With the low-scoring Super Bowl LIII in the rearview mirror Corey Linsley Jersey , the NFL has reached the official start of draft season. The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25, and between now and then the prospects will traverse the gauntlet of the scouting combine, pro days, and meetings with perspective employers. Those events will change the way teams and talent evaluators view the players, who will likewise see their fortunes rise or fall in the mock drafts.In his latest mock, SB Nation’s Dan Kadar sees the Green Bay Packers pursuing some familiar positions, albeit with some new names attached to the draft picks.Brian Burns has landed on the Packers in one of Kadar’s previous mock drafts, albeit at the end of the first round. This time around, the team lands the Florida State product with their top pick, a riskier proposition given the other talent available in that portion of the draft. Burns has produced as a pass rusher during his three seasons, but he might weigh less than 240 pounds and could become a liability defending the run. Still, Green Bay needs players who can generate pressure on their own Kenny Clark Jersey White , and Burns looks like one of those prospects.The Packers don’t necessarily need to invest a first-round pick in their receiving corps, but finding a pass catcher capable of taking pressure off Davante Adams would go along way towards restoring the offense to its past glory. N’Keal Harry possesses the elite length and athleticism general manager Brian Gutekunst covets at the position and, once the Arizona State product adjusts to the NFL, could provide Aaron Rodgers another dangerous red-zone threat.Though the Packers passed on both Iowa tight ends in this mock, they still land one of the better prospects at the position with their second-round pick. Irv Smith Jr. didn’t see much action until this past season when he caught 44 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns. He might not have the ceiling that T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant possess, but Smith could develop into the all-around tight end Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur wants for his offense. Just days after the 2018 regular season ended, the Green Bay Packers find themselves entrenched in what promises to be a lengthy search for their next head coach. Several candidates have already met with the team and many others have received official requests and even scheduled interviews of their own. Rumors and reports will inevitably dominate the next few weeks, as Green Bay and other teams narrow their search.But while much remains in flux, it appears New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has emerged as the front-runner for the Packers’ head-coaching vacancy.The Packers reportedly will interview McDaniels Friday, just over a week before the Patriots kick off in the divisional round. If McDaniels’ meeting goes well for both sides, he would presumably come in for a second interview later in the process.McDaniels’ name has surfaced frequently in connection with Green Bay since the team fired Mike McCarthy back in November. Other coaches such as Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald or Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley have come up as well. However, both appear to have taken themselves out of the running Womens JK Scott Jersey , leaving the path clear for McDaniels. Though the Packers could still pivot to another candidate, he seems like the man to beat at this stage.Hiring McDaniels certainly carries risk. He famously flamed out as Denver Broncos head coach during his early 30s, lasting less than two full seasons on the job. McDaniels, who had a hand in the team’s personnel decisions, made several disastrous moves such as trading away a first-round pick in order to move up in the second round for undersized corner Alphonso Smith and burning another first-rounder on Tim Tebow. McDaniels also struggled with delegation, preferring to do nearly everything himself. That approach caused issues within his coaching staff and on game day. And, of course, McDaniels appeared to have an agreement in place to take over the Indianapolis Colts last offseason before changing his mind at the 11th hour.For a team like the Packers, some of these concerns matter less than others. McDaniels’ shortcomings in player personnel wouldn’t affect any hiring decision as those responsibilities belong to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Granted, the GM and head coach work together on personnel decisions. However, the final say lies with Gutekunst, reducing or eliminating the risk of another Smith or Tebow selection. And as for last year’s Colts drama David Bakhtiari Jersey , McDaniels surely knows he can ill afford a repeat.However, Green Bay needs to learn how McDaniels plans to manage his coaching staff. If McDaniels still believes he needs to do everything rather than trust to his hand-picked assistants, that could force the franchise to look in a different direction. And even if McDaniels has learned how to better handle the workload, his choices for coordinators and other coaching spots could influence the Packers’ evaluation.Should McDaniels check off those boxes, his upside outweighs his red flags for the Packers. The team has struggled to stay on the cutting edge offensively in recent years, an issue that seemed to widen the divide between star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his since-fired head coach Mike McCarthy. Other issues have contributed to Green Bay’s recent woes, but the next hire must address the offense and build trust with the man under center.In McDaniels, the Packers would have a coach with the expertise to bring the offense into the modern era and the bona fides, plus an endorsement from Tom Brady, to appeal to Rodgers. During each of his stints in New England, McDaniels has managed to keep his offenses on the cutting edge, borrowing liberally from the top units in the NFL and at the college level. Just as importantly Womens Quinten Rollins Jersey , McDaniels has catered to the Patriots’ personnel, a group that has changed frequently and hasn’t always featured much top-end talent.McDaniels also utilizes the Erhardt-Perkins system, an offensive language not nearly as unwieldy as that of the West Coast offense. Erhardt-Perkins facilitates quicker communication between coach and quarterback as well as players at the line of scrimmage, allowing for a lightning fast no-huddle approach.The Packers received a close look at all of those strengths just a few months ago. McDaniels used pre-snap motion to create favorable matchups for Brady and the offense, often drawing a linebacker into coverage over pass-catching scatback James White. White quickly proved too difficult for Green Bay defenders to handle, finishing the game tied for the team lead in receptions.Meanwhile in the backfield, McDaniels had to build a ground game without Sony Michel, Jeremy Hill, or any traditional between-the-tackles runner. He opted to move Cordarrelle Patterson to tailback, feeding him almost exclusively with A-gap runs that most closely simulated the wideout’s approach returning kickoffs. The plan worked as Patterson carried the ball 11 times for 61 yards (5.5 average) and a touchdown.And until his team built a commanding lead, McDaniels leaned heavily on the no-huddle offense to tear through the Packers defense. Brady brought the Patriots to the line of scrimmage with considerable time left on the play clock and prevented Green Bay from substituting into more favorable and fresher personnel. The no-huddle rivaled the speed of even the fastest college offenses, and the Packers simply had no answer for it.Should the Packers hire McDaniels http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-kyle-murphy-jersey , he would have several field-tiling offensive weapons, an offensive line with an experienced center and one of the league’s best tackle tandems, and a future Hall of Fame quarterback at his disposal. The team will also have an offseason to add to that group. In just his first year with Green Bay, McDaniels could have offensive personnel superior to the group he just coached to a top-5 finish in DVOA (the Patriots have never finished worse than sixth since McDaniels’ return in 2012, twice finishing first during that span).Other factors would contribute to the Packers’ fortunes under McDaniels, including a defense that cratered down the stretch of 2018 and special teams that routinely performed like the worst such unit in the league. Still, the marriage of McDaniels’ coaching acumen and Green Bay’s offensive talent could put the team back into title contention in short order, perhaps as early as next season.

The Bengals’ already thin defense may have gotten just a little thinner. Safety Clayton Fejedelem left the Bengals vs. Saints game in the first half after getting accidentally kicked in the side by a fellow Bengals defender while pursuing a Saints runner out of bounds.He spent a little time following the play on the sidelines with the trainers looking at his side. It is hard to tell the severity or even what exactly got hurt based on the angles Anthony Munoz Jersey , but he didn’t have much of a chance.Fejedelem was heavily involved with the defense today as the Bengals have used plenty of three-safety sets. It is hard to tell if the Bengals will just go with more of a nickel defense with either Darius Phillips or Tony McRae in the mix. They could also potentially bring out Brandon Wilson as well. Darqueze Dennard is out with an injury at cornerback, which is one of many defensive injuries.Either way the Bengals need to find a way to at least slow down the Saints offense.We will update this story as more information becomes available. ALAMEDA Preston Brown Jersey , Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Raiders have signed linebacker Vontaze Burfict.The move Tuesday puts Burfict on a new team one day after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent his first seven seasons. During his time with Cincinnati Cordy Glenn Jersey , Burfict was repeatedly suspended by the NFL for violent hits and for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancers.One of Burfict’s most infamous hits was to the head of wide receiver Antonio Brown late in a playoff game in the 2015 season that helped the Steelers rally for an 18-16 win. Burfict and Brown will now be teammates after the former Pittsburgh star was traded to Oakland.Burfict will be reunited with Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who was in charge of the Bengals defense from 2014-17.During his career in Cincinnati Randy Bullock Jersey , Burfict had 8½ sacks and five interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013.

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues return from the Christmas break winners of four of their last six games.It is finally some traction for a team still seven points out of a playoff spot as the season nears the midway point.The Blues (14-16-4) hope to keep that momentum as they resume play by hosting the Buffalo Sabres (21-11-5) on Thursday night at Enterprise Center.Article continues below ...The game will be the first for Blues center Ryan O’Reilly against his former club since a trade brought him to St. Louis over the summer. O’Reilly’s 13 goals and 32 points lead the team.“We were in so many of these games Authentic Teuvo Teravainen Jersey , had leads and lost them,” O’Reilly said last month according to Buffalonews.com. “We didn’t have the consistency in games. Bad period here, blow a lead, couple bad shifts there. It wasn’t the hockey we needed to win.”Forwards Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist will also look to continue their strong play on the Blues’ fourth line. Either Barbashev or Sundqvist have scored in five of the last nine games for St. Louis.“We pop Barbashev and Sundqvist up and down the lineup a little bit in different matchups and things, penalty killing,” Blues interim coach Craig Berube told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “They’ve done a really good job. They’re scoring goals here and there, which is good. You need everybody to chip in in the goal department.”The duo has been productive despite limited minutes. Barbashev averages 11 minutes, 19 seconds of ice time, which ranks 21st on the team. Sundqvist is at 11:10, ranking 22nd.“Every single (shift) we just try to play really good defensively but at the same time we want to play in the (offensive) zone,” Barbashev told the Post-Dispatch. “Just play a simple game Womens Victor Rask Jersey , you know. Keep the puck. Get some energy. Sometimes maybe even try and score a goal.”The Blues have dominated the Sabres for the better part of two decades. Since 1999, St. Louis has a 17-3-4 record against Buffalo, including 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings.The Sabres haven’t beaten the Blues in St. Louis since Dec. 27, 2009.Perhaps the key to the Sabres’ success would be extending the game. More than one-third of the team’s games have gone to overtime or a shootout and Buffalo has an 8-5 record in those situations.“I love overtime. I’m always looking to score,” Sabres defenseman Ramsus Ristolainen told Buffalonews.com. “There’s a lot of room and you have a chance to make big plays for your team.”The Sabres entered the break off of a 3-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.Left winger Jeff Skinner scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and Linus Ullmark made 40 saves to earn the shutout.“It’s an emotional game,” Skinner told NHL.com. “Some games that’s just the way it goes. A little bit of a feisty game, I guess, at the end of some of the periods but I thought we did a good job sticking together.” Now that the Christmas break is over, the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks can focus on getting back in the win column.The Pacific Division rivals are each trying to avoid a fourth straight loss Thursday night at SAP Center. For the Sharks, the league’s three-day hiatus couldn’t have come at a better time.“I feel like our team’s running on fumes a little bit, the tank’s a little empty Alex DeBrincat Jersey ,” coach Peter DeBoer said after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday. “We’ve had to dig deep the last two nights to find a way to scratch out a couple of points.”Article continues below ...The latest setback came after San Jose (19-12-7) dropped a 3-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. The Sharks opened their homestand with a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 20.“All three of them, we should have collected points,” San Jose center Logan Couture said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a step backward. I’d say we weren’t at our best.”For Anaheim (19-14-5), the challenge isn’t just in ending its skid. The Ducks managed only two goals during their losing streak and went into the break with a 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.Ryan Getzlaf told the Orange County Register that the club didn’t finish the Eastern part of a season-high six straight games on the road strongly but also chose to look at the bigger picture.“The biggest message was that we’ve accomplished a lot in the last month and don’t let this derail us from what we want to accomplish,” he said. “Come back energized and ready to play again.”From Nov. 27 through Dec. 17, Anaheim scored 36 goals while winning nine of 10. Getzlaf, Ondrej Kase and Pontus Aberg each collected more than 10 points over that span.“If you look at the bulk of the work we’ve had the last month or so, there’s a lot of good things to build off,” defenseman Josh Manson told the Register. “I think we’re playing a good brand of hockey. Look at those games we were winning. What needs to change when we’re winning?“You don’t want to start picking your whole game apart because you lost three (straight).”Even with their respective slides, the Ducks and Sharks remain near the top of a tightly packed division.“This league, the margin of error is very small. The parity is very good regardless of the records and if you’re off a little bit Cam Atkinson Jersey Kids , you’re going to have tough nights,” DeBoer said.One player Anaheim will not face in its first game back is Erik Karlsson, who is wrapping up a two-game suspension. The defenseman drew the first ban of his 10-year career for a check to the head of Los Angeles winger Austin Wagner on Saturday.Karlsson has an eight-game assist streak and collected 19 (two goals, 17 assists) of his 26 points this season since Nov. 13.However, this will be the 1,000th game for teammate and fellow blueliner Brent Burns. A two-time Norris Trophy winner and three-time 20-goal scorer, Burns leads San Jose with 31 assists and is second with 35 points.Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Burns leads all NHL defensemen with 111 goals and is second with 361 points, trailing only Karlsson.The Sharks and Ducks split the first two meetings this season since San Jose swept Anaheim in the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.

TAMPA Youth Matt Nieto Jersey , Fla. (AP) — A three-point night from Steven Stamkos sent the Tampa Bay Lightning into their extended All-Star break with another victory.Stamkos scored a pair of goals in the third period and Tampa Bay beat San Jose 6-3 Saturday night.NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov added a pair of assists.Victor Hedman finished with a goal and two points.Alex Killorn, Mathieu Joseph and Yanni Gourde also scored for Tampa Bay, which is 6-2 since the Sharks ended the Lightning’s 16-game streak of consecutive games with a point on Jan. 5.Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves and recorded his 20th victory of the season.Evander Kane had two goals, and Marcus Sorenson also scored for the Sharks, who dropped their second consecutive game since winning seven in a row.Martin Jones stopped 20 shots and had his personal eight-game winning streak halted.“I didn’t think the score was super indicative of how the game went,” said Kane, who has four goals in two games against Tampa Bay this season. “I thought we carried the play to be honest for most of the game. But every mistake we made or when we took penalties Mikko Rantanen Jersey , they capitalized on those opportunities.”San Jose played without All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who was a late scratch despite participating in warmups.“He’s been dealing with something for a little while here and he felt that he was going to be able to play through and just couldn’t,” Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer said. “We’ll see how he feels (Sunday). I don’t have a full report on what is it. We’re not going to risk anything with him.”DeBoer indicated shutting down Karlsson for the final two games before the All-Star break is an option they will consider.The Lightning pulled away in the third on a pair of goals from Stamkos. He took a pass from Kucherov and scored on a wrist shot high to the stick side at 5:08, and added a power-play goal with a one-timer off a pass from Hedman at 14:15 for his 26th goal of the season. Stamkos reached the 25-goal mark for the ninth time in his career.“It’s been a lot of fun contributing to the team with the season we’ve been having so far as a team,” Stamkos said. “I got off to a little bit of a slow start, but I feel in rounding out my game, I’ve found myself putting myself into better positions to create offense and score some more goals.”Kucherov’s two assists gave him a league-leading 56 on the season. He has 78 points overall.Joseph opened the scoring for the Lightning with his 12th of the season Nathan MacKinnon Jersey , taking a rebound of a shot by Anthony Cirelli and netting a backhand at 3:32. Killorn made it 2-0 on another rebound at 17:51.Kane cut the lead in half with a power-play goal with 20.1 seconds left in the first period.San Jose tied the game on the opening shift of the second period as Kane pounced on his own rebound off the end boards 58 seconds in.But Gourde answered at 7:29, while Hedman scored a power-play goal at 12:01 to regain the two-goal edge.“You have the 2-0 lead and give it up, that’s tough,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “But I thought we settled down (after the tying goal) and (Gourde) gets a big one to give us the lead. I liked the way we weathered the emotions of ‘we coughed up the lead now we need to go get it back.’ It showed a little maturity.”NOTES: Lightning RW Yanni Gourde scored his first goal since Dec. 29. . Sharks’ D Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his ninth consecutive game with a wrist injury. . Tampa Bay played its final game before going into its bye week. . Marcus Sorensen is the eighth San Jose player to reach 10 goals on the season. . Tampa Bay has held the top spot in the NHL standings continuously since Dec. 2.UP NEXTSharks: At Florida Panthers on TuesdayLightning: At Pittsburgh on Jan. 30 Last year at around this time, Veini Vehvilainen was a solid backup to Jussi Rynnas for Karpat Oulu, a modern-day Finnish dynasty that had won the league title six times since 2000.Now, thanks to the emergence of Vehvilainen Authentic Alexander Wennberg Jersey , Karpat has seven championships since 2000. The 21-year-old took over the starting job in Karpat鈥檚 second game of the playoffs, posted a league-best 1.57 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, and recorded three shutouts, two of them in the final. What a difference a year makes. 鈥淎 huge difference,鈥?said Vehvilainen, speaking in Finnish. 鈥淚鈥檝e taken another step forward. I鈥檓 stronger mentally and physically, and I鈥檓 a technically better goalie.鈥滲ack in October 2016 Chris Terry Jersey Womens , Vehvilainen had played only five games for JYP Jyvaskyla, his hometown team, in Finland鈥檚 L... All-Access +All-Access Member AreaPremium content and in-depth analysis from our team of experts exclusively for magazine subscribers. Simply login to unlock the content or become a member for less than $2.50 a month.LoginBecome a Member

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s impressive turnaround after a 0-3 start ended in disappointment with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round.Still Womens Natrell Jamerson Jersey , the Texans remain optimistic about their future because they’re confident they’ve finally found their franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson after years of misfires at the position.“Every position is important … but you have to have a quarterback, and we have a quarterback,” coach Bill O’Brien said on Sunday. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we have the type of person and the type of quarterback that you need here to win in this league.”Watson’s play has been a revelation for a team that has started 11 different quarterbacks since 2011. The 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft started each game this season after he was limited to just seven games as a rookie after tearing a knee ligament in practice.He threw for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns this season to become the second player in team history and first since Matt Schaub in 2012 to throw for 4,000 yards. He added 551 yards rushing and five touchdowns to become the first player to have at least 4,000 yards passing and 25 touchdowns and 500 yards rushing and five scores in a season in NFL history.He was disappointed that he was unable to move the offense effectively on Saturday, but is looking forward to what this team can do next year and beyond.“The organization, (its) future, it’s bright,” he said. “Hopefully I’m a part of it Nick Martin Jersey White , for sure, for a long time.”While the Texans know they’ll have Watson for the next few seasons, they have a big decision to make on the other side of the ball with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney becoming a free agent. The top overall pick in the 2014 draft shook off injuries that plagued the early part of his career to make the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons.Clowney joined J.J. Watt to form one of the league’s most fearsome pass rushing duos this season and he had nine sacks after having a career-high 9½ last season.O’Brien wouldn’t say what their plans for Clowney are, but he had plenty to say about his development as a player.“I think very highly of him,” O’Brien said. “I think he’s a disruptive player …when he feels good, health-wise, and he’s ready to rock and roll, he’s hard to handle. Him in combination with J.J. and the other guys, it’s a tough front.”If the Texans can’t or don’t want to work out a long-term deal with Clowney they could use the franchise tag to keep him in Houston for one more season. Clowney said he hasn’t thought much about free agency, but that he’d like to remain with the Texans.“We were a lot better than what we played (Saturday) DeAndre Hopkins Jersey ,” he said. “Of course I want to come back and show everybody that with this team. But that’s up to them.”Along with getting Watson back after a season-ending injury, the Texans also received a boost from the return of Watt after he’d played just eight games over the previous two seasons because of injuries.The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year earned All-Pro honors in a season when he had 61 tackles, led the AFC with 16 sacks, had 25 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for losses and forced a career-high seven fumbles, which tied for the most in the NFL. It’s his fourth season with at least 15 sacks, which ranks second in NFL history behind Hall of Famer Reggie White, who had five.“The last two years all I wanted to do was just play,” he said. “I just wanted to play and not even necessarily at the highest level. I just wanted to play. Now it’s exciting to be back where I’m playing at a very high level and I say: ‘OK I don’t want to just play. I want to be dominant and great and the best.'”Also on Sunday, receiver Demaryius Thomas spoke to reporters for the first time since a season-ending Achilles tendon injury on Dec. 23. Thomas was traded from Denver in October after Will Fuller tore a knee ligament.The four-time Pro Bowler has one year remaining on a five-year http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authentic-derek-newton-jersey , $70 million contract signed in 2015 and it’s unclear if the Texans will want to keep him on the roster with such a high salary.“That’s a tough injury,” O’Brien said. “He knows that. He’s (over) 30 years old. That’s not easy to come back from, but he’s going to work hard. He wants to play again. He made that statement to me, and we’ll see how it goes moving forward.”The Texans are also looking ahead to this year’s draft where they’ll have three picks in the top two rounds after not having a draft pick until the third round last year because they shipped their top two picks away to get rid of Brock Osweiler and trade up to get Watson in 2017.But O’Brien said he’d need a little time before he starts thinking about the future after how his team’s season ended on Saturday.“I’m not trying to overstate this (but) I felt terrible about (Saturday) that I couldn’t get that team to play better than they did,” he said. “That’s something that will stick with me for a long time, and I’ve got to figure that out. But definitely, at some point in time pretty soon here I’ll get a second wind and get excited about helping (general manager) Brian (Gaine) (with) … the draft.” The AFC South is a cruel and bizarre mistress. Teams that should be winning by a clear margin are stagnating.Those who should be stagnating are seemingly managing to subsist to a degree in which they can achieve a lofty standing atop the division. To think we are only a season removed from the days in which the AFC South was the NFL’s trashcan to a day in which three teams are looking to ascend to what was hoped to be a strong division.Fun times.The Texans have recovered from a 0-3 start to claw their way back to 3-3.The Jaguars started strongly with two wins that included a pasting of the New England Patriots in Foxborough. Blake Bortles, however, imploded and Leonard Fournette has not played for a few weeks, so Jacksonville’s offense is about as effective as the ocean is for quenching a thirst. No one knows how today’s game will go.This your first of four open threads that will be spread out over the contest.Feel free to react and comment as you see fit to the action in the space below.NOTE: Please do not post any images Womens Johnathan Joseph Jersey , videos, GIFs, or non-text comments in any of BRB’s live game threads. They tend to slow the thread down and can take a long time to load. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.NOTE II: Due to the fast-paced nature of these threads, there will be no warnings before bans on game day. If a moderator deems a comment or user to be problematic, he or she will remove that person from the discussion for the good of the collective game day experience. If you’re on the wrong side of the law today and want your posting privileges reinstated, please send an e-mail to one of us tomorrow.NOTE III: Please refrain from any reference to or mention of any religion or religious figure, even if you believe it’s celebratory or inoffensive. If you make such a reference or comment, it will be deleted and you will be warned. Two violations of this rule will result in a ban

Bengals practice squad players who have gone on to contribute in the NFL One of the staples of the Marvin Lewis era with the Cincinnati Bengals is in the more frequent hitting on draft picks. A major plague on the years preceding Lewis’ tenure was in the team whiffing on high draft picks—be it from injury or otherwise. Sure Germaine Pratt Jersey Mens , there have been some major misses on prospects with Lewis at the helm, but there’s no doubt that they are of much lower-profiles than that of those of the 1990s. And, part of the team’s heavy reliance on the draft is in their stockpiling of talent to stow away on the practice squad. With the announcement of the 2018 53-man roster on Saturday came the subsequent declaration of their practice squad. Here are the players on the practice squad:TE Moritz B枚hringer (first-year player, Aalen [Germany])*DT Andrew Brown (rookie, Virginia)HB Quinton Flowers (rookie, South Florida)H-B Jordan Franks (rookie, Central Florida)CB C.J. Goodwin (third-year player, California [Pa.])C Brad Lundblade (rookie, Oklahoma State)OT Kent Perkins (first-year player, Texas)CB KeiVarae Russell (third-year player Youth Germaine Pratt Jersey , Notre Dame)WR Kermit Whitfield (first-year player, Florida State)LB Chris Worley (rookie, Ohio State)QB Christian Hackenberg (third-year player, Penn State)There are some names on the squad who either could contribute in the future, or have already done so in some capacity. However, there have been past examples of practice squad players being brought up to the Bengals’ active roster and putting their stamp on things. Here are some of the past contributors to the Bengals under Marvin Lewis after getting their start on the practice squad:Brian Hill, 2017: Although some are wondering why Hill wasn’t on this year’s list, he came in at the end of last year when injuries hit Joe Mixon and Jeremy Hill. He had 11 carries for 37 yards and two receptions for 36 yards last season. KeiVarae Russell, 2016-current: He’s bounced on and off of the Bengals’ active roster, but has contributed for Cincinnati in the past. Russell has played in 13 games the past two seasons White Germaine Pratt Jersey , while logging eight tackles and an interception. Alex Redmond, 2016-current: Redmond is in the running for the Bengals’ right guard gig and has been on the team for the past couple of seasons. He played in five games for the Bengals last year. Trey Hopkins, 2014-current: The Bengals seem to like what’s ahead for Hopkins, as he seems to be in the lead to start at right guard again this season. He started 12 games last year for the Bengals and they hope he can improve along with other changes they made on the line this offseason. T.J. Johnson, 2013-2018: Unfortunately, Johnson was just released by the Bengals, but he was a valuable member of the team as a backup player on the offensive line. He was used as both a guard and center. James Develin, 2010-2012: Develin didn’t do much with the Bengals, but he’s gone on to have a great career with the Patriots. He’s made a Pro Bowl and won two Super Bowls with New England. He recently signed a big contract to stick with them until 2020.Clinton McDonald, 2009-2010: The former Memphis defensive lineman is a great success story. Though he only played two seasons with the Bengals Drew Sample Cincinnati Bengals Jersey , he’s still currently playing in the NFL— though he was just cut by the Denver Broncos. He only notched four tackles with the Bengals, but has done some good things elsewhere. McDonald was traded to the Seattle Seahawks by the Bengals for Kelly Jennings. Dan Skuta, 2009-2012: Skuta was a valuable member to the Bengals’ special teams crew, which then propelled him to a big contract with the 49ers. In four seasons with Cincinnati, Skuta started four games and racked up 48 tackles, while also forcing two fumbles. Nate Livings, 2006-2011: Though he was a fan whipping boy for quite some time, Livings truly had a rags-to-riches story in the NFL. He hung around the practice squad for 2006 and 2007, and then was promoted to the active roster in 2008. He was then a starting guard from 2009-2011, while swapping some starts with Evan Mathis in his first season as a starter. He went on to start every game with the Dallas Cowboys in 2012 after signing a lucrative contract. Kyle Cook Drew Sample Jersey 2019 , 2007-2014: The former center might be one of the finest examples of a practice squad success story for the Bengals and under Lewis’ watch. After being released by the Vikings as a rookie, Cincinnati pounced on the former Michigan State Spartan. He played on special teams in 2008 and then went on to start 66 games at center. He wasn’t the best center this team has seen, but was definitely solid in his prime. Herana-Daze Jones, 2006-2007: The defensive back was on the team’s final roster in 2006 and 2007 and led the squad in special teams both of those years. Jones played in 31 games for the Bengals over three seasons and accumulated 45 total tackles. Willie Anderson will announce the Bengals’ second round pick and Geno Atkins will announce the Bengals’ third round pick."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABreaking NewsKeep track of the 2019 Bengals draft脳Willie Anderson and Geno Atkins to announce Bengals’ 2019 draft picksWillie Anderson will announce the Bengals’ second round pick and Geno Atkins will announce the Bengals’ third round pick.EDTShareTweetShareShareWillie Anderson and Geno Atkins to announce Bengals’ 2019 draft picksThe Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAThe selections are in, and the Bengals picked two great players to join their 2019 draft team.Willie Anderson and Geno Atkins will be representing the Bengals in Nashville and announcing their picks.Big Willie will announce the Bengals’ second round pick, which is the 42nd overall pick, while Atkins will announce the Bengals’ third round pick, which will be 72nd overall.Anderson, a former first-round pick, and Atkins Color Rush Drew Sample Jersey , a former fourth-round pick, are two of the best to ever play their positions in Cincinnati. Hopefully, the picks that they are announcing will have a similar impact on the team.This will be the third year in a row that the Bengals have selected former offensive players and current defensive players to announce their picks. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Michael Johnson had the honors last year, following Anthony Mu帽oz and Vincent Rey in 2017.There are few players better suited to welcome in the new crop of future Bengals than Anderson and Atkins.

RALEIGH Adam Clendening Jersey Womens , N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes are taking their shots, but that’s the extent of the offense in many situations.Sorting out those shortcomings remains a priority as the team goes into Monday night’s game against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers at PNC Arena.The Hurricanes have lost four of their last five games. In those defeats, they’ve been shut out twice and scored one goal in the two others.Article continues below ...“There’s only so much we can do,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said of potential changes.The disappointment mounts because the Hurricanes have felt that in many cases they’ve done the right things — except putting the puck in the net.“It still looks pretty much the same. We’re getting our chances,” Brind’Amour said. “Five-on-five, the game is there every night. We’ve changed lines and we’ve done that. We’ve got to obviously get special teams rolling, to at least not hurt us. The 5-on-5 game Devin Shore Jersey , I think, is fine.“Switching lines up, we’ll make a couple little adjustments but I don’t know if that’s really the answer.”The Hurricanes could be pressing at times, something that might not make things better right away.“I think that has been weighing on the guys all year, really,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s no easy answer to it. You have to do it right.”Philadelphia isn’t without its problems. The Flyers have gone four straight games without winning in regulation, holding a 1-2-1 mark in those games.“It’s frustrating and disappointing Womens Esa Lindell Jersey , but we have to move on,” Philadelphia left winger James van Riemsdyk said.The Flyers dropped a 2-1 decision at Florida on Saturday, but it was notable on some fronts. Philadelphia won 69.4 percent of its face-offs for its second-best rate in that category this season. Center Sean Couturier was 18-for-24 on draws, coming a game after winning a career-high 19 face-offs at Tampa Bay.Goalie Carter Hart is coming off a 34-save outing for the Flyers. But Florida scored two late goals to pull out the victory.“I have to bear down,” Hart said. “We’ll regroup and get ready for Carolina.”Said Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas: “I thought we had the game under control.”For the Flyers, Monday night’s game marks the fourth stop in a stretch of five consecutive road games.The Hurricanes have been hurt by the absence of center Jordan Staal, who has missed the last three games and eight of the last 10 games while dealing with injuries.Staal didn’t practice Sunday so it’s unlikely he’ll be back until January. With the situation facing the Hurricanes Jamie Benn Jersey , they don’t have the luxury to wait for all the pieces to be together.“Where we are, every game is important,” Brind’Amour said. “If there are points out there, we’ve got to have them.”For Carolina, this is part of consecutive games against the Flyers. The teams meet Thursday night in Philadelphia, though the Flyers have a game in between with Tuesday night’s game at Nashville.The other two matchups between the Hurricanes and Flyers come in the final eight days of the regular season. MONTREAL (AP) Canadian world junior championship coach Dominique Ducharme has made the jump to the NHL as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens.The Canadiens dropped assistant coaches Jean-Jacques Daigneault and Dan Lacroix and hired Ducharme away from the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Friday.The club also gave a contract extension to goaltending coach Stephane Waite, who has been with the team for five years.The moves are part of an offseason shakeup by a Canadiens team that missed the playoffs for a second time in three years. On April 17 http://www.officialstarsproonline.com/authentic-adidas-jason-spezza-jersey , the club fired Sylvain Lefebvre, coach of their American Hockey League team, the Laval Rocket, which also missed the playoffs. Lefebvre has yet to be replaced.Ducharme, 45, has built an impressive resume in junior hockey and may be seen as a potential future replacement for Canadiens head coach Claude Julien.Ducharme coached 10 years in the QMJHL with Halifax and Drummondville. In 2013, he took a Mooseheads team that included future Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon and Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin to a Memorial Cup title John Klingberg Jersey , as well as winning the QMJHL coach of the year award. He moved to Drummondville in 2016 to be closer to his family.Ducharme coached Canada twice at the world juniors, winning silver in 2017 and gold in 2018.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko called it an “accident” but it paid big dividends for the St. Louis Blues.Tyler Bozak broke a scoreless tie with 7:25 left and Jordan Binnington earned his fifth shutout in two months as the Blues beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Tuesday night.Bozak took a cross-ice pass from Tarasenko in the third period and put the puck through the legs of Nashville goalie Juuse Saros. Tarasenko made the goal possible. He kept the puck inside the blue line to keep the play alive for St. Louis and then found a wide-open Bozak.“It was kind of an accident. There’s a bit of luck that’s needed in these games and there was a kind of luck to that play Valtteri Filppula Jersey Womens ,” Tarasenko said. “It was a big goal for us.”Alex Pietrangelo added an empty-netter on the power play with four seconds remaining.Binnington, a 25-year-old rookie, stopped 19 shots. All his shutouts have come since Jan. 7, when he made his first NHL start. He is 14-2-1 in that span.“We were good tonight right off the bat, hot start,” Binnington said. “A couple chances didn’t go our way, we didn’t get it home, but we stayed with it the whole game and finally in the end there Bozie put one home. We’re playing hard for each other and we’re enjoying it. It’s a special group in here and hopefully we can make the most of it.”Bozak’s big goal came a few seconds after a power play ended.“We worked pucks hard that whole power play and obviously Vladdy made a great pass to me through the seam and I tried to shoot it quick,” Bozak said. “I knew there was a chance I could score and luckily it found a hole.”Saros said he was paying attention to Tarasenko on the play.“They moved the puck well and they had a one-seam pass and I was maybe over-anticipating one more pass in the middle Fredrik Claesson Jersey Womens ,” Saros said. “I should have focused more on the shooter there.”Nashville coach Peter Laviolette did not fault Saros, who finished with 42 saves.“He played a great game. He did his job,” Laviolette said. “It just wasn’t enough. We didn’t have enough going the other way.”St. Louis won the season series 4-1-0, taking the final four matchups from its Central Division rival. The Blues are 11-4-0 in their last 15 games against the Predators, who have a one-point lead in the division over Winnipeg.The third-place Blues have three games in hand on Nashville.“This is a team that we’re behind,” Bozak said. “It’s a team that we want to catch and possibly get ahead. Our goal is to keep moving up in the standings and keep getting better.”St. Louis has won its past seven home games, the longest active streak in the league. The Blues also set a franchise record with 12 wins in February and matched their mark for any month (April 2013).“We were in last place when January started,” Tarasenko said. “I don’t know the stats. There’s so many games. You move from one game to another. There’s no thinking about how many you’ve won at home or on the road. We just try to win every game. We try to keep it rolling.”Nashville got on the power play in the third when Colton Parayko was called for high-sticking at 8:08, but the Predators didn’t get a shot during the two minutes. Right after the penalty Dylan DeMelo Jersey Womens , Parayko had a breakaway but Saros blocked the shot.Binnington thwarted Filip Forsberg at 2:20 of the final period. Forsberg was all alone in front but couldn’t score.The Blues came right back with a big chance when Ryan O’Reilly hit the crossbar. However, the puck bounced straight down in the crease and out.The teams battled through two scoreless periods. St. Louis controlled the action for the most part, outshooting the Predators 24-14. The Blues had one power play in the first period but Nashville killed it. The Predators were unable to score when they were on the power play in the second.“Goalies are good and they’re going to make saves,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “That’s part of the game. You have to stay with it and we did.”NOTES: Blues LW Alexander Steen was scratched with the flu. St. Louis recalled Sammy Blais on emergency conditions from San Antonio. … New defenseman Michael Del Zotto was a healthy scratch for the Blues. He was in Vancouver on Monday with Anaheim when the trade was completed and arrived in St. Louis late Tuesday morning. He has split this season between the Canucks and Ducks, scoring one goal and adding six assists in 35 games. … The Predators made two moves Monday just before the trade deadline, acquiring Mikael Granlund from Minnesota and Wayne Simmonds from Philadelphia. Simmonds was in the lineup Tuesday but Granlund was not.UP NEXTPredators: Play at Winnipeg on Friday.Blues: Play at Carolina on Friday. GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights couldn’t put away the Arizona Coyotes in regulation time, but they dominated overtime and picked up an important divisional win.Max Pacioretty stuffed in a rebound at 3:36 of overtime, and the Golden Knights beat the Coyotes 3-2 Wednesday night.The goal was the second of the night for Pacioretty Gabriel Gagne Jersey Womens , who also scored in the second period. Tomas Nosek also scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury had 19 saves for Vegas.Vegas had five shots in the extra period; Arizona had none.“We know how many divisional games we have here coming up,” Pacioretty said. “They’re all important. To be able to stick with it, kill that penalty at the end, was huge.”Derek Stepan scored twice for Arizona, and Darcy Kuemper had 22 saves. Both teams have picked up points in three of their last five games.Stepan scored at 19:08 of the first period and with 6:49 left in the third period. His second goal tied the game at 2-all. On the power play, Alex Galchenyuk fed Stepan, who had plenty of open net.The Coyotes got another power play with 1:55 to play, but couldn’t convert before the end of regulation.“There’s some positives to take out of the power play scoring a big goal for us James Van Riemsdyk Jersey Womens ,” Stepan said. “We scored a big goal to give our team a chance to win the hockey game. … We go forward with that.”Vegas lost a chance for a two-goal lead early in the third period. Cody Eakin’s apparent goal was reviewed and overturned when teammate Alex Tuch was ruled offside.The first period saw some hard hitting by both teams and a brief tussle between Coyotes center Brad Richardson and Golden Knights center William Karlsson. Arizona’s Christian Fischer had a shot bounce off the post late in the period.Stepan scored his fifth goal of the season with 52 seconds left in the first, when he redirected Jakob Chychrun’s shot past Fleury for a 1-0 Coyotes lead.Chychrun, playing in just his second game of the season, recorded his first point.Nosek took a pass from Reilly Smith and beat Kuemper with a shot over his glove at 5:50 of the second period, tying the game.The Coyotes just missed regaining the lead at the 11:32 mark of the second when Clayton Keller broke away with a long pass from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and hit the post with his shot.Pacioretty started the play that led to his goal late in the second period. He passed to Tuch, who sent the puck to Eakin, who crossed it back to Pacioretty, who netted a wrist shot.“‘Patch’ is one of those guys when he gets the puck in the net, he gets confident Matt Cullen Jersey Womens ,” Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said. “It couldn’t happen to a better player.”The Coyotes’ NHL-best penalty kill was 2 for 2 on Friday, and has allowed just five goals on 62 opponent power plays this season. Defenseman Alex Goligoski also returned from injury, playing for the first time since Nov. 8.“We need some individuals to play better,” Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet said. “It’s too hard of a game for us. We don’t have the team to outscore teams all the time. We have to play a good, diligent game defensively.”NOTES: The game was the first of four meetings between the desert rivals. … Golden Knights F Tomas Hyka returned to action after being scratched from Monday’s game. … Kuemper started his eighth straight game with No. 1 goaltender Antti Raanta still out with a lower body injury. … F Josh Archibald served the second of a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head from last week. … D Dakota Mermis was sent back to AHL Tucson after playing in one game for the Coyotes last weekend.UP NEXTVegas: Hosts the Calgary Flames on Friday night.Arizona: Hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

A linesman orders Sean Couturier out of the faceoff circle and Claude Giroux shrugs before stepping in and winning the draw.Two centers on the ice at once is a nice luxury for the Philadelphia Flyers to have.”He’s one of the best in the league at faceoffs http://www.officialpredators.com/authentic-adidas-ryan-hartman-jersey ,” Couturier said of Giroux, who ranks third in the NHL. ”When you start with the puck, it’s a huge part of the game.”Beyond just controlling faceoffs, having depth at center is a growing factor for success in the NHL. Contenders like the Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins all boast depth down the middle and are spreading centers all over the lineup.The flexibility gives teams potentially game-altering matchups with the playoffs coming up in a month.”You can never have enough center-ice men on your team for lots of reasons,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.Crucial faceoffs, injuries and defensive-zone coverage are many of the reasons to load up on centers who can almost always shift to wing and not miss a beat. Philadelphia has long followed the model of drafting and acquiring centers and moving them around, and now has nine natural centers on its roster.The Penguins won the 2009 Stanley Cup going with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Max Talbot down the middle and captured it the past two years with Crosby, Malkin Ryan Johansen Jersey , Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen. The free agent departures of Bonino and Cullen left a void that Pittsburgh filled by trading for Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan to again look like a championship contender.”To have the depth that we have at this point at the center-ice position is I think an important aspect of our overall game,” Sullivan said. ”We didn’t have that coming into training camp. I think our general manager, Jim (Rutherford), has worked extremely hard at making sure that he gave us what has become now I think a strength of our team.”It’s also a strength of the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning, who are overflowing with center options beyond Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn and trade-deadline pickup J.T. Miller. The Toronto Maple Leafs also roll deep with forwards who play center or have in the past, including Patrick Marleau and recent acquisition Tomas Plekanec.”I can get a can’t-miss matchup,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock said. ”You’re not scared of any matchup as time goes on.”It’s all about the matchups in the arms race that is the absurd Central Division. It wasn’t good enough that the Central-leading Predators had Ryan Johansen, signed Bonino last summer and traded for Kyle Turris in November; they welcomed center Mike Fisher back from retirement and still have Colton Sissons and Craig Smith.The Jets acquired center Paul Stastny from the St. Louis Blues to add to an already forward-heavy roster. It paid immediate dividends with Patrik Laine extending his point streak to 13 games and Winnipeg cruising along after Mark Scheifele went down with an injury.”We’ll be putting two centers out there for D-zone draws and whatnot,” said Andrew Copp, who thinks Winnipeg’s center depth stacks up with the best in the league. ”That’s really important, and then just depth with injuries. … Now we’ve got six, seven Viktor Arvidsson Jersey , eight guys that we can really lean on.”It’s an increasingly popular strategy. The Flyers are vying for the league lead in faceoffs, handling the early-season crackdown on faceoff violations and compensating for a young, mostly unproven defense with versatile forwards.”Being strong up the middle is important,” coach Dave Hakstol said. ”That’s the backbone of every line, so to have guys that are comfortable in that spot I think is important. Playing down low in your zone – there’s so much switching and interchanging that goes on from the wing to that down-low position in coverage, having somebody that’s comfortable being down there I think is a benefit, as well.”Two centers are better than one not just for faceoffs but because the extra responsibilities of the position allow for better awareness in the defensive zone, where wingers typically are only tasked with defending their respective opposing winger in man-to-man schemes. Giroux shifted to wing on the top line with Couturier after spending the past eight-plus years at center and is approaching his career high in points and playing some of the best hockey of his career.”We get a read off each other,” said Couturier, a leading candidate for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. ”It’s about chemistry and trying to trust each other out there. Guys can fill in different roles and it’s nice and it helps the team. That’s what you kind of want from having so many centermen is you want to fill in each other’s roles.”Having extra centers is a substantial benefit – if they can handle the position change. Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler made a rapid adjustment from wing to center amid injuries, but just about everyone agrees it’s much easier to go the other way.”There’s a real quick adjustment to going from center to the wing: figure out how to work the walls and find your point men,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. ”That’s a very difficult change.”— Anaheim Ducks (32-36-10, seventh in the Pacific Division) vs. Calgary Flames (47-23-7 Robin Lehner Jersey Womens , first in the Pacific Division)Calgary, Alberta; Friday, 9 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: The Anaheim Ducks travel to Scotiabank Saddledome to face the top team in the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames.The Flames are 13-9-2 in division games. Calgary has scored 269 goals and ranks fourth in the NHL averaging 3.5 per game. Johnny Gaudreau leads the team with 35.The Ducks are 15-22-2 on the road. Anaheim is last in the NHL averaging just 6.2 points per game. Ryan Getzlaf leads the team with 47 total points. In their last meeting on Feb. 22, Calgary won 2-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Mikael Backlund leads the Flames with a plus-36 in 73 games played this season. Matthew Tkachuk has recorded eight goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Calgary.LAST 10 GAMES: Ducks: 6-3-1, averaging 3.4 goals, five assists, 4.7 penalties and 9.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game with a .901 save percentage.Flames: 6-4-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.9 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game with a .919 save percentage.Flames Injuries: Sam Bennett: day to day (upper body).Ducks Injuries: Ryan Getzlaf: day to day (upper body), Nick Ritchie: day to day (upper body).

An NFL statement intended to clarify to officials the emphasis on quarterback hits may have raised questions with Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.NFL football operations chief Troy Vincent said Thursday that the powerful competition committee had clarified to game officials the techniques used in such hits. A lack of consistency on such calls also has been a source of contention throughout the league.Matthews has been called for a roughing-the-passer call in each of the Packers' first three games. Two of the hits appeared to be normal tackles."I don't know if that statement really expresses how they're going to call it moving forward Antonio Morrison Jersey ," Matthews said after practice on Thursday."Furthermore after seeing the video, too, all hits on the quarterback that came from straight on, which is what they teach you since Pee Wee football with running backs, receivers or whatever is to approach them head-on if you can — those were all illegal hits, much like the two hits I had on (Vikings quarterback Kirk) Cousins and (Redskins quarterback Alex) Smith last week, which were conveniently left out of the video."The NFL released a video online that showed flagged and legal hits, though it was not clear if Matthews was talking about the same video."All of the acceptable hits which were legal came from off the edge or quarterbacks that were trying to fight out of a sack," Matthews said. "If they continue to call it like that, I think there's going to be more penalties, players are obviously going to be upset, coaches are going to continue to not know how to coach it and fans will continue to be upset by the fact that the NFL can't seem to get out of its own way."Matthews had a conversation with team president Mark Murphy Jermaine Whitehead Jersey , who is on the competition committee, after the committee's latest meeting. Asked if Murphy had any advice, Matthews said "No, no . I think it was more so, just continue to play in the way I which I have."I think they were just trying to get some clarity on how ... besides the hits, I think there's been a lot of inconsistency with how it's been called with different crews out there," Matthews said. "I think that was maybe to clear it up, for officiating, but I'm not sure how it was being called before."Still, Matthews said that a slight adjustment might need to be made that when going after a quarterback head-on, that he might have to "pick a side, maybe go after the ball. Those are going to be the tough ones."The linebacker added: "Physics would say when you're coming from straight-on Za’Darius Smith Jersey , you can't hit somebody with just your shoulder, wrap up with your arms. I mean, that's the way you play football, and I think that's what fans want to see. So I get it. As I continue to say, they're trying to protect the quarterbacks."Matthews said it's also difficult to officiate intent though it's something that the linebacker would like to see. He indicated he did not intend to put his full body weight on the quarterback on at least two of his hits.While Matthews has expressed frustration with the calls over the past few weeks, he did allow for moments of levity in front of his locker on Thursday."There's a big difference between falling on a guy and driving a guy on the ground, and I think that would allow the officiating to be much cleaner," Matthews said. "But maybe they can make room and put one more guy on the competition committee. Me." When the Green Bay Packers drafted safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round in 2014, the team and their fans alike figured they’d have an anchor in their secondary for years to come. They thought they had found their replacement for Charles Woodson and even have Clinton-Dix number 21.Five years later, with Clinton-Dix playing out his option year on his rookie contract, it seems the Packers and the former Alabama standout are headed for a divorce.It’s not that Clinton-Dix didn’t show any ability in five years. He made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team in 2014 and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2016. The makings were there for a great player.Instead everything seems to have come apart. Clinton-Dix was awful in 2017 as he was constantly out of position during plays. He also publicly declared there was a lack of accountability on defense. Dom Capers was shown the door at the end of last season and head coach Mike McCarthy brought in Mike Pettine to rebuild the unit.Five games into 2018 and it’s still much of the same for Clinton-Dix. While he has made a few plays, he is still out of position far too often. Now word comes out he thinks this is his last season in Green Bay Billy Turner Jersey , calling the 2018 season the “biggest interview of my career.”If he doesn’t expect to be back in Green Bay next season, you can rest assured general manager Brian Gutekunst likely feels the same way.You can read more on the likely impending departure of Clinton-Dix and more in today’s cheese curds.Packers’ Ha Ha Clinton-Dix expects to play elsewhere next season—Wisconsin State JournalDespite being tied for the league lead in interceptions with three, Clinton-Dix seems confident he will be in a different uniform next year. Players with that mindset usually find a way to make it happen, barring going on an absolute tear.Packers’ in-season additions juggle professional, personal challenges—PackersNews.comJoining an NFL team mid-season can throw all sorts of logistics through the loop for the players and their families. Not only do they have to get up to speed fast, but they have to move their families mid-school year as well.Packers sign RB Tra Carson, WR Keon Hatcher to practice squad—Packers.comThe Packers solidify their practice squad with a couple moves.What ails Packers’ offense: Aaron Rodgers’ knee or other factor?—ESPNRodgers’ knee isn’t making the quarterback hold the ball too long nor is it calling the plays. The knee injury is just an excuse for problems that are occurring below the surface.A mental illness journey: Clinging to hope after hitting personal rock bottom—Appleton Post-CrescentWith October 10th being World Mental Health Day, this is very brave of Packers beat writer Ryan Wood to share his and his wife’s struggles with mental health. It’s OK not to be OK, and we must do more to combat the stigma associated with mental health.