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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Bengals WR Jordan Shipley (torn ACL) is expected to be ready for training camp.
Shipley still doesn't have a firm return date, but has been targeting May for a return to football activities. He will be a year removed from tearing his ACL in September. The Cincinnati Enquirer expects Shipley to be the Bengals' slot receiver in 2012.
The Cincinnati Enquirer does not expect free agent Jerome Simpson back with the Bengals unless he is willing to be the team's No. 4 receiver.
Even with marijuana trafficking charges (which are not expected to produce jail time) hanging over his head, Simpson is surely thinking bigger as he prepares for free agency. Unless he generates absolutely no interest on the open market, Simpson will likely be moving on going into his age-26 season.
Cincinnati police have officially charged Bengals MLB Rey Maualuga with misdemeanor assault stemming from last weekend's bar fight.
Contacted Friday by the Associated Press, the Bengals had no comment. Maualuga allegedly struck a bar manager while fighting another man in the night club, perhaps accidentally. Either way, the citation will be frowned upon by the league after Maualuga's 2010 DUI arrest. The NFL had to fine Maualuga two game checks and strip part of his signing bonus two years ago.
The manager of a downtown Cincinnati bar alleges that he was punched by Bengals MLB Rey Maualuga during a fight last weekend.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the manager was punched while breaking up a bar fight involving Maualuga. Police are still investigating the incident, and Maualuga has not been charged for his actions. Maualuga was arrested for driving under the influence in Northern Kentucky two years ago. If alcohol was involved and Maualuga ends up being charged, he's in danger of an NFL suspension.
According to Pro Football Focus, 40 of Jermaine Gresham's 61 receptions last season were on routes run of 10 yards or less.
Gresham became the first Bengals tight end since early '80s star Dan Ross to post two seasons of 50 receptions or more, but his low yards per reception average had been a concern in Dynasty circles. PFF's metrics suggest the results are related more to scheme and play-calling than a lack of playmaking ability on Gresham's part.
Among all backs who played at least half of their team's snaps, free agent Cedric Benson tied for the lowest average in yards after contact.
Benson shared a 2.1 figure with Dexter McCluster and Chris Johnson while also tying Ryan Mathews for the NFL lead with five fumbles. He's not expected back in the Cincinnati, and will likely have to take a prove-it deal on the open market heading into his age-29 season.
Free agent Terrell Owens insisted Wednesday that he is not retired from the NFL.
T.O. recently joined the IFL's Allen Wranglers as a player and 50-percent owner. "It's a way for myself to keep in shape," said Owens, 38. "I haven't retired from the NFL. I want to play a couple more years." Owens can use his time on the indoor circuit to show teams his surgically repaired knee is healthy. We still have strong doubts that we'll see him in the big leagues again.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.