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  • The Athletic looks at Florida’s transfer portal movement

    The Athletic looks at Florida’s transfer portal movement

    With the first transfer portal window coming to a close, The Athletic looked at how each SEC East team fared, with the Florida Gators categorized as a “turnstile team”.

    The transfer portal’s first six-week winter window closed on Jan. 18, meaning that all nongraduates who wished to enter the portal had to do so by that date. Graduate transfers are eligible to enter the portal at any time.

    But just because there are limits to when you can enter your name in the portal, doesn’t mean that’s the only time a player can sign with a new program — players who are currently in the portal can sign with any school of their choice. So don’t expect the commitment announcements to slow down any time soon.

    Here is what The Athletic’s G. Allen Taylor had to say about the roster turnover in Gainesville:

    Total portal arrivals/departures: 7/23

    Key portal arrivals: QB Graham Mertz (Wisconsin), G Micah Mazzccua (Baylor), T Damieon George (Alabama), CamRon Jackson (Memphis), DL Caleb Banks (Louisville), LB Teradja Mitchell (Ohio State), LB Deuce Spurlock (Michigan)

    Key portal departures: G Ethan White (undecided), DB Tre’Vez Johnson (Missouri), T Michael Tarquin (USC), CB Avery Helm (TCU), DT Jalen Lee (LSU), Donovan McMillon (Pitt), TE Nick Elksnis (South Carolina)

    The outgoing volume looks jarring. In reality, many of the players leaving were caught up in a rebuild and weren’t courted intensely to stay. Among the exceptions were White and Johnson, both multi-year starters. Tarquin struggled to distinguish himself in four years at Florida but certainly factored into next season’s plans, given the depth issues at tackle.

    The analysis Taylor writes up here is spot on. The roster turnover was to be expected. The number discrepancy is also aligned with Billy Napier’s “quality over quantity” approach…

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  • We’ll see, we’re hopeful this week

    We’ll see, we’re hopeful this week

    The Eagles remained without cornerback Avonte Maddox in Saturday night’s win over the Giants, but head coach Nick Sirianni isn’t closing the door on the chances of a return against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

    Maddox missed the last two games of the regular season with a toe injury and he did not practice at all last week. At a Monday press conference, Sirianni said the team would like to see that change in the coming days.

    “We’ll see. We’re hopeful. But he’s still got to get out there and run on the field. There’s some unknowns there,” Sirianni said, via Josh Tolentino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

    Maddox also had a stint on injured reserve after hurting his hamstring earlier this season and he was limited to a total of nine games in the regular season. He had 43 tackles, a sack, an interception, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in those appearances.

    Nick Sirianni on Avonte Maddox: We’ll see, we’re hopeful this week originally appeared on Pro Football Talk

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  • Most head-scratching moments from NFL divisional round: Patrick Mahomes playing, coaching blunders make list

    Most head-scratching moments from NFL divisional round: Patrick Mahomes playing, coaching blunders make list

    On Saturday, we witnessed Patrick Mahomes hobbling up and down the field at Arrowhead Stadium to lead the Kansas City Chiefs back to their fifth consecutive AFC Championship in a 27-20 win against the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars. We also saw the Philadelphia Eagles tie their biggest margin of victory in a playoff game in franchise history with their 38-7 curb-stomping of their NFC East rival, the New York Giants.

    Sunday around the NFL was pretty wild as well. The Cincinnati Bengals marched into Buffalo and trounced the Bills, 27-10, to prevent a neutral site AFC Championship Game. The Cowboys had multiple chances, but they couldn’t overcome an injury to running back Tony Pollard, as well as their poor execution, in their season-ending 19-12 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. 

    The second week of the NFL playoffs included the league’s eight most elite teams, so there was obviously some high-level football being played. However, there was also plenty of confounding football as well across the weekend. Here are some of the head-scratching decisions that occurred this divisional round weekend.

    Chiefs’ handling of Patrick Mahomes’ injury

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  • The Hunt Report: What to know from Tropical Bowl week, including top prospects, standout performers, more

    The Hunt Report: What to know from Tropical Bowl week, including top prospects, standout performers, more

    Back on the road again to another all-star event, this time it’s the Tropical Bowl in Orlando, Florida. What makes this game unique this year is that they’ve added two additional days to the front end of the week, where guys who just missed the regular Tropical Bowl roster got to compete in a two-day practice and scrimmage format in front of the scouts from all across the professional football ranks.

    Some guys who performed well were rewarded with a call up to the regular Tropical Bowl week. Don’t forget that we will have scouting reports on all of these guys, which you can at www.footballgameplan.com/2023DraftGuide.

    With a lot on the line for these guys, it yielded some spirted and competitive days of work under the Florida sun.

    Tropical Bowl scrimmage

    CB Prince Washington: 5-7 175, Sacramento State

    Don’t let the size fool you — Washington plays a big man’s game out on the perimeter. He competes really well, and competed extremely well during 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s and team periods. Really impressive week for the former Hornet.

    CB Darius Williams: 5-9 189, Texas A&M-Commerce

    The Lions had three defensive prospects in this game, and all three guys put TAMU-Commerce on the map. Williams, the son of the late, former Denver Broncos star Darrent Williams, was simply outstanding in coverage. At times you thought he was the receiver with how well he covered the route. I also thought his ball skills were top notch.

    CB Natrone Brooks: 5-9 165, Southern Miss

    Speaking of top-notch ball skills, Brooks showed that he had that as well with his requisite ball instincts and awareness in coverage. He was in the running for the best defensive back of the week with how well and consistent he performed. 

    CB Tye Freeland: 5-9 191, William & Mary

    My colleague and…

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  • Instant analysis after Bengals beat Bills, advance to AFC title game

    Instant analysis after Bengals beat Bills, advance to AFC title game

    The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s divisional round showdown, 27-10.

    Cincinnati had a 17-7 lead at halftime after a dominant first half and that pretty much continued for the second half. The result sends the Bengals to the AFC title game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead for the second season in a row.

    Here’s a look at some of the instant notes and numbers from right after the game.

     

    Quick Hits

    — You couldn’t script a better start to this game for the Bengals as Joe Burrow went 4/4 on the opening drive before finding Ja’Marr Chase for the touchdown. Joe Mixon looked steady on the ground in the snow too.

    — Ditto for the defense, as Joseph Ossai got pressure on Josh Allen on a 3rd-and-4 to force the Bills to punt on their first offensive drive.

    — Burrow and the offense’s next drive? A precise march down the field with good runs on the ground and Burrow finishing it with a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst. Burrow was 9-of-9 with two touchdowns at that point.

    — Trey Hendrickson disrupted Allen for a Bills three-and-out but a sack of Burrow forced the first Bengals punt of the game to end the first quarter.

    — Bills figured it out in the second quarter, going 15 plays for 75 yards and a score. The Cincinnati defense struggled with the up-tempo looks, something the Bills would keep exploiting if the Bengals didn’t adapt.

    — Center Ted Karras injured his knee and got it taped up, per the broadcast. He was struggling to get up multiple times near the end of the first half.

    — An absolute epic fumbling of the NFL’s catch rules while overturning a Ja’Marr Chase touchdown before halftime.

    — Bills spent a huge chunk of time marching down the field right after halftime, only to settle for three points. That’s a big win for the Bengals defense that made the score 17-10.

    — Fantastic challenge by Zac Taylor on a Joe Mixon touchdown run to get officials to actually call it as such, making the game 24-10.

    — Smart again by the coaching…

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  • Former Michigan State football QB commit Bo Edmundson commits to UNLV

    Former Michigan State football QB commit Bo Edmundson commits to UNLV

    For a majority of the 2023 recruiting cycle, Michigan State fans expected that Bo Edmundson was going to be the quarterback of the recruiting class. Edmundson committed to MSU in early February, and stayed committed until November, when the two sides decided the fit wasn’t right and parted ways.

    Since parting ways, Edmundson has reopened his recruitment and has now found a new home for his college career. After a visit to Las Vegas, Edmundson has officially committed to UNLV of the Mountain West.

    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 Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

    More Recruiting!

    2024 4-star, top 50 PF Aiden Sherrell includes MSU basketball in top 8 list

    Story originally appeared on Spartans Wire

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  • Bears’ Ian Cunningham was Cardinals’ first choice for GM job before Arizona hired Monti Ossenfort

    Bears’ Ian Cunningham was Cardinals’ first choice for GM job before Arizona hired Monti Ossenfort

    USATSI

    For the first time in nearly three decades, the Arizona Cardinals hired a general manager from outside their organization this week.

    On Monday, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill hired former Titans and Patriots personnel executive Monti Ossenfort to lead a new era of Cardinals football. But Ossenfort wasn’t the first choice for the job.

    Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was first offered the job, according to multiple sources. Fox Sports was the first to report the news.

    Sources say Cunningham, who also was a finalist for the Titans GM job, declined the offer due to reasons related to his “fit” within the organization.

    Longtime GM Steve Keim left the organization this offseason after taking a medical leave of absence beginning Dec. 14.

    The Cardinals requested to interview at least nine candidates for their vacant GM job and ultimately interviewed seven men. They interviewed three internal candidates: VP of player personnel Quentin Harris, VP of pro personnel Adrian Wilson and director of football administration Matt Harriss. Externally they interviewed Ossenfort, Cunningham, former Giants GM Jerry Reese and Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz.

    “All these candidates had excellent backgrounds, impressive résumés and had a vision for the organization,” Bidwill said in a press conference Wednesday. “But as we went through the whole process, it became clear that Monti Ossenfort had the combination of a well-defined vision, a work ethic, character, the background and experience and being with two great organizations the New England Patriots as well as the Tennessee Titans in evolving roles and playing key roles in those…

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  • Eagles dominate in first half, lead Giants 28-0

    Eagles dominate in first half, lead Giants 28-0

    The Eagles are well on their way to hosting the NFC Championship Game.

    Everything went their way in the first half of Saturday night’s game against the Giants. Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for another while the Eagles defense shut down Daniel Jones and the Giants offense en route to a 28-0 halftime lead.

    Hurts looks much closer to his pre-shoulder injury form than he did in the Week 18 game between the two teams. He is 12-of-17 for 118 yards through the air and he’s run seven times for 31 yards at the helm of an Eagles offense that has totally overwhelmed the Giants.

    Miles Sanders has run 13 times for 75 yards, Kenneth Gainwell has three carries for 22 yards and Boston Scott ran for a touchdown. Scott now has 11 touchdowns in nine career games against the Giants.

    The Giants have picked up just 64 yards as their offense has carried over zero momentum from last Sunday’s win in Minnesota. They’ll need to find something that works in halftime or the second half will be an extended celebration at Lincoln Financial Field.

    Eagles dominate in first half, lead Giants 28-0 originally appeared on Pro Football Talk

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