After winning his first world title, Ryan Garcia was quick to call out pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson.
Garcia dominated proceedings against Mario Barrios to win the WBC belt at 147lbs, delivering on his potential after some years of blowing hot and cold. The performance adds yet more intrigue to welterweight and the surrounding divisions.
Speaking on the DAZN broadcast post-fight, former undisputed champion at the weight, Terence Crawford, praised Garcia’s performance, but said that Barrios was not as good as he thought he would be.
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“I was surprised how Barrios looked. I thought he was going to do better. Ryan showed he can box a little. He got the job done in spectacular fashion.”
Asked about a potential fight against his friend and training partner, Stevenson, Crawford of course backed his man to win in emphatic fashion.
“I think he’ll wipe the floor with him. Ryan won’t be able to hit Shakur like Barrios. Barrios is there to be hit. He was too slow and had no game plan. Shakur is not going to be there to be hit. It’s simple.”
Both men have options, particularly Garcia, who could pursue a rematch with Devin Haney that now has the added credentials of two world titles. Conor Benn, who made the headlines this week after a controversial big money move to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, remains an option for both
The final CBS Sports Bracketology projection is in ahead of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. Duke is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Michigan, Arizona and Florida, who round out the top line.
In the event of a Purdue victory over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament title game, Arizona and Michigan would swap spots within the No. 1 seed hierarchy and the Wildcats would be the No. 2 overall seed. However, that would not result in any changes to the bracket.
Regardless of the outcome, Duke will be slotted in the East, Michigan in the Midwest, Arizona in the West and Florida in the South. Purdue will remain a No. 2 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, regardless of the outcome of the Big Ten Tournament title game.
The Blue Devils won the ACC regular season and tournament titles, and they also possess a valuable Feb. 21 head-to-head victory over Michigan on a neutral court that served as a separator in a fierce battle for the top spot in the seeding order.
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Arizona mounted an impressive charge for the No. 1 overall seed by stacking a Big 12 Tournament title on top of a Big 12 regular season title. But the Wildcats entered Selection Sunday roughly even with Duke in results-based metrics and lagging slightly behind the Blue Devils in predictive metrics.
Bracketology top seeds
Check out the full field of 68 at the CBS Sports Bracketology hub.
Iowa State gets a No. 2 seed
Vanderbilt entered Sunday’s SEC Tournament title game with a path to being a No. 2 seed. With a win over Arkansas, that’s where the Commodores would have landed in the final CBS Sports Bracketology projection. However, a loss to the Razorbacks led to the ‘Dores being slotted as a No. 3 seed in the final projection.
Iowa State received the nod over Michigan State for a No. 2 seed after a side-by-side “scrub” of the Cyclones and Spartans revealed an edge for ISU in a variety of key indicators. Notably, the Cyclones own 18 victories over Quads 1 and 2 compared to 14 for Michigan State. Iowa State also owns a significant edge in predictive metrics.
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Vanderbilt as a No. 3 seed
Vanderbilt is a worthy No. 3 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology after mounting a charge that included three “Quad 1A” victories between March 7-14. Among them was a needle-moving SEC Tournament semifinal win over Florida. The 91-74 drubbing of the reigning national champions was the best win of anyone in college basketball during championship week, and it sent Vanderbilt soaring to a top-10 level in every results-based metric used by the committee.
SMU hangs on to the final projected spot
VCU punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament as an automatic qualifier with a wire-to-wire win over Dayton on Sunday. The Rams will be a No. 11 seed avoiding the First Four in CBS Sports Bracketology with the win. The win eliminates the possibility of a three-bid Atlantic 10. But the A-10 will likely have two bids in the field since Saint Louis looks solid as an at-large candidate. This result is great news for SMU, which will remain among the Last Four In within CBS Sports Bracketology. A Dayton win would have hurt the Mustangs’ chances of making the field.
The Hall of Famer retired with a 32-0 (16 KOs) record in 2017, having become a world champion at 175lbs after cementing himself as an all-time super-middleweight great.
His last two outings came against Sergey Kovalev who, at the time, was considered one of the sport’s most destructive punchers, ending seven of his previous nine world title fights inside the distance.
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Their first encounter in 2016, however, ended in controversial fashion, with Ward claiming a unanimous decision that many felt should have swung in favour of his opponent.
This then meditated an immediate rematch for the IBF, WBO and WBA world titles, which Ward defended with a far more emphatic eighth-round finish.
The American’s performances against Kovalev therefore makes it difficult to back against him in a hypothetical encounter with Benavidez, who defended his WBC world title with a seventh-round stoppage victory over Anthony Yarde last November.
This followed his only other two light-heavyweight outings, which resulted in points victories over David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, with the 29-year-old now gearing up to face unified world cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2.
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Speaking on his podcast, former world champion Porter suggested that his fellow Hall of Famer would ultimately have the mental edge over Benavidez in a fantasy matchup.
“[Ward’s] mind’s just different. You’re getting a Floyd Mayweather at 175lbs. What I mean by that is you’re getting a mind that is concrete to any adversity; a mind that is able to just simply move with the water, make the adjustments – see them when they come – and execute.
“It might be the only one that can beat a Benavidez … I don’t see anyone with that kind of mind now.”
— The PorterWay Podcast (@ThePorterWayPod) March 10, 2026
While Benavidez is no slouch when it comes to doggedness and ring IQ, it could be said that Ward is in a class of his own with regards to those two facets.
The volunteers on the right side of TPC Sawgrass’ 13th hole? When it happened, they said they saw it coming.
“I called it,” one said.
“I called it!”
Then there was the rules official. She’d never seen what befell Kevin Roy during Sunday’s final round of the Players Championship. Roy had asked her: “Have you ever seen this?” — and she said simply:
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“Never.”
In the end, all of it cost Roy a stroke, and he bogeyed the hole on his way to finishing his round with a 3-over 75 and a 4-over total for the tournament. But what unfolded on 13 was curious, and video of it — which you can watch below — began circulating on Sunday afternoon.
It started with Roy’s tee ball, which drifted right, bounced once and disappeared into a smallish hole in a tree trunk. That excited the volunteers. Roy eventually learned his fate, then laughed when he told playing partner Eric Cole what had happened. “It’s in the hole,” Roy said. “It’s in.” Cole then hit his second shot before walking over to have a look himself.
The official then arrived. The ruling? Roy took a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie, then fished into the trunk hole and retrieved his ball. The broadcast announcers were shocked at it all. “Come on,” one said. “That’s unbelievable.” another said.
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From there, Roy hit onto the green, and he two-putted for bogey.
Notably, if the hole had been deemed an animal hole, he still wouldn’t have been given relief, and a recent story from GOLF’s rules guy addressed that. It read this way:
My golf buddies were playing a money game. One friend hits his second shot into a hole in the trunk of a large, living tree. His ball came to rest in a burrowing animal hole — likely mole or gopher — inside the trunk. He took a free drop correctly … but was it proper? Without the burrow, the ball was definitely not playable. —Scott Bie, Sacramento, Calif.
Alas, your pal is going to want to crawl into a hole after reading this.
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An animal hole that qualifies as an abnormal course condition — from which you get free relief — is defined as “any hole dug in the ground by an animal, except for holes dug by animals that are also defined as loose impediments (such as worms or insects).”
Those three little words, in the ground, did him in. He gets the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play) under Rule 14.7 for playing from a wrong place since he wasn’t allowed to lift the ball in the first place and did not replace it as required by Rule 9.4b.
Had he called it unplayable to begin with, he could have escaped with just one penalty stroke. It’s all enough to make you want to smash your tree-iron. … Sorry, couldn’t resist. What? You expected a “gopher is a varmint” reference? Puh-lease.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy hands the ball to running back Aaron Jones Sr. during first-quarter action against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium on Nov. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota leaned on its ground game early while easing pressure on the rookie quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
A few waves of NFL free agency remain, but out of the gate for the Minnesota Vikings, the club added a new quarterback and cornerback. And while the club wasn’t as active as in years past, onlookers learned a lot along the way.
Minnesota’s first week revealed more than one roster clue heading toward April.
Free agency will sputter out in the next couple of weeks, and then it’s on to the draft in late April.
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The QB Move, Cap Discipline, and Punter Void Molded Minnesota’s Early Plan
The major takeaways from the first week of Vikings free agency.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) celebrates on the field after Arizona’s overtime victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on September 18, 2022, following a dramatic comeback that sealed the 29–23 win in an AFC–NFC matchup. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports.
1. It Was Kyler Murray after All
When it became apparent in late December that J.J. McCarthy was not durable and that his performance lacked consistency, it seemed likely that Minnesota would find another quarterback in the offseason, at least to compete with McCarthy in the summer of 2026.
Some said that might be Mac Jones. Others whispered Malik Willis. Many banged the drum on Kirk Cousins. Aaron Rodgers maintains a bizarre fan base among Vikings enthusiasts. The Vikings had options — about 30 of them from free agency and via trade — for the quarterback to challenge McCarthy.
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Then, the Arizona Cardinals made Murray available for free, creating a no-brainer to end all no-brainers. The Vikings pounced and faced very little pushback because the whole league just knew that Murray would pick Kevin O’Connell’s team.
And here we are: Murray is the other quarterback.
USA Today‘s Tyler Dragon on Murray to Minnesota: “The NFC North just got a lot more competitive. The division has had a different winner the last two seasons, and the Vikings, Bears, Packers and Lions have each won at least one division title since 2021. There’s no clearcut favorite for the upcoming season.”
“The Vikings offense averaged an NFC-worst 166 passing yards per game a year ago, and they had just one game with at least 300 yards passing. In Week 17 with Max Brosmer under center, the Vikings miraculously won with a meager three net passing yards. It was the fewest passing yards in a win in franchise history. Kyler Murray has a career average of 235 passing yards per game, and the two-time Pro Bowler has produced a career 92.2 passer rating.”
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2. The Vikings Like Their Core of Players from Last Year
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski said before free agency, “We’ve spent a lot of money the last two years in free agency. And so our goal is going to be to keep our core in place, and that’s going to involve making some difficult decisions on some players, which you deal with on a daily basis.”
“But I think for the most part, our goal is going to be to draft and develop and to retain our core, and supplement with free agency. It just makes logical sense that that bill’s coming due. We do have to navigate it, and navigate it responsibly.”
He wasn’t kidding.
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Brzezinski added two new players in the first five days of free agency: Murray and cornerback James Pierre. The Vikings like their roster as-is.
3. The 2027 Offseason Will Remain Flexible
The byproduct of not spending big? Well, Minnesota won’t be hamstrung next offseason, as would have been the case if it spent big on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. For example, the Vikings could’ve signed center Tyler Linderbaum for $27 million per year or Malik Willis at $22.5 million — and then next year at this time, the piggybank would be barren.
Minnesota Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski speaks with Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson during a sit-down interview discussing organizational philosophy and front-office strategy on February 17, 2022, outlining Minnesota’s leadership structure and the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell during the in-depth digital segment. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
Because the club evidently enjoys its core, the 2027 offseason is now flexible. Brzezinski or a new general manager can spend more freely, which may be important if the franchise learns that Murray is the real deal or if it’s starting from scratch with a new head coach.
4. A New Punter Is Needed
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Wright signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, a change for Wright that Vikings fans didn’t see coming. They thought he’d re-sign in Minnesota as a no-brainer.
The club needs a new punter, likely a rookie from this list:
Ryan Eckley (Michigan State)
Tommy Doman (Florida)
Ross James (Oregon)
Tyler Perkins (Iowa State)
Jack Stonehouse (Syracuse)
Brett Thorson (Georgia)
Tyler White (Texas A&M)
Perhaps a bigger question, however, is who will hold. Will Reichard has become a fan favorite in Minnesota and one of the NFL’s best kickers by 2025, a welcome change given the franchise’s history of kicking woes. With Wright, a reliable holder, now gone, the Vikings are back to square one.
Georgia Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson (92) kicks the ball during first-half action against the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 7, 2024, as Georgia’s special teams unit executes field-position strategy in the high-stakes conference title matchup. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images.
Finding a new holder and integrating them with Reichard in Eagan sometime in May or June isn’t a crisis, but it is a necessity.
Minnesota had a successful field goal and extra point operation with Reichard and Wright. Now, they need to replace Wright.
5. Must Nail the Draft
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The Vikings have set themselves up for a high-stakes draft. In the last four, former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah largely bungled the process, hitting on about 15% to 20% of picks — an unacceptable percentage that will ruin a team in a hurry.
Because Minnesota didn’t splash loudly in free agency — aside from Murray — it must connect on the nine draft picks in April. It’s mandatory.
The days of trashy draft classes must end. If Brzezinski produces an Adofo-Mensah-style draft, the Vikings will probably be headed to their version of a rebuild. The incoming crop is required to contribute, at least the players selected in Rounds 1 through 4.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-host Johnny Wunder and clubfitter Bryan LaRoche of BryanGolf discussed what a game-changer Cobra’s 3DP iron program could end up being.
“I was really close on a set of [TaylorMade P]770s, because 770 is another great iron for me, right?” Wunder said. “The only reason I didn’t pick the 770s is because I can’t make them with offset, right? I don’t want to bend them any stronger. I can’t build offset into those things.
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“But I’m getting the same performance out of the 3DP Tours. And all I said to Ben was like, ‘Can you make these with offset?’
“He’s like, ‘yeah, I have a set with offset.’ And literally handed me a set with offset.”
Wunder used to play the Callaway Apex TCB ’24 irons, which had short blade lengths and lots of offset. Schomin told him he could even have a set of 3DP Tours printed with the same look.
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It probably won’t be long before a customer can order an iron with whatever shape characteristics they want.
Will that make a fitter like LaRoche’s job harder or easier?
“That would change everything. You never are gonna strike out on a set of irons with somebody,” LaRoche said. “You’re never gonna struggle to find what you need, performance wise, and pick all the look boxes.”
It’s the time of year when WWE fans expect releases, but it seems that reports may have been wrong about one particular star.
According to a report by Fightful Select, Santos Escobar has not been released by the company for a second time; instead, it was merely that his profile was not moved over from the alumni section when he returned.
Thanks for the submission!
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Escobar, who has been performing as part of AAA since making his return, was originally part of SmackDown and Legado Del Fantasma. Figthful Select noted that Escobar isn’t exactly thrilled about the way he has been used since making his return, since he was happy to leave WWE and make his return, but he assumed he would be used more.
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It seems Los Garza have continued as a duo on SmackDown without him, and Legado Del Fantasma hasn’t been mentioned in months.
Power Struggle Between Roman & Triple H? Check Here!
Will Santos Escobar return to WWE SmackDown?
Santos Escobar has been doing great things as part of AAA since he made his return, and it seems that WWE is looking at making stars over on that brand at present.
The likes of El Grande Americano and Dominik Mysterio have both been able to find their feet on the brand and have been pushed as major names, with Escobar seemingly bringing in some experience as well.
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The company will likely depend on stars like Escobar while AAA is still pushing itself forward, and he could then make his return to the main brands after. While it’s understandable that he will be upset with the way that he has been booked, the company likely had a plan when he was brought back, and his storyline is leading towards something.
Hopefully, things will improve for Escobar in the near future, and he will at least be handed a push in AAA.
UEFA said Sunday that the game between Argentina and Spain known as Finalissima that was supposed to be held in Qatar has been cancelled after the widening Middle East war. The game between South American champion Argentina and European champion Spain was scheduled to be held in Doha on March 27. It was going to be a marquee matchup between the teams led by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal before this summer’s World Cup in North America. But the security of the game was put into serious doubt when Iran intensified its attacks on neighboring countries in retaliation to the aerial attacks by United States and Israel that are now in their third week. “After much discussion between UEFA and the organizing authorities in Qatar, it is announced today that due to the current political situation in the region, the Finalissima between UEFA EURO 2024 winners Spain and CONMEBOL Copa América 2024 champions Argentina cannot be played as hoped in Qatar on 27 March,” UEFA said in a statement.
Argentina and Spain were to play at Lusail Stadium, which staged the epic 2022 World Cup final. Argentina won a penalty shootout against France after Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappé got a hat trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Other venues had reportedly been considered as alternatives to Doha, including Spain’s capital. UEFA, however, said all other feasible alternatives it explored “ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association.”
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“The first option was to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on the original date with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium,” UEFA said. “This would have provided a world-class setting, befitting of such a prestigious event, but Argentina refused.”
The option of staging the event over two legs — one in Madrid on March 27, the other in Buenos Aires before the Euros and Copa America in 2028 — was also rejected. Argentina had proposed to play the match later this year after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
South American soccer body Conmebol said in a statement on Sunday that Argentina’s soccer federation (AFA) received an offer from UEFA to play the match in Italy on March 27, but the defending World Cup and Copa America champions countered that the game take place on March 31.
“Regrettably, UEFA said the match taking place on the 31st – only four days after their original offer – was not possible, and so the Finalissima was cancelled,” the South American confederation said. “CONMEBOL and AFA regret deeply that, despite all the efforts and the manifested interest in playing the match in a neutral ground since the first moment, it was not possible.”
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Argentina won the inaugural edition of the Finalissima in 2022 with a 3-0 victory over Italy at Wembley Stadium in London.
The violence in the Middle East, where Iran is hitting the Gulf Arab states with drone and missile attacks, has stranded travelers, upset economic markets and sent oil prices soaring.
It has also impacted the world of international sport beyond the Finalissima. Formula 1’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April have been called off due to the war, while President Donald Trump has suggested that Iran not participate in this summer’s World Cup that is co-hosted by the U.S.
The Minnesota Vikings cleared up their quarterback question this week, signing Kyler Murray to a one-year contract and putting him on track for summer competition against J.J. McCarthy, though most expect Murray to prevail. But that isn’t the only Vikings unsolved mystery.
Free agency answered the quarterback question, but several bigger questions still hover over the roster.
After the first few days of NFL free agency, Minnesota still has some big-ticket items to clear up.
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Minnesota’s Next Clues Involve the Secondary, the Draft Board, and the Interior Offensive Line
Pretend Robert Stack is narrating this to you.
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) lines up on defense during an NFC wild card matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 13, 2025, as the longtime defensive leader patrols the secondary during postseason action for Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Unsolved Mystery No. 1: Harrison Smith
Close your eyes for this: Smith is technically a free agent — for the first time ever.
The Vikings released Smith on Wednesday, a procedural move while the future Hall of Famer decides to retire or return. And that’s the unsolved mystery. Smith played great in December and January, but he turned 37 in February. That’s incredibly old for a safety.
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It’s a coin flip on Smith’s return, but conventional logic suggests that he probably would’ve retired by now. We shall see if he pressed the green button for Year No. 15.
Unsolved Mystery No. 2: The First Couple of Draft Picks
Minnesota did not do much in free agency besides signing Murray for “free” and onboarding CB3 James Pierre. They did little to clear up their early-round draft intentions.
For example, the Vikings could’ve signed a cornerback like Jaylen Watson or a safety like Nick Cross, and for the most part, fans may have put those roster spots on the back burner. That didn’t happen.
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Instead, the Vikings could quite reasonably draft a player from any of these positions on April 23rd and in Round 2 on April 24:
Center
Cornerback
Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
Safety
Wide Receiver
Mock drafts will be all over the board for Minnesota in the remaining 5.5 weeks until showtime.
Unsolved Mystery No. 3: Big Trades
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has three major and theoretical trade pieces as free agency winds down:
Jordan Addison (WR)
Jonathan Greenard (OLB
J.J. McCarthy (QB)
Greenard is all the rage at the moment per the trade rumor mill, with the Philadelphia Eagles allegedly interested. Minnesota is said to want a 2nd-Round pick for the premium EDGE defender.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) celebrates after recording a sack against the Chicago Bears during second-quarter action at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on November 24, 2024, as Minnesota’s pass rush disrupts the Bears offense during the NFC North matchup. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images.
Addison and McCarthy probably won’t be traded, but they cannot be ruled out as possibilities.
Unsolved Mystery No. 4: The WR3
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Jalen Nailor is gone — and he’s not coming back, at least not for two or three years. The Las Vegas Raiders enticed him with 35 million bucks and WR1-WR2 duty.
So, Minnesota has a WR3 void, if one assumes that last year’s rookie, Tai Felton, isn’t fully trustworthy for the assignment. Felton barely played on offense in 2025, and one would think the lights could be too bright to hand him the WR3 job with so little action last year.
Still, perhaps Minnesota prepared for Felton’s redshirt rookie season. If so, he’s the new WR3 by default. Otherwise, the Vikings must sign someone like Christian Kirk, Hollywood Brown, or draft another rookie in Round 2 or 3, possibly a player like Malachi Fields from Notre Dame.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz noted on Felton this week after Nailor skedaddled, “The Vikings were clearly high on him after his huge senior season at Maryland. He’s been developing behind the scenes with wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell. And the opportunity might be there for him to take a big step forward in 2026.”
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“It was a different coaching staff, but former Vikings WR3 K.J. Osborn went from not playing a snap as a rookie in 2020 to posting a 50-655-7 receiving line in year two. Depending on what else the Vikings do at receiver, Felton might just have a chance to emerge as a key contributor this fall.”
Unsolved Mystery No. 5: Ryan Kelly’s Replacement
Kelly formally retired earlier this week, meaning the Vikings need a new center. Minnesota has about a dozen options.
In-house, the Vikings could promote one of these men:
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Blake Brandel
Michael Jurgens
From free agency, these candidates remain and could start in 2026:
Lloyd Cushenberry III
Graham Glasgow
Ethan Pocic
Detroit Lions center Graham Glasgow (60) prepares to snap the ball during second-quarter action against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 25, 2025, as the Lions offense sets up a play at the line of scrimmage in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
And in the draft, Minnesota could explore one of these rookies:
Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
Pat Coogan (Indiana)
Sam Hecht (Kansas)
Logan Jones (Iowa)
Connor Lew (Auburn)
Brian Parker (Duke)
Jake Slaughter (Florida)
Coogan is intriguing and could be gettable in Round 5 or so. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on his scouting report: “Coogan is a veteran center with good size, intelligence, communication skills and leadership that will appeal to offensive line coaches. He’s technically sound and is consistent in centering opponents while latching in with grip strength to increase stickiness.”
“He’s best in a gap scheme and inside zone, but his effectiveness can fade when the job stretches beyond the A-gaps. In protection, he lands well-timed punches and utilizes instinctive hand resets to regain positioning. However, forward lean and shorter arms will invite counters. Coogan has the potential to become a starter, but there are limitations in his game that make scheme fit and protection help important.”
Or — the Vikings could combine these plans. For example, promoting Jurgens might make sense out of the gate in 2026 while the coaching staff determines when a rookie such as Logan Jones might be ready.
Formula 1 and its governing body FIA said the Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not happen in April because of safety concerns related to the Iran war.
Both countries have been struck during Iran’s response after the United States and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran.
The announcement was made early Sunday morning in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April,” F1 said. “While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.”
F1 was due to race in Bahrain on April 12 and in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on April 19.
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“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1.
The FIA said the two races “will not take place in April” and that no replacements would be organized.
“The FIA will always place the safety and well being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.
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The FIA didn’t explicitly rule out rescheduling the races and, along with F1, did not use the words “cancel” or “postpone” in announcing the series would not be in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia next month.
Ben Sulayem said: “Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”
The promoters of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they supported the decision.
F1’s packed schedule doesn’t have any obvious open dates for rescheduled races this year.
Calling off the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races means there will be a five-week gap from the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the next race, the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. Without any rescheduling, the 22-race schedule would be the shortest since 2023.
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The two Middle East races weren’t until next month but F1 faced making a decision earlier because it typically flies in the first staff and cargo to tracks weeks in advance. F1 was also faced with the difficulty of selling tickets at short notice, which make it almost impossible to set up a replacement race in other countries.
Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who qualified on pole position for Sunday’s race in Shanghai, said his thoughts were “with the ones that are suffering from this situation” and that safety needed to be the priority, adding of the FIA and F1: “I’m sure they will do the right thing.”
The schedule is a joint matter for the FIA and for F1’s commercial rights holder and teams had signaled a willingness to follow their lead.
“I think we follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do. They’ve always led us in the right direction,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley said Friday. “Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation.”
Bahrain had already hosted two preseason F1 tests this season before Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. A smaller-scale test of wet-weather tires was called off in the immediate aftermath of those strikes.
A travel shutdown affecting major airports in the Middle East also caused disruption for Europe-based F1 and team staff heading to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
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The last time a scheduled F1 race was canceled was in 2023, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was called off at short notice due to deadly floods in the area.
In 2022, F1 continued with its race weekend in Saudi Arabia even after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot during a practice session, with black smoke visible from the Jeddah circuit.
The same year, F1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix’s contract after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine.
Chris Waller claims his fourth in a row Coolmore Classic victories, with James McDonald now one success shy of Damien Oliver’s record haul of elite wins after Lazzura’s resilient conquest in Rosehill’s key race.
Lazzura, under 58kg, emulated Sunline (60kg) from 2002 by becoming just the second mare this century to win the Coolmore Classic (1500m) with such a hefty impost, pushing McDonald’s Group 1 count to 128.
To tie Damien Oliver’s retired Australian record, he requires only another triumph, ideally coming next Saturday at Rosehill featuring his prospective ride on unblemished star Autumn Glow in the George Ryder Stakes.
McDonald downplayed the record pursuit humbly, attributing the win squarely to Lazzura’s heart and perseverance.
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“It’s a funny feeling because ‘Ollie’ (Damien Oliver) is so great, I don’t feel like I should be in that echelon just yet,” McDonald said.
“I feel very privileged to be in the position where I’m getting there slowly.
“It wasn’t me, it was her just really biting down on the mouthguard and having a really decent crack.
“I thought she was all-out with one hundred metres to go, but that will to find the line, it’s something you can’t teach them, you can’t train in them.”
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Lazzura posted a Group 1 placing in the previous year’s Surround Stakes (1400m), but Saturday’s Coolmore result was her maiden top-tier victory.
Having suffered a close loss in her fresh appearance in the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m), Waller expressed huge satisfaction at her gritty performance to secure the win.
“We had her a bit underdone first-up and rode her a pair too close. Today, we didn’t panic from the draw. We went back, got cover three-wide,” Waller said.
“I thought, following that run last start, you’re going to fold up that last hundred, but she was strong.
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“Well deserved. She has been competing against top-class rivals without much fortune on her side.”
Lazzura’s owners will guide Waller’s choice for her autumn plans, likely the Doncaster Mile (1600m) or Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) on April 4 or 11.
“I’ve got a philosophy that horses don’t just win one Group One. If they’re good enough to win one, they normally win two or three,” he said.
Lazzura at $5 fended off Arctic Glamour ($13) by a short neck, as Vivy Air ($26) charged home impressively for third a matching distance adrift.
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Favourite Savvy Hallie ($4.20) led until late fade saw her eleventh, jockey Nash Rawiller commenting she lacked the stamina for the journey yet.
“Disappointing on the day, but she will bounce back,” Rawiller said.
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