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Giants icon has strong reaction to Drew Lock news
New York Giants icon and CBS Sports NFL analyst Tiki Barber had a stronger-than-expected reaction to learning that 27-year-old quarterback Drew Lock intends to sign a guaranteed one-year, $5M contract to join the club as a backup when the new league year opens on Wednesday.
"This feels like a non-quarterback year," Barber said during the Tuesday edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program about the Giants' intentions for the sixth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "They’re not gonna draft a quarterback."
Barber insisted this past Friday that the Giants having "an exploratory meeting" with veteran Russell Wilson before Wilson decided to join the Pittsburgh Steelers showed that Big Blue is "done with" 2023 Week 1 starting signal-caller Daniel Jones after the 2024 campaign. The Giants can escape Jones' contract next offseason, and NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY essentially confirmed last week that New York general manager Joe Schoen wants an upgrade at the sport's most important position.
The Giants made a different type of splash during the NFL's legal tampering portion of free agency when they agreed to acquire star pass-rusher Brian Burns via a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Schoen reportedly will sign Burns to a five-year, $150M deal with $87.5M in guaranteed money as part of the transaction.
New York also came to terms on contracts with guard Jon Runyan and running back Devin Singletary, among others. Schoen let star RB1 Saquon Barkley reach free agency, and he is on track to join the rival Philadelphia Eagles.
"It feels like they’re building this team core — offensive line, defensive line — they’re gonna go get a skill position player, and they’re gonna ride it with Daniel Jones," Barber added about how the Giants may approach the draft. "That’s what it feels like."
Earlier in the day, Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic both suggested the Minnesota Vikings could move up in the draft order from pick No. 11 to the fifth selection so they could grab a quarterback the Giants may want at No. 6. Baumgardner also predicted that New York will trade down and then take Penn State Nittany Lions offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the ninth pick.
More must-reads:
- Giants to add veteran QB in free agency
- Giants' newest QB addition faces uncertain role
- The 'Highest-paid NFL players' quiz
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Former Panthers, Raiders WR signs with Super Bowl champions
The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver room needed a lot of help last season following the Davante Adams trade. One of the players they brought in during the year was Terrace Marshall Jr. He ended up playing in seven games for Las Vegas and had three catches for 41 yards. After sitting in free agency for a month, Marshall has a new home. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the veteran wide receiver has signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champions already have one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, but Marshall could help provide some depth. He first came into the NFL as a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, and he spent three seasons with them. He was part of the explosive LSU offense that won the national championship in 2019. He hasn't been able to find the same success that former teammates Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase have found at the NFL level. That said, Marshall is still only 24 and may have some untapped potential. The Eagles have done very good work with wide receivers in recent years, so they're a strong landing spot for him.
'Made the right call': Azzi Fudd’s UConn decision gets positive support from NCAA analyst
Grading Bleacher Report’s Penguins-Canadiens Erik Karlsson trade
Erik Karlsson and Patrik Laine must be sick of being in trade rumors. The two players seem to always be in the middle of it, which they can take in two ways. On one hand, it could mean opposing fan bases want them on their team. However, on the other hand, it could mean they wear out their welcome quickly. There is no reason to believe the Pittsburgh Penguins or Montreal Canadiens are shopping these players, but Bleacher Report believes a trade between the teams would make sense. Karlsson heads to Montreal in exchange for Laine in a one-for-one swap in their proposed trade. Erik Karlsson is a redundant entity for Canadiens Laine fits perfectly with the Canadiens. He hasn’t been the greatest at five-on-five, but Kent Hughes knew that when he acquired him. It isn’t always pretty for Laine, but he does one thing exceptionally better than almost everyone else (except one particular all-time leading goalscorer). Laine can sit at the top of the left circle on the powerplay, wait for a pass, and easily rip pucks into the net. Laine and Lane Hutson have great chemistry on the powerplay unit. Hutson is quickly becoming one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, and he will likely win the Calder Trophy this season. The possibility of combining Hutson and Laine on the powerplay in the future is too good for the Canadiens to pass up. One weak point of the Canadiens’ powerplay is the right flank, considering they don’t have an elite offensive mind with a left-handed shot. Enter Ivan Demidov. The fifth-overall pick in last year’s draft will make his NHL debut on Monday evening against the Chicago Blackhawks, and the excitement is at an all-time high. Demidov is the left-handed shot that the Canadiens have been missing, and he is also sure to improve Laine’s play at five-on-five if inserted onto the second line with the Finnish sniper. How mad would Canadiens fans be if they passed up the opportunity to have Laine, Hutson, and Demidov around the perimeter of their powerplay for at least another season? Karlsson could come to Montreal and take Laine’s spot, but that eliminates the shot option. He isn’t going to dethrone Hutson as the quarterback of the unit. So, what would his purpose be when his five-on-five defensive play isn’t up to par? Patrik Laine won’t change the Penguins One positive for the Penguins is that Laine’s contract ends sooner than Karlsson’s. Sure, Pittsburgh’s first mistake was acquiring Karlsson, but that doesn’t mean they have to add another overpriced option to make up for it. Laine could stay with the Canadiens or Penguins on a cheaper deal, but he still isn’t the type of player the Penguins need to contend. Pittsburgh already has the seventh-best powerplay unit in the league, operating at a 25 percent clip. It isn’t surprising considering they have players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Karlsson. Good powerplays are crucial to a team’s success, but that doesn’t mean it is the only deciding factor. Pittsburgh has to get better in all facets of their game, and as already mentioned, Laine doesn’t move the needle at five-on-five. It’d be nothing but a lateral move for the Penguins, as they trade one powerplay specialist with defensive deficiencies for a forward version of that. The only real advantage would be shedding $8 million off their cap a year sooner than Karlsson’s $10 million deal expires, but that’s something they can work around in various ways. The Penguins must stop worrying about Crosby and Malkin’s feelings and pick a lane. The team isn’t improving until they rebuild, and Kyle Dubas may as well accept that fate. While they pretend they will try to contend for their veteran core, the team’s future looks bleaker and bleaker. Pittsburgh has tons of salary cap space they can use this offseason to try to plug holes, but it’s likely not sustainable long-term. Can Dubas do enough to give them a chance next season? Maybe, but you may as well do it with Karlsson instead of changing things with Laine. Grades and final thoughts The proposed trade is a good idea, but it doesn’t make sense in theory. It is especially perplexing for the Canadiens, as their surprising playoff push has the team and its fans in their best frame of mind since the rebuild began. It’d be short-sighted to upset the momentum and bring in a personality like Karlsson. Keep Hutson comfortable on the powerplay, let him, Laine, and Demidov cook in 2025-26, and possibly convince Laine to return on a cheaper deal. The deal would make more sense for the Penguins, but not much. Pittsburgh has to stop making lateral moves, and until they do, the team is going nowhere quickly. Montreal Canadiens grade: D- Pittsburgh Penguins grade: D+
St Louis Blues Star Player Unexpectedly Leaves Team Before Must Win Game
The St. Louis Blues are facing two must-win games down the stretch, but now, defenseman Philip Broberg has left the team for personal reasons. Despite their red-hot run since the Four Nations break, the St. Louis Blues still haven't qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and with the Calgary Flames hot on their tail, they need to win both games down the stretch in order to qualify. Game 81 for them takes place on Saturday night on the road against the Seattle Kraken, and now, it has been revealed that they've suffered a major loss before one of their most important games of the season. According to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford, defenseman Philip Broberg is headed back to St. Louis to attend to a personal matter, meaning that their key off-season acquisition will be unavailable for this crucial game. In 67 games this season, Broberg has 8 goals and 29 points, all while carrying an impressive +21 differential, and while the production has certainly slowed down in recent times, this is still a player that's absolutely crucial to the recent success of the Blues. It's unclear if Broberg will miss both of the Blues final games or whether or not he'll be able to return for Game 82, which will be a must-win regardless for St. Louis, and if the team drop Saturday's game to Seattle, it will put the pressure on the entire organization. For now though, their focus will be on Seattle with or without Broberg, and given the way that they've played in recent times, it's safe to say that they're still full of confidence that they can continue their red-hot run into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Paul Maurice Drops Major Update on Matthew Tkachuk with Playoffs Around the Corner
Matthew Tkachuk has been out since the Four Nations break, but now their Head Coach has revealed a positive update on his potential return. The Florida Panthers haven't been at their best as of late, and that's likely due to an Aaron Ekblad suspension as well as injuries to the likes of Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. The latter has been out for the past six weeks since the Four Nations break, and while he's been on the ice, he hasn't ramped up towards an official return, until now. In his latest interview, Head Coach Paul Maurice has revealed that Tkachuk is expected to return to practice next week, and while he may not be at 100% when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, all signs are currently pointing towards a Stanley Cup Playoffs return. At the trade deadline, the Panthers loaded up with the additions of Nico Sturm, Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, and with both Bennett and Tkachuk potentially getting healthy for the post-season, optimism is very high. When he was healthy this year, Tkachuk had 57 points in 52 games played, and when he takes a line alongside Bennett and Marchand in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it will be one of the most intriguing lines in the league. That health comes with major question marks though, as Aleksander Barkov has also missed games recently, and while everyone outside of Bennett/Tkachuk appears to be getting healthy, it's still something to be concerned about. Regardless, No. 19 is expected to ramp up next week, and if he's good to go (likely) against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers could be once again considered the favourite in the Eastern Conference.
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