Tampa Bay Buccaneers settle franchise tag grievance with Shaq Barrett for $1.372 million, source says

Not only was Buccaneers star pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett awarded a new four-year contract worth up to $72 million Monday, he also was awarded a $1.372 million franchise tag settlement stemming from a grievance filed with the NFL Players Association last year, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Barrett on Wednesday confirmed a settlement was reached but didn’t disclose the terms.

“It means a lot that we was able to go through there and not have to actually go to the grievance. That was just a sign of good faith on both sides. We didn’t want to have to go all the way through with a grievance, so we was able to end up settling on a good number,” he said Tuesday in a Zoom call.

“And they knew they wanted to bring me back, so they didn’t want to really have to go through all that type of stuff, and I didn’t want to go through it either because I wanted to be here. And even though I know it’s a business, we just took that part of it out of there. We just made it easy, made it simple to start working on a long-term contract, and we was able to do it.”

The settlement money will count against the Bucs’ salary cap in 2021. There will be no grievance hearing, which would have been the next step. The Bucs opted to settle it, and in turn, Barrett can recoup the lost earnings.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

The grievance stems from the NFL not differentiating between outside and inside linebackers when calculating franchise tag amounts, nor does it take into consideration scheme. Franchise tag figures are based on the top five salaries at each position.4

Barrett is technically an outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ 3-4 scheme, but his job is primarily to rush the passer, like that of a 4-3 defensive end, versus dropping into coverage in the short passing game.

In 2020, the franchise tag amount for linebackers was $15.828 million, whereas it was $17.788 million for defensive ends.

A closer look at Barrett’s snap counts supports his argument.

Over the past two seasons — including the 2020 postseason — Barrett played a total of 171 of 1,851 snaps (9.238%) in coverage and 1,086 snaps (58.67%) rushing the passer (the remaining 594 snaps came against the run). By comparison, inside linebacker Lavonte David played a total of 1,342 snaps in coverage and 207 snaps rushing the passer.

“I think it should be pretty simple if you pass rush more than half the time, but you stand up sometimes too, you should just be called ‘edge.’ If you’re an outside guy on the end pass rushing, you should be just be an ‘edge rusher.’ I understand the 4-3 defense, 3-4 defense, but you can just simplify it as much as you want to, to just — if you’re on the edge rushing on 50% of your snaps, you’re an edge rusher,” Barrett said.new nike nfl jerseys cheap

Barrett also said Wednesday he really didn’t entertain offers from other teams before agreeing to his four-year deal Monday, despite the Bucs’ less-than-favorable salary-cap situation.

“Honestly, I was just all focused on coming back here, returning back here, and we was running it to the ground trying to get something done,” he said.

“We had a great team, we had a great team and it’s like, no reason to not want to try to bring it back and try to do it again, but do it even better this time. Jason Licht — he’s a world-class GM. I applaud every move he’s been making since day one that we’ve been here. He’s been doing it the right way he’s been building steadily, and now that we have a championship team, he’s trying to bring it back and have a championship team again next year.”

Man United leave out Romero, Jones from Premier League squad

Manchester United have omitted Sergio Romero and Phil Jones from their Premier League squad.

Marcos Rojo, who was left out of the Champions League squad along with Romero and Jones, has been included.

New signings Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles are also in, while 18-year-old winger Facundo Pellistri has been placed on the Under-21 list with Mason Greenwood, Brandon Williams and Teden Mengi.nfl cheap nike jerseys

Jones, who still has a minimum of three years left on his contract at Old Trafford after signing a long-term extension in February 2019, is currently injured and hasn’t featured for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first team since in a 6-0 win over Tranmere in the FA Cup on Jan. 26.3

Romero played the bulk of United’s games in the FA Cup and Europa League last season but was replaced for the semifinals in both competitions by David De Gea.

Earlier this month, a number of United players expressed their disappointment at the treatment of Romero, sources told ESPN.youth nfl jerseys

The 33-year-old has slipped down the pecking order after Dean Henderson’s return from a successful loan spell at Sheffield United. Lee Grant, 37, has been included as United’s third choice goalkeeper in both the Premier League and Champions League squads.

Coronavirus: Arsenal hopeful for Tierney return against Man City

Arsenal are hopeful Kieran Tierney will be available to face Manchester City on Saturday despite coronavirus rules forcing him to self-isolate.

Tierney and Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie were asked to quarantine for 14 days after their Scotland teammate Stuart Armstrong tested positive for coronavirus while the trio were on international duty.

Although both Tierney and Christie have repeatedly returned negative test results for the virus, the Lothian Health Protection Team identified the pair and two members of Scotland’s backroom staff as close contacts of Armstrong.

“This is getting very complicated when we are sending players abroad and obviously you lose control and some authorities have different regulations to the ones in the Premier League,” Arteta said at a news conference on Thursday. “We are still having some discussions with the authorities and hopefully we will know more this afternoon.”cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale4

Asked whether there was a chance Tierney could play, Arteta added: “I hope so.”

Arsenal have lobbied the Scottish government to release Tierney, submitting photographic evidence that shows he was sitting further away than the socially distancing requirement of two metres when playing computer games in a hotel room with Armstrong and Tierney.

The international break has caused a variety of logistical issues relating to coronavirus for many clubs but Arteta is not in favour of scrapping next month’s matches.nfl nike jersey cheap

“I think international football has to continue going because there are some competitions that have to happen,” Arteta said. “They were already delayed last summer and they have to take place because as well those organisations have to be sustainable and we all understand that.

“What we are asking is that we try to unify those protocols, rules to try to create a safe environment for our players, but as well protect the clubs because obviously the impact of having a few players out when we resume the Premier League is really big.”

Los Angeles Lakers switch to ‘Black Mamba’ uniforms for potential title-clinching Game 5

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to win their 17th NBA championship in Black Mamba fashion.

The Lakers will wear their “Black Mamba” uniforms, which are styled in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, in Game 5 on Friday.

They were slated to wear the black alternative uniforms in Games 2 and 7 of the NBA Finals, a team source confirmed to ESPN. But on Friday, the Lakers can clinch the title, as they lead the Miami Heat 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

“It means something,” LeBron James said Thursday. “Something more than just a uniform. It represents an individual who gave the franchise 20 years of his blood, sweat and tears and his dedication to his craft, both on and off the floor, to make that franchise be proud of him, and hopefully vice versa.”4

Lakers coach Frank Vogel, Anthony Davis and James have spoken often about trying to channel Bryant’s legendary “Mamba mentality” and relentless desire to win. This Lakers team dedicated the rest of the season to Bryant — who played all 20 seasons of his career in the purple and gold — following his death.china nike nfl jerseys cheap

Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles in January.

James and Davis got tattoos in honor of Bryant. The team chants “1-2-3 Mamba!” when breaking huddles.

“If we come out and do what we’re supposed to do, then we can remain undefeated [in the alternate jersey this postseason],” Davis said Thursday. “We just think that for all the things that happened this season, with our team specifically and our organization, that to be able to close it out in the Black Mamba uniforms will just make it all worth it. Obviously his legacy in the NBA and then just with the organization, period, is something special.

“For us to [potentially] close it out in his honor is something that we look forward to, something that — an insane amount of pressure for sure, but we don’t want to lose, we don’t want to let him down.”

Davis hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals and said the Black Mamba uniforms worn by the Lakers for that contest provided inspiration.

San Francisco 49ers put Fred Warner on reserve/COVID-19 list

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Monday.

Warner is the third member of the 49ers to go on the list, which is for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or have been in close contact with someone who has had it. Teams are not allowed to disclose whether the player tested positive.

The Niners had gone most of camp without any additions to the reserve/COVID-19 list. Receiver Richie James and running back Jeff Wilson went on it July 27 and July 30, respectively. Both were removed from the list Aug. 4.

Before the past couple of days, the number of players around the league on the reserve/COVID-19 list had been steadily dropping. At one point in the past week, there was just one player on the list. That number stood at five as of Monday morning: Warner, New Orleans Saints running back Dwayne Washington, Carolina Panthers defensive back Derrek Thomas, Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Steven Means and Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Ryan Pope.4

“I think it’s just a good reminder that no one is out of the woods,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When you go a few weeks with nothing happening, you start to feel pretty safe, and it’s a reminder that this stuff is out there.”

Warner did not practice Sunday, after which defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said there was no concern about an injury to Warner, linebacker Dre Greenlaw or defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, all of whom did not participate in the session. Greenlaw did not practice again Monday as he is in the concussion protocol, Shanahan said. Kinlaw did return to practice.

Warner is considered one of San Francisco’s best players after a breakthrough 2019 season in which he posted 118 tackles, three sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles. NFL players voted Warner the 70th-best player in the league going into this season.

“Fred gets better each year,” Shanahan said. “Fred is as much of a pro as I’ve been around. While he’s not in here, I’m sure he’s in his apartment doing bag drills or wherever he’s living, just going crazy that he can’t be in here. … Whenever he can come back, he will be ready to go.”

Detroit Lions’ Kenny Golladay, T.J. Hockenson among 5 placed on COVID-19 list

The Detroit Lions placed Pro Bowl receiver Kenny Golladay and tight end T.J. Hockenson, last year’s first-round pick, on the COVID-19/reserve list on Wednesday, a day after the team reported to training camp.

The two starters were among five Detroit players to land on the COVID reserve list along with cornerback Amani Oruwariye, undrafted free-agent defensive back Jalen Elliott and rookie Arryn Siposs, who is competing for the open punting spot.

Being on the reserve list does not mean the players have tested positive for the coronavirus. It means they either tested positive or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.nike nfl cheap jerseys

Golladay, who led the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions last season, is entering the final year of his contract. Hockenson was taken with the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft and ended last season on injured reserve after hurting his right ankle in the fourth quarter against Chicago on Thanksgiving.3

Detroit also had a player opt out of the 2020 season on Wednesday as defensive tackle John Atkins, who started six games for the Lions last season and was expected to compete for a reserve role this year, decided to sit out.

Earlier Wednesday, Lions general manager Bob Quinn explained in a Zoom media conference the team’s protocol, including meetings with players and the families of players so they can answer questions about COVID-19. Quinn also said team doctors and trainers would be available for any staff member, player or family member of a staffer or player to answer questions about the virus and protocol.nfl nike jerseys cheap china

This was all in the name of trying to keep his team as safe as possible.

“We are not in a bubble. We have a bubble once you walk into the facility, but it goes back to the education,” Quinn said. “That’s the huge thing. I feel comfortable walking into this facility every day because I know everybody around me is going to be tested all the time. What I don’t know is what people are doing when they leave and go home.

“We have to have a lot of trust, we have to have a lot of education and we have to have a lot of mature decision-making when people leave the facility.”

Leeds United are back in the Premier League: How one of England’s biggest clubs returned after 16-year absence

“You are God!” Marcelo Bielsa smiled, shook his head and waved his finger after hearing that remark. Leeds United’s Argentine manager had just emerged from his small, one-bedroom apartment in Wetherby, on the outskirts of his adopted city, to thank the group of supporters that had gathered outside to celebrate the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

Bielsa posed for photographs with children, elbow-bumped the older fans and offered a brief “thank you” in broken English. He seemed a touch embarrassed by the adulation as elderly women shouted “We love you! We love you!” at him, but being called God by one man, who was wearing a flat cap and an Argentina flag over his shoulders, seemed to be too much for Bielsa. After all, by securing promotion, he had merely done his job.cheap nike nfl jerseys china

Leeds is a club, and a city, that does not really do romance. Actions speak louder than words and the less said about it, the better. That could even be their motto. But Bielsa has brought romance to Leeds. He has also secured vindication for his own approach to the game that, while earning the respect and praise from the great and the good, has often been a case of style over substance.4

With Chile and Athletic Bilbao, in particular, Bielsa built innovative, eye-catching attacking teams, but no trophies. And Leeds really needed a winner. He is a football purist and, if things are not to his liking, Bielsa will walk away.

He resigned as Lazio manager after just two days in charge back in 2016. A year earlier, he quit as Marseille coach one game into the season and, prior to joining Leeds, Bielsa lasted just 13 games in charge of Lille. He’s also the coach who was christened “El Loco” (“The Crazy One”) in the early 1990s when he faced a gang of Newell’s Old Boys fans while clutching a grenade and threatening to pull the pin after they turned up at his home, demanding he appear, after a 6-0 defeat against San Lorenzo in the Copa Libertadores.nike nfl jerseys cheap paypal

Modesty and humility are two of Bielsa’s greatest qualities, but getting Leeds back to the Premier League is no ordinary achievement. Perhaps it needed a man described as a genius by Pep Guardiola to pull off what had been mission impossible to so many others.

The story of Leeds United has been a rollercoaster, with many more scream-inducing falls than uplifting high points since the wheels came off in the early years of this century. Three years after being Champions League semifinalists in 2001, Leeds were relegated from the Premier League having spent recklessly beyond their means. Former chairman Peter Ridsdale infamously said Leeds were “living the dream,” but it quickly became a nightmare of player sales, managerial sackings and lurching from one crisis to another.

Since relegation in 2004, Leeds have had 15 managers and five owners. They’ve been to the brink of financial oblivion, endured three seasons in League One, England’s third tier, suffered FA Cup humiliation against a team from a village (Histon in 2008) and become the butt of jokes of rival supporters.

Angels 3B Anthony Rendon continues to nurse oblique injury

Anthony Rendon, the Los Angeles Angels’ new third baseman, is nursing an oblique injury that seemingly has not improved, further jeopardizing his chances of playing during the opening weekend.

Rendon, signed to a $245 million contract this offseason, was scratched from intrasquad games on Friday and Saturday and did not play on Sunday.new nike nfl jerseys cheap

After the team arrived at Petco Park for its first official exhibition game on Monday, Angels manager Joe Maddon reported that Rendon remained “a little sore” and would need at least a couple of days off.4

The Angels begin their season with a four-game road series against the Oakland Athletics, starting with a 7:10 p.m. PT game Friday on ESPN.buy nike nfl jerseys cheap

If Rendon is unavailable for that first series — a stretch that would constitute nearly 7% of a 60-game season — the Angels would mostly fill his absence with utility infielder David Fletcher.

Maddon referenced the unpredictable nature of oblique injuries in declining to provide a timetable for Rendon’s return. He said Rendon is “going to want to play that first game” but that they “have to get past the soreness.”

A’s LHP A.J. Puk goes on IL; Giants without Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria

Oakland Athletics left-hander A.J. Puk was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a strained shoulder Monday and traveled to Los Angeles to be examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Puk, a top prospect expected to be in the A’s rotation once healthy, was bothered by the issue months ago during spring training.new nike nfl jerseys cheap

He felt it in a recent intrasquad game and had his outing cut short. Right-hander Daniel Mengden will fill the spot at the back end of the A’s rotation, manager Bob Melvin said before an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants.

“The fact that we have to put him on the DL right away, obviously there’s a level of concern,” Melvin said. “We want to make sure we get this right before we throw him back out there again.”3

The Giants, meanwhile, will be missing two key members of their infield for Opening Day on Thursday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. First baseman Brandon Belt is nursing a sore right heel, and third baseman Evan Longoria has a moderate oblique strain on the right side.cheap nike nfl jersey

“I don’t think it’s realistic at this point being so close that either Brandon or Evan are going to be ready for Opening Day,” manager Gabe Kapler said Monday. “I think it’s going to be a few days into the season. We’re hustling to get those guys ready as quickly as possible, but without the full intensity running reps that Brandon and Evan need, they’re just not quite going to be ready for the Opening Day assignment against the Dodgers. Not ruling out any point in the series.”

San Francisco outfielder Hunter Pence was held out of Monday’s lineup as a precaution. He has been bothered by inflammation in his right foot.

“Everything is good with Hunter,” Kapler said. “We’re just kind of monitoring his workload. We are very confident in where Hunter is. He got some live reps today at the ballpark earlier and a good practice session in. Part of this is just staging out the progression to Opening Day at this point. … We’re really thinking about getting guys to Opening Day as healthy as possible.”

Jazz’s Justin Wright-Foreman apologizes for tweet supporting Nick Cannon, anti-Semitic comments

Before taking on any basketball-related questions following Friday’s early practice, Utah Jazz guard Justin Wright-Foreman issued an apology.

The former Hofstra University star and current two-way player retweeted a Twitter post in support of entertainer Nick Cannon following his anti-Semitic remarks made on a podcast. The July 15 post that Wright-Foreman retweeted said, “Nick cannon said nothing wrong. Everyone just sensitive and hates the truth.”

“First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my retweet,” Wright-Foreman said. “I wasn’t educated enough on the topic, and therefore, I would just like to say that I apologize. I did not mean to offend anybody, and those are not my beliefs and values. I just want to, once again, say that I apologize.”china nike nfl jerseys cheap

Cannon was fired by ViacomCBS on Wednesday after he praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and discussed anti-Semitic conspiracy theories during a recent episode of his podcast, “Cannon’s Class.”3

“I wasn’t knowledgeable about what he had said or what he meant by it,” Wright-Foreman said. “So, I guess, like I was scrolling and it was by accident and I apologize. Like I said, I didn’t mean to offend anybody by the tweet. I didn’t mean to make anybody feel any type of way, and I apologize again.”nfl nike jerseys for cheap

Retired NBA legend Dwyane Wade also deleted his tweet in support of Cannon in which he initially stated, “we are with you” before clarifying his stance once he became informed on the subject. “I was too quick to respond without being fully informed about his hurtful anti-Semitic remarks,” Wade said. “As you all know I have ZERO tolerance for any hate speech!”

Jazz coach Quin Snyder and the front office have addressed Wright-Foreman following the incident and are confident it won’t happen again.

“We’ve talked to him, I’ve talked to him,” Snyder said. “I think he’s very aware, painfully aware, that he made a mistake, and I think it’s something he’s remorseful about. It won’t happen again. And again, the issue of education for all of us is paramount and in the forefront of our minds, and I know it is Justin’s as well.”

Snyder has also been active with the National Basketball Coaches Association’s committee on racial and social justice reform, which included a Thursday night meeting in Orlando as teams prepare to kick off the 2019-20 restart.

“Last night, the NBA head coaches had a meeting, which we’ve been doing frequently. And really the topic of that meeting was not COVID, was not the bubble, was not basketball, but it was a topic that’s far more important, and it was social justice and racism,” Snyder said. “Throughout the time that we’ve been here, it’s been a topic of discussion before and will continue to be. But, there’s a resolve to keep this issue and conversation alive and in our minds.”