Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
PHILADELPHIA - Asante Samuel has such good hands and terrific instincts that the All-Pro cornerback rarely drops the ball, one reason why he has 16 interceptions the last two years.
The Eagles instincts were on the ball, too, that Samuel was the kind of playmaker they desperately needed to strengthen a defense that recorded an NFL-worst 19 takeaways in 2007.
Philadelphia got its first one of 2008, signing the free-agent cornerback to a six-year contract on Friday and ending Samuel’s five-year stint in New England.
“I just want a chance to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl,” Samuel said. “That’s why I picked the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Samuel, an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection this past season, knows something about making timely picks. Samuel, who won two Super Bowl rings, has 22 career interceptions in 75 games.
“We regarded Asante as the No. 1 available free agent in the NFL,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said.
The Eagles wasted little time making an offer, reportedly worth around $57 million with $20 million guaranteed, on the first day of the free agent period.
The Eagles badly needed a shutdown corner — or a “pick magnet,” as his agent called him — like Samuel. Philadelphia had only 11 interceptions last year and failed to score a defensive touchdown to go along with its abysmal takeaway record.
Samuel, a fourth-round draft pick in 2003, also tied the NFL career playoff record with three interceptions returned for TDs.
He was protected by New England last year by the franchise player tag. When asked if he felt underappreciated in New England, Samuel declined to comment.
“You just have to try to block it out of your mind,” said Samuel of the tag.
Samuel tied Denver’s Champ Bailey for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions in 2006 and returned two more picks for touchdowns in the postseason against the Jets and Colts. His 12 total interceptions in the 2006 regular season and playoffs were the highest combined single-season total in Patriots history.
Samuel kept New England’s perfect 2007 regular season alive in late November against the Eagles. He returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown and had a second pick off A.J. Feeley that halted a late Philadelphia drive in New England’s 31-28 victory.
Samuel also won a Super Bowl ring when the Patriots beat the Eagles by three points in the Super Bowl in 2005.
So did the Patriots really know all of Philadelphia’s signals before the game?
“This is over,” said coach Andy Reid, with a laugh.
The acquisition means the Eagles will likely trade or shift positions for either Lito Sheppard or Sheldon Brown.
Sheppard, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is reportedly unhappy with his contract. The Eagles denied a report earlier this month that Sheppard, who signed a five-year extension in 2004, had asked for or been given permission to seek a trade.
Reid said Samuel will be the starting left cornerback, or, what was Sheppard’s starting job.
“When you have an opportunity to get the best one in the business, then you need to look at that,” Reid said.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.