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UF’s O’Cyrus Torrence goes from nowheresville to the NFL Draft

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

O’Cyrus Torrence and Billy Napier arranged a phone call for the same day each week to discuss joining forces at the University of Louisiana.Their timing had to be precise. The wireless phone service at the home of Torrence’s grandmother in Greenburg (pop. 718) was spotty at best in the bayou.To say Torrence came from nowhere to become a potential first-round NFL draft pick is no exaggeration.“He’d go to that one corner of his house where he had cell phone service and would pick up the phone at a certain time every Thursday night,” Napier recalled March 30 at the Gators’ Pro Day.The extra effort was worth it.A raw talent and lightly recruited, the massive Torrence rapidly developed into the offensive line’s anchor. Napier, coming off a 7-7 debut season in 2018 as a head coach, built the Ragin’ Cajuns’ power running game behind him.When Napier left for Florida after their third season together, Torrence followed him to Gainesville,...

Guregian: Patriots take offensive tackle in Herald’s NFL Mock Draft

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

Mock drafts come down to a ton of guess work. Some of it is educated, while most of it can be chalked up to taking random shots in the dark.No one really knows how it’s going to turn out. But it’s a fun exercise, taking a crack at it every year.For this year’s mock, figuring where the top four or five quarterbacks wind up going will dictate how the board falls. Alabama’s Bryce Young appears to be a lock as the first player chosen. After that, you might as well pick them out of a hat.So here’s how I see the first round shaking out Thursday night, with no trades included.1. Panthers: Bryce Young, QB, AlabamaFor quite a while, it appeared there was no clear-cut choice. I was ready to flip a coin, but Young has emerged from the pack. He’ll be Frank Reich’s quarterback when the smoke clears.2. Texans: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas TechEarly on, C.J. Stroud seemed like a lock here with Young going first. Still a possibility, but the guess here is Nick Caserio will go with the edge rusher ...

A Ravens fan’s guide to 2023 NFL draft: Everything you need to know before picks begin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

Here’s everything you need to know before the 2023 NFL draft kicks off Thursday night in Kansas City.What time is the draft, and how can I watch it?The first round gets underway Thursday at 8 p.m., with Rounds 2-3 beginning Friday at 7 p.m. and Rounds 4-7 starting Saturday at noon. Coverage of all three days will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC (Chs. 2, 7) and the NFL Network.What is the draft order?There will be 259 picks in this year’s draft, starting with the Carolina Panthers, who traded up to secure the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears. The first round will only have 31 picks this year, as the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their top selection after a tampering investigation by the NFL. The order looks as follows: (Here’s the full order of all 259 picks.)Carolina Panthers (from Chicago)Houston TexansArizona CardinalsIndianapolis ColtsSeattle Seahawks (from Denver)Detroit Lions (from L.A. Rams)Las Vegas RaidersAtlanta FalconsChicago Bears (from Carolina)Phi...

What if the NFL draft picked Carroll County high school players? Here’s how the first 31 picks would go.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

Starting Thursday, the NFL will hold its annual draft to select the best players in college football.But what if instead of college players, the draft pool consisted of Carroll County high school football players? If the Carolina Panthers want a quarterback with the first pick, would they take Liberty senior Jack Pellicciotti or Westminster’s junior dual-threat Kyrece Walker?Which teams would land offensive and defensive players of the year, South Carroll’s AJ Rodrigues and Westminster’s Andy Schneider, respectively?The Carroll County Times recently conducted a mock draft exploring these questions and more. Staff members, along with several county coaches and players served anonymously as NFL general managers making all 31 first-round picks. (Editor’s note: This draft was conducted before the Green Bay Packers-New York Jets trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers that included swapping first-round picks.)Here are the results:1. Carolina Panthers: Jack Pellicciott...

As Eric DeCosta approaches his fifth draft as Ravens general manager, here’s how we grade his first four

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

It was the succession to which no one could object.Eric DeCosta had spent his entire professional career learning to scout the Ravens way, draft the Ravens way, construct a roster the Ravens way. Ozzie Newsome was the great orchestrator, but DeCosta was the man at his side, soaking it all in and taking more and more responsibility as the years rolled on. Other teams dangled their general manager jobs, but there was no question which front office DeCosta aspired to run.“You know you’re going to have the job someday that you’ve dreamed about so just wait and make it perfect,” he said, explaining his career-building philosophy.So when owner Steve Bisciotti announced before the 2018 season that DeCosta would replace Newsome at the end of the year, it felt as natural as winter turning to spring.The transition unfolded so routinely that it’s almost strange to think DeCosta is about to run his fifth draft as the Ravens’ top football decision-maker. Thoug...

Guregian: Celtics raise major red flags by blowing chance to close out Hawks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

This should have been a lay-up. A get-to-the-next-round-free card.The Celtics should have been on their way to a date with Philadelphia after eliminating the short-handed Hawks.It should have been one series down, one opponent down, with an easy path ahead to the promised land.Only the Celtics weren’t able to finish off the series. They blew the bunny, as they were taken down at TD Garden, 119-117, by the Hawks in a game they could have easily knocked them out, and moved on.And now there are more questions than answers. There is more doubt in the Celtics than confidence after taking their foot off the gas, and letting the Hawks back in the series.It’s almost unforgivable for a so-called championship-driven team to lose a potential knockout game like this.The road is practically paved for them to make it to the NBA Finals. And yet, they shot themselves in the foot, losing a potential series-clincher to a Hawks team playing without star Dejounte Murray, who was suspended for the...

Stock market today: Global shares dip on economy worries

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were mostly lower Wednesday as worries about the global economy flared after a tumble on Wall Street despite some better-than-expected earnings reports.France’s CAC 40 lost 0.6% in early trading to 7,489.17, while Germany’s DAX declined 0.5% to 15,799.39. Britain’s FTSE 100 dipped 0.3% to 7,869.14. But U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.1% at 7,869.14. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% to 4,109.75. Oil prices rose. “From a banking crisis still hovering just beneath the surface to the realization Russia has long-range missiles that are incredibly accurate that no one has the capacity to stop, to the sharply higher China-U.S. tensions, more sanctions against both Russia and China, and the likely further unravelling of global trade and the reemergence of higher inflation, risks are huge,” Clifford Bennett, chief economist at ACY Securities, said in a commentary.“None of this a pretty picture paints. Yet this is the realit...

Abortion-ban ordinances gain ground in New Mexico

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A small New Mexico town near Albuquerque adopted an ordinance Wednesday aimed at blocking the distribution of abortion medication or supplies by mail, extending a wave of local government restrictions on abortion.The ordinance won approval by a 4-1 vote of the town commission in Edgewood, a community of about 6,000 residents separated by a mountain pass from metropolitan Albuquerque. It aims to enforce provisions of a 19th century federal law that once prohibited mail shipments of abortion materials.Edgewater commissioners acknowledged that the ordinance would be difficult to enforce — relying on private citizens to bring civil lawsuits against violators with damages capped at $100,000. They said legal changes could be be costly after a municipal liability insurance pool refused coverage to Edgewood.Commissioner Sterling Donner was undeterred, at an evening meeting that stretched past midnight into Wednesday.“We want to join our allies in the state that are doi...

Sri Lanka seeks $17 billion debt reduction by restructuring

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president urged lawmakers Wednesday to approve a four-year International Monetary Fund program to restructure the country’s $17 billion in foreign debt. Parliament began a three-day debate Wednesday on President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to accept the IMF program. It will be followed by a vote. If approved, the plan would dictate how Sri Lanka’s crisis-stricken economy will be managed in the coming few years. A majority of lawmakers are expected to accept the IMF’s four-year bailout program. Under the plan, the international development lender will provide nearly $3 billion in stages. Sri Lanka announced last year that it was suspending repayment of its foreign loans because of a severe foreign currency crisis resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts by the central bank to stabilize the Sri Lankan rupee by by using scarce foreign reserves.Wickremesinghe said at the time he took over as president last July, the country...

Iran court issues $312.9M judgement against US amid tensions

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:44:16 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian court issued a $312.9 million judgement against the United States over a 2017 Islamic State-claimed attack on Tehran, authorities said Wednesday, the latest judicial action between the nations amid their decadeslong enmity. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, in reporting the decision, offered no direct evidence to support the court’s allegation that American officials had any part in the June 2017 attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded 50 others. The assault saw gunmen attack Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum and the country’s parliament, starting an hourslong siege. However, the court ruling comes after the United Nations’ highest court in March rejected Tehran’s legal bid to free up some $2 billion in Iranian Central Bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities. Meanwhile, U.S. judges have issued rulings that call for billions of dollars to be paid by Iran over attacks linked to Tehran, as well as tho...