Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell jogs onto the field during pregame introductions, setting the tone as players follow and the crowd builds energy ahead of kickoff Oct 20, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before a divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions with preparation and urgency shaping the moment. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Believe it or not, although the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason has not been stuffed to the gills with constant action, the last few months have brought quite a few surprises. So, we ranked them.
Minnesota’s offseason has featured more curveballs than expected, with surprises on the roster, staff, and front office.
The draft is less than three weeks away, and it’s time to recap the offseason to date.
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Several Unforeseen Moves Have Reshaped Minnesota’s 2026 Outlook
Ranking the Vikings’ offseason surprises from bottom to top (No. 1 = top offseason surprise).
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores addresses the media during training camp, discussing defensive philosophy and roster progress July 25, 2024, at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. Flores continues shaping Minnesota’s defense after taking over in 2023, emphasizing aggression and adaptability heading into another season. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
5. No Head Coach Love for Brian Flores
In 2025, the Vikings’ defense ranked third in the NFL per EPA/Play and DVOA. In 2024, the same unit checked in at No. 2. Overall, Flores has fostered the league’s second-best defense overall since arriving in the Twin Cities three years ago. The guy deserves another head coach opportunity.
In January and February, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens came knocking for Flores, interviewing him for the vacant head coaching job.
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Flores did not land either position. For a week or so, it felt like Flores would take the bait and depart from an esteemed franchise like PIT or BAL. Instead, those organizations picked other candidates, and Flores is back in Minnesota for Year No. 4.
4. No Starting Center Signed
Ryan Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowler, retired from the NFL after one year with the Vikings. Minnesota would need a replacement starting center, right? Nope.
These men were available, and the Vikings signed none:
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Tyler Linderbaum (LV)
Elgton Jenkins (CLE)
Tyler Biadasz (LAC)
Cade Mays (DET)
Luke Fortner (CAR)
Lloyd Cushenberry III (BUF)
Instead, it sounds like Minnesota will promote jack-of-all-trades offensive lineman Blake Brandel to the starting center spot, and draft a center somewhere in the draft’s middle rounds.
3. Letting Jonathan Greenard Trade Smoke Become a Thing
In early March, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Greenard was available for trade, wanting a contract extension and hoping to earn more than his current $19 million per year salary. After all, Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson earn over $45 million per season, and they play Greenard’s position.
Since the Schefter tweet, the Greenard trade smoke has cooled, but that doesn’t mean he’s off the trade block.
The Vikings will claim to be playoff hopefuls in 2026, and trading top-tier EDGE rushers is usually the last thing a serious team does; in fact, the NFL’s best teams go out of their way to add pass rushers.
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ESPN’s Kevin Seifert on the latest Greenard trade fodder: “The Vikings made other moves to trim nearly $50 million from their 2026 cap total, but Greenard’s $19 million salary for this season sits in a tier below the league’s top pass rushers.”
“Until an adjustment occurs, a trade is possible if the Vikings are intrigued enough by an offer. Otherwise, the Vikings want Greenard to be part of a dynamic group of outside linebackers that includes veteran Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round draft pick.”
2. The Kyler Murray Dream Came True
Back in December, websites like this one published articles outlining how much Murray might cost in a trade — because surely the Arizona Cardinals wouldn’t let Murray leave for nothing and pay for him to play elsewhere.
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What happened? The Cardinals let Murray leave for nothing and are paying for him to play elsewhere — for the Minnesota Vikings.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray drops back to pass during second-quarter action, scanning the field against Houston’s defense Nov 19, 2023, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Murray showcased mobility and arm strength while leading Arizona’s offense in a competitive matchup against the Texans. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
From the moment Arizona “softly benched” Murray in November, it felt like the Vikings could have a shot at landing him in the 2026 offseason. Arizona later released him, and it just became a foregone conclusion that Murray would sign with the Vikings. He didn’t really entertain any alternatives.
In Minnesota, Murray has a chance to forge a Drew Brees-like path in 2026 — become the long-term starter after his previous team didn’t want him.
1. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Fired
The Seattle Seahawks won the NFC Championship on January 25th, a club led by Sam Darnold. The Vikings let Darnold leave in free agency seven months prior. Seattle won the Super Bowl with the Vikings’ quarterback while the Vikings missed the playoffs altogether.
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Someone had to pay, evidently.
Meanwhile, Adofo-Mensah hit on about 15%-25% of his draft selections from 2022 to 2025, a mark that was as embarrassing as it was shocking. It would be hard for you to pick worse players while drafting from your living room couch.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches from the sideline during a college football matchup, observing prospects and game flow Oct 7, 2023, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His presence reflects ongoing scouting efforts as he evaluates talent and shapes Minnesota’s roster-building strategy. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
So, on January 30th, five days after Darnold and Co. won the NFC title game, the Vikings’ ownership put its foot down and canned Adofo-Mensah. The move was only stunning because of the timing; most teams make front office changes in early- or mid-January, not in the final days of the month.
Adofo-Mensah lasted four offseasons, and the timing of his removal shocked Vikings fans.
Here’s to hoping the draft classes can now fetch decent players.
Apr 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger (4) and Carolina Hurricanes left wing Taylor Hall (71) watch the play during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
The Carolina Hurricanes have taken one important step, but they clearly want to accomplish more in the final weeks of the regular season.
They’ll have a chance to do that when the New York Islanders visit for Saturday night’s game in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes (48-21-6, 102 points) will play their first game since clinching a playoff spot with Thursday night’s 5-1 home victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“There hasn’t been that many downs, to be quite honest,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We’ve played pretty consistently throughout this year, and I think that shows.”
This is the eighth consecutive season that the Hurricanes have qualified for the postseason.
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“You have to be good for six months,” Brind’Amour said of the achievement of withstanding the physical and mental grind. “We’ve got to finish out the year hard and get across the finish line (of the regular season) the best that we can.”
The Islanders (42-30-5, 89 points) are teetering on the Eastern Conference playoff line, and they’ll take a three-game losing streak into Saturday’s game. They lost 4-1 at home to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy said the team needs to take care of its own business without being distracted by results of other games.
“Everybody is watching every game. Everybody is watching the standings,” Roy said. “At the end of the day, it’s about what you do. … If you start thinking about what’s happening around you, this is where problems start.”
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During their current skid, they’ve been outscored 16-7.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes still are in a battle for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, so there’s more to accomplish.
“There’s always room to improve, and hopefully we can keep it going and be even better coming down the stretch,” Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said.
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Carolina allowed only 10 shots on goal by Columbus, matching the fewest allowed in franchise history.
The Hurricanes, who’ve won three of their last four games, have received regular contributions from captain Jordan Staal, who played in his 1,400th career game Thursday.
“He’s the leader of all that,” Brind’Amour said.
The Hurricanes insist they don’t want to let up, particularly with the chance to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
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“This year is a unique opportunity again,” Aho said.
For the Islanders, Saturday marks the third set of games on back-to-back days in a two-week period. Goalie Ilya Sorokin has handled both ends of those in both previous cases, going 1-1 in the back ends of those assignments. He has played in 10 consecutive games, though Roy was non-committal on the team’s goalie plan for Saturday.
Roy said New York likely will be without defenseman Tony DeAngelo, a former Hurricane dealing with a lower-body injury, for the Carolina trip.
The Hurricanes topped the Islanders 6-2 on Oct. 30. Despite the gap in the schedule, there might not be any surprises Saturday night.
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“There are no secrets,” Brind’Amour said. “Everybody knows what everybody is doing. You got to go talk about execution. You’ve got to go do it.”
The Islanders and Hurricanes also will meet in the regular-season finale April 14.
Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder are set to go head-to-head in a heavyweight fight at London’s O2 Arena
19:08, 04 Apr 2026Updated 19:15, 04 Apr 2026
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DAZN have been forced to apologise during their live coverage of the undercard of Saturday’s fight between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder. The broadcaster issued their apology during the fight between Ashton Sylve and Raul Antonio Galaviz Hernandez.
A message at the top of the screen said: “Sorry, we temporarily lost sound. It’ll be back as soon as possible”.
Saturday’s heavyweight fight at the O2 Arena in London sees Chisora return to the ring for the first time in over a year. His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Otto Wallin in February 2025.
The Brit takes on America’s Wilder, who has won just two of his last six fights and comes into the contest on the back of a knockout win over Tyrrell Anthony Herndon.
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Chisora tipped the scales going into Saturday’s fight at a career-high weight at 19st 1lbs while Wilder weighed in at 16st 2lbs.
Speaking after the main broadcast on DAZN had begun, presenter Ade Oladipo said: “I did hear there were a few gremlins with the sound a bit earlier for those of you that are watching it on YouTube.
“Those gremlins have now gone, so make sure you buy the pay-per-view.”
The fight has been dubbed one of the last of both men’s careers. Chisora, 42, has already promised that he will hang up his gloves following the bout on Saturday and hopes to pick up one last win over the American.
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There will be more to follow. We’ll bring you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.
Cleveland Guardians’ Chase DeLauter reacts to his two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the home opener April 4, 2026, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter has appeared in three home games in his young career, two of them during the 2025 American League wild-card series, when he made his major league debut.
The fourth appearance will occur Saturday night when the Chicago Cubs continue their three-game set in Cleveland.
DeLauter moved into a tie for the major league lead with five home runs, belting a two-run shot and singling home another run as the Guardians won 4-1 in their home opener Friday.
Before all four of his plate appearances, the sellout crowd of 36,396 loudly sang along with his walk-up song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver.
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“It’s awesome hearing that from the first time; I get chills every at-bat,” said DeLauter, who grew up in West Virginia, where the song is set. “A lot of players look at it like, ‘Is that walk-up going to catch on?’ So I love that the crowd is real involved in it here.”
DeLauter had three hits to raise his average to .346 and his three RBIs gave him eight, along with a 1.293 OPS. He missed Cleveland’s previous game after fouling a ball off his surgically repaired left foot Tuesday in a game at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder almost caused another injury after touching the plate on his homer, excitedly body-checking teammate Steven Kwan in celebration. Kwan was momentarily stunned before smiling.
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“It’s incredible what he’s doing,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Chase is comfortable, he’s not big eyed, and he’s doing a phenomenal job for us. It’s a really fun start for him this year.”
Cecconi spent two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks but has not faced the Cubs. He was rocked for six runs in 4 1/3 innings at the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, hitting two batters.
Imanaga beat the visiting Guardians on July 2, 2025, giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He is 1-0 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts against Cleveland, allowing five homers in 10 1/3 innings.
The 32-year-old from Japan made his season debut against the Washington Nationals on Sunday, taking the loss with five innings of four-run ball. Imanaga struck out seven over 82 pitches.
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Chicago’s rotation became a concern for manager Craig Counsell when starter Cade Horton threw only 17 pitches Friday before leaving with right forearm discomfort. Horton is 12-4 in his first 24 starts in the majors.
“Any time you take a pitcher out of the game in the second inning, you’re concerned,” Counsell said. “He’ll probably get imaging and that’s concerning, as well. It’s going to be an (injured list) stint, but let’s get more information before we get too far.”
Career starter Colin Rea worked 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball following Horton and is the most likely candidate to assume his spot in the rotation. The righty began the season in the bullpen with the Cubs overflowing with arms.
That is no longer the case with Horton sidelined until at least mid-April.
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“We’ll see what happens, but I think we’ve got the depth to handle those innings,” said Rea, who has the Cubs’ only save this year. “I’ve done it in the past, and we’ve got some guys built up for depth in Triple-A. I just hope it’s nothing too serious with Cade.”
Bath turned to a quartet of their England backs to turn the tide as they edged into the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a 31-22 victory over Saracens.
Trailing 10-0 at the interval at the Recreation Ground, the hosts burst into life with tries from Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Ben Spencer and Ollie Lawrence as they set up a last-eight appointment at home against Northampton.
Spencer’s 59th-minute finish of an audacious attack that began on their own try-line looked to be pivotal but determined Saracens refused to throw in the towel and were only truly beaten when Arundell ran in his second in the 80th minute.
Bath’s scrum needed rescuing after a humbling first half with the introduction of prop Thomas du Toit making the difference and the South Africa tighthead was named man of the match.
Unlike their visit to the Recreation Ground a fortnight ago when they were overwhelmed 62-15, it was clear Saracens meant business from the start as they halted an early Bath onslaught including holding up a forward drive over the line.
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Having proved their mettle in defence, they surged ahead in the 14th minute when Charlie Bracken deceived Cokanasiga with a dummy from the base of a maul and raced over.
It was poor defending from Cokanasiga, but at the other end Saracens continued to show far greater determination as the outstanding Tom Willis bulldozed a way through heavy traffic to rescue a dangerous position.
Bath’s scrum was beginning to buckle and they were also suffering at the breakdown, but the visitors were their own worst enemies at times with Fergus Burke failing to find touch with a penalty.
Rhys Carre rampaged into space and Noah Caluori almost crossed in the left corner before Guy Pepper was shown a yellow card for cynically heading the ball away on the floor.
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So many elements of Saracens’ game were firing but the points they deserved proved elusive with a Farrell penalty their only other score in a half they had controlled.
To punish their wastefulness, Arundell sprinted across after being released by Charlie Ewels early in the second half and then Cokanasiga scooped up a loose ball to weave over after Lawrence had carried into space.
The tries sandwiched a dramatic reversal in the scrum with Beno Obano sin-binned for a cumulation of penalties before Du Toit forced a penalty, providing Cokanasiga with the platform to score.
Bath led for the first time and then produced the highlight of the afternoon by stopping Saracens from scoring by dislodging the ball from Andy Onyeama-Christie as he ran at the line before striking with a move that began from their own whitewash.
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Cokanasiga escaped the 22, found Alfie Barbeary who waited for Spencer and the England scrum-half had gas to finish from long range.
Maro Itoje and then Ivan van Zyl burst through the breakdown and Saracens were far from done as a period of pressure ended with Max Malins touching down in the left corner.
But Harry Wilson was the next to see yellow for a dangerous tackle on Miles Reid and soon after Lawrence crashed over from close range.
Caluori replied for Saracens, but Bath had the final say at the death through Arundell.
A top AEW star, currently in the crosshairs of the Death Riders, recently asked a historic champion outside the promotion to help him against Moxley’s group.
The star we’re highlighting here is none other than Will Ospreay. The British talent recently made a major comeback to AEW, returning at Revolution 2026 last month after being sidelined with a neck injury since Forbidden Door 2025 in August. Upon his return, the Aerial Assassin immediately targeted the Death Riders, the group responsible for his long absence. The Sky King is set to face group leader Jon Moxley in a highly anticipated showdown at Dynasty 2026 on April 12. Meanwhile, Ospreay also recently made his in-ring return for NJPW, appearing at the promotion’s Sakura Genesis event, where he teamed up with United Empire’s Great-O-Khan and HENARE in a six-man tag team match, which his team won. Beyond that, Ospreay had an interesting discussion with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman.
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The main event of NJPW Sakura Genesis featured Newman defending his title against Yota Tsuji. Newman, who made wrestling history by becoming the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion, managed to defeat Tsuji in their match. Later backstage, Ospreay was seen asking the United Empire and Newman for help at work, seemingly implying that he needs assistance in dealing with the Death Riders.
Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley at AEW Dynasty will now be a title match
Many fans know that Will Ospreay’s chance to face Jon Moxley at Dynasty later this month was initially set as a regular singles match. However, recent events between the two at Collision this Thursday have caused the Purveyor of Violence to now defend his coveted Continental Title in that matchup.
For context, Moxley was attacked by the Aerial Assassin on Collision after his Continental Title eliminator match against Anthony Bowens. Ospreay was about to take out the One True King with a chair before the Death Riders arrived to make the save. The British star then challenged Moxley to put his Continental title on the line at Dynasty. The match change was soon made official by AEW.
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We are less than three weeks away from the Las Vegas Raiders being on the clock to kick off the 2026 NFL Draft, likely marking the beginning of the Fernando Mendoza era in Las Vegas. But the Raiders’ roster has plenty of other holes to fill, and John Spytek has nine other draft picks (barring any trades) to plug them up. So, we’re focusing on the second round and beyond in this week’s mailbag. Let’s get to it!
Nunchucks
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Hey Matt…At pick 36…Do we go NT, x WR or S???…All three seem to be glaring holes.
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A: You’re right that those are significant needs heading into the draft, but I think the Raiders are in a spot where they can let the draft board fall to them and go with a best player available approach at pick 36. Could that end up being someone who plays one of those three positions? Certainly, especially if there’s an expected first-rounder that slides on day one.
However, don’t be surprised if a talented edge-rusher, cornerback, etc., slips, and Spytek takes someone higher on his board rather than filling an obvious or more significant need. Las Vegas has been in the business of collecting young talent to get the rebuild going this offseason, and drafting a more talented player versus reaching for a need falls in line with that strategy.
That being said, I could see a scenario where a nose tackle is the ‘BPA’, based on current draft projections. Guys like Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter were getting some first-round love a couple of months ago, but both of their draft stocks seemed to have cooled off since then, where both could be available at 36.
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Also, Georgia’s Christen Miller appears to be trending upward recently, and it seems like we could see three safeties taken in round one: Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Oregon’s Dillon Theineman and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Plus, there’s typically a run on wide receivers on the first night of the draft. So, if I had to pick between the three positions in question, I’d go with nose tackle.
Q: You can only pick one. Kayden McDonald, Denzel Boston or Caleb Lomu have fallen to 36. Which one are you taking?
A: Well, teams can only draft one player at a time anyway, LOL!
Lomu is an interesting option here because he seems to be on the fringe of the first and second rounds, so there’s some BPA value with him. Also, that would give the Raiders another immediate right tackle option and a potential long-term replacement for Kolton Miller, who will be 31 years old in October.
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However, I’m not that sold on Lomu, and asking him to switch from left to right makes him a bigger project, which the Raiders already have at right tackle with DJ Glaze and Charles Grant. Plus, Grant is another candidate to potentially replace Miller down the line. So, I’d pivot to McDonald, filling the immediate need at nose tackle while also providing value at the draft slot (in other words, not a reach).
You all have been sending a lot of these questions my way recently—and keep them coming, I enjoy answering them because it makes me think through the draft decision-making—but most have McDonald thrown in there. It makes sense because of the need and that seems to be his draft range, but know that most of the time, if he’s included, that’s who I’m going with. LOL!
I have a thing for defensive linemen and like his game a lot, where McDonald is going to be my top choice for the Raiders in the second round more often than not. So let’s mix it up over the next few weeks and hit me with a few other names, or maybe even dive a little bit further into the draft and look at the third round!
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TVRaider
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Kinda think the Raiders may very well go OT at #36. Who do you think will still be there?
Caleb Lomu, Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor?
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Max Iheanachor
A: Of the three, I think Iheanachor is the safest bet to be available at 36.
I just touched on Lomu, and Miller is an interesting one where I could see a Super Bowl contender that needs an immediate starter at right tackle taking him in the backend of round one. The Clemson product has the size and traits to justify a first-round selection, and four years of starting experience at right tackle in college would be intriguing for a team that’s focused on winning now.
Meanwhile, Iheanachor is a more raw prospect since he didn’t start playing football until he began junior college in 2021. So, teams at the end of the first round that are looking for immediate contributors might pass on the former Sun Devil.
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That being said, I’m not so sure the Raiders will target an offensive tackle before Day 3 of the draft.
The coaching staff seems content to let Glaze and Grant battle it out in training camp and is chalking up a lot of last year’s struggles on the Carrolls. Also, after taking heat for drafting two offensive linemen in the Top 100 during the 2025 draft and them not getting playing time during the season, I don’t think Spytek would be keen on walking into that situation again.
If it’s a three-way position battle at right tackle and say Glaze wins the job, that’s another year that Grant doesn’t get many game reps and back-to-back draft classes where highly drafted offensive lineman doesn’t get much playing time in Iheanachor. Even if Glaze moves inside and the competition is between Grant and Iheanachor, at least one top 100 pick from the last two drafts is riding the bench.
Offensive line isn’t like other positions where guys constantly rotate in and out of the game, which blurs the lines when it comes to BPA strategy mentioned above. If Las Vegas drafts an edge rusher or cornerback at 36, at least they can contribute on third downs and get some playing time as a rookie.
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Q: Personal favorite mid-round DB targets to add depth at S/CB?
A: Especially if the Raiders don’t draft a safety in the second round, I’m pounding the table for Bud Clark out of TCU in the third or fourth. Clark is one of “my guys” in the draft and would be the ballhawk that the defense has been missing over the last few years. I also like Genesis Smith from Arizona and Indiana’s Louis Moore as a couple of additional mid-round options at free safety.
At cornerback, South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore is an interesting nickelback/strong safety option. I also like Chandler Rivers out of Duke to fill a role similar to what Amik Robertson used to do, as an undersized corner who has inside-outside versatility to be a valuable backup/spot starter. On the outside, Daylen Everette from Georgia has traits that are worth betting on in this range of the draft.
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Q: I’m excited to see what Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers may be able to do if we finally get to see a full season out of both of them together. But, with both of them having missed some games, do you think Spytek may be looking at a tight end in the draft to back them up?
A: Barring a Bowers-like surprise during the draft, I don’t see Spytek drafting a tight end before day three. However, I do agree with the overall point in this question that tight end could be a sneaky need. The offense could use another blocker in the position group right now, and Mayer is entering a contract year. Especially since Klint Kubiak likes to use 12 personnel, a tight end is certainly on the table in round four or later.
Sam Roush
Keep an eye on Stanford’s Sam Roush. Right now, he’s a better blocker than receiver, but is an excellent athlete who earned a 9.94 RAS at the NFL Combine to develop into a better pass-catcher and well-rounded tight end down the line. That gives the offense another blocking tight end in 2026 and a potential long-term replacement for Mayer, saving salary cap space for what will be a market-resetting contract extension with Bowers.
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It wouldn’t surprise me if Roush gets taken on Day 2, but he does have a fourth-round projection on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board and ranks 110th overall, as of April 3. Meanwhile, the Silver and Black own picks 102 and 117.
Raiderallus
Mendoza is three weeks away from officially joining the Las Vegas Raiders Easy trigger. Are you not afraid of incurring the wrath of Murphy’s law? I’m not superstitious but I’m a little stitious
It’s bad luck to be superstitious
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A: As a Raider fan who has endured the last 20-plus years, I’ve seen plenty of “what can go wrong, will” scenarios, so I live in constant fear of Murphy’s Law when it comes to the Silver and Black. LOL! So, that’s certainly on my mind with Mendoza, but I’m choosing to ignore it for now!
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Q: What are the differences between the 3-4 defense that new coaches call versus my favorite one, old school Wade Phillips that used to blitz from every angle?
A: Most 3-4 coaches are a lot less blitz-happy than Phillips was in his heyday, that’s for sure. Most modern coordinators will keep it pretty vanilla on first and second downs or run situations, and then lean on simulated pressures for third downs or passing situations. The latter forces offensive lines to account for six to seven defenders in their protection scheme, helping to create a free rusher for the defense without having to sacrifice the number of coverage defenders, since one or two are going to drop into coverage.
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In other words, a defense can have the same effect as a blitz with only four or five pass-rushers.
The rise of sim pressures and why defensive coordinators have been using them more often in the last decade or so is tied to the rise of the passing game. In the 80s, 90s and even early 2000s, when Phillips was rising to prominence in the NFL, most offenses operated out of 21 personnel with a fullback and a tight end in the game, so there were only two receivers on the field.
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With two corners in the game, defenses didn’t have to worry as much about coverage mismatches (i.e. a wide receiver on a linebacker or safety), so they could get away with blitzing more frequently. Then, the passing boom in the late 2000s to early 2010s and spread offenses started making their way into the professional level.
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That made fullbacks less common as offenses started using more 11 and 10 personnel, meaning more wide receivers were on the field, increasing the risk of coverage mismatches. Also, tight ends started becoming big wide receivers. Jimmy Graham is a great example of that. So, with offenses trending toward three-receiver sets and more athletic tight ends, defenses couldn’t blitz as much because that meant leaving at least one defender out to dry.
The way to nullify that issue is to have more defenders in coverage to create a numbers advantage: seven defenders to cover, at most, five pass-catching threats.
Also, Kubiak alluded to this during the owners’ meeting, telling reporters that Rob Leonard isn’t just a 3-4 guy and will likely use a variety of fronts as defensive coordinator. The difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3 scheme isn’t as significant as it was in the past.
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Tied back to the rise of the passing game, defenses are in nickel personnel (five defensive backs, six defensive linemen and linebackers) more often than they are in base (four defensive backs, seven defensive linemen and linebackers), generally speaking.
So, there’s quite a bit of crossover between modern 3-4 and 4-3 defenses since either scheme is going to have just six front-seven defenders on the field a good percentage of the time. The fewer front players you have, the less variety of fronts you can run.
Now, coordinators are still going to want to draft or add players who fit their “base” packages, but the difference between the two styles of defense isn’t as significant as it used to be with nickel personnel becoming more popular. Nowadays, the bigger difference is who the extra defensive back replaces: the nose tackle, a defensive end/tackle or a linebacker, which can vary from coach to coach and philosophy to philosophy.
Long story short, in the modern 3-4 defense, expect to see more simulated pressures than blitzes and six-man boxes than what you might be used to or expecting from the past.
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That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
Gold Glove-winning outfielder Cody Bellinger made a compelling case for catch of the year in the New York Yankees’ home opener against the Miami Marlins on Friday.
New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger gestures after hitting a double during the fifth inning of the home opener against the Miami Marlins in New York on April 3, 2026.(Yuki Iwamura/AP)
Bellinger sprinted 62 feet and tracked the ball well but misjudged it at the last moment, and it glanced off his wrist. Mid-jump, he swung his arm around and snagged the ball at around knee level.
Fans at Yankee Stadium erupted as Bellinger looked at his glove in disbelief, but the former Los Angeles Dodgers star wouldn’t call the acrobatic save his smartest play.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger catches a fly ball hit by Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards during the ninth inning of the home opener in New York on April 3, 2026.(Yuki Iwamura/AP)
“I should have caught it the first time,” he said, adding that he “squeezed” his glove too early.
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“I definitely got lucky. Threw my glove out there.”
The Yankees are off to their second 6-1 start in three seasons after Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning to help the team secure an 8-2 win over the Marlins in the Bronx.
Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees celebrate after defeating the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium in New York on April 3, 2026.(Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos)
NEW DELHI: A young fast bowler stole the spotlight in the IPL 2026 clash between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals, not just for his performance but for sheer pace. Ashok Sharma, playing for Gujarat Titans, bowled the fastest delivery of the season, a fiery 154.2 kmph yorker to Dhruv Jurel, leaving everyone impressed. The 23-year-old pacer consistently bowled at high speeds, crossing 145 kmph regularly and even hitting 150 twice in the same over. His 154.2 kmph delivery became the fastest ball of IPL 2026, beating Anrich Nortje’s earlier mark of 150.9 kmph.Sharma earned his IPL spot after a strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was Rajasthan’s top wicket-taker. Gujarat Titans showed faith in him by picking him in the playing XI early, and he has delivered steady performances so far.Despite Sharma’s pace, Rajasthan Royals posted a big total of 210/6 after choosing to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave a solid start, adding 69 runs in the powerplay. Jaiswal went on to score a half-century, while Dhruv Jurel played a crucial knock of 75 off 42 balls, accelerating the innings in the later stages.There were a few setbacks with quick wickets in the middle overs, but Jurel’s innings ensured Rajasthan crossed the 200 mark. Gujarat bowlers managed to pull things back slightly towards the end, but still faced a challenging target.With Gujarat already missing captain Shubman Gill, the big question remained whether they could chase down the total against a confident Rajasthan side.
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