After the Indianapolis Colts chose to surprisingly part ways with four-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, the news surfaced that he would only give serious consideration to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in terms of the next team that he’d sign with.

Adding Leonard to arguably one of the best defenses in the league in Dallas was a scary prospect for any opponent of the Cowboys, while adding him to the Eagles’ stacked roster was equally intimidating, especially for teams hoping to make a Super Bowl run in the NFC.

Ultimately, after visiting with both NFC heavyweights, Leonard chose to sign with the Eagles, which is likely ideal timing after the team failed to contend the San Francisco 49ers offense at home at Lincoln Financial Field last Sunday.

The Eagles definitely need the boost defensively and will likely get it now that Leonard is in Philadelphia, but Skip Bayless of FOX Sports, who is openly a diehard Cowboys fan, argues that the Colts got rid of the veteran linebacker for a reason and have now won four straight games without him.

I'd be worried about Shaq Leonard choosing the Eagles over the Cowboys … if the Colts hadn't deactivated for a Nov. 29 game, then released him because he's struggling to come back from two back surgeries last year. He's going to fix the Eagles D??? Colts have won four straight.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 4, 2023

It’s not all that surprising that Bayless would make this take after Leonard chose not to sign with the Cowboys, as he’d likely have the opposite take had the veteran linebacker landed in Dallas.

Regardless of Bayless’ antics and opinion, it will be interesting to see if Leonard can help the Eagles defensively and if that proves to be the difference for this team to advance to the Super Bowl for a second straight season.

The post Skip Bayless Reacts To Latest Eagles Signing appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The wide receiver position in the NFL is arguably the most talented it has ever been, with some top-tier players at the position all across the league, from young up-and-comers like Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson, to players hitting their prime like Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, and seasoned veterans still going strong like Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Evans.

In Week 13, the Buccaneers were able to get the best of the lowly division-rival Carolina Panthers in order to win their fifth game of the season and gain some ground on the division-leading Atlanta Falcons.

Although the win over the Panthers and getting closer to the Falcons was the most important thing for Tampa Bay, one of the team’s legendary players added to his legacy with another historic milestone.

Evans has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the game, as he’s practically guaranteed to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark every single season because now he’s done it for a decade straight while wearing a Buccaneers uniform, which earned high praise from Hill, who took to Twitter to call him a generational talent.

Generational Talent https://t.co/EbW3mcq1XM

— Ty Hill (@cheetah) December 4, 2023

It seems that no matter who is passing him the ball, from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield, Evans is going to get his numbers and keep his reputation going as the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL.

The Buccaneers may not be a force to be reckoned with this season, but that hasn’t stopped Evans from making an impact, as he has caught 61 passes for 1,012 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The post Tyreek Hill Pays Respect To Fellow Record-Setting WR appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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NASHVILLE – Viewed from Ross Atkins’ perspective, there’s likely little upside in speaking publicly right now, and lots of downside.

At the same time, there is all kinds of curiosity about the Blue Jays’ next steps, not only amongst the team’s fan base but also within the suites and hallways of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, where agents and executives wondered about the Blue Jays’ chances of landing Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto as the first full day of MLB’s Winter Meetings unfolded Monday.

It was within that rather unusual context that Atkins made his first media appearance of the week — well, sort of. The GM wasn’t actually on hand in Nashville, though he expects to be here soon. Instead, there was a change of plans and he addressed Toronto-based media via Zoom. 

Naturally, he wasn’t fully forthcoming about the Blue Jays’ intentions. No GM ever is. And this year, there’s now more reason than ever to speak carefully. With that in mind, let’s read between the lines on some of Atkins’ comments from Monday afternoon…

On the change in plans

“Due to the scheduling conflict, I wanted to ensure, out of respect for (media) to not change this and Zoom permitted me to do that.”

Let’s start with the big one. Why wasn’t Atkins in Nashville? The Winter Meetings have been on the schedule for months, and his availability was set days in advance with plans for a media briefing in the team suite, as is standard practice. And if the Blue Jays were working on a deal for Soto, Padres GM A.J. Preller is right here.

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But if Atkins was away because he’s pursuing Ohtani? Well, that would have required being in Los Angeles over the weekend, not Nashville. It would also require secrecy on the part of the Blue Jays. And it might have led to a last-minute shift in plans. Simply put, if the Blue Jays were pushing hard for Ohtani and still believed they had a chance to land him, Atkins’ answer would sound a lot like the one he offered. 

On asking players on the current roster to help recruit free agents

“Absolutely, yeah, we always do … Every situation is different based on (which recruiters) we think will have the biggest impact. And then we were also very cognizant of … truly individualizing that in a way that (free agents) understand that we know them as individuals and we want to lean into that. We don’t ever want it to feel as though it’s anything but unique and something very special.”

Atkins didn’t address Ohtani in particular here, so what follows is speculation. But if you were pursuing Ohtani and you wanted to show him how well you understood him and how much you care about him as a person, you’d probably reach out to the person who went to the same high school, wore the same number growing up and successfully made the transition from rural Japan to the West Coast of the U.S. to Toronto: Yusei Kikuchi. Now, we don’t know for a fact that Kikuchi’s been involved in the Blue Jays’ pursuit, but to say it’s imaginable might be an understatement.

On the possibility of adding two elite players

“Two of those to add to our roster would be exceptionally difficult to pull off. But as we always talk about, the relationship that we built with Edward (Rogers, the team chairman) and Tony (Staffieri, the president & CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., which also owns Sportsnet) and the ability to go to them and present something to them is real. I would never eliminate us.” 

Based on this answer, it doesn’t appear that adding Ohtani and Soto in the same off-season is likely. Nor does any other team appear to have a realistic shot at pulling that off, either. Acquiring one elite player would be hard enough, let alone two.

On lofty fan expectations given their apparent Ohtani and Soto pursuits

“In terms of expectations, listen, we’re going to do everything we can to make our team better. There are certain players in the game that any team in baseball would like to have, and it’s extremely competitive. We will do everything in our power to build upon this very good team. And that could happen in a lot of different shapes. We’re pushing very hard to do so.”

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Important to remember in all of this: the Dodgers are extremely motivated on Ohtani, too. The Cubs seem serious. The Giants and Angels may be involved, and possibly others. Under those circumstances, the Blue Jays must be prepared for the possibility that Ohtani signs elsewhere despite what appears to be a genuine push to land him.

As Atkins says, the off-season could develop in “a lot of different shapes.” Some of those shapes would include Soto, but of course, it’s also possible the Blue Jays miss both. There are still good off-seasons to be had in that scenario – but the adrenaline crash would be real for fans, and maybe even for front-office employees. 

For now, though, possibility and even a little mystery surrounds the Blue Jays.

More from Sportsnet

In pitch to Shohei Ohtani, how would Blue Jays likely make their case?

As Shohei Ohtani deliberates on future, Blue Jays await push down different paths

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