It's time to reflect on the 2017 offseason. There are a few stray veterans left in the free-agent pool, and teams could still execute something unexpected if injuries arise, but organizations have mostly closed their checkbooks and built the rosters they're going to take onto the field in September.

Bill Barnwell takes a division-by-division look at how each NFL team fared this offseason.

AFC East NFC East AFC North: Thursday, May 18 NFC North: Friday, May 19 AFC West: Monday, May 22 NFC West: Tuesday, May 23 AFC South: Wednesday, May 24 NFC South: Thursday, May 25

Of course, we can know only so much right now. This time last year, there was no way anybody knew that the Cowboys had drafted a franchise quarterback. Kyle Shanahan was lucky to survive the offseason in Atlanta as an offensive coordinator, let alone be considering head-coaching roles.

At the same time, we can look at what each team's goals were (or should have been) heading into March and gain a sense of whether they did enough to address those concerns. In most cases, we can also plot what they have to do before hitting Week 1.

We'll run division by division over the next two weeks. Let's head to the NFC East, a division that drastically turned things around in 2016 and sent two teams to the postseason for the first time since 2009.

To go directly to your favorite team, click the link below:

Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Washington

They didn't do anything spectacular and pocketed a bunch of compensatory selections. Given owner Jerry Jones' history, it's always a relief to see the Cowboys have a relatively quiet offseason while avoiding going after players whose names (and salaries) might outstrip their performances. The Cowboys did not consummate their long-standing interest in running back Adrian Peterson, instead allowing the would-be backup to Ezekiel Elliott to head farther south to New Orleans. They re-signed Terrance Williams and Jason Witten in lieu of finding a sexier second weapon in the passing game for quarterback Dak Prescott. They operated like a team in sound shape, which they are.

The Cowboys might very well sign a veteran or two now that the additions won't affect Dallas' standing in the compensatory process. Per the projections at overthecap.com, coach Jason Garrett's team appears set to pocket the maximum of four compensatory picks, including picks in the fourth and sixth rounds to go with a pair of fifth-rounders. If we treat those picks like the average compensatory selections from each of those rounds, the Cowboys are grabbing 6.4 points of draft capital, per Chase Stuart's chart, which is roughly equivalent to the 84th pick in the draft.

They found help for their pass rush. Rod Marinelli has been manufacturing a pass rush out of sheer will the past couple of seasons; the Cowboys sacked Aaron Rodgers three times during their 34-31 loss to the Packers in the playoffs, but it's telling that all three sacks came from defensive backs. At the very least, Dallas needed to try to give Marinelli a pass-rusher with some sort of pedigree to rotate in on the edge, and Jones committed his first-round pick toward an upgrade by drafting Taco Charlton out of Michigan with the 28th selection. Marinelli has a well-earned reputation of getting the most out of defensive linemen who have been anonymous elsewhere within the league; here's his chance to work with a first-round talent. Dallas also spent four draft picks on defensive backs, which will be crucial, given that it lost four of its top six defensive backs from last season's depth chart to free agency.

The Cowboys publicly overplayed their Tony Romo hand. The most likely scenario for the Cowboys and Romo was always that they would end up dumping him after June 1 to spread the $19.6 million cap hit from his release over two seasons, but they turned the negotiations into a farce. Few players have been dangled more publicly in the media than Romo was during February and March, with the Cowboys alternately telling reporters that they would release Romo and insisting that they never had any plans to cut him and would trade him only for a pick. The whole ordeal did nobody any favors.

They didn't draft anybody along the offensive line. The Cowboys possessed the deepest offensive line in football last season, but that depth took a major hit this offseason, when right tackle Doug Free retired and guard Ronald Leary left for the Broncos in free agency. Dallas responded with modest measures. It signed a pair of frustrating players in former Cardinals bust Jonathan Cooper and former Panthers tackle Byron Bell but otherwise left the position untouched. The Cowboys will consider moving left guard La'el Collins to right tackle, but he hasn't been consistent on the interior, and that would open up another hole at Collins' old spot. This wasn't a great draft for offensive linemen, but it probably wouldn't have hurt Dallas to use a mid-round pick on one.

Sign a veteran or two on defense. The Cowboys should be thinking about veteran help, either along the defensive line or in the secondary, particularly at cornerback. They could opt for a big name such as Dwight Freeney, Paul Kruger or Elvis Dumervil to provide competition in camp and push for a meaningful pass-rushing role if he makes the team.

They added weapons for Eli Manning. There were too many moments last season when the Giants were Odell Beckham-or-bust on offense. Some of that could be attributed to a dismal running game, but the Giants needed to upgrade on Victor Cruz and Will Tye in their starting lineup. They pulled off both additions. First, general manager Jerry Reese signed Brandon Marshall to an eminently reasonable two-year deal, with Marshall taking less money to stay in New York after being released by the Jets. On draft night, Reese used his first-round pick on tight end Evan Engram, giving the Giants another excellent athlete to work with in the passing game. Sure, Beckham is still going to create moments of pure magic on his own, but now he and Manning will have more help.

They failed to address a dismal offensive line. For the second season in a row, the Giants' offense was rendered irrelevant at times by a porous offensive line. Inexplicably, for the second year in a row, Reese did close to nothing to address the issue. New York lost another regular in Marshall Newhouse, and the reinforcements Reese brought in are underwhelming. Free-agent signee D.J. Fluker failed at tackle before settling in as a mediocre guard in San Diego, and the first and only draft selection Reese used on a lineman was a sixth-round pick on Adam Bisnowaty. After a season in which the Giants ranked 26th in rushing DVOA and averaged just 3.5 yards per rush attempt, you would think Reese would have put more of an emphasis on re-signing offensive linemen.

They re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul to an exorbitant deal and let Jonathan Hankins leave. While 2016 was arguably JPP's best season as a run-defender and a major upgrade on the player he was during a limited 2015 campaign, Pierre-Paul is now 28 years old and already has back surgery and the effects of that traumatic fireworks disaster on his medical history. It's reasonable for the Giants to want him around, but it seemed irresponsible to throw a staggering $40 million in guarantees at a player with two double-digit-sack campaigns as a pro, especially in a year when the draft was full of edge rushers and defensive linemen.

As for the situation on the interior, it's debatable whether the Giants should have brought Hankins back at the three-year, $27 million rate he picked up from the Colts. Even for the Giants, committing to Hankins would have been devoting too many resources to the defensive line, given that Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison are on all massive deals. It was surprising, though, to see the Giants nominally replace Hankins by drafting Alabama nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round. He profiles, essentially, as Harrison: a two-down, interior run-stopper who is limited as a pass-rusher. Having one of those guys is good. But two? Not so much.

Re-sign Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg. As bad as the Giants' offensive line is, it would get significantly worse if Reese were to allow his two best linemen to leave in free agency next offseason. Locking Pugh up before the guard market took a huge leap forward this offseason would have been prudent, given his ability to step outside and play right tackle.

Richburg, who has been overshadowed by the presence of Travis Frederick in the same division, should also attract upper-echelon-center money if he hits the free-agent market after his rookie deal expires this season. The Giants already have $156 million committed to their 2018 cap before signing Pugh or Richburg, and they have to lock up Beckham, who will be a free agent in 2019. Given those factors, they might not have long-term deals for the offense's two competent linemen in their plans.

They're suddenly deep at wide receiver. Eagles fans who grew ill at the sight of Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham taking regular reps last season probably won't have to reach for the Pepto-Bismol in 2017. The Eagles bought low on Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, adding a pair of veterans who still have considerable upside. The one-year, $9.5 million deal Jeffery took to rebuild his value in Philadelphia, in particular, is a steal of criminal proportions.

The new additions, along with fourth-round size-speed freak Mack Hollins, should provide QB Carson Wentz opportunities to create big plays downfield. Wentz has the arm strength and instincts to chuck the ball wherever he wants, but he struggled to impress on deeper passes last season, whether because of a lack of suitable weapons or a conservative scheme that coach Doug Pederson installed for him as a rookie. Wentz's average pass traveled just 7.3 yards in the air, which ranked 26th in the league. When Wentz did throw deep (16-plus yards in the air), he was 24th in QBR and 26th in passer rating.

To be fair, 4.3 percent of Wentz's deep passes were dropped in 2016, the seventh-highest rate in the league. His overall drop rate of 5.1 percent ranked fifth-highest. Jeffery has played in only 21 of 32 games the past two seasons, but he has dropped just two of the 188 passes thrown in his direction by the likes of Jay Cutler and Brian Hoyer in that span. At the very least, Jeffery should be a safe pair of hands for his new quarterback.

They added more pieces to their defensive line. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz loves to build his units around a strong front four, preferring to get pressure without blitzing. Blessed with one of the league's most promising young defensive lines, Schwartz stayed true to form during his first year in Philly. The Eagles blitzed on only 19 percent of opposing pass plays, the fifth-lowest rate in the league, but they created pressure 30.2 percent of the time, which was the fifth-highest rate last season.

General manager Howie Roseman didn't rest on his line's laurels, though. Philly released veteran Connor Barwin, who didn't take particularly well to the team's new scheme, and allowed nose tackle Bennie Logan to leave. Roseman refreshed his line by swapping third-round picks in a deal for Ravens tackle Tim Jernigan, a useful interior disruptor who will rotate with run-stopper Beau Allen. Chris Long was brought in to serve as the veteran end playing alongside Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham, and the Eagles went further by using their first-round pick on Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett. In a league in which even anonymous pass-rushers are picking up significant sums of money in free agency, the Eagles go four-deep with defensive ends who could be relative bargains in 2017.

Cornerback is a mess, at least in the short term. Cornerback might have been as big a need for the Eagles on defense as wide receiver was for them on offense. With Philadelphia pressing up against the cap heading into the offseason, they weren't able to adequately address their weakness on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles swapped out Leodis McKelvin, who was often overmatched last season, for the frequently disappointing Patrick Robinson. Dwayne Gratz, who never launched in Jacksonville, was brought into the fold. Roseman then used second- and third-round picks on cornerbacks, but his top selection was cornerback Sidney Jones, who tore his Achilles during Washington's pro day. He is unlikely to make much of an impact this year, which means the Eagles will be relying on their pass rush and a strong set of safeties in Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod to keep their cornerback problems at bay.

They never addressed their need for a bigger back. Reports heading into the offseason suggested that the Eagles would replace Ryan Mathews, a perennial injury risk and one of the few holdovers remaining from Chip Kelly's spending spree. With a deep pool of free-agent backs and a highly regarded crop of rushers available in the draft, it seemed logical for the Eagles to bring in a back to rotate with Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood.

The draft has come and gone, and with most of the free agents off the market, the only back the Eagles have added is fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey, a 169-pound back whose skill set suggests he'll be the long-term replacement for Sproles. Mathews, who is due to make a base salary of $4 million this year, is still on the roster. And the Eagles didn't bother to go after any of the other backs who might have fit. It was a genuine surprise to see them pass on Jamaal Charles, who played under Pederson in Kansas City and signed a one-year deal for smaller money than Mathews to suit up with the Broncos. They could still target LeGarrette Blount, but otherwise, the Eagles will be hoping that Mathews can stay on the field in 2017.

Make a definitive decision on Jordan Matthews. Nominally the Eagles' top wideout over the past couple of years, Matthews is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is likely to attract plenty of attention in free agency next year. A 6-foot-3 slot receiver, he has flashed at times during his tenure with the team but has yet to take a big leap forward, and the Eagles might prefer to pay Jeffery the eight-figure annual salary Matthews will receive on the market.

With that in mind, the Eagles should make their call on Matthews now. If they feel like Matthews is a big part of their future, they should lock him up, using the leverage of that bargain rookie deal while Matthews is still a year from free agency. If he isn't in their long-term plans, the Eagles are probably better off trading Matthews now than waiting a year. The Eagles would get a compensatory draft pick if Matthews left in free agency, but that pick wouldn't arrive until 2019, and it would come only if the Eagles were to stay out of the free-agent market. Getting a third-round selection for Matthews would lock in what amounts to a top-level comp pick, and it would probably come in the 2018 draft.

Washington massively upgraded its defensive front. Despite firing general manager Scot McCloughan (more on that in a minute), Washington basically conducted much of its offseason as if McCloughan were still in charge. The team generally avoided big splashes in free agency and built a deeper, stronger defensive line. It was 25th in rush defense DVOA and 27th in yards per carry allowed, so you can understand its need for help up front.

Free agency brought Terrell McClain over from the Cowboys, but more notably, the quietly effective Stacy McGee left the Raiders to head East and play nose tackle. While McGee has struggled to stay healthy as a pro, he has been an impact run-defender and beat the far more expensive Dan Williams for a job in Oakland last year.

Washington followed those moves by happily taking Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen when he fell to the 17th pick of the first round. Teams leaked concerns about Allen's shoulders, and there are organizations around the league that believe Alabama products are beat up from the grind of playing under coach Nick Saban, but nobody can argue with Allen's ability or production on the field. This isn't a risk-free proposition -- Washington could be in serious trouble if Allen and McGee struggle to stay on the field -- but the upside is a suddenly effective defensive line imported overnight.

They bought low on a couple of high-upside free agents. For years, owner Daniel Snyder set and reset the top end of the market on free agents, paying premiums to sign disappointments such as Adam Archuleta and Albert Haynesworth. Washington's cap was often bloated, and the team was stuck paying dead money to erase mistakes from years past.

Besides signing Josh Norman last year, Washington mostly avoided those pitfalls under McCloughan. After firing its general manager, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see Washington return to its former largesse. Instead, the team pieced together a coherent plan and gave short-term deals to players with limited but excellent track records. The key additions were Terrelle Pryor and Zach Brown, each of whom played at a Pro Bowl level in relatively new positions last year. Pryor excelled as a wide receiver in Cleveland. Brown was signed off the scrap heap by the Bills after struggling in Tennessee, he moved to inside linebacker, and suddenly he looked like a star. Washington waited out their respective markets and signed both to one-year deals. If Brown and Pryor can reproduce their 2016 form in the NFC East, they'll be bargains.

They fired McCloughan. An embarrassing power struggle played out in the media and led McCloughan to leave town. McCloughan's battle with alcoholism was a matter of public record heading into his time with Washington, and it certainly appears that the organization used his struggle as a pretense to fire him with cause at the first possible opportunity.

Ignore the fact that McCloughan is regarded as an excellent talent evaluator around the league, got rave reviews from players and went 17-14-1 with a team that had gone 7-25 the two seasons before his arrival. Imagine you're a hotshot personnel executive in line for general manager interviews. Why would you want to go work for a team that ran a successful executive out of town and dragged his name through the mud? How would a job with that organization ever be appealing to you, unless you had no other way to become a general manager? It's not a surprise that Washington still hasn't hired a GM and expects to restructure its organization from within.

They punted the Kirk Cousins situation. McCloughan wasn't able to sign Cousins to a long-term deal last offseason, and though that seemed like a prudent move, given Cousins' relative lack of professional success before 2015, Cousins doubled down with another impressive season in 2016. It's clear he's worth big money now, but feeling insulted by Washington's reticence to offer him such a deal last offseason, he seems hesitant to agree to a long-term extension.

After franchising Cousins twice, Washington is 12 months from what could be a franchise-altering offseason. It will be cost-prohibitive to franchise Cousins a third time, and Washington will have to pay a staggering sum to keep him from hitting the free-agent market, where teams such as the 49ers and Browns will be willing to hit new heights to get a franchise quarterback without having to give up multiple draft picks or develop a quarterback. Cousins' leverage -- and the chances that Washington loses its starting quarterback while getting no more than a compensatory third-round pick in return -- grows with each passing day. By this time next year, Washington might have lost the two most important pieces of its organization.

Signing Cousins. It's going to take an exorbitant, Joe Flacco-esque contract, but Washington doesn't have much of a choice.

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Barnwell's offseason report cards on Dallas, NY Giants, Philly, Washington - ESPN

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press Published 5:29 p.m. ET May 16, 2017 | Updated 14 hours ago

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he thinks Detroit could potentially be a host for a conference men's basketball tournament.(Photo: Chris Solari/DFP)

ROSEMONT, Ill. Commissioner Jim Delany showed the college sports world that the Big Ten is willing to take its mens basketball tournament away from its Midwest roots.

And Delany said Tuesday that Detroit could have a chance to bring it back within the leagues footprint.

I think that Detroit and Minneapolis and other cities should aspire, Delany said during the Big Ten joint meetings at league headquarters. That will be the decision of the universities and the athletic directors, but were a conference that is blessed by great sports fans, great cities. I cant tell you it will happen, but I would encourage interested parties to seek it.

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said he believes the soon-to-open Little Caesars Arena and The District Detroit will be a contender for Big Ten and NCAA events. The new home of the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings will host the Division I mens basketball first and second rounds in 2018 and 2021, as well as the 2020 Frozen Four in hockey and 2021 Division I wrestling championships.

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Theres no reason why it shouldnt be considered for Big Ten championships, theres no reason why it shouldnt be considered a site for the NCAA regionals, Hollis said. I know weve got two years of first-second rounds (2018 and 2021, and I think its going to be proven to be just a world-class experience for people to play there. Im excited about it.

Before I walked through it, I was excited about it. But after seeing what theyve developed there and what the building looks like and how it flows and how theyve thought about most everything, its going to be one of the top hockey and basketball venues in the country. Very tight, tight sightlines, very well thought-out. I commend them for that and I will help them in any way to make sure that we can get Detroit rocking.

The Big Ten tourney debuted at Verizon Center in Washington this year and will move up a week in 2018 so it can shift to New Yorks Madison Square Garden. That has been part of the conferences mission to capture two of the nations largest media markets, in conjunction with the additions of Maryland and Rutgers in 2014.

The Big Ten will return the mens basketball tournament to Chicago in 2019 and 2021, and it will be held in Indianapolis in 2020 and 2022.

That decision is off a little bit in the future, but probably not too far, Delany said. Were a conference that goes from Colorado to the East Coast, that encompasses great cities with great arenas. We started off in Chicago exclusively, then we built out to Indianapolis. Recently, we went to D.C., were going to go to New York.

We have obviously, by going to D.C. and New York, demonstrated that we are a conference that has got to serve a lot of different geographies.

Delany said there has not been any discussions about moving the Big Ten Football Championship Game, which has been anchored at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium since its inception in 2011. He called the venue a turn-key operation and says the city is really quite good at doing what they do.

He stopped short of calling Indianapolis a permanent home and said it should remain competitively engaged to have that event, but later called the city a stable football championship home.

We felt that, since it was a new event for us, that we have to control some variables. The variables are the centrality of the location and the temperature of the location, he said. We didnt think that it would be smart to try and grow an event in the snow.

Maybe someday, but not this day.

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari.

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Detroit could be a landing spot for Big Ten men's hoops tourney, Jim Delany says - Lansing State Journal

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NFL careers are painfully short, especially at certain positions. Teams need high-end production from their top draft picks, and they need it now.

Patience is at a premium. So while a steady progression is nice, the preferred result in a high pick's second season is playing at a Pro Bowl level.

The second-year leap is critical for the player and the employment of coaches and front-office personnel who brought him aboard.

Young players are both the future and the present, and they're leaned on heavily. Sometimes a torch is being passed, as is the case with the Los Angeles Chargers between tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry. Other times, they're being relied on to step up after a great rookie season and fill a void, which is what the New Orleans Saints are asking of wide receiver Michael Thomas.

Let's take a look at some of the sophomores most likely to soar in 2017.

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The San Francisco 49ers have used a first-round pick on a defensive lineman in three consecutive drafts, which is a little curious considering two of those three picks were on the roster in 2016 (defensive ends Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner), and the 49ers still gave up 165.9 rushing yards per game.

The 2017 draft additions of defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and linebacker Reuben Foster should greatly improve that feeble run defense. And Buckner will likely leap forward as one of the league's best young 3-4 defensive ends.

It feels like Buckner's solid rookie season was a little overlooked. That tends to happen when you play on a team that won only two games and fired its head coach at the end of the year.

But Buckner was indeed one of the few bright spots among the 49ers' 2016 rubble. The seventh-overall pick came into the league out of Oregon known for his impressive burst and athleticism at his size (6'7" and 300 lbs). He quickly put those tools to work and became a consistently disruptive pass rusher.

Buckner finished his rookie season with six sacks, and that only tells a partial story. The best pass-rushers create chaos even when they don't reach the quarterback. Buckner did that by generating 48 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked fourth at his position.

His ceiling was always high, and in 2017 Buckner should be even more effective now that opposing offensive lines have to worry about Thomas as well.

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Chicago Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd was the shining young star in 2016 on a football team that otherwise resembled a raging tire fire.

But he didn't get a full season to show the height of his talent.

Floyd missed four games due to injury. That's a quarter of his rookie season gone. But that didn't stop Floyd from making life generally unpleasant for anyone trying to block him when he was healthy.

Floyd needed only 12 games to record seven sacks. Around midseason, he was especially sizzling. One three-game stretch saw the 24-year-old log 4.5 sacks.

It was all more than enough to make you wonder how high his production would have ballooned during an injury-free season. That curiosity grows when you rewind Floyd's film and see him consistently penetrating deep into the backfield while generating 35 pressures, per PFF.

An eruption should be coming in 2017.

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At a glance, Hunter Henry's rookie season was just solid. But with proper context is applied, his numbers start to shine.

The Los Angeles Chargers tight end narrowly missed being a first-round pick in 2016, falling to No. 35. It was assumed his speed up the seam would fit well with quarterback Philip Rivers' deep arm. But it was also assumed that a lid would be put on Henry's rookie-season contributions due to the presence of legendary veteran tight end Antonio Gates.

And in theory, that should have been true, as Henry was only a part-time player. But his lack of playing time didn't matter at all.

Henry finished his first NFL season with 478 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, doing it all on only 36 receptions. That's an average of 13.3 yards per catch, which placed him tied for fourth among tight ends. It's also an average of a touchdown catch once every 4.5 receptions, which shows Henry's reliability in the red zone.

He put together that season while being on the field for only58.2percentof the Chargers' offensive snaps in 2016. The soon-to-be 37-year-old Gates is still around, but Henry's role should grow along with his production.

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It can be argued New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas shouldn't be on this list because he already broke out in 2016. But making that argument means he's not capable of surpassing his rookie output.

And that's simply not true, given his talent and increased role in a loaded Saints offense.

Thomas finished his first year with 1,137 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 92 receptions. He was among the top 10 in all three of those receiving categories, and did it while also recording two games with 130-plus yards.

Now he can ascend to another tier in a Saints offense needing to replace the targets that went away when wide receiver Brandin Cooks was traded to the New England Patriots.

Over the past five years, quarterback Drew Brees has attempted 650-plus passes four times. In 2016, he let it fly a career-high 673 times, and 121 of those throws were directed at Cooks.

Many more of those targets will now come Thomas' way, putting him in a prime position to explode in only his second season.

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Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey received Defensive Rookie of the Year votes in 2016. And in 2017, he might rise another rung and be considered for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Ramsey needed a bit of time early in 2016 to ease in and find his role. But once he did, the standout from Florida State sealed off half the field.

Ramsey allowed only 52.9 percent of the balls thrown into his coverage to be completed, per PFF, which ranked sixth among all cornerbacks. He also gave up a passer rating of just 76.6. Both of those rookie results become are impressive considering Ramsey was the third most targeted cornerback, with 102 balls thrown his direction.

He did all that at the young age of 22, which means Ramsey isn't even close to his peak.

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Sterling Shepard's second-year rise may be somewhat limited by the presence of Brandon Marshall in the New York Giants' wide-receiver room. The Giants also used a first-round pick on tight end Evan Engram in the 2017 draft, which gives quarterback Eli Manning plenty of targets to spread around.

But Shepard should still take a leap because of his ability to thrive in a specific role.

The 24-year-old was used primarily as a slot receiver in 2016, seeing 86.1 percent of his targets from there. Shepard'sabruptness as a route-runner immediately translated to the NFL level when hecaught eight passes for 117 yards in only his second NFL game.

That ignited a season when Shepard recorded 636 receiving yards from the slot, which ranked a solid seventh, per PFF. Even better, his eight touchdown catches ranked first among slot receivers.

Shepard will draw many looks as a chain-moving slot option who gains separation with ease. And when he does, a quick jump in production will follow.

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Predicting NFL's Best Sophomore Seasons for 2017 | Bleacher Report - Bleacher Report

Home / News / Heritage Designation On The Way For... http://www.insideottawavalley.com/ To accommodate the influx of students, changes later came with another addition in 1960, extensive renovations in 1968 and first and second-storey additions in 1971. Further upgrades were made in 1992. In 2012, North Grenville District High School ...

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ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't done criticizing the slide rule at second base that cost his team a run in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He followed up a postgame rant with a more sarcastic tone on Sunday morning.

"I have some other additions to it," Maddon said. "We should eliminate the headfirst slide. That is a dangerous slide. Your hand could [get hurt], your eye could get poked out. All these different things can occur on a headfirst slide.

"I think face masks should be mandatory for all hitters. And pitchers have been hit in the head by line drives several times, so pitchers should be forced to wear helmets."

Maddon wasn't finished, as he thinks Major League Baseball has gone too far in the name of protecting players due to isolated incidents over the years. On Saturday, Cubs rookie Ian Happ slid into second base to break up a double play but slid a little past the bag, causing the umpires to declare the batter out as well. The inning-ending double play negated a run, as Kyle Schwarber was crossing the plate as Anthony Rizzo was crossing first. Rizzo was subsequently called out.

"I have no idea why these rules are part of our game," Maddon said right after the loss. "There was an out created there. That was just one out they did not have to earn. I totally, absolutely disagree with that. It has nothing to do with safety and protecting the middle infielder."

Maddon took the night to think of other ways the league can keep players safe. Face masks and no headfirst slides were just a couple of his "ideas."

"I thought of other ways for protectionism," Maddon continued. "I think there should be a cage in the on-deck circle so on-deck guys can stand behind the screen and not get hurt.

"I think there needs to be cup checks as players are running on the field in order to prevent the loss of future families."

Maddon indicated he has not heard from the league office about his critiques but wouldn't be surprised if it called him.

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Sarcastic Joe Maddon has 'ideas' for safety rules - ESPN

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Matt Tootle believes Notts County will challenge for promotion next season if they make the right additions in the transfer market this summer.

The Magpies are hoping to be challenging at the top end of League Two under boss Kevin Nolan who is already in the process of making new signings.

He will look to build on the brilliant work he has carried out since January when he inherited a Magpies team that looked dead and buried.

Ten straight league defeats had seemingly made the prospect of non-league football a real possibility given the lack of form.

But Nolan inspired a wonderful turnaround by going on an incredible run of just one home defeat since he took over, and it helped the Magpies secure safety with considerable room to spare.

Defender Tootle now believes the club can build on their brilliant second half to the campaign as they finished it as one of the form teams in the division.

Matt Tootle believes the club can challenge next season.

And with Magpies owner Alan Hardy ready to back Nolan in the transfer market by giving him a top-seven budget, Tootle is excited about the possibilities about what next season has in store for everybody at Meadow Lane.

"When I signed here last summer I probably looked a bit of an idiot to some people because I said we would get promoted," said the former Crewe ace.

"We were third at the start of the season even though we weren't playing very well.

"But the class we had in the team, and the players we had, we knew we weren't playing to our ability.

"But we were winning games because we had that experience and that bit of quality was coming out now and then.

"Then something went wrong over Christmas and I don't know what it was.

"I believe if we still had something to play for then we wouldn't have lost two out of the last three.

"The Pompey game would have been different too if we had been closer to the play-offs.

"So looking at next season with the right additions I think we will be up there.

"I won't look stupid this time by saying it.

"Every team we played, the opposition would say that our team on paper was ridiculously good.

"If we can continue what we were doing and keep sticking to how the gaffer wants us to play, we will challenge I am sure of it."

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Right additions will see Notts County challenge next season, insists defender Matt Tootle - Nottingham Post

Antonio Conte and his Chelsea squad continued their wild post-match celebrations in the dressing room.

Thibaut Courtois has revealed that Chelsea's players are "hungry" to win the Champions League next season and reiterated head coach Antonio Conte's assertion that the Blues must strengthen their squad this summer if they are to fulfil their domestic and European ambitions.

A 1-0 win over West Brom at the Hawthorns on Friday confirmed Chelsea as Premier League winners for the second time in three years, as well as ensuring that they will return to Europe's elite club competition in 2017-18 as top seeds when the group stage draw is made in August.

Courtois is one of several Blues stars who are expected to be the subject of transfer speculation this summer with Real Madrid long-standing admirers, but after the West Brom win the Belgian revealed that bringing the Champions League trophy back to Stamford Bridge next season is a powerful motivation for him and his teammates.

Asked about his future, Courtois replied: "I don't think now is the moment to speak about that but, of course, I'm committed to Chelsea.

"I think next season there is a new goal of the Champions League. It's been a few years since Chelsea won it and I missed out on one [triumph with Atletico Madrid in 2014] in the last minute, so I think a lot of players are hungry for winning that as well.

"Obviously you need additions because you play on four different fronts, so I think that's important, but I guess the club and the manager know what they're doing.

"We already have a lot of quality, but maybe sometimes you need a bit more depth because this year we didn't have injuries and you never know what can happen next year. So obviously I guess they will do their work now and hopefully we can finish the season with an FA Cup win as well."

Chelsea's surge back to the top of the Premier League has been spectacular after the most disappointing campaign of the Roman Abramovich era in 2015-16, and Courtois believes some of the criticism directed at the Blues underestimated the levels of quality and resilience in the squad.

"It's amazing, especially after last year, to bounce back in this way, to be champions, having been top for a long time," the Belgian admitted. "Obviously, last year we had a lot of critics, a lot of laughter at us. We had a moment when we were 15th, 16th in the league. People laugh and people get criticised -- it's not nice after a season when you won the league.

"Some criticisms were deserved and others not -- and if you bounce back winning the title again, that's amazing. They said we didn't want to play anymore, they said we were lazy, that kind of stuff, and it's not true. We tried to win our games, but last year was just an off year, especially for a team like Chelsea and the players that were here.

"Everybody is used to playing for trophies and last year that was not the case and everybody's pride was hurt. I think that is why we wanted to bounce back this season. After the Arsenal game [in September] when we lost 3-0 we were in a bad moment again, but we bounced back. And we had an amazing six, seven months. We're very proud about that."

Liam is ESPN FC's Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @Liam_Twomey.

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Chelsea 'hungry' to win UCL - Courtois - ESPN FC

Following a less-than-stellar reception by the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) in March, plans for the UC San Diego Marine Conservation Facility were revised to create more of an ocean view around the proposed development. The updated plans were presented as an information item (not subject to a vote) at the LJCPA meeting May 4 and include: reducing the length of a canopy that cantilevers out over the rooftop caf, reducing the height of a second story, and removing a cluster of non-native trees to create more of a view for pedestrians.

The project calls for the conversion of the former National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and Southwest Fisheries Science Center buildings on the northern end of the campus, into laboratories for Scripps Institution of Oceanography students, and the addition of a two-story building and a caf. Architectural firm Safdie Rabines, who designed the nearby Carolines Seaside Caf, also designed the new facility. The $22 million project, paid for with campus funds, is expected to start construction in October and be complete one year later.

The current footprint for the project includes the vacant and seismically retrofitted Building D (as its known) and the base for Building A, which was partially demolished, leaving only the first floor.

When it was introduced in March, board members expressed concern over losing some of the view from La Jolla Shores Drive, and hesitated to take the university at its word that what was being presented was what would be built.

We wanted to let you know we listened to your concerns and we believe we heard many of the comments in the room and have made modifications to the project, said Anu Delouri, UCSD assistant director for communications and community planning. Since the last time we were here, weve reduced the height of Building A (additions), reduced the length of the canopy and opened up additional ocean views.

Added Robert Cloissin, director of UCSD campus planning, After the March meeting, we met with our architect team to say what are some things we can do to reduce the scale of the project? One of the things we looked at was setting the mechanical equipment down in a certain way that is allowed us to lower the roof line by about two feet.

The canopy structure, he added, can be pulled back by some 11 feet, and a group of eucalyptus trees could be removed to open up more of a view on the other side of the facility.

Of removing the trees, Delouri said, I believe it opens up a magnificent view of the ocean.

A view, some members said, is owed to La Jolla residents. Trustee Mike Costello noted when the UCSD Marine Ecosystem Sensing, Observation and Modeling Laboratory (MESOM) was built in 2012, also located off La Jolla Shores Drive, it was constructed at a height greater than what was initially presented.

The university owes us some view back. They took views from us and did not tell us the truth. They owe us something for that, he said.

As an offer, Cloissin said he would install story poles to show height of planned work as plans get closer to construction. He also invited interested parties to participate in a walk near the site to get a better sense of the scope of work, details of which have yet to be decided.

The project must still be approved by the California Coastal Commission, but it will be discussed informally at the next meeting.

Sound wall discussion revived: Residents of Ardath Road, hoping for noise abatement from the volume of traffic on La Jolla Parkway (which runs parallel to Ardath Road), asked that the plans for a sound wall be readdressed. In 2015, plans for a sound wall extension along La Jolla Parkway made the rounds at La Jolla Community Planning groups, gaining support at La Jolla Shores Association and La Jolla Town Council, but raising eyebrows at La Jollas Traffic & Transportation board. Trustee Dolores Donovan asked that the discussion be placed on the next months agenda. A motion passed to send a letter to the City asking why it hasnt acted on the issue.

Officers re-elected: After tabling the election of officers from LJCPAs April meeting, the board individually nominated and elected a slate of officers, many of whom were re-elected. They include: Cindy Greatrex re-elected as president (who was not present at the meeting, but relayed her willingness to serve if elected), Helen Boyden re-elected as first vice president, Robert Steck re-elected as second vice president, Janie Emerson re-elected as treasurer and Dolores Donovan elected as secretary.

La Jolla Community Planning Association next meets 6 p.m. Thursday, June 1 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollcpa.org or sandiego.gov/planning/community/cpg/agendas

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La Jolla's UC San Diego downsizes Marine Conservation facility plans to add more ocean view - La Jolla Light

Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks start their defense of their WNBA Saturday when they host the Seattle Storm.

Photo By - USA Today Images

Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks start their defense of their WNBA Saturday when they host the Seattle Storm.

The WNBA tips off season No. 21 Saturday afternoon and while the league doesnt grab headlines, it can help bettors keep their bankroll growing over the summer. Here are some news and notes to help give you a head start handicapping the 2017 WNBA schedule: Futures are bright

After winning the 2016 WNBA title in buzzer-beating fashion, the Los Angeles Sparks begin the defense of their title as +170 favorite to repeat. The Sparks bring back their dominating frontcourt of 2016 WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike and 2016 WNBA Finals MVP Candace Parker, along with most of their core pieces on the perimeter. The notable exception being sharp-shooting Kristi Toliver, who signed with the Washington Mystics in the offseason.

Those odds dont mean things are going to be easy for WNBA champs, as the Minnesota Lynx want their title back. The Lynx have been an elite team in the WNBA in recent years, appearing in five of the last six WNBA finals, and winning three.

Minnesota is coming off a franchise-best 28 regular season wins and bring back their core of Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles. Brunson, Whalen and Augustus have all been in the league for over a decade and the memories of last season's heartbreaking Game 5 loss will only help motivate this veteran squad. The Lynx are currently sitting at +200 to win the title.

As far as upstarts go, the Mystics acquired arguably the best womans basketball player on the planet, Elena Delle Donne. As is with basketball, if you have the best player on the floor, you have a chance. Additions Kristi Toliver and No. 6 overall draft pick Shatori Walker-Kimbrough will add perimeter scoring. The Mystics open the season at +600 to win the title.

In the desert, the Phoenix Mercury blew up their roster, with 10 new players. The only remaining members of last year's team are superstars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, which is a pretty solid foundation. Taurasi is heading into her 13th season and needs just 178 points to become the WNBAs all-time scoring leader. The Mercury head into the season with the third-best odds to win the title at +300.

Buckets, buckets, buckets

Before the start of the 2016 WNBA season, the league introduced a new rule recommended by the Competition Committee. The 24-second shot clock would reset to 14 seconds when the offensive team maintained possession of the ball - offensive rebound or tip out of bounds. This by design, quickened the pace of play.

Scoring surged from 150.29 combined points per game in 2015 to 163.76 combined points per game last year. And books were slow to adjust, at the end of the season WNBA games finished 123-96 O/U, which is a 56 percent winning clip for Over backers.

Leading the way for Over profits were the Chicago Sky at 23-11 Over/Under (67.6 percent) followed by the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics both at 22-12 O/U (64.7 percent). The 56 percent Over rate is up from 45.5 percent in 2015 and 46.5 percent in 2014.

WNBA is in the daily fantasy game

The WNBA announced Thursday that they are partnering with FanDuel, becoming the first womens professional sports league to be available in one-day fantasy betting.

FanDuel will have the normal offerings of daily contests and offering free WNBA contests in which participants can win merchandise, courtside tickets, and other WNBA swag.

Dogs for days

The WNBA is essentially a summer job for many of its stars. Numerous womens professional basketball players, play a full season in Europe and come stateside for the summer. Overseas playoffs and international responsibilities such as EuroBasket, FIBA Asia/Americas and 2018 World Cup qualifying are going to impact WNBA rosters at various points throughout the season. Keep an eye on which teams and players will be in and out due to these prior commitments.

During the summer months, recreational bettors target the WNBA to add beef to a parlay or chase a favorite, if only because its the only option on the sheet, and that often inflates the lines on favorites, opening up value on underdogs.

The top ATS team in 2016 was the Connecticut Sun going 20-12-2 ATS (59 percent) - 10-6-1 at home and 10-6-1 on the road. That ATS success didnt translate to the standings as Connecticut finished fifth in the East and outside of the playoff picture. The San Antonio Stars finished at the bottom of the WNBA standings at 7-27 SU but went 18-15-1 ATS, including a 10-7 ATS (59 percent) record on the road.

Blinding betting the WNBA dogs proved profitable in 2016, with underdogs going 115-100-5 ATS (53.5 percent). Road teams getting the points were particularly profitable, hitting a 77-62-2 ATS mark on the year (55.4 percent).

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Four need-to-know notes for betting the 2017 WNBA season - Covers.com

This weekend, the WNBA returns and the chase of the champion Los Angeles Sparks begins.

It has been an offseason of change, both in terms of personnel and front offices. Players have retired, been traded or simply decided not to play this summer following their overseas campaigns.

Big Loss For Fever

Tamika Catchings, one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has retired, so for the first time since 2002, the Indiana Fever will not have her on the court. Catchings has moved into the club's front office.

That's not the only thing the Fever have lost. Coach Stephanie White left after two seasons to become coach at Vanderbilt. And in her place is Pokey Chapman, who spent the past six seasons coaching the Chicago Sky. Chapman led Chicago to the playoffs in each of her last four seasons.

Missing An Angel

The troubling trend of star players taking time off will impact the Atlanta Dream. Angel McCoughtry, the Olympian who has led the team for the past eight seasons, is taking off the summer to rest. At issue always is that many players go from their WNBA season to playing overseas where the money is much greater, and that eventually takes a toll. McCoughtry has hinted that she might return before the season is over, but that does not help the Dream now.

In her place, Atlanta will place more trust and responsibility in former UConn player Tiffany Hayes. Now entering her sixth season, she was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 15 points. One aspect of Hayes' game that will have to improve is her three-point shooting. She made only 27 percent in each of the last two years.

Tough Times For Chiney

The Sun took a big hit well before the season began. The team learned over the winter that its best player, Chiney Ogwumike, would miss the season because of an Achilles injury sustained in China. To compensate, coach/GM Curt Miller bolstered the roster in the offseason with trades and free agents.

But without a legitimate star presence, the Sun will need to rely on a group effort spearheaded by their backcourt of Alex Bentley, Jasmine Thomas and Rachel Banham, who is recovering from knee surgery. Up front, look for UConn grad Morgan Tuck, Jonquel Jones and Lynetta Kizer to play big roles.

Stewart Already A Star

In her rookie season out of UConn, Breanna Stewart made a huge impact on the Seattle Storm and the league. She averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 blocks.

Stewart was so good that she finished sixth in MVP voting and was the runner-up for defensive player of the year. But she is not alone on the Storm.

The backcourt will again boast Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd, who, like Stewart, garnered all-WNBA honors last season. Bird averaged a league-high 5.8 assists and shot a career-best 44.4 percent on three-pointers. She is on pace to pass Ticha Penicheiro as the league's all-time assists leader.

New Star In D.C.

Perhaps Mike Thibault finally has a team that can contend for the WNBA championship now that he has former MVP Elena Delle Donne on his side. The Mystics acquired her in a trade with the Chicago Sky.

The Mystics also signed Kristi Toliver from Los Angeles. She was a key component of Los Angeles' championship team last season. Toliver is a skilled outside shooter, which will only open more doors for Thibault's offense. Another star in the making is forward Emma Meesseman, who shot almost 45 perent from three last season.

Taurasi: History Awaits

Diana Taurasi can move to the top of two major statistical milestones this season. She is 178 points from passing Tina Thompson (7,488) as the league's all-time leading scorer. And she is six made three-pointers behind Katie Smith (906) for No. 1 all time.

This is a particularly important season for Taurasi to play at her finest because Phoenix will be without Candice Dupree (trade), DeWanna Bonner (pregnancy) and Penny Taylor (retirement).

Hard To Forget

The Minnesota Lynx lost the WNBA championship in heartbreaking fashion last season when Nneka Ogwumike made the championship-winning shot with 3.1 seconds remaining in Game 5 in October.

"It's something that I don't think you'll ever forget. All the emotions. Both teams were easily champions, just one team had to lose," Maya Moore of the Lynx told WNBA.com. "It just adds to that fire and that hunger and that little chip on the shoulder to fight to get there again."

The Lynx have played in five WNBA Finals since 2011 and won championships in 2011, 2013, 2015.

Moving On

The biggest challenge the Sky will have is figuring out how to replace Delle Donne, who averaged 21 points and has defined the franchise since 2013. She helped the Sky make the playoffs four straight seasons and the Finals in 2014. She asked the team to trade her so she could be closer to her Delaware home and the Sky accommodated with the trade to Washington.

The Sky received former UConn player Stefanie Dolson, wing Kahleah Copper and the second pick in this year's draft. Chicago took center Alaina Coates of South Carolina. But the scoring will come from the backcourt, where Cappie Pondexter, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley will combine to create the team's best position. The team also has a new coach and general manager in Amber Stocks, an assistant for the Sparks.

Charles And Company

Tina Charles led the league in scoring (21.5) and rebounding (9.9) last season and was the MVP runner-up to Nneka Ogwumike. The former UConn star also led the Liberty in assists with a career-best 3.8.

The Liberty also have a talented backcourt. Sugar Rodgers averaged 14.5 points and made 86 three-pointers. The Liberty also added former UConn player Bria Hartley from Washington, drafted Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen and welcome the return of Epiphanny Prince, who played in only six games last season.

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Getting Ready For WNBA Season With Some Major Additions, Subtractions - Hartford Courant