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New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur gave quarterback Eli Manning a vote of confidence heading into the 2019 season.

"Yeah, at this point I want Eli back," Shurmur said of the 38-year-old QB who has won two Super Bowls with the team but has struggled recently. "He's back. Get ready to go with him.

"I think Eli can help us win games. He proved, when the players around him started playing better, that he can play at a very high level and help us win games."

The Giants went 5-11 last season, when the only productive player on offense was Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley. Manning threw for 21 touchdowns, was intercepted 11 times and sacked 47 times behind a sieve of a line. His 92.4 passer rating ranked 21st overall.

"I fully expect him (back)," Shurmur added. "Again, you're going to ask me about particular players, Dave (Gettleman, the general manager) will tell you I'm a body collector. I want to keep all the players we have and add a lot of new ones. I really feel that way about Eli."

Washington Nationals Top 50 Prospects for 2019

Going into the 2018 season the Nationals were on many people’s list (including mine) to be the National League representative in the World Series. However, the Curse of Washington Sports Teams had other plans and they finished 2nd in the N.L. East with an 80-80 record. The underperformance actually led the Nationals to sell instead of buy at the trade deadline. Two of the pickups made it on my list, K.J Harrison and Gilbert Lara. Another would have made the list but Andruw Monasterio was flipped to Cleveland (along with Jefry Rodriguez and Daniel Johnson) for Yan Gomes. The one bright spot for the Nationals was the chosen Juan, Juan Soto. He blazed through the minors and was called up May 13th, the day I was going to watch him in Richmond. (C’mon!) It was a shame Robles got hurt earlier in the year as maybe it would have been the Robles year instead of the Soto Show.

As a whole, the Nationals system is quite poor. The top three, Robles, Kieboom, and Garcia, rank in many top 100 lists. After that, the system drops off a cliff and some lists ‘might’ have Denaburg on their top 300. One reason for the awful system is the Nationals have been in a win now mode for a couple of years now and have traded a bunch of interesting guys. Think how this system would look with Jesus Luzardo, Dane Dunning, Taylor Hearn, or Daniel Johnson still in the mix. Another reason for the poor system is where they draft. Since the Nationals have been competitive, they have a lower draft pick slot. Because of this, the Nationals have gambled on TJS/hurt players or players who have fallen in the draft due to other factors.

Even though the system looks bleak, I have hope it can improve. Antuna and Romero have flashed major talent and hopefully they can stay healthy and/or get their act together. Wil Crowe, as seen on the Fangraphs board, has some of the highest spin rates on both the fastball and breaking pitches. The Nationals have also had success in the International market, (again I get to mention Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Luis Garcia), so the next great Nationals prospect might not be in the system just yet.

Interesting stats on list:
26 position players ranked
24 pitchers ranked. 16 RHP, 8 LHP
9 prospects have had TJS

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster

Tier 1:
1. Victor Robles, OF (Midseason rank: 1)
Age 21
Highest Level: MLB
ETA: 2019
Robles should not be long for this list, especially if the Nationals fail to re-sign Bryce Harper. A magician in the field, Robles made his MLB debut in September of 2017. He held his own in 21 games he hit .288/.348/.525. He missed most of the 2018 season due to hyperextending his elbow at the beginning of the season. I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t for the injury, Robles would have been called up instead of Juan Soto.

Tier 2:
2. Carter Kieboom, SS (Midseason rank: 2)
Age 21
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2020
2018 was a huge year for Kieboom. He played in 123 games, the most games played in his pro career, splitting time between A+ and AA ball, playing in the Futures Game in DC, was invited to the AFL and played in the Fall Stars game. Scouts have said his defense has gotten better since signing and he should be able to stick at SS. However, with Turner currently playing there, I think Kieboom makes it to the Washington as a September call up as a second baseman.

3. Luis Garcia, 2B (Midseason rank: 3)
Age 18
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2021
Splitting time between A and A+, Garcia increased his “stock” in the eyes of many scouts. He, along with Kieboom, was selected to the Futures Game this past summer. I will be interested in how he progresses in hitting lefties; only hit .222/.230/.278 against lefties in 2018. He split time this year playing third, second as well as shortstop. When promoted to Potomac (A), he only played short. In the end, I think he’ll move over to third as the arm plays up there.

Tier 3:
4. Mason Denaburg, RHP (Midseason rank: 7)
Age 19
Highest Level: Fall Instructs
ETA: 2022
Denaburg was the Nationals first round pick this July. The Florida prep righty did not pitch until Fall Instructs due to some bicep tendinitis and looked pretty good, especially since he had not pitched in a game for quite some time. Scouts have said he has a very repeatable delivery with great velocity. Excited to see how he is with more reps in 2019.

5. Wil Crowe, RHP (Midseason rank: 8)
Age 24
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2020
Crowe is more of an innings eater type; good depth to have in a major league rotation. A swollen elbow scare mid-June led to a couple of weeks on the shelf. After an MRI revealed no major damage, he returned to sub-par results, as he also moved up to AA. Likely will never will be an ace as he is just too hittable, a major WHIP killer. Would be great if he was a year older and in AAA. He would be in competition for the fifth starter role in Washington.

6. Tim Cate, LHP (Midseason rank: 22)
Age 21
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
The Nationals selected Cate in the second round of the 2018 draft. He was the Friday night starter for the University of Connecticut. Prior to the draft, scouts said he had the best breaking ball but fell due to forearm tightness. The injury caused him to miss a couple of starts. After signing he threw 31 innings in Auburn (A-) and then moved to Hagerstown (A), however was not very effective. His 2018 line read 5.02 ERA and 1.404 WHIP with only a 7.8 K/9. An interesting piece to watch next year after some rest in the offseason.

7. Yasel Antuna, 3B (Midseason rank: 4)
Age 19
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Antuna saw a major drop in performance in 2018. Limited to 87 games, he saw a decrease in BB and increase in Ks when he moved up to High-A Hagerstown. His last game of the season was in mid-July and then had Tommy John surgery. Should begin the season in High-A, hoping to regain what was lost in 2018, minus a UCL of course.

8. Israel Pineda, C (Midseason rank: 43)
Age 19
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2022
Signed in the 2016 International draft class. Made it to A- ball as an 18-year-old. Bat first catcher with an above average arm. Note the Nationals have been aggressive with his promotions. Keep him on your radar.

9. Seth Romero, LHP (Midseason rank: 6)
Age 22
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2022
Hard first year in pro ball for Romero. He was the Nationals first round pick in 2017 that fell due to makeup concerns in college. He was sent home in Spring Training for violating team policy, most likely curfew. His season started in June in Hagerstown. In 25.1 innings he struck out 34 batters with a 3.91 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. His season ended in August after having TJS. I doubt he will pitch in 2019. Missing this much of development time on top of makeup issues is quite concerning.

Tier 4:
10. Telmito Agustin, OF (Midseason rank: 17)
Age 22
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2021
At age 22, Agustin has yet to play above A+ ball but put up his best offensive year. I wrote a case for him to be added to the 40-man roster. Agustin has fourth OF potential, think Brian Goodwin-esqe. Should move to AA in 2019.

11. Jose Sanchez, SS (Midseason rank: 10)
Age 18
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2022
Sanchez, another 2016 International signee, made it to Auburn (A-) this past year. A defensive wiz, but at only 155 lbs., Sanchez really needs to add strength to his game. In 64 games he hit .230/.309/.282. Keep in mind, Sanchez is only 18 years old and the glove will keep him in the lineup so he can work on his hitting. Sanchez should spend all of 2019 at A- to get the reps he needs. The Nationals can also wait, with Turner and Kieboom manning SS and 2B for years to come.

12. Gage Canning, OF (Midseason rank: 39)
Age 21
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Canning, selected in the fifth round in 2018, was sent to A-, Auburn, to begin his career where he killed it. In 14 games, he popped 2 home runs and hit .315/.373/.593. He made it to A, Hagerstown, where he struggled a bit .223/.294/.411. His season ended early after injuring himself making a diving catch in the field. Was able to take some hacks in Fall Instructs which was good to see. Canning has a nice compact swing and is lighting quick along the base paths. Look for the Nationals to move him up quickly.

13. James Bourque, RHP (Mid-season rank: N/A)
Age 25
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2019
Bourque made the transition to the bullpen this year after three years of so-so numbers as a starter. His stuff played up as Ks increased and BBs decreased. He was added to the 40-man roster at the end of the season, much to my surprise instead of Agustin. Should contribute in the pen this year.

14. Reid Schaller, RHP (Midseason rank: 34)
Age 22
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2020
Add another to the list of Nationals pitching prospects with a TJS on their resume, as Schaller had his in his freshman year at college. Drafted in the third round this past year. Reported to be hitting mid-to-high 90s coming out of the pen for Vanderbilt. Back end of the pen is where I think he will make his mark in the bigs.

15. Sterling Sharp, RHP (Midseason rank: 26)
Age 23
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2020
Picked in the 22nd round in 2016, I’m pretty high on Sharp, which is a change for me. For some reason, I get the ol’ reliable starter feel from him. Modeled his slider from online photos of Blake Treinen’s slider grip. Scouts have also seen him tinker with varying his timing, which I love. Scouts have also noted that he gets great extension and deception. If he puts it all together, he could be a reliable back end of the rotation guy.

Tier 5:
16. Jackson Tetreault, RHP (Midseason rank: 24)
Age 22
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Picked in the 7th round in 2017. Four pitch mix (fastball, curveball, slider and changeup). Low to mid 90s with the fastball but can spin those breakers. Some scouts feel more velo is there. Spot starter at best but could be a 5th starter if he finds that velo.

17. Kyle Johnston, RHP (Midseason rank: 27)
Age 22
Highest Level: A+
ETA:2021
Picked in the 6th round of the 2017 draft. Fastball sits mid-90s. In the end, I think he ends up as org depth. He has pitched in the pen in college but his less than one strikeout per inning does not bode well with how MLB pens are headed.

18. Malvin Pena, RHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 21
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2022
Signed during the July 2nd period in 2013 but missed all of 2015 and 2016 due to injury. Three pitch mix and a strike thrower. Delivery is violent with major head whack. Fastball sat mid-nineties with a mid-eighties change. If all goes to plan, he is a back-end starter but due to threat to injury will most likely be a reliever.

19. Jake Irvin, RHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 22
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2021
Another 2018 draftee, Irvin was picked in the fourth round out of the University of Oklahoma. Irvin looks like a pitcher, a 6’6”, 225 lb. righty but does not have an overpowering arsenal. Fastball sits low nineties and a slider in the low eighties. Very little effort in the delivery and projects to be a back-end starter. After being drafted he threw a total of 20.2 innings with a 1.74 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in Auburn (A-). Should start the season in Hagerstown.

20. Brigham Hill, RHP (Midseason rank: 16)
Age 23
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2020
Hill was drafted in the fifth round in 2017 and struggled in his first taste of pro ball. 2018 went much better. In 49.2 innings at Hagerstown he had a 3.08 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. His ceiling is a back-end starter as he lacks size and velocity on his pitches.

21. Joan Adon, RHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 20
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2021
Signed in the International signing period in 2016. Adon sits mid-to upper nineties with ease. However, he has trouble repeating his release. If he can dial that in we are looking at closer stuff. Keep an eye next year.

22. Jordan Mills, LHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 26
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2019
I was impressed with Mills when I saw him in the AFL. Sidearm delivery with an above average curve. Was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft and was also not selected. I could see him getting some play in the pen in 2019.

23. Ben Braymer, LHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Two pitch pitcher selected in the 18th round during the 2016 draft. Pitched exclusively in the pen during college. The Nationals have tried him as a starter and he did not disappoint but also did not impress. Would be an interesting guy to have in your pen, which is where I see him making his contribution for the Nationals.

24. Taylor Guilbeau, LHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 25
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2019
Moved to the bullpen this year, Guilbeau had an excellent season in A+ this year. He was a senior sign; picked in the tenth round in 2015 and is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this December. He had an amazing second half of 2018. In 23 innings he had 21 Ks, 1.17 ERA and batters were hitting .195 off him. If he stays with the Nationals, he should be an interesting pen piece. He is filthy against lefties; holding them to a .184 AVG.

25. Drew Ward, 3B (Midseason rank: 33)
Age 24
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2019
Was one of the players the Nationals could have chosen to protect from the Rule 5 draft but was not added to the 40-man roster. At 23 he is not ‘too old’ to be written off as scouts have loved his power potential. Was not selected in the Rule 5 so he will make his way back to AAA this year.

26. Jose Marmolejos, 1B (Midseason rank: 19)
Age 26
Highest Level: AAA
ETA: 2019
Would have been interesting guy if the Nationals had not signed Matt Adams. Now he’s looking more like a 25-year-old low power 1B. Had a down year but has shown potential before.

27. Austin Davidson, 1B (Midseason rank: 38)
Age 26
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2019
Basically, read what I just said about Jose Marmolejos above, but he is a level below. Plate discipline is more interesting than Marmolejos’ though. Will be interesting to see who the Nationals bring up if/when Zimmerman gets hurt.

28. Tomas Alastre, RHP (Midseason rank: 45)
Age 20
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Feel for three pitches; fastball, curve, and changeup. The righty’s fastball sits in the low to mid-nineties. Has a chance to reach #5 starter but most likely swingman to org depth.

29. Raudy Read, C (Midseason rank: 11)
Age 25
Highest Level: MLB
ETA: 2019
Had a PED suspension in 2018. Might make the majors, only as a backup though. I think Tres Barrera has the better glove. According to scouts, he made huge strides defensively by becoming a better blocker and receiver. Slightly above average arm so he could control the running game.

30. Cole Freeman, 2B (Midseason rank: 23)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Led all minor league Nationals with 26 SBs. Scouts and coaches have loved his makeup and how hard he plays the game. Above average bat to ball skills with little to no power. Would make a great utility infielder for any club.

31. Nick Raquet, LHP (Midseason rank: 20)
Age 23
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2021
Drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft. Scouts have him at low 90’s fastball but has reached 98 mph.

32. Gabe Klobosits, RHP (Midseason rank: 14)
Age 23
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Klobosits did not pitch after May 13 due to injury and had TJS mid-summer 2018. He has nasty stuff and profiles to be a late inning reliever but by the time he returns he will be 25 and most likely only at AA.

33. Wilmer Perez, C (Midseason rank: 44)
Age 20
Highest Level: A-
ETA:2022
On the smaller side, only 5’10’’. Decent hit tool but needs to work on the defensive side of catching. Would be an interesting piece if that improves.

34. K.J Harrison, C (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 22
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Came to the Nationals organization in the Gio Gonzalez trade, Harrison was drafted in the third round in 2017. Most likely will not stick behind the plate, as he played more 1B and DH in 2018. Scouts have said he needs to work on his footwork and release if he wants to stick behind the plate.

35. Anderson Franco, 3B (Midseason rank: 25)
Age 21
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Power took a bit of a drop in 2018, even repeating at A ball. However, scouts have loved his bat speed and potential for power. Org depth and bench bat if he reaches his potential.

36. Taylor Gushue, C (Midseason rank: 15)
Age 25
Highest Level: AAA
ETA: 2019
Decent all around, both at and behind the plate. Many catchers have passed him in the list. Great makeup. Org depth.

37. Armond Upshaw, OF (Midseason rank: 29)
Age 22
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Super speedy OF but has failed to hit throughout his career. Org depth.

38. Joan Baez, RHP (Midseason rank: 30)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2019
Baez sits mid-nineties and actually has a plus curve. Potential to reach the bigs as a reliever but not a closer type.

39. Frankie Bartow, RHP (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 22
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2020
The Nationals picked Bartow in the 11th round of the 2018 draft. Three pitch mix (fastball, slider, and changeup). Fastball sits low to mid-nineties. Scouts have loved the bite on his slider. Bartow has a great feel and control of his pitches and barely walks anyone but was hit around a bit in A+ this year. Keep in mind this was only in 23 innings.

40. Jakson Reetz, C (Midseason rank: 31)
Age 23
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2021
Scouts loved the bat speed when he was drafted out of high school in 2014. Bat has never played in pro ball. A couple of catchers have passed him on the list.

41. Tres Barrera, C (Midseason rank: 32)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2019
Barrera has a great glove but his ceiling is a backup. Most likely a backup to the backup catcher.

42. Jake Noll, 3B (Midseason rank: 35)
Age 25
Highest Level: AA
ETA: 2019
Noll has power and it played in A+ and a promotion to AA after the All-Star game. However, he is 25, just now hit AA and limited to the corners. Org depth at this point.

43. Andry Arias, 1B (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 18
Highest Level: R
ETA: 2022
An interesting young 1B/corner OF with a smooth lefty swing. A deep sleeper prospect due to outstanding eye at the plate for his age.

44. Viandel Peña, 2B (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 18
Highest Level: R
ETA: 2022
Switch hitting middle infielder signed for $175,000 in the July 2 international signing period with a great eye at the plate.

45. Aldrem Corredor, 1B (Midseason rank: 36)
Age 23
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Slow start in April but picked it up in the second half of the season. Plus side: power increased and strikeouts decreased. Downside: walks decreased and 22 at A+ ball. Interesting to see if the power sticks around next year.

46. Matthew DeRosier, RHP (Midseason rank: 37)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Promotion to A+ was a struggle and DeRosier was transitioned to the bullpen. At this point he is org depth.

47. Justin Connell, OF (Midseason rank: 41)
Age 20
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2021
11th round selection in the 2017 draft. An OF with no power to speak of but a great eye, with double digit BB% throughout his career. Also has a bit of speed. Without power, unlikely to crack the big-league roster but stranger things have happened before.

48. Grant Borne, LHP (Midseason rank: 28)
Age 24
Highest Level: A+
ETA: 2020
Pitched 72 innings in A+ to a 2.50 ERA and an increase in SwStr% (up to 19.8%). At this point he is org depth that might make it the pen if everything clicks.

49. Alfonso Hernandez, LHP (Midseason rank: 46)
Age 19
Highest Level: A-
ETA: 2021
Hernandez moved to the pen in 2018. Org depth at this point, however, he is only 19 so who knows?

50. Gilbert Lara, 3B (Midseason rank: N/A)
Age 21
Highest Level: A
ETA: 2021
Acquired by the Nationals, along with KJ Harrison, in the Gio Gonzalez deal. He received a $3.1 million signing bonus in 2014 from the Brewers but has never been able to put it together. Scouts have said his lack of plate discipline and weak defense profile will always hamper him.

The post Washington Nationals 2019 Top 50 Prospects appeared first on Prospects1500.

After breaking up for a decade, the '90s British shoegaze band Swervedriver took almost another decade to release a new album. But in 2015 they released I Wasn't Born To Lose You, and that seems to have broken open the floodgates because they already have another new album waiting in the wings. Future … More »

Nothing and a lot happened at a meeting at the state lottery building on Wednesday concerning West Virginia sports betting.

A lot, because first-hand accounts of this closed-door meeting paint a colorful picture between attendees that include state lawmakers, a lobbyist for the NBA and NFL who has ties to Governor Jim Justice; an appearance by the NHL, possibly the first time the league has gotten involved on sports wagering publicly; representatives from West Virginia University and Marshall, plus casinos representatives and a “citizen volunteer” for West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, who did not attend in person but spoke by speakerphone. There was also some reported shouting, “shuttle diplomacy,” and an apparent conflict of interest in play.

In an excellent story by Brad McElhinny of MetroNews about the WV sports betting meeting, he writes that a registered lobbyist for Major League Baseball and the NBA who attended the meeting on their behalf, Larry Puccio, was “also leader of Justice’s transition team and lobbies for The Greenbrier, which has a casino and is owned by Justice’s family.” McElhinny also reports that Puccio is a lobbyist for The Greenbrier itself.

So to what extent was this whole thing a charade orchestrated by Justice to appease the sports leagues with which he does business, and to what extent, if any could it effect any actual change to the already-passed West Virginia sports betting bill, and even sports wagering legislation in other states?

What Just Happened at This WV Sports Betting Meeting Involving Major League Baseball, Lobbyists, Local Universities, Lawmakers and ‘Bray the Intern’?

What do the leagues want, of course? A direct cut of the action, namely 1 percent of all wagers in every state as a “betting right and integrity fee” (actually an approximate 20 percent cut of operator revenue), as well exclusive control over data that sportsbooks may use to grade wagers.

Sources say that most lawmakers were very displeased about the fact this meeting took place at all, and also that key members of the Senate were left in the dark about it at the outset. The West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act (WVLSWA) passed in March by a veto-proof majority and then became law after after Justice let it sit on his desk for five days, opting to go that route rather than signing, given his conflict of interest by virtue of his ownership in Greenbrier.

[Also See: Winners and Losers of Landmark West Virginia Sports Betting Bill]

One member of the House of Delegates and a proponent for legalized sports wagering, Shawn Fluharty (D-District 3) wrote about Bray Cary, a “citizen volunteer” who works for Governor Justice and attempted to throw some weight around:

Hey @WVGovernor are you holding meetings possibly in violation of the WV Open Meetings law? I’m going to need a list of names you invited for this closed door meeting with Bray the Intern. #wvpol #SportsBetting

— Shawn Fluharty (@WVUFLU) May 10, 2018

Comically, the Governor has credited himself with helping to negotiating the leagues down from their 1 percent “integrity fee” to one-quarter a percent. Well, the bill as written grants zero percent. That’s some strange negotiating.

Justice has said that he still plans to call a special session later this month regarding the state arts department as well as the sports betting legislation. In all likelihood, the WVLSWA will remain unchanged. But as in sports betting, there is no such thing as a lock.

Apparently Justice’s conflict of interest created by his business ties to the leagues, who have feverishly lobbied for a cut in over two dozen states, is no such concern. Justice’s Greenbrier hosts the PGA Tour event the Greenbrier Classic (the PGA is now publicly aligned with the NBA and MLB) as well as some NFL and NBA teams for practices and events.

.@BradMcElhinny joins @bradhowe07 & @HunterWvu88bgn to provide an update on the status of legal sports betting in WV. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIAoe1 pic.twitter.com/L9KrX27DRv

— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) May 9, 2018

Consider Who Stands to Suffer and Gain Here

Giving any percentage to the leagues takes money from the state. The WVLSWA would send revenue to the State Lottery Fund, which benefits schools and education, senior citizens, tourism and state parks. The WVLA would also send funds directly to the Public Employees Insurance Agency Financial Stability Fund. This comes at a time that the state dealt with a protracted teachers’ strike, ending just two months ago.

“I think we’re just gathering a little bit more information,” Justice said in advance of the meeting. “I really believe that we need to bring [the leagues] under the umbrella for the amount of the fee that they wanted, or we negotiated. I think that’s very very minimal cost to the casinos, and I think it would be a good thing.”

What is the benefit of bringing them under the umbrella?Can anyone articulate any benefit to this? Will it satisfy Justice to have “played nice” with the leagues, or did he promise an actual modification. 

The leagues have framed it such that licensed operators will absorb the costs of an “integrity fee,” not states, but that’s smoke and mirrors because operators earning less revenue means the states derive less, and the operators might be forced to offer patrons inferior wagering options, which comes at the expense of citizens for the benefit of leagues. It is always relevant to note that these leagues have stadiums funded in numerous states by taxpayer dollars, a point not lost on lawmakers in other states.

Around the Country

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In Nevada, the leagues, the state gaming commission and sportsbooks already work together to help ensure integrity. In New Jersey’s reformed sports betting bill (which won’t advance until after the court rules), there is no longer an “integrity fee” component potentially benefiting the leagues. Pennsylvania’s bill provides no fee. The 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) allows Delaware to continue its NFL parlay wagering. The First State gives the leagues zero percent. Mississippi’s constitution will allow sports wagering pending federal law, and Oregon is similarly situated as Delaware having been “grandfathered” in under PASPA. Neither of these two states currently stand ready to give the leagues a dime.

So again, what would West Virginia and its citizens gain here?  State officials and lawmakers view the passage of their bill — the only such bill passed so far this year legalizing sports wagering (pending a change in federal law, which may come via the Supreme Court on Monday in Murphy v NCAA), despite a huge flurry of activity in nearly two-dozen states — as a point of pride and effective lawmaking. Their bill is also good one, levying a 10 percent tax rate while neighboring Pennsylvania will charge a 35 percent tax rate, which is over five times what Nevada charges its operators. 

This meeting was largely a charade. But bringing WVU and Marshall to the table might get the attention of some more reticent lawmakers to reconsider the bill.  If Justice indeed calls for a special session, that might create a second charade, but it would extend the leagues’ runway to peddle influence over some lawmakers who are willing to listen.

I’ll call it -1150 that the law stands as-is. That’s an implied probability of about 92 percent. It’s a major long shot, but it’s still very narrow window created by the Governor, who is apparently acting out of self-interest to the detriment of West Virginians, against a bill passed by a veto-proof majority of state lawmakers who acted on behalf of the citizens.

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Also Check out From Sports Handle:

What Happens if New Jersey Loses the Supreme Court Sports Betting Case?

Status of Sports Betting Bills Around the Nation as Sessions Wind Down

More Expert Predictions for the Supreme Court Sports Betting Case Decision

The post What Just Happened at This West Virginia Sports Betting Meeting? appeared first on SportsHandle.

Barbara Bush Passes Away Surrounded By Loved Ones, Jeb

Flasher -- one of our Best New Bands Of 2016 -- are finally getting ready to release their debut album after amassing an EP and a 7" to their name already. That debut will be out later this year via Domino Records. But to hold us over until then -- and to … More »

The NFL saw a TV ratings increase in both time slots for Conference Championship Sunday. The early game, the Broncos’ win over the Patriots, saw a massive ratings number for what may have been the final chapter of the Peyton Manning–Tom Brady saga. According to Variety, the game drew a 31.8 overnight rating, a 9…

PHILADELPHIA—Admitting that he will likely receive a call any day now from either the team or the player himself, local sports psychologist Nathan Finley told reporters Wednesday that he is preemptively clearing his schedule for Philadelphia Eagles ...

Prior to the season, pundits expected the Rangers to be in the thick of the AL West. Instead, they finished with fewer than 70 wins for the first time since 1985. Injuries are the most commonly cited culprit for the poor season. The organization could experience a quick turnaround with better health, but several questionable long term commitments put the franchise outlook in jeopardy.

Guaranteed Contracts

• Prince Fielder, 1B: $144MM through 2020
• Adrian Beltre, 3B: $18MM through 2015 (plus $16MM voidable option for 2016)
• Shin-Soo Choo, OF: $116MM through 2020
• Yu Darvish, SP: $31MM through 2017 (2017 could become player option based on Cy Young voting)
• Matt Harrison, SP: $39MM through 2017 (plus $13.25MM club option for 2018)
• Elvis Andrus, SS: $120MM through 2022 (plus $15MM club option for 2023)
• Derek Holland, SP: $18.4MM through 2016 (plus $11MM club option for 2017 and $11.5MM club option for 2018)
• Leonys Martin, OF: $3.75MM through 2015
• Martin Perez, SP: $10.75MM through 2017 (plus $6MM club option for 2018, $7.5MM club option for 2019, and $9MM club option for 2020)

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via Matt Swartz)

• Neftali Feliz, RP: (4.164): $4.1MM projected salary
• Mitch Moreland, 1B: (4.151): $2.8MM
• Alexi Ogando, RP: (4.114):$2.63MM
• Adam Rosales, INF: (4.067): $1MM

Contract Options

• Alex Rios, OF: $13.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)

Free Agents

• Colby Lewis, Neal Cotts, Scott Baker

In addition to the many injuries suffered in Texas, former manager Ron Washington left the team in early September for personal reasons. MLBTR will continue to track the latest from the Rangers ongoing managerial search. Presently, the field is wide open with as many as eight candidates.

Once a manager is selected, GM Jon Daniels has a tough road ahead of him this offseason. He’s said he doesn’t “expect to play at the top end of free agency this year,” so it’s unclear how much payroll the club has available. Currently, $107.15MM is guaranteed to nine players. Arbitration expenses shouldn’t be unwieldy, but may tie up around $12MM. Assuming payroll stays steady after the losing season, Daniels will have about $15MM to $25MM with which to work.

As noted, injuries contributed heavily to the team’s 95 losses. Of the regulars, only Andrus survived the season unscathed, and he turned in a disappointing .263/.314/.333 line. Over 2,000 player days were lost to injury. It’s the biggest injury burden since data has been collected on the topic, and they also lost the most salary to injury.

Aside from this season, Texas has recently done well with injuries. It’s hard to pin blame on the training staff. Some players suffered fluky injuries like Holland (dog tripping incident). Others were lost for extended periods with difficult-to-prevent problems like Jurickson Profar, Harrison, and Perez. It’s not worth digging into the entire list of injured Rangers – it suffices to say the list is long.

So where is the club headed? Three players are contracted through 2020, and those deals already look like potential burdens. As mentioned, Andrus disappointed offensively for a second straight season. Fielder struggled leading up to his season-ending injury. Choo was decent early, but slumped on his way to the doctor. It’s unclear how long Choo played through injury, so there is at least some room for optimism with him.

Two of the club’s best position players – Beltre and Martin – may become free agents after the 2015 season. Beltre possesses an option for 2016 that can be voided if he fails to reach 586 plate appearances next season. The club’s best pitcher, Darvish, has an interesting provision that could allow him to convert his 2017 season into a player option. It will trigger if he either wins the Cy Young award once in the next two seasons or finishes between second and fourth in both years.

The farm system isn’t particularly deep, with Joey Gallo and Jorge Alfaro representing the top prospects. Gallo is a high strikeout corner infielder while Alfaro is a well-rounded catcher. No matter how optimistic you are about the Rangers system, it’s not positioned to bail out the major league club in the next couple seasons.

Therein lies the rub. Texas exists in a weird state between contending and rebuilding. Several injured players like Profar, Harrison, and Perez may be unavailable at the start of the season. Additionally, Darvish, Ogando, and Tanner Scheppers were all sidelined with elbow inflammation. We’ve seen elbow issues recur in other pitchers, most recently Cliff Lee.

Texas is expected to decline Alex Rios‘ $13.5MM club option. That leaves potential openings for a starting outfielder, second baseman, and catcher. The latter two positions will probably be solved internally. Profar may man second if healthy or Rougned Odor, 21 next season, could be given another extended look. With the catching market so thin, the club is thought to be leaning towards using Robinson Chirinos as their primary backstop. Unfortunately, internal options in the outfield are limited. The 2014 club used Jake Smolinski, Jim Adduci, Daniel Robertson, Michael Choice, and Ryan Rua to patch the outfield. It’s unclear if any of them can handle more than a supporting role.

While outfield is a problem area, the free agent market offers few solutions. Rather than trying Colby Rasmus, Michael Cuddyer, or a return engagement with Nelson Cruz, the Rangers may want to explore a trade. We’ll know more about that marketplace in the coming months, but trade candidates like Justin Ruggiano could work as a means of fortifying those internal band aids. Yasmany Tomas is another option who could fit well for a semi-rebuilding club.

The rotation is a major area of concern. Darvish has an upcoming doctor’s appointment in November which will determine his offseason schedule. Harrison may or may not be available to start the season as he recovers from spinal fusion surgery. Perez had Tommy John surgery in May, so he’ll be out at least the first month. Assuming Darvish is healthy, he’ll be joined by Holland. Veteran Colby Lewis is reportedly expected to be re-signed. Despite an unsightly 5.18 ERA, the soft-tossing righty posted typically decent peripherals which improved late in the season. Nick Tepesch and Nick Martinez were the most successful of the internal options. Others like Miles Mikolas and Lisalverto Bonilla appear better suited as minor league depth.

In total, assuming Lewis is re-signed, the Rangers have plenty of arms, but lack in health and proven quality. That’s where a free agent hire or two could really pay off. If the club is looking for an affordable innings eater, Roberto Hernandez could fit their offense friendly stadium with his ground ball profile. Potential mid-market targets include Ervin Santana, Justin Masterson, and Edinson Volquez. Some may recall that Volquez was once traded by the Rangers for Josh Hamilton.

The bullpen is yet another area of uncertainty. A whopping 30 relievers were used this season, counting position player appearances from Moreland and J.P. Arencibia. The club’s best reliever was Joakim Soria. He’s now with Detroit. The second best reliever was Cotts, and he’s headed to free agency. Neftali Feliz regained his previous role as closer in the waning months of the season. He gained strength late in the year, running his fastball up to 98 mph at times. Now that he’s further removed from Tommy John surgery, the Rangers have to hope he can provide a stabilizing influence in the bullpen. However, it would be risky to rely solely on Feliz and other internal options.

The closer market is fairly robust. A candidate like Jason Grilli might be willing to serve as a competition for Feliz. The club should probably look to hire at least a couple relievers – you can view the full list of available names here. Jesse Crain, Luke Hochevar, and Andrew Bailey are among the low-risk, high-reward crowd.

Rather than just patching holes and hoping the ship doesn’t sink for a second consecutive season, Texas does have the option to kick off a thorough rebuilding process. Of their long term assets, only Harrison appears impossible to trade at this moment and only because his career is uncertain at this time. Any contract dump of Fielder, Choo, or Andrus would be selling low, but an opportunistic partner with money to spare might be willing to bet on any of the three. Certainly, a deal for Choo or Fielder is especially unlikely. Darvish and Holland offer substantially more value, although their recent injury history probably dampens their market too.

That leaves just Beltre and Martin as sell-high candidates, and they have the shortest commitments. As such, I think it’s more likely that Texas will take the current roster into the season. Even if the club doesn’t compete, better performance from their big names along with the constricted in-season market for talent should help with trading.

Ultimately, Rangers fans may want to see a big change after a dreadful season, but a steady course appears to be the forecast. Daniels is in a poor position to make sweeping changes. His trade assets are at a low point in value, and he admittedly doesn’t have much to work with for free agent acquisitions. Any future pivot to rebuilding will likely be the result of early season performance.

Adam Wainwright admits grooving a couple of pitches to Derek Jeter in the veteran shortstop's final All-Star Game. Jeter doubled off and scored off Wainwright in a three-run inning for the American League.

The Seattle Times has confirmed the multiple reports that broke earlier this hour that Seahawks have come to an agreement with safety Earl Thomas (above) on a four-extension that will  make him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting that Thomas will get $40 million, averaging $10 million a year, with $27.725 million guaranteed:

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/460888972990750721

Seattle has been working on this for a while, clearing up cap space to be able to sign Thomas. Seattle had $14.7 million in cap space for the 2014 season according to the most recent figures from the NFLPA.

Thomas was due to make $4.625 million in 2014 on the last year of his initial rookie contract, and would have been an unrestricted free agent following the season. Since this is an extension, Thomas will now be under contract through the 2018 season, making a combined $45 million over the next five years.

Thomas was hoping for a contract that would exceed the six-year, $54 million deal recently given to New Orleans' Jairus Byrd. Byrd's contract came with $26.3 million guaranteed.

Thomas, who turns 25 on May 7, has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons in providing the backbone to the team's Legion of Boom secondary from his free safety position.

The Seahawks are also known to be working on an extension for cornerback Richard Sherman, who can also be an unrestricted free agent following the 2014 season.

We'll continue to update this as news develops.

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/460891243070111745

https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/460888767197638656

UPDATE --- While the Seahawks have yet to officially confirm the signing, reaction is already coming in from some of Thomas' teammates via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Kam_Chancellor/status/460897752260431872

https://twitter.com/DougBaldwinJr/status/460892337380401153

https://twitter.com/MalcSmitty/status/460899164100907009

The petition reaches the threshold needed for the White House to be required to respond.

Media Company Looking For Ways To Get Rid Of Veteran 24-Year-Old Employee

For the last two years, we kicked off mock draft season in early January with a look at 10 names which the early mock drafts suggested could be early candidates for the Cowboys. We do the same thing this year, plus we look back at the early predictions from 2011 and 2012 and what became of them.

A year ago, almost to the day, we looked at "Ten Options For The Cowboys' 18th Pick." The year before, we looked at "Ten Options For The Cowboys' 14th Pick."

And here we are again. It's early January, the playoffs haven't even started yet, and we're already looking at mock drafts. As in previous years, that wasn't the plan, but it is what it is.

But before we dive into this year's crop of names already being thrown around as potential number one picks for the Cowboys, let's look back at the predictions made in early January of the previous two years. The following table shows who the ten candidates were in each of those years, sorted in descending order of where they actually ended up being picked.

January 2012			January 2013
Rd/Pick	POS	Name	Rd/ Pick	POS	Name
1 (7)	S	Mark Barron	1 (4)	OT	Lane Johnson
1 (9)	LB	Luke Kuechly	1 (7)	OG	Jonathan Cooper
1 (10)	CB	Stephon Gilmore	1 (10)	OG	Chance Warmack
1 (16)	DE	Quinton Coples	1 (13)	DT	Sheldon Richardson
1 (17)	CB	Dre Kirkpatrick	1 (15)	S	Kenny Vaccaro
1 (24)	OG	David DeCastro	2 (49)	DT	Johnathan Hankins
1 (26)	DE	Whitney Mercilus	3 (73)	QB	Mike Glennon
2 (35)	OLB	Courtney Upshaw	3 (82)	DT	John Jenkins
2 (39)	CB	Janoris Jenkins	5 (137)	DT	Jesse Williams
7 (224)	CB	Alfonzo Dennard	- -	OT	Jake Matthews

We know that as a predictor of which players are going to which teams, mock drafts aren't particularly accurate. And looking at the table above, the early names are all over the place, both in terms of position groups and in terms of where prospects eventually ended up being drafted. The hype around defensive tackles in 2013 is especially interesting, as of the four players initially projected as first-round picks, only one actually ended up being taken in the first round. Do not be surprised if something similar happens this year, where mockers have eight (!!!) defensive linemen penciled in for the Cowboys.

Also noteworthy: Neither Morris Claiborne nor Travis Frederick appeared in any of the the early mocks above. In fairness though, nobody could anticipate that early on that the Cowboys would be moving around the draft board on draft day.

But having said all that, mock drafts are not completely useless. They may not be a good predictor of what will happen on draft day, especially not at this time of the year, but for those of us who enjoy talking about the draft, mock drafts can still be a lot of fun regardless, as they can help us familiarize ourselves with the potential draft picks and give us a general sense for where a player fits on the draft boards. With that out of the way, here are the ten names for 2014:

Source	Player	Rationale
Rob Rang, CBSSports	Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri	Tony Romo's issues in the fourth quarter pale in comparison to the full game bludgeoning that occurs weekly to the Cowboys' defense. Expect there to be significant turnover in personnel over the offseason should Dallas elect to keep their 4-3 alignment. Adding a versatile and athletic edge rusher like Ealy would go a long way towards adding some danger to the Dallas defense.
Dane Brugler, CBSSports	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, FS Alabama	The Cowboys drafted the strong safety of the future last season with J.J. Wilcox, but free safety is a different discussion. Clinton-Dix would provide an immediate upgrade over Barry Church at free safety.
Todd McShay, ESPN	Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame	The Cowboys' choice here could just come down to taking the best defensive player available, given the issues they've had on that side of the ball. But in particular, they need D-line help in a very bad way, and I think Tuitt would be an interesting fit. He makes the most sense as a 5-technique defensive end in a 3-4 alignment, but given his athleticism and quickness I feel as though he could also work as a 3-technique D-tackle who gets up the field and disrupts. Tuitt is still a work in progress, but his ceiling is awfully high. Florida State DT Timmy Jernigan is another option here."
Dan Kadar, SB Nation	Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota	Jason Hatcher was a superstar for the Cowboys this season, but Nick Hayden struggled next to him. The addition of Hageman would improve one of the league's worst run defenses, and add an extra element to the pass rush. If the Cowboys happen to show three-man fronts, Hageman has the athleticism to play end as well.
Robert Davis, Football's Future	Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida St.	The transition from a 3-4 alignment to a 4-3 did not go very smooth this year. Different personnel is needed, and is starts up front. Monte Kiffin needs to apply pressure up the gut, and that's where Jernigan comes in. He has excellent quickness and could be a difference maker inside.
Walter Football	Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson	Despite having DeMarcus Ware on the roster, the Cowboys inexplicably finished in the bottom 10 of sacks this season. Ware being injured has been a problem, but there's no one else who can consistently get to the quarterback. Monte Kiffin is likely to be fired, so Dallas could return to its previous 3-4 defense. If so, Vic Beasley would make a ton of sense.
Jeff Risdon, RealGM Football	Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU	Even though linemate Anthony Johnson gets more attention, Ferguson’s more consistent [in his] effort and [his] propensity for timely impact plays. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli would love Ego.
Eric Galko, Optimum Scouting	Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn	Robinson is reportedly 50/50 on declaring for the draft, and may wait until after the championship game. However, if he does declare, he may be in contention to be the top offensive tackle in this class. Pairing him with Tyron Smith should finally give this offense two bookend tackles
Matt Falk, Draftseason	Scott Crichton DE, Oregon State	George Selvie has done a good job, but Dallas needs to add depth and someone to push for a startin[g] position. Crichton has had a huge year at Oregon State. While his home is at defensive end, he can play all along the defensive line making him a hot commodity.
Shawn Zobel, Draftheadquarters	Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame	Notre Dame's Louis Nix is a junior who has declared for the upcoming draft. A massive 325 pound fire hydrant of a nose tackle, Nix would fit well as a one-technique defensive tackle in Dallas' new defense. With the ability to clog run lanes and take up blockers, he'd be as good as it gets if the Cowboys are looking for a wide-bodied tackle to keep linebacker Sean Lee clean at the second level. Adding Nix to the mix would be a major upgrade for the Dallas defense.

Eight defensive linemen, a safety and a tackle, that about sums up the popular sentiment about who the Cowboys should draft in the 2014 NFL draft. And just like in previous years, no single player has yet emerged as a clear-cut favorite for the Cowboys, though Kony Ealy and Timmy Jernigan did show up in more mocks than the other players.

Who'd be your favorite come April?

In January 1993, Joel Waldfogel asked 86 undergraduate students whether they liked their Christmas gifts. But Waldfogel is an economist, so he phrased the question more precisely, asking them how much they would have paid to buy those items for themselves.

The results were grim, at least for the gift-givers: The students estimated that their gifts had cost $438.20 -- but they said the most they would have been willing to pay for them was $313.40. Two months later, Waldfogel rounded up 58 more students and asked them how much cash it would have taken to make them “indifferent between the gift and the cash.” These students estimated that their holiday gifts had cost $508.90 on average. But they would have been just as happy with $462.10 in cash.

In the resulting paper, “The Deadweight Loss of Christmas,” Waldfogel didn’t pull his punch. “Between a tenth and a third of the value of holiday gifts is destroyed by gift-giving,” he wrote. Generalized across the economy, holiday gift-giving was destroying billions of dollars in value annually.

Santa, Waldfogel estimated, was even worse at helping people than Uncle Sam. “Deadweight losses of in-kind government transfers” -- economist-speak for government programs -- “are thus no larger, and in many cases are smaller, than the deadweight losses of holiday gift-giving.” Economists who are outraged by government inefficiency, he argued, should be similarly appalled at Christmas.

Since publishing his paper 15 years ago, Waldfogel has become the face of the economics profession when it comes to giving gifts. His research has been featured in the New York Times, the Economist, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other news media outlets. “Leave it to an economist to make an impassioned argument for why we shouldn’t give gifts, especially during the holidays,” read the Los Angeles Times review of Waldfogel’s 2009 book, “Scroogeonomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays.”

But it turns out Waldfogel’s is not, as they say in economic forecasting, the consensus view on Christmas. Chicago’s Booth School of Business routinely polls leading economists on the issues of the day. This month, it asked whether “giving specific presents as holiday gifts is inefficient, because recipients could satisfy their preferences much better with cash.” Only 17 percent of the economists agreed. Some 54 percent disagreed. The rest weren’t sure.

Princeton University’s Angus Deaton was one of the economists who disagreed. “This is the sort of narrow view that rightly gives economics a bad name,” he wrote in an accompanying comment.

Reached by phone, Deaton was happy to expand on his thinking. “There’s obviously a point here,” he said. “Money would be better than a gift if you define the problem narrowly enough. And that insight, like a lot of insights in economics, is valuable to have. But stopping there is the problem.”

Yale University’s Judy Chevalier was one of the economists who agreed that giving gifts is inefficient. She even rated her confidence about her answer a perfect 10. But it turned out she actually agreed with Deaton: You can’t stop there. “If you ask people after Christmas how much they value this sweater, it’s almost always less than what the giver spent on it,” she told me. “Does that mean I don’t give Christmas gifts? No, I give Christmas gifts!”

It turns out that there’s a catch to the original Waldfogel thesis: In both surveys, students were specifically instructed not to consider the “sentimental value” of the gifts they received.

But the sentimental value, of course, is often most of the value of the gift. In my house, there’s a gray rock on our coffee table that says “God Bless You” on it. For the most part, I would happily pay someone not to give me a rock with a spiritual inscription. But the rock was a gift from my mother, and so I’ll never part with it. To me, its value is incalculable.

The Waldfogel paper stopped at the cash value of gifts. It wasn’t willing to wade into the murkier waters of sentiment.

None of this is to say that Waldfogel’s insight doesn’t hold important lessons for gift-givers. You have to be a damn good shopper to do a better job spending $25 on someone than they would do spending that $25 themselves. If you’re just buying consumer goods -- a video game or headphones, say -- for someone whose tastes you don’t know that well, you’re probably better off giving cash or a cashlike gift card.

There’s evidence that many gift-givers know this. An interesting finding from Waldfogel’s paper was that gifts from siblings, parents and significant others were rarely or never exchanged, while gifts from aunts and uncles often were. Grandparents, it turned out, are the most thoughtful gift-givers, economically speaking: More than 40 percent of their gifts came in the form of cash.

Gift-givers have an advantage when they know their recipients well enough to give them something they want badly but wouldn’t buy for themselves. This lesson, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s David Autor, is validated by behavioral economics, which shows that people are irrationally loss-averse when it comes to money. “There are things you wouldn’t buy for yourself that you wouldn’t give up, once you had them, at their market price,” he says. “So I wouldn’t pay $200 for Beyonce tickets, nor if I had a pair would I sell them for $200.” (I am duty-bound to note that the subject of Autor’s hypothetical here came from me, not him. Whether Autor would give up $200 tickets to the Mrs. Carter World Tour is still an open question.) Gift-givers can do for their friends and family what their friends and family don’t quite have the nerve to do for themselves.

Then, of course, there are the gifts that have sentimental value. Those are the rarest -- in part because they’re the most difficult to find. And as any economist will tell you, the rarer something is, the higher its value.

Today, homelessness, poverty, and housing policy are the focus of a big debate among liberals. After the 2008 crisis rooted in homeownership, more and more people are renting every day. But liberals have not really grappled with the problem of affordable housing, and traditional solutions are unequal to the task. The Obama administration’s housing policies […]

As Davey Johnson sat down for his postgame press conference after tonight's 4-0 Nationals win, a win that wrapped up a doubleheader sweep of the Braves, Johnson asked the question that most Nats fans were probably asking themselves tonight.

"Well, how 'bout Tanner Roark?" Johnson said with a smile.

Yeah, how 'bout him? Roark improved to 7-0 with a win tonight after throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk and striking out six.

His ERA as a big leaguer now sits at a ridiculous 1.08 over 41 2/3 innings, this from a 26-year-old getting his first taste of the major leagues.

Tonight, he allowed two hits in the second, then held a potent Braves lineup without a knock over his final five innings of work. He finished having thrown 101 pitches, by far the most he'd tossed as a big leaguer.

"When I hooked him after the seventh inning, he said, 'You sure? I'm through?' I said, 'Yeah, you're through,' " Johnson said. "I think the most pitches he'd ever thrown before that was 78, but what a great game. He was totally in command pretty much the whole way. Looked like he was kinda sensing the finish line for me, because he was starting to crank to get it up there. But what a great effort."

So how does a guy who had a 4.39 ERA in Triple-A last season and had never smelled the majors prior to this year suddenly jump onto the scene and start dominating quality big league hitters? How does a guy who scouts might not rave about come up and have so much success despite not really having "wow" pitches?

"Well he's got good stuff, number one, but he's got great command," Johnson said. "He uses both sides of the plate on good hitters, throws that ball in on Freeman, sets up breaking balls. He's a pitcher. And he's done that ever since he's been there. We saw him in the spring, he was a little overthrowing, he was a little wild, trying to impress. But even Spin (Williams, minor league pitching coordinator) gave me good reports on him. Said he was a big league pitcher, and I put a lot into what he says.

"But ever since he's been here, whether it's out of the 'pen or starting, it's been quality. I mean, I can't say enough about location. Everybody's all wrapped up in the velocity, but he pitches 92, 93, 94 (mph). But good curveball, good slider, and location's outstanding."

The Nats had a tenuous 1-0 lead after seven, but they got three huge insurance runs in the eighth on a Ryan Zimmerman solo homer and RBI knocks from Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche, giving closer Rafael Soriano a little more breathing room.

Soriano needed it, as he allowed singles to the first two hitters he faced, drawing groans from the 28,369 at Nats Park. Soriano eventually bounced back and closed out a scoreless ninth with the help of a line drive double play off the bat of Evan Gattis.

"Oh, huge," Johnson said of the insurance runs. "Sori hadn't pitched in six or seven days, so it was good for him to get work. It was tempting to leave (Craig) Stammen out there, but I need a long man for tomorrow with (Ross Ohlendorf starting). So we can have all our ammunition available to go after them tomorrow."

The Nats might've swept both games of the doubleheader with Atlanta today, preventing the Braves from clinching the division title here in D.C., but unfortunately for Johnson's bunch, they won't end up gaining much ground on the Reds, even with today's strong showing.

Cincinnati just finished off its second straight win over the Astros, this one by a 10-1 score, leaving the Nats still 4 1/2 games back of the final NL wild card spot with 11 games to play. Still, Johnson feels today's results here at Nats Park were important for a few reasons.

"Well I think it sends a good message over to Atlanta that we're not going anywhere," Johnson said. "We struggled a little bit early, but we're certainly a capable ball club and we've got the talent to compete with anybody. ...

"There's so much of the season left. Cinci's got Pittsburgh (for) six games, we've got an arguably pretty tough schedule after the Marlins come in. I said before, we need to win about 90 games. If we win 90 games, I think we got a dang good shot of getting in there."

If you have ever wondered what type of beer is most strongly associated with an emergency room admission, well, wonder no more.

For a full year, researchers spent their Friday and Saturday nights at the Johns Hopkins hospital emergency department in East Baltimore (separate research has found that about one-third of visits there are alcohol-related). At the start of the study, the researchers would turn up for their shifts at 10 p.m.

“However,” researchers recount in a newly published study (noticed by the New York Times Well blog), “due to the time needed for most drinking patients to become sufficiently sober to give informed consent,” they ultimately pushed their start time to 4 a.m.

The study, which involved interviews with 105 emergency room patients, found that five alcohol brands were most frequently consumed by the patients: Budweiser, Steel Reserve, Colt 45, Bud Ice and Bud Light. 

Four of those brands were significantly overrepresented in the emergency room population, compared with their share of the national beer market. For example, about 46 percent of the emergency room patients said they had consumed Malt liquor, which comprises only a 2.4 percent share of general beer drinking.

Only Bud Light had a larger share of the national market than it did in the emergency room sample.

The study is by no means meant as a definitive guide to which alcoholic beverages can be most linked to emergency room admissions. The authors acknowledge that they have a small sample size that came from one hospital, which makes it hard to generalize from their results. Instead, researchers were more interested in a proof of concept: that it is indeed possible to collect this information from patients. And, when about one-third of emergency room trips involve alcohol, that kind of data can matter for public health initiatives.

“Our pilot study demonstrated that collecting alcohol type and brand data in hospital emergency room is feasible, if labor-intensive,” they conclude. “Physicians were welcoming [and] securing patient agreement to participate in the study improved substantially when the research team wore white lab coats.”

“Falling,” the sweeping chiffon jam from the Cali sister act HAIM, is one of the year’s sneaky-great singles, and the fact that other groups are starting to cover it is just an indication of how good a song it is. The Glaswegian syntpop trio Chvrches, whose own “Recover” also belongs on the sneaky-great list, tried out a version of the song during an in-studio session for BBC Radio 1′s Live Lounge Late. The Chvrches version is blippier and more brittle, but it keeps the dreamy swoop of the original song fully intact. Listen below.

Read More...

Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).

July is already here, and the weather here in the D.C. area has settled into the combination of heat and humidity that we’ve all come to know and… well, we’ve just come to know it. There are the ‘songs of the summer’ and blockbuster movies of the summer, but I feel like I’ve just found my beer of the summer.

Blue Mountain Kolsch 151 has just become available in cans, and as much as I’ve enjoyed it in the past, something about the new format just works for me. At 5.0% ABV, Blue Mountain Kolsch may not be a Session beer by definition (though that depends on the definition you subscribe to), but it is clean and refreshing, with subtle fruity notes thanks to its yeast and light hop addition. As is tradition with a Kolsch, Blue Mountain’s has a round mouthfeel reminiscent of a Helles Lager or even a Bock, but remains an Ale. Kolsch 151 is going to be a go-to for cookouts and parties for me this summer and hopefully beyond; if you haven’t had the chance to try it I highly recommend it.

Here are some other beers I’ve been enjoying this summer:

Dogfish Head 61: It’s not a summer Ale, nor at 6.5% is it something I’d advise trying to session, but Dogfish Head’s new year-round beer 61 is great, and I can’t get enough of it. 61 is Dogfish Head’s 60-Minute IPA with the addition of Syrah sourced from wineries out in California. The combination is fantastic, with the earthy character of the hops carrying a dark fruit flavor that isn’t overwhelming or sugary, but is certainly present. When it comes time to talk about our favorite new beers of 2013, I’m going to upset a lot of people with how much I liked 61, but don’t pass it over — give it a try, and you might see why it’s become so popular so quickly.

Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit: This is the most overlooked of Abita’s Harvest Series beers, and it’s one that never seems to be around long enough. I can’t explain why, but this year’s Satsuma is especially nice, with what seems like a greater restraint in the yeast character than before. That restraint makes this year’s Satsuma Wit feel less rich and more dry; factor in the citrus notes and there’s hardly a better beer for a D.C. area summer’s day.

Boulevard 80 Acre: A newer addition to the Kansas City brewery’s line, 80 Acre is a hoppy Wheat Ale that clocks in around 5.5% ABV. The mix of the bright Wheat Ale with focused, floral hops is dead on in 80 Acre, with each element balancing and showcasing the others. How 80 Acre isn’t in more stores and on more draft lists already is beyond me.

What are you all enjoying this summer? Let’s hear about it in the comments. Until next time.

Cheers!

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Community discussion guidelines: Our sponsored columns are written by members of the local business community. While we encourage a robust and open discussion, we ask that all reviews of the businesses — good or bad — be directed to another venue, like Yelp. The comments section is intended for a conversation about the topic of the article.

Now that Martell Webster has agreed to a four year, $22 million deal to stay with the Wizards, the Bullets Forever crew shared their thoughts and opinions on the contract.

1. What grade would you give the deal? Is a little over five million dollars a year for four years a good deal for Martell Webster?

Amin Vafa: I'd give it a B+. I really like Martell, I like his on-court contributions as a 3-and-D guy (and boy did he hit those corner 3s), and I like his off-court contributions as a jokester-yet-serious-veteran in the locker room. I think, based on preceding years, the contract might have been a little much in terms of money or years, but I think sometimes it's worth it to keep a guy happy if he's part of a culture you're trying to build.

Mike Prada I gave it a C+ on the mothership. It's a fair deal if Webster stays healthy and plays close to the level he played at last year, but both of those things are potentially in doubt given Webster's somewhat unsustainable shooting percentages and his injury history (one foot injury, two back surgeries, one hernia surgery).

Umair Khan: It's obviously a tad bit high given Webster's injury history, but it's a gamble worth taking if you're the front office. I think the organization was given enough indication by the medical staff that his nagging injuries are a thing of the past -- heck we saw him regaining much of his athleticism while continuing to improve his play late last year before his abdominal strain. He may never eclipse those blistering shooting percentages from last season, but if he's even in that ballpark, it's worth it.

Bullet Nation in Exile: I grade the deal a B, purely for financial reasons. Webster's quotes about not being satisfied after agreeing to his new contract terms remind me strongly of Mike's Twitter reaction to the Tony Allen signing:

Memphis basically just paid the "player embodies our city and franchise" tax on Tony Allen.

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) July 3, 2013

To me, Martell Webster is a championship-caliber role player and the kind of guy any team would love to have in their locker room. And this guy seems as loyal to the Wizards as a player can get in a league like the NBA. It seems like the Wizards overpaid, maybe made the deal too long. That partially guaranteed year at the end, however, is all the rage in the new CBA trade landscape, thus the comparatively high grade.

Thomas Pruitt: I give it a B-. It's not the amount he's making that bothers me so much as the length of the contract. While Webster is a perfect for the team and a high character guy, no one was going to break the bank for him and signing a role player to a long-term deal usually doesn't end well. For every Jared Dudley, there are ten James Posey's, Brian Scalabrine's and Courtney Lee's.

Jeff Newman: I'd give it a B, simply because an A-grade would have been appropriate had the Wiz gotten Webster to re-sign at a bargain price, and I think they instead got him for pretty close to his market value. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that the Wizards "needed" to bring Webster back, and obviously the team felt the same way. The Wizards probably overpaid a bit in order to get the deal done quickly and eliminate any risk of another team with an irrational affinity for Webster offering more than the MLE.

As Mike has noted, Webster is an ideal fit playing alongside Wall and Beal, but I think it's what Webster brings to the locker room that ultimately makes him worth this contract (though I gather that I place more value on intangibles than most). I only covered in person a few Wizards games for BF last season, but it was evident right away that Webster was the soul of the locker room, the one that kept the mood light and spirits up. I'm glad he'll be there for a few more years.

2. What kind of deal would you have tried to sign him to?

Amin: I'd probably have shaved off one year or shaved off one million per year and kept it the same length. Either gives the team more flexibility. And this contract is the first Ted Leonsis-era contract for a role player that has exceeded two years. So that's something to think about (either negatively or positively).

Mike: I would have preferred a three-year deal worth $12-15 million with a player option after Year 2 that would have potentially allowed Webster the opportunity to test the market again at age 28. Something a little less than the deal Chase Budinger will be signing with the Timberwolves.

Umair: Courtney Lee signed a four-year, $21.5 million deal last summer and fell out of the rotation this year in Boston. Danny Green signed a three-year, $12 million deal with San Antonio that same summer and is being talked about as one of the elite "3 and D" players in the league. It's a mixed bag and investing in a shooter is always going to be a gamble. You'd like to lower the price tag on any free agent, that's just the nature of the business, but there comes a point where you roll the dice on a guy and hope he continues to improve. Fortunately for the Wizards, their investment is on the cusp of his prime, has a good head on his shoulders, and has the respect of the entire locker room.

BNIE: Four years and $22 million, but with the last year team option, if I'm going conventional. To be honest, that simply may be a premium negotiated in exchange for the presumed tradeability of the partially-guaranteed final year. So while a conventional deal might have saved a little cap space, the Wizards using the mid-level exception at all signifies they don't intend to swim beneath the salary cap and who is really expecting significant free agency activity over the next few years?

Thomas: Three years, $15 million would have been ideal. That said, I'd rather have paid him $20 million over three years than $22 million over four. The only thing worse than overpaying is overpaying for a long time. I'd have rather Washington bit the bullet, gave him more per year and freed up more flexibility for the summer that Nene comes off the books.

Jeff: Ideally, three years and $15 million, but that's the "bargain price" that would have earned the deal an A-grade from me, but I think we've already seen plenty of players sign in free agency for more than what we might have assumed was their market value.

3. Where does this leave Trevor Ariza? Now that Washington is committed to Webster at a relatively high salary, should the team explore trading Ariza or just let his deal expire?

Amin: I think the Ariza-Webster-Porter small forward glut is not a bad situation to have. Last year, Ariza played some shooting guard in bigger lineups and he was able to defend the position pretty well (not to mention hit a corner 3 from time to time), so I'm not too worried about minutes allocation. I do think, however, Ariza is probably the most tradable and desirable asset on the team at the trade deadline. The Wizards should entertain offers that shore up defense and offense in the frontcourt or give the team a bit more salary flexibility going forward.

Mike: I think the Wizards would be smart to explore a trade of Ariza for either a frontcourt player or a combo guard with a similar salary that won't be on the books for much longer than next year. Some reasonable options include Brandon Bass (two years, $13.3 million left), Ramon Sessions (one year, $5 million left), Andre Miller (two years, $9.6 million, the second year guaranteed for only $2 million) or a Luke Ridnour/Derrick Williams combo (combined $9.3 million next year). Bigger targets like Ersan Ilyasova and Thaddeus Young are also options, but I worry about all the years left on Ilyasova's deal and I think Young's a pipe dream.

Umair: I honestly see no point in trading Ariza. Should you trade him at the deadline, pick up a serviceable big man, and risk any flexibility you may gain next summer with Okariza coming off the books? Unless the need for a pick and pop big is that glaring barring the signing of Antawn Jamison, what good does it do your playoff team losing their best wing defender in a conference featuring Paul George, LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, and Carmelo Anthony? There's absolutely a chance that Otto Porter fills that need, but don't bank on it. I'd much rather take my chances by going small for extended periods of time than making a quick fix to the rotation.

BNIE: The team MUST explore trade options for Okariza at the deadline this season if they want to make the move to fringe contender status with John Wall's impending max extension. Writing on this soon.

Thomas: I'd continue to bring Ariza off the bench as a supersub or start him, so long as he plays 25 or so minutes per game. Webster has historically been far less effective as a shooting guard than he has as a small forward, but I'd still play him there from time to time due to his ability to shoot. It's not that big a deal that he can't take shooting guards off the dribble now that his role is pretty much limited to shooting threes and running baseline to baseline. I'd also experiment with smaller lineups with Webster, Ariza and Porter on the court next to Wall with Nene or Okafor in the middle.

Long-term, I'd like to retain him if it's at all possible, but I'm not sure it'd be practical. Ariza's presence was one of the keys to last year's out-of-nowhere rise in defensive efficiency and I'd hate to see him go. That said, if we can flip him for a serviceable third big -- maybe Marreese Speights or Glen Davis -- I'd be happy.

Jeff: I'm not sure you'll be able to get anything in return for Ariza's contract that will be better than the cap flexibility you gain from simply letting his contract expire. Add in what he adds to the squad assuming it makes the playoffs, and I'd prefer just holding onto him. Now, his contract plus Okafor's expiring deal might be enough to get back a decent long-term piece, but I've heard/read a lot of people suggesting the team re-sign Okafor to a smaller salary after this season. I'm more in the camp of either trading Okariza or letting them walk, and trying to get younger and more skilled in the frontcourt moving forward.

4. On the one hand, Webster had a career year last year. On the other hand, he's 26 and reaching his athletic prime, and has shown himself capable of putting up a reasonably similar performance in the past when he's been healthy. Will he be as effective at any point during this deal as he was last year?

Amin: If Webster is healthy, I believe he'll be effective. If he's not healthy, then Porter and Ariza will be playing a lot more minutes. I'd much rather Webster be healthy and knock down an automatic corner 3, but if he's not, then I'm OK with the the contingency plan.

Mike: I'm going to say no, mostly because it's hard for any shooter to put together a year as good as Webster's last season. Even the best perimeter shooters don't post 60% true shooting percentages in back-to-back years. A reasonable expectation is for Webster to be 85 percent of the player he was last season throughout the duration of his contract.

Umair: If your standards entail carrying a true shooting percentage matched by just 12 other players, then no. But the threat of him on the floor will always keep defenses on their toes even if he's 75 percent of the player he was a season ago. On a team looking to surround their star guard with more misdirection, motion and transition opportunities, Webster's primed to remain a productive rotational player.

BNIE: Martell was durable last year, and I've no idea how sustainable that is. Stat-wise, shooters have up years and down years; last year was way, way up. I think he'll fluctuate like any other shooter, but given the fact that last season stands as an outlier suggest that, for now, expecting last season's results is premature.

Thomas: Assuming his health holds up, I'm actually really optimistic here. Webster's had some uneven performances throughout his career, but I believe a lot of that was a constantly shifting role and being put in less than ideal situations. In Portland he was still developing, was probably hoping to be more than a 3 and D type due to his draft position and was surrounded by more health-related drama than Nurse Jackie (I'm here all night folks!). In Minnesota, he was asked to be a shooting guard in a triangle offense that made no sense for the team's personnel and saw his back issues get so bad that they required surgery. Now that he's a valued player with a clear role on an up and coming team that saw it's greatest success with him playing a key role, I think we're going to see the best he has to offer.

No, he might not post a true shooting percentage in the 60s again, but considering the form on his jump shot and how many open threes Wall, Beal and Nene should create for him, I don't think it's impossible.

Jeff: Like everyone else, I think it might be a bit optimistic to expect Webster to duplicate his numbers from last season. If he does, than he's a bargain even at 4yrs/$22mil. He and the team seem to think he's over the chronic back injuries that plagued him earlier in his career, but if they return than it will obviously cut into Webster's time and effectiveness on the court. It's certainly a gamble (like any FA transaction), but one I'm willing to take.

5. Three years from now is Webster going to be more valuable as a player or as an expiring contract?

Amin: If he's 26 and has already disciplined himself into a solid role player without straying into trying something he can't do well, I think at 29, he's going to have solidified a reputation in the league as a great 3-and-D role player. And while a $5 million expiring contract can be enticing -- depending on what the team needs at the time -- a player of his ability will be pretty useful (unless for some reason Porter becomes the same player and is more enticing since he's younger).

Mike: I think he'll be most valuable as a trade asset with his non-guaranteed deal, sadly. I just worry about that body holding up for four years straight. Much like DeShawn Stevenson, I see Webster giving the Wizards good years at the front end, then breaking down by the time his contract finishes up.

Umair: I think as Okafor and Nene become a thing of the past, the opportunities to surround their young nucleus with shooters will be at a premium. That's just the price this franchise has to pay by pairing a young backcourt with such an old frontcourt. Naturally they'll look to the draft to replace their decrepit big men while renouncing the rest, but there will be an affluence of shooters at their slated draft spot as well as several free agents they could look into with their cap space. So naturally the plea for Webster's services will dwindle, and his contract will become more and more of a problem. I'm still more optimistic than most regarding his longevity, but the reality of a high priced shooter isn't so promising, and the likelihood of finding an equally productive player on a more reasonable deal is high.

BNIE: It depends where the Wizards themselves are. If they're fringe contenders and Martell is fully established as an integral bench player on that squad, he'll be more valuable as a player, unless the Wizards have a chance to significantly improve the roster, at which point his expiring deal would likely prove enticing to potential trade partners.

Thomas: He's a good enough shooter and smart enough defender that his game should age well, so I think he'll be more valuable as a player. Expiring deals are useful, but usually as throw ins to match salaries when draft picks and guys on their rookie deals are being swapped for superstars. Unless Washington is in a place to add a superstar, I doubt the team will be able to get anyone who's that much better than him for an expiring contract.

Jeff: Assuming his back injuries truly are behind him and he's been able to stay healthy, I think Webster will l still be more valuable to the Wizards as a player, but his long-term value will be greater as a trade asset that could either return a draft pick or younger player to assume Webster's spot on the bench.

How do you feel about the Webster deal? Sound off in the comments and tell us what you think.

More from Bullets Forever:

• Unveil the Wizard! Martell returns

• Eric Maynor is the new backup PG

• The Wizards' salary situation.

• Next up: Garrett Temple.

• Get to know Glen Rice Jr.

Poll

What grade would you give the Martell Webster deal?

The last round-up for Spencer?

17 days until the first Cowboys practice.

The Cowboys have looked at their aging defensive line with some concern the past few years.  Injuries have limited the unit's ability to play together, and depth has been sorely lacking.  Last year, the team had only two games in which this year's six key front-seven players (DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee and Bruce Carter) played together.

This offseason brought the second major contract decision on the line: should the team extend, franchise or trade Spencer?  For the second spring, the front office has tagged him.  That should pay some immediate dividends in the short term. Spencer had a career-high 11.0 sacks in 2012 playing under his first tag.  He will again be playing for his next contract, so he'll have maximum incentive to match or surpass his '12 performance.

He'll also be moving back to the position where he excelled at Purdue, as the strong-side end in a 4-3.  He'll be charged with rushing the passer on every down this year, where he dropped into coverage at least 30% of the time last year as an outside linebacker in Rob Ryan's 3-4 scheme.

Dallas could get their last chance to extend Spencer, as teams cannot franchise players in perpetuity.  Right now, it seems that this will be Spencer's last rodeo in Dallas, as the team and Spencer's agent have broken off contract talks.

Should this concern the denizens in Cowboys Nation?  Not particularly.  The move may suggest the team's confidence that the college market may offer quality candidates to succeed Spencer next May.

Our friends at Optimum Scouting have provided CN with a preliminary list of next year's prospects, ranked in draft board style.  It's their attempt to replicate what BLESTO and The National, the NFL's combined scouting services, provide to front offices each summer.   A scan shows a handful of promising 4-3 end prospects who project at this moment as early-round players of interest.  (Remember, these ratings are nothing more than a starting point, and will lose their meaning once the real games get underway in two months.)

Here are some names for the scouts a home to pencil into their notebooks:

Let's start in the Pac-10, where three major prospects reside:

-- Stanford's redshirt senior Ben Gardner, 6'4", 275 lbs., played a 5-technique in the Cardinal's 3-4.  He had 14.5  tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in '12.  His size projects him into a 4-3 and he may benefit from playing more in space.

-- USC's Morgan Breslin 6'2", 255 lbs., will certainly be familiar to new Cowboys DC Monte Kiffin.  Breslin played the strong-side end in Kiffin's 4-3 last year and recorded 19.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and 4 pass deflections.   His height raises concerns of whether he can add more weight to play 4-3 end at the pro level, but there's no questioning his productivity.  USC will try him to outside linebacker this year.

-- Cal's Deandre Coleman 6'5", 311 lbs., is a powerful, high-cut DE in the Bears' 3-4.  His power game may make the 5-technique his best NFL position, but he may be worth following as an interior line prospect.

-- Closer to home, Texas' Jackson Jeffcoat has some Cowboys' bloodlines.  His father Jim was Dallas' top pick in the '83 draft and the elder Jeffcoat was an important part of the D-line rotation on Dallas' '92 and '93 championship squads.

The younger Jeffcoat, 6'4", 250 lbs., suffered a torn pectoral muscle last year but did participate in some of Texas' spring drills.

-- Virginia Tech's James Gayle, 6'4", 253 lbs., played strong-side end in Virginia Tech's 4-3 and looks like he could be a fit in Kiffin's scheme. He's one of those "non-stop motor" players who grow on scouts.

The SEC has two more end prospects.  Arkansas' Chris Smith, 6'3", 266 lbs., is the weak-side rusher in the Razorbacks' 4-3.  He's coming off a 9.5 sack campaign.

-- Alabama's Ed Stinson, 6'4", 292 lbs. is another king-sized lineman, though he has explosion off the end.  He may be a Vonnie Holliday-type, who can play 4-3 at a weight closer to 300.

Keep in mind that these are all senior prospects. Underclassmen like South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney, a candidate to be the top overall selection, will make this group deeper.

And that may nudge Jerry Jones to put his free agent wallet away for good, at least when it comes to Anthony Spencer.

We've written quite a bit about the growing libertarian strain -- particularly among young people -- in the country and its politics.

The growing public acceptance of same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana are signs of that the idea of the government minding its own business -- in most things -- is gaining credence with the public.

Read full article >>

Our 2014 draft series' first two posts looked at collegiate pass rushers and quarterbacks, two positions that project to be blessed with talent and depth in the upcoming selection meeting. Conveniently enough, these happen to be positions where the Cowboys could use an infusion of youth, which is why they kicked things off: I wanted to begin with the optimal concordance of riches and need.

For the rest of July, however, we'll turn to other positions, those in which Dallas needs a similar talent infusion, but where, from this midsummer vantage point, the draft doesn't look to be as strong. Today, we'll look at defensive tackles; in future Mondays (should we cue the Boomtown Rats?), we'll look at offensive guards and tackles.

Before we look at the prospects, an important reminder is in order. Monte Kiffin's 4-3 scheme is predicated on quickness, and this applies to the interior of the defensive line. He has long preferred quick, undersized tackles who disrupt blocking schemes not with brute strength but with speed and penetration. As a consequence, you won't find Dallas' scouts interested in big, two-gapping DTs. Their leaked 2013 draft board, you might recall, didn't include Johnathan Hankins, John Jenkins, or Montori Hughes, the best of the big-bodied DTs. And the guys who were on the board were all in the 285-305 pound range.

With that in mind, I've limited the following list to players who fit Kiffin's demonstrated player profile. As a result, some top-ranked players who won't appear on this list include Daniel McCullers of Tennessee; Cal's Deandre Coleman and Justin Ellis of Louisiana Tech. Nor will you find End-tackle ‘tweeners, such as Notre Dame's Stephon Truitt, whose best fit appears to be as a 3-4 five technique. That said, several players on this list have, as Jay Ratliff did at Auburn, played defensive end at some point in their collegiate career. I see this as a plus, as they are likely to have sufficient quickness and explosion for defensive coaches to envision them succeeding at end - and its exactly these skills that I believe the Cowboys want in their D-tackles.

Note: Juniors are marked with an asterisk

Will Sutton, Arizona State (6'0", 280): After a superb junior year, when he registered 63 tackles, 23.5 tackles for a loss, five passes broken up and three forced fumbles and, most impressively, 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, many were surprised when Sutton decided to return to Tempe for his senior campaign.

As you can infer from his listed size and weight, Sutton doesn't boast ideal NFL size, but he makes up for it with elite quickness. He presents a real speed mismatch against guards, and shows the ability to fire by them to collapse the pocket. He is a nightmare to block and, as such, could provide the kind of disruptive presence necessary to drive Kiffin's scheme (he led the Pac-12 with 1.82 tackles for loss per game). Here he is in action against in-state rival Arizona:

With the steady increase in spread offenses in the NFL, quick, penetrating, tackles like Sutton, who can get immediate pressure in a quarterback's face, will increasingly be in demand. He certainly has a lot of the qualities that the Cowboys new defensive system tends to favor. Indeed, CBSSports' most recent mock draft had him going to Dallas with the 19^th pick...

*Timmy Jernigan, Florida State (6'2", 298): In 2011, Jernigan came to Tallahassee as one of the nation's top recruits, and quickly made his presence felt as a true freshman who received substantial snaps in the ‘Noles defensive line rotation. Although he largely continued in a reserve role over his first two seasons at Florida State (he's logged only two career starts), Jernigan is considered by pundits to be one of the most talented players on a loaded roster.

At just under 300 pounds, Jernigan is a classic 3-technique, with an explosive first step and the ability to consistently penetrate and disrupt. He stays light on his feet with good movement skills, showing excellent change of direction, smooth hips and good lateral range. He does a nice job using his hands, but needs to sharpen his technique and snap anticipation, which is weak (I noticed that he's usually the last man on FSU's defensive line to "fire out" at the snap). See if you can notice that on tape (against Virginia Tech):

Despite not being a full-time starter in 2012, Jernigan is a candidate for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top interior lineman. The three-tech is predicated more on speed and agility than it is raw strength, which nicely fits Jernigan's skill. As a consequence, he could be more effective as a pro than he has been as a collegian.

*Anthony Johnson, LSU (6-3, 305): As a freshman in 2011, Johnson received rotational snaps backing Michael Brockers and Bennie Logan, recording a respectable 12 tackles (three for loss) and a sack. Last season, he totaled 30 tackles (10 for loss), with three sacks and one pass broken up. Now, with both Brockers and Logan (as well as Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery) playing on Sundays, Johnson is poised to be the Tigers' lead dog up front.

He may well prove to be the best of the bunch. Johnson has an impressive skill set: fast (reported 4.8 speed), quick, strong, explosive. Indeed, his elite quickness allows him to jump the "A-gap" almost before the quarterback receives the snap from center.

He's been nicknamed "The Freak" while at LSU because of his size and speed combination. That is saying something considering some of the other athletes the program has produced in recent years including Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Barkevious Mingo. Here he is facing off against SEC rival Ole Miss:

While impressive, Johnson can't rely solely on quickness. He'll need to hone other aspects of his game, using leverage, violent hands and the ability to shed and move laterally to succeed at the NFL level. If he adds these to his arsenal in 2013, he'll likely be drafted in the top half of the first round.

Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota (6'5", 310): Hageman came to Minnesota as a top tight end prospect, but switched to the defensive line after his first year in college. Due in no small part to the position switch, he was a back up early in his career; in 2011, he had 13 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. In 2012, he has a breakout year, totaling 35 tackles (7.5 tackles for loss), two passes broken up, one forced fumble and six sacks.

Hageman is now in the 310 pound range, but holds onto his roots as an offensive skill player: he maintains the quickness you'd associate with a much smaller, more athletic player. As with the other players on this list, his game is athleticism and penetration. These skills are on display here, as he goes up against Big Ten rival Wisconsin (and Cowboys first-rounder Travis Frederick):

Hageman doesn't get national attention because he plays in the relative hinterlands, but if he can duplicate his 2012 campaign, he'll be a player even the casual fan will be talking about next April.

Dominique Easley, Florida (6'2", 283): After being one of the most highly recruited players in the nation in 2010, Easley had a breakout sophomore season in 2011, tallying 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. However, he tore his ACL in his left knee in the regular season finale against Florida State and had surgery before the Gators' bowl game. In 2012, a rehabbing Easley missed all of spring ball but returned in the Fall and, after a slow start, registered 26 tackles (8.5 for loss), one pass batted down, and a team-leading four sacks.

Easley is strong, fast and disruptive. He is very light on his feet for a big man with lateral burst and flexibility to explode in any direction. Also, Easley has what the Mike Mayocks of the world call "position flex"; he played defensive tackle in 2011 before moving to DE last season. Moreover, the Gators play a hybrid defense, so he has experience as a both 4-3 end and five-technique defensive end in a 3-4. Here he is facing off against SEC rival Auburn:

As long as his knee injury doesn't negatively impact his change of direction skills, Easley has early round potential. Given the body types of the defensive tackles on the Cowboys draft board (Florida State's Everette Dawkins goes 6'2" 292, for example), and his resemblance to another undersized, inside-outside SEC D-lineman (a guy by the name of Jay Ratliff; perhaps you've heard of him?), it wouldn't surprise me to see Easley draw their interest.

Aaron Donald, Pitt (6'0", 275): After recording a pair of sacks as a freshman, Donald had a breakout sophomore season in 2011, with 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. In 2012, despite a diminished sack total that caused some pundits to declare that his play had fallen off from its sophomore level, he notched 64 tackles (a stunning 18.5 for loss), 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two passes broken up last season, leading the Big East and ranking twelfth nationally with 1.54 TFLs per game - sufficient to earn him first-team All-Big East laurels.

Here he is in action against a Big East rival, Syracuse:

As with the rest of these likely lads, Donald is a tackle-end "tweener." Also like them, he uses explosive burst, quick hands and hustle to make plays more than he does brute strength. He also has a history of position flex, as both a 4-3 DT and 3-4 DE; This season, he'll be lining up at the 4-3 defensive tackle position he played in 2011. If he approaches the production (especially in terms of sacks) he enjoyed that year, expect his name to be read in the first 40 picks.

Best of the Rest:

Khyri Thornton, Southern Mississippi (6'3", 308): Thornton is a versatile lineman who can play in both the 4-3 (as either a strongside end or under tackle) or a 3-4, as a five technique. He has the size the Cowboys like inside, and exhibits good technique and a strong motor, which he kept churning even in the midst of an 0-12 2012 campaign in which he collected 36 tackles (9.5 for loss) and a sack, forced fumble and interception. Thornton has gotten better every year at Southern Miss; if he continues along that trajectory, he'll be much in demand come April.

Calvin Barnett, Oklahoma State (6'2", 300): is a junior college transfer who, in his first season in the Big XII, earned Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors after logging 30 tackles (nine tackles for loss), one sack and a pass breakup. Observers say he playerd better than his numbers, providing a disruptive presence at the point of attack. After a year of experience going against major conference linemen, look for Barnett to get closer to his high ceiling.

Ashton Dorsey DT, Texas (6-2, 295): Like the rest of the guys on this list, Dorsey is not the biggest lineman but more than makes up for his lack of ideal size with impressive athleticism. After a 2012 season in which he tallied 28 tackles, with 10 TFLs, Dorsey is looking to become the next in a long line of Longhorns dominant D-linemen. He'll be a great fit in an NFL 4-3 scheme as a three-technique.

DeMonte McAllister, FSU (6'2", 285): After redshirting in 2009, McAllister had 16 tackles and three sacks in 2010 before bouncing around the über-talented Seminole roster in 2011, playing all over the D-line as well as on the offensive line and on special teams. In 2012, he returned to his natural position and recorded 33 tackles with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble - enough to put him on the NFL radar.

*Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina (6-4, 293): In 2012, Quarles had a solid sophomore season for the Gamecocks, logging 38 tackles, 8 TFL, and 3.5 sacks while playing in the shadow of All-Universe DE Jadeveon Clowney. He's not the prospect Clowney is (who is?), but Quarles' long frame and raw ability has certainly attracted scouts' interest. Continued improvement will increase the likelihood of his joining Clowney as a draftee next April.

There you have it folks: a gallery of potential Cowboys "rushmen." Any of them strike your fancy? Make you queasy? Go to the comments section and let 'er rip!

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