The contributions from recent draft classes have been fairly limited for the Minnesota Vikings. Trading away picks at an unusual rate didn’t help, but way too many picks didn’t deliver an acceptable return on investment.

Late-rounders are never intended to be franchise-changers, but they should provide depth for a few years. One of those is 2024 sixth-rounder Walter Rouse, who joined the club in the same round as placekicker Will Reichard.

The latter has been an excellent player for the franchise; the former has barely played and could see his journey end this summer.

Rouse, a left tackle at Stanford and Oklahoma, has appeared in eight games during his two-year NFL career, seeing the field on 88 offensive snaps and 38 on special teams. He had a safe spot on the 53-man roster for 25 months, but the numbers work against him this year.

The Vikings added Ryan Van Demark in free agency, snatching the restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills. He’s set to be the swing backup tackle for the upcoming season after starting six games in front of Josh Allen.

Furthermore, the organization acquired Caleb Tiernan in the third round of last month’s draft. The Northwestern tackle should be expected to stick around, of course, and potentially threaten Van Demark rather than competing with Rouse.

That makes two backup tackles behind the unquestioned starting duo of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Both struggled with their health last year, missing several games and opening the door for Rouse to get his first offensive snaps. Rouse started the season as the fourth tackle behind the two starters and backup Justin Skule, but on some occasions, the staff preferred to move Blake Brandel back to tackle over giving the 2024 pick a shot.

Starting 52 games in college, first at Stanford and then at Oklahoma, Rouse possesses ideal measurements for a tackle at 6’6″ and 313 lbs, with 35″ arms.

Still, a move to offensive guard might be his best bet. Behind starters Donovan Jackson and Will Fries, the Vikings aren’t particularly loaded with backups after Brandel’s slide into the center position. The backup list includes undrafted rookies and practice squad players in Joe Huber, Henry Byrd, Vershon Lee, and Tomas Rimac.

In fact, a position swap has been floated as an idea for years.

Darren Wolfson commented on Skor North last year, “Walter Rouse, I’m told, his camp feels like there’s more of a pathway to playing time at some point at guard versus tackle. If you’re thinking Walter Rouse, draft pick last year, is more a tackle, just saying, don’t sleep on the possibility of him playing guard, getting guard reps, working more so at the guard position, not the tackle position.”

Oli Udoh went that route in 2021 and Brandel in 2023. Both started one season at guard before a replacement arrived. It helped them carve out a longer career, though.

Even head coach Kevin O’Connell has mentioned the Rouse to guard concept before, hinting at the transition ahead of his rookie season: “The growth we’ve already seen, both at the right tackle position ‒ I do believe he’s gonna have the ability to play some guard also. It’s not something you start him out in his NFL journey, bouncing around [in] different spots on the line.”

Given the state of the roster, it would hardly be surprising to see Rouse get some reps at the guard position throughout OTAs and the summer’s training camp.

Rouse turned 25 this year.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

With Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao set to rematch in September, former Mayweather rival, Marcos Maidana, has shared his thoughts on the fight.

Maidana was twice defeated by the American great in 2014, with the first of their two fights deemed to be one of the few occasions where a decision could have gone against ‘TBE’; officially defeating ‘El Chino’ by majority-decision.

Their second meeting was more convincing and proved to be Maidana’s final outing as a pro, whilst Mayweather moved onto the biggest fight of his career and defeated perennial rival Pacquiao the following year.

Now, 11 years on from that event, Mayweather is due to end a nine-year hiatus and fight the Filipino icon for a second time, with a date of Friday, September 25, currently being touted.

Whilst others find the bout controversial, due to the respective ages of the two legends, Maidana told Fight Hub TV that he has no issues with the contest.

“[I think it is] good. They can still be in boxing and if they can fight, it is okay for them to fight.”

In terms of the fight itself, Maidana predicted a similar showing to their 2015 encounter, with the style of Mayweather remaining unbeatable as he improves his fabled record to 51-0.

“I think it is going to be the same, maybe a little slower because they are a little bigger, but I think that, the way they both fight, is going to be the same.”

Along with the clash against Pacquiao, Mayweather is also lined up to have an exhibition bout against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in June.

The Wednesday sports calendar is filled with top matchups in multiple sports, highlighted by Game 5 of Pistons vs. Cavaliers in the 2026 NBA playoffs with the series tied 2-2, providing a high-stakes contest to cash in on the latest DraftKings promo code, which gives new users $100 in bonus bets instantly after your first $5 wager. The home team is 4-0 overall and against the spread this series, and that’s a trend the SportsLine Projection Model expects to continue, backing the host Detroit Pistons to cover as 3.5-point favorites in Wednesday’s NBA best bets at DraftKings. The over/under for total points scored for Game 5 of Cavs vs. Pistons is 211.5.

The model has also found value in both the MLB and NHL, backing the Minnesota Wild to cover as underdogs on the puck line against the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Cardinals to upset the Athletics at +119 odds in Wednesday’s best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $100 in bonus bets instantly after your first $5 wager: 

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the second week of the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 26-9 roll (74%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Wednesday best bets at DraftKings Sportsbook

• Pistons (-3.5) vs. Cavaliers (-112)
• Wild (+1.5) vs. Avalanche (-148)
• Cardinals (+119) vs. Athletics

Combining the three picks into a Wednesday parlay at DraftKings would result in a payout of +594 (risk $100 to win $594, odds subject to change). Claim $100 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager at DraftKings here:

Pistons (-3.5) vs. Cavaliers 

The Pistons won the first two games of the series in Detroit, each by 10 points (111-101 and 107-97). Since losing their playoff opener to the Magic, the Pistons are 5-0 overall and 4-1 ATS in Detroit this postseason. The Pistons are 25-21 ATS at home this year. Meanwhile, Cleveland is 0-5 overall and ATS on the road this postseason and 17-29 ATS on the road this year. The model projects these trends to continue in a pivotal Game 5, with the Pistons covering in 68% of simulations. Back the Pistons here, and claim $100 in bonus bets with your first $5 bet as a new user:

Wild (+1.5) vs. Avalanche 

The Wild face a win-or-go-home situation in Game 5, with the Avalanche leading the series, 3-1. Colorado being in this position isn’t a shocker, as the Avalanche dominated all year with an NHL-leading 121 points. Although all three of the Wild’s losses this series has come by multiple goals, Minnesota has also scored multiple goals in all four games, as they’ve proven the offensive ability to skate with Colorado. The Wild covered the puck line in three of four games during the regular season against the Avalanche, including securing two victories, and the model expects the Wild to come out strong with their season on the line. The model projects the Wild to cover in 67% of simulations, compared to the implied odds of 59.7%. Back the Wild to cover at DraftKings here, and claim $100 in bonus bets instantly after your first $5 wager as a new user:

Cardinals (+119) vs. A’s

The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this season, entering Wednesday with a 24-17 record after a 6-4 win over the A’s on Tuesday despite having one of the lowest preseason expectations. The A’s (21-20) have also been better early than many expected, but their Wednesday starter struggled in his last home start. The A’s are scheduled to start J.T. Ginn, who allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Guardians in his last home start. The Cardinals are starting Matthew Liberatore, who has a 2.31 ERA in two May starts, including holding the Dodgers to two runs in 5 2/3 innings. The Cardinals are 6-2 in Liberatore’s starts this season, and the model projects St. Louis to win in 52% of simulations, showcasing strong value at plus-money odds. Back the Cardinals at DraftKings here, and claim $100 in bonus bets instantly after your first $5 wager as a new user:

Want more NBA, MLB and NHL picks on Wednesday?

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Paris Saint-Germain secured their fifth straight French Ligue 1 title on Wednesday as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike set up a decisive 2-0 win away to nearest rivals Lens.

The Georgian netted his 19th goal of the season just before the half-hour mark and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye added a late second as PSG took an unassailable nine-point lead at the top with one match of the season remaining.

Luis Enrique’s team had all but clinched another league triumph last weekend when they beat Brest 1-0 to go six points clear of Lens with two games left while also boasting a far superior goal difference.

That meant even a Lens victory here could not realistically have prevented the Parisians from extending their domestic dominance.

PSG have now won a record 14 French titles overall with 12 of them coming in the last 14 years, a period in which they have been transformed under Qatari ownership.

The league title adds to their trophy haul for the season, in which they had already won the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Intercontinental Cup and French Champions Trophy.

There might yet be more to come, as the defending European champions face Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 — they will become just the second team in the modern era to win back-to-back European Cups if they defeat the Gunners.

Lens, meanwhile, are now guaranteed to finish second, securing a spot in the league phase of next season’s Champions League as they prepare to return to that competition for the first time since 2023/24.

The northern side will also face Nice in the French Cup final on Friday, May 22.

This game could have taken on far greater significance had it been played on its scheduled date in April. But it was postponed to allow PSG to rest in between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

That ultimately took the sting out of the occasion, and the visitors came into the contest without key players including Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, captain Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Warren Zaire-Emery in their starting line-up.

Despite the changes, PSG went ahead at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis when Ousmane Dembele intercepted a Malang Sarr clearance and this week’s winner of the Ligue 1 player of the year prize released Kvaratskhelia to control and score.

Abdallah Sima hit the post for Lens on 74 minutes and Florian Thauvin had a goal disallowed for offside late on, before Senegal international Mbaye made it 2-0 in stoppage time.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ season came to an end on Sunday when they lost by 30 to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of their second-round series. The sweep, which extended their Eastern Conference finals drought to 25 seasons, ultimately cost president of basketball operations Daryl Morey his job, though Nick Nurse will retain his job as coach. 

Morey’s inability to win in Philadelphia was largely due to Joel Embiid’s health problems. Over Morey’s six years in charge, the Sixers went 270-212 (.560 winning percentage) during the regular season and made the playoffs five times, but only won four playoff series and never made it past the second round. Embiid, who appeared in 281 of a possible 482 regular-season games during Morey’s tenure, was not fully healthy in the playoffs a single time. 

Former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers, who is the president of sports at Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment — the group that owns the Sixers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils — will be in charge of the search for Morey’s replacement, and will oversee basketball operations in the interim.

As the Sixers chart a new course forward, it’s fair to wonder if Embiid will remain part of their plans.

The always upside-down 76ers fire Daryl Morey, whose replacement has decades of disarray to overcome

John Gonzalez

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Embiid acknowledged uncertain future

Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, has spent his entire career with the Sixers. Over the last 12 years, he’s grown from a raw, but extremely talented, prospect into one of the best players in the world. He won the 2023 MVP, has made seven All-Star Games, five All-NBA and three All-Defensive appearances and won two scoring titles. 

Along the way, Embiid nicknamed himself “The Process” to pay homage to the team’s years-long rebuilding strategy under former executive Sam Hinkie, and has become an icon in Philadelphia. But very few players spend their entire career with one team anymore, and Embiid himself acknowledged some uncertainty about the future. 

“VJ (Edgecombe), I’m gonna talk to him, he’s gonna be better, and he was amazing for his first year. Tyrese (Maxey) is gonna be better and he’s taken a step every single year. (Paul George) that we saw the last couple weeks, he’s still got it. And then everybody else. I don’t know who’s gonna be here,” Embiid said after the Sixers’ season-ending loss on Sunday, when asked about the team’s future. “I don’t even know if I’m gonna be here. But whatever happens happens. For me, I’m excited about really getting back to myself.”

Embiid is under contract through 2028, with a player option for 2029, so the only way for him to leave Philadelphia before then would be via trade. 

Would the Sixers trade Embiid?

Embiid is one of the most talented players in the league and a beloved figure, but he’s also owed a lot of money and has struggled to stay on the floor in recent years. Trading him would not be an easy decision, and may require the Sixers to attach assets, but it could provide an opportunity to reset the franchise around their extremely exciting young backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe. 

The Sixers may eventually get to the point where they consider moving Embiid, but it doesn’t seem like it will happen this summer. Here’s NBA insider Jake Fischer with more on Embiid’s future:

“Embiid’s incessant availability issues, of course, have rendered him tricky to trade (to put it charitably). Would the Sixers, even if they could, be willing to add the needed draft capital to a trade that ships Embiid out? That figures to be tougher than ever given what we wrote above about how teams are expected to value future first-round picks for lottery purposes. 

“No surprise, then, that I’ve been advised to expect no definitive effort this offseason to try to offload Embiid. No matter who is in charge.”

Why Embiid would be ‘tricky to trade’  

Injuries

First and foremost, Embiid can’t stay on the floor. He played 38 regular-season games this season, 96 regular-season games over the last three seasons and has never played more than 68 games in a season. In addition to countless knee issues, he’s dealt with back, foot, thumb and head injuries.  

Most importantly, Embiid has only been healthy in the playoffs once. That was during the 2020 season in the bubble when he got nearly three months off from mid-March to late July due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Sixers were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round. The only other time he’s appeared in all of the Sixers’ playoff games in a season was in 2024, when he played through a torn meniscus and Bell’s palsy. 

Here’s a look at Embiid’s postseason injury history:

As the 32-year-old Embiid approaches his mid-30s, teams are only going to be more wary of his health. 

Big contract

In September of 2024, Embiid signed a three-year, $193 million extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2028, with a player option for 2029. That extension will officially kick in next season. It’s too early to say if he’ll pick up his $67 million extension for 2029, but there’s a good chance he does given his health history. 

The new collective bargaining agreement, which installed more restrictive team-building rules, will make it difficult for the Sixers to trade Embiid at any point during this extension, even if they are eager to do so, and for any team that wants to acquire him to put a winning team around him.

It’s not inconceivable that Embiid will be traded at some point, but as noted, this summer is unlikely. What team is going to want to make a possible three-year commitment to him after he’s played 96 games in the last three seasons? 

Alex Iwobi has shared a positive update on his recovery from injury, giving hope to Fulham F.C. and Nigeria coach Eric Chelle ahead of the Super Eagles’ friendly matches against Poland and Portugal.

The Nigerian midfielder suffered the injury during Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Brentford F.C. in April at the Community Stadium. The setback forced him off the pitch and raised fears that he could miss the rest of the season.

Iwobi later missed Premier League games against Aston Villa F.C., AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal F.C. as Fulham struggled to maintain steady performances without him in the squad.

The former Arsenal F.C. player has now eased concerns about the injury after revealing that he is able to walk again, although he admitted he still feels slight pain. He also confirmed that the problem is not an old injury returning.

Fulham manager Marco Silva had earlier stated that the injury was not serious enough to keep Iwobi out for a long period, and the midfielder’s latest update has strengthened hopes of an early comeback.

Iwobi has been one of Fulham’s key players this season because of his creativity, movement in midfield and support in attack. His absence has affected the club during an important stage of the campaign.

For the Super Eagles, his recovery is also important as coach Eric Chelle sees him as one of the experienced players in the team. The midfielder is expected to play a major role in Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches in June.

Nigeria’s games against Poland and Portugal are expected to help Chelle test his tactics and assess his squad ahead of future competitive fixtures.

With the Premier League season nearing its end, there is increasing belief that Iwobi could return for Fulham before the campaign finishes, which would also improve his fitness ahead of international duty with Nigeria.

Manchester City’s second string eased past Crystal Palace 3-0 on Wednesday to climb just two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal with two games remaining of a captivating title race.

Pep Guardiola made six changes from the side that beat Brentford 3-0 at the weekend, with Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku among those on the bench, while Palace boss Oliver Glasner also made tweaks.

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First-half goals from Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush put City in control at a damp Etihad and a late strike from Savinho added gloss to the scoreline.

The tide appeared to have turned in City’s favour in the title race over recent weeks but last week’s costly 3-3 draw at Everton put Arsenal firmly back in the box seat.

The City players experienced the agony of seeing a stoppage-time equaliser for West Ham against Arsenal ruled out following a VAR check on Sunday as the Gunners battled to a 1-0 win.

Guardiola’s men dominated the ball in the early minutes on Wednesday but Palace, with Ismaila Sarr and Adam Wharton on the bench, posed a threat on the break.

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City opened the scoring in style in the 32nd minute after Foden produced an exquisite back pass to set up Semenyo, who finished coolly past Dean Henderson into the far corner of the goal.

They doubled their lead eight minutes later, with Foden again the provider, touching the ball to Marmoush, who celebrated his third Premier League goal of the season.

John Stones, departing at the end of the season, came on as a substitute towards the end of a forgettable second period to a rousing reception from the City fans.

Minutes later Rayan Cherki ran with the ball from his own half before setting up Savinho, who swept the ball past Henderson.

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The three-goal win takes City to 77 points, two behind Arsenal. City now have a superior goal difference of plus one and have scored seven more goals.

City take on Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, gunning for a domestic cup double after lifting the League Cup earlier this season.

Before kick-off on Wednesday, Guardiola explained his multiple changes, saying: “When the schedule is so tight, everybody is fit, everybody needs to help.”

Despite the narrow gap, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal remain overwhelming favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004.

City next face a tricky match at Bournemouth, who are chasing Champions League qualification, and finish their campaign against Aston Villa.

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Arsenal host relegated Burnley next week before travelling to Palace for the final day of the season.

Palace, who beat City in last season’s FA Cup final, are 15th in the table.

But their focus now is on the UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on May 27 — Glasner’s final match in charge of the south London club.

jw/iwd

Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in sensational form with the willow in IPL 2026. In 11 innings, the 15-year-old has scored 440 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 236.55. The left-handed batter’s stats include one century and two half-centuries.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Sanju Samson has also been in impressive form for his new franchise. After beginning the tournament with a few low scores, he quickly picked himself up. In 11 innings, Samson has scored 430 runs at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of 169.29, with two centuries and one fifty.

Sooryavanshi has so far opened the innings in 18 matches in the IPL. In this feature, we compare his batting stats with those of Samson after the latter had also opened the innings in the same number of matches.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Sanju Samson – Who has a better average and strike rate after opening in 18 IPL matches?

In 18 IPL matches as opener, Sooryavanshi has scored 692 runs at an average of 38.44 and a sensational strike of 224.67 – all of them for RR. In three innings against Gujarat Titans (GT), the left-hander has scored 168 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 233.33. Also, in two innings against CSK, he has scored 109 runs at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 218.

After 18 IPL games as opener, Samson had 472 runs to his name, averaging 26.22 at a strike rate of 130.74. In 13 games for Delhi Capitals (DC), he had 339 runs, averaging 26.07 at a strike rate of 135.60. Also, in five matches for RR, he had 133 runs at an average of 26.60 and a strike rate of 119.81. In four games against Mumbai Indians (MI), he had scored 100 runs at a strike rate of 142.85.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Sanju Samson – Who has more hundreds after opening in 18 IPL matches?

After 18 IPL matches as opener, Sooryavanshi has two hundreds and three half-centuries to his name. The 15-year-old slammed 103 off just 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Jaipur in the ongoing edition. The sensational knock featured five fours and 12 sixes. He also hammered 101 off 38 balls against GT in Jaipur last season, clobbering seven fours and 11 sixes.

After 18 IPL games as opener, Samson had three half-centuries to his name. His best at that stage was 74, which came off 47 deliveries against MI at Wankhede Stadium in the 2014 edition. The innings included seven fours and three sixes. He had also scored 61 off 31 against Gujarat Lions (GL) in Delhi in IPL 2017 and 60 off 38 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in the same season.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Sanju Samson – Who has more fours and sixes after opening in 18 IPL matches?

In 18 IPL matches as opener, Sooryavanshi has hammered 56 fours and 64 sixes. The southpaw has struck 15 fours and 15 sixes in three innings against GT and five fours and 12 sixes in two innings against SRH. Also, he has eight fours and nine sixes in two innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and seven fours and nine sixes in two innings against Punjab Kings (PBKS).

(Sooryavanshi vs Samson – Batting stats comparison after 18 IPL games as opener)

After 18 IPL games as opener, Samson had struck 43 fours and 18 sixes. The right-hander had slammed 30 fours and 15 sixes in 13 matches for DC and 13 fours and three sixes in five matches for RR. In four matches against MI, Samson had struck 12 fours and three sixes.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Sanju Samson – Who has a better record in wins after opening in 18 IPL matches?

In eight wins, Sooryavanshi has scored 409 runs at an average of 51.12 and a strike rate of 236.41, with one hundred and three half-centuries. In 10 losses, he has 283 runs, averaging 28.30 at a strike rate of 209.62. His knock of 103 against SRH came in a losing cause.

(Sooryavanshi vs Samson – Batting stats comparison in wins after 18 IPL games as opener)

In eight wins, Samson had 173 runs to his name at an average of 21.62 and a strike rate of 124.46, with one half-century. In 10 losses, he had 299 runs to his name at an average of 29.90 and a strike rate of 134.68, with two half-centuries.