(CNN)Derek Jeter has stepped down as the CEO of the Miami Marlins, citing philosophical differences with the Major League Baseball (MLB) club.
Jeter, along with the Marlins, announced the news Monday.
"Today I am announcing that the Miami Marlins and I are officially ending our relationship and I will no longer serve as CEO nor as a shareholder in the Club," Jeter said in a statement.
"We had a vision five years ago to turn the Marlins franchise around, and as CEO, I have been proud to put my name and reputation on the line to make our plan a reality. Through hard work, trust and accountability, we transformed every aspect of the franchise, reshaping the workforce, and developing a long-term strategic plan for success.
"That said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins."
Jeter, who was CEO for the last four seasons, was part of the ownership group that acquired the team on October 2, 2017. Jeter became the first African American owner/CEO in MLB history, according to the Marlins.
Under Jeter, the Marlins were 218-327 with one postseason appearance during the Covid-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
"My family and I would like to thank our incredible staff, Marlins fans, Marlins players, and the greater Miami community for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel at home," Jeter said in the statement. "The organization is stronger today than it was five years ago, and I am thankful and grateful to have been a part of this team."
MLB is in the midst of its first work stoppage since the 1994-1995 season. Owners and players are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Without a new deal, there will be no baseball. The CBA determines players' terms and conditions of employment.
Bruce Sherman, Marlins chairman and principal owner, thanked Jeter for his time with the organization.
"We have a deep bench of talent that will oversee both business and baseball decisions while we work to identify a new CEO to lead our franchise," Sherman said in a statement. "The ownership group is committed to keep investing in the future of the franchise -- and we are determined to build a team that will return to the postseason and excite Marlins fans and the local community."
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred Jr. also thanked Jeter.
"Derek is a winner on and off the field," Manfred said in a statement. "In addition to his valuable contributions as a front office executive, Derek was a highly respected voice on our Diversity and Competition Committees."
"He helped build a talented front office with the Marlins, including moving the game forward by hiring women in top roles in the Club's baseball operations and executive leadership, and a foundation that has positioned the Marlins for long-term success. Derek is a pillar of our game and we look forward to his future contributions to Baseball."
Gegard Mousasi is still planning on making the move up to light heavyweight to challenge for a second title — as long as the money is right.
Mousasi successfully defended his middleweight title in just 85 seconds when he viciously stopped Austin Vanderford in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 275 event in Dublin, Ireland. While he was always hesitant in the past to state that he was the best fighter in the world, Mousasi now has no issue saying it as he plans to challenge the winner of the light heavyweight grand prix this year between Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson.
“I feel like I’m the best middleweight in the world now,” Mousasi said at the event’s post-fight press conference. “I’ve never said that because I never thought I was the best, but on this day, I’m the best. Don’t know about tomorrow, but today I was the best.
“If I go up [in weight], I’ll still be successful, I don’t doubt it. But every fight, I’d have to give up weight, strength, and that’s not my strength. If the guy’s [not] on the juice, physically they’re not equal with me [at 185]. But if I go up, I’ll give my advantages away, but I promised to do it, so we’ll do it. But I don’t give a f*ck about belts, I’m here to make money.”
As far as his fighting future beyond this year goes, the 36-year-old remains undecided at this point. Mousasi hopes to make 2022 his most active campaign in the last several years.
“Middle of the year, I’ll fight again, and then the end of the year, I’ll fight again,” Mousasi said. “I’m gonna sit down [after that] and evaluate where my career is going and decide whether I’m going to continue or not. For me, I have two more fights that I’ll concentrate on.”
Of course, being in Ireland, and having Conor McGregor in the crowd — a fighter Mousasi hasn’t been all that fond of over the years — the former two-division UFC champion became a talking point after Mousasi revealed the origin of his long-standing dislike of McGregor on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
According to a reporter on site at Bellator 275, McGregor apparently told Vanderford to “rip his head off” in regards to Mousasi. At first, the champion thought the reporter was talking about McGregor delivering the devastation, not him relaying hopes to another fighter.
“He could’ve come, I talked with his coach and my brother is here,” Mousasi said. “He would’ve died, I swear to god. He knows. We’re not f*cking around with that guy. I don’t know that, but I have nothing against the guy.
“If he wants to come, he can come. I’m not kidding.”
The reporter then clarified that it was McGregor saying that to Vanderford, which added some positivity and a smirk to Mousasi.
Hall of Fame Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko said he will take up arms to fight Russia as attacks on his homeland have continued. Vitali said he will fight alongside his brother and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who enlisted earlier this month into the Ukrainian reserve army.
Vitali, 50, who is also the mayor of the capital city of Kyiv, told Good Morning Britain that Ukraine is already fighting a "bloody war" and he doesn't have "another choice."
"I have to do that...I would be fighting," the 6-foot-7-inch politician said. Vitali is joining calls from the country's minister of defense for civilians over the age of 18 to take up arms to help defend the country.
Vitali, who earned the nickname "Dr. Ironfist" because of his powerful punches, said on Friday that Kyiv is under threat and the city has entered a "defensive phase," according to Reuters.
"Shots and explosions are ringing out in some neighborhoods saboteurs have already entered Kyiv. The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us," he said in a news briefing as Russian troops got closer to the center of the city.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko (L) and his brother and former Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko (R) speak during visit to a volunteers recruitment center in Kiev on February 2. GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Vitali's brother Wladimir, 45, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Thursday that "it is not 'the war of Ukraine,' it is Putin's war."
"He makes it clear that he wants to destroy the Ukrainian state and the sovereignty of its people," he said. "Words are followed by missiles and tanks. Destruction and death come upon us. That's it, blood will mix with tears."
Wladimir warned that the world needs to act if Russian forces take over the Ukrainian capital.
"If Putin goes ahead with his plan for a change of regime in Kyiv, then democracies around the world must now start thinking about a change of regime in Moscow," he said. "Before it is too late."
Vitali and Wladimir had successful runs as boxers and entered the Guinness World Records with the most heavyweight boxing titles held by brothers. Both brothers also hold doctorates and speak multiple languages.
If the Packers want Aaron Rodgers to return to Green Bay in 2022, they're likely going to have to offer him a lot of money to make it happen.
Although Rodgers hasn't yet made a decision about his future, it appears he has made a decision about how much he thinks he should be paid in 2022. According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, the Packers quarterback is looking for a new deal that will pay him more money per year than any other player in NFL history.
"He wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL by a wide margin, so we're talking about $50 million per year," Russini said this week on "The Rich Eisen Show."
Rodgers was asked on Friday about the speculation that he wanted to be the highest-paid player by a wide margin and he told Pat McAfee that the report was "categorically false." Of course, this could be simple semantics. Rodgers might want to be the highest-paid player, but he might be fine with $46 million per year instead of $50 million per year.
Russini also reported this week that multiple teams have already called the Packers about possibly be making a trade for their star quarterback. If Rodgers is seeking something in the neighborhood of $50 million per year, that will definitely add an interesting twist to any trade talks the Packers might have.
If the Packers are willing to give Rodgers a salary anywhere near $50 million, it would instantly make him the NFL's highest-paid player. The current title of highest-paid player belongs to Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10-year, $450 million extension in July that could pay out as much as $503 million.
Of course, if the Packers do give Rodgers a new deal that pays him anywhere in that neighborhood, they're going to have to work some serious salary cap magic to make it happen. The Packers are currently nearly $40 million OVER the cap and that doesn't even include the cap hit that will come if they re-sign or tag Davante Adams.
The one upside to giving Rodgers a huge deal is that it would actually help them with cap space for 2022. Under his current deal, Rodgers has a cap hit of nearly $47 million for the upcoming season, but if he gets a new contract, the Packers could probably shave $20 million to $25 million (or more) off that cap hit.
Although Rodgers' reported asking price sounds astronomical, it's arguably a fair market price for a guy who has won back-to-back MVP awards. Also, don't be surprised if the Packers MEET his asking price. The NFL's official website reported on Super Bowl Sunday that the Packers would be willing to offer Rodgers "a deal that makes him the highest-paid QB in the NFL on a per-year basis."
The Packers' front office has been adamant all offseason that it wants Rodgers back and if the Packers are willing to put their money where their mouth is, then it seems more likely than not that Rodgers would return to Green Bay. During all their drama with Rodgers last offseason, the Packers actually had an offer on the table that would have made Rodgers the highest-paid player in the NFL, but the QB turned it down in a decision that may have had something to do with the structure of the deal (For instance, we don't know how much of the deal was guaranteed or if Rodgers would have had any security beyond the first year.)
Rodgers likely isn't making his decision based on money, but if he does return, it seems that he wants to make sure he's paid at the market rate. The Packers are going to need to know soon if they're going to have to cut him a $50 million check because it's going to be hard for them to get anything else done this offseason until they know what he's going to do, which is a fact that general manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged this week.
"Obviously everything around here centers around the quarterback," Gutekunst said, via NFL.com. "That's kind of how we do things. It's a big piece. It's a domino that has to fall before we go down other avenues. So it's important as we go through this and the puzzle pieces that we got to make fit. That's the first one to go. … There's some timing elements to things. We've had really good conversations with Aaron and everybody throughout the process."
It's still unknown what Rodgers is going to do this year, but if he does return to the NFL for another season, you can bet it will be as the highest-paid player in the league.
The NFL Combine is back, and I couldn't be more happy. Given that we have over 20 years of comprehensive combine data, player workouts from the event will easily be compared to prospects in the past. Hundreds of NFL scouting department employees and media members will dot the streets in Indianapolis for the athleticism evaluation convention.
Here are some of the storylines to follow and everything that you need to know for 2022 NFL combine:
How to watch the NFL combine
Date: Thursday, Mar. 3 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Mar. 4 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Mar. 5 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Mar. 6 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
The 2022 NFL combine will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis Colts. The event has been held in Indianapolis since 1987 but starting next year the league has said it's possible it'll move between 2023 and 2028.
How big will Kenny Pickett's hands be?
I hate to start this article in this fashion. Believe me. I do. Hand-size stuff is mostly silly. But it matters. Especially when it comes to how early a quarterback will be picked.
And we can mostly all agree -- Pickett's film in 2021 is awesome. Not flawless but loaded with big-time throws and improvisational brilliance. But #DraftTwitter will erupt if Pickett's hands are well under the nine-inch threshold most NFL teams have for the quarterback spot.
It's a shame, really. Because there's not much evidence hand size correlates with the quality of quarterback play. But small hands just freak out NFL front offices, mostly surrounded by the thought that more fumbles will occur and in inclement weather, those quarterbacks will have recurring problems simply gripping the football.
Regardless of the size of Pickett's hands, I didn't notice them hindering his ability at Pittsburgh in general or, specifically, in cold-weather games. But it will factor into his draft position in late April, and at the combine, it's really difficult to take anything of substance from a quarterback's performance on the field, so Pickett's hand size is a major storyline.
How will Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux compare?
Most projections today have Hutchinson being selected ahead of Thibodeaux and, overall, being the better prospect. I have Hutchinson just ahead of the Oregon star on my Big Board.
But -- and this is major -- if Thibodeaux tests noticeably better than Hutchinson, the race for EDGE1 will heat up considerably. And the comparison between the two at the combine will stretch further than the on-field workouts. Thibodeaux was listed at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds. Hutchinson? 6-6 and 266. How close are they stature-wise? Who has longer arms? Will one drastically outperform the other in the bench press, which, is hardly the be all, end all of strength measurement but the best one the combine offers.
At this very moment, it feels like there's no way Thibodeaux could be picked ahead of Hutchinson. The combine has board-altering powers, and if Thibodeaux measures up to Hutchinson and then has a better workout, there will be a lot less clarity at the top of the edge rusher position. Conversely, if Hutchinson tests even close to Thibodeaux or better, it'll all but officially close the door on Thibodeaux being drafted ahead of him.
Will Kyle Hamilton or Derek Stingley work out?
Hamilton and Stingley are two of the premier prospects in this class. Doesn't matter who you ask. They'll agree. They're sizable, gifted athletes from blue-blood schools who had dazzling college careers that prematurely ended due to injury. Neither of those injuries were of the super-serious variety, so there's a chance either the Notre Dame safety or LSU cornerback will take to the field in Indianapolis to showcase just how athletic they are. Hopefully they both do.
If that happens, we'll be able to compare Hamilton to the likes of Isaiah Simmons and Derwin James, recently "oversized" safeties with supreme length and athletic talent. For Stingley, a tall and incredibly fluid outside cornerback, we can compare his athletic talent to the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Marshon Lattimore, Jeff Okudah, Patrick Surtain, and Jaycee Horn, all bigger outside corners who went early in recent first rounds.
Will any receiver prospect separate himself athletically?
Like clockwork, this receiver class is loaded. That's been the case the past five or so drafts, and it's going to continue given the passing obsession at the college and NFL levels.
What's fascinating about this group is there isn't quite a consensus No. 1 wideout and who belongs in the top tier is up for debate much more than we've seen in a while.
Will the tall and lanky Drake London from USC test like a top half of the first-round receiver? How fast will Treylon Burks run at 6-3 and 225 pounds? Will he be that big? How about Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, the studs from Ohio State? Will they test similarly? We of course won't see Jameson Williams on the track -- a shame because he looks lightning-fast on the field -- because of his torn ACL. But will another name like Penn State's Jahan Dotson, Western Michigan's Skyy Moore, North Dakota State's Christian Watson or someone else prove to have first-round athleticism at the receiver spot to generate buzz that they could sneak into the first 32 picks?
And lastly, will anyone prove to be significantly ahead of the pack athletically, thereby increasing the chances they're the first receiver off the board?
Friends and family in America would send Randle media reports detailing Russia’s extraordinary military buildup along its border with Ukraine. They then begged the Chicago native to pack up his belongings and return home before it was too late.
“At least 50 people must have hit me up,” Randle, 34, told Yahoo Sports. “They were all saying, ‘You need to get out of there.’”
For Randle and other Americans playing basketball in Ukraine this season, fleeing was rarely a simple decision. It often meant defying the wishes of their clubs, breaking their contracts and jeopardizing their ability to earn a living, all for a potential invasion that no one could say for sure was actually imminent.
While the U.S. and other countries warned for months that Russia was positioned to launch an attack from multiple fronts, the mood in Ukraine was far less dire. Restaurants remained open. So did schools. Ukraine’s president even called for calm, proclaiming in late January, “There is a feeling abroad that there is war here. That’s not the case.”
It wasn’t until this week that the Ukrainian SuperLeague finally paused its season. The league’s dozen clubs previously downplayed the likelihood of a Russian invasion while pledging to help their foreign players travel home safely in case war did break out.
American players who recognized the dangers of remaining in Ukraine earlier typically had to choose between staying in a potential war zone or sacrificing their primary source of income. Despite the mounting threat of war, Ukrainian clubs were unwilling to release foreign players from their contracts and grant them permission to finish the season elsewhere
“These teams basically held us hostage,” Randle said. “It was like you either stay over here or you’re not going to be able to play anywhere. That’s pretty messed up. That’s pretty backwards to me. I don’t think that was fair for them to be able to do that.”
Chicago native Jerome Randle, shown here in this Jan. 31, 2020, photo, has played in Ukraine this past season. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
More than 30 Americans spent at least a portion of this season playing in the Ukrainian league, according to team rosters found on EuroBasket. The list includes NBA first-round draft picks like Archie Goodwin, NCAA tournament heroes like D.J. Cooper and McDonald’s All-Americans like Isaac Hamilton.
It’s difficult to estimate how many American basketball players remain in Ukraine, but it’s evident that at least a few failed to get out before explosions rocked Kyiv and other major cities early Thursday morning. Now airports are shuttered, roads are gridlocked and underground train stations are serving as bomb shelters, leaving no easy way out of Ukraine for civilians in search of a safe haven.
Mike Caffey, a teammate of Randle’s in Kyiv, tweeted Friday that he’s still stuck in the Ukrainian capital city but hoping to leave “soon.” The former Long Beach State point guard spoke with a German outlet the previous day and described living in a war zone as “scary” and “draining.”
Two other Americans — a player and a trainer — were in an even more harrowing predicament. When Randle spoke to them on Thursday night, they were driving in the dark, inching their way toward Poland. They had been on the road for four hours, Randle said, yet had made it only halfway to their destination.
One of agent Charles Misuraca’s two American players who played in Ukraine was also briefly stranded. The player chose to stay with his Odessa-based team against Misuraca's advice because he wanted to keep earning money and because club officials assured him he’d be safe. On Friday, with his team unable to arrange a flight out of the country, the player managed to escape to Romania by bus.
“These guys were caught between the dilemma of basketball and life,” Misuraca told Yahoo Sports. “If they don’t get their letter of clearance, they can’t play anymore. But if they stay and play basketball, they can end up in the middle of a war.”
While some American players made it to safety weeks ago, others fled Ukraine only days before the Russian attack began.
A woman carries a child as they exit a train arriving from Odessa at the Przemysl main train station in Poland after Russia invaded Ukraine. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)
Troy Barnies, a 6-foot-7 forward from Maine, for weeks defied recommendations that American citizens leave Ukraine. He stayed with last-place Mykolaiv because his Ukrainian teammates told him that Russia was “always doing stuff like this” and because club officials insisted they “had a plan and would take care of us.”
“Nobody thought anything like this was actually going to happen,” Barnies told Yahoo Sports.
It wasn’t until Sunday morning that Barnies received a call from his agent advising him that it was too dangerous to stay in Ukraine any longer. Recognizing that “life is way more important than basketball,” Barnies told his team he wanted out — even without his release papers and his final paycheck. By early Monday morning, he was on a plane bound for Norway, where he is now staying with his wife.
“I got out of Ukraine before the actual panic and scary things started happening,” Barnies said. “I feel very fortunate to have gotten out of the country when I did. If I would have stayed just two days longer, I would most definitely still be stuck there.”
The handful of Americans who play for Ukraine’s best team also left the country before Russia launched its offensive. On Monday, Prometey players and staff relocated to a spa town outside Prague, where they will try to block out what’s happening in Ukraine and focus as best they can on upcoming Basketball Champions League games.
Luckiest of all perhaps was Randle, who stayed with his Kyiv-based team despite the warnings from his friends and family but happened to be out of the country when Russia’s assault began. Randle, a dual citizen, has played for Ukraine’s national team since 2015. The former Cal point guard joined the national team in Spain on Tuesday in advance of a World Cup qualifying game on Thursday night.
An exhausting, emotionally taxing Thursday for Randle began early in the morning with media reports of fleeing civilians and cities enshrouded by black smoke. Friends in Ukraine sent Randle pictures of them huddled underground alongside hundreds of other people because they didn’t feel safe in their homes.
Randle thought that Thursday night’s qualifying match against Spain would get canceled, but, remarkably, that didn’t happen. Ukraine displayed incredible strength during an 88-74 loss to the heavily favored Spaniards. When the sold-out crowd at the Palacio Vista Alegre arena gave them a standing ovation after the game, many Ukrainian players teared up at the heartfelt show of support.
“To see the faces of my Ukrainian teammates, it was pretty emotional,” Randle said. “These guys are super brave to go out and play that game. They were thinking about their families back home and hoping that everybody is OK.”
Randle will not be returning to Kyiv anytime soon. With the Ukrainian league on hiatus, he was able to obtain a letter of clearance. He intends to sign with a new team soon, possibly in Spain or Iran.
Wherever he goes, his thoughts will be with the Ukrainian people, other members of the national team and the stranded American players who must find their own way home.
“I feel like an idiot to have actually believed that everything was going to be OK when it wasn’t, and it’s not,” Randle said. “Ukraine is in a bad place right now. I’ve met some really good people here who are afraid for their life. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to them.”
Following a six-year absence, Art Briles is back in college football. Grambling State has hired the former Baylor coach as its new offensive coordinator, a university spokesman confirmed to 247Sports' Chris Hummer. The school will not be announcing the hire publicly, but instead allow an exclusive interview between Briles and TV station KTAL-6 in Shreveport, Louisiana, to "tell that story."
Briles was the head coach for the Bears from 2008-15, where he posted a 65-37 record with four top-15 finishes and two New Year's Six/BCS bowl berths.
His time at Baylor came to an end in the spring of 2016 when he was suspended, and subsequently fired, following a lengthy investigation into the university's handling of sexual assault allegations from 2012-16. The independent investigation from Pepper Hamilton LLP found that Briles and his staff did not take action against players mentioned in the allegations. University president Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw also resigned due to the scandal.
"I'm rooted in fact," Grambling athletic director Trayvean Scott told ESPN's Pete Thamel. "I know a lot of things are said and done. We felt it [was appropriate] to give him a chance to really redeem himself after understanding where the facts lie."
Last year, an NCAA infractions panel concluded that Briles "failed to meet even the most basic expectations of how a person should react to the kind of conduct at issue in this case. ... Furthermore, as a campus leader, the head coach is held to an even higher standard. He completely failed to meet this standard." However, Briles was not found guilty of any NCAA violations.
Baylor and Briles reached a settlement in Briles' wrongful termination case in Federal court in 2018, although terms of the deal were not disclosed due to Baylor being a private institution.
This is Briles' first foray back into the college coaching ranks. He was hired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in 2017, but the team immediately reversed its decision following backlash from fans and officials. Briles coached in Italy the following season before taking over at Mount Vernon (Texas) High School.
Briles was widely known around college football as one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, and his spread offense has become the foundation of many offenses schemes around the country. Briles was the head coach at Houston prior to his arrival in Waco, where he led the Cougars to a 34-28 record from 2003-07.
UEFA has called an extraordinary meeting of its executive committee for Friday to discuss the deepening crisis between Russia and Ukraine. European football's governing body is set to move the final of this season's Champions League on May 28, which was originally due to take place in Saint Petersburg's Krestovsky Stadium, after Russia stepped up its campaign against its neighbor with a full-scale military attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Missiles have reportedly landed close to several major Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, prompting further outcry from the international community. The United States is among those nations who have confirmed that it will issue sanctions against Russia, the Vladimir Putin regime and his allies; the details of America's package will be announced later on Thursday. In such circumstances, it is inevitable that the venue of European football's showpiece match will move.
"Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA President has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Friday 25 February at 10:00 CET, in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions," said a statement. "Further communication will be made after the meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee."
Furthermore, UEFA issued a statement to condemn the Russian military invasion and to extend solidarity to residents of Ukraine.
UEFA shares the international community's significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine.
As the governing body of European football, UEFA is working tirelessly to develop and promote football according to common European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic Charter. We remain resolute in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to extend our hand to the Ukrainian people.
We are dealing with this situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency. Decisions will be taken by the UEFA Executive Committee and announced tomorrow.
CBS Sports sources confirm that UEFA is drawing up contingency plans for alternative venues, though a specific replacement may not be selected until later in the Champions League tournament when it becomes clearer which countries will potentially be involved in the final. London has been intimated as a possible host city and West Ham's 60,000 capacity home stadium has intimated it would be interested in holding the final, which has involved five English teams in the last four years. Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are both currently in use the day of the final.
The Champions League final is not the only matter to be addressed. Questions have also been raised about UEFA's involvement with Gazprom. The majority state-owned energy company has sponsored the Champions League since 2012, adverts for the company have been a staple of match broadcasts ever since. The deal is reported to be worth $45 million a year.
Politicians in the European Parliament have called for that association to end, saying in an open letter: "We call on you to stop considering Saint Petersburg and other Russian cities as venues for international football competitions and to choose as a first and very urgent step an alternative venue for the Champions League final on May 28, 2022.
"In addition, we appeal to you to convene a special meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee, to terminate cooperation with Gazprom as UEFA sponsor and to consider sanctions against individual Russian officials who are complicit in the violation of international law."
In footballing terms, Russia are due to host Poland in a World Cup qualifier on March 24, if they won that match they would also play at home to the winner of the match between Sweden and the Czech Republic. The football associations of all three countries say they will not travel to Russia.
A joint statement said: "Based on the current alarming development in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine including the security situation the Football Associations of Poland (PZPN), Sweden (SvFF) and Czech Republic (FAR) express their firm position that the playoff matches to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for 24 and 29 March 2022, should not be played in the territory of the Russian Federation.
"The signatories to this appeal do not consider travelling to Russia and playing football matches there. The military escalation that we are observing entails serious consequences and considerably lower safety for our national football teams and official delegations. Therefore, we expect FIFA and UEFA to react immediately and to present alternative solutions regarding places where these approaching playoff matches could be played."
FIFA issued a statement of its own later on Thursday, confirming that decisions on the status of the qualifier would be taken "in due course". Speaking after a meeting of the FIFA Council, president Gianni Infantino expressed his hope that the conflict would be "solved" in time for the matches in one month's time.
"The situation that we have all discovered this morning is obviously very tragic and very worrying and we have a duty to look at this matter seriously to analyze it," he said. "We received this letter just shortly before the meeting and we will look at it as a matter of urgency.
"The first match is one month from now and of course we hope that this whole situation will be solved before then -- well before then, as soon as possible. We want to strongly believe in that. But we have a body in place, the bureau, who can take a decision at any time. We are analyzing the situation and we will take the decision when we have to take it."
The country's involvement in this summer's Women's European Championships and men's Nations League fixtures will also be up for discussion. Real Betis are due to play Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg in a Europa League qualifier on Thursday.
Zenit and Spartak Moscow, who will be in the hat for the Europa League last 16, are the last remaining Russian representatives in European competition this season. No Ukrainian sides qualified for the latter stages of UEFA's three competitions. Ukraine's domestic league was due to resume this weekend but has been suspended in light of the conflict.
Ukraine international Yaroslav Rakitskyi plays for Zenit, he posted a picture of his country's flag on his Instagram along with the caption "I'm Ukrainian." Meanwhile, several Brazilian footballers have gathered in a hotel where they have asked for updates. Brazil has the most foreign representatives in the Ukrainian league, with 30.
Marlon, one of 13 Brazilians on the Shakhtar Donetsk roster, said: "We are here asking you for help through this video due to the lack of fuel that exists in the city, closed border, closed airspace, there is no way for us to leave. We ask a lot of support from the government of Brazil, so that it can help us. And I hope you can help us by promoting this video so that it can reach as many people as possible."
Shakhtar left their home city in 2014 when conflict first began with Russia in east Ukraine. They have played in Kyiv's Olympic Stadium since 2020. Their manager, Roberto De Zerbi, said he awoke to the sound of bombs but is not heeding Italian advice to leave the country.
"I am staying in my room. Today is not a good day," De Zerbi told Sportitalia. "I've been waiting for the federation to suspend the season until this happened. However, I didn't move. I am here to do sport and I could not turn my back on the fans.
"There are 13 Brazilian players here and my staff. We could have returned home, but we preferred to wait. Last night we woke up to the noise of explosions." Ukraine's airspace is now closed to civilian flights, meaning De Zerbi and millions of others may not be able to leave the capital.
With the Rams claiming Super Bowl LVI, the NFL offseason has officially kicked into full gear. The Rams won't mind everybody else getting a head start, but each of the league's 32 organizations is in full-on evaluation mode. Before the teams can figure out which players they want to sign in free agency in March or select in the 2022 draft in Las Vegas in April, they need to identify their own weaknesses and positions to address. I'll do my best to help.
Let's run through each of the 16 teams in the NFC and identify the most pressing personnel issue facing each organization this offseason. Whether it's a contract decision, a position that needs to be filled or a trade that could create new opportunities, I'll identify a major move for each team to make (or avoid) in the weeks to come.
I'll hit the AFC on Monday, but I'll start with the NFC and a Cowboys team that exceeded expectations -- before going one-and-down in the postseason. I'll sort these by division:
While most of the focus will inevitably fall on offensive free agents Dalton Schultz and Michael Gallup, the Cowboys need to come away from this offseason with replacements at safety. Their top three players at the position from a year ago are all free agents. It's unclear whether Jayron Kearse, Damontae Kazee or Malik Hooker will be back in 2022. Keanu Neal, whom they converted from safety to linebacker, is also a free agent.
Dallas didn't spend much at safety last offseason, and with running back Ezekiel Elliott's contract still virtually unmovable before 2023, I don't anticipate the organization making too many splashy additions in free agency. The Cowboys would love a safety such as Tyrann Mathieu, but this is probably a position they will address in bulk.
I wouldn't be surprised if they brought back one of their safeties, added a low-cost option in free agency and used one of their top three picks in the draft to find a future starter.
Everything out of New York so far suggests that the Giants are still occupying most of the seats on the Jones bandwagon. Owner John Mara suggested that the organization had "done everything possible to screw [Jones] up," before mentioning that all of the people the team had interviewed to take over as coach and general manager were excited about his potential. Of course, it's generally not a good idea to tell the person interviewing you for a job that he made an ill-advised choice a few years ago, but new coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen will start their tenures with Jones as their starting quarterback.
The first big decision facing them will be figuring out what to do with his fifth-year option. Under the most recent collective bargaining agreement, fifth-year options became fully guaranteed when they're picked up, which is what has left the Panthers in a bind. Carolina traded for Sam Darnold last April and the picked up his fifth-year option. Despite benching Darnold at points last season, the Panthers are on the hook to pay him $18.9 million in 2022.
The Giants would owe Jones $21.4 million in 2023 if they pick his fifth-year option up this spring. The chances of him emerging as an above-average starter after beginning his career with three subpar seasons are extremely slim. He has posted adjusted net yard per attempt indices (ANY/A+) of 88, 83 and 92 to start his career. The only other quarterbacks since the merger to fail to post even an ANY/A+ of 95 across 300 attempts in their first three seasons are Darnold, Jeff George and Rick Mirer.
The same arguments we saw with Darnold have popped up with Jones, and they're even less applicable for the quarterback on the blue side of the Meadowlands. Jones has had to deal with injuries, but he has been surrounded with significant investments on offense. Six players were targeted at least 30 times by him in 2021. That group included three first-round picks (Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram and Kadarius Toney), a high-priced free agent (Kenny Golladay), a slot receiver retained on a significant deal (Sterling Shepard) and Darius Slayton. The Giants used another top-five pick in 2020 on left tackle Andrew Thomas, who played much better last season.
Jones hasn't always had great offensive line play, but his propensity to wait aimlessly in the pocket has created his own problems. His 48.2 QBR when the opposing defense didn't produce a single pass rush win within 2.5 seconds ranked 22nd in the league. He actually posted the third-best QBR on deep throws, but he threw deep less frequently than the majority of passers. He outproduced the other quarterbacks on New York's roster, but I'm not sure being better than Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm should justify another season at more than $20 million.
Guaranteeing Jones' 2023 salary is an unnecessary commitment. If Daboll can't coax a turnaround out of him, the Giants will be able to avoid a Darnold situation and end the Jones era without any further investment, allowing them to find a new quarterback next offseason. Even if he does turn things around, though, the Giants would be able to use the franchise tag in 2023 to create some leverage if they want to do a new deal. The Giants are still in on Jones, but there's nothing here to justify a longer commitment. Yet.
Find a long-term replacement at safety.
Sounds familiar, right? Well, just like their division rivals in Dallas, the Eagles are going to be in the market for safety help this offseason. Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeod are both free agents, and while the Eagles could turn to Marcus Epps or 2020 fourth-rounder K'Von Wallace for more snaps in 2022, this is a position in which defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will probably want two new starters.
Unlike the Cowboys, though, the Eagles have the resources to make a more significant splash at the position. They will need to address wide receiver, edge rusher and possibly the interior of their offensive line this offseason if center Jason Kelce doesn't come back, but they have three first-round picks and ample cap space to take a swing at one of the top options in free agency.
The safety class could include Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Marcus Williams, Quandre Diggs, Terrell Edmunds, Justin Reid and even Bengals standout Jessie Bates, although I'd be shocked if Cincinnati didn't franchise him. The Eagles have made significant investments at safety under general manager Howie Roseman in the past, and I would expect them to sign one of the top players available at the position.
Address quarterback.
Well, this one is obvious. Washington signed Ryan Fitzpatrick last offseason and paid him $9.1 million for six total pass attempts, as the bearded journeyman suffered a hip injury in Week 1 and was never able to return. Taylor Heinicke took over for the remainder of the season and posted a 39.9 Total QBR, which ranked 23rd in the league.
Heinicke had impressive performances, including a win in his rematch against the Bucs, but he cratered at the end of the season. Over the last month, he went 54-of-101 for 610 yards with two touchdowns, four picks and a passer rating of 61.9. The 28-year-old is under contract for 2022 with a cap hit of just $2.9 million, so while the Commanders should absolutely keep him around as a backup, he didn't do enough in 2021 to earn a clear path to a starting job.
Washington is projected to start the offseason with $30.4 million in cap space, but that could rise north of $50 million if it moves on from offensive lineman Ereck Flowers and designates safety Landon Collins as a post-June 1 release. Coach Ron Rivera will need to rebuild the interior of his line, given that the Commanders would be down both starting guards by cutting Flowers and losing star Brandon Scherff to free agency, but they would have more than enough room to add a quarterback if so inclined.
Unfortunately, unless the Commanders can corral Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, there are not a lot of great options on the market. They would presumably be interested in Jimmy Garoppolo if the 49ers choose to trade their starter. One veteran who comes to mind is Andy Dalton, who worked under Washington quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese in Cincinnati. Rivera could also choose to use the No. 11 pick in the draft on a quarterback, but considering the relative low marks given this class, an immediate starter such as Garoppolo or Dalton seems like a more plausible path for Washington.
NFC NORTH
Get (most of) a new offensive line.
New coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy have a huge task ahead of them. The Bears have quarterback Justin Fields, which is exciting, and we generally know whom he'll be throwing to in 2022. They will need to find a replacement for free agent Allen Robinson, but they will otherwise run out David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet. That part's easy.
When it comes to protecting Fields, Chicago doesn't have any solid answers. James Daniels, Germain Ifedi and future Hall of Famer Jason Peters are all free agents and unlikely to return. Center Sam Mustipher isn't an NFL-caliber lineman. Cody Whitehair hasn't lived up to the five-year, $51.2 million extension he signed in 2019, in part because he has been moved to guard, and the regime that handed Whitehair that deal is no longer in power. Rookie fifth-rounder Larry Borom was solid during the second half of the season at right tackle, but second-rounder Teven Jenkins was limited to 161 snaps by injuries.
Phew. Realistically, if the Bears want to try to retain some continuity while giving Fields a chance to thrive, they could move Whitehair to center, install Jenkins and Borom as the two tackles and go find two new guards. If Getsy wants to make more significant changes, there's a chance that Jenkins is the only guy on the current roster who starts Week 1. New offensive line coach Chris Morgan is going have his work cut out for him.
Add a significant wide receiver.
The 3-13-1 Lions didn't have a great win-loss record in 2021, but both the numbers and leaguewide perception suggest that they played better than the standings indicated. Coach Dan Campbell and his coaching staff had Detroit's players giving their all through a hopeless season, and the organization found useful players on both sides of the ball. Amani Oruwariye emerged as a promising cornerback. First-rounder Penei Sewell looks like a building block at tackle. Edge rusher Charles Harris led the team with 7.5 sacks (though he's now a free agent).
One of the other impressive players was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who emerged late in the season to become virtually the entire Detroit passing attack. From Week 13 on, St. Brown ranked among the league leaders in receptions (second), receiving yards (fourth), yards per route run (11th) and target share (seventh). With St. Brown and a healthy D'Andre Swift, the Lions have a pair of weapons who can work underneath and create after the catch.
What the Lions don't have, though, is an outside receiver who can win downfield. Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams were supposed to play that role, but neither was still on the roster by midseason. Detroit should use the No. 2 overall pick to address a pass rush that ranked 31st in pass rush win rate, but with picks Nos. 32 and 34 and what should be about $40 million in cap space after releases, Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes should make wideout a priority. The Lions' quarterback of the future isn't on their roster, but if they can have their weapons in place before that guy arrives, it should speed up their rebuild.
Let's be realistic. The Packers didn't see this coming. When they drafted Jordan Love two years ago, coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst were addressing a position where their starter was in decline. Rodgers responded by raising his game and winning back-to-back MVP awards. At 38, Rodgers should still have several years of excellent football in his future. The Love decision is a sunk cost. What was the plan does not have to be and should not be the plan.
Rodgers has alluded to an uncertain future, and it's unclear whether that would involve the future Hall of Famer retiring or asking to be traded. He said after the divisional-round loss to the 49ers that he would not want to be part of a rebuild, but with the Packers dominating the NFC North each of the past three seasons, they're not about to embark on one. He isn't going to join a better team than the one he has in Green Bay, and the Packers aren't going to land a better quarterback than the one they already have.
Bringing back Rodgers for one more season, though, is probably a nonstarter. The Packers are in rough salary-cap shape before even considering wide receiver Davante Adams, who is likely to be franchise-tagged. Rodgers is under contract for two more years, and while he has cap figures of $46.6 million and $33.2 million in 2022 and 2023, respectively, he has only $53 million in cash coming his way over those seasons. He's due a raise, and Green Bay could use one to create cap space in 2022.
Of course, Rodgers won't come cheap. The Packers would need to do something spectacular and make a multiyear commitment. What would that look like? Below is one proposal, in which he would be in position to become the highest-paid quarterback in league history in terms of average annual salary. A four-year, $184 million deal would average $46 million per season. He would take home $117.5 million guaranteed over the next three years, including a $30 million signing bonus in 2022 and a $30 million option bonus in 2023. His cap hit would also drop by $16.6 million in 2022, giving the Packers much-needed financial relief:
The Packers would be committing to Rodgers through 2024, at which point the two sides could part ways. They would then owe $30 million in dead money on what is expected to be a much larger salary cap. Love's future would likely be elsewhere, and while the team probably wouldn't be able to recoup the first-round pick it used, it could move forward with quarterback drama resolved and remain in position to compete for a Super Bowl.
I know. Cousins isn't the most exciting quarterback. If there's anyone who gets held up as the example of a signal-caller who is just good enough to be competent without being talented enough to win a Super Bowl, it's Cousins. Former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer had to beg him at times to be more aggressive with the football. There's certainly a subset of Vikings fans who want their favorite team to go in a different direction.
And yet, when you look at Cousins' actual performances, he is solid at worst and excellent at his best. He ranked fourth in the league in average net yards per attempt (ANY/A), which adds sacks to passing yardage, touchdowns and interceptions. He ranked fifth in passer rating. If you think he was taking advantage of garbage time, situation-adjusted stats such as DVOA (eighth) and QBR (14th) suggest that he is more than capable of holding his own.
The hiring of Kevin O'Connell, who worked with Cousins in the past, suggests that he is likely to stick around. Given the fact that he has a $45 million cap hit in 2022, Minnesota needs to either restructure his deal by adding voidable years or hand him an extension with a signing bonus to reduce his 2022 number.
play
2:05
Stephen A. Smith emphatically debates Chris Russo over Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott.
The latter makes more sense to me, even if it means keeping Cousins in the range of $35 million per season. The ideal scenario for the Vikings would be signing him to a five-year pact that they can reexamine after 2023 without having to eat an ungodly amount of money. It might be more realistic to shoot for 2024. Either way, with a team that finished ahead of the Bengals, Titans and Raiders in DVOA in 2021, I'm not sure I would be desperately anxious to blow things up and go in a different direction at quarterback.
As for the Super Bowl argument, well, it's naive. The Ravens won a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco. The Giants won two Super Bowls with Eli Manning. The Eagles won a Super Bowl with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. None of those teams had a dominant defense, at least during the regular season. The way to win a Super Bowl is get into the postseason and have your quarterback get hot in January. Cousins gives the Vikings an above-average option to start that process.
NFC SOUTH
Commit toward competing or rebuilding.
This one is a little more abstract. On paper, the Falcons should start over. They're nearly $2 million over the projected 2022 cap with a team that finished 30th in DVOA. Their 7-10 record was buoyed by an incredible amount of luck in close games, as they went 6-2 in games decided by seven points or fewer. They didn't win a single game by more than eight points, and when they lost, it came by nearly 18 points per defeat. Arthur Smith's team would typically project to get worse in 2022, and that's without considering pending free agents and the team's potential breakup with wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
And yet, given the state of the NFC South, the Falcons could make a case for pushing toward trying to win in what might be the final years of Matt Ryan's career. The starting quarterbacks in the division at the moment are Taysom Hill, Sam Darnold and Kyle Trask. The Buccaneers lost Tom Brady and the Saints lost Sean Payton. The Panthers sought out a "rock star" offensive coordinator and landed Ben McAdoo. The South is suddenly up for grabs in a major way, and Atlanta has the best quarterback by a considerable margin.
So, maybe the Falcons try to squeeze out one more division title around their 36-year-old quarterback. A contract extension for Ryan would bring down his unreasonable 2022 cap hit of $48.7 million. Ridley could net them a second-round pick and/or young talent in a trade -- I keep looking at the Patriots, who need a No. 1 wideout and have a useful pass-rusher they don't seem to want in former Michigan end Chase Winovich. There's the beginning of a young core here around star cornerback A.J. Terrell, tight end Kyle Pitts and guard Chris Lindstrom.
If the Falcons can clear out enough cap space to add pass-rush help, get a good deal for Ridley and nail this draft, maybe they're better off trying to get to 10 wins in the hopes that'll be enough to take home a division title.
Get a left tackle.
Yes, the Panthers need to add a quarterback who is not Sam Darnold or P.J. Walker. That should go without saying. Darnold's $18.9 million guarantee will make him the most expensive backup in football, but they would be wasting their time to give him yet another go as their Week 1 starter.
Even if the Panthers were going to add one of the superstar veteran quarterbacks who might be available this offseason, though, Matt Rhule & Co. might not get the return they're hoping without solving their left tackle conundrum. Consider that Tom Brady posted a 70.0 QBR when his starting five offensive linemen were on the field for Tampa over the past two seasons. When even one of those linemen was not available, his QBR dropped by more than 19 points. Having a weak point along the line -- let alone one protecting the blind side of your likely future quarterback -- is a glaring flaw for any offense.
The Panthers have been struggling to find a long-term solution on the left side since Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season. "Struggling" might be an understatement; they have had a new starter on the blind side every single season since Gross left the game. Byron Bell gave way to Michael Oher, who got hurt and ceded the job to Mike Remmers. Matt Kalil got a massive contract and played one dismal season before getting hurt and released. Chris Clark took over, and while Carolina used a second-round pick on Greg Little, Dennis Daley played ahead of Little in 2019. The Panthers traded for Russell Okung in 2020, but after seven games with the veteran, they turned things over to journeyman Cameron Erving in 2021.
This has to end. The Panthers passed up the opportunity to draft Chargers standout Rashawn Slater with their top pick in 2021, and while third-rounder Brady Christensen started four of the final five games, his 80% pass block win rate over that stretch ranked 60th out of 68 qualifying tackles. Carolina is set on the right side with Taylor Moton, but the turnover on the left side has to get solved now.
Bring in a quarterback.
With Sean Payton retired, the Saints find themselves in a different sort of bind than the one we saw a year ago. The salary cap shouldn't be as pressing of a concern as it was in 2021, given that the leaguewide figure will go up and New Orleans won't be dealing with as much dead money as it was a year ago. The Saints will restructure and get where they need to be, although they would have to deal with more dead money if they can't re-sign left tackle Terron Armstead. (The restructures mean they are also stuck with deals they might not love, like the massive contract afforded wide receiver Michael Thomas, who hasn't played a full game at 100 percent since 2019.)
Last year, though, the Saints nearly made a playoff run with the combination of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Ian Book and Trevor Siemian at quarterback. I don't think they're going to be quite as effective when it comes to getting by under center without Payton's playcalling and game preparation in the building. As a result, they probably need to have a more robust quarterback solution in 2022, although a reunion with Winston might make sense for both sides.
The cap would make simple moves for Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers a hindrance, although the Saints could also do a new deal as part of any trade. One alternative would be to sign beloved former backup Teddy Bridgewater, which could be accomplished at a much cheaper price. The latter move would be another signifier of how things are changing in New Orleans, with the pass-happy, defense-optional Saints of the Drew Brees era now a team built to win with its defense and running game.
I'm going to argue that the Colts should keep Wentz when I hit the AFC teams, but if he is actually about to be traded or released, the Bucs should go out of their way to get a deal done. Wentz had a dismal end to the season after returning from a bout with COVID-19, but over the entire season, he ranked ninth in Total QBR and 13th in both passer rating and adjusted net yards per attempt.
Wentz might not have the ceiling some saw for him after the 2017 season, when he played MVP-caliber football and helped the Eagles push for the top seed in the NFC and an eventual Super Bowl, but a solid quarterback should be all the Bucs need to repeat as NFC South champions. Wentz's size and pocket presence also make him the prototypical Bruce Arians quarterback, with the Bucs coach comparing him to Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger during that breakout 2017 campaign.
The Cardinals find themselves in a sticky situation this offseason. With just under $3 million in cap space before restructures, they need to re-sign or replace a number of veterans, including Jones, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, James Conner, Chase Edmonds and Max Garcia. On top of that, they are now allowed to start negotiating an extension with quarterback Kyler Murray, although the relationship between the 2019 No. 1 overall pick and the franchise seems strained at the moment.
With Markus Golden under contract for 2022, Arizona might need to sacrifice Jones to make moves elsewhere. The edge rusher produced five sacks in the season-opening win over Tennessee, but he was able to muster only 5.5 more the rest of the way. The 32-year-old finished 33rd among edge rushers in pass rush win rate, down from 20th in 2019. He missed most of 2020 with a biceps injury.
Before 2021, I would have advocated for the Cardinals to franchise-tag Jones. Now, it might make more sense to wait out the market or opt for a younger option.
Find a left tackle.
We're still figuring out who will and won't return to the Rams in 2022, but it seems likely that we've seen the last snaps for 40-year-old tackle Andrew Whitworth. One of the best moves the team has made during the Sean McVay era is signing away the 16-year vet from the Bengals, who wanted to go with younger options at left tackle. Whitworth has been a dominant player for most of the ensuing five seasons, and he did an excellent job against Trey Hendrickson in the Super Bowl.
The first player off the bench to replace Whitworth has been swing tackle Joe Noteboom, but the 2018 third-rounder is a free agent. The Rams haven't always been aggressive investing up front, but getting someone established to protect Matthew Stafford's blind side is essential to their chances of repeating. If they want to target another veteran, 36-year-old Seahawks tackle Duane Brown could make sense.
It's time. One of the benefits of trading multiple first-round picks for a rookie quarterback is enjoying multiple cost-controlled seasons from that passer. Most of the league's top passers signed their first extension after their third season. Lance has already spent his first year on the bench, and while Jimmy Garoppolo had a solid season and came up with several game-winning drives in January, we saw his limitations in the fourth quarter against the Rams in the NFC title game. Garoppolo is going to have a meaningful trade market, which will help defray some of the cost of trading up for Lance in the first place.
If the 49ers can get a second-round pick for Garoppolo, they'll clear about $25.5 million in cap space and open a path for Lance. I don't think anybody knows whether Lance will be ready, but he isn't going to get any better sitting on the bench and watching from afar. Kyle Shanahan & Co. should target a veteran backup for depth and mentorship purposes, but it's time for the 21-year-old to take over. Few offenses in football will be more fascinating in 2022.
Fix the pass defense.
The Seahawks finished the season ranked 26th in pass defense DVOA. It represents a bottoming-out for a franchise that began its most recent run to the Super Bowl on the backs of the Legion of Boom. Pete Carroll's defense ranked 30th in adjusted sack rate and cycled through cornerbacks in 2021. Jamal Adams, the defense's prized addition in 2020, failed to rack up a sack and allowed a 93.8 passer rating in coverage. The Seahawks, who seemed to have a nine-win floor when they sent two first-round picks to the Jets for Adams, finished 7-10, and they will send the No. 10 overall pick to New York in April's draft.
Seattle has nearly $37 million in cap space and could add another $16 million if it releases franchise stalwart linebacker Bobby Wagner. Either way, it has enough cap room to address its dismal pass defense. Carroll and general manager John Schneider need to add at least one pass-rusher and a second if they move on from veteran Carlos Dunlap.
