#defensive-player

#defensive-player

Dexter Lawrence signed his four-year, $90 million contract extension Friday, putting him behind only Aaron Donald and Jeffery Simmons among defensive tackles in annual average.Lawrence said he wasn't "trying to set records" with the contract.He was just " trying to be respected."

There were a lot of criticisms last year that the San Francisco Giants farm system was stagnating.There were a few breakout years from previously unheralded players, but the overarching view was that the organization had underperformed.Most of their top prospects had moved laterally or backwards.The depth was questionable.

NFL legend J.J. Watt and former United States midfielder Kealia Watt have become minority investors in Championship title winners Burnley, the couple announced on Monday.The pair travelled to Turf Moor in March to watch Vincent Kompany's side claim a 3-0 victory over Wigan.The club have since won the league, meaning they will be promoted to the Premier League next season.

The Toronto Raptors may not have the best chances at luring Becky Hammon to town based on her latest quotes, but that doesn't mean their coaching search is totally bereft of quality.The Raptors have already gotten a start on the process, interviewing Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez last week.

The Toronto Raptors are still in the middle of quite an unusual dance with OG Anunoby.While they looked at potentially trading him due to some concerns about his offensive ceiling, no one can dispute the fact that he remains one of the best defensive players in the game today.Anunoby's versatility and on-ball genius have often been overlooked by the more prominent media.

With weeks to go until training camp, the fodder for football discussions is thinner than Brian Davis' credibility.Bill has done an admirable job of stoking the conversational fires, but I've struggled to come up with topics I can really dig into during this lull in the NFL calendar.In the meantime, this seems like as good an opportunity as any to revisit last season's predictions by past and current writers at Hogs Haven, which is what follows below.

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a handy spot to check the Washington Commanders beat writers & bloggers, national sports journalists, and football fans in order to keep up on the latest news and opinions about Washington, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE School: Kansas State | Conference: Big 12
College Experience: Junior | Age: 21
Height / Weight: 6'3" / 255 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 2nd-3rd Round
Player Comparison: Jabaal Sheard
College Statistics
Player Overview
A native of Kansas City, Feliz Anudike-Uzomah was a three-star prospect who earned all-state honors his junior and senior years of high school.

The goal of All aTwitter is to give readers a handy spot to check the Washington Commanders beat writers & bloggers, national sports journalists, and football fans in order to keep up on the latest news and opinions about Washington, the NFL, and sports in general, along with a smattering of other things.

DJ Turner, CB School: Michigan | Conference: Big Ten
College Experience: Senior | Age: 22
Height / Weight: 5'11" / 178 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 2nd-3rd Round
Player Comparison: Jaire Alexander
College Statistics
Player Overview
Before DJ Turner ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine, he was a talented cornerback in Georgia.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones is entering the final year of his current contract.He'd prefer not to play for another franchise.Chris Jones is an elite defensive end, having racked up 15.5 sacks this past season.He played a vital role in Kansas City's Super Bowl run, including making Jalen Hurts' night a little tougher in the Chiefs eventual win over Philadelphia.

Celtics Save for Game 6 hero Derrick White, who scored 18 points and singlehandedly pulled the Celtics within 7 in the third quarter, the Celtics mostly hit the snooze button through the Game 7.They never learned.And they never adjusted.Not the rookie coach.And not the core of players who have so much more big-game experience than their haphazard performances under the brightest lights suggest.

Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. of Memphis and Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez headlined the NBA's All-Defensive team Tuesday.Also voted to the first team were Cleveland forward Evan Mobley and Chicago guard Alex Caruso.Jackson, the NBA leader with 3.0 blocked shots per game, received 96 of 100 first-team votes and finished with 195 points for his second All-Defensive team selection.

The top of the 2023 NFL Draft may be shaken up after an arrest warrant was issued for Georgia star Jalen Carter for reckless driving and racing.The incident resulted in the death of one of Carter's teammates at Georgia.An arrest warrant has been issued for Georgia DT and potential No. 1 pick Jalen Carter for Reckless Driving and Racing.

Jalen Ramsey isn't the only cornerback who will be switching teams via a trade once the new league year is underway.According to multiple reports, the Colts have agreed to trade Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys.The Cowboys will send a 2023 fifth-round pick to Indianapolis in return for Gilmore.Gilmore signed a two-year deal with the Colts last year.

The NHL has begun rolling out the finalists for each of its major awards, with several nominees already announced.As a first-year member of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, Yahoo Sports was not granted an official ballot this year, but that doesn't mean we can't get in on the fun.Stay tuned for updates throughout the week as the nominees are unveiled, culminating with the Hart Trophy on Friday, May 12.
Norris Trophy
Nominees: Adam Fox (Rangers), Erik Karlsson (Sharks), Cale Makar ( Avalanche)
Yahoo Sports' ballot Adam Fox, Erik Karlsson, Hampus Lindholm (Bruins), Cale Makar, Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)
We have a larger breakdown of each major candidate's season and a number of Canucks fans took umbrage with the idea that we didn't place Quinn Hughes in the top-five.

The Patriots faced a lot of accusations, criticism, and speculation over the years, primarily due to their unprecedented and long-lasting success.However, within that consistent winning came sore losers around the NFL complaining about Bill Belichick's knowledge of the rule book as he used it to his advantage over opponents.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

"Hoop Dreams" ends with heartbreak, not championships, its humanity in documenting crushed hopes amid injuries and setbacks making it perhaps the greatest sports movie of all time.Some might feel the same way about UCLA's senior class.No, they didn't get to raise banner No. 12, but these guys were going to give you everything they had every time they took the court while restoring the fabric of a proud program.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

In 2021, Jalen Suggs, who now plays for the Orlando Magic, banked in a shot from just about half court to give Gonzaga a Final Four win over UCLA at the buzzer.The Bruins will be looking for revenge, and that's not something you can take lightly.There are quite a few players on this UCLA team who contributed to the Bruins' Final Four run, with Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. among them.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. arrived at UCLA as a willowy prospect fighting for minutes.His nearly shaved head, a remnant of a rookie ritual with the Mexican national team, symbolized necessary growth while endearing him to a bald coaching staff.Four years later, Jaquez has sprouted into a brawny veteran who almost never leaves a game.

Not even a full week after the start of free agency in the NFL, the media, and even some fans, are already writing the Patriots off from making any big moves in the days ahead.So far, the players New England has signed have been noteworthy additions, particularly to the offense.After losing Jakobi Meyers to the Raiders, Bill Belichick signed his replacement JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal.

The Dallas Cowboys usually aren't proactive in terms of signing big-ticket free agents.While Jayron Kearse, Randall Cobb, and Joe Looney are some of Dallas' best low-profile pickups in recent memory, fans are clamoring for the front office to break out of its shell to make this roster a Super Bowl contender.

The Dallas Cowboys season didn't end the way many had hoped, a flat showing against the San Francisco 49ers.However, oddsmakers are aware of the talent on hand in Dallas and are giving bettors no discount when it comes to backing them to win Super Bowl 58, listing the Cowboys at +1400, the sixth best odds in the NFL and the third best in the NFC.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's recovery from cardiac arrest has been nothing short of amazing.While his football future is still up in the air, it's impossible to understate Hamlin's importance to the Bills last season.With Micah Hyde (who is expected back next season) injured, Hamlin stepped in to start 13 games for Buffalo, recording 91 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forcing a fumble.

Patriots Ramsey would likely be the best cornerback to switch teams this offseason if he's traded.The Patriots never fully replaced Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson when the two corners departed New England over the last 18 months, opting to draft a pair of mid-round rookies instead of going after star power.

Kevin Durant hits back at Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley and more from our NBA quotes of the week."At this point they're saying, go play with Scoot Henderson and win a championship and then we'll give you credit.I don't need no credit from y'all."Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, responding to criticism from Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, via Yahoo Sports.