We’re heading for the home stretch now, aren’t we? Wait … am I talking about the work week or the college basketball regular season? Choose your own adventure.
We have Thursday on our hands this morning, partner, and with it comes a great selection of sports. I have everything you need to start your day including a ranking of the best free agents in the NFL and some updates on college basketball bubble teams as well as notable developments on the Tiger Woods accident. Speaking of getting started, Paramount + launched today and it’s the new home for all the live events CBS Sports has to offer – including March Madness, NFL games, Champions League football and everything in between. Check it out here.
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📰 What you should know
1. The top 100 free agents in the NFL are … 🏈
As wild as the NFL’s offseason already is, it promises to get wilder as we get closer to free agency. It should be a rather interesting year in the open market given the financial implications of the pandemic and some of the names that will seek their next landing point.
Speaking of those names, our Pete Prisco gathered his rankings from the top 100 free agents that might be available when the market opens the 17th of March. Here it is: the best of the best!
- Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: As obvious as this one is, it also seems like some kind of technicality. Dallas to try to sign Dak for long-term extension And if they can’t make it, they just go franchise tag it again. The chances of him actually hitting the market are thin to none
- Leonard Williams, DE, Giants: Some may push it back by giving it such a high rating, but Prisco says “there is a dearth of good downed players who can sway the quarterback like Williams and still anchor against the run, “so he’s going to be greatly appreciated. And Prisco believes too. his best football is yet to come
- Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers: Tampa Bay goes try to bring it back and they should be able to make a good pitch because they are defending champions and Tom Brady will always throw the ball to them. If they can’t convince him to sign an extension, they could still tag him in franchise. But what if Godwin wants to go to an offense where he’s more clearly No. 1?
You can find the full list here, so please feel free to check it out and let me know any complaints or issues you have with the ranking. Being able to deliver angry complaints straight to Prisco’s inbox is one of my favorite parts of the job.
Of course, it’s not always the guys at the top of the list that have the most impact. Free agency is as much about filling in the gaps and holes in a list as it is about making a splash. As such, our Jason La Canfora took the time to point out eight NFL Dark Horse free agents that could provide real value on a short-term trade, or perhaps secure a larger bag than most expect.
2. NCAA Tournament Bubble Watch: Pac-12, Big East teams make moves 🏀
We’re officially coming to the critical moment for March Madness, which means every game remaining is crucial to NCAA tournament rank and status later this month. There are a lot of teams that find themselves in the bubble as we go down the wire and we’re going to have to keep a close eye on those teams as they fight for their playoff plight.
Yesterday brought a fair amount of bubbles, so here’s what you need to know about these fringe teams:
- Oregon beats UCLA to take first place in Pac-12: In a two-team battle in the top end of the bubble, the Ducks came away with the 82-74 victory. This is important for Oregon, because now they are in first place in the Pac-12 and have a head start on UCLA, who still only have one victory over a team in the range
- Seton Hall loses to UConn: Seton Hall badly needed a win over the Huskies last night, but they missed 69-58. It’s a great swing game for their chances, as they are now sitting at 13-11 instead of 14-10. Two games over .500 just aren’t good enough to get them going
- Stanford gets run over by USC: It is probably safe to say that The Stanford bubble burst last night. They had a great opportunity to earn a declaration of victory over the Trojans and prove the skeptics wrong, but they ended up being absolutely streamroll, 79-42. It’s gonna be an envelope for them
Other notable bubble actions include Syracuse, Wichita State, Colorado State, and San Diego State, all with significant victories to stay in the chase … for now. Although teams are closing their regular season schedule this week, bubble watch will remain active during upcoming conference tournaments. The postseason game will give these teams the chance to prove they deserve a spot, so stay tuned.
3. Tiger Woods update: golfer does not remember driving on the day of the accident
It’s been a few days since we checked in on Tiger Woods and now looks like a good opportunity to do so. We’ve got a little more information on the near-fatal car crash that left Tiger seriously injured last week, so here’s what you need to know:
- Woods told the police he didn’t know how the crash happened and that he didn’t even remember driving that morning
- A warrant has been obtained for obtain data from the vehicle’s black box as part of the investigation
- While the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department initially called the crash “purely accidental,” they pushed that statement back a bit yesterday.
- LASO statement: “The sheriff spoke to the information known at the time and said it was a traffic accident.” However, the road collision investigation is (ongoing) and traffic investigators have not made any conclusions as to the cause of the collision. ”
Obviously it’s rather worrying that Tiger has no recollection of the crash … although that does help somewhat to explain how / why he was able to accelerate over 400 feet on the middle of the road and descend. a small ravine without even pressing the brakes. It becomes more concerning when you remember Tiger has a history of drunk driving.
Hope it was just a weird incident. Either way, it looks like something really went wrong and Tiger is extremely lucky to be alive.
4. All-Star roster drafting mockup 🏀
USATSI
The NBA All-Star Game takes place this Sunday and, once again, the league will let the game’s two captains / top vote-holders (LeBron James and Kevin Durant) draft their respective teams, pickup playstyle. There’s an incredibly talented pool of starters and reservists to choose from, so LeBron and KD are going to have some big decisions to make when they go through the draft process later tonight.
Yesterday our Sam Quinn and James Herbert made these big decisions and tried to predict how LeBron and Durant will fill their teams. Yes, it’s true, a simulation project of the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Here’s a look at their top five picks:
- Team LeBron (Quinn): Stephen Curry, warriors
- Durant Team (Herbert): Kyrie Irving, nets
- LeBron Team: Luka Doncic, Mavericks
- Durant team: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
- LeBron Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, dollars
For the full project, go here.
Let’s be honest here … the real excitement of the NBA All-Star Game Draft doesn’t lie in the order of players selected. This lies in the time it takes for LeBron to openly commit an adulteration on television.
📝 Dimensions and ends
USATSI
📺 What to watch tonight
🏀 Michigan State vs. Michigan # 2, 7 p.m. | MICH -12 | Television: ESPN
🏒 Flyers against penguins, 7 p.m. | PIT +105 | Television: ESPN +
🏀 Heat vs pelicans, 8:30 p.m. | NO -3.5 | Television: TNT
🥇 The best thing I saw yesterday
Shaquille O’Neal was sent across a table while making his wrestling debut on AEW last night.
