end Evan Engram and WR Sterling Shepard. With former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher taking over same role
Youth Vita Vea Jersey , how will he try to incorporate some 3-4 fronts. Giants don’t have fast linebackers, although they picked up Alec Ogletree from
Rams.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $14 million.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-3)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: LBs Nigel Bradham, Dannell Ellerbe and Najee Goode; RBs Darren Sproles, LeGarrette Blount and Kenjon Barner; TE Trey Burton; CB
Patrick Robinson; DT Beau Allen; DE Bryan Braman; S Corey Graham; K Caleb
Sturgis; OT Will Beatty.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: DB Jaylen Watkins.
NEEDS: Super Bowl champions will be thin at linebacker if Bradham leaves. Burton, Blount, Allen and Robinson are valuable contributors who would need to
be replaced. Personnel boss Howie Roseman is quite creative and found way to add
WRs Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith along with backup QB Nick Foles – Super Bowl
MVP – even though team had little cap space entering free agency last year.
Several veterans could be released to save money. Eagles might target running
back and receiver along with linebacker, but probably won’t be major players in
free agency. Most of their key players are returning and some recent draft picks
are expected to fill holes.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $9 million over.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-10)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: RB Carlos Hyde; Ss Eric Reid and Antone Exum, DE Aaron Lynch; DLs Chris Jones, Tank Carradine and Leger Douzable; LB Brock Coyle;
G Brandon Fusco; CBs Leon Hall, Dontae Johnson
Authentic Zach Duke Jersey , and Asa Jackson; WR Louis Murphy; TE Logan Paulsen; C Tim Barnes.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
NEEDS: 49ers answered biggest question last month when they signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to $137.5 million contract after he led them to five
straight wins following midseason trade with New England. Then San Francisco got
a head start on free agency by signing former nemesis Richard Sherman to upgrade
at cornerback following his release from Seattle. The task this spring will be
to get Garoppolo help and improve the pass rush on defense. San Francisco could
use big target at either receiver or tight end to help in red zone, as well as
improvement on interior of offensive line. Biggest question on offense comes at
running back where San Francisco must decide whether to try to re-sign Hyde or
look for someone else as lead back.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $64 million.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-7)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TEs Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson; Gs Luke Joeckel, Matt Tobin and Oday Aboushi; RB Eddie Lacy; DT Sheldon Richardson; Ss Bradley
McDougald and DeShawn Shead; LBs Michael Wilhoite, Terence Garvin and Dewey
McDonald; WR Paul Richardson; K Blair Walsh; DE Marcus Smith; CB Byron Maxwell;
QB Austin Davis.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: DE Dion Jordan; CB Justin Coleman; RBs Mike Davis and Thomas Rawls.
NEEDS: What Seahawks need in free agency largely depends on what they do with some high-priced players still under contract. Are moves made with Earl Thomas
or Richard Sherman? What about Michael Bennett? Expect offensive and defensive
lines to be focuses in free agency, along with more options at running back.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $12 million.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-11)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: CBs Brent Grimes and Robert McClain; Ss T.J. Ward and Keith Tandy; C Evan Smith; QB Ryan Fitzpatrick; DTs Clinton McDonald and DT
Sealver Siliga; LS Garrison Sanborn; DEs Justin Trattou and Will Clarke; Gs Adam
Gettis and Kevin Pamphile; RB Charles Sims.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Cameron Brate; WR Adam Humphries; DE Ryan Russell; LB Adarius Glanton; CB Jude Adjei-Barimah.
NEEDS: After finishing last in league with 22 sacks, annual pursuit of help for anemic pass rush continues. Offensive line needs bolstering, too, and
running back is priority following release of Doug Martin. With Brent Grimes
becoming free agent, cornerback – or two – would be welcome addition to defense
that was liability last season.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $71.1 million
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (7-9)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: QB Kirk Cousins; WRs Terrelle Pryor, WR Brian Quick and Ryan Grant; LBs Zach Brown
Cheap Kerryon Johnson Jersey , Will Compton, Junior Galette, Trent Murphy and Chris Carter; CB Bashaud Breeland; G Shawn Lauvao; S DeAngelo Hall; TE Niles
Paul; C Tony Bergstrom; DTs Arthur Jones and Phil Taylor.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: T Ty Nsekhe; G Tyler Catalina.
NEEDS: With Cousins gone, new QB Alex Smith needs offensive targets, especially speed at wide receiver to complement third-year WR Josh Doctson and
possession guy Jamison Crowder. Allen Robinson would be perfect, if expensive
fit, though top priority is still replacing contributions of DeSean Jackson and
Pierre Garcon, who departed in free agency last spring. Running back must be
addressed in free agency or draft. Trading CB Kendall Fuller to Kansas City in
deal for Smith, expected departure of Breeland and lack of depth at safety make
secondary area of concern. Left guard and linebacker could be crucial spots
depending on statuses of Lauvao, Brown and Compton.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $31 million.
—
HOUSTON — Yuli Gurriel delivered the walk-off hit that lifted the Houston Astros to victory on Thursday in their series opener with the Chicago White Sox
at Minute Maid Park.
The clutch at-bat came as no surprise considering Gurriel leads the American League in batting with runners in scoring position.
That George Springer and Marwin Gonzalez contributed to the ninth-inning rally was additionally good news for the Astros (58-31). Springer entered the
series with a slash line of .100/.222/.157 since his last multi-hit game on June
10 and was 0-for-4 before muscling a game-tying single to center that scored
Tony Kemp. Gonzalez Authentic Patrick Omameh Jersey , slashing .098/.193/.157 over his prior 15 games, emerged off the bench and delivered a pinch single that pushed Kemp to
third.
“If you’ve been around our team at all the last couple days to weeks, to have George Springer and Marwin Gonzalez be a part of the celebration having
contributed the way they did, that’s all they want to do is contribute to
something positive,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
“Yuli should get as much praise as anybody to end the game, but really proud of George and Marwin to get in on the party.”
Right-hander Lance McCullers (9-3, 3.55 ERA) gets the start for the Astros on Friday. He is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA over three career starts against the White
Sox, including an outing on April 22 when he allowed one run on eight hits and
one walk with three strikeouts over six innings in a 7-1 win. McCullers twirled
seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay in his previous start and went 2-0 with a
2.81 ERA over five starts last month.
White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (4-5, 3.68) is scheduled to make his 18th start of the season and second against the Astros. He is 2-1 with a 2.63
ERA over his last four road starts. The White Sox are providing Lopez with just
3.95 runs of support, the 15th-lowest mark in the AL. In his lone career start
against Houston Cheap Shaquem Griffin Jersey , Lopez allowed one run over five innings but did not factor into the decision while working opposite of McCullers.
With the non-waiver trade deadline looming at the end of this month and the rebuilding White Sox (30-57) out of contention, attention has shifted to the
potential veterans who might be shipped elsewhere before the calendar turns.
First baseman Jose Abreu and right fielder Avisail Garcia are popular names
bandied about the rumor mill while veteran reliever Joakim Soria has been
mentioned as a target for contenders seeking bullpen help.
Soria suffered the loss in the series opener, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss.
The Astros, interestingly, have been reported to potentially have interest in
Soria. As for the White Sox, they’re ignoring the noise.
“For us, it’s not something that’s been a topic of conversation,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “So we’re able to allow them to just continue to try
to develop and try to improve and get better.”
.
