#roster-depth

#roster-depth

Ulbrich, his staff, and Atlanta's roster conspired to set the franchise record for sacks in a single season, improved in almost every defensive category you can think of, and had a rare streak of sub-200 yard passing games last season.

The Braves resigned Tyler Kinley yesterday to a slightly smaller deal with an option for 2027. Tyler was a bright spot for Atlanta last year, posting a 0.72/2.74/4.37 line over 25 innings. That works out to a 17 ERA-, 68 FIP-, and 106 xFIP-. He was very good during the last two months after being acquired from Colorado, and definitely slayed the HR/FB monster. It makes me curious if the Braves at bullpen now.

The Braves bench in recent years has been rather lean. A pre-trade William Contreras and a somewhat resurgent Ramon Laureano are the best of recent memory. But most of the other bench options. are remember by the way that swung their plastic swords rather than the lumber. Your bench doesn't really matter as much if you're winning 90+ games. This season's team might be a little different though, both in depth and their place in the playoff chase.

T.J. Watt will miss his second straight game as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung during a dry needling treatment last week. Watt, who didn't practice this week, was ruled out for the Pittsburgh Steelers' game at the Detroit Lions on Sunday along with guard Isaac Seumalo (triceps) and cornerback James Pierre (calf). Watt, who had surgery on his lung Dec. 10, was at the team practice facility Thursday for a visit from the Pittsburgh Symphony

"I just remember him wrecking our practice," Williams said Monday. "He was a thorn in our backside as o-linemen because he diagnosed so quickly. He took away our ability to help because he was getting to the spot he needed to be so quick." The 49ers (9-4) returned from their bye weekend with a brief "bonus" practice and will take Tuesday off before beginning preparations to host the Tennessee Titans (2-11) Sunday at Levi's Stadium (1:05 p.m., Fox). The four practices will determine whether Kendricks makes his 49ers debut.

Sometimes, the process and the game mean more than the results. The Rangers may have lost in overtime to Colorado, but they showed some of that swagger we haven't seen in a while, tying the game with less than a minute remaining to secure that point. The Rangers battled hard for their point, getting yet another point in this week long gauntlet, making it five of six points with one more game against Vegas coming up later tonight.

Vazquez, 25, was acquired by the Orioles in a minor trade with the Cubs last offseason. A 14th-round pick by Chicago back in 2017, he didn't make his big league debut until last year in an 11-game cameo with the Cubs. He got a larger look in a bench role with Baltimore this past year, but still has yet to establish himself as more than a depth option at the big league level.

What are your first impressions of Troy Stetcher as he's joined the team? Berube: Good guy; a solid guy. His character stands out to me, and his effort. I thought he had a really good practice today. He plays hard. As I've said, he is a compete guy. He competes on everything and plays a pretty simple game.

"If you come watch me for a day, you are probably not going to notice that I was on the field. If you come for a month or two, you will probably leave saying I am a pretty good player."

During the first half of Wednesday night's 122-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Miami Heat were dealt a massive blow with Bam Adebayo exiting the game with a left foot injury. Adebayo was injured after taking a step during a pitch back to guard Norman Powell in transition. He hobbled off the court and headed to the locker room and did not return. Adebayo played just eight minutes, finishing with two points and one rebound, making one of his five shot attempts.

"It was clear White fell out of favor in New England," Walder wrote in his recap of the reported deal. "He was buried on a strong depth chart, with Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson having nice seasons on the edge and Milton Williams and Christian Barmore playing well inside. "But considering that the 6-2 Patriots should be harboring deep playoff expectations," he added, "the compensation they received does not make up for the loss in depth. Should injuries strike, they might wish they had White back."

As the Miami Heat prepare for a new era of basketball, head coach Erik Spoelstra relayed a message that fans have been awaiting to hear - it's one that points to new schemes and, hopefully, an entirely different approach to the game for the franchise. Spo hinted as much as the team tipped off training camp with media day. In the words of Spo, he's excited to install a "different plan for a different team."