team. But can you imagine the fallout if Newton were to re-aggravate his shoulder issue or worse still, if he sustained a season-ending injury in a meaningless exhibition game?If his shoulder is fine next week, then...
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone confirmed after Thursday night’s preseason game that the quarterback competition is wide open, but one reporter who covers the team believes Marrone has made up his mind.The Blake Bortles era could already be over.Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union expects Chad Henne to get the start in Week 1. Bortles has had a terrible offseason and continued that trend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, and O’Halloran suspects that performance backed up a decision Marrone has already made.By opening up the quarterback competition between Blake Bortles and Chad Henne, Jaguars coach Doug Marrone is essentially closing it … and giving it to Henne. This regime isn’t about the future, it’s about which players they feel give them the best chance to win in Houston on Sept. 10. They’ll take Check-down Chad over a quarterback whose confidence looks shattered.Bortles completed 8 of 13 passes for just 65 yards in the preseason game, and...
