標籤: Expect

A new report of the opinions of executives around the NFL suggests that the Baltimore Ravens should prepare for more Lamar Jackson contract drama if he continues to perform at his current level over the next two seasons.

After being the last pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has been better than the Ravens imagined. After showing his potential in six starts during his rookie season, he would emerge as one of the best players at the game’s most important position in the years to come.

Since 2019, Jackson has earned Pro Bowl honors four times, is a three-time All-Pro, and is a two-time NFL MVP. The dual-threat QB is already the best signal caller in Ravens history, and that’s why he got a massive five-year, $260 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. Still, to get that deal done, it was a complete struggle.

Jackson represented himself in negotiations and demanded to receive a fully guaranteed deal and be unable to place his franchise tag on the Ravens in the future. When discussions reached an impasse, he demanded a trade in March 2023. However, after continued difficult negotiations, an agreement was eventually reached.

NFL executive expects another dramatic Ravens and Lamar Jackson contract battle in 2028

This period when the Ravens are happy is in the rear view. However, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, some around the NFL believe the team and superstar QB can do it all again in 2028.

An NFC executive told Fowler, “Last time it looked like negotiations were going nowhere and then suddenly a deal appeared.” “It has a chance to be really interesting again, especially if he has a big year and his leverage goes up.”

While he has eight seasons under his belt, Jackson will only be 31 in 2028. So he should still have two or three more prime years left in him. Elite QBs are the biggest assets in the NFL, and all teams will pay big bucks to get them. It wouldn’t be surprising if Jackson decided to bet on himself and hit the market in two years.

However, that’s a problem down the stretch, and the Ravens should be in title contention again this year thanks to the two-time MVP.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

It certainly didn’t take long for Khamzat Chimaev to change his mind on what to do next after his defeat on Saturday night at UFC 328.

This weekend, Chimaev enters the first defense of his middleweight title as a heavy favorite against former champion Sean Strickland. Yet it didn’t take long to understand why the American was a popular upset pick, as he was capable of scoring takedowns and turning a lot of the fight into a standup war.

“Borz” was unable to dominate his wrestling, and after five tough rounds, he was defeated and lost his title by split decision. Prior to the bout, reports revealed that Chimaev had lost approximately 40 pounds, and he looked to be in poor shape during Friday’s weigh-in. Barely making the 185 pound limit.

He mentioned before the fight that he would like to move up to 205 pounds and reportedly told UFC CEO Dana White afterward that his middleweight move was complete. Well, it looks like the decision has been completely reversed.

Khamzat Chimaev now wants a rematch with Shawn Strickland

His team told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “The rematch with Sean Strickland is the only fight Khamzat wants. He’s passionate about it.” “This is the only fight he’ll accept right now.”

This is a stunning 180 made by the former champion after all the evidence and rumors that he was moving up to light heavyweight. However, Chimaev noted that due to the excitement leading up to Saturday’s UFC 328 main event, he was set to receive the biggest payout of his career.

Additionally, there are many MMA experts who thought Chimaev did enough to earn the victory on Saturday night. Maybe the idea of ​​better weight loss, another big payday and a good chance for revenge has finally entered the 32-year-old’s mind.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

It’s official, folks, the Ottawa Senators will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. This places the Senators in the metropolitan portion of the bracket for the first two rounds, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. They are the second wild card team, which puts them in eighth place in the East playoff picture. This will be the Senators’ first playoff game against the Hurricanes in team history. So, what can we expect from this matchup? Let’s get into the details.

Read more: The rise of the Senators and the fall of the Red Wings

Hurricanes’ previous playoff success

The Hurricanes have made the playoffs eight consecutive years. Here are their first round results over the past seven years:

• 2019: Beat Capitals 4-3
• 2020: Beat Rangers 3–0 in qualifying round (then lost to Bruins 4–1 in official first round)
• 2021: Beat the Predators, 4-2
• 2022: Defeated Bruins 4-3
• 2023: Beat Islanders 4-2
• 2024: Beat Islanders 4-1
• 2025:Beat the Devils, 4-1

The Hurricanes have surpassed the 110-point mark in four of the last five seasons. That likely would have been five out of six years, except that 2021 was a 56-game season (they were the top team in their division with 80 points). They have made three conference finals during that time. Basically, they are a well-oiled machine. Effort is never an issue. They are as consistent a hockey team as you will find in the league. His issue has mainly been the lack of star power. Time and again, they lose to a team whose stars outperform the Hurricanes’ best players. In last year’s conference finals against the Panthers, they lost 21–10 in a five-game series.

storm players to watch

Here are the storm watchers:

• i am sebastian He is Mr. Consistency. He scored 80 points in 79 games this season. He puts up numbers like this every year.
• andrei svechnikov He’s scary when he’s on his game, but he’s not that consistent. He scored 31 goals and 70 points this year. He started the year scoreless in his first nine matches.
• seth jarvis That’s enough to become a member of Team Canada. He scored a team-high 32 goals this year. Last year also he had scored the same amount. the year before? 33. His total points over those three years: 67, 67, 66. Clearly another consistent player.
• Nikolaj Ehlers The new guy is in his first season with the Canes after being with the Jets for a decade. He was every bit as good as expected, scoring a career-high 71 points
• Shayne Gostisbear One of their best offensive defenders. He scored 50 points in 55 games this year. His 0.91 points per game ranked ninth among D-men.
• jacob slavin His shutdown D-man. He helped the USA win the gold medal at this Winter Olympics. Due to injury he played only 39 matches this season.

Looking at their stats, it’s clear how deep this Hurricanes team is. I’ve limited it to the six players above, but there are many more that deserve mention. jackson blake, logan stankoven and captain jordan steele All scored 20+ goals. Taylor Hall Scored around 50 marks. k’andre miller, Alexander NikishinAnd sean walker Help build a deep blueline.

A weakness other than not being a true superstar? Goaltending is a big question mark. brandon bus Won 31 games this season but has struggled with a .872 SV% since the beginning of February. experienced Frederick Anderson Has a .874 SV% in 35 games this season. Their third goalkeeper, Pyotr KochetkovPlayed only nine games this season due to a hip injury.

The Senator and the Hurricane, by the numbers

Let’s take a look at where both teams rank in key categories over the course of the season:

I’m here to say once again that the Carolina Hurricane is a well-oiled machine. They are a high level team in every way. In fact, watching him play, it’s clear that Travis Green has tried to emulate his style with this Senators team. The Hurricanes dominate the shot battle in almost every game by an average of 32.2 to 23.9. The Senators are great in their own right with an average of 28.9 to 24.4.

The Senators’ glaring weakness is their penalty kill. However, this may be a problem of the past. On January 24, he replaced Mike Yeo to lead the penalty kill. Since then, his success rate is 83.1%, which is the fifth best mark during that time.

What is also interesting is that in the three meetings this season, the Senators managed to win the shot battle all three times (37-19, 27-19, 31-28). Unfortunately, they won only one game out of three.

One area that is not included in the hurricane stat sheet is the area that is hit. He averaged 19.63 points per 60 minutes this season, which is good for 18th in the NHL. The Senators were third at 23.59. The Hurricanes often try to steal the puck instead. His 470 takeaways rank first in the NHL. This will be something to watch as the Senators pride themselves on winning puck battles. He finished fourth this season with 413 takeaways.

final thoughts

It is believed to be a one versus eight matchup in the Eastern Conference. It’s really a battle between the second and ninth best teams in the NHL this season. If we look at the standings starting from January 25, here is how well these teams have played:

• ottawa senators: 21-6-4, .742 points percentage (second best in the NHL)
• carolina storm: 21-7-2, .733 points percentage (4th best in the NHL)

With average goaltending, the Senators would be higher in the standings, meaning the matchup would never make it to the first round. Instead, the Senators played 50 games with terrible goaltending, making them the second wild card team. This would make this a heavyweight first-round matchup against two of the best shot suppression teams in the league, who have tremendous depth and can score a lot of goals.

The Hurricanes deserve the support, but the Senators are playing great hockey right now. The series begins Saturday in Carolina. Here’s one last statistic to wrap up this article: Including the 2020 preliminary round, the Hurricanes have played one game in their first playoff series in six consecutive years.

Danny was born and raised in Ottawa and still lives in that city. He has followed… more about Danny McCloskey

Mauro Zarate has revealed this west ham united Those were the clubs that surprised him the most, as he did not expect their number of fans to be so large.

Zarate talks to Diretta.it this week about his career. lazio we are Report on his comments regarding West Ham.

west ham chant

Mauro Zarate enjoyed a varied career, starting with Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina before moving to Al-Sadd in 2007. A year later he was on loan at Birmingham City before moving to Lazio, Inter Milan and then back to Vélez.

He then joined West Ham in 2014, where he scored seven goals and three assists in 29 games over two seasons, before joining Fiorentina in 2016.

His spell as Hammer is not one that can be described as memorable in any way. But Zarate is happy to admit that West Ham was the club that surprised him the most.

“The best team of my career was Inter, but the one that surprised me the most was West Ham. I was surprised by the number of fans. I didn’t expect such a big club.” He accepted.

a backhanded compliment

Although this statement is quite complimentary, it is a bit of a step back from Argentina. He clearly thought West Ham was a small club and immediately improved it when he arrived.

Fortunately, these are comments that are unlikely to do too much damage to his reputation amongst the West Ham fan base.

He is highly respected by West Ham fans, who remember his individual skills and high-impact goals. They certainly helped hide the inconsistencies in his game and general form.

Mauro Zarate is, perhaps, the definition of a cult icon. And it seems that while he made an impact, the club also made an impact on him. What’s more, in at least one case he has overtaken them over his favorite club Inter.

Newcastle United have already secured their next long-term project, with Johan Martínez set to join from Independiente del Valle when he turns 18.

The club is investing early in high-end South American talents, aiming to develop rather than react late to the market. we covered efforts Made in that direction by clubs in Brazil.

Martínez is only 16 years old. However, his profile has already reached far beyond Ecuador. Scouts from across Europe have kept a close eye on him, including clubs such as FC Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen. So Newcastle have moved forward decisively.

Background and development

Johan Martínez was born in 2009 and comes from one of the most productive academies in South America. Independiente del Valle has built a reputation for producing elite level players including Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and Willian Pacho.

That context matters. Newcastle United aren’t just signing a talented winger. They are benefiting from a development pipeline that has consistently provided Europe-ready players.

Martínez already has standing within that system. He played a key role in the club’s U17 team, which won its category title. In those age groups, he has been viewed as one of the standout attacking talents.

how johan martinez plays

Johan Martínez is a left-footed winger, but his versatility is one of his defining qualities. He can operate on either flank, which would help Newcastle United attract chances.

When deployed on the right, he plays on his natural left foot. This allows him to penetrate inside, attack defenders directly and look for shots or the final pass. When used on the left, he remains wide and looks to beat his man before delivering a cross.

His strongest qualities are obvious:

• 1v1 ability: Martínez thrives in isolation. He takes on defenders repeatedly and with confidence. At youth level, he is often described as “invincible” in these situations.
• Dribbling and close control: He holds the ball tightly to his feet at speed, making it difficult to dislodge him from the ball.
• Acceleration and Speed: His first steps are explosive, leaving him isolated in tight spaces.
• Ambidextrous Dexterity: Although he naturally plays with his left foot, he is comfortable using both feet, which increases his unpredictability.

There is also a playful edge to his game. For a 16-year-old, he already shows strong vision and a wide passing range.

Some observers have also drawn stylistic comparisons with Ousmane Dembélé. This comparison focuses on his ability to use both feet, his directness and his willingness to take risks in attacking areas.

Watching him start and finish the game using only one leg, then switch to the other using only the other is interesting and quite exciting. It’s a rare skill, backed by pure talent and instinct.

Strategic Profile and Projection

Johan Martínez fits the modern winger profile that Newcastle United are leaning towards. He is dynamic, vertical and comfortable playing transition football.

It is suitable for systems that:

• Give priority to quick attacks
• Isolate the wingers against the full-backs
• demand width and straightness

At this level, his game is naturally raw. Decision-making and consistency will be required in the final third. This is expected considering his age.

However, the main tools are already in place. Newcastle are effectively betting on his ceiling rather than his current output.

Next steps at Newcastle United

Johan Martínez will not arrive immediately. FIFA rules mean he has to wait until he turns 18 before moving to England. So, Newcastle is planning ahead.

This deal is about timing. By acting now, Newcastle will avoid a bidding war later. At the same time, they allow the player to continue development in a familiar environment.

For Newcastle United, it is another sign of a comprehensive recruitment strategy. They are not just targeting established names. They are also building a pipeline of elite young talent.

If Martínez progresses as expected, he could arrive in England with significant promotion already in place. The club will then need to manage its integration carefully.

However, the focus is clear right now. Newcastle have secured one of South America’s most exciting young wingers before the rest of the market has fully caught on.

The New England Patriots are still looking to improve after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. New England has signed wide receiver Romeo Doubs, offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker and others. However, the Patriots are looking for a top wide receiver, and the NFL believes they will get one.

NFL officials expect the Patriots to acquire wide receiver AJ Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in June, as The Athletic’s Mike Sandow reports. This will happen after June 1 as it will make more sense from a financial point of view. The Eagles would save approximately $30 million if they traded Brown after June 1 instead of before.

New England needs a true elite wide receiver, and while Dobbs is a nice pickup, Brown is a superstar. The Eagles wide receiver has concerns about his knee and character, leading the Patriots to go with his former head coach, Mike Vrabel, as the top landing spot.

Potential trade package from AJ Brown to the New England Patriots

The Patriots and Eagles need to find a middle ground in trade talks for Brown. Philadelphia wants a first-round pick and a second-round pick; However, New England has not met the demands. Instead, both sides are likely to wait until June 1 to find the best package.

After signing Dobbs, the Patriots must offer a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and wide receiver Keyshawn Bout. New England will have a wide receiver room of Brown, Dobbs, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins, Demario Douglas, Afton Chism and any other additions from the 2026 NFL Draft.

If the Patriots acquire Brown, Boute would be expendable and in return would give the Eagles a deep threat. If Philadelphia wants to replace Brown and make a push for the Super Bowl, the 23-year-old wide receiver would be an excellent option. Also, the organization will receive a selection in return.

If Boutte is not moved, the Patriots must trade a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to complete the deal. The two teams could also exchange lower round picks to make it a little more attractive for Philadelphia. Perhaps the Patriots could send a fifth-round pick while receiving a seventh-round pick.

There are several ways for the Browns to complete the trade. Whether it’s just a package of draft picks or another player is included, a deal has to be made for New England and Philadelphia. The Patriots want Brown, and NFL officials expect the trade to be completed in June.

READ MORE: AJ Brown to the New England Patriots? 4 more potential trades before the 2026 NFL Draft

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky

Although some interesting reports are suggesting otherwise, all signs point to the Las Vegas Raiders making Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After all, they already moved on before the start of last year by sending Geno Smith to the New York Jets.

With Aidan O’Connell the only quarterback left on the Raiders roster, Las Vegas has no choice but to add another arm to the roster this offseason. Chances are, he’ll be a veteran who can help Mendoza navigate the ups and downs of his first season.

A potential guru came forward on Wednesday. according to athleticAccording to NFL insider Diana Russini, Raiders fans should “expect” the team to “show interest” in signing the recently released Kirk Cousins ​​to help Mendoza.

While Cousins ​​certainly wants to play in 2026 rather than play a backup role, he would be an ideal fit for the Raiders. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback has mastered the art of preparing for his opponents, whether it’s adjusting his body or diving into individual matchups and film to break down coverages. Cousins ​​could be a huge asset for the young QB.

Additionally, if he is pressed into action, Cousins ​​could still help swing some games in the Raiders’ favor. The 37-year-old still led the Falcons to a 5-3 record last season, keeping them in the playoff race for as long as he could. If asked to do the same in Las Vegas, both parties need to be confident he is the right person for the job.

RELATED: NFL Insider updates Raiders Max Crosby trade price after failed physical

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The Miami Dolphins have been one of the busiest teams of the offseason so far. New general manager John-Eric Sullivan isn’t afraid to make tough decisions, even if it means moving away from the cornerstones of the former franchise. The Dolphins have already traded away two Pro Bowl players in Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb this offseason. Minkah Fitzpatrick is also reportedly on the trade block.

Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa has long been rumored to be on the chopping block, yet Miami is trying to trade the former Pro Bowl quarterback instead.

Still, ESPN’s NFL insider Dan Graziano is “hopeful” the Dolphins will waive Tagovailoa instead. In other words, the Dolphins have not been able to find a trade partner for Tagovailoa, who has a $56.2 million cap hit for 2026.

Tagovailoa is coming off the worst season of his career after throwing a career-high 15 interceptions. However, the 28-year-old is still seen as someone who can potentially return to his top form with a change in scenario. Now hopefully the Dolphins give him the same opportunity that Murray is getting from the Cardinals.

Tagovailoa led the NFL in completion percentage in 2024, and had his only Pro Bowl season in 2023, when he led all passers with 4,624 yards. Certainly, another team would be eager to take a chance on him getting back on top, especially since it would likely come at a significantly lower rate than the veteran’s minimum contract.

RELATED: 5 potential Kyler Murray free agency landing spots after Cardinals release

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

VfB Stuttgart are expected to receive a ‘top offer’ for their key players in the summer after a move from Nottingham Forest this year.

This is according to the sport build. The German newspaper has covered Stuttgart today and revealed how they could be busy on the summer departure front.

According to their report, Stuttgart are focusing on winning the Europa League for the money it will bring.

That extra money could help them retain their stars in the summer. A number of people have already been targeted by the Premier League. Prominent among them are Jamie Lewelling and Ramon Hendrix.

Leveling in nottingham forest

For example, leveling up was Nottingham Forest’s goal last summer. Sport Witness covered it extensively at the time.

At first it was explained that we would Really need an extraordinary offer If they were to sign the 24-year-old any time soon.

A separate report then described how Lewelling had made it clear that he did not want Nottingham Forest.

He even clearly told his agents to leave him alone. Whether this has changed now remains to be seen. But there is a feeling that Nottingham Forest could come back for him at some point.

One goal hendricks too

He’s not the only Stuttgart player in their sights either. There’s also Ramon Hendrix. Nottingham Forest, as well as Borussia Dortmund, moved for him in the January transfer window.

Sport Witness also covered it at that time. Indeed, Stuttgart’s sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth It was even confirmed that they had rejected a bid.

He then explained that the German side did this because they were continuing to support Hendrix’s development. Undoubtedly, its value may see a significant increase in the future. Whether this means a summer sale is on the table is debatable.

But the feeling is that Nottingham Forest, and others, can get back to that point. So Stuttgart is focusing on the Europa League. If they had won the entire tournament, they could have received approximately €34m in prize money from their participation.

This is a huge sum for the German team and should help ease interest in their best players this summer.