2023 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: July 2023

Keep Up With NHL Free Agency At Pro Hockey Rumors

July 1st, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Josh Erickson

NHL free agency is about to begin, and Pro Hockey Rumors (@ProHockeyRumors on Twitter) is your go-to source for all the breaking news, rumors, and transactions involving all 32 teams in the league.

In the weeks leading up to free agency, we’ve already witnessed a flurry of trade activity that has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting offseason. Former All-Stars and marquee players like Alex DeBrincat, Connor Hellebuyck, and Mark Scheifele have been at the center of trade speculation as teams look to make big moves and reshape their rosters for the upcoming season in a tight salary cap environment.

One of the most surprising moves so far was the trade that sent original expansion draft selection Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith, who sits near the top of many franchise leaderboards for Vegas, was not expecting to be on the move, but the Penguins acquired the veteran fresh off a Stanley Cup so that Vegas had the cap room to re-sign Ivan Barbashev to a long-term extension.

But keeping up with free agency, there are several intriguing names hitting the market this year. Veteran forward Matt Duchene, who was bought out by the Nashville Predators yesterday, is expected to draw significant interest from contending teams looking to bolster their top-six forward group. There’s also one of the greatest American-born players of all time available in former Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who’s coming off a hip resurfacing procedure that could impact his market value. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is also one of the top players available after a strong end to the season with the record-setting Boston Bruins.

Pro Hockey Rumors will be your one-stop destination for all the latest updates on these stories and more. Our writing team will provide comprehensive coverage of the free agency frenzy as teams look to make key acquisitions and bring their 2023-24 rosters into focus. Stay tuned to Pro Hockey Rumors on Twitter – @ProHockeyRumors – for real-time updates and analysis. The NHL offseason is about to heat up, and we’ll be there every step of the way to keep you informed and entertained.

Josh Harris Not Expected To Make Major Changes Following Commanders Sale

July 1st, 2023 at 9:48am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Harris will officially become the Commanders owner later this month. While Daniel Snyder‘s sale of the team will surely have a long-lasting impact on the organization, the new owner isn’t expected to make any immediate changes.

According to Ben Standig of The Athletic, Harris isn’t expected to “make major staff changes” when he officially takes over the organization. This includes the job status of team president Jason Wright, with a source telling Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of the Washington Post that Wright will “absolutely have the opportunity to perform in his role.”

Wright was hired by the Commanders in 2020, becoming the first Black team president in NFL history. As Jhabvala and Maske write, the executive was hired to “improve the workplace culture of a franchise embroiled in controversy,” and Wright did help navigate the organization through multiple investigations and eventual “senior business personnel” overhauls.

The team president has also faced criticism, mostly when it comes to near-league-bottom ticket sales over the past two years. Wright also drew some ire when it came to the Commanders’ “missteps in honoring the late Sean Taylor, a bounced raffle check and the tepid public response to its new name.”

Harris isn’t expected to shake things up, at least right away. Per Standig, the owner intends to “take his time to evaluate current staff before considering changes.” This buys executives like Wright some extra time to build a rapport with their new boss, but as Standig points out, Harris surely has “a list of potential executives to join him in Washington.”

It sounds like Harris also won’t make any rash decisions when it comes to the coaching staff and front office, including head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew. Of course, considering the timing of the sale, it seemed extremely unlikely that Harris would shake up those two areas of the operation with training camp rapidly approaching.

A league meeting has been scheduled for July 20 to ratify the Commanders sale. As the Washington Post notes, Harris and his group aren’t allowed to “to speak with employees of the team about future changes” until that time.

Check Out The Latest On NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors

July 1st, 2023 at 9:33am CST by Rory Maher

NBA free agency officially got underway yesterday evening, and our sister site Hoops Rumors has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.

39 players reportedly signed contracts yesterday, including seven players receiving nine-figure deals. Three contract extensions are also in the works, including a couple of rookie scale max extensions for Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane.

This morning, we’ve already seen a three-team sign-and-trade that will send Max Strus to the Cavaliers after a strong playoff run with the Heat, while reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov will be coming stateside, agreeing to a three-year, $20MM contract with the Kings.

Plenty of players on our top-50 free agents list are still on the board, including a couple of former All-Stars in D’Angelo Russell and Brook Lopez. And we’re still awaiting news on former MVP James Harden‘s next destination after he requested yet another trade.

For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.

Latest On Javonte Williams, Broncos’ Backfield

July 1st, 2023 at 9:17am CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos intend to bring Javonte Williams along slowly as he returns from a devastating knee injury. If Williams isn’t ready to go for the start of the regular season, the team does have enough running back depth to temporarily get by, but Mike Klis of 9News.com believes the front office could still add another player to the mix.

Klis writes that it’s “possible” the Broncos bring in a veteran RB to their current grouping. However, a move wouldn’t be made before head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton get an extended look at Williams during training camp.

Williams’ sophomore season came to an end in Week 4 when he suffered a torn ACL, LCL, and posterolateral corner. Week 1 of the 2023 campaign would mark 11 months since the RB suffered his injury, and Klis writes that Williams did look good during his limited work at minicamp.

The Broncos’ ideal plan would be to have Williams in the starting lineup for the start of the season, but the team doesn’t want to be unprepared if the former second-round pick is forced to miss time. After splitting work with Melvin Gordon for the first two seasons of his career, Williams is primed to lead the RB room in 2023. After compiling 1,219 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns as a rookie, Williams had 280 yards in three-plus games before suffering his knee injury in 2023.

The Broncos brought in Samaje Perine to serve as the top backup in 2023, but with little starting experience in six NFL seasons, he would’t be relied on to be an every-down back with Williams sidelined. The Broncos are also rostering Tyler Badie, a sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2022 who was scooped up by Denver late in the season. Former Saints backup Tony Jones Jr. and undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin round out the RB room.

The Broncos have been connected to Dalvin Cook throughout the offseason, but this most recent report indicates that the organization is looking for a temporary fill-in for Williams…not someone who would completely revamp the depth chart.