NFL News Updates

Blog

  • Damian Lillard leads the charge for Bucks; road playoff teams reeling; Reddick takes wild finish at Talladega

    Damian Lillard leads the charge for Bucks; road playoff teams reeling; Reddick takes wild finish at Talladega

    This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

    Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.

    Keep an eye on your inbox.

    There was an error processing your subscription.

    🏀 Good morning to everyone but especially to …

    DAMIAN LILLARD AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS

    With Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a strained calf, the buck stopped with Damian Lillard in Milwaukee as the 2024 NBA playoffs began. On Sunday, Lillard set the tone in the Bucks‘ 109-94 Game 1 win over the Pacers.

    Upset-minded Indiana came into Fiserv Forum hoping to catch the host Bucks without their two-time MVP in the lineup. However, Lillard made sure those dreams were dashed rather quickly. Lillard exploded for 35 points in the first half and helped Milwaukee take a 17-point lead into the locker room at intermission.

    After scoring 19 points in the first frame, Lillard walked off the court telling the crowd, “This is what y’all brought me here for.” Indeed. Lillard would end the first half with 35 points, setting a franchise playoff record, but he went scoreless in the…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • NFL mock draft: With one major trade-up, it’s a QB party in the top 5

    NFL mock draft: With one major trade-up, it’s a QB party in the top 5

    In this final mock before the 2024 NFL Draft, Charles McDonald makes the selection of the odd-numbered draft picks while Nate Tice selects the even.

    Not much more to say about this one. Williams took only one top-30 visit and it was with the Bears. Congratulations, Bears fans. You might actually have the quarterback you’ve always wanted — Williams is that promising.

    Daniels has become more of a favorite to go to Washington, but after a recent top-30 visit/battle royale with other quarterbacks, this might be more up in the air than recently assumed. We’re still going with Daniels here, who can hit the ground running with the solid surroundings the Commanders have on offense, and he’ll liven up the franchise with his dynamic play.

    The Patriots have a long way to go until they’ll be competitive again, giving them a ton of options on how to handle the third pick in the draft. Trading down is a viable route, but passing on a quarterback talent like Maye to kick off this rebuild seems rash. Here, the Patriots get a quarterback with extremely high upside to give them stability and star potential at the most important position in the game.

    4. Arizona Cardinals — Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

    This Cardinals selection has a chance to be one of the main pivot points of this draft, especially for the teams that have targeted J.J. McCarthy (or fancy Harrison or one of the top WRs themselves). Here, the Cardinals decide they don’t need any more picks to accumulate and actually need the players to start building around. Harrison is as good of a building block there is, makes for a fun 1-2 punch with tight end Trey McBride, and gives the Cardinals an intriguing group of pass catchers with second-year player Michael Wilson and personal favorite Greg Dortch.

    Minnesota gets its hands on a young quarterback by flipping its first-round picks to the Chargers for McCarthy. The QB wasn’t asked to drive the ship while he was at Michigan, but he has enough traits where…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Michigan football makes top 10 for elite 2025 edge rusher

    Michigan football makes top 10 for elite 2025 edge rusher

    With the annual spring game now in the rear view, Michigan football can focus more fully on recruiting. And it appears to be making some headway.

    The Wolverines have yet to get a commitment in the year 2024, but that could change in a hurry now that the maize and blue have the coaching staff set in stone and are fully in preparation for the upcoming season. One prospect that appears to be giving Michigan a strong look is 2025 Edwardsville (Ill.) four-star edge rusher Iose Epenesa, who is ranked No. 20 overall, regardless of position, according to the 247Sports’ proprietary rankings. And on Sunday, his top 10 was revealed, and the Wolverines are a contender for his services.

    Of course Iowa made the cut, as his brother — former five-star EDGE AJ Epenesa — starred at the program, as did his father, Eppy. Miami, Kentucky, Missouri, Utah, Oregon, Penn State, Illinois, and Texas also made the cut.

    The scouting report per 247Sports’ Allen Trieu:

    Played both sides of the ball as a freshman, but future is most likely as a defensive lineman. Has a varied athletic background that includes throwing in track and field and basketball. Runs well and can chase down plays. Gets off the snap and can win with a speed rush. Looking at his genetics and early growth potential, he is likely to be a big college end but will have the athleticism to stay on the edge like his brother. Projects out as a high-major player.

    247Sports lists Epenesa as the top-rated player in the state of Illinois and the third-best defensive lineman.

    Story originally appeared on Wolverines Wire

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders trade up for Michael Penix Jr.; Chargers land two pass catchers

    2024 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders trade up for Michael Penix Jr.; Chargers land two pass catchers

    …

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • College football spring game standouts, takeaways: USC offense sputters, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr impresses

    College football spring game standouts, takeaways: USC offense sputters, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr impresses

    Spring games take center stage as the month of April trudges on. For many programs, the upcoming NFL Draft only emphasizes how different the 2024 season will look. Transitioning from projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams was never going to be easy for USC, but Lincoln Riley’s signature position group looked lackluster in their first public action. 

    All three quarterbacks who appeared threw at least one interception, while projected starter Miller Moss threw a pair. The headliner was a tipped ball returned for a 100-yard touchdown. 

    After the game, Riley clarified that Moss would start for the Trojans if the season started today because of his experience in the program. In the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, Moss threw six touchdown passes and stole the show. He did not look like the same player on Saturday in Las Angeles. 

    Granted, USC’s much-maligned defense also looked seriously improved under first-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The defensive backs were in the right position and seemed to understand the system much more consistently. The Trojans even played without defensive tackle Bear Alexander, who is working through a hamstring injury. 

    Of course, if USC’s offense has taken such a step back, the defense has no choice but to improve if the Trojans have any plans of competing for a CFP slot. Here’s how some of the other top programs in the country fared during their spring games on Saturday. 

    Arch Manning dazzles

    Manning had barely thrown a pass in a Texas uniform coming into the spring game after working as the third-string quarterback in 2023. It only took one pass attempt to get the crowd on its feet. Manning stepped up in the pocket and found receiver DeAndre Moore for a 75-yard touchdown, throwing the ball 50…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Former Rams and Eagles QB Roman Gabriel, 1969 NFL MVP, dies at 83

    Former Rams and Eagles QB Roman Gabriel, 1969 NFL MVP, dies at 83

    Roman Gabriel, pictured in 1969, was a league MVP. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

    Former NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Roman Gabriel died on Saturday. He was 83 years old.

    Gabriel played 11 seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and five for the Philadelphia Eagles during his 16-year NFL career. After playing college football at North Carolina State, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1962 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and the No. 2 overall selection in the NFL Draft that same year. Gabriel opted to sign with the Rams.

    He won MVP honors in 1969, throwing for 2,549 yards and 24 touchdowns for an 11–3 Rams team. His 154 career touchdown passes are the most in franchise history.

    We mourn the loss of Rams legend and football pioneer, Roman Gabriel. We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/NY6y6ddm1x

    — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 20, 2024

    Gabriel’s best season, statistically speaking, was in 1973 when he threw 3,219 yards and 23 touchdowns for an Eagles team that finished 5–8–1. His performance earned him Pro Bowl honors for the fourth time in his career.

    Unfortunately, Gabriel didn’t experience much postseason success during his career. His teams lost in the divisional round twice in the playoffs. In 1967, the Rams went 11–1-2 but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round. And during his MVP season for an 11–3 club, Los Angeles was defeated by the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round.

    That might be why Gabriel is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite throwing for more career yards and touchdowns than Bob Griese, Bart Starr and Roger Staubach, all of whom won Super Bowl championships and are enshrined in Canton.

    RIP Roman Gabriel đŸ™đŸ»#Rams #Eagles

    A Tribute to a Colossus of a Quarterback

    The 1969 NFL MVP, 1973 PFWA Comeback Player of the Year, and the Rams’ all-time career leader in touchdown passes pic.twitter.com/rFUOABC2P3

    — Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163)…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • MSU to host Georgia transfer RB Andrew Paul this weekend

    MSU to host Georgia transfer RB Andrew Paul this weekend

    Michigan State football will reportedly host a running back transfer from one of the top programs in the country.

    Georgia transfer running back Andrew Paul will reportedly visit Michigan State on Saturday for the Spartans’ spring showcase event. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported the notable transfer portal news on Friday.

    Paul is a former three-star running back from Dallas, Texas in the 2022 class. In his career at Georgia, he ran for 129 yards and one touchdown on 29 attempts. He also has two career receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown.

    Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

    Story originally appeared on Spartans Wire

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Cowboys’ Dak Prescott ‘not trying to be highest-paid necessarily’; addresses possibility of leaving Dallas

    Cowboys’ Dak Prescott ‘not trying to be highest-paid necessarily’; addresses possibility of leaving Dallas

    DALLAS, Texas —  The Dallas Cowboys 2024 offseason has felt different than offseasons past for a variety of reasons.

    For the first time in the their string of three consecutive 12-win seasons, Dallas was humiliated in the postseason with a 48-32 faceplant of a defeat against the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers. The previous two years ended with one possession losses against the San Francisco 49ers. 

    Another cause for a different feel around the Cowboys this time of year was of course the shift from owner and general manager Jerry Jones saying Dallas would be  “all in” to then saying they are going to “get it done with less” after letting many starters walk in free agency and mostly re-signing their own depth players. Veteran 32-year-old linebacker Erick Kendricks signing a one-year deal is the crown jewel of the Cowboys’ 2024 offseason. 

    Much of the blame for the Cowboys spending an NFL-low $13.7 million in free agency and just under $20 million less than the next cheapest team — the New Orleans Saints ($32.2 million) — per OverTheCap.com, is their inability to get 2023 Second-Team All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott and 2023 First-Team All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb re-signed to new deals to spread out their cap hits. The inability to do so and the subsequent inactivity surprises even Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. 

    “That would probably be fair,” Aikman said Friday at the Children’s Cancer Fund’s “A Knight to Remember” gala when asked if he was surprised about the Cowboys’ offseason inactivity. “I thought they would have taken care of Dak already. You guys follow it closer than I do. I don’t know what the game plan is. I know that everyone concluded a lot about Jerry’s comments in Mobile about being all in  and what that might look like, so I think it’s caught a lot of people by surprise. … I do think there’s a lot of scrutiny every offseason with every…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More