Cleveland Cavaliers…if LeBron James Leaves

Let’s assume LeBron James flees the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason, electing to join the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers or some other franchise more suited to maximizing his talents in the next stage of his Hall of Fame-worthy career.

That seems like a veritable suretycustom nfl jerseys cheap  if the team is unable to capitalize on its back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals victories and falls to the Boston Celtics in this penultimate round. It may still be a possibility even if James and Co. buck the odds to win the 2018 title. But either way, operating under that assumption leaves the Cavs staring at these remaining pieces, conveniently organized into a depth chart for your perusal:

Point guard: George Hill nfl jerseys cheap authentic
Shooting guard: JR Smith, Jordan Clarkson
Small forward: Kyle Korver, Cedi Osman
Power forward: Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr.
Center: Tristan Thompson, Ante Zizic

Seriously. That’s it.

You can throw in the No. 8 pick (via the Brooklyn Nets, as conveyed by the Celtics in the ill-fated Kyrie Irving swap) if you’d like, which could feasibly land the Cavaliers a rookie starter or high-end backup. customized nfl jerseys cheap

During the regular season, that projected opening quintet didn’t log a single minute together, per PBPStats.com. Ditto for the in-progress playoffs. This could, of course, change by virtue of a free-agent signing, but it’s a group without much hope of contention, even in the weaker half of the NBA. custom nfl jerseys

So instead of rolling with the incumbents, the Cavs should completely tear it down if James does elect to leave (this would all be negated by him staying put). Trade Love for a first-round pick and whatever else you can get. Shop around the other veterans, since any competitive squad would love to have someone like Korver coming off the pine. Hill should still have some value as well.

A James departure simply has to necessitate a full-scale customized nfl jerseys rebuild, or else the Cavaliers will be staring at a late-lottery finish with an enduringly expensive collection of talent that features little top-end upside.

Charlotte Hornets

What’s worse than being stuck in basketball purgatory, as the Charlotte Hornets are by virtue of consistently finishing among the morass of medicore teams in the Eastern Conference? best nfl jerseys That’s a question with a simple answer: being stuck in basketball purgatory while eyeing future luxury-tax payments.

As Tim Bontemps detailed for the Washington Post in early January, financial hope doesn’t sit on the horizon:

“To make matters worse, the financial situation isn’t getting better anytime soon. Next season, the Hornets—as constructed—are guaranteed to be a tax-paying team. They have 10 players with guaranteed contracts making a combined $116.4 million. Add in the cost of their first-round pick—currently the No. 9 selection, which would be about $3.6 million—and three minimum contracts (worth roughly $4.5 million), and the Hornets would already official nfl jerseys cheap be more than a million into the tax.

[…]

“Charlotte likely will enter next season with an aging, expensive roster, with a combined $62 million going to three players—[Dwight] Howard, Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams—who signed contracts during the halcyon days of July 2016. If those three were free agents this summer, they might struggle to land much more than half of that amount.”

Dropping down to the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA draft saves a marginal amount of money but not enough that the Hornets can enjoy a carefree existence and waltz into the 2018-19 campaign with the intention of running it back. Something has to change.

But what? nfl authentic jerseys

With $23.8 million owed to Dwight Howard and Nicolas Batum still staring at $76.7 million of payouts over the next three years (assuming he picks up a $27.1 million player option in 2020-21), the Hornets won’t be able to move their highest-paid pieces without including substantial sweeteners. Marvin Williams ($14.1 million) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13 million) might not return much either. nfl jersey for cheap

Moving Kemba Walker, though, nfl authentic jerseys cheap is a possibility.

Dealing away the franchise icon would be a bitter pill to swallow. It would plunge the Hornets somewhere below the level of mediocrity they’ve enjoyed over the past few seasons. But it would also allow them to imbue the organization with more long-term upside, escape luxury-tax ramifications and finally set the stage for a brighter future. nfl jersey wholesale

NBA franchises sometimes have to take that proverbial step backward for a subsequent leap forward, and this might be 2018’s best example.

OL Brendan Mahon, Carolina Panthers

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First impressions can mean everything, especially for an undrafted rookie. Setting the tone early, even at minicamp, can leave a lasting memory in decision-makers’ minds. nfl jersey wholesale

The Carolina Panthers are well aware of what they can find among the unwanted. Andrew Norwell didn’t hear his name called during the 2014 NFL draft. Yet the left guard went on to start 54 of 64 games over the last four seasons for the Panthers before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent.

The franchise may have found a replacement in another undrafted blocker.

Brendan Mahon was a four-year starter for the Penn State Nittany Lions, even as he dealt with injuries and offensive line instability.

“That’s my guy,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said, per the Charlotte Observer’s Tom Sorensen. “He just has that look in his eye. He’s physical. He’s got a chance.”best nfl jerseys

The 6’4”, 320-pound blocker excels at the point of attack because he plays with leverage and excellent hand placement. Despite playing all five positions at the collegiate level, guard is where Mahon will get an initial look and possibly push last year’s second-round pick, Taylor Moton.nfl jersey for cheap

At worst, the undrafted free agent is an ideal swing lineman. nfl jerseys cheap authentic

WR Antonio Callaway, Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns made an interesting decision during the NFL draft by selecting wide receiver Antonio Callaway with the 105th overall pick. The former Florida Gator has an extensive list of off-field concerns and didn’t play during the 2017 campaign due to suspension.

The Browns took a chance on nfl jerseys china an obvious risk because Callaway’s talent can’t be denied, and it was on full display during rookie minicamp.

“He is very, very fast—a fast man,” new Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said, per Andrew Gribble of the Browns’ official site. “He makes good plays on the ball. When you have a guy like that and you get chemistry down, then it is dangerous. … You get a talented receiver and then you know exactly what nfl wholesale jerseys they are doing, you can do a lot with that.”

A bit of Callaway’s speed can help complete the Browns wide receiver cast. Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry will demand the lion’s share of targets, while Callaway and 2016 first-round pick Corey Coleman can compete for opportunities.

“[General manager John Dorsey] told me he believed in me and I can do the right thing,” Callaway said, per Patrick Maks of the team’s site. “I’m not going to let him down.” The New Orleans Saints struck gold with last year’s third-round pick, Alvin Kamara. They may do so again after selecting wide receiver nfl jerseys from china Tre’Quan Smith with the 91st overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Smith immediately adds speed and another vertical threat to an already prolific passing attack.

“First of all, he can run,” Saints wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson said, per the Times Picayune’s Amos Morale III. “He’s fast. He has what we would call in this profession long speed. He can catch the ball very very well. He’s pretty smart. He’s getting lined up. He’s only playing one position now but he’s doing a fine job for us.” official nfl jerseys cheap

The Saints aren’t completely settled at wide receiver after Willie Snead signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The team also brought Brandon Coleman back on a one-year basis, nfl authentic jerseys and Cameron Meredith’s addition via free agency comes after he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

At this point, quarterback Drew Brees can rely on Michael Thomas and 12th-year veteran Ted Ginn Jr., but the rest of the receiver rotation has yet to be settled. Smith will add another explosive option so defenses can’t condense the field. nfl authentic jerseys cheap

NFL OTA Roundup: Where’s Dez Bryant, and Can David Johnson Reach His Goal?

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With OTAs ramping up around the NFL, there’s plenty of news about the 2018 rookie class. In Cleveland, No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield will begin his career under an even bigger spotlight than originally expected. The player drafted just after him (New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley) nfl jersey for cheap has made it clear he’s not really interested in breaking records in 2018.

There’s more buzz about a number of veterans, including injury updates on players like Richard Sherman and Ryan Tannehill as well as a lofty goal for Arizona Cardinals nfl jerseys cheap authentic running back David Johnson.

The dominant storyline, though, continues to be a player still looking for work. In eight NFL seasons, Dez Bryant has topped 1,000 receiving yards three times. He caught 10 or more touchdown passes three times and has averaged over nine a season. Bryant has been to three Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2014.custom nfl jerseys cheap

But after balking at an offer from the Baltimore Ravens, the 29-year-old is still searching for a team.
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We’ll begin with the latest on No. 88 as we take a look at the most recent news and notes with OTAs underway.

Cleveland Indians beat Houston Astros, 5-4, as Corey Kluber strikes out 10

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The Indians scored early, Corey Kluber pitched late and the bullpen, well, the bullpen hung on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.

Michael Brantley homered to start a three-run first inning and Kluber struck out 10 in seven innings in a 5-4 win over Houston. The Indians have won just five of their last 13 games.

Houston’s Dallas Keuchel (3-6, 3.43) wasn’t locked in early and the Tribe rocked him.

Francisco Lindor opened the game with a blistering ground out to third. Brantley followed with a homer to left. Then came consecutive doubles by Jose Ramirez and Edwin Encarnacion — Ramirez doubled past third and Encarnacion doubled off the fence in right center for a 2-0 lead.official nfl jerseys cheap

Jason Kipnis ended the inning with a double to right center to give Kluber a 3-0 lead to work with.

Kluber (7-2, 2.36) protected the lead as if it was made of the finest china. He held the Astros scoreless through five innings, striking out eight. The two-time Cy Young winner struck out the side — Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel — in order in the fourth.

“Anytime you can play with a lead is good,” said manager Terry Francona. “We got a couple of add one runs that we needed because when you play these guys they just keep on coming.

The Indians squeezed out a run in the fifth as Rajai Davis walked and advanced to third on two ground ball outs. He scored on a Ramirez’s slow chopper down the third baseline for a 4-0 lead.

Yan Gomes made it 5-0 in the sixth with a long home run to left off former teammate Joe Smith. Gomes hit a 1-1 pitch for his sixth homer. The Indians entered the game leading the big leagues with 65 home runs.

But things grew interesting — nfl authentic jerseys cheap as the seem to do of late — when Kluber left. Neil Ramirez, with Andrew Miller runavailable because of back spasms, started the eighth with a strikeout of George Springer. That was a good thing.

Then he allowed a homer to Alex Bregman and a double to Altuve, which was not so good. Altuve’s drive to wall in right center was originally ruled a double. Then the umpires conferred and called it a best nfl jerseys home run. After manager Terry Francona asked crew chief Bill Miller to call New York for a review, it was ruled a double.nfl authentic jerseys

Closer Cody Allen relieved and retired Correa on a loud fly ball to the track in left field and Brian McCann on a fly ball to right. Allen pitched the ninth for his first save since April 25 — nfl jersey wholesale it was the Tribe’s first save in May — but not without a flaw.

Chicago Bears: How Big of a Leap Can Mitchell Trubisky Make?

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The Chicago Bears are hoping quarterback Mitchell Trubisky can make the same kind of second-year leap Jared Goff did in 2017. They’ve put the pieces around him this offseason that could make it happen.

First, the Bears hired offensive guru Matt Nagy, who helped transform Alex Smith into a more aggressive quarterback last season, as their new head coach. Nagy also helped Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs average 256.5 yards per game through the air (seventh in the NFL), so he should provide Trubisky with official nfl jerseys cheap a scheme that plays to his strengths.

In addition, Chicago brought in new targets for Trubisky, signing Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton in free agency. The Bears also added wideout Anthony Miller in the second round of the draft.

The Bears know they can fall back on their powerful run game if Trubisky doesn’t become an elite gunslinger this season. But the more steps he can take toward that goal, the more balance the offense will have.

Chicago will nfl authentic jerseys get a good look at Trubisky’s progress in OTAs.nfl authentic jerseys cheap

The Cincinnati Bengals have now missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Many of the pieces were in place to get back there last season, including quarterback Andy Dalton, receiver A.J. Green and cornerback William Jackson III. However, poor offensive line play derailed Cincinnati’s season.nfl jersey wholesale

As a unit, the Bengals offensive line allowed 40 sacks last season. It also didn’t spring the ground game well, as Cincinnati only averaged 85.4 yards per game, the second-fewest in the league. For the Bengals to get back into the playoff picture, the line play has to improve.

The Bengals traded for left tackle Cordy Glenn and drafted former Ohio State center Billy Price in the first round. However, it’s fair to wonder if these two moves were enough.

Cincinnati still has questionable talent at the guard positions and at right tackle. Even if Glenn works out as at the starting left tackle, the Bengals could struggle when opposing defense refuses to put their best pass-rushers opposite him. The Bills’ willingness to move Glenn raises doubts about whether he’s still a top-tier tackle, too.

Both Glenn and Price are coming off injuries as well. Glenn played only six games last season before foot and ankle issues landed him on injured reserve. Price suffered a torn pectoral muscle this offseason. There’s no guarantee that either player will be at 100 percent at the start of the season.

Fortunately, Cincinnati will get a good first look at its line in action during OTAs.

Carolina Panthers: Who Replaces Andrew Norwell?

Interior offensive linemen aren’t always in the spotlight, but their value is beginning to become apparent.nfl jerseys china

Take former Carolina Panthers guard Andrew Norwell, for example. He was an All-Pro in 2017, and he signed a five-year, $66.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason.nfl jerseys wholesale

Carolina will have a difficult time replacing Norwell in the lineup. The Panthers didn’t draft a guard, so they’ll look to the likes of Jeremiah Sirles, Greg Van Roten, Dorian Johnson and former tackle Taylor Moton instead.

“I know I’ve had more experience playing tackle, especially playing mostly tackle last year,” Moton told Bill Voth of the team’s official website. “But I don’t like to think I’m naturally better at one or the other. I think naturally I’m just an offensive lineman.”

Losing Norwell leaves a big question mark on the offensive line for Carolina. The Panthers can’t expect to replace him with another All-Pro talent, but they’ll need to find a starting-caliber guard somewhere on the nfl jerseys from china roster.

The competition for the starting job will be one of the most important stories of the Panthers offseason.

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors

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Age: 28

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 23.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 45.6 percent shooting, 31.2 percent three-point shooting

Advanced Stats: 21.0 PER, 99.02 TPA, 1.67 RPM

Contract Details: 3 years, $82.8 million (player option in 2020-21)

Disclaimer: Cleaning The Glass has DeMar DeRozan spending more possessions as the de facto 3, but he started at the 2 and his stans tend to get more bent out of shape by his designation than most. He logged enough of his time at shooting guard (42 percent) to make this exception.

Firing head coach Dwane Casey cheap new nike nfl jerseys could be the extent of the Raptors’ offseason overhaul. None of their best trade assets are guaranteed to yield an assortment of high-end spare parts, and they don’t have any cap space.

Five rotation players will also begin next season on the right side of 25: OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet (restricted). Throw Delon Wright into this gaggle as well. He’s 26, but he has just three years of experience to his resume. Toronto’s depth chart is not without prospective in-house leaps.

Still, standing relatively pat without working the phones would indicate the Raptors believe their youth coupled with a new coach amounts to a stronger crusade against LeBron James. (Unless, of course, he leaves the East.) That doesn’t sit right.

Casey made some off-putting choices during the Raptors’ second-round implosion against the Cleveland Cavaliers: playing Lucas Nogueira to close the first half in Game 4, electing not to try pressuring James on his buzzer-beater in Game 3, keeping an Anunoby-Siakam 4-5 partnership under wraps, etc. cheap nfl jerseys nike china But getting rid of him alone doesn’t noticeably elevate their ceiling. They’re not the Milwaukee Bucks. They didn’t underachieve this year.

Jettisoning DeRozan might. He’s working off a career year, but he still isn’t the ideal guard for how the Raptors want to play. A willingness to launch more threes has not translated to league-average efficiency. nike jersey nfl cheap He canned 31.2 percent of his treys during the regular season and shot 21.4 percent on triples in which he wasn’t completely wide-open for the playoffs.

Tapping DeRozan for scapegoat duty is unfair. But Casey’s decision to bench him down the stretch of a pivotal Game 3 says a lot. Kyle Lowry can have an impact playing off the ball or when he’s not hitting shots. DeRozan is less likely to do so. cheap youth nfl jerseys

Moving him could be tough. Shelling out almost $83 million for him over the next three years is steep, and other teams will encounter the same problems with his offensive game. youth nfl jerseys cheap But he’ll work for a squad that’s more open to accentuating his one-on-one stylings. The Raptors have to least see what he’s worth.

Jerryd Bayless, Philadelphia 76ers

Age: 29

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 41.6 percent shooting, 37.0 percent three-point shooting

Advanced Stats: 7.5 player efficiency rating (PER), minus-53.85 total points added (TPA), minus-4.47 real plus-minus (RPM)

Contract Details: 1 year, $8.6 million

Every sign ever points to the Philadelphia 76ers trying to acquire a superstar over the summer.

“I think a high-level free agent is required,” head coach Brett Brown said during his year-end presser, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. “I feel like we have the ability to attract one.”

LeBron James’ ears are still burning. Paul George’s are probably feeling a little tingly, too. Kawhi Leonard might even be experiencing a little chill. Sources told Pompey the Sixers have interest in nfl nike jerseys cheap china stealing George away from the Oklahoma City Thunder and will monitor Kawhi Leonard’s chopping-block status with the San Antonio Spurs.

Any route Philly takes to pursuing another superstar will include Jerryd Bayless. Offloading his $8.6 million contract is a crucial part of opening up more than $30 million in room without touching the core of Robert Covington, Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons. And while the salary-dumping market figures to be particularly stringent, the Sixers have the necessary sweeteners to get it done.

Some combination of Justin Anderson, nike jerseys nfl cheap Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Richaun Holmes (team option), their own first-round pick or the Los Angeles Lakers’ selection definitely gets the job done. Teams can hold out for more than one off these pieces, but the Sixers shouldn’t have to budge much, if at all. Bayless comes off the books after next year; someone like Saric or T.J. McConnell should not be the cost of doing business.

Finding a taker to absorb his salary while nabbing, say, the Sixers’ own first-rounder gives them a sliver over $35 million in wiggle room. That would be more than enough for George’s max ($30.3 million) and within hugging distance of James’ expected salary ($35.4 million).

Nothing changes if Philly reroutes its cheap nike nfl jerseys from china efforts to Leonard. The Spurs cannot command a king’s ransom for his services when he made just nine appearances this season and is ticketed for free agency in 2019 (player option). Bayless’ filler salary will be integral to negotiations as the Sixers seek to limit their outgoing collateral damage—the potential difference between forking over both Fultz and Saric or just one of them.cheap official nike nfl jerseys

Too long (it’s not), didn’t read (damn avocado-toast enthusiasts): If the Sixers land a superstar, you can bet your bottom dollar his exit is part of rolling out the red carpet.nfl cheap nike jerseys