Category: sports

The 2020 NFL draft had some rough edges, but the ingenuity of the broadcast could offer a glimpse into the new normal for sports.

The Rams plan to launch an ambitious virtual offseason program because of the coronavirus, and Sean McVay asked Clippers coach Doc Rivers for advice.

The Seattle Seahawks are releasing Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker in a major overhaul of their offensive line that clears significant salary cap space. A person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press on Sunday that Britt had been informed he is being released, ending six seasons with the Seahawks. The Athletic first reported Britt’s release.

“I like the idea of adding a defensive lineman that went to the same school as Frank Clark.” — Writer Charles Goldman

No one wanted a draft like this, but we were pleasantly surprised by the behind-the-scenes looks it provided. Here’s hoping it serves as a model for the future.

A signing won’t guarantee him the backup job behind Drew Brees. Jameis Winston’s best case scenario may ultimately be competing for the No. 2 spot with Taysom Hill

The New England Patriots selected Michigan offensive lineman Michael Onwenu in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, with pick No. 182. At U-M, Onwenu started 35 career games and was a two-time All-Big Ten performer. Onwenu is just the latest to go from Ann Arbor to New England.

Through 10 NFL drafts in the Brian Kelly era, a total of 45 Notre Dame players have been selected, notably a minimum of six in five of the last eight years and each of the last two.The high mark occurred in 2014 with eight (two of them as juniors).

uring the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast, Liz Loza and Matt Harmon look at how the addition of CeeDee Lamb catapults the league’s top offense in Dallas. Subscribe to the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This year’s event was a welcome tonic to fans deprived of live sports. But not every team covered themselves in glory over the weekendThe 2020 NFL draft wasn’t quite a live sporting event, but it was enough to distract fans from the global pandemic that has kept major leagues indefinitely suspended. Here are the teams that we think did the best and worst jobs of improving their future. Winners Baltimore Ravens: Baltimore didn’t have many needs after winning 14 games in 2019, but general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh maximized their positioning during the draft’s first two days.After losing linebackers Patrick Onwuasor and Josh Bynes in free agency, the Ravens tapped rangy LSU linebacker Patrick Queen with their first pick (28th overall). Queen is undersized for the position, but possesses blistering sideline-to-sideline speed and strong pass coverage abilities. After Queen, Baltimore added Ohio State running back JK Dobbins, an exciting addition to Baltimore’s record-breaking rushing attack who should effectively spell 30-year-old starter Mark Ingram and backup Gus Edwards.Instead of Queen or Dobbins, it was third-round pick Justin Madubuike that excited draft analysts the most. Some experts thought the brawny Texas A&M defensive tackle would go early in the second round, but he instead fell to Baltimore at pick No 71. When asked what his favorite part of playing football is, Madubuike told USA Today “I love putting my hand in somebody’s throat and pushing them all the way backward.” Add in fellow third-round pick Devin Duvernay, who logged 106 catches and nine touchdown receptions last year at Texas, and the Ravens left the 2020 draft looking like the biggest winners.Dallas Cowboys: The question that vexes every team when drafting is whether you select the best player available or the player that fits your biggest need. The Cowboys entered the draft with one of the league’s most loaded offenses but still spent their first-round pick on Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, one of three standout receivers in the 2020 class. Dallas had more glaring needs at defensive back and defensive line, but wily owner and team president Jerry Jones decided on Lamb, who has the explosiveness, strength and route precision of a future superstar.The gamble on Lamb may be worth it after Dallas unexpectedly landed Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round. Diggs is a former receiver who converted to defensive back and excelled in 2019 with three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and is a player many scouts considered a first-round talent. Third-round pick Neville Gallimore is a mammoth interior defensive lineman that Dallas may have lucked into at pick No82 and fourth-round cornerback Reggie Robinson gives them depth at one of their weakest positions.Indianapolis Colts: The Colts drafted some of the best players available and filled some of their biggest needs even without a first-round pick. Second-round pick Michael Pittman is one of the many stud receivers of this draft class; the USC product is a sturdy 6ft 4in with excellent hands and enough speed to become the Colts’ top receiver within the next few seasons. Running back Jonathan Taylor is one of the most successful college players of all-time – he became the first player in NCAA history to rush for over 6,000 yards in a three-year span – and possesses the strength and field vision consistent with the NFL’s most successful running backs. There is some concern about the amount of carries he took in college and whether that will hurt his durability, but his explosiveness and physicality give him one of the highest ceilings of any skill player in the draft.Fifth-round selection Jacob Eason certainly looks the part of a future NFL starting quarterback – the Washington product stands 6ft 6in and has excellent arm strength – but must overcome the streaky tendencies that affected his 2019 season. He won’t play next year, but head coach Frank Reich may work to groom him as Indianapolis’s future starting QB. LosersGreen Bay Packers: It’s impossible to anoint any true “losers” before the drafted players begin their NFL careers, but Green Bay’s selections were extremely confusing for a team looking to win a title while the 36-year-old Aaron Rodgers is still one of the game’s best players. Widely expected to pick one of the many elite receivers in the draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst instead traded up from pick No 30 to select Utah State QB Jordan Love, who the team presumably expect to replace Rodgers in two or three years. In the second round, Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur drafted bruising running back AJ Dillon even though the Packers already have two proven rushers in Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Perhaps the front office expects Jones and Williams to leave town once they become free agents after next season, but it was still odd to see Green Bay spend their top two picks on positions they didn’t need to address.Any angry Packers fan should read this 2012 assessment of the Seattle Seahawks draft– one that calls Russell Wilson “the worst pick in the entire draft” – before declaring this draft a failure. Even so, there doesn’t appear to be a player besides third-round tight end Josiah Deguara who looks primed to make an impact in 2020.Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders maintained their eccentric draft-day tendencies with a host of confusing selections despite holding two first-round picks. Speedy Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs was one of the three elite players at the position (along with Lamb and Jerry Jeudy) but considered the least polished of the three. It was a forgivable selection, but few thought that Ruggs would be the first of a historically deep receiver class off the board.It was eight picks after Ruggs when the Raiders stumped anybody who follows the draft: defensive back Damon Arnette was a strong defender on a loaded Ohio State defense, but most draftniks didn’t have him as a first-round player. Time will tell if Arnette becomes one of the better players on the Raiders secondary, but Mayock probably could have traded the 19th overall pick and stockpiled assets instead of spending it on a player nobody valued highly.While the Raiders are always one of the most entertaining teams to follow on draft day, their inconsistency remains the only consistent thing about them.Denver Broncos: Team president John Elway clearly wanted to supply new starting quarterback Drew Lock with weapons, which explains his selection of receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler with Denver’s first two picks. The problem is that he didn’t do much to assure that Lock will be properly protected and given adequate time to get the ball to his new studs. While Elway drafted his center of the future in LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry, Denver didn’t select an offensive tackle. That means the inconsistent, penalty-prone Garett Bolles will likely be the starting left tackle in Week 1.

Matt Rhule had Baylor on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff, yet only four Bears were drafted (3 by him). If he can continue to do more with less in Carolina, look out.

Somewhat surprisingly, none of the 14 LSU players taken in the draft was TE Thaddeus Moss.

The Kansas City Chiefs spent five frustrating decades trying to win a second Lombardi Trophy. It left them with 20 of 22 starters on the roster heading into next season, and in the enviable position of being able to supplement wherever was most helpful in the NFL draft. In the first round, the Chiefs added to the vast array of weapons at the disposal of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes by drafting do-everything running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of LSU.

New Colts quarterback Jacob Eason joined Pac-12 Networks’ Yogi Roth to talk about playing and learning behind Philip Rivers in Indianapolis. Eason said he was “fortunate” to get the opportunity to gain experience from a future hall of farmer early in his NFL career. Watch more from Eason during “Pac-12 Playlist: NFL Draft Report” airing Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network.

San Francisco fell short in the big game and history of a repeat trip isn’t necessarily on their side, but they navigated the draft and trades pretty well.

Carlos Davis joined his twin brother, Khalil, as the first two Nebraska players selected in the NFL Draft since 2018.

The final day of the 2020 NFL draft is here! Follow along live as the Yahoo Sports NFL crew breaks down the picks, dishes out analysis and more.

Justin Tucker was ready to help.

Several outlets tabbed New England’s selection of Uche as a ‘steal,’ while others gave it an ‘A’ grade.

The first virtual draft in NFL history went off without a major problem for the Rams but it did include a glitch for general manager Les Snead.

Former Michigan players Cesar Ruiz and Josh Uche are off the board, but there are 11 more Wolverines that are hoping to be selected on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft in rounds four through seven. 149 picks remain in the draft.

It may be a new day in New England, but Bill Belichick’s draft picks prove he’s not changing his strategy just because Tom Brady left.

The quarterbacks are waiting. After four quarterbacks went off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft, Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma was the only QB taken in rounds two and three on Friday. Washington’s Jacob Eason and Georgia’s Jake Fromm both entered the draft with a year of eligibility still remaining.

USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has a conversation with Pac-12 Networks’ Yogi Roth after he went 34th overall to the Colts in Friday’s NFL Draft second round. With the selection, he became the 16th Trojan wide receiver drafted since 2000, including the ninth in the top two rounds. Watch more from Pittman Jr. during “Pac-12 Playlist: NFL Draft Report” airing Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network.

New Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss joined Pac-12 Networks’ Yogi Roth after being selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Utah star recounted what it felt like to get the call from Buffalo, and said it was a moment he’ll “never forget. Watch more from Moss during “Pac-12 Playlist: NFL Draft Report” airing Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network.

Yahoo Sports’ NFL Draft Expert Eric Edholm on who believes made the best and worst moves to help their team in rounds 2 and 3.

New Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. sat down to talk with Pac-12 Networks’ Yogi Roth after being drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Pittman told Roth about his workout plans on the night of the draft, proving that he’s still willing to put in the work on such a special occasion for him and his family. Watch more from the former USC star during “Pac-12 Playlist: NFL Draft Report” airing Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network.

Coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock set out this offseason to make the Las Vegas Raiders offense more dynamic. After drafting the fastest player available in the first round with receiver Henry Ruggs, the Raiders spent their first two picks on day two of the NFL draft Friday night on playmakers Lynn Bowden Jr. and Bryan Edwards. The Raiders took former Kentucky slot receiver and quarterback Bowden 80th overall with their own pick and plan to make him a running back.

The Tennessee Titans used two of their first three selections in the NFL draft to help bolster one of the NFL’s most productive offenses with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. General manager Jon Robinson said the Titans were tempted to trade up Friday night but wound up with players they liked in positions they wanted.

The Kansas City Chiefs spent the past few weeks conducting plenty of virtual chats with Willie Gay Jr. and those around him, drilling into a series of incidents that caused the Mississippi State linebacker to play just five games last season and enter the NFL draft with several red flags. General manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid logged off those chats comfortable with what they heard.