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Home / frontsports / The Wolf Sports Newsletter: March 26, 2024

The Wolf Sports Newsletter: March 26, 2024

By Wolf Sports Staff

March 26, 2024


The 2024 NFL Draft is just under a month away, March Madness is in full swing, and MLB Opening Day is this week.

 

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Big NFL moves

 

⚔️ Continuing an offseason of major acquisitions, the Titans are acquiring All-Pro cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from the Chiefs for a 2025 third-round pick and a seventh-round pick swap. Sneed is also getting a huge contract extension from Tennessee. Kansas City obviously saves a lot of cap space with the move, but it’s still somewhat surprising they opted to deal Sneed with a chance at a three-peat.

 

 

✈️ The Jets also continued their additions, though a bit more toned down compared to the flashy splashes made by the Titans, in signing former Chargers receiver Mike Williams. Jets fans desperately wanted the big-play threat, with fan “NYJ Matt” sending a breakfast sandwich for Williams to team headquarters. While Williams is coming off a torn ACL, he’ll be a scary weapon opposite Garrett Wilson with Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball behind a revamped offensive line.

 

 

The Bengals added huge offensive tackle Trent Brown to help protect Joe Burrow. Cincy’s tackles now stand at six-foot-eight, 345 pounds (Orlando Brown Jr.) and six-foot-eight, 370 pounds (Trent Brown).

 

✍️ The Saints signed former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young to a one-year deal. Young had neck surgery but is hopeful to be ready by Week 1.

 

 

After the recent trade with the Broncos, the Browns signed receiver Jerry Jeudy to a three-year, $58 million extension.

 

Annual League Meeting coaches news

 

At this year’s Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Florida, we received some potential insight from coaches during their breakfast with reporters:

 

  • New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh says that his former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the best quarterback in the draft and has had other coaches and general managers privately tell him how impressive McCarthy is.
  • Harbaugh also said that his team’s No. 5 selection could be “like the first pick of the draft” if four quarterbacks go in the top four picks.

 

 

  • Broncos head coach Sean Payton says it’s “realistic” that his team could trade up for a quarterback, adding that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is in a good spot with the No. 4 pick and the potential to get a haul.
  • From last week before the League Meeting, it sounds like Ossenfort and the Cardinals are more than open for business, declaring that there will be “a big neon sign that says ‘open.’”

 

 

  • Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he’s not sure how McCarthy is not in the top three quarterbacks in this year’s class while adding that Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. are also impressive and that it’s a good group.
  • Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that Justin Fields “oozes talent” and will have opportunity to compete despite Russell Wilson being in “pole position” for the starting quarterback job.

 

Rule changes and potential rule changes

 

‍♂️ The hip-drop tackle was officially banned despite the NFLPA coming out strongly against any ban on it.

 

 

️ The NFL approved a rule change that gives teams a third coach’s challenge if they get just one of their first two opportunities overturned. Of course, the previous rule was that the first two challenges both had to be won to get a third.

 

Kickoffs in the NFL might look different moving forward, with momentum for a rule change that would adopt XFL-style rules where the kicking team and receiving team line up five yards apart and cannot move until the returner touches the ball. Also, for a touchback in the end zone, the ball would come out to the 30-yard line in an effort to both make kickoffs safer and create more action on the play.

 

 

The Brotherly Shove is here to stay, with the league citing no data supporting an increased injury risk on the play—and the fact that the Eagles are just really good at it.

 

More NFL news

 

Former Patriots and Bills running back Damien Harris has retired after five NFL seasons.

 

 

❌ The Lions released cornerback Cameron Sutton, who was on the run for alleged domestic battery. Sutton learned of the arrest while at the team facility.

 

Cowboys defensive backs coach Al Harris has been promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs.

 

After struggling to get quarterbacks to do it, it was revealed that Netflix’s docuseries Receiver followed Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Amon-Ra St. Brown during the 2023 season.

 

 

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was a Good Samaritan and helped a stranger with a flat tire.

 

 

The Broncos will have new uniforms revealed soon.

 

 

Other Sports Updates

 

In an incredibly odd and unclear situation, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s translator and great friend Ippei Mizuhari was fired by the team after Ohtani funds were used to pay off a $4.5 million gambling debt. Major League Baseball is investigating the situation.

 

⚾️ Also, the MLB season is actually underway, with the Dodgers and Padres splitting a two-game series in South Korea. MLB Opening Day is this Thursday.

 

In a chalky year as opposed to last season, top seeds have been surviving for the most part through the first weekend of March Madness.

 

 

Longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos has passed away at 94.

 

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