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'Overlooked' Rookie Poised As Next Late-Round Gem in Eagles Roster Pipeline

'Overlooked' Rookie Poised As Next Late-Round Gem in Eagles Roster Pipeline

Yahoo8 hours ago

'Overlooked' Rookie Poised As Next Late-Round Gem in Eagles Roster Pipeline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Eagles have quietly mastered finding defensive talent in the draft's later stages, and fourth-round selection Ty Robinson appears destined to extend that impressive lineage.
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From Josh Sweat's transformation from raw fourth-round gamble into a consistent pass rusher to Avonte Maddox evolving from cornerback to versatile defensive chess piece, the Eagles repeatedly succeed with late-round picks who possess both athletic tools and football intelligence.
Robinson embodies this proven template within Vic Fangio's defensive philosophy. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 290 pounds, the former Cornhusker demonstrates the size-speed combination that thrives in Fangio's adaptable system. Rather than fitting the typical fourth-round profile of a limited specialist, Robinson's Nebraska film showcases a defender who generates interior pressure while maintaining disciplined run fits. His final collegiate campaign yielded seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss, illustrating the kind of backfield disruption that Fangio has consistently enhanced throughout his coaching tenure.
The established presence of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis actually amplifies Robinson's opportunity for emergence. Much like Sweat capitalized on attention drawn by veteran pass rushers, Robinson should encounter favorable matchups as offensive lines prioritize blocking proven threats. Carter's recent endorsement carries substantial weight, praising Robinson's movement skills and predicting substantial contributions this season.
This early recognition hasn't gone unnoticed. ESPN's Tim McManus highlighted Robinson's selection as Philadelphia's most overlooked offseason acquisition, noting that despite limited evaluation opportunities during spring practices, the rookie has already earned praise from multiple teammates. Davis echoed Carter's sentiments, suggesting Robinson has adapted to the professional environment with remarkable ease.
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Robinson's route to substantial playing time appears direct. Milton Williams' departure created an obvious vacancy that Robinson seems naturally suited to address. His capability to align across multiple interior positions grants Fangio tactical flexibility to deploy him in various packages, from third-down rush situations to early-down run defense. This adaptability proved crucial for players like Maddox in establishing significant roles despite late-round selection.
The timing couldn't be better for Robinson's emergence. Philadelphia's defense maintains its foundational pieces while incorporating calculated additions, fostering the organizational continuity that has historically supported late-round development. The defensive line room provides an optimal learning environment where Robinson can absorb knowledge from accomplished veterans while competing for meaningful snaps.
If his early momentum carries into training camp, Robinson could quickly ascend from Day 3 pick to Day 1 contributor, continuing the Eagles' long-standing tradition of turning overlooked talent into difference-makers on Sundays.
Related: Eagles' Hated Rival Gives Shocking Love To 'Aggressive' Fanbase
Related: Eagles Fans All Wondering Why Saquon Barkley Fantasy is 'Doomed'
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Phillies takeaways: Relief for bullpen, offseason additions underwhelm, and a late-season move?
Phillies takeaways: Relief for bullpen, offseason additions underwhelm, and a late-season move?

New York Times

time32 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Phillies takeaways: Relief for bullpen, offseason additions underwhelm, and a late-season move?

Sunday brought a series-clinching win for the Phillies and, with it, a brief bullpen rollercoaster. Orion Kerkering entered to face pinch hitter Drake Baldwin and the top of the Atlanta Braves' lineup in the eighth. He struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. on four pitches, the final fastball sending the star right fielder swinging and missing in the zone. A single from Matt Olson aside, Kerkering shined as he struck out three on a combined 13 pitches. Advertisement Then came lefty Matt Strahm in the ninth, whose trouble started with a 91.9 mph fastball near the center of the zone. Ozzie Albies lashed the pitch for a one-out single to left. Two batters later, Strahm walked Eli White on six pitches. A wild pitch sent Albies to third, putting runners on the corners with two outs. The Braves did not complete the comeback, but it was within arm's reach. So was a difficult day for the Phillies' bullpen, which escaped unscathed in a 2-1 win. Strahm's velocity is up, but his stuff has not played well at times, as he's allowed four runs (two earned) and eight hits while striking out nine across 10 innings in June. His exit velocity is up against everything but his slider in June, while his whiff rate is down on all of his pitches. Jordan Romano started the month pitching the ninth before giving up walk-offs against the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. Kerkering has been the main positive of late in the back of the bullpen, flourishing since moving into the closer-by-committee operation in Miami two weeks ago. He has one earned run and two saves across 11 innings in June. But one excelling high-leverage reliever is not enough for a team with World Series aspirations, which is already without José Alvarado because of his 80-game PED suspension. Ahead of the trade deadline, the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, told The Athletic that the back end of the bullpen is the Phillies' 'main focus.' 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But he continues to look like he shouldn't be moved to the bullpen come postseason (or part of any late-season adjustments), striking out eight across seven innings on Sunday. He has the best ERA (1.19) in the majors among healthy pitchers since his second start of the year on May 10. Suárez is deceptive. His cutter and changeup combined for 10 whiffs on Sunday. And he's healthy, which he's said is most important to his continued success. It is difficult to imagine Suárez, should he pitch like this into September, being moved to the bullpen. Dombrowski told The Athletic he does not anticipate moving a starter to the bullpen anytime soon. Any changes would likely come late in the regular season or during the postseason, he said. Those dates are far away. But there's an early candidate for the move: Jesús Luzardo, who has stumbled somewhat since recovering from potentially tipping and surrendering 20 runs to the Cubs and Brewers. Luzardo has worked high pitch counts early in recent outings; it was 13 after the first inning on Saturday, which jumped to 44 after facing six batters in the second. His pitch count sat at 35 after the second inning against the Marlins on June 17, when he also went five innings. Luzardo's stuff remains sharp. His sweeper is a strong out pitch. His changeup drew five whiffs on nine swings Saturday. He pitched out of the bullpen at times with Oakland, making his postseason debut in relief in October 2019. He allowed one hit and walked two across three innings. There is plenty of time to make these decisions. But, for now, Luzardo looks like a worthwhile candidate for high-leverage bullpen situations later. (Top photo of Matt Strahm: Mady Mertens / Imagn Images)

Where The Sixers Stand Financially Heading Into 2025 NBA Free Agency
Where The Sixers Stand Financially Heading Into 2025 NBA Free Agency

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

Where The Sixers Stand Financially Heading Into 2025 NBA Free Agency

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28: Eric Gordon #23 high fives Guerschon Yabusele #28 of the ... More Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The Philadelphia 76ers headed into the 2024 NBA offseason with the ability to create more than $60 million in salary-cap space. They proceeded to splurge on Paul George, Andre Drummond and Caleb Martin in free agency before re-signing Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. once they were over the cap. This offseason, the Sixers have far less financial flexibility. With Maxey, George and Joel Embiid all signed to max contracts, the Sixers are heading into free agency well over the projected $154.6 million salary cap for the 2025-26 season. Those three alone are earning nearly $145 million, so that trio combined with Jared McCain ($4.2 million) and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe ($11.1 million) push the Sixers over the cap by themselves. That hasn't stopped the Sixers from being active in the days leading up to free agency, though. On Friday, news broke that Drummond would be picking up his $5.0 million player option. The Sixers also reportedly declined their $2.3 million team option on Jared Butler and their $2.9 million team option on Lonnie Walker IV. They also declined their $1.95 million team option on Justin Edwards as well, although they reportedly plan to re-sign him to a three-year contract with two guaranteed years. On Sunday, Oubre picked up his $8.4 million player option, while Eric Gordon declined his $3.5 million player option. That leaves the Sixers with nearly $177.6 million in guaranteed salary heading into free agency. That does not include No. 35 overall pick Johni Broome, whom the Sixers figure to eventually sign with the second-round exception, or Ricky Council IV, whose $2.2 million salary is fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10. Even though the Sixers are already well over the cap, they still have business to attend to this offseason. They have a pair of key free agents that they're hoping to re-sign, and they could have a mid-level exception to spend on another rotation player. So, before free agency officially begins at 6 p.m. ET Monday, here's an overview of where the Sixers stand financially and what they can do this offseason. Financial Outlook With only nine players under contract (along with Edgecombe's cap hold), the Sixers are nearly $28 million over the $154.6 million salary cap. The main question now is whether they'll have access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception or the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. If the Sixers spend anything above the taxpayer MLE, that will hard-cap them at the $195.9 million first apron. They would not be allowed to exceed that threshold under any circumstance. If they spend only the taxpayer MLE, they'd be hard-capped at the $207.8 million second apron. Realistically, the Sixers aren't going to use the non-taxpayer MLE unless they dump significant salary elsewhere. Doing so would put them at $193.9 million in salary if they don't waive Council or $191.7 million if they do. They wouldn't even be able to fill out their roster with veteran-minimum contracts ($2.3 million each) without crossing the first apron, which they wouldn't be allowed to do. The Sixers are far more likely to use the taxpayer MLE, which comes with the added benefit of hard-capping them at the second apron. Given the dearth of cap space around the league, that should still be enough money to help them land an impact rotation player. They'd also avoid the punishing restrictions that teams face when they cross the second apron, including not being able to aggregate contracts in trades and having their first-round draft pick seven years in the future becoming ineligible to be traded. However, not having access to the non-taxpayer MLE could prove costly when it comes to retaining one of their two key free agents. Key Free Agents Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele are the Sixers' top two free agents. The Sixers have repeatedly expressed confidence in their ability to re-sign Grimes, but keeping Yabusele could be far more complicated. Grimes is a restricted free agent, which means the Sixers have the right to match any offer sheet that he signs with another team. They also have full Bird rights on him, so they can re-sign him to anything up to a max contract. He's reportedly "looking for a contract that averages $25 million per season," according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, but the cap-space environment around the league could make it challenging for him to get that. The Brooklyn Nets are currently the only team that could offer Grimes more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. However, they seem far more likely to use that cap space to absorb contracts in trades. That might leave Grimes without significant leverage in negotiations, although he could always accept his one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 instead. Yabusele is the far bigger concern from the Sixers' perspective. They only have non-Bird rights him, which means they can't offer him a starting salary higher than 120% of a veteran-minimum contract unless they sign him with another salary-cap exception. Unless his free-agent market is far less robust than expected, the Sixers will likely need to use the taxpayer MLE to re-sign him, and even that might not be enough. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported Monday that the San Antonio Spurs "are among several teams expected to have interest in Yabusele," which longtime NBA insider Marc Stein later confirmed. As Scotto noted, Yabusele played with Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama on the French national team in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is what put him back on the NBA radar in the first place. The Spurs have the full non-taxpayer MLE to offer this summer, so they could easily outbid the Sixers for Yabusele if so desired. The chance to play for an up-and-coming Spurs team alongside a generational prospect (and fellow countryman) like Wembanyama could be more appealing than staying in Philadelphia, particularly given the miserable season that Yabusele just endured with the Sixers. Beyond Grimes and Yabusele, the Sixers might also pursue a reunion with Gordon even though he turned down his player option. ESPN reported that "a return to the 76ers is still possible," which suggests this could have been a financially driven move. Had Gordon opted in, he would have earned slightly less than $3.5 million this year. Now that he opted out, his minimum salary is north of $3.6 million, so he guaranteed himself at least a $165,000 raise as long as he finds some team that's willing to sign him. And if the Sixers do re-sign him to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract, he'll count as only $2.3 million against the cap instead of $3.5 million. This might be the rare win-win for everyone. The new league year officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, June 30, so it won't be long before we begin to get answers to the Sixers' most pressing remaining offseason questions. Although they can't purchase more fortune on the health front, they could at least insulate themselves better against the disaster scenario that unfolded last year. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Lakers Implored to Sign Former No. 1 Pick Amid Shocking Buyout
Lakers Implored to Sign Former No. 1 Pick Amid Shocking Buyout

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Lakers Implored to Sign Former No. 1 Pick Amid Shocking Buyout

Lakers Implored to Sign Former No. 1 Pick Amid Shocking Buyout originally appeared on Athlon Sports. One thing that becomes clear each summer is that, no matter how folks around the league see things breaking, there is always going to be a monkey wrench that is thrown into the works. And if you're an NBA team--like the Lakers, for example--it behooves you to remain in position to take advantage of the mess left behind when other teams see their works get wrenched up. Advertisement On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported a shocking development coming out of Portland, where surprise developments have been routine lately. Center Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, is nearing a contract buyout with the Blazers. Ayton went to Portland in a trade with the Suns, who opted to pick him out of Arizona No. 1 overall instead of the then-young Slovenian guard Luka Doncic. The Suns and Ayton could not come to an agreement in restricted free agency and he was shipped to Portland in 2023. Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) walks out to the court during introductions before a game against the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images In seven NBA seasons, Ayton has averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds. He has struggled to stay healthy--Ayton played 95 games in the past two seasons--but is a very good offensive center. That has Lakers fans immediately scurrying to their keyboards to implore L.A. to sign Ayton to fill the team's glaring big-man gap. Advertisement Ayton has $35.5 million left on his deal in the final year of his contract. He figures to get most, if not all, of that paid out in a buyout. If he is willing to take a minimum deal for this season in hopes of rebuilding his value and returning to free agency next summer, he could be a good fit for the Lakers. ' Offensively, at least. The Lakers need some level of rim protection from whomever they add as a center, and though he averages 1.0 blocks per game, he is not much of a defender in the paint. Still, the idea of adding his size and offensive skill at a bargain cost had Lakers fans bustling on Sunday. Advertisement "Lakers get Ayton," one fan wrote on X, simply. Another Lakers fan account stated, "Lakers could get there (sic) center and not give up any assets!!!" "It's so obvious he's a laker. Lebron and Luka making him average 20-15 a game," another added. "I swear I saw someone yesterday say that Ayton would sign with the Lakers today. Did they know?" another wondered. Again, getting Ayton on the cheap would be a win for the Lakers. Until the need for some defense kicks in, at least. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.

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