Special Counsel Robert Mueller arrives to speak on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election [File: Mandel Ngan/AFP]
The US Justice Department has agreed to provide evidence gathered during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation to politicians who are considering whether to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a top Democrat said on Monday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he will hold off on a threat to bring criminal contempt charges against Attorney General William Barr, as long as the Justice Department continues to provide materials sought by his committee.
The agreement marks a rare moment of compromise between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, who have been seeking materials from Mueller’s two-year investigation, which examined Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election and whether Trump tried to undermine the probe.
Nadler’s committee has issued subpoenas for an unredacted version of Mueller’s 448-page report, released in April, as well as underlying evidence gathered during the process.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday on a measure that would authorise a lawsuit to enforce those subpoenas.
Nadler said there will be no need to move forward with the lawsuit if the Justice Department provides the material sought by his committee.
“It is critical that Congress is able to obtain the information we need to do our jobs,” he said in a statement.
The agreement indicates that the Trump administration is not stonewalling Congress, the committee’s top Republican, Representative Doug Collins, said.
“Is the chairman prepared to rescind his baseless recommendation to hold the attorney general in contempt, or do House Democrats still plan to green light lawsuits against the attorney general and former White House counsel tomorrow?” Collins said.
A redacted version of the Mueller report was published in April. It concluded there was no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow. But Mueller declined to make a judgment on whether President Trump obstructed justice, though the report outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to impede the investigation.
Barr and former deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein subsequently determined Trump had not broken the law.
House Judiciary Committee ChairmanJerry Nadler said the House intended to delay any action to hold Attorney General William Barr in criminal contempt. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
House Judiciary Committee ChairmanJerry Nadler said on Monday that he has decided to postpone legal action against the Justice Department for access to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s files.
Nadler (D-N.Y.) ascribed his decision to an unspecified agreement with the Justice Department to begin providing “key evidence” that Mueller gathered in his investigation into whether President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice offenses.
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“If the department proceeds in good faith and we are able to obtain everything that we need, then there will be no need to take further steps,” Nadler said in a statement. “If important information is held back, then we will have no choice but to enforce our subpoena in court and consider other remedies.”
A Tuesday vote on the House floor authorizing the Judiciary Committee to hold Attorney General William Barr in civil contempt — enabling them to sue him for failing to provide documents demanded by the committee’s subpoena — is still scheduled, an aide confirmed.
That vote will allow Nadler and other committee chairs to enforce existing or future subpoenas in court without requiring a full House vote for each one. But Nadler’s statement on Monday indicated that he will hold off on immediately going to court.
“We have agreed to allow the department time to demonstrate compliance with this agreement,” he said.
Nadler said the Justice Department will share the first batch of documents with the committee later Monday, adding that all members of the panel will be able to view them. It is unclear whether the agreement between House Democrats and the Justice Department allows those documents to become public.
It was also unclear which specific documents the committee secured. In a May 24 letter to Barr, Nadler had tailored his demand to specific contemporaneous notes, memoranda, and 302s — FBI agents’ notes of their witness interviews.
Nadler also said the House intended to delay any action to hold Barr in criminal contempt — a more aggressive punishment — but Democrats signaled last week that criminal contempt was not an option because it would require the Justice Department to charge the attorney general with a crime.
Republicans cheered the temporary cessation of hostilities between Democrats and the Trump administration, which have reached a boiling point in recent weeks over the White House’s refusal to comply with House Democrats’ demands for documents and witness testimony.
“The Justice Department has yet again offered accommodations to House Democrats, and I am glad Chairman Nadler — for the first time in months — has finally met them at the negotiating table,” said the Judiciary Committee’s top Republican, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia.
Rihanna is a woman of many titles: legendary singer, dancer, businesswoman, and fashion designer are just a few. One thing she isn’t yet is a mother to a child. There’s no word if that’s coming in the near future. But Rihanna made one thing clear in a recent conversation with her Ocean’s 8 cast mate Sarah Paulson for Interview Magazine: She wants to be a mother.
She’s also extremely shy, too. Rihanna and Paulson connected over the phone for an amusing conversation that peeled some of the layers back on Rihanna the person, not just Rihanna the musician. One thing you’ll never get from seeing Rihanna’s confidence is that she’s shy, but as it turns out, this confidence is laced with the same insecurities we all have.
“Because I kind of pretend it’s not happening, people read me as being confident. But I’m so shy I don’t even want you to know I’m shy,” she says. After the conversation steers away from her personality kinks, Rihanna then gets personal. When asked if she wants to be a mother, she simply responds with “more than anything in life.” There’s no further elaboration on the topic. (As for who’s currently romantically involved with? “Google it,” Rih says.)
Inevitably, the conversation does turn to music, but Rihanna doesn’t budge when prodded about her forthcoming reggae album. “It really does suck that it can’t just come out, because I’m working on a really fun one right now,” she says. “I’m really happy with a lot of the material we have so far, but I am not going to put it out until it’s complete. It makes no sense to rush it, but I want it out.” Paulson then asks how much longer the wait will be and Rihanna responds with, “I wish I knew.”
That wait is probably going to be quite a while, at least. Rihanna sits on top of a $600 million empire that largely rests on her new luxury fashion house for LVMH, as well as her beauty brand. She unveiled the first pieces for her fashion house last month in Paris. For now, we just have the possible name of the album to latch on to: R9.
“A lot of different stuff ultimately led me to this decision,” Parker told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “But, at the end of the day, I was like, if I can’t be Tony Parker anymore and I can’t play for a championship, I don’t want to play basketball anymore.”
Parker said in 2017 that he hoped to play 20 seasons with San Antonio, joining Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki as the only players in NBA history to spend two decades with one franchise. However, he wound up signing a two-year deal with Charlotte last offseason to “experience something new.”
After San Antonio drafted him with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 draft, Parker spent 17 years in a Spurs uniform. He was an integral part of the team’s dynasty, making the postseason every year, winning four championships and taking home Finals MVP honors in 2007.
However, the 37-year-old has finally shown signs of slowing down.
For the first time in his career, Parker came exclusively off the bench while backing up All-Star Kemba Walker. He averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 assists in a career-low 17.9 minutes per game for the Hornets in 2018-19.
He was limited to 56 appearances and did not appear in the team’s final 13 games.
“I wanted to play 20 seasons. and I still think I can play,” Parker told Spears. “I had a good season with the Hornets, and I was healthy. But at the same time, now I don’t see any reason to play 20 seasons.”
Charlotte went 39-43 and missed out on the postseason, snapping Parker’s streak of 17 consecutive trips to playoffs. According to Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, that was tied for the third-longest streak by a player in NBA history.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Parker told reporters he was “50-50” on returning for another season. He also said he would welcome an opportunity to return to Charlotte.
“I’m very happy to be in Charlotte,” Parker said. “People here are awesome. Very thankful. I want to focus on the good times from this year. A lot of growth from our team and young players. Just want to build on that for next year.”
But the veteran guard also said he did not want to be a part of a rebuilding team if he returned.
After taking some time to contemplate his future, Parker has decided it’s time to walk away from the game.
As soon as the Finals are over, it’s onto the draft. Right on the heels of the draft is the madness of free agency. For the last several summers, July 1 has been a legitimate event for fans.
And the start of 2019’s free-agency period might be bigger than anything we’ve seen since LeBron James made “The Decision” in 2010.
Two of the biggest names in this year’s Finals, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, could be on the move. That alone is unprecedented, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, D’Angelo Russell, Tobias Harris, Kristaps Porzingis, Khris Middleton, Nikola Vucevic, DeMarcus Cousins, Al Horford, Julius Randle and Malcolm Brogdon form just a small sampling of this year’s class. According to RealGM’s Keith P Smith, as many as 16 teams can create enough cap space to sign at least one max-contract free agent.
The beginning of July is going to be busy.
Some of the first names off the board will be no-brainers for the teams that sign them, but no one is flawless. Believe it or not, even the league’s best free agents have some red flags.
Let’s identify one for each of the top 10 players set to hit the open market, as ordered by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes.
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Glenn James/Getty Images
Before we get to the top 10, let’s quickly go through a few notable guys who didn’t make the cut.
Malcolm Brogdon: Restricted Free Agency
Brogdon is an interesting plug-and-play option for just about any team. He doesn’t demand a ton of touches, rarely makes mistakes and just put up a 50/40/90 season.
But it would take a monster offer to get the Milwaukee Bucks to think about letting him walk. Even a max deal might just tie up the team’s cap space for three days before Milwaukee brings him back.
DeMarcus Cousins: Health
Setting aside the volatility that sometimes comes with having Cousins on your team, the four-time All-Star suffered one of basketball’s most catastrophic injuries (ruptured Achilles) and will turn 29 years old in August.
D’Angelo Russell: Defense
Russell experienced an offensive breakout during his first All-Star campaign, but he ranked 347th in ESPN.com’s real plus-minus. Of course, that’s not a definitive form of analysis on a player’s defense, but few would consider him anything approaching a lockdown perimeter guy.
Kristaps Porzingis: Perception vs. Reality
In some ways, the idea of Porzingis may be better than what he’s actually produced in the NBA. According to Basketball Reference, a player with a zero box plus/minus is average. Porzingis’ career BPM is minus-0.1. He’s also never posted an average true shooting percentage, and he’s 85th out of 101 in total rebounding percentage produced by 7-footers in the three-point era.
Those numbers and his injury history should be a little worrisome, though it’s still easy to buy into the potential of a 7’3″ player who can play on the perimeter, hit threes and block shots.
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Aaron Gash/Associated Press
It’s actually pretty tough to find an obvious red flag for Khris Middleton, especially since the warning might only apply to the team he’s already on. According to Yahoo’s Keith Smith, the Bucks are the overwhelming favorite to secure his services.
And he makes plenty of sense there. Middleton may not do anything that leaps off the stat sheet, but he’s steady in just about every facet of the game and knows how to complement Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Now, is that enough to pay him a starting salary of $32.7 million with the option for 8 percent annual raises? That’s the max salary for which Middleton is qualified, and it’s likely the price Milwaukee will pay to keep him. This is just what it takes to keep a solid core together under the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement.
But if you’re another team hoping to pry Middleton away, that’s a price tag that should cause at least a little concern.
If someone other than the Bucks commits that much money to Middleton, “No. 1 option” offense may be expected. He’s only led his team in scoring once in his career. That team, the 2015-16 Bucks, won just 33 games.
And among players with at least 3,000 minutes over the last three seasons, Middleton is 106th in BPM. Is he someone a general manager will want to max out? That’s probably what it would take to get him to entertain leaving his already solid situation.
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Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
Middleton and Tobias Harris share a lot of similarities. Both can fill that emerging combo forward role. Both can play off the ball. Both space the floor.
But on the other end of the floor, the comparison starts to break down.
“Harris may accumulate the offensive volume to become a borderline All-Star, but his defense could continue to hold him back,” NBA Math’s Adam Spinella wrote. “His on-ball work is suspect, and his showings in help situations are generally hit or miss.”
In 2018-19, the Clippers’ defensive rating was 1.5 points per 100 possessions worse (35th percentile) when Harris was on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. And things weren’t much better when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, for whom he finished in the 44th percentile.
In theory, Harris should be a decent defender. He has the size and athleticism to cover multiple positions—a near-must in today’s NBA—but his consistency and awareness still have a long way to go.
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Claudio Cruz/Associated Press
Nikola Vucevic was a force this season.
He finished eighth in RPM, 10th in BPM and 19th in win shares per 48 minutes. In just 31.4 minutes per game, he averaged 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals.
But Vucevic is 28. A max deal would take him into his mid-30s with an annual salary that would take up 30 percent of his team’s cap. And in his seven seasons prior to this one, his value was nowhere near what it was in 2018-19.
Is this a case of a contract-year boost?
From 2011-12 through 2017-18, Vucevic had a 0.9 BPM and a 52.7 true shooting percentage—ranked 88th and 167th, respectively. Those aren’t bad numbers, but they’re nowhere near what he produced this season and aren’t what you want from a max player.
Vucevic probably won’t instantly regress back to that level in 2019-20. He even has the kind of game that should age fairly well.
There just isn’t much of a track record for this level of production.
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Elise Amendola/Associated Press
Al Horford should age fairly gracefully, as well. His game is predicated more on smarts and fundamentals than explosiveness. But the Boston Celtics big man just turned 33. Any long-term deal would put him at the tail end of his career.
And if Horford exercises his player option and turns down the $30.1 million he’s owed in 2019-20, long-term security is probably what he’s after.
If he essentially wants to trade in $30 million in one year for something like $60 million over four, he has a decent chance to live up to the contract, even during his age-36 season.
Much more than that starts to get a little risky, though.
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Chris Szagola/Associated Press
Jimmy Butler has been in the NBA for eight seasons. Tom Thibodeau was his coach for a little over five of them. Since 2013, Butler has averaged 66.5 games per season.
“Fatigue and Thibs have been attached at the hip for years,” The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti wrote. “Fans and punditshalf-jokeabout keeping players away from his grasp for the sole purpose of keeping them healthy. By now, Thibodeau is presumably known more for his stubbornness than for his defensive schemes.”
Every player is different, so maybe this isn’t a fair comparison. But the Thibodeau minutes eventually took a sudden and terrible toll on Luol Deng.
Over his last three-and-a-half seasons with the Bulls, Deng averaged 38.9 minutes of grind-it-out, Thibs-style ball. He was 28 at the end of that run.
The number of games he played in each of his next five seasons? That would be 72, 74, 56, one and 22.
Again, this isn’t meant as some kind of forecast for doom. Rather, it’s just what the title suggests: a red flag.
Jimmy Butler has a lot of NBA mileage on the metaphorical odometer. And they’re not wide-open, Wyoming-highway miles. They’re more like stop-and-go-traffic-in-the-desert miles.
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Chuck Burton/Associated Press
Even as the game continually trends toward perimeter players, there’s still a generally prevailing natural law of basketball: Size helps.
In 2018-19, 498 of the 530 players who logged at least a minute in the NBA were taller than Kemba Walker. And as the 29-year-old ages, that could start to become more of a weakness on the floor.
Those two factors may already be starting to converge. This season, Walker posted a below-average true shooting percentage for the first time since 2014-15. The next year, he posted career highs in box plus-minus and win shares per 48 minutes. Both have steadily fallen since.
Sure, we can chalk some of that up to an underwhelming supporting cast. Perhaps better teammates would get him trending upward again. But it would be hard to surround him with that if Kemba signs a supermax extension, for which he’s now eligible after making third-team All-NBA.
By the end of such a deal, Walker’s salary would be around $50 million in his age-33 season.
That’s concerning for a 6’1″ player at a position that’s getting bigger by the year.
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Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Among the 420 players with at least 1,000 career three-point attempts, Klay Thompson is 14th in effective field-goal percentage.
Few players in the history of basketball shot the ball as well as Klay, but he’s spent his entire career alongside Stephen Curry, probably the best shooter of all time.
The spacing Curry creates by forcing defenses to account for him the moment he crosses half court has helped every Warrior for a decade. And that includes Klay, who’s been assisted on 79 percent of his career field goals.
If some team is looking to pry Thompson away from Golden State, does it have a plan and the personnel in place that will allow him to continue working mostly off the ball? Or will he be asked to create a little more for himself and others?
He’s qualified for a max salary worth 30 percent of the projected $109 million cap. And if that’s what he gets, especially for a team other than the Warriors, he might be called upon to do more.
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics had a fun honeymoon phase at the start of the 2017-18 season. By the end of Year 2, Boston superfan Bill Simmons was borderline ranting on his podcast about wanting to drive Irving, a former guest of the show, to the airport.
“There are plenty of reasons to explain why this season was so hard, and why these Celtics were so disappointing,” ESPN.com’s Tim Bontemps wrote. “At the root of all of them, though, is Irving—and, more specifically, his leadership through words and actions on and off the court.”
Throughout Boston’s underwhelming campaign, the Celtics were surrounded by drama, and Kyrie was often seemingly the source. He repeatedly took shots at the “young guys,” which is interesting, given where he’s rumored to go now.
“Kyrie Irving is serious about the Nets,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted. “And the Nets are serious about beating the Knicks—and rest of league—to the biggest free agents in the marketplace, per league sources.”
Unless Kyrie knows something we don’t about other veteran free agents who are interested in Brooklyn, he’ll be on yet another team with “young guys.” Will he assume—and ultimately fall under—the leadership mantle there, as well?
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Ben Margot/Associated Press
Kawhi Leonard just threw his hat back in the ring for the title of world’s best player with his 2019 postseason run. But there are health concerns with the King in the North.
In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Leonard said, “I don’t think I’d be playing right now” if not for the “load management” strategy the Toronto Raptors laid out for their star.
After appearing in only nine games for the San Antonio Spurs in 2017-18, Kawhi sat another 22 in the regular season for Toronto this season. Even still, he’s been seen laboring at times during the postseason, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
When he’s physically OK, Kawhi’s unreal. A no-brainer max player. Having to rest him for a quarter of the season to keep him at that level isn’t ideal, but in Kawhi’s case, it’s worth it.
The worry is that the issues necessitating the load management become worse.
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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
At this point, we might have to get a little nitpicky. Trying to identify a “red flag” for Kevin Durant isn’t easy. Something along the lines of leadership or drama seemed to be in play, but the indicators here weren’t nearly as clear as they were for Irving.
Instead, we’ll go with age.
Durant turns 31 in September. He just wrapped up his 12th season. And over his last five, he’s averaged just 61.4 appearances.
A five-year deal with the Warriors, or a four-year deal elsewhere, will start at $38.2 million and end around $50 million.
That’s probably still fine value if Durant is at or near his current level and playing around 60 games. If he’s healthy and on your team for the postseason, you’re pretty much a de facto contender.
If he breaks down a bit with age, you may miss him right when you need him most, as the Warriors found out in these playoffs.
Former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has been arrested after his bail application was rejected in connection with a high-profile money laundering case that saw vast sums of money allegedly siphoned out of the country.
Zardari, the husband of assassinated ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, served as president from 2008 until 2013. He has long been the subject of corruption allegations, and is widely known in Pakistan as “Mr Ten Percent”.
Small scuffles erupted on Monday between police and supporters of Zardari’s opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) outside his family’s residence in Islamabad as he was taken into custody. A senior PPP official confirmed the arrest.
Local media channels reported that Zardari’s sister, Faryal Talpur, was also being investigated by the anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The former president and Talpur have always denied any wrongdoing linked to those cases, which have been described by the PPP as politically motivated.
“The government has no role in [the arrest],” Interior Minister Ejaz Shah told parliament, saying it was a court decision.
“This is done by NAB. Our government has nothing to do with it.”
‘Thousands of false accounts’
The charges in the latest case centre around allegations Zardari laundered millions of dollars through suspect bank accounts and companies.
Last year, Pakistani authorities discovered several accounts in the name of poor people that had been flooded with cash before being suddenly emptied. In September, Pakistan’s Supreme Court established a commission in September to investigate the case and found that at least $400m had passed through “thousands of false accounts”.
Zardari has repeatedly dismissed allegations he had a hand in the scheme, calling the government an instrument of the powerful military and labelling Prime Minister Imran Khan the army’s “blue-eyed boy”.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said “Zardari has been a controversial figure” in Pakistani politics.
“He earned himself the nickname of Mr Ten Percent because of all the money he was taking on the deals,” he said.
“The federal investigation agency came out with substantial evidence to suggest that Zardari and his party were indeed involved with [wrongdoing],” added Hyder.
“So the NAB is moving very fast after the court announced that it would not renew the pre-arrest bail.
“Of course it’s going to cause quite a stir in Pakistani politics because the political parties will be saying that this is political victimisation. But [Prime Minister] Imran Khan had already said he is really big on accountability and he wants to make sure that nobody escapes as far as accountability is concerned.”
After his arrest on Monday, Zardari was seen leaving his house in Islamabad with his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the current leader of the PPP in which Zardari still wields vast influence.
During Zardari’s departure, PPP supporters chanted “Long live Bhutto”, in reference to one of South Asia’s most famed political dynasties that has ruled Pakistan on several occasions over the past five decades.
A former businessman and a polo-playing playboy in his younger days, Zardari swept to power in 2008 following a wave of sympathy following the murder of his wife, Benazir, a two-time premier, in a suicide attack.
The arrest comes as the economy continues to spiral and discontent simmers in Pakistan following repeated devaluations of the rupee, soaring inflation, and rising utility prices.
Khan, a longtime foe of Zardari, was elected prime minister last year after running a heated campaign vowing to crack down on corruption. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also currently behind bars, after being sentenced to seven years in prison late last year on corruption charges.
Monday morning, President Donald Trump dinged Congress — and Democrats in particular — for dragging their feet on border control. | Win McNamee/Getty Images
The president took to Twitter and called in to CNBC to try to defend the agreement.
President Donald Trump intensified his defense of the widely panned agreement his administration struck with Mexico, even calling in to a cable news show for nearly half an hour Monday to try to sell the deal as a victory.
After a weekend of railing against news reports poking holes in his claims — some of which are so far unsubstantiated — that Mexico had agreed to significant new concessions on immigration enforcement to avert tariffs, the president took to the airwaves to argue his case.
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The president apparently called in to respond to an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” during which Myron Brilliant, head of international affairs at the Chamber of Commerce, decried Trump’s “weaponization of tariffs.”
“It’s nonsense,” he said of reports that the concessions he touted had been previously agreed to. “We talked about it for months and months and months. And they wouldn’t get there.”
But he dismissed the dire economic consequences experts had warned of had the 5 percent tariffs gone into effect, while mischaracterizing who would have been hit hardest by the levies, which almost always are passed on to consumers. “We said, ‘Look, if you don’t get there, we’re going to have to charge you hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.’ We would have been just fine,” Trump argued.
Brilliant had argued moments before that the tariffs needlessly jeopardized the economy and America’s standing with its trade partners. He also suggested that picking a fight over trade with Mexico as Trump is attempting to get his renegotiated NAFTA agreement ratified was unwise.
“He’s not protecting our country, he’s doing a very big disservice,” the president said of Brilliant. “He’s protecting all of those companies that are members that like it just the way they are. And they have companies in Mexico, and they have companies in China.”
“It’s another very powerful tool, in addition to the very powerful tools we got. We had none of these tools — or virtually none — or they were just being talked about” until the U.S. put tariffs on the table, Trump argued.
“If we didn’t have tariffs, we wouldn’t have made a deal with Mexico,” Trump asserted. “This is something the U.S. has been trying to get for over 20 years with Mexico. As soon as I put tariffs on the table it was done — it took two days.”
He still offered few specifics, teasing in a tweet Monday morning a “very important” part of the deal that had been “fully signed and documented” but was first subject to a vote by Mexico’s Legislature. He was even more vague in his interview on CNBC.
“I’m gonna tell you that most people understand that the people having to do with borders and illegal immigration and immigration of any kind understand exactly what that is. But we purposely said we wouldn’t mention it for a while.”
The provision, which Trump described as “one that the U.S. has been asking about getting for many years” would be revealed “in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico’s Legislative body!”
Though Trump added that “we do not anticipate a problem with the vote,” he warned that “if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!”
Trump spent much of his weekend defending the deal on Twitter after it was widely panned for not containing much that was new.
Mexico said as part of the agreement it would send 6,000 troops from its newly formed National Guard to the country’s southern border with Guatemala, a move aimed at cutting off the flow of migrants bound for the U.S. border, but one that had already been under discussion before Trump’s threats to slap a 5 percent tariff on goods imported from Mexico.
The deal also involved an expansion of the “remain in Mexico” policy, which forces certain non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico pending the resolution of their cases in the U.S., which was also under discussion previously.
On Monday, Trump also reprised his attacks on the media for their reporting on the deal, bemoaning the “sick journalism” of The New York Times but not offering any specific contradictions to their reporting.
“When will the Failing New York Times admit that their front page story on the the [sic] new Mexico deal at the Border is a FRAUD and nothing more than a badly reported ‘hit job’ on me, something that has been going on since the first day I announced for the presidency!” Trump posited. He appeared to refer in particular to a story that said the deal reached Friday, which the White House was hailing as a major victory, “consists largely of actions that Mexico had already promised to take in prior discussions with the United States over the past several months.”
The Times responded to Trump’s earlier attacks on their reporting Sunday morning, declaring that they were standing by their story. “We are confident in our reporting, and as with so many other occasions, our stories stand up over time and the president’s denials of them do not,” the paper said in a tweet, adding that “Calling the press the enemy is undemocratic and dangerous.”
Monday morning, the president also dinged Congress — and Democrats in particular — for dragging their feet on border control.
“Now with our new deal, Mexico is doing more for the USA on Illegal Immigration than the Democrats,” he tweeted, accusing Democrats of doing “NOTHING” to help his administration address the recent surge of migrants crossing the border.
Kellyanne Conway, a senior counselor to Trump, echoed that argument in an appearance on Fox News.
“Mexico took the president’s tariff threat very seriously, and they’re starting to take enforcement of southern border seriously,” she said in an interview on “Fox & Friends.” “This is important for both countries — we now have Mexico doing more than Democrats who work behind me on Capitol Hill on securing our southern border.”
She also alluded to the prospect of more components of the deal, responding to questions about Trump’s claims that Mexico had agreed to boost its agricultural purchases and whether there was the possibility of a so-called third country provision by referencing “some mechanisms Mexico will need to take care of on their end.”
Though Mexican officials noted over the weekend that the agreement doesn’t require having Mexico declared a “safe third country,” as the Trump administration had sought, Conway called the idea “part of the president’s strategy from the beginning.” Under such an agreement, migrants would be required to seek asylum in Mexico if they pass through that country en route to the U.S.
Still, Conway said, “I can’t talk about all the details yet” and that she could only comment on the general principal of the third-country concept. When asked about the president’s tweets this morning, Conway again deferred. “I’m not here to talk about this, the president and others will reveal that in due time.”
Organized team activities are an interesting bit of the NFL offseason. Teams are busy installing new schemes and evaluating talent, while players are just getting back into the football flow—largely in shorts and helmets. Live hitting is a big no-no, and many of the top players don’t even participate.
Yet, there is still plenty to be gleaned from OTA season.
Is an incoming rookie grasping the playbook? Is the aging veteran quarterback showing the live arm and accuracy needed to thrive for another year? How is that big offseason acquisition fitting in with his new teammates?
With OTAs and minicamps wrapping up around the league, here’s a list of the most notable things we’ve learned about each team.
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Matt York/Associated Press
The Arizona Cardinals are hoping No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray is ready to be the starting quarterback by Week 1. While it’s still uncertain if he can quickly adapt to the speed and nuances of the pro game, Murray is already showing a tremendous grasp of head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive system.
“He knows the system better than we do,” wide receiver Larry Fitzgeraldsaid, per team correspondent Mike Jurecki. “He can get us into any play at any time.”
At least mentally, Murray should be ready to run the offense immediately.
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John Amis/Associated Press
Injuries were largely responsible for the Atlanta Falcons’ disappointing 2018, and perhaps no loss was bigger than that of safety Keanu Neal.
He started 30 games for the Falcons over his first two seasons and amassed 220 tackles, 14 passes defended and an interception in that span. However, a torn ACL cut his 2018 season short after one game.
The good news for Atlanta is that Neal was back and working with the team in OTAs.
“The real purpose is to get back in with the group, then when you start training camp it’s not for the first time,” head coach Dan Quinn said, per Will McFadden of the team’s official website.
It looks like Neal will be back to 100 percent by the time training camp rolls around, and that’s a huge development for a Falcons defense that sorely missed him last season.
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Nick Wass/Associated Press
The Baltimore Ravens have invested heavily in their secondary over the last few seasons. Their latest addition, safety Earl Thomas, is the molten fudge on perhaps the best secondary sundae in the league.
If OTAs are an accurate indication, the Ravens may have some starting-caliber safeties and cornerbacks who don’t even make the roster.
“They’re so deep at those positions that a few players who belong on the field in the NFL will be hard-pressed to make the roster,” John Eisenberg of the team’s official website wrote. “That’s one of my takeaways from watching them together on the practice field and doing a little math.”
With players such as Thomas, Marlon Humphrey, Tony Jefferson and Brandon Carr in the starting secondary, the Ravens indeed appear to have an elite unit.
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Adrian Kraus/Associated Press
The Buffalo Bills have already lost new tight end Tyler Kroft for an extended period with a broken foot. Unfortunately, that isn’t the only injury that could impact the team as it heads toward training camp.
According to Nick Wojton of Bills Wire, other players who are dealing with injuries include tackle Ty Nsekhe, defensive end Eli Harold, cornerback E.J. Gaines, wideout Cole Beasley, receiver Zay Jones and tight end Jason Croom.
The good news is that only Kroft’s injury appears to be serious.
“Overall, other than really Tyler‘s situation that we talked about the other week, most of them, at this point, are shorter-term situations,” head coach Sean McDermott said per Wojton.
The bad news is that several of the injured players—including Kroft, Beasley and Nsekhe—are additions who need their offseason reps to integrate themselves.
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Bill Feig/Associated Press
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t been at OTAs because he’s still recovering from shoulder surgery. That isn’t a revelation. What is interesting, though, is the Panthers appear to be trying something different with their pass rush.
According to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, Carolina has been working its pass-rushers separately from their individual position groups.
“As the Panthers defense works to get more multiple, one notable difference in practice structure is that the hybrid defensive ends/linebackers at times work in their own group, separate from the other defensive linemen and linebackers,” Rodrigue wrote.
This suggests that pass-rushers Bruce Irvin, Mario Addison and rookie Brian Burns will often be viewed as edge-defenders, with the border between linebacker and end blurred or even nonexistent in certain situations.
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David Banks/Associated Press
The Chicago Bears are desperately trying to find a new kicker in the wake of Cody Parkey’s missed playoff dinger. Chicago has Chris Blewitt, Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro on the roster, and it isn’t afraid to take an unconventional approach to the competition.
The Bears have even implemented a golf-style hush rule during pressurized kicking attempts.
“We’re creating as much pressure as we can on these guys,” head coach Matt Nagy said, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. “We’re getting the ‘Augusta silence’ out here with the team, and that’s eerie.”
The Bears have a relatively complete roster outside the kicker spot, so this is one of the most important battles of the offseason. It’s interesting, though, to see what lengths the Bears are willing to go to find their guy.
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Steven Ryan/Getty Images
The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t make many splash moves in free agency. However, they did make some under-the-radar transactions that could pay dividends. The acquisition of cornerback B.W. Webb, who last played for the New York Giants, is looking like one of them.
Webb has been a standout during OTAs, and he’s caught the attention of new head coach Zac Taylor.
“He sets a great example, sets a good standard for the other guys on the other side of the ball and this is what it should look like, this is what we want,” Taylor said of Webb, per Fletcher Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Happy with the way he’s playing right now.”
Webb has the potential to be a leader in a secondary that already includes talented cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III.
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Paul Sancya/Associated Press
“You are either on this train or you are not. It is moving,” Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. His quote was in response to a question about running back Duke Johnson’s offseason trade demands.
The Browns are eager to push for their first playoff appearance since 2002, and they’re counting on everyone to be committed. While they likely won’t part with a top-tier player like Johnson or Odell Beckham Jr.—who skipped most of the offseason up until mandatory minicamp—they will have little patience for most players who aren’t all-in.
Take second-year tackle Desmond Harrison, for example. He started at left tackle for the first half of 2018 and, at the very least, projected as a quality depth player in 2019. However, he reported late for minicamp, and the Browns quickly released him.
Cleveland wants players who can—and perhaps more importantly, are willing—to help the team win now. The Browns won’t make room for anyone else.
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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
The Dallas Cowboys got another weapon for quarterback Dak Prescott in the form of Randall Cobb this offseason. He and Amari Cooper should be Prescott’s top two targets. Another quality target could be emerging, though, and that would make the Dallas passing attack even more formidable.
Third-year wideout Reggie Davis, who was signed to the practice squad last season, has shined in OTAs and appears poised to make an impact.
“He’s really understanding how to use his speed,” receivers coach Sanjay Lal said, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “He’s always been fast, but how to truly use it. How to stop better, how to set up DBs, he’s doing a great job. And he’s finishing plays with catches.”
If Davis can emerge as a reliable third or fourth receiver, it will open up options for Prescott and the passing game.
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David Zalubowski/Associated Press
The Denver Broncos got a new head coach in Vic Fangio this offseason. They also brought in a new offensive coordinator in Rich Scangarello. This means there will be new schemes and terminology on both sides of the ball.
The good news is the players have been learning it all.
“I think the guys are picking things up quickly,” Fangio said, per Aric DiLalla of the team’s official website. “That’s a compliment to the assistant coaches with the job they’re doing with these guys, which they did in Phase I and Phase II in the classroom. And it’s a compliment to the players that they’ve been able to transition.”
The Broncos also have a new quarterback in 34-year-old Joe Flacco, and they’re hoping he has enough left to get them back to the postseason in 2019. Getting the systems in place now will go a long way toward accomplishing that.
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Duane Burleson/Associated Press
The Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Danny Amendola during the offseason, likely due to his familiarity with head coach Matt Patricia—the two spent time together with the New England Patriots from 2013 to 2017. The move wasn’t only about familiarity, though, as the Lions expect Amendola to contribute early and often.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Amendola is already seeing a featured role in the offense.
He may be Detroit’s No. 2 receiver in 2019—though he’ll play in the slot alongside Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. It’s also worth noting that the team recently added Jermaine Kearse. But the fact that Amendola’s already taking on a significant role suggests he will be ready to be a big contributor right away.
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Bill Kostroun/Associated Press
Davante Adams is the Green Bay Packers’ No. 1 wide receiver. However, that’s pretty much the only receiver spot that has been solidified through OTAs. According to Michael Cohen of The Athletic, several jobs are there for the taking.
This isn’t a shock, as the Packers have several intriguing, yet mostly unproven receivers on the roster—such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and Geronimo Allison.
According to head coach Matt LaFleur, Green Bay is looking for players to fill very specific roles.
“You need guys that are at a certain area of expertise, and then it’s our job as coaches to put those guys into position where they can showcase that skill set,” LaFleur said, per Mike Spofford of the team’s official website.
The wideout competition should be one of the most fascinating storylines of the Packers’ offseason.
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Michael Wyke/Associated Press
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 4,165 yards and 26 touchdowns with just nine interceptions in 2018. The idea that he could be markedly better in 2019 is a little scary. Texans OTAs have showcased a quarterback who is indeed more confident and in more control of Houston’s offense.
“He has a better grasp, obviously, every day he works hard at getting better and better at mastering our offense,” head coach Bill O’Brien said, per Drew Dougherty of the team’s official website. “Understanding what we’re doing. Understanding defenses. With experience and all the reps that he’s had, whether it’s in games or obviously in practices, he gets better and better. Because he works hard at it.”
Since Watson missed a large portion of his rookie season with a torn ACL, this is the year he could take that fabled sophomore leap. If he indeed grows as a player—and the Texans get improved offensive line play—Watson could enter the ranks of the elite in 2019.
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Darron Cummings/Associated Press
The Indianapolis Colts took steps to improve their receiving corps this offseason. They signed possession receiver Devin Funchess and drafted speedster Parris Campbell in Round 2. However, the new additions have yet to establish themselves in the Colts offense.
“No one has really separated themselves from the pack yet,” Kevin Hickey of Colts Wire wrote. “Big-bodied Devin Funchess [6’4″, 225 lbs] has flashed a bit during the early portion of OTAs, while Chester Rogers is having a strong spring. Rookie Parris Campbell has seen most of his work on the second team.”
The good news is that Indianapolis brings back T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron, both of whom were spectacular in 2018. New additions Funchess and Campbell don’t have to be significant contributors early in the season for the Colts to still have a dangerous passing attack. What’s important is that the pair provides a boost for a stretch playoff run.
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John Raoux/Associated Press
The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled early and often in 2018, and at times, it felt like some of the players had checked out. That hasn’t been the case during OTAs, though, as everyone on the roster appears motivated to kick off the Nick Foles era.
“I’ve got a real good vibe about it again,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell said, per John Oehser of the team’s official website. “It’s just the way we’re working. We’re working to get better.”
The struggles of quarterback Blake Bortles played a part in Jacksonville’s 2018 downfall—and the Jaguars have to be eager to turn the reins over to Foles—but a lack of motivation was also an issue. That looks like it will change in 2019.
“This is a new year, and we have a new team,” running back Leonard Fournette said, per Oehser.
Positivity has been a big theme of Jaguars OTAs.
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Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have Kareem Hunt at running back anymore, but they do have options. Damien Williams and Darrel Williams both return from last season, and the team added Carlos Hyde in the offseason.
However, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy made it clear during OTAs that the plan is for Damien Williams to be the starting running back.
“Damien Williams is our starter,” Bieniemy said, per Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. “We expect him to excel in that role.
It was easy to assume the Chiefs would hold a competition for the starting job that would last throughout the offseason. However, the competition already appears to have been settled.
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Steven Senne/Associated Press
Last offseason, Los Angeles Chargers edge-rusher Joey Bosa suffered a foot injury that sidelined him until Week 11. The good news is that he now looks to be 100 percent healthy and should be ready to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks in Week 1.
“I’m as fast and strong as I’ve ever been in my life,” Bosa said, per Chris Hayre of the team’s official website. “It’s just about some little things like my hands and stuff, but as a defensive lineman, you’re going to deal with that stuff. I just have to take care of myself in that sense, tape up and keep doing what I’m doing.”
It’s great to see that Bosa is healthy and working in OTAs. Of course, the real question is whether he’ll remain that way through the remainder of the offseason. The Chargers don’t need him now. They need him in September through January.
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Patrick Semansky/Associated Press
When Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is at 100 percent, he’s one of the most violent, game-breaking runners in the league. The problem is, Gurley hasn’t been healthy since the waning weeks of the 2018 regular season.
It’s fair to wonder if he’s even close to healthy now, as he has been present for OTAs but not on the practice field.
According to NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew, who spoke to Gurley earlier this month, the Rams are planning to use Gurley less than they have in the past. This isn’t a huge surprise, as Los Angeles re-signed backup Malcolm Brown and drafted Darrell Henderson.
“He may be on the field for 60 or 50 snaps instead of having to be on the field for 16 games playing 80 snaps to 90 snaps a game,” Jones-Drew said, per Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. “That’s not gonna happen anymore.”
While Gurley may still see games where he’s the offensive centerpiece, the Rams are taking things slow with him and putting a Plan B in place.
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Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
The Miami Dolphins traded for 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen during the draft to assess his ability to be a long-term starter. So far, however, journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick appears to be the better starting option.
Fitzpatrick has taken most of the first-team reps during OTAs and has regularly outplayed his second-year counterpart.
“As has been the case in those previous practices, Fitzpatrick appeared to have the better day,” Barry Jackson of the Miami Heraldwrote after one recent practice.
This shouldn’t come as a major shock, of course, as Rosen has only been with the team since late April, while Fitzpatrick is a seasoned vet with experience in a plethora of offensive systems. If Rosen continues to lag behind in training camp, though, he’ll have a difficult time getting onto the field early in the regular season.
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Jim Mone/Associated Press
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Laquon Treadwell has not lived up to his status as a 2016 first-round draft pick. Though the Vikings have tried to utilize him as a third receiver alongside Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Treadwell appears to have lost that role.
According to Arif Hasan of The Athletic, offseason acquisition Jordan Taylor has been working as the No. 3 wideout in OTAs.
If Taylor can establish himself as Minnesota’s No. 3, it could mean the end of the Treadwell experiment. Though the Vikings would take a $3.1 million cap hit by releasing Treadwell, they would open up a roster spot for a player who can contribute consistently on offense.
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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
At some point during the 2016 season, the New England Patriots lost patience with freelancing former Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins—so they traded him to the Browns. However, the Patriots brought him back this offseason in a bit of a surprise move.
If Collins’ performances in OTAs are any indication, he’ll be a big part of the New England defense this season.
ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss described Collins as “active and looking like a key cog.”
The Athletic’s Nick Underhill reported that Collins “stood out” with his ability to affect quarterback’s throwing lanes.
Collins has shined in the Patriots defense before, helping them win Super Bowl XLIX. He could shine once again in 2019.
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Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
There’s a chance quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will one day take over for Drew Brees as the New Orleans Saints’ franchise signal-caller. Therefore, it’s good to see progress from the 2014 first-round pick in his second offseason with the team.
With Brees out dealing with a court dispute, Bridgwater ran the first-team offense in OTAs and indeed looks better than he did a year ago.
“It’s his second year in what we’re doing and you see it when he’s getting through his progressions and in and out of the huddle,” head coach Sean Payton said, per Rod Walker of the New Orleans Advocate. “He’s doing well.”
Saints fans hope they won’t need to see Bridgewater starting in 2019, but his continued progress is a sign that New Orleans will be able to survive for a game or two if Brees does miss time.
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Adam Hunger/Associated Press
The New York Giants plan to have quarterback Eli Manning start for at least another season. Eventually, though, he will turn the reins over to rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones. If OTAs are any indication, Jones could be ready for the handoff sooner than later.
“He’s got a fast mind, he picks things up pretty well,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said, per Dan Schneier of 247Sports. “The things that you ask him to do to maybe make a couple changes, maybe that were different to what he was used to in college, he does pretty quickly. Whether or not it’s technique in the pocket, everything that we have asked him to do he’s done it pretty quickly.”
It’s good to hear Jones is picking things up, but the rookie has a long way to go before he shows he’s a better option than two-time Super Bowl-winner Manning.
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Julio Cortez/Associated Press
The biggest takeaway from New York Jets OTAs is this team has attitude. As defensive lineman Leonard Williams explained, head coach Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams are bringing some competitive fire to the roster.
“That’s one thing I’ve been loving so much about this year so far, the competitiveness,” Williams said, via the team’s official website. “… Having those two go at it at practice kind of trickles down to the players, who go at it, too.”
The Jets were largely—outside rookie quarterback Sam Darnold—nondescript in 2018. It was pretty much Darnold and everyone else. This year, though, New York has Darnold, Le’Veon Bell, and a pair of coaches who are looking to bring some swagger back to the Jets franchise.
They should be anything but boring in 2019.
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Ben Margot/Associated Press
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict was labeled many things during his time with the Bengals. He was viewed as a hard-hitter, an enforcer and often, a dirty player. He wasn’t considered much of a mentor or leader, though, but that’s exactly what he’s shaping up to be for the Oakland Raiders.
“His ability to connect with the younger players and help teach them Paul Guenther’s defense is impressive,” Marcus Mosher of Raiders Wire wrote. “Multiple players, including Maurice Hurst and Tahir Whitehead, have already mentioned his leadership ability and his intelligence.”
Because of Burfict’s checkered past on the field—and his many fines and suspensions—it was easy to be skeptical about his inclusion on the new-look Raiders. However, coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock saw his potential to help teach Guenther’s system—the coach spent four years as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator—and the move to get him appears to be paying off.
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Matt Slocum/Associated Press
The Philadelphia Eagles appear poised to have one of the NFL’s best receiving corps this season. We already know how big of an impact guys like Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz can have in head coach Doug Pederson’s offense. Tight end Dallas Goedert showed plenty of promise as a rookie, and former Eagles speedster DeSean Jackson made his return this offseason via a trade.
The wild card in the group is rookie second-round pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Based on OTAs, he’s already looking like a potential draft steal.
“His ability to high-point the ball is impressive, and his route-running prowess deserves some credit as well,” Mike Kaye of NJ.com wrote. “Arcega-Whiteside was sprinkled in with the first-team offense and had some strong moments.”
As long as quarterback Carson Wentz stays healthy for a full season, the Eagles passing attack will be one of the NFL’s best.
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Keith Srakocic/Associated Press
It’s difficult to tell just how good players will be based on OTA performances alone. However, the early reports on Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker Devin Bush are encouraging.
“He seems a natural flying around the field in however limited these conditions are,” Jacob Klinger of Penn Live wrote. “Short of tackling people and intercepting some passes, there’s only so much more Bush can do to stand out before football games start.”
The Steelers traded up to the 10th overall pick to land Bush. It appears that bold decision could pay off soon.
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Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Did you know former NFL receiver and five-time Pro Bowler Wes Welker was a member of the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff? His addition as a receivers coach in February flew under the radar thanks to impending free agency and the upcoming draft, but Welker was out front, coaching San Francisco’s young wideouts in OTAs.
His presence is notable because the 49ers have several young receivers on the roster—including rookies Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd. If there’s a guy who knows what it takes for a young receiver to succeed, it’s Welker.
“We love having him around with just all of his experience that he has,” wideout Trent Taylor said of Welker, via the team’s official website. “Throughout his career, he’s ran all the routes that we run in our offense; the same type of mindset. Just to be able to hear his thought process through it all, the way he looks at things, it’s a different type of perspective.”
An undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2004, the undersized Welker (5’9″, 185 lbs) went on to become a two-time first-team All-Pro and one of the most dangerous slot men in the NFL. He’s a shining example of what San Francisco’s young pass-catchers can become with some hard work and determination.
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Elaine Thompson/Associated Press
Early in his rookie campaign, Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny was mostly a disappointment. He struggled to get onto the field, and he struggled to make an impact when he did. However, he came on late in the season as a role player and helped Seattle make a playoff run.
Now, with a full NFL season under his belt, Penny looks prepared to take charge of his role and be an offensive playmaker.
“I’m really pleased with the way he is attacking practice right now,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I think last year he didn’t know what he didn’t know. Now he’s got some leadership ability; he’s getting a ton of reps because obviously Chris [Carson] is out. But it’s been fun to watch him grow.”
Expect Penny to perform like the 2018 first-round pick that he is.
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Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took steps to improve their defense this offseason, drafting linebacker Devin White in Round 1 and signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to replace Gerald McCoy. However, the addition of creative defensive coordinator Todd Bowles could be the biggest move of all.
It’s early—and the pads aren’t yet on—but it looks like Bowles will flex enough creativity to get the most out of Tampa’s defense.
“The side of the ball that seemed to benefit from the efficiency was the defense,” Carmen Vitali of the team’s official website wrote. “They were simulating pressure and breaking up passes all afternoon. There was a lot of creative ‘pressure,’ too. It came from all over the field and kept the offense guessing.”
With new head coach Bruce Arians coaching a high-flying passing attack on the offense and Bowles coaching an aggressive attacking scheme on the defense, the Buccaneers should be a lot of fun to watch in 2019.
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Gerry Broome/Associated Press
The Tennessee Titans signed former North Carolina wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams as an undrafted free agent, and it’s looking like he’ll boost their receiving corps.
“Ratliff-Williams is a heck of an athlete,” Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website wrote. “He went up high to make a catch on the sideline on Tuesday, but was ruled out of bounds. In an OTA last month, Ratliff-Williams made the catch of the offseason so far by snagging a ball out of the air in tight coverage.”
If Ratliff-Williams continues to shine, he’ll make the 53-man roster. He has the potential to be a weapon on the outside along with Corey Davis and fellow rookie A.J. Brown—with free-agent acquisition Adam Humphries in the slot—when the Titans go four wide.
This would be a great development for a team that’s trying to finally get the most out of quarterback Marcus Mariota.
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Steven Senne/Associated Press
Regardless of whether they have Dwayne Haskins or Case Keenum under center in Week 1, the Washington Redskins need to get more out of their receiving corps in 2019. Last year’s unit lacked a clear No. 1 receiver and was underwhelming overall.
Fortunately, 2018 undrafted free agent Cam Sims appears poised to give the receiver group a boost. An ankle injury cut short his rookie season after just one game, but Sims is healthy and stood out during OTAs.
“For the second straight open practice, Cam Sims found himself hauling in passes all over the secondary,” Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington wrote. “The second-year wideout is thrilled to be playing again after getting hurt super early in 2018 and is doing what he can to be a friendly target for his passers.”
Sims probably won’t emerge as Washington’s No. 1 receiver this season, but he’s shaping up to be a much-needed complementary weapon.
The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly hired former WNBA star Swin Cash to a “senior front-office position,” according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
Cash, 39, retired from the WNBA in 2016. She played 15 seasons, winning three championships and making the All-Star team four times.
The Pelicans organization has undergone an overhaul under new president of basketball operations David Griffin. He hired well-regarded Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon as the team’s general manager and Aaron Nelson as the team’s vice president of player care and performance. Nelson previously spearheaded the Phoenix Suns’ renowned training staff.
“We’re certainly going to add infrastructure. There’re really good bones there; they had some very good people here. I don’t look at this as a situation where we have to come in a sweep everything away to the studs, but I think what we’re going to do is we’re going to make sure we get all the right people on the bus. If we do that, titles aside, we get everybody in the right frame of mind and heading in the right direction, then we’re going to be successful.”
Cash had been the New York Liberty’s director of franchise development since 2017; however, she has no experience working in an NBA front office.
The Pelicans’ most pressing issue is trading Anthony Davis, who first publicly requested a trade in January. Davis’ relationship with the organization appears to be beyond repair despite Griffin’s strong working relationship with Klutch Sports, which represents the All-Star big man.
It’s unclear what level of involvement Cash will have working with Griffin on trades because of her limited experience in that capacity. She’ll likely become a key part of the team’s player-development system, which will be of the utmost importance as it looks to rebuild around Zion Williamson and whatever player package the Pels get for Davis.
Beijing has backed Hong Kong’s government over its controversial plan to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland, saying it opposes “any outside interference” in the semi-autonomous territory.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that Beijing would “continue to firmly support” Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who earlier vowed to push ahead with the new laws despite massive protests against them.
“Second, we firmly oppose any outside interference in the legislative affairs [of Hong Kong],” Shuang told a regular press briefing, adding “some countries have made some irresponsible remarks about the amendment”.
Chinese state-run media on Monday slammed the territory’s protest organisers for “collusion with the West” and pointed to meetings between Hong Kong opposition figures and senior US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“It is very noteworthy that some international forces have significantly strengthened their interaction with the Hong Kong opposition in recent months,” an editorial in the Chinese-language edition of the Global Times said.
Lam earlier on Monday defended the proposed amendments – which would allow for case-by-case extraditions to jurisdictions, including mainland China, beyond the 20 states with which Hong Kong already has treaties – as necessary to ensure the territory meets its “international obligations in terms of cross-boundary and transnational crimes”.
‘Clear conscience’
Critics fear the changes could make Hong Kong residents vulnerable to politically motivated charges in China’s notoriously opaque court system, however, and are part of a wider move by Beijing to scale back the city’s freedoms enshrined under the so-called “one country, two systems” principle.
But Lam, who was elected chief executive in 2017 by a committee of mostly pro-Beijing Hong Kong elites, denied taking orders from the Chinese government.
“I have not received any instruction or mandate from Beijing to do this bill,” she told reporters. “We were doing it – and we are still doing it – out of our clear conscience and our commitment to Hong Kong.”
‘Freedom will disappear’
On Sunday, more than one million people took to the financial hub’s streets to demonstrate against the bill and call for it to be scrapped, according to protest organisers. Police put the figure at 240,000 at the march’s peak.
Al Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke, reporting from Hong Kong, said the rally marked the city’s largest protest since 1997, when it was handed over to China by the British amid guarantees that its autonomy and freedoms, including an independent justice system, would be protected.
The law’s opponents have called for another demonstration on Wednesday when a second reading of the bill is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing majority 70-seat Legislative Council.
Emily Lau, a political activist and former Democratic Party Legislative Council member, said critics of the proposal were “all united by their fear of the Chinese Communist Party”.
“There are many who are terrified of the Chinese legal system coming into Hong Kong,” Lau told Al Jazeera.
“It will be like a truck driving through and making a big hole in one country, two systems. We will be crushed, we will have one country, one system, and Hong Kong’s freedom and the rule of law will disappear,” she added.
“We are a lovely, vibrant, free city and nobody wants to see us crushed by evil forces, so I hope the international community will continue to keep an eye on Hong Kong.”
US and European officials have issued formal warnings over the proposed changes, matching international business and human rights groups who fear the amendments will dent Hong Kong’s rule of law.
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