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INDIANAPOLIS – Denver Broncos general manager George Peyton said Tuesday at the NFL Scout Factory that “everything is on the table” in the pursuit of the quarterback team, including exchanging multiple first-round elections to win one or Teddy’s return. Bridgewater.

The Broncos were a frequently discussed landing place for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers if Green Bay eventually decided to consider bids for the 10-time Pro Bowl selection. And while Patton could not publicly discuss Rodgers’ situation because he has a contract with another team, he said he would consider a blockbuster deal for the veteran quarterback if he could.

Asked specifically on Tuesday if he would consider swapping multiple first-round elections as part of a quarterback deal, Patton said: “I just think that’s the flexibility you have when you have a lot of choices. We have 11 choices, so if we had to give a little to get a player, we can do it, and he won’t handcuff you for the draft … It’s all on the table; we like to choose. “

The Broncos have number 9 in this year’s first round and have five selections among the top 100 selections in the draft.

The Broncos also went through their meetings with free agencies last week to draw up the team’s plan with available unlimited free agents, including a quarterback. Asked if he had left those meetings with “many” players in a position he would consider signing, Patton said:

“I wouldn’t say much, but there are some we like that are very attractive, including Teddy [Bridgewater]”Patney said.” Teddy is a man, you know how I feel about Teddy. I know the coaches were watching him, they had a lot of good things to say about Teddy, the new coaches. We will just keep everything open with the quarterback position. We know how important it is … I know everyone is struggling to get it, as we are. “

Drew Locke is the only quarterback Broncos have under contract, and Brett Ripien is a restricted free agent. Both Patton and new coach Nathaniel Hackett have said they believe Locke is a “talented” player and want to see how Locke gets used to the new book.

The Broncos attack has been a useless exercise for much of the last six seasons. Bridgewater was the 10th different quarterback to start a game behind the center since mid-2016, and the Broncos have not averaged more than 23 points per game since 2014.

They have not averaged more than 21 points per game in any of the last six seasons – all missed in the playoffs.

“Everything is on the table. You don’t know who will be available, you don’t know who will be available in the free agency, the project, many ways to get them,” Patton said. “We” Leave all our options open. “

Following an extension of Monday’s unofficial deadline, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association failed to conclude a new collective bargaining agreement on Tuesday to end the owner’s lockout. MLB, which set a 17:00 ET deadline on Tuesday for a deal, did what it called its “final” offer on Tuesday afternoon, which was unanimously rejected by the union, on numerous reports. Shortly afterwards, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced at a press conference that a regular 2022 season would be canceled.

“I was hoping, despite the hope, that I would not need this press conference to cancel some regular season games,” Manfred said Tuesday afternoon. “We worked hard to avoid a result that is bad for our fans, bad for our players and bad for our clubs. Our failure to reach an agreement is not due to a lack of effort on either side.”

The next step is uncertain – the two countries could certainly continue to bargain – although they are likely to suspend their meetings in Florida and regroup. MLB is expected to announce that the Opening Day will be postponed, although perhaps not immediately. The two sides could make a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement that would save the regular season later this week.

Representatives from both sides arrived in Jupiter, Florida, around 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday and met face to face for the first time around 1:30 p.m., after players held a conference call to discuss their proposal. according to Evan Drelic of The Athletic. Although optimism prevailed after Monday’s marathon 16-hour bargaining session, Tuesday took a step back, at least to hear league sources say so. However, the union opposed this feature of Tuesday morning’s events:

The two countries seem to be furthest from each other in terms of what the payroll tax will look like in the future. The CBT, which has become a type of salary cap, has in the past imposed sanctions on teams that exceed certain salary levels. The Union, of course, would prefer these levels to be much higher than what the league offers.

However, this is not the only important issue that needs to be resolved. There is still a division when it comes to the minimum wage and the size of the theoretical pool of bonuses for players before the arbitration. Although everything is still fluid on all fronts until an agreement is reached, the playoffs with 12 teams seem likely to move forward.

To repeat, there are significant gaps on many fronts.

MLB originally set a deadline on Monday (February 28) to reach an agreement before canceling regular season matches and postponing the 2022 Opening Day. CBS Sports provided a timeline of the block here, but the short version is that the owners have put the padlocks when the previous CBA expired on December 1 – exactly three months ago. They were not obliged to do so, but this was described as a defensive maneuver. The league then waited more than six weeks to make its first offer. Since then, the two sides have held a series of personal talks.

CBS Sports provides live updates for Tuesday’s talk. You can follow below.

INDIANAPOLIS – Brian Gutekunst walked non-stop through the halls of the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, and the general manager of Green Bay Packers said it was the same when he faced GM from other teams at the NFL Scout Factory.

He claims that his phone also does not ring constantly, as teams call to ask about the availability of quarterback Aaron Rodgers through trade.

“Not at all,” said Gutekunst. – Not at all. Not a single person.

Maybe they’re just waiting for Rodgers to inform Packers of his decision – whether he wants to play in 2022 or retire – and then submit the trade offers they’ve no doubt formulated in case Rodgers tells Gutekunst he wants to continue his career elsewhere.

Rodgers has not informed Packers of his intentions, but Gutekunst believes the Packers will know before the free agency opens on March 16.

“I hope so,” Gutekunst said. “This is obviously the beginning of a new year in the league. There are a lot of decisions that need to be made before that. So that would be useful. I think we will know something before that.”

Meanwhile, the Packers are planning a number of scenarios.

“It’s really no different than every year, because as you enter this time, there are just a lot of unknowns,” Gutekunst said. “You always have free agents that you try to get back. You do not know how this will happen. You need to have a plan B, a plan B and stuff. It really is no different. [It] attracts a lot of attention because of the player and his status, but it’s not really different. “

The Packers started out of season with nearly $ 50 million above the salary cap and this does not include the contracts of successor Davante Adams, midfielder De’Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Thanks to the main renegotiation with left-back David Bahtiari, defensive match Kenny Clark and back Aaron Jones, they are now $ 27.5 million above the limit, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Packers will almost certainly use the Adams franchise label if the long-term deal is not concluded by March 8. They want to keep Adams, whether Rodgers returns or not.

“They are two different players and two different situations, both of which are great in their own right,” Gutekunst said. “We were lucky to have them and we hope we can both move forward. But they are separate.”

Whatever Rodgers decides, it will create extra space for hats. If Rodgers does not play in Green Bay, the Packers will receive between $ 19.3 million and $ 26.9 million in salary savings, depending on the timing of the decision. He has one year left on the deal and will count $ 46.1 million against the limit, a number that will no doubt be reduced by an extension if he decides to return.

To that end, Packers’ vice president of football operations, Russ Ball, has been involved in negotiating contracts with Rodgers agent David Dunn.

“It’s part of the process [of Rodgers’ decision-making]Said Gutekunst. “You know, Russ, he’s obviously doing a good job and he’s prepared for any road we can take.”

The calendar turned to March, which means that the initial madness of the free agency is just around the corner. For the Seattle Seahawks, that means less than two weeks of exclusive rights to negotiate with the nine members of the list who were on the field for at least half of the offensive or defensive shots the team played in 2021.

After the Manipulation Window opened at noon in New York on March 14, these players were allowed to negotiate freely with 31 other NFL teams, and deals could be announced at any time after that window opened. With that in mind, without wasting any more time, here are a number of predictions about where the first nine free agents of the Seahawks may be in 2022.

Pro Bowl LT Dwayne Brown

Brown asked for an extension of his contract in August, and instead the team made some changes to the contract that did not change the money he had to earn, but is working to provide him with $ 2 million in injury protection guarantees for 2022. are meaningless after finishing the 2021 season healthy and now is the time for both sides to see if they can figure out how to fit Brown forward.

forecast: Brown signed with division rival Los Angeles Rams after Andrew Whitworth retired.

Pro Bowl FS Quandre Diggs

Seahawks Free Security hits free agency after asking for contract extension in August and being turned down, only to see their season end with a broken leg suffered while playing a road game against the Arizona Cardinals and fighting the Ghosts of Glendale? Is this a sequel?

Forecast: It’s all eerily familiar, and the only way this story can end is when Diggs signs with the Baltimore Ravens.

CB DJ Reed

Reed has known New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh since their time with the San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, the Jets need a back and enough space for hats, so there may be a shift from the Little Apple in college to the Big Apple in the NFL.

Forecast: Obviously Jets.

DE Rashim Green

Young and still growing, Green is the type of free agent who is likely to sign a contract that will hit fans as too rich, but who may start to look like a bargain in a year or two as the ceiling rises and he continues to improve.

Forecast: Indianapolis Colts

TE Gerald Everett

The early extension market was largely calm so far this off-season, but the Carolina Panthers may have set the bar higher than many other teams they liked when they gave Ian Thomas a 3-year extension of $ 16.95 million with a guaranteed $ 8. million. This is no small feat for a player better known for his block and who has only 802 yards to accept in his career.

Forecast: Jaguars Jacksonville

G / C Ethan Pocic

Pocic really started to thrive in 2021, after he got a chance to demonstrate his abilities in a zone scheme, rather than in the system with bigger gaps that the Hawks used from 2018 to 2020. However, there are many teams looking for help in the offensive line, and after starting 24 games in the previous two seasons, it will not be a surprise to see one of a number of teams working hard to add Pocic.

Forecast: Cincinnati Bengals

CB Sidney Jones

Jones is playing well after being acquired by Jacksonville in the final reduction of the list. With Reed and Diggs expecting to leave, it would be logical for Seattle to retain Jones’ services to ensure some continuity in the secondary.

Forecast: Seattle Seahawks

RT Brandon Shell

Shell has been a starter for the Jets and Seahawks in each of the last five seasons, but due to injuries he has averaged only 11.6 starts per season. He probably won’t win a single Pro Bowl nod in the coming seasons, but teams can certainly do worse in position.

Forecast: Pittsburgh Steelers

TE will Disley

There is no doubt that Disley played well when he managed to stay healthy, but the Seahawks seemed determined to use Everett over Disley in 2021 under the new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Since Everett and Dissly are set to be free agents, there will certainly be some turnover in the depth chart and keeping Dissly will work to minimize that turnover.

Forecast: Seattle Seahawks

Now fans just have to wait a few weeks to point out that all nine of them are wrong.

The International Skating Union (ISU) followed the recommendation of International Olympic Committee and announced on Tuesday that every athlete from Russia and Belarus will be banned from competing in international competitions “until further notice”.

ISU was the latest international sports group to reaffirm its support for Ukraine, noting that the ban would be introduced “to protect the integrity of ice skating competitions and the safety of all participants”.

RUSSIA PRESENTS SPORTS INSULATION FOR BEING IN UKRAINE

“The ISU Council reaffirms its solidarity with all those affected by the conflict in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the entire Ukrainian people and state.” statement Read. “The ISU Council reaffirms its full solidarity with ISU members in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Speed ​​Skating Federation and the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation. The ISU Council will assess the possibilities for rapid humanitarian assistance to its Ukrainian ISU members.”

Gold medalists from Russia Kamila Valieva, Russia Mark Kondratyuk, Russia Anastasia Mishina, Russia Alexander Galyamov, Russia Victoria Sinitsina and Russia Nikita Katsalapov celebrate during the color ceremony of the figure skating team competition during the Winter Olympics22 in Beijing. Beijing Stadium at Capital Stadium. on February 7, 2022
(WANG ZHAO / AFP via Getty Images)

He continued: “Following the IOC recommendation, in order to protect the integrity of ice skating competitions and the safety of all participants in international ice skating competitions, the ISU Council, based on Article 17.1.q) (i) of the Constitution of ISU, agreed that with the immediate entry into force and further order, no skates belonging to ISU members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and Russian Figure Skating Federation) and Belarus (Belarusian Skating Union) will be be invited or allowed to participate in International Ice Skating Competitions, including ISU Championships and other ISU events. The same shall apply to the officials listed in the relevant ISU communications and / or the Regulations under Russia and Belarus. “

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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, the IOC called for immediate action against Russia and Belarus, saying the attacks violated the Olympic truce. On Monday, the Executive Board Called for all international sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Tuesday’s announcement is the latest spot in Russian figure skating.

Kamila Valieva from the ROC team reacted after skating during the short program for women in singles on the eleventh day of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China.
(Harry Howe / Getty Images)

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been at the center of a doping scandal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after testing positive for three different substances designed to improve heart function, including a banned substance.

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She was allowed to compete despite the great repulsion of the Olympic community and finished with the highest score in the women’s short program qualifiers before failing to win a medal in the final round.

Gold medalists Kamila Valieva, Anastasia Mishina, Alexander Galyamov, Victoria Sanitsina, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratyuk of the Russian team celebrate during the flower ceremony at the team event on the third day of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games closed on Capital 2022 February 7, 2022 Beijing, China.
(Photo by Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)

Calls for a ban on the Russian Olympic Committee have intensified since its latest doping scandal, but now its athletes will be banned from competing as a result of the attacks.

New York Liberty was thrown into the penalty area of ​​the WNBA because they had the audacity to provide their players with better flight conditions.

Sports Illustrated reported that Liberty was fined $ 500,000 for violating the league’s rules for providing the team with charter flights paid for by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai. The team trip to Napa was also considered an inadmissible benefit.

“Can your owners do that ??” Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu asked TikTok, sharing a video of the trip to Napa.

The fine is not significant for the Tsai family – Joe Tsai is listed as the ninth richest man in the world by Forbes with an estimated net worth of $ 8.7 billion and he bought an apartment in Brooklyn for $ 157 million last July.

However, Liberty were threatened with much more severe consequences.

After someone warned the WNBA about Liberty’s violations, possible remedies offered by league chief adviser Jamin Derschowitz ranged from losing “every draft choice you’ve ever seen” to stopping ownership, even “grounds for termination. of the franchise, “according to until September 21, 2021, communication between the league and Freedom,” said SI.

Many observers will think it is wild that this is a problem. It sounds almost like a problem we’re used to hearing about in the NCAA, not in professional sports.

The point is that the WNBA’s collective agreement prohibits charter flights, calling it a competitive advantage.

According to SI, about half of the teams in the league are profitable. There is some division between the owners of the old guard and the new ones like Tsais (who owns the Brooklyn Nets) and Mark Davis (the owner of the Raiders, who also controls Las Vegas Aces), who owns other professional sports teams and seems amazed at player comfort constraints. .

The WNBA’s economy would come as a surprise to many.

Tsais bought Liberty, the largest market in America, somewhere in the range of 10-14 million dollars in 2019, according to CNBC.

The entire WNBA salary limit is $ 1.3 million, which raised eyebrows when Davis gave Becky Haman seven figures a year to train Asata.

“[A]xxx, yes, @WNBA, where the head coach can get 4 times the highest paid players super max contract. Lmao and you all think I have to spend another season improving my space in flight to get to the games out of my own pocket, ”said Liz Cambage of WNBA’s All Star tweeted in February.

The issue of Liberty and charter flights may be a wild enough story to cross and create some awareness of WNBA player compensation and lack of other amenities.

“WNBA owners need to be able to invest in their team by providing better working conditions.” tweets SNY presenter Maria Marino. “If the other owners do not want to and this puts their club at a disadvantage in the competition, it is their duty. It comes down to appreciating women athletes. ”

The NFL 2022 Scout Factory kicked off on Tuesday as potential customers, NFL staff and media members flocked to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

No, don’t run to your TV to see if the workouts are live, they won’t start until Thursday. But this means that there is still time for a quick simulation before the combine is ready and the design boards are moved.

ESPN’s Mel Cyprus released its preliminary draft of the draft (content in InSider) on Tuesday morning and includes a pair of selections for the New York Giants that are both completely surprising and completely predictable.

These elections are Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux in 5th place and Utah LB Devin Lloyd in 7th overall.

Let’s see what Cyprus has to say about itself, then unpack it.

5. New York Giants – Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon

If the draft is played this way and both of the best offensive games are off the board before the Giants are selected, it is best to take a defender. And if Thibodeaux is available, he would be perfect for defending New York, which must combine a real champion with rookie Azeez Ojulari, who led the team with eight sacks last season. Thibodeaux needs to improve his versatility, but he has exceptional physical tools as a pass-forward. He had seven layoffs last season and put the second best pressure in the country (17.8%). If he gets close to his ceiling, he will make many All-Pro teams.

The Giants have some good things to build for new general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daball, but they won’t be able to win a title like Thibodeaux anywhere but in the draft. We can look back on this choice in five years and consider it a theft.

7. New York Giants (via CHI) – Devin Lloyd, ILB, Utah

With the Giants’ second top 10, I move all-in to improve the defensive’s top seven. Lloyd is a midfielder, yes, but he does much more. He has a total of 111 rebounds, eight strikes, 20 rebounds, four interceptions and a forced strike last season. He has had a total of 16.5 layoffs in the last three seasons. Lloyd (and No. 5 Caivon Thibodeau) can add a little more pass to a team that desperately needs it. If New York takes Lloyd here, it probably means that Blake Martinez, who broke the ACL in September, will fall victim to a salary cap.

The Giants will have to deal with their offensive line at some point this off-season, and I also thought about center Tyler Linderbaum here.

Raptor’s thoughts

Cyprus has an offensive strike by NC State Ickem Ekwonu, who is first overall against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Alabama has a strike against Evan Neal, who is third overall against the Houston Texans, and an offensive of the Mississippi State is against Charles Cross and is sixth overall against Carolina Panthers.

On the one hand, we see how likely it is that the Giants will simply fail to find the right shot at the top of the draft. And I include Cross in the group, even though he once only played left-handed and there are no guarantees that he will move to right-handed or to an NFL game.

On the other hand, the Giants get two very good players at the top of the draft.

Thibodeau spent most of 2021 and 2022 at the top of the project boards before various “worries” caused him to slide down a bit. He has the tools to be a really dangerous EDGE in the NFL, with great length, flexibility, athleticism and a professional repertoire of movements. He can play from a position with 2 or 3 points and be covered when requested. Wink Martindale may prefer the players on the cover to miss the rushers, but if Thibodeaux is by far the best player available, the Giants get a potential Blue Chip player.

And you can say almost the same about Devin Lloyd. Linebacker doesn’t have the same kind of positional value as OT, EDGE or CB and I could really see the Giants take a player like Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner here. But in the vacuum, Lloyd is a great player who was extremely productive and flexible for Utah. The Giants have long needed an inside defender who can really run and cover the middle of the field. Lloyd can give Martindale many options in his blitz packs – as Cyprus notes, he is a pretty good passer in his own right.

On the other hand, the Giants are desperate to rebuild (or simply build) their attack. They have committed the worst offense in the NFL in the last two years and it is clear that you have to win in attack in modern football.

This project is legitimately arranged on the defensive side of the ball, but the defense simply does not offer the same consistency and predictability as the attack.

Cyprus notes that it thought of Tyler Linderbaum in 7th place overall and may have moved in that direction. The center has about the same positional value as the MIKE line defender for me, and finding a center that can be a building block is almost as important as finding the right shot.

The struggle between the draft – which will almost certainly be tough in defending the top – and the realities of the giants will be incredibly interesting to watch.

What the Giants really need is Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis or Matt Coral (or whatever combination of them) to raise drafts over the next two months.