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Horrible tragedy strikes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buccaneers.com

Terrible news out of the National Football League this afternoon.

The 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett named Arrayah passed away this afternoon, having drowned in the family swimming pool. The child would be rushed to a hospital, but would sadly be unable to be revived.

Police are conducting an investigation into the incident, but all indications point to this simply being a tragic accident. 

The Buccaneers released the following statement:

“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time. While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”

What a heart-wrenching tragedy. We send our thoughts and prayers to the Barrett family as they now have to cope with this unthinkable situation. 

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Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has warning for the NFL!

Steelers.com

It’s going to be a family affair in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers decided to select CB Joey Porter Jr. in the 2023 NFL Draft. If his name sounds familiar to Steelers fans, there’s a good reason for that. His father Joey Porter played for the Steelers for eight years, and was part of the 2005 Super Bowl-winning team while also being named to four Pro Bowls. 

Porter Jr. was admittedly not happy about not being selected in Round 1 of the draft, and he’s going to be coming out with a vengeance in his first NFL season and prove other teams wrong for not taking a chance on him. 

“Last night, I was mad,” said Porter, a 6-foot-2, 193-pound cornerback. “I had an edge on me. This was a perfect way to end my day right here. I forgot all about last night. I’m ready. I have a chip on my shoulder and I’m ready to prove myself.”

“I was not expecting this,” he said. “After last night, I was like, ‘Anything can happen in this draft.’ When the clock was winding down, I was like, ‘Dang, they might not get me.’ Then I saw that 412 number pop up and I was like, ‘I’m coming home.’ ”

“This is Steelers defense,” he said. “This is what we’re about. It’s power football. We’re going to smack you in the mouth and play aggressive. I feel like that fits my game style. I’m going to get in your face, talk a little trash, but we’re going to play.”

We’re excited to see what Porter Jr. can bring to the Steelers in the shadow of his father! 

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Mel Kiper sounds off on Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 Draft

WeAreIowa.com

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have several new faces within the organization. Take a look at all of the news players that the Steelers brought in: 

And according to analyst Mel Kiper, their overall haul was good enough to earn them a grade of B+. Take a look at his reasoning below: 

“With three picks in the top 50, the Steelers entered the draft with a real chance to come away with multiple new rookie starters. They need help on both sides of the ball. And I’m a fan of what they did on the first two days of the draft. They traded a fourth-round pick to move up three spots in Round 1 to grab Broderick Jones (14), who will start at one of the tackle spots. He had an elite 2022 season.”

“Pittsburgh had just three picks in the last four rounds, with Nick Herbig (132) the most notable. He is my No. 7 inside linebacker. The light Day 3 keeps this class under an A — teams that have more picks obviously have greater chances to find those diamonds in the rough — but there are some instant-impact players here.”

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Cowboys: Getting Mazi Smith is like “Christmas”

Norman Transcript

With the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys decided to beef up their defense by taking University of Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith. And needless to say, they’re excited to have him.

“It’s like Christmas,” head coach Mike McCarthy said from Smith’s first official press conference. “When you look at all the work that goes into it, going back to his [Official] 30 visit, and just what a great fit he is for us … I just want him to be himself. He is a great fit for us.”

Meanwhile, team executives also are thrilled to have Smith in town, saying that it absolutely does feel like the holiday that everyone waits for all year! 

“We tell these young men, like Mazi, you’re here for a reason [on an Official 30 visit],” said Executive Vice President and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones. “We have a sincere interest in you. As you know, most of our picks have come out of that group of 30. He’s very comfortable and you can just see his energy.”

“You can see it in his face that he loves ball, he loves everything about it. All the coaches that met with him agree that he’d be a great fit in this organization, and for him to fall down there to us and for us to have the opportunity to pick him, I feel like Mike. I feel like it’s Christmas.”

Cowboys fans, does it feel like Christmas for you to have Mazi Smith?

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Eagles complete major trade with Lions

Lineups

Talk about an interesting deal for the Philadelphia Eagles. 

They’ve acquired star RB D’Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions along with a seventh-round pick (No. 249 overall). In exchange, the Eagles sent a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-rounder this year (No. 219 overall) back to Detroit. 

Lions GM Brad Holmes didn’t exactly endorse Swift staying with the team following the 2023 NFL Draft. 

“D’Andre, he’s still on our roster, he’s still a part of our team, he’s still under contract with us,” Holmes said Thursday. “He’s a dynamic football player, so it hadn’t really changed the math there yet, but it is early. It didn’t really change, we just kind of put Jahmyr in his own separate box, and just got really excited about the player. It didn’t really have any bearing on D’Andre.” 

How are you feeling about this trade, Eagles fans? 

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RB Tony Pollard makes his decision with Cowboys

Inside the Star

Tony Pollard is now the main running back with the Dallas Cowboys following the departure of Ezekiel Elliott, especially after his breakout season in 2022. 

The Cowboys made the call to place the franchise tag on Pollard earlier this month, and now Pollard has decided to sign.

According to multiple reports, Pollard has officially signed his franchise tag with the team, and is due $10.091 million this year. He and the Cowboys will have until mid-July to work out a long term deal. 

Last season, Pollard racked up 1,007 yards with nine touchdowns on 193 attempts while making $965,000 in what was the final year of his four year deal. 

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Foster Moreau shares tragic personal update

FanSided

Former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau shared earlier today that he will be stepping away from football to focus on a cancer diagnosis that was discovered by the New Orleans Saints medical team. 

“Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this free agency period has been life changing for me,” Moreau wrote. “During a routine physical conducted by the Saints’ medical team down in New Orleans, I’ve come to learn that I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and will be stepping away from football … at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer. I’m grateful for the support and thankful for people who have stood firm with me. There hasn’t been a single step I’ve taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me, and I will continue to seek their guidance.

“That being said, I’ll go kick this thing’s ass and get back to doing what I love! AMDG!”

A fourth-round selection of the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft, Moreau has racked up 91 receptions for 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns over the course of his career. 

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Dak Prescott permanently connects himself to Dallas

Blogging The Boys

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is under contract with the team for another two years, but team owner and general manager Jerry Jones hasn’t been shy about his desire to see Prescott suit up for his team for at least another decade. 

And while it remains to be seen just how much longer that Prescott will be the starting quarterback for the iconic franchise, he’ll now forever be connected to the city of Dallas with his latest tattoo artwork.

The intricate design by noted artist Andres Ortega took around 10 hours to complete and features a tribute to the skyline of Dallas, along with several other personal footnotes from his life. 

Prescott has called Dallas home since being selected in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In 97 career NFL games, Prescott has thrown for a total of 24,943 yards with 166 touchdowns and 65 interceptions complete with a 97.8 passer rating. 

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Cowboys add another key veteran

Twitter

The Dallas Cowboys have already inked wide receiver Ronald Jones to a new contract, and now they’ve added another new face to the organization. 

After losing long snapper Jake McQuaide to the Detroit Lions, the Cowboys immediately found his replacement in Trent Sieg, who has spent the last five years within the Raiders organization. 

He’s appeared in 80 total career NFL contests, missing a total of only four. He first entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens, who eventually cut him. He would sign with the Raiders two weeks later. 

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Steelers make decision on TE Zach Gentry

CBS News

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made their decision on tight end Zach Gentry, whom they took with their 5th round selection in 2019. He’ll be returning to the team on a one year contract that was officially agreed to earlier this afternoon. 

Last season with the Steelers, Gentry played a career high 577 offensive snaps while playing in 13 games. He also caught 19 of 23 targets for 132 yards. Drafted out of the University of Michigan, he racked up 49 receptions for 817 yards and scored four touchdowns during his two years in the Mitten State.