Daily technology News

Cross was selected to two Pro Bowls as a player and was a commentator with CBS for 23 years. Former NFL cornerback and legendary commentator Irv Cross passed away at age 81, CBS Sports announced on Sunday. Cross was a commentator with CBS from 1971 to 1994.  "He was a true gentleman and trailblazer in the sports television industry and will be remembered for his accomplishments and the paths he paved for those who followed," Sean McManus, the chairman of CBS Sports, said in a statement. Cross was drafted by the Eagles in 1961 from Northwestern and appeared in Pro Bowls in both 1964 and 1965. He was traded to the Rams in 1966 but he would eventually return to the Eagles in 1969, retiring that same year.  He was with CBS for 24 years, 14 of them as an analyst on "The NFL Today," and was the first Black recipient of the Pete Rozelle Award. The award was given to a member of the media by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for "longtime exceptional contribution...

Newton, currently a free agent, completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions as the Patriots' starter last season. Even though the Patriots' first season following Tom Brady's departure did not go as planned, the end results have not kept head coach Bill Belichick from heaping praise on starting quarterback Cam Newton. According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe , Belichick has glowed about Newton during the offseason, offering rave reviews about the veteran quarterback's effort put forth during the 2020 campaign. The lone area of concern for Belichick about Newton's performance is his diminished arm strength. Newton has had several surgeries on his throwing shoulder in recent years. Newton, who turns 32 in May and is currently a free agent, started all but one game for New England last season, going 7-8 as a starter. He completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also added 592 ...

The pair of former Cleveland Browns will team up once again in the Fan Controlled Football league. Former NFL wide receiver Josh Gordon has joined the Fan Controlled Football league's Zappers , and he'll have a familiar face throwing him the ball in the coming weeks. Gordon will be joined by former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel upon signing with the Zappers. Manziel joined the new startup league in December after stints in the Alliance of American Football as well as the Canadian Football League . Gordon last played in the NFL in 2019. He was conditionally reinstated by the NFL in December 2020 after a year-long suspension for violating its substance abuse policy, but he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list shortly thereafter. Gordon has been suspended six times since 2013, logging stints with the Browns and Patriots during his time on the field. Manziel and Gordon briefly intersected in Cleveland in 2014 as Gordon played the final five games of the...

Tomlin is one of three Black head coaches in the NFL. He addressed Eric Bieniemy not landing a head coaching job yet "a real head-scratcher." A week after addressing the issue on HBO's  Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel , Steelers coach Mike Tomlin discussed the NFL's lack of Black head coaches in a follow-up interview with Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , expressing his concern about the lack of progress in Black coaches getting hired for open jobs. “I don’t have an answer for you as to how to make it better,” Tomlin said. “The optimist in me says things will get better, but there’s been no evidence in the recent cycles to back that up. Without evidence, all we have is hope. We just haven’t been able to move the needle.” Tomlin specifically addressed Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has not followed in the paths of previous offensive coordinators under Andy Reid that have gone on to become head coaches. That Bieniemy has yet to matriculate to...

Wilson has listed the Saints as one of four teams he'd consider being traded to. Nobody can ever say that the mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, isn't a woman of the people.  Despite the fact that Seahawks quarterback hasn't officially requested a trade , Cantrell posted a video on Twitter not only recruiting Wilson to the Saints but also his wife, pop singer Ciara.  With Ciara's song "Level Up" playing in the background, Cantrell made her case for why Wilson should make his way to the Big Easy. "I've heard the rumors now, and I want to make sure that you understand that the city of New Orleans is a place for you and your beautiful family," Cantrell said. "I know, Mr. Wilson, that you will be a great addition to the New Orleans Saints, and more importantly, I can see us in that number winning that Super Bowl championship once again."  Cantrell also said she could see Ciara on the main stage of the annual Essence Festival th...

ESPN continues to make Mike Greenberg the face of the network. 1 .  On the latest episode of the SI Media Podcast , during a conversation about Jim Nantz’s current negotiations with CBS, The Ringer ’s Bryan Curtis made the point that viewers don’t watch sports just because of the announcers. Fans are going to watch NFL games, the NCAA Tournament, the NBA playoffs, etc., no matter who is calling the action. This is true for the NFL draft as well. So with ESPN needing a host for this year’s draft after parting ways with Trey Wingo, t he network reportedly has turned to Mike Greenberg . You’d think the network would want to use someone who has a connection to the NFL or college football, but that isn’t nearly as important as the opportunity for cross-promotion Greenberg provides. The fact is, Greenberg has sort of become the face of ESPN. I’m not sure there’s another employee the Worldwide Leader values more outside of maybe Stephen A. Smith. ESPN broke up a successful morning...

Russell Wilson's agent Mark Rodgers told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Wilson has not demanded a trade from the Seattle Seahawks. However, he does have a list of preferred destinations if was to be traded...the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. So, which of those teams makes the most sense for Russ? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg discussed with SI fantasy and gambling analyst Bill Enright.

In July, the NFL took over the investigation into allegations of workplace sexual harassment within the Washington Football Team. Twenty former Washington Football Team employees asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday to release the final report of an independent investigation into the organization’s conduct when it’s completed. Owner Dan Snyder hired lawyer Beth Wilkinson to conduct an independent investigation in July after several female former employees made allegations of workplace sexual harassment . The NFL in July took over control of the investigation . “There must be accountability for the actions we believe are detailed in this report,” the employees wrote in their letter to Goodell. “But there cannot be accountability without transparency. And there cannot be healing for any of us without understanding the truth, which will provide confirmation that we are not alone, and that our allegations are supported by others.” A spokesman said the NFL had not yet rece...

Senior fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano breaks down the incoming rookie tight ends on-field & fantasy potential Fabiano's Fantasy Rookie Reports QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS If there’s a statistical "ugly duckling" among rookie offensive skill positions, there's no doubt it's the tight ends. Typically, they don’t make much of a fantasy impact. Case in point: The 2020 class didn’t have a single player who scored more than 62 points. Dating back to 2016, the lone rookie player at the position to score more than 130 fantasy points is Evan Engram. He scored nearly 174 points back in 2017. Since 2000, we’ve seen just three tight ends (including Engram) score more than 150 points in their rookie campaigns. That’s not good. What’s more, the top-10 point producers at the position during that time include guys like John Carlson, Timothy Wright, Jermaine Gresham, and Tony Moeaki. That’s not exactly an elite list. The 2021 class of ...

Multiple superstar signal-callers are understandably getting the headlines, but the situation in New England is still worthy of just as much attention. There is one quarterback decision we’re not talking a great deal about this offseason, despite the fact that it will end up being the most significant. This is not to insult Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson, but unless either of them is going to a team like the 49ers, who are legitimately one transcendent superstar away from winning the Super Bowl, it will likely generate more in terms of media attention and uniform sales than anything else. (Wilson’s agent recently listed the Cowboys, Saints, Bears and Raiders as preferred destinations; of the teams on that list that could even facilitate a trade involving multiple first-round picks, are any of them just one Russell Wilson away from a Super Bowl?) The Patriots are without a quarterback at a fascinating time. The Cam Newton era, which, in another world and at another place in Newton...

Top prospects would normally be gathering in Indianapolis this week, but instead many are looking for other ways to show teams what they can do. It didn’t take the completion of my question for ex-Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik to spill his answer on exactly how 2021 is shaping up for the guys filling the positions he did over two decades spent in NFL personnel departments. “It’s terrible, Albert!” he said, laughing. “I mean, I thought last year was difficult, but we had the combine, which saved everybody on medicals. And I know that they’re still going to do mini-combine medicals, but just the interview process is so, so much more difficult. You think about last year, with the NFLPA game, East-West game, you had all these chances to go meet all these players and spend more time with them. “The Senior Bowl [this year], it was speed dating—a few nights, 15-minute blocks per club. Now you can basically just Zoom guys, and Zooming is not the way to really meet someone. That’s not ideal. S...

Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith Headline A Deep 2021 Rookie Receiver Class Justin Jefferson, Brandon Ayiuk, and Chase Claypool were just some of the rookie receivers that helped fantasy football managers in 2020. But who are the incoming rookie pass-catchers that fantasy managers need to pay attention to heading into the 2021 NFL Draft?  That’s the question Sports Illustrated’s fantasy football analyst Michael Fabiano answered in the attached video. 

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith reportedly told agents to work together on offers to ensure teams don't limit salaries in 2021. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith encouraged agents to 'collude' on contract offers in an effort to prevent teams from limiting salaries due to the league's reduced cap space in 2021, a ccording to ESPN's Dan Graziano .  Smith reportedly told the agents to expect the 2021 season's cap to be close to a $180 million "floor," per Graziano . The NFL and NFLPA negotiated these terms, and the caps for 2022 and 2023 are also expected to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to revenue losses.  Smith encouraged agents to push back on teams cutting their players for cap purposes and to consult one another (and the NFLPA's cap department) about free-agency offers, per Graziano. The executive director then took it a step further, saying it's alright for agents to "collude" during free agency for t...

Kyle Pitts Hands Down the Best Tight End in 2021 NFL Draft Class With incredible hands, speed, and playmaking ability, Kyle Pitts is one of the most anticipated tight end prospects in years. Not only does the former Florida Gator headline the 2021 tight end class, he’s the only one with a first round grade.  Sports Illustrated’s fantasy football analyst Michael Fabiano discusses Pitts and the rest of this year’s incoming rookie tight ends.

Deshaun Watson still wants out of Houston even after meeting with new Texans coach David Culley. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson reemphasized his trade demand in a meeting with head coach David Culley last week, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano .  Culley was hired as Houston's new head coach on Jan. 27 following the firing of Bill O'Brien on Oct. 5 . But the new coach reportedly hasn't changed Watson's feelings toward the Texans.  ESPN's Dianna Russini reported  that the Texans and Watson could enter a "stalemate" for several months, with the team still maintaining it won't trade its star quarterback.  Watson's frustration with the franchise began before the 2020 season when star receiver DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals . The Texans then went 4–12 despite a strong season from Watson, with significant organizational instability creating further discontent. Watson said after the 2020 season that the Texans needed "...

"He said one of the things that looked really fun and challenging to him is what Peyton [Manning] did in Denver." Tom Brady has remained mostly silent on his reasons for leaving the Patriots last offseason, but Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen is offering a little insight into the career-changing decision. While appearing on CBS Radio's The Zach Gelb Show  on Wednesday, Christensen said Brady's decision was influenced by Peyton Manning's success with the Broncos after he left the Colts. "He said one of the things that looked really fun and challenging to him is what Peyton did in Denver," Christensen said. "There was something about that challenge that hit [Brady] right. 'Hey, I'm going to go see if I can do this again somewhere else.' I do think that the challenge of that was a huge thing for him. "Twenty-one years (with the Patriots) is a long time. Sometimes there's time for a change. He's mentioned se...

Russell Wilson's camp has reportedly broached potential trade destinations with the franchise. Russell Wilson frustration with the Seahawks has risen to the point where his camp has broached potential trade destinations with the franchise, according to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks. According to The Athletic, possible destinations include the Dolphins, Jets, Saints and Raiders. Wilson's name has been floated in trade rumors this offseason, stemming from a reported frustration with the franchise.  Among other conversations, The Athletic reported that Wilson spoke with head coach Pete Carroll in the days after Super Bowl LV about the team's offensive line issues. Per The Athletic, a plan "wasn’t relayed to him, at least not to Wilson’s satisfaction," and Carroll told the quarterback to "have faith." On Feb. 8, CBS's Jason La Canfora reported that Wilson's camp was frustrated with his pass protection   an...

Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett shared a video featuring him working out on a basketball court and the footage was terrifying. So, how much money would it take for you to take a charge from Garrett? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg, SI's Ben Pickman and Wilton Jackson discussed their thoughts about seeing the NFL star on the hardwood. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht told Rich Eisen that the team would be elated to sign quarterback Tom Brady to a contract extension and would want him as long as he wants to continue playing. Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht told Rich Eisen that the team would be elated to sign quarterback Tom Brady to a contract extension and would want him as long as he wants to continue playing. But just how long can we expect Brady to continue his current level of play? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg discussed with SI fantasy and gambling analyst Bill Enright.

A dozen teams reportedly expressed interest in signing Watt at the time of his release from the Texans. Former Texans star and current free agent J.J. Watt has received contract offers from multiple teams , according to ESPN's Dianna Russini . Sources told Russini that "the most lucrative offer Watt currently has on the table is believed to be worth between $15 million and $16 million per year." On Wednesday, veteran NFL reporter John Clayton told  93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that the Titans, Packers and Bills are the frontrunners to land Watt, adding there's an "outside chance at the Raiders." Clayton later clarified in a tweet that while Tennessee, Green Bay and Buffalo are the three leading teams, Watt hasn't narrowed down his list. The Browns and Oakland are still in the mix to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Multiple reports have said the Browns are interested in signing Watt, but according to ESPN, it's unknown if ...

Matthew Judon *really* didn’t like this report about his contract situation. This won’t help his market value Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon took a bizarre personal shot at an ESPN reporter over what Judon says is inaccurate reporting on his contract situation. Jamison Hensley, ESPN’s Ravens beat writer, published a story Wednesday about the financial decisions Baltimore must make about its pass-rush personnel. Outside linebackers Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee are all free agents, and it seems unlikely that the team will be able to retain all four. Judon, a two-time Pro Bowler, played this season on the franchise tag, and Hensley reported that the Ravens tried to lock him up with a long-term deal months ago: “According to a source, the Ravens tried to strike a long-term deal with Judon this summer by offering him what Za’Darius Smith received in Green Bay (an average of $16.5 million) but he declined,” Hensley wrote. The article was later updated to in...

Senior fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano breaks down the incoming rookie receivers on-field & fantasy potential Fabiano's Fantasy Rookie Reports QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS There was a time when rookie wide receivers didn’t make much of an impact in the world of fantasy football. Even some of the eventual greatest players at the position, including Jerry Rice, Antonio Brown, Isaac Bruce, and Calvin Johnson (to name just a few), failed to produce huge numbers during their first NFL seasons. However, things have certainly changed over time as changes to NFL rules and more pro-style college offenses have made rookie wideouts more attractive from a fantasy standpoint. During the Super Bowl era (1966-present), six of the top 10 best seasons from first-year receivers based on fantasy points have come since 2003. Since 2000, we’ve seen 21 different rookie wideouts produce at least 200 fantasy points in a single season. That includes three players ...