Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Sports

Falcons Defender Floated as Option for Vikings

Published

on

Advertisement

Atlanta Falcons helmet in 2024 in Philly
Sep 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Falcons helmet on the sidelines before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings have a number of decisions to make this offseason in terms of personnel.

They have a number of players set to hit free agency, uncertainty at the quarterback position, and very limited financial options due to having the second-worst salary cap situation in the league.

However, the Vikings inevitably will need to find a way to bring in new players as current players leave, and recently, PFF’s Bradley Locker went through all 32 teams to find a free agency fit.

Advertisement

For the Minnesota Vikings, Locker opted to pick an Atlanta Falcons linebacker to help shore up the defense.

Falcons Defender Floated as Option for Vikings in Free Agency

Falcons Defender
Nov 2, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) on one knee before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

That player is LB Kaden Elliss, who is heading into free agency after playing his seventh NFL season, including the past three in Atlanta.

Elliss is a real rags to riches story as he was picked with the 244th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent the first three seasons of his career largely as a special teams player before starting 11 games for the Saints in 2022.

At the conclusion of that season, he became a turncoat and signed with the Falcons. Elliss has proven to be a very consistent player during his time in Atlanta, starting all 17 games in each of his three seasons with the franchise. This season, he totaled 107 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six passes defended, a forced fumble, and an interception.

Advertisement
Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Now, Elliss is entering free agency for the second time, and the 30-year-old is likely looking for one last big payday during the prime of his career.

Take a look at Locker’s reasoning behind Elliss’ fit in Minnesota:

“Although there may not be a tremendous amount of roster turnover, the Vikings face a crucial offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will hope to yield hits after largely missing on some big swings with 2025 free agents, and he could turn his attention to the team’s linebacking corps.

“Elliss was a quiet standout for Atlanta for the last three years with a 75.5 overall PFF grade and 140 total stops. The defensive chess piece is particularly effective at rushing the passer, with his 84.8 PFF pass-rushing grade the third-best among qualifying linebackers since 2022. Elliss’ ability to get after the quarterback but also remain effective elsewhere could have high appeal to Brian Flores, especially with Eric Wilson no longer under contract.”

Oct 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Vikings got some unexpected great play out of Eric Wilson this season, but as Locker mentions, the veteran is another player who is set to enter free agency. During the 2025 campaign, Wilson totaled career highs in tackles for loss (17), sacks (6.5), and forced fumbles (4).

Spotrac predicts Elliss will get another three-year contract worth just under $27 million, so the Vikings may have to pay a steep price to acquire the veteran.

Advertisement

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Spotrac helped with this article.

avatar
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

CSK script history, go past RCB in elite IPL list… despite heavy defeat | Cricket News

Published

on

CSK script history, go past RCB in elite IPL list… despite heavy defeat

Even in a crushing 43-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings quietly ticked off a major milestone that adds an interesting layer to the evolving scoring trends in the IPL.Most 200-plus totals in the IPL37 – CSK36 – RCB33 – PBKS32 – MI30 – KKRCSK’s 207 all out while chasing 250 at the Chinnaswamy took them to 37 totals of 200-plus in IPL history, the most by any team. They have now edged past RCB, who are on 36, with Punjab Kings (33), Mumbai Indians (32) and Kolkata Knight Riders (30) following behind.What makes the stat intriguing is the timing. In an era where 200-plus scores are becoming increasingly common and often not enough to guarantee wins, CSK’s record came in a match where they were comprehensively outplayed. Chasing a massive 250, they still managed to cross 200, but the gap in quality and execution was evident throughout the contest.The night belonged entirely to RCB’s power-packed batting unit. Devdutt Padikkal laid the platform with a well-paced 50, but it was the late assault that completely blew the game open. Rajat Patidar and Tim David dismantled the CSK bowling attack with a ruthless fourth-wicket stand. Patidar’s unbeaten 48 off 19 balls and David’s brutal 70 off 25 lifted RCB to a towering 250 for 3, with 97 runs coming in the last five overs.In response, CSK never really found stability. Early wickets left them struggling at 30 for 3, and the chase was effectively over in the powerplay itself. Sarfaraz Khan showed intent with a quick half-century, while useful contributions from the lower middle order helped them go past 200, but the target remained far out of reach. The match summed up the modern IPL perfectly. Big scores are frequent, momentum shifts quickly, and even crossing 200 does not carry the same weight it once did. On this occasion, CSK ended up on the wrong side of the result, but still moved to the top of a high-scoring chart that continues to grow with every season.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

West Virginia rallies, beats Oklahoma in OT to win College Basketball Crown

Published

on

NCAA Basketball: Brigham Young at West VirginiaFeb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) is interviewed after the game after defeating the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Honor Huff scored 38 points and made eight 3-pointers to help West Virginia rally for an 89-82 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the College Basketball Crown championship game on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Chance Moore added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers (21-14), who trailed by 13 points in the second half before rallying. Brenen Lorient scored 15 points in the program’s first postseason tournament title since winning the 2007 NIT.

Nijel Pack led Oklahoma (21-16) with 24 points and seven assists, followed by Tae Davis’ 19 points and Xzayvier Brown’s 13.

Oklahoma scored the first six points of overtime, taking an 82-76 lead on Pack’s layup.

Jasper Floyd then hit his first 3-pointer of the game, followed by Huff’s triple to tie the score with 2:14 remaining. After Pack missed a 3-pointer, Floyd hit another trey to give the Mountaineers an 85-82 lead.

Advertisement

West Virginia got stops on its next two possessions and Huff drilled four straight free throws to seal the championship win.

Oklahoma pushed its four-point halftime lead to 10 on Pack’s 3-pointer, forcing a West Virginia timeout less than four minutes into the second half.

Brown’s jumper extended the margin to 13, before Huff’s three-point play and Moore’s layup cut the deficit to 59-51.

Advertisement

Lorient’s basket at the 5:23 mark pulled West Virginia within three. Derrion Reid and Davis scored on Oklahoma’s next two possessions, giving the Sooners a 71-64 lead.

From there, Huff scored five straight points and Lorient made a layup to tie the score at 71 with 1:45 remaining.

After an Oklahoma timeout, Pack and Huff traded triples. Davis then turned the ball over and committed a foul on Huff, who drained two free throws with 33 seconds left.

Davis’ ensuing layup tied the score at 76. Huff missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end, sending the game to overtime.

Advertisement

The Mountaineers connected on eight of their first 10 3-point attempts, including Huff’s three straight triples to build a 26-11 lead.

Oklahoma answered with a 16-2 run, cutting its deficit to a point on Pack’s mid-range jumper with 5:25 left in the first half.

After Moore’s layup snapped a four-plus minute West Virginia scoring drought, the Sooners scored nine straight points, taking a 36-30 advantage. Davis closed the first half with a three-point play to give Oklahoma a 41-37 halftime lead.

Advertisement

–Field Level Media

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Monday gallop to shape Gin Twist’s 2026 campaign

Published

on

The decision on whether Gin Twist forges ahead to another start or enters a spell phase hinges on her performance in a track gallop.

Lindsay Park’s two-year-old filly is a potential runner in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, contingent on a satisfying showing in Monday’s gallop.

She was the hot favourite dispatched in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington March 28, leading early before stopping to take third.

Ben, Will and J D Hayes prepare Gin Twist, who was accounted for by more than three lengths by the Sydney mare Satono Glow.

Advertisement

Ben Hayes mentioned optimism surrounds the filly’s readiness for Saturday, as she exhibits no adverse aftereffects from the race.

“We’ll make a decision on Monday whether she runs or not after she does some work,” Hayes said.

“We feel that one, she raced a bit fresh last week and two, she didn’t handle the heavy track, but she has pulled up fine.

“It is a good opportunity for her and if she doesn’t work well, we won’t run her, but if she works well, we’ll run her.”

Advertisement

The filly had previously claimed the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) victory at Flemington on February 28, and was next in line as third emergency for Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.

Lindsay Park refrained from interstate travel for her, aware a start was improbable.

Hayes is of the view that Gin Twist copes with 1200m and merits another attempt on a good track.

“I think she is a very fast horse, and 1200 metres is her limit,” Hayes said.

Advertisement

“But it is hard to judge her off that run over 1200 metres, which was down the straight, and on a heavy eight (track).

“We can find out if she can the trip and then we’ll know how to place her next prep.”

Secure the best value with betting sites offering markets for the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Liv Morgan breaks character to discuss her relationship with Rhea Ripley

Published

on

Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with WWE star Rhea Ripley. Both Ripley and Morgan will be challenging for major titles at WrestleMania 42.

In an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day star noted that she knew her former rival was going to be a star while they were in NXT together and left Ripley her locker when she got called up to the main roster.

“Rhea and I have quite a bit of lore. I remember back in the Performance Center when I saw her, I knew that she was gonna be a star. It was just very evident to me. So when I had gotten called up to the main roster, I had left Rhea my locker. I told her, ‘You can have my locker, you can move your stuff into my locker.’ She didn’t even have a locker yet,” said Morgan.

The Women’s Royal Rumble winner added that they will always be connected and compared their rivalry to Batman and The Joker.

Advertisement

“I came back on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour and took everything that she loved including Dominik, the Judgment Day and the Women’s World Championship. So I feel like we are both the heroes and villains in each other’s stories. She is the Batman to my Joker, and I am the villain in her hero’s story, and she is the villain in my hero’s story,” she added. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]

You can check out the interview in the video below:

youtube-cover

Morgan will be challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Liv Morgan comments on recent WWE injury

WWE RAW star Liv Morgan recently discussed her injury last year that caused her to miss several months of WWE television.

In an interview with Brad Gilmore, the 31-year-old noted that the injury was devastating for her last year as she was on an upward trajectory. The WWE veteran added that she was upset about the situation during her hiatus last year.

Advertisement

“I do feel like in the moment that I got injured, I was on a very upward trajectory. And so the injury obviously devastated me. I was very, very angry the whole entire time I had off time,” she said.

Liv Morgan says she was “angry the whole time” when she was recovering from shoulder injury: “I was mad the whole entire time,” Morgan said. “I got injured in a moment [when] I had multiple things going on for me. I was really enjoying and loving what I was doing. So to have all

Only time will tell if Liv Morgan can defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become champion once again at WWE WrestleMania.