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On Monday, the Miami Dolphins agreed to a trade that sends the All-Pro cornerback to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the cornerback himself. In return, the Dolphins are reuniting with three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, whom they originally drafted in the first round in 2018.

Rumors have been swirling around Ramsey since before the NFL draft, after Miami announced its mutual intentions to seek a trade. As the Dolphins entertained offers, it was unclear which team would come forward with the necessary compensation to complete a deal.

Ramsey still has four years remaining on his deal, including the entirety of a three-year, $72.3 million extension he signed prior to the 2024 season. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the trade to Pittsburgh included a $1.5 million raise for this season. Ramsey is expected to earn $26.6 million in 2025.

Despite his strong play, committing big money to the 30-year-old cornerback likely depressed the market. Still, the deal eventually came to fruition.

According to Over The Cap, Ramsey’s status as a post-June 1 trade means the Dolphins will get a $6.75 million cap hit in each of the next three seasons, plus a nearly $5 million hit in 2028. However, the move also saves them nearly $10 million in 2025 space, $18.3 million in 2026, $20.1 million in 2027, $31.2 million in 2028 and $12.4 million in 2029.

For the Steelers, Ramsey adds to a secondary that already looked strong on paper. Joey Porter Jr. and Beanie Bishop Jr. are two solid young players at cornerback, and veteran Darius Slay also signed on in free agency. With Fitzpatrick going back to the Dolphins as part of the trade, DeShon Elliott and free agent signee Juan Thornhill are expected to start at the two safety spots.

Jalen Ramsey trade details

Steelers receive:

CB Jalen Ramsey
TE Jonnu Smith
2027 seventh-round pick

Dolphins receive:

S Minkah Fitzpatrick
2027 fifth-round pick

It’s a straight-up, player-for-player trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Steelers add a strong piece to their secondary but lose another one. The same goes for the Dolphins, who bring back the safety they drafted with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Following the successful return of the college football franchise ― EA Sports College Football 25 ― by EA Sports in the summer of 2024, the company teased the return of the basketball rendition of the video game in a social media post on June 30.

‘Bring the Madness. Let’s run it back,’ the social media post by EA Sports read.

The game will feature both men’s and women’s basketball rosters.

The last installment of the EA College basketball franchise was ‘NCAA Basketball 10,’ which was made for the 2009-10 basketball season and was released on Nov. 17, 2008. The 2009 game featured Oklahoma star Blake Griffin on the cover.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Miami Dolphins’ decision to include tight end Jonnu Smith in Monday’s blockbuster Jalen Ramsey-Minkah Fitzpatrick trade has rubbed one former Dolphin the wrong way.

On Monday morning, Miami traded Ramsey and Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Fitzpatrick and a late-round pick swap.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert, who played for the Dolphins in 2015 and (more notably) from 2022 to 2024, slammed Miami on social media after the trade news broke.

‘Hot take: Be a Pro-bowler on the Dolphins, get treated like s—. Happy for my guys though! GO BALL OUT!!’ Mostert wrote on the social media site X.

Mostert made his first Pro Bowl in 2023, his ninth year as a pro, after leading the league with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Dolphins. That season was also Mostert’s first in which he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,012 rushing yards on 209 carries.

Mostert began the 2024 season as Miami’s lead back, but a Week 1 injury kept him out of three subsequent games. By the time he returned, second-year De’Von Achane had done enough to take over the top spot on the depth chart.

The Dolphins released Mostert in February, and he subsequently signed a deal with the Raiders the following month.

The Dolphins’ decision to trade Smith months after he finished his first Pro Bowl season was enough to prompt a public reaction from Mostert, who alludes to feeling like he was treated similarly.

Smith had been in contract negotiations with Miami as he attempted to cash in on the most statistically productive season of his career. He ended up in a trade to Pittsburgh, where he received a one-year, $12 million extension as part of the deal.

The Raiders have not yet released an official depth chart, though Mostert is expected to split carries with rookie Ashton Jeanty in both players’ first year in Las Vegas.

In Pittsburgh, Smith reunites with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who has historically enjoyed deploying two-tight-end sets. For at least the next two seasons, Jonnu Smith will likely be paired with tight end Pat Freiermuth in the Steelers’ offense.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Nine of baseball’s top 22 minor-league prospects – and 31 of the top 50 – will be on display at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta.

Teenage shortstop prospect Leo De Vries of the San Diego Padres is the highest ranked player on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list, checking in at No. 3 overall. At age 18, the switch-hitter is the youngest player in the High-A Midwest League. He’s posted a .243/.357/.387 slash line this season with five home runs and six stolen bases in 63 games with the Fort Wayne (Indiana) TinCaps.

Joining De Vries on the National League squad managed by Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones will be Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (No. 5), St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Weatherholt (No. 16), Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jesus Made (No. 18) and Rockies slugger Charlie Condon (No. 22).

The American League team, managed by former Braves outfielder Marquis Grissom, is headlined by three Detroit Tigers prospects: Outfielder Max Clark (No. 7 overall), shortstop Kevin McGonigle (No. 21) and catcher/first baseman Josue Briceño (No. 73).

Also on the AL squad are Texas Rangers shortstop Sebastian Wolcott (No. 9) and Chicago White Sox left-hander Noah Schultz (No. 13).

How to watch MLB Futures Game

The 26th annual All-Star Futures Game will be played at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 12, at Truist Park in Atlanta.

TV: MLB Network

Streaming: MLB.TV, MLB.com

Announcers: Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Yonder Alonso (analyst), Jonathan Mayo (analyst) and Sande Charles (reporter)

2025 Futures Game rosters

American League

Pitchers

29 Cijntje, Jurrangelo (SEA)
24 Gillies, Keagan (BAL)
23 Hopkins, Brody (TB)
18 Jump, Gage (ATH)
41 Klassen, George (LAA)
26 Messick, Parker (CLE)
17 Mozzicato, Frank (KC)
36 Santa, Alimber (HOU)
22 Schultz, Noah (CWS)
34 Yesavage, Trey (TOR)

Catchers

34 Briceño, Josue (DET)
6 Ford, Harry (SEA)
17 Jensen, Carter (KC)

Infielders

24 Culpepper, Kaelen (MIN)
12 Kayfus, CJ (CLE)
2 Lombard Jr., George (NNY)
5 Matthews, Brice (HOU)
21 McGonigle, Kevin (DET)
1 Walcott, Sebastian (TEX)
23 White, Tommy (ATH)

Outfielders

23 Bradfield Jr., Enrique (BAL)
13 Clark, Max (DET)
23 Garcia, Jhostynxon (BOS)
33 Montes, Lazaro (SEA)
14 Montgomery, Braden (CWS)

National League

Pitchers

55 Grissom Jr. Marquis (WSH)
99 Harris, Hayden (ATL)
16 Painter, Andrew (PHI)
60 Ritchie, JR (ATL)
13 Sykora, Travis (WSH)
16 Tong, Jonah (NYM)
39 Whisenhunt, Carson (SF)
28 White, Thomas (MIA)
41 Wiggins, Jaxon (CHC)

Catchers

16 Duno, Alfredo (CIN)
8 Mack, Joe (MIA)
13 Tait, Eduardo (PHI)

Infielders

24 Condon, Charlie (COL)
24 De Vries Leo (SD)
28 Griffin, Konnor (PIT)
4 Groover, LuJames (AZ)
12 Made, Jesús (MIL)
16 Stewart, Sal (CIN)
26 Wetherholt, JJ (STL)

Outfielders

10 Benge, Carson (NYM)
17 Caissie, Owen (CHC)
5 Caldwell, Slade (AZ)
46 De Paula Josue (LAD)
51 Hope, Zyhir (LAD)
44 Valdez, Esmerlyn (PIT)

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order to formally lift all sanctions on Syria on Monday afternoon. 

‘The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors,’ the order stated, while directing the secretaries of State, Commerce and Treasury to relieve sanctions and waive export controls. 

‘This is in an effort to promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace. The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former president Assad or his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. 

Trump is ‘committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified and at peace with itself and its neighbors,’ Leavitt said. 

Ambassador Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria, called the new order a ‘tedious, detailed, excruciating process’ of unraveling the sanctions that had been in place for decades on the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who oversaw a nation at civil war for more than a decade. 

Brad Smith, the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said sanctions would remain ‘where appropriate,’ including on Assad and his associates and any other destabilizing regional actors. 

Smith said the fall of Assad represented a ‘new beginning’ for the Syrian people and Trump had decided U.S. sanctions ‘would not stand in the way of what could be a brighter future for the country.’

But he warned: ‘The United States will remain ever vigilant where our interests and security are threatened, and Treasury will not hesitate to use our authorities to protect us and international financial systems.’

Some sanctions will still need to be lifted by Congress, and others date to 1979, when Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism. The administration has not yet lifted that designation. 

Trump met last month with Syria’s new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during a Middle East visit. 

From having a $10 million bounty on his head to sitting down with the U.S. president, the turnaround of the Syrian leader has been remarkable.

Al-Sharaa’s group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian militant organization founded as an offshoot of al Qaeda, overthrew Assad in March. 

Al-Sharaa had been campaigning hard for a relationship with Washington and sanctions relief: he offered to build a Trump Tower in Damascus, détente with Israel, and U.S. access to Syria’s oil and gas. He worked to soften the image of HTS and promised an inclusive governing structure. 

U.S. sanctions have included financial penalties on any foreign individual or company that provided material support to the Syrian government and prohibited anyone in the U.S. from dealing in any Syrian entity, including oil and gas. Syrian banks also were effectively cut off from global financial systems. 

The new order comes as Israeli and Syrian officials are engaged in back-channel talks on a potential security and normalization deal. 

Israel and Syria have long been foes, and some Israeli officials worry that lifting all sanctions on Syria means giving up ‘leverage’ to pressure them into a deal to normalize ties with Israel. 

To that point, one senior administration official shot back: ‘We have consistently said we’re not nation-building. It’s to Syria’s benefit to lean toward Israel.’ 

‘The president ripped off the sanctions without any preconditions,’ the official said. ‘Leverage is not what we’re interested in doing.’ 

War between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has complicated any movement on normalization deals between Israel and its neighbors. But the official predicted: ‘There’s going to be peace in Gaza.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are warning they have serious issues with the Senate’s version of President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ as it’s currently written.

The group of GOP rebels argued in a public statement on Sunday that the Senate bill adds $1.3 trillion to the federal deficit, whereas the House-passed bill would increase the federal deficit by $72 billion.

‘Even without interest costs, it is $651 billion over our agreed budget framework,’ the statement read.

The Senate is currently working through the bill and is expected to finish sometime later Monday or even on Tuesday. 

The Senate bill would add an extra $1 trillion to raise the debt limit, compared to the House version and permanently extend certain corporate tax cuts in President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that the House only extended temporarily.

It also includes several specific new additions aimed at easing Senate Republicans’ own concerns with the bill, including a $25 billion rural hospital fund to offset issues with Medicaid cuts, and a tax break for whalers that appears aimed at Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The Senate is operating under a mechanism called ‘current policy baseline,’ which would effectively zero-out the cost of extending TCJA tax cuts by calculating them as the de facto operational policy rather than calculating the cost as if they were not in place.

Absent congressional action, TCJA tax cuts expire at the end of 2025.

Conservatives in the House have warned they have serious issues with the bill, however. 

Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., both House Freedom Caucus members, said the bill could face steep odds — even fail — in the lower chamber if changes were not made.

Both said it could fail in a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers could even contend with the measure itself. A rule vote is traditionally taken to allow for debate on legislation before lawmakers weigh in on it.

‘If it gets through [the House Rules Committee], I don’t think it survives on the floor in the current form it’s in. You know, we told the senators that,’ Norman told Fox News Digital. ‘They knew this all along.’

Norman said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had done a ‘good job,’ but added of the Senate, ‘They’ve got fighters… but we’ve just got to have certain things that comply with our House version.’

The legislation could still change before it gets to the House, however, as the Senate works through a parade of amendments from both Democrats and Republicans.

Burlison said it could depend on the fate of an amendment by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., which would significantly hike the Medicaid financial burden for states that expanded their Medicaid population under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

The change, if passed, would roll back the current 90% rate that the government pays for the Medicaid expansion population through the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) back down to the non-expansion rate, which hovers as low as 50%.

Scott’s proposal could add hundreds of billions in savings to the plan, in addition to the nearly $1 trillion the Senate plan already saves in Medicaid spending.

‘I don’t see how what the Senate is doing will pass the House if [Rick Scott’s amendment] does not pass at the minimum. It’s probably going to take more spending reductions than that, but that would get the majority of us there,’ Burlison told Fox News Digital, without commenting on House GOP leaders.

He predicted the bill could be ‘killed’ in the House-wide rule vote otherwise.

Indeed, several House Freedom Caucus members have taken to X to publicly urge Senate Republicans to approve Scott’s amendment.

‘All Republican Senators should vote YES on Senator Rick Scott’s very reasonable ‘elimination of theft from Medicaid’ FMAP amendment,’ Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., posted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson’s office for comment on House Freedom Caucus members’ comments.

Notably, key provisions originally in the House bill were stripped out of the legislation for not being ‘Byrd-compliant.’

The ‘Byrd Bath’ is a process during the budget reconciliation process in which the Senate parliamentarian, a non-partisan, unelected official tasked with advising on Senate policy, combs through the bill for whether it adheres to the strict budgetary guidelines of the reconciliation process.

Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to advance Trump’s agenda on taxes, the border, energy, defense, and the debt limit via one massive piece of legislation.

Budget reconciliation allows Republicans to bypass any Democratic opposition to pass their bill by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

They’re aiming to have a bill on Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.

A GOP aide told Fox News Digital, ‘The Senate version contains more in Byrd-compliant savings than the House, and correctly scores extending current tax policy as revenue-neutral — and assumes the kind of growth that was also massively underestimated last time around.’

The aide noted that the White House Council of Economic Advisers said the bill will generate $4.1 trillion in economic growth thanks to tax permanence, which is more than the House version.

Senate Republicans argue the bill would lead to $1.6 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years — above the House Freedom Caucus’ demanded $1.5 trillion threshold.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The State Department has revoked the visas for members of the Bob Vylan band, after the British punk-rap duo called for ‘death to the IDF’ during a Saturday performance in England’s Glastonbury Music Festival. 

The band Bob Vylan, made up of two musicians with the stage names Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, is slated to tour the U.S. later in 2025. But the State Department announced Monday it had pulled the visas for the band’s members after the group led chants calling for the end of the Israel Defense Forces. 

‘Bob Vylan’s visas have been revoked,’ a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital Monday. ‘The secretary of state has been clear – the U.S. will not approve visas for terrorist sympathizers.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued multiple warnings that the State Department will rescind visas for ‘terrorists’ and those affiliated with them. 

For example, Rubio said in a June 2 X post after the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, that all ‘terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers’ in the U.S. on a visa would have their visas revoked and face deportation. 

During the Glastonbury, England, performance, Bobby Vylan also led the crowd with chants of ‘Free, Free, Free Palestine,’ and wrapped up the chant saying, ‘Hell yeah, from the river to the sea. Palestine must be, will be inshallah, it will be free.’

In response, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, ‘There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,’ according to the BBC. 

Meanwhile, Bobby Vylan appeared to double down on his statements during the Glastonbury performance, and wrote in a social media post Sunday: ‘I said what I said.’

‘It is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us,’ Bobby Vylan said in a Sunday Instagram post. ‘Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organizing online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.’

Additionally, the BBC issued a Monday statement apologizing for continuing to air Bob Vylan’s performance live, and condemned the antisemitic chants during the performance. 

‘The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen,’ the BBC said in a Monday statement. ‘The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The SEC spends too much of its football schedule on easy street. That’s the Big Ten’s stance, as articulated recently by Illinois coach Bret Bielema. Bielema conveyed the mood of his conference when he called on the SEC to play a ninth conference game.

If the Big Ten successfully strong-arms the SEC into reducing its number of cupcake opponents, that will be a win for college football.

The stubborn persistence of non-conference pushover games remains one of this sport’s lamest elements, and no conference plays more patsies than the SEC.

The surest way to reduce the number of cupcakes would be to increase the number of conference games. It’s not the only way, but it’s the firmest path. Left to their own devices, some schools will pursue the greatest number of non-conference cakewalks.

So, I wish the Big Ten luck in its mission to bend the SEC toward nine conference games, a figure that would match the number played by the Big Ten and Big 12.

And yet, I wonder whether the Big Ten will come to regret trying to bully the SEC on its schedule. Because, I see this ending one of two ways.

Possibility 1: The SEC will dig in its heels, rebuff the Big Ten, and remain at eight conference games.

If this occurs, it will show that the Big Ten doesn’t possess the power it must think it has to influence other conferences. Wouldn’t be the first time this happened, either. Remember when the Big Ten chose to cancel its 2020 season amid the pandemic. How’d that turn out? The SEC decided it would play in 2020, and the Big Ten came crawling back to play a truncated season, revealing itself a follower in 2020, not a leader.

More recently, the Big Ten supported a playoff format rigged with a stacked deck of auto bids. When the SEC soured on the plan, the Big Ten’s idea withered on the vine.

Possibility 2: The SEC will accept the Big Ten’s challenge to play a ninth conference game and reap the reward by building strength of schedule metrics that dwarf most of the Big Ten.

The SEC repeatedly has proven itself too chicken to add a ninth conference game. The reasons change, but the result remains the same: Eight conference games. The SEC’s reluctance to add another conference game amounts to an irrational fear of the boogeyman. If it ever takes the plunge, it would learn that the rewards offset outweigh the risks.

The SEC waged an offseason propaganda campaign claiming that the College Football Playoff selection committee does not value its schedule strength. That’s hogwash.

In truth, the CFP committee has repeatedly valued the SEC’s schedule strength. If the playoff had included 16 teams last season, the SEC would have qualified three 9-3 teams and six teams total, while no other conference supplied a three-loss team.

The SEC wishes for the selection process to evolve so that strength of schedule metrics are weighted even more in the future, when determining at-large playoff bids. If it achieves that mission and also beefs up its schedule with another conference game, while the playoff expands to 16 teams, look out, Big Ten. The runway would be greased for a cavalcade of 9-3 playoff teams from the SEC.

Plus, adding another conference game would help distinguish the SEC’s wheat from its chaff, helping ensure that the best SEC teams made the playoff.

As it is, the Big Ten owns one upper-hand on the SEC in the rhetoric wars that surround at-large bids: Its membership plays one extra conference game, and most of its members play 10 Power Four opponents, while most SEC teams play nine Power Four foes.

If the SEC adds a ninth conference game, the Big Ten would surrender that upper-hand.

By trying to persuade the SEC to expand its conference schedule, though, the Big Ten must believe another potential outcome exists.

Such as:

Possibility 3: A ninth SEC game would cause the conference to buckle under the weight of its collective strength, losses will mount, thereby reducing the number of SEC teams with playoff résumés and allowing more access for the Big Ten.

Is this possible? Yes.

Probable? No.

The committee already values strength of schedule, and the SEC’s scheduling would be beyond reproach if it added another conference game.

Vanderbilt shocking Alabama and Kentucky upsetting a top-five opponent on the road are exceptions in the SEC, not rules. Despite those results in 2024, Alabama and Mississippi would have qualified for a 16-team playoff as three-loss teams. Now, imagine if Alabama and Ole Miss had inserted another win against an SEC opponent in place of a blowout against Championship Subdivision roadkill.

That would have enhanced each team’s credentials, and yet, that’s what the Big Ten seems to want. It calls on the SEC to enhance its collective strength of schedule, at an inflection point when strength of schedule could be valued more than ever in the playoff selection process.

Careful what you wish for, Big Ten. In 2020, when teams played conference-only schedules, the SEC put four teams in the top nine of the final CFP rankings. Playing more SEC games sure didn’t hamper the league that year.

If the Big Ten gets its way, and the SEC adds another conference game in place of a cupcake, that would buoy college football. Just don’t think it helps the Big Ten.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

By definition, undrafted free agents might seem like an afterthought to most after being repeatedly passed over. But that’s hardly the case for NFL teams.

To fully capitalize on months of extensive scouting work, front offices extend their personnel push well beyond the seven rounds of each draft. The work begins immediately as franchises flock to sign undrafted free agents, often ponying up significant sums of guaranteed money just to get what amounts to a first look at players.

Many of those who latch on with teams during this portion of the process will end up on practice squads, operating in a sort of football purgatory as teams monitor their development. But that designation leaves them open to being signed away by competitors willing to put them on their active roster, so any organization worried about its promising young talent being poached must tread carefully. And with no shortage of recent success stories from the undrafted ranks – including Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker, who nearly matched the rookie yardage output of first-round teammate Xavier Legette, and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Omar Speights, who started 10 games in 2024 – coaching staffs have plenty of reason to keep an eye out for unlikely early contributors.

With training camps set to start up next month, here are 10 undrafted free agents who this year have a chance to make the initial 53-man roster for their respective teams:

Efton Chism III, WR, New England Patriots

With New England having centered its draft on an all-out effort to support second-year quarterback Drake Maye, it seemed inevitable that an offensive newcomer would set himself apart during offseason workouts. Yet rather than first-round offensive tackle Will Campbell, second-round running back TreVeyon Henderson or third-round wideout Kyle Williams, it was a little-known slot receiver from Eastern Washington who created as big of a buzz as anyone.

Chism, who broke Cooper Kupp’s school single-season record for catches with 120 last year, quickly became a favorite of Maye, who estimated he found the 5-10, 195-pound target for ‘like 50 catches’ in organized team activities. That only means so much prior to the start of training camp, but it unquestionably highlighted Chism’s potential value given the Patriots’ mandate on putting the 2024 No. 3 overall pick in more favorable spots after a rookie year rife with challenges.

‘I think he’s a talented player. I think he has a certain skill set. He’s dedicated. He’s studied extremely hard,’ Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said in June. ‘He has a good feel for what we’re asking him to do. I think the biggest thing for receivers is that there’s trust from the guy that throws the football.

‘When you earn the quarterback’s trust … it doesn’t take you long to figure out who the quarterback trusts. It’s the ones they target. That’s a good indicator.’

Chism’s appeal as a safety valve in a Josh McDaniels-helmed system known for creating opportunities for slot receivers should be readily evident. But Demario Douglas looks to be entrenched in that role for the near future, and securing a spot on the roster might entail leapfrogging several more high-profile pass catchers in Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte and Javon Baker. If Chism continues to make his mark in a more competitive setting throughout the summer, however, he could be too promising to part with.

Cobee Bryant, CB, Atlanta Falcons

After placing a premium on jolting its pass rush with first-rounders Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., the Falcons then shifted their focus toward reshaping their secondary with second-round safety Xavier Watts and third-round nickel Billy Bowman Jr. But the work might not have ended there. Atlanta also added Bryant, a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection who notched 13 career interceptions at Kansas. His 180-pound frame will need to be filled out for him to hold up against NFL receivers, particularly given his hyperphysical style that could leave him prone to plenty of penalties. But his consistently elevated aggressiveness serves him well in other phases of his game, and the Falcons’ cornerback depth is relatively limited. Wide receiver Nick Nash and offensive guard Joshua Gray also have a solid shot at sticking around.

Jared Ivey, DE, Seattle Seahawks

On first blush, the Seahawks’ edge rush might seem to be too deep to lend itself to an undrafted player latching on, with free-agent signee DeMarcus Lawrence and Boye Mafe being backed by Uchenna Nwosu and 2023 second-round pick Derick Hall. But Mike Macdonald’s complex scheme demands a lot from its pass rushers, and Seattle could use some short-term insurance given Lawrence and Nwosu combined to play in just 10 games last season due to injuries. Ivey lacks the explosiveness of a typical developmental edge threat, but his versatility and skill set should endear him to Macdonald.

Isaiah Neyor, WR, San Francisco 49ers

With Brandon Aiyuk seemingly on track to start the year on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, the 49ers’ outlook at receiver is far from settled. But that dynamic could open up an opportunity for Neyor, a 6-4, 218-pound speedster who drew a rave initial review from six-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle.

‘He was running a route and he got like 9 1/2 yards in two strides,’ said Kittle on a June appearance on the ‘Bussin with the Boys’ podcast. ‘I was like, ‘Holy (expletive).’ It was insane. We watched it like 10 times in the tight end room. We were like, ‘How is he doing this?”

Neyor first broke out at Wyoming in 2021 by averaging nearly 20 yards per catch and hauling in 12 touchdowns. But after tearing his ACL at Texas and only posting modest production last year at Nebraska, he still lacks a handle on the finer points of the position. Still, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch might be reticent to allow other teams to swoop in, and Neyor might be able to earn a spot on the initial roster if he can beat out seventh-round selection Junior Bergen.

Nazir Stackhouse, DT, Green Bay Packers

A three-year starter on Georgia’s star-studded defense, Stackhouse doesn’t offer the flashy athletic traits of former teammates like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis or even Warren Brinson, whom the Packers selected in the sixth round in April. But the 6-4, 327-pounder eats up space in the run game and routinely blows up blocks. With T.J. Slaton’s departure leaving a void for that role on an interior line group otherwise built on penetrating, Stackhouse can carve out a fairly straightforward niche despite his playmaking limitations.

Andrew Armstrong, WR, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins’ draft class was defined by a dedication to fortifying its fronts, with the team’s first three selections coming along the offensive and defensive lines. But that approach, combined with Miami’s Day 3 strategy, left the organization to look towards the undrafted free agent ranks to address a receiving corps that looks dangerously thin behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and free-agent signing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Of the four first-year wideouts added after the draft, Armstrong looks to be the best bet to crack the roster. The 6-4, 202-pounder can add a different flavor to Mike McDaniel’s aerial attack by providing Tua Tagovailoa with a possession receiver who can thrive in contested-catch scenarios. Tight end Jalin Conyers also could push for a spot, especially with the team having little in the way of depth after Jonnu Smith was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.

Seth McLaughlin, C, Cincinnati Bengals

A torn Achilles suffered last November no doubt weighed down the draft stock of McLaughlin, who was a fixture for Alabama’s front before transferring to Ohio State and winning the Rimington Trophy last year. If not for the ailment, the 6-4, 304-pounder would have had a strong chance to be selected given his track record as a heady blocker capable of compensating for his pedestrian frame and athleticism. On a Bengals line that has struggled to afford Joe Burrow with any steady protection, McLaughlin could be an intriguing understudy to Ted Karras, though he’ll have to 2024 seventh-round pick Matt Lee for the role. An undrafted free agent could also claim a job on the other side of the ball, as defensive tackles Howard Cross III – who played under new Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden at Notre Dame – and Eric Gregory will try to make a push at a spot where Cincinnati has long underperformed.

Ben Chukwuma, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Anyone guessing who landed the highest guaranteed payout among undrafted free agents probably wouldn’t land on an offensive tackle from Georgia State who started for a little more than one season and didn’t earn all-conference honors. Nevertheless, it was Chukwuma who stood above all his peers after netting $300,000 from the Buccaneers, according to multiple reports. The 6-6, 310-pound blocker, who moved to Georgia from Nigeria when he was 17, only began playing football after attending a walk-on tryout at Georgia State. Having paid a hefty sum to secure his services, the Buccaneers’ brain trust clearly is interested in what it can make of Chukwuma and his tools.

Jah Joyner, DE, Las Vegas Raiders

Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce give the Silver and Black a solid foundation for a unit otherwise seemingly devoid of building blocks. Behind them, however, there’s little certainty. Neither first-round disappointment Tyree Wilson nor Charles Snowden have provided much of a spark, even in backup roles. Joyner might not push either for a spot on the second string, but his tenacity could make him a solid rotational piece.

Da’Quan Felton, WR, New York Giants

Any question about the Giants’ satisfaction with their wide receiver depth after the draft was quickly answered by the team signing five undrafted players at the position. Of those brought on, Felton might be the most fascinating – and have the best chance of securing a backup job. The 6-5, 213-pound target sizes up as a natural partner for Russell Wilson given his knack for hauling in contested catches downfield. With few other big bodies in New York’s receiving corps, Felton could hold down a unique role while becoming a more precise route runner and eliminating the drops that have long plagued him.

This story has been updated with new information.

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Motocross prodigy Aidan Zingg has died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident during the Mammoth Mountain MX event in California on Saturday, June 28.

According to industry website Dirtbikelover.com, Zingg, 16, ‘went down in a corner’ during an 250 B class race and was run over by multiple bikes while he remained unconscious on the track. Other motocross outlets, including MX Sports and MotoSport.com, also confirmed Zingg’s death.

Motocross journalist Donn Maeda was among those to pay tribute to Zingg online, calling him ‘one of those kids that made an impression on you from the moment you met him.’

Zingg had recently joined Kawasaki’s Team Green, a national support program for the brand’s drivers, and had sponsorships with  Oakley, Bell and more.

A native of Hemet, California, Zingg had just qualified for his seventh consecutive AMA Amateur Motocross National Championship, to held next month at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

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