Dolphins Blow Up Their Roster: Tua Released, Minkah Traded as NFL Free Agency Chaos Begins
Nothing in today's headlines directly covers the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Lynx, United, or Gophers. With NFL free agency kicking off and March Madness around the corner, keep an eye out — Minnesota teams wi...
Minnesota Teams
Nothing in today's headlines directly covers the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Lynx, United, or Gophers. With NFL free agency kicking off and March Madness around the corner, keep an eye out — Minnesota teams will be making moves soon.
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NFL
The Dolphins are blowing it all up. Miami is releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the former top-5 draft pick who's dealt with concussion issues throughout his career. It'll cost them an NFL-record $99 million in "dead money" — that's money they still owe a player who's no longer on the team, which will hurt their ability to sign others.
They also traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets for a seventh-round draft pick, which is essentially giving him away. Fitzpatrick is one of the better safeties in football, so this signals a full rebuild in Miami.
On the other side of the ledger, cornerback Trent McDuffie just became the highest-paid CB in NFL history after agreeing to an extension with the Rams (traded from the Chiefs). NFL free agency officially opens soon, so expect a flood of moves this week.
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NBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is chasing history. The Oklahoma City Thunder star is closing in on breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for the longest consecutive 20-point scoring streak. Chamberlain set the record decades ago and is considered one of basketball's all-time greats, so this is a genuinely big deal. Tonight the Thunder host Denver's Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets — two of the best players in the league going head-to-head.
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MLB
Spring training is underway and teams are already naming their Opening Day starting pitchers. Fantasy baseball season is also ramping up if that's your thing. No major scores to report yet — the regular season is still a few weeks out.
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NHL
The trade deadline just passed and the playoff picture is taking shape. Columbus Blue Jackets picked up winger Conor Garland and are now on the fringe of a playoff spot, which would be a surprise turnaround story worth watching. Out West, the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are battling for the Pacific Division title — they play tonight.
Award races are heating up too. Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini is in the MVP conversation (the Hart Trophy), which would be remarkable for a first-year player. The Norris Trophy for best defenseman is reportedly a dead heat between two candidates.
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College Sports
March Madness is almost here. Conference tournaments are wrapping up this week — Nebraska had a huge regular season turnaround (they were picked 14th in their conference preseason poll and finished 2nd) and Wisconsin is on a hot streak heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Now's the time to set up your office pool bracket.
Boston College fired basketball coach Earl Grant after five seasons and zero NCAA Tournament appearances. The Eagles haven't been to the big dance since 2009, so the program is searching for new direction.
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Other Sports
UFC at the White House is apparently a thing, but Jon Jones won't be on the card. UFC boss Dana White said Jones was "never" under serious consideration for the event despite some reported discussions. Jones pushed back publicly. It's the kind of drama the sport runs on.
Liverpool heads to Istanbul to face Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg today. It's one of Europe's biggest club competitions, and Liverpool is considered a strong favorite.