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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

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Stephen Jones admits huge regret from Cowboys’ 2017 draft

Dallas Cowboys logo

The Dallas Cowboys have made some unfortunate NFL Draft decisions over the past few years, and executive vice president Stephen Jones is admitting to one of them.

Ahead of the Cowboys’ meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Jones bemoaned the fact that the team did not select T.J. Watt in the first round of the 2017 draft. Dallas instead used its first-round pick on Taco Charlton, with Watt going two picks later.

Hindsight is 20/20, but this did end up being a terrible choice by Dallas. Charlton didn’t produce, fell out with coaches, and was thrown under the bus by Jerry Jones after being released in just his third NFL season. Watt, meanwhile, has gone on to become an All-Pro selection.

It’s worth remembering that Stephen has saved Jerry from making some pretty awful draft decisions. Not this one, though. They’d both probably like to have that one back.

Alabama RB Trey Sanders in stable condition after car accident

Alabama Crimson Tide logo

Alabama running back Trey Sanders was involved in a car accident on Friday but is in stable condition.

Alabama sent the following statement on Friday attributed to Nick Saban:

“Trey Sanders was involved in a car accident this morning and is in stable condition after sustaining non-life threating injuries. We are in direct contact with his family and the physicians that are treating him as we continue to gather more information.”

Sanders is a freshman from Florida and has 30 carries for 134 yards this season. The redshirt freshman rushed 12 times for 80 yards in the shutout win over Mississippi State last weekend, which were both career-high marks for him.

Sanders was a highly sought-after recruit and ranked among the to players in the country entering college.

Russell Wilson looking to trademark ‘Let Russ Cook’ to sell cooking utensils

Russell Wilson

The Seattle Seahawks have opened up their playbook for Russell Wilson this season, and the quarterback is poised to set career highs across the board. You could say that the Seahawks are finally letting Wilson cook, and Russ is taking advantage both on and off the field.

Wilson filed a trademark last month for the phrase “Let Russ Cook.” In addition to wanting to use the phrase to sell apparel, Wilson also noted in his trademark filing that he will use it to sell cooking utensils and other items. Here’s more from Josh Gerben of Gerben Law Firm:

The phrase “Let Russ Cook” gained popularity early last season and became a cry for the Seahawks to stop limiting the Pro Bowl quarterback. The belief is that Seattle has always focused on playing stout defense and running the ball rather than letting Wilson air it out like many other top quarterbacks in the NFL. Wilson even shared his thoughts on the “let Russ Cook” movement earlier this year.

Wilson certainly isn’t being held back this year. He has 2,151 yards and 26 touchdown passes in just seven games. His career high for yards is 4,219 and touchdown passes is 35. He’s on pace to shatter both of those marks.

If Wilson can sell some cookware while having the best season of his career, that’s even better.

Photo: Larry Maurer/Flickr via cc-by-sa 2.0

New Mets owner cleaning house in front office

Brodie Van Wagenen

Steve Cohen officially became the new owner of the New York Mets on Friday after his deal to purchase the team closed, and the billionaire hedge fund manager has wasted no time making serious changes.

The Mets announced on Friday that they are firing Brodie Van Wagenen and several other members of the team’s front office. The other executives who are leaving include Omar Minaya, Allard Baird, Adam Guttridge and Jared Banner.

One of Cohen’s first orders of business with the Mets was to bring back Sandy Alderson as president of baseball operations. Alderson was the GM of the Mets until 2018, when he left the role due to a recurrence of cancer. The 72-year-old is credited with helping to build the Mets’ 2015 NL championship team.

Van Wagenen served as GM of the Mets for two years. He was caught up in an embarrassing controversy over the summer, though it seems likely he would have been fired anyway.

The Mets finished 26-34 and in last place in the NL East during the shortened 2020 season. It is no surprise Cohen wants a blank slate after spending $2.4 billion to purchase the franchise.

Justin Turner not disciplined by MLB for violating coronavirus protocol

Justin Turner celebration

Major League Baseball has concluded its investigation into Justin Turner celebrating with his teammates after the World Series, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star will not be disciplined.

Turner was removed from the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 before the eighth inning after it was learned he had tested positive for COVID-19. Despite that, the third baseman joined his teammates on the field after the game to celebrate and pose for photos. That was a violation of MLB’s coronavirus protocols, but MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement on Friday that he is “closing this matter by applauding Justin for accepting responsibility, apologizing, and making a commitment to set a positive example going forward.”

Turner and Dodgers president Stan Kasten also issued statements. Turner apologized for his actions and noted that he thought he was permitted to go onto the field when no staffers stopped him. He also described how elated he was to capture a World Series title. Kasten stood behind Turner. You can read all three statements below:

Turner’s teammates certainly weren’t bothered by him joining the celebration. They likely told him they were already exposed to him and felt contracting COVID-19 was worth the risk for him to be able to enjoy the moment with them. Turner wore a mask, but you could tell from his teammates actions that they were not uncomfortable in his presence.

Arizona-Utah game canceled due to COVID-19

Pac-12

Yet another game from the Pac-12’s opening week has been canceled, as Arizona and Utah will not play on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 cases.

The Pac-12 announced in a statement on Friday that it has approved Utah’s request to cancel its game against Arizona due to not having the minimum number of scholarship players available this week. The statement said a number of football players tested positive for COVID-19.

It’s unclear exactly how many players tested positive, but we already know that it only takes one based on the protocols the Pac-12 has in place. Saturday’s game between Cal and Washington has also been canceled because of one positive COVID-19 case and quarantine rules involving those who are part of contact tracing.

The Pac-12 is the only one of the Power Five conferences that has yet to kick off its 2020 football season. Cal coach Justin Wilcox unloaded on conference officials this week, noting that players who tested negative for COVID-19 and followed all the appropriate measures were still ruled ineligible to play. The San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers played a game in the Bay Area on Thursday night despite having multiple players on the COVID list.

Like the Big Ten’s policy requiring players to miss a minimum of 21 days after testing positive for COVID-19, the Pac-12’s protocols seem far too extreme. Their season may be doomed if this trend continues.

Would the Patriots consider trading Bill Belichick?

Bill Belichick

The New England Patriots’ dynasty appears to officially have come to an end. Tom Brady is slinging touchdown passes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Bill Belichick has no obvious answer at the quarterback position and is trying to somehow avoid his first losing season since 2000. If the struggles continue or worsen, could Belichick be the next to go?

Belichick is 68, so retirement can never be ruled out entirely. However, he has given no indication that he plans to walk away, and many believe the challenge of trying to win without Brady will make him want to stick around. Of course, Belichick wanting to continue coaching the Patriots is only part of the equation.

Some have floated the idea that the Patriots could trade Belichick. Peter King of NBC Sports, who has covered Belichick for decades, said this week that he would not call that a “dumb idea.” However, he said the Patriots would need a massive haul in return and wonders if any team is willing to offer it given Belichick’s age.

“Especially not really knowing how much longer Bill is going to coach, he’s getting up there in years and you don’t really know how much longer he’s going to coach, so are you going to trade two (first-round picks) for a guy who might only coach for four years? I think it’s an interesting thing. I don’t think it’s something you should dismiss out of hand,” King said, according to WEEI.com’s Andy Hart.

Trades involving NFL head coaches are rare, but not unheard of. Belichick became the coach of the Patriots in 2000 after New England traded the No. 16 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to acquire him. Still, a lot would have to fall into place for the Patriots to actually entertain trading Belichick.

As King notes, Belichick would have to want to go. He has deep ties to the struggling New York Giants, but starting fresh at age 69 would be no easy task. Trading Belichick would require three things — New England’s desire to move on from him, Belichick’s desire to coach elsewhere, and a team that is willing to pay a king’s ransom for him. All of that sounds unlikely, though not impossible.

For now, Belichick has to find a way to rebuild an offense that is — as many predicted — in shambles without Brady. The coach recently offered an honest assessment of where things stand in New England, but team owner Robert Kraft almost certainly would have been glad to keep Brady if Belichick still wanted him. Because of that, Belichick may have less leeway with the ownership group than many believe.

Report: Gervonta Davis involved in hit-and-run in Lamborghini

Gervonta Davis

Boxer Gervonta Davis has found himself in trouble with the law again, this time for an alleged hit-and-run.

Davis was involved in a hit-and-run in Baltimore early Thursday morning, according to a report from WJZ. Police were called to a scene after a report of a multi-car collision that was caused by a car running a red light and striking another vehicle. While police would not confirm that Davis was at the scene, sources told WJZ he was in the Lamborghini that ran the red light.

Several people suffered minor injuries in the crash and one person was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Davis knocked out Leo Santa Cruz in the sixth round on Saturday night to retain his WBA regular lightweight title and win Santa Cruz’s WBA super junior lightweight title. Fliers that circulated on social media showed that a celebration was being held for Davis at a nightclub the night of the alleged hit-and-run.

Davis was arrested back in February after turning himself in to face battery charges for an incident with his ex-girlfriend. The 25-year-old was shown on video grabbing the woman by the neck and pulling her out of a seat at a celebrity basketball event.

Dez Bryant going into ‘silent mode’ on social media

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant is working hard to prove to the Baltimore Ravens that he is worthy of a spot on their active roster, and the veteran wide receiver says he is taking a break on social media to focus on that.

Bryant tweeted late Thursday night that he is going into “silent mode.”

“I’m going back to silent mode… just know I’ve been working,” he wrote.

Many athletes have gone on hiatus from social media to better focus on their craft. LeBron James made the practice popular when he first started openly taking technology breaks years ago.

Bryant, who has not played in an NFL game since 2017, signed a practice-squad contract with the Ravens. He has been given no assurances that he will ever be promoted to the active roster, though some comments Lamar Jackson made this week indicate the quarterback believes that will happen.

Mike Tomlin the latest NFL coach fined for mask violation

Mike Tomlin

The NFL handed down some harsh discipline for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday for COVID-19 protocol violations, and they are not the only team being punished.

Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers will also have to pay hefty fines stemming from mask violations during their win over the Baltimore Ravens last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Tomlin has been fined $100,000 and the team $250,000.

Several head coaches and their respective teams have been fined this season for mask violations. The NFL has issued multiple memos reminding teams that coaches and staff members must wear masks on the sideline at all times.

The Raiders were fined and stripped of a draft pick on Thursday due to multiple COVID-19 protocol violations. Jon Gruden was one of the coaches fined earlier in the year for not wearing a mask, so the NFL is punishing teams more harshly for repeat violations.