The complexion of the Eastern Conference playoffs has been altered significantly with the news that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is out indefinitely after suffering a right orbital fracture and mild concussion in the team's 132-97 series-clinching Game 6 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, according to Shams Charania.
Even if Embiid, who was already playing through a torn ligament in his right thumb that reportedly will require surgery this offseason, decides to play through the orbital fracture, he has to sit, at a minimum, five days for the concussion, which he sustained Thursday. That would put him out for at least Game 1 of Philly's second-round series vs. the top-seeded Miami Heat on Monday.
Embiid will be re-evaluated next week, but the good news is there has been no indication the orbital fracture, which is on his right side, will require surgery, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. Embiid suffered a left orbital fracture in 2018, which did require surgery. Again, this leaves the door open for Embiid to perhaps play through the fracture if he indeed clears concussion protocol at some point.
An MVP candidate for the second straight season, Embiid suffered the injury after being elbowed by Raptors forward Pascal Siakam with four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Embiid is obviously crucial to any potential success for Philadelphia this postseason, leading the team with averages of 26.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. The bulk of the offensive responsibility will fall to James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris for as long as Embiid is out.
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Bauer, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been on leave from the club as he faced allegations of sexual assault. Prosecutors in Los Angeles had declined to charge him criminally.
Trevor Bauer of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended by Major League Baseball for two seasons, effective immediately, for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
The suspension — which will cover 324 games without pay — was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday. It came after an investigation by the league into allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman. Bauer, who joined the Dodgers last season as a free agent, was placed on administrative leave, with pay, on July 2. Other assault allegations have been reported by The Washington Post — one of which was first reported on Friday following the announcement of Bauer’s suspension.
Bauer, 31, has been vocal in his own defense throughout the process and has filed multiple lawsuits against various people, including media members. He issued a statement on Friday condemning the decision.
“In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy,” Bauer’s statement said. “I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
In court filings and testimony, a woman said that she initiated contact with Bauer and began a consensual relationship in April 2021, with some agreed-upon rough sex, but that it led to sexual acts that were not consensual. She has also said she was choked with her hair until she lost consciousness. She said that she returned to Bauer’s house in Pasadena, Calif., in May and established a safe word that would signal her desire to stop but that she was again choked until she lost consciousness and was punched.
Bauer’s lawyer had said in a previous statement that his client had messages showing that the woman had asked to be choked and slapped during the encounters.
The Post’s reporting detailed how an Ohio woman had sought a protective order against Bauer in 2020 after accusing him of punching and choking her without consent during sex. According to that report, which relied on sealed court records and other documents, the woman dropped the request six weeks after filing it and after Bauer’s lawyers threatened legal action. Bauer called the report “a false narrative” and accused the woman of attempting extortion.
After a series of extensions of his administrative leave last season, his year officially ended on Sept. 21, when it was agreed that he would not return to the team. He was paid for the entirety of 2021 — his contract called for $28 million, according to Spotrac — but under the terms of his suspension he will not be paid in 2022 or 2023, the final two years of his contract with Los Angeles. If an appeal is not granted, Bauer’s suspension will continue into the beginning of the 2024 season and he would stand to lose around $60 million in salary.
Bauer’s prospects as a free agent upon his return are unknown. He will be 33 at the start of the 2024 season — still young enough to be an effective pitcher for several years — but would need a team to look past the allegations in hopes of strengthening its starting rotation. In the N.F.L., where Deshaun Watson was accused of sexual assault by numerous women — he has denied all allegations — the young quarterback was given a contract by the Cleveland Browns that guaranteed him $230 million.
The Dodgers, for whom Bauer appeared in only 17 games, issued a statement after the announcement in which the team said it supports the league’s policy but that it would not comment further because of Bauer’s right to appeal.
“The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and does not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault,” the statement said. “We’ve cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation since it began, and we fully support MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the Policy.”
Bauer is the 16th player to be suspended as part of the league’s policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. His suspension is twice as long as any other player has received under the policy and he is the first of the players to say he would appeal the decision, making this uncharted territory for both player and league.
Reports emerging over the past few hours have essentially all but confirmed that the consortium led by Todd Boehly and financed mostly by Clearlake Capital have won the race for Chelsea Football Club and are set to be named as the “preferred” bidders on Monday when Raine Group are expected to make their official announcement.
News has been moving quickly today after the process seemingly dragging on a bit over the past couple weeks, with the other bidding groups led by Sir Martin Broughton and Stephen Pagliuca dropping out and a late publicity stunt from Sir Jim Ratcliffe turning out to be of little consequence.
The deal is said to be worth “more than £3.5 billion”, which reportedly will include at least £1 billion earmarked for the stadium and club financing and the rest (up to £2.5b) going to charity. It’s unclear how much of any of that will be a lump sum up front or how exactly the deal is going to be structured, though that’s all academic at this point. A lot will depend on how the sanctions play out on Roman Abramovich and what the UK government will or won’t allow.
The necessary approvals from the UK government and the Premier League are not expect to take too long or pose any major hurdles, so hopefully we can have all of this settled (at least as far as our operating capacity is concerned) in the next couple weeks.
Welcome, Todd & Co. Let’s keep winning all the things!
Bauer, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been on leave from the club as he faced allegations of sexual assault. Prosecutors in Los Angeles had declined to charge him criminally.
Trevor Bauer of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended by Major League Baseball for two seasons, effective immediately, for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
The suspension — which will cover 324 games without pay — was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday. It came after an investigation by the league into allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman. Bauer, who joined the Dodgers last season as a free agent, was placed on administrative leave, with pay, on July 2. Other assault allegations have been reported by The Washington Post.
Bauer, 31, has been vocal in his own defense throughout the process and has filed multiple lawsuits against various people, including media members. He issued a statement on Friday condemning the decision.
“In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy,” Bauer’s statement said. “I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
In court filings and testimony, a woman said that she initiated contact with Bauer and began a consensual relationship in April 2021, with some agreed-upon rough sex, but that it led to sexual acts that were not consensual. She has also said she was choked with her hair until she lost consciousness. She said that she returned to Bauer’s house in Pasadena, Calif., in May and established a safe word that would signal her desire to stop but that she was again choked until she lost consciousness and was punched.
Bauer’s lawyer had said in a previous statement that his client had messages showing that the woman had asked to be choked and slapped during the encounters.
The Post’s reporting detailed how an Ohio woman had sought a protective order against Bauer in 2020 after accusing him of punching and choking her without consent during sex. According to that report, which relied on sealed court records and other documents, the woman dropped the request six weeks after filing it and after Bauer’s lawyers threatened legal action. Bauer called the report “a false narrative” and accused the woman of attempting extortion.
After a series of extensions of his administrative leave last season, his year officially ended on Sept. 21, when it was agreed that he would not return to the team. He was paid for the entirety of 2021 — his contract called for $28 million, according to Spotrac — but under the terms of his suspension he will not be paid in 2022 or 2023, the final two years of his contract with Los Angeles. If an appeal is not granted, Bauer’s suspension will continue into the beginning of the 2024 season and he would stand to lose around $60 million in salary.
Bauer’s prospects as a free agent upon his return are unknown. He will be 33 at the start of the 2024 season — still young enough to be an effective pitcher for several years — but would need a team to look past the allegations in hopes of strengthening its starting rotation. In the N.F.L., where Deshaun Watson was accused of sexual assault by numerous women — he has denied all allegations — the young quarterback was given a contract by the Cleveland Browns that guaranteed him $230 million.
The Dodgers, for whom Bauer appeared in only 17 games, issued a statement after the announcement in which the team said it supports the league’s policy but that it would not comment further because of Bauer’s right to appeal.
“The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and does not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault,” the statement said. “We’ve cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation since it began, and we fully support MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the Policy.”
Bauer is the 16th player to be suspended as part of the league’s policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. His suspension is twice as long as any other player has received under the policy and he is the first of the players to say he would appeal the decision, making this uncharted territory for both player and league.
The late offer for the Premier League soccer club by Ratcliffe, the chief executive of Ineos, would be the highest price ever paid for a sports team.
Jim Ratcliffe, a billionaire industrialist and one of Britain’s richest men, has made a $5.3 billion offer to buy Premier League soccer team Chelsea F.C., a late and audacious proposal that dwarfs at least three other multibillion-dollar bids for the team.
The price, if accepted, would be the highest ever paid for a sports franchise., and includes a commitment to spend more than $2 billion on ensuring the team retains its place among global soccer’s elite.
“We are making this investment as fans of the beautiful game — not as a means to turn a profit,” Ratcliffe said in a statement issued by his petrochemicals business, Ineos, confirming his pursuit of Chelsea. “We do that with our core businesses. The club is rooted in its community and its fans. And it is our intention to invest in Chelsea F.C. for that reason.”
Ratcliffe’s enormous offer for the West London club — which arrived on Friday as Chelsea and the bank it had hired to manage the sale were weighing at least three other multibillion-dollar offers — caps a tumultuous and dizzying few weeks for Chelsea. Chelsea’s current owner, Roman Abramovich, was forced to put the team up for sale when he was placed under crippling sanctions by Britain’s government and others for his association with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Under Abramovich, Chelsea has become one of the biggest and most successful teams in global soccer. That has come at a huge cost, though, with the team losing about $1 million a week since Abramovich, then an unknown Russian businessman, took control of the team in 2003.
Ratcliffe, whose personal wealth might surpass Abramovich’s fortune, has suggested he would be willing to do the same. His offer will most likely be out of reach of the three bidders who were already being considered by the Raine Group, the New York-based merchant bank Chelsea has enlisted to handle the sale. Ratcliffe’s arrival has upended that process, but choosing him could make the sale speedier than it would have been.
Any sale would require the approval of both the British government and the Premier League. The British government will need to issue a license, similar to one that allowed Chelsea to keep operating after Abramovich was placed on the sanctions list, and the Premier League must approve all new owners.
As part of his offer, Ratcliffe pledged 2.5 billion pounds, or $3.1 billion, to a charitable trust “to support the victims of the war.” That language is similar to that used by Abramovich when he first announced he was putting the club up for sale. It remains unclear how such a charity would work, or how the British government would ensure that none of the proceeds of the sale flowed to Abramovich.
Ratcliffe also pledged to invest a further $2.1 billion on Chelsea over the next 10 years, a figure that would also include the redevelopment of the club’s aging Stamford Bridge stadium, another of Abramovich’s stipulations.
Chelsea’s operations have been upended by the sanctions imposed on its Russian owner, Roman Abramovich.Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Ratcliffe, a self-described fan of Chelsea’s Premier League rival Manchester United since his school days, is worth $10.6 billion, according to an index of the world’s richest people compiled by Bloomberg. Chelsea would not be Ratcliffe’s first foray into sports investment, or even soccer. He owns the French professional soccer club OGC Nice, located close to his home in Monaco, and also F.C. Lausanne-Sport, a team in Switzerland. But purchasing Chelsea would be of a different magnitude altogether. He has pledged to retain the team’s place among the world’s elite teams.
“We believe that London should have a club that reflects the stature of the city,” Ratcliffe said. “One that is held in the same regard as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich. We intend Chelsea to be that club.”
His bold, 11th-hour offer will anger the group of American-backed bidders who have spent the last few weeks engaged in an increasingly complicated auction devised by Raine’s co-founder Joe Ravitch, the banker handling the sale. Deadlines for final bids were extended on several occasions, and then late this week the three investment groups remaining in the process were told to increase their offers by a further $600 million.
The circumstances of the sale have been among the strangest seen in professional sports, creating a beauty pageant that brought together some of the wealthiest people in the world, but also celebrity athletes and unknown figures that appeared intent on using the sale to raise their own profiles. Raine has not commented during the bidding process, beyond an interview in which Ravitch made the startling — and as yet unsubstantiated — claim to the Financial Times that Chelsea and other Premier League teams could be worth $10 billion within five years.
At about the same time Ratcliffe went public with his bid, The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, reported that one of the finalists in the bidding, a group led by the Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, was set to enter exclusive talks to acquire Chelsea.
Boehly’s group had been challenged by a sprawling consortium bankrolled by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, members of the ownership group that controls the Philadelphia 76ers of the N.B.A., who this week added the Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and the tennis star Serena Williams to their ranks.
The third finalist was a group led by Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of the N.B.A.’s Boston Celtics. Pagliuca’s consortium includes Larry Tenenbaum, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the N.B.A.’s Toronto Raptors, hockey’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Major League Soccer’s Toronto F.C. Pagliuca’s group was told on Friday that its bid was no longer under consideration.
For Chelsea’s players, staff and fans, a sale cannot come soon enough. The club has been working under highly unusual financial constraints since the sanctions against Abramovich, described by the British government as a close associate of Putin. The special government license that allows the team to operate has left the club holding as many as 10,000 unsold tickets for its home games, and has forced the team to limit its travel budgets and close the team store.
The uncertainty over the future has affected the team on the field, too. Chelsea expects to lose two key defenders, Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen, when their contracts expire at the end of the season, and any talks about replacing them cannot take place until a replacement for Abramovich is found.
Of the bidders, Ratcliffe would appear to be to be the closest approximation to Abramovich for Chelsea fans used to having their team bankrolled by a single wealthy investor. The strategy was expensive — Abramovich has absorbed about $2 billion in losses during his tenure as owner — but successful: Chelsea enjoyed the biggest period of success in its history, becoming a serial contender for both domestic and international honors as well as the world’s best talent, and winning five Premier League and two European championships.
“We will continue to invest in the team to ensure we have a first class squad of the world’s greatest players, coaches and support staff, in the men’s and women’s games,” said Ratcliffe.
Brown, who had been seeking a new deal, has agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles that includes $57 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Kimberley Martin.
The 24-year-old Brown was entering the final year of his rookie deal and was scheduled to make a base salary of just under $4 million in 2022.
The Titans, who had repeatedly stated that they were not considering trading Brown, used the 18th pick on Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks.
Brown had 63 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games last season. He surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first two seasons, including a 70-catch, 1,075-yard campaign in 2020 when he hauled in a career-best 11 TDs.
In Philadelphia, Brown will be paired alongside DeVonta Smith, last year's 10th overall pick, to make what promises to be a formidable duo for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That Brown acquisition was the Eagles' second trade of the night. Minutes earlier, they moved up to the 13th pick to select Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, the 6-foot-6, 340-pound anchor of the Bulldogs' championship defense.
The Eagles sent the 15th,124th,162nd and166th overall picks to the Houston Texans for Davis, who created a giant buzz at the scouting combine with an impressive athletic display that included a 4.78-second 40-yard dash -- the fastest 40-time by a player 325 pounds or heavier at the combine since at least 2006, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Davis had 32 tackles (five for loss) and two sacks in 14 games last season for the Bulldogs. He only played 38% of Georgia's defensive snaps in 2021 and was mostly a two-down player, playing just 16% on third down. That created questions heading into the draft about whether Davis is just a run-stuffing tackle.
The Eagles believe he can be an effective pass-rusher as well, and that he was only taken off the field that much because of the incredible talent on the Georgia roster.
ESPN's Turron Davenport contributed to this report.
From the very start of the employment of Joe Schoen as general manager and Brian Daboll as head coach, there was more hope than overwhelming confidence expressed that Daniel Jones would be the franchise quarterback moving forward. That hope remains, but long-term commitments are not based on hope, which is why the Giants have declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option.
That option would have guaranteed Jones $22.4 million for the 2023 season, which is not outlandish money by any stretch for a high-quality starting quarterback. Whether Jones fits that description remains to be seen, even after his three years with the team. The Giants will allow Jones — the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft — to play out his rookie contract then make a determination as to his future with the team.
“People are realizing it’s by far the most important position in sports and either you have one or you don’t,’’ co-owner John Mara told The Post late last month. “We think we have one.’’
But the Giants do not know if they have one.
Daniel Jones practicing with the Giants on April 20, 2022.Corey Sipkin
There is no risk to the Giants not picking up the option. If he enjoys a successful 2022 season, the Giants can apply the franchise tag to him for about $30 million. If this scenario actually happens, it is highly likely the Giants and Jones could come to an agreement on a long-term deal and that the tag would not have to be used.
“We’ll see what happens this year, but we have a lot of confidence in him,’’ Mara said. “I know Daboll and Joe love him. He’s got all the right tools, he’s got the right makeup, works his ass off, players respond to him so you want him to be successful.’’
As for a second contract with the Giants, Mara said, “That is certainly our hope. I would say, yeah, I could see that happening, but obviously he’s going to have to prove that this year, and he knows that. But he also knows how much confidence we have in him.’’
Of much greater intrigue was the status of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, the No. 17 overall pick in 2019, a pick acquired from the Browns in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. The Giants will pick up Lawrence’s fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $10.7 million for the 2023 season — certainly not exorbitant for a quality player.
The Giants picked up Dexter Lawrence’s option.Getty Images
This is a clear indication that new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale views Lawence as an integral piece of the puzzle up front. Lawrence, 24, has missed only one game in his three-year career. He has just nine sacks in his 48 games, but he does have an ability to push the pocket, as he had just four fewer quarterback pressures in 2021 than Leonard Williams. The 342-pound Lawrence occupies plenty of space as a run-defender.
Jones, 24, missed the final six games last season with a neck injury but has made a full recovery. He compiled his best passer rating (87.7) in his rookie year, and has 45 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions in his career. He also has lost 28 fumbles, though his ball security has greatly improved. Jones is 12-25 as an NFL starter.
Usually, a starting quarterback does not head into the final year of his contract if the team has any strong intentions to keep him around. The new regime, including Daboll — who helped mold Josh Allen into a star — will do what it can to fortify the roster around Jones to give him as much help as possible to prove he can be a winning quarterback. There are no assurances, though, this partnership will continue after this season.
As far as bench-clearing basebrawls go, the fight that broke out in the bottom of the eighth inning of the New York Mets’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday hit all the right notes. You’ve got your frustrated Mets, seething about getting repeatedly plunked at the plate; apparent retaliation from Mets reliever Yoan Lopez, who zipped a fastball high and inside and later said, naturally, that the pitch got away from him; a tackle from Cardinals first-base coach, the fantastically named Stubby Clapp; a Cardinals pitcher flipping over the bullpen wall instead of using the stairs; and a post-game brawl debrief in which Mets star Pete Alonso called himself a “big strong guy” multiple times. These are the moments baseball fans live for.
It all started in the top of the eighth when Mets hitter J.D. Davis was drilled in the foot by a pitch from Genesis Cabrera and had to leave the game.
The Mets, who lead the MLB in HBPs this season—19 so far, including three from Tuesday night’s game against the Cardinals—seemed to retaliate immediately, with Lopez throwing a pitch near Nolan Arenado’s head.
Arenado yelled at Lopez to “do it again” and then both teams jumped out of their dugouts.
If you keep an eye on the left side of the scrum, you’ll see Cardinals first-base coach Stubby Clapp grab Mets slugger Pete Alonso from behind and execute a bodyslam. Stubby looked like he was having a great time:
Screenshot: SNY
Another angle shows Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos vaulting over the bullpen wall and sprinting to the melee.
The real star of the Cardinals/Mets brawl was Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos who hopped the bullpen fence instead of using the stairs 😂 pic.twitter.com/7eRfnWy3Qf
— Breaking Bats Podcast (@BreakingBatsPod) April 27, 2022
The postgame interviews were pretty typical, with each team taking exception with the other team’s actions while taking no issue with their own, but it was Alonso, the guy who got thrown to the ground by a guy named Stubby, who gave the funniest set of quotes. You already know things are going in the right direction when Alonso starts his answer by talking about how it felt to “get domed up” during Tuesday’s game, and then he just keeps talking about what a big strong guy he is.
🎥 Pete Alonso minces no words regarding today's altercation. "If I wanted to put somebody in the hospital, I easily could." Says he was simply protecting his teammates when he was thrown to the ground: pic.twitter.com/iPTlLr5SiL
“I’m big guy, a big strong guy, obviously the manager wants to have protection for his team.”
“For me, I’m a big strong guy, they don’t know my temper, they don’t know what I could do. I mean, if I wanted to put someone in the hospital I easily could, but I was just out there trying to protect my guys.”
So let the record show: Stubby Clapp really knows how to mix it up and Pete Alonso is a big strong guy.
The Golden State Warriors are moving on to the Western Conference semifinals after beating Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 in Game 5 to clinch their first-round series. Stephen Curry finished with a team-high 30 points, while Gary Payton II came up big in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors clamped down on the Nuggets' offense late, holding them to just 20 points in the fourth and improved to 20-8 in closeout games under Steve Kerr. They're also now 16-1 all-time when holding a 3-1 series lead -- the lone loss came in the 2016 Finals.
Michael Malone's Nuggets have had success in the past in elimination games and even overcoming 3-1 series holes. However, Denver fell short in forcing a Game 6 and extending its postseason. Jokic finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the loss. The Warriors advance to face the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. Here are the biggest takeaways from Game 5.
1. He may be a Nugget, but he's also a warrior
When Nuggets head coach Mike Malone addressed the media after Game 5, he had nothing but praise for Nikola Jokic. "The guy is the definition of a warrior," Malone said of the reigning MVP. The phrasing was perhaps a bit odd considering their opponents from Golden State, but the sentiment was felt through the end of the game, and really, the entire season.
It was almost poetic. Jokic, playing virtually the entire season without star teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, had to carry the Nuggets to a historic degree this season. A team that had no business sniffing the playoffs managed to earn a No. 6 seed thanks to their MVP. He staved off a sweep in Game 4 with a 37-point explosion. But with his season on the line on Wednesday, his body finally broke. He couldn't carry his teammates any longer. He left the game with a hamstring injury. If he hadn't played another minute the rest of the night, his offseason rest would have been well-earned.
Instead, he not only returned, he dominated. Aside from Monte Morris' garbage-time layup, Jokic was the only Nugget to score in the last eight minutes and six seconds of the game. You could not possibly ask for a better encapsulation of his season. Jokic carried the Nuggets as far as he possibly could. They couldn't carry him the final few steps they needed to tonight, and their season ended as a result.
But if these teams meet again next season, with Murray and Porter back in the fold and perhaps a few upgrades scattered among the rest of the roster, don't be surprised if the result is different. This was not a fair fight. Even under the circumstances, Jokic stared down a top-15 player of all time in Stephen Curry and was every bit his equal. If his team can match Curry's next season, then this could be one of the best series of the 2023 postseason.
2. Boogie time
The last four seasons have not been kind to DeMarcus Cousins. In that span, he has somehow managed to play for the Curry-era Warriors, LeBron James Lakers, James Harden Rockets, Kawhi Leonard Clippers, Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks and Jokic Nuggets … without ever winning a championship. He's been on four teams in the past two years alone, and didn't even start this season on a roster. The NBA has essentially discarded a 31-year-old former All-Star.
But as this series has proven, Cousins still has a place in the league. In fact, he might have a home in Denver. That much was apparent from the moment he signed. He may no longer be a 30-minute player and his defense can border on disastrous, but the numbers don't lie. Before Cousins arrived in January, the Nuggets were outscored by 217 points in the 823 minutes they'd played without Jokic. Afterward? That fell to just 38 points in 662 minutes.
He was at his best in Game 5, scoring 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting to keep Denver afloat in the minutes Jokic had to rest. Once again, Denver kept pace in the non-Jokic minutes. For the series as a whole, the Nuggets actually won the minutes Cousins played by three.
He's a very specific player at this stage of his career, but that specificity is very valuable to Denver. The Nuggets are built around Jokic's unique gifts. No backup on Earth could replicate them. But in Cousins, they have the closest facsimile they could possibly ask for out of a minimum salary, a playmaking center that they can run offense through and who can pound mismatches. He's not a core player anymore. He shouldn't start. There are matchups where he won't be able to play at all. But Cousins has proven that he shouldn't have to wait until midseason to get a job next year. If anything, Denver should commit to him as its primary backup center right away.
3. Strength in numbers
Andrew Wiggins is making the maximum salary. Jordan Poole is inching in that direction. There's a reason the Warriors are now starting both along with their three entrenched superstars. Most teams are so desperate for players like that they run them into the ground. If Denver had Wiggins or Poole tonight, they'd have played 45 minutes apiece.
Steve Kerr used them for 50 … combined. Neither of them closed the game. Instead, they relied on Kevon Looney, making mid-level money, Otto Porter, a minimum-salary home-run swing, and Gary Payton II, a training camp surprise, as their fourth-quarter role players. That decision proved to be a brilliant one. It help the Warriors clamp down defensively against a rampaging Jokic. Payton hit some of the biggest shots of his career. The Warriors advanced.
Golden State's mantra since Steve Kerr arrived has been "strength in numbers," but it's always felt a bit forced. You could argue that Anderson Varejao's excessive minutes in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals cost Golden State a championship. Their starters have always played limited minutes in the name of engaging the entire roster. Aside from the Kevin Durant years, it certainly helped chemistry, but the numbers suggested it probably wasn't doing them many favors on the court.
But this team is something else entirely. There's nothing forced about this season's depth. The Warriors are the rare contender with so many stars that they don't even have to use all of them. Their talent surplus is so enormous that they can pick and choose role players for specific circumstances without having to worry about a talent deficit. Even rookie Jonathan Kuminga gave them a half-decent second-quarter stretch. Andre Iguodala will have a role waiting for him when he returns. Golden State's depth is perhaps its greatest weapon. The Warriors can play any way they choose. Few other contenders have ever been able to say the same.
The Golden State Warriors are moving on to the Western Conference semifinals after beating Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 in Game 5 to clinch their first-round series. Stephen Curry finished with a team-high 30 points, while Gary Payton II came up big in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors clamped down on the Nuggets' offense late, holding them to just 20 points in the fourth and improved to 20-8 in closeout games under Steve Kerr. They're also now 16-1 all-time when holding a 3-1 series lead -- the lone loss came in the 2016 Finals.
Michael Malone's Nuggets have had success in the past in elimination games and even overcoming 3-1 series holes. However, Denver fell short in forcing a Game 6 and extending its postseason. Jokic finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists in the loss. The Warriors advance to face the winner between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves.
In our Eagles chat on Tuesday, there were a lot of questions that we could not get to in time or other questions we did answer but could use more color. And so, let's do a mailbag post to answer some of the overflow, as well as some commonly asked questions on Twitter and via email.
Question from JohnA: I'm concerned that Jordan Davis hasn't shown enough (or maybe not given the opportunity to show enough at Georgia) to be taken at 15. If he is such a unicorn then why wasn't he used, or show up more in the stats? One analyst said he is "strong, but not powerful..."
To begin, Davis was the Chuck Bednarik Award winner, which is given to the best defensive player in college football, as voted on by the members of the Maxwell Football Club. He also finished top 10 in Heisman voting. So it's not like he wasn't a star player in college. If you watch Georgia's games from last year, he showed up!
As for the "strong but not powerful" comment, that's coming from Greg Cosell, who I respect quite a bit.
I'll respectfully disagree. When Davis is two-gapping and playing his assignments within Georgia's scheme, he wasn't trying to move opposing offensive linemen. He was standing them up, and typically pretty easily shedding their blocks. I think that's what Greg is talking about when he says that Davis is strong and can own small areas of the field. However, when he wanted to move offensive linemen against their will, there are plenty of examples of him doing that as well, as shown here:
He's plenty powerful.
Question from Bird Gang: Lowest pick you'd accept to trade Andre Dillard and/or Gardner Minshew?
I had previously been saying fourth round for both guys, but I think it's reasonable not to settle for less than a three, at least for now. If you trade Minshew, who's the backup? So another team better make it worth your while to part with him.
And then with Dillard, the Eagles do hold a decent enough trade chip there. You want a guy who can start at LT? Give me a Day 2 pick, or good luck with whatever crappy starter you're looking to replace.
Question from Sam Becker: Are Dillard and Minshew eligible for comp picks if they sign somewhere else next year and how do you value that when looking at compensation for them?
Yes, if Dillard and/or Minshew play out their contracts in Philly and leave for another team in free agency next offseason, they'll count toward the comp pick formula. However, in order to get comp picks, you have to lose more players than you gain, and I just don't see that as realistic for this team. They are probably more likely to gain more players than they lose, like they did this offseason.
I do think that the Eagles should be mindful that they are unlikely to get anything in return for either player, comp pick-wise, if they don't trade them. If they haven't been dealt by the trade deadline, the price will probably have to come down a shade if they want to recoup some value.
Question from Office Linebacker: I don't get the Derek Stingley love. The guy seems to have a lot of question marks,particularly about his desire to play. Have they leaned nothing from Dillard?
People love him because he's the best pure cover corner in the draft, which goes a long way in forgiving some of the imperfections.
But, yes, his occasional disinterest would be more concerning for me than the injury history. In fairness, LSU was one of the best college football teams ever in 2019. They went 15-0 and only had like three close games all season against a stacked schedule. The next year, after they lost half their team to the draft, they went 5-5 in a season that COVID made far less fun. I can kind of get why Stingley wasn't as into that season as the one prior.
Keep in mind that this kid is still only 20 years old. He was a teenager for most of his college career. I think that sometimes we expect these kids to more mature than is reasonable. I think back to when I was a teenager, and... yikes.
So anyone interested in him will have to determine how much he loves football. And you're right — if there are major concerns there, they need to do a better job identifying that than they did with Dillard.
Question from Hinkie: Do you think this QB draft is being undervalued? I'm no draft guru and it doesn't feel like past years where there's been studs at the top (remember Winston-Mariota hype) but I feel like there are some intriguing guys. I can absolutely see a world where Malik Wills, Matt Corral, Sam Howell, and Kenny Pickett are all very good starters. They all have concerns (who doesn't?) but this seems kind of overblown in a QB starved league?
It's a bad class, in my opinion. I think that Mac Jones, the fifth quarterback taken last year, would have graded out higher than all these guys this year. I'm certainly with you that it doesn't mean that none of them will hit.
The other aspect of this QB class that I don't think is discussed as much is how thin it is. 10 quarterbacks got drafted last year, 13 got taken in 2020, and 11 went in 2019. I don't think we're hitting double digits this year.
Question from Justin: If the Eagles take a LB in rounds 2 or 3, who is your preference?
I would rank them like so:
Nakobe Dean, Georgia (if he falls into Round 2, which feels possible)
Quay Walker, Georgia
Christian Harris, Alabama
Chad Muma, Wyoming
Troy Andersen, Montana State
Leo Chenal, Wisconsin
Question from Hmmm: How would you rank the three days of the draft in order of your preference?
(In Abe Simpson voice) Day 3 reminds me the most of what the draft used to be, when they televised it all day on Saturday (rounds 1-3) and Sunday (rounds 4-7). I get that money always wins, but I kind of hate that they moved it to prime time.
Question from RKotite: So every year you put out your big list of players to track in the draft and cross them out once they're selected. Have you ever done an analysis to see how many/what percentage you got correct as far as the round you thought they'd go in?
Last year was a decent year. I had six guys on my list. Here's where I had them:
DeVonta Smith: "Stick and pick at 12."
Landon Dickerson: "Trade back in Round 2."
Milton Williams: "Round 3."
Kenny Gainwell: "Round 3."
Tarron Jackson: "Late Day 3."
Patrick Johnson: "Round 4."
Question from Cautiously Optimistic: I am all for drafting Matt Araiza. If the Eagles' offense is going to fail to convert easy 3rd downs, at least we get the benefit of watching a fun punter.
It'll be a weird thing for any fan base that drafts Araiza, in that they'll be mad that a punt is happening, but they'll stick around to watch it instead of storming off for a bathroom break.
Question from MichaelP: I've heard you say on the podcast that the draft was deep, and it sounded like you were going to explain why, but then Brandon started talking about something else, and you never came back to it. I was interested in hearing the explanation on why.
The 2020 college football season was cut short due to COVID, so a lot of the players who would have normally come out after a full season opted to stay in school instead of declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. The NCAA also granted an extra year of eligibility as a result of COVID. As such, the 2021 was particularly weak on Day 3 and during the undrafted free agency portion of the draft.
A lot of the players who would have declared in 2021 have now declared in 2022, so Day 3 is going to be flooded with decent prospects. It's a very good year to have a lot of mid-round picks, like the Eagles do. They have two picks in the third round, and three in the fifth round.
Question from Pete: I was curious if you have ever considered an article following your final mock draft detailing who was available and your thought process of selecting particular players over another. Basically a Jimmy Kempski's big board.
I'll have my only full first-round mock on Thursday that I sort of worked out before my final Eagles-only mock, which I published on Monday. It'll show how I arrived at Jordan Davis at 15 and Treylon Burks at 18.
Question from Mark: Hi Jimmy, I read the chat from today and saw you profess that The Streak is still alive. HOWEVER, this screen shot from PhillyVoice shows that April 11th has no entry. When I saw it a few weeks ago, I thought to myself, "And on the X hundredth and X-ty X-th day, Jimmy rested." StreakGate? Please address in your mailbag. Your fans want to know. :-)
For those of you who have no idea what Mark is talking about, I have published new content every day at PhillyVoice every single day for more than two and a half years. More specifically, the last day I did not publish something at PhillyVoice, it was August 28, 2019, the day after my dad died. In fact, today is the 973rd consecutive day I have published something here.
I applaud my readers for trying to keep me honest. I certainly would not respect another writer making such a claim if it were false. In this instance, Mark included a screenshot showing my author page and the article that he perceives is missing on April 11.
To begin, let me first say that I hope you found the lawnmower of your dreams, and that your diarrhea has subsided. 😜
As for April 11, I published the article that you see on the list above titled, "A look at some Eagles wide receiver trade options." It was published at 5:30 a.m. on April 11, as shown in the revisions history on our publishing software:
I have since corrected the date to show April 11, as noted by the August 26 notation in the editing log.
As you can see, I tweeted the article out at a minute after I published it on April 11, at 5:31 a.m.
If you look at the comment section of that article, you won't find any comments from April 10. So then why does the article say April 10? Well, when I sit down to write and I click "new article" on our publishing software, whatever day that is, is what the date will say on the article, unless you manually change it. I wrote that article on April 10, and submitted it to our sports editors, Evan Macy and Shamus Clancy, so that they could embed links and such to other stories on our site.
I woke up early on April 11, published that bad boy with the wrong date, and went about enjoying my day. Shamus got around to adding links and such at 9:02 a.m. on April 11, when he asked me to "unlock" the article so that he could get in.
As our regular commenters can attest, it's certainly not the first time I've had the wrong date on an article. It's pretty common, though someone will usually bring it to my attention at some point and I'll fix it. This one merely fell through the cracks.
But certainly, as the above evidence definitively shows, I did indeed publish an article on April 11, and I look forward to celebrating my 1000th consecutive day with you all on May 24. In conclusion, for the haters:
A 2017 letter from Commissioner Rob Manfred detailed the Yankees’ illicit use of electronic devices in 2015 and parts of 2016, which cost the team a $100,000 fine.
Sign stealing has long been a part of baseball strategy. When a batter is hitting, his teammates carefully watch a catcher’s fingers or body language to figure out what pitch is about to be thrown. That is all fair play as long as teams do not use any electronic devices, such as cameras or computers, to facilitate the process.
During past seasons — according to a newly released, partially redacted letter from Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman sent in 2017 — the Yankees used electronic devices to decipher and share opposing teams’ signs. The letter came after the Yankees had accused the Boston Red Sox of using a similar process.
“The Yankees’ use of the dugout phone to relay information about an opposing Club’s signs during the 2015 season, and part of the 2016 season, constitutes a material violation of the Replay Review Regulations,” Manfred wrote to Cashman.
“By using the phone in the video review room to instantaneously transmit information regarding signs to the dugout in violation of the Regulations, the Yankees were able to provide real-time information to their players regarding an opposing Club’s sign sequence — the same objective of the Red Sox’s scheme that was the subject of the Yankees’ complaint.”
The reason the Yankees were punished in a less severe way (a $100,000 fine earmarked for a charitable cause) than the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox, World Series-winning teams that were dealt suspensions, fines, a loss of draft picks and public scorn? Those teams continued their sign-stealing ways after M.L.B. began cracking down on it and instituted clear terms of punishment.
The contents of that M.L.B. letter to the Yankees — which became public on Tuesday, and were first reported by SNY, ahead of an expected unsealing in court — weren’t exactly new or surprising. Paranoia about opponents stealing signs between pitchers and catchers has existed throughout baseball history, but the influx of technology in the game had introduced new fears.
New ways to skirt the rules emerged in 2014, when M.L.B. expanded its use of instant replay review, which established rooms near each team’s dugout with live video feeds to help coaches decide whether or not to challenge a play. Players were also allowed to visit these rooms during games to consult video of their pitching or hitting. But any use of technology to decode or relay opponents’ signs during a game was still prohibited.
In 2018, the Boston Red Sox were found to have used Apple Watches in a sign stealing scheme that led to the suspension of Manager Alex Cora.Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Although concern had been building among many teams that their opponents were going too far, the first big public sign that technology was being abused came in 2017, when The New York Times reported that the Yankees had filed a complaint with M.L.B. accusing the Red Sox of relaying signs from video replay personnel to the dugout via an Apple Watch. After an investigation of the Red Sox, which led to a fine, M.L.B. admitted that it had become increasingly difficult to monitor the inappropriate use of electronics.
“At that point in time, sign stealing was utilized as a competitive tool by numerous teams throughout Major League Baseball and only became illegal after the Commissioner’s specific delineation of the rules on September 15, 2017,” the Yankees said in a statement on Tuesday, later adding that they have had “no infractions or violations” since.
That day, Manfred sent a memorandum to all 30 teams warning them about illegal sign-stealing and stating that club management, not players, would be held accountable for any such cheating. In March 2018, M.L.B. sent another memorandum to teams that made clear that replay rooms and video feeds were not allowed to be used for stealing signs during games.
(M.L.B. has since taken further steps to try to curb such behavior.)
This where the Yankees’ story, though, veers from those of the Astros and the Red Sox.
The Astros were found, according to a M.L.B. investigation released in January 2020, to have employed a scheme through the 2017 playoffs and for at least part of the 2018 season that involved using cameras and monitors to decode opposing teams’ signs and tip off Houston’s batters, often by banging on a trash can just outside the dugout.
The letter from M.L.B. was addressed to General Manager Brian Cashman. It said the Yankees had committed similar infractions to what they had accused the Red Sox of doing.Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Manfred punished the Astros by issuing one-year suspensions to General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Manager A.J. Hinch, both of whom were subsequently fired by the team owner Jim Crane, and by fining the team $5 million and docking a first- and second-round draft pick in 2020 and 2021.
The Red Sox were found, according to a separate M.L.B. investigation released in April 2020, to have used a scheme in 2018 that was more limited in scope than the Astros’ but still involved decoding opponents’ signs while watching live video during games and passing that information along to players.
Manfred punished the Red Sox by issuing one-year suspensions to Manager Alex Cora, who was also part of the 2017 Astros’ scheme, and J.T. Watkins, Boston’s video replay operator. The team also lost its second-round pick in 2020.
Manfred’s once-private letter to the Yankees came out now because of a court case, dismissed by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff in April 2020, between fantasy sports contestants who claimed they were damaged by sign stealing in M.L.B. The fans, who sued M.L.B., the Astros and Red Sox, claimed that Manfred’s 2017 letter to Cashman, which emerged during discovery, contradicted the league’s public statements at the time.
The Yankees tried to keep the letter sealed, arguing that they weren’t a party to the case and that it would harm their reputation. Multiple judges disagreed and argued that most of the letter had already been disclosed by M.L.B. in its 2017 statement. The Second U.S. Court of Appeals last week denied a request by the Yankees to rehear the team’s case to keep the letter sealed.
The Houston Astros, who used a sign-stealing scheme on their way to a World Series title in 2017, have dealt with years of abuse from opposing teams' fans.David J. Phillip/Associated Press
The three-page letter from Manfred to Cashman explained how M.L.B. had found that the Red Sox had violated league rules. Manfred wrote that during the investigation into the Red Sox, the league was told (by a person or group whose identity was redacted) that the Yankees “used a similar scheme to that of the Red Sox” to decode opposing teams’ signs and relay them to the batter when a runner was on second base.
Manfred also wrote that a redacted person or group, who noticed the Red Sox using the Apple Watch, told the league that during the 2015 season and part of the 2016 season that they provided information on opponents’ signs to players and coaches in the Yankee Stadium replay room, and they in turn took that to the dugout. At certain stadiums on the road, he wrote, the information was conveyed through the dugout phone.
Finally, Manfred wrote that his office didn’t find any merit to a formal complaint by the Red Sox that accused the Yankees of pointing their YES Network cameras at Boston’s dugout when coaches and players gave signs. He also noted a minor unauthorized use of an iPad by a Yankees coach during a game.
In their statements on Tuesday, M.L.B. and the Yankees pointed out that much of the contents of the letter had been known for some time.
“The Yankees did not violate M.L.B.’s rules at the time governing sign stealing,” M.L.B. said. “At that time, use of the replay room to decode signs was not expressly prohibited by M.L.B. rules as long as the information was not communicated electronically to the dugout. Because rules regarding use of replay had evolved, many clubs moved their video equipment to close proximity to the field, giving personnel the potential ability to quickly relay signs to the field.”
M.L.B. said that it clarified its rules regarding electronic equipment in that Manfred memorandum on Sept. 15, 2017 and drew “a clear line” on March 27, 2018 that no clubhouse or video room equipment could be used to decode signs.
“The Yankees vigorously fought the production of this letter, not only for the legal principle involved, but to prevent the incorrect equating of events that occurred before the establishment of the Commissioner’s sign-stealing rules with those that took place after,” the Yankees said. “What should be made vibrantly clear is this: the fine noted in Major League Baseball’s letter was imposed before M.L.B.’s new regulations and standards were issued.”
The 2022 NFL Draft lacks the quarterback intrigue that last year's cycle brought. Reason indicates that at least one quarterback will be taken in the first round, but it would be a surprise if more than three found their way into Day 1.
In the event that the Steelers or another team wants to trade up, CBS Sports looks back at previous deals to hypothesize what it might take to facilitate a move up to land a quarterback. The point differentials were determined by the trade value chart arranged by SportsLine's R.J. White.
Over the past 11 drafts, 31 quarterbacks have been taken in the first round and there has been an average of one trade up each year to take a quarterback in the top half of the round.
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Jets receive: No. 3 overall (Sam Darnold) Colts receive: No. 6 overall, No. 37 overall, No. 49 overall, 2019 second-round pick Indianapolis used picks to select G Quenton Nelson, OT Braden Smith and others. Point differential: Colts +282.16
Bears receive: No. 2 overall (Mitchell Trubisky) 49ers receive: No. 3 overall, No. 67 overall, No. 111 overall, 2018 third-round pick San Francisco turned the third pick into DESolomon Thomas. Pick No. 67 was used on RB Alvin Kamara, but the rights were traded to the Saints. Point differential: 49ers +45.51
Chiefs land generational talent in Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs receive: No. 10 overall (Patrick Mahomes) Bills receive: No. 27 overall, No. 91 overall, 2018 first-round pick Buffalo selected CB Tre'Davious White after trading back but it also came at the expense of selecting Mahomes. Point differential: Bills +104.47
Browns bypass chance at Deshaun Watson
Texans receive: No. 12 overall (Deshaun Watson) Browns receive: No. 25 overall, 2018 first-round pick (No. 4) Cleveland took quarterback Baker Mayfield the following year. The Browns did select CB Denzel Ward and S Jabrill Peppers, who was used in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, with the picks acquired from Houston, but Watson's value easily supersedes those additions. Point differential: Browns +377.26
2016
Rams get aggressive by trading up for Jared Goff
Rams receive: No. 1 overall (Jared Goff), No. 133 overall, No. 177 overall Titans receive: No. 15 overall, No. 43 overall, No. 45 overall, No. 76 overall, 2017 first-round pick, 2017 third-round pick Tennessee's pick from Los Angeles was No. 5 overall the following year. The Titans used the picks in return to essentially remodel their offense: OT Jack Conklin, RB Derrick Henry, WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith. Conklin was the result of the team trading back up. Point differential: Titans +68.42
Browns punt on chance to fill quarterback need
Eagles receive: No. 2 overall (Carson Wentz), 2017 fourth-round pick Browns receive: No. 8 overall, No. 77 overall, No. 100 overall, 2017 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick Cleveland traded back a second time and took WR Corey Coleman. The return on Wentz was pretty abysmal. Point differential: Browns +176.89
2012
Washington mortgages future for RGIII
Washington receives: No. 2 overall (Robert Griffin III) St. Louis Rams receive: No. 6 overall, No. 39 overall, 2013 first-round pick, 2014 first-round pick (No. 2) St. Louis landed the No. 2 overall pick in the following draft but used it on OT Greg Robinson. In 2013, they traded back a second time and selected DL Michael Brockers and later added CB Janoris Jenkins with a pick received from Washington. Point differential: Rams +782.54 Based on the trade value chart, the point differential surrendered by Washington was the equivalent to No. 2 overall, No. 20 overall and No. 182 overall. At the end of the day, it might have been worth it if Griffin had built on his Rookie of the Year campaign and had a prosperous career.
2011
Jaguars move on from David Garrard, select Blaine Gabbert
Jaguars receive: No. 10 overall (Blaine Gabbert) Washington receives: No. 16 overall, No. 49 overall Washington traded back in 2011 and selected DL Ryan Kerrigan, who has been one of the most productive edge rushers in the NFL over the past 10 years. Point differential: Washington +35.8
In each of the 12 trades, the team trading the rights to the quarterback received greater compensation than the pick equivalency. On average, the team trading the higher pick received a +211.799 point differential, which is the equivalent of the No. 23 overall selection. Teams trading down last year received above market value. The cost to move up this year could be less with a perceived shallower talent pool.
If the quarterback goes on to be successful, it was all worth it. Kansas City loses zero sleep by getting the "worst" end of the deal, according to the trade value chart, but still getting Mahomes. Hindsight is 20/20 in some cases when future picks are traded. It is essentially taking out a loan on the team's success. Some loans default, while others are paid off early. In three of the 12 trades, the team moving up to take a quarterback sent a top-5 pick back in the following draft.
What does it mean for this year's trade market?
To explore some hypothetical situations, let's use New York's No. 7 overall selection to construct some trade offers. In this scenario, Carolina would still be getting its pick of the litter at No. 6 overall if it chooses to go quarterback. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert noted Monday that the team has explored trades up and down the board and explicitly mentioned No. 7 overall. It is known that the Giants would like to get out of one of their picks to acquire future draft capital as a result of not having ample salary cap space in 2021.
If future assets are included, then the team trading up has to surrender more because of the unknown. An NFL team is not going to take a chance on looking bad for acquiring a future first-round pick that could become No. 32 overall when the trade value chart indicates they should have gotten No. 16 overall equivalency in return. By inflating the price, there is a larger window for it to look as though they won the deal.
Steelers receive: No. 7 overall Giants receive: No. 20 overall, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick Point differential: Giants +123.38
*Based on picking 16th in each future round
If a team's targeted quarterback is still available after No. 6 overall, they may be able to wait and trade into the early teens much like Chicago did last year for Justin Fields. Let's use Houston at No. 13 overall to construct those hypothetical trades:
Steelers receive: No. 13 overall, No. 108 overall Texans receive: No. 20 overall, 2023 first-round pick Points differential: Texans +163.09
*Based on picking 16th in each future round
Saints receive: No. 13 overall Texans receive: No. 16 overall, 2023 second-round pick Point differential: Texans +67.21
*Based on picking 16th in each future round
