Good morning, Broncos Country!

Craig Morton, the Broncos’ Ring of Fame quarterback who helped Denver transition from NFL irrelevance to Super Bowl contender in the late 1970s, died May 9, the Broncos announced on Monday.

Morton, drafted by the Cowboys in 1965, joined the Broncos in 1977 and led them to their first playoff appearance, first AFC Championship and first Super Bowl berth that season.

With the help of the Orange Crush defense, Morton secured home playoff wins over two stalwart franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders, on the way to Super Bowl XII. Morton had even spent several days in the hospital for a hip injury just before the Raiders game, where he led the Broncos

Facing off against his former team, Morton and the Broncos fell short in Super Bowl XII, losing 27-10 behind eight turnovers.

For his performance during that 1977 season, Morton was named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Year as well as Pro Football Writers of America’s Comeback Player of the Year and Sporting News’ Player of the Year.

As a Bronco, Morton led the team to two division titles and three playoff berths, finishing his career in Denver as the quarterback with the most passing yards (11,895), passing touchdowns (74), pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907) in franchise history at the time. John Elway would shatter those records, but Morton’s 41 regular-season wins remains the third most in franchise history.

In his 18-year career that began with the Cowboys and included a stint with the Giants, Morton threw for 183 touchdowns and 27,908 yards. He was the first quarterback in NFL history to start in two Super Bowls — Super Bowl V with the Cowboys in a losing effort to the Baltimore Colts and of course Super Bowl XII in a losing effor to his former team, 27-10.

Morton’s time in Denver is often overshadowed by the dominance of the Orange Crush defense that was the identity of the franchise in its quest for relevancy, but he was a crucial piece of that rise.

Morton was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988 along with Haven Moses and Jim Turner.

Just before Super Bowl XII and after Denver had toppled the mighty Raiders in the AFC Championship, Moses told the New York Times that Morton was his MVP.

“Craig Morton is unbelievable,” said the 32‐year‐old wide receiver who caught two touchdown passes from Morton in that game and earned the game ball from his teammates. “To me he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League this year.”

The Bears are near the end of Caleb Williams' rookie contract, and soon it will be time to pay him a boatload of money. Before they have to do that, winning a Super Bowl would be a great thing to achieve. The Bears are on a realistic path to that achievement after a successful Year 1 in the new era of Ben Johnson.

In a recent article, Mike Pendleton concludes that the Bears need to strike while the iron is hot before Caleb Williams big payday. Here is what he had to say about the Bears moving forward, heading into the end of Williams's rookie contract:

"Pairing Johnson with Williams was key to the season that the Bears had last year, winning the NFC North division for the first time since 2018, and beating the Green Bay Packers twice last year, including eliminating them from the playoffs.

Chicago understands the urgency to strike big while in the early stages of Williams' career, looking to build the most competitive and talented roster around him while he is still on his rookie deal. Teams that have young quarterbacks have a small window to find the most success before they have to pay the face of their franchise big money, which is where the Bears are approaching in 2026, the last year season for Williams before he's eligible for a lucrative contract extension.

Williams is certainly in line for a massive payday, but for financial reasons, the Bears would most certainly love to capitalize on the highest level of success, winning a Super Bowl sooner rather than later."

The Bears showed in just one season of the Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson experience that they are capable of success. Nearly a play away from an NFC Championship appearance. With Caleb taking another step, there is no reason to believe this team can't reach that destination and much more in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Chicago Bears are gunning for it all in 2026 with good financial setup

Saracens' teenage star Noah Caluori believes he is now ready for the step up to international rugby after a stunning breakthrough season.

The 19-year-old has scored 18 tries in the Prem this campaign, just two short of Sam Simmonds' regular-season record from 2021.

Caluori trained with Steve Borthwick's senior squad before the autumn internationals and is now targeting a Test debut this summer.

"I feel like now is a good time [to play international rugby]," he told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"I feel like I would back myself if I got put into that environment, if I got put into the team. I would be happy to go on the [summer] tour."

• Caluori aims for England debut inside six months - then greatness
• Caluori-led rampant Saracens annihilate sorry Sale

Caluori was catapulted into the spotlight after scoring five tries against Sale on his full Saracens debut in October, earning an immediate call-up to Borthwick's autumn squad and an appearance for England 'A' in November.

However Caluori was not involved in the Six Nations, instead featuring for England Under-20s, and admits playing full international rugby at that point may have come too soon.

On 4 July, England face South Africa in Johannesburg before playing Fiji in an 'away' fixture at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool a week later. They then travel to the small Argentine city of Santiago del Estero to face the Pumas on 18 July.

"Maybe the autumn or the Six Nations would have been a bit of a rush," Caluori said.

"But I feel like I got handled well during the autumn and the Six Nations, putting me into England 'A' to experience that level as well as enjoying my time with the Under-20s, and going on a bit of a physical development plan was good.

"If I were to play [for England] earlier this year it would have been a rush, but now is a good time, especially experiencing this run-in with everything on the line for Saracens. It shows how [critical] every result is, and that's similar to a Test match game.

"I've had some comms [with Steve Borthwick], we've had a chat, and I'm just focused on playing my best rugby from now until the end of the season."

After scoring five tries in the home fixture against Sale, Caluori repeated the feat against them last month, and says he is coming to terms with being one of the most talked-about players in the league.

"I feel like the most pressure that will come on me is maybe internalised pressure," he added.

"And I've dealt with that pretty well and then spoken to people to help me with it, so I can just focus on being the best team-mate and the best person on the pitch I can be.

"But I feel like I'm handling everything pretty well. I'm trying to enjoy it."

Athletes moving into streaming is no longer a side story. It is becoming part of the way they speak directly to their audience.

UFC stars Max Holloway and Renato Moicano, for instance, are active in that space, while Arman Tsarukyan has appeared on major influencer streams. Boxing champion Ryan Garcia has also embraced live streaming.

Basketball is moving the same way. Jaylen Brown and Scottie Barnes are among the NBA names already using streams to show personality and control their own message.

That wider shift gives Carmelo Anthony’s latest view extra weight, as the former 10-time NBA All-Star believes streams should replace post-match press conferences altogether.

Carmelo Anthony says streaming is the new press conference

Speaking on “7PM in Brooklyn”, Melo made the case that players no longer need to hand their immediate reaction to traditional media settings.

He said: “Why give a press conference to a company? When I’m my own IP, I can go, do my own press conference. Streaming is a new press conference.

“Right, nobody wanna sit in a room and answer questions on five, six, seven reporters. They wanna get to the nitty gritty of it and face it face to face with your followers and the people who’s actually watching. They are the ones who really wanna ask the real questions.”

Replacing press conferences with streams still carries obvious risks

The idea is modern, but it is not simple. Press conferences are controlled environments, usually shaped by PR staff, team rules and league expectations.

Streams remove much of that structure. Players can sound more relaxed, but that comfort can create headlines, as Brown recently showed with remarks about Joel Embiid and NBA officiating.

There is also a commercial issue. Press conferences form part of the media ecosystem that broadcasters pay heavily to access, especially when live rights depend on player availability.

Read more:

LSU football has finished spring practice, and the wait for Week 1 begins. Summer doesn’t bring too much big-time news in terms of the Tigers who will take the field this fall, but it is the most important period for recruiting. The spring and summer are when many recruits narrow down their schools of interest, and given this year’s Tiger team and its lack of young depth at several positions, LSU needs to be on many of those recruits’ short lists.

Here are the three most important positions for LSU football to target in the 2027 recruiting class:

Offensive Line

LSU’s offensive line is the clear-cut most important position on this list. The only player in the Tigers’ projected starting five with any chance of staying in Baton Rouge after this upcoming season is right tackle Weston Davis, who is heading into a “prove-it” year after a mostly-poor stretch of play in 2025.

There’s some young depth along the line, with sophomore guard Devin Harper, redshirt freshman guard Solomon Thomas, redshirt sophomore center William Satterwhite II, redshirt freshman tackle Derrin Strey, and true freshman tackle Brysten Martinez. However, even with those potential building blocks, bringing in some top-ranked recruits along the line will be key to turning the position from a question mark into a strength in the future.

Edge Rusher

Kiffin and his staff did a quality job signing talent at edge rusher this offseason, bringing in the No. 1 player at the position, Princewill Umanmielen, and former five-star Jordan Ross. However, Umanmielen is out of eligibility after this season, and Ross is a junior who did not play to his potential during his time at Tennessee.

The Tigers signed the No. 1 player in the country this offseason, Lamar Brown, who will play defensive end under Blake Baker. Brown played more three-technique in high school but is expected to transition smoothly into his new role. They also signed four-star Trenton Henderson, who beefed up considerably this offseason and will hopefully make an impact in the fall.

Beyond those three future pieces, things become more concerning. Redshirt sophomore Jaylen Brown signed with the Tigers out of South Carolina, but he struggled to see the field in Columbia, and it’s hard to see him developing into a high-level starter. There’s also the oft-injured Gabriel Reliford, who had a strong start to the 2025 season before tearing his rotator cuff in Week 4. Reliford was expected to be an impact player this upcoming season, but he tore his ACL in LSU's second spring practice, raising questions about his availability this upcoming year. Given Reliford’s injury history, it’s hard to trust him to become a high-level starter in 2027.

LSU has already secured a commitment from one high-level recruit at this position this offseason, South Carolina native Jaiden Bryant. Bryant is the No. 4 edge rusher in the 2027 class, but if LSU could add some more talent behind him, it would pay dividends.

Cornerback

This is the most concerning position group on LSU’s roster heading into the season. After sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding tore his Achilles this spring, depth at the position is paper-thin.

During a recent press conference, Lane Kiffin was asked for his thoughts on the depth at the position after Anding's injury, and his response didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

“Some guys did some decent things, but nobody stepped up to make you feel great in that,” Kiffin said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do [there].”

The starting two at the position, DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland, have the potential to be one of the best starting cornerback tandems in the country. Both have remaining eligibility beyond this year, but if Woodland has the type of season many expect from him, he could easily decide to forgo that final year of eligibility and enter the draft.

The players behind Pickett and Woodland have potential, despite Kiffin’s concerns. Ja’Keem Jackson is a former top-50 recruit and is entering his second season under cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond. The Tigers’ latest recruiting class also includes four-star cornerbacks Havon Finney Jr. and Dez Ellis, so there’s a chance one or both could develop into starters down the road. However, it would be helpful to have a top-notch recruit or two come in and challenge for a starting spot next season.

There's no way to know how a recruit might develop once they reach the SEC, but LSU could really use some more bites at the apple to ensure a future at the position.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Three key needs for LSU football's 2027 recruiting class

IPL 2026 Playoff Qualification Rules

The tournament features 10 teams split into two groups of five each. Every team plays 14 matches during the league stage. You face the four teams in your own group and one team from the opposite group twice. The remaining four teams from the other group you meet just once.

IPL Points System

• Win = 2 points
• No result = 1 point
• Loss = 0 points

Playoff Qualification for the IPL

The top four teams advance to the playoffs. If teams finish level on points, here's how positions are decided:

• Most wins takes priority
• If wins are equal, higher net run rate decides
• If NRR is also identical, team with most wickets taken gets preference
• If everything remains tied, drawing lots settles it

Playoff Qualification Scenarios for Teams in IPL 2026

Points Table Qualification Trends

Based on how previous seasons have played out, here's what teams typically need to make the playoffs:

16 Points (8 Wins):

• Pretty much a guaranteed playoff spot
• Teams reaching this mark rarely miss out
• Puts you in strong position.

14 Points (7 Wins):

• Gives you a decent shot at qualification
• Not guaranteed though - depends heavily on your net run rate
• Other results around you also matter
• Usually enough but can go either way

12 Points (6 Wins):

• Very difficult to qualify with just six wins
• Only happens in exceptional circumstances
• Would need several other teams to underperform badly
• Net run rate becomes absolutely crucial
• Historically, teams with 12 points have mostly missed out

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How will the play-offs fixture be determined?

Once the league stage wraps up, the top four teams from the points table move into the playoffs. Their positions are decided purely by points with net run rate acting in as the tiebreaker when needed.

The format gives a massive advantage to teams finishing in the top two spots. The first and second placed teams face each other in Qualifier 1, where the winner books a direct ticket to the final. Meanwhile, the third and fourth placed teams battle it out in the Eliminator, and whoever loses goes home immediately

The Eliminator winner then takes on the Qualifier 1 loser in Qualifier 2 to decide who joins the first finalist. This setup heavily rewards teams finishing in the top two because they get a second life if they lose their first playoff match. The stats back this up too, with six of the last eight IPL champions coming from the top two positions after the league stage. 

When are the IPL 2026 play-offs?

• Qualifier 1 –May 26, Dharamshala
• Eliminator –  May 27, New Chandigarh
• Qualifier 2 – May 29, New Chandigarh
• Final – May 31, Ahmedabad

Hansi Flick’s project at FC Barcelona has reached lasting stability. At the press conference ahead of the league clash against Alavés, the German coach officially confirmed his contract renewal with the Blaugrana club until June 30, 2028, with the option to extend the deal by one more year.

Flick, with the natural ease that defines him, joked about the announcement before expressing his satisfaction. "I’m very grateful to the club for this opportunity. Over the past few days, it has become clear to me that I’m in the right place," said the coach, who arrived in Barcelona with the challenge of restoring the team’s competitiveness.

The contract extension comes at a time of complete harmony between the board, the dressing room, and the stands. The commitment to La Masia’s young talents and the vertical style implemented by the German have been key factors in Joan Laporta speeding up talks over his long-term continuity.

The goal: the Champions League

Beyond the signing, the coach is not hiding his sporting ambition. After laying the team’s foundations, Flick is already setting his sights on Europe’s top prize: "Now it’s time to keep winning and try to win the Champions League again," he told the media.

This renewal sends a message of calm and confidence to the Barcelona camp. With his future secured until 2028, Hansi Flick now has full backing to continue building a Barça capable of dominating European football once again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

The Cleveland Browns just finished their 2026 rookie minicamp over the weekend. This consisted of all drafted players, undrafted rookie free agents, first-year players, and some tryout guys.

It is also the first year for new head coach Todd Monken and the majority of his coaching staff. The minicamp was held from May 8–10 in Berea at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.

RELATED: LIST OF ROOKIE TRAINING CAMP ATTENDEES

The effort was good each day, but as expected, there were plenty of mistakes. Being called offside seemed to be a popular occurrence all weekend. So was going right when the play called went left. Keep in mind, every player was in shorts with no pads.

A total of 53 athletes participated: 10 draft picks, 6 reserve/futures guys, 12 undrafted rookies, and 25 tryout players looking to secure a training camp contract. Each May, this minicamp will include a few guys who aren’t technically rookies but have been extended an invitation to participate. Call them first-year veterans who have inked the reserve contracts.

Before any of the players arrived in Berea, the coaching staff had held virtual meetings with the players in order to introduce them to parts of the install. This was considered early prep work, so that much of the terminology doesn’t have to be explained on the practice field, which allowed more live practice time.

All in all, the entire weekend had a training camp feel when in reality the majority of players who showed up and participated will be their only indoctrination to Browns football and will be seeking employment elsewhere soon.

The weekend featured meetings and installs and had some real competition during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills on the field, which was utilized to apply what the athletes had been shown already in order to see who has picked it up and who is struggling to learn.    

Each of the three days, the Browns began with morning meetings and then strolled out to the practice field for a walkthrough before the session evolved into the live practice.

Although every player gets a look and is involved, the rookie minicamp is essentially about the recent draft class. Despite not being signed, WR KC Concepcion and S Emmanual McNeil-Warren still showed up and participated.

The entire minicamp is supposed to become an orientation for what’s to come in training camp. These new guys are introduced to what an NFL team does, and bring a new level to the game of football.

The rookies who have already inked their deals will begin offseason conditioning beginning next week and then on May 19, be involved in the first organized team activity practice.

In 11-on-11 drills, OT Spencer Fano was lined up at left tackle while third-rounder Austin Barber was installed at right tackle. Parker Brailsford took the center snaps. Both Concepcion and Denzel Boston were lined up as outside receivers with Taylen Green and tryout player Bryson Barnes (Utah State) at the quarterback position. The majority of the slot receiver reps were either Aaron Anderson (5’-8”, 198 pounds) or Jaelon Reagor (5’-10”, 203 pounds). Both are tryout guys.

Both Joe Royer and Carsen Ryan saw significant snaps at tight end, along with tryout player Jyrin Johnson from Bowling Green.

During training camp, Cleveland will have four quarterbacks and will need a bunch of receivers. At least 15 to service all four signal-callers. Along with the two drafted receivers, the team signed one undrafted rookie free agent in Kole Wilson (5’-7”, 177 pounds) out of Baylor and three tryout receivers. Tylan Wallace was signed in free agency, and despite being viewed more as a return guy, will go into the receiver room until camp breaks. There are eight more receivers currently under contract.

Analysis

Green was drafted as an excellent runner, a head-turning athlete with poor accuracy. But in minicamp, he was hitting small windows in the 11-on-11s. He also showed some high-level processing and the ability to go through with more than one progression. Yes, he ran quite a bit and showcased those skills, especially on a good run on a keeper. He did have some issues with check-downs and will need to tighten the speed of his release.

Concepcion and Boston are different style receivers, but they look really good. They will instantly improve the Browns’ passing game. Another receiver who showed out was the tryout guy, Anderson. He has clean routes with elite footwork.

Fano, Brailsford, and Barber all showed promise, but they also got some indoctrination of the speed of the game at this level. Their true test will come once the veterans show up, who all have another gear.

RB Davon Booth, an undrafted rookie free agent, showed good moves and caught several short passes out of the backfield. He caught a really nice ball from Green running full speed down the sideline. The Browns brought back Ahmani Marshall, and he played quite a bit, showing the ability to find gaps. He seems to be able to process this new offense better than most that were inserted.  

S McNeil-Warren and drafted LB Justin Jefferson should provide good depth in their first year, with plenty of defensive snaps once live games begin. For now, they were active in all drills and showed good athletic ability. Both seem to want to be pushed. McNeil-Warren is a beast. Another safety that looked good and had a couple of batted balls was Zion Washington (6’-1”, 208 pounds) from Boise State.

Keep in mind, it’s just May. Nobody is hitting each other, and it’s going to be an eye-opener for players such as these newly drafted offensive linemen who haven’t tried to block Myles Garrett yet.

The weekend rookie minicamp was to give these younger players an introduction to not only the league, but to the Browns’ way of doing things.  

The 2026 NFL schedule release is set for May 14. The formal offseason program wraps up with a mandatory minicamp from June 9 through 11.   

Is it too early? Yes. Does that matter for MVP consideration? No. Bleacher Report stepped up to the plate last week, naming Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray as a fringe contender for the NFL’s 2026 MVP award.

Murray’s first Vikings season now has a national longshot attached.

Murray signed with the Vikings in March, fresh off seven years with the Arizona Cardinals. His next chapter evidently already comes with possible MVP sizzle.

Vikings’ Passing Game Gives Murray an MVP Opening

Quite the prediction for Murray.

BR: Murray an Honorable Mention for MVP Candidates in 2026

BR’s Moe Moton sized up seven players who could snag the honor for the first time, and Murray got some love. Moton wrote, “Despite Kyler Murray’s recent struggles on the field and with injuries, he’s a talented two-time Pro Bowler who could be one of the league’s best in the right situation. Still in his prime, the 28-year-old could benefit from a change of scenery.”

“With the Minnesota Vikings, Murray will play with two-time All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson, a solid No. 2 receiver in Jordan Addison and reliable pass-catching tight end T.J. Hockenson. Moreover, head coach Kevin O’Connell has fielded a top-six passing offense in three of the previous four years. Murray could flourish with the Vikings’ supporting cast on a team that competes for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”

Murray currently has +7500 odds to win the award, sandwiched between Jaxson Dart (+7000, NYG) and Cam Ward (+8,000, TEN).

What Murray Must Do to Win MVP

Realistically speaking, it’s a longshot for Murray to win the 2026 MVP award; no one quite knows if he’ll cleanly resonate in the Vikings’ offense, though fans are, of course, dreaming big.

For starters, Minnesota will need a winning record, plus a playoff appearance. In 2025, the club clawed its way to an “ugly” 9-8 record after a 4-8 start, missing the postseason and NFC North crown by one win, believe it or not. So, out of the gate for MVP contendership, Murray must take Minnesota to the postseason.

Winning in the playoffs does not matter for the MVP trophy; voters select the winner before postseason wins and losses. Statistically, Murray will probably have to deliver a stat line in this neighborhood:

• 3,800+ Passing Yards
• 35+ Total Touchdowns
• 15 or Fewer Interceptions
• A Team Record of 12-5 or Better

Vikings’ MVP History

The last guy to win an MVP for the Vikings? Adrian Peterson in 2012 — the last non-quarterback to bring home the league’s top individual hardware. Peterson singlehandedly took Minnesota to the postseason that year, just missing Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record and doing all his damage one season removed from a torn ACL. Peterson also made headlines this week when the Vikings surprised with his inclusion in U.S. Bank Stadium’s Ring of Honor. He’ll be formally inducted alongside 28 other Vikings legends at a home game in 2026.

Before Peterson, quarterback Fran Tarkenton won the award in 1975, and defensive tackle Alan Page started the party for Minnesota in 1971 — back in an era when the NFL entertained MVPs for defensive players.

Ironically, no player from the Cardinals, Murray’s former team, has ever won the award.

The First-Time Other Candidates in 2026

Moton revealed his full list, including these names in addition to Murray:

• Christian McCaffrey (RB, 49ers)
• Dak Prescott (QB, Cowboys)
• Caleb Williams (QB, Bears)
• Drake Maye (QB, Patriots)
• Justin Herbert (QB, Chargers)
• Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals)

Moton deemed the Burrow as the frontrunner from his first-time criteria, explaining, “He possesses MVP-caliber talent and has the supporting cast to rack up big numbers. In 2025, he led the league with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes. Over the past several years, Burrow has built a strong rapport with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In 2024, the former won the receiving triple crown, and the latter recorded double-digit touchdown receptions in the last two seasons.”

“Burrow’s MVP case comes down to two factors: staying healthy and the Bengals winning more games. In three out of six seasons, the 29-year-old has missed at least six outings. Cincinnati hasn’t qualified for the playoffs since the 2022 campaign. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, some believe Burrow’s future with the Bengals could be uncertain following another disappointing season. This team may play with more urgency in a make-or-break campaign.”

Two other Vikings players have MVP odds: quarterback J.J. McCarthy at +25,000 and wide receiver Justin Jefferson at +40,000. Jefferson’s odds are similar to rolling double sixes on a dice twice in a row.

Following their 2-0 loss to FC Barcelona over the weekend, Real Madrid returned to training today with still three games left to be played in the season.

There is nothing left to play for, for Alvaro Arbeloa & co., but they will hope to end the campaign on a strong note while some players will want to build form and momentum heading into the summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Dani Carvajal back in group training

And, according to MARCA, Dani Carvajal is back. The Real Madrid captain returned to full group training during the team’s training session today ahead of their match against Oviedo at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Spanish full-back, who suffered a fracture to the distal phalanx of the little toe on his right foot, is doing everything possible to recover as early as possible.

Back in training. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The 34-year-old captain’s aim is to return in time for Real Madrid’s final home league match of the season against Athletic Club so that he can say goodbye properly to the supporters who have backed him for more than 13 years.

Carvajal, who first arrived at Real Madrid’s academy setup 22 years ago, picked up the injury during training at Valdebebas ahead of the match against Espanyol. At the time, the club estimated a recovery period of around two weeks.

That timetable would allow him to return in time for the home match against Athletic Club at the Bernabeu on the weekend of 23 May, or at least that is the player’s intention.

Carvajal’s contract expires on 30 June and will be on the move, with no extension being offered. In fact, Real Madrid are already planning a farewell tribute for their captain, who has only featured in 20 matches this season.

Like a number of Premiership clubs, we are facing a pretty big rebuild over the close season.

Several loan players will return to their parent clubs, while some of our standout performers will inevitably attract interest elsewhere.

There are also a handful of players nearing the end of their contracts who, for one reason or another, are unlikely to stay on.

However, Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Hibernian again highlighted that bringing in a centre-half must be high on John McGlynn's list of priorities for next season.

Conceding from set-pieces continues to plague us, a flaw that dates all the way back to our League 1 days. It remains a glaring weakness and was exposed again early in Saturday's loss.

We found ourselves behind almost immediately when conceding a cheap goal from a corner, leaving us with a mountain to climb and, ultimately, seeing our European hopes go up in smoke.

While they are a rare breed in today's game, we're in need of a proper old-school leader beside Liam Henderson - someone capable of organising the backline and bringing the aggression needed to deal with this ongoing issue from set-pieces.

Given the level of detail McGlynn puts into his work, you would imagine he is already exploring ways to solve this problem, but hopefully it is near the top of his summer shopping list.

Happy Tuesday, Red Sox Nation. The Red Sox start a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies today. It marks the fifth National League opponent the Red Sox have played over the first month of the season. The balanced schedule has been around for a few years now, with fewer divisional games and everyone playing everyone, but it still doesn’t feel quite right to me. So, I’m wondering, how do you feel about the balanced schedule? Do you wish we still played Baltimore 19 times, or whatever it was?

Talk about whatever you want, and be good to one another.

Five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews will announce his commitment on Friday, per Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. The South Florida native will choose between LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, and Georgia.

Matthews is the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2027 class on both 247Sports and Rivals. Rivals’ recruiting prediction machine gives Texas A&M a 95.4% chance of landing the 6-6, 300-pound offensive tackle, while 247Sports leans toward Miami.

247Sports’ player comparison for Matthews is former Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. Here’s what their scouting director, Andrew Ivins, has to say about Matthews as a prospect:

“Athletic offensive tackle with the quickness and mobility to eventually man the hot corner at the game’s highest levels… Still far from a complete product after starting prep career off as a defensive lineman, but has put extremely encouraging stretches on tape while facing stiff competition… Likely to face an initial adjustment period, but projects as a multi-year starter for a College Football Playoff contender with early-round of the NFL Draft upside,” Ivins wrote.

LSU’s chances of landing the top recruit don’t look great based on Rivals and 247Sports’ predictions, but you never know. Given how Lane Kiffin was able to leverage LSU’s funding during the transfer portal window, it’s hard to count the Tigers out.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Elite LSU football recruit reveals commitment date

Former F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has suggested that Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson finds himself in too many incidents.

Lawson had to retire from the Miami Grand Prix over the weekend because of a gearbox issue. The mechanical problem also played a part in an accident with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

The New Zealander lost drive as Gasly attacked him around the outside at the final corner, resulting in a collision that flipped the Alpine onto the barriers. Neither driver was hurt, and stewards decided not to penalise Lawson after looking into it, noting the circumstances were out of his control.

Guenther Steiner questions how often Liam Lawson avoids trouble

Speaking on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner admitted that there wasn’t much Lawson could do in this particular case, saying it was just “bad luck”.

When one of the hosts asked, ‘Why is it always him?’, the former Haas boss responded: “I was thinking the same. At some stage, when something happens, you shouldn’t be involved in it!”

Earlier in the race, Lawson had also come under scrutiny for an incident with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The two went off track while battling for position at turn 11, and despite both drivers leaving the circuit, Racing Bulls instructed Lawson to give up the spot.

This year’s Miami race marked his first DNF of 2026. Last season he retired five times, with four of those due to damage.

Pundits have been quick to point out a pattern. Christijan Albers remarked: “There is always something going on with Lawson.”

Where Liam Lawson stands with penalty points

Liam Lawson has three penalty points so far this season, placing him joint-sixth among the 22 drivers. That’s a quarter of the way to a race ban, but it’s not something he needs to worry about just yet.

Oliver Bearman leads the list with 10 penalty points, followed by Lance Stroll on six and championship leader Kimi Antonelli on five. Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz are both sitting on four.

After the Gasly crash, Martin Brundle came to Lawson’s defence, pointing out that the visual impact of the Alpine flipping made it seem worse than it really was.

Lawson also received backing from David Coulthard for how he raced Verstappen. Despite their team connections, Coulthard highlighted that Lawson is ‘fighting for his career’ and appreciated his aggressive approach given the circumstances.

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Paris Saint-Germain has officially announced that the Parc des Princes will once again become the epicenter of Parisian passion. The club will install giant screens so that its fans can follow the UEFA Champions League final live next Saturday, May 30.

After last season’s success, the club is looking to recreate an experience that is already part of its collective memory. The aim is to reproduce the atmosphere of great European nights, allowing thousands of supporters to thrill together in their own stadium, even though the team will be playing away from home.

The event will not be limited to just broadcasting the match. PSG has confirmed a special program that will include top-level musical and artistic performances. With this, the club hopes to strengthen the bond between the team and its fan base at what they describe as a historic moment.

This initiative comes in response to the team’s qualification for its second consecutive continental final. The board wants to offer a unique alternative for those who cannot travel, ensuring exceptional conditions of safety and entertainment in an iconic venue.

Details about ticket sales, schedules, and logistics will be announced this Thursday. A full house is expected in the stands of the Parisian stronghold to push the team toward its first title in Europe’s top competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

English winger Jonathan Rowe paid tribute to Diego Armando Maradona after scoring the winning goal for Bologna in an away game at Napoli on Monday, taking a picture with the legend’s statue.

Bologna defeated Napoli 3-2 on Monday, with Rowe scoring the winning goal in stoppage time with a fantastic volley.

The English winger, 23, is in his first season at Bologna and has scored eight goals in 42 appearances across all competitions this term.

The ex-Marseille and Norwich starlet celebrated his latest goal with an Instagram picture near the Diego Armando Maradona statue, located in the tunnel of the Napoli stadium, named after their legend.

Rowe’s picture with Maradona’s statue after Napoli 2-3 Bologna

Jonathan Rowe picture with Diego Armando Maradona’s statue (via Instagram).

Rowe initially struggled to get playing time under Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano, but has become a regular starter at the Stadio Dall’Ara in the second half of the campaign.

“It wasn’t immediate to understand your football, and the coach took a bit longer to integrate me into the team in the best possible way,” Rowe said in an interview in April.

“I’m not sure why, maybe he saw something I hadn’t seen. But I kept working hard to earn my place. As wingers, we’re often substituted, so we have to be decisive as quickly as possible. The coach and I are starting to understand each other much better; time helps build chemistry and a good relationship.”

FC Barcelona are still waiting for Robert Lewandowski’s final response to the club’s offer of a one-year contract extension with a reduced salary.

The Polish striker’s agent, Pini Zahavi, is currently in the Catalan capital as discussions continue and the player is weighing up the various proposals now on the table.

Porto emerge as an option

Now, though, according to reports in Portugal, as relayed by SPORT, FC Porto are prepared to offer Lewandowski a one-year contract to replace former Barcelona forward Luuk de Jong.

The Portuguese club have already begun working behind the scenes to convince the 37-year-old striker.

Porto are hoping to unite Lewandowski with one of Poland’s brightest young talents, winger Oskar Pietuszewski, who is regarded as one of the country’s great hopes for the future. Lewandowski would effectively act as a mentor figure within the project.

Porto’s squad also already includes Polish internationals Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior, both of whom are said to be encouraging the veteran to join the club and become the team’s undisputed first-choice striker for the season ahead.

Financially, Porto’s proposal would reportedly be below some of the other offers available to him, but the project would offer him the chance to play alongside several compatriots while competing in the Champions League at the highest possible level.

Lewandowski to Porto? (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Porto are on course to win the Portuguese league comfortably this season, finishing well ahead of Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

Lewandowski’s options

Lewandowski is still considering Barcelona’s reduced renewal proposal, while AC Milan and Juventus also remain interested in bringing him to Serie A.

Even so, the offer that appears most attractive from both a sporting and financial perspective could be the one from Chicago Fire, who are keen to make him the marquee star of their MLS franchise.

Clubs from Saudi Arabia have also made enquiries and continue pushing hard for his signature.

The Pole still has doubts about a departure because both he and his family are extremely happy in Barcelona, and all signs suggest his close friend Wojciech Szczesny will remain at the club for at least another season.

Lewandowski, who has 18 goals and four assists this term, also wants to speak directly with Hansi Flick to better understand what his future role in the team would be, as he still feels capable of fighting for a starting place.

Luka Doncic's season for Lakers had the most ironic ending originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers had a player from the Luka Doncic trade on the court in crunch time as they tried to prolong their season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The problem is that it wasn't Luka. It was Maxi Kleber, seemingly in the game out of nowhere to set a screen. In the end, L.A. didn't have enough, OKC completed its sweep, and Doncic ended the campaign in street clothes.

The layers of irony were stacked upon each other as this season came for an end for Luka, with Kleber serving a bit as the ironic cherry on top.

Doncic's health is the big thing, of course. He appeared on the cover of Men's Health magazine in the offseason. 

After being shockingly traded by the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic seemed motivated to get his body into better shape, and he seemingly did so. That didn't stop the hamstring strain that turned out to have ended his season prematurely.

MORE: LeBron's retirement update involves the media in a repetitive way

It's hard to know whether Doncic's journey of physical improvement had anything to do with his hamstring strain. The reality is that it was probably just bad luck.

There's also the LeBron James layer here. All season long, James learned how to play second fiddle to Doncic. But when the games mattered, Doncic wasn't available, so the King had to put on his crown once again.

All told, it wasn't the season Doncic wanted to have in his first full campaign with the Lakers. Last season was supposed to be about adjustments. This one was supposed to be about dominating.

MORE: Donovan Mitchell never wanted the Knicks, only moments like this

The Lakers couldn't stay healthy at all, though, with James and Doncic and Austin Reaves all missing significant time with injuries even before this sad ending note.

And now there are questions. Lakers head coach JJ Redick basically said in his postgame press conference that he knows they aren't good enough to win a title right now, and that this offseason has to work toward solving that.

Doncic will clearly be the center of whatever the Lakers do in the future. They'll just have to hope it's actually him on the floor when the games matter next season and beyond.

More NBA news:

• Bronny James' future with Lakers has 3 possible outcomes
• Clippers are set up to trade Darius Garland again
• Warriors' Steve Kerr news means it's time to talk about LeBron and Steph
• Anthony Davis is the magic touch for the No. 1 pick
• Jaylen Brown blames the 'media' for a problem he created himself

The three points picked up from Falkirk on Saturday could yet prove to be huge for Hibs' season.

We have to hope Celtic can win at Fir Park on Wednesday night and that Hibs find a way to beat Rangers at Ibrox to set up a shootout for fourth on Saturday.

My head tells me such a scenario is unlikely. The football gods have been incredibly unkind to Hibs this season, so we're maybe due some good fortune.

I was so happy for Josh Campbell to get his goals at the weekend. He has a real aptitude for timing those runs into the box and popping up with important goals.

Josh has struggled for game-time and I think he sometimes suffers from being asked to play when we need a midfielder to chase down opponents and run all day, but when he's given the opportunity and remit to get in the box, he's a real threat.

With Jamie McGrath still suspended, Campbell has the chance to make sure he's starting against Motherwell if he can back up Saturday's performance with a similar impact against Rangers.

I've no idea how the game at Ibrox will go, Rangers' season is done but they'll want to bow out with a win in their final home match.

Hibs can't be distracted by what's going on there. With a job to do I'm sure David Gray will have the team focused on the task in hand.

Hopefully things go our way and we're in for a thrilling last game of the season on Saturday.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has insisted that the decision to disallow West Ham United’s goal against Arsenal was ‘200%’ correct.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

It’s not often that a Tottenham Hotspur manager will defend a decision that favours rivals Arsenal, but that’s exactly what Roberto De Zerbi did on Monday night.

De Zerbi had just seen his team scrape a draw at home to Leeds United, and he suggested that both the referee and his team had felt the pressure of the previous day’s game between West Ham and Arsenal.

Yet the manager added that he can’t understand why there was so much focus on the officiating in the Arsenal match, insisting the foul on David Raya was clear.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

“I think [the referees] were not calm today,” De Zerbi said. “Maybe they suffer the pressure of yesterday, West Ham-Arsenal game. The VAR.

“For sure, we suffer the pressure today. But also, the referee was not calm today.

“I can’t understand the polemic about yesterday’s VAR [decision] because it was a foul, 200%. Not 100%, 200%, if you want to speak about football.”

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

It’s fair to point out that Spurs had a vested interest in the West Ham goal being disallowed, given the Hammers are their direct rivals in the current relegation scrap.

For once, it was probably a good thing for Spurs to see Arsenal winning a game, meaning De Zerbi wasn’t an entirely neutral party in this case.

But there was no necessity to defend the decision after the fact, with West Ham’s points already dropped. No one was going to give the Hammers their disallowed goal back if De Zerbi said VAR made a mistake. So De Zerbi’s comments are likely his genuine opinion on the incident.

Regardless of the reasons why, Spurs certainly saw an opportunity go begging against Leeds on Monday. A win would have put them on the verge of safety, but they now need four points or more from their final two games to guarantee their top-flight status.

Since returning from a cruciate ligament tear in December, Alphonso Davies has struggled to stay consistently fit due to recurring setbacks.

The Canada international suffered another injury blow in FC Bayern München’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain last week and is set to miss the rest of the season with a muscle injury in the back of his left thigh.

The injury has jeopardised Davies’ chances of featuring at the World Cup with Canada, whose opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina is exactly one month away – leaving Bayern in an uncomfortable situation.

According to Bild, Bayern believe Davies will need around six weeks to fully recover from the injury.

The Bayern bosses would reportedly prefer him to skip the tournament entirely in order to recover fully, but that scenario is considered unlikely, as Davies is Canada’s captain and wouldn't want to miss the unique opportunity of representing his country at a World Cup at home.

In Canada, however, officials are reportedly expecting a shorter recovery period of four to five weeks, which could still make it possible for Davies to feature at the tournament in the best-case scenario.

However, the shorter the recovery time, the higher the risk of Davies suffering another injury – something that Bayern will obviously be desperate to avoid.

NFL schedule leaks 2026: Tracking rumors, latest news ahead of official release originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This NFL season, 285 games will be played to determine a Super Bowl champion. While the last 13 will have the most eyes on them, the first 272 are must-see TV.

From the Chiefs' shocking spiral and Bears' surprise division title run to thrilling moments like the Seahawks' unlikely two-point conversion against the Rams or the Ravens' missed field goal in Week 18, the 2025 season brought drama. 2026 promises to do the same, and a record nine international games mean the league is once again going global.

While much of the offseason remains ahead, the schedule release is upon us, and leaks are already underway as the NFL's 2026 slate is pieced together.

The Sporting News is tracking the latest NFL schedule leaks before the full slate is officially released. Follow along below with all of the credible rumors.

MORE:Every NFL team's strength of schedule in 2026

NFL schedule leaks 2026

Week 1

• TBD vs. Seahawks on Wednesday in season opener
• 49ers vs. Rams in Australia on Thursday (announced)
• Cowboys at Giants on "Sunday Night Football" (announced)

Week 2

• Lions at Bills on "Thursday Night Football" (announced)

Week 3

• Ravens vs. Cowboys in Brazil (announced)

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

• Eagles vs. Cowboys on Thanksgiving (announced)

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

NFL games without confirmed week

The NFL will have a record nine international games in 2026, but seven still don't have a confirmed date:

• London: TBD vs. Commanders (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
• London: TBD vs. Jaguars (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
• London: TBD vs. Jaguars (Wembley Stadium)
• Paris: TBD vs. Saints (Stade de France)
• Munich: TBD vs. Lions (FC Bayern Munich Stadium)
• Madrid: TBD vs. Dolphins (Santiago Bernabeu Stadium)
• Mexico City: TBD vs. 49ers (Estadio Banorte)

The NFL is also hosting a Week 1 game between the Rams and 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, and a Week 3 game between the Ravens and Cowboys in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

The NFL Draft has come and gone. Free agency has died down from a roaring fire to a few glowing embers. The offseason doldrums are upon us.

That means it's time for schedule leaks, some low-key trade rumors that use the vacuum of real news to generate drama and some rest time for the veterans and prospects who will throw themselves back into the fire come August. That doesn't mean it's time to rest, however. Coaches, executives and players still have work to do to either patch the holes that sunk the 2025 season or reinforce the strengths that made last fall a success.

Not all these fixes have the same urgency. The Seattle Seahawks have much different priorities than the Tennessee Titans when it comes to their biggest flaw as the 2026 season approaches. But everyone could use at least a little help.

Thus, I scoured over rosters, 2025 results and advanced stats from Pro Football Reference,NFL Pro and RBSDM.com to find out what concerns from last season could carry over to this one or which new ones could derail Super Bowl hype trains. Let's run down each team's most interesting flaw, in alphabetical order.

Arizona Cardinals: Getting rid of the dang ball

Arizona faced the league's second-lowest blitz rate but fielded its fourth-highest pressure rate thanks to uneven quarterback play (and, trailing throughout the majority of their second halves, the shrug and butt-pat to allow Jacoby Brissett to go out there and try and create some magic). Pass protection is an issue, but so is finding wideouts who can win early and often so whomever is throwing passes in Glendale can get rid of the ball. The Cardinals had one of the league's higher times to throw, and while Trey McBride remains awesome and Michael Wilson bailed out plenty of fantasy seasons last year, additional help is needed.

Atlanta Falcons: Passing game uncertainty

The quarterback room is set and the top two options are an injured Michael Penix Jr. and a diminished Tua Tagovailoa. Not ideal, but workable. The wideout corps, however, has only a single reliable presence to lift that duo. Drake London remains great, but even if Kyle Pitts continues his rise at tight end there are going to be a lot of double-teams thrown London's way.

That means someone from a receiving corps of Jahan Dotson, a returning Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch has to step up. This could be a windfall for Bijan Robinson fantasy owners and a headache for Falcons fans, who need someone to elevate their flawed quarterbacks with few reliable receiving options after London.

Baltimore Ravens: Keeping Lamar Jackson out of trouble

2025 was a concerning year for Baltimore's pass protection. The team's 9.6 percent sack rate allowed was one of the worst in the league. Lamar Jackson's absence didn't help, but he posted a career-worst 10.7 percent sack rate when on the field.

As a result, the Ravens' third down conversion rate dipped, what had been the league's most efficient offense fell outside the top 10 and a rebuild took place in the offseason, replacing parts along the offensive line and ushering out the John Harbaugh era.

Buffalo Bills: Wrapping up run plays

The Bills gave up nearly four full yards after contact per carry last season -- last in the NFL and nearly 0.3 full yards more than the 31st place Atlanta Falcons. This was partially a product of backs running through defensive back arm tackles on the outside -- only the Chicago Bears faced more outside runs -- but it played a significant role in what turned out to be the league's second-worst run defense. Modest help has arrived in the form of Bradley Chubb and TJ Parker, but sure-handed, block-shedding tacklers are needed.

Carolina Panthers: Pass rush

Carolina blitzed 27.7 percent of the time and generated pressure on only 26.2 percent of opponent dropbacks, which is the kind of inefficiency that leads you to a nine-game losing streak. That led to a massive contract for edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and a more modest one for off-ball linebacker and useful blitzer Devin Lloyd.

Even with them on board, the pass rushing rotation will lean heavily on 2025 Day 2 draft picks Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen making leaps in their sophomore seasons. They have the talent to get there, but the Panthers could use some veteran rotational help to bring proven production to the position.

Chicago Bears: Pass rush

There's room for Caleb Williams to up his game outside of play-action sets, but that's a pretty minor concern. The league's 27th-ranked pass rush, on the other hand, didn't get the boost it hoped from Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett last season and then made minimal tweaks to the front four. A revitalized Devin Bush will add occasional help as a blitzer, but if Chicago is going to maximize an injury prone cornerback group it needs to create pressure with its down linemen.

Cincinnati Bengals: Stopping big plays in the secondary

The Bengals had the league's fifth-worst passing defense in terms of EPA in 2025, but this wasn't just a coverage issue. Cincinnati gave up 611 yards after catch over expected (YACOE), 200-plus more yards than the second-worst team in the NFL. Minimal pressure created space for opponents to shake free downfield. Poor angles and missed tackles led to bonus yards that made everything worse.

Cleveland Browns: Quarterback

Cleveland is trying to rehabilitate Deshaun Watson, who has been the league's 41st-best quarterback when on the field for the Browns and missed a wide swath of games due to injury and the 20-plus accusations of sexual misconduct that the league itself deemed "predatory behavior." Behind him are Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, 4-9 combined as starters despite a top four defense and the league's 39th and 40th-best quarterbacks in terms of EPA in 2025 out of a field of 40). Just one more year before Watson can reasonably become one of the largest dead salary cap space hits in NFL history.

Dallas Cowboys: Converting pressure into sacks

Dallas' pass rush wasn't as grim as it seemed; the team's 34.7 percent pressure rate was right around league average, as was its blitz rate. But that manifested in only 35 sacks. Now the team heads into 2026 without either Jadeveon Clowney or Osa Odighizuwa, who ranked first and second on the team in total pressures.

Rashan Gary arrived via trade, Quinnen Williams will have a full season with the team and Demarcus Lawrence was one of the franchise's two first round draft picks. They should help keep the pressure rate constant, but it may not matter if they're not better at turning chaos into lost yards.

Denver Broncos: Defensive line depth

Denver is pretty well set on both sides of the ball, but the team's defense regressed after a thrilling 2024, falling from first in EPA allowed to eighth last season. Losing John Franklin-Myers means only one member of the team's three-man front had more than 19 pressures in 2025. While Zach Allen remains a stud and Malcolm Roach and Eyioma Uwazurike remain reliable run stoppers, the Broncos will hope for breakthroughs from recent third round picks Tyler Onyedim and Sai'vion Jones around a 31-year-old D.J. Jones.

Detroit Lions: Offensive line integrity

The Lions once had one of the NFL's most reliable, punishing offensive lines. Time took an ax to that, leaving the group to rely on young replacements (Blake Miller, Christian Mahogany) and questionable veteran imports (Cade Mays, Juice Scruggs, Larry Borom).

Despite an explosive run game, Detroit ranked in the bottom 10 when it came to run play stuff rate and juuuuuust outside the bottom 10 in run game success rate. It also led to a career low in pocket time for Jared Goff, manifesting in the lowest average target distance of his life (6.0 yards downfield, second-lowest in the league ahead of only Aaron Rodgers among full-time starters).

Green Bay Packers: Protecting Jordan Love and clearing space for Josh Jacobs

Green Bay paid a lot of money for Aaron Banks, who underwhelmed his first season as the team's left guard. It's turning left tackle over to Jordan Morgan, a 2024 first round pick who wasn't great as an interior lineman but showed flashes of his Day 1 potential while working on the outside.

2025 second round pick Anthony Belton's rookie season was uneven and frustrating. By those powers combined, the Packers fielded a below-average run game and Jordan Love faced pressure on more than 35 percent of his dropbacks.

Houston Texans: Boosting CJ Stroud with a competent run game

Stroud has never had an above average run game in Houston, but 2025 saw things approach crisis levels with the league's third-worst rushing offense. While Houston generated more than 100 rush yards over expected, it averaged fewer than four yards per carry, showcasing how grim things were behind a rebuilding offensive line. The key to improvement in 2026 will lie with new arrivals Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller (both on the wrong side of 30), first round pick Keylan Rutledge and David Montgomery, who has nearly 1,800 career NFL touches under his belt.

Indianapolis Colts: Receiving depth

Only one team in the league had four players with at least 84 targets last season. That was the Colts, who used a diverse receiving array to help restore Daniel Jones' value. This reduced double teams, helped push Alec Pierce into a new tax bracket and resulted in a 7-1 start (please do not ask what happened next).

Indianapolis has largely opted to keep the band together by re-signing Jones and Pierce, but did so at the expense of losing top target Michael Pittman, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers after Pierce's megadeal went through. Can Josh Downs and Tyler Warren command enough focus to keep Pierce flying? Can Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Deion Burks pick up the slack? And what will it all look like in the space between Jones' recovery from a torn Achilles and whomever gets the call to start for him until he's ready?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Pass rushers who can finish the job

The Jags got off the ball effectively and had an above-average time to pressure average in their AFC South championship campaign, but didn't turn that into devastating losses. Their 4.6 percent sack rate was fourth-lowest in the league.

While the effective duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker remain, the useful blitzing of Devin Lloyd is gone and the depth behind that pair is… limited. Consistently crumpling pockets will be a concern unless someone steps up around or behind that Hines-Allen/Walker tandem.

Kansas City Chiefs: Turning deep throws into big gains

Yards after catch are a superboost for quarterbacks. While the Chiefs' 5.8 yards after catch per reception were fourth best in the NFL, their eight yards after catch over expected across the entire season was the worst mark in the NFL.

Patrick Mahomes threw deep more than he had since 2020 but had the most frustrating season of his career because those downfield connections weren't reliable. Even when they were there, they lacked the "explode to the end zone" juice Tyreek Hill once had in this offense.

Las Vegas Raiders: That receiving corps

Fernando Mendoza steps into an offense where his top wideouts, in some combination, will be Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton. The presence of Brock Bowers and a rebuilt offensive interior in front of Ashton Jeanty and rookie Mike Washington Jr. will help. Even so, third-and-long will be remarkably easy for opposing coordinators to plan against if Las Vegas continues to lack reliable targets who can consistently create separation.

Los Angeles Chargers: Creating downfield space for Justin Herbert

This is step two after overhauling the offensive line. Tyler BIadasz and second round pick Jake Slaughter should be solid contributors inside, but the healthy returns of Joe Alt and (hopefully, as patellar tendon injuries truly suck) Rashawn Slater should upgrade a unit that allowed the league's second-worst pressure rate last fall.

That pressure led to quicker throws, wideouts who weren't quite established in their routes and the lowest average separation number (3.2 yards, second-lowest in the NFL) of Justin Herbert's career. We've been waiting for the Pro Bowl quarterback's breakthrough to MVP candidate, only to have it repeatedly derailed. Paving the way won't just be up to his offensive line but the wideouts around him to create space and thrive downfield.

Los Angeles Rams: Gap-penetrating run stuffers

Look, the Rams don't have many weaknesses -- they're favored to win Super Bowl 61 for a reason. But one issue was in the run game, where an 11.9 percent run stuff rate was second-lowest in the NFL.

With only 66 tackles for loss (24th-best) there's room for improvement along a front where Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske are asked to do a little more as pass rushers than other hand-in-the-dirt linemen. Poona Ford remains one of the league's underappreciated gems, but finding someone who can consistently turn first down into second-and-long would be another jewel in Los Angeles' crown.

Miami Dolphins: Receiving (all)

The Dolphins have several problems to address, but the most glaring is the one that threatens to tank Malik Willis' tenure as a Dolphin in his debut season. His top veteran targets, in no particular order, are a combination of Malik Washington, Greg Dulcich, Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Terrace Marshall. Rookies Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas and Will Kacmarek can contribute, but Bell is rehabbing a torn ACL and Kacmarek is primarily a blocking tight end. It's gonna be a rough year for the Miami offense.

Minnesota Vikings: Restoring JJ McCarthy's competence

McCarthy was buoyed by a run-heavy attack at Michigan that created space when he aired the ball out. In his rookie season he threw the ball deep more often than his predecessor Sam Darnold, whose average pass went 8.9 yards downfield to McCarthy's 9.3 It was a bold play for a win-now team loaded with receiving talent, and it failed to pan out.

McCarthy was a disaster, had a 3:9 TD:INT ratio when throwing to those talented wideouts split wide and had a 48.9 passer rating on deep throws. He had only 2.1 yards of separation on those deep shots, on average, because he also stunk in the short range; a -0.12 EPA per dropback on low-risk throws that went an average of only 2.1 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. If he can't restore his short game, the Vikings' deep ball has no prayer.

New England Patriots: Getting Drake Maye a gotta-have-it target

Maye's protection wasn't an issue until it was, as his ability to handle pressure declined dramatically in the postseason. Let's assume Will Campbell continues to grow, Alijah Vera-Tucker stays healthy and Caleb Lomu makes an impact as a rookie. That will buy him more time, but he still needs a reliable WR1 who can maximize his potential as a young gunslinger like Stefon Diggs years earlier in Buffalo. Romeo Doubs was a nice addition, but unless he's ready to make a big leap he's more of a high level WR2 than a true top guy.

New Orleans Saints: Clearing space in the run game

New Orleans got an encouraging rookie campaign from Tyler Shough despite a bottom-two run game. The Saints gave Travis Etienne $48 million in contract value to fix that and take some weight from Alvin Kamara's shoulders, but he could be similarly grounded. The team's 0.76 yards before carry per handoff were third-worst in the NFL -- significantly lower than the 2.2 yards before contact he averaged in 2025.

That's concerning, since his two least efficient seasons as a pro came in seasons where the Jaguars failed to consistently clear space for him. Now Kellen Moore's big ticket acquisition could wind up similarly mired in his first season in Louisiana.

New York Giants: Run defense

The Giants will have a fearsome pass rush after pairing Brian Burns with Abdul Carter and now 2026 fifth overall pick Arvell Reese. This may not matter if opponents simply run all over them like they did in 2025. New York's 0.109 EPA per run play allowed was worst in the league and more than twice as bad as 31st-place Buffalo (0.049). Veteran help has arrived (Shelby Harris, DJ Reader, Tremaine Edmunds) but more reinforcements may be needed.

New York Jets: Secondary stability

New York went through a substantial overhaul after Aaron Glenn's ominous debut. A defense that recorded zero interceptions last fall could have as many as eight new starters. That includes a high-ceiling, iffy-floor cornerback duo in Nahshon Wright and rookie D'Angelo Ponds and a safety combination of Andre Cisco (eight games played in 2025) and a soon-to-be 30-year-old Minkah Fitzpatrick (14 games).

Bolstering the depth there would insulate the team from rookie mistakes or veteran drop-offs. Oh, and the quarterback situation is a mess, but you're not gonna do any better than Geno Smith in the middle of the offseason.

Philadelphia Eagles: Keeping Saquon Barkley fresh

That's not just a mileage problem. Barkley and the Eagles offense in general backslid last fall thanks to stale playcalling and an uneven push up front. Philadelphia faced a top five stacked box rate and that helped lead to a top three run stuff rate as Barkley's yards per carry dropped from 5.8 to 4.1 and the team's rushing EPA fell from first in the NFL to 13th. Replacing embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo should help, though new hire Sean Mannion is taking his first gig higher than position coach.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Clearing running lanes

This isn't just a blocking concern; the Steelers had one of the league's lowest yards-before-contact numbers because they had one of the league's highest stacked box (with eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage) rates. Mike Tomlin was predictable, in part because he had to be with an aging quarterback. Receiving corps upgrades will ease the burden of crowded running lanes, but whomever is slinging passes in Pittsburgh still has to get the ball out in a way that stretches the field and actually threatens defenses. Barring that, it's going to come down to a Herculean effort up front for Mike McCarthy.

San Francisco 49ers: Over-the-top passing defense

The 49ers had one of 2025's lowest pressure rates, in part, because of one of the NFL's lowest blitz rate. It's easy to understand why Kyle Shanahan was reticent to throw extra attackers at the pocket; his safety help stunk. While passer rating isn't a great metric for the position, it's telling that all four of the safeties to start at least one game last fall gave up a rating of 102.4 or worse in coverage. The Niners only pressured Sam Darnold on 16 percent of his dropbacks in a Week 18 showdown for the NFC's top seed, ceding the easiest path to the Super Bowl to a bitter rival.

Seattle Seahawks: Pass rushing depth

The reigning Super Bowl champions used high value draft picks to backfill free agent losses in the secondary and at running back. That left them unable to take big swings when it came to the pass rush, where veteran Dante Fowler is currently the team's top addition. The Seahawks consistently generated chaos without having to blitz, but the player who led the team in pressures is a 34-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence. Boye Mafe and his 41 pressures are now under contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. While talent remains, it's fair to worry about a dropoff from what was an elite, title-winning unit.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A run game that opens up the passing game

The Buccaneers backslid as Baker Mayfield played through injury last fall. A deficient run game didn't help, ranking fourth-worst in rushing yards over expected and third-worst in rushing yards after contact despite roughly average space-clearing up front (14th in yards before contact per carry). Rachaad White is gone, replaced by Kenneth Gainwell -- coming off a career-best season but who still had only 537 rushing yards. Bucky Irving will be called upon to put an injury-marred and inefficient season behind him, but it's clear a more dynamic attack is necessary.

Tennessee Titans: Big beefy boys on the inside (both sides)

Tennessee didn't do anything entirely well last season and responded by hiring Robert Saleh as head coach and signing or drafting what could be 11 new starters on both sides of the ball. Concerns remain about a defense that was fourth-worst in the NFL against the run remain, particularly after dealing away enormous tackle T'Vondre Sweat. While Peter Skononski is lock solid at left guard, the two interior spots next to him are a question mark even after the signings of Austin Schlottmann and Cordell Volson and the drafting of Fernando Carmona and Pat Coogan.

Washington Commanders: The secondary

Washington had the league's second-worst passing defense last season, beaten out, just slightly, by the Dallas Cowboys. This offseason's fixes include safety Nick Cross (gave up more than eight yards per target each of the last two seasons) and Amik Robertson (a 115.7 passer rating allowed in 2025). The hope for improvement rests with recent second-round draft picks Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil, though neither was especially impressive as the Commanders fell back to earth after 2024's breakthrough.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Biggest NFL weakness for all 32 teams, from Titans' everything to Rams' ?

Kansas Jayhawks News

247 walks Kansas fans through draft experts’ opinions on Darryn Peterson

Kansas baseball blew a big opportunity against West Virginia over the weekend

SI’s Kansas site takes you through where Kansas and their postseason hopes lie after the sweep

Meanwhile, Kansas Softball is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in quite a while

Links!

The war has no end in sight, and oil prices are back up again

This opinion piece from The Guardian says Republicans would rather self-destruct than distance themselves from Trump. Call me crazy, but I have a hard time seeing any lasting repercussions for them

Politico says Republicans’ gerrymandering push could hurt them in the long run. Apparently these people live in a different America than I do

Sorry for all the political stuff, but it’s all my Google “for you” page wants to talk about. This USA Today article tells you what’s at stake in this week’s midterm elections

Missouri’s star running back was shot over the weekend

Here’s one I know you’ve all been wanting to read about. Why did the T-Rex have such short arms?

Why is the ocean water off the east coast turning different colors?

The NBA did what the NBA does and protected a young star, electing to ignore Wemby throwing an elbow that could have seriously injured Naz Reid, and deciding the act did not warrant any further consequences. I’m not a Spurs hater and I have nothing against Wemby, but this was one of the most dangerous non-basketball acts I’ve seen on a court. You can seriously injure someone by forcefully elbowing them right in the throat. And the NBA doesn’t even think he deserves a fine? The NBA goes further to protect their chosen players than any other league, and on this one, they crossed the line and forgave an unacceptable, violent act that could have caused serious injury. It can be a joke of a league at times

Question of the Day

What sport has the best postseason? You can differentiate between college/pro men’s/women’s for the same sport if you’d like

During the 2026 NFL draft, the New York Giants demonstrated a strong belief in cornerback Colton Hood by selecting him with the 37th overall pick, despite receiving attractive trade-down offers.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen shared these details in the team's Giants Life draft video, offering fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the war room.

"As we headed into Day 2, we're talking through different scenarios. It's an opportunity to acquire more draft picks," Schoen said. "Colton Hood was our top guy on the board going into Day 2. If he was there, we were going to turn the card in. If not, we had a few options to move back in the second round and acquire more picks."

The franchise received proposals from the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints that would have allowed it to fall back to the 41st or 42nd pick. Those deals promised two fourth-round selections and a fifth-round pick in compensation.

Separately, the Detroit Lions offered the 118th, 128th, and 157th picks to slide back to No. 50.

"When we got to pick 37 and Colton Hood was there, it was an easy decision for us," Schoen said.

Although the Giants were more than willing to trade back for additional picks, Hood was the top player on their draft board entering Day 2. Team officials confirmed they would have accepted one of the trade offers had Hood been unavailable at No. 37.

Immediately after the selection, head coach John Harbaugh and Schoen began discussing a plan to move back up for wide receiver Malachi Fields, a maneuver they successfully completed in Round 3.

This sequence of decisions highlights New York’s targeted approach: Securing elite talent at critical positions while remaining flexible to address other needs.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants turned down multiple picks to select Colton Hood at No. 37

This offseason, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko saw a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell, and defensive linemen Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim, who were picked in the second and third rounds, and are all expected to earn key rotational roles this fall.

Last offseason, Elko predicted that 10-12 players from his 2025 roster would be drafted, as the third-year head coach prepared for these departures, adding several veteran defensive linemen, including Northwestern transfer edge Anto Saka, and defensive tackles CJ Sims (North Carolina) and Angelo McCullum (Illinois), who are all expected to make significant impacts next season.

Replacing Howell's pass rush production after he racked up 11.5 sacks will be a tough ask, but Anto Saka, who stands 6'4" and nearly 260 pounds, is a favorite among NFL scouts and will likely earn the starting big defensive end job, while CJ Sims is in line to serve as Albert Regis' replacement at nose tackle.

While it's tough to grade Texas A&M's 2026 defensive line, the return of junior defensive tackle DJ Hicks, who recorded a career-high 26 tackles and three sacks last season, will make or break the Aggie D-line based on how much he progresses during his final season. However, taking it from a player who's faced this group in practice, South Carolina transfer guard Trovon Baugh had nothing but praise for his newly formed group.

"A special group, very physical," Baugh stated regarding the Texas A&M defensive line. "Those guys really enjoy competing. We've got a smart group, and they keep you on your toes."

With 1,314 blocking snaps during his career with South Carolina, Trovon Baugh is expected to earn the starting right guard job and is one of the more reliable sources to discuss how tough facing Texas A&M's defensive line has been and will continue to be heading into the fall.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M OL Trovon Baugh praises the Aggies 'physical' D-line

With the early signing period, many prospects have opted to make commitments much earlier, and for Notre Dame, it has taken advantage of the new recruiting calendar.

A literal big target will go off the board later today, as 5-star offensive tackle Olu Olubobola will make his choice, as the Irish are viewed as the frontrunner. Anytime you can add a prospect of that caliber, it’s a huge victory for the program.

He isn’t the only prospect that could be joining Notre Dame’s 2027 class, as on Monday, three others announced when they’ll make their verbals. Find out below which prospects will soon commit along with a bit of background on each of them.

(Note: All rankings are according to the 247Sports Composite.)

Edge rusher Jackson Vaughn

It's about that time, @jwvaughn13!

Top247 EDGE Jackson Vaughn is set to announce his commitment LIVE on the @CBSSportsCFB YouTube Channel on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:30 pm ET.

Will it be Auburn, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame or South Carolina?

WATCH https://t.co/zBEiY9sWOI@247Sportspic.twitter.com/n04foyXGjI

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) May 11, 2026

When: May 26th, 2026

Home: Oradell, New Jersey

Ranking: No. 204 overall, No. 22 edge

Other teams involved: Auburn, LSU, Miami, and South Carolina

Notre Dame’s outlook: The 6-foot, 3-inch and 225-pound edge has the frame to be an elite pass-rusher and you have to like the Irish here. They currently have the only 247Sports Crystal Ball pick for Vaughn, and it’s from their national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn.

Wide receiver Quentin Burrell

NEWS: Four-Star WR Quentin Burrell will announce his Commitment Wednesday, May 13, LIVE on the @Rivals YouTube Channel

He’ll choose between Notre Dame, Michigan, Missouri, and Arizona State

Burrell is one of the top uncommitted WRs in the 2027 classhttps://t.co/gGPgTDg0eMpic.twitter.com/mWPUl9CXPi

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2026

When: May 13th, 2026

Home: Chicago, Illinois

Ranking: No. 83 overall, No. 14 wide receiver

Other teams involved: Missouri, Michigan and Arizona State

Notre Dame’s outlook: At the moment, it does look like the Irish are trailing the Wolverines, the 247Sports staff favors them, for the 6-foot, 3-inch and 200-pound receivers commitment. Notre Dame hasn’t had the best luck landing prospects from powerhouse Mount Carmel, but the hope is a late push changes that.

Safety Gavin Williams

NEWS: Four-Star Safety Gavin Williams will announce his Commitment Sunday, May 17th, he tells me for @Rivals⁰
He’ll choose between USC, Notre Dame, Washington, and UCLAhttps://t.co/EcE9t0PrQdpic.twitter.com/ovjNh5s16T

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2026

When: May 17th, 2026

Home: La Verne, California

Ranking: No. 159 overall, No. 11 safety

Other teams involved: Washington, UCLA, and USC

Notre Dame’s chances: As the only team not on the West Coast for the 6-foot, 1-inch and 185-pound defender, its hard for the Irish to get their hopes up landing Williams. 247Sports has the Trojans as the favorite as the moment.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Find out the three Notre Dame 2027 prospects who set commitment dates

CBS Sports pinpoints Florida football's home game against South Carolina as a matchup that could define the Gators season.

The contest might be a turning point in Jon Sumrall's first campaign and the beginning of a new era on the gridiron for the Orange and Blue. Florida was slated at No. 23 in the CBS Sports post-spring top-25 rankings and has seen expectations balloon as the hype continues to grow in Gainesville this offseason.

Florida's clash with the Gamecocks is the beginning of a grueling stretch for Sumrall's team — Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma immediately follow the Oct. 10 matchup and illustrate the hefty demands of SEC scheduling. Dropping this game could spell an early-season spiral for Florida; all three of these competitions will take place away from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, marking the importance of protecting the Swamp early on.

Conversely, if Florida can emerge victorious, the program has a cushion to lean on before starting this tough stretch.

Solidifying winnable home games will be crucial if Florida wants to meet national expectations — CBS Sports also pegged Florida to be bowl eligible in 2026. The game is framed as a should-win contest for the Gators, as South Carolina is coming off a 4-8 season and is projected to win just 5.5 games this year.

If the Gators hope to find themselves in the college football postseason, this is a near must-win SEC game for Sumrall, who is surprisingly already under pressure before coaching his first regular-season snap.

The goal for Florida should be to come out of Week 6 at above .500. This would mean they'll need to either win on the road at Jordan-Hare against a rival Auburn team or pull off an upset against No. 9 Ole Miss at home.

Florida Gators 2026 football schedule

• Sept. 5 — vs. Florida Atlantic (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Sept. 12 — vs. Campbell (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Sept. 19 — at Auburn (Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama)
• Sept. 26 — vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Oct. 3 — at Missouri (Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri)
• Oct. 10 — vs. South Carolina (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Oct. 17 — at No. 2 Texas (DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas)
• Oct. 24 — Off week
• Oct. 31 — vs. No. 4 Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)
• Nov. 7 — vs. No. 12 Oklahoma (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Nov. 14 — at Kentucky (Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky)
• Nov. 21 — vs. Vanderbilt (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida)
• Nov. 27 — at Florida State (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida)

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football's most pivotal game in 2026 is this SEC matchup

The Denver Broncos had 60 players at rookie minicamp last weekend, including three eligible "first-year" players who were invited to get more reps ahead of organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp in June.

The three designated first-year players were guard Nash Jones, tight end Caleb Lohner and defensive lineman Jordan Miller. To have an accrued season in the NFL, a player needs to spend at least six games on an active roster, injured reserve or PUP list. Jones, Lohner and Miller do not meet that criteria, so the league lists them as first-year players.

"It’s really a league rule based on pension credits," coach Sean Payton explained on Saturday. "So every year, I’ll get the list: here are the five eligible [players]. We may have all five of them invited. I think we have three or four."

Jones entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Texas State last year and spent part of his rookie season on Denver's practice squad. Lohner is a former basketball player who was picked by the Broncos in the seventh round of last year's NFL draft out of Utah. Lohner spent last season on the practice squad. Miller signed with Denver as a UDFA out of SMU in 2024, spending the last two years on the team's practice squad.

"[T]hey’re generally Year 1 guys without a pension credit, so they’ve been here nine workouts," Payton said. "In a normal rookie camp, it’d probably be more like 15 [workouts], but we pushed it back. So look, it’s just more exposure for them, more reps for them to steal before we get the whole 90-man [roster] together. So those snaps are invaluable for those guys.”

After getting extra reps at the rookie minicamp, Jones, Lohner and Miller will now look to carry their momentum into the summer while fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: 3 first-year players attended rookie minicamp

Kent have signed Warwickshire spin bowler Jake Lintott on loan until the end of the 2026 T20 Blast.

The 33-year-old will be part of the Spitfires' T20 team and will be available for selection in the County Championship.

Lintott has taken 115 wickets in 104 appearances in T20 cricket, at an average of 23.06.

"We're delighted to welcome Jake into the group for the next block of first-team fixtures," said Kent's director of cricket, Simon Cook.

"He provides us with an extra dimension to our bowling attack in all formats, and will complement the spin options we have to give us more tactical flexibility."

Lintott has also represented Hampshire and Gloucestershire, Southern Brave in the Hundred, as well as Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League and Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League.

During a recent episode of the Craig Carton Show, Carton weighed in on rumors of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes being available to play at the start of the 2026 season.

"Patrick Mahomes is not playing football in September for the Kansas City Chiefs," said Carton, "I know you're a bunch of sheep. I know you're not that bright, but when you tear an ACL, you don't come back in six months. Patrick Mahomes is not going to be running plays for the Kansas City Chiefs in OTAs, period. Stop dumbasses."

PATRICK MAHOMES WILL NOT PLAY FOR THE CHIEFS IN SEPTEMBER!

“Patrick Mahomes is not playing football in September for the Kansas City Chiefs! When you tear an ACL, you do not come back from it in six months!” — Craig Carton@craigcartonlive@TyJohnsonNews#NFL#Chiefs… pic.twitter.com/0t9afODYtI

— The Craig Carton Show (@CraigCartonShow) May 4, 2026

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL late during the Chiefs' Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. After surgery the following day, he's shown drastic improvement in his rehab and is expected to return to the football field ahead of the 2026 season.

"I know he's (Patrick Mahomes) doing a lot of stuff right now. That's what I can give you," said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during his rookie minicamp press conference," He is throwing the ball, and he does it on his own, so he's not getting in any trouble here."

There continues to be speculation regarding Mahomes' status as OTAs continue this offseason and for months leading up to the 2026 regular season kickoff.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Radio Host dismisses the idea of Patrick Mahomes playing in September

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers are now moving on to the offseason following their Round 2 sweep by the New York Knicks. The Sixers will now look ahead to the summer to find ways to improve their team and move ahead to the future.

Quentin Grimes will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. After a long 2025 offseason of restricted free agency, in which he had to settle for the qualifying offer of $8.7 million. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 33.4% from deep during the season. He then averaged 6.7 points and shot 40% from deep in the playoffs.

"I felt like it was a solid season for me to knowing that whenever guys are in and out or were dealing with injuries, whoever was in, I feel like I was able to prove myself every time I step on the court," Grimes said. "If I had more responsibility, if I was on the bench role, to come in to try to make an impact anywhere I can. So, I was kind of just digesting the whole season as a whole right now."

In the aftermath of a tough Round 2 loss, Grimes was focused more on the season itself than free agency. He believes that everything will take care of itself when the time calls for it.

"We had a pretty good season, considering everything we kind of went through as a team, just battling a whole bunch of stuff," Grimes continued. "I haven't really given any thoughts on what's going on after after today. Everything going in the summertime, it'll take care of itself, really."

With that being said, one has to wonder what the 5-year veteran out of Houston will be looking for in the offseason.

"I haven't really thought about that, honestly," he admitted when asked. "Just got done the season as a whole, just talking with my agents and everything, we’ll kind of figure out what's the best situation, what I'm looking for, but honestly, I haven't really thought about that right now."

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Quentin Grimes talks season, free agency after Sixers fall in Round 2

In a post-NBA draft lottery mock draft, Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd was selected No. 60 overall.

With only 60 picks in the draft, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie believes there's a strong chance Wisconsin could see its former 25-year old point guard be taken to close things out.

Currently, the Washington Wizards hold the No. 60 overall pick thanks to a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of the major concerns with Boyd going into the draft is his age. The Garnerville, NY, native began his collegiate career during the 2020-21 season at Florida Atlantic.

Boyd was an Owl until the 2024-25 season when he transferred to San Diego State. After just one season with the Aztecs he re-entered the portal and came to Madison.

Keep in mind, Vecenie has a 19-year old being selected in the second round. Boyd is the oldest player drafted, while a pair of 18-year-olds are NBA-bound in this mock draft.

At the end of the day, Boyd is Wisconsin's only shot at having a player drafted this year. John Blackwell will be draft-bound in 2027 as he decided he's best suited at Duke for his senior campaign rather than declaring for the draft alongside Boyd.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Washington Wizards select Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd No. 60 overall

There is a specific kind of theater that only exists in the final moments of an AHL playoff series, especially when that series concludes in the pressure cooker of Laval’s Place Bell. When the Toronto Marlies finally put the finishing touches on their Game 5 victory over the Rocket on Saturday, the atmosphere shifted from mere hostility to a full-blown release of frustration from the 10,000-plus in attendance.

As debris began to rain down from the stands, a byproduct of a fan base incensed by the final result and a perceived non-call in the dying seconds, Marlies defenseman Dakota Mermis found himself at the center of a viral postscript. The veteran defenseman spotted a discarded beer can on the ice, picked it up, and delivered a mock chug toward the glass. It was a moment of peak gamesmanship that perfectly encapsulated a series defined by bad blood.

"I think it’s just a fun rivalry. It’s a high, very intense series," Mermis told reporters with a grin following the Marlies’ practice on Monday. "I think that at the end of the day, the fans were just saying cheers on a good hard-fought series and so just enjoying that with them."

Make no mistake, Mermis was being entirely facetious. The "cheers" from the Laval faithful was anything but celebratory. The Rocket fans were at a breaking point, fueled by the elimination and the lingering anger over the officiating moments prior. By reframing the act of throwing trash as a "toast," Mermis showcased the kind of veteran poise, and wit, that has made him a vital part of the Marlies’ leadership group this spring.

Rocket fans threw beer cans on the ice after being eliminated by the Marlies. Dakota Mermis picked up one of the cans and drank it.

🎥: FloHockey | #LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/UgmhwyeuCH

— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) May 9, 2026

The gesture wasn’t just a hit in the locker room; it resonated far beyond the AHL footprint. Both Mermis and head coach John Gruden noted that their phones have been buzzing incessantly since the footage made its rounds on social media.

"I received a couple texts from certain people that I usually don't get thinking that they enjoyed that quite a bit, and I think he got quite a few as well," Gruden admitted. "In the moment, it was kind of a great reaction. Nothing's like winning a road playoff game, especially in Laval."

For Mermis, the reach of the clip was unexpected.

"A lot of people reaching out," he said. "A lot of people end up seeing that, that you obviously don't expect. It's just a little thing that happened and you know, just try to have fun with it."

Of course, the analytical question following such a moment is always about the "logistics" of the celebration. When asked if there was actually any liquid left in the projectile, Mermis was quick to shut down any health-and-safety concerns.

"No, no, no. We avoided any of that," Mermis laughed. "It was pretty, pretty low when I picked it up."

The viral moment provided a rare bit of levity for a team that had spent the previous two weeks in a defensive shell, absorbing physical punishment to secure a series win. While the "beer chug" will live on in highlight reels, the real victory for Toronto was the discipline required to ignore the noise and the debris, until the job was done. As the Marlies pivot toward Cleveland, they do so with a bit more swagger and a clear understanding that in the playoffs, sometimes you have to toast your enemies with their own frustration.

The race toward Super Bowl contention in the NFL is no longer just about having a superstar quarterback or a flashy offense. In today’s league, the teams built for sustained success are the ones with balance, depth, coaching stability, and enough talent across the roster to survive injuries, tough schedules, and playoff pressure. NFL.com’s ranking of the top 10 most complete rosters entering the 2026 season highlights exactly which franchises appear best equipped for the long grind ahead — and why several familiar contenders remain firmly in the championship conversation.

What makes this list especially fascinating is the variety of team-building philosophies represented. Some clubs, like the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, are leaning into veteran leadership while surrounding their stars with carefully selected young talent. Others, such as the Houston Texans and New England Patriots, are hoping ascending quarterbacks and aggressive offseason moves can push them into the NFL’s elite tier. Across the board, these teams have minimized glaring weaknesses and assembled lineups capable of winning in multiple ways.

RELATED: NFL sophomores to watch in the 2026 season

Several of these organizations also enter 2026 with strong continuity, both schematically and culturally, which matters more than ever in a hyper-competitive league. Whether it’s dominant defensive fronts, explosive skill-position groups, or improved offensive lines, each roster on this list carries legitimate playoff aspirations. Some may still have questions to answer, but on paper, these are the franchises that look best prepared to compete for a Lombardi Trophy this season.

1. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams enter the 2026 season with a real shot in the Super Bowl title after coming just one possession away from reaching the big game last season. Matthew Stafford continues to lead one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses, anchore by the dangerous receiving duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum give Los Angeles excellent balance offensively, while the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson significantly upgraded the secondary. With very few weaknesses across the roster, the Rams appear built for another deep playoff run.

2. Seattle Seahawks

The defending champions is still one of the league’s most balanced and disciplined teams despite losing some key contributors in free agency. Sam Darnold showcased his talents last season, while Jaxson Smith-Njigba has developed into one of the team’s most important weapons alongside an improving rushing attack led by rookie Jadarian Price. Defensively, Seattle continues to dominate with stars like Devon Witherspoon, Leonard Williams, and Byron Murphy II anchoring an elite unit. Few teams possess the same level of depth and stability from top to bottom.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles still boast one of the NFL’s deepest offensive rosters, led by Jalen Hurts and an elite group of players which includes A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Marquise Brown. Saquon Barkley adds explosiveness to the ground game, while Dallas Goedert remains a reliable veteran presence at tight end. Defensively, Jalen Carter headlines a disruptive front capable of overwhelming opposing offenses. Although there are some concerns about depth in the secondary and offensive line, Philadelphia remains one of the NFC’s strongest contenders.

4. Baltimore Ravens

Even after a coaching change, the Ravens remain one of the AFC’s most dangerous teams because of Lamar Jackson’s ability to elevate the offense. Baltimore added young receiving talent in Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt while continuing to rely on veterans Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Derrick Henry. Defensively, Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith lead a physical group that added more athleticism and depth this offseason. If the offensive line holds together, the Ravens have the talent to compete with anyone in the conference.

RELATED: Top 10 NFL team offenses entering OTAs

5. Buffalo Bills

The Bills continue to be led by talented quarterback Josh Allen, whose playmaking ability keeps Buffalo among the AFC’s top contenders every season. The addition of DJ Moore gives Allen another proven target, while James Cook and Dalton Kincaid provide versatility within the offense. Defensively, Gregory Rousseau, Ed Oliver, and Bradley Chubb headline a unit transitioning into a new scheme under Jim Leonhard. Buffalo may have some roster questions, but the overall talent level still makes this team extremely dangerous.

6. Detroit Lions

Detroit remains one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive teams thanks to Jared Goff and an elite collection of playmakers that includes Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta. Penei Sewell continues to anchor the offensive line, though depth remains a concern following Taylor Decker’s departure. Defensively, Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch headline a young group that still has room to improve. If the defense takes another step forward, the Lions could quickly return to contender status.

7. Denver Broncos

The Broncos quietly built one of the league’s most complete rosters under Sean Payton that had them almost reached the Super Bowl last season. Bo Nix continues to develop nicely, while the addition of Jaylen Waddle gives Denver another explosive weapon alongside Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin. Defensively, Patrick Surtain II leads one of the NFL’s strongest secondaries, supported by an aggressive pass rush featuring Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Denver’s balance on both sides of the ball makes them a serious AFC threat.

8. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers remain locked and loaded with star power, featuring Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Mike Evans, and Ricky Pearsall showcasing one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive systems. Trent Williams still anchors the offensive line, though one of the biggest concerns is the durability and depth of the whole unit. Defensively, San Francisco hopes healthier seasons from Nick Bosa and Fred Warner can help the group regain elite form. Even with some roster questions, the 49ers still possess enough high-end talent to contend in the NFC.

RELATED: Most popular NFL teams in the world

9. Houston Texans

Houston earned its place on this list largely because of a defense loaded with young talent and elite pass-rushing ability. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter form one of the NFL’s best edge-rushing duos, while the secondary continues to improve with emerging playmakers across the board. The Texans also upgraded the offensive line and added David Montgomery to support quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Stroud returns to his best form, Houston could become one of the AFC’s most complete teams.

10. New England Patriots

The Patriots have made major progress under Mike Vrabel, with Drake Maye quickly emerging as the face of the franchise after leading New England to an AFC Championship appearance last season. The offensive line remains a concern despite additions like Alijah Vera-Tucker and Caleb Lomu, but the backfield duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson gives the offense stability. Defensively, the Patriots continue to play disciplined and physical football under Vrabel’s system. While they may still lack elite depth compared to the teams above them, New England’s foundation looks extremely promising entering 2026.

In late April, the Wild earned their first playoff series win in more than a decade by bouncing back. They trailed Dallas 2-1 in the series, and were down by a goal in Game 4, facing the possibility of traveling back to Texas to face elimination.

Instead, they tied the game, won it in overtime, and grabbed the next two games to reach Round 2.

And there, in Round 2, on Monday, they got a hard lesson in how great teams bounce back.

The Wild had routed Colorado in Game 3, getting back into the series with a 5-1 win. They took a lead in Game 4, only to see the powerful Avalanche turn the tables and dominate long stretches. Trailing in the third period, the Wild forged a 2-2 tie on the strength of Nico Sturm’s first playoff goal since 2021.

And from there, it was all Colorado. By the time it was over, the Avalanche led the series 3-1, and the NHL’s best regular season team had improved to 7-1 in the playoffs.

Most notably, immediately after Sturm’s goal, the Avalanche hemmed Minnesota into the defensive zone, and didn’t relent until Parker Kelly had scored the game-winner. They added two more into an empty net for a 5-2 win.

“They’re a good team too. They’re gonna have good shifts. They’re gonna have pushes. You gotta try and limit those,” Wild forward Matt Boldy said. “Yeah, there’s not really much of an answer for it. Yeah, those shifts are big. We know that. But the game’s not always gonna go perfectly. And they’re a good team too. But yeah, we think we left a little out there tonight.”

For Sturm, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, the trouble started long before his goal got the sellout crowd back involved.

“We made bad decisions with the puck tonight, especially in the first half of the game. And, to be honest, we probably didn’t deserve to win when you take the whole game into perspective,” he said, offering some brutal honesty. “I felt like we started playing with about seven, eight minutes left in the second period, that’s when we found our game. At both blue lines, really, that team is too good to where you can get away with some of those mistakes, turning pucks over at the far blue line, not getting pucks out at our blue line. And overall, when you take the whole game, the final score is probably where it was supposed to be, to be honest.”

For the team that has dominated the NHL this season, and is determined to hang a fourth title banner inside Ball Arena, the response to quiet the Minnesota audience was described as “tenacious” by the Colorado coach.

“There was no hesitation on our forecheck,” said Jared Bednar, of his team’s relentless attack. “Guys were skating, they weren’t coasting in, so we came up with some turned-over pucks and were able to find a little bit of space in D-zone for a couple shifts there, and then we ended up getting rewarded.”

The Wild’s bounce back in Round 1 was impressive and inspiring to an army of fans who were desperately hungry for some good postseason news from this franchise. Now facing elimination for the first time this season, they know that an even bigger bounce back will be required.

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• The View from Colorado: Avs need to keep Wedgewood in goal

It's the eve of the Coppa Italia final, with Inter set to face Lazio at 21:00 CEST on Wednesday 13 May at the Stadio Olimpico. The Nerazzurri held a morning training session at the BPER Training Centre under the guidance of Cristian Chivu and his staff, their final one before travelling to Rome.

Austin Reaves can now leave $14.9 million Lakers contract originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There's going to be a whole lot of attention given to LeBron James' future after the Los Angeles Lakers' season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.

The reality is that there's a different storyline that might matter more to the Lakers' long-term future, and that's Austin Reaves.

The talented, undrafted guard from Oklahoma is coming to a pivot point in his career, and the direction he takes from here will matter greatly.

Reaves' contract has reached the moment when he has to decide on a player option for 2026-27. The amount written in this current deal for that option is $14.9 million.

Given the level Reaves has reached, it's all but assured that he will decline that player option. And whenever Reaves officially does that, it'll mean he's heading for free agency.

MORE: LeBron's retirement update involves the media in a repetitive way

The reality with Reaves, like it is with any other player in his spot, is that his current team can offer him an additional year and more money per year on a contract than any other team in the NBA.

So if Reaves wants to maximize his next deal, and if the Lakers are willing to pay him a max contract, then staying in Los Angeles would be the move.

But if the Lakers are hesitant to max Reaves out, or if he'd prefer to get out from under the shadow of Luka Doncic, he could always choose to move on.

MORE: Donovan Mitchell never wanted the Knicks, only moments like this

The James decision is big but probably only has one season of implications.

What Reaves decides to do could matter for the next half-decade for the Lakers. Will they have a backcourt of Doncic and Reaves to build everything else around? Or will they have to get a different running mate for Luka?

The player option part is straightforward enough, because Reaves has far outplayed that value. From there is where things will get very interesting.

More NBA news:

• Bronny James' future with Lakers has 3 possible outcomes
• Clippers are set up to trade Darius Garland again
• Warriors' Steve Kerr news means it's time to talk about LeBron and Steph
• Anthony Davis is the magic touch for the No. 1 pick
• Jaylen Brown blames the 'media' for a problem he created himself

Notre Dame's defense is loaded with star-power potential heading into the 2026 season. There's one proven star on defense and that's Unanimous All-American cornerback Leonard Moore who will be the best returning corner in the country two years in a row. There's others that are on the verge like defensive end Boubacar Traore and safety Tae Johnson who PFF has ranked as the No. 1 returning safety in the country. 

Another player making a push to become a star on this loaded defensive roster in rising junior defensive end Bryce Young. Young was one of the highest rated defensive recruits in the 2024 class. The 6-6, 260-pound North Carolina native came to Notre Dame with a lot of hype, but he was relatively raw coming out of high school and needed time to develop. 

In 2024, he played 374 snaps in their 16-game season. He came onto the scene against Purdue when they lost defensive in Jordan Botelho to a season ending injury. His snap volume ramped up during the Louisville game due to an injury suffered by Traore which put an early end to his season as well. In total, Young finished with 17 total pressures and seven hits plus sacks on the quarterback; 15 of his 17 pressures and six of his seven hits plus sacks on the quarterback came from the Louisville game to the end of the season. 

This past year, Young's snap volume went up. He played 314 snaps this season which was 60 less than his freshman season, but the Irish played in four less games. Out of his 314 total snaps, Young played 202 pass rushing snaps. In those 202 pass rushing snaps, Young tallied 29 pressures and 11 hits plus sacks on the quarterback. He also recorded 10 run stops in 104 run snaps. His production last year was good, but there's definitely another level he can get to. 

Notre Dame has one of the best returning edge-rushing duos in the country with Traore and Young. To varying degrees, we're confident in what we're going to see from Traore this upcoming season. It's likely he ends up breaking out nationally and could end up in the same conversation with players like Dylan Stewart from South Carolina, Damon Wilson II from Miami and Collin Simmons from Texas. Young, on the other hand, is more of a question mark. 

There are some things we saw from him this spring, in terms of his development, under new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge that make me confident that Young is on his way to a taking that next big step. For Notre Dame to have one of the best edge-rushing duos in the country, they need Young to play his part as well. We've seen previous defensive lines in South Bend in the past that are dominant to just one side, and that's easy to game plan around. 

Young has first-round NFL talent, measurables and potential. Now, it's about going out and turning that potential into production. He's had a solid first two seasons in South Bend, but this is a year where he's poised to take the next step and be the game-changing counterpart to Traore's impact on a weekly basis. If Young takes the next step as a pass rusher and a run stopper, this defense will be very hard to move the ball against in the fall. 

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On this episode, TJ Jones reacts to an interview with Alvin Kamara from the Terron Armstead podcast and uses it as a springboard into a broader conversation about how the Saints operate, how veterans are treated, and why the franchise feels like it’s finally pivoting into a necessary new phase. TJ starts with Kamara’s interview and highlights how much Kamara has going on beyond football, running through the off-field projects Kamara discussed, including real estate work in Birmingham, a film company, and a mobile money platform initiative connected to Liberia. The tone in this portion is more appreciative than argumentative, with TJ framing Kamara as someone thinking long-term and building real infrastructure outside the game while still being a centerpiece of the Saints’ identity.

From there, the episode shifts into the most debated portion: TJ breaking down comments from former Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu that raised eyebrows about the organization’s approach to veteran players. TJ’s main point is that the quote cycle can get misleading fast, so TJ urges people to view Mathieu’s remarks in full context rather than letting a clipped version drive the narrative. TJ digs into what Mathieu seemed to be suggesting about the Saints being reluctant to move on from veterans and how that can create tension underneath the surface, not necessarily because anyone is “wrong,” but because the league is constantly forcing teams to choose between loyalty, leadership, and production.

The back half of the episode widens the lens to organizational direction, with TJ circling back repeatedly to the departure of Dennis Allen as a turning point the Saints had to make. TJ argues the change was vital because the team had grown complacent, and TJ credits the fan base’s sustained frustration as a real factor in pushing leadership to finally act. That leads into a more pragmatic roster conversation, including how adding another running back like Travis Etienne can help lighten Kamara’s load and keep the offense from being overly dependent on one player. TJ closes by emphasizing the uncomfortable truth of the NFL: it’s a business, and New Orleans has to make tougher, cleaner personnel decisions going forward if performance doesn’t match expectations, even when it involves respected veterans.

The Houston Texans made a quiet but intriguing move on Monday, officially signing running back Evan Hull following a successful tryout at rookie minicamp. 

At first glance, Hull’s career stats—49 rushing yards on 20 carries across three teams—don't scream "game-changer." However, looking deeper into the move suggests the Texans are prioritizing a specific archetype for their backfield depth: the pass-catching specialist.

Why Hull? Why Now?

The Texans’ backfield already features a heavy hitter in David Montgomery, but modern NFL offenses thrive on variety. Hull, a former 2023 fifth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts, was a prolific dual-threat weapon at Northwestern. In 2022, he led all FBS running backs with 54 receptions, showing a natural ability to operate as a safety valve in the passing game.

By signing Hull, the Texans are likely looking for:

• Third-Down Utility: A back who can reliably catch passes out of the backfield to alleviate pressure on C.J. Stroud.
• Special Teams Contributions: As a fringe roster player, Hull's path to the 53-man roster will require him to prove his worth on kick and punt units.
• Roster Flexibility: Moving on from Luke Lachey suggests the team feels comfortable with their tight end depth (likely led by Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan) and sees a greater "upside" in testing a versatile back like Hull.

The Other Side Of The Coin

In the NFL, the distance between "draft day sleeper" and "roster casualty" is often measured in a matter of months. We saw that cold reality play out on Monday as the Houston Texans waived tight end Luke Lachey to clear a spot for Evan Hull.

On paper, it’s a standard transactional swap that involves a move to bolster backfield depth at the expense of a developmental project. But for those watching the trajectory of this roster, cutting ties with Lachey feels like a premature surrender on a high-upside frame.

It’s a tough break for a second-year player still trying to find his footing in the league. Lachey has the physical tools to be a contributor elsewhere, but in Houston, his time simply ran out before it ever really began.

The Verdict

This is the definition of a "bottom-of-the-roster" chess move. While Hull has struggled to find a permanent home after stints with the Colts, Steelers, and Saints, he possesses a skill set—receiving and pass protection—that fits the Texans' offensive scheme.

Cutting a young prospect like Lachey is always a risk, but in the search for a complete backfield, Houston is betting that Hull's collegiate pedigree can finally translate into NFL production. If he can recapture his Northwestern form, the Texans might have just found a bargain-bin contributor for their 2026 campaign.

New York Yankees pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange was all the rage in Spring Training. He was flashing 102 mph on the radar gun, and he was buckling hitters with his nasty movement.

Some even felt that Lagrange could sneak his way on to the big-league roster, but in the end, the Yankees sent him down to Triple-A for some more work.

That proved to be the right decision, because Lagrange has certainly been struggling through his first seven starts of 2026.

Yes, Lagrange is still fanning hitters at an incredible rate, having racked up 38 strikeouts over 28.1 innings of work, but his walks have been just as noticeable.

Lagrange has issued 17 free passes thus far, good for an average of 5.4 walks per nine frames. He owns lifetime 5.2 BB/9, so command has always been an issue for the right-hander. But it isn't getting any better. In fact, it might be getting worse.

This is exactly why I've always pushed back against the notion of turning Lagrange into a reliever. Not that you ever want your pitchers walking batters, but it gets amplified much more when you are entering a game with runners already potentially on base.

Lagrange is 6-foot-7, so it's understandably difficult for him to harness his delivery. But if he ever wants to make it in the big leagues, he will have to rectify this problem.

Remember: Dellin Betances had a very similar issue in the Yankees' minor-league system, but he got it under control (somewhat) in the majors.

Can Lagrange do the same thing?

Well, based on what we have been seeing out of the Dominican native this season, he certainly isn't on the right track.

Lagrange's lack of control is also affecting how he pitches in general, as he has already surrendered six home runs in 2026. Three of them came in his most recent start, when he walked three and gave up five runs in 4.1 innings.

There is no doubting Lagrange's stuff. It's absolutely filthy. But we have seen plenty of pitchers with amazing talent fall flat due to their inability to consistently get the ball over the plate.

You would hate to see the same thing happen with Lagrange, but he is now five seasons into his minor-league tenure, and he hasn't improved.

Perhaps New York can work with Lagrange on his mechanics to ensure better command, but you also have to be careful you don't mess with him too much.

It's definitely a tough situation, and it's something that isn't really being discussed.

Lagrange lays claim to a 4.76 ERA thus far this season, and you already know that the walks are one of the primary reasons why.

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Francesco Bagnaia hailed Jorge Martin’s epic comeback from a nightmare 2025 MotoGP season as “admirable”, saying the Aprilia rider has emerged as a genuine title threat.

Martin dominated last weekend’s French Grand Prix, winning both the sprint and the main race after a difficult qualifying to move one point behind his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi in the championship standings.

The Spaniard’s early 2026 form is in stark contrast to his first year with Aprilia, when he suffered four injuries, struggled for competitiveness and even tried to trigger an early exit clause in his contract. 

Bagnaia knows Martin well from their time together at Ducati, with the latter having also beaten him to the 2024 title in an epic showdown that went down to the wire in Valencia.

The Italian feels Martin is now beginning to show the calmness and consistency that underpinned his title-winning 2024 campaign.

“He’s clearly a title contender,” Bagnaia said when asked about Martin’s performance by Motorsport.com. “He’s using the same strategy he used in 2024 - finishing every race. 

“Here, he finished every race first. But in general, he’s also very good at knowing when to settle for less. So, that’s a plus. I lost the world championship to him for that very reason. 

“When I saw him on Saturday, we both had lunch in the hospitality area at Alpinestar. He looked very relaxed. He knew he could do it today, and he did. 

“I’m very happy for him. He deserves it. Last year was very tough for him. I think he had 21 fractures last year. So, having the strength to come back to this level is admirable. 

“Congratulations to him and especially to Aprilia, which gave him incredible support last year.”

Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team

Gresini rider Alex Marquez also believes Martin’s current form was reminiscent of his Ducati heydays, when Martin and Bagnaia were operating on a different level to the rest of the field.

Marquez said he was particularly impressed by how his countryman regained confidence on the Aprilia after undergoing multiple surgeries during an injury-hit 2025 season.

"It is impressive," he said. "When you see him riding, you see that he goes without fear, with his heart wide open," he added.

"And for someone who has hurt himself so badly, so many times, it is something strange. The normal thing would be to see him riding a little more rigidly on the bike. 

“Instead, you see that he has enormous confidence, the same [confidence] he had in 2023 or 2024. So, we can only congratulate him, because he is doing a great job.”

Francesco Bagnaia explains French GP crash: “I didn’t want to lose, I was having a blast”

Jorge Martin’s French GP win comes one year after Aprilia contract saga

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Every season there are a few rookies who overcome their nervousness and excel in their first Stanley Cup playoffs.  

This postseason is no exception with 35 first-year players participating in the playoffs thus far.

Some have left lasting impressions.

Of the three Calder Trophy candidates, the Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer is the odds-on favorite to capture the award. 

Unfortunately for the Islanders, the did not make the playoffs — so Schaefer will have to wait for his postseason debut to really show out.

The other two candidates, Montreal’s Ivan Demidov and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke, are making their presence felt.

Sennecke has goals in the past three games, four in the playoffs. 

His 23 goals during the regular season tied him with Schaefer for the rookie lead.  His first playoff goal was a tiebreaker in Anaheim’s 7-4 win in Game 3 against Edmonton in Round 1.

Sennecke is tied with Philadelphia’s Porter Martone for the playoff lead in rookie scoring. 

Martone, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey all impressed and are bright spots in the Flyers’ future. All three scored their first ever playoff goals.

Demidov has playoff experience from last season but played only two regular season games and is still considered a rookie. 

He has yet to score a goal in 10 playoff games this year although he has three assists, has looked strong, and is averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game.

Defenseman Ian Moore is another Anaheim rookie getting his first taste of the playoffs. After being benched for Games 2 and 3 against Vegas, he came back to score the winning goal in Game 4.

Tampa Bay’s Dominic James split the season between the Lightning and the AHL. He managed two goals and an assist in the seven-game set against Montreal. 

He was a standout at Minnesota-Duluth and is a definite piece of the Lightning’s future.

The most outstanding performance by a rookie so far has been Canadien goalie Jakob Dobeš. He absolutely stoned Tampa Bay in their deciding game, stopping 28 of 29 shots while Montreal managed only nine shots against the Lightning.

For the playoffs to date he is sporting a 2.28 GAA and .912 save percentage.

Dobeš is technically a rookie although he had some regular season and playoff experience during the 2024-25 season. His backup in the playoffs, Jacob Fowler is also a rookie and has yet to see action because of Dobeš’ excellent play.

Another rookie goaltender making himself known is Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt.

Wallstedt was outstanding in Minnesota’s come-from-behind 4-2 series win against Dallas. 

He started eight of the Wild’s nine games going into Monday’s Game 4 with a 2.61/.913. 

On Monday, Wallstedt gave up three goals on 32 shots and the Avalanche took a 3-1 lead going back to Denver with a 5-2 win.

Against Colorado he had a rough start, giving up eight goals in the opening game loss. He was relieved by Filip Gustavsson for game two, another loss, but game back strong in 5-1 Game 3 victory.

Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs is still considered a rookie even though he played in games for Vancouver the prior three seasons, including 10 starts in last year’s playoffs.  

Even though the Pens were eliminated by the Flyers, Silovs impressed in his three starts, going 1.52/.939.

ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON

• IIHF World Championship, Switzerland: May 15-31
• NHL Draft (9th in First Round, Seven Overall): June 26-27; KeyBank Center, Buffalo
• NHL Free Agency: Opens July 1
• Panthers Development Camp: Late June/Early July; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale
• Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
• Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale 
• 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA

This article: Rookies Becoming Household Names in these Stanley Cup Playoffs originally appeared on Florida Hockey Now.

The post Cosmos (ATOM) Price Prediction 2026, 2027 – 2030: Will ATOM Price Hit $300? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Cosmos (ATOM), one of the crypto market’s earliest interoperability-focused blockchain networks, is gradually regaining attention as cross-chain infrastructure narratives return to the spotlight. While the broader altcoin market spent months under pressure, Cosmos has started showing early signs of structural stabilization, with price action attempting to recover from a prolonged corrective cycle.

The Cosmos ecosystem continues expanding around app-chain architecture, sovereign blockchain development, and Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC), positioning itself as a core infrastructure layer in the evolving multi-chain economy. As institutional attention slowly shifts toward scalability and blockchain interoperability, Cosmos remains one of the few ecosystems directly built around cross-chain connectivity.

At the same time, ATOM’s market structure is beginning to improve technically. Selling pressure has weakened near long-term support zones, while recent breakout attempts suggest momentum may be gradually shifting in favor of buyers. This article explores Cosmos price prediction 2026–2030, analyzing whether improving ecosystem fundamentals and recovering market sentiment can drive ATOM toward a larger recovery phase.

Cosmos (ATOM) Price May 2026 Outlook

Cosmos is beginning to show early signs of structural recovery after spending months trapped in a prolonged downtrend. ATOM is now trading near the $2.06 region, where repeated higher lows and tightening price action suggest that sellers are gradually losing control. The recent breakout attempt from the descending wedge structure reflects improving momentum, especially as broader crypto market conditions stabilize and capital slowly rotates back into oversold large-cap altcoins.

The immediate focus now shifts toward the $2.30–$2.40 resistance zone, which remains the key breakout barrier for May. A sustained move above this range could open the path toward $2.80–$3.20, confirming a broader trend reversal and attracting fresh speculative momentum. Volume expansion and improving RSI structure further support the possibility of continuation if buyers maintain control above support.

On the downside, the $1.85–$1.90 region remains the critical demand zone. As long as ATOM holds above this level, the recovery structure remains intact. Overall, Cosmos in May 2026 is expected to trade within the $1.90–$3.20 range, with breakout confirmation likely above the $2.40 level.

Coinpedia’s Cosmos (ATOM) Price Prediction 2026

Cosmos’ broader 2026 outlook is increasingly tied to the return of interoperability narratives across the crypto market. As modular blockchain infrastructure, cross-chain liquidity, and app-chain ecosystems regain attention, Cosmos is beginning to reposition itself as a core infrastructure layer rather than a speculative Layer-1 trade.

ATOM appears to be transitioning out of a long accumulation phase. After losing significant value from previous cycle highs, price action is now stabilizing above macro support while forming a potential base structure. The recent breakout attempt from multi-month compression suggests momentum may finally be shifting after an extended period of weak sentiment.

Fundamentally, Cosmos continues benefiting from expanding Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) activity, growing app-chain development, and renewed interest in sovereign blockchain ecosystems. If broader market conditions remain constructive and altcoin liquidity improves through the second half of 2026, ATOM could gradually reclaim higher resistance zones.

For the bullish scenario to strengthen, Cosmos must decisively reclaim the $3.50–$4 region during the coming months. If that transition occurs, the market could begin repricing ATOM toward the $6–$8 range initially, followed by a potential extension toward $10–$12 by the end of 2026 as ecosystem activity and speculative momentum accelerate together.

However, failure to sustain recovery above macro resistance may keep ATOM locked in a prolonged consolidation cycle before any larger expansion phase develops.

ATOM Crypto Price Prediction 2026 – 2030

ATOM Price Forecast 2026

In 2026, Cosmos price could project a low price of $4.00, an average price of $8.00, and a high of $12.00

Cosmos Crypto Price Prediction 2027

As per the Cosmos Price Prediction 2027, Cosmos may see a potential low price of $8.00. The potential high for the Cosmos price in 2027 is estimated to reach $20.00

ATOM Coin Price Prediction 2028

In 2028, the Cosmos  price is forecasted to potentially reach a low price of $15.00 and a high price of $32.00

Cosmos Price Prediction 2029

Thereafter, the Cosmos  (Cosmos) price for the year 2029 could range between $25.00 and $48.00

Cosmos (ATOM) Price Prediction 2030

Finally, in 2030, the price of Cosmos is predicted to remain steadily positive. It may trade between $38.00 and $62.00

ATOM Price Prediction 2031, 2032, 2033, 2040, 2050

The long-term projection assumes Cosmos sustains relevance in enterprise blockchain use cases, with growth moderating over time as the asset matures.

ATOM Price Prediction: Market Analysis?

FAQs

The post Solana ETF Inflows Hint at Growing Institutional Demand appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Solana ETFs recorded $8.4 million in net inflows last week, signaling rising institutional interest in the asset despite broader market uncertainty. Net inflows indicate more capital entered the funds than exited, suggesting steady accumulation from regulated investors rather than speculative retail trading. Analysts note the timing is significant, with SOL still trading near key support levels around $98 — a pattern similar to the early stages of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF adoption cycles. The growing inflows could strengthen the long-term bullish case for Solana.

The post Top Altcoins to Rally Ahead of the CLARITY Act as Crypto Market Eyes Regulatory Breakthrough appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

As the upcoming CLARITY Act discussions move closer into focus, traders are increasingly positioning around the top altcoins expected to rally the most from a clearer crypto regulatory framework in the United States. The latest draft proposal introduced bullish language around staking, custody, banking access, and digital asset classification, rapidly strengthening sentiment across infrastructure-focused blockchain ecosystems.

That shift in sentiment is already starting to reflect on the charts. Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Avalanche, and Sui are all showing strong accumulation structures alongside rising trading volume and improving momentum indicators. With the market beginning to front-run a potential regulatory catalyst, analysts believe these assets could emerge among the top altcoins to watch ahead of the CLARITY Act as institutional and retail momentum continues building across the crypto market.

What the CLARITY Act Means for Altcoins

The latest CLARITY Act draft introduced several crypto-friendly provisions that traders believe could reshape institutional participation across the digital asset market. The proposal clarified that staking-related activities would not automatically classify tokens as securities, a major development for proof-of-stake ecosystems. The bill also outlined support for banks offering digital asset custody, staking, lending, underwriting, and payment services without requiring additional approvals.

Another key section focused on exchange-traded products and digital asset classification, strengthening optimism around institutional crypto adoption and regulated blockchain infrastructure in the United States. As a result, market attention has increasingly shifted toward altcoins tied to staking, payments, tokenization, and institutional blockchain utility.

Solana and Cardano Lead the Staking Narrative

Solana price has climbed nearly 12% this week to trade around $95 as traders rotate aggressively into staking-focused Layer-1 ecosystems. SOL recently reclaimed a key breakout structure with rising volume and improving momentum, while the CLARITY Act’s staking provisions strengthened optimism around institutional participation and ETF-related narratives.

Meanwhile, Cardano price has gained roughly 8% this week to trade near $0.2770. ADA continues defending a major accumulation zone while forming a bullish higher-low structure on the daily timeframe. Analysts believe Cardano could benefit significantly if staking participation receives clearer regulatory protection in the United States.

XRP and Chainlink Gain Strength on Institutional Utility

XRP price has risen around 5% this week to trade near $1.46 as investors position around banking and institutional adoption narratives tied to the CLARITY Act. The bill’s custody and payment-related provisions are being viewed as long-term positives for Ripple’s payments-focused ecosystem.

At the same time, Chainlink price has gained nearly 9% this week to hover around the $10 level. LINK continues benefiting from the tokenization and real-world asset narrative, with analysts expecting stronger institutional demand if regulatory clarity improves around blockchain financial infrastructure.

Technically, both XRP and LINK are trading near important breakout zones while accumulation and trading volume continue strengthening.

Avalanche and Sui See Strong Accumulation

Avalanche price has climbed nearly 7% this week as traders rotate toward scalable Layer-1 ecosystems expected to benefit from institutional blockchain adoption. AVAX is now approaching key recovery levels while volume activity gradually improves.

Meanwhile, Sui price has surged roughly 35% this week, making it one of the strongest-performing major altcoins in the market. Rising ecosystem activity and aggressive accumulation suggest traders are increasingly positioning around high-growth blockchain projects ahead of a potential regulatory-driven market rotation.

Outlook

The market is increasingly treating the CLARITY Act as a potential turning point for institutional crypto adoption in the United States. While the legislation remains under discussion, several major altcoins are already showing improving technical structures, rising accumulation, and stronger market participation.

If momentum around the CLARITY Act continues building, analysts believe staking, payments, and infrastructure-focused altcoins could lead the next major crypto market rally as traders front-run a broader regulatory-driven breakout across the altcoin sector.

The post Ultima’s New AI Trading Bot Goes Where Standard Bots Stop appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Conventional trading bots automate execution. Ultima’s new AI-powered Turbo Bot automates the layer above — strategy, regime, and tuning.

You’re already automating — most traders just don’t think of it that way, treating it more as a matter of discipline and emotional control. Limit orders, stop-losses and take-profits, weekend DCA — all of it is proto-automation offloaded to an exchange. But how precise are those rules, and are they enough to give one an edge in the market?

Somewhere between 60% and 75% of trading volume in major global markets is generated by algorithms, according to industry estimates. The rails the market actually runs on are not your bracket orders — they may be textbook-correct, but just aren’t in the same league as what is executing on the other side of the book.

A conventional trading bot may look like the answer at first. You pick a strategy, plug into the exchange, and the bot trades unattended. Execution is real automation here. But the choice of strategy and fine-tuning stay with the trader. So does reading the market regime, and the call to pause, rebalance, or rewrite the ruleset before the bot drives an account into a wall it can’t see. It just shifts all the work, including the 3 a.m. market checks, from price to parameters, while retail’s time and capital quietly bleed.

But there is a next level.

What Turbo Bot Automates

UTrading, an automated-trading platform in the Ultima ecosystem, just added an AI-powered Turbo Bot, trained by Ultima’s in-house trading team on live market data.

An AI engine handles execution, continuously re-evaluating the market and deciding on entry and exit points, adapting across phases. Beyond a one-time API connection (the industry standard, trade-only permissions, no withdrawal access), the bot runs unattended.

Notably, the pricing model matches the handover. Users buy Bot Performance Licenses for a specific hard-capped target profit in USDT, with no time limit. Once activated, the bot keeps trading until it reaches the target profit, with no additional payments or profit shares.

An active bot can deliver returns of up to roughly 25% per month, according to the team, with results tracked in real time on the user’s dashboard.

The bot trades the BTC/USDT and ULTIMA/USDT spot pairs across HTX, KuCoin, BingX, and MEXC. Since no leverage is used here, there is no path to forced liquidation.

What This Means for $ULTIMA’s Supply

Each new UTrading bot activation adds demand and liquidity to $ULTIMA, an ultra-scarce coin, hard-capped at 100,000, with annual halvings.

$ULTIMA’s circulating supply sits at 37,409 coins at the time of writing, with daily issuance of just 6 coins against trading volume of around $17M, per CoinMarketCap.

Beyond trading, the wider ecosystem reaches millions of users worldwide, according to the company, and spans non-custodial wallets (hot and cold), a crypto debit card for real-world spending in 100+ countries, and proprietary marketplaces — all anchored to the same native hyperdeflationary asset.

$ULTIMA has outperformed Bitcoin by roughly 550% over the past six months, and stays at 89% bullish sentiment per CMC as of today.

Turbo Bot opens one more demand channel into the same narrow supply. Every new user running it on the ULTIMA pair pushes volume through that channel, and the next halving, scheduled for the end of the year, is set to tighten the supply math further.

The post Zcash (ZEC) Price Surges 30%—Can Grayscale’s ETF Filing Trigger Another 50% Rally? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

After witnessing a massive rally over the past week, Zcash (ZEC) price has entered a brief cooling phase, recording a pullback of over 2.6% after surging more than 33% in the last seven days. The token is currently trading around $557 after climbing above $642 earlier, suggesting a healthy correction rather than a trend reversal. Reports indicate the decline was triggered after a market participant offloaded nearly $11 million worth of ZEC, sparking a wave of long liquidations across the derivatives market. 

Despite the correction, ZEC continues to maintain a bullish structure, while optimism surrounding Grayscale’s proposed ETF filing is expected to fuel another rally beyond the recent highs.

Grayscale’s Filing Could Mark a Historic Moment for Privacy Coins

One of the biggest catalysts currently driving Zcash’s rally is Grayscale’s move to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot ETF product. If approved, this would become the world’s first-ever spot ETF tied to a privacy coin, marking a major milestone not just for Zcash but for the entire privacy-focused crypto sector. The filing has dramatically shifted market sentiment around ZEC because privacy coins have remained under intense regulatory pressure for years. 

As a result, the market is beginning to view Zcash less as a speculative privacy token and more as a potential institutional-grade privacy infrastructure asset. Besides the regulatory clarity, Grayscale’s involvement also adds institutional credibility to the ecosystem. Historically, ETF-related narratives have acted as strong bullish catalysts across the crypto markets, particularly when tied to assets with limited institutional exposure.  

ZEC Price Appears to Be Repeating a Massive Bullish Reversal Pattern

After peaking near the previous highs in late 2025, the ZEC price underwent a steep decline before gradually forming a rounded bottom structure over the past few months. The latest rally has now pushed the token back toward the neckline resistance around $550, which previously acted as a major rejection zone. The daily chart suggests Zcash may be on the verge of a much larger breakout after successfully reclaiming a critical resistance zone near $550. 

Interestingly, the current setup resembles a large cup-shaped recovery pattern that began forming after the prolonged correction phase earlier this year.

Another bullish signal comes from the derivatives market. Open Interest continues to remain elevated despite the correction, indicating traders are still maintaining exposure instead of aggressively closing positions. Meanwhile, the funding rates remain largely positive, highlighting sustained bullish sentiment across perpetual markets. If ZEC successfully confirms this breakout and sustains above the $550 range, the rally could eventually extend toward the next major resistance zone around $800. 

However, failing to hold above the breakout zone may trigger a deeper correction toward the $480 support region before the next bullish continuation attempt.

Key Levels to Watch

• Support: $550 to $540
• Lower Support: $500 to $480
• Immediate Resistance: $600 to $642
• Higher Resistance: $700
• Major Target: $800

What’s Next for Zcash (ZEC) Price?

Overall, the chart suggests Zcash price remains within a strong bullish structure despite the recent correction from the highs above $640. The price appears to be retesting a crucial breakout zone, while the sustained rise in Open Interest and positive funding rates indicate traders continue to maintain bullish exposure. Besides the bullish technical setup, optimism surrounding Grayscale’s filing for the world’s first-ever spot ETF tied to a privacy coin has further strengthened market sentiment around ZEC. As long as the price holds above the immediate support range near $540 to $550, the possibility of a fresh breakout toward the $700 and $800 resistance zones remains elevated in the coming sessions.

The post U.S CPI Report Day Could Change Everything for Markets appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

U.S. inflation data drops at 8:30 AM ET today, and markets are preparing for a potentially major shock. March CPI came in at 3.3%, but forecasts for April are now climbing toward 3.7% year-over-year — the highest inflation reading in nearly two years. Rising energy prices tied to Middle East tensions are already pushing costs higher, while tariff impacts have yet to fully hit the data. Core CPI is also expected to rise, strengthening fears that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates elevated for much longer than investors hoped.

The post CPI Report Today: Inflation Heat Could Shake Markets Again appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Markets are bracing for a hot April CPI report, with economists expecting headline inflation to rise 3.7% year-over-year after March’s sharp 0.9% monthly jump. Surging gasoline prices — fueled by escalating Iran-related oil tensions — were responsible for nearly three-quarters of March’s inflation spike. A stronger-than-expected reading would reinforce the Federal Reserve’s “higher for longer” interest rate stance, potentially pressuring stocks, crypto, and risk assets. Investors now see energy prices and inflation data as the key drivers for the next major market move.

The post Ethereum Co-Founder Joseph Lubin Names His Top Two Suspects for Satoshi Nakamoto appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin has reignited debate around the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto after saying cryptographer Len Sassaman and early Bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney remain the strongest candidates behind Bitcoin’s creation.

During a recent interview, Lubin discussed Bitcoin’s future, the growing risks from quantum computing, and what could eventually happen to Satoshi’s untouched Bitcoin wallets.

“It’s definitely not Adam,” Lubin said while dismissing theories surrounding Adam Back. “But Len Sassaman and Hal have been, in my opinion, the leading candidates for a very long time.”

Dormant Bitcoin Fuels Satoshi Speculation

The Finney and Sassaman theories have continued gaining traction largely because of the enormous amount of early Bitcoin that has never moved.

Finney was famously the first person to receive Bitcoin directly from Satoshi in 2009 and accumulated significant early BTC holdings before passing away in 2014. Sassaman, who died in 2011, is widely respected in cryptography circles, with some researchers believing he may have helped write or structure the original Bitcoin whitepaper.

Supporters of the theory argue that the untouched “Satoshi coins” linked to Bitcoin’s earliest wallets may effectively be removed from circulation entirely.

Macro investor Fred Krueger recently added to that narrative, arguing the dormant stash worth of $87.8 billion was likely controlled by Finney and Sassaman, effectively removing them from circulation.

Lubin Warns Bitcoin Faces Quantum Threat

Moving on, Lubin also warned that future advances in quantum computing could eventually threaten Bitcoin wallet security.

According to him, Bitcoin may need to migrate users toward quantum-secure wallets to protect funds and preserve the network long term.

“As we ponder the quantum threat, Bitcoin will have to migrate to quantum-secure wallets,” he explained.

That transition, however, could create major debates around old inactive wallets, including coins potentially tied to Satoshi Nakamoto.

What Happens to Satoshi’s Bitcoin?

Lubin further suggested Bitcoin may ultimately rely on social consensus to decide how dormant wallets are treated during a future quantum-security migration.

“Here’s the deadline… if you don’t switch, move your coins by that deadline, then you’re out of luck,” he said.

While he acknowledged that such a move would raise difficult questions around Bitcoin property rights, he argued that protecting the network remains the priority.

“We want Bitcoin to survive. We want Bitcoin to be very strong because Bitcoin represents decentralized economic bandwidth,” he added.

The post Is Bhutan Quietly Exiting Bitcoin? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Bhutan has reportedly moved another 100 BTC — worth around $8.1 million — from government-linked wallets, fueling speculation the country may be accelerating its Bitcoin selloff. According to Arkham data, Bhutan has already sold over $230 million in BTC during 2025 while still holding roughly $252 million. If sales continue near the current pace of $50 million monthly, the kingdom could fully exit its Bitcoin position before September. Even after the selloff, Bhutan would still secure an estimated $767 million profit from its long-term crypto strategy.

The post Grayscale Files for First-Ever Spot Privacy Coin ETF With Zcash Push appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Grayscale Investments is making a major move toward privacy coins after officially filing to convert its Zcash Trust into a spot ETF. If approved, it would become the first-ever spot ETF tied to a privacy-focused crypto asset. The filing was submitted to the U.S. SEC on May 8 and follows the same strategy Grayscale previously used for its Bitcoin and Ethereum products.

The timing grabbed attention across the crypto market. Earlier this year, the SEC reportedly ended its long-running review of privacy coins without taking enforcement action against Zcash, removing a major layer of uncertainty that had been hanging over the sector for years.

At the same time, institutional interest appears to be growing fast. Tushar Jain recently revealed that Multicoin Capital has been building a large ZEC position since February as a macro hedge play. Following the ETF filing news, Zcash rallied sharply toward the $600 mark and climbed back into the top 15 crypto assets by market capitalization. 

For many traders, the filing feels like a signal that privacy coins are slowly moving back into the institutional conversation again.

Custody Questions Still Hang Over Zcash

Despite the excitement, some major hurdles still remain. Around 30% of Zcash’s circulating supply currently sits inside shielded privacy pools, creating challenges for institutional custody, auditing, and proof-of-reserves requirements. Most ETF structures typically rely on transparent wallet systems for compliance reporting.

Still, Grayscale continues aggressively expanding its crypto ETF lineup. In recent months, the company has also filed spot ETF applications tied to Cardano, XRP, Dogecoin, and NEAR Protocol as competition for institutional crypto products continues heating up.

ZEC Rally Cools After Massive Run

The ETF filing helped fuel a huge rally in ZEC over the past week. The token surged from below $420 to nearly $640 before cooling back toward the $550 area on May 11. Even after the pullback, ZEC remained up roughly 33% over seven days, keeping its market cap near $9.31 billion and maintaining its position as the largest privacy-focused cryptocurrency.

Crypto analyst Crypto_Paykash said ZEC is now entering a consolidation phase, with lower highs starting to appear after the explosive rally from around $325. According to him, if support breaks, the price could revisit the $535 to $550 liquidity zone before another breakout attempt. Still, he noted that after nearly doubling without a meaningful correction, the current cooldown remains healthy unless broader macro support fully breaks down.

Here We Go Again, or: Why GPU Bottlenecks Hide True CPU Performance.
Gamers keep demanding 1440p CPU benchmarks, but higher resolutions often hide the very performance differences CPU testing is supposed to reveal. Here's why 1080p still matters most.

During last week's earnings call for its Q4 FY25 and full-year 2025 financial report, Sony's executives admitted they haven't decided on the launch timing for the PlayStation 6 due to ongoing memory shortages, and thus very high prices that could drive the system's launch price past what many consider reasonable for a gaming console. According to known AMD leaker KeplerL2, the only reasonable cutbacks Sony could make without gutting the system heavily to keep its price as low as possible would be to reduce the memory bus and the system's RAM. "Nerfing the specs so much kinda defeats the point of having a […]

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CleanSpark posted a $378.3 million net loss in its fiscal second-quarter results, more than double the prior year, with nearly 60% tied to Bitcoin price declines.

A majority of ETH price rallies stop at $2,400 as flat spot ETF inflows and rising Ether deposits to Binance weigh on traders’ confidence.

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The Toyota Land Cruiser is up to a record 7th place in April.

New vehicle sales in Japan shoot up 9.1% year-on-year in April to 373,952 units, meaning the year-to-date tally is now stable at -0.1% to 1,627,305. Brand leader Toyota (+25.2%) delivers an outstanding month, vastly outpacing its home market to reach 37.7% share, 10 percentage points above its March level and simply its highest share since we started following Japanese brands data in January 2014. Previous best was 36.5% in pandemic-disrupted May 2020. Illustrating the weight of Toyota in total Japanese sales, the next 5 brands all trail the market. Nissan (+2.4%) and Honda (+1.5%) are in positive whereas Daihatsu (-2.4%), Suzuki (-2.9%) and Mazda (-3.4%) drop slightly. In contrast Subaru (+28.8%), Lexus (+10.5%) and Mitsubishi (+10%) all shine in the remainder of the Top 10. As for foreign brands, Mercedes (-3.6%) falls to #13, with BMW (-18.9%) and Volkswagen (-12%) also in trouble. Renault (+129.9%), Ferrari (+93.2%), Porsche (+52.5%), BYD (+29.5%) and Land Rover (+24.2%) stand out.

Looking at the regular cars ranking, Toyota spectacularly monopolises the Top 9. The Yaris+Yaris Cross (-13.8%) holds onto the top spot but the “true” leader is the Toyota Roomy up 108.4 year-on-year and 13 spots on March to #2, reaching its highest volume since October 2024. The Toyota Land Cruiser (+175.9%) reaches a record 7th place (previous best #9 in July 2024). Note the 70, 250 and 300 series are included. Meanwhile the Raize (+91.6%), Voxy (+55%), Alphard (+30.4%), Noah (+28%) and Sienta (+22.6%) all beat the market, with the latter ascending to #2 year-to-date. The Corolla+Corolla Cross (-22.8%) freefalls to #6. Other great performers below include the Toyota bZ4X (+3560.8%), Nissan Leaf (+1061.5%), Toyota Hiace (+198.1%), Suzuki Xbee (+186.8%) and Lexus RX350 (+171.7%).

Over in the kei cars charts, the Suzuki Spacia (+1.6%) is the best-seller for the first time since May 2024. It topples the Honda N-BOX (-14.9%), with the latter remaining #1 year-to-date by almost 11,000 units. The Daihatsu Tanto (-4.6%) overtakes the Move (+25%) to their place with the Toyota Copen GR Sport (+231.1%), Daihatsu Copen (+77.2%) and Nissan Roox (+66.1%) posting the biggest YoY gains below.

Previous month: Japan March 2026: Toyota RAV4, bZ4X, Nissan Leaf shine

One year ago: Japan April 2025: Toyota places 11 models in Top 12 regular car charts

Full April 2026 Top 48 All brands, Top 50 regular cars and Top 31 All kei cars below.

Japan April 2026 – brands:

Japan April 2026 – regular cars:

Japan April 2026 – kei cars:

Source: JADA, JMVA, JAIA

Portekiz ekibi Benfica, sözleşmesini uzatmayan Antonio Silva'yı mecburen satış listesine koydu. Galatasaray'ın da takip ettiği 22 yaşındaki stoper, 20 milyon euroya bırakılacak...

Benfica Yönetimi uzun süredir António Silva'nın kontratını yenilemeye çalışıyordu. 22 yaşındaki savunmacının mevcut sözleşmesi 30 Haziran 2027'de bitiyor. Yani 2026 yazında mukavelesinin son senesine girecek. Portekiz ekibinin yaptığı bütün teklifler, oyuncu tarafından geri çevrildi.

MECBUREN SATACAKLAR

Benfica, 1.87 boyundaki savunmacıyı mecburen satış listesine koydu. 20 milyon euroluk tekliflerin değerlendirmeye alınacağı öğrenildi. Galatasaray bir süredir Silva'nın durumunu takip ediyordu. Bu arada PSG'nin de bir ilgisi olduğu konuşuluyor fakat onlardan resmi bir girişim gelmedi.

MİLLİ TAKIM KADROSUNDA

Benfica altyapısından çıkan oyuncu, Portekiz Milli Takımı'nın da parçası... Antonio Silva, bugüne kadar ülkesi adına 20 kez forma giydi. 1.87 boyundaki stoperin şu anda seçeneklerini değerlendirdiği öğrenildi. Galatasaray'ın kısa süre içinde masaya oturması bekleniyor.

Fenerbahçe'nin İspanyol yıldızı Marco Asensio'nun çok sayıda talibi bulunuyor. Tecrübeli oyuncunun, başkanlık seçiminin sonrasında yönetimle bir görüşme yapacağı öğrenildi. Sonrasında yeni yol haritası çizilecek.

Fenerbahçe sezon başında PSG'ye 7.5 milyon euro ödeyerek (+500 bin euroluk bonus var) Marco Asensio'yu kadrosuna katmıştı. Ve İspanyol yıldız bu sezon Kanarya'nın en etkili transferi oldu. 30 yaşındaki futbolcu, Süper Lig'de 25 karşılaşmaya çıktı. Sahada 1.879 dakika kaldı. 11 gol ve 13 asist üretti.

İSPANYA'DAN İLGİ

1.82 boyundaki futbolcunun 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi bulunuyor. Kontratta ayrıca +1 yıllık uzatma opsiyonu mevcut... Ancak İspanya'dan birçok ekibin, Marco Asensio'yu istediği öğrenildi. Oyuncu cephesinin, yaklaşan başkanlık seçimini beklediği öğrenildi.

ZİRVEYE BAĞLI

Yeni başkan belirlendikten sonra Asensio'nun yönetimle görüşme bekleniyor. Bu zirvede onun geleceği de belirlenecek. Eğer taraflar arasında anlaşma sağlanırsa Asensio Fenerbahçe'de devam edecek. Aksi halde ülkesinden bir ekibin yolunu tutması bekleniyor. Özetle Marco Asensio'nun durumu kritik...

Galatasaray yaz döneminde orta sahaya en az 2 takviye gerçekleştirecek. Ön libero konusunda Lille'den Ngal'ayel Mukau'nun gündeme geldiği öğrenildi. 21 yaşındaki futbolcu, alternatifler arasında...

Galatasaray, orta saha konusunda ciddi adımlar atacak. Sarı-Kırmızılılar geniş bir liste oluşturdu ve masada çok sayıda alternatif var. Gündeme son olarak Lille'de forma giyen Ngal'ayel Mukau'nun geldiği öğrenildi. 21 yaşındaki ön liberonun, Fransız ekibiyle 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi var.

PREMİER LİG İLGİSİ

1.86 boyundaki futbolcuyla bazı Premier Lig ekiplerinin de ilgilendiği konuşuluyor. Fakat şu ana kadar hiçbir takım resmi teklifle Lille'in kapısını çalmadı. Ngal'ayel Mukau'nun tahmini piyasa değeri 12 milyon euro civarında... Solak oyuncu bu sezon Ligue 1'de 29 karşılaşmaya çıktı.

5 MİLYONA ALINMIŞTI

Sahada 1.495 dakika kalan Ngal'ayel Mukau, takımı adına 1 gol üretti. Lille onu 2024 yazında Mechelen Kulübü'nden transfer etmişti. O dönemde 5 milyon euro bonservis bedeli ödediler. Kongolu futbolcunun asıl yeri ön libero... Ancak merket orta saha ve 10 numarada da görev yapabiliyor. Galatasaray'ın şu anda oyuncunun maçlarını incelediği öğrenildi. Alınacak karara göre; Lille'e resmi teklif sunulabilir.

Galatasaray bir süredir Club Brugge'den Christos Tzolis'le ilgileniyordu. Sarı-Kırmızılılar'ın bu sezon 19 gol ve 24 asist üreten Yunan yıldız için resmi teklif hazırlığında olduğu öğrenildi.

Galatasaray'da Napoli'den kiralanan Noa Lang'ın 30 milyon euroluk satın alma opsiyonunun kullanılması beklenmiyor. Sarı-Kırmızılılar sol kanat için farklı alternatifler üzerinde duruyor. Ve listedeki en önemli isimlerden biri Christos Tzolis... Yunan yıldız, inanılmaz bir sezon geçirdi.

30'UN ÜSTÜNE ÇIKILABİLİR

Club Brugge ile bu sezon tüm kulvarlarda 49 maça çıkan 24 yaşındaki futbolcu, 19 gol ve 24 asist üretti. 1.79 boyundaki futbolcunun tahmini piyasa değeri 30 milyon euro civarında ve Galatasaray bu rakamı ödemeye hazır. Hatta Cim-Bom'un gerekirse teklifini yükseltebileceği de öğrenildi.

ROMA DA İLGİLENİYOR

Sarı-Kırmızılılar şu anda resmi teklif hazırlığında... Çıkılabilecek maksimum rakam konusunda çalışmalar sürüyor. Club Brugge ile pazarlıkların çetin geçmesi bekleniyor. 30 Haziran 2029'a kadar mukavelesi bulunan Christos Tzolis'le İtalyan ekibi Roma da ilgileniyor. Bu transferde çok sıcak gelişmeler yaşanabilir.

Liverpool'daki geleceği tartışılan Virgil van Dijk konusunda sıcak bir gelişme yaşandı. Hollandalı futbolcunun menajerinin, İstanbul'a geldiği iddia edildi. Galatasaray bu transferde çok ciddi...

Virgil van Dijk'ın menajerinin Galatasaray için İstanbul'a geldiği iddia edildi. Hatta bu iddiaya göre; oyuncunun temsilcisi, Antalyaspor karşılaşmasını da izledi. Sarı-Kırmızılılar, Liverpool ile 30 Haziran 2027 tarihine kadar sözleşmesi bulunan efsane stoperi istiyor...

SALAH ÖRNEĞİ

Bir süre önce Salah, sözleşmesi 2027'ye kadar devam etmesine rağmen Liverpool Yönetimi'yle görüşmüştü. Taraflar, bedelsiz ayrılık konusunda anlaştı. Galatasaray aynı hareketi Virgil van Dijk'tan da bekliyor. Eğer bu opsiyon gerçekleşmezse, 34 yaşındaki stoper için uygun bir bonservis bedeli önerilecek.

SICAK BAKIYOR

Ancak İngiliz ekibinin beklentisi yüksek olursa, geri adım atılacak. Oyuncunun menajeriyle, Liverpool'daki durum hakkında fikir alışverişinde bulunulduğu konuşuluyor. Virgil van Dijk cephesi, Cim-Bom'a sıcak bakıyor. Haziran başına kadar konuyla ilgili ciddi gelişmeler yaşanabilir.

Fenerbahçe Kulübünde yönetici Ufuk Şansal kazandıkları 5 kupanın gururunu yaşadıklarını belirtti.

Fenerbahçe Kulübünde kadın basketbol ve kadın futbol şubelerinden sorumlu yönetim kurulu üyesi Ufuk Şansal, iki şubenin bu sezon kazandığı 5 kupanın gururunu yaşadıklarını söyledi.

Ufuk Şansal, Turkcell Kadın Futbol Süper Ligi'nde bitime 2 hafta kala şampiyonluğunu ilan eden Fenerbahçe ArsaVev Kadın Futbol Takımı ile sezonu 4 kupayla kapatan Fenerbahçe Opet Kadın Basketbol Takımı ile AA muhabirine açıklamada bulundu.

Yönetime seçildikten sonra görev alanında bulunan takımlarla bir araya geldiğini aktaran Şansal, "Hem kadın futbolda hem de kadın basketbolda aynı hedefleri söyledim oyunculara. 'Gelin bu sezonu unutulmaz kılalım.' dedim. İki şubede de iyi başlangıç yaptık, iyi sonuçlar aldık. Kadın basketbolda ligi namağlup götürdük. Kadın futbolda son 2 sezonda son haftalarda kaybettiğimiz şampiyonlukların hayal kırıklığı vardı. Burada moralleri biraz yukarıya çektik. Aldığımız sonuçlarla oyuncular ivme yakaladı. İç sahada Galatasaray ile oynadık. Bu maçı stadımızda oynamak istedik. Şampiyonluğa giden ilk yolun Galatasaray maçından geçeceğini biliyorduk. Başkanımız sağ olsun önümüzü açtı, stadyumda oynamamız için gereken kolaylığı sağladı. Galatasaray'ı 1-0 yenerek şampiyonluğa giden ilk adımı attık. Bu büyük bir dönüm noktası oldu." diye konuştu.

Kadın basketbol takımının Avrupa Ligi maçlarını Ülker Spor ve Etkinlik Salonu'nda oynattıklarını vurgulayan Şansal, "Oyuncuların motivasyonu yukarıya çıktı. Benim bu branşlarda ilk gördüğüm şey, kadınların mücadelesinin üst seviyede olması. Her maça aynı profesyonellikle bakıyorlardı ve bu da iyi sonuçları beraberinde getirdi. Avrupa Ligi'nde ilk grubu lider bitirip ikinci gruba çıktık. Altılı Final'e kadar bu şekilde devam etti. Futbolda çok kritik maçlarımız oldu. Bu maçlar arasında en iyi oyuncularımızdan Marta Cox, şubat ayında sakatlanıp sezonu tamamlayamadı. En çok Marta'nın sakatlığına üzüldüm. Aynı şekilde basketbolda Kayla'nın Altılı Final'e gelememesi bizi üzdü. Ama takım arkadaşları onun eksikliğini aratmadı. Hem futbolcularımıza hem de basketbolcularımıza teşekkür ediyorum." ifadelerini kullandı.

"O günü hiçbir zaman unutmayacağız"

Ufuk Şansal, yöneticilik döneminde alınan 5 kupanın gururunu yaşadıklarını anlatarak, şunları kaydetti:

"Kadın basketbolda 4 kupa, futbolda da ilk şampiyonluk... Çok büyük gurur. İlk kez bize nasip olması çok önemli. Futbolda son 2 yılda kaçan şampiyonluktaki kadronun devam ettirilmesi, bu istikrarın korunması başarıyı getirdi. Gökhan hocanın burada çok büyük emeği var. 5 yıldır takımımızda oynayan oyuncularımız var. Bu isimlerle devam edip onların arasına yeni oyuncular katmak, takımın seviyesini yukarıya taşıdı. Bunun sonucunda şampiyonluk bize nasip oldu. Bütün yıl oyuncularımızla beraberdik. Bizim amacımız sadece oyuncuların moralini yükseltmek, birlik ve beraberliği artırmaktı. Sağ olsunlar bana bu gururu yaşattılar. Bu durum bütün yönetimimiz için gurur kaynağı oldu."

Yöneticilik görevinde unutamadığı anın kadın futbol takımının Yüksekova deplasmanındaki maçının olduğunu aktaran Şansal, "Yüksekova'da kadın futbolunda yaşadıklarımız, hiç yaşamak istemediğimiz olaylardı. Sahaya yansımadı ama tribünde yaşananlar, hocamıza yapılanlar oldukça kötüydü. O günü hiçbir zaman unutmayacağız. Belki bu olaylar takımımızı motive etti. O maçı 1-0 kazanmak, şampiyonluğun en önemli dönüm noktalarından biriydi. Zor bir deplasmandı. Konum ve ulaşım açısından da zor bir yer. Van'a uçakla gittik, oradan 3,5 saatlik yolculukla Yüksekova'ya gittik. Maç günü 1,5 saatlik otobüs yolculuğuyla Şemdinli'ye gittik. Bu da takımı yordu ama motive etti. Biz 1-0 kazandık ama rakiplerimiz orada galip gelemedi. Bu da önümüzü açtı." değerlendirmesinde bulundu.

Olağanüstü seçimli genel kurula bir aydan kısa bir süre kalmasına karşın şubelerdeki çalışmalarını sürdürdüklerinin altını çizen Şansal, şöyle konuştu:

"Kadın basketbolda sezonun bitmesiyle beraber sözleşme yenilemelerine başladık. Kaptanlarımız Alperi Onar ve Olcay Çakır Turgut'la sözleşmeleri uzattık. Bir taraftan da transfer çalışmalarına başladık. Hala görüşmelerimiz sürüyor. Şu anda önümüzde olağanüstü seçimli genel kurul var. Son güne kadar takımımızla ilgili gereken ne varsa yapmaya devam edeceğiz. Kadın futbolda da önümüzdeki sene bizimle devam edecek isimlerle sözleşmelerimizi yeniledik. Şampiyonlar Ligi'ni hedefliyorduk. Bunun için de yurt dışında, özellikle Almanya'da 10 günlük bir kamp ayarladık. Takımın gücünü görerek 2-3 transferle Şampiyonlar Ligi'ne bir başlangıç yapacaktık. Seçime kadar bunun çalışmalarına devam edeceğiz."

"Arka planda kalmasını arzu etmiyorum"

Fenerbahçe'nin Trendyol Süper Lig'de şampiyonluğa ulaşamamasının diğer branşları etkilediğini belirten Ufuk Şansal, alınan kupaların gölgede kaldığını söyledi.

Kadın basketbol ve kadın futbolun amatör branş olduğuna dikkati çeken Şansal, "Bu durumdan olumsuz etkileniyoruz. Erkek futbolda şampiyonluk gelmediği sürece burada alınan kupalara hak ettiği değer verilmiyor. Kadın futbolda ve kadın basketbolda alınan kupalar, erkek futboldaki gelmeyen şampiyonluğun arkasında gölgelenmiş oluyor. Umarım ileride bu branşlar hak ettiği değeri görür. Çünkü orada büyük bir emek ve mücadele var. Bunların arka planda kalmasını arzu etmiyorum. Bu branşları takip eden taraftarlarımız var. Biz onlar için bütün sene mücadele edip başardık." ifadelerini kullandı.

Kadın futbolda istikrarın şampiyonluğu getirdiğinin altını çizen Şansal, aynı durumun erkek futbol takımında yapılması gerektiğini anlatarak, "Gerek hoca gerekse oyuncu bazında olması gereken şey istikrar. Bazı oyuncularımızla bir şekilde devam etmemiz gerekiyor. Burada kurumsal bir hafıza yakalamak lazım. İstikrar burada başarıyı getirecek. Erkek takımımızda 4-5 yıldır bir arada oynayan oyuncular olsa farklı bir başarı geleceğine eminim. Her sene değişen hocalar, değişen kadrolar, muhtemel başarımızın önüne geçiyor. En ufak başarısızlıkta 'Hocayı gönderelim, oyuncuyu ıslıklayalım.' demek doğru değil." şeklinde görüş belirtti.

Avrupa Ligi'nde Yunanistan'da düzenlenecek Dörtlü Final'de mücadele edecek Fenerbahçe Beko Erkek Basketbol Takımı'nın başarılı olacağına yürekten inandığını söyleyen Ufuk Şansal, şubeden sorumlu yönetici Cem Ciritçi'nin çok başarılı işlere imza attığını vurguladı.

Ciritçi'nin kendilerine destek vermek için Zaragoza'ya geldiğinin altını çizen Şansal, "Eminim Dörtlü Final'de gereken başarıyı sağlayacaklar. Orada şampiyon olacağımızdan eminim. Cem ve Bora, eylül ayından bu yana gece gündüz takımla beraberler. Dörtlü Final'e kaldılar, ikisini de tebrik ediyorum. Orada iyi bir ivme yakaladık. Üst üste ikinci kez şampiyon olacağımıza inanıyorum." dedi.

Yöneticilik döneminde birçok anı biriktirdiğini anlatan Şansal, sözlerini şöyle tamamladı:

"Burada birçok anı biriktirdim. Kadın basketbolda Zaragoza'da yaşadığımız şampiyonluk unutulmaz. Kadın futbolda stadımızda Galatasaray ile oynadığımız maç unutulmaz. Kadın basketbolda Galatasaray ile bu sezon 7 kez oynadık ve hepsini kazandık. Avrupa Ligi finalindeki maçımız çok anlamlıydı ama bütün Galatasaray galibiyetleri benim için güzeldi. 7,5 aylık dönem benim için çok özeldi. Basketbolda 4 kupa, kadın futbolda şampiyonluk. Bilmiyorum daha önce herhangi bir yönetim kurulu üyesi bu kısacık dönemde 5 kupa aldı mı ama bize nasip oldu. Allah'a şükür görevi şimdilik 5 kupayla devredeceğiz. Çok gururluyuz. Bu başarıda emeği geçen teknik ekiplerimize, sporcularımıza, taraftarlarımıza çok teşekkür ediyorum. En başta da Sadettin Saran başkanımıza, bana bu görevleri verip sonuna kadar destek olduğu için teşekkür ediyorum."

PFDK'den Beşiktaş ve Konyaspor'a para cezası geldi.

Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (TFF) Profesyonel Futbol Disiplin Kurulu (PFDK), Beşiktaş ve Konyaspor'a para cezası verdi.

TFF'den yapılan açıklamaya göre kurul, Ziraat Türkiye Kupası'nda oynanan maçta taraftarının neden olduğu saha olayları sebebiyle iki takıma da 220'şer bin lira para cezası uyguladı.

Disiplin kurulu, Trendyol 1. Lig ekiplerinden Arca Çorum FK'ye de taraftarının neden olduğu saha olaylarından dolayı 110 bin lira para cezası verdi.

Türkiye Kupası yarı finalinde Gençlerbirliği-Trabzonspor maçını hakem Ali Yılmaz yönetecek.

Ziraat Türkiye Kupası yarı finalinde yarın oynanacak Natura Dünyası Gençlerbirliği-Trabzonspor mücadelesinde hakem Ali Yılmaz düdük çalacak.

Türkiye Futbol Federasyonunun açıklamasına göre, Eryaman Stadı'nda saat 20.30'da başlayacak karşılaşmada Yılmaz'ın yardımcılıklarını Gökhan Barcın ile Mehmet Kısal yapacak.

Müsabakanın dördüncü hakemi ise Abdullah Buğra Taşkınsoy olacak.

SEO used to be constrained by one thing more than anything else: dependency.

Dependency on developers, roadmaps, and “maybe next quarter.”

If you wanted a new page template, a calculator, a comparison widget, or even a simple interactive component, you had to ask, wait, and compromise. That’s changing fast.

If you’re in SEO or GEO today and you’re not learning how to vibe code, you’re limiting your impact.

Vibe coding changed the power dynamics in SEO

A few years ago, building tools like calculators or interactive widgets meant tickets, specs, and dev cycles.

Today, with AI, I’ve personally built dozens of mini apps, tools, and UI components without involving a single developer.

Some of those tools are small. Some are relatively ugly but effective. Some now bring in thousands of organic sessions per month.

Entire pages built around a vibe-coded tool are now outperforming traditional text-heavy competitors.

Even more importantly, I’ve introduced this mindset to my SEO team, and they’re now building tools on their own to achieve our search goals. That alone changes everything.

SEO teams can now move faster, test ideas immediately, and reserve developers for actual engineering work, including new templates, infrastructure, and scaling.

And yes, there’s something genuinely satisfying about building a tool yourself, publishing it, and watching it attract traffic month after month.

You don’t need to build fancy things. Just things that get the job done.

Dig deeper: Inspiring examples of responsible and realistic vibe coding for SEO

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Stop talking about user personas. Start talking to them.

Everyone agrees on the user persona theory:

• Identify user personas.
• Understand their pain points.
• Create content that addresses them.

What almost no one explains is how to actually present that information.

Historically, SEO handled personas with text:

• “If you’re a parent…” 
• “For families…” 
• “Business travelers should consider…”

That approach is already outdated. Today, we can let users self-identify and surface only the information that matters to them.

One example from a brand I manage:

• A vibe-coded tabbed component.
• Each tab represents a different user persona.
• Clicking a tab reveals persona-specific content.

For airport transfers in Majorca, a “family” persona doesn’t care about the same things as a solo traveler.

They care about vehicle safety, child seats, family-friendly routes, vehicle size, and indicative pricing. That content appears only when the Family tab is selected.

From an SEO and GEO standpoint, persona pain points were sourced directly from Google Search Console and query fan-out analysis.

The component was then vibe-coded and placed where intent needed to be satisfied immediately.

This aligns with how AI platforms already structure answers: segmented, persona-aware, and intent-first.

Entire traffic categories can be built on tools alone

On one personal project, we launched a brand-new Tools category — ten pages with simple tools, such as:

• Calculators.
• Checklists.
• Calendars.
• Countdown timers.
• AI generators.

Each page leads with the tool and uses supporting components to answer sub-intents.

The result? More than 5,000 incremental clicks in two months. Most of those pages were also out of season.

Dig deeper: How to vibe-code an SEO tool without losing control of your LLM

UI is now a ranking lever

SEOs have never been more capable. The only real limitation left is creativity.

One of the most underrated SEO advantages today is how information is visually presented.

Text is cheap. Everyone can produce it. UI that answers intent instantly isn’t.

I’ve seen:

• Two calculator pages add 10,000 monthly organic sessions.
• One tool page rank in the top three within days for a high-volume government query.
• Multiple seasonal pages rank off-season purely because the UI was better.

When competitors list information, we let users interact with it.

• Eligibility calculators. 
• Countdown timers. 
• Dynamic tables. 
• Visual comparisons.

These pages still include text. But the text supports the tool, not the other way around.

‘SEO takes time’ — except when it doesn’t

One page we published targeted a Greek government school financial support program with a high-volume head term, dozens of long-tail queries, and extremely text-heavy competition.

We built:

• A financial support eligibility tool.
• A transparent explanation of the algorithm logic behind the tool for E-E-A-T.
• Common rejection mistakes parents made when applying for support.
• Historical program changes.
• A step-by-step application flow.

We tagged the tool as a WebApplication, implemented HowTo schema for the process, and properly marked up the FAQs.

Three days after publishing, the page was already ranking on the first page for the main term and generating about 100 clicks.

Sometimes SEO really doesn’t take that long if you solve the problem better than anyone else.

Tools are the ultimate SEO and PR assets

Some tools are built purely for traffic. Others are designed to become linkable digital assets.

A pregnancy due date calculator, a baby name generator, or a comparison table based on TripAdvisor data isn’t just a page. It’s a potential PR campaign.

When a digital asset solves a real pain point, looks modern, answers intent better than SERP features, and has clear PR angles, that’s where SEO, PR, and branding start to collide. That’s when things get really interesting.

Dig deeper: How vibe coding is changing search marketing workflows

Finding tool-page opportunities is easier than ever

With MCP servers from SEO tools, you can now surface tool ideas directly from search demand without leaving the chat, assess difficulty instantly, and launch faster than ever.

I’ve built and launched multiple tool pages this way, and the speed difference compared with traditional workflows is massive.

We’re entering a period where ideation, validation, and execution can all happen in days, not months.

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The big shift

SEO is no longer about who can write the longest article, rephrase the same information better, or game templates. It’s about who answers intent fastest, removes friction, and builds search experiences instead of documents.

Vibe coding changed who gets to build. And right now, the people embracing it are pulling away fast. If you want to win in modern SEO and GEO, build tools, build components, and build search experiences. Text alone isn’t enough anymore. And honestly, that’s a very good thing.

Dig deeper: Build your own AI search visibility tracker for under $100/month

BYD’s New Atto 3 (Yuan Plus) has arrived at dealerships ahead of May 21 launch, featuring 630 km range and upgraded battery.

The post BYD Atto 3 lands in showrooms with 240 kW RWD and flash charging, ahead of May 21 launch appeared first on CarNewsChina.com.

“Araz-Naxçıvan” ilə braziliyalı futbolçu Vanderson Melo arasında bağlanmış müqaviləyə qarşılıqlı razılıq əsasında xitam verilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə Naxçıvan klubunun rəsmi saytı məlumat yayıb.

Xəbərdə bildirilir ki, 2023/2024-cü illər mövsümündən “qırmızı-ağlar”ın heyətində çıxış edən yarımmüdafiəçiyə klub rəhbərliyi karyerasında uğurlar arzulayıb.

Melo klub saytına qısa açıqlama da verib: “Burada 3 maraqlı mövsüm keçirdim. Uğurlu nəticələrimiz də oldu, təəssüfləndiyimiz oyunlar da. Komanda ötən mövsüm tarixində ilk dəfə olaraq üçüncü yeri tutdu və avrokuboklarda oynamaq hüququ qazandı. Konfrans Liqasında “Aris” kimi güclü rəqibi üstələdik və mərhələ adladıq. Cari mövsümlə bağlı isə ancaq təəssüflənmək olar. Çünki qarşıya qoyulan məqsədə çata bilmədik. Burada olmağıma şərait yaradan klub rəhbərliyinə təşəkkür edirəm. Ümid edirəm ki, növbəti mövsüm “Araz-Naxçıvan” hazırkından daha yaxşı çıxış edər və uğur qazanar”.

Xatırladaq ki, Vanderson Melo “Araz-Naxçıvan”da keçirdiyi 3 mövsüm ərzində 90 oyuna çıxıb, 2 qol və 2 məhsuldar ötürmə müəllifi olub.

İspaniya La Liqasında mübarizə aparan “Real Ovyedo” komandası 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün sonunda elitanı tərk edəcək.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, İspaniya La Liqasında cari mövsümün geridə qalmış 35 turundan sonra elitanı tərk edəcək ilk komanda müəyyənləşib.

Sonuncu pillədə qərarlaşmış Ovyedo təmsilçisi yenidən Sequnda Liqaya yuvarlanıb. Bu, La Liqanın 35-ci turu çərçivəsində ötən gecə keçirilmiş “Rayo Valyekano” – “Jirona” (1:1) matçından sonra dəqiqləşib.

Hazırda 29 xalla 20-ci yerdə qərarlaşmış “Real Ovyedo” 17-ci pillədə olan “Jirona”nı (39 xal) keçmək şansını itirib.

Xatırladaq ki, Ovyedo təmsilçisi ötən mövsüm – 24 ildən sonra La Liqaya qayıtmışdı. Amma komanda elitadakı yerini möhkəmləndirməmiş yenidən aşağı liqaya düşüb.

Cari mövsümün sonunda İspaniya La Liqasını tərk etməyə əsas namizədlər bunlardır:

13. Sevilya – 40
14. Elçe – 39
15. Malyorka – 39
16. Espanyol – 39
17. Jirona – 39
18. Alaves – 37
19. Levante – 36

Kiprin “Omoniya” (Aradipu) klubunun fransalı sol vingeri 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümündən “Qarabağ”ın uğurları üçün çalışacaq.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bunu Kipr klubunun baş meneceri Giorgos İrakleus təsdiqləyib.

O, “Sport FM” radiosuna açıqlamasında bəyan edib ki, fransalı vingerlə Ağdam klubu arasında tam razılıq əldə olunub:

“Muaddibin “Qarabağ”la əvvəlcədən razılaşması var və gələn il bizimlə olmayacaq. Ancaq deməliyəm ki, futbolçu aylar əvvəl bizə “Qarabağ”ın ona müraciət etdiyini, lakin liqada qalmaq üçün komandaya sona qədər kömək edəcəyini demişdi. Soyunma otağında hamımız bir ailə kimi idik və bu, liqada qalmağımıza kömək etdi”.

Baş menecer Muaddibin transferindən maliyyə qazancı olub-olmayacağı sualını da cavablandırıb: “Onun müqaviləsində kiçik bir bənd var. Amma biz klub olaraq gələn mövsüm üçün riskə getmirik”.

Qeyd edək ki, Muaddibin “Omoniya” ilə sözləşməsinin müddəti cari mövsümün sonunda başa çatacaq. 25 yaşlı futbolçu bu mövsüm Kipr klubunun heyətində 31 oyuna 4 qol vurub, 7 qol ötürməsi edib.

Jali Muaddib karyerası ərzində “Botoşani” (54 oyun, 3 qol, 4 assist) və “Avranş” (17 oyun, 2 qol, 1 assist) klublarının da şərəfini qoruyub, “Anje” və “Lill”in B komandalarında forma geyinib.

Muaddib Fransanın U-19 yığmasının heyətində 3 oyuna 1 qol vurub.

“Transfermarkt” internet-portalı 25 yaşlı vingerin transfer dəyərini 375 min avro məbləğində qiymətləndirir.

Sonda onu da xatırladaq ki, “Qarabağ”ın bu mövsümün sonunda sol vingeri Abdullah Zubirlə vidalaşması gözlənilir. Fransalı futbolçunun Ərəbistana üz tutacağı iddia edilir. Böyük ehtimalla, Ağdam klubu Muaddibi də məhz həmyerlisini əvəz etmək üçün transfer etməyə çalışır.