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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.
Seahawks re-signed RT Breno Giacomini to a two-year, $6 million contract with a $1.5 million signing bonus.
Giacomini, 26, had been an extreme liability in previous spot appearances before James Carpenter's ACL injury forced him into the starting lineup down the 2011 stretch. The former Packers draft pick started seven games, holding his own and flashing difference-making potential as a run blocker against the Bears and Cardinals. Giacomini will likely compete with Carpenter to keep the job in camp. At worst, he'll return as a versatile reserve.
A source close to the situation told the National Football Post that free agent MLB Lofa Tatupu sat out the 2011 season due to knee problems.
Tatupu had both of his knees surgically repaired before the season, and we suspect he was unable to pass physicals in team tryouts. "It was just injury-related," the source said. "He wasn't 100 percent and didn't feel he was ready to go." Tatupu is still only 29 and plans to make a comeback in 2012. The Bears, Redskins, and Raiders showed interest in Tatupu last offseason.
Although he's off crutches and rehabbing at Seahawks headquarters, Mike Williams (fibula) is unsure if he'll ready for OTAs in mid-April.
Williams is determined to get better, faster, and more explosive this offseason, dropping well below his 240-pound playing weight of the past two seasons. That's going to be easier said than done coming off a fractured left ankle and fibula.
The Seattle Times believes Marshawn Lynch is a prime candidate for the franchise tag this offseason.
The franchise tag for running backs has dropped from $9.6 million in 2010 to $8.2 million in 2011 and $7.7 million in 2012. Slapping Lynch with the tag after a career year makes a lot more sense than matching DeAngelo Williams' five-year, $43 million contract.
All of Sidney Rice's $7 million salary for 2012 was guaranteed in the contract he signed last July.
There are indications Rice's body may be letting him down at a young age, but the Seahawks lack the capability of getting out of his high-priced deal if he can't play football in 2012. We don't know that it's even a possibility, but Rice suffered three concussions in a 12-month span and is having both shoulders repaired surgically this offseason. His 2012 cap number is $8.2 million.
Sidney Rice underwent offseason surgery on both shoulders, according to Tom Pelissero of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
One of procedures repaired a torn labrum. The second one is undisclosed. Along with Jahvid Best, there may not be more of a red-flag injury risk in 2012. Rice's season ended a month early after sustaining his third concussion in 12 months. He's now undergone the two shoulder surgeries on top of a major hip procedure less than two years ago. Despite his obvious talent, we can't recommend buying low on Rice in Dynasty leagues.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times suggests that the Seahawks may not prioritize re-signing free agent MLB David Hawthorne.
"They want to get faster at linebacker and they could easily slide K.J. Wright inside," O'Neil speculated. "... He'd probably be a cheaper alternative than bringing David back. So there's a possibility that Hawthorne could move on." One of the better run-stopping inside linebackers in football, Hawthorne is only 26 years old and should appeal to both 3-4 and 4-3 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.
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.
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