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Terrel Bernard BUF LB
Bills' Terrel Bernard: Moves past ankle issue
22m agoBernard, who missed the Bills' Jan. 21 playoff loss to the Chiefs due to an ankle injury, feels very good health-wise at this stage of the offseason, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.
Prior to suffering his injury in the Bills' wild-card win over the Steelers on Jan. 15, Bernard racked up 143 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three interceptions in 17 regular-season contests. Now that his ankle has had time to heal up, the 2022 third-rounder is set to reprise his role as Buffalo's starting middle linebacker, which puts the 24-year-old in a position to remain a viable lineup option in IDP formats this coming season.
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Calvin Anderson NE OT
Patriots' Calvin Anderson: Re-works deal
1h agoThe Patriots and Anderson have agreed to a restructured contract, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
The agreement slightly reduces the base value of Anderson's deal down from $3.35 million, with the move in line to create $990,000 in salary cap space for New England. In his second season with the Patriots, the 28-year-old -- who finished the 2023 campaign on IR -- figures to compete for a swing tackle role along the team's offensive line, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.
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Deshaun Watson CLE QB
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Making 40-yard throws
2h agoBrowns GM Andrew Berry said Thursday that Watson (shoulder) has been making throws of up to 40 yards, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
While not quite willing to guarantee that Watson will be ready for the regular-season opener, Berry did confirm that's the expectation and said the Browns are "pretty optimistic" about the QB's rehab process so far. Watson spoke with reporters Tuesday, mentioning that the team medical staff favors a cautious approach that would see him wait until training camp before returning to full practice participation. The 28-year-old thus figures to be limited during OTAs, giving free-agent additions Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley more chances to throw to the team's top receivers. The Browns traded for WR Jerry Jeudy in March and still have WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore as well as TE David Njoku. There's also a strong chance of improved blocking this season, after 2023 saw the Browns lose their top three OTs to season-ending knee injuries. Watson is the biggest variable though, perhaps more so because of his disappointing 2022-23 performance than the ongoing rehab from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder.
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Nick Chubb CLE RB
Browns' Nick Chubb: Running on land again
3h agoChubb (knee) resumed running on land within the last week, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Chubb took his rehab to the next level shortly after agreeing last Thursday to a contract alteration that converted a large portion of his scheduled $11.75 million base salary into incentives. He's entering the final season of a three-year extension and still faces a long path to complete his rehab from surgeries in September and November to address ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his left knee. It's the same knee in which he suffered a major injury Oct. 2015 -- his sophomore season at Georgia -- and he later had an MCL sprain in the knee Oct. 2020. The Browns hope the 28-year-old is ready for Week 1, but they're also preparing for the possibility of missed time, having added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines (knee) to a roster that still has Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.
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Cam Brown NYG LB
Dolphins' Cam Brown: Inks deal in Miami
16h agoBrown agreed to a contract with the Dolphins on Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Brown appeared in 60 career games as a special-teams ace during his first four seasons with the Giants, tallying 24 tackles over that span. The 26-year-old played exclusively on special teams in 16 games during the 2023 campaign, so he'll more than likely fulfill a similar role for Miami in 2024.
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Justin Murray CLE OT
Justin Murray: Hangs it up
17h agoThe Browns placed Murray on the retired/reserve list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Murray played for the Raiders, Cardinals, Bills and Titans during his six-year NFL career, appearing in 41 games with 20 starts during his professional tenure. The soon-to-be 31-year-old joined Cleveland's practice squad last November and then signed a futures contract in January, but he never played in any games for the team.
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Tobias Myers MIL RP
Brewers' Tobias Myers: Optioned to Triple-A
3m agoMyers was optioned to Triple-A Nashville by the Brewers on Thursday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Myers was with the big club for just one day and did not make an appearance. The Brewers will announce a corresponding move prior to their series opener Friday in St. Louis.
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Bobby Witt KC SS
Royals' Bobby Witt: Notches fourth steal
22m agoWitt went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in a 4-2 win over the White Sox in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Witt also went 1-for-4 in the nightcap. He's hit safely in five of the last seven games, batting .333 (10-for-30) in that span. The shortstop is off to another strong start in 2024 with a .321/.369/.628 slash line, four home runs, four steals, eight RBI, 18 runs scored, six doubles and three triples across 84 plate appearances. He's also striking out at a 22.6 percent clip, a bit higher than the 17.4 percent mark he had last year, but that's a fair trade-off for more contact.
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Hunter Renfroe KC RF
Royals' Hunter Renfroe: Smacks homer Wednesday
26m agoRenfroe went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a 4-2 win over the White Sox in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Renfroe went 0-for-3 with one RBI in the nightcap as well. The veteran outfielder is still holding onto a starting role in right field, but he's struggling at the plate in 2024. Renfroe is batting .176 with two homers, eight RBI, six runs scored and two doubles over 56 plate appearances. Nelson Velazquez has occasionally moved from designated hitter to right when Renfroe rests, and Adam Frazier could be an option there as well once Michael Massey (back) is activated from the injured list.
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Salvador Perez KC C
Royals' Salvador Perez: Hits go-ahead homer in Game 1
30m agoPerez (groin) went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 4-2 win over the White Sox in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Perez returned from a Grade 1 left groin strain Wednesday and delivered the key hit in the Royals' matinee win. He also went 0-for-2 with two walks in the nightcap while serving as the designated hitter. He appears good to go moving forward after the injury scare. The veteran catcher is off to a hot start with five homers, 17 RBI, nine runs scored and two doubles while slashing .324/.370/.574 over 18 contests this season.
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Nick Anderson KC RP
Royals' Nick Anderson: Snags first win
33m agoAnderson (1-1) allowed a hit and struck out one without walking a batter over a scoreless inning, earning the win in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the White Sox.
Anderson pitched the seventh inning and became the pitcher of record when Salvador Perez put the Royals ahead with a two-run home run in the eighth. It's been feast or famine for Anderson so far -- he has five scoreless outings and two games where he's given up two runs. He's sporting a 3:4 K:BB and a 2.00 WHIP over six innings, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him continue working as a middle reliever most of the time.
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Colton Cowser BAL LF
Orioles' Colton Cowser: Picks up third steal
37m agoCowser went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Twins.
Cowser's power has come back down with no home runs over his last three games, but he's still hitting well, going 3-for-11 in that span. The outfielder is slashing .400/.429/.800 with four homers, three steals, 15 RBI, eight runs scored and six doubles over 49 plate appearances. Cowser's continued success will likely mean that Austin Hays remains in a bench role, though manager Brandon Hyde has had no trouble resting his other outfielders to keep Cowser in the lineup so far.
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Nicolas Batum PHI PF
76ers' Nicolas Batum: Shines off bench Wednesday
3h agoBatum provided 20 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt), five rebounds and one block in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
It was widely known that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were going to carry the Sixers in this matchup against the Heat, but the truth is that Philadelphia wouldn't have gotten the win hadn't it been for Batum's impressive effort off the bench. The 20-point output was a season-high mark for the veteran, and even though his role is not going to change drastically in the first-round matchup against New York, he should continue to see decent minutes on a regular basis. Perhaps surprisingly, he went scoreless in the four times he faced the Knicks during the regular season.
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Joel Embiid PHI C
76ers' Joel Embiid: Plays big minutes in Play-In win
4h agoEmbiid logged 23 points (6-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over Miami.
Embiid had a complicated matchup against Bam Adebayo, arguably one of the best defensive centers in The Association, and even though his efficiency was subpar, he still led Philadephia in scoring while coming through with a clutch performance from the charity stripe. Embiid should be in line for a productive first-round series against the Knicks, and even though he only faced them once in the regular season, he delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance on Jan. 5.
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Tyrese Maxey PHI PG
76ers' Tyrese Maxey: Scores 19 in win over Miami
4h agoMaxey accumulated 19 points (6-16 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-6 FT), three rebounds and six assists across 44 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
Maxey had a rough night from three-point range, but he still salvaged his stat line by sniffing the 20-point mark and dishing out six assists. Maxey is expected to play a prominent role on offense in the first-round matchup against the Knicks, and it's worth noting he averaged 26.3 points per game in three games vs. New York during the regular season.
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Jaime Jaquez Jr. MIA SF
Heat's Jaime Jaquez: Decent stat line in loss
4h agoJaquez closed Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers with 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 22 minutes.
Jaquez looked good despite coming off the bench and was one of Miami's top contributors on offense. He's widely expected to move into the starting lineup for Friday's matchup against the Bulls due to the absence of Jimmy Butler (knee), and that would translate into an uptick in his usage rate.
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Bam Adebayo MIA C
Heat's Bam Adebayo: Double-double in loss Wednesday
4h agoAdebayo posted 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 12 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.
Adebayo wasn't as involved as expected on the offensive end of the court, as he had to deal with a tough matchup against Joel Embiid, but he still found a way to finish with a double-double even if the Heat came up short of winning. Knowing the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) for Friday's game against the Bulls, Adebayo should experience an uptick in usage rate and volume while dealing with the matchup of Nikola Vucevic, who's nowhere near as good as Embiid on the defensive end of the court.
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Tyler Herro MIA PG
Heat's Tyler Herro: Paces team in scoring in loss
4h agoHerro registered 25 points (9-27 FG, 4-14 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and nine assists over 41 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to Philadelphia.
Herro might have needed 27 shots to score 25 shots, but the uptick in usage rate happened since Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, which limited him considerably, and Bam Adebayo had a rough matchup with Joel Embiid. Herro has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last six outings, and considering Butler will miss Friday's win-or-go-home matchup against the Bulls, he should be in line for another heavy usage rate vs. Chicago.
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Justus Annunen COL G
Avalanche's Justus Annunen: Facing Oilers
4m agoAnnunen will defend the home crease versus Edmonton on Thursday, Ryan Boulding of NHL.com reports.
Annunen will get the final start of the regular season Thursday, paving the way for Alexandar Georgiev to play all, if not the majority of the playoff games. Annunen has been terrific in a back up role, going 7-4-1 with a 2.35 GAA and a .925 save percentage this season. The Oilers have scored 293 goals, fourth best in the NHL.
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Josh Morrissey WPG D
Jets' Josh Morrissey: Won't play Thursday
6m agoMorrissey will sit out the season finale versus Vancouver on Thursday, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports.
Morrissey joins a number of Jets players in skipping the season finale in order to rest up for the postseason. The blueliner has been red hot of late with two goals and nine helpers in his last eight contests, including five points with the man advantage. Without Morrissey in the lineup against the Canucks, Neal Pionk figures to see an uptick in power-play ice time.
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Ian Cole VAN D
Canucks' Ian Cole: Out of action Thursday
17m agoCole (rest) will not play Thursday in Winnipeg, according to John Lu of TSN.
The 35-year-old defenseman will get the final night of the season off to rest for the postseason, which begins this weekend. He had two goals and nine assists with 166 blocked shots in 78 appearances this season. Mark Friedman will likely take his place in the lineup Thursday.
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Brenden Dillon WPG D
Jets' Brenden Dillon: Sitting Thursday
21m agoDillon (rest) will sit out Thursday's regular-season finale at home against Vancouver, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press.
Dillion was a physical force throughout the regular season, recording 241 hits and 111 blocked shots. The 33-year-old also registered eight goals and 12 assists in 77 games this year. Look for him to skate in a top-four role during the playoffs.
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Filip Hronek VAN D
Canucks' Filip Hronek: Out of action Thursday
22m agoPer John Lu of TSN, Hronek (rest) will miss the final game of the regular season versus Winnipeg on Thursday.
Hronek ends the season with five goals and a career high 48 points in 81 games. He will be back in the lineup for the postseason, but he will be replaced by Noah Juulsen on Thursday.
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J.T. Miller VAN C
Canucks' J.T. Miller: Not playing Thursday
30m agoMiller (rest) will be out of the lineup versus Winnipeg on Thursday, according to John Lu of TSN.
The Canucks have clinched their playoff spot atop the Pacific Division standings and will give Miller the night off. He surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career this season, scoring 37 goals and adding 66 assists. He will return to the lineup on the weekend for Game 1 of the playoffs.