The Scorecard: Free agency frenzy in full effect as running backs highlight busy NFL week. Plus, March Madness is upon us
Author’s Note: The Scorecard is taking on March Madness and the NCAA Tournament, which means starting on Saturday, March 16, you’ll be receiving daily updates. The Scorecard will return to a weekly send following the national championship game on Monday, April 8.
NFL’s Free Agency Takes Center Stage
I expected madness in March…but I did not expect it in football news. It’s day 4 of the NFL’s free agency period…and it has been wild, to say the least. Unless you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan, because I’m convinced they are sitting in the front office watching paint dry. The Star Telegram’s Clarence Hill says the team is “stuck in neutral,” but the metaphorical car isn’t even on. Even Dez Bryant thinks they’re rebuilding.
But, if you missed anything over the last couple of days, a couple of highlights: Russell Wilson officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Big moves for the two veteran quarterbacks.
The real frenzy was among running backs. It would probably be quicker to list the running backs who didn’t move, but here’s some highlights of the ones who did:
Former Dallas Cowboy Tony Pollard signs with Tennessee Titans
The Titans, with Pollard, didn’t re-sign veteran Derrick Henry, who left for the Baltimore Ravens
Saquon Barkley jumps to division rival Philadelphia Eagles, igniting social media feuds with his former New York Giants teammates
A playoff hat trick that sent the Green Bay Packers to the NFC Divisional round wasn’t enough for the team to re-sign star running back Aaron Jones, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings instead
The Packers signed former Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, who will be looking to fill the shoes of Jones
Austin Ekeler ended his run with the Los Angeles Chargers, moving to the Washington Commanders instead
Those are JUST the running backs, so like I said, it’s been busy.
Top NCAA basketball stories:
Get your brackets ready: Selection Sunday is this weekend, where we’ll get a clear picture of the opening matchups for March Madness. Here’s how to watch the selection show.
Heading into conference tournaments, Houston remained the No. 1 men’s seed in what has been a rocky couple of months with plenty of ranking changes. Take a look at the rest of the standings.
Will we get another South Carolina and LSU matchup in the women’s tournament? The last one ended with a little scuffle between the two teams, which led to the arrest of a player’s brother, and LSU coach Kim Mulkey still hasn’t let it go.
Other top stories:
A promising start to the season has already been yanked from New York baseball fans, as the Yankees will be without ace Gerrit Cole for one to two months as the pitcher deals with an elbow issue. He’s slated to meet with a leading surgeon. Oh, and Aaron Judge is having abdominal issues, which also required an MRI. Not the news you want a week before the season opens.
Speaking of, the season kicks off overseas in Seoul next week. The Los Angeles Dodgers (and all their hype) will face off against the San Diego Padres, where Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are expected to see starts for the Dodgers. Yu Darvish will start the series for the Padres.
Athletes in politics? Warriors star Steph Curry doesn’t rule out a run for office, and I thought that was a wild headline. But, Aaron Rodgers said hold my beer. The former New York Jets quarterback is apparently on a shortlist to be the running mate for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who launched a third-party bid last year.
