Three potential 2024 NFL Draft targets for the Browns
Edge Princely Umanmielen, Florida
The Browns traded the Vikings for DE Za’Darius Smith this offseason to pair him with Myles Garrett. However, the nine-year veteran hasn’t met the expectations that many had for him, posting just 22 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble on the season.
Smith still has another year left on his deal, but adding a younger option like Umanmielen would be a smart move. The Florida product has 98 tackles, 15 sacks and three forced fumbles from 2020-23. He is currently ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 54 overall prospect, which is right in the range of Cleveland’s projected first pick.
Left tackle Patrick Paul, Houston
Jedrick Wills Jr., the Browns’ 2020 first-round pick, seems to have regressed every season following a promising rookie campaign. With just one year left on his deal and currently on injured reserve, strengthening QB Deshaun Watson’s offensive line with Paul could be the right move.
The massive 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle has allowed zero sacks and just seven pressures in 778 snaps this season. His daft stock could still very well rise, but ranking as PFF’s No. 51 overall prospect, Cleveland should keep a close eye on him.
RB Jonathan Brooks, Texas
Brooks wouldn’t be a necessary pick but a luxury one by the Browns. Four-time Pro Bowl RB Nick Chubb is expected to make a full recovery from his serious season-ending knee injury, which he suffered in Week 2. However, adding to the room for insurance and depth may be what the team feels is best.
The Texas product became the lead back this year following RB Bijan Robinson’s departure and posted 1,425 total yards and 11 total touchdowns. Brooks is PFF’s No. 60 overall prospect and would be a much better option than Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt if Chubb were to miss an extended period of time again.
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The New England Patriots could try to trade head coach Bill Belichick to another team after their disastrous 2023 season ends, and there is a difference of opinions around the NFL about what the return might look like. Jeff Howe of The Athletic spoke with a handful of high-ranking team executives to gauge their opinions on the type of draft-pick compensation that the Patriots might receive if they part ways with Belichick, should the 71-year-old want to continue coaching. Three of the executives predicted that New England could get as much as a first-round pick, with one exec saying he believes Belichick would have “multiple suitors.” Two other executives disagreed. One doubts whether Belichick can implement the so-called “Patriot Way” elsewhere and get the current generation of players to buy in to the culture he has been praised for establishing in New England. The same exec also wondered if Belichick would want full roster control with a new team. “I’ve got a lot of questions with those recent roster moves,” the exec told Howe. “Is he going to just be the coach, or does he want (general manager) responsibilities? Because I’m not trading for that.” Belichick has 331 career victories, which is 16 shy of Don Shula’s NFL record of 347. That might serve as motivation for him to pursue work with another team if the Patriots do not want him back next season. Since he is still under contract through at least 2024, the Patriots would be entitled to compensation if a team wanted to hire Belichick. There is precedent for a head coach to be traded for a first-round pick, which most recently happened in January when the Denver Broncos sent a first-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for Sean Payton. A longtime Patriots reporter recently linked Belichick to one NFC team. Even if Belichick does want to keep coaching, you have to wonder how much interest he would have in a team that has to give up a first-round pick to acquire him — especially a team that is bad enough to be searching for a new head coach.
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Yankees announce Juan Soto trade with hilarious post
During last year’s MLB winter meetings, the New York Yankees signed outfielder Aaron Judge nine-year, $360 million contract but not before MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted (then deleted) that “Arson Judge appears headed to the Giants.” Exactly one year later, the Yankees made another massive splash at the annual event, landing star outfielder Juan Soto in a trade with San Diego Padres. Their social-media team hopped on the opportunity to remind everyone of Heyman’s typo-ridden premature report. The move — called for by former Yankees captain Derek Jeter at the 2023 All-Star Game — instantly elevates an offense that was one of the worst in baseball last season. “He is a machine offensively,” manager Aaron Boone told the media when asked about Soto on Dec 5. “On base, power, has accomplished a ton already at a young age.” Despite the haul of pitching prospects New York surrendered to San Diego for the 25-year-old star (headlined by Michael King), general manager Brian Cashman had little choice but to go all-in on 2024. The Yankees already had arguably MLB’s best hitter in Judge and pitcher in 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, but they — and other major expected contributors like Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Rodon — are over 30 years old. Outside of Cole, all of those players spent extended periods of the 2023 campaign dealing with injuries. Despite the star power on paper, additions were clearly necessary after going 82-80 and finishing fourth in the American League East. Soto played all 162 games in 2023 and has played in 150 games in all but two of his six seasons — with one being his rookie year (when he made his debut at the end of May) and the other the COIVD-shortened 2020 when he played 47 out of 60 contests. Outside of his ability to stay on the diamond, Soto also fills a vital role as a left-handed batter in the righty-dominated Yankees lineup. In his limited trips to Yankee Stadium, Soto has already proved his swing is tailor-made to take advantage of the famous short porch in right field. With Soto on board, the Yankees are turning their attention to Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto to shore up their starting pitching rotation. If New York is able to convince him to choose the Bronx in the meeting scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11, few fans will remember the bitter disappointment of 2023.
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It appears the Las Vegas Raiders are prepared to make changes at the most important position this offseason. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted the organization probably won’t promote interim head coach Antonio Pierce and interim general manager Champ Kelly, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if it also moved on from one of its quarterbacks. “The Raiders will likely have a new regime in place, which tends to result in quarterback changes,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “Fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell has shown some promise, but whether or not they stick with O’Connell, the Raiders must do something with Jimmy Garoppolo’s contractual future.” Garoppolo — who signed a three-year, $72.75M deal in March — was benched after a Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions. While the Raiders could try to trade the 32-year-old, teams won’t be interested in a declining player. Releasing him with a post-June 1 designation saves $13M in cap space, per Over The Cap. O’Connell doesn’t look like a player an organization can build around. In six games, the 25-year-old has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, four TDs, six interceptions and a below-average 34.5 QBR. The Raiders are still on the fence about drafting a QB in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. “I’d say there’s a 49% chance — a notch below 50-50 — of the Raiders using a first-round pick on a QB for only the fourth time since the 1970 merger,” wrote ESPN’s Paul Guiterrez. However, Las Vegas should reconsider. The 2024 class is loaded at QB. Talented prospects, such as USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, head the list. It seems like an excellent opportunity for the Raiders to find a new franchise centerpiece.
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NBA’s three biggest disappointments: Is rookie teetering on ‘bust’?
With roughly a quarter of the NBA season over, the “haves” (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks) have separated from the “have-nots” (Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons). Here are three of the league’s biggest disappointments: (Stats and records are through Dec. 6.) Detroit Pistons are shockingly bad No team is more disappointing relative to the talent on the roster than the Pistons. Detroit has the worst record in the league (2-19) and is on an 18-game losing streak. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pistons are 29th in offense, 24th in defense and 29th in point differential. The Pistons have also struggled to find a second option for former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. Second-year guard Jaden Ivey looked to be that player last season when the Purdue star averaged 16.3 points and 5.2 assists in 31.1 minutes, but under new head coach Monty Williams, Ivey’s minutes have dropped to 23.1 per game. Ivey is averaging only 11.4 points and 2.9 assists and has seen his starting job go to Killian Hayes, who has had his own struggles this season, averaging 9.7 points on 42.5 percent shooting from the field. That’s below the league average of 44.5 percent for point guards. “When you lose this many games, you got to make changes,” Williams said on the roster adjustments, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned.” With 10 of their next 14 games against teams with winning records, the Pistons could sink even deeper in the conference. Perhaps they’ll challenge the Philadelphia 76ers’ league record for most consecutive losses (28, spanning two seasons). Scoot Henderson teetering on bust? The No. 3 overall pick is struggling, averaging 9.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds and shooting miserably (35.1% field-goal percentage) for the Portland Trail Blazers. Questions about the 19-year-old’s shooting ability popped up before the NBA Draft. The thinking, however, was the 6-foot-3, 202-pound guard could use his otherworldly athleticism to consistently attack the basket. Henderson, however, is averaging just 1.9 free-throw attempts per game. The former G League Ignite star started the first five games of the season before suffering an ankle injury that forced him to miss the next nine games. Upon returning on Nov. 22, Henderson was moved to the second unit, which is less than ideal for a No. 3 overall pick who was heralded as the new face of the franchise following the Damian Lillard trade. There is plenty of time left in the season for Henderson to turn things around, but given how hyped he was, his performance thus far is disappointing. ‘Big Four’ is floundering for Los Angeles Clippers On paper, pairing Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook with one of the best playmakers in the league in James Harden is a match made in basketball heaven. However, this “Big Four” has yet to find consistent success. Since acquiring Harden in a blockbuster trade on Oct. 31, the Clippers are 7-8 and 18th in offense, per Cleaning the Glass, a major disappointment for a team with four elite offensive talents. Leonard, George, Westbrook and Harden need the ball in their hands to be the most effective, and despite efforts to create more ball movement, the Clippers frequently regress to “your turn, my turn” isolation basketball. “There’s not enough basketballs on the planet for this team, really,” Clippers veteran forward P.J. Tucker said, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Individually, Leonard, George, Harden and Westbrook are among the most exciting players to watch in the NBA, but they must find success as a unit. Things are trending in the right direction for the Clippers, who are 7-3 since Westbrook volunteered to come off the bench, but at 10-10, the team has a long way to go to become a playoff contender.
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Heisman finalist leaves door open for Ohio State return
It is very difficult to imagine that wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will not declare for the NFL Draft, but the Ohio State star is at least leaving the door open to a surprise return. Harrison said Thursday that he is still undecided on entering the NFL Draft despite the expectation that he will do so. The junior receiver admitted that beating Michigan and winning a Big Ten title are among the considerations. There is no real reason to think Harrison will stay in school. He is a likely top-10 pick and qualifies as an elite wide receiver prospect, with some NFL evaluators rating him even more highly than that. There is very little precedent for a prospect of that caliber to return to school for his senior season. Harrison has been dominant at the college level with 28 touchdown catches in his last two seasons. If he were to return, the Buckeyes might have the best player in the country in 2024.
