Jets sign Michael Vick, cut Sanchez

After five seasons, Mark Sanchez is out in New York. (USATSI)

More NFL offseason: NFL Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Top free agents

Mark Sanchez's career with the New York Jets is officially over. Sanchez was released by the team on Friday. With Sanchez out, the Jets didn't waste any time in adding another quarterback to the roster.

Just minutes after the team released Sanchez, the team announced the signing of Michael Vick to a one-year deal. Vick will be reunited with Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Mornhinweg was Vick's offensive coordinator in Philadelphia for four seasons (2009-12) before joining Rex Ryan in New York in 2013.

"We are excited to acquire Michael Vick," Mornhinweg said in a statement. "He's a great talent who's won many games, including playoff games, in this league. He has the respect of both his teammates and opponents. He's here in a role where he's going to compete and push Geno Smith to become the very best that he can be. Michael will be able to go in and play at a high level and a winning level if called upon."

It's official. We've signed QB Michael Vick. MORE: http://t.co/GgNm05Zqmz pic.twitter.com/6oPKsIrFXl

— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 21, 2014

Vick's one-year contract with the Jets is worth up to $5 million, according to ESPN.com. That contract is good news for Vick, but could turn out to be a risky move for the Jets. If Vick wins the starting job in New York, the Jets will have to pay him substantially more after 2014. It's a win for Vick though because whether or not he starts in New York, he'll have a chance to hit the free agent market next offseason.

The former Eagles quarterback will be looking to do in New York what he did in Philadelphia last season: Win the starting job. Vick was named the Eagles starting quarterback coming out of the preseason, but an injured hamstring sent him to the bench and Nick Foles eventually took over at quarterback. Vick's final start of 2013 came in a Week 8 loss to the Giants.

Vick had been scheduled to meet with the Jets this weekend, but apparently, he made the decision to sign before the weekend even started.

As for Sanchez, his 2013 was similar to Vick's in that both quarterbacks lost their jobs permanently after an injury. Sanchez appeared to have a slight edge over Smith for the Jets starting job before injuring his shoulder in the preseason.

Sanchez had season-ending surgery in October, which effectively ended his career in New York.

The Jets could have held on to Sanchez for a few more days, but a decision had to be made by March 25. If Sanchez had still been on the roster then, the Jets would have owed him a $2 million roster bonus.

Sanchez joined the team the same year as coach Rex Ryan. The fifth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Sanchez helped lead the Jets to two straight AFC Championship games.

"I'd like to thank Mark for everything he's done for this team and me personally," Ryan said in a statement. "We were rookies together and had some early success, becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback to go to back-to-back championship games. We experienced a lot together and I really appreciate Mark. He's a great player, a great teammate, and I wish him nothing but the best."

Sanchez may no longer be a Jet, but we'll always have the memory of him being one thanks to a tattoo on Ryan's arm of Ryan's wife wearing a Sanchez jersey.

With the release of Mark Sanchez, I wonder what Rex Ryan will do with this tattoo on his arm. pic.twitter.com/fbVthVdZck

— BearDown NutUp (@BearDownNutUp) March 21, 2014

NFL Hot News

Steelers sign WR Lance Moore to 2-year deal



With Jerricho Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders moving on, the Steelers have signed a new slot receiver. It's former Saints wideout Lance Moore. The player and team agreed to a two-year contract Friday. Moore, 30, spent his first eight seasons in New Orleans and had a down year in 2013. He caught 37 passes in 13 games for 457 yards. He topped 1,000 yards in 2012.



Moore was a handy red-zone option for Drew Brees, but the Saints should be just fine moving forward with Kenny Stills and Joseph Morgan picking up the slack.Moore will work out of the slot for the Steelers while second-year player Markus Wheaton will line up out wide. This is a nice signing, but also a boring one for fantasy purposes. Ben Roethlisberger will like having Moore over the middle, but I don't expect Moore to suddenly return to his 2011 or 2012 totals in Pittsburgh.

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Pacers’ Andrew Bynum (sore knee) out indefinitely

Andrew Bynum's knees are acting up again. (USATSI)

New team, same story.

The Pacers announced Friday center Andrew Bynum will be out indefinitely because of swelling and soreness in his right knee.

Bynum, who joined the Pacers after being traded to the Bulls who then cut him, has appeared in only two games, but performed well in both scoring 15 with nine rebounds on March 15 against the Pistons.

Coach Frank Vogel said this recent flare up was an actual setback that happened in the game against the Pistons.

“He played in the Detroit game (20 minutes), aggravated a previous condition and had some swelling in there,” Vogel said, according to PBT. “He's going to be out for a little while.”

The addition of Bynum was always somewhat of a risk with his injury history, but one the Pacers were able to make. With Roy Hibbert and Ian Mahinmi already in place, adding Bynum was about trying to solidify their depth, as well as keep him away from another Eastern contender, like say, the Heat.

With the team saying he's out indefinitely, that doesn't mean Bynum is done for the season, but it's not a good sign. His knees have been problematic the last two years, causing him to miss all of 2012-13 with the 76ers because of them. So it might be a bit of a longshot that he finds the floor against this season.

Topics: Andrew Bynum, Ian Mahinmi, Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers, NBA

Basketball Hot News

Kevin Durant scores 51, hits game-winner in double overtime win over Raptors (VIDEO)

Kevin Durant ended a wild double-overtime contest against the Raptors on Friday by hitting a long three-pointer with under two seconds remaining to give the Thunder an insanely hard-fought 119-118 road victory.

Oklahoma City trailed by eight points with 49 seconds remaining in the second overtime session, before two three-pointers from Durant and one from Derek Fisher closed the game on a 9-0 run to steal the victory from the Raptors.

Durant finished with 51 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the last player to put up those numbers was Michael Jordan in 1992.

The MVP debate isn’t yet over, but KD is doing everything possible to seal that door shut.

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Adelaide Utd 3-1 Sydney FC: Hosts close on finals

Soccer Hot News

Oxford appoint Waddock

Gary Waddock has been appointed the new head coach of League Two outfit Oxford United, the club announced on Saturday.

The 52-year-old, who counts QPR, Aldershot and Wycombe Wanderers among his former clubs, leaves his position on the coaching team at the MK Dons to take the reins at the Kassam Stadium.

He succeeds previous incumbent Chris Wilder, who left promotion-chasing United to join struggling Northampton Town in January.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Waddock said: “I am grateful to Oxford United for having given me this great opportunity, and cannot wait to get started.

“The club is in a good position, and the immediate priority is to turn that position into promotion at the end of the season.

“In the medium term, the board’s vision is to build on the solid platform that has been put together to take Oxford back up the leagues, where a club of this size belongs.

“I applied for this job because I believe that I can be a part of achieving that ambition, and because I fully buy into the board’s philosophy of how a football club should be run.”

Waddock’s first game in charge will be Monday’s visit to Southend United, with caretaker boss Mickey Lewis having overseen Friday’s 1-0 win over Hartlepool United.

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Report: Manziel gets boost with trademark ruling

Johnny Manziel is seeking to trademark the phrase 'Johnny Football.' (USATSI) Johnny Manziel won a battle in his effort to trademark the nickname 'Johnny Football,' as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reportedly refused to register the same trademark with a College Station investment firm.

ESPN reported that the patent office sent a letter to Kenneth R. Reynolds Family Investments rejecting its argument that the phrase 'Johnny Football' did not refer to any particular individual.

"Registration is refused because the applied-for mark consists of or includes a name, portrait, or signature identifying a particular living individual whose written consent to register the mark is not of record," the office's attorney wrote -- in other words, that yes, "Johnny Football" does refer to a "particular living individual," and that that individual hasn't "consented" to giving the firm the trademark.

On the contrary, the Manziel family has filed its own claim to the trademark, though its filing came some weeks after the Kenneth R. Reynolds Family Investments claim in late 2012.

The firm, ESPN reports, can appeal this week's ruling.

NFL Hot News

QB Campbell signs one year deal with Bengals



According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, quarterback Jason Campbell has signed a one year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2014 season. The monetary terms of the deal have yet to be released. Campbell has familiarity with the offense that Cincinnati will be running in 2014. New Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson was Campbell's OC in 2010 and his head coach in 2011, both seasons in Oakland.Campbell spent the 2013 season as part of the Cleveland QB carousel, starting the last eight games for the Browns. He led the team in passing with 2,015 yards and 11 touchdowns, and had the best game of his career in a 27-26 loss to the Patriots at Foxboro in Week 14, throwing for 391 yards and three touchdowns.



Rarely would you say that there's a quarterback competition on a team where their guy threw for 4,293 yards and 33 touchdowns the previous season... but, don't think for one second that Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson aren't going to use the signing of Campbell to try to motivate current QB Andy Dalton to take some strides and improve even more this year. With this signing and the rumors that they are interested in Georgia signal caller Aaron Murray, it may be possible that they aren't all that thrilled about the prospect of Dalton being "their guy" long-term.Look, the guy put up great fantasy numbers last season. He helped me win a high-stakes league in the process. But, he also threw 20 interceptions in the regular seasons, two more in a home playoff loss to San Diego. I watched him play at least six times in 2013, and saw him underthrow a wide open A.J. Green what felt like at least once in every one of those games. Had he been able to lead his receivers on deep balls a little better, he could have eclipsed 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns. Fantasy fans see the numbers. Bengals fans see what could have been a much better season.I like Dalton. He is still going to be the starter and he should still be expected to have another good season in 2014. But, the signing of Campbell definitely shows that they want to have a decent backup to go to, should things start to go awry and Who Dey Nation starts to get restless.

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Former Saints WR Moore takes Steelers deal

Former Saints receiver Lance Moore will be spending the next two years in Pittsburgh. (USATSI)

More NFL offseason: Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Pro Days | Top free agents

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two wide receivers during free agency, now they've finally added one. The Steelers announced on Friday that they've agreed to terms on a two-year deal with former Saints receiver Lance Moore.

Moore had two-years left on his deal with New Orleans when he was released by the Saints on March 7 in a cost-cutting move. The financial terms of Moore's deal with the Steelers haven't been disclosed yet.

The 30-year-old caught 37 passes for 457 yards for the Saints last season. Those numbers were Moore's lowest total in New Orleans since 2009 when he only caught 14 passes for 153 yards in a season where he only played in seven games.

During his nine-year career, Moore earned his money in the red zone, catching 346 passes for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns.

The addition of Moore means Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will have at least one person to throw to in 2014 besides Antonio Brown. Two of Pittsburgh's three leading receivers from last season -- Jerricho Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders -- have both signed on with new teams since free agency began on March 11. Cotchery is in Carolina and Sanders signed with the Broncos.

Moore won't have to wait long to face his old team. The Steelers will be hosting the Saints sometime during the 2014 season. The exact date of the game should be announced in late April.

NFL Hot News

Return man Hester agrees to 3-year deal with Falcons



ESPN insider Adam Schefter has reported that return specialist Devin Hester has agreed to terms on a three year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The former Chicago Bear has spent time as a defensive back and wide receiver in his career, but has primarily become a return specialist. He had career highs in kick returns (52) and kick return yards (1,442). Both numbers led the league in 2013. Hester is the all-time NFL leader punt returns for touchdowns with 13, and combined kick/punt returns for touchdowns with 18.



Minimal news on the fantasy front. Good addition for the Falcons, though. Having a guy like Hester late in close games that could break a punt return for a touchdown on any play is a valuable commodity.

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Raiders trade late-round pick for Matt Schaub

More NFL offseason: Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Pro Days | Top free agents

The world's been holding its collective breath, wondering when Matt Schaub will be released by the Texans. Turns out he won't. He's being traded to Oakland instead.

The Raiders officially announced on Friday that they've added Schaub. According to NFL.com, Oakland gave up a sixth-round pick for the Texans quarterback.

With Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin and Trent Edwards on the depth chart, it stands to reason that Schaub will become the likely starter for 2014.

It's no guarantee, however. After all the Raiders gave up low-round picks prior to last year in order to acquire Matt Flynn from the Seahawks and he ended up starting for the Bills and then the Packers before the season ended.

But the Raiders draft dynamic certainly changes. Three of our 2014 NFL Mock Drafts had the Raiders taking a quarterback (specifically, Johnny Manziel) in our latest update. Oakland still needs a passer of the future but Schaub's presence means they could take talent over need when No. 5 rolls around, or even trade down and gamble that a passer will land in their lap later.

And rip Schaub all you want (or set his jersey on fire or mock him with mean meat advertisments) but he's a quarterback who's capable of winning games, or at the very least managing them.

The 2013 season was a nightmare for him but if he returns to the form he had in the previous four years this will look like a smart deal for the Raiders.

Matt Schaub's reportedly been traded to the Raiders. (USATSI)

NFL Hot News

Chargers GM: Ryan Mathews is still our bell cow RB



Ryan Mathews carried the ball 285 times last season, fourth-most in the NFL. Allhough injuries have certainly been a problem for him, both he and Danny Woodhead had career years for the Chargers in 2013. So why would the team go out and give Donald Brown a three-year deal to be a third wheel? Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said Wednesday it was about giving the offense more options, and he insinuated Brown's presence will not lead to a decreased workload for Mathews."We know Ryan is our bell cow," Telesco said during a radio interview. "He's our No. 1 back. He had an excellent year last year. And we all know what Danny Woodhead can do in his role. We saw that for 16 games last year. And we think Donald can come in and add to that, too, and give us some different options. And a different style, too. The more weapons we can have for Philip Rivers, the better."



All of this leads me to believe that Brown will be a younger edition of Ronnie Brown this season. He'll block, catch a couple of passes, and come in when Mathews needs a breather, If Mathews stays healthy, Brown will end up being an expensive insurance policy, but history tells us that the Chargers needed another between-the-tackles runner in the event that Mathews' health in 2013 turns out to be an outlier. But until an injury occurs, Mathews is a solid RB2, Woodhead is a solid RB2 in PPR leagues only, and Brown has minimal value in any format.

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Falcons’ White to pay off ticket bet on Mercer win

Roddy White was pretty confident that Duke would win on Friday. (USATSI)

If you're interested in Atlanta Falcons season tickets and you don't want to pay for them, then just go argue college basketball with Roddy White on Twitter and you might get them for free. That's what one fan did.

White was asked on March 18 how far he thought Duke would go in the NCAA Tournament this year and as you can see below, he thought the Blue Devils would go pretty far.

Championship RT @kristenm2185 how far do you think duke goes this year??

— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) March 18, 2014

One of White's Twitter followers didn't think much of the prediction and said that Duke would lose in the first round.

@roddywhiteTV @kristenm2185 Mercer gonna beat em first round! #478

— Dylan Hoyt (@DHoyt77) March 18, 2014

White was so sure that Duke wouldn't lose in the first round, he responded with this:

@DHoyt77 if mercer beat duke I will give you season tickets 50 yard line first row

— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) March 18, 2014

If you missed the game, here's what happened: The 14th-seeded Mercer Bears stunned the No. 3 seed Duke Blue Devils and won some free Falcons season tickets for Dylan Hoyt.

The only question now is: Will White pay off the bet? The Falcons receiver hasn't tweeted since the end of the game, so we have no clue if he'll pay it off or if he even remembers the tweet.

This is almost like the time Aaron Rodgers made a bet on Twitter for one year of his salary that Ryan Braun wasn't using steroids. Braun was using steroids and Rodgers never paid up.

UPDATE: At 4:25 p.m. ET, Roddy White responded to everyone asking about the bet. White won't be giving the fan season-tickets, but he will be giving him something.

I lost a bet and I will give him tickets to the bears game since he is a bears fan done with this bet

— Roddy White (@roddywhiteTV) March 21, 2014

NFL Hot News

Bengals won't match Browns' offer for WR Andrew Hawkins



The Bengals had until midnight Tuesday to match the four-year, $13.6 million offer that the Browns gave wide receiver Andrew Hawkins last week. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bengals aren't going to make Hawkins wait until the witching hour. Schefter reports that the Bengals won't match the offer. "He's a Brown," Schefter wrote.



Hawkins, 28, is a dynamic slot receiver who is known for breaking off big plays. However, he is very small -- 5-foot-7, 180 pounds -- and thus, more prone to injuries. He missed half of last season due to an ankle problem. But if he stays healthy, he fills out a solid trio of receivers available to the Browns' next starting quarterback. Hawkins in the slot with Josh Gordon out wide, and tight end Jordan Cameron down the seam is a lot of speed and athleticism for one defense to cover. I don't think this signing makes Hawkins anything more than a WR3 in fantasy, at the absolute best, but Cleveland's offense definitely looks better on paper than it did just a few weeks ago.Now, the hardest part: They've got to find someone capable of getting the ball to all of those targets consistently.I expect the Bengals to look for a wideout in the mid-to-late rounds of the upcoming draft.

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