Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer will have to re-think India’s T20I strategy.© X/Twitter

France are preparing for a highly anticipated semi-final against Span following their qualification thanks to a win against Morocco. The Spanish team is expected to be France’s toughest challenge yet, as La Roja have only let in one goal so far. FRANCE 24’s James Vasina tells us more.

Vikings RT1 Brian O’Neill has proven to be a fantastic player on the field. He might be even better off of it.

Go ahead and listen to Kevin O’Connell discuss the blocker along the right side. Or, perhaps, check out how Keith Carter discusses the large lad. In a chat with the VEN’s Tatum Everett, Coach Carter ventured into a variety of topics across the roughly 10-minute conversation. Getting the chance to discuss Mr. O’Neill led to no shortage of praise.

RT1 Brian O’Neill is the Coach Translator

A major part of O’Neill’s value rests in his capacity to untangle what the coach is teaching.

Carter insists that O’Neill is “another coach in the room,” a compliment that points toward the OT’s capacity to transcend the normal responsibilities of a lineman. He can do his job on the field while doing plenty of work off the field, as well, to coach up his teammates. “He has a way to take stuff that we say,” Carter explained, “and put it into a player’s words that they’re going to understand.”

Another key part of the mix is Brian O’Neill’s ability to tell the coaches to slowdown when teaching new things. Anyone who has coached youth football understands what it’s like to explain an idea in seemingly clear terms only to later realize that the players didn’t understand. Apparently, that issue can extend all the way to being a pro.

Carter offered more thoughts: “He makes sure we get those coaching points in. And then there’s a level of trust with him. You’re not worried about teaching B.O. the details of the game plan.” No doubt, that’s some great praise from the OL coach.

O’Neill got chosen at No. 62 in the 2018 NFL Draft. The early word was that he was super athletic but needed time to marinate before getting tossed onto the grill. But while those plans appeared wise, the Vikings quickly had to throw the rookie into the fire due to injury. At no point did he appear to be in over his head.

Indeed, Brian O’Neill has been a fantastic football player since jumping into the starting lineup. Last year, O’Neill earned an 81.6 PFF grade, good for 12th overall among the 84 offensive tackles under consideration. He allowed a pair of sacks alongside 1 QB hit and 21 pressures.

Recent seasons have involved that sort of assessment: being the 16th best in 2024, 24th best in 2023, 8th best in 2022, and so on.

But then consider that the PFF assessment — or something such as ESPN’s pass-block and run-block win rates — only corrals the on-field component. What Keith Carter is speaking to is the value that gets added with O’Neill being a coach who wears shoulder pads.

Lately, a lot of the focus has been on the unsigned Brian O’Neill extension. Over the Cap clarifies that offensive tackle carries a $23,115,657 cap charge. Extending him could involve clearing $14.16 million.

Sounds good, right?

Clearly, there’s some issue with arriving at a sort of unhappy medium. The best deals are the ones where both sides walk away feeling a touch uncomfortable but (mostly) satisfied. Think, for instance, a deal that possibly gives the team a way out after a couple seasons while the player squeezes the franchise for a headline-grabbing number.

New GM Nolan Teasley has been in the Twin Cities for a short time. Still, he shouldn’t struggle to understand how important O’Neill is to the Vikings. The possibility exists that he’ll look to Ryan Van Demark and/or Caleb Tiernan as the long-term solution, but that would be a bold move that appears to contradict what the coaching staff has been saying for a long time.

Brian O’Neill, 30, stands at 6’7″ and is listed as being 310 pounds. The team captain has always been a rugged, athletic guy. Further proving his value by adopting the responsibilities of a pseudo coach enhances his shot at finishing his career as a Viking via extension.

The Minnesota Vikings welcome veterans to training camp on Tuesday, July 28th.

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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The Minnesota Vikings signed a new quarterback, fired their general manager, found a replacement, traded their best defensive player, and onboarded a new draft class in the last several months, and all that work is good enough for a ‘D+’ offseason, according to Yahoo Sports‘ Frank Schwab,

Most Vikings fans would grade the offseason much higher, but as an outsider, Schwab is not very impressed.

Vikings Cap Reset Affected Every Major Decision

Schwab Delivers ‘D+’ Offseason Grade for Vikings

Sizing up each team heading into the 2026 regular season, Schwab wrote about the Vikings last week, “The Vikings lost three good linemen from their defensive front, which is evident from the salaries they commanded with other teams. A lot is now expected from edge rusher Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round pick who did take strides with eight sacks last season.”

“Minnesota also lost receiver Jalen Nailor, who the Raiders thought was worth more than $35 million over three years. Minnesota didn’t do much in free agency, feeling the cap crunch. They did sign former 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings for $8 million over one year, and also cornerback James Pierre for $8.5 million over two years.”

In July, the Vikings have $13 million remaining in cap space.

“No other outside free agent got more than $1.5 million, though Kyler Murray’s minimum $1.3 million deal is included in that. The draft class, led by defensive lineman Caleb Banks and linebacker Jake Golday in the first and second rounds, was panned,” Schwab continued.

“Minnesota’s draft got the fourth-worst consensus grade, and two of the three teams behind them didn’t have a first-round pick. Jennings was a good addition and Murray was a value, but the roster overall took some hits. Grade: D+.”

Murray Alone (for $1.3M) Should Be Good Enough for At Least a ‘B’

In March, after much anticipation, the Arizona Cardinals finally dumped Murray, refusing to explore a trade and instead letting him walk to the open market and willing to pay him to play for another NFL squad. The Vikings pounced, handing him a contract worth $1.3 million.

All signs point to Murray starting for the Vikings after he partakes in a quarterback competition with J.J. McCarthy in a couple of weeks. Finding and empowering a starting quarterback for $1.3 million — especially one as productive as Murray — is just phenomenal value.

Even if Murray doesn’t pan out for the long term, giving him an audition for $1.3 million is enough to drag an offseason grade from a ‘D+’ to the ‘B’ range. Not long ago, Murray was considered a Top 15 quarterback in the business. Now, the Vikings employ him for the NFL’s version of free.

Jonathan Greenard Trade Less Than Ideal

The offseason wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard wanted a new contract, and Minnesota apparently could not afford his asking price, which turned out to be $100 million over the next four seasons. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski traded Greenard and a 7th-Round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for two 3rd-Rounders. One of those picks has already fetched safety Jakobe Thomas, and the other is on the way in April 2027.

Still, it’s risky business to trade productive pass rushers, and there’s a chance that Minnesota regrets the Greenard swap. He was the team’s best defensive player, and while he didn’t register many sacks in 2025, his quarterback pressure numbers remained top-notch.

Most serious and playoff-contending football teams stack EDGE rushers — like the Eagles. The Vikings hope to replace Greenard with Dallas Turner.

If Schwab’s offseason grade proves right, offloading Greenard might be the smoking gun.

Doing More with Less

Minnesota’s plan became crystal clear once free agency began.

The Vikings had a choice to pursue high-profile players. However, that strategy would have necessitated pushing substantial cap hits into future seasons, inevitably leading to a difficult reckoning — a path exemplified by teams like Philadelphia for years and New Orleans until their recent financial restructuring.

Instead, Minnesota’s front office opted for a different approach, prioritizing value. Murray’s acquisition perfectly illustrates this strategy: securing a potential starting quarterback on a modest deal allowed the Vikings to address a critical position without overextending their budget.

The decision also enabled them to avoid expensive bidding wars. Tyler Linderbaum was never a serious target, nor did Minnesota engage in the frenzy for Trey Hendrickson. This offseason was fundamentally about creating financial flexibility.

The Vikings effectively designated 2026 as a salary cap reset year while assembling a competitive team. Therefore, by next spring, their financial outlook should be vastly improved, granting the front office considerable freedom to address remaining roster needs.

If you want the Vikings to have a busy offseason in 2027 and 2028, low spending was required in 2026. That alone might fetch a grade higher than a ‘D+.’

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Javelin thrower Anand Singh and the women’s 4x400m relay team clinched a gold medal each as India ended their campaign on a strong note at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships here on Sunday.

Overall, the Indian team won 16 medals — 3 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze — in the championships.

On his way to winning the gold medal, Anand joined the 80m club. His brilliant gold winning throw of 80.57m, a personal best, was achieved in his last attempt.

Shivam Lohakare, the second Indian in the fray, won the bronze medal with a distance of 77.70m.

The gold winning quartet of Shravani Sachin Sangle, Sandramol Sabu, Pravallika Narimalla and Nofisa Khatun clocked 3:33.62 seconds in the women’s 4x400m relay.

China won the silver medal (3:35.14 secs), while Kazakhstan settled for the bronze (3:37.65 secs), 
India won a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m relay, clocking 44.68 seconds, behind China (43.75 secs). Kazakhstan settled for bronze (50.90 secs). The members of the women’s shorter relay team are Sanjana, Akshaya Saravanan, Sudheeksha V and Shreeya Rajesh.

The men’s 4x400m relay team also won a silver with a time of 3:04.24 secs. The team comprises Astik Pradhan, Sharan Megavarnam, Setu Mishra and Aman Choudhary.

China won the gold with a time of 3:03.46 secs, while Qatar took home the bronze (3:06.19 secs).

However, the men’s 4x100m relay team finished fourth with a time of 39.38 seconds.

In the men’s high jump, Sudeep finished fifth after clearing 2.10m, while Bhumeshwory Devi Huidrom ended at seventh in the women’s 1500m, clocking 4:29.81 secs.

Earlier in the day, Sachin Garhwal finished sixth in the men’s half marathon race walk with a time of 1:36:48, while Aarti (1:45:40) was fourth in the women’s corresponding event.

Gavin Carmody, host for Sky Thoroughbred Central, provided a concise assessment of the Cactus Imaging Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday, noting Benevac’s commanding front-running display.

The talented young jockey Grima has now reached 32 city wins and is two victories ahead of her closest competitor, Braith Nock, in the Sydney apprentices premiership, having partnered Benevac for her maiden win with champion trainer Ciaron Maher.

She made the most of the opportunity on Benevac, starting brilliantly from the barriers, controlling the race from the lead, and cruising to a comfortable victory.

Maher’s Sydney stable representative confirmed that Benevac was the first winner Grima had ridden for the stable.

“Siena has only had a few rides for us before so it is great she has won for the stable on Benevac,” said Johann Gerard Dubord, Maher’s Sydney stable representative. “She’s riding really well and did everything right on the horse.”

Benevac, the striking chestnut runner priced at $2.70, led throughout the race and was never in doubt as the immediate chaser, Zoufame ($2.30 favourite), finished two-and-three-quarter lengths behind, with Escargoes ($6) securing third place.

Gerard Dubord noted that Benevac is a lightly-raced young sprinter who continues to improve as he gains more racing experience.

“He’s a lovely horse and we feel there is more to come from him,” Gerard Dubord elaborated. “He’s got a lot of upside.”

Benevac, cleverly named as he is by Godolphin’s highly-regarded young sire Bivouac out of Houston Benefactor, was purchased by Dean and Adam Watt’s Dynamic Syndications for $140,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale two years ago. His latest win at Randwick was the second of his career from 10 starts (plus five minor placings), and he has already earned over $290,000 in prizemoney, with the promise of more to come.

The Randwick meeting also featured a significant achievement for Eagle Farm-based trainer Todd Pollard, who prepared his first Sydney winner with All Kinds Of Folk in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1800m).

In fact, All Kinds Of Folk was Pollard’s inaugural runner in NSW, with the trainer having only obtained his licence in February.

Pollard has made a remarkable start to his training career, accumulating 10 winners from just 44 starters, including two wins at Listed level.

“I don’t think we will keep that strike-rate going but I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career,” he commented. “And to get a winner here at Randwick with my first runner is a very special moment for me.”

All Kinds Of Folk ($4.40 favourite), ridden with skill by champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy, overtook the front-running Tambela ($4.80) near the finish line to win by a long neck, with Existential Bob ($5.50) finishing nearly three lengths behind in third place.

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