Month: March 2018

There exist different versions of WAR: FanGraphs has one version (fWAR), Baseball Reference has another (rWAR), and Baseball Prospectus has a third version (WARP). Each of them calculates it differently, so you’ll sometimes see big differences in these values. Julio Teheran posted 4.8 rWAR in 2016, which makes it seem like he was a really good pitcher, but FanGraphs pegged him for only 3.2 fWAR and BP put Teheran at 3.8 WARP.

Make no mistake about it, Vea is a legit pass rusher on the next level no matter whether he lines up as a zero nose or even as a five technique.

Having said all that, Vea’s potential as a big time run defender can not be overstated.

If he gets in a system where teams can’t double team him a lot, he is going to spend a lot of time in opposing backfields.

But even if he does have to take on double teams on early downs, Vea is going to be hell to block regardless.

I also want to make sure I shout out Vea’s effort which was outstanding. To see a guy his size hauling ass 20 yards down the field to make a tackle did my heart some good.

He made his way back to the Bengals and was moving to guard, but injuries and subpar play pushed him to tackle, where he committed seven more penalties in eight starts.

The Cardinals just gave Smith a two-year, $8 million deal.

Bostic will help fill in for Shazier, who will miss the 2018 season as he continues to rehab from a career-threatening spinal injury, in the middle of the field. Vince Williams will also man the inside linebacker position.

This is Pittsburgh’s first signing of free agency. The cap-strapped Steelers released secondary members William Gay, Mike Mitchell and Robert Golden earlier this week.

The Tennessee Titans quietly may have had one of the best offseasons thus far. Replacing head coach Mike Mularkey was a surprising but good decision, and the team retained right guard Josh Kline. The additions of former New England Patriots Dion Lewis Good Site For Cheap Jerseys and Malcolm Butler were also upgrades Hockey Jerseys over their incumbents, giving the team a higher floor than it had previously.

LeGarrette Blount, the team announced Friday. It’s a one-year, $2 million deal while incentives could boost it another $2.5 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Detroit brought in four veteran backs for visits over the past week — Jonathan Stewart, DeMarco Murray, Frank Gore and Blount — to try to fix a running game that ranked last in the league in 2017 in yards per game and yards per carry.

He saved one of his best performances for Super Bowl LII, running for 90 yards and a touchdown in a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots, his former team with whom he won a ring in Super Bowl LI. He is tied with Marcus Allen for sixth on the career postseason touchdowns list with 11.

Despite posting career highs in carries (299), yards (1,161) and touchdowns (18) with the Patriots in 2016, Blount remained on the market until the Eagles signed him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal last May. He proved not only to be an effective runner but was key in creating a loose locker room atmosphere and remained invested after losing snaps to Jay Ajayi, whom the Eagles acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline.

In 116 regular-season games, Blount has rushed for 5,888 yards and 51 touchdowns.

Seferian-Jenkins, like most tight ends, took most of his rookie contract to develop, and his production has never been that impressive. However, his 6’5″, 262-pound frame is an asset, and he moves well for being such a giant presence.

The Jaguars are unlikely to provide him with a breakout statistical year, but he’s efficient with his targets. He’s posted a catch rate of 65 percent or better in each of the last two seasons, while Lewis has done that only three times in his 12-year-career. It’s Discount Yankee Jerseys likely Seferian-Jenkins overtakes Lewis in passing situations.

One of the more surprising contracts doled out this Find Cheap Jerseys Online offseason was Sammy Watkins’ three-year, $48 million deal from the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the sticker shock, Watkins was a tremendously good addition as the Chiefs prepare quarterback Patrick Mahomes to take the reins of the offense.

Former New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh has reached an agreement to join the Arizona Cardinals, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Immense. This could be it for him, his last chance in his fourth season to construct a winner. He blew his first shot at a quarterback of the future, taking Christian Hackenberg in the second round in 2016. Hackenberg has not played a single snap in either of the last two 5-11 Jets’ seasons, which is some indictment of him as a football player and of the management that drafted him. The Jets have been uber-focused on trading or drafting a quarterback since the start of the college football season last fall, and now that they’ve traded four useable pieces to move up to get one, Maccagnan simply has to get it right.

Johnson’s man-to-man coverage ability makes him a valuable addition to the Jets, where he will again work with secondary coach Dennard Wilson – the Rams’ defensive quality control coach from 2012-14 and Johnson’s position coach from 2015-16. ”

I was with him in St. Louis and two years ago in LA,” Johnson said. ”

The earliest we’ll be able to make an educated guess on the outcome of the deal is in mid- to late-2019, when we’ve seen the quarterback the Jets pick Denver Broncos Cheap Jerseys play pro football, and we know if making that deal was worth Indy’s haul of four picks in the top 50, or worth whatever Colts GM Chris Ballard turns them into. Two China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale recent deals must be studied for precedent here:In 2012, Washington traded three first-round picks and a second-round pick to the Rams for the second overall pick. Immense payment to move up four spots.

“I don’t think there’s a wait here,” Boras said. “There’s talent in here that needs experiential refinement, attitude and confidence. When you bring in players like Jake, you probably put the cream in the coffee when it’s ready to drink.”

Klay Thompson has used his endorsement deal with Anta to raise his profile in China, touring the nation annually each summer. VCG/Getty Images
In his first four seasons with Nike, Thompson simply wore the latest edition of the brand’s Hyperdunk model in Warriors colors. Early on, Anta looked to incorporate him into the process more than ever before.

“We actually asked Klay to build a shoe by himself so that he can understand how Anta builds his shoe and the attention and the quality that goes into it to help his performance and fit his needs,” said Ben Tsai, Anta’s basketball footwear director.

“I didn’t know how hard it was to design a shoe until I tried to give input,” Thompson said. “There’s a lot of creative minds out there — I wasn’t one of ’em.”

Austin Hedges struck out 122 times in 417 plate appearances in 2017. He walked just 23 times. That’s an absolutely abysmal 0.19 BB/K rate that should send points league participants running for the hills. That said, a 20 HR/80 RBI season is not out of the question for the San Diego catcher about to enter his age-25 season. While spring stats mean very little in the grand scheme of things, I am pleasantly optimistic about his having hit four homers in his first 16 AB, along with a 1.00 BB/K rate. That’s a really good sign. — AJ Mass

OK, so it’s not like Contreras is a prospect waiting in the wings or a catcher off your radar right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the top catcher on our Player Rater by seasons end and I’d say that qualifies as a breakout.

Both the Lakers and Nuggets are playing well with high-scoring Cheap Dodgers Jerseys offenses that are capable of explosions. These two teams played Cheap Echl Jerseys last week and combined for 241 points, and there was bad blood at the end of the game as Jamal Murray seemed to get into it with Lakers coach Luke Walton. This is a game to watch, with Julius Randle for the Lakers and Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets as the most likely to pop for big games.

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Corey Brewer after reaching a buyout agreement with the veteran swingman.

The move allows Brewer, an 11-year veteran, to sign with a playoff team as a free agent.

However, the deciding factor in the game was the Magic defense. Orlando held Detroit to 1-for-9 shooting in the final six minutes of regulation and 0 for 8 in the five-minute overtime.

“Defense is all we talked about for the last 48 hours and I did see an improvement,” Magic coach Frank Vogel said. “They missed a couple of open looks throughout that stretch, but for the most part our defensive intensity was really good. We were really committed to get a W tonight.”

James Ennis and Reggie Bullock led Detroit with 21 points apiece. Griffin had 10 rebounds and nine assists to go with his 12 points. Dwight Buycks and Anthony Tolliver scored 12 each for the slumping Pistons, who have lost seven of nine.

At Thursday’s shootaround before the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Sixers, James was asked if he was in Philadelphia.

“Pennsylvania? Nah,” he said. “What are you talking about? Over the All-Star break I was on vacation and then went to Los Angeles.”

James played in his 14th All-Star Game and was named MVP for the third time as a team of players he picked beat a team captained by Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

James, 33, said this week that he was flattered Sixers fans are coveting him. He can opt out of his contract this summer — he has a $35.6 option — with Cleveland and become a free agent.

“You can say it’s a distraction, it’s not,” he said. “It is actually very flattering that I’m sitting here at 33 and in my 15th year and teams or guys — I don’t want to say teams because that becomes tampering. But people in their respective city want me to play for them. That’s cool I think. That’s dope.”

“The last shot was a tough shot but a makeable shot,” Smith said. “Learn from it, learn from it. You can look at it as a loss or a lesson.”

The Mavericks almost turned it over on the final possession of regulation but Wesley Matthews kept the play alive before missing a wild layup, with Powell grabbing the rebound on the other side of the basket and laying it in.

Carmelo Anthony had put the Thunder ahead with 1:23 to go on a Cheap Jerseys With Free Shipping layup after three offensive rebounds on the same possession, including two from Steven Cheap Kids NFL Jerseys Adams.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder are in the thick of a Western Conference playoff race so tight, every spot from No. 3 to 10 remains up for grabs with five weeks left in the regular season.

Another showdown looms Saturday night at Moda Center when the Trail Blazers (36-26) play host to the Thunder (37-27), who will be playing the second of back-to-back games after a 124-116 win at Phoenix on Friday.

“What’s our record against the best teams in the league?” asked Westbrook, who went for 43 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists against the Suns. “We’re not worried. I’m not worried. Sometimes it happens like that. We know we’re going to (opponents’) best shot. As long as we continue to win, that’s all I care about.”

OKC has beaten Golden State (twice), Houston and Cleveland this season and is 5-3 against teams with at least a .600 winning percentage. Portland is a tad shy of that figure, but has won 13 of 18 after beating Minnesota 108-99 on Thursday in a push for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“This game was huge because of where (the Wolves) are and where we are,” Lillard said afterward. “The race is so tight, every game matters. If you can knock a team off that is right there where you are, it’s even better.”

The teams went into the fourth quarter tied at 82.

Detroit got consecutive 3-pointers from Buycks, Tolliver and Langston Galloway Cheap Authentic Hockey Jerseys to take a 97-91 lead with 6:47 left in the period.

Orlando started attacking the basket, hitting three straight layups, and that opened up the perimeter. Gordon nailed his third 3 to give the Magic a 101-100 lead with three minutes to play.

Pistons: Galloway left in the second quarter to get three stitches to close a cut over his right eye. He returned in the second half. … Detroit turned the ball over on its first four possessions. The Pistons didn’t get off a shot for nearly three minutes. … Griffin is 0 for 11 on 3-pointers in his last four games. … Detroit has forced more than 10 turnovers in 48 straight games, the longest current streak in the NBA. The Pistons forced 16 turnovers in this one.

Magic: Jonathan Isaac, the team’s first pick in the 2017 draft, played Basketball Jerseys Cheap for the first time in 26 games. He had three points and two rebounds in 15 minutes. … SG Aaron Afflalo was deactivated before the game so the Magic could see more of 10-day signee Rashad Vaughn, but Vaughn did not play.