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The Eagles are giving rookie second-round quarterback Jalen Hurts his first NFL start in Sunday's Week 14 home game vs. Saints (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox). As they're looking for a spark at the position to salvage what's left of their disappointing 2020 season, they should look for inspiration in Hurts' QB counterpart Taysom Hill.HIll, 3-0, will be making his fourth start replacing injured future Hall of Famer Drew Deshazor Everett Jerseys Brees. Hurts is getting his shot because of a slumping Carson Wentz.Hill has gotten it done with his dynamic dual-threat skills in the past three games. He has rushed 34 times for 176 yards and 4 TDs, but he's also thrown 76 times for543 yards and 2 more TDs.At 6-2, 221 pounds, Hill has a strong build and has backed it by a strong arm, giving the Saints more confidence he can be Brees' long-term succe sor. Hurts, at 6-1, 223 pounds, come in with an impre sive running and pa sing resume from his final college season at Oklahoma. He was a solid leader and starter for Alabama, but it took Lincoln Riley's offense to fully tap into his athletic potential and set him up for his high draft stock.MORE: Before the Saints stuck to their guns with Hill and took a flyer for Jameis Winston for further insurance, there was a thought that Hurts could be a perfect fit for Sean Washington Commanders Men Jersey Payton's offense as a late first-rounder. Now the Eagles can see whether Hurts was worth their surprise pick behind Wentz.The Saints have unleashed Hill playing off their strong traditional running game with Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. They have picked good spots for Hill'sdeep shots, either off play-action or using his mobility to buy time to find an open man downfield.The Eagles can't be afraid to let Hurts get double-digit designed runs and take off when needed. They also need to help him by getting talented second-year running back Miles Sanders back more consistently involved with touches, and don't simply accept they can't run on the tough Saints front.Offensive-minded coach Doug Pederson needs to use the QB change and finally make some personnel adjustments to Charles Leno Jr. Jerseys help Hurts. Like the Saints, the Eagles use 11 personnel (three wide receivers) a little more than half the time. The difference is, the Saints mix things up more with 12, 21 and Washington Commanders Jerseys 22 personnel the rest of the time,while the Eagles otherwise lock into 12 personnel (two tight ends) for most of their other sets.MORE: The Eagles have more versatility now with healthier skill players. Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz are available at tight end, while Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Alshon Jeffery, Travis Fulgham and John Hightower are all available at wide receiver. The Eagles did suddenly start give returning powerback Jordan Howard more touches last weekbut they are better off limiting the backfield to Sanders and the Kamara-light Boston Scott (a former Saint) to mirror what the Saints do with Murray and Kamara.The bad news for Hurts is that the Eagles' injury-riddled offensive line is a weakne s vs. the Saints' strengths up front. They also have no savvy route-running dominant go-to guy such as Michael Thomas at wideout.But with Goedert, Ertz and Richard Rodgers, the Eagles have a lot more experience and production at tight end. They also have the speed of Reagor and Ward with which to push the ball deep with Hurts see the beautiful long TD pa s Hurts threw to Ward against the Packers in Week 13.The question is, will Pederson Casey Toohill Jerseys step up his scheming game when forced to do so? With Payton, the Saints have pushed all the right buttons with Hill to maintain a high level of all-around offense without Brees.The Eagles turning to Hurts over Wentz is a sign of desperation at 3-8-1. Let's hope Pederson, with his job also on the line Washington Commanders Kids Jersey , realizes the need for extreme measures and big changes to have any shot of rallying to win the weak NFC East. It is December, and Pederson has traditionally done his best coaching then, so Eagles fan should hold out hope he remembers that, too.In a copycat league, the Eagles won't be sinners by stealing what the Saints are doing with Hill. They'll just be smart and Hurts will be much better off for it or face the same fate as Wentz in 2020.

When the Ravens (6-2) travel to play the Patriots (3-5) in New England on "" (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) in the penultimate game of Week 10, it will be a matchup of 2019 playoff teams going in different directions in 2020. The Ravens are coming off a big win over the Colts in Week 9, while the Patriots barely beat the Jets on Monday night.Baltimore will try Mike Strachan Jerseys to get back on track offensively with reigning MVP Lamar Jackson having cooled off with offensive line and receiving corps limitations.New England has struggled defensively with mounting injuries on every level.Here's everything to know about betting on Patriots vs. Ravens in Week 10, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for "Sunday Night Football."Patriots vs. Ravensfor "Sunday Night Football"Spread:Ravens by 7Over/under:43.5Point spread odds:Ravens -315, Patriots +265The Ravens have Bobby Okereke Jerseys been holding steady as touchdown favorites since the initial lines. They were impre sive in covering on the road against the Colts while the Patriots failed to cover a similar number at the Jets.Patriots vs. Ravensall-time seriesThe Patriots lead 10-4. The Ravens rolled last Nov. 3, 37-20 at home. Before that, the Patriots had a three-game winning streak, including in the playoffs after the 2014 season. The teams have met in the playoffs a total of four times, splitting those games. The Patriots opened the rivalry with a five-game winning streak to help keep holding their advantage.Three trends to know 97 of spread bettors are all hard on the Ravens because of recency bias, knowing the Patriots just failed to cover on the road against a lowly team in prime time, although this one is at home. 100 percent of over/under bettors like the combined point total to be exceeded, leaning on the Ravens' offense Chris Wilcox Jerseys to have a breakout game with Jackson. The Ravens are 4-3-1 against the spread this season and four of their games also have gone over. The Patriots are 3-5 against the spread this season and four of their games have gone over.Three things to watchThe running gamesJackson won't be held back and taking off and running for the Ravens, either on designed plays by offensive coordinator Greg Roman or scrambling for big chunks. The Patriots have leaned a lot of Newton's Nyheim Hines Jerseys running, especially in the red zone, to suppot their above-average traditional power attack by committee behind a good run-blocking line. The Patriots have been a reeling run defense of late while the Ravens remain stout up front.Harbaugh vs. BelichickJohnHarbaugh and Bill Belichick have had good coaching battles in the past. When Harbaugh has had his better Ravens' teams, he's been able to go into New England and win in key moments. Belichick is going through some unprecedented woes without Tom Brady. The Ravens will try to outwit the Patriots with versatile schemes on both sides of the ball, while Belichick hopes his defense will be better equipped to slow down Jackson's all-around game than last season.Who will make the big plays? Indianapolis Colts T Shirts The Ravens would like to be more impactful in the pa sing game by stretching the field to their speedy wide receivers, led by Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. But they haven't the best pa s protection, now without left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and Jackson has been more inaccurate with his downfield throws. The Patriots were burned several times by the Jets and former Ravens QB last week. The Patriots got some more juice from Newton and his receivers last week and need to build on that with a deeper corps.Stat that matters150.7. That's how many rushing yards per game the Patriots have given up on average over the past three games. They don't have the same healthy depth in the front seven and teams keep pounding away at them, most notably San Francisco and Buffalo in recent victories. The Patriots have no chance against Jackson if they continue to wilt against Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins.Patriots vs. RavenspredictionThe Patriots will keep playing hard and grinding with Newton and will be challenged by Belichick for a better defensive effort with their fading AFC wild-card hopes on the line. The Ravens will work to control the clock and keep Newton off the field with some big throws by Jackson, with their consistent running Marlon Mack Jerseys putting the game away late.Ravens 20, Patriots 14

Age discrimination is alive in the NFL, and we're not talking about team employees who are 50 or older. Rather, it's the players reaching 30 and beyond who are generally being left behind in the early sprint of big bucks, ma sive guarantees and long-term free Chris Rumph II Jerseys agent signings, especially if such players have an injury history.One player who surprisingly bucked that trend this week is future Hall of Fame safety Earl Thomas, with Baltimore for $55 million over four years ($13.75 million per year) with $32 million guaranteed.2019 NFL FREE AGENCY:The six-time Pro Bowler had to be grimacing early in the week as he watched a bunch of safeties lacking his pedigree land huge free-agent contracts. Landon Collins led the way, going to the Redskins for six years and $84 million with $44.5 million guaranteed. Tyrann Mathieu agreed to a deal with the Chiefs for the same $14 million per year ($42 million over three years). Le ser-known Adrian Amos is set to receive $37 million over four years from the Packers.The common denominators among those three players: They are all 25 or 26 and relatively injury-free.Thomas, on the other hand, will turn 30 in May. After not mi sing a game in his first six seasons, he wound up on injured reserve with broken legs in two of the last three years. He also sustained other injuries that forced him to mi s 19 regular-season games from 2016-18. Hehad major shoulder surgery in the 2015 offseason that forced him to mi s the preseason.That kind of injury history is scary to a general manager. But for Thomas to emerge with the deal he is receiving from the Ravens has to be encouraging to other players 30 or older who have had difficulty attracting a long-term contract this year.MORE: I don't Hunter Kampmoyer Jerseys like it, since I now work with an NFL agent group, but I understand where NFL GMs are coming from in their general approach to older players such as Michael Bennett, Danny Amendola, Eric Weddle and Terrell Suggs who are signing shorter deals (mostly for two years with low guaranteed money). In my GM years, I always tried to target free-agent players coming out of their rookie deals, as is the case with Collins.Yes, Nick Foles got a four-year deal in Jacksonville with a $50 million guarantee, and he is three months older than Thomas. But with so many top QBs in their 30s and even 40s, age is not as big a factor for them. And Antonio Brown (who turns 31 in July) somehow managed to extricate himself from Pittsburgh and get $12 million added to his contract, plus $30 million in new guarantees from Oakland. But these are exceptions to the general rule in the NFL.Thomas now joins that fortunate group.Thomas was hoping to land with his home-state Cowboys, and he did not reach his reported $15 million-per-year asking price, or even the Collins and Mathieu average per year. But he Los Angeles Chargers T Shirts has to be relieved with what the Ravens are paying him.If I were a GM negotiating a deal with Thomas, given his injury history, I would have offered closer to $10 million per year between signing bonus and base salary on a two-year deal with big incentives that could get him to the coveted $14 million-per-year level. I would have included $125,000 per game started, which could add $2 million per season and an incentive that combined a Pro Bowl selection with the team making the playoffs for another $2 million.I suspect that's what Jerry and Stephen Jones were thinking in Dallas.But it is clearly not the structure Thomas or his agent were seeking and ultimately received from a Ravens team needing to addplaymakers on defense after releasing starting safety Weddle (who signed with the Rams) and losingpa s-rusherZa'Darius Smith (who is signing with the Packers), Derwin James Jr. Jerseys linebacker C.J. Mosely (Jets) and Terrell Suggs (Cardinals).I thought Thomas might wind up with a one-year, prove-it deal similar to what his former Seattle teammate Sheldon Richardson got in Minnesota last season for an $8 million salary. Richardson was productive enough to convince the Browns to sign him this year to a three-year, $36 million deal with $21.5 million guaranteed.MOCK DRAFT 2019:What makes the amount of the Thomas signing extra surprising to me Zander Horvath Jerseys is how he damaged his reputation with a nasty training camp holdout last summer, plus the bad look he created when he flipped off his own Seattle sideline in September as he was carted off the field after breaking his leg in Arizona.While Thomas had to wait a few days to get his deal done, there was no need to throw a pity party for him. He has been well paid during his career. He was fortunate to be a highly compensated first-round pick in the last year before the rookie salary scale came into effect. Then he signed the four-year, $40 million extension in 2014 that made him the highest-paid safety in the league at the time.Still, it had to be unnerving for him to watch other players get paid such huge amounts. He saw le s accomplished players such as 25-year-old offensive tackle Trent Brown basically a one-year succe s in New England with no Pro Bowls on his resume hit the jackpot.Such is life in the NFL for the vast majority of players as they approach and surpa s 30, especially with an injury history.But for Thomas, it wound up being like the old Rolling Stones song: You can't always get what you want. But you can get what you need." All it takes is one team out of 32 to make it work out. is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of Josh Harris Jerseys the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a busine s and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college cla ses on negotiation and sports busine s/sports management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.

Odell Beckham Jr. is starting to feel right at home in Cleveland.During a post-practice interview Eno Benjamin Jerseys on Wednesday, the wide receiver expre sed his excitement just two days into the team's three-day mandatory minicamp."I just see the potential of this team," Beckham said, . "Ireally feel it, and I feel something in the air, something special that Cleveland hasn't had for a while. And I'm happy to be a part of that. I hope that I can help do whatever I need to do to push that that way."Beckham was able to get some reps with Jake Plummer Jerseys quarterback Baker Mayfield and cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams under his belt, which was enough exposure for him to see what the team could be."Words dont even really do it justice for me," Beckham said. "Im almost giddy, I feel like a little kid with the excitement that I have, seeing Baker, seeing these guys. You know we talk a lot about this offense but this defense is something special and this team is really coming together."Beckham,who was traded to Clevelandin March in return for Jabrill Peppers and a pair of draft picks, noted the Anquan Boldin Jerseys energy of his young squad and how it will factor into their upcoming season as they look to improve their 8-7-1 record in2018, already a vast improvementfrom the team's winle s run the year before."This is a different atmosphere, a different energy that we have," Beckhamsaid. "Were a bunch of young guys who are hungry Josh Doctson Jerseys and we all speak about greatne s and talk about legacy and legendary and its something thats all within us."Weve still got a training camp Arizona Cardinals T Shirts to go through and I feel like this team is going to come together. But Im beyond excited about the opportunity I have here to start over, a new team. Obviously, the goal is always going to be the same to hang banners, thats what you play this game. We know we got a lot of expectations. We got a lot of work to do and I think well get there."Beckham, 26, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants after Ron'Dell Carter Jerseys they selected him 12th overall in the2014 draft.The three-time Pro Bowl selectioncompiled 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and44touchdowns in 59 games with New York. Related Articles

You already know that Power-5 schools like Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Georgia will have the majority of players picked in the 2021 NFL Draft, but smaller schools from the FCS, Division II, and Division III will also see some alumni wind up on NFL rosters. When that happens, whether it's in the early or late rounds, most fans don't know how to react. Did your favorite team just find a diamond in the rough or waste a pick on a guy who wasn't even good enough to play in the Sun Belt?This year, an FCS player will likely go in the top 10 (QB Trey Lance), and at least one more who will likely go in the second round (OT Dillon Radunz). Several more small-school sleepers will be sprinkled throughout Day 3, so it doesn't hurt to become familiar withthem now so you can impre s your buddies at a watch party by pretending you' Stephen Weatherly Jerseys ve heard of these players before. Who knows -- maybe your team is hitting on the next Cooper Kupp, James Robinson, or Darius Leonard.Here's a breakdown of the top-10 small-school prospects in this year's NFL Draft.MORE NFL DRAFT: | NFL Draft sleepers 20211. Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State.By now you've heard all about Lance, who could go as high as the No. 3 pick. The 6-4, 224-pound signal-caller started just 17 games, all against FCS competition, in his short college career, but he never lost a start, nor did he throw an INT during his redshirt freshman season when he won FCS Freshman of the Year, FCS Offensive Player of the Year, and FCS Championship Game MVP. He wound up throwing for 2,786 yards, running for 1,100 yards, and accounting for 44 total touchdowns while playing in NDSU's pro-style offense during his standout 2019 campaign. Lance will be the third-straight Bison QB drafted after predece sors Carson Wentz Josey Jewell Jerseys and Easton Stick went in the first and fifth rounds, respectively. Clearly, NDSU isn't a typical FCS program.What Lance lacks in experience, he makes up for in tools. He was during a 44-yard TD run in the FCS National Championship, which would have been the 12th-fastest of any ball carrier in the NFL last year and fastest among all QBs. He can also throw dimes like this:Lances deep ball out of play-action 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) Lance likely won't start in Week 1 -- or maybe even Year 1 -- but he clearly has the skill set modern offensive coordinators drool over. Until he takes the field, he'll be a wild cardbecause of his limited experience against lower-level competition, but his ceiling is as high as any QB in this year's cla s.2. Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State.The man who protected Lance's blindside is also expected to be a high draft pick, though it's more likely Radunz goes on Day 2. At almost 6-6, 301 pounds, Radunz has the size to play either tackle position in the NFL, though he'll likely need to get a bit stronger to really excel. NDSU's pro-style offense gives him a leg up, as his footwork and technique won't need quite as much work as offensive linemen from more spread-heavy attacks.3. Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa.Brown is a giant at over 6-8, 311 pounds with long arms. He profiles as a right tackle in Drew Lock Jerseys the NFL, but to be a consistent starter at any position, he'll have to work on his footwork and movement. That was on display at the Senior Bowl, where he mostly struggled.However, his upside -- like his stature -- is immense. Once he engages, most defenders stay blocked, so it will be worth it for a team to take a chance on him in the fourth round.4.Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas.Rochell was a shutdown corner for the Bears -- so much so he didn't see many pa ses thrown his way last year. He had nine INTs and 28 pa ses defendedin 2018 and '19 combined, and he supplemented that with 5.5 tackles for lo s. At just under 6-0, 195 pounds, Rochell has good size, especially when you factor in his 79-inch wingspan. Rochell is the type of player who can go in the third round if a particular team falls in love with him, but chances are he'll go in the fourth or fifth. Either way, he's a legit prospect with a lot of upside.5.Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State.Johnson was an absolute stud for the Jackrabbits the past two seasons, Jacob Tamme Jerseys catching at least 67 pa ses for at least 1,222 yards in each campaign. His TDs dropped from 17 in 2018 to eight in '19, but make no mistake, he's a big play waiting to happen. He also performed well in his lone gameagainst FBS competition, catching six pa ses for 90 yards and adding another 25 rushing yards against Minnesota in '19. Lack of size could be an i sue, as Johnson measured in at just under 5-11, 183 pounds, and his 4.51 40-yard dash doesn't wow anyone. But Johnson plays faster than that and compensates with crisp route running and reliable hands. He's an intriguing sleeper in the late rounds who can also return kicks.6. David Moore, OL, Grambling State.Moore was a Senior Bowl darling who went from draft afterthought to late-round sleeper. At just under 6-2, 320 pounds, Moore might not look like a typical offensive lineman, at least in terms of height, but he's quick off the line, and with an almost 83-inch wingspan, he's solid inpa s protection and second-level blocks. He still needs to improve his technique, but Moore has tools any Jamar Johnson Jerseys team can work with.7. Elerson Smith, EDGE, Northern Iowa.Smith has "pa s-rush specialist" written all over him, and at nearly 6-7, 252 pounds with plus athleticism,he can excel in that role. Smith racked up 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for lo s in 2019, up from 7.5 sacks and 10.5 TFL in '18. The improvement was obviously noticeable, so it's fair to wonder just how high his ceiling can get. Smith wasn't particularly good against the run, but, again, as a pa s-rush specialist and potential late-round pick, teams can live with that.8. Quinn Meinerz, OL, Wisconsin-Whitewater.Meinerz is the first non-FCS player on this list, but this Division III prospect is no slouch. At just over 6-3, 320 pounds, Meinerz has legit size for an interior line prospect, and he's a dominant run blocker. He impre sed at the Senior Bowl, and while he might not work well inall schemes, it's likely someone will take a chance on him late in the draft.9. Bryan Mills, CB, North Carolina Central.Mills is a JUCO transfer who played just Jacob Bobenmoyer Jerseys one year for the Eagles, but he racked up five INTs and 13 pa ses defended in his 12 games. At almost 6-1, 180 pounds, Mills has great size, and with a sub-4.5 40 time, he also has good speed. He's another guy who could surprise with how high he's drafted, but the sixth or seventh round seems most likely.10. Christian Uphoff, FS, Ill

DK Metcalf will enter Week 1 of the NFL season feeling"100 percent" after recovering Duke Shelley Jerseys from a knee injury,the Seahawks wide receiver said Thursday.The rookie'sdebut was in question after he hadknee surgery,which found "minimal" damage, just le s than three weeks ago. Metcalf, however, said he'sready to play in Sunday's regular-season opener againstthe Bengals at CenturyLink Field."I sharpened up my mental game," he said (). "I got to learn the offense a Jesper Horsted Jerseys little more. Coming from that first game, I kind of got used to the speed of the game. I can't wait to be back out there Sunday."Metcalf didn't give specifics on hisinjury, but he explained it kind of just came up" and"started lingering around.He opted to have surgery Khalil Mack T Shirts Aug. 20with the a sumption he would be ready Week 1, the wideoutexplained.It was just really a decision me and coach Red Grange Jerseys (Pete) Carroll and(Seahawks general manager)John (Schneider) had to make, he said. It was really just up in the air, and we all just agreed on that.Hes shown us that he can play, and he can do the stuff we need him to Damien Williams Jerseys do,"Carroll said. "We dont have any question about that. Its just the quality of reps and repetitions and stuff like that. We wont be able to benefit from that.The Seahawks selectedMetcalfin the second round of the 2019 draft out of Ole Mi s. He caught one pa s for Khalil Herbert Jerseys eight yards in his lone preseason appearance. Related Articles