標籤: approaches

The Buffalo Bills parted ways with head coach Sean McDermott this offseason after seven consecutive seasons of double-digit wins. Although expectations for the organization clearly have not been met, it appears that some in the league believe things will not get better any time soon.

Speaking to Mike Sandow of The Athletic, an NFL executive shared his belief that the Bills’ window as a Super Bowl contender in the AFC has closed. This is despite the expected regression from the New England Patriots and the AFC seemingly being “down” right now.

“I think Buffalo’s window is closed.”

Unnamed NFL executive on Buffalo Bills entering 2026 season

RELATED: 2026 NFL power rankings, see where the Bills land

In 2025, Buffalo tied for the fourth-most wins in the AFC and then reached the divisional round, but lost in overtime. This led to head coach Sean McDermott being fired, general manager Brandon Beane being promoted to president of football operations and offensive coordinator Joe Brady being named head coach.

The Bills front office responded to that disappointment in 2025 by adding safety Geno Stone, nickel C.J. Gardner-Johnson and edge rusher Bradley Chubb to bolster the defense. Equally important, Buffalo traded for wide receiver DJ Moore to provide Allen with an effective offensive weapon.

It’s fair to assume that the Kansas City Chiefs will bounce back in 2026 with the return of Patrick Mahomes and the signing of Kenneth Walker. Elsewhere in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals look better on paper next season.

One reason some around the league are skeptical of the Bills’ approach may have something to do with the team’s draft class. Beane traded downs twice in Round 1 and, in a class that was considered unusually weak, there were some questions whether the team had taken the right approach.

NFL officials skeptical of Buffalo Bills draft strategy

Another executive questioned the Bills’ strategy in the 2026 NFL Draft. While President of Football Operations Brandon Beane received much praise from analysts for trading down multiple times, an analytics-approved strategy, some around the league were not as keen on this specific draft reason.

One executive said, “You get an advantage from the guys who pick you, whether it’s third or fourth or something later, they weren’t going to give you any (good) player in this draft.”

The Athletic’s NFL executive trading down on the Buffalo Bills draft class

This was not the only opinion that expressed doubt as to whether this is the right year to trade up multiple times and collect large amounts of Day 3 draft capital. Another NFL executive told Sandow that it was a “weird draft” because the class was “terrible at the top and terrible at the bottom.”

RELATED: The best 2026 NFL draft classes, including the Buffalo Bills

However, as some of Beane’s teammates in front offices around the league pointed out, a weak 2026 NFL Draft class actually made it, so there was no “right” strategy to take. Beane setting himself up to take multiple swings may prove to be the best approach as it at least gives him a chance to take more swings at different players who may strike out.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

newcastle united are building A detailed photo of Ivan Fresneda for weeksAnd the Sporting full-back is now entering a decisive phase where interest could turn into action.

Magpies are not alone, As we mentioned earlier. Arsenal and Manchester City are also keeping an eye on the 21-year-old. Earlier updates have already pointed to two key factors – his exceptional Champions League performances and Sporting’s openness to negotiating down his €80m (£69m) clause.

Those elements made him a realistic target rather than a distant one. Now, the situation is evolving again.

according to to ballEnglish interest extended beyond simple observation. Premier League clubs have already been approached for Fresnada, even though no formal bid has yet been publicly confirmed.

Performance caught the attention of the Premier League

Ivan Fresneda has built his season step by step. Manager Rui Borges’ switch to a 4–2–3–1 gave him a clear role at right-back. He took advantage of that opportunity and secured his place ahead of Georgios Vagiannidis.

His Champions League performances have generated a lot of interest currently. The performance against Bodo/Glimt remains the reference point. Fresneda covered almost 17 kilometers in 120 minutes in the 5–0 win, offering consistent width and intensity.

That level of physical output is typical of Premier League scouts. This also explains why many English clubs have followed him closely in recent weeks.

As A Bola said, it’s a player “Showing itself to England”.

missed opportunity in london

Sporting’s next match will be a crucial one, as they travel to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals. It is one of the largest stages available, but Fresneda has not traveled with the team.

He was taken off at half-time against Estrela da Amadora due to a muscle problem. As we covered. And this Tuesday, Portuguese press confirmed He will not be available.

Nevertheless, scouts from several English clubs are expected to be in the stands. But for Newcastle, it would be a missed opportunity to assess him live against elite opposition.

Newcastle United are taking concrete steps

Returning to transfer talks, Ivan Fresneda’s situation is no longer theoretical. local claims Suggestion Sporting has already received several offers. He further added that Newcastle United are considering a move in the region of €30m (£25.8m) plus variable amounts.

This figure will sit well below the €80m (£69m) figure. However, as previously reported, Sporting are willing to negotiate a lower fee this summer.

Portuguese side Real Valladolid signed him for €9m (£7.8m). A sale now would yield a strong profit, especially given its rapid growth this season.

Next steps for the Magpies

Now everything points towards execution. Newcastle United have laid the groundwork. They tracked the player, analyzed his performance, and monitored market conditions.

The next step is whether they move forward. And a strong performance in London will increase the pressure. Additionally, growing interest from other Premier League clubs could accelerate the process.

Fresneda is delivering on time. The games are open for a deal. Newcastle now have a decision to make.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat lost 121-117 to the Orlando Magic for the fifth time this season on Saturday night, pushing them back in the Eastern Conference standings, with the team looking to avoid the play-in tournament. Since this is the right time for the Heat with the return of Norman Powell and Tyler Herro from injury, Adebayo will talk about the upcoming program.

Miami has finished in the play-in tournament the past three seasons, meaning they have finished anywhere between the seventh and 10th seeds, competing with other teams for the final two playoff spots in the East. The team has four weeks left in the regular season to solidify a spot in the postseason, but these next six games will undoubtedly be a “gauntlet,” as Adebayo said.

Bam Adebayo is taking advantage of two off days as he and the Heat have had a grueling schedule recently: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/nReVZySlR0

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 15 March 2026

Looking at the next six games, it includes four teams with winning records, except for the Charlotte Hornets, who they will face on Tuesday, who are 34-34 but have been one of the hottest teams in the league recently, going 18-6 in their last 25 games.

After hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (42-25) on Thursday, Miami will travel to face the Houston Rockets (41-25) on Saturday to close out the week. The following week, the San Antonio Spurs (49–18) came to Miami, the team concluded the week with two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers (41–27).

Where the heat had to be endured on Saturday, it will have to be changed

While the Heat are focused on Adebayo scoring a historic 83 points, as well as continuing a seven-game winning streak prior to the Magic’s loss, the team is now focused on impressing in the toughest stretch of the season. Apart from the offensive side of the ball, it all starts with the defense for the team, which was a disappointing aspect on Saturday.

Orlando came out and scored 41 points in the first quarter, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field, and while Miami got close at the end after being down by 22 points, it was too late. At any rate, Miami looks to bounce back against the Hornets on Tuesday as they are 38-30, leaving them in seventh place in the East.

The LA Clippers have played their last seven games without starting forward John Collins, but they appear to be on the verge of getting him back in short order.

Collins has missed the last seven games for the Clippers after suffering a neck strain against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 1. It was the second neck-related injury in 10 days for Collins, who was sidelined for nine days due to a head injury and neck soreness following a scary fall against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 20.

John Collins suffered these two neck injuries within a span of 10 days:

– 1/20/26 – Landed hard on left side of head, avoided injury, but had head injury + neck pain.
– 3/1/26 – In the first game, hits the head/neck on the same left side on a drive and immediately catches… https://t.co/3Aj6WFgQH5 pic.twitter.com/rwzmpnkP32

– Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 4 March 2026

John Collins hasn’t played a game, but is sitting on the Clippers bench and appears to be in good mood after taking some scary hits to the head. Collins told ClutchPoints that he hopes to return to the court as soon as possible in the next few days.

“I’m feeling good, just trying to get back to form,” Collins said. “It’s been a tough period for me to stay available. So I’m trying to do what I can to get back into shape.”

Collins participated in a scuffle Thursday between the Clippers’ home games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls. He came out of that situation feeling good, but the Clippers will want to get another one of those “be ready” games and continue to evaluate him as he makes a run for his return.

“Yeah, I’m back in the Stay Ready Games, I’m feeling better. These types of injuries are just freak accidents, freak injuries. Just looking on the bright side, it could have been worse, it could have been something else. Again, I don’t even really want to think about it, but again, I’m doing good. And I’m just trying to, again, stay healthy and make sure I’m ready to go.”

Through November 25 – eight games after joining the starting lineup – John Collins averaged 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 60.1 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three.

So how do the Clippers plan to re-engage a player like Collins after he missed a significant amount of time?

“He fits in very well,” Tyronn Lue told ClutchPoints. “It’s definitely worth seeing where he is with his minutes restriction. Jesse has been a big part of us all year. His game, once he started playing well, really changed our season for us. Just see where he is minutes-wise, see how he feels, and go from there.”

Benedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson also returned, leaving John Collins to take on a larger role for the team after losing Ivica Zubac in the trade. And while he hasn’t played since the loss of rookie center Yannick Konan Niederhauser, Collins’ absence has been felt on the glass.

“His ability to rebound the basketball, offensive rebound,” Lue said of where the Clippers have missed John Collins most. “And then to slow the game down, we can post somebody up, go to the mid-post area to slow the game down. He’s been really good at that, so we miss him. And like I said, miss his energy. His energy on the floor is really good.”

Since the Clippers started the season 6-21, John Collins has been the focal point of the Clippers’ offense, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, while shooting an absurd 63.6 percent from the field and 54.9 percent from three.