Jack Winter Articles - Page 68

Official preparations for the 2019 season certainly didn’t get off to the start Calvin Ridley envisioned. The Atlanta Falcons star tweaked his hamstring on Thursday, just a week into training camp, and was forced to leave practice. Fortunately for both Ridley and the Falcons, his injury doesn’t appear to be of a serious nature. After […]

Jaylon Smith isn’t particularly concerned with Ezekiel Elliott’s status. As the Dallas Cowboys begin training camp in Southern California, the star middle linebacker’s focus is squarely on improving with his teammates. He’s clearly excited about it, too. Just because he isn’t necessarily thinking about the Elliottpotentially holding out amid contract negotiations with Cowboys officials, though, […]

The Arizona Cardinals tried to deflect. Both rookie coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim insisted time and again throughout the pre-draft process that Josh Rosen was their team’s quarterback of the present and future. Regardless, no one was surprised when the No. 10 overall pick of last year’s draft was traded to the […]

Eli Manning is playing in the last stages of his NFL career. That reality isn’t just marked by his age or sustained struggles to play at a game-changing level over the past few seasons, but also the New York Giants’ selection of Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick of the NFL […]

Kyler Murray isn’t used to losing. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff during his lone season as a starter. He won 43 consecutive games and three straight state championships at Texas’ Allen High School. Needless to say, Murray is probably […]

The Boston Celtics have officially signed fan favorite Tacko Fall, the team announced on Thursday. Reports of the Celtics plans to sign Fall first surfaced in mid-July. He reportedly signed an Exhibit 10 contract, a deal that allows Boston to retain his rights if he fails to make the active roster out of training camp. […]

The Green Bay Packers missed the playoffs in 2018, marking the second consecutive season they failed to advance – the first time that’s happened since the mid-2000s. They finally fired longtime head coach Mike McCarthy, replacing him with a rookie coach who has no prior head-coaching experience. Green Bay let stalwart linebacker Clay Matthews III […]

This is the biggest season of Jameis Winston’s career to date. And if his new coach’s appraisal of his current work ethic is any indication, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback could be poised for a long-awaited breakout season. First-year Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians lauded Winston’s preparation for the upcoming season on Thursday, calling him […]

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has honored his word of holding out of training camp. Though he’s ostensibly waiting for the team to honor his accompanying trade request, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco clearly hasn’t abandoned hopes of bringing Gordon back long-term. As the Chargers opened training camp on Wednesday without Gordon in […]

There were undoubtedly those within the Washington Redskins’ organization who found Josh Norman’s bull-jumping spectacle no laughing matter. Fortunately for the superstar cornerback, though, Jay Gruden apparently isn’t among them. The Redskins coach made light of Norman’s intentional brush with danger on Wednesday, insisting he wasn’t surprised the veteran cleared the bull because he so […]

The Cleveland Browns were always going to be without Kareem Hunt for the first eight games of 2019, but the assumption was the former Pro Bowler would be ready to hit the ground running with his new team once his suspension came to a close after months of work on the practice field. As Cleveland […]

Heads rolled when news broke that NFL owners were pushing to add two more games to the existing regular season schedule. Were the league’s owners, despite years of mounting evidence about the health risks associated with football, really so craven as to fight for a means of extra revenue if at came at the expense […]

Tacko Fall’s NBA fate won’t be decided by how he fares matched up one-on-one with opposing big men. As the rookie giant prepares for training camp with the Boston Celtics, though, it certainly won’t hurt him to go up against Joel Embiid in workouts. Fall is traveling home to Senegal this weekend with Basketball Without […]

Jayson Tatum didn’t live up to expectations in 2018-19. Of course, he wasn’t the only player on the Boston Celtics who disappointed, either. The Celtics were a trendy championship pick going into last season, adding Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to a roster that came within a single victory of the NBA Finals, but were […]

Trae Young is the Atlanta Hawks’ franchise player. John Collins is already an awesome offensive player, with room to grow into an All-Star. Kevin Huerter is coming off a supremely underrated rookie season in which he established himself as one of the league’s most versatile shot-makers. De’Andre Hunter, the No. 4 overall pick in the […]

Kawhi Leonard was officially introduced as a member of the LA Clippers on Wednesday. While most of the focus of the introductory press conference for he and Paul George centered on the Clippers’ new existence as championship contenders, if not frontrunners, a lot of attention was paid to Leonard’s general geniality. One of the most […]

Free-agent running back Jay Ajayi has been cleared for full contact by famed knee specialist Dr. James Andrews, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. UFA running back Jay Ajayi was fully cleared today by Dr Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., per source. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2019 Ajayi suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 […]

The Green Bay Packers parting ways with Mike Daniels isn’t exactly shocking. After all, the veteran defensive tackle isn’t a great fit for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s rebuilt defense, and the Packers added several young players along the defensive line in the offseason. Following his release on Wednesday, reports emerged that Green Bay had worked […]

LeBron James was handcuffed by the Los Angeles Lakers’ free-agent signings during his debut season with the league’s glamor franchise. After an offseason spent rebuilding the team following the ouster of Luke Walton, departure of Magic Johnson, and acquisition of Anthony Davis, the four-time MVP will apparently be put in a much better position to […]

Eli Manning is in the twilight of his career. At 38, he’s entering his 15th season as starting quarterback of the New York Giants, but there’s no telling how long he’ll hold onto that status given the team’s controversial selection of Duke’s Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. […]

There’s still no telling when or if Josh Gordon will be reinstated by the NFL. Any update on the wide receiver’s status, Bill Belichick has made made abundantly clear, will not be coming from the New England Patriots. Asked about Gordon’s possible reinstatement during a press conference on Wednesday, Belichick answered in his typically succinct […]

Success of the Kansas City Chiefs’ rebuilt defense this season arguably hinges most on the ability of incumbent players to acclimate. No returning defender is more impactful than Chris Jones, who broke out in a big way in 2018, establishing himself as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL. But with the […]

Odell Beckham Jr. will forever be linked with the New York Giants. As official preparation for his first season playing for a new team finally begins, though, the three-time Pro Bowler is adamant he’s done thinking about his old one. Why does Beckham so frequently mention the Giants, then? Because he’s asked by reporters, of […]

The NFL’s investigation into allegations of domestic abuse against Tyreek Hill came to a close last week without the star wide receiver being suspended. Now that the Kansas City Chiefs finally have some clarity on his status, they’re looking ahead to another season competing for the Super Bowl with the league’s most explosive offense. Asked […]

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard became the latest member of USA Basketball’s initial roster to bow out of consideration for the FIBA World Cup. As a result of so many players reneging on their prior commitments, the national team has begun adding additional players to the group who will compete for a roster spot […]

Houston Rockets general manger Daryl Morey has long believed that the collection of elite talent is a better predictor of championship contention than stylistic fit, an assumption many decision-makers hold throughout the league. But pairing James Harden with Russell Westbrook puts that assumption to arguably its biggest test yet, and given the former’s unprecedented blend […]

Under longtime general manager Ernie Grunfeld, the Washington Wizards always preferred sustained mediocrity over full-blown rebuilding. Less than a week after officially being named Grunfeld’s replacement, Tommy Sheppard is already signaling he will take a much different approach to the Wizards’ future. In the three and-a-half months since Sheppard assumed Grunfeld’s responsibilities on an interim […]

Zion Williamson, the most sought after sneaker endorser to enter the league since LeBron James, has officially signed with Jordan Brand. In a statement, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan praised the New Orleans Pelicans rookie for wanting to “shock the world,” taking his namesake brand along with him. “Zion’s incredible determination, character and play are […]

The spotlight afforded him by playing with the New York Giants helped Odell Beckham Jr. become one of the most famous professional athletes in the world. Now that his star has risen to such rare and esteemed heights, the three-time Pro Bowler wants to cement his status as a “legendary” player by leading the Cleveland […]

The Los Angeles Chargers are testing Melvin Gordon. We’ll find out soon if the veteran running back lives up to his word of continuing to hold out from his longtime team unless his contract situation is addressed. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Chargers’ have “dug in” on refusing to offer Gordon an […]

Team USA was never bringing its best possible roster to the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Superstars like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard all opted against playing for the national program this summer. Still, their collective absence hardly meant the Americans’ pool of available talent, with players the caliber of James Harden […]

A string of recent defections from preparations for the upcoming FIBA World Cup began to put Team USA’s status as prohibitive favorites in doubt. According to The New York Times’ Marc Stein, though, at least two All-Stars, the Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker and Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton, are committed to playing for the national team […]

Free agent running back Orleans Darkwa is in Cleveland for workout with the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Darkwa missed all of last season under mysterious circumstances after previously establishing himself as a worthwhile playmaker with the New York Giants. He later revealed that he ruptured his Achilles tendon during an October workout […]

The Washington Wizards are hopeful that Bradley Beal will re-affirm his commitment by signing a multi-year extension later this week. But even if the ever-improving guard opts against putting pen to paper, general manager Tommy Sheppard is adamant Washington will hang on to him. Sheppard, appointed the Wizards’ full-time chief decision-maker last week after holding […]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was more of a nominal point guard during his standout rookie season, and might play even more off the ball during his debut campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. When it comes time for the second-year guard to take the reins of Billy Donovan’s offense, though, John Calipari has no doubt he’ll be […]

Seattle Seahawks fans are most excited about the prospect of Shaquem Griffin, last year’s third-round pick who was born without his left hand, breaking into their team’s defensive rotation this season. As someone who knows best tells it, though, the development of Griffin’s twin brother, Shaquill, could prove as instrumental to Seattle’s chances of competing […]

Zion Williamson’s chosen footwear at Summer League was no accident. According to TMZ Sports, the New Orleans Pelicans rookie remains a sneaker free agent precisely because Puma, which he rocked publicly in Las Vegas, has emerged as a “major contender” to sign him to an endorsement contract. Most assumed Williamson was destined to be Nike’s […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday announced the signing of guard Jordan McLaughlin to a two-way contract. McLaughlin played with the Timberwolves at Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while starting all seven games. He shot 36.9 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three-point range. The 23-year-old went […]

The Washington Wizards have hired Michael Longabardi to coach Scott Brooks’ staff, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Washington Post reported on Friday that newly-appointed general manager Tommy Sheppard had discussed the prospect of joining the Wizards with Longabardi, who spent last season as associate head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 46-year-old was […]