When a linebacker gets tasked with playing fullback, then the game of football wins. Kudos to the Vikings for moving forward with the experiment that teams would be wise to emulate.

Consider the Vikings update that Andrew Krammer of The Star Tribune sent along: “While reporting a story on the state of fullbacks in NFL, was pointed to OLB Chaz Chambliss working as a backup fullback. Told me he has been in Vikings’ offensive meetings, studying both playbooks + took practice rep vs BAL; did it in high school. Big role in store for rookie FB Max Bredeson.”

Vikings Update Sees a LB Go to FB

The Minnesota Vikings adore players who can do multiple things well. Still, tasking a defender with playing fullback is stretching things.

Now, there is some precedent here. A classic example can be found in Mike Vrabel operating as a full-time Patriots outside linebacker who would moonlight as a tight end (catching touchdowns along the way). More recently, New England leaned on DT Khyiris Tonga to jump into the fullback spot during the 2025 season, adding some imposing muscle on a few occasions.

The Vikings, though, are still doing something odd.

Adding further intrigue to the mix is that Chaz Chambliss is going to change his number so that he’s compliant with the league rules for playing fullback. Kevin O’Connell explained the rationale for the move.

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Consider the head coach’s insight: “It’s just so every time, if we want to get him some snaps in the game, every single time he doesn’t have to report as an eligible.” After articulating a desire not to overlook the defender’s “swag factor,” O’Connell then said that Minnesota “can put him in just about any number and he’d just go out and play.”

What O’Connell appears to be getting at is that Mr. Chambliss is an old-fashioned ball player. The number doesn’t matter too much for him; the sophomore just wants to get into the game. “Chaz is not a guy that I worry about too much,” the skipper went on to say.

Rookie newcomer Max Bredeson is going to be leading the charge as a fullback. He got scooped up in the 5th Round even if Minnesota has next to no desire to see him carry the ball (remains to be seen). Rather, the thumper was brought to town to do some thumping.

Chaz Chambliss is looking like the backup fullback. Working somebody into that position means boasting some added depth and flexibility. Last season, Chambliss was a stalwart on special teams — he snagged 183 snaps on specials in his dozen games — proving capable as a tackler and blocker. Did something on special teams tape reveal a capacity to possibly get used on offense?

Note, as well, that Krammer points toward some background with the assignment in high school.

Chambliss is listed as being 6’1″ and 244 pounds. As an edge rusher, that’s a touch small, but it’s a good build to play off-ball linebacker, fullback, and on special teams. He looks like somebody who is on the roster fringe moving into cut down weekend.

If you’re looking for some added insight on the fullback stuff, Krammer’s work is on Star Tribune.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Christian Gonzalez easily stands among the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL. As he graduates from his rookie contract to his first megadeal, he ought to be compensated as such. The New England Patriots have been outward in their willingness to pay a premium to keep Gonzalez around for the long term, but according to ESPN, the sides are not close to an agreement.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said at the start of training camp that the team offered Gonzalez a contract that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. That, however, was before Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon reset the market with a four-year, $132 million extension. That deal raised the bar for Gonzalez and appears to have raised it too high for the Patriots.

“I don’t think that at any one point here that they have been close to a deal,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez have the same agent, so in a way, he can kind of dictate how this is going to go and see into the future in a better way than each of the two teams can. Witherspoon was going to get done first, and it got done at an average of $33 million a year. The Patriots have not been in that category. Witherspoon has established the benchmark, and the Patriots haven’t gone there. They weren’t there before, and they don’t appear to be going there right now.”

To be clear, there is no immediate deadline for this deal to get across the finish line. The Patriots picked up Gonzalez’s fifth-year option for 2027, and he has not threatened to hold in during training camp or sit out of regular-season games.

Anytime a team struggles to find an acceptable number for a star player, though, the negotiations come with the risk of blowing up. The Micah Parsons saga last summer proved how teams can ultimately lose the best players on their rosters if they are unwilling to pay a premium.

The Patriots could do what the Dallas Cowboys did in 2025 and trade their defensive asset, but for a team squarely in its contention window (and with a reigning MVP runner-up quarterback on his rookie contract, no less), parting with a player of Gonzalez’s caliber over a contract dispute would be an extreme move. That does not mean it will not happen, though, so here are a few potential landing spots should Gonzalez be moved out of New England.

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones has been hinting for a while that he’d be interested in making another big move, even if in the past 12 months he’s already made plenty: trading away Micah Parsons, trading for Quinnen Williams and moving up to draft Caleb Downs. When the Cowboys opened training camp, he said he’d be “very interested” to “give up the future to substitute where we are today.”

Dallas has made a concerted effort to improve its secondary, not just with Downs, but with free agents Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant. But after a woeful 2025, a player like Gonzalez would take this secondary to an entirely different level — not only a No. 1 cornerback, but a superstar one. Gonzalez is in the upper tier at a position the Cowboys look middling at best. He’s a big name. Maybe Jones pulls off the reverse Parsons, acquiring a disgruntled star in his prime and paying him, rather than trading one away.

Detroit Lions

As recently as this summer, the Lions had to have felt great about the state of their cornerback group. Terrion Arnold’s arrest, release from the roster and plans to sign with the Seahawks flipped the unit on its head. All of a sudden, D.J. Reed is thrust into the No. 1 job, and the depth behind him is questionable. That is not to mention the injury woes that continue to plague the rest of the defensive backfield.

Bringing in Gonzalez to not only fill Arnold’s shoes but also potentially provide an upgrade over his production would be a home-run move for a team that needs to make strides defensively in order to get back to the playoffs. Signing him to a long-term deal would limit the Lions’ flexibility at other positions, but they can afford it so long as it does not go into effect until next year.

Washington Commanders

Commanders fans have looked at Gonzalez and wondered “what if?” ever since the 2023 NFL Draft. Washington took Emmanuel Forbes 16th overall, one pick before Gonzalez went to New England. Forbes didn’t even last two seasons before being cut.

Washington went on a spending spree this offseason on defense, but is still set up to have a relatively open checkbook in the future, even with a potential Jayden Daniels extension. Adam Peters has pulled off big trades for Marshon Lattimore (which didn’t work out) and Laremy Tunsil (who played excellently last year but tore his triceps in training camp this year). Might he have another big move up his sleeve?

For the “buyer beware” idea, Gonzalez is much younger than either Lattimore or Tunsil was when they were acquired; he’s an ascending superstar, having just turned 24. The Commanders have gotten younger, faster and more athletic all offseason, and this would continue that trend. Trey Amos has missed almost all of training camp, and the rest of the group has been inconsistent. It’s a win-now year for Dan Quinn and, if it’s a bad year, Peters would be under a microscope, too. Washington never should have let Gonzalez slip past them. This regime could right the old one’s wrong.

New York Giants

A young and inexpensive core gives the Giants all the flexibility they need to not only acquire Gonzalez now but also make him the highest-paid cornerback in league history. To place a cornerback entering his prime on the same defense as recent first-round picks Arvell Reese and Abdul Carter would set that unit up to flourish as a talent-rich operation for years to come.

The Giants can easily move on from Greg Newsome II after signing him to a one-year, $8 million deal, which would clear a lane for Gonzalez to form a tandem with Paulson Adebo, who remains under contract for the next three seasons.

The young pieces are starting to fall into place with the aforementioned defenders plus Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo. Any established stars New York can pair them with would be welcome additions that could help fast-track the team’s rise to contention.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Gonzalez isn’t the only cornerback at a frustrating impasse with his team. In Pittsburgh, Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers are at odds. Porter is technically still on the PUP list, but really, it’s a hold in regarding his contract. As such, the Steelers might be able to offer New England something other teams could not: a good young player at the same position Gonzalez plays.

This, of course, would be contingent on the Patriots presenting a financial solution to Porter and the Steelers doing the same for Gonzalez. Maybe dealing with Gonzalez within the AFC is a non-starter for New England anyway. But the Steelers are giving it one more go with Aaron Rodgers, and there’s a very good defense opposite him. It could go from very good to elite with Gonzalez.

Manchester United are set to lose a young star to Arsenal this summer on a free transfer, as he bids farewell to the Reds on social media

Habeeb Ogunneye looks set to complete a switch to Arsenal after bidding farewell to Manchester United. The defender has indicated it is time to move on after paying tribute to the Reds.

The 20-year-old spent five years progressing through the academy at Old Trafford but is poised to relocate to north London on a free transfer, with United reportedly securing a substantial sell-on clause in the arrangement. Reds team-mate James Scanlon is expected to make the identical switch this summer.

Arsenal’s new Under-21s head coach, David Horseman, knows both players well, having previously worked at United as an academy coach. Ogunneye, a right-back, was understood to have completed a medical before his transfer earlier this week.

Writing on Instagram, the youngster said: “Five years. What a journey. Forever grateful for the memories, the people and everything this club has given me. Time for the next chapter.”

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His message was accompanied by a photograph of himself as a child in a United training kit and another of him walking out at Old Trafford.

Former Arsenal youngster Chido Obi, who now plays for United, was amongst those to respond. He, along with Darren Fletcher’s sons Jack and Tyler, posted red hearts to their soon-to-be former team-mate.

Kai Rooney was also among those to wish Ogunneye well. Ogunneye has some experience of senior football, having spent time on loan at Newport County last season.

He joined the club on a temporary basis the previous summer and made 21 appearances for the League Two outfit before being recalled in January.

The academy graduate has featured in a number of United’s first-team squads, taking a place on the bench for the Emirates FA Cup fifth-round clash against Nottingham Forest in 2024 and for the Reds’ FA Cup semi-final against Coventry at Wembley.

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar called Dhruv Jurel one of the finds of India’s 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka. However, Manjrekar also wondered how the wicketkeeper-batter would fare in India’s next red-ball series in New Zealand.

The 25-year-old played as a specialist batter in the Sri Lankan series and finished as the third-leading run-scorer with 173 runs despite batting lower down the order. Jurel scored a sublime century in the second Test at Colombo and averaged an impressive 86.50 in the series.

Talking about India’s two major positives with the bat in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, Manjrekar said on his Instagram handle:

“In Devdutt Padikkal, India have found a very good No.3. Then Dhruv Jurel, a steady influence on a team packed with Rishabh Pant and other attacking players. This is a guy who is pretty orthodox and old-fashioned and cashes in on starts, making the 40s and 50s into big hundreds. We’ll see how he goes in New Zealand and whether he bats in that position or somewhere else.”

Padikkal was India’s leading run-scorer in the series with 328 runs, including centuries in the first innings of both Tests.

In the bowling department, Manjrekar believes left-arm spinner Manav Suthar is the biggest find for India, saying:

“Manav Suthar is the perfect foil for Jadeja. Manav Suthar’s true value will be seen on pitches that aren’t obvious turners, especially pitches in Australia and South Africa, where there is more bounce. Because of his overspin, he’s the kind of bowler India have always needed,” said Manjrekar.

Suthar was the leading wicket-taker in the Sri Lanka series with 16 scalps at an excellent average of 21.06, including a 10-wicket match haul in the series opener.

“There was acceptance” – Sanjay Manjrekar on Team India’s demeanour in the drawn 2nd Test

Sanjay Manjrekar believes Team India accepted that the second Test against Sri Lanka would end in a draw during Day 5 despite being in a winning position at the start of the day. The visitors had the Lankans reeling at 229/6 entering the final day, with a second-innings deficit of only 16 runs.

However, an incredible 133* from Sonal Dinusha and resistance from the lower-order batters helped Sri Lanka pull off a miraculous draw, finishing Day 5 on 429/9.

“When the Indian players realized they were not going to win the second Test, there was acceptance. But it wasn’t one of resignation, or they didn’t give up the match. It was acceptance out of appreciation for the opposition and one guy, Sonal Dinusha,” said Manjrekar (via the aforementioned source).

India had won their eight previous Tests against Sri Lanka after enforcing the follow-on before the Colombo encounter. The drawn second Test also ended India’s six-match winning streak in the red-ball format in Sri Lanka.