The Panthers signed left tackle Matt Kalil as a free agent in 2017 and watched him get off to a slow start as he recovered from hip surgery while
playing in a new offensive system.
Kalil has been healthy this offseason and a new offensive coordinator hasn’t forced him to do the same kind of learning because he’s played for Norv Turner
in the past. With those two things off the
table
Nate
Thompson Jersey , coach Ron Rivera said the Panthers “expect him to
improve and be better for us this year.”
Kalil seems to think he’ll fulfill that expectation.
“I think from Week 4 on I started playing better and better, and toward the end of the season I was playing where I want to be,” Kalil said, via the
Charlotte Observer. “I think that carried over to [organized team activities] and to camp, and obviously I’m way ahead of the curve of where I
started last year.”
The Panthers lost one starting offensive lineman in free agency when Andrew Norwell signed with Jacksonville and right tackle Daryl Williams went down with
a knee injury early in camp, so a stronger season from Kalil would be a welcome
development up front in Carolina.
The Milwaukee Bucks fired coach Jason Kidd amid a midseason slide that has left the playoff hopeful in eighth place in the
Eastern Conference.
It was a surprising end to Kidd’s three-plus season tenure in Milwaukee, when the Bucks made the playoffs twice. Giannis Antetokounmpo turned into an All-Star
under his
watch
Youth
John Tavares Jersey , and the Bucks were considered an emerging force in
the East at the start of the season.
But the Bucks had lost four of five to fall to 23-22 going into Monday night’s home game against Phoenix, and had been prone to defensive lapses
especially on the perimeter. Assistant coach Joe Prunty was serving as head
coach.
General manager Jon Horst, who was promoted from director of basketball operations in June, said it was time for a change and the move was made with
”unanimous support of ownership.”
PRO FOOTBALL
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – In the two-week run-up to the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots will face plenty of questions about two things critical to the
team’s success: Tom Brady’s right hand and Rob Gronkowski’s head.
Brady answered most of the concerns about whether the hand injury would hinder him with a strong performance in New England’s AFC championship game
victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gronkowski, meanwhile
Rasmus
Ristolainen Jersey , will likely spend at least part of this week going
through the concussion protocol. He suffered the injury on a helmet-to-helmet
hit from Jacksonville safety Barry Church.
The game-changing tight end is Brady’s favorite target, and he missed last season’s Super Bowl run after undergoing season-ending back surgery.
There was no update from the Patriots on Gronk’s status Monday, but he was at the facility for team meetings.
CLEVELAND (AP) – Hue Jackson is finally handing off his Browns offense.
Cleveland’s coach, who has handled game-planning and play-calling duties while going 1-31 over two seasons with the Browns, is hiring former Pittsburgh
offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Jackson interviewed other quality candidates but chose Haley, who spent six seasons guiding Pittsburgh’s high-powered offense before he was fired following
a playoff loss last week, a person familiar with the negotiations told the
Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move.
A former head coach with Kansas City
Braydon
Coburn Jersey , Haley’s familiarity with the AFC North will be a huge plus
for Jackson as he tries to turn around the Browns following a historic 0-16
season.
OLYMPICS
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – A team of South Korean officials travelled to North Korea to check logistics for joint events ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics
in the South, as the rivals exchanged rare visits to each other amid signs of
warming ties.
The head of the North’s popular girl band triggered a media frenzy during her two-day visit to South Korea this week to check potential venues for North
Korean artistic performances during the Olympics, and another delegation from
the North is coming this week to see accommodation facilities and the Olympic
main stadium.
The Koreas are pressing ahead with a flurry of reconciliation efforts after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly expressed his willingness to send an
Olympic delegation. While some see Kim’s outreach as a ploy to weaken U.S.-led
international pressure and sanctions, Seoul wants better inter-Korean ties and
sees improved ties as a path toward talks to help ease the North Korean nuclear
standoff.
South Korea’s presidential office called for national unity for the success of the first Winter Olympics on South Korean soil and criticized conservatives
who have said the government is making too many concessions to North Korea to
help it steal the show at the Games.
BASEBALL
CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Cubs are having active talks with free agent Yu Darvish, hoping to add the right-hander to their rotation as they try for a
second championship in three seasons.
The 31-year-old Darvish is one of the top players available in a slow-moving market this winter. He finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers,
helping them reach the World Series.
A person with direct knowledge of the discussions confirmed the talks to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no agreement in
place. The Texas
Rangers
Melker
Karlsson Jersey , Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees
also have expressed interest in
Darvish.
Authentic New York Jets Jerseys
