Let’s Ride (The Roster Rollercoaster)Let’s Ride

March 5, 2024

By: Carlos Alvarez

Good Morning!

Yesterday brought a batch of NFL offseason roster news and the penultimate AP Polls for college basketball (pre-tournament). Our Selection Sunday countdown continues. Stay tuned for details on our upcoming March Madness bracket pool.

Selection Sunday: 12 Days

Letter Rip!

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NFL

\’Let\’s Ride…\’ The NFL Offseason Roster Rollercoaster

\"\" — *Photo: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images*

Broncos Release QB Russell Wilson, Bucs Re-Sign WR Mike Evans to $52 Million Deal & Eagles’ Jason Kelce Officially Retires

The NFL Combine has come to a close in Indy, and the focus of NFL executives has quickly switched gears back to free agency and roster shuffling. The roster news is about to be a rollercoaster, so strap in and \”let\’s ride.\” A trio of major storylines hit the NFL airwaves Monday, including Mike Evans staying in Tampa Bay, Jason Kelce making his retirement official, and the Broncos’ release of QB Russell Wilson resulting in (what might go down as) the worst trade in NFL history. At least we got an incredible meme out of it (\”Broncos Country, Let\’s Ride\”).

Free agency officially begins next Wednesday (March 13) at 4:00 pm ET, but today marks the deadline for teams to franchise tag players (4:00 pm ET). Let’s recap the three biggest stories of the moment:

Broncos Release QB Russell Wilson

As expected, the Denver Broncos informed QB Russell Wilson that he will be released when the new league year begins next Wednesday. The team\’s decision seemed evident after the Broncos benched Wilson in the final two games of the year. Denver will suffer an $85 million hit in dead cap money — the largest dead cap hit in NFL history by more than double. Remember: The Broncos gave up two 1st- and 2nd-round picks, QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, and another player and pick in order to get Wilson from the Seahawks in 2022. They then turned around and gave him a five-year, $246 million contract. Wilson, 35, will likely be the most coveted veteran free-agent QB this offseason. He had a brutal 2022 season in Year 1 with the Broncos, but his 2023 numbers weren’t bad (3,070 yards, 26 TDs, 8 INTs).

*Largest Dead Cap Hits in NFL History

Russell Wilson (DEN): $85 Million

Matt Ryan (ATL): $40.5 Million

Aaron Rodgers (GB): $40.3 Million

Tom Brady (TB): $35.1 Million

Buccaneers Re-Sign WR Mike Evans

Just one week after the NFL salary cap exploded to $255 million, Tampa Bay made the wise move to keep their star receiver on the payroll. Mike Evans and the Bucs agreed to a 2-year, $52 million extension on Monday. That makes him the fourth-highest paid receiver in the NFL behind only Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp. The deal is, however, the largest for a receiver his age (30) on his third contract. Evans reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the 10th straight season. His 94 career touchdowns are also noteworthy. Only five other receivers had reached the end zone more times than Evans in their first 10 years, and all five are Hall of Famers (or soon-to-be) — Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Davante Adams.

Eagles Center Jason Kelce Retires

Double the pain in Philadelphia on Monday. It was previously reported that Eagles center Jason Kelce had retired from football following the team’s playoff loss in January, but the future Hall of Famer disputed that story and said he still needed to think about it. Kelce’s retirement became official on Monday when he called a news conference in Philly. He was a seven-time pro bowler in 13 seasons with the Eagles, on top of a Super Bowl in 2017. The 36-year-old wore a cutoff shirt to the presser in true Kelce fashion. Players and teammates from all over the NFL took to social media to thank him for being a tremendous leader and teammate. So long, Kelc’.

Other NFL Situations to Watch

Kirk Cousins & The Vikings

Justin Fields & The Bears

RB Market: Saquon, Henry & Jacobs

Franchise Tag Deadline: Today (4:00 pm ET)

Free Agency Start: Wednesday, Mar. 13 (4:00 pm ET)

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NCAA

Poll Perfection

\"\" — *Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images*

South Carolina Women Complete 2nd Straight Perfect Regular Season; The Men’s Last 1-Seed Still Up For Grabs

The Selection Sunday ticker is down to a dozen days. That means our poll check-ins will start to become seed-line check-ins. South Carolina has officially closed out another perfect regular season — that’s two in a row! — but last year’s team fell in the Final Four. Does this year\’s squad have enough juice to run the table through the postseason, too? As conference tournaments approach, we’ll take a look at which teams have their claws dug in on the 1-line. Same with the men. There’s a big three in men’s hoops, but four or five different teams could snatch the fourth 1-seed.

Women’s AP Poll

1. South Carolina (29-0) | —

2. Stanford (26-4) | ↑2

3. Iowa (26-4) | ↑3

4. Ohio State (25-4) | ↓2

5. USC (23-5) | ↑2

6. Texas (27-4) | ↓3

7. UCLA (24-5) | ↑1

8. LSU (26-4) | ↑1

9. UConn (26-5) | ↑1

10. NC State (25-5) | ↑2

Full Women’s AP Top-25

Women’s Bracketology Report: As we stated before, it’s South Carolina against the field, but don’t rule out the challengers. Iowa has climbed back up to No. 3 after their win against Ohio State. Expect the Big Ten women’s tournament to determine which of those two teams earns a spot on the 1-line. Stanford is a likely lock for a 1-seed, too. There are a lot of options to jump into the 1-line in the next week or two, and three powerhouse programs have hit hot streaks in February-March — UCLA, LSU, and UConn. Whether they’re 1s or 2s, expect those three programs to be as formidable as anyone in the Big Dance.

Men’s AP Poll

1. Houston (26-3) | —

2. UConn (26-3) | ↑1

3. Purdue (26-3) | ↓1

4. Tennessee (23-6) | —

5. Arizona (23-6) | ↑1

6. Iowa State (23-6) | ↑2

7. North Carolina (23-6) | ↑2

8. Marquette (22-7) | ↓3

9. Duke (23-6) | ↑1

10. Creighton (22-8) | ↑2

Full Men’s AP Top-25

Men’s Bracketology Report: Unlike the women’s game with one juggernaut at the top, men’s hoops has three teams vying for the No. 1 overall seed — Houston, UConn and Purdue. It’ll likely be determined down the stretch with conference tournaments, but those three are locks for No. 1 seeds regardless. The fourth No. 1? That’s anybody’s guess. Marquette, Kansas and Duke have dropped too many random upsets to make a claim, but Tennessee (SEC), Arizona (Pac-12) and North Carolina (ACC) are the likely candidates. Expect one of those three to win their conference and a No. 1 seed. There’s Iowa State, too, but I doubt two Big 12 teams will earn spots on the 1-line.

Stay tuned for more seeding and bracketology reports as conference tournaments tip-off this week.

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NBA

Deer Shifting Gears

\"\" — *Photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images*

Damian Lillard (41 Points) Leads Bucks Past Clippers (113-106) for Milwaukee’s 6th Straight Win

Shortly after Doc Rivers took over as the new head coach of the Bucks just a few weeks before the NBA All-Star break, things weren’t looking good in Milwaukee. The Bucks were just 3-7 in Doc’s first 10 games as he attempted to break down and rebuild the team’s struggling defense. Now? Mission accomplished. The fear is back in the deer. The Bucks beat the Clippers last night (113-106) behind Damian Lillard’s 41 points and Bobby Portis Jr.’s clutch 3, despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks have now won six straight games coming out of the All-Star break, and they’ve held teams to an average of just 98.7 points per game. The defense looks fixed, at least until they run into the buzzsaw in Boston.

Deer on the Road: The Bucks will put their win streak to the test over the next month, particularly in the next week with a four-game road trip to the west coast — Warriors, Lakers, Clippers and Kings. Shortly after, they\’ll head to Boston for a date with the Celtics who have won 12 straight. The Bucks\’ March schedule is downright brutal, but it appears Doc has Dame, Giannis and crew finally putting the pieces together.

Watch: Damian Lillard (41) Leads Bucks to 6th Straight Win

Other NBA Highlights

Timberwolves def. Blazers (119-114)

Jazz def. Wizards (127-115)

Bulls def. Kings (113-109)

Grizzlies def. Nets (106-102)

Lakers def. Thunder (116-104)

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HIGHLIGHTS

NHL

Panthers def. Rangers (4-2)

*Sam Reinhart Scores 2 to Fuel Florida

Blue Jackets def. Golden Knights (6-3)
*Alexander Nylander Scores 1st Hat Trick

Blues def. Flyers (2-1, S/O)

*Jordan Binnington Makes 40 Saves

Avalanche def. Blackhawks (5-0)

*Nathan MacKinnon (2G, 2A) Extends Point Streak to 30

Bruins def. Maple Leafs (4-1)

*Pavel Zacha (2G) & David Pastrnak (3A) Lead Boston

Soccer

EPL: Arsenal Hang 6 on Sheffield (6-0)

PGA Tour

Austin Eckroat (-17) Wins Cognizant Classic

NCAA Basketball

M: #9 Duke def. NC State (79-64)

M: #11 Baylor def. Texas (93-85)

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STORYLINES

Next Face of the NBA

The next few years are going to feature the retirement of some of the most iconic NBA players of the past few decades. LeBron James will be 40 in December. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant will turn 36 this year. So who’s the next face of the league? (Bleacher Report)

PGA-LIV Deal Isn’t Imminent

What seemed like a matter of time back in January now seems a ways off. Nobody is saying that officially, but the actions on both sides of the divide between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia don’t suggest anything is imminent. (Sports Illustrated)

NFL Combine Winners & Losers

The NFL Combine ended with the offensive linemen and specialists on the field Sunday. Reflecting back on the week in Indianapolis, here are some of the biggest winners and losers as it relates to their 2024 NFL Draft fate. (CBS Sports)

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NEWS

Phillies & Zack Wheeler Agree to 3-Year, $126 Million Extension (ESPN)

10K+ Athletes Opted Into EA Sports College Football 25 Ahead of Release Date (B/R)

Former NFL Pro Bowler Braylon Edwards Saves 80-Year-Old Man’s Life During Assault (CBS Sports)

Marquette’s Tyler Kolek to Miss Final 2 Regular-Season Games With Oblique Injury (Yahoo! Sports)

Emmitt Smith Outraged After Alma Mater Florida Eliminates DEI Department (Sporting News)

Raptors & Kelly Olynyk Agree on 2-Year, $26 Million Extension (SportsNet)

Clippers’ Russell Westbrook Has Surgery on Broken Hand, Hopes to Return Before Playoffs (B/R)

Former AL MVP Josh Donaldson Retires After 13-Year MLB Career (ESPN)

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SCHEDULE