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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.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
Free agent Kevin Smith strongly reiterated his desire to re-sign with the Lions this offseason.
"In every interview that I've done, even though I'm a free agent, I've referred to the team and me as us," Smith said. "I'm on the Lions roster in my opinion until I'm not on the Lions roster. That says it all." The Lions front office has been tight-lipped about its plans for Smith.
Lions waived DE Cody Brown.
The Lions could have opted to simply non-tender Brown as an impending exclusive rights free agent, but this move allows him latch on elsewhere more quickly. Brown is a former Cardinals second-round bust out of UConn.
NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp believes January, 2011 shoulder surgery contributed to Ndamukong Suh's disappointing season.
Suh's production dropped from 66 tackles and 10 sacks as a rookie to 36 tackles and four sacks in 2011. "He's never been a hip-flipper or a true pass rusher," Sapp said. "He was just overpowering, throwing people out of the way." Suh's power should return in 2012, though he'd do well to spend the offseason honing his pass-rushing skills.
The Detroit Free Press acknowledges that the Lions "won't have much cap room" with free agency approaching on March 13.
The Lions have sunk a ton of money into their defensive line, and their shortage of cap space is one of the many reasons we believe the possibility of LE Cliff Avril hitting the open market is strong. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Louis Delmas, and Gosder Cherilus all triggered contract escalators in 2011 that boosted their base salaries. While Avril is the Lions' top offseason priority, he may have to accept a cap-friendly deal to return.
Matthew Stafford was voted as the Associated Press' 2011 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
After appearing in just three games in 2010, Stafford started all 16 games and led the Lions to their first postseason since 1999. His 5,082 passing yards and 41 touchdowns both ranked third in the NFL. Stafford received 21 to Browns' LB D'Qwell Jackson 16 votes. Also receiving votes: Panthers WR Steve Smith, Giants QB Eli Manning, Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil, and Patriots DE Andre Carter.
Matthew Stafford's Week 7 ankle sprain was reportedly of the high variety.
The injury was reported as a garden-variety sprain at the time. Stafford didn't miss so much as a snap, confirming that he's no "China Doll" as former teammate LB Zack Follett once suggested. (Follett has since fallen out of the league.) After appearing in all 16 games and throwing for 5,038 yards this season, Stafford is up for the Comeback Player of the Year award Saturday.
Free agent DE Cliff Avril said Wednesday that he "definitely" does not want the Lions to franchise tag him.
"The franchise tag kind of makes it a yearly thing, and you want security," said Avril. The 26-year-old pass rusher did express some hope that the sides can reach a long-term agreement. "(I'm) kind of getting positive vibes as far as for me being there again next year," Avril said. "Hopefully, we can meet in the middle and make it happen, because I'd definitely love to be there."
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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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.