Some combination of Blake Brandel and/or Michael Jurgens will be good enough at center. If it isn’t, then sprinkling in some Gavin Gerhardt will do the trick.

Do the Vikings actually believe that?

Talk is pretty cheap in the NFL. What’s of far more consequence is actions, especially when meaty money gets attached to those actions. Seeing Minnesota opt for free agent center Ethan Pocic would reveal that Minnesota hasn’t been as confident as previously proclaimed.

The Vikings Forced to Take Litmus Test at Center

Adam Schefter offered an update that may have caused some within the Vikings’ orbit to take notice. Check out what the ESPN insider had to say: “Browns starting center Ethan Pocic, who tore his Achilles last December, recently was cleared by Dr. Norman Waldrop to participate in training camp. Pocic is a free agent, and is said by a source to be ‘full go.’”

Good timing.

Had there been no injury, Mr. Pocic would already have a home. He has been a good starter for a long time and the NFL is always hungry for solid blocking. As a result, Pocic stands out as unique since he would have almost certainly been signed had there not been injury concerns to overcome. Maybe Minnesota will be able to get unusual value unusually late in the NFL offseason.

VT’s Dustin Baker discussed the issue yesterday, exploring the possibility of signing the large lad with experience at both center and guard.

“Pocic has built a solid nine-year NFL career,” Baker writes, “starting 97 of 114 regular-season games. Drafted by the Seahawks in 2017, Pocic initially played guard before settling in at center. Once he became a full-time starter, his snap count increased immensely, reaching 993 snaps in 2020.”

More from Baker: “His most successful period began after joining Cleveland. From 2022 to 2025, Pocic started all 57 games he played for the Browns. His standout season was 2022, when he earned an impressive 78.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, with a run-blocking score to match. His pass protection, too, remained reliable.”

“Though Pocic may no longer be at his 2022 peak, he remains an experienced starting center capable of immediately stabilizing an offensive line. That could be just what the doctor ordered for the 2026 Vikings,” Baker concluded.

Now, here’s what adds a bit of extra seasoning: Vikings OL coach Keith Carter just sang the praises of Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens. In fact, he seemed to insist that the race was down to those two.

“Again, we’re fortunate,” Carter explained about the center position, “we have Blake [Brandel] who has played and started I think now every position up front, which in this league is unheard of.” More from Carter: “and then you’ve got Jurgens who is getting better and better.”

Carter then said the competition between these two is making the Vikings better: “To have those two guys competing, I think we’re lucky.”

Based simply off what Carter was saying, the Vikings are going to continue marching forward with Brandel v. Jurgens. May the best man win. And, to be sure, there’s still a decent chance that the Vikings follow through on that plan. Brandel, in particular, appears to be a reasonably solid option insofar as he’s a veteran who has seen and done it all along the offensive line.

Does Ethan Pocic nevertheless have appeal?

In some ways, Pocic feels like Dalton Risner, a veteran interior lineman who had long been connected to the Vikings. Pocic is a touch different insofar as he’s not holding out for a beefy contract. Or, at least, that doesn’t appear to be the main factor in him being unemployed for so long. The veteran has had to get healthy. Now healthy, Pocic should generate a fresh round of interest.

The most recent contract for Pocic was for three seasons and $18 million, per Over the Cap. Whichever team signs him is very unlikely to get to that $6 million per year range. Rather, a single-season deal somewhere around $2-$4 million looks like the sweet spot. If so, the Vikings could insert themselves into the mix.

The Vikings have north of $13 million in open cap space. Even better, the Vikings appear ready to welcome a fresh infusion of cap space if the expected extensions arrive. Add it all together and money won’t be the issue.

Recent word coming from the Twin Cities has involved publicly declaring confidence in the in-house options at center. The good news about Pocic being (at worst) close to full health will put these words to the test.

Pocic stands at 6’6″ and weighs 320 pounds. He’ll turn 31 in August.

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

If Mike Boynton Jr. is going to get the full two-year, $7.6 million contract he agreed to as Michigan basketball’s head coach, he’s going to have to earn it.

That’s because only the first year of his deal is guaranteed and there are certain criteria he’ll need to meet to get a second year, according to contract details obtained by The Detroit News through an open-records request.

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Boynton, 44, will receive $3.6 million in the first year of the deal, which runs through April 30, 2027. He’s set to make $4 million the following year, as long as he satisfies several academic, compliance and team performance marks.

According to the employment agreement, there are three academic and compliance criteria he must meet: No Level I or Level II NCAA violations, no material misconduct or violations of university policies or rules, and all the players on the basketball team must be academically eligible.

Then there are at least two benchmarks Boynton will need to hit relating to the team’s success: 24 regular-season wins, a top-four finish in the Big Ten standings, a conference tournament title and a Sweet 16 appearance. If Michigan reaches the Final Four, that alone suffices.

Structuring Boynton’s contract in such a way is something athletic director Warde Manuel has done before. When Manuel was UConn’s AD, he hired assistant Kevin Ollie on a one-year, prove-it deal after head coach Jim Calhoun stepped down before the start of the 2012-13 season.

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“The contract is one that really gives (Boynton) an opportunity to showcase and show what he can do,” Manuel said on WTKA’s “The Michigan Insider” this week. “It gives the ability for him to earn that extra year and maybe another contract is what I told him. … I did a similar thing with Kevin Ollie by giving him a one-year contract. And then by December I gave him a full contract, and then another a year later when he wins the national title.

“I believe in Mike. The contract was written in a way to show that I believe in Mike, but to also showcase his ability to earn it long term and not just sort of step into the seat. And I believe he will, personally.”

Boynton, who was a former head coach at Oklahoma State, served as the top assistant on Dusty May’s staff the past two years. When May left for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks on June 22, Boynton was named interim head coach on June 23 and promoted to the full-time head coach last week.

Boynton signed the deal on July 8, a day before Manuel and president Domenico Grasso, and received a signing bonus of $250,000 “in recognition of his efforts while serving in an interim head coaching capacity,” per the contract. In the wake of May’s departure, Boynton retained most of the roster and lost only one player — junior guard L.J. Cason — to the transfer portal.

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The buyout language is dense, but if Boynton is fired without cause before he finishes the first year of his contract, the university would pay him $3 million minus whatever he’s already been paid. If he’s fired without cause during the second year, he’d be paid the remainder of his salary. And if he’s fired without cause after meeting the criteria for a second season during or at the end of the first year, he’d be owed $4 million.

In addition to his base pay, Boynton has numerous bonus opportunities, including $50,000 for earning a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship, $100,000 for winning the league title outright and $100,000 for winning the Big Ten tournament.

Boynton would get $50,000 if named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and $50,000 for national coach of the year. He’d also receive a non-cumulative NCAA Tournament-related bonus, ranging from $100,000 for a second-round appearance to $1.5 million for winning the national title.

Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, Boynton was head coach at Oklahoma State for seven seasons before he was fired in March 2024. During his tenure from 2017-24, the Cowboys went 119-109 and made one NCAA Tournament in 2021, when they were led by top recruit and current Pistons star Cade Cunningham.

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However, Boynton had to deal with NCAA penalties stemming from a previous regime with the Cowboys, including reduced scholarships and other recruiting restrictions for three seasons as well as a postseason ban in 2022.

At Michigan, Boynton has been the defensive coordinator and a top recruiter who’s played an integral role in the program’s return to national prominence the last two years, including this past season’s historic campaign where the Wolverines set a program record with 37 wins, set a Big Ten record with 19 conference victories, won the Big Ten regular-season championship by four games and captured Michigan’s first national title in 37 years.

“I’m grateful to Warde for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” Boynton said in a statement when he was officially named head coach. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in.

“We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Here are contract details for Michigan basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr.

Arsenal will assess William Saliba’s back injury when he reports back to the club after World Cup duty.

The France centre-back has been dogged by a back issue for several weeks and carried the problem into the World Cup.

The issue appeared to be exacerbated during France’s semi-final loss to Spain when She was forced off after just 30 minutes.

Surgery is among the options that will be considered by the Gunners when he returns to London, though an operation would probably require a long-term lay-off to recover.

The 25-year-old made 50 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal last season, as they ended a 22-year wait to win the Premier League and reached the Champions League final.

Earlier in the World Cup, Saliba said: “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months.

“I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League.

“The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth.”

He missed France’s final group game against Norway before returning to Didier Deschamps’ side for the knockout stage.

France play England in the third-place play-off on Saturday (22:00 BST).

Rohit Sharma walks back after getting out in the second ODI

TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Rohit Sharma has mustered just 37 runs from two ODIs against England in Birmingham and Cardiff. A 21-ball 11 at Edgbaston was followed by a 47-ball 26 at Sophia Gardens here on Thursday. For someone who once blitzed through attacks at the top of the order, he has become a walking wicket and a dream for bowlers because of his laboured approach. Across the two innings, he has managed just two boundaries and a six at a strike rate of 54.41. Where’s the ‘Hitman’?Of the 21 balls he faced at Edgbaston, 14 were dots, or 66.67 per cent. Move to the second ODI and the pattern remained the same. Of the 47 balls, 28 were dots, or nearly 60 per cent. Look closer and the scratchy nature of the innings becomes even clearer.Second ball at Edgbaston, the 39-year-old was slow to get his bat out of the way of a Jofra Archer delivery. It took the bat and flew towards slip. Two balls later, Archer left Rohit in two minds about whether to play or leave, and the indecision resulted in an inside edge that nearly toppled the stumps. In Archer’s next over, Rohit pushed forward but was beaten on the outside edge. The next ball beat him again, this time on the inside edge. One ball later, the right-hander was cut in half. Josh Tongue, too, put Rohit in disarray with his 140-plus kmph deliveries.

India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)

Even though the Nataraj shot made an appearance in the form of a boundary, the fluency that was once expected from Rohit and defined “Mumbai cha Raja” remained missing.Move to Cardiff on Thursday.In Archer’s first over, Rohit was beaten on the inside edge after a front-foot prod. In the sixth over, Saqib Mahmood strayed onto Rohit’s pads, but his bread-and-butter flick shot failed to come through. In the 12th, Gus Atkinson banged in a short ball and Rohit, one of the better pull-shot players in this team, missed it completely. Two overs later, Rohit top-edged another short ball which, fortunately for him, landed safely between long leg and deep backward square leg.Finally, the dismissal summed up how scratchy Rohit has been lately. With Will Jacks into the attack, Rohit got down on one knee looking to sweep. Instead, he top-edged the ball, which lobbed up conveniently for wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

India’s Rohit Sharma walks off the pitch after being caught out by England’s Jos Buttler during the second ODI between England and India at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 16, 2026. (AP | PTI)

It isn’t just these two games. The former India captain has looked uncomfortable even in the nets. Before the series got underway, he opted to face sidearm specialists during the second nets session and had to switch ends after a point as he struggled to find his timing. Later, he went one step further with an open-nets approach, with the field spread out as a form of match simulation.On the eve of the first ODI, he arrived later than the other top-order batters and once again worked with the sidearm bowlers to gear up for the series.During the three ODIs against Afghanistan, Rohit scored 16, 48 and 79, a total of 143 runs at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32. In the injury-hit IPL 2026, the right-hander scored just 283 runs from nine matches at an average of 35.38 and a strike rate of 157.22.

Former India captain Rohit Sharma.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings despite scoring runs, Rohit’s lack of form is a worrying sign for India’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Granted, he is India’s highest run-scorer since the last ODI World Cup and since retiring from T20Is. But it is also true that, based on form, he trails skipper Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in runs scored since the start of last year as well as this year.Going purely by body language, Rohit does not inspire much confidence at the moment. The right-hander looks slow against seamers, something that could be a major factor at the ODI World Cup in South Africa. He is prone to injuries and looks almost unsure of himself. Even in the field, he is no longer the quickest off the blocks.By the time the ODI World Cup comes around, Rohit will be 40 years old and hoping to join a list that includes Chris Gayle, Brad Hogg, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Tahir as some of the oldest players to feature in the tournament. But if current form is any indication, he should not be on that flight to South Africa.

India captain Shubman Gill cut a disappointed figure after his side squandered a commanding position to suffer a four-wicket defeat against England in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on Thursday, July 16, 2026.After cruising to 180/3, India endured a dramatic middle-order collapse to be bowled out for just 233, a total England chased down comfortably thanks to an unbeaten 99 from Joe Root, who finished one run short of a century after Gus Atkinson struck the winning runs. The victory helped England level the three-match series 1-1.Reflecting on India’s batting collapse, Gill admitted his side fell well short of the total they had targeted.“Quite disappointing, to be honest with you. We thought 300-310 would be a good total after 25 overs. We were in a good position, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. Our tailenders are not the best batsmen, but we expected a bit more from our lower middle order. We weren’t able to capitalize on the start we got. Hopefully next time we’ll build small partnerships and take it on from there,” Shubman Gill said in post-match.

Gill point out Washington Sundar’s injury

Speaking about Washington Sundar’s injury, Gill admitted it disrupted India’s plans, although he stopped short of blaming it for the defeat.“He’s a key part of our team. I think he got injured while taking that run to mid-off. We had to bowl our main bowlers throughout the innings and change our strategies. It caused a bit of momentum loss, but I don’t think it made a huge difference because the ball was doing enough for the fast bowlers,” he added.

Root chased down the target with ease

India squandered a commanding position after being asked to bat first at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Despite a solid 114-run stand between Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) that took the visitors to 180/3, a dramatic middle-order collapse saw them lose their last seven wickets for 53 runs and get bowled out for 233. Jofra Archer (3/47) and Gus Atkinson (3/50) starred with the ball, while Jasprit Bumrah’s unbeaten 20 helped India cross the 230-run mark.England’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett with the first ball of the innings before Prasidh Krishna reduced the hosts to 8/2. However, Joe Root anchored the chase with a superb 99 off 133 balls*, receiving valuable support from Will Jacks (30), Sam Curran (26) and *Gus Atkinson (23)**. Atkinson struck the winning boundary to seal a four-wicket victory, leaving Root agonizingly stranded one run short of a century.The result leveled the three-match ODI series 1-1, with the decider set to be played at Lord’s on July 19.

What legacy for the biggest World Cup ever with its three countries, 64 teams, record ticket pricing? Will it be the on-field drama or the American-style packaging of the spectacle, what with commercial breaks disguised as water breaks, TV cutaways to celebrities during the action and red cards overturned to please the hosts? What optics for the final? Will Donald Trump be flanked by Argentinian far-right ally Javier Milei and Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of a left-led Spain he’s threatened to cut ties with?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Riham Mahir, Andrew Hilliar.

Ty Ingram Dawkins is being pulled between the life of a defensive lineman and that of an edge rusher. Where does the Vikings defensive end settle in?

Part of what’s working in Ingram-Dawkins’ favor is that he’s versatile. Part of what’s working against him is that he hasn’t totally nailed down a main spot. Obviously, the young lad still has plenty of runway, which is to say nothing of the overlap between being a 3-4 defensive end and a 3-4 edge rusher.

Nevertheless, there’s some danger in never fully nailing down a spot to fully shine. Think examples such as James Lynch, Jalyn Holmes, and Esezi Otomewo (among others) as players who offered some size, some explosiveness, some length, and other impressive attributes who never found a lasting home as Vikings defenders.

Maybe unsurprisingly, Ingram-Dawkins is still being listed as a defensive lineman on the team website even as he got work with the edge rushers at mandatory minicamp. He’ll be looking to solidify his role in the coming weeks with the 2026 regular season getting close.

Vikings Defensive End Still Among the D-Linemen

The summer months featured Ingram-Dawkins getting moved around.

The defender is built more like a 3T or a 5T but could get tasked with kicking outside further. Rather than shading on a guard or lining up across from an offensive tackle, Ingram-Dawkins may get pushed into green grass or across from a tight end. Getting slimmer — as he appears to be — better equips him to fulfill the demands of the job.

After showing promise at Georgia, the Vikings snagged him in the 5th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Doing so meant betting on upside rather than choosing somebody who was totally polished and ready.

Look at what Lance Zierlein had to say in his scouting report: “He’s ready to do it, with the tools to do it, but is still learning how to do it. Ingram-Dawkins’ relative lack of experience shows up with inconsistent instincts in the run game and a lack of development as a rusher.”

Further: “However, he possesses an impressive blend of size and suddenness that allows him to attack blocks or shoot gaps. He’s a bender with excellent range and change of direction. He offers more flash than finish as a pass rusher, but has all of the tools to get after pockets when his hands and approach get trained up. He’s also scheme- and position-versatile with loads of upside, but he’s still developing and has a wider gap between his ceiling and floor relative to his fellow D-line prospects.”

In short, Ingram-Dawkins has a ton of tools but needs time to get his game to a more refined level. Adding Ryan Nielsen to the coaching staff should help. The new coach will be tasked with getting young lads such as Ingram-Dawkins, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, and others to a higher level.

Can Ty Ingram-Dawkins absorb the coaching in a way that allows him to assert himself as a sophomore? If he does, is he a 3-4 defensive end or somebody who looks more like an edge rusher? Think the difference between Andrew Van Ginkel and Elijah Williams.

In all likelihood, Ingram-Dawkins is going to dabble at different spots for the Vikings. Brian Flores likes working with players such as Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus, and the other smart and hard-working guys capable of doing multiple things well. Mirroring some of these older players would therefore be in his best interest.

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Last year, the Vikings leaned on the rookie for 250 snaps. He added 12 tackles and had a sack. Ingram-Dawkins’ season was fine, but nobody thinks that the second coming of John Randle has arrived.

At 23, Mr. Ingram-Dawkins has a lot of time to continue improving. But while there’s time left in his career, the Vikings’ young defender can’t grow complacent. Turning some of his athletic abilities into some game-changing plays will be needed before too long, especially after so much young talent got added to the trenches.

Ty Ingram-Dawkins is listed at 6’5″ and 290 pounds. As a basic expectation, look for the Vikings to task him with moving up and down the line. He’ll need to overcome the demands of this shuffling by showing himself to be a difference maker regardless of where he lines up.

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

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A thrilling 2026 golf season has reached its final major with The Open Championship entering its 154th playing this week at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The oldest golf tournament in the world returns to Birkdale for the first time in nine years with the Claret Jug set to be awarded on site Sunday for the 11th time.

While Scottie Scheffler enters as the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, the world No. 1 has been more of a runner-up than a champion in 2026. His golf remains some of the best that will be seen on a course any given week, but Scheffler has been unable to follow through with the consistency he has shown in past years. Rory McIlroy came close to supplanting him as the favorite entering The Open, and considering McIlroy’s play at the Scottish Open, it would hardly be surprising if he contends from the first round onward.

The Open’s return to England is a welcome move for a variety of notable English contenders, some of whom are having tremendous seasons. An Englishman has not been named Champion Golfer of the Year since Nick Faldo in 1992, but the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose will be looking to change that. It could be quite a week for England, considering the national soccer team competes in a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday and could be in the final, head-to-head with The Open over the weekend.

While attending The Open Championship is undoubtedly a memorable experience, simply watching golf on one of the game’s grandest stages each year is an incredible treat. CBSSports.com is thrilled to bring you wall-to-wall coverage of The Open all week.

Enough talking about it. Here’s how you can watch as much of The Open as possible between now and Sunday. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports for live coverage throughout the final major of 2026.

All times Eastern

2026 Open Championship TV schedule

Round 2 — Friday, July 17

Round 2 start time: 1:30 a.m. [Tee times]

Open live stream: 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Peacock

TV coverage: 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on USA Network

Round 3 — Saturday, July 18

Round 3 start time: 5 a.m.

Open live stream: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Peacock

Early TV coverage: 5-7 a.m. on USA Network
TV coverage: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (Try for free)

Round 4 — Sunday, July 19

Round 4 start time: 4 a.m.

Open live stream: 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Peacock

Early TV coverage: 4-7 a.m. on USA Network
TV coverage: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on NBC, Fubo (Try for free)

Who will win the 2026 Open Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out. 

Tommy Berry’s strategic choice to curtail his holiday and partner Castillo King at Warwick Farm has been rewarded handsomely, with the colt making a sensational debut.

The prominent Sydney jockey had not been in the saddle since the Tattersall’s Tiara meeting at Eagle Farm on June 27 and was originally scheduled to recommence riding this weekend.

However, upon discovering that the Farnan colt, Castillo King, was slated to compete in Wednesday’s Racing And Sports Plate (1100m), Berry swiftly revised his plans.

“I probably wasn’t going to come back until Saturday, but when I saw him in I didn’t want to forgo that ride,” Berry explained.

“He’s a smart colt. He’s got a great attitude, and he will appreciate getting over a little bit further. He was out of his comfort zone the whole way trying to hold that box seat, but I loved what I saw late.

“Now the pressure is off, he’s done it, and he ran good time. He was put under really good pressure, so the sky is the limit.”

Bred and trained by Michael Freedman, a specialist in two-year-olds, Castillo King was an $180,000 acquisition from the Inglis Classic Sale.

Michael Freedman’s stable representative, Sophie Johnson, noted that the young horse had displayed considerable talent from the outset and performed admirably to defeat several more seasoned competitors, notably runner-up Eviction Notice, who had previously placed in the Silver Slipper.

“We knew Eviction Notice was going to be a bit tricky. Being one of Gai’s (trainer Gai Waterhouse’s) and with Rachel (King) on board, it’s speed all the way, and a few others had some runs under their belts as well,” Johnson stated.

“It was really good to see. He’s been a professional horse from day one. He’s not a problem being a colt, and he handles himself really well.”

Johnson confirmed that the Listed Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on August 15 is being considered for Castillo King, assuming he recovers well from his winning run.

“All being well. It’s definitely a race that’s on the cards for him but it can go anyway with horses,” she commented.

The $2 favourite, Castillo King, showed great determination to reach the finish line, securing a victory by 3-1/4 lengths over Eviction Notice ($2.60). Maritime Magnate ($21) finished a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.

Consider the leading online bookmakers for betting markets for the race.