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Royce Freeman LAR RB
Cowboys' Royce Freeman: Picked up by Dallas
15h agoFreeman signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys on Tuesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Freeman spent his first three seasons with the Broncos before before stops with the Panthers, Texans and Rams the last three years. The journeyman tallied 319 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in Los Angeles last year across 14 games. Dallas lost Tony Pollard to free agency, so the running back room is currently filled with the likes of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn (ankle), Malik Davis and Snoop Conner. Thus, Freeman will presumably have an opportunity to carve out a role for himself. However, the team could still opt to invest at the position in the draft.
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Trent Taylor CHI WR
49ers' Trent Taylor: Returns to The Bay
18h agoTaylor signed a one-year contract with the 49ers on Tuesday, Lindsey Pallares of the team's official site reports.
Taylor started his career in San Francisco before a two-year stay with the Bengals and spending the 2023 campaign with the Bears. The 29-year-old will likely have the opportunity to earn a role in the return game with the departure of Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency this offseason.
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Trent Taylor CHI WR
Trent Taylor: Could return to The Bay
19h agoTaylor has talked to the 49ers about a potential return to the team this offseason, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Taylor was selected by San Francisco in the fifth round of the 2017 Draft and spent three seasons there before stops in Cincinnati and Chicago. The 49ers do currently have a void in their return game, with Ray-Ray McCloud now in Atlanta, which is likely where the interest in Taylor lies.
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Deshaun Watson CLE QB
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Throwing full speed
20h agoWatson (shoulder) said Tuesday he's already resumed "throwing full speed" but that he's uncertain how large a workload he'll handle during OTAs and minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson clarified that certain members of the Browns' medical staff are in favor of a more conservative approach to the quarterback's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, which would wait until training camp to have him fully practice. Still, Watson has been fully forthright in his confidence to be available for the Browns' season opener, and there appear to be no real worries about his Week 1 status. In case Watson misses part of the offseason, or struggles during the fall, Cleveland can lean on newly-signed, experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.
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Odell Beckham Jr. BAL WR
Odell Beckham: Nothing imminent with Miami
21h agoDolphins general manager Chris Grier said Tuesday that there's "nothing imminent" on a deal between Beckham and the team, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
Beckham was reportedly extended a contract offer by Miami after visiting with the team back in March, but it doesn't appear that a signing is around the corner. The 31-year-old is coming off a forgettable 14-game season with the Ravens, in which he put up a 35-565-3 receiving line, but he could find more success as a No. 3 option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It could be that Beckham will need to wait until after the dust of the 2024 NFL Draft has settled to find a landing spot.
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Jaylen Waddle MIA WR
Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle: Fifth-year option to be exercised
21h agoGeneral manager Chris Grier said Tuesday that he expects the Dolphins to pick up Waddle's fifth-year option, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.
The Dolphins have consistently stated a desire to come to terms with Waddle on a long-term contract, and Grier specifically dismissed trade rumors earlier this offseason. The third-year pro has recorded three straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, becoming the first wideout to do so in franchise history, and there's little question of his value as a No. 2 read behind Tyreek Hill. Picking up Waddle's fifth-year option will keep him under contract with the Dolphins for two more seasons.
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Jared Walsh TEX 1B
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Out against southpaw
4m agoWalsh is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Detroit.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal is the Tigers' starting pitcher Wednesday, so the lefty-hitting Walsh will begin this one on the bench. Ezequiel Duran will play first base.
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Luis Ortiz PIT RP
Pirates' Luis Ortiz: Poor outing in loss
8m agoOrtiz (1-1) allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk while striking out none across 1.2 innings to take the loss Tuesday against the Mets.
Ortiz entered the game in the sixth inning, immediately following Jared Jones while being tasked with protecting a one-run lead. He retired the first four batters he faced but then ran into trouble by allowing three consecutive hitters to reach base. Ortiz was then let down by Jose Hernandez, who allowed two inherited runners to score. Ortiz has been used in multi-inning relief after losing out on a rotation spot in spring training, and he's posted a subpar 5:6 K:BB in his first 9.1 innings of work.
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Ke'Bryan Hayes PIT 3B
Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes: Held out with back tightness
10m agoHayes (back) remains out of the Pirates' lineup Wednesday.
Hayes was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup versus the Mets because of lower-back tightness, so it's not a surprise he's not ready to play in Wednesday's afternoon tilt. He missed about a month of action last season with the same injury and still has to manage back issues on occasion. At this point, he's considered day-to-day. Jared Triolo is again at third base, while Alika Williams will handle second base.
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Yandy Diaz TB 1B
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Hits not falling
13m agoDiaz went 0-for-4 with a walk Tuesday against the Angels.
Diaz is hitting only .197 across 78 plate appearances this season, and he's failed to record a hit in five of his last 10 games. However, he's remained installed as the Rays' leadoff hitter and has struck out only 16.7 percent of the time across 78 plate appearances, so there's reason to believe his results will even out over time.
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Jose Siri TB CF
Rays' Jose Siri: Striking out at prolific rate
17m agoSiri went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts Tuesday against the Angels.
Siri stated that he wanted to be more aggressive on the basepaths this season, and he began the year by swiping six bags across his first nine games. However, that production has slowed considerably since, as he has attempted only one stolen base in his last nine contests while striking out 48.5 percent of the time. For the season, Siri has a 40.5 percent strikeout rate, which could create playing time concerns once Josh Lowe (oblique) and Jonny DeLuca (hand) can return.
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Brett Baty NYM 3B
Mets' Brett Baty: Won't start Wednesday
21m agoBaty (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Baty will hit the bench after exiting Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Pirates with left hamstring tightness, but he might have been a candidate to sit even if fully healthy with Pittsburgh bringing a left-hander (Bailey Falter) to the hill. The Mets seem to be viewing Baty as day-to-day and are hopeful that a day off Wednesday plus Thursday's team off day might provide sufficient time for him to move past the hamstring issue. Zack Short gets the nod at third base Wednesday in Baty's stead.
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Kenyon Martin Jr. PHI SF
76ers' KJ Martin: Full participant in shootaround
13m agoMartin (toe), who is questionable for Wednesday's Play-In Game against Miami, was a full participant in Philadelphia's morning shootaround, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
Martin continues to deal with a toe issue that forced him to miss the final three games of the regular season, but his participation in shootaround creates optimism that he'll be able to return as postseason play begins Wednesday. Over his final five appearances during the regular season, Martin averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game.
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Joel Embiid PHI C
76ers' Joel Embiid: Goes through shootaround
16m agoEmbiid (knee) participated in Wednesday's morning shootaround, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
Embiid logged two straight practices coming into the morning shootaround, but he's still carrying a questionable tag for Wednesday's game against Miami. Despite the questionable designation, it would be a big surprise if Embiid was unable to suit up Wednesday.
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Kessler Edwards SAC SF
Kings' Kessler Edwards: Logs garbage time minutes in win
9h agoEdwards ended with one rebound in two minutes during Tuesday's 118-94 Play-In Game win over the Warriors.
Edwards closed the game Tuesday, handed a couple of garbage time minutes as the Kings eliminated the Warriors. It's been a disappointing season for Edwards and given his limited role, it is hard to see him featuring too much, even if the Kings advance to the playoffs.
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Keon Ellis SAC SG
Kings' Keon Ellis: Shines bright in victory
9h agoEllis recorded 15 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals in 39 minutes during Tuesday's 118-94 Play-In Game victory over the Warriors.
Ellis continued his improbable rise Tuesday, helping the Kings to a comfortable victory over the Warriors. He has been a revelation on the defensive end for Sacramento, highlighted once again by his six combined steals and blocks. They will now face the Pelicans in a do-or-die contest with a spot in the playoffs up for grabs.
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Keegan Murray SAC PF
Kings' Keegan Murray: Leads all scorers in win
9h agoMurray ended with 32 points (10-20 FG, 8-13 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and two steals over 39 minutes during Tuesday's 118-94 Play-In Game win over the Warriors.
Murray torched the Warriors to the tune of 32 points, including eight three-pointers. The Kings led from start to finish, sending Golden State home in emphatic fashion. They will now head to New Orleans where the Pelicans await, with both teams trying to secure the eighth and final playoff spot.
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Moses Moody GS SF
Warriors' Moses Moody: Plays well off bench
9h agoMoody contributed 16 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), three rebounds and one assist over 15 minutes during Tuesday's 118-94 Play-In Game loss to Sacramento.
Moody was arguably the best player on the court for Golden State on a night that saw their season come to an end. After an unconvincing start to the season, Moody was able to carve out a meaningful role down the stretch, perhaps an indication that he could be in for an uptick in playing time next year. Whatever direction the coaching staff chooses, it is clear they need to lean into their youth with their veteran core now well beyond their best.
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Jiri Smejkal OTT LW
Senators' Jiri Smejkal: Pots first NHL goal
1m agoSmejkal scored his first career goal in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Bruins.
The 27-year-old rookie opened the scoring midway through the second period, as his quick shot handcuffed Linus Ullmark and trickled past the Boston goalie. Smejkal has played 20 games for Ottawa during his first season in North America and managed only two points, and his nine goals and 22 points in 45 AHL contests doesn't suggest he'll be anything more than organizational depth next season.
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Matthew Tkachuk FLA LW
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Two assists in finale
3m agoTkachuk logged a pair of assists and a team-high eight shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Toronto.
Tkachuk will finish the regular season with points in seven straight games, totaling three goals and six assists in that span. While he came up short of a third straight 100-point season, Tkachuk had another strong year, posting 26 goals and 62 assists with 151 hits across 80 games.
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Erik Haula NJ LW
Devils' Erik Haula: Finishes with 35 points
6m agoHaula ended the 2023-24 season with 16 goals, 35 points and 155 shots on goal in 76 appearances.
Haula also set a career high with 54 PIM, and his minus-1 rating was his worst since a minus-16 mark with the Golden Knights in 2017-18. Ironically, that season in Vegas was Haula's most productive from an offensive standpoint (29 goals and 55 points), but he didn't provide nearly enough offense in 2023-24 to help counterbalance New Jersey's teamwide defensive struggles as the Devils fell short of the postseason.
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Anton Forsberg OTT G
Senators' Anton Forsberg: Sharp in win No. 15
7m agoForsberg made 34 saves in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Bruins.
The 31-year-old netminder nearly recorded his third shutout of the season, but Pavel Zacha tucked home a power-play tally midway through the third period. Forsberg wraps up the campaign with a 15-12-0 record in 30 outings with a 3.21 GAA and .890 save percentage, his worst ratios since he became an NHL regular in 2017-18. He has one season left on his contract at an affordable $2.75 million however, so Forsberg is likely to be back in Ottawa next season, even if only in a backup role.
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Carter Verhaeghe FLA C
Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe: Scores in return
8m agoVerhaeghe scored a goal on six shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.
After missing six games with an upper-body injury, Verhaeghe rejoined the Panthers lineup for a final tuneup before the postseason. The 28-year-old winger would get Florida on the board 28 seconds into the second period, following up his own rebound to cut Toronto's lead to 2-1. Verhaeghe will wrap up the regular season with 34 goals and 38 assists in 76 games, topping the 70-point threshold for a second straight year.
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Jesper Bratt NJ LW
Devils' Jesper Bratt: No playoffs despite career year
11m agoBratt had an assist in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Islanders, finishing the season with 27 goals and a career-high 83 points.
Bratt took another step forward after consecutive 73-point campaigns, but the team around him took a step back, as the Devils missed the playoffs after winning a round in the postseason the previous year. The 25-year-old Swede signed an eight-year, $63 million extension last June, so Bratt's locked in as a key piece of New Jersey's core for the foreseeable future.