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Dave Hyde: Mike Gesicki, Bill Belichick and the larger free-agent alchemy of picking the right free agent

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

There’s an old scouting report typwritten in all capital letters that explains what New England is doing, why tight end Mike Gesicki might not be done and also why Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was still right.The report was written by Bill Belichick before he was the Belichick we know. It involves the larger alchemy involved in free-agent decisions, more than just grabbing the biggest talent out there. As Cleveland Browns coach in 1991, Belichick handed scouts a few pages on what they should look for at each position to fit his system.This is standard procedure of any regime. Nick Saban brought this report with him to the Miami Dolphins in 2005, breaking positions down by size and speed parameters for scouts. Adam Gase spent two hours with scouts in 2016 explaining what he wanted in a guard.The first priority of a tight end, Belichick typed, was he, “has to be a catcher. Keith Jackson, Ozzie Newsome type. Don’t need the offensive line guy in a TE jersey. Take...

Derrick White deserving of more crunch time minutes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

A day after the Celtics suffered a double overtime loss to the Knicks earlier this month, Joe Mazzulla admitted he made a mistake.Derrick White – who’s been one of the Celtics’ most valuable players this season – only played six minutes combined in the fourth quarter and both overtime periods of that loss. Mazzulla, the Celtics’ first-year head coach, second-guessed his decision.“That’s probably a coaching fault of mine yesterday. I probably should have had him in at the end of the game,” Mazzulla told reporters. “And so, when we have the majority of our roster balanced out and trying to get the best players on the floor, it’s important. Rewatching it today, there’s definitely moments where we could have had him on the floor. When he’s on the floor, we’re a really good team. We need him to be confident and aggressive on both ends.”Two weeks later, White was noticeably absent in crunch time for the Celtics again.White didn’t see the court at all in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s to...

Reports: Bills sign former Patriots back Damien Harris

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

Damien Harris has left the Patriots, but he hasn’t said goodbye to the AFC East.According to reports, the free agent running back agreed to a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.Harris had spent his first four seasons with the Patriots, amassing over 2,000 rushing yards with 20 touchdowns.Last season, he missed some time due to injury, finishing with 464 yards and three touchdowns. He also saw Rhamondre Stevenson take over as the Patriots lead back.Harris, who like Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is an Alabama alum, had his best season in 2021, rushing for 929 yards with 15 touchdowns.Last week, the Patriots added former Jaguars and Jets running back James Robinson to a two-year deal worth up to a maximum of $8 million. The Patriots also have Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris and Ty Montgomery in the running back room.

Bryson Tiller to kick off return tour in San Diego

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Self-proclaimed "Trap Soul" artist Bryson Tiller is returning to the road for his "Back and I'm Better Tour" that starts in San Diego, the music artist said.The announcement is the first U.S. tour for the contemporary R&B songwriter, singer and rapper in five years, Tiller said Monday via social media."It’s simple, we back! Taking a trip to the past and giving y’all a glimpse of the future. 5 whole years without touring, Time really does fly… See y’all soon!", he posted on his Instagram. It’s ‘ridiculicious’: Popular ‘best-burger’ joint opens first San Diego location His first stop will be at the House of Blues San Diego, located at 1055 Fifth Ave in downtown San Diego, on Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m.Receiving recognition from iconic artists like Drake and Timbaland, Tiller is known for his songs such as "Don't," "Break Bread" and "Sorry Not Sorry." Tiller's other stops for his 2023 tour include Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Colorado and more.

In Trump probe, grand jury hears from final witnesses

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York grand jury investigating Donald Trump appeared to be hearing from final witnesses as law enforcement officials accelerated security preparations Monday in advance of a possible indictment and as fellow Republicans staked out positions in a criminal probe expected to shake up the 2024 presidential race.Testimony from Robert Costello, a lawyer who had a falling out with the key government witness in the Trump investigation, came as the grand jury that for months has been investigating Trump over hush money paid to a porn star during his 2016 campaign appeared to be wrapping up its work.Costello was invited to appear after saying he had information raising questions about the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key witness in the investigation who has already appeared multiple times before the grand jury. Costello’s testimony was expected to give the former president an indirect opportunity to make a case that he shouldn’t face criminal charges, though ther...

Former Australian elite soldier charged with Afghan’s murder

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Police on Monday charged the first Australian veteran for an alleged murder in Afghanistan three years after a war crimes investigation found that 19 Australian special forces soldiers could face charges for illegal conduct.Former Special Air Service Regiment trooper Oliver Schulz, 41, was arrested in New South Wales state and charged by police with the war crime of murder, an Australian Federal Police statement said.“It will be alleged he murdered an Afghan man while deployed to Afghanistan,” the statement said.Schulz’s charge was mentioned late Monday in a Queanbeyan court where his lawyer did not apply for his release on bail. Schulz was remanded in custody to appear in a Sydney court on May 16.Australian Broadcasting Corp. broadcast helmet camera video in 2020 of a soldier it said was Schulz shooting an Afghan man in 2012 in a wheat field in Uruzgan province.Schulz, who was awarded the Commendation for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan, fa...

2 missing Florida boaters found dead in lake near Legoland

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say they recovered the bodies of two boaters Monday afternoon, nearly two days after they went missing following an accident on a central Florida lake near the Legoland theme park.The bodies of Orlando Ortiz, 30, of Winter Haven, and Jeffrey Marrero, 34, of Auburndale, were located in Lake Eloise about 150 yards (meters) apart, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release.Sheriff Grady Judd previously said at a news conference that the two men had jumped into Winter Haven lake to save a third person from their group, a woman, who was struggling in the water. The men became separated from the boat and had not been seen since Saturday evening.The third person, 38-year-old Velcky Velazques, was rescued by sheriff’s deputies who had been summoned when a 10-year-old girl on the boat dialed 911 on a cellphone. That child and an 8-year-old girl remained on the boat as it drifted and were rescued safely by deputies aboard a fishi...

Trump loses last bid to keep key evidence out of rape trial

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s effort to keep key evidence out of his civil rape trial next month was rejected by a federal judge Monday.Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in Manhattan ruled that key witnesses will be allowed to testify and misogynistic remarks Trump made about women in 2005 when he apparently didn’t realize he was being recorded can be played for a jury that will hear quarter-century-old rape allegations made by a former magazine columnist.A trial in the case filed by E. Jean Carroll is scheduled to start April 25. Carroll and Trump are expected to testify.Carroll said in a 2019 memoir that she was raped by Trump in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman, an upscale Manhattan department store. She said a chance encounter filled with lighthearted banter turned violent when they entered a small room while teasing one another about who would try on a piece of lingerie.Trump has repeatedly insisted he never met Carroll at the store and that he didn...

Teacher shot by 6-year-old describes challenging recovery

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said she has had four surgeries and is going through a challenging recovery.Speaking publicly for the first time since the Jan. 6 shooting, first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner said during an exclusive interview with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that she has some days when she “can’t get up out of bed,” while others she is able to go about her day and make it to appointments.“For going through what I’ve gone through, I try to stay positive. You know, try to have a positive outlook on what’s happened and where my future’s heading,” Zwerner said in a portion of the interview that was aired Monday on “NBC Nightly News.” Zwerner was hospitalized for nearly two weeks after being shot in the chest and left hand as she taught her class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The shooting rattled the military shipbuilding community and sent shock waves around...

Man stabbed by 2 suspects, carjacked in Toronto: police

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

Toronto police say a man was stabbed and carjacked by multiple suspects northwest of the city.Officers were notified of a carjacking in the Rogers Road and Old Weston Road area just after 8 p.m. on Monday.Police said two suspects stabbed and seriously injured a man in his 50s before stealing his vehicle.The car is described as a blue Nissan Rogue with the Ontario licence plate CWAE278, last seen travelling towards Keele Street.