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MLB proposes limiting free agent signings to a few weeks in December and then from February on

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball proposed limiting free-agent signings to several weeks in December and then from early February on each offseason along with a trade ban during the gap in-between, a plan aimed at creating more of an offseason transaction flurry similar to those in the NFL and NBA.

The plan offered to the players’ association is contingent on adoption of the salary cap system MLB proposed in May, which the union has vowed never to accept.

“A cap-and-floor system would unlock additional opportunities to improve the game for players and fans, creating more stability in rosters, getting the best players to the major leagues more quickly, and accelerating the pace of the offseason,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “In our current economic system, these changes would be too harmful to competitive balance and would not be practical.”

Union head Bruce Meyer immediately criticized the plan.

“Their latest proposals regarding free agency would eliminate player rights by establishing an artificial free agency window, subject to a salary cap, which would reduce player leverage and create a game of musical chairs pitting player vs. player,” he said in a statement. “The suggestion that the only way to limit roster churn, or incentivize earlier free agent signings is with a salary cap is entirely unserious.”

Management’s prior cap proposal led to a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.

Under the current rules, players can become free agents starting the day after the World Series but may not negotiate money terms with new teams until the end of the “quiet period” at 5 p.m. Eastern time on the fifth day after the World Series ends.

MLB proposed extending the quiet period until noon Eastern on the Monday of the winter meetings, usually held in early December. Management said the additional time would be needed for revenue and salary cap figures to be finalized ahead of the business season.

MLB would allow negotiations during the quiet period but would not permit any contracts to be finalized.

Free agents could sign through 5 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 21 and then wouldn’t be allowed to until noon Eastern on the first Monday in February, just ahead of spring training.

“In the draft, we used to have no signing limitation. We’ve all seen what that’s done to player values in the draft, which has dramatically cut in at least half the value of drafted players,” agent Scott Boras said. “It’s just another attempt to apply something like that to free-agent major league players. It doesn’t help the game, doesn’t help the competitiveness of the game. The only thing it does, it reduces the value of players in the market. It doesn’t allow evaluation, reflection, adjustment for the teams that don’t sign a particular player.”

During the December-to-February period in which players would not be allowed to sign, there would be a prohibition on trades, similar to the current ban from early August through the end of the postseason.

MLB proposed to cap spending in 2027 at $245.3 million, using figures for luxury tax payrolls that include $20.1 million for benefits and the pre-arbitration bonus pool. It also would establish a payroll floor of $171.2 million, forcing some teams to spend more.

Free-agent eligible players would be limited to deals of $265 million and six years. Under the current rules, outfielder Juan Soto negotiated a record 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets after the 2024 season.

“MLB expressly conditioned these proposals on the players’ agreement to a salary cap system, which would drastically reduce overall player compensation, eliminate fully guaranteed contracts through escrow, and turn back the clock on fundamental player rights,” Meyer said of the plan.

MLB also proposed lowering the maximum in-season options to the minor leagues from five to four and adopting a system of weekly rosters. Teams would be allowed 14 pitchers, up from the current limit of 13 when the 26-man roster limit is in effect from the season’s start through Aug. 31.

Players have proposed optional assignments be cut to three.

“The league is not interested in any changes that don’t directly reduce the rights of all players and shift leverage to the owners,” Meyer said.

Teams would be limited to making callups from the minors and demotions to the period after Sunday’s games and before Monday’s contests, with exceptions for injured list decisions and moves to replace those who got hurt.

Option and injured list periods would be changed from 10 days to one week for position players and from 15 days to two weeks for pitchers, but those periods would start with the first full week after a player goes on the IL. For instance, a pitcher going on the IL or optioned on a Wednesday would have to spend at least 19 days on the IL: the five remaining days that week plus an additional 14 days.

MLB proposed what currently is the 60-day IL, which doesn’t count against the 40-man roster, increase to 12 weeks.

MLB would drop the period by one year for having to protect a player from the Rule 5 draft, to the fourth draft for players who signed their initial contract under age 20 and to three for those 20 and over at the time of their first deal.

Management would allow players selected in the draft to be optioned. Under the current rule, a selected player must be offered back to his former team before he can be assigned to the minors.

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Najee Harris set to play tonight, first game action since tearing Achilles 11 months ago

After a long rehab from a torn Achilles tendon, Giants running back Najee Harris may finally return to game action tonight.

Harris is expected to play tonight against the Jets, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Harris was playing for the Chargers last season when he tore his Achilles tendon in Week Three, ending his season.

Before signing with the Chargers last season, Harris played four seasons for the Steelers, and ran for at least 1,000 yards in all four of them, while never missing a game. The Giants would love to see that version of Harris back on the field this season.

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Captain Suzuki May Get A Bit Tougher This Year

On Thursday, Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki held his annual golf tournament for the Assista Foundation and briefly spoke to the media. In a scrum, he touched on various topics, going from the salary cap to his leadership style and the fact that Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj have yet to sign.

Unsurprisingly, much like Juraj Slafkovsky when he spoke in Europe a few days ago, the captain is happy with his deal:

I’m happy for those guys. It’s great to see the league taking steps with, you know, salaries. It’s pretty crazy to see numbers come around, but I’m pretty happy with my contract, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s kind of what happens when you sign a long-term deal. I signed that deal like five years ago now, so times change; next time we’re all up, the cap’s going to be in a different spot.
- Suzuki on contracts

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In other words, when those contracts are up, the players will want a raise, which is fair, and that’s something GM Kent Hughes must already have in mind. Building a team and keeping it together in the salary cap era is not all that easy, and while Hughes may go and get some outside help at market value, he’s got to be mindful of how much he’ll need to re-sign his top players and plan for the future. That shouldn’t be a problem for a man who has spent years dealing with numbers as a player agent.

When asked if he was going to change his leadership style, the captain replied:

Definitely try to be, probably a little harder on the group. We’ve gone through a lot, learning things together, and expectations will be higher from the outside and internally. So, we’ve got to keep that standard up; we’ve said to try to drive that in every day.
- Suzuki on his leadership style

It wouldn’t be a shock to see that, since even though the Habs made their way to the Eastern Conference Final, they were easily dismissed by the Carolina Hurricanes. Suzuki praised the Hurricanes for how detailed their game is; clearly, he feels they have mastered their system and apply it relentlessly. That success didn’t happen overnight, though; they lost three times in the Conference Final, including two sweeps, and in their third attempt, they lost 4-1 to the champions-to-be Florida Panthers. Martin St-Louis has said time and time again that the toughest thing for a young NHL player is playing consistently, but that also applies to the team as a whole.

As for the fact that Bolduc and Xhekaj still haven’t signed, Suzuki’s not worried:

They’re both really important players; Zack had a good year. I thought he took steps throughout the season and into the playoffs. Arber is an important piece for our locker room and on the ice. So hopefully both guys can get it done. There’s still plenty of time, so I’m pretty hopeful.
- The captain on the remaining RFAs

The Canadiens kick off the preseason in 17 days with their traditional golf tournament, and training camp opens in 19 days. Chances are Suzuki will face even more questions on September 14 at the team’s tournament, but he still had a nice warm-up on Thursday.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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John Calipari calls on commissioners to be '(expletives)' in pro-to-college debate

Arkansas men's basketball coach John Calipari, one of the most respected voices in the sport, expressed his concern with teams filling their rosters due to legal battles in a recent podcast appearance.

Calipari, discussing the matter on "The Sideline" with Andy Katz, said he understands why teams would want to add players like former Missouri center Mark Mitchell, who received an extra year of eligibility to play at Kentucky, or former St. John's guard RJ Luis, who signed G-League deals before returning to college and signing with LSU.

REQUIRED READING: 'No one listens' to John Calipari's March Madness idea. Too bad. They should

He also wonders how the recruiting method will affect the sport moving forward.

"I don't begrudge any coach trying to do something to help his team win," Calipari said. "I don't begrudge a basketball player trying to get a fifth year because he's going to make a lot of money.

"The issue becomes, 'What is it doing to our recruiting in young kids?'"

The SEC, along with the other three Power Four conferences, recently adopted rules that bar professional athletes from returning to college, even if the player is granted a temporary restraining order in court like many are receiving in recent weeks as the NCAA's new five-for-five eligibility ruling opens the door for lawsuits.

A Dallas judge named the SEC and its commissioner Greg Sankey in a court order on Thursday, Aug. 27, that noted the league can't enforce its rule on a group of 41 players named as plaintiffs in the order, complicating how the league can combat players returning to college sports.

Calipari said it's all the more reason college sports needs legislation, even if the Protect College Sports Act isn't perfect, in his eyes.

"We need these commissioners to step in here and, I'll use the term, be the (expletives)," Calipari said.

The 67-year-old coach also brought up an interesting point about players losing their potential role on a team because of a late roster addition.

"For me, what does that do to the players in my program if I did it?" he said. "What does it to do a player that I have recruited and talked to, maybe one that was waiting his turn? Maybe it's a freshman. How do you have trust when you walk in, in September, and say, 'We just changed. I know what we told you, but that's not going to happen now because this kid's coming in.'"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Calipari calls on commissioners to be '(expletives)' in pro-to-college debate

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New Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla was, and still is, a Steelers fan

To this day, plenty of Seahawks fans believe the Super Bowl XL officials who were wearing black and white were secretly wearing black and yellow. One person openly wearing black and yellow during the game was new Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla.

On Wednesday, after the owners voted to approve the sale of the team to a group led by Khosla, the self-made billionaire made it clear that he was — and still is — a fan of the team that kept the Seahawks from winning their first NFL championship in early 2006.

"I also happened to come to this country in '76 when the Steelers were winning Super Bowls," Khosla told reporters on Wednesday. "So, actually, I was originally, and still am, a big Steelers fan also — a little-known fact — but I still watch all the Steelers games, too."

Well, it's no longer a little-known fact. And it's not unprecedented. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, for example, was a long-time Giants fans before buying the Vikings; he once followed Lawrence Taylor to the men's room to seek an autograph. (Wilf waited for Taylor to finish his business and emerge from the facilities.)

"I'll always be, deep inside, a Giants fan," Wilf said in November 2005, as the Vikings prepared to face the Giants. "I don’t think it ever goes away."

For Khosla, the Seahawks and Steelers will square off in 2027. Unless, of course, they happen to cross paths in Super Bowl LXI.

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Football Daily | Rangers and Celtic united by farce in Europe and sanctions at home

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While it is not uncommon for Scottish Premiership sides to perform their own version of Brexit in August, something of a nadir seems to have been reached this time around. On Tuesday night, Celtic soiled the sheets against Lask in a spectacular act of self-sabotage, somehow contriving not to qualify for Bigger Cup’s league phase from a tie they led 4-0 on aggregate at one stage. While their humiliation was widely viewed as one for all of fitba, fans of Rangers won’t have shed any salty tears. However, their delight at the status of laughing stock visited upon their bitter rivals was hideously diminished when their own representatives from Ibrox travelled to Czechia, apparently under a banner that read “Haud our bevvies!”

Congratulations to the Reader Formerly Known as Phil Taverner on his letter o’ the day (Thursday’s letters). Not only did the name change bring him instant brand recognition, but, like ‘Sávio’ joining Spurs, it guarantees that any success from here on will be prizeless” – Justin Kavanagh.

Did Phil Taverner write both letters so he’d have a 100% chance of the prizeless win? If so, can I change my name to Phil Taverner?” – Julie Bebb.

May I be one of the 1,057 readers protesting against the display of not one, but two letters from Noble Francis yesterday. This is outrageous and flies in the face of established editorial standards! Also, in the spirit of Monty Python: I am Noble Francis, and so is my wife” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

Re: Thursday’s opening bombshell – ‘The transfer window isn’t an actual window.’ Mind blown! Thank you Football Daily for uncovering the truth” – Steve Mintz.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. 

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Andy Green explains reluctance to become Mets manager next season: ‘The family consideration is real’

The Mets have said from the very beginning that the plan is for interim manager Andy Green to return to a front office role upon the completion of this season. 

While there continues to be nothing but rave reviews since Green took over as the new head man, those plans don’t appear set to change. 

People familiar with the Mets’ internal thinking recently shared those sentiments with SNY’s Chelsea Janes, and now Green himself has confirmed it with The Athletic. 

The 49-year-old former MLB infielder explained to Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal that he’s reluctant to take on the full-time managerial gig next season because of his desire to be close to his daughters. 

“The family consideration is real,” Green said. “We’re all trying to do the best we can balancing career and family -- my twins have one year left in high school, I want to be present as much as possible, like any dad would.”

There's no denying New York has played much better under his tutelage, with a 26-27 record since late-June, but Green has made his desires clear to the higher-ups in the organization as well. 

“I’m going to take him at face value,” Steve Cohen said. “He’s telling us that he wants to go back to the front office.”

“I think it’s laudable and consistent with who he’s been during his time here,” David Stearns added. “He’s genuine and real about what fulfillment means for him.”

Whether or not Green will simply return to the player development role he filled over the past few seasons before being bumped up following Carlos Mendoza's firing remains to be seen.

Those who spoke with Janes floated the Mets’ general manager opening as a potential fit, but his interest in taking on that added responsibility remains unclear. 

If Green is willing, he certainly would be an intriguing option.

He has already built relationships throughout the organization in both of his roles, and comes with major league experience, which is something higher-ups have concluded they need more of in their operation.

Either way, Green appears destined to remain a crucial voice in the organization moving forward. 

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Deion Sanders must testify in Shilo's bankruptcy trial — after Georgia Tech game (if at all)

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has gotten a ruling on the question of whether he'll be required to testify in Shilo's upcoming bankruptcy trial.

The bad news? Deion did not successfully quash the subpoena.

The good news? He won't have to testify in the days preceding the regular-season opener at Georgia Tech, next Thursday night.

The best news? His testimony likely won't be needed at all.

Via Christopher Kamrani of The Athletic, Sanders has been ordered to testify on Friday, September 4, at 1:30 p.m. MT. He will appear virtually, and not in court.

And he won't appear at all, unless Shilo's lawyer opens the door to testimony from Deion in a prior case. Deion's lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, told Kamrani that he doesn't expect Shilo's lawyers to open that door.

The trial arises from an effort to discharge an $11.89 million civil judgment in a personal-injury case arising from an altercation at Shilo's school in 2015. The key question is whether the injuries were "willful and malicious."

If so, the debt survives. If not, the debt will be avoided.

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The Morning After: Keeping four QBs is bad roster building

Aug 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) looks to pass the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The end of preseason has always been the unofficial beginning of fall in my eyes. As I stare out my window, I can see a hint of color becoming more prevalent in the trees, the sun is setting earlier with each passing day, and the pumpkin coffee I have sitting next to me tastes like I’ll be turning on Halloween 6 later on in the day.

The preseason is now complete for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they will now have until Sunday night at 6:00 EST to trim their roster down to 53 players. And while the journey will end for many, it appears one player on the bubble has a spot secured. Plus, a pair of rookie receivers show exactly why they were drafted, and several defenders will make it very difficult to let them go.

It’s the morning after game day. Let’s dive in.

The Steelers should not keep four quarterbacks

After the Steelers’ 28-27 loss to the Bills to close out the preseason, head coach Mike McCarthy was asked if all four quarterbacks did enough to secure a roster spot.

“Very accurate evaluation on your part,” McCarthy said via Brooke Pryor. “We’ve got two vets to win with, and two guys we’re excited about their future.”

Of course, nothing is official at the time of writing, but it certainly appears as if the Steelers will keep all four quarterbacks on their roster, which makes next to no sense. It would be one thing if Will Howard blew them away in exhibition play – he didn’t. He finished the preseason 26-of-40 with two touchdowns to three interceptions. For what it’s worth, both touchdowns he threw were a screen pass that Germie Bernard took 13 yards after making the first tackler miss, and practically a handoff to Lake McRee who dove over several players to get into the end zone.

That’s not to see there weren’t good throws. The pass to Robert Tonyan on the goal line in Week 1 against the Packers was his best throw of the preseason, and he made a 16-yard completion to Ben Skowronek over the middle in Week 2. However, if he really popped, the Steelers wouldn’t feel the need to keep Mason Rudolph.

Howard was comfortably the fourth-best quarterback for the Steelers throughout the summer. The logical decision would be to cut him and then sign him to the practice squad when no one claims him. Everyone in the Will Howard camp is so certain he would get claimed by another team, but that’s highly unlikely to happen. About 25-35 players total get claimed during roster cutdown. Last year, there were 29 players claimed. The year before that – 27, per Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. The high since 2015 is 44 players. The low is 17, which came back in 2020. Howard didn’t do anything in exhibition play to warrant a team putting in a claim for him. He would quickly have a home back on the Steelers’ practice squad should that be the route they would go.

Instead, they will likely keep Howard, assuming he doesn’t go on IR with an injury he suffered against the Bills. Even if he does go on IR, though, eventually they’d have to take him off, which would lead to the team eventually carrying four quarterbacks. Who’s the player that will lose their helmet because of it? Robert Spears-Jennings? Doneiko Slaughter? Both of whom have had tremendous summers. If Howard gets a spot over someone who can contribute elsewhere, it’s roster building malpractice.

Germie Bernard is WR3

I’ve seen enough from Bernard – he absolutely should be the starting slot receiver. The Alabama product has shown more this preseason than Roman Wilson has going on three seasons. It’s great that Wilson looked good in camp. It means nothing, though, when he does nothing come game time.

Bernard showcased exactly why the Steelers traded up to get him, making Max Hairston miss on a screen pass and taking it the rest of the way to the end zone. He finished his preseason with five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. And as impressive as his first (unofficial) touchdown was, it may not have been his best play of the preseason. In Week 1 against the Packers, he caught a ball on the right sideline made several defenders miss, and picked up 25 yards.

The best thing the Steelers could do at receiver right now is give Bernard the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, see if they can get a late-round pick swap in exchange for Roman Wilson, and sign a veteran to be the No. 4 wide receiver Brandin Cooks would be the name I’d prefer. He’s still a quality deep threat, and he had a nice pair of seasons under McCarthy from 2023-24, catching 80 passes and 11 touchdowns in that two-year span.

Kaden Wetjen puts exclamation point on preseason

The rookie out of Iowa began the preseason with a 74-yard catch and a touchdown, and he ended it by showing exactly why the Steelers took him in the fourth round.

The two-time Jet Award winner struggled to get anything going in the return game in the first half. In the third quarter, though, he sprung away from the Bills’ punt coverage and returned a kick 45 yards for a touchdown. Should he be able to house at least one kick during the regular season, many will forget about the Steelers reaching in the fourth for a return specialist. While he rode the highs and lows of his first NFL training camp, the highs are very high for one of the best return men in college football history.

Several defenders make their case for roster spots

There will be at least one defender worthy of a roster spot who doesn’t get one – which, again, makes the likelihood of Will Howard having a spot even more irrational.

Devan Boykin had a strong preseason and led the team with nine tackles on Thursday. D’Shawn Jamison has been a practice squad mainstay for Pittsburgh over the last two years and appeared in three games in 2025. He’ll likely be placed on the practice squad again despite a nice preseason. Slaughter and Spears-Jennings are another pair of guys who are on that roster bubble, and one or both could be placed on the practice squad.

Having a lot of quality players is a good problem to have, and Pittsburgh may have one of the deeper set of reserves in the NFL once Week 1 rolls around.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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2026-27 Big East Men’s Basketball Summer Vibe Check: Providence Friars

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 12: Ryan Mela #11 of the Providence Friars dribbles the ball during the second half of a Big East Men's Tournament Quarterfinal game against the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on March 12, 2026 in New York City.
This was the loneliest looking photo of Ryan Mela that I saw in the hopper. | Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images

Team: Providence Friars

2025-26 Record: 15-18, 7-13 Big East

2025-26 Big East Finish: Tied for seventh with Marquette and Butler, ended up as the #9 seed by way of head to head record against those two teams; one game behind DePaul, one game ahead of a tie for last between Xavier and Georgetown.

Final 2025-26 Computer Rankings

NET: #78
KenPom.com: #67
BartTorvik.com: #70

Postseason: The Friars checked out for the year after beating Butler in the first round of the Big East tournament and then losing by 13 to St. John’s in the quarterfinals.

Only Returning Player: Yes, normally we start the player discussion with who is departing to set the table to discuss exactly what the team is losing from last year and/or what do the returning guys and newcomers have to replace. However, it’s going to save us a whole bunch of time and energy to just tell you that Ryan Mela is the only returning player on the entire roster. He was in and out of the starting lineup as a sophomore this past year, ultimately averaging 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting a not-quite-helpful 32% on three-pointers. You might remember him from that time he got hit with a technical foul with less than a minute to play while down 29 points because he shoved Marquette walk-on Casey O’Malley to the ground.

Notable Departures: The most notable one is head coach Kim English, who was sent on his way with a record of 48-52 in three seasons at Providence. It was pretty much all downhill for English after he threw a nonsensical fit about missing the NCAA tournament in Year 1 and then followed that up by by losing to Davidson and St. Bonaventure before Christmas on his way to 12-20 in Year 2.

After that, there’s a 14-way tie for the second most notable departure. As I mentioned, everyone not named Ryan Mela is gone. Six of those 14 guys were seniors this past season, so they were always gone, no matter who the head coach was going to be. In terms of “was it right to pull the plug on Kim English,” his top two scorers — Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards — were both on their final year of eligibility this past season, so English was going to have to revamp things anyway if he stuck around. If you don’t like the direction that it was trending under his direction AND whoever the coach is would have to reset the roster kind of notably anyway? Yeah, probably a solid idea to make the change.

Key Additions: Because we’ve got a coaching change, we have to detour real quick…..

Coach: Bryan Hodgson, going into his first season at Providence and fourth as a Division 1 head coach. He went 45-28 in two years at Arkansas State and is coming off a 25-9 season at South Florida that put the Bulls into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming…….

Key Additions: Everyone on the roster other than Ryan Mela is new. That includes three freshmen and a redshirt freshman that has “did not see any action” in his team bio but isn’t on the 2025-26 roster. Sure.

One of the freshmen is from Italy, one of the freshmen is from Overtime Elite but isn’t rated or ranked by 247 Sports (which I think defies the logic of the use of the word “elite”), and one is Dink Pate. You tell me if this person is a college freshman under the definition of the new five years/five seasons/clock starts running when you graduate high school rules the NCAA put in this summer: High school class of 2023, one year with G League Ignite, one year with Mexico City in the G League, one year with Westchester in the G League. I would argue that sounds an awful lot like someone who is going into their fourth of five possible years of eligibility….. and someone who is actually not eligible at all because they were in the G League. Now, I will point out that he was born in March of 2006, so he has only just now turned 20…. but again: Three years in the G League drawing a paycheck, and he was entered in the 2025 NBA Draft, too. Let’s put it another way: Dink Pate played in a game on the same team as Tyler Kolek this past season.

Alrighty, that means there are eight transfers on the roster here. I don’t have time or interest in running through all of them, not when the entire roster is still wearing name tags at practice. One of them is following Bryan Hodgson north from Tampa, and that’s Gavin Hightower (6’1”, 165 lb sophomore guard, Los Angeles, California). It’s nice that he wants to keep playing for the same coach, but said coach had him averaging less than 10 minutes a night in the American for conference play last season. Okay, that’s unfair, his minutes picked way up towards the end of the year, which includes double digits in both of their American tournament games and in the 83-79 loss to Louisville in the NCAA tourney.

There are just two high major transfers on the list here. One is Arrinten Page (6’11”, 245 lb senior forward, Atlanta, Georgia), who has bounced from USC to Cincinnati to Northwestern and now to Providence. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a part-time starter for the Wildcats last season, which was his most productive year in college hoops. The other high major guy is Malik Mack (6’2”, 175 lb. senior guard, Oxon Hill, Maryland), whom you might remember from his two years at Georgetown. (ASIDE: I don’t want to come across as judgy, but when you go from Harvard to Georgetown to Providence, you’re going in the wrong direction.) Mack put up 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists a night in two seasons for the Hoyas, and he’s obviously familiar with the level of play in this conference as well.

Outlook: Any actual predicting regarding Providence men’s basketball for 2026-27 is guessing. It’s an entirely brand new roster coached by a guy in his fourth year as a head coach and who happens to be on his third team in three seasons. I don’t know how this is going to go, you don’t know how this is going to go, Bryan Hodgson hopes it goes well. That’s the most optimistic thing we can say about the Friars right now, even with BartTorvik.com going waaaaay out over their computerized skis and projecting PC at just outside the top 50.

With that said.

Bryan Hodgson is a Nate Oats guy. He was on staff with Oats back when he was at Buffalo, and then he followed his boss to Alabama. Their last year at Buffalo was the Bulls’ best ever season in the KenPom.com era. Hodgson’s last year on the bench at Alabama was the best KP season for that program. Hodgson took over an Arkansas State program that went 13-20 with a 4-14 record in the Sun Belt the year before and got them to 20-17 overall and 11-7 in the league in his first season. Year Two ended up as Arkansas State’s best year in the KenPom era. Hodgson’s only year at South Florida is the Bulls’ best KenPom season, too.

It would seem undeniable that Hodgson knows how to have a positive impact on a basketball roster. For the last 11 years, he’s been touring the country either helping or leading programs to their best seasons since 1997. It would be wrong on multiple levels to expect him to immediately pull off that kind of performance with Providence, as that would mean a KenPom top 25 finish because Tim Welsh had them at #24 at the end of the season in 2004. (Ed Cooley’s best finish was #27! In 2015!) That’s definitely a bridge too far to expect.

But can Hodgson coach a competitive team in this league right away? Sure. If his high tempo system carries over, then the focus on turnovers on both ends and getting after it on the offensive glass plus forcing bad shots can do a lot of damage right away. There might be some bumps in the road what with the lack of familiarity between the players, but I wouldn’t be surprised to be able to put a Most Improved From Start To End label on Providence by the time we get to next April.

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Best Lions content of the week: Goff, St. Brown discuss their telepathy

The connection between a quarterback and wide receiver is one of the more storied partnerships in all of sports, and for good reason. So many details go into the artistry that occurs between the two positions on gameday. And if you are looking for proof, just ask one of the best duos in NFL—Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“When you watch Goff and St. Brown on the field, you can see they’re finishing each other’s sentences — if every sentence was punctuated with a first down,” wrote Henry McKenna of Fox Sports in his recent feature on the pair. “It’s not normal. They can make changes mid-play without even having to look at each other. It goes beyond coaching.”

If you have been watching the Lions for the last several years, then chances are you know exactly what McKenna is talking about.

“I think we’ve been playing for so long together that he understands my body language when I’m running routes,” St. Brown told McKenna. “That he can anticipate throws before I’m even out of the break. He kind of knows, ‘Oh, that’s how it looks when he’s about to break down.’ So he already knows. He can anticipate the throw.”

The article dives into what makes the relationship between the two pros so special, including frequent visits to St. Brown’s favorite sushi restaurant near their Los Angeles area offseason homes. You can read the entire article from McKenna right here.

And now onto the rest of the best Lions content from this week.

  • If you didn’t already see, Chris Long and The Greenlight Podcast were in Allen Park recently, and they got some excellent interviews in with St. Brown, Goff, and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

  • After a long, strange journey, the NFL’s Pro Bowl is finally gone.

  • In case you missed it, Tina Nguyen of WXYZ Detroit interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

  • If you are someone like me who is always thinking of what shoes to rock on Lions’ gamedays, you may be interested to know that two Lions’ themed shoes are dropping ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Last but not least, we have two posts from The Feed. The first is from Critical Perspective where the author dives into some possible roster gymnastics we may see from the Lions after their final preseason game against the Colts on Saturday. And the second is by tomi02118 that examines the Lions’ decisions around the backup quarterback position behind starter Jared Goff.

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Some Encouraging Injury News on Matt Savoie

Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman provided Sportsnet’s Mark Spector with an update on the injuries to Matt Savoie and Frederik Andersen.

It was revealed on Thursday that four players would miss training camp. Savoie and Andersen were among them, with Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula the others. For Savoie and Andersen, it was expected that October might be a return month, although no exact timeline was provided. 

Bowman indicated that Savoie is expected to return much sooner than Andersen, with the Oilers taking a cautious approach with their 36-year-old goaltender and refusing to rush him back before he’s ready.

There is no exact timeline for Savoie yet, but Bowman offered some encouraging news, making it clear the injury is not expected to keep the young forward out for an extended period.

How Will the Cale Makar Deal Impact The Oilers And Evan Bouchard?How Will the Cale Makar Deal Impact The Oilers And Evan Bouchard?As Cale Makar prepares to reset the market with a historic extension, Edmonton’s front office must brace for Evan Bouchard’s inevitable—and expensive—demands for a massive payday.

“It’s not like he’s going to miss half a season or anything like that. It’s going to be much less than that.”

Bowman acknowledged that Savoie will miss some time but said the Oilers aren't overly concerned.

Overall, it sounds like there is considerably more optimism surrounding Savoie’s injury than initially feared, which should come as encouraging news for the Oilers.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

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Slaying the boogeyman: History behind Illinois and UConn

It’s no secret that the UConn Huskies have been the boogeyman, or monster hiding under the bed, for the Illinois men’s basketball program in recent memory.

It all started back in 2024, when the Illini were amidst a magical March Madness run and ended up being tasked with facing a juggernaut Huskies team in the Elite Eight.

Things started off competitively in the game, with the score tied at 23 with two minutes to go in the first half, and both teams in the fight.

And that’s when things took a turn for the worse for the Orange and Blue, as the Huskies went for the kill shot, ripping off a now-infamous 30-0 run.

Illinois ended up losing 77-52 after trailing by as many as 30 points at one point in the second half,

Since then, the two teams have rematched twice, both in the 2025-26 season.

The Huskies won in the regular season at Madison Square Garden in November of 2025, and once again ended a deep Illini postseason run in the Final Four back in April, cementing the overwhelming truth that UConn has had Illinois’s number as of late.

Even if you peel things back a layer, the Huskies have dominated the all-time series between the two historic programs.

In fact, the last time Illinois beat UConn was in the two teams’ first-ever meeting all the way back in 1938.

To put that in perspective, the last time the Illini took down the Huskies, World War II hadn’t even started yet, and the NCAA basketball Tournament didn’t even exist.

So if you’re only looking at games that happened after the early 20th century, Illinois holds a 0-5 record against UConn.

That means that this season, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and his “Everyday Guys” have an opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done in almost 90 years.

On Friday, Dec. 4, at the United Center in Chicago, the Illini will have their chance to fight off the demons that have been plaguing them and beat the Huskies.

UConn’s Dan Hurley, one of the best head coaches in all of college basketball, is returning a few familiar faces from last season’s showdowns.

Sophomore guard and projected lottery pick Braylon Mullins will be back with the team. While he wasn’t much of a factor early in the season, he came on strong in the postseason and burned the Illini from deep in the Final Four, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 15 points.

Illinois fans may also remember senior guards Solo Ball and Silas Demaray Jr., both of whom bring a slew of experience to the fold. Demaray played extremely well in the Final Four win and flirted with a triple-double, while Ball remained an impact scorer.

Underwood is returning a lot of talent as well in guys like Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic and both Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, while also bringing in a talented transfer in Stefan Vaaks and several talented freshmen.

The Illini men’s basketball team recently released its full nonconference schedule for 2026-27, and while there are several games against top-tier opponents, it’ll be hard for any of them to have as much juice as the December showdown with the UConn Huskies.

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Al Michaels made a "Lake America" joke during Patriots-Browns game

Legendary play-by-play specialist Al Michaels returned to the booth on Thursday night for the Prime Video preseason game, between the Patriots and the Browns. And Michaels, who has been known to make a non-football topical reference or two, commented on one specific current event during the game.

"That is Lake Erie," Michaels said while the screen displayed an overhead shot of the Browns' stadium. "We think it is still called Lake Erie on the right. We're not quite sure at this point. But we'll be by Lake something like Ontario or whatever it's going to be called by the time we get to Buffalo [for Week 2].

"Anyway, you know what I'm talking about, some of you do. Read the news."

It was a reference to the recent decision by the Commander-in-Chief to unilaterally rebrand Lake Ontario as Lake America, given the latest iteration of the periodic squabbles with Canada.

Making the remark somewhat surprising is that Michaels, who doesn't wear his politics on his sleeve, is widely believed to be far more aligned philosophically with the man who made the change that provided the basis for the joke. Which could make it a tangible example of the reality that even the most ardent supporters of 45/47 have become exasperated and exhausted by his objectively tired and predictable shtick.

It's also a reflection of the fact that Michaels has been doing it long enough to say whatever he wants to say, whenever he wants to say it. With his former habit of making subtle (or otherwise) references to the betting line and over-unders in the days the NFL despised gambling now far less noteworthy given the normalization of all things betting, Michaels needs to find other ways to display some periodic cheekiness.

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Hacking the Default Rankings: Where to find value in your fantasy football draft

With one weekend of preseason football left and roster cutdown day fast approaching, it's safe to say that the fantasy football season is in full swing. Friends, family, and bitter rivals will gather across the country to renew leagues and put bragging rights on the line for a shot at fantasy glory.

We have recently released our Top-200 PPR rankings, which are available free of charge to all readers and will be updated regularly until the start of the season. The Rotoworld rankings listed below are based on their last update of 8/26, but be sure to check in regularly for any changes. Now, in hopes of giving you a little bit more of an edge, we wanted to see how our rankings stack up to those on other sites, whose default ranks often drive the outcomes of fantasy drafts.

In this article, we'll look to find some of the biggest discrepancies in the Rotoworld top 200 rankings compared to the default rankings of ESPN, Yahoo, and Sleeper, in hopes of giving fantasy managers an edge and finding what we believe to be some of the biggest values on the board as they prepare for their drafts over the next few weeks.

NOTE: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, RotoViz.com, ProFootballReference.com, NextGenStats.NFL.com, 4For4.com, FantasyPoints.com and RBSDM.com. All scoring is based on full-PPR leagues.

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▶ Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Ours: 86
Yahoo!: 117
ESPN: 95
Sleeper: 106

Imagine fading one of the best quarterbacks in the game all because of a little ACL tear he suffered in Week 15 of last season. We here at Rotoworld could never do such a thing. Currently ranked as our QB9, Mahomes has been a full-go since the start of training camp and appears to be on track to play in the Chiefs' season opener against the Broncos on Monday Night Football, even if Andy Reid would prefer not to commit to such a thing.

Despite some of the struggles Mahomes and the Chiefs had last season, he still managed to finish last year as the fantasy QB4 in fantasy points per game (23), which was his highest finish since 2022. While some of this was buoyed by career highs in rushing yards (422) and rushing touchdowns (5), Mahomes was still in the top-10 for total expected fantasy points, and was on a 17-game pace to throw for 4,356-27-13 — all numbers would have been on par with what we saw in 2023 and 2024.

While ESPN's rankings have this one similar to ours, our rankings suggest there could be tremendous value at QB on Yahoo and Sleeper if Mahomes falls to you in the ninth or 10th round of drafts.

Jordan Love, Packers

Ours: 106
Yahoo!: 130
ESPN: 193
Sleeper: 148

One of the biggest discrepancies we see at the quarterback position between our rankings and the other sites' is with Jordan Love. On average, we have Love ranked 38.3 picks higher compared to the other three sites, meaning there's just over three full rounds of value to be had here.

Love has finished as a top-10 QB in fantasy points per game just once in the last three seasons, but on a per-game basis, the Packers signal-caller has finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in 43 percent of his games played over that span and has been a top-12 QB in 37 percent of his games since 2024. At the time of this writing, Love is currently ranked as our QB12 ahead of guys like Brock Purdy (QB13), Matthew Stafford (QB14), and Jared Goff (QB16), all of whom rank higher than Love on every site.

The loss of Romeo Doubs this offseason shouldn't be enough to negatively impact Love, who is hoping a second-year leap from receiver Matthew Golden and a healthy season from Christian Watson will be more than enough to sustain the Packers offense this season. That, in addition to the return of Tucker Kraft and the fact that Jayden Reed is still on the roster, gives Love plenty of weapons to work with this season, and he is still playing under a top offensive mind in head coach Matt LaFleur.

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▶ Running Backs

R.J. Harvey, Broncos

Ours: 79
Yahoo!: 109
ESPN: 120
Sleeper: 79

We're clearly in lockstep with the folks over at Sleeper, but there is nearly a full three-round difference between how we view R.J. Harvey and how Yahoo and ESPN do. The second-year running back is coming off a season in which he totaled 146-547-7 on the ground and added another 47-356-5 through the air. Harvey saw an uptick in opportunities after J.K. Dobbins went down in Week 10, averaging 17.9 opportunities per game from Weeks 11 to 18 compared to the 7.9 opps/gm he averaged when Dobbins was healthy.

Yes, Dobbins is back and healthy, and has said he will be fully healthy for all 17 games this season. We'll see how that goes. Still, even if Dobbins is healthy, Harvey should still have a decent role as a pass-catcher for the Broncos next season, which gives him plenty of upside in a full-PPR format. Among 15 running backs who saw 50 or more targets last season, Harvey's 2.40 fantasy points per reception ranked second-highest in the league behind only Travis Etienne (2.81), and the 7.7 YAC/REC he averaged on a per-reception basis was nearly identical to the 7.9 YAC/REC Jahmyr Gibbs averaged. Rookie fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman could mix into the backfield rotation as well, but he's expected to be viewed as more of an early down/short-yardage back than another option in the passing game.

Chris Rodriguez, Jaguars

Ours: 101
Yahoo!: 115
ESPN: 138
Sleeper: 142

Among the Jaguars running backs, second-year speedster Bhayshul Tuten has gotten most of the hype from the fantasy community. Tuten boasts 4.37 speed and an elite 9.24 RAS, and rushed for 83-307-5 in limited playing time last season, but is expected to see a bigger role with Travis Etienne now in New Orleans. While Tuten is undoubtedly the most explosive back in Jacksonville's backfield, free agent signee Chris Rodriguez could prove to be a thorn in the side of Tuten's fantasy managers this season.

Rodriguez spent the first three years of his career buried on one depth chart after another with the Washington Commanders. In those three seasons, the former Kentucky bruiser rushed 198 times for 920 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging a solid 4.6 YPC. Among 74 running backs with at least 150 rush attempts since 2023, Rodriguez's 24.7 percent missed tackles forced rate ranks eighth-highest, while his 3.59 yards after contact per attempt (YCO/ATT) is good for third-highest.

As previously mentioned, Rodriguez played at the University of Kentucky, where he crossed paths with current Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who helped Rodriguez produce his best season of college. It's a small footnote, but one that's worth remembering, especially with Coen saying he expects the backfield to “be a bit more by committee” this season. While Rodriguez is unlikely to factor much into the passing game, his hard running coupled with a 224-pound frame could be enough to make him the preferred goal-line back to Tuten, which could put a hard cap on Tuten's upside this season.

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▶ Wide Receivers

Jordan Addison, Vikings

Ours: 77
Yahoo!: 94
ESPN: 89
Sleeper: 104

The arrival of Kyler Murray has driven Justin Jefferson up the ranks quite a bit. It's the only logical explanation for why we here at Rotoworld, along with ESPN and Sleeper, still have Jefferson as a first-round fantasy pick this season. Yahoo is close behind, ranking Jefferson at 15th overall. During last year's quarterback apocalypse in Minnesota, Jefferson finished as a top-12 PPR receiver just three times while catching passes from J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer.

If we're going to bump up Jefferson, it would only make sense that Jordan Addison also receives a sizable bump with Murray now under center. It should come as no surprise to learn that Addison's WR49 finish in fantasy points per game last season was a career-low. Addison finished as a top-36 PPR receiver in each of his first two seasons in the league, while averaging 67-893-10 over that span. He caught just 42 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns last season on a career-low 77 targets. When he was at his best, Addison was still a volatile fantasy asset, finishing as a top-24 PPR receiver in just 38 percent of his games from 2023 to 2024, but that's far better than the 21 percent rate we saw last season.

Ted Hurst, Buccaneers

Ours: 165
Yahoo!: Outside top-200
ESPN: Outside top-200
Sleeper: Outside top-200

As evidenced by the fact that Ted Hurst is ranked outside of the top-200 on each of the above sites, it's fair to assume that this is a bit of a deep play. The rookie third-rounder has received praise from reporters throughout training camp and also received endorsements from head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield after the team's joint practice with the Jaguars.

Hurst is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver who blazed a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He totaled 900-plus receiving yards in each of his two seasons at Georgia State and could turn into an early replacement for Mike Evans this season. No, Hurst won't provide the level of production the Buccaneers and Mayfield enjoyed for years, but his ability as a downfield threat could give Mayfield another weapon on the outside, and depending on how he develops over the course of the year, he may prove to be a reliable contributor when we get closer to the fantasy playoffs.

▶ Tight Ends

Juwan Johnson, Saints

Ours: 144
Yahoo!: 133
ESPN: 157
Sleeper: 187

Finding tight end values between our rankings and those of the other sites proved a difficult task, as in many cases we were lower on other tight ends compared to these sites. However, one tight end who continued to catch my attention was Juwan Johnson, who ranks a full round outside of our rankings on two of the three sites. Johnson enjoyed a career year in his first season under head coach Kellen Moore, catching 77 passes for 889 yards and three touchdowns. His targets (102), receptions, and receiving yards all marked career-highs for the seventh-year tight end, and the 525 routes he ran were good for fourth-most in the league behind only Trey McBride (694), Travis Kelce (573), and Kyle Pitts (539).

Johnson posted a top-12 fantasy week in 53 percent of his games last season, and the injury to Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) should ward off any concerns over the rookie eating into his target share during the early part of this season. Among 29 tight ends with 50-plus targets last season, Johnson ranked sixth in air yards per target (7.6) and was tied for 14th in YAC/REC (4.7). For a player currently ranked in the 14th and 16th rounds of 12-team fantasy drafts on ESPN and Sleeper, Johnson might have the most upside of any late-round tight end based on this virtually free price tag.

Other Notable Comparisons

ESPN

RB Keaton Mitchell, Chargers: 151; Ours: 114

RB Blake Corum, Rams: 119; Ours: 67

WR KC Concepcion, Browns: 124; Ours: 108

RB J.K. Dobbins, Broncos: 106; Ours: 78

WR Josh Downs, Colts: 113; Ours: 90

Yahoo!

RB Kyle Monangai, Bears: 108; Ours: 87

WR Wan'Dale Robinson, Titans: 121; Ours: 100

WR Tank Dell, Texans: 252; Ours: 195

TE Jake Ferguson, Cowboys: 145; Ours: 115

RB Aaron Jones, Vikings: 125; Ours: 97

Sleeper

WR Adonai Mitchell, Jets: 256; Ours: 163

WR Romeo Doubs, Patriots: 132; Ours: 103

RB Braelon Allen, Jets: 208; Ours: 152

QB Tyler Shough, Saints: 182; Ours: 142

QB Kyler Murray, Vikings: 159; Ours: 124